AN: Okay, so, fair warning. Short chapter. In my defense, there's not a lot going on right now. Harri's still sick, and in no shape to even get out of bed much les get in another fight or adventure. So...yeah.
Anyway, enjoy! Please review!
PS. Would someone PLEASE just give some feedback on my Dragon Raja story on AO3?! Seriously, I've gotten nothing and its kinda annoying when nobody gives you any opinions or constructive criticism about characters or storyline or anything at all. Its called 'The Black Swan Bay Sisters' if anyone's interested.
Severus lets the Purging Potion be, having just finished the latest step before it has to wait for an hour, and asks "Something happened, I take it?"
Tom nods, having gone all the way down to the Potions lab to put some distance between a sleeping Harri and himself - Occluding what she's feeling is nigh-on impossible right now, since she's not even remotely capable of any sort of Occlumency right now so its all hitting him every bit as much as she's feeling it. "Well, Harri woke up, decided to lock herself in her bathroom for an undetermined reason, then tried to prove she was well enough to walk after she couldn't even open her eyes until I picked her up." He's pretty sure those struggles were fueled by nothing but adrenaline and stubbornness, after all.
Severus groans, and says "I forgot, Potter has never been a good patient. I've had no end of Poppy complaining to me about her stubbornness over the years, saying she'd insist on being alright if she had a broken arm."
In fact, she actually tried that, back in her second year - Lockhart, for better or worse, failed to listen yet again and Vanished the bones in her arm despite her protests.
At Tom's raised eyebrow, Severus adds "If she can walk, she'll insist she's alright. Poppy came to me asking for Sleeping Draughts back in her first year because Potter was Magically Exhausted yet insisted she was perfectly fine. Tried to leave the Hospital Wing when she could barely stand without swaying, there was no way she would've made it up a single flight of stairs much less to Gryffindor Tower." He's convinced the only reason she didn't put up any kind of argument back in Second Year was because it was her dominant arm that the bones had been vanished from. And he's also convinced Lockhart paid the price for his stupidity when he somehow ingested Skele-grow in his Pumpkin Juice the morning after Harri was released from the Hospital Wing. Its rather likely Harri was feeling like some retribution.
Tom pinches the bridge of his nose - yes, that sounds about right for Harri. "Note to self," he mutters, "set a House Elf that's not Dobby to watch her at all times until this ends. She's sleeping now, I didn't leave until she finally fell asleep and Nagini stayed behind, but chances are she'll try very hard to leave once more." And Dobby, while fanatically loyal to Harri, would have to obey her should she order him to get her out of here. He's going to have to invent a Ward to keep House Elves from leaving, it seems.
Severus nods, and says "That is rather likely. Might I ask, though, what your doing down here?" His Lord knows far better than to disturb him while he works on Potions, as he's usually got four going at once.
Tom rubs his temples, and says "Trying to Occlude Harri. Distance helps, takes the edge off everything she's feeling." Because she's feeling like she got run over by a vicious case of the flu. Repeatedly.
Or possibly poisoning.
Add in mystery-pain that can only be from the Potions in her system, and its no real wonder why she was snapping and snarling at Draco - the unfortunate teen was the easiest target for Harri's embarrassed reaction, and the result was him all but getting his head bitten off.
Her stinging pride is probably the only thing she has left to hold onto, at this point, and Tom can only sympathize with that - had it been him treated like a helpless child…well, it wouldn't have been pretty. Matter of fact, he would've gone curse-happy for the perceived humiliation.
Severus hums, and says "Well, I've got fifty minutes before the next stage of this Potion, my Lord. Shall we get something to eat?"
Tom nods, after downing a Nausea Potion for himself - ten minutes ago, he'd have been sick at the very thought of food. After a minute of the Nausea Potion doing its job, food is sounding much more appealing. Maybe Harri can handle some tea, with something in it to settle her stomach - he happens to know Ginger works well for that.
Something for a bit after he's eaten - he'd really rather not be sick himself after eating, even if it is an echo of what Harri's feeling. The unfortunate thing about echoes…they get louder the closer you are to the source, so he's got first-hand knowledge of exactly what Harri's feeling. It works all too well in gaining her his sympathy, among other things.
Its just after he's finished eating that Hedwig suddenly appears, taking him back to Harri once more without so much as a moment's warning - this might be payback for the Cup, but he's not sure. That thought gets pushed aside for now when he sees Harri - she's not awake, just trapped in a nightmare with green Phoenix Fire burning around her as she struggles and cries out.
Quickly casting a few Charms on himself so he doesn't burn - including his clothes - he picks her up and holds her, murmuring "Calm down, Harri. Its not real, just a fever dream."
It takes a minute for her to stop struggling, her cries subsiding into whimpers about her uncle and 'she didn't do it' - she seems to settle into an uneasy doze, not quite asleep but far from awake. The fires die down, thankfully, as she does, and Tom sighs in relief.
Settling in more comfortably, instead of just sitting down as quickly as possible, Tom murmurs "That's not magic you can afford to lose, Harri." He presses a hand to her cheek, and adds "And your burning up again."
One step forward, two steps back, it seems...
He quickly Conjures a bowl, and fills it with water before glancing at Hedwig. The Ice Phoenix is back in the same position she was in when he first found them, tailfeather's splayed out over Harri in an attempt to cool her down. "Hedwig, would you mind?"
Hedwig nods, and dips the tip of one feather into the bowl - it doesn't quite freeze the water entirely, but turns it into an ice-cold slush similar to snow. Perfect.
Harri starts struggling at the first brush of the cold rag on her face, so he just adjusts his grip and waits for her to settle. Tom's noticed a trend by now - Harri panics when something starts happening, obviously thinking whoever it is will hurt her, but settles after a bit when nothing actually harms her. The fever-induced headache she's got isn't helping matters though, he's sure.
Sure enough, Harri stops struggling after a bit and seems to fall into a doze. Right up until Tom puts the cold cloth on the back of her neck, at which point she lets out a whine and blindly reaches for it. And for the next rag he Conjures and places on her forehead.
Tom just catches her wrist gently, saying "No, Harri, leave them be."
To his utter shock, she slurs out "'S cold…"
Tom tucks her hand back under the covers, saying "They'll keep your fever down, Harri. Just go back to sleep now, I'll wake you when its time for you to eat something. Unless your hungry now?"
Harri, in response, just attempts to turn on her side once more towards Hedwig. He'll take that as a no.
Still, he can tell its going to be a long few days before that Purging Potion is ready.
As if to prove him right, Harri takes a few sips of Ginger tea before curling up again and refusing to even look at it again. And no amount of coaxing will get her to even glance at the light broth they'd been hoping she'd be able to keep down.
Its going to be a long, LONG few days until that Potion is ready.