OMAGOSH! I didn't put in a disclaimer for this yet. OK. Bare with me, folks. Here we go.
Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter series (hereafter known as 'legal property) are the sole ownership of J. K. Rowling (hereafter known as 'owner of said legal property'). No infringement on any copyright of owner of said legal property of the legal property is knowingly intended. Published by author (hereafter known as 'other') for entertainment purposes only. No monetary or personal gain was knowingly made by other with the publication of this story, which was based on ideas and characters created by owner of said legal property as they pertain to legal property. No plagiarism of legal property or of any ideas of the owner of said legal property was knowingly intended by other. This statement is fully transferable and is legally held binding for all chapters of the story Fever as they are presented under different chapter headings and titles for individual chapters.
A/N: A little something different this time. You have two separate view points in this story. Sirius' and Harry's. ******* indicates the change of view point.
Chapter Two: Home Sweet Home
Several hours later and a lot of careful moving about under the cover of darkness, with Harry in his arms wrapped in a blanket, Sirius finally stood in the open living area of the Shrieking Shack.
"Well," Lupin said with a pleased smile, "it's good to know that this old place will serve another as well as it served me."
"Are you sure this will be safe, Remus?" Sirius asked worriedly as he looked about.
"Absolutely. And it's perfect. No one would think to look for anyone here. And Harry can have all the comforts of home."
Sirius sighed as he looked about again. "It'll need some cleaning up."
"Give you something to do."
Sirius hugged Harry a bit closer to him. "I have something to do."
"Indeed. And you can start by getting him up to bed."
Sirius headed up the stairs with Harry, carefully trying not to jar his body any with each step. Harry had, in fact, made very little sound the last hour. Now he simply lay limply in Sirius' arms, his head resting against his chest.
Lupin followed behind Sirius, stepping into the upstairs bedroom behind them. Sirius paused in the doorway. This was the same bedroom where he had met face to face with his godson for the first time. The memory brought a sad smile to Sirius' lips. The events seemed an absolute lifetime ago.
The same four poster bed was there, cover in the same comforter and the same layer of dust. In fact, the entire room was positively coated in a thick layer of the stuff.
Sirius gestured slightly to the room. "Remus, could you do something to tidy up a bit please before I put Harry to bed?"
"My pleasure." Lupin pulled his wand out and waved it in a tight circle over his head, then pointed it towards the bed.
The effect was as though a small, compact twister had suddenly flared up in the center of the room. Dust and dirt created a thin haze as it was all swept up into the cyclone, which became darker and larger with the more debris it picked up. Finally, when the wind seemed to have done it's work, Lupin banished it out a window with a flick of his wrist. The twister instantly dissolved outside in the cool night air and the debris scattered to the gentle evening breeze.
Left behind was a perfectly dust and dirt free room. The whole of it looked as though it had just had the cleaning of it's life. Not a single spec of dust rose from the comforter as Sirius pulled back the cover and gently laid Harry under it. To his relief Harry gave a soft moan, but then seemed to settle peacefully back to sleep.
Sirius laid a hand on Harry's forehead. "Remus, he's burning up with fever."
"Not to worry. I have a potion back at my house that should help with that. Ministry is probably done there by now. I just wanted to make sure you were settled before I left."
"We'll need some food as well." Sirius added quickly. "And cloths and..."
Lupin quickly waved Sirius to a halt before he really got going on his list. "I've already been putting a list together, Sirius." He told his friend. "I'll go home now and get the potion for the fever. In the morning I'll go to Diagon Alley and pick up what's needed, take it to the castle, and bring it all back tomorrow afternoon through the secret passage."
"Why not just pick everything up in Hogsmeade? It's just down the road."
"Because it'll be a lot less conspicuous shopping in Diagon Alley. I'm known in Hogsmeade from when I taught that year at Hogwarts. I don't want anyone to get even remotely suspicious why I'm back and buying a load of supplies."
Sirius nodded in agreement as he turned back to Harry.
"It'll take a few minutes to brew the potion. Just try and keep him comfortable. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Sirius did what he could while Lupin was gone. But in a house that hadn't seen any occupants in years, there wasn't a lot to work with.
Lupin had managed to find an old, chipped basin in the kitchen and a tattered towel. He filled the basin from the sink in the kitchen, then took everything back to Harry's room. He watched for a short while as Sirius used the towel to wipe the cool water over Harry's face, arms, and chest. They had opened the widows as well, allowing the cool night air into the room.
Sirius became increasingly worried as Harry's fever continued to climb. Lupin tried to remain calm over the situation, inwardly promising himself the first thing he would do in the morning was go to see Madam Pomfrey if things didn't improve. Once the situation was explained to her, surely she would agree to help without endangering anyone involved.
A soft moan snapped Lupin out of his thoughts.
*****************
Harry stirred slightly. It was so hot. Why was it so hot in the cupboard? He turned slightly and barely opened one eye. But he quickly closed it again in reaction to a bright light that assaulted his vision and hurt his head when he looked at it. He brought a hand up, trying to shield his eyes, but found moving hurt too much. So he settled for simply turning his head away from the light. That hurt too, but not as much.
"Harry?"
His voice was back. And for some reason it brought with it more comfort than anything he could imagine at that moment.
"Harry? Can you hear me?"
He had to answer. But all he could manage for sound was a soft moan. He could feel something wet on his face. But the water wasn't cool. It was hot. And it moved in lines down his cheeks. He suddenly realized he was crying. And even though it hurt as the sobs rattled in his chest, he couldn't stop. Crying felt good somewhere deeper than the pain reached.
A pair of arms wrapped themselves about him. Harry slowly ventured opening one eye again. This time all he could see was darkness.
"Harry?" The voice called again. It was soft and comforting, but filled with concern.
A cool, wet cloth wiped across his face, taking his tears with it. But fresh ones soon replaced them.
Harry turned his head a little to the direction the voice had come from. With a happy type of bewilderment, he found himself staring into the worried face of his beloved godfather. Harry clutched at his godfather's robes, fearing if he didn't hold on tight enough, the dream would slip away from him.
"Sir...Sirius?"
Sirius smiled down at his godson. "Well, that's encouraging. You recognize me."
Nothing but confusion showed on Harry's face. "Sirius?"
"It's all right now, Harry." His godfather whispered to him gently, caressing a hand over his bruised face. "You're perfectly safe now. No one's going to hurt you anymore."
The tears came back in a flood this time. Harry buried his face deep within Sirius' robes, sobbing uncontrollably.
Sirius held his godson's shaking body in his arms. "It's all right, Harry." He whispered in his ear. "You go ahead and have a good cry. Heaven knows you're entitled."
Harry cried himself into exhaustion, finally falling asleep in Sirius' arms.
*******************
When Lupin arrived back at the house later that night, Harry was still sleeping peacefully in Sirius' arms.
"Someone looks comfortable." Lupin stated softly as he crept into the room and sat slowly down on the opposite side of the bed, carefully holding a cup in his hand.
"Didn't start out that way." Sirius replied.
"Oh?"
Sirius shook his head as he nudged his godson. "Harry. Wake up. See whose come to pay a visit."
Harry stirred, turning slightly with Sirius' help until his gaze fell on Lupin.
"Hello, Harry." Lupin managed a friendly smile. "How are you feeling?"
Harry only moaned and turned back to the comfort of his godfather's embrace, burying his face in his robes.
"That good?"
"Did you bring the potion?" Sirius asked, directing Lupin's questioning away from Harry.
"What?" Lupin asked. But then he caught the expression on Sirius' face. "Oh. That. Yes. I brought a small kettle of it. I left the rest downstairs. He'll need to take it about every six hours, although he should start to feel better after the first cupful."
Sirius looked at the goblet, which was filled with a pale green liquid.
"Looks horrible."
Lupin huffed at Sirius' declaration. "I'll have you know I worked especially hard to give it a pleasant flavor. Should taste something like mint. Harry likes mint."
"Says who?" Sirius asked as he took the cup from Lupin.
"Everyone likes mint."
Sirius carefully lifted the cup to Harry's lips and gently nudged a little of the liquid against his lips. Just enough to wet them with the potion.
"Try that for me, Harry." He said softly, gently prodding his godson as he turned his eyes to Lupin. "Prove to the stupid old wolf not everyone likes the taste of mint."
********************
Harry felt something cool and wet against his lips and felt the strong pungent aroma of mint suddenly work its way up his nose until it felt like it was burning in his sinuses. As hot as he was, and feeling like he was dieing of thirst, Harry suddenly pulled back from the goblet at his lips.
'Poison!'
Something in his mind screamed the word at him.
'Don't take it.' The little voice whispered urgently. 'It'll kill you if you do. Don't let them give it to you. Tell Sirius its poison. He'll understand.'
Harry sputtered against the liquid on his lips and spit it back out.
"Poison." He whispered hoarsely.
***********************
Sirius couldn't help but laugh softly at the reaction Lupin's potion got from his godson. And he could barely contain himself at Harry's decision about the contents of the cup.
Lupin's brow furrowed in disappointment. "Well, it doesn't change the fact he has to take it still."
Sirius whispered gently to Harry as he placed the cup against his lips again.
"All right. We've had our fun with Lupin. Time to take your medicine, Harry."
Harry turned his head away from the cup.
"Harry, you have to take it." Sirius urged him. "You want to get well, don't you?"
***********************
The cooling liquid was back against his lips.
'Poison.' his mind cried again.
Harry tried to move his head. To evade the cup. But no matter how hard it seemed to him that he tried, nothing worked. So, exhausted and sleepy, he gave in and let the liquid be poured into his mouth.
For poison it wasn't so bad, he told himself. It cooled his throat as it went down. Inch by inch the liquid seemed to followed a path through his body, extinguishing the fire as it went. Harry relaxed back in Sirius' arms and let out a contented sigh.
********************
"Well, someone sounds happy." Lupin said with a smile.
Harry turned slightly, focusing his vision on Lupin.
"Professor Lupin?"
"Excellent." Lupin exclaimed. "Ten points for Gryffindor."
Harry managed a small smile at the joke. But within seconds it started to fade. Something felt wrong. Very wrong, as a matter of fact. Harry groped about for Sirius' hand, squeezing it as tightly in his as he could.
Sirius turned quickly to his godson in response to the pressure on his hand.
"Harry?"
*****************
Harry could feel something happening. The relief that the potion had brought to his body was rapidly disappearing.
Tracing the same path, a heat was building in his body. One that felt worse than the fever had. It coursed slowly through his arms and torso, up to his head and finally moving through his legs.
Harry felt as though he had been plugged into fire and was slowly burning. He cried out and grabbed Sirius' hand harder.
****************************
Sirius turned a worried stare to Lupin.
"What's wrong?" He asked, his expression building into a rapid panic as Harry cried out, squeezing his hand in a grip Sirius doubted he had been capable of. "Lupin, he's in pain. And he's suddenly burning up again."
Lupin reached over and laid a hand on Harry's forehead. His brow was already covered in a light sweat.
"That shouldn't be." Lupin muttered. "The fever is back. And it feels worse than it was. But the potion should have taken care of that."
"Then the potion was defective." Sirius stated, sounding harsher than he intended. But in his embrace he could feel the heat rising in Harry's body, and he had no idea how to help his godson. He turned panic stricken to Lupin. "Remus, we have to do something."
Lupin turned his eyes to his friend. "I'm not a doctor, Sirius. And that's what we need right now. And I only know one who would come who we could trust."
Sirius stared at him. A moment's indecision flashed across his face as he weighed other possible options. But Harry twisted slightly in his arms and cried out again, his grip increasing around Sirius' hand.
Sirius brushed a hand across his godson's forehead, then turned back to Lupin. "Then hurry." He whispered.
