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When Harry woke up, it was still dark outside. He was lying comfortably in Sirius's arms and his godfather was sleeping soundly. For a moment, he wondered why he had woken up, there didn't seem to be any reason, but then he felt it again. His stomach had started to hurt, and he had a big urge to throw up. Quickly, he slipped out of Sirius's arms and silently ran to the bathroom. He reached it just in time. He threw up everything he had eaten that day, and finally slumped on the floor, shivering from head to toe. Harry curled up in a small ball, tears began to leak from his eyes slowly, he was feeling cold and he had the irresistible urge to just start crying. He tried to fight it, as he did every time, but to no avail, he was exhausted and he just wanted to cry. So he did.
Sirius had been sleeping peacefully, but he was startled awake when he heard a faint sound. Years of hiding from the ministry had made him a light sleeper so he was immediately awake. He began to grow worried when he didn't see Harry lying next to him. He stood up and put on a night robe. He had identified the sound as crying and quickly made his way to it. The bathroom was dark, but Sirius knew the sound came from there. He switched the light on and frowned worriedly at the sight. With a few large steps, he had reached the crying child and put a hand against the burning cheek.
"Harry? Can you hear me child?"
Harry opened his eyes and stared at Sirius, his tears slowing down a bit. Immediately he stretched out his arms, in a demand to be picked up and Sirius did so. The man cradled the small figure of his godson to his chest. He could feel the unnatural warmth emanating from the kid and his gaze became even more concerned. Looking around, Sirius went to flush the wc and then picked up a washcloth. Harry was still crying, his head now buried in the man's shoulder and Sirius could feel him shiver from the high fever. The man wetted the cloth in cold water and turned his attention to his godson.
"Harry?"
The child wrapped his arms tighter around his neck, but refused to look up. Sighing, Sirius walked up to his room, he didn't know what he should do with an ill child, it had been many years since he had been ill and he barely remembered what his mother usually did. He knew he had to get the kid's fever down, that was almost common sense but otherwise he was clueless. Making a quick decision, he pounded on Remus's door before continuing to his own. Once in his room he moved to the bed and bent down, planning on putting Harry down, so he would be more comfortable, but the kid had other plans.
"Harry, please, let go of my neck, you will be more comfortable lying down in a warm bed."
But Harry just cried harder. "NO!"
"Kid, please, I can't help you if you don't let go of me for a moment."
"NO!"
A sleepy voice came from the door. "What's going on, Padfoot?"
Sirius looked at him, a frustrated look etching his features, while he once again wrapped his arms around the kid. "Harry's ill, Moony, I wanted to put him in bed so I could try and get down his fever, but he refuses to let go of my neck."
Remus looked at it all in mild amusement, he was worried about Harry, but the sight of his friend with a clinging child was funny. Sirius noticed, and his next words were sharp, making Harry cry louder. "Instead of laughing at me, why don't you help out?" Then he turned to Harry. "Please, kid, stop crying, I didn't mean to sound angry, come one, baby."
Harry completely ignored him and continued to cry. Remus shook his head and moved to them. He gently placed a hand on Harry's cheek, since his forehead was buried in Sirius's shoulder, and then frowned.
"We certainly need to get that fever down, Sirius."
The other man looked completely exasperated. "I already told you that, but how? I can't cool him down if he's clinging to me like this."
Remus chuckled lightly. "Why don't you two go have a shower? Or even better, take a bath. Remember the water can't be too warm, but also not too cold."
Sirius stared at him for a moment. "You want us to have a bath together?"
Remus rolled his eyes. "Yes, Padfoot, that's what I said. And stop looking at me like that, he's five, remember? It's not like he will be embarrassed about it."
Sirius sighed, his friend had a point, of course. "Oh, ok."
Remus smiled. "While you're at it, I'm going to sent an owl to Madam Pomfrey, see if she can come by at the morning."
Remus left the room, Sirius looked at the child in his arms and moved to the bathroom again. In a few minutes he had filled the tub with water and turned his attention to the clinging child.
"Harry, we're going to take a bath now, can you let go of me enough time for me to take of our clothes."
All his answer was a tightening of the kid's arms around his neck. Without saying anything else, Sirius drew his wand and muttered a few words. His and Harry's clothes were instantly removed and the man carefully stepped into the water. He lay down in the water, as comfortably as he could, making sure to keep Harry's head out of the water, and then began to pass a washcloth over Harry's hair, wetting it. The kid shivered even more.
"It's cold."
He answered with a soft voice, never stopping wetting the child's hair. "I know, baby, but that's what you need right now, you've a fever."
"Aunt Petunia never cared."
Sirius bit his lip, trying to control his anger at those words. "I know, child, but I'm not her, am I?"
Harry relaxed against him, letting his grip become looser. "No, Daddy."
Sirius heard the tired voice and smiled fondly down at the raven-haired head. "Why don't you try to sleep, kid? I'm not going anywhere."
Harry made a small sound, which Sirius interpreted as a yes. The man stayed still, lightly stroking the boy's head, while he felt Harry's breath become even.
To be continued.
A/N: Thanks for all reviews.
Free.
When Harry woke up, it was still dark outside. He was lying comfortably in Sirius's arms and his godfather was sleeping soundly. For a moment, he wondered why he had woken up, there didn't seem to be any reason, but then he felt it again. His stomach had started to hurt, and he had a big urge to throw up. Quickly, he slipped out of Sirius's arms and silently ran to the bathroom. He reached it just in time. He threw up everything he had eaten that day, and finally slumped on the floor, shivering from head to toe. Harry curled up in a small ball, tears began to leak from his eyes slowly, he was feeling cold and he had the irresistible urge to just start crying. He tried to fight it, as he did every time, but to no avail, he was exhausted and he just wanted to cry. So he did.
Sirius had been sleeping peacefully, but he was startled awake when he heard a faint sound. Years of hiding from the ministry had made him a light sleeper so he was immediately awake. He began to grow worried when he didn't see Harry lying next to him. He stood up and put on a night robe. He had identified the sound as crying and quickly made his way to it. The bathroom was dark, but Sirius knew the sound came from there. He switched the light on and frowned worriedly at the sight. With a few large steps, he had reached the crying child and put a hand against the burning cheek.
"Harry? Can you hear me child?"
Harry opened his eyes and stared at Sirius, his tears slowing down a bit. Immediately he stretched out his arms, in a demand to be picked up and Sirius did so. The man cradled the small figure of his godson to his chest. He could feel the unnatural warmth emanating from the kid and his gaze became even more concerned. Looking around, Sirius went to flush the wc and then picked up a washcloth. Harry was still crying, his head now buried in the man's shoulder and Sirius could feel him shiver from the high fever. The man wetted the cloth in cold water and turned his attention to his godson.
"Harry?"
The child wrapped his arms tighter around his neck, but refused to look up. Sighing, Sirius walked up to his room, he didn't know what he should do with an ill child, it had been many years since he had been ill and he barely remembered what his mother usually did. He knew he had to get the kid's fever down, that was almost common sense but otherwise he was clueless. Making a quick decision, he pounded on Remus's door before continuing to his own. Once in his room he moved to the bed and bent down, planning on putting Harry down, so he would be more comfortable, but the kid had other plans.
"Harry, please, let go of my neck, you will be more comfortable lying down in a warm bed."
But Harry just cried harder. "NO!"
"Kid, please, I can't help you if you don't let go of me for a moment."
"NO!"
A sleepy voice came from the door. "What's going on, Padfoot?"
Sirius looked at him, a frustrated look etching his features, while he once again wrapped his arms around the kid. "Harry's ill, Moony, I wanted to put him in bed so I could try and get down his fever, but he refuses to let go of my neck."
Remus looked at it all in mild amusement, he was worried about Harry, but the sight of his friend with a clinging child was funny. Sirius noticed, and his next words were sharp, making Harry cry louder. "Instead of laughing at me, why don't you help out?" Then he turned to Harry. "Please, kid, stop crying, I didn't mean to sound angry, come one, baby."
Harry completely ignored him and continued to cry. Remus shook his head and moved to them. He gently placed a hand on Harry's cheek, since his forehead was buried in Sirius's shoulder, and then frowned.
"We certainly need to get that fever down, Sirius."
The other man looked completely exasperated. "I already told you that, but how? I can't cool him down if he's clinging to me like this."
Remus chuckled lightly. "Why don't you two go have a shower? Or even better, take a bath. Remember the water can't be too warm, but also not too cold."
Sirius stared at him for a moment. "You want us to have a bath together?"
Remus rolled his eyes. "Yes, Padfoot, that's what I said. And stop looking at me like that, he's five, remember? It's not like he will be embarrassed about it."
Sirius sighed, his friend had a point, of course. "Oh, ok."
Remus smiled. "While you're at it, I'm going to sent an owl to Madam Pomfrey, see if she can come by at the morning."
Remus left the room, Sirius looked at the child in his arms and moved to the bathroom again. In a few minutes he had filled the tub with water and turned his attention to the clinging child.
"Harry, we're going to take a bath now, can you let go of me enough time for me to take of our clothes."
All his answer was a tightening of the kid's arms around his neck. Without saying anything else, Sirius drew his wand and muttered a few words. His and Harry's clothes were instantly removed and the man carefully stepped into the water. He lay down in the water, as comfortably as he could, making sure to keep Harry's head out of the water, and then began to pass a washcloth over Harry's hair, wetting it. The kid shivered even more.
"It's cold."
He answered with a soft voice, never stopping wetting the child's hair. "I know, baby, but that's what you need right now, you've a fever."
"Aunt Petunia never cared."
Sirius bit his lip, trying to control his anger at those words. "I know, child, but I'm not her, am I?"
Harry relaxed against him, letting his grip become looser. "No, Daddy."
Sirius heard the tired voice and smiled fondly down at the raven-haired head. "Why don't you try to sleep, kid? I'm not going anywhere."
Harry made a small sound, which Sirius interpreted as a yes. The man stayed still, lightly stroking the boy's head, while he felt Harry's breath become even.
To be continued.
A/N: Thanks for all reviews.