Under the Weather pt. 6

I want to thank everyone who's reading and reviewing so far. I'm so happy that you're still along to see this little fic finished despite me taking so long to get there. Every review is really appreciated (except the one that simply ordered me to "update," I can do without those kind). I hope you enjoy this next bit.

Selene

OoOoOoOoO

Very slowly he became aware of lying on a hard cold floor. "Come on, Harry, wake up," someone told him, while a hand softly shook his shoulder.

Harry opened his eyes and blinked against the light, instantly resenting whoever it was for waking him up. His head was pounding in sync with his heartbeat and he felt so exhausted he could hardly bring up the energy to shiver with the cold that permeated his body.

"All right there, Harry?" the voice asked, sounding rather concerned. Harry turned his head to look at Lupin's concerned face.

"Yeah," Harry rasped, and coughed a little to clear his throat. The boggart appeared to be back in its closet. He allowed Lupin to help him to his feet, mostly due to the fact that he didn't think he could have made it by himself, and leaned his weight against the nearest desk, wrapping his arms around himself.

"I didn't do too well, did I?" he asked, eyes cast downward.

"It's okay, Harry. We're still practising. Don't worry about it," Professor Lupin assured him, but he was eyeing Harry worriedly.

"Can I have another go, then?" said Harry, though he hardly felt able to lift his wand, let alone cast a powerful spell. He just didn't want to admit defeat this easily.

Lupin hesitated. He looked carefully at the boy standing, or rather sagging, in front of him. Harry was huddled around himself and barely seemed able to keep himself from falling flat on his face. His face was pale except for little flushed highlights on his cheeks, and his messy black hair hung damply against his forehead, for once completely covering his trademark scar.

"Have some chocolate first, Harry, then we'll see," he said, thinking he was going to cut this session short no matter how Harry argued. However, first he had to energise the boy a little, and he offered a large piece of Honeyduke's chocolate to Harry.

But Harry turned his head away from the chocolate, the edges of his mouth turning downward with distaste. "No, I'm really not hungry," he said, his voice failing him so all that came out was a whisper. He started to cough again and leant further against the desk for support.

Lupin walked over to Harry's side and kneeled down next to him. "You're not feeling too well, are you Harry?" he asked.

Harry was long past even trying to deny he wasn't alright. All he wanted was to lay his heavy, hurting head on a pillow and let the rest of the world go on without him. He nodded quietly, his vision wavering dizzily.

"How long have you been feeling ill?"

Harry shrugged a little. "Don't know… this morning, I suppose?"

Lupin placed his cool palm against Harry's forehead, and it felt so good against his burning skin that Harry gratefully leaned into the touch, closing his eyes.

Lupin frowned, feeling the heat radiate off Harry's feverish skin. "I'm afraid there will be no more practice tonight, Harry," he intoned softly. "Instead, we're going to get you into bed."

Harry was more than fine with that, and uttered a mumbled "m'Kay".

Lupin took his hand from Harry's forehead – which Harry silently bemoaned – and instead placed his arm around the ailing student, steadying the boy against him.

"Come on, then," Lupin said, helping Harry walk out the classroom. "It's not that far."

Harry wondered what the professor was getting at – after all, Gryffindor tower wasn't exactly around the corner - but he was too tired to even bother to ask, and instead he concentrated on placing one foot in front of the other, pulling his arms tightly around his chest to keep his shivering under control.

Lupin looked worriedly at the top of Harry's bent head as he guided the boy to the hospital wing, cursing himself for not taking enough notice of Harry being ill and allowing him to face a Boggart-Dementor when he wasn't up to it. What would Lily have to say about him now?

He was concentrating so much on minding Harry's step that he didn't notice the sallow Potions Master coming from the infirmary until they were nearly upon him.

"Lupin! Potter!" Snape barked. "Thick as thieves I see. Why am I not surprised?"

Harry's head snapped up, and he stepped away from Lupin's support, green eyes large in his pale face.

"Severus, if you would be so kind," Lupin said, gesturing for Snape to step out of the way to let them pass.

Snape glared at him. "I left your potion on your desk, Lupin. Don't forget it, or we'll all regret it, I'm sure."

"I won't," Lupin said evenly, keeping his calm even though for once he was really feeling the urge to sock the sour man a good one to get him out of the way and Harry into a bed.

"And you, Potter," Snape sneered, turning on Harry, "remember you have a detention to serve with me tonight!"

Harry groaned silently to himself, having completely forgotten about his detention. How was he ever going to get through it? He panicked slightly when he found he could hardly keep his eyes open, let alone walk all the way to the dungeons and do whatever it was that Snape would want him to do – something like skinning a barrel full of poisonous beetles or the like. Spots danced before his eyes. He brought his fingers to his forehead and wavered on his feet.

Lupin hurriedly reached over to him and pulled him against his side, steadying him again. Harry gratefully leaned his weight against Lupin, burying his face against the warm folds of his robe, not caring about his dignity anymore.

"I'm afraid Harry won't be making it to your detention tonight, Severus," Lupin intoned shortly. "He will be spending the night in the hospital wing instead. Perhaps you can reschedule the detention to next week?" It wasn't really a question.

Snape's face turned decidedly red. "I know you people are like two peas in a pod, Lupin," he growled, "but don't let the little troublemaker fool you. He's probably faking illness just to get out of detention. Aren't you, Potter?" he snapped at the silent boy.

Normally Harry would rise indignantly against such an accusation, crying out that he wasn't a liar, but the fact was that he wasn't even listening to his potions professor. Eyes closed and snuggled against Lupin's warmth, he was practically dozing standing up.

"I'm afraid you're wrong, Severus," said Lupin, feeling Harry leaning steadily heavier on his arm until he was sure it was the only thing keeping the boy on his feet. He would not stand for any more delays. "And Harry is going no where else but the hospital wing. Now, if you could kindly get out of the way..."

Snape scowled, but he eyed the boy more closely, noting the paleness of his face and the high flush of fever on his cheeks, and grunted something Lupin didn't quite catch. But at last he stepped aside and stalked past them, muttering that he didn't care if Potter spent the night in the hospital wing, but he could serve two detentions next week to make up for it.

Lupin paid no attention to Snape and instead looked down at Harry, wondering if he hadn't fallen asleep right there.

He bent over and pulled the boy up in his arms, cradling him against his chest and carrying him the rest of the way into the hospital wing. Harry murmured something, but otherwise settled in the embrace, resting his head against Lupin's shoulder.

Lupin pushed the infirmary door open with his hip and walked inside. Madame Pomfrey was tending to one of the students in one of the left-hand beds, but looked up as she heard the door open. Catching his eye, she nodded and finished up helping the girl in the bed take a potion that set her ears smoking.

Hurrying over, she caught eye of who it was Lupin was carrying.

"Potter is it?" she said, sounding slightly harassed. "Did he fall of his broom again? No? Was it those Dementors again? Attacked by chimaeras, perhaps? Pushed down the stairs by a Warlock..." She gasped, having thought of the real danger, and asked in a breathless whisper: "Was it Sirius Black?"

Lupin blanched despite himself. "No, nothing like that" he said. "He wasn't feeling very well; looked ready to topple over, really, so I thought to bring him here." He looked down at the limp body in his arms. "Um, then he fell asleep on the way over."

"Oh," Madame Pomfrey said, deflating a little, but looking relieved. "Bring him over here." She pointed to a bed on Lupin's right.

"You have to excuse me," she told Lupin while pulling back the covers. "He ends up here so often in the most bizarre circumstances, that mostly I don't know what to expect."

"So I've heard," Lupin said, smiling to show that he hadn't taken offence. "The stories that circle in the teacher's lounge are quite amazing." He carefully placed Harry on the bed. The boy didn't really wake, just snuggled into the pillow and emitted a little humming sound.

"Hmm," Madame Pomfrey intoned, busily checking out her patient. She felt Harry's flushed skin, waved her wand over his chest and head, and scrutinised the sparkles that erupted from its tip.

"It's the flu," she told Lupin finally. "Most of the students who are staying this night suffer from the same affliction. It seems to be that time of year, again."

Relieved that it wasn't anything more serious – not that he'd been expecting it, but in the Wizarding World you never knew – Lupin nodded, reassured.

"I'll give him some pepper-up against the symptoms," Madame Pomfrey started listing her remedial actions, "and add some potions against headaches and nausea just in case. Also, he needs something against that fever he's sporting, as it seems to be a tad on the high side right now."

Lupin frowned a little, not liking what he was hearing.

"No worries," Madame Pomfrey told him, noticing. "Often fevers will rise at night to come down again in the morning. And I have excellent fever-reducing potions, courtesy of our Potions Master. In fact, Professor Snape has just been by to replenish the stock."

"Ah, yes," Lupin said, not really knowing how to respond to this and not feeling up to any kind remarks about his old antagonist after the unpleasant run in they'd just had. Then he remembered his own potion, waiting for him on his desk.

"Will Harry be all right then?" he asked the nurse.

"Yes, yes," she bustled, summoning the potions from her cabinet and deftly mixing them together. "He might have a bit of a rough night, but Potter will most likely join his fellow Gryffindors again in a day or two or three. He'll be back in class in no time, Professor Lupin."

"Remus if you will, Madame Pomfrey," Remus told her.

"Ah, of course, Remus," Madame Pomfrey said, blushing a little now. "You may call me Poppy of course."

"Thank you, Poppy." Remus said kindly, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she said, turning to lift a watering can to a glass from the bedside table.

Before Lupin left – thinking he should make a detour past McGonegall's private chambers and Gryffindor tower to let the Head of House and Harry's friends know where the boy was staying –he cast a final look down at his friends' son. With his eyes closed and the fringe covering his scar, the boy looked more like his father than ever. Of course, in his right mind Remus would never be able to mistake the two, but it was close enough that a sharp pain of longing and grief shot through his heart. He reached and brushed the damp snarls of hair back from the hot forehead.

"Sleep well, Harry. I'll come and see you tomorrow."

TBC