Harry POV
Harry sighed and began grabbing Draco's luggage. He had no idea what Ginny was thinking!
He turned to the younger, giving her a tired look, not wanting to glare at her. "Ginny. What was all that? Draco hadn't done anything to you."
Said girl huffed and turned her head. Harry wasn't aware of the eyebrow raise from one of the smartest girls in school as he had said Draco's first name.
"What's the big deal? Can he even feel it? I mean, it was all broken and bent." Ron added. Ron was an idiot, they knew so he must not have thought.
Hermoine sighed, putting her fingertips to her head. "Both of you wouldn't know, but long tails are sensitive. Most of the time we can't control them either, since they react with what we're feeling. He had considerable restraint though. I know your grip Ginny and you weren't going easy." Hermoine glared.
Ginny sat straighter. "Why do you care, Hermoine? He's berated you over and over through the years. He has with my family and even Harry! He just swiped at him too even though Harry was trying to help. So why am I the one in trouble?"
The three sitting jumped when they heard a sudden cracking of wood. Harry startled and looked down to the case he had been grabbing. His grip had gotten so tight he broke the suitcase, a large dent of splintered wood as the aftermath.
Harry tried swallowing the scratchy lump of anger in his throat.
Ginny looked to him and piped up. "You agree right, Harry? I know I should've let go but he was being rude by eyeing you like he was. Did none of you see the looks he was giving me as well?"
All Harry could think, was that someone he cared for hurt his mate. He knew it'd look odd and shatter whatever barrier he and Draco put in front of themselves if he spoke of it. He tried to calm himself.
Draco...was acting odd. He was quieter than usual, his tail wrapped protectively around his shins. He remembered a time when they first found shelter, back then. A thunder storm had rolled in and Draco had made himself smaller, wrapping whatever he could around himself and burying his head.
Draco was doing that when they came in too. Something had happened before the tail grabbing. What, was the question Harry wanted to know.
He did notice the gentleness Hermoine showed to him and felt happy. He had to control his face from breaking out into a giant grin when he heard Draco compliment her hair, no tone of insult in sight.
Then, Ginny had been clingy as of late. Since she was Ron's sister and he had friendliness towards her family, he put up with it.
For a bit, while they were being loud, Harry had thought Draco was falling asleep. His eyes had drooped and at some point closed. That wasn't the case with how fast he lashed out once Ginny, for some fucking reason, decided to grab his tail and yank on it.
Hermoine was right though. Draco showed considerable restraint. Why, Harry would've had to ask.
He shook his head, leaving his thoughts.
"What you did wasn't right, Ginny. His tail was damaged before and then you agitate it, or worse, by grabbing it. You think I'm going to be mad at him for lashing out in pain?"
Ginny looked almost shocked that Harry didn't agree. "Why are you taking his side? He's a Malfoy!" She was close to yelling and Harry knew something bad would happen if he didn't get away.
He grabbed the heavy luggage, though he held it like it weighed nothing and pushed it out the cubby. "I'm bringing these to him. He might need something."
He didn't even wait for a response.
He had hoped the walk down the train would help him cool off. He was pretty sure, it didn't work.
He opened his Pop's cubby slowly, in case Draco was sleeping.
His Pop was reading a book, sitting next to the seats Draco was laying out on. Harry felt a fondness bloom as he saw his Pop pull the thin blanket over Draco more. The feline having fallen asleep.
"He's...alright, I suppose. I slipped a muscle relaxer in his tea to help with the muscles constricting around the tail and it must have made him pass out. He called your Dad an idiot." His Pop said, going to sit on the seat opposite Draco. He was laughing, thinking what Draco said was funny.
Harry quietly came in, trying to gently put the cases above them without waking Draco.
"I'm surprised even with a muscle relaxant he fell asleep." He wanted to so badly pet him.
He heard his Pop chuckle. "I bet if you moved him to your lap, you wouldn't be taking much space."
Harry's face broke out into a deep blush. "I...I couldn't...do that..."
His Pop simply hummed. "I'm not sure. After a stressful time I let your Dad rest his head on my legs or even let him curl into me on the couch. Harry, sometimes you have to be selfish, when it comes to your mate. Did you find out why Ginny Weasley did pull his tail?"
Harry sighed, already feeling that anger build. "Not really. She said something about how he was looking at us. I didn't speak much." He went and sat by his Pop, who patted his back.
"Sounds about right. You get that from me. Never had much patience when it came to those insulting your Dad. I suppose you're lucky you didn't do something. Anyhow, how're you feeling, Harry?"
His Pop asked.
Harry didn't say anything. He just went and sat at the end of where Draco's feet were. He lifted his legs and tail, the other being completely asleep, and put them in his lap.
He remembered petting Draco's tail, manipulating it through his fingers gently, and Draco let him. He even purred at some point. That was back when they were kids though.
So, going along with the memory, Harry gently ran his finger along the tail, feeling for any broken vertebrae or ones out of place. The tail was hot to the touch, the skin beneath swollen. They'd have to get him to see Madame Pomphrey. Harry couldn't tell on his own.
The rest of the ride was silent. Even when Draco woke up, Harry found it odd, all he did was look over his shoulder, Harry having not moved, and gave him a vulnerable look. One Harry wasn't sure if he ever wanted to see again. Then Draco had got on his elbows, moving his knees and sitting more up. He let out a pained whine, but as Harry was about to tell him to lay back down, Draco turned his body so his head laid on Harry's lap, facing his stomach. He didn't move Harry, didn't tell him to.
Harry wasn't sure if Draco was even aware, since what he saw of the silver eyes were dazed, he had let a couple tears fall as he drifted back to sleep.
When they stopped, even his Pop was concerned that Draco hadn't woken up.
"That's...odd. I just gave him a low dose, over the counter muscle relaxer. I wouldn't think his body would be that effected by it."
Harry got a feeling and touched Draco's forehead, only to recoil it.
He was burning up!
"Pop! He's burning up."
Lupin didn't even need to touch, to feel the heat radiating off the boy.
"Take him to Madame Pomphrey immediately. I'll get our things then meet you there."
Harry only nodded. He maneuvered Draco gently. Using one hand he tried to move the long tail into Draco's lap as he had one arm under Draco's thighs and the other supporting his back.
He didn't even see Ron, Hermoine, and Ginny see him running past with an unconscious Draco, running towards the school infirmary, ignoring everyone who saw him.
Hours later, as everyone else was eating or chatting, welcoming the first years, Harry sat at Draco's bedside.
Madame Pomphrey had splinted his tail, until she could have a moment to use an x-ray spell, she gave him something in an IV for inflammation, but decided to surround Draco's body in ice, he was still in his button up and grey pants, no one able to remove them without possibly hurting his tail., to see if his temperature would go down on its own. When it came to medicine she liked to stay away from spells as best she could.
Harry had been worried sick. He still was.
Even Madame Pomphrey wouldn't know for sure what was the cause until his fever broke. Or at least if it went down enough to not scald anyone who touched it.
Harry knew he should leave, but he couldn't leave Draco like this. It was one thing to beat each other to a few broken bones or bruises. This was different.
Even his Pop was worried it was because of the muscle relaxant but Madame Pomphrey easily swayed those worries that that wasn't the case here. That it might've actually helped him.
Harry still wasn't sure what she meant. How the fuck did drugging him help with what was happening?
His leg bounced up and down, restless. Harry impulsively reached for Draco's hand. His heart raced as the most he could muster to do, was hold his fingers. Even those were on fire...it felt like.
"I'm such a coward. I should've told you that day, on the train." Harry whispered, his voice wracked with guilt.
He heard the door door down the hall open and looked.
"Question is...will you tell him when he wakes, or be a coward again?"
His eyes widened. "Dad. I thought you were back home." Harry couldn't bear letting go of Draco's hand. His Dad didn't seem to mind.
His Dad shrugged. "Moony forgot some important suitcases. Don't tell him I'm here yet. I know it'd break his heart if he knew I wasn't staying long."
Harry grinned, a bit forced. "You know he'd be more mad you didn't at least say hi or give him a kiss before you left."
Sirius hummed in acknowledgment. "True. I'll do that in a bit. You sure it's okay for you to be skipping like this?" He got closer, taking a look at Draco with curious dark eyes.
"I can't really leave him right now. Not sure I could without wanting to run back." Harry said quietly, like if he spoke too loud it'd wake Draco.
To Harry's utter confusion, Sirius bent oddly once he was close enough to Draco and he looked at the back of his neck. Sirius acted as if he was the confused one. "Odd. Hm, must not have been what I thought."
A barb settled and writhed in his gut. "Why did you look there?" His heart hurt.
Sirius hummed and straightened. "Oh, nothing much. It's not what I was thinking. Quite the tail that ones got. Don't cause too much trouble alright?" He patted Harry's head but Harry grabbed Sirius' wrist.
Sirius taking a look at Draco's neck sent a panic in his veins and now since Sirius wouldn't even tell him why he looked...the wrench in his gut got heavier. "Sirius. Why did you look at his neck?"
He'd never called Sirius by his name. He didn't like that he did.
Sirius looked to Harry, his normally black eyes shining with a reddish hue. Harry knew he made him mad.
"You're still too young to be calling me by my name, kid. Come on, let's go have a talk. Now."
He walked towards the door, Harry knowing he couldn't say no. He knew he made Sirius pissed, but he also knew his Dad well enough he wouldn't give him a lecture on it. Must be something else. Either way, Harry's gut wasn't happy, if the constant pain was anything.
He took one last look at Draco. He looked in pain. Harry kissed his fingers and gently let go.
When he walked out, Sirius had a look of concentration on his face.
"Dad?"
Sirius grunted. "The more I think on it, the less likely it is. And really, since Claiming was banned years and years ago, there isn't much on it. Ugh, Moony was always better at this than me."
Harry scrunched his brows. "What do you mean? What does his fever-"
"What's this? Sirius I thought you were home." Both men looked over, Sirius breaking into a toothy grin.
"MOONY!" Sirius' tail was wagging fast at the sight of his mate.
Remus rolled his eyes but smiled gently. "Like I asked, what are you doing here?"
Sirius was about to reply when Madame Pomphrey came up past Remus and into the wing.
"Madame Pomphrey what's wrong?" Remus asked.
Harry had to wonder the same. She was moving fast.
Harry got a impulse and followed.
She had hurried over to Draco, tutting about and he saw she was removing the bags of water that was once ice, and using her wand to bring more baggies of ice over.
His ears picked up Draco making noise and he hurried over, thinking he was waking. Draco wasn't, but his body was twitching, that was more than earlier, and he seemed to be whining out. He wished he could kiss the pain lines in his brows away.
Harry wasn't sure what to do. Did his Dad ever get like this when his Pop was in pain?
He felt someone pull him back, his body tensing to fight the pull.
"Harry. Give him some space. He's not going anywhere. I know you're worried, but you can't be this wound up."
Sirius said softly.
Harry tried forcing his body to unwind, even a bit, but it was harder than it seemed.
"Move. All of you." Madame Pomphrey said, using the one hand not holding a vial and syringe to shoo them. "I don't like you all crowded in here, but the least you can do is give some space."
His Dad and Pop did and Harry slowly and reluctantly complied.
She went to work and put whatever clear liquid inside the syringe, she was muttering something, trying to concentrate on her task.
Harry crossed his arms to keep from moving too much, his eyes watching what the mediwitch was doing.
She placed the syringe tip in the IV and put the medicine in.
Sirius had pulled Remus out, both getting stink eye from the witch before she gave Draco the medicine.
After a few seconds for it to reach Draco's veins, suddenly he gasped, jumping as far as he could up and ripping out the IV, the source of where the medicine was distributed.
Harry ran over the short distance, panicked himself, though he didn't show it., his heart hammering like he almost got hit with a bludger.
Draco by then had squirmed to his stomach and tried curling in. Harry reached and held his fingers again, not much for Draco's sake but his own.
His throat felt dry and his energy level was sky high from nerves.
Draco panted but opened silver eyes and looked to Harry. His brows were scrunched and he had sweat on his forehead, making the pale blonde hair stick. The redness to his body from the fever was leaving.
"Hey...come to see me weak, Potter? Heh...too-too bad. I'll be...up soon to-to give you a-a scolding for-for...I'm not sure...haha."
It hurt him more seeing Draco try and brush off whatever pain he was in. He felt Draco's body tremble as he sat up, which was difficult due to his tail being in a splint.
Something red caught Harry's eye and he looked at Draco's neck. At first concerned it was blood, but he noticed it was magic!
Two thin red streams of red smoke was surrounding Draco's neck, a bundle of magic moved like a nest of snakes on the back of it.
It pulsed and faded in and out, like static.
He wanted to touch it, but feeling how quickly Draco was calming, helped keep him from it. He didn't want to stress out his mate more by touching a sensitive area.
"You better not go blurting out that you say a Malfoy weak and barely able to stand. If you do, I'll reveal one of your secrets." Draco's voice was growing in confidence but still shaky.
Harry smiled down at him, seeing Draco like this was an odd reassuring nest in his chest. Like a calming weight. He chuckled, it was deep. He didn't notice Draco's blush at the noise. "Oh? And what secrets might they be?" He subconsciously rubbed his thumb against Draco's fingers.
Though he did notice when Draco looked to their hands, having just noticed, and his blush deepened.
Don't ask Harry why he did it, but upon seeing Draco's expression, he lifted their hands, Draco's eyes blown wide and following until they locked with Harry's.
Still making eye contact, Harry kissed Draco's knuckles. He saw Draco gasp, his breath hitching and he went to quickly cover it by putting on his "I'm going to snark at you" face, only to turn his head, like something caught his eye.
Harry lifted his head to follow Draco's gaze and saw it had landed on the vial and syringe.
Harry wasn't sure what had happened, but Draco's blushing face went sickly pale and his lip wobbled. He took a deep breath, to calm himself.
Harry was about to ask what was wrong, when Draco ripped his fingers from Harry's grasp and sat up.
"Hey, you shouldn't move too-" Harry was about to intervene and make Draco rest when Draco straightened his back, Harry noticed the twitch to his brow at the possible pain his tail was still in, as he put a hand up to stop Harry and walked-no, bolted more like- out of the infirmary.
Harry had the impulse to follow, but something told him not to. Usually he ignored that feeling, but part of him knew to listen.
Madame Pomphrey came back right after. "Oh! He's up already? What happened?" She asked.
Harry looked back to the vial. When he looked, it's label wasn't normal. It simply said Draco's name and to give when having a fever.
"Madame Pomphrey, what's this medicine you gave him?"
She began to clean up, giving herself something to do.
"Don't rightly know, Mr. Potter. I sent a letter to his family when he arrived, since I wasn't sure the cause after you and Professor Lupin explained. Then with a messenger hawk, not owl, they had sent this. I assumed it might have been from his family's doctor. It seemed to work though. Now...you probably have much to do as well, wasting your time here. I better not see you here much this year, Mr. Potter."
Harry could only nod as he was shooed out. Logically, it kinda made sense. But...Draco's expression had said otherwise. He wondered what was in it, and what had made that swirl of magic appear against his Claim mark.
