Chapter 27: Close Calls

Healer Biobaku let the door to Harry Potter's hospital room swing shut. He leaned against the door jamb, closing his eyes and letting out a weary sigh.

"Position isn't everything?"

Biobaku jumped at the sardonic voice and his eyes flew open. Then they narrowed as his cheeks turned red. Healer Perseus Vanes stood before him, arms akimbo with an expression of great boredom and disdain plastered across his face.

"I suppose you wouldn't be one to know, Healer Vanes," was Biobaku's curt retort, and he was infuriated when Vanes' only response was to raise an eyebrow, while somehow maintaining a mien of indifference. Insufferable son of a... Aloud Biobaku said, "I'll leave you to it, then," and promptly left. He was perfectly willing to be done with the whole Harry Potter fiasco, which had left him seriously questioning how much longer he would be able to remain in the Minister's employ.

~o~

Severus Snape did not suffer fools – gladly or otherwise – thus he did not mourn the departure of Rufus Scrimgeour's personal Healer. Snape had no use for the entitled titled, and didn't give the wizard another thought.

He entered Harry's room in the persona of Healer Vanes, but a part of his Snape-ish self lingered, wondering at the trouble this boy always managed to get into. Vanes raised his wand to the small cluster of dimly lit globes on the ceiling and they brightened. He saw that Harry was awake, and looking rather wretchedly at his right arm, the hand and forearm of which were encased in bandages. The Healer next lifted the full body sticking charm, and as soon as Harry felt himself released, he he curled up on his side, facing the wall.

"It's good to see you again, Harry, though I would have preferred that the circumstances were different." Harry made no acknowledgement that he had spoken, so the Healer continued. "If you like, I could arrange for Draco to visit you later."

At that, Harry looked back over his shoulder and Vanes watched as the boy's face went briefly to hopeful, before returning to misery. And seeing that, Healer Vanes made the decision to wait no more. This young man needed help now. And if that meant using invasive tactics, so be it.

"Harry," he said, "I want you to look at me." The words were spoken softly, but were none the less a command, one with which Harry complied. The Healer's next word was barely a whisper, but again, held no less authority. "Legillimens."

Harry stared, transfixed by Vanes' eyes. Unbidden, images began to form in his head, and somehow, Harry was certain, the Healer could see them too. They were something like his dreams, only these were things he knew had already happened.

In a strange bedroom, scratching his skin raw on the dresser knob screw

At the Weasley quidditch pitch, rubbing his stinging palms on the gravelly ground

In his Nursery, pushing his head bandage up and scratching open his scar

In his bed, waking to see a dark-haired woman standing over him, her face coming into focus –

"No!" cried Harry.

~o~

Draco sat at the edge of a visitors chair in the waiting lounge outside of Harry's room. He was clenching and unclenching his fists in an attempt to stave off another fade out. Severus had told Draco to focus on a specific physical action as soon as he felt one coming strategy was working! The room came back into focus. Draco could feel the seat beneath him and sense his feet on the carpet. He smiled inwardly at his accomplishment.

He knew, from Severus, that the man was with Harry, who had suffered another setback, which Severus had not seen fit to tell Draco any more about. But as he was often invited to join them, Draco decided it was alright for him to interrupt. He wanted to share his success with his godfather. Besides, he reasoned, seeing him always cheered Harry up. Satisfied with his rationalization, Draco approached the door to Harry's room. He knocked once, and hearing no answer, tried the door. It opened, and what he saw next extinguished his cheery mood in an instant. Severus was flat on his back with Harry crying beside him on the floor.

"Pease, no go to da bad pace. Pease..."

When Harry saw Draco, he drew in a few shuddering breaths. "Mmm'sssorry, Piddy B-b-boy." He shook his head and cried, "I not w-w-wanna hurt hims."

Before Draco had a chance to say or do anything, Nurse Ackerly came in through the still open door. One look at the scene before him was all it took.

"What have you done now, boyo?!" The Nurse seized Draco by the arm and dragged him away from Harry, who just cried more loudly. Ackerly shot an amber coloured bird out of his wand and down the hall to call for assistance.

To his shame, Draco's innate sense of self preservation kicked into action. "I didn't do anything! I just found them like this!"

"Sure y'did. Look, you little son of a Death Eater, you don't fool me for one second. Once a DE, always a DE."

"Let go of me, damn it! They need help!" Draco tried to pull away from the Nurse, who squeezed his arm fiercely.

Just then, a quartet of staff members entered. The first two rushed to see to Harry and the next two worked on assessing Healer Vanes.

Everything was happening so quickly, Draco was lifted off his feet – Ackerly held him around his chest, pinning his arms painfully by his sides. The Nurse carried a kicking and cursing Draco out of the room. But before he was taken away, Draco saw Harry being levitated onto a stretcher and Severus beginning to stir.

"Let me go!" Draco strained against Ackerly, but the burly Nurse's arms held strong.

"Settle down, boyo. You're disturbing the other patients."

"I need to see ...Healer Vanes. I need to see if he's o –"

"What you need is to quiet down. I warned you, boyo." Nurse Ackerly took one arm away to get his wand out, pressing Draco against the wall to hold him in place. With undue relish, Ackerly raised his wand to Draco's face.

Draco's eyes widened in terror and then, closed slowly , as the Nurse harshly cast, "Stupify."

~o~

Severus had the distinctly unwelcome feeling of disorientation. As he fully came to, he found two people leaning over him. A young Mediwizard was whispering to a senior Mediwitch who was checking Severus' vital signs, "... why he would have trusted a Malfoy. I just don't understand it."

The Mediwitch replied harshly, "Some people never learn. Doesn't matter if they're eight, eighteen or eighty. A Malfoy's a Malfoy. The lot of them should be locked away for good."

Severus felt a sense of doom; something very bad must have happened with Draco. The last thing he remembered was using Legillimency on Harry. But, strangely, Severus was unable to recall having seen anything. As he had complete faith in his abilities, this made no sense. Could Harry have thrown him out of his mind. Occlumency hadn't exactly been one of his strong points before his regression. Accidental magic was the most plausible explanation. And perhaps Severus had been Obliviated, as well. There was no one, aside from Draco, whom he trusted enough to test him for Obliviation, and he would have to train Draco first in how to do that.

Definitely disoriented, then. These wandering thoughts could wait. Severus had to see to Draco and Harry.

Where, er," apparently, his power of speech had not yet fully revived.

"Lie still, Healer Vanes," the Mediwitch ordered. "I'm not done diagnosing you."

Severus mustered his considerable will power and spoke again. "S-stop. Diagnosing. Me. And tell me what's happened to- to Mr Potter and Mr Malfoy."

"After that Malfoy wretch attacked you and Mr Potter, he was…subdued, and placed in a locked ward –."

The Mediwitch's hostility towards Draco was palpable. Severus noted her pale skin and pointed features. A distant relative perhaps trying to remain distant, he wondered.

"'Subdued'? You Stupified a patient?"

"It was in self-defense. Malfoy attacked-"

"I can assure you that Draco did no such thing." He pushed himself up to a sitting position, aches in all his joints and muscles. He was angry at himself for the grunt he let escape.

The Mediwitch continued, "Mr Potter sustained no physical injuries, but was suffering from acute hysteria. He was administered a sleeping potion."

Despite the dignity it cost him, Severus reached his hand out to the Mediwizard for support in getting up. The young man obliged, and his copper toned skin flushed when the Mediwitch glared at him. She next directed her glare at Severus.

"You, sir, need to be admitted for a full work up and observation," she said.

Ignoring her recommendations, Severus said, "I'll see to Mr Potter first, then to Mr Malfoy. I no longer require your services, Madam."

"There's no point, you know. He'll be asleep for hours yet." Her animosity towards Draco was quick to encompass Vanes, whom she was perceiving to be a Malfoy sympathizer.

Severus bristled. He had no patience for her attitude.

"Very Well. Then tell me precisely where I might find Mr Malfoy."

The Mediwitch simply folded her arms and looked away.

The Mediwizard stammered, "He's been put in a room in the Dangerous Dai Llewellyn ward, to keep him isolated until the Aurors are summoned."

Severus felt his strength returning in equal measure to his growing dread, and he strode out with a nod of thanks to the Mediwizard.

~o~

There was a small writing desk just outside the door to Draco's room. In it, sat the muscular Nurse Draco had claimed "had it in for him." Severus should have listened more carefully to what his godson had been saying, rather than writing it off as youthful whinging.

Ackerly was scribbling with a never-out quill, filling out some scroll forms.

"I'll take over from here, Nurse Ackerly," Severus' tone brooked no argument, yet argue the Nurse did.

"I don't think so, Healer. This time, Malfoy has gone too far. I'm filling out the paperwork right now to request an Auror intervention."

Checking to be sure they were alone in the corridor, Severus pulled out his wand. "Confundous," he cast evenly, teeth clenched. Ackerly's eyes turned glassy for a moment, as Severus took the scroll from him. "Thank you, Nurse Ackerly. That will be all."

"What?" asked Ackerly, dully.

"You are relived, Nurse. I will take over this case."

"Oh. Yes." Ackerly slowly got up, brows furrowing, and he wandered off down the hall.

Severus used the Alohomora spell to open the door, and found Draco was still unconscious. He cast "Tempus" to determine how long he'd been out and how long Draco may have been under the stunning spell. Draco was sprawled across a cot as though tossed there like an unwanted rag doll.

As gently as he could, Severus cast "Rennervate," and Draco stirred, groaning. As he came to, he pushed himself up and gasped, grabbing his left arm. A quick diagnostic spell revealed Draco's arm was badly bruised and his wrist was sprained – no doubt, curtesy of Nurse Ackerly's 'care'. Severus was beginning to wish he'd used something a great deal stronger than Confundus on the man.

"S-Severus?" Draco asked groggily.

"Healer. Vanes. You are hallucinating, young man." Snape barely restrained his tone.

When he realized what he'd just done, Draco's eyes widened in horror. It was enough to bring him back to full alertness. "Healer, I – yes, I – I was dreaming, I suppose." He looked around and saw that they appeared to be alone, but Draco knew better than to put stock in appearances. He silently berated himself, for he also knew better than to call his godfather by name anywhere other than in his fully warded office. Being groggy was no excuse. There was no excuse for such carelessness.

"If you are feeling up to it, perhaps you would like to accompany me to see how Mr Potter is doing?"

"Yes, sir." Draco swallowed, nervously.

"And tell me what you remember happening today."

As they walked to the lift, Draco told his godfather all he had seen – which had not been very much.

Entering Harry's room, They found Healer Rose Chang sitting by his cot, examining his chart. She had not been expecting anyone, and started when the door swung open.

"Mr Potter's not receiving visi – oh. Healer Vanes."

"Healer Chang," Severus nodded in greeting and held his hand out for the chart. "May I?"

"Cairtanly. Are y'alright?" She passed him the chart, and then scowled upon seeing Draco.

"Quite."

"What's he doin' hayre?"

Severus ignored the accusatory tone, saying flatly, "I will take charge of Harry –"

"You've been Obliviaited! ...Or, sommat." Her eyes went back to Draco, who was busying himself by intently studying his shoes.

"What makes you say that, Healer Chang?" It was unfortunate that he had run into a Sensing Healer. But at least her reaction lent merit to his theory.

Sommat's not right abou' it."

"Close the door, Draco."

Chang drew her wand defensively. "I haird this boy attacked you an' Harry. What's goin' on hayre?"

"Certainly not what you think," said Snape, eying her wand and her stance. He exhorted his godson, "Draco, the door." To Chang he said, "You've nothing to fear, Healer Chang. There has been a gross misunderstanding of events. It was not Draco, but Harry – or rather his accidental magic, that was the cause of the so-called 'attack'."

Healer Chang lowered her wand marginally, and she continue to listen to the explanation.

"I attempted to Legillimize Harry, and I was – quite literally – thrown out.

"An' Mr Malfoy?"

"Draco, merely had the double misfortune of being the first to arrive on the scene and of having Nurse Ackerly be the second to arrive. Whereupon several unfounded and erroneous conclusions were jumped to."

"Very wail. I'll take yeh at yer word, Healer Vanes." She placed her wand back in her robe pocket. She was no fan of Ackerly's bullying demeanour.

It was at that moment, that Severus Snape made a most unusual decision. He decided to trust Rose Chang. "Healer Chang, would you be willing to examine me for further information, in regards to the Obliviation?"

"Yes. Bu' let's go t'my office."

"Draco, you will stay here. It is best you make yourself scarce until this is settled."

Draco just nodded and took the seat by Harry's cot. Severus warded the door to admit only relatives, should Madam Pomfrey be up to seeing Harry while he was gone. Then he followed Rose Chang onto the lift. As the lift ascended, Severus had time to reassess his decision. Clearly, his mind had been affected by Harry's accidental magic. He would first insist that Healer Chang take an oath of confidentiality, above that of her standing as a Healer, before allowing her to examine him.