His breathing was uneven, and it was only the memories of discipline and practice that kept him from a full-blown panic. Head whipping round and wracking itself for an idea, James almost slapped himself when he finally called out, "K-Kreacher! Please, help!"

There was a familiar soft pop and James could only focus on cradling Harry in his arms gently, making sure his body wasn't twisted uncomfortably. He heard Kreacher's muttering behind him, "filthy muggle dares to—" an audible stutter of the elf's breath before the small form stepped up beside the two men. "Master Harry! What has happened? What has the muggle done?"

"I don't—I don't know!" James was shaking his head, "he just collapsed!" He watched as the elf ran a hand over Harry's form, eyes unusually serious. "Is he—"

"Master Harry's friend is outside. Kreacher will get, he will help," Kreacher's beady eyes turned to James. "Muggle takes Master Harry upstairs, to his room. We will come," and with another pop, he was gone.

James stayed gaping for only a scant moment before he pursed his lips and nodded. Carefully, he gathered Harry in a position that allowed James to lift him with his one arm. After ensuring he was secured, James carefully made his way down the hall and up towards Harry's room. Luckily, the door was ajar, and he simply nudged his way inside.

As he neared the bed, he turned and gently deposited Harry onto it, making sure not to jostle him too much just in case. Just as he began rearranging Harry into a more comfortable position, he heard another pop and glanced behind him to see Kreacher and… the man who had given potions to Harry and James awhile back.

The latter's steely gray gaze zeroed in on Harry's prone form and he strode forward immediately, "honestly, can't keep himself out of trouble for a single week…" the man continue muttering as he pulled out a wand and waved it over Harry.

"Er, I'm sorry, I know we've been introduced but I don't remember—"

"It's Draco Malfoy," the other cut him off. He sighed loudly as he dropped his hands, shaking his head. "He's fine, it's just magical exhaustion." With that, Kreacher silently nodded, bowed, then disappeared once more.

"Is that… not serious?" asked James cautiously, moving closer to the other two men again.

"Yes and no," Malfoy glanced once more at Harry before scoffing and taking a seat on the edge of the bed, gesturing for James to join him. "It won't kill him; not unless he were to keep using magic, that is."

"Potter already has an unusually large magical core, even for magical kind." Draco turned to James with a calculating gaze, "so it's not unusual that he was unfamiliar with the symptoms… though knowing the stubborn arse he is, he might as well just have been ignoring them. What doesn't makes sense is what he could've been doing to get to this level of exhaustion."

James felt guilty, knowing instantly it must have something to do with his treatment. "I-I'm not sure… we've been doing the same thing we've had for awhile now. But maybe because today, he-," James wet his lips nervously, explaining to Draco what Harry had told him about the key trigger words embedded in his mindscape.

As he spoke, he watched Draco's expression clear and morph into weak surprise, then a deep frown. "And how long, exactly, have you been having this specific treatment?"

"It's been… almost a month since I met Harry," James thought for a moment. "We started the mind healing sessions about a week ago."

"A week," Draco repeated, "and how many sessions have you had?"

Tilting his head, James replied, "every afternoon, so today would be the eighth… or ninth?" He grew concerned when Draco only sighed again and brought fingers up to rub between his brows.

"Bloody Potter," grumbled Draco, "should've known." He heaved another sigh then turned to James, exasperated. "The standard for mind healing sessions is that they're done once a week. Some skilled mind healers will go up to once every two or three days, but never more than alternating days. Not only for the patient's wellbeing but also because there is generally an equal amount of strain on the mind healer; being both magically and mentally draining."

The blond abruptly stood up, pointed his wand at Harry, a whisper of a spell making contact with Harry's form before he pocketed his wand. "Potter needs to rest for three days, minimum," he stressed. "Anyone who knows Potter knows there's no way in hell that's going to happen, so I've put him in an induced coma."

He preemptively held up a hand to stop any objections from James, "Kreacher will ensure he is carefully monitored and taken care of. In the meantime, you should just carry on with whatever mental exercises he should've prescribed you."

At Draco's pointed look, James nodded, "he did, and I've been doing them daily."

"That's good. I'm not a mind healer, well I'm not even technically a healer full stop, but I know some things given my own profession. Come," Draco swept away from the room and moved with purpose down the hall. James was almost scrambling to catch up. "I assume you were having dinner. I'm taking Potter's share as compensation for this mess."


Thankfully Kreacher had kept the food under stasis and a warming charm, and they both dug in though James felt a little awkward, not knowing what to say to Draco. As they finished up and plates were vanished by Kreacher only to be replaced with fruits and dessert, Draco spoke up.

"The reason for my visit was to drop of the next batch of your potions," Draco enlarged a case from his pocket, placing it on the table. "There is no change to the previous batch, so I assume you are familiar enough to be able to handle it yourself by now."

James nodded, peeking in the case and seeing rows of not only the two memory potions he'd been taking daily for breakfast, but more of the salve and essence that Harry occasionally helped apply to his scars. He was slightly surprised to see a few bottles of the blue calming potion and also another potion Harry would offer him when he had a particularly bad nightmare.

"I also came with some news from Wakanda," Draco continued after letting James peruse the potions. "One of the healers there, Jidea, got in contact with me not long after I first met you. Anyway since Potter didn't leave a way for her to contact him she asked me to pass along the news that the… 'issue' that was going on there has been settled and you both are free to return whenever."

James could only blink silently at the news. It had barely been three days. He wasn't sure how the matter of T'Challa's death could be 'settled' so quickly, but it didn't seem his place to ask. He doubted Draco knew the details either, from the way he said it.

"But," Draco continued, "Harry should stay here at least until he has recovered. Your treatment will likely take a while longer regardless, so you have plenty of time to return. I will send word back to Jidea." Draco was satisfied with James simply nodded and agreed.


The following days felt like a limbo to James. Draco had promptly left after dinner, stating only that he would return in three days' time to wake Harry. James dutifully continued his routine of breakfast with his potions, stretching some yoga for his body, and meditation before bed. But the majority of the hours in the day found him feeling lost and unsure what to do.

Kreacher was busy taking care of Harry, though he at least made meals for James still. He had peeked in on Harry once or twice on the first day, but thought it unnerving to see Harry's unnaturally still form. On the second day, James had decided to do some more active work to build up his body's strength and control again. The trees bordering the garden became victims to his punches and kicks, and the grass an unforgiving mat to his falls when he tested some aerial combat moves.

It was late in the afternoon of the third day that James was interrupted by the pop of apparition. He turned to see Jidea and an unfamiliar woman in Dora armour out in the garden. They looked around and Jidea's expression was relieved when she caught sight of James.

"James!" she waved, and they both walked towards each other.

"Hello, Jidea," he greeted her, nodding to the other woman.

"I'm glad you were out here. Healer Potter's house is under a fidelius charm, and Mister Malfoy was only able to give us the location of this garden, saying it was attached to it and not protected by the charm."

"Fi…delius?" James repeated carefully.

"It's an extremely advanced concealment spell. It's not unusual for people like Healer Potter who would prefer to have some privacy and protection from unwanted eyes to have it over their homes. Wakanda itself is also protected by a fidelius, among other things."

Brows raising, and then glancing behind him, James pointed, "you mean, you can't see that?"

"No," Jidea smiled patiently, "to us, it simply looks like you are standing in a big empty field. It's a little hard for us to even look in that direction, so there's probably also a repelling charm weaved in there. We probably wouldn't even be able to get close without being sidetracked someway or another."

James marveled at yet another wondrous display of magic. He couldn't imagine how a manor as big as Harry's could simply… not exist. He shook his head, there was time to sate his curiousity later. "Did you need Harry? I thought Draco said he would tell you…"

"Ah yes, I've heard about the situation. And honestly I was shocked to hear about it," Jidea shrugged, "but then again, Healer Potter's stubbornness is almost as well-known as himself." Jidea stepped a little to the side and motioned to the other woman. "I came to introduce you to Ayo. She is the General of the Dora Milaje, second only to Okoye."

Ayo stepped forwards and extended a hand to James, her face stern. "Good afternoon, James. I am well aware of your situation; Okoye and I were the ones to come up with the rotation of Dora in your little… settlement by the border."

Nodding and grasping her hand, James was careful with his grip as they shook hands. "It's a pleasure to meet you, General."

"Ayo will suffice," she raised a brow pointedly, and James smiled, repeating her name in acquiescence.

"Mister Malfoy informed me that you've had a breakthrough in your sessions," Jidea explained. "If you are willing, I have brought Ayo with me to conduct a test on the successful removal of your trigger words."

His throat dried up and James gaped at the two women. "Test?" his voice broke, betraying his uncertainty.

Jidea nodded firmly, looking confident, "yes, but only if you are willing. I'm sure you may prefer if Harry were the one to do it, but this is why I've brought Ayo. She is the second most skilled warrior in Wakanda, and I will also be here. I'm sure you remember how effective magic can be in restricting your movements. Especially given you are essentially unarmed," she quirked her lips at the unintentional pun.

Tension bled out of James' shoulders as a chuckle escaped him unbidden. "I… suppose that's true…"

"I won't let you harm anyone, James," Ayo stepped forward. He belatedly noticed the spear held in her hand, so comfortable in her grip that it had practically melted into her silhouette. James' jaw worked as his eyes flitted between the two and then down onto the grass.

Neither woman pushed him, and after a lengthy silence came his answer. "Okay," barely above a whisper. James cleared his throat, then looked up resolutely, "let's do it."