Author's Note: Gah! This one is short too. Sorry about that. Hope you like the chapter regardless.

-SQ

Disclaimer: As I've been saying for 5 chapters now, Harry Potter isn't mine.

Chapter Six: Not Nearly That Simple

The next time Albus got up it was sometime in the middle of the night. What Scorpius had said earlier was true, he really couldn't afford to get sick right now, but what he had said to Scorpius was also true, he had it covered. Easing himself away from Scorpius, he went to the Malfoys' medicine cabinet and rifled through it until he found what he was looking for. Bingo, Prescription Strength Immune-Boosting Potion. He had been taking the largest recommended dose as often as advisable for a few days now. Swallowing the contents of the vial, even though it tasted terrible, he returned to Scorpius's bedroom and lay down on his own bed, feeling slightly lightheaded from the potion.

*****TWAMM*****

Albus woke again as daylight made its way through the chinks in the curtains and fell across his face. Feeling disoriented and groggy, he groped around on the bedside table for his glasses and shoved them onto his nose.

Scorpius.

He looked over at the other bed. The blond appeared to be sleeping peacefully, his head turned to one side, his mouth partially open.

Albus got out of bed and promptly stubbed his toe on the bedside table.

"Ouch! Damn!"

"Albus Severus?"

"S-Sorry, Scor," said Albus. "I j-just stubbed my t-toe." He limped over to Scorpius. "H-how are you f-feeling?"

Scorpius moaned and shivered. "Cold. Cold."

Up close, Scorpius didn't look good. Beads of sweat stood out on his gray-tinged face, and his lips were badly chapped. Feeling his forehead, Albus thought with distinct unease that it felt even hotter than yesterday. He pulled the blankets more firmly around his shivering friend.

"Oh Sc-Scor, you're s-so sick," he said sadly, touching his hand to Scorpius's cheek.

Scorpius's eyes flickered open. "Cold," he mumbled.

"I kn-know, Scor, I kn-know," said Albus, rubbing Scorpius's arms. "I'm t-trying, okay?"

"I know," said Scorpius. "Not—your—fault. But I'm so cold..."

Albus smoothed his hand over Scorpius's hot, sweaty brow. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"Okay," said Scorpius weakly.

Albus went downstairs to get himself breakfast. He also heated up a hot water bottle and poured a large glass of milk for Scorpius and brought them upstairs. Passing by the medicine cabinet on his way back to Scorpius's room, he paused and brought out an Anti-Nausea Potion, adding some of it to the milk and mixing it in.

"Scor," he said, setting the glass down and sitting beside Scorpius on the bed, "c-can you sit up?"

Scorpius nodded and pulled himself painfully into a half-upright position. Albus steadied him and handed him the thermometer. "I th-think your f-fever might have g-gone up," he said.

"I think so too," said Scorpius. "I feel all funny..."

"Funny h-how so?" asked Albus, trying to keep the panic out of his voice.

"My head is all...floaty..." said Scorpius. "Everything's really...blurry...except when it's too sharp...body doesn't really feel...connected. And ice...all ice..."

Albus pressed the hot water bottle into Scorpius's arms. "Is that b-better?"

"I don't know..." said Scorpius.

Albus put his arm around Scorpius's shoulders. "You can l-lean against m-me if you want. P-Put the thermometer in you m-mouth."

Scorpius stared at the thermometer detachedly for a few moments before obliging. His feverish body felt heavy against Albus's chest.

When it beeped Albus took it from him and looked at it. 40.4 (104.7)

"Shit."

Scorpius's hand found his and squeezed.

"I b-brought you some m-milk," said Albus. "It's b-been over tw-twenty-four hours since you h-had anything t-to eat. You n-need to t-try and keep s-something down."

Scorpius took the glass from Albus, his hands shaking so much that he had to use both of them to grip it.

"D-Drink it slowly," said Abus. "It'll b-be easier on your st-stomach."

Scorpius took his time sitting the milk, but he had barely set down the glass when his face turned a sickly shade of green.

"Oohh..."

Albus quickly conjured a bucket and helped Scorpius lean over it, holding his hair again as his stomach rejected the milk-and-potion mixture.

"I'm sorry," muttered Scorpius, as Albus vanished the mess.

"Scor, you're r-running an almost f-forty point f-five degree fever and p-puking your guts out, don't ap-pologize.

"If—hadn't pretended—not sick—"

"For M-Merlin's sake, Scor." Albus laid the other boy down on the bed. "I'll find s-something you can k-keep down. You've g-got to eat."

Scorpius looked at him through glassy eyes. "You're going? Where?"

"Just d-downstairs," said Albus. "I'll be b-back in a minute."

"Not food now please," pleaded Scorpius in a whisper, raising his head slightly. "Don't feel good." His face was still a ghastly gray-green and his chapped lips had begun to crack.

"Okay," said Albus, sitting down. "G-Go to sleep now. B-But you have to t-try and eat again l-later."

"Okay," said Scorpius. He pressed himself, shivering, into Albus's chest.

Albus tightened his arms around his friend.

"Sleep," he said. "You'll f-feel better once you r-rest." But he was beginning to doubt that it would be nearly that simple.

*****TWAMM*****

When he was sure that Scorpius was asleep, Albus gently laid the other boy down on the bed, positioning the hot water bottle in his arms and pulling the blankets up over his shoulders. Albus touched Scorpius's flushed cheek with his fingertips.

"Goodn-night, Scor," he said softly.

Albus climbed into his own bed, setting his watch alarm to wake him in the morning.

AN: I won't know what you think about it unless you review, just saying ;)