Jily Oneshots (pt2)

Scrofungulus

by SiriuslyGeorgia

It was the third night that week James had woken up alone. The third night that week, in fact, that James had woken up to the sound of his wife being sick. Immediately, as he had done the previous two nights, James sleepily ambled to the bathroom.

Lily was kneeling by the toilet looking even paler than usual, red tendrils of hair stuck to her face with a thin sheen of sweat. She didn't notice James in the doorway, as yesterday's dinner chose that moment to reappear.

"Lily," said James gently, making his way toward her. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

Lily wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Didn't want to worry you."

It was just like Lily to think of him first, even when it was her that needed help; it was one of the reasons he loved her so. But, even so, it could be extremely irritating.

James grabbed a cloth from the sink and wet it with cold water. Despite Lily's half-hearted protests, James stooped next to her and began tenderly wiping her face with the damp cloth.

"In sickness and in health, remember?"

Lily smiled weakly, but gratefully, the corners of her mouth lifting up and her eyes betraying that she needed him more than she let on. She had just leaned into him when -

"Uh oh!" She exclaimed, rocketing forward to position her head above the toilet bowl.

James held Lily's hair in the fingers of his right hand, rubbed her back with his left and whispered soothingly in her ear. When the redhead had finished, she allowed James to dab around her mouth with the cloth, removing the traces of the unwelcome start to the morning.

"I think I'm done now," said Lily as she moved to sit cross legged on the floor.

"I'll get you a glass of water. You'll be okay for a minute?"

Lily nodded in response, so James went down to the kitchen. As he found a glass and filled it with cold water, James' mind ran amok, thinking of reasons why Lily could be ill. The first thing he thought was dragon pox, which had taken his parents, but he reasoned that Lily had not turned green. There were any number of things it could be: a virtually harmless virus, or an incurable magical bug. Scrofungulus, he knew, could cause vomiting and was highly contagious and possibly fatal.

"I think you need to go to St. Mungo's." James announced after he'd given Lily the water and had taken a spot next to her on the floor. If she did have Scrofungulus, she was going to give it to him, but, honestly, he didn't care.

"Don't be ridiculous." Lily said, as stubborn as ever. "I must've eaten something bad, that's all."

James took Lily's hand in his and began toying with her fingers. "Better to be safe than sorry."

"We can't go today," she protested. "We've got an Order meeting to go to."

James gave her a warning look. Lily took a long drink of water; James could practically see her mind whirring, trying to decide how best to avoid a trip to the hospital.

"Fine, if this happens again tomorrow, I'll go. Now, get out and let me have a shower, I feel disgusting."

Lily started to heave herself off the floor, so James stood and pulled her up effortlessly. As soon as she was on her feet, she ushered him out of the bathroom impatiently. Even though she needed to brush her teeth, James kissed his wife quickly on the mouth before shutting the door behind him. If she had Scrofungulus, he was definitely getting it too.

The Order meeting was short and painless, unlike many others that came before, and would come after. Dumbledore informed them of no deaths or disappearances of Order members, which was received with much needed relief after Cardaroc Dearbon went missing the week before.