Next Time Around

In Sickness And In Health

Author's Note:
So for the first time in quite a while, no warnings for anything (though there is mention of torture). This chapter is mostly some character building and stuff. Not the most interesting I've ever written, but decent enough I guess...

Disclaimer: Is Harry a Slytherin? No? I guess he still belongs to Rowling then. I don't own anything.

No but really. I'm so broke.

Enjoy!

After what was probably Harry's most agonizing Potions class yet, he walked with the rest of the Slytherin first-years to the courtyard. They had no classes from then until lunch and had decided that the courtyard was a nice place to enjoy their free time.

Harry walked next to Draco on their way. Though the pure-blooded boy tried to make some polite conversation, Harry wasn't very active in their conversation.

Eventually, Draco got fed up. He stopped, forcing Harry to stop as well, and looked him in the eye.

'Hadrian. Are you ok?'

Harry shrugged.

'I'm fine. Why do you ask?'

Draco raised an eyebrow- rather like Lucius, Harry noticed.

'Your walk is slow and awkward, you don't focus on our conversation, you try not to move anything you don't absolutely have to... do I have to continue?'

Harry lifted an eyebrow.

'I suppose that does give you reason for concern. But I'm fine, honestly.'

Draco frowned. Harry knew that Draco understood there was something up, but Draco was just eleven years old. There was no need to burden him with weights that even Harry at (mentally) thirty-two couldn't carry on his own.

Draco's frown deepened when Harry swayed a bit.

'Hades... just go to Madame Pomfrey, if nothing else.'

Harry, who was actually very tired when he thought about it, closed his eyes minutely in exasperation, but nodded.

'Fine. I'll go see her, but only if you stop nagging.'

Draco nodded. Together they walked over to the infirmary.

They waited for a little while whilst Pomfrey tended to someone else, then greeted her.

'Hello mister Potter, mister Malfoy,' she replied. 'What brings you here?'

'Draco decided,' Harry said, 'that I needed a check up.'

Madame Pomfrey glanced at Draco, surprised. When he nodded, confirming Harry's words, she looked back at Harry.

'Well then. Of course... do you have any particular complaints?'

As Harry began to deny anything being wrong with him, Draco quickly interrupted.

'He is tired, sore and stiff. I'm not sure what else, but he won't say.'

Madame Pomfrey raised her eyebrows.

'Ok. Mister Potter-' she gestured to the closest bed, '-please take a seat.'

Rolling his eyes, Harry sat down gingerly. Madame Pomfrey easily brandished her wand. She mumbled an incantation and grabbed hold of the sliver of parchment that appeared in the air.

With a relaxed sigh, she started reading. That relaxation became fainter though, with every word she read. The more she read, the whiter her face became. It was only when she was done that she lowered the writing and stared at Harry.