Broken

Visitors

Draco groaned. His body was stiff and his head pounding. Sparks of light flickered in the corners of his eyes. He flinched as sunlight escaped the edges of the curtains.

He disentangled himself from Hermione and staggered off the sofa. Draco's stomach heaved. He dashed to the bathroom, barely making it before vomiting repeatedly.

Hermione squinted around the living room, slightly dazed. Stretching the kinks out of her back, she trudged upstairs. Yawning, she flicked the bathroom light on. Draco groaned, covering his eyes, and Hermione leapt back with a shriek.

'Damn, you didn't stupefy me again,' Draco grumbled, crouched on the bathroom floor.

'You say that like it's a bad thing. Jeez, you look terrible.'

Draco's skin was grey, his eyes feverish.  Hermione dragged him to his feet and helped him to the guest-room. Draco cast various healing spells on himself while Hermione spelled the room to be dark and quiet. She conjured a glass of water for him, and offered to bring him some toast.

Draco waved her away and sank into the covers. His eyes were shut before she had left the room.

*****

'Mistrusting woman, she hid all the potions,' Draco muttered as he searched the kitchen cupboards.  'What does this do?  Pa...ra...ceta...mol.  For pain relief.  Two tablets every four hours.  Hmph, better than nothing.'

Draco choked down the muggle medication.  His healing spells were ineffective and he was banned from taking any potions.

'Who are you?'

'I'm Draco,' he squinted down at a black-haired boy.  'Who are you?'

'I'm James, and this is my brother Albus,' the boy gestured the toddler behind him.  'What are you doing in Auntie Mione's house?'

'She's letting me stay here for a few days.'

'Oh. Ok!'

'James, who are you...What are you doing here, Malfoy?'

*****

'Hermione, what the hell were you thinking?!'

'He's sick!'

'Well we knew that...'  Harry muttered, ignoring Hermione's glare.

'He had nowhere else to go...'

'Oh boo hoo,' Harry sneered.  'How about, I don't know, the giant mansion he lives in?!'

'You know as well as I do that his mother is on holiday with Andromeda, Teddy and Scorpius.  He would have gone crazy being stuck in St Mungo's!'

'Why is it anything to do with you, though?!'

'I could ask you the same question, Potter,' Draco drawled from the doorway, twirling his wand lazily through his fingers.  'You think I want to be here?!  No offence, Granger.'

'Eh, none taken.'

'Any funny business, Malfoy...' Harry stepped forwards, wand raised.

'Is that a threat, Potter?'  Draco's eyes were hard.

'Have you boys quite finished?'  Hermione sighed.  'Oh for God's sake.  Expelliarmus!'

Both wands flew into Hermione's hand.  Draco and Harry turned to her, protesting.

'No duelling in my house.  I've only just finished redecorating.'  Hermione glared at them both.  'Now, Harry, why don't you go make us all a cup of tea?'

'I'm not making him anything!'

'I'm not drinking anything he gives me!'

'Whatever, I want a cuppa.  You could see if the boys are ok in the garden while you're at it.'

Harry walked slowly from the room, his eyes not leaving Draco.

'Sit down,' Hermione ordered Draco.

Draco lounged in the chair opposite the door, arms folded.  Hermione sighed.  What had she been thinking?!