Put Your Curse In Reverse [Part 2]

Chapter 6 - Phoenix

Love was a mug of tea pressed into a quivering hand. Scorpius hung back and watched the exchange with a heavy heart.

"Go home."

"No—how could you suggest that?" Ginny wrapped both hands around the mug, but it was still shaking so hard that bits of scalding tea were splashing over the rim and landing (presumably painfully) on her hands and wrists. She hardly seemed to notice it.

"Because you're dead on your feet and you haven't slept for longer than an hour at a time in..." Harry trailed off, his brow furrowing. "So long that I have to count to figure it out."

"I'm fine," Ginny argued. Though she was swaying as she stood, she'd become at least three shades paler than she ought to have been, and the shadows beneath her eyes made them look almost sunken. Scorpius wanted to push past them and into Albus's room, but he was reluctant to interrupt the conversation. James and Lily must've agreed, because they were hanging back with him, too.

"You're not fine. He's sleeping. Go home and take a break. Hell—go to Neville's or Luna's or your mum's and sleep. Just get in a proper bed and have a proper rest."

Scorpius had only been that tired once in his life, but he remembered the way the smallest things had sent rage coursing through him. Albus's mum's eyes flashed in a similar way.

"I don't need you telling me what to do, Harry, okay?"

Harry's eyebrows rose. Scorpius glanced uncertainly at James. He didn't look worried, so Scorpius assumed this wasn't going to lead to a fight.

"Gin," Harry said softly, after a moment's pause. "How can you take care of Albus if you're too tired to stand?"

The hardness in her eyes softened. Scorpius began edging forward bit by bit, his eyes locked on the end of Albus's bed. If he turned sideways he could probably squeeze between Harry and the doorframe without drawing too much attention to himself...

"You've hardly slept, too."

"I took a nap during lunch."

"You skipped lunch?"

"Is that really the biggest concern right now?"

Scorpius tip-toed behind the arguing couple. He'd just barely reached the doorway when Harry glanced behind himself, his eyes landing on Scorpius.

"Oh, sorry, Scorpius," he said. He stepped closer to Ginny, freeing up enough space in the doorway for them to pass by. "You three go in. Try not to wake him, though; Victoire says he's had a bad afternoon."

Scorpius's heart plummeted. He quickened his pace through the doorway, his mind now entirely focused on Albus. His eyes sought him out immediately. He was indeed asleep, and deeply so; his blankets were twisted around him, his dark hair was sticking to his forehead with sweat, and his arms were loosely wrapped around his pillow like he'd fallen asleep gripping it. His skin was far too pale. He had narrow, translucent tubes running into the skin of the crook of his elbow. Scorpius followed them with his eyes. They led to a strange looking contraption, surely Muggle, that seemed to be holding clear pouches of different colored liquids. Scorpius had seen a photo of them before. He'd read about them before, in one of the books in the library at Hogwarts, but he couldn't remember what they were called.

"What the hell is that?" Lily hissed to James.

"I dunno...but I'm not sure I trust it..."

Scorpius racked his brains. "IB? ID? Something I...something. It puts stuff into your veins. The Muggles use it."

"What are they putting into his veins?"

"I dunno..." Scorpius approached and grabbed the outermost bag. It was full of something amber. "I think this might be dittany. And this..." he cocked his head to the right, staring hard at the sage liquid. "Willow maybe? For pain? And this one...oh, this third one and the fourth are Muggle ones!" He paused. He glanced back at Lily and James. "It's probably nutrients in one and fluids in the other! Muggles have this liquid that will keep you alive. It's like...liquid food."