A week and a half into Harry being eight years old, he had fallen ill.
Draco woke up in the early hours of the morning to loud sounds of retching and coughing followed by Harry crying. He got out of bed and walked into the bathroom where Harry was huddled over the toilet. Draco could tell from Harry's back that he was sweating profusely. Harry's body tensed as he threw up into the bowl.
"Harry." He spoke very softly. He summoned a cloth and ran in under cold water before putting it on the back of Harry's neck.
"Draco." He whimpered.
"It's okay." Draco flushed the toilet for Harry and helped him up. He noticed that the front of him was covered in vomited so he suppressed a grimace. "Let's get you out of those clothes, I want you to take a cold bath okay?" He pressed a hand to Harry's head and hissed at the heat coming from it.
"I don't feel well." Harry cried.
"I know baby." He told Harry. He started to run a bath for Harry and helped him discard his dirtied clothes. He helped Harry in the bath and Harry shivered. "It's cold, I know but it'll help your fever go down until I can get someone to pick up some medicine to make you feel better." Harry only nodded and sat in the tub. He lied against the back of the tub and closed his eyes. He had removed his glasses to vomit. Draco grabbed another towel and dipped in the water before placing it on Harry's head to cool it down.
"Draco." Harry groaned.
"Shh just relax sweetheart, let me know if you have to vomit again, okay?"
"Okay." Harry nodded in response.
They stayed there for about half an hour before Draco pulled Harry out and wrapped in a fluffy towel. He got Harry into clean clothes and felt his head.
"You're still a bit warm but not as hot. Do you want to get into your bed and try to sleep?"
"I want to stay with you." Harry clung onto Draco so the older boy picked Harry up. He brought him into the bedroom and placed him on the bed. "Can you get Jerry?" He asked.
"Sure sweetheart." He said. Draco summoned the doll and then gave it to Harry. He placed a waste basket next to Harry. "If you need to vomit, throw up in the basket."
"Okay Draco."
"Try to sleep." He told the boy. He got into bed next to him and they both fell into a restless sleep.
Draco didn't attend classes the next morning due to Harry being ill. He hadn't thrown up again but he was having a bit of an issue with his bowels. Draco let him relax on the couch in front of the television after giving him some oatmeal to try to keep down.
Since he didn't attend classes, Blaise stopped by and checked to see if everything was okay.
"He's ill. I need to pick up some fever reliever and something to help with his bowels." Draco explained to him. "Do you think you can sit with him?"
"Yeah of course, is he vomiting?" Blaise asked.
"Hasn't since about three this morning." Blaise nodded and walked over to sit with Harry. Draco followed and smiled sadly at the feverish little boy.
"Harry, I'm gonna run out to get you some things to feel better. Blaise is gonna sit with you." He told Harry's whose eyes widened in horror.
"No! Don't go." Harry went to scramble off the couch but Draco gently pushed him down.
"I'll be gone for no more than ten minutes." He promised but Harry wasn't having that as an answer.
"No, please I want you to stay." Harry whimpered and Draco sighed. He looked at Blaise who picked up the hint.
"How about I go and get some things to make you feel better, would you mind that?" Blaise asked and Harry shook his head. "Okay, I'll be right back little man." He told him. He ruffled his hair before leaving. Draco sat next to Harry and the boy laid his head on his lap.
"What are watching?" Draco asked.
"Rugrats." He told him.
"Do you like it?"
"Yeah I wanted to watch Thomas and Friends but it's not on." He told Draco who smiled. He gently played with Harry's hair and waited for Blaise to come back.
When he finally did come back, he had two potions in his hand.
"Promfrey said that this one." He showed a clear one. "Will rid his body of the fever and any other flu like symptoms he has." He showed the other red one. "And this will boost up his immune system. She also said to have him rest today so she's sending an owl to excuse you from classes."
"Merlin, I love that woman." Draco grinned. Blaise passed Harry the potions and with some coaxing, he took the clear one. He gagged a bit, even spitting up, but for the most part kept it down. It instantly kicked in and his pale skin slowly started to return to normal. His fever was gone and he looked healthy again. He took the other one and didn't even gag which Draco was thankful for.
"How do you feel?" Draco asked and Harry grinned.
"I feel a lot better. Can we play?" He asked and Draco sighed smiling slightly.
"We can later but you gotta rest right now."
"Okay." Harry put his head back in Draco lap and continued watching the show. Blaise grinned and ruffled Harry's hair.
"I'll stop by a little later to check up on you guys, have a good day." Blaise kissed both of their heads before leaving.
Draco couldn't help but feel relieved about not going to classes, everyone needed a mental health day every once in a while. He didn't even realize he had fallen asleep until he jolted himself awake. He looked around the common room for Harry and when he didn't see him, he hopped up and walked to Harry's room where he found him playing with toy blocks.
He walked into the room and sat on Harry's bed as the boy regarded him.
"Do you have a nice nap?" He asked and Draco grinned.
"I did little man, I thought you were going to rest." Draco pointed out and Harry shrugged.
"I was." Harry told him. "But you fell asleep and been asleep for so long so I came in here to play."
"What do you mean so long?" Draco questioned. He casted a tempus charm and it was still just before noon. "I was only asleep for about an hour and half." Draco leaped off the bed and gently tackled Harry, tickling his rib cage. Harry let out a giggle and squealed as Draco tickled him mercifully. Harry wiggled away and then tried to tickle Draco but the older teen was not ticklish. Harry pouted his bottom lip and Draco laughed. "Okay sweet boy, you can play for another fifteen minutes and then you need to eat."
"Okay, can you play with me?"
"Of course." They both sat on the floor and used the blocks to build a miniature castle before it was time to eat.
~~~
Blaise came back a little before dinner with Neville who brought Harry a plant to help with healing. Harry thanked him and hugged him tightly telling him that he felt better.
"That's great." Neville told him smiling.
"Can you play with me?" He asked tugging on his hand.
"Yeah okay." Neville held Harry's hand and followed him to his room. Blaise grinned at that and turned to Draco who walked to the fridge.
"Neville doesn't think he's good with kids but he is." Blaise spoke softly.
"I really have grown fond of that kid. He's Harry's real best friend and I think the older part of Harry sees that even if he is only eight now." Draco said and then turned to look at Blaise after pulling out some steaks. "You love him don't you?" Draco questioned. Blaise had said he would never ever fall in love. He saw his mother and that train wreck, he never wanted to go through with it.
"So much so. What's not to love? He's so sweet and caring. He's so passionate about Herbology. Anddd he's so gentle in the bedroom, did you know I took his virginity that night? He told me a few weeks after and told me that he was happy he lost it to me because he thinks I'm incredibly attractive and soothing." He said and Draco chuckled.
"You've got it bad mate. Merlin I'm so happy for you. Have you told him yet?"
"No but I'm going to tonight." Blaise smiled excitedly. "After Harry has gone to bed."
"You're gonna do it here?" Draco looked bewildered. "Why?"
"Because I've always wanted to fuck him on the couch of yours." He told Draco with a cheeky smirk. "I don't know, this is where we actually started to hit things off, it should be here." He said a matter of fact. Draco sighed and shook his head.
"Fine fine." He seasoned the steaks and then heated them up with his wand. He cut Harry's up for him and then pulled out some spinach to give them. He heated it up and then called for the two others to come to the table.
Dinner had passed uneventfully except for Harry's chatter about everything. After dinner, Draco made him read some of his book before telling him to shower. After the shower, Draco sat with Harry for half an hour before the boy fell asleep.
He was leaving the room when he heard Blaise speaking softly to Neville causing him to stop.
"I have something to tell you." Blaise told Neville who gulped.
"Yeah?" Blaise nodded and then stroke Neville's cheek.
"I love you." He smiled blushing.
"Y-yeah?" Neville questioned. "Y-you do?"
"I love you, yeah. I love you so much Nev, I've never felt this way before. I get it if you don't feel the same way because I mean, it's only been a few months and some people take yea-" Neville cut off Blaise's ramblings but kissing him gently. Blaise kissed him back and then they pulled away.
"I love you too doofus, I love you too."
Draco smiled to himself and didn't even think about being alone once. His best friend was happy and that's all that matters.