Later that night, I can hear Rose screaming below. Quite a while later, Hermione walks into the room and asks "How do you get her to stop crying?"
When I don't respond, she sighs "Draco, if you want to throw a little pity party, be my fucking guest, but I know for a fact that you won't stand to hear Rose cry."
I take in a shakey breath, before speaking in a downcast, low voice "It's too loud."
She furrows her brow and asks "Do you have a migraine or something?"
It takes the last bit of energy out of me, just to say "No."
She stands there for a moment, before insisting "If you don't get up, I'm calling Doctor Pryce, because there's obviously something wrong with you."
I'm physically just to heavy to get up. All I can do, is lay there, emotionlessly. After a long moment, she grabs my mobile and walks out.
She leaves the door wide open, the light shining in. I want to get up and shut it, but it feels like an elephant laying on top of me.
Finally, I just fall asleep.
~
A commotion below wakes me. My body feels heavier than the day before. Not that I would care. Every will to move, speak, of even focus, is completely gone.
I can hear people walking up the stairs and finally I hear Doctor Pryce stepping towards me.
She kneels in front of me and smiles "Hey Draco. How are you feeling?"
When I don't reply, Hermione declares "He's not going to do anything! He hasn't for th-"
Olivia raises her hand to silence Hermione, never looking away from me "Draco, can you tell me something?"
I bat my eyes and hope she just leaves me alone. She nods, before moving the hair out of my face "Draco, can you look at me?"
I speak in a voice that suggests I'm sick "Bright." Mentally, I feel like I'm on the verge of death.
She gives a weak smile, before reaching up and pulling the blinds down on the skylights.
Someone else does the other two and Olivia kneels in front of me again "Can you describe what you're feeling?"
I take a deep breath, before giving a sickly "Tired."
She furrows her brow and asks "Would you like to get some sleep?" I bat my eyes and finally, she gives a short nod "I'll let you sleep."
She walks downstairs, the Weasleys falling after her. When they're below, I can hear Olivia ask "Do you know of any mental illness in his immediate family?"
Charlie sighs "His father has BPD, mother was bulimic. His aunt was manic."
She clears her throat, before asking "Have you noticed him acting squirrelly, or maybe starting a project and not finishing it? Staying up all hours of the night? Maybe some mood swings? Maybe hypersexuality?"
"No." Ginny states, before asking "What are you suggesting?"
There's silence for a moment, before she states "Draco appears to be in an extreme depressive episode."
There's complete silence for a moment, before Molly asks "What can we do? How do we get him up?"
There's complete silence for a moment, before Olivia sighs "He'll get up when he desires. That's not what concerns me."
"Has he ever done this?" She asks.
"No." Ron states.
"But he was depressed, yes?" Olivia asks, before there's another moment of silence "If someone has a preexisting condition, such as depression or schizophrenia, their odds of developing bipolar disorder is much higher. If you take into account the fact that his aunt was manic, and he's just seen his boyfriend die, not to mention the HIV scare, it's a very likely possibility that he's developed bipolar disorder."
"The fuck do you mean, bipolar disorder?" Charlie asks, a underlying anger below "H-he's just grieving! He's fine!"
"Charlie." Arthur stops him.
Charlie chuckles in frustration "So, what? You think him mad, because he's a homosexual! Th-that's what being gay is, huh? An illness?"
Despite his volume, Olivia stays calm "My son is a happy, healthy, seventeen year old, gay boy. Sexuality has nothing to do with it."
There's complete silence for a while, before she states "I can't be certain, until he starts acting manic."
"Manic?" George asks.
"Running around at all hours of the night. Missing sleep, but not appearing fatigued. Starting renovations, and never finishing. Making breakfast in the middle of the night. Mood swings. Being irrational. Sexually hyperactive."
"Sexually hyperactive?" Ginny asks, before remarking "He can barely admit that he's gay! He has sex, maybe once every couple of months! I've never seen him do anything sexual, and I'm his wingwoman!"
"It's not-" Olivia sighs, before declaring "When the illness steps in, Draco isn't Draco."
"How will we know if he's manic?" Molly asks "What if he hides it from us?"
"Trust me, you'll know." She states, before declaring "I'm going to go talk to him for a moment."
I can hear her walk up the stairs. She kneels in front of me and gives a weak smile "Hey, Draco." She places my mobile on my side table and sighs "Why don't you give me a call, when you feel up to it. I'll let Scott aware of the situation. He should be completely fine with us covering for your workload, until you're up for it."
For the first time, I feel something. I feel like a lazy sack of shit for not doing my job. What kind of worthless arsehole pawns his job of, or refuses to care for an innocent baby who doesn't understand that the pain she's in is only temporary.
No, it's my job to help. My job to save. And I couldn't even save the one person I'm supposed to protect.
What is a lover, who doesn't protect, or make love?
Olivia furrows her brow and declare "I can see some gears turning in there. You're listening."
She gives a weak smile, before declaring "We'll keep it under the radar. Get you some help. Get you back to work."
After a moment, she asks "Have you taken your antiretrovirals, this morning?"
When I don't reply, she takes the bottle of pills and takes one out, before demanding "Open."
I crack my lips and she pops it in. When I swallow it, she smiles "Good boy." She moves the hair out of my face and sighs "It's not just family that loves you."
She looks me over, before giving a short nod "Okay."
She stands and walks out.