Work Text
Are you crazy?
Soon as Harry woke up, he knew something was wrong. He certainly wasn't a passionate early riser, but at least he got out of bed a few minutes after the alarm clock and slipped under a hot shower. That morning, however, he hardly got his eyes open. A dull feeling slowly spread to the back of his head and he flinched briefly as he tried to swallow the little spit that had accumulated in his mouth overnight with his dry, rough throat.The side of the bed next to him was deserted and tidy. Draco had got up early this morning and had given Harry a kiss on the cheek to say goodbye. Nothing unusual on a Thursday. Draco's shifts in St. Mungo were always quite different, while Harry had reliably every Thursday off during his Auror apprenticeship, but had to work every other Saturday. This day of the week he used (if Draco wasn't free by chance) for the household. He did the weekly grocery shopping, cleaned, did laundry and cooked an elaborate dinner for his beloved. Of course they could have hired a house elf without any problems, but Harry thought it was silly. He would also be able to keep their small apartment in good condition himself.With a quiet groan Harry straightened up. Little black dots danced promptly in front of his eyes and he swayed slightly while sitting. Oh no. He had certainly only moved too fast. With a deep breath he tried to calm down, which immediately triggered a violent coughing attack. Oh no! Annoyed, he took a big sip of water from his glass of the nightstand to soothe his dry sore throat. Why today, of all days? He had so much to do! He wanted to change the beds, then turn on the washing machine, go shopping in time, hang up the laundry, replant the big flowerpot on the small balcony, clean the kitchen and bathroom and then vacuum. Then he had to start preparing for dinner.It wasn't that Harry was forced to do all this. Draco often said he shouldn't spend so much time and have a cleaner come at least once a week, but Harry was stubborn. He enjoyed taking care of his friend, providing him with a nice home when he came from a long shift in the hospital. And besides, unlike Draco, he was more than used to housework and no longer found it exhausting or humiliating. He even did most of it in Muggle style and with Muggle equipment, although he appreciated some of the tricks Molly had shown him in recent years.So it didn't suit him at all to be ill today. He simply decided to ignore his body. But to be honest, he had already noticed in the last two days that he was not quite fit. At the end of the day he had felt exhausted and yesterday he had had those dull headaches which were now getting worse and worse since waking up. Harry rubbed the cold glass of water over his temples and snuffled before he got up. Maybe a good shower would help. With his eyes closed, he stood under the hot water and let it run down his body. He was still slim, but due to more sport and training not as delicate as in his school days. His cramped neck muscles relaxed a little, but those annoying headaches didn't want to go away.While pulling off the sheets from the bed and putting a new one on, the young Auror noticed how his arms and shoulders began to hurt again. The effect of the warm shower had already diminished. Although it was a mild 17°C outside and Harry was never cold, he wrapped Draco's thick scarf around his neck before leaving the house for the supermarket. Normally he would have been able to enjoy his boyfriend's divine, masculine scent by now, but his damn nose was far too congested. In the supermarket it was uncomfortably bright and the young man hurried through the frozen food section with his eyes pinched, before beginning to tremble with cold. But it was unusually cold in there today, wasn't it? Back outside, he inconspicuously enchanted his shopping bags, making them lighter to carry home without much effort. But either he didn't quite manage the magic today, or his sinewy arms were just too weak. Anyway, the way back to the apartment was exhausting, actually everything was exhausting. And these damn headaches were now really pounding in the back of his head.Coughing, he dragged himself up to the second floor of the small multiple dwelling on the outskirts of London and stowed away the groceries, only to march back down to the cellar and hang up the meanwhile clean laundry to dry. Fortunately, none of his neighbors were in the small laundry room, so he could hang the clothes on a leash with the help of his wand. It wasn't as neat as usual, but whatever.Harry had been looking forward to replanting the balcony, but now he didn't like to dig in the ground bent over all the time. Again and again he had to snuffle and stretch his aching back. He did the cleaning mechanically and without any frills. Again he swayed slightly and had to hold on to the kitchen unit, but blamed the dizziness on the fumes of the cleaning agents. Yes, the boy who lived twice was a stubborn one. ***Just as he was in the middle of cooking, he heard the soft swooshing in the fireplace, announcing that Draco had flooed to the living room."Harry, I'm home," he shouted into the apartment.Harry tried to call back that he was in the kitchen, but except for a hoarse caw nothing came out. He cleared his throat, but his aching throat brought out only a weak "kitchen..."."What did you say?" it came back from the hallway where Draco just took off his black leather shoes and put them neatly on the shelf and hung his grey cashmere coat on the wardrobe."I'm in the kitchen," Harry tried again louder and of course had to cough again promptly.Draco now appeared in the kitchen door and Harry couldn't help but smile despite his almost bursting head. He actually smiled every time he saw his friend. He wore one of his usual cloth trousers, today in black and a plain white shirt. He always left his working robes in his locker in St. Mungo."Baby, what is wrong with you?," Draco asked with a sceptical, worried voice."Nothing..." Harry tried to fend him off.But the blonde was not stupid. With two big steps of his long legs he was at the former Gryffindor, put an index finger under Harry's chin and looked him in the face."Say, are you crazy?"Harry shrugged a little under the harsh voice."Potter, you're glowing!" Draco put his cool hand on the hot, sweaty forehead of his friend. "What do you think you're doing here? Did you still do the whole household?" he asked in a stern voice.Harry lowered his gaze and nodded. Again a dizzy feeling went through his aching head and he quickly clung to Draco's broad shoulders.The latter shook his head in disbelief. "Merlin, Gryffindor, you're crackers! You belong in bed this instant!"Without waiting for the smaller boy's protest, Draco turned off all the buttons on the stove and effortlessly lifted his poor sick sweetheart into his muscular arms. Harry huddled silently against Draco's slender neck and tiredly wrapped his arms around him.Shortly afterwards he was carefully lowered into the soft bed and let himself sink onto the pillow, completely exhausted."I'll be right back," he heard Draco's soft voice and felt slender fingers set his glasses down and run through his pitch-black hair.Oh Merlin, everything hurt. All his muscles felt sore, and he had to close his eyes to limit the headaches. Relieved he sighed as he felt something cold and damp on his forehead. Draco was there again. He knelt in front of the bed and carefully washed his shiny forehead with a cold cloth."What are you doing, Harry?"He could hear the soft accusation in the voice of the former Slytherin and only shrugged his shoulder tiredly."Since when are you sick?""I don't know..." Harry mumbled into the pillow and allowed his boyfriend to gently pull the sweaty shirt over his head."You can go for a bite to eat, I only need a few minutes of sleep, then I feel better again," whispered the black-haired husky."You are such a stubborn git, Potter," Draco grumbled lovingly and dipped the washcloth back into the cold water."But you had a long day," Harry tried to protest again. His snuffed voice broke."Now shut up and let me take care of you, okay? By Salazar, you're worse than my patients!"Finally the smaller one gave in and nodded briefly just to make a face right on it when the pain shot through his head."Do you have pain?" Draco's voice was now honestly worried. He couldn't bear it at all when his beloved was suffering. "Where?""Everywhere," Harry replied mattely and groaned as he turned a little."I'll get you something for the fever and the pain, yeah? Then you can sleep for a while."Draco quickly disappeared into the bathroom and digged a little in his cupboard with the remedies. Triumphantly he pulled a small bottle with light blue contents from a corner and hurried back to Harry, who had started to tremble despite his hot head."Oh my, chills too," Draco muttered more to himself and laid his slender hand soothingly on Harry's reddened cheek."Darling, that's all right... I'm with you..." He gently stroked his friend, who only opened his eyes again after a minute."Here, drink this up."Draco supported Harry's heavy head, felt the sweaty hair and shook his head in disbelief again. His boyfriend had been on his feet all day like that? He would really have to have a serious word with him if he was all right again.With a disgusted face Harry swallowed the potion and let himself sink back onto the pillows. Again he wrapped his arms around his narrow chest and trembled violently under the thick blanket."Shh, it's about to end. You'll feel better soon. Just relax, everything will be fine..."Draco spoke to his boyfriend in a quiet, deep voice. A pain shot through his chest. He didn't want Harry to feel so bad. But after a few minutes the trembling slowly subsided and the black-haired young man let out a relieved sigh as the pain gradually subsided and was finally only dull to feel. He enjoyed Draco's slender fingers on his scalp and neck and leaned exhausted into the touches.When Draco was sure that Harry was finally asleep, he stroked his wet, curly hair one last time and then pulled his hand back. Gently he rose from his uncomfortable kneeling position in front of the bed. He went quietly to the door to make himself something to eat when he heard a soft noise."Draco," Harry murmured."Yes, baby?" he whispered back."Thank you."