Chapter 2
“I told you, I already know which bottle I’m bringing over tonight.”
“Are you sure I can’t change your mind? That Merlot we had last time was really good.” Draco tried not to let out an audible groan. Despite drinking tons of wine during boring galas over the years, his husband was still helpless when it came to pairings.
“For the last time, Potter, a deep red wine, which is what that 1998 Merlot is, does not pair well with seafood.”
“How do you even know we’re eating seafood?”
“Hermione hasn’t liked red meat since she found out she was pregnant. Anthony doesn’t eat pork. Luna’s currently a pescatarian. Thus, if we’re going to eat meat tonight, it will be seafood.”
“You’re so smart.”
“Isn’t that why you married me?” Draco joked.
Harry let out a loud chuckle. “Of course, darling.”
“Do you know when you’ll be home?” he asked, nibbling on the end of his quill while he stared at an order sheet. He wanted to know how much time he had before locking up for the night.
“I’m heading towards the point right now and am about 10 minutes away. I filled out all the paperwork before meeting with the family.”
“Sounds good. I can’t wait to hear how it went. I’ll start closing down every–” Draco let out a gasp when a loud screech, followed quickly by a horn and a thump came through the phone. “Harry? Harry! Can you hear me? What’s going on?” There were more honks, along with shoes hitting the pavement coming through the phone, but no response from his husband.
“Harry?” he called out again and again, becoming more desperate the longer he didn’t hear his husband’s voice reassure him. Just when he had stood to try and disapparate to where he thought Harry was in Central London, the Statute of Secrecy be damned, there was another voice at the end of the phone. But it wasn’t Harry’s.
“Um… Hello?”
“Hello, who are you?” Draco acerbly asked.
“My name is Cindy. There’s been a bit of an accident.”
“Where’s Harry? Did something happen to him?”
“Does Harry wear glasses and have a scar on his forehead?”
“Yes, that’s him. He should be wearing a red scarf.”
“He is. I’m terribly sorry to tell you this–”
“Is he dead?” Draco rudely interrupted, the panic sinking in.
“No, nothing like that. He’s been hit by a car and was knocked unconscious. I saw the entire thing. It wasn’t his fault. He had the right to walk but this other car wasn’t paying any attention,” Cindy blabbered on.
“Is he awake now? Can I talk to him?”
“No, he’s still pretty out of it. Oh I hear the sirens now.” Draco could also hear them through the phone.
“They’re taking him to the hospital! I need to be there!”
“I haven’t even asked your name,” Cindy replied without a care in the world.
“I’m Draco and I’m Harry’s hus– civil partner.” Apparently gay marriage wasn’t legal in the United Kingdom yet, so in the muggle world they were in a civil partnership. Hermione had explained all the differences of such a partnership to them almost as soon as the law passed through Parliament.
“Hi, Draco. It’s nice to meet you. You said your partner’s name is Harry?”
“Yes, Harry James Potter. Do you know which hospital he’ll be taken to?” Draco began making a mental list of things he needed in the muggle world. The first of which being money. Harry, partially because he was paranoid and partly because of the nature of his work, kept a few hundred pounds worth of muggle money at home. Surely whatever they had on hand would be enough to cover a cab.
“St. Thomas is the closest, so most likely there. I’ll be sure to ask the paramedics.”
“Where’s St. Thomas located?”
“It’s by the Eye.”
“What eye?”
“The London Eye. It’s the large Ferris Wheel on the Thames.”
“Oh, yes,” Draco hoped he sounded like he knew what this well-known Eye Wheel was. Evidently, it didn’t do a good job.
“You know where Big Ben is, or the Westminster Palace?”
“Yes!”
“St. Thomas is just across the river from there.”
“Thank you.” The sirens, which had grown in volume, cut off. They must have arrived at the scene. He began casting silently, completing all of his usual closing procedures with the phone cradled between his shoulder and ear. When he tapped the cash register, the drawer opened with a clang.
“Are you at the shops?” Cindy asked.
“I own a small business. I’m trying to lock up before heading over to the hospital.”
“Well, the paramedics are here. I’ll find out where they are taking Harry.”
“Thank you so much, Cindy.”
“It’s no trouble, Draco.”
He placed the drawer in his office and locked the door behind him. He would tabulate the sales tomorrow. Meanwhile, he heard Cindy speaking with one of the medics. It was after he warded the door that he realized he left his robes behind. Not that it mattered. He couldn’t wear them out in muggle London.
“Okay, Draco, I spoke with the paramedics, and they are taking Harry to St. Thomas. You’ll be able to find him there.”
“Has he awakened yet?”
“He’s very disoriented. When asked to rate his pain level, he said it felt like a bludger to the head, whatever that means.”
“Oh, that’s an inside joke… from school.” Draco frowned. Harry must really be out of it if he’s using wizard terminology.
“Well, Draco, they are loading him up into an ambulance now. I have to get off the phone so they can add it to Harry’s other possessions.”
“Thank you so much, Cindy. You’re very good at keeping cool under pressure.”
Cindy let out a laugh. “I would hope so, I’m a trauma nurse. That being said, your Harry will be fine. Take a few deep breaths. It was nice meeting you, Draco.”
Before he could respond, there was a click as the line went dead. Draco pulled his mobile away from his ear and gently shut it closed. He then closed his eyes and pictured the happiest day of his life, when he married Harry. He pictured lifting his husband off the ground and spinning him around in circles before casting “Expecto Patronum.”
A white peacock appeared in front of him. “To Ron Weasley: We will be unable to make it to dinner tonight. Harry’s been in a car accident, and I’m going to St. Thomas in London now.” When he finished speaking, the patronus stared at him for a minute before scampering off to deliver his message.
With a heavy sigh, Draco grabbed a pinch of Floo powder from the box on top of the mantle before tossing it in the fire and stating, “Fox’s Fallow.” He stepped through the green flames and ended up in the lounge. A blue jack russel terrier greeted him.
“I’ve placed Hermione’s phone on charge so you can call and keep us updated. Please let us know how Harry’s doing when you have the chance.” Ron’s voice poured out of the dog’s mouth before dissipating.
Draco hurried towards the bedroom to change into more muggle-looking attire, along with exchanging his sickle, knut, and galleon filled coin purse with a wallet filled with muggle money. As he changed, he was grateful that Ron was away from his wife when he received his message. Hermione, while lovely, had grown particularly overbearing as her pregnancy went on. Her anxiety was also quite high; according to Harry, the only people that were able to placate her worries were her own mother and Molly. Ron at least would be able to alleviate some of her concerns and hopefully not add more stress.
A few minutes later, he was dressed in a simple muggle outfit of a green jumper, plaid trousers, and navy trainers. He threw a brown jacket over it, and slipped a wallet with muggle money and his ID into his pocket with his mobile before rushing towards the front door. He grabbed an umbrella since he didn’t know what the weather was like in London before turning on his feet. With a crack, he landed in Diagon Alley.
He quickly made his way through the Leaky Cauldron and out into muggle London. The sun was setting, and the sky above was grey, threatening rain. Taking a minute to orient himself, he walked about a block away from the Leaky before raising his hand in the air. A black cab pulled in front of him within a few minutes.
“Where to?” the driver asked.
“St. Thomas hospital, please.” The cab pulled out into traffic and began the short drive towards the hospital. Within a few minutes, Big Ben came into view. In almost no time at all, Draco was in front of the hospital. He paid the driver, not really paying attention to the banknotes, only yelling “Keep the change,” over his shoulder when the driver began to protest. He followed the signs until he reached the reception desk.
“Hello,” Draco began. “I’m looking for Harry Potter. He was in a car accident and I was told he was brought here.”
“Give me one moment, sir.” She turned away from him to focus on the large box on her desk. Harry explained to him before all about computers and how they were used to pull up information. It seemed similar to casting a complex indexing charm.
“Here we go. It looks like he was just brought in and hasn’t been assigned a ward yet. You’ll have to wait a bit to see him.”
“Do you know how long?”
“Probably an hour or two. They have to do all sorts of assessments before he can have any visitors. You can wait here, or if you’d like to get your friend something, we have a gift shop and canteen down that way. Just follow the signs.” She pointed down a hallway to her left.
Draco followed the receptionist’s advice. In his rush, he hadn’t brought anything to entertain himself. If he had to sit stewing in his own thoughts he would certainly go insane before getting to see his husband. He followed the signs, and soon came upon the gift shop.
The store had a collection of items that surprised Draco. Get well soon and It’s a boy/girl! cards made sense due to being in a hospital. And he supposed the stuffed animals were meant for any sick kids. Even the flowers, although not his taste, made sense. They at least brought a bit of color to the place. He didn’t get all the little pendants and charms they sold, nor the clothes. The store did have a small collection of books; Draco chose one at random so he would have something to read while he waited for news.
With his new purchase tucked under his arm, he exited the gift shop and followed the signs for the cafeteria. Once he arrived, he was surprised at the size of the space. He felt like it could rival the Great Hall, although where Hogwarts had vaulted ceilings, the hospital canteen’s appeared cramped with the artificial fluoride lights. Draco still didn’t really understand how electric lights worked, but he did know that the space would appear much smaller and darker without them.
There was one line open, and while he wasn’t all that hungry, he still grabbed a tray. Maybe they would have something light or something that Harry would like. Nothing on the hot bar caught his eye. He ended up getting an order of chips because he felt bad for appearing undecided. The deli collection was also very picked over, with only a few sad-looking ham salad sandwiches and a very wilted chef salad remaining.
He went to the registers with his chips and decided to add some snacks for Harry too. He threw a bag of Monster Munch and Fangtastics next to his sad chips and paid for them all. He sat down at a table, staring at the chips that were quickly growing cold but too nervous to eat one. When he couldn’t stand being in the canteen any more, he tossed the chips and made his way back to the waiting room.
After reading a bit into the book he selected, the receptionist got his attention. “Excuse me, you in the green jumper.”
Draco marked his spot with the receipt before gathering his things and scurrying over to the desk. “Yes?” he asked.
“Your partner’s been taken to Ward 4B. You can visit him there. Just take the elevators to the right up to the fourth floor, then turn right. You can ask after him at the desk.”
“Thank you so much!” Draco made his way over to the elevators and pushed the up button. He was so grateful that muggle elevators worked the same as magical ones, although how they moved was different. He entered when the doors slid open, and hit the 4 button. A few seconds later, the doors opened to a new level.
He debated calling Ron now, but figured he would wait until he knew what was exactly wrong with his husband so he didn’t have to cause Hermione any more worry. Instead he made his way towards the desk. “Hi, I’m here to see Harry Potter. I was told that he was here.”
The nurse typed something into her screen before nodding. “Yes he is. We’ve just got him settled. He’s sleeping, but you can go in and sit with him.”
“Can you tell me his injuries? I know he was in a car accident, and Cindy told me that he has a concussion. Is there anything else?”
“Is Cindy Harry’s wife? I can tell her any pertinent information, but not to friends. Sorry.”
“Cindy is a stranger who told me what happened to my partner. We were on the phone when Harry was hit by a car. She helped both of us until the ambulance arrived.”
The nurse had the decency to blush. She didn’t make eye contact when she replied. “Yes, he has a moderate concussion, along with bone bruises in his right shin and a severe sprain on his right hand. Overall, your partner is very lucky he didn’t break anything.” She stood up. “If you would follow me.”
She led him down the row of beds, stopping about halfway. “Here he is.”
“Thank you.”
Harry was tucked into bed under a butter yellow blanket. His right arm was in some sort of brace. There was a bandage on his left check from where he probably hit the pavement. His glasses sat on top of the table next to the bed with even a scratch on them. The indestructible charm held up.
As Harry slept on, Draco couldn’t help but think how similar he looked to all the times he was in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts. He set the food packets into the cubby of the table before pulling out his phone and taking a photo. He painstakingly typed out He lives. before sending the text and the photo to Hermione, who immediately called him.
“Hello?” he whispered into the phone, cupping his hand to try and muffle his voice.
“How’s Harry doing?” she demanded.
“He’s currently asleep. He has a concussion, a bunch of bruising, and a sprained wrist.”
Hermione let out a long sigh of relief. “That’s good. That’s really, really good.”
“He’s still injured, Granger!” Draco hissed.
“Granger-Weasley,” she breezily corrected. “But car accidents can seriously maim and even kill people. It sounds like Harry will be okay in a few weeks, thank Merlin!”
Thank Merlin indeed, when she put it that way. If there was such a high risk of injury and death, Draco wondered why there were so many cars on the road. They were obviously death traps and shouldn’t be allowed.
“It’s getting late and I don’t want to wake Harry up. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Send me a patronus once he’s awake.”
“Will do.” Draco ended the call. He placed his phone on the side table and scooted his chair to be closer to Harry. He then cautiously took his husband’s hand, afraid that the slightest movement may wake him up. Once he held his hand, he found himself unwilling to let go. He could feel Harry’s pulsepoint in his wrist, and gently held his thumb over it to remind himself that he would be alright.
All Draco could do now was wait. Based on the injuries that his husband sustained, he tried to think of what the best combination of potions would work best for him. Although muggle medicine was in some ways more advanced than wizarding healers, potions were more effective than the best muggle pharmaceuticals on the market. Once he exhausted all permutations (and thus figured out his husband’s potions regime once he was released from hospital), he instead focused on his next side project. Draco decided that he would create a concussion cure that would help the brain heal faster and cause less overall damage than letting the brain heal on its own slow terms.
He was debating whether crushed pine needles or pulverised mandrake root would be better for the base when he felt a slight tug on his arm. He glanced down and Harry tugged on him again. “It’s alright, dear,” he gently told him.
Harry opened his eyes briefly before shutting them and groaning. He threw his arm with the brace over his eyes.
“I’m sorry about the light. You’ve got a concussion.”
“I remember being told that,” he murmured.
“Do you know what happened?”
“I was hit by a car. I was walking home while talking to you when it happened.” Harry was quiet for a few seconds before exclaiming, “Oh no! Ron and Hermione’s dinner! We’ve missed it, haven’t we.”
“Yes, we did. But that’s okay. Hermione’s just glad you weren’t seriously injured.”
Harry moved his arm out of his face so he could look directly at Draco. “But we were supposed to find out what name they picked for their child!”
“I know this dinner was important to you. I’m sure they will tell you as soon as you’re up for visitors.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. They’re your best friends. They will not withhold such important information from you.
Harry smiled at him. “That’s right. Ron and Hermione are the best.” He closed his eyes and fell asleep again.
Draco let out a deep sigh of relief. Harry woke up. He would be okay. He pulled out the book from before and began reading it for real this time, a small smile on his face.