Day Four
Harry wakes up in agony the next morning, his face screwed up in pain. He turns to see both Ron and Hermione asleep. He doesn’t want to wake them, but-
“Mione,” he groans, reaching over to shake her shoulder.
“Eh, what, Harry??” she panics, bolting straight upright, waking Ron.
“What’s wrong?” Ron asks groggily.
“My leg,” Harry groans. “And probably other stuff, but mostly my leg,”
They’re quick to spring to action, Ron shifting behind him to hold him down while Hermione pulls the blankets back. Harry bites back a shout of pain as she drags his bottoms down. He looks down and grimaces. It looks much worse today.
Hermione’s breath hitches, and he can tell her brain is spinning. “Harry, I don’t think I can fix this on my own,”
“Okay,” he nods, leaning his head back on Ron’s shoulder. “Get Molly. If she can’t fix it, I’ll take Madam Pomfrey, but I won’t go to Mungo’s,”
“I’ll be right back,” Hermione assures him. She casts an odd look at Ron, but Harry can’t place it.
“Anything else major?” Ron asks.
“I don’t know,” Harry groans, another stab of pain shooting through his leg. “Fuck, why does it hurt so bad?”
“Just breathe,” Ron murmurs, gently rocking him back and forth. “We’re gonna fix it,”
Hermione barges back in, Molly hot on her heels.
“Honestly, I wish you two had said something yesterday,” Molly huffs. “Let me see, Harry,” she fusses over him, tutting at his leg. “What is this from?”
Harry looks at Hermione, begging her to explain. She clears her throat, looking nervous. “There was a fiendfyre. Harry saved Draco’s life,”
“A what?” Molly looks between the three of them in a panic. “Fiendfyre?!”
“I think it’s just from the heat,” Hermione explains quietly. “If the flames had touched him…”
“Quite,” Molly frowns, waving her wand over his burn again. She casts a charm, and Harry immediately relaxes as a soothing chill spreads across his skin. An uncomfortable, itchy feeling settles beneath the surface as Molly heals the burn. When she’s done, it's still pink and raw but much improved.
“Thanks, Molly,” he sighs, relaxing against Ron’s chest.
“I’m not sure if it will last,” she frowns. “Fiendfyre is… well, just let me know if it gets worse, and we’ll send for Poppy,”
“Thanks, Mum,” Ron murmurs.
“Anything else wrong, dear?”
Harry shakes his head, starting to feel overwhelmed. His heart is beginning to race, and a ball tightens in his chest, threatening to burst. His breathing picks up, and his shoulders shake.
“I’ll keep you posted,” Hermione murmurs, ushering Molly out of the room and shutting the door behind her.
“Breathe, Harry,”
“I can’t. I can’t. I can’t,” Harry repeats over and over. He suddenly feels clammy and cold, like he’s… like he’s…
He zones out again, their voices muffled, the room blurry. He’s cold again. Why is it cold? He can feel his body shifted. Lifted, just like Hagrid had lifted him. Somewhere, he registers that there’s water running and someone is pulling off his shirt.
He takes a gasp of air as the hot water scalds his skin, plunging him back into reality. Ron is staring at him, his eyes wide with panic. Hermione stands behind him, her hand over her mouth like she’s trying to contain herself. He’s sitting in the shower, the water directed right over him, reminding him he’s alive.
“I’m here, I’m here,” he gasps out immediately, and Ron relaxes. “I’m here,”
“Oh, thank goodness,” Hermione breathes out. Her face immediately turns bright red. “Um, I’ll let you two… I’ll bring you some clean clothes,”
Ron sinks against the edge of the tub, his shirt getting speckled with water drops. He grabs Harry’s arm and holds it tightly. Harry places his hand on Ron’s and ignores the squirming feeling in his stomach.
“I’m-”
“Don’t,” Ron reminds him. Then he gives him a goofy grin. “Well, might as well shower since you’re in here,”
“Right,” Harry says hesitantly, looking up at the water stream. It seems daunting until Ron pulls him to his feet and joins him as if it’s perfectly normal, and they do this every day.
It helps, though, and it’s easy for him to stand under the water and let Ron take care of him. It’s easy to let them tuck him back into bed and give him potions. It’s easy to drift back into his dark and cozy void.