It's Just a Cold

    Sizzle. Sizzle.

    Harry stood in the kitchen of his flat, preparing breakfast.

    “Draco! You have to get up, now!” he screamed, looking towards the kitchen doorway. “You’ll be late for work!”

     “I’m up! I’m up!” Draco whined, appearing finally, still clad in his pajamas.

     “About time!” Harry told him, smiling. “ You know you can’t laze around all morning! You’ve got a very important job!”

     “I know, I know,” Draco grumbled, slumping against the doorway. “ Harry, I don’t feel so well today.”

     “What?” Harry asked, looking mildly concerned. He stepped over to him, and kissed him gently on the forehead. “Hmm, you seem a little warm to me. Maybe you should stay home today.”

     “I can’t!” Draco grumbled, closing his eyes. “I’ve got a report due by two today, and I’m the only half way done.”

     “Are you sure? I could drop the report off for you on my break,” Harry told him.

     “No, all my work is at the office. I have to go in today. But I’ll be fine. It’s probably just a cold or something.”

     “If you’re sure… but take it easy today, okay? Now, eat some breakfast.”

     Draco sat down at the table, and after a few minutes of pushing his food around his plate, got up and went to take a shower.

     Harry shook his head as he picked up Draco’s plate. He hadn’t even attempted to eat a thing! He began to frown to himself as he began to wash the dishes. He had been living with Draco for three years now, and he had never seen the blond haired cutie feeling under the weather.

     Actually, he had never seen Draco sick in the four years that they’d been dating. The closest he had come to, was on the battlefield, when he found Draco wounded from fighting off his father.

     “I guess I’ll be going,” Draco said, interrupting Harry’s thoughts. Draco was decked out in his black Auror robes, which brought out how pale he truly was.

     “Are you sure you can’t stay home?” Harry asked again.

     “Positive. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” Draco told him.

     “All right, but could you try to get off work early today?”

     “I’ll try. Just for you,” he informed him. Harry smiled and kissed Draco gently goodbye.

    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

    After Harry had showered and gotten dressed himself, he walked over to Hogwarts. He and Draco had decided to buy a flat in Hogsmeade after he was appointed Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, so that Harry could live closer to his work and they would still be able to live together. Harry secretly wished that when Draco was done with being an Auror he would come teach with him.

    “Good morning, Harry!” Hagrid called to him.

    “Morning Hagrid,” Harry said, stopping in front of the small hut. “How are you and Maxime today?”

    “Olympe and I are doing well,” Hagrid informed him. He and Madame Maxime had just recently gotten married. Now Maxime helped him teach Care of Magical Creatures, and they were proud to say that there had been only six accidents since. “So, how’s your other half?”

    “Draco’s feeling a bit under the weather this morning,” Harry told him truthfully.

    “Blimey, well I hope he feels better soon.”

    “I’ll tell him that. I’ll see you later Hagrid,” Harry waved goodbye and headed into the school.

     ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

    “Hello Harry!”

    “Hey Remus! Come on in,” Harry told him. Lupin smiled and entered Harry’s classroom.

    “So how are you today?” he asked.

    “I’m good. Draco’s not feeling that great though,” Harry told him. “How are you and Sev?”

    “Well…”

    “On no! You two aren’t fighting again are you?” Harry sighed exasperatedly. Lupin and Snape had only been going out for two years, but they had more fights than Draco and Harry had.

    “He’s the one who’s mad!” Lupin told him. “All I said was that the new charms teacher was attractive!”

    “Lisa Hayden?” Harry asked.

    “Yeah! I mean, all I was saying was she was good looking! It’s not like I’m going to start dating her! She’s half my age, and besides, everyone knows what gender I prefer.”

    “Well, Severus is kind of insecure. You know that, Remus,” Harry told him.

    “I guess you’re right… but have you seen Lisa?” Harry smiled softly. He had seen Lisa Hayden and knew that she was indeed beautiful. However, he also knew that she was going out with Charlie Weasley, besides, he preferred his boyfriend.

    “Yes, and she is quite pretty, but she has a boyfriend, remember?”

    “REMEMBER?” Ron screamed, storming into Harry’s room as well. “Oh yes, I remember Lisa!”

    “What do you have against Lisa?” Lupin asked. “She seems like a lovely girl!”

    “Looks can be deceiving!” Ron snarled.

    “What’s wrong with her then?”

    “She’s cheating on my brother!” Ron screamed.

    “WHAT?”

    “With who?”

    “I don’t know yet!” Ron screamed. “But come on! She’s here at Hogwarts and Charlie’s off in Romania all unaware!”

    “ That doesn’t mean she’s cheating on him,” Lupin told him.

    “ Oh come on! Look at her! She’s bound to have caught some guys eye by now!”

    “ Caught whose eye?” Neville asked, poking his head into the room.

    “ Ron thinks Lisa is cheating on Charlie,” Harry explained.

    “ Why would you think that? I think Lisa is a nice girl! And she seems to really like Charlie.”

    “How would you know?” Ron asked.

    “Ginny and I went to visit them in Romania over summer and they seemed to really like each other. Charlie’s even thinking of quitting the dragon business and moving back to London, so he can stay with her.”

    “WHAT? Dragons are Charlie’s life! See! She’s evil!” Ron screamed. Harry shook his head.

    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

    “HARRY!” Ron bellowed, as soon as he sat down. “I figured out whose eye Lisa’s caught!”

    “Who?” Harry asked, half interested.

    “NEVILLE!”

    “WHAT?” Harry said, his attention focused on Ron now.

    “Think about it! They’re always talking to each other! And Neville was really fast to defend her this morning. And anyways, everyone knows that Ginny and Neville have been fighting a lot lately!”

    “But Neville, Ron?” Harry repeated. “Come on! Everyone knows that Nev’s nuts for your sister.”

    “Is he, Harry? Is he?” Ron asked. Harry rolled his eyes and turned his attention to the rest of the staff.

    “Come on Sev! I’m sorry!” Lupin pleaded.

    “I have nothing to say to you!” Snape informed him.

    “Come on! You have to forgive me sometime!”

    “Do I really?” Snape asked him.

    “So what: you want to end out relationship cause I said that Lisa was attractive?”

    “Maybe I do!” Snape told him, jumping up and storming out of the hall. Lupin sat still for a second before running after his lover.

    “Sev!!! Look, I’m sorry!”

    The hall was silent for awhile, before finally laughter filled the air. Harry shook his head and shoved the rest of his meal into his mouth.

    “I’m going to get going,” he informed Ron. “I’ve got a few more papers to grade.”

    Ron nodded his head absentmindedly, too busy craning his neck around to see where Lisa and Neville were.

    Harry rolled his eyes as he left the Great Hall. He loved Ron, really, but sometimes he was a huge prat. Lisa and Neville! That was so absurd! I mean why would they-

    “We’ve got to tell someone, Lisa!” he heard Neville saying.

    “I know, but not yet,” Lisa told him.

    “Why not? This is huge!”

    “I know, but I want to talk to Charlie about all this! He’s going to take it hard.”

    “You’re right, but I’m so happy for you,” Neville told her.

    “ME TOO!” Lisa squealed giving him a hug. “But let’s just keep this between you and me, okay?”

    “Okay,” he told her.

    “Thanks, Nev,” she said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

    “Oh dear,” Harry gasped.

    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

    “How could Lisa and Neville be doing this?” Harry asked himself as he walked into his flat. “Charlie and Ginny are great people! Why would they cheat on them?”

    He sighed as he opened the door and threw his keys onto the counter. He headed into the living room, where he planned to flop down on the couch and forget what had happened that day; however, there was a platinum haired boy occupying said couch.

    “Draco?” Harry said. “What are you doing home?”

    “They sent me home early,” Draco told him, before breaking out into a coughing fit. Harry was on his knees by his side instantly.

    “Oh sweetheart,” he cooed gently, rubbing his back to soothe his coughing. “I knew you shouldn’t have gone to work today. You’re sick!”

    “It’s just a cold,” Draco told him, leaning back on the couch and closing his eyes. Harry placed his hand on his forehead.

    “You’re burning up, love,” he told him, getting up and fetching the thermometer.

    “I’m fine… how was you day?” Draco asked.

    “Don’t ask,” Harry grumbled, shoving the thermometer into his lover’s mouth.

TBC…