InsaneJournal

Unexpected - Chapter 13: Mysterious Illness
Title: Unexpected
Authors: slashpervert and aveeno_baby.

Betas: brknhalo241, asm614, Mini Mouse, and Indie.
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: ADULT!
Genre: Fluff, Smut, Hurt/Comfort
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Length: 94,000 words (40 Chapters)
Warnings (Mark to Read): Language, Explicit, M/M Sex, Masturbation, Oral, Rimming, Anal, Mpreg, and mental health issues such as anxiety attacks. (Characters in this fiction are over 18.)

Summary: Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy have lived together for four years in their country house surrounded by a magical menagerie of unwanted animals Harry rescues. Yet, Harry wants more. He dreams of a family that includes children.

Notes: Post-war, AU after HBP, not DH compliant. Sequel to Undesirable, though can be read separately. Whereas, Undesirable was very dark, this one is very fluffy with some angst. Thanks to corvusdea for help with Latin for spells. Icon adapted by slashpervert from Passion by dirty_darella.
Disclaimer: This is a non-commercial work of fan fiction intended for adult audiences only. No copyright infringement intended. (Full Disclaimer!)

Chapter Number/Total: 13/40
Chapter Title: Mysterious Illness
Words: 2005 Words



Harry hadn't felt this sick in a long time. It felt as though his body was trying to reject his stomach, but first all of its contents had to be thrown up. It was about eight weeks since his night with the horse, eight wonderful weeks of unbelievably good shagging. He hadn’t been this horny before in his life and he wondered now if he had overdone it. Certainly, pleased as he was with the hot sex, even Draco looked a bit worn out after being pounced on several times, day and night.

But this morning Harry had woken up with such a strong wave of nausea that he was forced out of his bed earlier than usual, stumbling towards the bathroom only to fall in front of the toilet and throw up everything he had eaten the night before. It was a horrible feeling, really, and he couldn't stop retching.

Draco normally didn't do mornings. He left that to Harry. But the sounds coming from their bathroom roused him and he stumbled, bleary-eyed from his bed toward the bathroom. He had to shove the dogs out of the way, as they were standing in the doorway of the bathroom watching Harry with concerned looks of their own.

Harry flushed the toilet for the second time, pushing his hair back once again as he rested his forehead against the toilet seat. He felt horrible.

Draco grabbed a flannel and ran it under cold water and then went to one knee beside his lover, drawing back Harry’s long hair and pressing the cloth to his cheeks. "You're sick," he said softly, brow furrowed as he tried to think of what could be causing it.

Harry pouted pitifully and nodded, glancing over at him. "Something's up with my stomach," he murmured with a small sigh, even though he was feeling a little better now.

Draco drew his lover to him, bathing his face and rocking him. "Did this just start? Were you sick after dinner last night?"

"It just started," Harry mumbled, closing his eyes and letting Draco rock him. It helped calm him down. "I have to wash my mouth out."

Draco helped him stand, keeping an arm around Harry, then reached for a glass and filled it with water.

Harry took the glass and washed his mouth out a few times, sighing when he was done. "I feel okay now. Hungry, actually," he murmured.

Draco arched an eyebrow. "Let me help you with the animals and breakfast today," he offered, leading the other man back into the bedroom and reaching for their dressing gowns.

"You're not tired?" Harry asked as he pulled his clothes on.

Draco shrugged. He was tired, but he was always fretful about Harry's safety. He shrugged and pulled on the robe. The two dogs were waiting for them by the door.

"All right," Harry said, leading the way back out of the room so that they could feed all the animals. Once that was done, which was much easier with Draco's help, he went about making breakfast. He really did feel better even though he was still cautious.

"I'll see to Lily after breakfast," Draco said as he sat down at the kitchen table and reached for the tea. Since Harry usually made breakfast, Draco didn't interfere but he did watch him warily.

Harry started on the usual eggs and sausage, scrambling the eggs just fine. It was when he started cooking the sausage that things started to go wrong. The smell made his stomach lurch suddenly and he went for the sink this time. He hadn't eaten anything, so not much came up. He did heave a few times though, his hair falling around his face.

Draco nearly dropped his cup of tea, spilling it as he set it down and came to stand beside his lover. He turned off the fire under the pan. When the retching seemed to subside, he helped Harry to a chair at the table.

"Maybe I'm not better," Harry said. He was a little confused.

Draco huffed, as much out of worry as anything. "I am going to cast some Diagnostic Spells," he warned as he drew his wand.

Harry made a face, but nodded. "Throw away the sausage or something," he said, nearly retching again when he got another whiff of it. Harry loved sausages!

Now that was odd, Draco thought. One minute Harry was hungry and the next he was heaving at his favourite food. He picked the pan up and set it out on the back terrace. The dogs were ecstatic. When he returned to the room, Draco cast an Air Cleaning Charm first to cancel the smell.

Harry was rubbing his stomach when he came back inside, trying to think about what was wrong with him. "Gonna do those spells?"

"Definitely," Draco answered. He'd had been a Healer at St Mungo's before sleeping with his patient, Harry, had ended his career. He went through some basic spells and frowned. "You don't have food poisoning or the flu," he explained, pulling up a chair and using the old fashioned method of actually feeling his lover's forehead. It was damp but not hot.

Harry frowned. "So what's wrong with me?" he sighed, shaking the hair out of his face again.

"I don't know, but I don't want you going to the orphanage today," Draco said. "Let's see if it improves with rest."

Harry pouted. He was looking forward to seeing the kids, but he knew that Draco wasn't going to budge, no matter how much he argued. "Okay, but I'm still hungry," he told him.

"Besides, you don't want to make the children sick if you have a bug," Draco soothed, getting up and dishing out the eggs. Normally, Draco enjoyed mysteries. But not about Harry. He knew he was overprotective of his lover, but even Harry's friends shared that. Harry had been through too much already.

Harry nodded and cautiously took a bite of the eggs, chewing slowly and swallowing. When he didn't immediately throw up, he started to quickly eat, his appetite just as good as it was before.

***

Over the next couple days, a weird pattern emerged. Harry continued to have intermittent nausea and vomiting. Sometimes it was a smell that set it off and at other times it seemed to come out of nowhere. He kept showing negative for all the usual suspects and by day three, Draco was ready to take him to St Mungo's.

"I don't want to go there," Harry insisted the moment the hospital was mentioned. "I'm fine, Draco, it'll go away."

"If it was going to go away, it would have by now," Draco insisted. "I am owling Hermione."

"No. I'm not going," Harry insisted, looking up at Draco now. "I'm fine, Draco! It'll go away."

Draco sighed. He had been a Healer there and Harry had been a patient. Harry had been in a locked ward for over a year. Draco pulled up a chair, sitting beside his lover and taking his hand. "I won't leave you alone. I will be right beside you."

"They'll want to keep me there, and I'm not doing that again," Harry huffed. He could feel the slight edges of fear threatening to take over and hoped the petulance would keep that at bay.

"First, you have the right to refuse. You are no longer a ward of the Ministry," Draco assured him. "Second, if you need healing that requires you stay, I will be right there with you."

"But I really don't want to," Harry said again, moving to stand up and walk towards the living room.

Draco, and the dogs, followed Harry. Draco reached for Harry's hand, fingers curling around the other man.

"I'm scared," Harry said, turning around to face him. His heart was beginning to pound just thinking about it and he suddenly felt very cold and exposed. Harry knew that Draco understood but he also knew that he had been alone there in St Mungo's for a very long time and nobody but Harry could truly know what that was like. He would never do that again.

Draco wrapped his other arm around Harry's shoulders, pulling against his chest. "I swear to take care of you, to be beside you."

Harry continued to shake his head, but he knew Draco was only showing just how much he cared. Something could really be wrong with him.

"Part of taking care of you is admitting when I don't know something, when I need help," Draco explained. "I am worried and I need to know what's wrong."

Harry still looked uncomfortable, but he nodded, leaning up to bury his face in Draco's neck.

Draco brought his hand up, cupping the back of Harry's head, caressing his hair, waiting for him to accept the help.

"Okay," Harry whispered, pulling his head back a little.

"I will Floo-call Ron and Hermione," Draco suggested. "Maybe one of them can check in on the animals for us while we are there."

Harry nodded, knowing that their friends were basically the only people that he would trust with his pets. "I just want to get this over with now."

Draco went to the front room, using the fireplace they had connected to the Floo system. He was able to reach Hermione who insisted she meet them at the hospital. Ron would come after work to take care of the animals if they weren't back by then.

Harry stayed in the kitchen to wait, still more worried about having to go to St Mungo’s than about being sick. He petted Snuffles when the dog walked into the kitchen, sighing softly. "Wish you could tell them I'm fine," he mumbled to the animal. Snuffles rubbed his head against Harry's hand and leant against his leg.

Draco came back into the kitchen, hands on his hips. Harry looked both sad and beautiful sitting there with the dog. "Come on," he said, holding out his hand.

Harry sighed one more time before he stood up, taking Draco's hand in his. "Let's just go then."

They Floo'd to St Mungo’s, Draco sending Harry through and following right after, then dusting them both off when they were there. Harry tried not to look around too much, afraid of seeing anything that would trigger the memories of his time there.

Draco could tell how upset Harry was, not just by the tension in the man's body but the way he used that long black hair to hide his face and his shoulders hunched. Without realising it, Harry had slipped into old postures and habits from when he was a patient. Draco squeezed Harry’s hand reassuringly and led them up to the admitting desk. The witch barely glanced at them, apparently not recognising the two men. "My companion needs to see a Healer," Draco told her.

"Nature of the problem?" she asked, sounding bored.

"Nausea and vomiting with an unknown cause, persisting for more than three days," Draco said crisply. "And before you suggest it, I have already performed the standard Diagnostic Spells for the flu, food poisoning or any of the common ailments."

Her head snapped up at that and she narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you qualified for those spells?" she asked suspiciously.

"Yes, I am," Draco snapped.

"Name of the patient?" she asked.

"Harry Potter," Harry mumbled, looking up at the witch.

She startled visibly, peering at Harry though his hair. "Harry Potter?" she asked, sounding either disbelieving or awed.

Harry tucked his hair behind his ear so that she could see his glasses and the scar on his forehead. "Yes. Could I get help, please?"

"Oh, certainly, yes, right away," she babbled, immediately signalling someone else who came forward to lead them inside.

Draco nodded, both pleased that Harry would get immediate care but aware of passing a waiting room full of other people. The staffer left them in an exam room and told them a Healer would be with them shortly.

[Wonder what the Healers will think...]

Chapter 14

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