Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy - The C Word - One Shot - PG-13
Title: The C Word
Author: screaminglungs
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Warnings: serious illness
Word Count: 1170
Summary: Neville always knew Harry was a stubborn man. Future-fic. AU. Could loosely be considered part of the Snuffles Universe.
Author's Note: Beta read by the lovely kcstories
“Harry, I really don’t think you going home right now is a good idea.”
A hand on each of his shoulders and Neville’s uncharacteristically stern voice had him stopping just long enough to look into his friend’s eyes; eyes which were filled with concern.
“Neville, it’s Maggie’s 14th birthday, she’s only ever going to have one, and I am not spending it lying here like some fucking invalid,” Harry snapped and struggled in Neville’s grip once more, but the taller, broader man stood firm.
“You are a fucking invalid, Harry! You’ve got cancer, do you understand that? You. Have. Got. Cancer!” Neville wasn’t normally so blunt with his patients but seeing Harry could be as stubborn as a mule, he felt he had no other choice in this case.
Harry’s wide green eyes met sympathetic brown and he sagged visibly in Neville’s grip. Neville steered him back into the chair he had just jumped out of, and once more he took his seat, perched on the edge of his desk.
“Okay, I’ve got cancer, now what? I’m not spending the night here, not tonight or any other night, for that matter. My kids are only home six weeks out of the whole year and I intend to make those weeks happy ones, so patch me up and give me a potion because I can’t stay here.”
Harry looked like a caged animal and Neville didn’t know what to say to convince him. Usually the word cancer was enough to have any patient running for the wards, but Harry had never been like everyone else. Cancer was only ever found in Muggleborn or Half-blood wizards, and even among them, it was still incredibly rare. As usual, Harry Potter stuck out from the crowd.
“Harry, you can’t solve this with a bit of Pepper-Up! The potions you’ll be taking will make you nauseous and weak, not to mention that they’re a complicated mix and have to be taken at the exact same time every day. You can’t just go running off home!” Neville didn’t know what else he could say to convince Harry, short of screaming “you’re going to die” in his face, and even that probably wouldn’t win him this argument.
“Nev, I know you’re just trying to do your job and you’re trying to help me out, but I have to be with my family tonight! I can’t just disappear.” Harry ran his hand through his dishevelled hair that gave him a boyish look despite his more than thirty years.
“Then Floo Draco and tell him what’s happening! Why do you feel the need to do this alone?”
“Do you know what this would do to him? To the kids?” Harry sighed wearily. “They don’t need to know about this until they really have to. If I’m not going to get better then I’ll tell them, but right now, it looks okay, right?”
“Provided you do as you’re told,” Neville snapped.
“I will take whatever you want me to take, I’ll be back here at whatever time you want me to be, but please, just give me the potion I need and let me go home for my little girl’s birthday.”
Neville sighed in resignation and walked across his office to a locked cabinet he kept several vials of potions in. He retrieved a purple vial, one of five, and returned to Harry who smiled for the first time that day.
“Thank you,” Harry said sincerely and accepted the vial with another grateful smile.
“Take it now. It’s four thirty. You’ll have to be back here at exactly the same time every day for the next four days to take the others, then we’ll survey the tumour size and decide where to go next.”
Harry listened and nodded along before downing the vial. Neville hadn’t been joking about the nausea. It was immediate and severe, but Harry smiled anyway and stood from his chair to the best of his ability. He could already feel a dull ache in his right arm where Neville had told him the cancer had been found. It had all started when Harry had slipped in the kitchen and had broken his wrist. It hadn’t been a bad fall and he had been concerned about how easily the bone had broken, thus his trip to see Neville and this entire cancer ordeal that had followed.
Harry hobbled towards the door, his vision swimming.
“Harry, do you want me to side-long you home?”
Harry nodded and gripped at the corner of Neville’s large desk. He felt too nauseous to form words.
Neville wrapped an arm around Harry’s waist and hooked one of Harry’s over his shoulder before Apparating away.
They arrived in the designated point behind the Potter household’s shed. Harry sagged against him even more heavily and Neville let out a weary sigh. “Still think you can do this?”
“Nev, just take me to the back door. I’ll be right as rain.” Harry’s voice sounded choked and it took him a while to get the words out.
“Harry, this is fucking ridiculous.” Neville wrapped his arm around Harry’s waist and hauled him closer, trying to ignore his friend’s flinch at the sudden movement. They ambled up the garden and soon enough, they were standing outside the back door. From this position they could see inside the small kitchen. Draco sat at the table with his and Harry’s two children; Maggie and Alex; they were laughing and joking as they all drank tea and nibbled on biscuits. They were obviously waiting for Harry to get home.
“You see, Harry, they love you. They’re in there waiting for you and when they find out about this, because they will, do you want them to always resent you for not trusting them enough to tell them the truth?” Neville was practically holding Harry up.
“Neville, I can’t.” Harry practically whimpered.
“It’s now or never, Harry. When are you finally going to grow up and let other people take care of you?” Neville forced Harry to look at him; they stared into one another’s eyes for a long while before Harry finally nodded.
“Okay Nev, lets go.”
Neville smiled and walked them further towards the back door. Three astonished faces looked up at him as he tapped on the glass pane in the door. Draco frowned at Harry, and Neville could feel his friend shaking even more as Draco opened the door.
“Longbottom, what are you doing with my husband?” Draco laughed, but he sounded worried.
“I can take it from here, Neville.” Harry smiled and stepped forward into Draco’s arms. The blond met Neville’s eyes over Harry shoulder. He was obviously terrified when Harry slumped against him.
“Take care, Harry. Good night, Draco.” Neville closed the door behind the couple and watched how Draco lowered Harry into a kitchen chair. Maggie immediately grabbed her father’s hand, and Alex moved closer. Harry had a lot of explaining to do, but maybe he’d finally realise that his family would always be there for him.
Author: screaminglungs
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Warnings: serious illness
Word Count: 1170
Summary: Neville always knew Harry was a stubborn man. Future-fic. AU. Could loosely be considered part of the Snuffles Universe.
Author's Note: Beta read by the lovely kcstories
“Harry, I really don’t think you going home right now is a good idea.”
A hand on each of his shoulders and Neville’s uncharacteristically stern voice had him stopping just long enough to look into his friend’s eyes; eyes which were filled with concern.
“Neville, it’s Maggie’s 14th birthday, she’s only ever going to have one, and I am not spending it lying here like some fucking invalid,” Harry snapped and struggled in Neville’s grip once more, but the taller, broader man stood firm.
“You are a fucking invalid, Harry! You’ve got cancer, do you understand that? You. Have. Got. Cancer!” Neville wasn’t normally so blunt with his patients but seeing Harry could be as stubborn as a mule, he felt he had no other choice in this case.
Harry’s wide green eyes met sympathetic brown and he sagged visibly in Neville’s grip. Neville steered him back into the chair he had just jumped out of, and once more he took his seat, perched on the edge of his desk.
“Okay, I’ve got cancer, now what? I’m not spending the night here, not tonight or any other night, for that matter. My kids are only home six weeks out of the whole year and I intend to make those weeks happy ones, so patch me up and give me a potion because I can’t stay here.”
Harry looked like a caged animal and Neville didn’t know what to say to convince him. Usually the word cancer was enough to have any patient running for the wards, but Harry had never been like everyone else. Cancer was only ever found in Muggleborn or Half-blood wizards, and even among them, it was still incredibly rare. As usual, Harry Potter stuck out from the crowd.
“Harry, you can’t solve this with a bit of Pepper-Up! The potions you’ll be taking will make you nauseous and weak, not to mention that they’re a complicated mix and have to be taken at the exact same time every day. You can’t just go running off home!” Neville didn’t know what else he could say to convince Harry, short of screaming “you’re going to die” in his face, and even that probably wouldn’t win him this argument.
“Nev, I know you’re just trying to do your job and you’re trying to help me out, but I have to be with my family tonight! I can’t just disappear.” Harry ran his hand through his dishevelled hair that gave him a boyish look despite his more than thirty years.
“Then Floo Draco and tell him what’s happening! Why do you feel the need to do this alone?”
“Do you know what this would do to him? To the kids?” Harry sighed wearily. “They don’t need to know about this until they really have to. If I’m not going to get better then I’ll tell them, but right now, it looks okay, right?”
“Provided you do as you’re told,” Neville snapped.
“I will take whatever you want me to take, I’ll be back here at whatever time you want me to be, but please, just give me the potion I need and let me go home for my little girl’s birthday.”
Neville sighed in resignation and walked across his office to a locked cabinet he kept several vials of potions in. He retrieved a purple vial, one of five, and returned to Harry who smiled for the first time that day.
“Thank you,” Harry said sincerely and accepted the vial with another grateful smile.
“Take it now. It’s four thirty. You’ll have to be back here at exactly the same time every day for the next four days to take the others, then we’ll survey the tumour size and decide where to go next.”
Harry listened and nodded along before downing the vial. Neville hadn’t been joking about the nausea. It was immediate and severe, but Harry smiled anyway and stood from his chair to the best of his ability. He could already feel a dull ache in his right arm where Neville had told him the cancer had been found. It had all started when Harry had slipped in the kitchen and had broken his wrist. It hadn’t been a bad fall and he had been concerned about how easily the bone had broken, thus his trip to see Neville and this entire cancer ordeal that had followed.
Harry hobbled towards the door, his vision swimming.
“Harry, do you want me to side-long you home?”
Harry nodded and gripped at the corner of Neville’s large desk. He felt too nauseous to form words.
Neville wrapped an arm around Harry’s waist and hooked one of Harry’s over his shoulder before Apparating away.
They arrived in the designated point behind the Potter household’s shed. Harry sagged against him even more heavily and Neville let out a weary sigh. “Still think you can do this?”
“Nev, just take me to the back door. I’ll be right as rain.” Harry’s voice sounded choked and it took him a while to get the words out.
“Harry, this is fucking ridiculous.” Neville wrapped his arm around Harry’s waist and hauled him closer, trying to ignore his friend’s flinch at the sudden movement. They ambled up the garden and soon enough, they were standing outside the back door. From this position they could see inside the small kitchen. Draco sat at the table with his and Harry’s two children; Maggie and Alex; they were laughing and joking as they all drank tea and nibbled on biscuits. They were obviously waiting for Harry to get home.
“You see, Harry, they love you. They’re in there waiting for you and when they find out about this, because they will, do you want them to always resent you for not trusting them enough to tell them the truth?” Neville was practically holding Harry up.
“Neville, I can’t.” Harry practically whimpered.
“It’s now or never, Harry. When are you finally going to grow up and let other people take care of you?” Neville forced Harry to look at him; they stared into one another’s eyes for a long while before Harry finally nodded.
“Okay Nev, lets go.”
Neville smiled and walked them further towards the back door. Three astonished faces looked up at him as he tapped on the glass pane in the door. Draco frowned at Harry, and Neville could feel his friend shaking even more as Draco opened the door.
“Longbottom, what are you doing with my husband?” Draco laughed, but he sounded worried.
“I can take it from here, Neville.” Harry smiled and stepped forward into Draco’s arms. The blond met Neville’s eyes over Harry shoulder. He was obviously terrified when Harry slumped against him.
“Take care, Harry. Good night, Draco.” Neville closed the door behind the couple and watched how Draco lowered Harry into a kitchen chair. Maggie immediately grabbed her father’s hand, and Alex moved closer. Harry had a lot of explaining to do, but maybe he’d finally realise that his family would always be there for him.