Title: Accident Prone
Characters/Pairings: Harry/Padma
Rating: Any Age
Summary: Harry’s become somewhat accident prone lately
Word Count: 900
A/N: Quick fic challenge too long for a comment.
lightofdaye’s prompt: Whenever Harry gets sent to St Mungos working with the Aurors he always ends up in Healer Padma's care.
“Again?”
Harry ducks his head and tries to appear at least somewhat apologetic. “Sorry, Padma. It’s not as bad as it looks.”
“I’ll be the judge of that, Harry Potter. Sit your scrawny arse on the table and let me look at that eye.” Padma leans in to poke at the swollen mass where his left eye normally is located.
“Couldn’t hear what curse the bloke used, but I know you’ll be able to figure it out,” he tells her, grinning when she rolls her eyes at him.
“Stop trying to flatter me. This is the third time in two weeks, you know? There aren’t many other aurors who attract mishaps the way you do. Merlin, I’m surprised you haven’t been seriously hurt yet.” Padma waves her wand a few times, and he enjoys the moment when her attention is focused elsewhere to just look at her.
When he first started as an auror, he’d end up at St. Mungos with Healer Goodrich working on him. After Padma finished NEWTs and completed her healing training, though, she became his primary Healer in the Emergency Ward. And over the last two years, if his accident rate on the job has increased a lot, well, that’s just a coincidence. It has nothing to do with how gentle her touch is or how pretty she is or how much he finds her competence at healing a turn on.
“It’s just a minor jinx. I can remove it easily enough,” Padma says, frowning as she steps back from the table. “I need to speak with you seriously for a moment, Harry. I’ve been reviewing your file, and it’s starting to concern me how often you end up on my table. Is there something happening in your life that’s making you take more risks than usual? Do I need to refer you to one of the mental health healers? I know you’ve got a bit of a saving people complex, always have, but I’m worried.”
“What?” Harry blinks at her and has to force himself to close his mouth from where he’s gawking. “No! I don’t need to see anyone, Padma. Bloody hell. It’s just a risk of being an auror, you know? I’ll try to be more careful. I’m not doing anything stupid or dangerous.”
Padma studies him a moment and nods. “Alright. I won’t refer you yet then. You need to be cautious and aware that there are a lot of people who would be upset if you get yourself hurt.” She nods once to emphasize her point before she sets about removing the jinx.
Harry can’t even enjoy the feel of her soft hands on his face because he’s too busy remembering the upset look on her face and hearing the concern for his mental well-being. While he’s been here lusting after her, she’s been suspicious that he’s nutters. Bloody great. He really is pants at this relationship thing. When she’s done, the guilt is eating at him, and he reaches for her hand. “Wait, I have to tell you something.”
Padma looks from their hands to his face and arches a brow. “What is it then?”
“I haven’t done anything deliberate, but I, uh, might not be as vigilant as I could be,” he reluctantly admits, feeling his ears warm from his embarrassment.
“Professor Moody would be most disappointed. Constant vigilance, Harry,” she says, her lips twitching slightly when he looks at her.
“He’d smack me upside the head and tell me to remove said head from my arse,” Harry says, feeling a twinge of pain for Moody’s absence like he does for so many people he’s lost over the years. “He’d tell me using my job as an excuse to get into accidents just to see a pretty healer is inexcusable behavior, too.”
“I’m sure he…wait. What?” Padma looks at him and frowns. “Harry James Potter! Have you been getting yourself hurt because you’re too much of a coward to just ask me out to eat?”
“Uh…maybe?” Harry ducks his head. “You’re just so brilliant and pretty. I didn’t know how to ask.”
Padma shakes her head before she slaps his shoulder. “I’ve been worried about you, you prat. I was starting to suspect something terrible, and it’s just you being a silly boy! You’re lucky we’re friends or I’d be hexing you myself right now, healer oath or not.”
“I never meant to make you worry.” Harry smiles wryly. “I didn’t think you’d notice. You’re welcome to hex me. I deserve it.”
“Wouldn’t notice? You’re here every week, Harry. No other auror visits us as much in a year as you do in a month. Besides, I noticed because I started looking forward to your visits, and that made me feel awful because it was like I wanted something bad to happen to you,” Padma admits. She turns away and writes something on the chart she’s placed on the cabinet. When she hands him a piece of parchment, he takes it and arches a brow. “There’s your prescription. Read it aloud.”
Harry quickly opens the parchment and reads, “Will you go out with me, Padma?” Blinking, he rereads it silently before looking up at her.
“Yes. Dinner Friday night. Pick me up at 8. I expect flowers and to not see you in this hospital again unless it’s serious.” She gives him a stern look before she leaves the room.
End