Healing Draco Malfoy

Chapter 5

Published: 09/25/2020

Harry showed up home to Hermione, waiting in his now clean living room.

"Hermione! What are you doing here?"

"I don't usually get calls from your boss... but she said that you were... off your game. Yelling at staff and patients even."

"It was one patient, who just happened to be a board member's side item. And what would you do if another healer refused to treat a patient? He deserved it."

"And your house? I haven't seen it this bad before," she said.

"That was before I got D-a patient." He almost slipped up, but Hermione looked at him knowingly.

"A patient? Hmm, well, I got this room. Let's clean the other rooms, and we can have dinner."

Harry sighed but with Hermione's help, and a cleaning charms that Harry hadn't seen before, the dishes and clothes were cleaned, the rubbish Vanished and all surfaces were cleaned with a lemon-scent that perforated the air. He didn't know how much better it felt having a clean house.

"Thank you... it was... I didn't know where to start."

"It's okay, Harry. You've been down... and I dare say depressed for a while."

"Are you going to suggest I go see a mind healer? Cause the head one just threw a curse at me today and reported me to head of St. Mungo's. I'm not likely going to go back to that department."

Hermione sighed. "You need help, Harry. I don't just mean a mind healer. You could take some time off. Spend it with us... Teddy or even Ginny."

"I can't, Hermione. Not for a few months."

"Months?"

"I have a permanent patient. I'm the only one who can fix them. There isn't anyone else who can treat him."

"And he will die if you miss one day of healing?" Hermione said, pointily.

Harry frowned. He felt that Draco had come to depend on him for that daily interaction. He had no one else. "Not die. He's in a lot of pain."

"Yeah... but months? You're going to work non-stop for months. That isn't healthy."

Harry wanted to tell her that he hadn't felt so clear and focused in months, years. That he didn't feel so alone and isolated. That he had managed to tell someone that wasn't her and Ron that he was gay, but he didn't. Harry just sat and buried his face in his hands. As soon as people knew it was Draco, they overreacted. He didn't want Hermione and Ron to get on him, too. He felt her hand on his back.

"Harry, we knew you were unhappy when you left the Aurors. You got a little better when you became a healer. We just want you to be happy. You've been practically alone for six years, Harry. I have to force you to come over half the time. You've never taken a vacation before... ever."

"I like working."

"You don't take any time for yourself."

"I'm the only one who can heal like this."

"Harry... they can wait a few days... a week for you to relax and take care of yourself. They've been in pain for a long time, yes, but they will live without your intervention. They will understand. You being healthy is more important. You could wind up having another breakdown and be put in a ward yourself with those healers you hate so much."

"Don't remind me. I won't, okay? I'm actually doing better. Really, I am."

"Really?" she said, skeptically and then sat next to him.

"Yes. Work has just been stressful because they dumped a trainee on me, and Mental Health won't do their jobs... and that patient was a bitch. That's why I had complaints."

She put her hand on his knee. "So, this doesn't have to do with Draco Malfoy being in your ward?"

He looked at her. She either had spies or had looked into McGrath's cases.

"I can't talk about it, Hermione."

"I can. Harry, I read his file. You two have a violent hi온라인카지노게임, and you're getting obsessed with him, again. I know he tried to commit suicide, but Harry, you don't have to feel obligated...."

"Why does everyone think that?"

"Which part?" Hermione asked, staring at him.

He crossed his arms and leaned back. "Stop, Hermione. I can't talk about him without his consent."

She sighed. "Yes... but you can talk about what it is doing to you. Your supervisor said that you've almost doubled the amount of time you spend in the hospital, and it's all been with him."

Harry clenched his jaw. He took his job seriously. "Hermione, I could lose my healer license.'

"They wouldn't dare."

"Maybe. He deserves his privacy."

"He's under parole, Harry. He doesn't have privacy."

Harry looked at her, shocked.

"Oh, I didn't mean... Harry. He's still a criminal. He does still have to report to the parole department. They will not look at his medical records, but he will have to get cleared by a mind healer to be released. He tried to kill himself. As a parolee, the Ministry is responsible for him, including threats on his own life."

Harry glared at her. "When is his parole up?"

"Oh, wouldn't I be violating his privacy, if I told you that?" she said, but then said, "At least three years. But once he's committed, it's a lot harder to get him out without a healer's release."

"You're going to doubly incarcerate him?" Harry growled. "He's done with Azkaban, so he'll go to the Janus Thickery ward?"

"Harry... I'm not going to do anything. This is what is required to happen. Malfoy lost his rights when he was convicted. He tried to commit suicide while under parole. Ernie will have no choice but to get a Mental Health assessment."

"The mind healers won't treat him, Hermione," Harry growled.

"Why not?"

He grimaced, but said, "A mind healer came and went... screaming. Whatever she saw when she tried to go in... she couldn't handle it."

"Malfoy knows Occlumency and made sure she got out of his head."

"I'm... not sure it was completely intentional."

She looked at him, but he didn't clarify. "There's no way Ron or I could overrule those rules, Harry. He belongs to Mental Health as soon as you clear him from medical."

Harry lowered his head. "And Mental Health doesn't know how to treat anyone without Legilimency?"

"Harry, they're very good at what they do."

"They go into your mind, Hermione, and can do anything."

"No, they can't. They remove negative emotions and repair connections. It's swift and painless."

"Stop trying to sell me on it."

"Harry, I counted over twenty empty bottles of firewhiskey in these two rooms alone. You are struggling."

"I'm fine."

"Sure. Of course, you are. You would deny it to the bitter end. You forget what happened when you left the Aurors?"

Harry struggled to remain in the moment. "They were shooting spells at me. Ron got hit and I... it's not the same, Hermione. Look, I know you care."

"I do more than care. You're my brother, and I want to see you happy. Both Ron and I do. He thought you two would be taking on bad guys until retirement."

"I'm sorry to disappoint," he said, lowering his head.

"Harry... no... he's happy that you found something that you enjoy! It's just... he misses you. Even when you come over... you're not happy. We notice, Harry. Both of us... we want you to have a pain-free life."

"I'm trying, Hermione," he said, and she hugged him.

"I know, Harry. We need to change something... will you come live with us?"

He snorted. "Absolutely not. When I'm not avoiding you and Ron kissing, I'd be tackled by your munchkins. Just give me a bit. Let me heal him, and we'll see what happens after."

She let out a sigh. "Harry... I can't lose you, too. Please be careful. This thing with Malfoy... you never could let it go. Harry... I know that you are trying to save him, and I want you to realize that you might not be able to."

He looked at her and pushed the thought from his mind. "I have to try, Hermione."

"I know," she said and brought her hand to his cheek. "Is there anything I can do?"

Harry looked at her, relieved. "I need his Ministry file."

She straightened up. "Now, you're asking me to go around the rules and ignore his privacy?"

Harry frowned. "I'm his healer. I want to see the report of what happened."

"That is asking a lot."

"Hermione, give it to me, or I'll make Ron do it. And I'll be able to blackmail him."

She looked at him with a smile. "I will... after I review it, myself."

"Are you investigating McGrath?"

"Yes, Harry. I'm on your side, but I have a job to do, too. There's bureaucracy. As much as I want to snap your fingers and fix your problems, it's just not... possible. We don't need a scandal of impropriety."

"Merlin forbade we make the gossipmongers mad," he said.

"We also don't want to be corrupt, either. If you can explain why you won't tell me about Malfoy's case for privacy reasons and it's fine that I violate his privacy... I'd be willing to hear it that argument."

Harry grumbled. "Fine."

"Alright, Harry. Get some sleep. Dinner's in your muggle fridge that I noticed doesn't run off electricity. I don't want to know how."

"Yeah, you do. You just don't want to have to fine me for it," he smirked.

She hugged him tightly. "Probably. Please take care of yourself, for me."

Harry hugged her tightly and wished her goodnight. He ate his dinner and went to sleep, avoiding his traditional glass of firewhiskey. I don't have a problem, he thought petulantly. Harry didn't have that same sentiment when he woke up in the middle of the night from a nightmare and drunk his glass then.

He was groggy when morning came, but got to the hospital around six. The alcohol was just out of his system when he Apparated. He went straight to Draco's room and saw that he was already awake. He wondered if Draco was sleeping enough, but pushed open the door. Draco tightened up, but relaxed when he heard his voice.

"Good morning," he said and sat in the seat next to his bed. Draco turned in his direction, but still had trouble keeping eye contact. He hadn't lowered his arms at all. Harry was starting to see that Draco would probably be in the fetal position, if his back wasn't broken. That made him a little sad. Draco looked at him as though he felt his emotions change.

"Sorry... it was a rough night. How do they feel? Still doing okay?"

Draco nodded.

"Got into another fight yesterday... I suspect I'll be hearing from the boss lady."

Draco's grey eyes flicked up to his more than once.

"Alright..." he said and sat there for a while, trying to decide what to do. Hermione's prophetic words still ringing in his head. ...he will have to get cleared by a mind healer in order to be released. Draco would never let anyone in his head. Harry didn't need to ask him that, and he only had three months to save him. He wasn't sure it was enough time, but he would draw this out as long as possible. He had to get Malfoy to open up.

"...sorry... I faded out. I need to check on your hand," Harry said and waited patiently next to him.

Draco's arms tightened closer to his chest. Harry knew exactly why he was scared. He felt every injury his slender hand had endured. Draco needed to come out of his shell or be shackled in Mungo's permanent ward, forever.

"I'm not going to grab your hand, Draco. I wouldn't do that to you. Just put your trust in me."

Draco didn't move, but was trembling and wouldn't meet his eyes. It was too much for him.

"It's okay. I'll keep asking. You have time to figure it out. I'll start on your feet, okay?"

Harry moved down. His foot wasn't as bad as his hands were, but still had many fractures and scars from the restraints. Harry hated getting the faint echo. He just had to feel with his magic to get the tenor of the pain, that echo of it. He could almost hear Draco screaming and crying. Harry had never heard and felt it as much as he did with Draco. He was digging deeper into the magic, feeling more, healing it when almost when it happened. Harry had no idea how he could heal injuries that had been so long remodeled and set wrong. He could fix it as though it had never happened.

He had remembered to set an alarm this time, so he wouldn't be late for his appointments and stop the complaints. He slowly pulled back his magic and gently set Draco's leg down. He wouldn't have been able to feel any of it, though. The damage to his back and hips was extensive. He rolled the stool over to his side and asked if he could see his hand.

Draco shook his head. Harry nodded, turned his head toward the door when the knock came. "Come in," he said.

Joel came in shaking. "Good m-morning, sir. Natalie said to b-bring his potions."

"Natalie told you to bring his potions? Why didn't she bring them?"

"She said that you said to," Joel said, looking down.

"I did no such thing. I will talk to her," Harry growled and his trainee stared at the floor. "Pass me the potions. You remember what I said about reading the chart?"

"Yes, sir. Mr. Malfoy's potions should be drunk as much as possible to avoid complications, but the nutrient potions are to be magically administered."

"Very good. Hand me the Restorative Draught first. Draco? Will you drink this?"

Draco didn't resist drinking it or the others. Harry asked him each time and praised him for it, as it was always better that way. He followed up with a request to see his hand. Draco kept his eyes on the corner.

Joel was still there and whispered, "He doesn't have much strength. You can just take it, sir."

Harry lifted his head up. "How do you know that, Joel?"

"I had to change his bedding and gown, yesterday. Natalie asked me to do it."

Harry sighed. "Just wait in the hall, Joel. I'll be out shortly," and he went outside.

"I'm sorry that happened, Draco. I'll rectify that. I suppose I'm to blame, but Natalie... she should know better. Even with an Immoblius Charm, you shouldn't be lifted at all without Securing and Stabilizing Charms from a fully-trained healer. But he grabbed you, too, and I'm sorry. I should have prevented that. But I will handle it and I'll see you in a few hours."

Draco gave a slight nod. Harry went out into the hallway, and Joel was waiting for him.

As soon as he closed the door, Joel started pleading, "I'm sorry if I didn't do something right this morning or yesterday, sir. I didn't mean to upset you. Please don't kick me out of the program!"

"Whoa... Joel. I'm not mad, or that mad."

"Y-You're not?" he said, distraught.

"No, I first wanted to apologize for not realizing that you were assigned to my service and not to the floor. You've been doing very well managing my caseload for me, honestly. This case is taking up a lot of my time."

"I... I just want to do good, sir."

"Call me Harry, Joel. I want you to come with me into my sessions and see how I interact with patients. Because you need to calm the fuck down and think about what you are doing."

Joel looked excited, but asked, "Really, sir? You mean it? You want to train me?"

"Of course. You only have two weeks left on your rotation, and I've been neglecting my duties. While I can't show you how to heal like I do, I can show you how healers should act around and speak to patients. So, I want you to observe, don't interrupt and don't judge, and this isn't the trauma ward. You can't treat patients the same in other areas of the hospital."

"I will work at it, sir, thank you. You'll really let me go with to everyone?"

"It's Harry. Yes, besides Mr. Malfoy. I need to treat him alone."

Joel looked at the door. "Because you know him?"

Harry ignored his comment. "Joel, if you hadn't noticed, he's been through unbelievable pain. He has to be handled very carefully. You understand?"

"Kinda. But I'll be careful."

"Good. Now, no more touching him without permission. No more forcing potions and food in him. Patience is the number one trait you need to have as a healer. Do you have patience?"

"I think so?" Joel said, with uncertainty. "But I will be very careful with him. With everyone."

"You got some things to work out. If you want to get out of the rotation with good marks, mistakes like that are not acceptable. You need to learn to read the patient's behavior and know what is wrong with them, what you can't do and know when there's something wrong. At the end of each session, I want you to tell me what you observed. Not what I've told you or someone else has. Okay, let's start your training."