Healing Draco Malfoy

Chapter 11

Published 10/26/2020

Harry was a mess the whole next day. Draco didn't taunt him anymore, as though realizing how on edge he was. He held out his hand to massage for the end-of-day visit. Harry considered how compassionate and protective Draco seemed to be for him, and it made him happy, feel safe, despite Draco's immovable condition. He pattered on about nothing while he worked and, as Draco watched and listened attentively, Harry realized that he needed to find him some entertainment while he wasn't there.

He wandered down to his office and grabbed the Holyhead Harpies magazines Ginny sent him and brought them back to Draco. He put them on the table right next to him so that he could reach them.

"Sorry... it's all I have right now. I'm sorry I didn't think about it sooner."

Draco looked at him with a smile.

"I'll bring a whole collection of magazines tomorrow, and when you can handle holding books, I can bring those, too."

Draco smiled wider. "Thank you," he said, quietly, fingering the magazines.

"You're welcome, Draco. Sorry... they're about Ginny's team. She sends them to me for free."

But Draco grabbed one and opened it eagerly. Harry patted his head, glad to make him happy. He turned when there was a knock at the door.

"Healer Potter? It's time to go," Natalie said in a sing-song.

"I'm ready. You're taking us there, right? I don't know where it is."

"No, I'm going to pop home and grab my husband. Joel can take you, he knows where it is. Nearly choked himself when I told him that's where we were going. We really should take him out more, poor lad. Oh, I asked the restaurant for menus without prices... I hope you don't mind?"

"You can do that?" Harry asked and Draco snorted.

Natalie chuckled at them. "Yes... the nicer places. Ten minutes, Harry. Come on, say goodbye."

Harry sighed and said, "Goodnight, Draco."

Draco smirked and made the finger gesture, again, making Harry go red.

"Shut up, Malfoy."

Natalie thankfully hadn't seen it, but said, "You two have a bizarre relationship."

"He started it," he grunted and she laughed.

He followed her out of the room and, after they got Joel, the three of them went to the Apparation point. Natalie said that she'd see them soon and Apparated. Joel took his hand and pulled him along to Diagon Alley. He usually avoided coming here, except first thing in the morning, where the crowds were very thin. He shivered.

"You alright?" Joel asked.

"Yeah, just cold. Where is it?" Harry asked, and Joel pointed to the very obvious restaurant in front of them.

"Want to go in, then?"

"Yeah..." Harry said, better than the open. But when the maître de asked for the name on the reservation, Harry floundered and couldn't speak. He looked to Joel, who looked at him strangely.

"Natalie? It's a party of four."

"Oh... yes. I'll seat you both, now, while you wait for the rest of your party."

He followed Joel to the circular booth that the bench wraps around. Harry wasn't going to be trapped in the back, but Joel slid in without prompt and Harry sat on the end.

"Your server will be here shortly," the maître de said and left.

Harry wished he'd hurry. The restaurant was dark, and there were a lot of people talking. He just took deep breaths. Joel kept talking to him, but he wasn't paying attention.

Finally, the server came over, and before he could say anything, Harry said, "A double firewhiskey, please."

"Oh, of course, sir, and you, sir?"

"I... umm... water."

Harry gave him a look. "Order a drink, Joel."

Joel blushed. "Pumpkin ale."

"Very good," the server said and wandered off.

Harry just told himself to wait until his drink came back.

"Sorry, I didn't want to presume," Joel said, quietly.

"You can order ten drinks and five dinners, Joel and I wouldn't care," Harry said, quietly, though relieved that he was talking.

"There you are," Natalie said and slid into the bench seat. "Joel, this is my husband...."

"Dennis?" Harry said as Dennis Creevey sat across from him. "You're married to...?"

"Yeah, Harry. But you didn't guess from Nat's last name?"

"I... umm... didn't know," he said and looked at Joel, realizing he had no idea his last name either.

"Honey, I told you... he calls me Natalie. He never calls anyone by their last name. It's why all the wardens love him and the healers hate him."

"It is?" Harry said.

"Well... a big reason."

"It is nice to see you, again, Harry. I haven't seen you since..." Dennis trailed off.

Harry stiffened, and chanted oh fuck in his head. Talking to people was hard enough, talking about the war was worse. Joel gave him a concerned look.

But he kicked in his Auror training. He can do this. "I'm sorry about your brother. He was a good friend."

"It meant a lot that you found me to tell me in person, Harry."

Harry nodded and was relieved when the drinks came. He did his potion checks and even sipped it experimentally before he took a large gulp.

"Did you just check your drink?" Dennis asked incredulously, and Natalie blushed.

Harry felt better with the influx of alcohol and nodded. "After you've been poisoned once, you get paranoid."

The three of them looked, and Harry ignored their looks and took another long drink.

"Well, I could imagine. Nat talks about you a lot. A healer and an Auror... that's amazing."

Harry took another drink.

Natalie sighed. "Oh, I'm sorry, Harry."

"What? She says that you're the most dedicated healer in the hospital. The most ethical and caring one that she knows. That you follow the rules of etiquette to the letter and will do everything you can to help your patients."

Harry looked at her and she blushed, "Sorry... I just...."

It reached Harry, though, more than the alcohol did. "I'm flattered... really. But I have plenty of faults. I didn't even know her last name."

"Yeah, that seems weird," Dennis laughed. "It's stitched on her robes."

Harry looked and, indeed, it was. He had never bothered to do his. He preferred as little conversation as possible. He finished off his glass and set it down. "Sorry, I didn't look. Nat and Cass are probably the only two people I talk to in the whole hospital. Joel just came onto my service a few weeks ago. I usually just try to keep it... professional."

Dennis nodded. "Well, she said you did. Very polite, but excellent with patients."

Harry nodded. "I can help people... it's important to me."

"You always did, Harry."

Harry blushed and looked at his empty glass, hoping it would refill. Thankfully the server returned for their drink orders, and Harry gestured to his cup.

"Of course, Mr. Potter," he said and took the glass away.

Harry froze and a chill went through him. Who else recognized him? He was spiraling as the darkness and shadows around him was eerily familiar to that dark club. He was taking in short breaths and was ready to bolt. Suddenly, Joel grabbed his wrist, and though he flinched from the contact, he didn't let go.

"Breathe," Joel said, barely above a whisper and then moved his hand to his to interlock their fingers.

Harry took deeper breaths and got ahold of himself. Dennis hadn't noticed, but he wasn't sure about Nat. He just kept a death grip on Joel's hand until the attack subsided. Joel kept up the conversation awkwardly going while Harry got ahold of himself. He took another drink as soon as the waiter delivered the firewhiskey.

"So, Harry..." Dennis started, and he forced himself to look. "...why'd you pick being a healer over an Auror?"

Harry's stomach dropped, and Natalie said, "I'm so sorry, Harry. I didn't tell him."

"Tell me wh-ow!" he said, and Nat had obviously kicked him.

He took another deep drink, and his head was nice and foggy now. Talking would be easier, now. "It's okay, Nat. I couldn't handle being an Auror."

"You can't? Ow!" he exclaimed as Natalie kicked him, again.

Harry smirked, glad she was defending him. "Yeah... I spent nineteen years fighting for my life, always on edge and almost dying several times. I couldn't do it anymore."

"And that's completely fine, Harry," Natalie said, stared at her husband.

"Yes, it is," he said, quickly.

Harry took another drink. His tongue was looser. "I'm sure I'm different than you remember, Dennis. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry, Harry," Joel said, clearly. "Everyone deserves to be happy."

Harry clenched his hand. The words had really touched him.

"He's right, Harry. I've only seen you smile when you talk to your patients," Natalie said, though she meant Draco.

Harry nodded. "It's easier when I know... they just want help."

The server returned and took their order. Joel eventually let go. Harry just picked what was on special. Joel asked him if he even knew what he ordered, and Harry shook his head. There was some more causal conversation, and Harry just sipped his drink. He would sometimes get another mild attack, and Joel would take his hand, again. He didn't say anything about it, which he hoped that Dennis at least didn't notice.

When the food came, the questions didn't stop. Harry answered about how Ron and Hermione were doing and more awkwardly, Ginny. Dennis seemed curious to know his reaction to his former girlfriend leaving him for another girl, but Natalie stopped that line of questioning in its tracks. Thankfully, Dennis didn't ask about the war, which would have ripped open some wounds.

Finally, Natalie said that they had to get going. The babysitter wanted to leave before midnight. He hadn't even known she had kids. He nodded as they slid out.

"Thank you, for dinner, Harry. Sorry to eat and run. You sure you got it?"

"Yes, I brought two hundred galleons and, if that's not enough, they can pull it out of my accounts at Gringotts down the street."

They left, and now he was alone with Joel. He drank the rest of his firewhiskey and wished he was at home already.

"No dessert?" the waiter said.

"No, thank you," Joel answered, when Harry wasn't sure what to say. "The bill, please?"

"Of course," he said and left.

"Thank you for dinner, Harry."

He nodded, feeling weak and unstable. He wanted to run. Merlin, when did he become such a coward? But he knew when... and the shaking started.

"Breathe, Harry. Deep breaths," Joel said, taking his hand, again.

He listened. He would have never gotten through this night without him. The waiter came back and dropped the cheque. It was about sixty galleons. Harry just dumped a hundred galleons on the table and got up and hurried out of the restaurant. Joel following quickly. Harry breathed a sigh of relief outside. The night air felt good, though it was misting, and there were barely any people around.

"You okay?"

"Yeah... thanks... for..." Harry didn't finish.

"It's not a problem," Joel said, and Harry stared at the ground, defensively. "Hey... want to walk? You shouldn't Apparate with that much firewhiskey in your system."

Walk around alone... with another guy. Merlin, his fear was pumping into overtime. He froze and whispered, "I-I d-don't think that's a g-good idea. I'll just walk it off... alone."

Joel watched him and nodded. "Harry... I'm not gay."

Harry let out a breath of relief and buried his face in his hands. "Thank fucking Merlin!"

Joel laughed. "You've been worried about that all night?"

"Not just that... Draco was riling me up about it, too."

"Oh, really?" Joel said.

"This... this is why I don't talk to people," Harry groaned, his red face still buried.

"You were tense at dinner. I was just trying to help ground you... that's why I took your hand."

"I needed it, thank you," he said, finally dropping his hands.

"Harry... you have terrible social anxiety. I don't understand why you came out with us instead of your friends."

Harry looked around and wasn't at all enamored with the dark street.

"Hey... let's go to the boardwalk," Joel said and offered his hand.

Harry hesitantly took it. Joel brought them to the river and found a bench. There were a lot of streetlights and some muggles roaming around, but Harry felt more comfortable. Joel put up privacy wards.

"Harry? Why did you go through all that?"

"I can't go with Ron and Hermione... they'll panic... or make me panic. Hermione... has... well... Joel, I'm not... mentally stable."

"Harry, you're stable. Panic attacks don't make you unstable, just scared."

"Penelope wasn't kidding. I snapped. I was committed to the mental health ward at St. Mungo's. Hermione signed me out... as my next of kin. She's... got the power to send me back."

Joel looked confused. "I don't think she would...."

"No, I don't think that she will, but she knows I'm a borderline alcoholic, who can't sleep, talk to people or go out anywhere. She knows I can break, again. She's been bugging me about getting help for over five years... hell since the war ended. She might decide that I need help, whether I want it or not."

"Not to bring on the ire... but you do need help," Joel said.

"Yeah... but I can't get any. I can't let the mind healers in."

Joel gave him a look.

"I had the lord of darkness in my head for almost eighteen years, Joel. Plus, there are just some things... I don't want anyone to see."

"That sounds... it makes sense. Can't you just go to a counselor?"

"They don't have those... it's too muggle. Why bother when the mind healer can rip it out?"

"Hmmm... I'll have to think about it."

"It's not necessary, Joel."

"Oh, it is... so... anyway... were you hoping I was gay?" Joel laughed.

Harry sighed. "It scared the ever-loving crap out of me. Ginny was kinda dropping hints... and... I can't handle that kind of stuff right, now. I like you as a friend and a healer, but not... romantically."

"Your face is so red," Joel laughed. "If it helps, I was worried about that, too. But I'm not gay... like you are."

Harry lowered his head.

"Wow... I just thought it was because I'm new. You're really in the closet?"

"No... I mean... yes. I just... don't want the attention. Merlin... just that waiter... I'm tired of articles about me. I dropped off their radar for five years and the buzzards still haunt me."

"I understand. But Harry, there is nothing wrong with it. Absolutely nothing."

"Thanks."

"I take it your friends know, at least?"

"Yeah... and Draco."

Joel smiled. "Can I ask you about him?"

"What about? I mean... you might be on my service, but there's still need-to-know."

"No, before... this. When you guys were at school?" Joel asked, and Harry just waited. "Natalie said that you guys were always at each other's throats. She said you beat the crap out of him after a game once, and he tried to kill you and your friends."

"I tried to kill him, too. Almost did. He broke my nose and I've hexed him more times than I can count. But... he wasn't a killer. He wouldn't kill Dumbledore to save his own life, and he saved my life during the war. He didn't deserve what happened to him. He didn't deserve Azkaban, but they saw his mark and that was it. I tried to save him, but I couldn't get him freed."

"You tried to save him?"

"Yeah... I tried," Harry said, sadly, but then Joel asked him about more stories from the Adventures of Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter, as he called it. Harry was happy to oblige, and was calm the whole time.