Tell Me How You Feel- Harry Potter (Hermione/Harry)

[charlotterose]

    Harry shivered as he bursted through the portrait hole of the Gryffindor Common Room after a very wet quidditch practice. He knew why Wood had them practice in this storm.  It had been raining for 4 days straight, and if they had to play during a storm like this in the big Hufflepuff match next week they needed to be prepared, but it didn’t make the gusts of wind and buckets of rain any less bone chilling. Harry wanted nothing more than to take a hot shower and crawl into bed, but he had an essay due tomorrow and he hadn’t started it yet.

   "What happened to you?" Ron asked, as he saw Harry dripping along the common room rug.

   "Its raining, Ron" Hermione sighed, rolling her eyes in the direction of the window.

   “Well I know that, but it looks like Harry fell in the lake,” Ron replied.

   "I'm going to go take a shower and I'll be back down," Harry told his friends through chattering teeth. "Heh'nxt!" He sneezed into his elbow.

   "Alright," Ron answered, staring down at a piece of half written on parchment that was surely his own unfinished essay. Hermione frowned and tilted her head at Harry. He wiped his nose on his sleeve.

   "Bless you. Are you okay, Harry?" Hermione wondered.

   "I'm f- AhhChoo! Fine. Just col. Thanks," Harry answered.

    Harry dragged himself up the stairs and into the shower, sneezing again in the stairwell,  "hu... huh…huh-hiitchoo!" it echoed. Once Harry got into the shower, he wished he could stay under the stream of hot water for the rest of the night. As the water cascaded over him, Harry noticed that his head was pounding, and his throat was starting to feel scratchy. If he was being truthful with himself, Harry hadn’t felt well all day. He woke up with the same headache he had now, and no appetite whatsoever. He had the chills all day, and he had to fight to keep his eyes open in all of his lessons. But he went to practice because he didn’t want to let the team down, he wanted to be there to be able to run through all their moves in preparation for their next match. Now he would be lucky if he didn’t catch pneumonia by then. The last thing Harry wanted to do was write his essay, but he knew he had to. If he didn't turn it in he would surely be barred from Quidditch until it was finished. Best to get it over with now.

    When Harry got to the bottom of the stairs, Hermione and Rom were bickering about something. Harry almost turned around and went to bed. He didn't think his head could handle the noise, but he started sneezing again, "Hhiitchoo, hitchoo, hitchoo!"

   Ron and Hermione turned around to see where the noise had come from and their eyes landed on Harry. He was standing at the bottom of the stairs, dabbing at his pink nose with a tissue. He was wearing a thick Weasley sweater, sweatpants, and big wool socks. He had his school bag slung over one shoulder, and he looked so exhausted that Hermione was afraid he was going to fall over right there in the stairwell. 

"Bless you, Harry. Why don't you come sit by the fire?" Hermione suggested.

   "Oi! What took you so long? I have no clue what I'm doing and Hermione wont help me," Ron complained. Harry sat down next to Ron on the couch, feeling the heat from the fire on his face. His cheeks felt like they were boiling, but the rest of him shivered. Hermione sat in the arm chair next to them with a large book in her lap.

   "I told you Ron, if you need help use your notes," Hermione said without looking up from her reading. 

   "And I. Told. You. I don't take notes!" Ron grunted back at her, ruffling his hair in frustration.

   Harry put his parchment and transfiguration book on the table and sneezed into the crook of his elbow, "H'ngt! Gnxt!"

   "Bless you," Ron muttered, while still staring blank faced at his the paper in front of him. Hermione frowned at Harry again. As he looked down at his paper Harry could feel Hermione's gaze, no doubt noticing the pale face and rosy cheeks that Harry had noticed  himself in the bathroom mirror. He took the old soggy tissue out of his pocket and started softly blowing his nose, feeling one of his ears pop. Harry stopped to take a congested breath and tried to blow again but nothing came out. Now he knew Hermione had caught on to him, how could she not? Harry felt too awful to try and hide it anymore. He buried his face into the crook of his elbow again and coughed four times, his eyes streaming from the force. Ron seemed not to notice at all. 

   "Alright. Give them to me," Hermione said, holding out her hands. The boys looked back at her in disbelief. "Do you want my help or not? Come on then, hand them over."

   "That's not fair. I've written half and Harry hasn't written anything!" Ron protested, handing his parchment to Hermione and giving Harry a sideways glance. "Harry, you look bloody dreadful, are you all right?"

"Find," Harry muttered through his congestion, he was looking through his bag for a fresh tissue when he sneezed again unexpectedly, "Eshhooo!"

"Harry! Cover your mouth! We don't all want to catch whatever plague you brought back from Quidditch," Ron huffed, looking at Harry and wrinkling up his nose.

"I'b sorry," Harry said pathetically. "I didn't no I wad going to sneeze."

   "Bless you, Harry," Hermione started soothingly. Then she turned to Ron sounding like Mrs.Weasley when she was scolding Fred and George for apparating in the house. "Harry may not have written anything yet, but he’s obviously in no state to and that’s the only reason why I’m helping you two. You should be thanking him for picking a good time to get sick,” she finished. 

   "Thank you, Herbione," Harry answered, bringing his feet up on to the couch and looping his arms around him. How could he be so cold when he was right in front of the fire?

   "Yeah, thanks," Ron said, quietly. Scooting away from Harry on the couch.

   Hermione put the papers down next to each other and started crossing out and re-writing pieces from Ron's essay. Harry took this opportunity to lean his head against the back of the couch, thinking of his bed upstairs and how much he would rather be laying there. The next thing he knew someone was shaking his knee.

   "Harry? Harry?" Harry jerked his head up, wincing at how much his neck hurt after being leaned back like that.       

   "Mmm?" Harry moaned. As soon as he put his head up he felt his sinuses flood. He was able to make it into his elbow this time, "Heh'nxt! Gnxt! Etchx!"

   "Bless you," Hermione said, her eyebrows knitting together in concern. She was sitting next to him on the couch now. Ron must have gone to sleep. Harry held up a finger to signal he wasn't done yet.

   "Huh... heh... Ixtch! H'ngt! Chh'k! N'kt!" Harry rested his elbows on his knees and held his head in his hands. Hermione tapped his thigh and held out a pack of tissues. Afraid his dry throat wouldn't be able to get the words out, Harry smiled back at her in thanks. Harry started loudly blowing his nose while Hermione turned to his essay again. When Harry was done, Hermione turned to him.

   "Harry, tell me how you feel," Hermione said softly, reaching up a hand to rub his back. Harry swallowed, and winced. His head was laying on his knees as he looked over at Hermione.

   "I've been better," Harry replied, massaging his throat with his hand.

   "Do you want me to walk with you to the hospital wing?" Hermione asked, even though she knew what the answer would be. 

   "No, no I'll be find," Harry answered quickly, "Hitchsshh!" He then sneezed again.

   "That would have been a lot more convincing if you had been able to say 'fine' properly, and not ended it with a sneeze," Hermione laughed. Harry did too.

[Shikee12.haley]

This is quite nice please do continue 

[Thatonestranger]

This is amazing!

[charlotterose]

Thanks so much for the positive feedback for part 1! Here's part 2!

   "I should take my homework and you should go up to bed," Harry suggested. "I don't want you to get sick from staying near me."

   "Harry don't be silly. I'll be fine. I’ve outlined most of your essay," Hermione said slowly, looking at him with her head tilted to one side, "but I think you should lay back down and just let me write it. If you promise not to tell Ron. He just went up to bed."

   "What? No. Hermione I can't let you write my whole essay," Harry said, noticing how scratchy his voice sounded. He reached for the essay in Hermione's hand but she pulled it away and pressed her other hand to Harry's forehead. Harry turned away from Hermione and started coughing. 

   "You have a fever," she said quietly. "And I don't like how that cough sounds. So you lay down for a little longer and I'll finish this, and then you can go up to bed, okay?" 

    Harry paused, thinking about arguing with her, but he settled on smiling at Hermione and laying down on the couch instead. "Thanks Hermione, " Harry croaked. Hermione smiled back at him and grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch, draping it over Harry. He curled up instantly and Hermione started writing.

"I knew you didn't feel well this morning when you didn't touch your breakfast. You shouldn't have gone out in this rain," Hermione said, her eyes scanning over what she just wrote.

"We have the big match coming up, I needed to be there," Harry almost whispered.

   "Well you best hope you're better before this big important match or you won’t get to play at all," Hermione said harshly, then pausing to think she added in a kinder voice, "try to rest your eyes a bit and I'll do this as quick as I can."

    Harry didn't fall back asleep. He pulled the blanket up to his chin and stared into the dying flames in the hearth while he listened to Hermione's quill scratching his parchment. He could feel a sneeze stuck in his nose and he rubbed it with the back of his hand willing it to come out but to no avail. He sighed.

   "What's the matter?" Hermione asked, not looking up form Harry's parchment. 

   "Nothing," Harry mumbled, "I have to sneeze but I can't."

Hermione put her quill down and gave Harry a sympathetic look.

    "How about you let me walk you to Madam Pomfry?" Hermione asked.

   "I already told you, no. Hermione, its just a cold," Harry replied. Hermione reached down again to feel Harry's forehead. He closed his eyes for a moment and then quickly turned away towards the inside of the couch. "Huh... hetchoo!" Harry rolled over onto his back and Hermione handed him the pack of tissues again from the table.

   "Hermione you shouldn't touch those, I already had my germy hands all over them," Harry told her, sitting up and blowing his nose again. It was starting to get red and chapped.

   "Harry I'm not going to get sick from touching your tissues," Hermione grinned, "but it's sweet you're so concerned."

   "Well I don't want you to get sick," Harry said quietly, playing with his hands in his lap. Hermione lay one of her hands over Harry’s.

   "Tell me how you feel," Hermione cooed, "and be totally honest with me this time, don’t just tell me you’re fine, or I'm going to get Dobby to go wake up McGonagall." Harry smiled weakly.

   "Herbione," he replied thickly, his voice totally congested now. Hermione knew he was about to just dismiss her again.

   "Harry. If you tell me how you're feeling for real, then I can look after you myself. But if you won't tell me I'm going to get someone who can make you tell them. I just want to make sure you're okay," Hermione said sternly. Harry sighed again.

"I hab a headache and by throat hurds, and I'b freezing." Harry sneezed twice more, "Ixtch! H'ngt! And I can't breathe," he finished.

"Let me run up to my room and see if I have something for you," Hermione suggested softly, standing and bending down to kiss Harry's forehead.

"Herbione!" Harry practically yelled, "By forehead has germs on it!"

"Oh honestly Harry, it's like no one's ever looked after you when you were sick before," Hermione said looking down at him. Harry pursed his lips as his eyebrows came together, staring pointedly at a spot on the blanket. Realization spread over Hermione's face. "Because you've never had anyone look after you when you were sick before," Hermione finished more quietly, sitting back down and placing her hand on Harry’s forehead again. Hermione brushed his bangs away from his sweaty face. They were quiet for a moment.

"Whenever I got sick at the Dursleys they made me stay in my room until I was better. They told me they didn't want to get any of my germs. So I would lay in bed, and feel miserable, and Aunt Petunia would put toast and soup outside my door 3 times a day. Until I started going to school. Then they would tell me I was faking sick and make me go. Which was better because at least then I could lay in the nurses office and she fed me popsicles," Harry confided.

"Well let me tell you how this really works," Hermione explained, still running his hair through her fingers, "I'm going to take care of you until you feel better, because I love you. I'm going to take your temperature, and bring you tissues, and tea, and whatever else you want. Make sure you have a warm blanket, and that you're taking proper care of yourself so you can get well soon. And I'm not going to worry about getting sick because if I get sick I'm going to go to Madam Pomfrey and get a pepper-up potion like any normal person."

   Harry didn't know what to say. So he blinked up at her and said, "Thanks Hermione. I'm really lucky to have a friend like you."

 

[singing_tw]

this is so cute i love it !