Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters you may recognize from the wonderful world of Harry Potter, they all belong to the revered JK Rowling; I just like to play with them a little.
ACCIDENTAL LOVE
SPECIAL CARE
"I think he's starting to come around."
Noises were bombarding his head and although they were loud, or seemed so, they also sounded far away. Draco tried to open his eyes, but they felt so very heavy. He had the feeling that something wasn't quite right. No sooner had the feeling been recognized, than he started to remember.
He was home. She was waiting for him. He'd called for Minty. And then there was an enormous blank.
With his heart hammering in his chest and panic beginning to race through his veins, Draco forced himself to open his eyes. He blinked several times as the light in the room blinded him. It was then that he realized he wasn't at home. The noises weren't anything close to what he associated with the manor and the light was too bright for all but a few parlors in the massive house.
"Malfoy? Draco? Are you with us?"
"Give him a few minutes to get his bearings and find his tongue, Harry."
'Potter,' Draco could hear himself screaming, but there was no reaction from anyone in the room. He tried to move, but found he couldn't. Although the knowledge that his partner was in the room should have calmed him, Draco found himself drowning in his own acrimonious panic.
"What's happening to him?"
"He's just scared. It's perfectly normal. Just keep talking to him, reassure him that he's safe and everything is all right."
"Draco, it's all right... Just relax, you can talk when you feel up to it."
He could hear Potter babbling on and on about relaxing, but the mere fact that he found it impossible to respond was driving him to the brink of insanity. There was something very wrong with him. Draco growled in frustration and was startled by the reaction of those in the room - Potter and whoever else's voice he'd been hearing.
"That's it, come on, Malfoy, I've never known you to be so stuck for words," Potter encouraged.
"Pot-ter," Draco rasped.
Harry grinned broadly at him. "How are you feeling?"
Draco coughed roughly. His throat was as dry as a desert wind. "Where am I?"
"St. Mungo's. You've been here for a couple of days."
"What happened?"
"You didn't turn up for work, so I sent you an owl, and when Hedwig returned with my note still attached to her leg I knew something was up. Anyway, I Floo called you and saw for myself what was happening."
"What?"
"You were unconscious and there was a woman rocking your body back and forth. She was crooning something really eerie. I figured things weren't right, so we stormed your house."
"Where is she?"
"In the Janus Thickey Ward. Was she your stalker?"
Draco nodded to confirm Harry's suspicions and accepted the drink from the Healer in the room. He presumed she was the owner of the other voice he'd heard.
"You might have a little damage control to do when you get home as well."
"Why?"
"We sort of scared your house elves half to death when we stormed the house."
Draco groaned wearily. The last thing he needed was nervous servants; they generally made life damn near impossible when they were upset about something.
"Sorry, if I could just interrupt for a little while," the Healer said firmly. "There are some questions I need to ask of my patient."
"Did you want me to wait outside?" Harry offered.
"It doesn't bother me, they're just general questions," the Healer responded warmly. "Now, do you have any pain, Mr. Malfoy?"
"My head, and I can't seem to move properly."
The Healer nodded thoughtfully as she scribbled in a file. "You seem to have sustained an injury to your head, so the pain you're feeling is quite normal. Your body will return to normal in time. It is reasonable to expect a level of tightness in your muscles after being static for such a prolonged period. Plus you were hit with any number of paralyzing hexes, so they'll need time to wear off properly. We'll start with some general movement to loosen you up, and perhaps some massage to get the blood flowing effectively."
"Can I have something for the pain?"
"You've got to remain conscious for four hours before you can take anything. The moment you've done that I'll administer some pain relief. How are your eyes?"
"They hurt."
"From the light?"
"Yes."
"Are you experiencing any blurred vision?"
"Not now."
"Good. I'll leave you for a little while. Try to get some rest and stay in bed. We might try some food as well."
Draco waited until the Healer had left the room to start pulling himself awkwardly up the bed.
"What are you trying to do?"
"Sit up," Draco ground out.
"Do you want some help?"
"NO! I can do it."
"Fine, just offering." Harry leaned back in his chair and watched his partner struggle with his fatigued body.
Draco continued to try to get his body to cooperate, but it was being as stubborn as his brain was at times. Before long he was panting from the exertion and had to admit defeat. "Potter, would you mind?"
"Oh, you want my help now?"
"What's going on in here?" the Healer asked sharply as she crossed the room.
"He wants to sit up," Harry informed her.
"Until you get your muscles stretched and working properly again you're going to find the simplest of things impossible to do without assistance. Harry, you should have helped him."
"I offered, but he's a tenacious bastard."
"Well, let's get you comfortable now," the Healer said in an uncompromising tone.
Draco tried not to show his horror as she began to move his uncooperative body around the bed. In just a few minutes, he was sitting up against fully fluffed pillows, feeling utterly humiliated.
"Isn't that better?"
The blond wizard mumbled something to the affirmative and tried to ignore the dizziness he was experiencing.
"Now, I want you to try eating something." She pushed the table over so it covered his legs. "It's just a light snack, and if you can keep that down we'll move on to bigger meals."
Draco looked at the food in front of him with open disgust. There wasn't a single item on the tray that he considered good enough to pass his lips.
"Eat up," Harry encouraged amusedly.
"I'll be back soon to see how you're getting along," the Healer said, patting Draco's foot before she left.
"Who is she?" Draco demanded sharply.
"Your Healer."
"I realize that," Draco snapped. "Who is she?"
"I thought you professed to have an excellent memory for beautiful women."
"I do."
"Yet, you've forgotten her."
"I have a headache."
"Of course, blame the headache."
"Potter!"
"Fine, it's Ginny Weasley."
"She delivered dinner the other night?"
"Yeah, she did and your eyes just about left your head when she was there," Harry teased. "Though I can think of easier ways to get to know a woman than this."
"Very funny, Potter."
"I think so." Harry sobered quickly. "Can you remember what happened?"
"Let's see... We left the office at the same time. I arrived home to find her waiting for me in my private chambers, wearing my bathrobe, and I told her to leave. When she refused, I summoned Minty, and that's all I remember."
"Your house elf let her in?"
"I hadn't instructed her not to, and sometimes I arrange for someone to meet me at home, so she wouldn't have thought it unusual."
Harry rolled his eyes. "She didn't exactly trespass then, so all we can charge her with is assault and deprivation of liberty."
Draco nodded slightly, making his head throb even more. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples for a few moments.
"I'll let you get some sleep," Harry offered.
"Thanks."
"Just make sure you behave yourself for Ginny."
Draco smirked, despite his pain. "Would I give her any grief?"
Harry paused and pretended to think very hard about his answer. "Yes."
"I resent that," Draco grumbled.
"Just don't give her a hard time, or you'll end up spending longer in here than you want to." Harry stood ready to leave. "I'll see you later."
The moment Potter disappeared through the doorway Draco pushed the table away from him and sunk back into his pillows. He couldn't believe he was in this position, especially after all his training. It was ludicrous to think that a woman, one that was barking mad at that, had put him in hospital. Most of all, it was frustrating. Draco felt like he'd not only let himself down, but also the unit. He had been proven to be weak on some level and that did not bode well for his position as an Elite Auror.
A movement in the doorway disturbed him from his thoughts. He had no idea how long he'd sat there mentally kicking his own arse, or even if he'd remained awake for the entire time, because when he opened his gray eyes the room was distinctly shadowy.
"You haven't eaten anything," Ginny said, inspecting the tray.
"Not hungry."
"You must be, and if you're not you'll have to force yourself." She carefully perched herself on the edge of the bed. "Come on, the warming charm has held, so let's eat up."
Draco regarded the woman sitting on his bed from underneath hooded eyes. While he didn't mind the company of a beautiful woman, this one was particularly pushy, and he really just felt like being alone at the moment. A little privacy while he berated himself wasn't too much to ask for, was it?
"I'm quite accustomed to feeding my nieces and nephews you know," Ginny threatened lightly.
Draco frowned at the woman. "What?"
Ginny sighed heavily and pulled the tray closer to her. She picked up the soupspoon and filled it with thick, creamy pumpkin soup. "Open wide."
"I am quite capable of feeding myself," Draco snapped.
"I thought you might be, but your reluctance to do so might see you in my care for far longer than is necessary."
"Just what is that supposed to mean?"
"I'm the Healer and you'll do as I say, Malfoy." Ginny grinned coldly at him. "Now, open wide."
"Don't you have other patients to terrorize?"
"I'm off duty."
"Then why don't you go home?"
"I promised Harry I'd look after his partner and make sure he made a full recovery," Ginny answered matter-of-factly. Harry had spoken to her before he'd left and, as Draco had no family, she'd promised to sit with him for a while just to make sure he was all right.
"When am I getting out of here?"
"Not until I'm satisfied there are no residual effects from your head injury or those hexes. Potions can only do so much; you have to do the rest yourself. Now, we start by eating healthy." Ginny offered him the spoon again.
"I can feed myself," Draco snapped.
"All right, but you're missing a real treat. I make excellent broom noises and my imitation of the Hogwarts Express is near perfect."
Draco didn't bother to mask the mortified expression on his face. The thought that his alleged Healer was nuttier than the woman who attacked him loitered as it crossed his mind. "I'm a grown man."
"So you admit to being a bigger baby than a five-year-old?" Ginny's eyes twinkled when she smiled at him. "That's an excellent start."
How he had ever thought this woman might have been worth chasing was quite beyond him at this juncture. Perhaps the nutter now residing in the locked ward had done him a favor when she hit him on the head - knocked some sense into him, so to speak, and gave him the opportunity to see what resided under the pretty face of the woman he was considering.
"This is your last chance to feed yourself," Ginny warned. "Or I'm going to warm up the Hogwarts Express."
Not foolish enough to call her bluff, because he believed her to be insane enough to start making train noises, Draco snatched the spoon from her hand, sending the small amount of pumpkin soup on the spoon down his front. "I'll do it."
"Wonderful!" Although she was able to suppress the giggle threatening to burst forth when the soup went flying, Ginny wasn't able to hide the amused grin on her face.
"Bloody hell!"
Ginny picked up a napkin and leaned over. "Here, allow me."
He snatched the napkin from her hand and glared at her. "Contrary to your belief, I am not a baby."
"I thought we'd already covered this: you're a man - that's worse," Ginny countered.
Draco muttered under his breath about rude Healers and pushy witches and what he'd like to do to them.
Apart from a giggle, Ginny didn't respond to the comment. He was an ornery man at the best of times, according to Harry, and would disagree with anyone just for the sake of it, so she saw no point in pushing him too far. She'd made her point about him doing as he's told, and that was good enough for the time being or until he started misbehaving again. Aside from a few words of encouragement to keep him eating, Ginny remained silent while he ate his meal. It was more difficult than it should have been at times, because his facial expressions were doing nothing to help her keep her composure.
As he placed his cutlery on his now empty plate Ginny smiled broadly at him. "Does that feel better?"
"Was that poison supposed to make me feel better?"
"The food will give you energy and that will help you to feel better."
"Food? My house elves eat better than that!"
"Well, perhaps a nice fat donation to the catering division of the hospital would improve the meals."
"You have got to be kidding," Draco spat.
"Nope, not kidding. People who complain are part of the problem. You should to strive to be part of the solution."
"Don't tell me... You became a Healer to be part of the solution," Draco said derisively.
"Something like that." Ginny smiled brightly at her patient. "I decided I wanted to do something to help people. Just like you."
"I don't-"
"You do," Ginny insisted. "In fact, you help the entire world by removing the worst criminals from the streets."
Draco defended himself under his breath.
"Do you do that a lot?"
"What?"
"Talk to yourself." Ginny's eyes lit up in amusement at his horrified expression. "It's not healthy, you know."
"I am perfectly healthy!"
"Except for the fact that you're currently in a hospital bed and you talk to yourself," Ginny countered. "Perhaps I should have a specialist take a look at you. You know, one who deals with the mind... There's an excellent Muggle doctor we've been working with lately. They call him a psychiatrist. Brilliant for dealing with those little problems, like having conversations with one's self."
"I do not need a Muggle- whatever he was."
"Fine. It was just a suggestion, but I have to warn you: if you keep doing it you'll give me no choice but to consult him."
Draco began to grumble under his breath, but stopped when Ginny cleared her throat softly. He sent her a sour look and sunk back into his pillows. All he wanted was for her to go away, so he could wallow in his own self-pity. "I'm tired."
"Yes, I expect you are."
When she didn't move to leave Draco examined his options. There was only one thing he could think of that would be sure to get her out of his room. "I need to-err-" He paused and gathered his courage, because things like this were not spoken of in polite company. "I need to use the bathroom."
"No problem." Ginny smiled amicably and stood up.
He'd just begun to congratulate himself on getting rid of her when he realized she wasn't actually leaving the room. She was standing beside his bed holding out what looked like an odd-shaped plastic bottle. "What is that?"
"It's so you can go to the bathroom without leaving your bed."
"No! I will not-"
"You don't have a choice, Draco. Just slip it under the covers and no one will ever know what you're doing."
"This is utterly indecorous."
"It's entirely necessary for your well-being."
"I can't see how using my bed as a bathroom is good for me."
"Right now your balance is going to be off, so standing up and walking to the bathroom would be considered dangerous. You're far better off staying in bed."
Draco grumbled to himself as he shoved the bottle under the blankets and positioned himself correctly. He didn't care what she thought about his habit of muttering to himself, because to give full voice to his thoughts would be considered boorish. Once in position, Draco tried to relax and let nature take its course, but try as he might nothing was happening. Just the thought that she knew what he was doing was enough to make him tense up, not to mention the uncomfortable feel of the plastic against his most delicate skin. "Can you leave the room?"
"Do you have a touch of stage fright?" Ginny asked, her eyes twinkling with humor. "Don't worry it happens to the best wizards."
"Do you mind?" Draco snarled.
"I'll just be out here if you need me," Ginny said, leaving the room.
A frustrated groan escaped the back of his throat. When he'd first thought of mentioning his need to use the bathroom he didn't actually have to go, but the moment the words left his mouth he desperately needed to urinate. Of course, now he simply couldn't, despite feeling the urge. The notion that he'd somehow offended the Gods at some point in his life floated through his mind. It wasn't fair that he, Draco Malfoy, was in this position.
"How are you going?" Ginny asked from the door.
"I'd appreciate some privacy."
"Haven't you gone yet?"
"Do I look relieved?"
"Well, now that you mention it-" Ginny started to make a smart comment, but stopped when she saw the expression on his face. "Is it because you're sitting down?" she asked with concern.
"I don't know," Draco retorted.
"All right, let's stand you up and see how you go."
"You said-"
"Not on your own. I'll be here to support you."
Draco blinked at her in disbelief. "You want me to lean on you while I- I do my business?"
"Goodness you make it sound so official!" Ginny laughed lightly. "You are allowed to say 'take a leak'."
"Someone hates me," Draco muttered.
"No one hates you," Ginny assured him. "Now, when you stand up you're going to be quite wobbly on your feet and might even feel a little giddy, so put your arm around my shoulders for support. Don't worry I'm stronger than what I look."
"How am I supposed to hold everything and cling to you at the same time?" Draco asked, pleased with himself for poking a logistical hole in her plan.
"I'll hold the bottle and help support your body. You hold me and your-yourself."
"I suppose I should be grateful you're letting me hold my di-err-member."
"There's no need to be embarrassed! You can call your willie whatever you want. I don't blush easily."
This wasn't what Draco deemed suitable behavior around a woman, but it seemed he had little choice. She was standing there determinedly, and his bladder was growing more uncomfortable by the minute. He cursed his body as he moved his legs off the bed. There was little doubt that he was weak at the moment, because he did feel wobbly on his legs and his head felt like it might float off his shoulders at any given time. When her arm went around his waist, Draco couldn't help but feel a little grateful, because no matter how mortifying this situation was, he felt it would be even more so if he were to fall over with his bits on display. He clutched at her shoulder, trying mightily to steady himself.
"Just relax a bit. I'm not going to let you fall, I promise," Ginny said reassuringly. "Put your arm around my shoulders."
Draco carefully adjusted his position. By the time he felt as comfortable as he was going to get with his position he was breathing hard. "What did she hit me with? I don't feel like I've simply been hit on the head."
"We're not sure," Ginny admitted, "but we're working on it - identifying them is a nightmare. However, we're almost certain there will be no residual side-effects, given that you've woken up with no oddities."
"Great," Draco answered sarcastically.
Silence fell over the room for several minutes. Draco was trying to look anywhere but at the Healer supporting him. Ginny was as relaxed as she could be with a grown man leaning on her, but the peace of the room was beginning to bother her.
"So, do you like being in the Elite Auror Unit?"
"Do you mind not making small talk at a time like this?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. Do you need to concentrate?"
"No," Draco growled. "I'm trying to forget you're here while I'm doing this."
Ginny bit down hard on her tongue to stifle the desire to laugh, but even the coppery taste of her own blood wasn't enough to vanquish the urge altogether. It wasn't as if she'd never done this before, because she had assisted patients in this way more times than she could remember, but the fact that he was so proper was tickling her sense of humor more than would be considered entirely professional.
"You think this is funny!"
"Not at all."
"One doesn't usually laugh for no reason."
Ginny cleared her throat in an effort to dissolve the lingering urge to giggle. "Did you know that laughter is an excellent healer?"
"So you laugh and I get better?"
"No, not quite, but laughter is infectious."
"If you're contagious, I'd rather you took your germs elsewhere."
"For goodness sake, Malfoy, relax a little. A good laugh never killed anyone."
"I'm not opposed to humor; I simply don't like being the object of amusement."
"The only thing amusing about you is your uptight attitude."
"You are intolerable!"
Ginny snorted with laughter. She didn't even bother trying to hold it in this time. "Thank you, I have achieved my life's goal."
"Will you shut it?"
"Oh, sorry, I forgot-you need to concentrate."
Draco swallowed the retort burning on the tip of his tongue and allowed silence to fall over the room again. All he wanted to do was relieve himself and then fall asleep. He was exhausted and the energy he was using to stand up was waning quickly.
"Are you still having trouble?"
"What does it look like?"
"In all seriousness. Do you still need to urinate?"
"Yes."
"Have you experienced this sort of problem before?"
"What problem?"
"Wanting to urinate, but being unable to get started."
"No. The only reason I can't go now is because you're here."
"Would you like me to get someone else for you?"
"I doubt that would help."
"So, you generally suffer from stage fright?"
"Is it necessary to make an issue of this?"
Ginny sighed impatiently. "Draco, I'm your Healer. Your inability to urinate signals a problem, but at the moment I'm just trying to figure out if it's a health issue or if you're simply shy."
Draco was indecisive for a few minutes. Which was the lesser of the two evils? "I'm shy," he begrudgingly admitted, even though he didn't consider himself to be introverted.
"Look, why don't I prop you up against your bed and leave you alone for a few minutes?" Ginny suggested.
"That would be appreciated."
After a few minutes of maneuvering Draco was safely leaning against his bed in a pseudo-standing position. While he felt a little vulnerable without her physical support he could feel the rest of his body relaxing immediately.
"I'll just be outside the door, so give me a yell if you need any help, and for Merlin's sake, don't try to get into bed without my assistance."
Draco nodded absently and wished her away before he relaxed too much.
Before Ginny reached the door, she heard the unmistakable sound of an unrestrained stream hitting the plastic of the bottle and a relieved sigh. She stopped but didn't turn around, as her patient obviously needed some privacy to get the task done. While she waited Ginny marveled at the way all men seemed to sound the same when urinating - they all sighed initially and each made a few little sounds when they were shaking off. When the room fell silent again, she turned and slowly made her way back to his bedside.
"Do you feel better?"
"Yes."
"Good. Let's get you back into bed then." Ginny took the bottle and put it aside, pretending she didn't notice him hurriedly righting his pajama bottoms to hide his modesty. To give him a little more time, she waved her wand over the bottle and muttered, "Evanesco."
It didn't take long to settle the blond wizard back into bed. Ginny tucked the blankets around his body carefully, ensuring he would stay warm throughout the night.
"Are you leaving now?" Draco asked flatly.
"Yes, I'll let you get some sleep."
"What about my head? You said you'd give me some pain relief."
"Do you feel like you still need it?"
"My head is throbbing even more than it was before I stood up."
"All right, I'll get you something."
Draco watched the woman leave, taking special note of the way her hips swayed subtly. She might be pushy and constantly embarrassing him, but the allure of her body was undeniable. Perhaps when he got out of here, and had given himself time to recover from the mortification this woman was putting him through, he might ask her out as originally planned. Then again, what if she was like this in real life as well? The prospect was rather frightening. He allowed his eyes to slip closed as exhaustion overwhelmed him.
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AUTHOR'S NOTES
Written for dgficexchange. Thanks to Rainpuddle13 for her fantastic beta skills.
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