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“What now!” Harry muttered, glaring at the small silver bell as it danced across the countertop, it's melodic tinkle echoing through the kitchen. “If I have to fluff his bloody pillow again I’m going to smother him with it!” lowering the flame under the pot of chicken soup he was making, Harry wiped his hands on a dishcloth and once again climbed the stairs to his husband’s room.
Draco had taken James and Scorpius to the zoo over the previous weekend as a birthday treat as Harry had been called into work at the last minute. Harry couldn’t believe their sons were seven and he’d promised the boys a trip to the cinema the next weekend to make up for it. He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to keep his promise as Draco was in bed with the flu, they’d all been caught in the rain. The boys had come through their drenching, but their Papa was curled up in bed.
“You rang, your royal highness?” Harry tried to tamp down on his annoyance, but honestly, Draco was a grown man, but he was far worse a patient than the twins were. They hadn’t been this needy when they’d both come down with Dragon Pox last year.
Harry fussed around the room, opening two windows to let some fresh air in and picking up what looked like an entire box of tissues that had missed the wastepaper bin. Straightening the blankets, he stopped to look at his husband, and his earlier annoyance disappeared.
Draco did look dreadful. His usually shiny hair was lank and greasy, his eyes red-rimmed and his nose raw. Kissing him on the forehead Harry noted he still had a high temperature.
“I’m making you some of Molly’s chicken soup; you need to eat something.” at the pitiful look Draco gave him Harry chuckled brushing his hair back. “I’ll bring you some up shortly okay?” Draco just nodded and buried himself back under the blankets, reminding Harry of the breakfast roll-ups Molly used to make.
“Thank you,” Draco croaked, his throat sore and scratchy “I know I’m a nuisance.” he managed before a huge sneeze rent the room which brought on hacking coughs. Harry carefully helped Draco sit up, and gave him some water to drink.
“Come on back to bed with you,” Harry said lifting the blankets so Draco could get comfortable again but he shook his head, swinging his legs to the floor instead.
“Too much water gotta pee,” he replied.
“Not so fast,” Harry ordered, crouching down he dragged Draco’s slippers out from under the bed and put them on his feet, to Draco’s annoyance. Even though they had been a present from James & Scorpius on his last birthday, Draco hated them. He wore them as he could never forget the boy's excitement as he’d ripped into the paper to reveal a hideous pair of dragon feet slippers “We got you these because you're named after the dragon constellation, aren’t they cool Papa?". Draco never did have the heart to refute the “cool” tag, so he wore them, to Harry’s utter delight.
Glaring at Harry’s chuckle, Draco shuffled across the room to their bathroom and deliberately shut the door on his husband. Staring at himself in the mirror as he washed his hands Draco had to admit he looked horrible. The boys had sniffled for a day or two; he’d been wiped out with this damn flu.
Opening the door, he watched as Harry finished remaking the bed with fresh linens and fluffed the pillows. Making sure the covers were straight, and the water jug beside the bed was full. Padding back into the room Draco wound his arms around Harry’s waist and hugged him, resting his chin on Harry’s shoulder.
“Thank you. I’m sorry I’m such a bother.” He whispered, lightly kissing Harry’s neck, just behind his ear.
“I promised to remember.” Harry said squeezing their joined hands, at Draco’s puzzled frown he continued, “Nearly ten years ago, I promised to love you in sickness and in health. I take that vow seriously now come on, back to bed with you.” fussing over his husband the same way he did their sons, Harry got Draco warm and comfortable again, kissing his forehead. “I’ll bring you up some soup shortly, get some sleep.”
Half an hour later, when Harry pushed open their bedroom door, he stopped and smiled. All he could see was Draco’s blonde hair poking out of a mound of blankets and his soft snores filling the room. Glancing down at the tray in his hands with a bowl of soup and pot of tea, he decided to let Draco sleep was a better idea and carried the soup back downstairs to heat up later.