A co-write between yours truly and the talented, lovely Lady Galletta Ravenclaw!


'Muggle Malady'- LadyRavenclaw and Dusty co-fic
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Ginny Potter casually strolled the aisles of the grocers, picking off the items as she went. Her husband, Harry Potter, was at home painting the kitchen while she shopped. They had moved into their home approximately three months before, after a long and luxurious honeymoon. They had been living in perfect, wedded bliss since their marriage and she couldn't be happier.

The Potters had decided to set up house in the Muggle world for a few years, just to have time to themselves and away from reporters, photographers and well-wishers. Only her family and extremely close friends knew where their house was; they weren't even connected to the Floo Network.

It had been a trial for her, to adjust to Muggle life, seeing as how she had never even been in a Muggle house before. Harry hadn't found it as difficult because he had grown up as a Muggle, but there were still some things that he had to become accustomed to again.

Before they had left the wizarding world, they received Muggle certificates to show that they completed basic schooling. Harry had gotten a job at a local sports store, selling equipment, and Ginny was coaching a girls' football team at the local primary school. Dean had taught her all about the sport while they were dating.

Ginny glanced down at her cart and declared her shopping trip over. She walked to the register to pay with a long line of other customers. In the front, the gossip monger of the town was going on about Mrs. Number 64 who had apparently committed a heinous crime against the Homeowner's Association by putting a tree in her front yard. Ginny rolled her eyes.

She tapped her fingers against the cart, waiting for the poor lady in front of her to finish unloading her cart. She looked very drawn and tired, holding a toddler in one arm and a rocking a baby in the other. Ginny couldn't help but smile a little at the kids, who were poking at each other as their mother waited wearily for the cashier to finish. Shifting the baby in her arm, the woman turned to the side and sneezed a soft hitschoo! into the spare bit of sleeve not occupied by a wriggling toddler. Ginny fished in her pocketbook for a tissue and offered it to the woman.

"Touch of cold?" she asked.

The woman smiled warmly, accepting the square of Klennex.

"Aren't you a dear. Yes, with little ones come germs, of course."

The woman managed to extract a hand from her kids to dab at her nose a little.

"Edna down in produce has been out all week with a cold," the woman at the register chimed in. Apparently, this gossip queen knew everything about everyone.

"It is going around," the woman said, handing over her charge card and waiting for the last of her groceries to be brown-bagged.

"Thanks again," she said to Ginny as she settled the toddler in the cart and moved to exit the market.

Ginny paid for her purchases and walked the short distance through town back to the townhouse she shared with her new husband. He was still working on the kitchen when she got home, his shirt splattered with the light blue they'd chosen for the walls. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and helped her unpack the food.

Ginny giggled as she looked at Harry's head. He had a long streak of blue running from his forehead to the back of his hair. It was as if he ran his hand through his hair in frustration and ended up with paint everywhere. She touched his hair and said, "Going for a new look Harry? I like it, but I think my mum would disagree."

She laughed aloud as Harry frantically looked for a mirror and checked his hair. He groaned aloud, a smile on his lips. "I seriously have to stop doing that," he bemoaned. "That's the third time today!"

Ginny grinned and kissed him. "Well, I love that habit of yours," she said sweetly. "It makes your hair sexy."

"Oh really?" Harry smirked and kissed her back. "You think so..."

Their kisses dissolved into a lovely snog session, the groceries forgotten on the counter.

***

A few days later, the kitchen was done and now a cheery blue. Ginny had sleepily kissed Harry goodbye as he left for his shift at the sporting goods store and she shuffled around the house, preparing for her afternoon practice session with her team. She'd woken less rested than usual and a dull ache had settled behind her eyes. Trying to ignore it, she tied her trainers and jogged the few blocks to the football pitch where the kids practiced. Several of the girls were already there, kicking a ball around and eagerly awaiting her.

"Coach Ginny!" they cheered as she approached. She offered a smile to the girls and clapped her hands for their attention.

"Let's start out with passing," she ordered. "Two lines. Watch your feet. I want these stops to be clean and controlled."

She stood on the sidelines, watching the children kick the footballs back and forth. Her eyes drooped a little and she felt her energy draining away. What was wrong with her? It was barely two in the afternoon and she was already exhausted!

"Coach Ginny!" one of the girls called. "Can we do goals, with you as keeper?"

"Sure," she said, taking her place in the net as the girls lined up to take shots. Ginny jumped and dodged for the balls, hitting them away and allowing the occasional one in. The rotation of girls took their turns and as the first girl came up for another shot, Ginny found herself breathing heavily. To her surprise, her nose felt congested and full of pressure.

"I'm sorry girls," she said, stepping out of the net. "I'm feeling a bit peaky. Does one of you want to take over?"

Several volunteered and soon they had a small scrimmage going. The match lasted for the rest of practice, and Ginny was grateful as the last car pulled up to pick up her players. She waved goodbye and began her walk back home, one hand massaging her sinuses.

Unlocking the door, she left her keys on the stand next to it, toed off her shoes and went to the bathroom. She helped herself to a tissue and blew her nose, feeling much clearer and better for it. She sniffed experimentally and yawned. Maybe she just needed a nap...

After a quick, hot shower, Ginny changed and climbed into bed. Harry would be back in an hour with dinner and she would be more refreshed. The pillow beneath her head was a wondrous comfort against her suddenly heavy head, and in no time at all, she was asleep.

--
Harry nudged the door closed with his foot and called out to Ginny. "I'm home!" he said, putting the Chinese takeout on the table. They had worked it out so Ginny would cook three times a week, Harry would cook three times a week and on the last day, they would eat out for dinner, just to make the chores easy. And for takeout night, they had Chinese.

Harry's brow furrowed when he noticed that Ginny hadn't called back. She was home, wasn't she?

"Ginny?" he called, walking further into the house. "Are you here?" He didn't find her in the front, so he tried the back, where their bedroom was. "Ginny?"

Harry's eyes softened when he found his lovely young wife fast asleep in bed, curled up around her pillow, her lovely flame-colored hair spread out around her.

"Ginny," he said, shaking her shoulder gently. "Ginny darling. Wake up."

She stirred tiredly, blinking blearily around her. "Harry?" she croaked, putting a hand to her forehead. "What time is it?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Seven," he said, putting a hand on her waist. "Are you alright?"

"'M fine. Just tired," she said, groaning quietly as she let her body flop back against the bed. Her limbs felt horribly weak and shaky.

"Shove over," he said, giving her a little nudge and clambering up onto the bed. He ran a hand through her hair. "You're sweaty."

"S'a bit warm in here. I'm fine," she mumbled, sniffling. Her nose was blocked solid.

"You don't sound fine," he said, moving his hand to her brow. "You're sick."

"I'm fine, really," she insisted, struggling to sit up as she pushed away the blankets. "I just overslept and I..."

She broke off, her breath hitching a little. The pressure in her sinuses made her wince and her mouth opened slightly in anticipation of a sneeze. With a snap of her head, she bent to the side and sneezed harshly into the crook of her arm. At'schooo!

"Ginny," Harry soothed, digging in his pocket for a handkerchief and handing it over. "Don't lie to me."

She accepted the handkerchief and wiped her nose.

"Thags," Ginny said stuffily. She leaned into Harry, not wanting to admit her illness but not wanting to lie to him either.

"So, you want to tell me how you're really feeling?" Harry asked, running a hand through her hair. She felt warm against him and she sounded quite sick. He really wished she was feeling better.

She groaned a little, snuggling down against his side.

"Horrid," she admitted. With a cough, she cleared her throat a little. "Felt tired this morning and it's just getting worse."

Harry frowned and kissed her. With a hug, he said, "I'm sorry you're feeling so ill. How about I get you some tea and soup? That might help you feel better."

She sniffed wetly.

"Maybe," she said. "Tea with honey?"

Pulling the quilt tighter around her, she moved her head from Harry's leg back to the pillow so he could get up.

"Don't be long," she said with a little smile. "You're cozy."

"Of course!" Harry said. "Whatever you want. Sounds like you need some tissues as well?" He got up from the bed. "I'll be just one moment."

Harry smiled back at her before rushing to the kitchen. He put a teapot on the stove and quickly made the Earl Grey with lemon and honey. Just the way she liked it. He also got a glass of water for the bedside table and grabbed a box of tissues from the bathroom. Best to be prepared. Finally, with a tray loaded full of goodies, Harry walked back into the bedroom and set it aside. He kissed Ginny and held out the tea for her convenience.

"There you go, milady," he said gallantly with a winning smile.

Ginny rolled over and propped herself up on an elbow as he re-entered the room.

"You're the best," she said, accepting the cup of tea and breathing in the steam. It momentarily cleared her nose and she sniffed wetly as it began to run.

"Good thing you brought the tissues," she said, taking a sip of the tea and setting it aside so she could blow her nose. A few wet honks later, she wasn't much clearer.

"How was work?" she said, snuggling back up to his side.

"Quite good actually," Harry said, putting his arm around his wife. "Durrant's father bought a new set of pads for the ninth standard's football team. They're Malfoy-rich, but at least the son's got a bit of talent. Other than that, it was a quiet day. How was yours?"

She shrugged.

"We had practice this afternoon. Girls were good, but I had a bit of trouble keeping up with them. You know that run-down feeling you get right before a cold settles in? It was exactly that. By the end of practice, I was wiped. Came home, showered, and went straight to bed."

Coughing into a fist, she moaned a little as her chest tightened. The force from the coughs made her body ache and she swiped at her running nose in frustration.

"I hate being sick," she declared, poking at Harry playfully. "I need some emergency Pepper-Up. Can we owl out for some just this once? Or make a secret trip to Diagon Alley?"

Harry winced and looked guilty. "Ginny... err... We really shouldn't. I mean, if I went to get Pepper-Up, wizards could track my signature back here. That's why we're not using our wands, remember?"

Ginny's face started to go dark and Harry quickly backpedaled. "But I'm sure I could phone Hermione and ask her to bring some over!" he said hurriedly, trying to avoid the saber-tooth tiger explosion.

Ginny felt her anger fade as Harry began to panic. She felt momentarily stupid for forgetting they had forsaken the ease of magic for their privacy. She'd gotten used to Muggle life well enough, but this was a stumbling block she hadn't anticipated.

"We don't need to call Hermione," she said. "We can use the Muggle stuff. I don't want to break our promise to do this for the year. Besides, the Muggle stuff works just as well, right?"

"Er... Right," Harry said weakly. "I'll just go get some, shall I?" Ginny was going to be so angry... Harry moved to get out of the bed. He needed to buy cold and cough medicine as well as more tissues, tea and ingredients for homemade soup. And some bandages. Lots and lots of bandages.

Ginny smiled as cheerfully as she could muster with such a horrid cold.

"That'd be great," she said. "Are there other Muggle cures I can use? Anything I can do while you're gone?"

Harry smiled weakly. "Well, you could try taking a nap, or if you aren't tired, why don't I set you up in front of the telly and you can watch some shows until I get back. There isn't much else we can do for now."

"No, I think I'll stay here," she said, flopping back onto the pillows, her long red hair spilling all over as she tugged it out of its ponytail. She coughed hoarsely and frowned. "Bring back something that is the equivalent of 'Lotto's Heal-All Throat Drops' too."

"Your wish is my command," Harry said, dropping a kiss. "I'll be back soon. Sleep well." He took the empty teacup and went back to the kitchen. He'd make her another cup when he got back. Until then, he pulled on his trainers and grabbed keys and wallet. Off to the market.

---

Harry pulled up to the counter, emptying his cart of tissues, lozenges, cough and cold medicine, orange juice, thermometer and all the ingredients to Mrs. Weasley's homemade chicken soup. He paid the bill quickly and loaded everything into their car. He drove home, hoping that they would be able to survive the intermittent days when he had to deal with a hot-tempered witch who had never been properly sick before. Oh Merlin.

When home, Harry put away the groceries and made a cup of tea for Ginny. He put a bottle of cold syrup, the thermometer and lozenges on a tray and entered the bedroom. Ginny was there, sleeping semi-peacefully, her face flushed and congestion coloring her breathing. Carefully, he shook her shoulder and whispered her awake. She had to take the medicine and he had to check her temperature, seeing as how she was very warm to his touch.

"Mhm?" Ginny groaned, rolling away from Harry. She sat up sleepily and felt a bit of congestion drain from her head. Her nose ached a little and she reached clumsily for a tissue before catching a feminine hheehhh...hehhh....t'schoo!

"Hey," she said, blinking her eyes and looking up at Harry, still slightly dazed from sleep and the sneeze. She eyed the array of colored boxes he had and smiled. "Is that the stuff?"

"Yes," Harry said, pulling out the thermometer. "But I'd like to take your temperature first, before you take anything. You're feeling feverish."

Ginny looked skeptically at the small, wand-like object. "Do you just tap it on my forehead or something?" she asked, taking it from his hand and examining it. There was a small display, similar to the digital wristwatch Harry wore, and it was displaying flashing lines with a degrees Celsius mark.

Harry couldn't help but smile. "No," he said, gently taking it from her hands. "You put it in your mouth. The smaller end goes under your tongue and the thermometer reads your temperature and displays it on the display with a beep. Thirty seven is normal and anything higher is a fever."

Harry held it out to her. "Open wide," he said, feeling much like a Muggle doctor with a tongue depressor. "And lift your tongue."

Ginny accepted the thermometer under her tongue and looked down at it with crossed-eyes.

"Is it working?" she spat, trying to avoid letting the stick fall out of her mouth.

It beeped after a moment and she let Harry take it from her mouth. Just in time too...she felt another sneeze creeping up and she closed her eyes, he brow furrowing as the itch in her nose built. Lips parted, breathing shallow, she waited a few moments in agonizing anticipation before the sneeze finally burst forth and she bent at the waist, catching it in her hands. ETSCHOOO! She sniffed wetly and looked up at Harry miserably.

"Bless you," Harry said sympathetically, handing her a tissue. He kissed her forehead and added, "Congratulations, you have a small temperature. 37.5." He showed her the thermometer. "I don't want to give you something right away for it, but if it gets higher, I will. Until then... take this cough syrup, this cold medicine and drink some tea." Harry handed her the appropriate dosages and patted her leg.

He really felt for her, being so miserable like this. He hated to see her sad or in pain. It hurt him. "How're you feeling? Is there anything I can get you? Are you hungry?" he asked earnestly.

"I'm a little chilly," she admitted sheepishly, cuddling up to his side. "Do we have any soup?"

What she really wanted was her mum's fantastic chicken noodle soup, with a side of Pepper-Up Potion, but she'd promised Harry to live Muggle and she was going to suffer through this, no matter what.

"And another blanket?" she added with a hopeful smile. "Sorry I'm such a pain."

She tucked her face into her pillow, smothering a small sneeze. "Hitschoo!"

"Bless you," Harry said sympathetically. "You aren't a pain; you're ill. And when ill, you get whatever you want." He smiled with a wink. "The soup's not ready yet, but I'll bring it up as soon as I finish it. And I'll get you that blanket right away."

Harry fetched one from the hall cupboard and draped it lovingly over Ginny's lap. "Is that better?" he asked, leaning in close as her brown eyes sparkled in the light.

"Much," she said, rubbing at her nose. She snuggled up against him.

"If you get sick, I promise I'll smother you with care," she said, laughing. "I can't imagine growing up and having to go through being sick like this all the time. And with those horrible Muggle relatives of yours."

Twining her fingers through his, she leaned in and kissed him lightly on the cheek, careful to avoid breathing germs on him.

"You go back to the soup. I don't want this house burning down," she teased.

Harry grinned at her. "I believe you're confusing me with Ron," he countered. He kissed her on the forehead and stood up. "I'll be right back."

He padded down the stairs and into the kitchen. The soup was just about ready; it only needed a few last minute spices. Harry tossed in the ingredients and stirred the warm yellow broth. He tasted it with a spoon and deemed it adequate. Harry made a bowl for Ginny, added wafers on the side and poured a glass of orange juice. He then walked up the stairs and took the tray to his lady.

"Milady, your dinner is served," he said gallantly, putting the tray over her lap. "Is there anything else you want?"

"No," Ginny said with a smile. "This looks delicious!" She took a spoon and slurped up some soup. "Why, this is just like Mum's! How'd you do it, Harry?"

"Well, I asked her for the recipe. She was more than happy to teach me how to make it," Harry said with a smile.

Ginny inhaled the steam from the bowl and felt her congestion fade away for a few moments. It was miraculous that something as simple as soup felt like magic for a bad cold. She nibbled at the noodles until the bowl was empty, and set it on the nightstand with a contented sigh. Kicking back the blankets, she stretched and sniffed wetly.

"Stay with me?" she said, patting the place beside her. "I don't want to get you sick but I could do with a bit of a cuddle."

"Of course," agreed Harry, kicking off his shoes and lying down next to her. He pulled her to his chest and rubbed warm circles on her back. He felt her small hand rest against his side and felt content. "Better?"

Ginny hummed in contentment as Harry's warmth surrounded her. She was lulled into a sleepy haze and felt herself drifting off as his comforting hand rubbed her back.

Harry watched his love as she dozed. Her breathing was light and her nose was pink. She rubbed it in her sleep, twitched it and sniffled, but Ginny didn't seem to realize that she was doing it. He grinned when she pushed her cheek into his chest and snuggled closer to him. It wasn't long before she was asleep and snoring softly. Harry kissed her fiery red hair, put his glasses to the side and settled down with her. There was no reason he couldn't nap with her for now. Besides... he felt so comfortable, cuddling there with her.

Before long, they were both asleep.

---

When Ginny woke up, it was to an onslaught of aches and pains. Suddenly, her sinuses felt ready to burst and the red edges of her nose were so raw she could feel them burning. In a tearful panic from the sudden worsening symptoms, she poked Harry, urging him to wake.

"Hmm?" he mumbled sleepily.

"Harry," she said softly. Her voice felt small and weak.

He shook his head, brushing sleep from his eyes, and propped himself up on one arm.

"What's wrong?" he said, suddenly attentive. He pressed a cool hand to her brow and she shrank away from his touch. She was visibly shivering.

"Oh, Gin," he soothed, sitting up in bed and reaching for a tissue from the nightstand. He tried to dab her running nose a little but she whimpered and took the tissue from him, tossing it towards the rubbish bin.

"It hurts," she groaned.

"I know," he began. "But you have-"

"I don't have to do anything," she protested, her brow furrowing.

"Be reasonable, Gin," he urged. "I know you're miserable, but give it another day or so and you'll be back to normal."

"I can't last," she growled, flopping over and burying her head into the pillows. She coughed hoarsely and Harry heard her give a little groan of pain.

"Does it hurt to cough?" he asked.

She nodded into the pillow.

Harry sat quietly on the edge of the bed, rubbing her back. He heard her sniffle a little, suppressing a sob. His heart ached and he kissed her head sympathetically.

"Could I get you some of the medicine I bought earlier? Would that help any?" he asked, desperately trying to find something that would help her feel better.

Ginny whimpered miserably. "I don't think anything will help. I'm dying!" she moaned dramatically, burying herself into the blankets. "I ache all over and everything hurts and I wish I had some bloody Pepper-Up!"

Harry winced. Ginny wasn't in a mood to be compromising. If she wasn't ill and bed-ridden, he would be as far away from the end of her wand as he could get!

"How 'bout I get you some tea," Harry said, getting up from the bed. "And some soft handkerchiefs. They might be nicer for your nose than tissues."

"Ugh, fine," she conceded.

Harry dug around in his bureau for a handkerchief, finally retrieving one from underneath his socks.

"Ah ha!" he said, holding up the scarlet piece of flannel. "Got this years ago when I had a ruddy cold and then never used it."

He sat next to Ginny and dabbed at her nose tenderly. She shrunk away, grabbing the cloth.

"Still hurts," she grumbled, and begrudgingly pressed the handkerchief to her face to block a small, spraying heatschooo!

"I'll get you that tea," Harry said, making a swift exit to downstairs. Heaving a sigh, he set the kettle to boil and listened to the ceiling creak as Ginny tossed and turned in their bed upstairs. He was beginning to feel a bit weary himself, what with all her carrying on and such. He stretched his arms and yawned, feeling his sore back pop with tension.

The ceiling gave a particularly loud creak and Harry found himself looking up again. His poor wife. Being ill wasn't easy, and being ill without the comforts of home was even more difficult. He just hoped that he wasn't sprouting bat bogeys by the end of the evening.

The kettle whistled loudly and Harry poured the hot water into two cups. To one he added the tea, lemon and some honey and to the other, he put milk and a little sugar. Then, with some biscuits and the tea, he went upstairs again.

"Ginny?" Harry said just before he hit the landing. "I've brought the tea. I think this will help you feel better..."

Ginny rolled over and looked up at Harry. He had the most pitiful puppy-dog face and she felt herself smile a little.

"Thanks," she said, taking a steaming cup of tea and sipping it gingerly. "It's good."

She was about to take another sip when a sneeze crept up and her hand shook, nearly splashing the tea all over the bedclothes. With lighting-fast reflexes honed over years of Quidditch, Harry's hand darted out and caught the tea cup just as Ginny's head snapped forward with a powerful etschoooo! The sneeze was so forceful that she shook her head, dazed, and finally focused back on Harry who was frozen, balancing her teacup alongside his own and looking positively shocked that he'd managed the save. Ginny giggled a little and extracted her cup from his hands.

"Sorry," she said, laughing. "I nearly made a mess and I've sneezed all over you, and you've put up with my griping all day. You're a dear, really."

Harry grinned.

"I'm glad the tea is helping," he said, leaning over and kissing her lightly. Their noses touched and Ginny turned her head, preventing his lips from touching hers.

"I don't want to get you sick too," she said.

He kissed her on the cheek and then on the tip of her scarlet nose.

"If I haven't caught it already, there is no way that'll do it," he teased. "The way you've been sputtering on me all day."

Ginny snuggled into his side.

"It's past dinner," she noted, munching on a biscuit. "I'm not really hungry. I think I'll tuck in early and just call it a night."

Harry gathered their empty cups and saucers onto the tray and set it on his bureau.

"You know what?" he said, reaching into his top drawer and retrieving a pair of pajamas. "I could be convinced of the same. May stay up and read a bit, but I'll be happy to keep you company in bed."

Once in his pajamas, Harry climbed in beside Ginny, book in hand. Propped up on pillows, he began to read with Ginny curled at his side, her auburn hair spilling across his lap. He stroked her head absently and after a short time, her congested snores came soft and rhythmically. Setting his reading aside, he switched off the bedside lamp and stretched out, content to doze off for the night.

***

Morning dawned and Harry blinked sleepily as the sun warmed his face. He looked blearily around and found Ginny's bright hair draped across his chest, her head settled comfortably on top of him. He smiled and gently caressed her, loving how she turned into his hand. He moved his head slightly and glanced at the clock to his immediate right. He had at least an hour before he had to get up from bed.

He pushed his head deeper into his pillow and closed his eyes. Might as well sleep some more...

***

Beep beep! Beep beep! Beep beep!

Harry's fist made contact with the alarm clock, silencing the bloody menace for at least two minutes. He opened his bleary eyes and rubbed his face to wake himself up. He sat up slowly and moved his legs over the side of the bed. He shivered as gooseflesh ran up his bare legs and arms. It was cold. He stumbled to the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face, hoping that would clear the fog in his head. Sadly, it only served to make him shiver and stare into the mirror. He couldn't see much without his glasses, but from what he could tell, he did not look very dashing this morning.

Yawning, he maneuvered his way into the shower and swallowed through a thickness in his throat. Maybe some hot water would clear his head better. He hoped. Leaning against the cool tile wall, he closed his eyes and found himself dizzy and weak in the knees. He slid down the wall and sat under the hot stream of water, letting a wave of nausea pass. The steam began to clear his head and he realized that part of the reason for his daze was his sinuses...they ached. He sniffed congestedly and moaned a little. Brilliant. This could only mean one thing...

The bathroom door opened and he heard Ginny's voice.

"Harry?"

The shadow of her figure appeared on the other side of the frosted glass shower door.

"What are you doing?" she said, squinting at him sitting on the shower floor.

"Dropped my washrag," he mumbled, scrambling to his feet. "How are you feeling?"

"A little better," she said, turning to the sink and running water. "Figured I'd come freshen up a bit with a hot shower, but you beat me to it...unless you don't mind sharing."

He saw her slip off her dressing gown and the shower door opened. She leaned in and kissed his forehead.

"Good morning," she said, stepping under the spray beside him.

"Morning," he replied hoarsely. Ginny frowned.

"You look a bit peaky, love," she said, running her hands up his chest.

"Just sleepy," he said, but a cough escaped his lips and betrayed him. More rose up and he bent over, several dry coughs echoing off the tiled walls.

"Right, and I'm the Minister of Magic," she said dryly, putting a hand on his cheek. "After we finish up here, you are coming to bed and resting."

Harry ran a hand through his wet hair and nodded sheepishly. He knew not to argue with her. Besides, she was right. "Okay," he croaked.

Ginny smiled, running her hands over his soft flesh. "Now come on," she said, grabbing his washrag, "let me get your back."

***

When they were both clean and dry again, Ginny led a towel-clad Harry back into the bedroom and selected his warmest pair of sleep pants from the dresser. As she helped him step into them, Harry sneezed wetly into her shoulder. Etschooo! She pulled him close and rubbed his back.

"I'm sorry," she said, caressing the hair at the nape of his neck. "I've gone and gotten you sick too."

"It's okay," he said with a sniffle. His voice was lower than usual and hoarse. He sneezed into her shoulder again, hot and spraying. He gave a low moan, his weight pressing heavily against Ginny as he slumped in her arms. Ginny returned the sneeze with one of her own, into the crook of his neck.

"What a pair we make," he said with a soft chuckle. "Now to bed, I think."

He unraveled his arms from around her and shuffled sleepily back towards the bed. Pulling aside the sheets, he held up the blankets for Ginny to crawl under and then he slipped in beside her.

"I'm afraid one of us is going to have to make another trip to the market for hankies, the way we're going through the things," said Harry, reaching for a tissue from the box on the nightstand. The tip of his nose was already blooming a cherry red.


"I think I can manage, since you've been so good to me already," Ginny said affectionately. "But honestly, I don't know how Muggles do it. I've never felt so miserable in my life! And I've never been so thankful to have magic either, even if I can't use it right now."

"Mhm," Harry agreed sleepily. "Time for a kip. Sleep well, Gin."

"You too, love."

"If we're any worse when we wake up, I'm breaking this bloody pact and owling for some potions," he said with a laugh.

"Good," she said, snuggling into his side. "Because otherwise I'd've done it myself."

very cute =)

that was just adorable!

Lovely story. I had no idea that they were so gamesy. I suppose I feel Quidditch doesn't really count....

OMG, this is a work of art! xD One of the best fanfics I've read anyway. I love the vocabulary you use and just your writing style in general. Very well written!

Cute!