Healing

Authors Note: I wrote the final chapters of this story earlier this week, so it's coming to a close soon. Chapter 14 is the final installment, and there will be a few ups and downs from this point on. Many thanks to my brilliant beta Alexandra. I know this chapter is a tad short, but it's all about the development of the plot. lol

Chapter 10 Ill

Black leather wedged heels clicked sharply along the corridor leading from the old metal lift to Malfoy’s flat on the third floor. Lexi paused and took a deep breath as she approached the large blue metal door at the end of the hall.

She had been to Malfoy’s flat on several occasions, but always for pleasure, not business.

Because of the wide-open floor plan, it was the flat they preferred to have their office parties.

This visit, however, was all business.

Harry hadn’t been back to the clinic in few days, but in the state he had left his meeting with Giaus, that was understandable. The bigger issue was that Draco hadn’t been either, and had now called in every morning for almost a week.

Something was wrong and she was determined to put a stop to it if she could. Draco was her friend and her employee and he needed to realize what he was doing to himself before it was too late.

Lexi knocked on the door and waited. When nothing happened, she tried again, louder this time. Finally the door slid open and a very haggard looking Draco stepped into view. His eyes went wide upon seeing her, but he stepped out of the way to let her inside.

Lexi stepped past him and surveyed the flat quickly. Nothing seemed out of place there except for Draco, who looked genuinely ill.

“I’m sorry, Draco. It seems I owe you an apology,” she said quickly.

“For?” Draco asked curiously.

“Well, I thought you were faking,” she said bluntly, with a shrug. “I thought maybe you were treating Harry, privately, but it appears you really are just sick.”

Draco winced and the look wasn’t lost on Lexi. After working with Draco as long as she had, not much slipped by her. “You have been,” she said, not a question but a statement. She knew it pained Draco to lie to her and she could tell by his reaction that he had in fact been working with Harry outside of the clinic.

Draco nodded and went into the kitchen. He poured them both some tea and took it to her into the living room. “Yes, I have. I’m not sure that the clinic is the right place for me anymore.”

Lexi gaped. “You’re serious? You would throw away all the good work you could do over some traumatized war hero?”

Draco sighed and sunk into the closest armchair. “He’s not like that. You didn’t know him… before.”

Lexi remained standing, scrutinizing every word Draco said. “You love him,” she muttered, feeling torn between pity and concern.

She had lost several healers over the years when they found themselves falling in love with a client, and it never turned out well. She never thought it would happen with Draco, he always seemed so cold and untouchable. That was part of what made him special, what made him so good at his profession in the first place.

He was unflappable.

“I don’t love him,” he protested, too quickly Lexi noted.

“I don’t want to see you get hurt, Draco,” she said, letting all her concern for his well being fill her voice.

“I’m in control of this,” he stated firmly, and she nodded, but was not at all convinced. “He needs me,” he added.

“I’m sure he does, but are you certain that you haven’t started needing him as well?” she asked lightly. That was how it always started. The healer would help the client, and then the client in turn would help the healer with something. That bond would seem genuine at first, but soon it would fray and leave them both broken and alone. It was always messy.

A noise from the other end of the flat pulled her attention and she narrowed her eyes. “He’s here now isn’t he?” she demanded. It was worse that she thought.

Draco groaned and a moment later the glamour faded and Draco looked perfectly well and healthy. “Yes. He’s the one that’s sick. He has been for a few days. He has no one else to take care of him, so I let him stay here.”

Lexi sighed and placed the teacup on the coffee table slowly and softly. Draco had lied. Lied to her, no less. And to protect a patient? It was too far out of her control already. She would just have to wait it out and let the chips fall where they may.

“Draco,” she started softly. “I love you. You’re like a brother to me, and I don’t want to see you get hurt. Who knows, maybe Harry’s the right one for you, your soul mate,” she mused and he grimaced. She knew how much he hated that term because he didn’t believe he had one.

“Either way, I’m staying out of it. Just know that if you ever need me, I’ll be here,” she whispered and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

She turned abruptly and left Draco’s flat. She couldn’t watch Draco destroy himself, but she could be there for him later… to pick up the pieces.

--

Draco was left staring at the place where Lexi had been standing a moment before.

Had she really just left him?

He had always been close with her. After all, she was the one that had gotten him through the tragedies he had suffered during the war, though she had used very different methods of healing than Draco used with Harry.

He remembered the first time he had met Lexi. It was in a London pub, she had only just recently arrived from America and was untouched by the war. She had heard stories of the atrocities that happened in England and the surrounding countries but it hadn’t trickled over to the states yet.

She was clever and witty and hadn’t had a drop of alcohol despite her setting. She said she had come there to observe and that it was far easier to do so when sober.

On the other hand, Draco had been completely sloshed. That was the way he chose to deal with the memories of the war, or rather, how he chose not to deal with them.

That night she had taken Draco home and sobered him up. She stayed with him for weeks while he kicked his drinking problem, and after time he succeeded.

It was that experience that made him want to help people who needed to recover from their own war and their own demons.

So Lexi had hired him on to work at the company she had brought over from America. The company had been the reason for her hop across the pond. The Ministry had contacted her to start it in secret to help the magical citizens of London heal from their self-inflicted wounds.

He had been with her and the clinic for seven years, and now he was throwing it all away. For what?

For Harry?

For love?

He scoffed at the thought. It wasn’t as though he didn’t believe in love, he saw true reflections of it all the time. Draco just didn’t believe it was for him. He was Draco Malfoy, former Death Eater and all around bad guy. There was no reason for fate to smile down on him with something as fluffy and perfect as love.

No, he was smarter than that. He would cure Harry and then he would release him back into the unsuspecting world. People like Harry could make a difference, people like Harry deserved love.

A violent cough brought Draco from his reverie.

Draco checked his pocket for the vial of potion for Harry’s cold and fixed another cup of hot tea before making his way into the guest room.

“This bedside service is getting old,” Draco groaned dramatically as he opened the door.

Harry was bundled up in the many blankets Draco had piled on him earlier when he had been shivering. He handed the potion vial to Harry, who grimaced. “Well, you should be happy to know that your bedside manner sucks,” Harry informed him, taking the potion and downing it swiftly.

“Well, when I signed up to be your healer, this was not what I had in mind,” Draco huffed.

“You could always just fuck me, I’m sure that would cure all my ailments,” Harry said with what Draco thought was supposed to be a seductive smile, but it just came off as pitiful in his current condition.

“Right, and catch whatever nasty disease you have?” Draco scoffed.

Harry rolled his eyes. “Why don’t you just throw me out of your flat if you’re so afraid of getting sick?” he asked, looking genuinely curious. Was he hoping Draco would say something sweet and endearing? Something that told Harry that Draco wanted to take care of him?

Draco couldn’t do that.

“I couldn’t do that,” Draco whispered, mimicking his thoughts out loud. He watched as Harry’s eyes opened a little wider and his lips parted slightly.

“Why?” he whispered just as softly as Draco had.

“Because it will probably be another four years before one of your friends shows up again. You could die and no one would know for years,” Draco added casually.

Harry’s expectant face fell into a frown. “Why would you care if I died?” he spat.

Draco sighed. “It’s bad business to let a client die, especially one as high profile as yourself.”

Harry turned on his side facing away from Draco. “This really is just work to you isn’t it?” he asked quietly, his voice breaking.

Taking a deep breath and exhaling it slowly, Draco thought of his options. Should he tell Harry that it might be more than that and then have to watch as he eventually found someone more worthy?

“Yes, it’s only work to me. I’m glad that’s finally starting to sink in,” he said gruffly.

Harry only nodded and shut his eyes, so Draco took that as his cue to leave. He placed the cup of tea by Harry’s bed and cast a warming charm on it before slipping out of the room.

Draco sighed heavily, leaned against the other side of Harry’s door and pressed his fingers to his temples. He was messing everything up by letting Harry stay. His recovery would be slowed and just that much more painful for Draco when he was finally healed.

When he finally left.

As soon as Harry was well he would make him go back home. Wouldn’t he? Or would Draco find a way to keep him here? Maybe he could do something more to slow the healing process, keep Harry there with him just a little longer.

Draco shook his head and padded to his own room, letting the door slam roughly behind him. He couldn’t let things keep going this way.

He just couldn’t.

Authors Note: Gummy Harry's to reviewers!