Healing Draco Malfoy

Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Published: January 11, 2023

It had been nearly three weeks since Draco's first steps, and he was up to almost twenty laps on the balance bar daily. Harry was now making him try step negotiation, which requires shifting all weight to one foot, stepping and pulling up all the weight with the other. Draco was struggling with this exercise. It required a lot of power from his legs, even to do the small inch step-up. Harry put balance bars on either side, and Draco had to use his arms for balance and even lift power.

"Eventually, we'll have to take the bars down, Draco. Try only using it for balance."

"I'm fucking trying!" Draco hissed. He had only managed to do a few before he used his arms.

"I know. One more step up and down, and I'll massage it out, okay?"

Draco nodded and forced out another one. It took some effort, but he could get both his feet on the step.

"And down. Take it easy," Harry urged.

Draco lowered his right foot, and when he went to lower the left, his right ankle turned, and he nearly fell. Harry caught him and hoisted him up.

"Oww!" Draco yelped, and Harry helped him to his chair.

He knelt and assessed the ankle, which had twisted and was agitated. Harry massaged out the pain and healed the minor tears out of it.

"Better?"

"Yeah. This is pointless. Blaise said that there aren't any steps in his house."

Harry smirked a little. "Yeah? Even into the shower? Or steps to a store if you venture out?"

Draco sighed. "I meant we don't have to focus on this."

"I disagree. This is only the first step to hazard negotiation. You need to build your upper leg muscles and hip flexors, because, Draco, accidents will happen. You will fall and, right now, you can't get up on your own. You can't anticipate everything, either. Your leg could give out, you could trip or slip on something, you could fall out of bed... the point is... you'd be helpless without someone to help you up."

Draco glowered. "Blaise will be there."

"24-7? He and Neville do sleep and leave the house."

"He said that he might contract out for house elf services until I'm well."

"Okay... you want a house elf to rescue you every time you fall?"

Draco met his eyes and sighed.

"I'll take that as a "no", but Draco, this is hard stuff. But once you can do a few steps at level three height, you can probably try getting up from the floor. But come on, I'll massage and stretch those muscles out."

Draco nodded and rolled over to the bed. Harry loosened and healed his muscle tears and then stressed them out all over again when he worked the upper leg muscles hard. Draco pushed through it, not complaining too much but still struggling. He was getting there... getting closer to the end, and Harry was dreading it. At the same time, he knew Draco needed to be free of this room and this hospital. He needed air... and space... and freedom.

Apart from his stint to rescue him from Higgs, Draco hadn't left the room in almost three months. Before that, it was the Emergency Ward, his house and Azkaban. He had never had any control over where he went and how. Harry humphed as he realized that he could fix that.

"What?" Draco said, as Harry stopped the last exercise.

"Nothing, let's get you relaxed enough to nap," Harry said, and Draco nodded. Such had been their routine since his birthday. Morning workout, massage, nap. Joel would come near lunch, and they would work on... things, then Harry would come for lunch and afternoon workout and massage, then maybe a third round in the evening.