Healing

Chapter 3

“I’m looking for an apprentice for next year.” Poppy smiles at him. Harry feels a clenching of his stomach. He shakes his head and focuses back on his book. “The person I take on will have their own quarters and won't have to take on as many classes as the people returning for their Eighth year.” Harry looks to her out of the corner of his eyes, only to see him smirking at him. “I’m looking for someone in Hogwarts, I used to take on from other schools, but with everything the students have been through, I believe it would be better to look within. Think about it?” Harry kept eye contact with her before nodding slowly. A huge joyful smile overtakes her face before she stands and begins to head over to the exit of the infirmary.

“That doesn’t mean yes!” Harry shouts over. “I will think about it. That’s all. Think!” Poppy waves her hand back dismissively, leaving Harry to sink back in his chair with a sigh. She is sure he will say yes.

He shut the book in his lap and threw it onto his professor's bed, where all his notes also lay, scattered haphazardly. He figured the professor would be very mad at the use of his bed, but it’s not like he was willing to say anything now. What he does not know will not hurt him, Harry recited. Harry was too tired to care.

The last few nights had not offered him any sleep or peace. One of the patients in the wing had reopened a wound during the day and he had been on wrapping duty, meaning he had to be up to rewrap every few hours. After discovering Harry’s lack of sleep during the night, Poppy had put him on night duty. He did not mind it, he had always found sleeping during the day easier. However, when the days were now consumed by Dumbledore practically begging Harry to talk and Aurors arguing with Poppy against the wards, it was near impossible for Harry to get rest.

“Did you know that if Mr Sleepyface decides to wake up, he’d still be classed as Headmaster?” Harry’s eyes shot up at the familiar face. An unusually shy look sat on his features. Within mere seconds, Harry had bounded out of his chair and towards the red headed teen. “Hey, are you trying to knock me over!” Ron laughed as he wrapped his arms around Harry. His hand rubbed up and down Harry’s back for a minute or two. 

“Sorry.” Harry mumbled into the shoulder of Ron’s threadbare jumper. From the smell, he presumed that he had been doing garden work that morning. “I’m tired.” He let out, as he pulled back, allowing himself to back into his chair. He was sure that the chair was practically moulded to seat him perfectly by now.

“Same here, sleeping is not the same as before.” Ron took a deep breath, sitting in the chair that had previously sat Poppy. “So,” Ron paused for a few seconds as if deciding his words carefully “No Auror training?” Straight forward as always. Harry was more than thankful for that.

“Yeah, thinking about going into healing.” Harry answered back just as plainly, sparing Ron a sheepish smile. Ron nodded and patted his shoulder.

“Hermione mentioned that Poppy had you reading. I want to say sorry,” Harry was about to say there was no need to say so, when Ron continued. “No, Harry, there is a lot I should be sorry for. Mostly the Aurora stuff. I guess I was just confused. We always talked about going into Auror training and then suddenly you didn’t seem interested. But talking to Hermione and my mum helped me understand. I guess I just figured that the war would motivate you to do it more, like it did me. Guess I was wrong about that.” A quiet laugh slipped out of Harry’s lips.

“Yeah, very wrong.” Ron smiled at him. “I just,” He took a deep breath. “If I am going to be helping people, I think I’d prefer the healing path. The last few weeks have helped me realise that I actually enjoy it. Being able to sooth people has felt so much more rewarding then stopping murderous maniacs ever did.” Ron laughed loudly at that, making Harry jump slightly at the suddenness.