Extended Family

Chapter 156 - Hedwig Edit: Bacon Bacchanalia

Takes place after Harry and Katie got married but before Dahlia was born.

Harry sighed softly, trying to get comfortable.  He was currently at home on sick leave, recovering from an injury.  A rather nasty collision involving a Bludger, the opposing Chaser and Seeker, and some strong winds had made him walk away with many broken bones.  Luckily he was able to walk away.  The other two had to be taken off the field and would have a long time of recovery.

He did not feel bad though, for them anyways.  Considering they conspired to injure Harry first they got what they deserved in his, and many other peoples’, opinion.  Still, the end result as that he was off the team for some time dealing with lots of bone repair, vanishing, and skelegrow.

Katie was out of the country for a bit on a conference and could not come back swiftly.  He also did not tell her the true extent of his injuries so that she would not worry.  Andromeda and Samantha were at the same conference and all of Harry’s other friends were incredibly busy and off doing what they needed to do.

He found himself feeling a little bored and lonely.  It was still a novel experience for him, the concept of being lonely.  He had been alone for so long, until Hogwarts, and while he never took his friendships for granted, it still surprised him how truly lonely he could feel.  Even at his busiest between his mastery work and Quidditch, he usually found himself spending time with someone outside of the Bells and Blacks and Tonks a few times a week.

McGonagall had banned him from mastery work while he was healing, something she and Pomfrey had insisted.  They also claimed they would know if he ignored them and while he was reasonably sure they could not, he was not sure enough to chance it.  While he was no longer a student, he still had a long-cultivated fear of their authority and tempers, especially now that they did not need to hold back with him.

So Harry sat at home, feeling a little bored and a little lonely.  He eventually fell asleep. 

The windows rattled and Hedwig swooped in, flying about the room and looking around carefully before landing on the back of the couch.  She sighed deeply, looking at her boy with concern and long cultivated exasperation.  “And here you are again, lying injured after playing a silly game.  Why do you do this to me?!”

She huffed and fluffed up from irritation.  “All my hard work in keeping you healthy, dashed for something silly.  You’re such a stubborn chick.”  She delicately climbed down and settled on his side, fluffing up and waited. 

After some time, he slowly woke, feeling a pressure on the one part of his abdomen that did not hurt.  He blinked slowly, greeted by large amber eyes.  “Hey girl,” he said sleepily.

Hedwig fluffed up, barking at him severely.  “You have got to stop being a stupid chick on a wingless stick!  One of these days you’re going to bang yourself up too much and then what are we going to do with you!  Be more careful!  You are not as strong or tough as me!”

“I know,” he groaned.  “It was stupid and I’m paying the price.” 

She glared at him.

“I’m healing,” he protested.

She sighed a very human-sounding sigh of exasperation.  “Oh you’re ‘healing’.  Of course you’re healing.  You’re always healing!  Wish you would heal what’s between your ears!”