Into Darkness - Moment by Moment Book #1 (Harry Potter, Drarry)

Painful Awakening

The sound of a man's voice brought Harry from unconsciousness; his senses hooked onto the low, frustrated muttering as he came out of the stupor that had freed him from Crabbe's violence, and slowly his dazed thoughts began to interpret the words. Sore and stunned by his first encounter with the torture chamber, Harry lay still and listened to what arranged itself into a mainly one-sided conversation.

"Tell me exactly what the point of this is?" an exasperated voice announced; there was no reply, but this did not seem to deter the man, because he carried on muttering, "Look at the state of him, he doesn't need a healer, he needs an executioner."

Silence on that little gem, and Harry decided he didn't like this medical man who seemed to want to talk to himself.

"If I heal these injuries he'll need a good day of bed rest."

Brutus' laugh alerted Harry to his presence. In the few hours since meeting his gaoler, Harry had learnt that he lived up to his name with relish, and the young man opened his eyes upon the threat he perceived. Brutus was stood by the door of his cell, arms folded and holding a lantern. The man whose complaints had first brought Harry from sleep was kneeling beside the bed, had his wand drawn and was looking up at the amusement from his escort.

"What is so funny?" the much smaller man objected, his chinless profile showing more than a little annoyance: his hair was tousled and he looked to Harry like he had just got out of bed.

"The Boss ain't gonna go for that, Healer," Brutus shook his big head slowly; he may have been going to say more, but it was then that the oaf noticed Harry was awake and his easy manner hardened.

Harry couldn't help it, he cringed as the violent man closed in on him. The healer fell aside with a wordless complaint, and Harry gagged as a large hand settled on his throat and pushed him down onto the boarding.

"Eavesdropping, was yer, Pup?!" came the challenge, but Harry only had the strength to cough back his foul breath.

He swooned as the rough handling tipped his weakened body back over the limit that had seen him pass out in the first place, but a few breaths and the world came spinning back with Brutus looming, but no longer touching.

"Behave yerself," the lout warned and Harry just looked at him, wondering why Brutus thought he was capable of doing anything.

"Can I get on with my work now?" the healer snarked. "Some of us want to get some sleep tonight."

Brutus was still looking for some kind of response, that Harry was not going to give, but he looked round when prompted, and with a hrmph back at Harry, picked up the lantern and returned to his previous position. Wary of another outburst, Harry lay very still and looked at his healer. The man did not seem impressed that he was awake, and made his contempt for the patient very clear as he asked coldly, "Can you sit up?"

Harry hadn't really tried: everything had hurt when he had reacted to Brutus' attack, but he had mainly frozen. He tried to do as he'd been told. Very quickly, stabbing pains ran out from his torso and Harry collapsed back onto the cot, panting with the hurt.

"Broken ribs," the healer told him, a nasty smile on his face. "I'm your healer, I know what is best.

You do as I say, or something like that happens again, understand?"

Harry grimaced, but he got the message and nodded silently. Brutus laughed again.

~*~

Harry wasn't sure how long the healer continued to examine him: the man gave him a potion shortly after things began and the world went misty. He poked and prodded, testing bones and muscles, and cleaning and healing as he went along, and by the time he'd finished, Harry was buzzing with the magic, but all the sharp pains had been reduced to manageable aches and so the young man was not complaining about the treatment. He was very sleepy, but he was also naked where the man had stripped him to treat his wounds, and so vulnerability was keeping him vaguely aware of the world. That wary incentive was removed when the healer pulled his blanket up over him, and unable to fight his exhaustion any more, Harry closed his eyes.