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Harry’s entire body hurt. All of his joints hurt. His muscles hurt. His throat hurt. His head hurt. Even his eyeballs hurt unless he completely zoned out and stared half lidded at whatever was in his line of sight. Which is why he had thrown himself across the old couch at Grimmauld Place that morning and hadn’t moved since. Harry was laying on his stomach with his head turned to stare at the dark wall and one arm was dangling off the side of the couch.
He was so caught up in his own misery he didn’t notice a certain animagus had joined him in the room until a cold wet nose was touching his face. Harry blinked as Snuffles blew hot hair into his eyes and he sniffed his face. He refocused his gaze to see a worried expression on the large black dog and a nervous tail wag. He lazily brought his arm up to scratch Snuffles behind his ears in a reassuring manner. Harry let his hand flop back down, though, when he saw Snuffles start to shift.
“Sirius, I feel like shit,” Harry grumbled. His voice came out scratchy and he winced from the pain in his throat.
“I can see that,” Sirius said, sitting down on the floor in front of Harry. A hint of amusement flashed behind his eyes. He reached out and gently pushed some hair out of Harry’s eyes. “Remus wants me to make sure you eat some lunch today. He left a couple hours ago.” Sirius continued to run his hand over Harry’s head and the boy let his eyes close, the gesture alleviating his headache some.
“‘S already lunch time?” Harry mumbled.
“It is,” Sirius responded, keeping his voice low and comforting.
“‘M not hungry. ‘N it hurts to swallow.”
“I know,” Sirius said. “But I made you a bowl of soup. You’ll feel better if you eat.”
Harry hummed in thought, then finally said, “I like your cooking… Can I eat on the couch?”
“I guess so,” Sirius sighed, exaggeratedly, but he couldn’t help the smile that spread across his features. “If that is the only way I can get you to eat, then I guess I must let you eat on the couch.” He ruffled Harry’s hair when the young wizard cracked a smile and got to his feet. “I’ll be back with lunch and a potion.”
By the time Sirius returned, Harry had managed to get himself into a sitting position. He looked at his godfather and put on the best smile he could with how miserable he felt. The older wizard was walking back with a mug and a bowl floating behind him, but Harry saw no potion. He couldn’t help the frown that graced his features, then. Harry had been looking forward to anything that would stop the pounding in his head.
“It’s not actually a potion, but that’s what you’re going to tell Moony I gave you,” Sirius said, seeming to understand the frown, as he sat down next to Harry. He floated the mug and bowl down to rest on the coffee table in front of the couch. “It’s a recipe your mother gave to me,” Sirius explained. “It’s always worked better than a potion for me. Hot water, lemon, honey, and muggle whiskey.”
Harry didn’t have the energy to question it. He just picked up the bowl and started to slowly eat his soup. He had to admit Sirius was right. Two spoonfuls in, Harry could feel the warmth from the soup in his stomach and it was already starting to soothe some of his aching muscles. Harry felt like he had the smallest bit more energy, too.
A few more spoonfuls later, Harry registered something warm pressed up against his thigh. He looked down to see Snuffles laid down next to Harry with his nose and paws hanging over the edge of the couch. Snuffles let out a huff and closed his eyes, but then opened them again. Harry watched as the large dog’s eyes slid closed once more and stayed like that for a few seconds before he opened them.
“Go to sleep,” Harry said, scratching Snuffles’ shoulders. “I’ll eat my soup.” Sirius constantly took naps these days. Now that he was truly free, years to stress and exhaustion caught up to him. If he was sleeping as Snuffles, he was usually near Harry or Remus. Harry watched as Snuffles glanced at him, then let his eyes fall closed and stay that way.
He continued to eat his soup, then finished the ‘potion’ Sirius had made him.
Harry yawned as he set the empty mug back on the table. He still felt completely drained, the brief energy he felt from his soup gone, but his head no longer throbbed and his muscles no longer ached so much; Harry was comfortable enough to sleep finally. He carefully got to his feet, doing his best not to wake the black dog at his side. Harry wanted to get his favorite blanket he had recently stolen out of Remus and Sirius’ room.
As he walked to his room upstairs, Harry heard the light clicking of claws on the floor behind him. He turned to see Snuffles following him with droopy eyes.
“I’m just getting a blanket,” Harry told him. “I’ll be back. Go lay back down.” But Snuffles continued to follow Harry. He couldn’t help some amusement at the sleepy dog, but he also knew Snuffles wouldn’t go back to sleep unless Harry or Remus were with him.
Once they were back at the couch, Harry flopped down with the blanket wrapped right around him. He lifted an arm and the blanket, though, to make room for Snuffles. Despite the accusing look Harry got when Snuffles realized what blanket Harry had, the animagus stepped up onto the couch and settled next to Harry. The younger wizard wrapped both his arms and the blanket around Snuffles. Harry started to absentmindedly scratch the dog before they both drifted off to sleep.
When Remus came home from his short assignment from The Order a couple hours later, he definitely did not take a picture that he definitely was not going to frame and put on his dresser.