HP Fic- Too Many Cooks 11/???
Jun. 16th, 2006 11:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tarotgalSlow and steady wins the race...
Part 1- Discovery * Part 2- Breakfast * Part 3- Chamomile Tea * Part 4- A Potion * Part 5- Chicken Soup * Part 6- The Black Ledger * Part 7- Apples * Part 8- Exercise * Part 9- Hot Shower* Part 10- Sleepy Time Tea
Same ratings apply to this part
Too Many Cooks
Part 11: Fever Rising
Remus rubbed his tired eyes and leaned against Sirius to keep from topping over as a fierce yawn ripped right through him. A little ways away, Peter had fallen asleep upon a mound of books, making them wholly unreadable at the moment. Sirius and Remus, tired as they were, looked upon that fact favorably. Even Remus was a little sick of reading through books and making lists that were filling up the ledger right and left.
“Maybe you should go to bed for a little while,” Sirius said, holding back a yawn of his own. “I can wake Peter.”
“No,” Remus said, shaking his head and sitting up straight again. “If I know you and Peter, you’ll both be asleep before me anyway and someone’s got to finish up here and stay awake in case James…” he trailed off with a sigh.
After a hot shower and a cup of tea, James had finally drifted off to sleep all right. However, he had not had a particularly restful sleep. Bad dreams had taken him, sending him in and out of sleep with cries and moans and heavy breathing the whole time. Several times, when James had woken, they’d taken his temperature. The line on the graph in the back of the ledger showed his temperature was on a steady rise. Remus hadn’t told his friends yet, but he’d decided that if it made it two points higher he would go straight to Madam Pomfrey, plan or no plan.
“Mmmph!”
Sirius and Remus looked at each other, exchanging worried looks. They tore themselves away from the stacks of books and went straight for the bed, knowing what that sound meant. “Jamie? You all right?” Sirius asked as they flanked him in the bed.
James was sweating and struggling to push down his covers. “Too hot…” he muttered.
Sirius and Remus helped him strip the covers down. James shivered violently in the lack of blankets, so Remus pulled a sheet and one blanket back up. “Better?”
James shook his head. “hahh-Shoo! Heh-hehhShooo! AhhShoo! Sniff! Sniff! Cold,” he said, shivering again. But, after curling up on his side, he moved again and took off his shirt and kicked down the covers again.
“James, can we take your temperature again?” Remus asked, reminding himself of the promise he’d made to himself. Much as he had enjoyed pulling this off so far, he wasn’t going to risk James’ health just so Lily Evans wouldn’t know he had caught a head cold; Remus knew her well enough to know she’d forgive him for that.
James did not reply. He simply moved around a bit, trying to get comfortable again, despite coughs.
“James?” James was unresponsive, far away, making no sign that he heard Remus. Instead, he looked distressed as he fought with his covers and tried to find a good spot on his mattress which suddenly felt too stiff or too soft or, knowing James right now, both. Clearly James was not in a state to have his temperature taken, and Remus did not want to push it. “I’m going to get you an extra pair of socks,” Remus said, not sure how to handle a James who went from cold to hot every five seconds.
James barely heard him, busy fighting with pillows that just wouldn’t sit at the right height, no matter how he rearranged them or punched them. Sirius tried to help but James grabbed the pillows away, still uncomfortable, and sneezed freely, suddenly, making Sirius pull back.
It barely registered for James, though, who had a dazed sort of look in his eyes. “Dod’t feel good,” he said to absolutely no one.
“We know,” Sirius said reassuringly. He reached out to pat James’ shoulder.
James snapped forward again with another sneeze “AhhhChoo!” and shivered again. Then he rubbed at his forehead and closed his eyes.
Remus was back with socks, putting them on James over the thick pair the young man already wore. Then he pulled the sheet and blanket back up. James was snuffling but already drifting back off to sleep.
Remus and Sirius lingered a moment, wanting to be sure of James before backing off. As worrisome as it had been, at least James was back to sleep and Remus and Sirius were more awake again.
But then James began moaning and thrashing about feverishly. Remus held the covers up as James kicked at them. But, seeing that James was definitely sweating, Remus folded them at the bottom of the bed anyway.
“I take it this means we won’t be heading back to the books any time soon?” Sirius said, almost looking fondly on the research compared to this.
Remus sighed. “We both know what we need to do?”
Sirius nodded. He glanced over at the mess of books and sighed. “I’ll wake Peter to let him know what’s going on if you want to get the bowl and washcloth.”
The reconvened at James’ side not five minutes later. Peter tried to wake James, but James was really out of it by now and a touch to his forehead or cheek told that his fever was definitely spiking.
“Who should be the one to…” Remus gestured at the bowl of water in his lap and the washcloth in his hand. “I’d be glad to, but maybe James would be more comfortable if you did it, Pads?”
Sirius nodded. James wasn’t in any condition to care one way or another and probably wouldn’t remember it in the morning anyway. But Sirius rounded the bed and hopped up again, taking the washcloth. He dipped it into the cool water and wrung it out until it stopped dripping. Then he pressed it to James’ forehead.
James stirred and mumbled something unintelligible but did not wake. Sirius wiped the washcloth across James’ forehead then down the side of his face. He dipped it back into the water, waited for the dripping to stop, and repeated. After a few of these, he pressed the washcloth to James’ neck. And after his neck came his chest. The washcloth was dragged over the hot, bare skin, already damp from sweat.
Still unconscious, James shivered. Instead of going for the blankets, Sirius stretched out alongside James. Remus moved the bowl a little closer so Sirius could still reach it. Sirius was doing it one-handed now, squeezing the washcloth out as best he could before touching it to James’ skin. Peter climbed up onto the bed to help, taking over the job of wetting the washcloth and wringing it out again.
When James shivered again, Remus carefully moved closer, pressing the side of his body against the side of James’. His eyes met Sirius’ and they exchanged smiles as they lay on the bed with James sandwiched in the middle. Remus put his free hand on James’ forehead, roughly gauging fever.
But next to the warmth of James, and thanks to the long and tiring night so far, Remus felt his eyes closing. Though he tried to keep a firm hold on the bowl so it wouldn’t spill, he couldn’t help but give in to sleep.
Next Up- Part 12: Breakfast in Bed
Part 1- Discovery * Part 2- Breakfast * Part 3- Chamomile Tea * Part 4- A Potion * Part 5- Chicken Soup * Part 6- The Black Ledger * Part 7- Apples * Part 8- Exercise * Part 9- Hot Shower* Part 10- Sleepy Time Tea
Same ratings apply to this part
Too Many Cooks
Part 11: Fever Rising
Remus rubbed his tired eyes and leaned against Sirius to keep from topping over as a fierce yawn ripped right through him. A little ways away, Peter had fallen asleep upon a mound of books, making them wholly unreadable at the moment. Sirius and Remus, tired as they were, looked upon that fact favorably. Even Remus was a little sick of reading through books and making lists that were filling up the ledger right and left.
“Maybe you should go to bed for a little while,” Sirius said, holding back a yawn of his own. “I can wake Peter.”
“No,” Remus said, shaking his head and sitting up straight again. “If I know you and Peter, you’ll both be asleep before me anyway and someone’s got to finish up here and stay awake in case James…” he trailed off with a sigh.
After a hot shower and a cup of tea, James had finally drifted off to sleep all right. However, he had not had a particularly restful sleep. Bad dreams had taken him, sending him in and out of sleep with cries and moans and heavy breathing the whole time. Several times, when James had woken, they’d taken his temperature. The line on the graph in the back of the ledger showed his temperature was on a steady rise. Remus hadn’t told his friends yet, but he’d decided that if it made it two points higher he would go straight to Madam Pomfrey, plan or no plan.
“Mmmph!”
Sirius and Remus looked at each other, exchanging worried looks. They tore themselves away from the stacks of books and went straight for the bed, knowing what that sound meant. “Jamie? You all right?” Sirius asked as they flanked him in the bed.
James was sweating and struggling to push down his covers. “Too hot…” he muttered.
Sirius and Remus helped him strip the covers down. James shivered violently in the lack of blankets, so Remus pulled a sheet and one blanket back up. “Better?”
James shook his head. “hahh-Shoo! Heh-hehhShooo! AhhShoo! Sniff! Sniff! Cold,” he said, shivering again. But, after curling up on his side, he moved again and took off his shirt and kicked down the covers again.
“James, can we take your temperature again?” Remus asked, reminding himself of the promise he’d made to himself. Much as he had enjoyed pulling this off so far, he wasn’t going to risk James’ health just so Lily Evans wouldn’t know he had caught a head cold; Remus knew her well enough to know she’d forgive him for that.
James did not reply. He simply moved around a bit, trying to get comfortable again, despite coughs.
“James?” James was unresponsive, far away, making no sign that he heard Remus. Instead, he looked distressed as he fought with his covers and tried to find a good spot on his mattress which suddenly felt too stiff or too soft or, knowing James right now, both. Clearly James was not in a state to have his temperature taken, and Remus did not want to push it. “I’m going to get you an extra pair of socks,” Remus said, not sure how to handle a James who went from cold to hot every five seconds.
James barely heard him, busy fighting with pillows that just wouldn’t sit at the right height, no matter how he rearranged them or punched them. Sirius tried to help but James grabbed the pillows away, still uncomfortable, and sneezed freely, suddenly, making Sirius pull back.
It barely registered for James, though, who had a dazed sort of look in his eyes. “Dod’t feel good,” he said to absolutely no one.
“We know,” Sirius said reassuringly. He reached out to pat James’ shoulder.
James snapped forward again with another sneeze “AhhhChoo!” and shivered again. Then he rubbed at his forehead and closed his eyes.
Remus was back with socks, putting them on James over the thick pair the young man already wore. Then he pulled the sheet and blanket back up. James was snuffling but already drifting back off to sleep.
Remus and Sirius lingered a moment, wanting to be sure of James before backing off. As worrisome as it had been, at least James was back to sleep and Remus and Sirius were more awake again.
But then James began moaning and thrashing about feverishly. Remus held the covers up as James kicked at them. But, seeing that James was definitely sweating, Remus folded them at the bottom of the bed anyway.
“I take it this means we won’t be heading back to the books any time soon?” Sirius said, almost looking fondly on the research compared to this.
Remus sighed. “We both know what we need to do?”
Sirius nodded. He glanced over at the mess of books and sighed. “I’ll wake Peter to let him know what’s going on if you want to get the bowl and washcloth.”
The reconvened at James’ side not five minutes later. Peter tried to wake James, but James was really out of it by now and a touch to his forehead or cheek told that his fever was definitely spiking.
“Who should be the one to…” Remus gestured at the bowl of water in his lap and the washcloth in his hand. “I’d be glad to, but maybe James would be more comfortable if you did it, Pads?”
Sirius nodded. James wasn’t in any condition to care one way or another and probably wouldn’t remember it in the morning anyway. But Sirius rounded the bed and hopped up again, taking the washcloth. He dipped it into the cool water and wrung it out until it stopped dripping. Then he pressed it to James’ forehead.
James stirred and mumbled something unintelligible but did not wake. Sirius wiped the washcloth across James’ forehead then down the side of his face. He dipped it back into the water, waited for the dripping to stop, and repeated. After a few of these, he pressed the washcloth to James’ neck. And after his neck came his chest. The washcloth was dragged over the hot, bare skin, already damp from sweat.
Still unconscious, James shivered. Instead of going for the blankets, Sirius stretched out alongside James. Remus moved the bowl a little closer so Sirius could still reach it. Sirius was doing it one-handed now, squeezing the washcloth out as best he could before touching it to James’ skin. Peter climbed up onto the bed to help, taking over the job of wetting the washcloth and wringing it out again.
When James shivered again, Remus carefully moved closer, pressing the side of his body against the side of James’. His eyes met Sirius’ and they exchanged smiles as they lay on the bed with James sandwiched in the middle. Remus put his free hand on James’ forehead, roughly gauging fever.
But next to the warmth of James, and thanks to the long and tiring night so far, Remus felt his eyes closing. Though he tried to keep a firm hold on the bowl so it wouldn’t spill, he couldn’t help but give in to sleep.
Next Up- Part 12: Breakfast in Bed
no subject
Date: 2006-06-18 09:29 am (UTC)This part is so cute. Feverish boys are oh-so-sweet! I love how helpless James is, and how his friends are gauging his fever. I like how they've abandoned the book during this time -- it's so Remus, he knows where his priorities are!
I also love Remus's thinking. I like how for the first time, he begins to toy with the idea of James not showing up, and considering that Lily will understand. That's our Remus!
Le sigh, this is wonderful. You're a fabulous writer, thank you so much for sharing this with all of us!
~A
no subject
Date: 2006-06-20 05:31 am (UTC)I know you're lurking a lot lately, but I'm glad you caught this/these parts, since I know how much you like the series. Thanks so much!
This part is so cute. Feverish boys are oh-so-sweet!
Nummy *G* You've got great taste! heehee
I also love Remus's thinking. I like how for the first time, he begins to toy with the idea of James not showing up, and considering that Lily will understand. That's our Remus!
Yay and absolutely! I'm glad you got that out of this!! It may come up again... but not until after a lot more James-torture, I'm afraid.
Le sigh, this is wonderful. You're a fabulous writer, thank you so much for sharing this with all of us!
Awww! Thank you! *hugs* And you're a great writer! Thanks for the enthusiastic fb
no subject
Date: 2006-06-18 10:43 am (UTC)Thanks for brightening my day, I loved it!
no subject
Date: 2006-06-20 05:38 am (UTC)But I'm glad you're still eager to follow it.
I'm all about the snuggly Marauders- I couldn't resist that image of them all in bed keeping him cool and warm and keeping him company. They're good boys :-)
Thanks!!