Healer Letham was stepping around the corner, shaking her head as if she couldn't believe that matters had come to this pass. She cut Lupin with a sharp glance, said, "Stop gibbering, Mr. Malfoy," and cast a spell that whipped the stone back into place and repaired it. Then she held out her hand to Harry.
"You have had enough stress for right now," she said. "Come with me, and I'll make sure that you can have a Calming Draught and hot chocolate if you need it. The house-elves in Hogwarts are most accommodating."
"Excuse me, madam, but who are you?" Lupin demanded. "I am this young man's professor—"
"No, just at the moment you're his tormentor," Letham said briskly. She pulled Harry gently closer, without tucking him into her side, and turned around to walk towards the classroom where they would usually talk. "Mr. Malfoy," she said over her shoulder, at Draco, "if you would please tell your parents what transpired here?"
Harry hoped Draco nodded. He wasn't really in the mood to look back and see if he did. He just concentrated on walking, placing one foot in front of the other.
This felt like a nightmare.
....
"The hot chocolate has Calming Draught mixed in with it."
Harry nodded and swallowed half the drink at one gulp. He felt the potion shift around inside him, settling his stomach and his spirit. He leaned back on the grey couch with his eyes shut and his hands slowly stilling.
"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Healer Letham asked gently.
Harry tried to keep his voice flat as he told her. It wasn't easy, at least not until he swallowed the rest of the chocolate and thus the Calming Draught dose. And even then, his mind kept bolting in small, restless circles, wondering what else he could have done, if he should have told his parents right away even though they would have been so angry, and what Draco would think, and how Dumbledore and Lupin would react.
"Did you keep it from me because you thought I would urge you to tell your parents?"
"Yes," Harry whispered. "And I just wanted some time to think about it. I was really going to tell you today. And then them. But Lupin had to come along and ruin everything."
"I understand," Healer Letham said. "I can't promise that your parents will be completely rational about it, but I'll be happy to accompany you to talk to them, if you want. Or talk to them in your place."
"No," Harry said. He was sure of that, at least. "I have to be the one to do it." He set the mug down next to him and finally looked up at her. "So you're not going to get angry at me about keeping this secret?"
"Taking a while to talk about something isn't the same as deliberately keeping it a secret that you never intend to tell anyone," Healer Letham said. "No, Harry. You've come far enough that I don't think you would ever do the second one on purpose anymore. I wish your situation was such that you did feel you could have talked to your parents right away, but it's not your fault that it's not."
She held his eyes until Harry nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I just…why are things crazier now when there's not even a mass murderer hunting me anymore? Or the spirit of Voldemort possessing my Defense professor?"
"Who you used to be is always going to be a focus of some people who should have better things to do with their lives," Healer Letham murmured. "Are you calm enough? In that case, I think Draco should have had time to notify your parents. Are you ready?"
Harry nodded. He was sure that some of his courage came from the Calming Draught, but he also no longer felt as if his world was going to end, the way he had when Draco was talking to him.
"Will you please come with me?"
"Of course." Healer Letham smiled as she stood. "I think your parents could use another reminder that I work for you, not them, even if they are paying my salary."
Harry chuckled as much as he could through a dry throat, and walked beside her as they made their way towards the Floo Harry usually used to go to Hogsmeade.
This isn't going to be fun. But it's survivable.
....
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