Harry Potter universe DRABBLE CHALLENGE

[Dusty15]

I've been on a kick of wanting to write lately but not being able to get into writing any full stories, so I've decided to tackle a 100-prompt drabble challenge with drabbles all set within the Harry Potter universe. I'll try to keep the character varied, as there are several I'd like to write that I've neglected over the years, but do expect to see some familiar favourite pop up often

1.Allergic 2.Desperation 3.Cat 4.Summer 5.Itch 6.Light 7.Hands 8.Fever 9.Finally Alone 10.Worried 11.Broody 12.Loud 13.Grass 14.Genetics 15.Control 16.Dinner for Three 17.Doctor 18.Dust 19.Feather 20.Anticipation 21.Bed 22.Drugs 23.First Time 24.Headache 25.Handkerchief 26.Dog 27.Garden 28.Hoarse 29.Kink 30.Scent 31.Hold Back 32.Double 33.Harsh 34.Smoke 35.Making Dinner 36.Impatience 37.Incense 38.Horses 39.Pillow 40.Suffer 41.Nervous 42.Stare 43.Contagious 44.Relief 45.Temperature 46.Terrible 47.Wool 48.Tissues 49.Tease 50.Quarrel 51.Lonely 52.Snuggle 53.Asleep 54.Waiting 55.Frost 56.Rest 57.Flu 58.Phone Call 59.Apologize 60.Sore 61.Accent 62.Fur 63.Haze 64.Spices 65.Under the Weather 66.Stifle 67.Frustrated 68.Caught in the Act 69.Attack 70.Listless 71.Pressure 72.Muffled 73.Annoy 74.Humiliated 75.Disproportionate 76.Bath 77.Spring 78.Message 79.Headcold 80.Clinic 81.Confess 82.Tears 83.Dream 84.Polite 85.Sniff 86.Shower 87.Induce 88.Jealousy 89.Pills 90.Interrupt 91.Chill 92.Office 93.Remedy 94.Weird 95.Soft 96.Purr 97.Honey 98.Defeat 99.Smother 100.Gratitude

 

1. Allergic

“Tell me again why we're not letting someone else do this bit?” Bill asked, pressing a hand to his leaking nose and pushing it upwards with a snorting sniffle. 

“I told you to take an allergy potion,” Fleur said, pointing her wand at another piece of musty furniture and casting a cleaning spell. “It's not my fault that you're so stubborn.”

Eh-nghh-TSGHH!

Bill turned his nose into his shoulder and sneezed for what must've been the hundredth time that afternoon. 

“I didn't expe—hehh—ehh....expect that – hehh-NGHTT! Tsh-GHTT!I didn't expect we'd be encountering quite this much mold.”

Fleur tutted sympathetically and turned her attention to him.

“Poor love,” she said, smoothing back a tendril of his long red hair. “You're really suffering.”

Bill wrinkled his freckled nose irritably and nodded in defeat.

“I'm sorry,” he said. “I need to get out of here. I'll go find a potion and come back when I can breathe again.”

 

2. Desperation

“You're telling me that you don't have anything you can at least transfigure into a handkerchief for me?” Sirius asked in a pained whisper, his nose covered by his bare hand. 

“I'm not taking off my pants to make you a tissue, Pads,” James whispered back as they lay side-by-side in the ditch on the outskirts of a Death Eater compound. “It's not my fault you forgot to take a dose of allergy potion.”

Nghh!

Sirius stifled a sneeze against his hand and groaned softly.

“A blade of grass, even?” he pleaded.

“Use your sleeve,” James retorted. “We can't be distracted by trying to transfigure grass.”

Hehh-tgGXTT!

Sirius pressed his nose into his own shoulder, leaving a damp spot on his t-shirt. 

Nghh!

The spot on his shirt grew darker as his runny nose drained. He sniffled in desperation, trying to stay as quiet as he could.

 

3. Cat
“This is a lovely flat,” Lily said to Marlene as she rounded the corner from the front hall into the sunny apartment. “You're lucky to have found it.”

“Thanks!” Marlene said cheerfully. “I'm very happy. I think Dorcas is probably going to move into the second bedroom soon once she gets some things sorted out. C'mon into the kitchen and I'll make us some tea and you'll have to tell me all about your wedding plans.”

Lily followed her into the kitchen and paused as she spotted something move in the corner.

“Oh,” she said hesitantly. “I didn't realize you had a cat.”

Marlene glanced over and smiled.

“Ah! That's Thompson! I just adopted him last week. I didn't tell you?”

“No,” Lily said, sitting down at the kitchen table and watching the cat nervously. 

Cats have a remarkable attraction to those who least want their attention, it always seemed. And this proved immediately true as Thompson came right over and began rubbing himself around Lily's legs.

Ehh....heh-CHIHH!

Lily sneezed a soft, feminine sneeze into the crook of her elbow and sniffled. 

“I'm so sorry, Marl,” she said, standing and pushing Thompson gently away as she searched in her handbag for a hankie. “I'm dreadfully allergic. Do you happen to have an allergy potion handy?”

 

4. Summer

The four friends lay on their backs on the massive expanse of land behind the Potter estate, luxuriating in the bright summer sunshine as fluffy clouds drifted lazily overhead in the brilliant blue sky. 

“This is perfect,” James pronounced, tilting his face up further into the sun light. “I want to be brown as dirt before this is all ruined by rain in a week. We've officially graduated and I declare this our official vacation.”

Beside him, Remus sniffled thickly and sat up.

“I'm sorry,” he said, still snorting and sniffling. “I can't lie on my back. I'm too stuffed up.”

He reached into his pocket and withdrew a handkerchief, giving his nose a swift honking blow.

“Trust Moony to be sick on the nicest day of summer,” Peter quipped. “Poor you.”

“Be nice,” Sirius admonished. “He doesn't want to be sick.”

Eh-GHHHSHH!

A wet, throaty sneeze sent Remus bending at the waist, his nose buried in his handkerchief. 

“C'mere, you,” Sirius said, sitting up and reaching for his boyfriend. He pulled Remus against him and let him recline back against his chest. “Better? Or should we get you inside with some Pepper Up?”

Remus sniffled and closed his eyes. “Not yet. The sun is nice.”

 

5. Itch

“Nymphadora, darling, what are you doing over there?” Andromeda asked her daughter from across the table. The younger Tonks was distracted from her dinner, morphing her nose from one shape to another in a slow series like some sort of bizarre nasal display.

“I'm sorry, mum,” Tonks said, pausing on a small, bulbous-shaped nose with wide nostrils. “My allergies are killing me. It's so itchy, I'm trying to find a shape that's more comfortable.”

“Nymphadora, you're a witch in addition to a Metamorphagus,” Andromeda said with a sigh. “There are allergy potions, you know.”

“They make me so sleepy,” Tonks countered, trying a thin, pointed nose on for size. “I can manage the sneezing and the red eyes, it's just the itchy nose that's going to be the end of me.”

“And this is going to be the end of you at the dinner table if you don't stop that.”

Tonks sniffled and changed back to her usual petite, upturned nose that was modelled after her mother's.

“Fine. Do we have any allergy potion, since you're not happy with my more creative solutions?”

 

[AngelEyes]

What a fun thread!

1 hour ago, Dusty15 said:

“I'm not taking off my pants to make you a tissue, Pads,” James whispered back as they lay side-by-side in the ditch on the outskirts of a Death Eater compound.

LOL!!!

 

1 hour ago, Dusty15 said:

“C'mere, you,” Sirius said, sitting up and reaching for his boyfriend. He pulled Remus against him and let him recline back against his chest. “Better? Or should we get you inside with some Pepper Up?”

Remus sniffled and closed his eyes. “Not yet. The sun is nice.”

 

Awww

 

1 hour ago, Dusty15 said:

“I'm sorry, mum,” Tonks said, pausing on a small, bulbous-shaped nose with wide nostrils. “My allergies are killing me. It's so itchy, I'm trying to find a shape that's more comfortable.”

Funny!!!

[LifeOfTheMarauders]

I absolutely love these! The detail is wonderful and the incorporation of the Marauder era makes me so happy. Keep up the great work🤩🤩

[Dusty15]

Thanks, @MarauderFanGirl4Ever and @AngelEyes 

Here's the next 5!

 

6. Light

Ginny opened the bedroom curtains with a flick of her wand and crossed the room to her still-sleeping husband.

“Harry,” she said, tugging at the quilt that lay over him. “It's nearly noon, love.”

Harry stirred and opened his eyes for a moment, blinking in the bright sunlight. He groaned and rolled over, burying his face in his pillow.

“Shut the light, please,” he moaned.

“It's nearly noon,” Ginny repeated. “Get up or we won't get to all our errands this afternoon.

“Please, Gin, the light,” he said from behind his pillow shield. “My head feels like it might split.”

Worried, Ginny flicked her wand and charmed the drapes closed again. She sat down on the bed and reached out to smooth back Harry's mess of dark hair.

“A headache or what?” she asked softly, moving her hand down to the nape of his neck and tucking her palm across it. “You're a bit warm, love.”

“Dunno,” Harry said, rolling over to face her, In the darkened room, he looked up at her through circled eyes. “A cold, I think. I'm all clogged up and my head is pounding and I'm just tired.”

“Go back to sleep and I'll go down to the apothecary and get you some potions,” Ginny said soothingly. “I'm sorry I woke you up.”

 

7. Hands

“Remus, love?” Tonks said tentatively. The man in the bed opposite her stirred and blinked his eyes open. “How are you feeling?”

“Ehh...alright,” he murmured sleepily. “Still really stuffed up.” 

He'd been fighting a head cold since before his transformation and now the day after, no potion seemed to be making a difference. He'd finally managed to get some much-needed sleep but the snoring and sinus pain kept waking him.

“Let me try something,” Tonks offered. She sat up and reached her hands over to her husband's face, placing her two thumbs on either side of his nose and gently pressing them down, running them across the ridge of his sinuses. She trailed the thumbs back again, stroking with an even pressure. 

Remus grimaced under her touch.

“Too hard?” she asked.

“No, it feels good.”

She pressed her index fingers into the top corners of his eyebrow ridge and he sighed quietly as the pressure in his head shifted. She eased her hands upwards and pushed back his fringe, gently running her fingers through his hair as he drifted back to sleep. 

 

8. Fever

The month passed in a blur of mixed emotions. Sirius was innocent and free! The joy of the news had been overwhelming for Remus, who had assumed for over a decade that Sirius was lost to him. But Remus had been forced to leave Hogwarts and the security of a safe transformation with Wolfsbane, not to mention a warm and cozy place to live plus a salary more generous than any other he'd ever received.

It was the impending transformation without Wolfsbane that weighed most heavily on Remus' mind. After eight moons spent curled up in his professors' quarters, returning to the dreaded basement of his dilapidated cottage in Yorkshire seemed unbearable. But he had no other choice.

He went down into the damp basement before moonrise and prepared for the usual worst. The next morning, he woke to a cacophony of pain and the dull ache of fever. It would be at least an hour before he'd be able to get to his feet. He lay, face pressed to the ground, floating between delirium and lucidity. 

Beside him, he heard a sound. Slowly, with great effort, he turned his head over to look towards the stairs that led up to his cottage. A large black dog sat staring at him. It wagged its tail and whined softly.

“You can't be here,” Remus rasped to the dog. “They're going to be watching me. They want to find you so badly.”

His vision swam and he closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the fever addling his thoughts and sending chills down his limbs. With a deep, steadying breath, he looked again, but the dog had vanished.

He felt his heart sink for a moment. Sirius was far, far away now if he knew what was good for him. He was going somewhere tropical, Harry had told him before he'd left Hogwarts. There was no reason for him to be in Yorkshire. It was the fever playing tricks. He needed to get to bed and rest...

Gathering his strength, he sat up. After about twenty minutes of slow effort, he made it up to the small bedroom and under the quilts, breathing heavily from the exertion. Everything felt too hot and his skin prickled with fever and the aftermath of the transformation. Letting himself sink into his pillow, he closed his eyes and let himself surrender to an exhausted sleep.

 

9. Finally Alone

Snape shut the dungeon door as the last of his sixth year students filed out of the Potions classroom. He'd taught three sessions of classes today and that was about three times as many as he'd felt like doing since last night. A brutal cold had settled into his head and chest overnight and while he'd staved off the majority of symptoms with doses of potions, he was eager to be back in his own chambers, alone.

Pushing open the secret passage behind his office bookshelf, he passed down a small hallway to his sitting room and bedroom. His sitting room was a crowded space full of bookshelves and parchment and spare cauldrons, and one he rarely used for anything beyond grading papers after dinner. Today, it was the sparse bedroom he was aching to return to. The four-poster bed was freshly made by the House Elves, who had apparently noticed the handkerchief he'd left by his pillow; a clean stack of several now sat on his nightstand. 

Sitting down on the bed, he kicked off his shoes and allowed himself to slump back against the stack of pillows, closing his eyes. The change in orientation shifted the congestion in his head, sending a drip down his throat and triggering a volley of coughs. He rolled over, coughing into the pillow. When it ceased, he caught his breath and pinched at the bridge of his prominent nose, pressing at his aching sinuses.

Erhh-GHSCHHHT!

Head lolling forward, he sneezed against the mattress and groaned. Thank god class was done and he could deal with this all in peace.

 

10. Worried

“I don't mean to fuss,” Remus said. “It's just that....like, when was the last time you were sick?”

Sirius lay in the oversized bed at Grimmauld Place, looking up at his friend with a fever-addled, listless expression.

“Did you get sick in Az...I mean, did you get sick there?”

“Not really,” Sirius croaked. “I felt sick a lot but I don't remember this.”

His limbs were quaking with chills and his voice was hoarse and thick with congestion.

“I don't think your immune system was quite up to fifteen people in the house,” Remus remarked. “This is the flu, for sure.” 

Hurhh-TSGHHHHHT!

Sirius sneezed openly, misting the air with a bit of spray. He sniffled thickly and rolled over, pulling the quilts up.

“Speaking of being around others,” Remus continued. “Covering your nose is considered polite, if I may remind you.”

Sirius moaned from his blanket fort. 

“I know it feels wretched. I've had it twice,” Remus said sympathetically. “How's your fever?”

He reached down and tucked a hand under the blanket to touch Sirius' brow. 

“You're burning up, Pads,” he said, worriedly. “I'll send an owl to bring some potions that'll help.”

“Don't go,” Sirius rasped. “My brain is all woozy. I...Moony, I think I'm hearing things.”

“Shhh,” Remus soothed, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “That's the fever. Try to sleep and I'll try to get something to help you feel better.”

There was movement under the blanket and where Sirius had been, a large black dog was now curled up, breathing noisily.

“There,” Remus said, patting the dog's head. “That'll help quiet your brain. Now sleep and I'll wake you when the potions get here.”

[AngelEyes]

Love these! Hands was great. I love face and head massaging, so sweet. Fever was just sad! Poor Moony!!! Finally Alone was definitely my favorite. Love me some sick!Snape. Forcing himself through classes and just happy to collapse in bed alone. Mmmmm. And Worried. I love when he changes into Padfoot to be comfortable. Awww.

[Dusty15]

30 minutes ago, AngelEyes said:

Fever was just sad! Poor Moony!!!

I know I'm sorry!  I had the thought today randomly that it would probably REALLY suck to have a job and Wolfsbane, and then have neither one the next month. 😕 

[LifeOfTheMarauders]

Another adorable set of drabbles! I agree with @AngelEyes in that Fever was so sad! Poor Rem...although I do love to torture my sons a lot of the time so I suppose it’s alright.😅 Worried was my favorite of these(I absolutely love a sneezy Sirius). Keep up the great work!

[Shamaël]

Oh these are wonderful!!! My favorite is Snape, but since it's just my favorite character, it's only logical. I also enjoyed the one where Sirius is sick with the flu, and that line was perfect:

15 hours ago, Dusty15 said:

“I don't think your immune system was quite up to fifteen people in the house,”

I don't like Sirius, it's a character I'm not comfortable with, but he really moved me in that drabble.

I can't wait to read more! Thanks for sharing, this is an EXCELLENT idea!!!

[Dusty15]

And the next set Thanks all! ❤️ 

 

11. Broody

Teddy Lupin flopped down in his favourite armchair and let his head droop back, closing his eyes with a sigh and reaching up to push his sweaty fringe away from his brow. Across the room, his wife Victoire looked up from her book.

“Hello. Haven't seen you in hours. What did you get up to?”

“Just was out in the garden doing some tidying,” he muttered. “'s hot out there.”

He twitched his nose irritably.

“And pollen-y.”

“There's allergy potion in the medicine chest,” she offered.

“Doesn't matter. Won't help.”

Despite the fact that Teddy had been born free of lycanthropy, his father's DNA did carry some odd quirks. While he didn't transform at full moons, he sometimes found himself particularly moody or sore or prone to illness and allergies around the full moon. The whole thing began during puberty and his gran had brushed it off as a kind of 'sympathetic response' to the knowledge of his father's condition. Teddy sometimes wondered if it was all in his head, but then there were days like today when the pollen was driving him mad and everything ached and he just wanted a good pout. 

“What do you mean it won't help?” Victoire asked.

Teddy sniffled irritably and pressed the back of one hand to his nostrils.

“I mean it won't help,” he repeated. “It's—ehh...”

His breath hitched suddenly, interrupting him. He wrinkled his nose again and tried once more to speak.

“It's just that-- ughh...heh-TSChhTTT!”

He sneezed with a spraying explosion, catching the most of it in the crook of his elbow.

“Bless you!” Victoire exclaimed. “Are you sure you don't want to take something?”

“No,” Teddy replied. “I'm going to go lie down.”

She watched him go with a frown. He was prone to occasional bouts of moodiness, she knew. His gran had said once that his mother and father had been much the same. So she let him so and returned to her reading. He'd come back when he was ready.

 

 

12. Loud

“Hurhhh-GHSHHHH! Ehh-GHSHEHHH!”

“Merciful Merlin!” the shop witch exclaimed, leaning over the counter. “That was the loudest sneeze I think I've ever heard.”

Glowering, Severus Snape lowered his head and looked away, busying himself with finding a handkerchief in his robe pocket. He'd always had a terrible allergy to Grundy Root and this particular potions shop didn't seem to keep theirs in jars like he was accustomed to at other establishments.

Handkerchief located, he pressed it over his hooked nose and gave a quiet blow. No use. He considered casting a silencing spell to muffle the impending explosion, but there wasn't enough time.

“Hehhh-ehh-GSHHIII! Eh-TSGHCHIIII!”

The shopkeeper was now looking downright bewildered.

“Excuse me,” Snape choked out, fleeing the shop in a swoosh of black cloak. He'd never frequent Madam Jardin's Apothecary & Potion Supply again, that was for certain.

 

13. Grass

       The Quidditch pitch at the southern French stadium was a hazy swarm of yellow grass pollen that hung in the air like a fine fog. And the Daily Prophet's famed Quidditch reporter, Ginny Potter, was in the stands fighting off an allergy attack

       It had been over a decade since she'd come this far south, but there was an invitational match this year between the French and English teams that she'd been sent to cover. In her memory, the pollen hadn't been nearly this bad during her visit south as a player for the Holyhead Harpies. Back home, she occasionally suffered from allergies, but that was quickly remedied by a potion. Today, she was stuck in the stands without any potion and a pair of itchy, watery eyes. It was going to be difficult keeping track of the game.

       With a Quick-Quotes Quill hovering over her notebook, she began her coverage as the first play of the game was signalled with the sound of the referee's whistle. Speaking softly, she narrated the action as the quill took notes. But the distraction of her nose was proving exceptionally difficult, not to mention the tears blurring her vision. 

     Heh-tchiii!

She trembled with an itchy sneeze and her quill scribbled down <sneeze>in the midst of her commentary. Her editor was certainly going to have a field day with this column...

 

14. Genetics

“This is what you end up with when you're from a family with shitty inbred genetics,” Sirius moaned, wiping his raw red nose for the hundredth time that afternoon. “You get this.”

“That isn't how allergies work,” Lily countered from her spot on the veranda. The friends were gathered on the back porch of James Potter's family estate, watching the summer sun go down as Sirius battled one of his infamous late summer allergy attacks.

“Tell that to my father, my Uncle Alphard, cousin Andi, and Cissa,” Sirius retorted with a miserable sniffle. “That's genetic. There's a reason my family holes itself up in a city mansion and barely goes outside. It's because this happens.”

“We can send Jabber for some potion,” James offered, inclining his head to indicate the Potters' house elf. 

“Let him suffer,” Remus teased. “It's kind of nice to see him squirm.”

“You're a sadist, Lupin,” Sirius replied. “After all the nice care-taking we've done for you, you'd go and betray me like this?”

“I'll be nicer when you clean and return the three handkerchiefs you've stolen from me this weekend,” Remus said.

Hurh-tshGHHHH!

Sirius sneezed wetly into one of the aforementioned stolen handkerchiefs and blew his nose.

“Not ready to give them back quite yet,” he said with a groan.

 

15. Control

“Harry?” Ginny asked softly, extending her hand to gently touch her boyfriend's. “You okay You don't look so hot.”

“I'm fine,” Harry insisted, though his voice was hoarse. “Just tired.”

Ginny slid her hand up his back and cupped it around the nape of his neck.

“Love,” she said. “You have a fever.”

“Ginny, please don't.”

“Let me take you home to bed,” she offered. “I'll make you something to eat and you can get comfortable.”

“I think I'll just go,” Harry countered. “I'm fine. I just need to sleep.”

He stood, starting to stumble away from her towards the Floo powder on the mantle.

“Harry,” she said, standing and catching his arm. She pulled him close, wrapping her arms around him. 

“It's okay,” she whispered into the curve of his neck as she tucked her head against his shoulder. “You don't always need to be strong now. Let me help you.”

She felt him sigh in her arms, his tense limbs relaxing in her embrace.

“I don't feel good,” he admitted.

“I know. It's okay,” she soothed. “Let's go. Let me be in control for a bit, okay? We'll get you better, I promise.”

[AngelEyes]

What wonderful allergic misery. Mmmm. 

[LifeOfTheMarauders]

Allergic Teddy and Sirius were positively to die for😍 Especially the details in both drabbles about the hereditary nature of their allergies...LOVED. I’m thrilled that you’re into writing Sirius and I hope you know that you’re making at least one person🙋‍♀️ VERY very happy with these drabbles!

[Shamaël]

Snape again!!! Yes! Of course he has the loudest sneeze ever.

On 1/6/2019 at 10:57 PM, Dusty15 said:

She trembled with an itchy sneeze and her quill scribbled down <sneeze>in the midst of her commentary.

I love that idea!!!

[Dusty15]

1.Allergic 2.Desperation 3.Cat 4.Summer 5.Itch 6.Light 7.Hands 8.Fever 9.Finally Alone 10.Worried 11.Broody 12.Loud 13.Grass 14.Genetics 15.Control 16.Dinner for Three 17.Doctor 18.Dust 19.Feather 20.Anticipation 21.Bed 22.Drugs 23.First Time 24.Headache 25.Handkerchief 26.Dog 27.Garden 28.Hoarse 29.Kink 30.Scent 31.Hold Back 32.Double 33.Harsh 34.Smoke 35.Making Dinner 36.Impatience 37.Incense 38.Horses 39.Pillow 40.Suffer 41.Nervous 42.Stare 43.Contagious 44.Relief 45.Temperature 46.Terrible 47.Wool 48.Tissues 49.Tease 50.Quarrel 51.Lonely 52.Snuggle 53.Asleep 54.Waiting 55.Frost 56.Rest 57.Flu 58.Phone Call 59.Apologize 60.Sore 61.Accent 62.Fur 63.Haze 64.Spices 65.Under the Weather 66.Stifle 67.Frustrated 68.Caught in the Act 69.Attack 70.Listless 71.Pressure 72.Muffled 73.Annoy 74.Humiliated 75.Disproportionate 76.Bath 77.Spring 78.Message 79.Headcold 80.Clinic 81.Confess 82.Tears 83.Dream 84.Polite 85.Sniff 86.Shower 87.Induce 88.Jealousy 89.Pills 90.Interrupt 91.Chill 92.Office 93.Remedy 94.Weird 95.Soft 96.Purr 97.Honey 98.Defeat 99.Smother 100.Gratitude


16. Dinner for Three

“Lils?”

James Potter emerged from the front hallway of their cottage, brushing snow out of his hair.

“In the kitchen,” she called. “Dinner's almost ready.”

Hurhh-TSCXHHH!

“Bless you!” Lily said as she moved towards the sound. “James are you --”

She stopped short at the sight of a second figure in the entryway. Sirius Black was standing behind James with his hands steepled over his nose.

“Sorry,” James said, leaning in to kiss his wife on the cheek. “I didn't say. I dragged this miserable sod with me. Will we have enough dinner to feed three?”

“I don't need dinner,” Sirius chimed in. “Just the couch, thanks.”

“And some Pepper-Up, by the sounds of it,” Lily said. “Are you alright?”

“He's been sniffling all day,” James said. “I said he better come here instead of back to that dark little flat of his.”

“Of course. We can make up the spare bed, Sirius,” she offered. “Now, get those cloaks off and come warm up. I made stew and there's plenty.”

Hehh-nghGHXT!

Sirius doubled over, sneezing loudly. 

“Oh, Sirius,” Lily said sympathetically. “Come on. We'll find you some Pepper-Up and a hot drink too.”

 

17. Doctor

On the second night in a row of listening to her husband coughing all night, Ginny Potter laid down the law.

“If you're not going to take a potion, at least agree to see a Healer,” she urged as Harry lay listlessly on the sofa with the wireless playing the day's Quidditch match.

“Hmm?” Harry murmured. “What do you mean? I'm not going to St. Mungo's for a cold.”

Ginny gave him an odd look.

“I didn't say go to St. Mungo's. I said go to a Healer.”

Harry looked confused for a second but was quickly distracted by the brutal cough. He turned his face to his shoulder, chest straining as he hacked. Ginny grabbed his water glass and passed it over.

“Thanks,” he choked, taking a gulp of water. He got the coughs under control and he cleared his throat of the remaining congestion. “I can't just owl for Pomfrey.”

Ginny had the sudden realization that Harry had no idea that Healers existed outside of Hogwarts and the hospital.

“Do you know how Muggles go to see a doctor?” she asked.

“Well, yeah, of course,” Harry replied. “Had to get my shots from one when I was a kid.”

“Well, there are Healers who sort of like doctors,” Ginny explained. “You can go to their house or they can come to you.”

Harry stared at her, brows furrowing. At first she thought he was upset, but his mouth dropped open and he took a small gasping breath before pressing his hands over his nose.

Eh-tsCHHH!

He sneezed forcefully and cleared his throat again.

“How soon do you think we can get to one?” he asked wearily. 

 

18. Dust

“Anything yet?” Hermione shouted up the attic steps.

“Just a second,” Ron's voice replied. “I think they're in this box.”

At the base of the ladder, Hermione tapped her foot as she waited. They were making plans for George and Angelina's upcoming wedding and Ron was looking for his dress robes, which he'd inexplicably shoved in some box at the Burrow after wearing them for both Bill and Fleur's and Harry and Ginny's ceremonies. After he and Hermione had married, the box didn't end up making it over to their house and Mrs. Weasley surmised it must've ended up in the attic.

So Ron was digging through box after box, trying to ignore the family's horrifying old ghoul that lingered in the far corner.

“Ah ha!” he shouted triumphantly. “I knew they were here somewhere.”

He appeared at the top of the ladder holding his robes. They almost appeared grey instead of black thanks to several years in the attic. Ron gave them a shake, releasing a cloud of dust, and held them up.

“I think they'll still fit,” he said. “They don't look so—hehh...”

His breath hitched and his eyes narrowed in a squint.

Hehh—ehh-CXHT!

He snapped forward with the forceful sneeze and immediately bent forward again with a second and third.

Eshh-SCHHT! Nhh'GSCHHHT!

“Bless you!” Hermione said from the bottom of the ladder. “Steady. Don't fall down here.”

“Shaking them was a bad idea,” Ron said with a sniffle. “Too much dust.”

 

19. Feather

The Office of the Minister of Magic was always abuzz with activity, but sometimes Hermione needed her own space to think. Today, it was more than just that. She'd been feeling off all morning and she needed time alone to recharge. So, with an authoritative demand, she sent away her under-secretaries and advisors before shutting her office door and putting a 'do not disturb' spell on it.

She sank down into her desk chair, relishing the sudden silence. There were about a dozen stacks of parchment in front of her to be reviewed but all she really wanted today was to be home on the sofa with Ron. No such luck. These papers were not going to review themselves.

Picking up the stack, she took up her quill and began to edit the proposed new legislation. Not ten minutes in to her work, she began to feel a troublesome itch in her nose. She wriggled it irritably and sniffled, briefly wondering if her allergies were flaring up. But there was nothing she'd been exposed to that would have caused them. Perhaps her 'off' feeling was the beginnings of a cold. Either way, the tickle in her nose was growing in urgency. She closed her eyes and took another deep sniffle, trying to coax the sneezes out or to make the tickle stop. Neither happened.

Frustrated, she pressed her palm to her nose and wriggled it. The itch rose in urgency and she felt her breath hitch, but then...nothing. She pinched her nose and tried rubbing the nostrils together. Again, her breath caught in her throat but no sneezes came. The itch was peaking to a maddening level, buzzing inside her nose like a trapped insect. She squeezed her quill tightly, caught in the tormented state. 

And then in came to her. Of course! Her quill!

She raised the feather end and gave her nose a light brush. The tickle surged in intensity. She stroked the long plume across the sensitive tip of her nose and around her quivering nostrils. Her breath hitched, this time going wild with anticipation.

“C'mon....” she groaned, swirling the tip of the feather into her runny nose.

And then, it happened. She took a gasping breath and pitched forward, catching her nose in a cupped hand.

Eh-tshCHII! Heh-TCHII! Ehhh—hehh-CSCHIII!

The sneezes burst forth, scraping her throat and quelling the plaguing itch. At least for the time being.

 

20. Anticipation

He'd been desperate to get back to her all week. Despite their rocky start and some angst in the middle, Remus truly did adore his wife Tonks. And now they'd been apart nearly two weeks while Remus was up North recruiting the werewolves and he was very eager to get back home to her. In spite of his own weariness and aches and robes that needed a good wash, he bounded up the stairs to the flat and performed the charms to unlock the door.

“I'm back!” he said, stepping into the foyer and shedding his mud-soaked boots on the mat. 

“In the den,” Tonks voice replied quietly.

He shrugged off his robes in favour of the jumper and trousers he had on underneath and practically sprinted into the den.

Dora was sitting on their worn sofa, a cup of tea clutched between her hands and a blanket over her shoulders. From her ears drifted a slow trickle of smoke.

“Oh no,” Remus said, taking in the sight. “Are you sick?”

“Maybe. But get over here,” she said hoarsely, opening her arms. He sat on the sofa and pulled her into a tight hug.

“God, I missed you,” he confessed. “I've been dreaming about this all week. I pictured it a little differently but it doesn't matter.”

She sighed and gave him a tight squeeze. 

“If the dreams involved snogging me senseless, then yes, I'd maybe hold off on that,” she said. “I'm sorry.”

“Oh, love, it's okay,” he assured her, leaning back and pulling her to rest comfortably against his chest. He carded his long fingers through her pale pink hair. She turned her head and coughed lightly into his jumper.

“Sorry,” she croaked. “The Pepper-Up is only doing so much. I- errr..hold on...”

She sat up, leaning away from him with an odd expression on her face. Her button nose wrinkled irritably and she snapped forward into her bent arm, sneezing damply.

Hurh-tshCHOO!

With a groan, she sniffled thickly and slumped back into his arms.

“You weren't joking,” he said sympathetically, resuming stroking her hair. “I think waiting a bit for snogging is definitely a good idea.” 

 

 

21. Bed 

Being back at Hogwarts was already incredibly emotional and then there was the fact that one of his former best friends had escaped prison and was on the run. And then there was the son of one of his other best friends who kept showing up at his office door telling him stories of hearing James and Lily's murder when the Dementors got too close. And of course, there was also the transformations and dealing with Snape's daily delivery of Wolfsbane. And teaching all of his classes to a student body that, frankly, was extremely lacking in quality Defence education. 

It was all a little overwhelming. 

So it wasn't really a surprise when Remus woke up one morning feeling the ache of a fever and the heavy congestion of a cold that had settled its way into his head and chest. He sat up in bed only to immediately flop back down onto the pillows with a heavy sigh. Thank Merlin it was Saturday.

He turned his head and squinted towards the clock on the wall. The hands read half-past eleven and he groaned. Snape would be around soon with his potion and the last thing he wanted was to be caught in his pyjamas. Untangling himself from the sheets, he rose and got dressed, sniffling and snorting as he went about the business of getting ready. Cozied up in a heavy jumper, he tucked some handkerchiefs into his pocket and went down into his office. 

Might as well get some work done while he waited. He picked up a stack of papers that needed grading, but the pounding pressure of the congestion in his head made it difficult. He pressed slim fingers to his sinuses, spreading them across the sensitive ridge of his cheeks. Nose dripping, he reached for a handkerchief to clean up his nose and was grateful he'd grabbed it as he felt the sharp prickle of a building sneeze.

Eh-tsGHHHTT! Nh-ghhTSCHHH! Hehh...ehh-GHSHTT!

He sneezed harshly into the handkerchief, throat scraping with each brutal outburst, and quickly launched into a volley of chesty coughs. Clutching at his chest, he tried to settle them, but they seemed to tumble out with a persistent percussive rhythm. He took a wheezy breath and managed to stop, now red in the face and sweaty.

There was a knock on the door. Snape. Great.

“Come in,” he said hoarsely. 

Snape swooped in with a goblet, pausing and looking at Remus with a disgusted expression.

“You look like shit.”

“Thank you, Severus,” Remus said wryly. 

Snape put the potion down on Remus' desk, dark eyes scanning the stack of papers and the discarded handkerchief. 

“Do you think your rooms might be a better place for you in this state?” Snape asked cooly. “Wouldn't want to infect the rest of the school.”

Remus picked up the goblet and inclined his head in thanks as he took a swig and tried not to gag. He drained the cup and set it down with a hard 'clink'.

“I believe you're probably right,” he said wearily. “There's nothing I can take to help?”

“Not unless you wish to become a raging monster in a week,” Snape replied. “Suffer now and you'll just be a quieter monster.”

Remus looked at him and felt the heavy tug of illness and exhaustion outweighing any desire to fight.

“Right,” he said, picking up his handkerchief and shielding a few soft coughs. “Bed it is.”

 

[LifeOfTheMarauders]

‘Dinner for Three’ is by far one of the best drabbles I’ve ever laid eyes on😫 I actually almost squealed... 

54 minutes ago, Dusty15 said:

“And some Pepper-Up, by the sounds of it,” Lily said. “Are you alright?”

“He's been sniffling all day,” James said. “I said he better come here instead of back to that dark little flat of his.”

The care and CONCERN here for my son is more than I can bear. Thanks for writing these Dusty and I hope you continue to write more Sirius!

[Dusty15]

10 minutes ago, MarauderFanGirl4Ever said:

‘Dinner for Three’ is by far one of the best drabbles I’ve ever laid eyes on😫 I actually almost squealed... 

The care and CONCERN here for my son is more than I can bear. Thanks for writing these Dusty and I hope you continue to write more Sirius!

Haha aww thanks ❤️ I will always write more Sirius!  

[AngelEyes]

These are great. My favorite is Bed, because poor Remus and snarky Snape are lovely.

[Guest]

This is amazing! I especially love the ones with Harry 

[HornedSerpent]

Of course, loving the Snape ones. these are so fun and cute!

[walrus]

Please continue these! I especially love the Sirius ones

[mystic-chibi]

These are great! My favorite is the one where James brings Sirius back to his and Lily’s flat. 😊

[Dusty15]

22. Drugs

“You really should take something,” Remus said, standing over the bed where Sirius Black lay in a tangle of sheets. “Drinking one potion won't kill you.”

“It tastes disgusting,” Sirius moaned congestedly. “Why can't we take a page from the Muggles and make potions in pill form?”

“I can go get you some Muggle medicine if that's what you prefer,” Remus offered. “But we've got a perfectly good bottle of Cold-Eaze here.”

“Pepper-Up is better.”

“You have more than a little sniffle, Pads. You need something stronger.”

Sirius rolled over, coughing into his pillow with a chesty bark. He wheezed audibly and started anew, back shivering as it rose and fell with the hacks. Remus extended his hand and rubbed a circle on between Sirius shoulder blades. The coughs settled and Sirius rolled back, sweaty and red-faced.

“Do you think Muggle medicine would work?” he croaked.

“Probably not as well as a potion, but we can try.”

 

23. First Time

“Please just leave me,” the soft voice croaked through the closed bedroom door.

“It's just a cold, Fleur,” Bill replied. “I'm not scared of seeing you with a runny nose. I grew up with six younger siblings. Trust me; I can handle a bit of snot.”

“But I look terrible,” Fleur moaned. “Please, I just want to go back to bed.”

“We're going to have to see each other sick at some point if we're to be married,” Bill reminded her gently, leaning against the frame of the closed door. “Might as well get the first time over with.”

Behind the door there was a soft sniffle and a moment of hesitation before Fleur said, “just give me a moment.”

Her footsteps faded as she crossed the bedroom, walking away from the door, and then there was the sound of a very wet and messy nose blow. Bill winced in sympathy and when it was done, he rapped his knuckles gently on the door.

“Okay...” Fleur's voice said shakily.

He opened the door to find her sitting on their bed wearing a pair of Bill's flannel pyjamas (which were several sizes too large). Her normally porcelain complexion was marred by a bright red and shiny nose and chapped lips. Smudges of purple surrounded her eyes.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Bill said, sitting down on the bed next to her and gathering her up into his arms. She sniffled miserably and cuddled into his embrace, burying her face against his chest. 

“Hey,” he said gently, tipping her face up so that she could not hide it from him. “You're still beautiful to me.”

 

24. Headache

“Moony?”

“Please, Sirius, for the love of Merlin, shut up.”

Remus lay on his back on the library sofa at Grimmauld Place with his arm flung over his eyes. It was a humid English summer day and the air pressure and the coming moon had combined into one terrible migraine. To top it all off, his allergies were flaring up as well.

“Sorry,” Sirius replied, dropping his voice to a whisper. “I wanted to see if you wanted a cold pack? Or something to drink?”

“I want to be put out of my misery,” Remus quipped. “But yes, a cold pack might help.”

Sirius retreated to the kitchens, shouting for Kreacher, and Remus winced as the library door slammed shut. He pinched at the spot between his eyes where the pressure from the humid air and his allergies mingled with the tense ache of a migraine. Nothing seemed to give him any relief. He took a tentative sniff through his clogged nose and regretted it the instant he felt a sharp tickle triggered by the action. He pinched his nose and sneezed as gently as he could muster; which was not very gently at all. 

Hurh-TSGH!

He groaned loudly, pressing a hand to his forehead.

The door opened and Sirius entered with a cold pack.

“Bless you,” he whispered. He put the cold pack across Remus' brow and held it there with a steady hand for a moment.

“Thanks, Pads,” Remus murmured as the cold dulled the painful thudding in his temples. 

 

25. Handkerchief

“Do you have a handkerchief?” James asked desperately, holding his hands steepled over his mouth. “Please?”

He was blushing scarlet behind the shield of his palms. Lily checked her purse and shook her head.

“No, sorry Potter.”

She started to walk away when he made a small sound of desperation and then pitched forward with a sneeze.

Eh-SGHHT!

“Please,” he said from behind his hands, snorting thickly. “You're good at charms...can you transfigure something? I....please, Evans?”

She stared at him for a moment and then nodded, reaching into her bag for a scrap of parcment. She changed it into a simple beige handkerchief and held it out. James took it with a relieved sigh and began to clean up his face.

“Thanks, Evans,” he said genuinely. 

She offered him a rare smile in return.

.

 

 

[queenie]

Ahhhh these are so good! You’re a classic. 

[LimeyBlimey]

These are all great!! Can't wait to read more!!

[CircleSquare]

These are awesome! I’m a sucker for anything HP and sneeze related. Can’t wait to read more