Sweet Dreams

I don't own Harry Potter. You know, just in case, someone confunded you or something. I don't know.

Harry was dreaming. One of those dreams in which he remembered how it felt, the lack of hopelessness, the lack of constant pain. He let out a sigh of relief, one mired by the realisation that soon he will wake up and the transition would be worse than before.

Nevertheless, he decided, he should enjoy whatever his mind had cooked up for him this time. Opening his eyes, he looked around at the people gathered around him. Dumbledore was there. Tonks, Kingsley, and Moody were there. Amelia Bones? He wasn't sure but that's who he thought it was, and a few other people he was unfamiliar with.

He was a bit disappointed that Hermione wasn't there, the faint memory of his last "happy" dream with her making him frown at her absence, although... Tonks was here. Maybe he could guide this dream as he could the last one.

"Ok, ahem ahem," he said, clearing his throat, "everyone but Tonks, please go out."

No one moved, although everyone did develop a confused look on their faces. Maybe he had to do something differently.

"Please? I really want to be alone with her." He said, looking around for his subconscious mind's response to his request.

"Harry, my boy."

"Pleeease?" He pleaded, looking at Dumbledore with his best puppy dog eyes, imagining him as his subconscious. Although, now that he thought about it, what was he doing? He should be able to just think about it and make them go away. It was his dream, after all.

There you go. She was moving closer. She asked Dumbledore, "Is he okay?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. Now, professor, please go away. We might not have much time."

"What?" Tonks asked.

"C'mon brain. What are you doing? Hurry up."

When there was no response from anyone other than more confused faces, having a sudden realisation, he asked, "Okay, where's Hermione? Bring me Hermione."

"She's with her parents," Dumbledore said, now looking at him a bit inquisitively.

Harry groaned.

"Harry, are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"Yes! I feel great," he answered, looking around, "where are we?"

"We're at the Ministry, my boy. I'm sorry I took so much time, but I promise you I did everything I could."

"Ok, cool, now is there any chance you could leave me alone with Tonks?"

"Why?" Tonks asked.

He chuckled and smiled cheekily at her and then Dumbledore. "Sir, it's really important. Please?"

"Sir, maybe we should... Just give them a minute." Kingsley offered.

"YES! But, like, four-five minutes please."

Tonks looked weirdly at him and the others until Dumbledore said with a smile, "Of course, my boy, we'll be right outside if you need us," and then nodding to probably-Amelia-Bones, moved out of the room.

When they were alone, they both stared at each other for a few seconds until Harry's lips formed a crooked smile, making Tonks ask, "What?"

"So, do you wanna silence the door or something?"

Tonks' eyebrows went up. "Do we have to?"

"Well, no, if you don't want to. Heh."

"Ok, so?"

Harry just wiggled his eyebrows in response.

Tonks chuckled and asked, "What?"

"Man, you're taking so much time. Hermione was so much - Oh wait, can you turn into Hermione?"

"Why?" Tonks asked slowly.

"Can you?"

"Yes... But I don't want to. So why?"

"Just... Do it. Please. You're wasting so much time."

After a few seconds of consternation, she sighed and morphed into Hermione, wondering if Harry had gone totally bonkers or just a little bit.

As soon as she did, Harry stood up with a smile, and almost fell down, suddenly realising the weakness in his legs. Tonks reached out to help him and at her touch, he gave her a genuine smile. "Hey, Hermione," he said and longingly reached out for a hug.

Tonks almost cooed, thinking about how horribly sweet it was. Poor Harry! He must've had such a hard time these last few months. Although she did wonder if this meant that Harry and Hermione were secretly together, as that would explain why he was asking for her so desperately. And... His lips were on hers.

She quickly pushed him away, trying to be as gentle as she could. Seeing the horrified look on his face, she quickly morphed back to her usual face, "Harry, it's still me. I'm not really Hermione. I'm sorry."

He groaned loudly and sat back down, almost making her laugh at the utter childishness of his movements. She went and opened the door and quietly told Professor Dumbledore, "Sir, I don't think he's okay. He asked me to change into Hermione, and then I guess he thought I actually was her. He might be a little delusional."

Nodding and turning to Madam Bones, he said, "We'll be off to Hogwarts then. Madam Pomfrey would take good care of him."

"Dumbledore, what do we do about Azkaban?"

"I fear whatever we do now, it won't nearly be enough. The dementors are on Voldemort's side. Although... Alastor, Amelia, I will see you in your office in half an hour. We must discuss this at length."

"Uh, sir... Should I go get Hermione to meet him for a little while? Harry... Uh, I just think it would be really good for him to see her." Tonks asked.

"Yes, I believe it would be excellent for Miss Granger to see Harry back with us. Kingsley, go with her and then go to the headquarters. I will be there soon."

"Tonks? What are you doing here?"

"Hey, are you parents home?"

"Yes, why? What's up? Come on in."

"Nah nah, you come out. We have to go to Hogwarts for some time. Guess why."

"Harry?" Hermione asked, trying to keep her hopes down. Tonks got her first Hermione hug when she nodded.

"Woah kid! Easy there. And I gotta warn you. He might not be completely in the right mind. Dumbledore just took him to Madam Pomfrey and we got him out, like, fifteen minutes ago."

"I don't care. I have to see him. Did he look okay?"

"Yes, much better than we were expecting. Just a little bit delusional."

"Okay. Just wait a couple minutes. Actually, um, could you show me your pig snout first? Just checking."

"Idiot. What's the point now? Anyway, here you go."

"Right, heh, sorry. Um, be right back."

"Hello Madam Pomfrey. It's been a long time. How are you?"

"Oh dear, oh dear. There, Headmaster."

Harry went and sat on the bed she was pointing at with a resigned calmness. This was getting boring. Madam Pomfrey first handed him a piece of chocolate. He said, "I already had some."

"Eat!"

"Okay."

For the next few minutes, Harry unquestioningly did whatever Madam Pomfrey asked of him until he started to feel a little sleepy. Pomfrey then handed him a dreamless sleep potion, making him chuckle at the irony. He wondered if he would wake up if he fell asleep. He really didn't want that. As boring as this was, it was still nice enough.

"Not now please!"

"I believe it's fine, Poppy. Nymphadora should be getting here with Hermione any second now. I'm sure the two would like to see each other before Harry has to rest."

Okay, maybe not so boring anymore. He definitely didn't want any dreamless sleep potion to wake him up right now. But again...

"When they get here, could you give the two of us a few minutes alone? I have something important to talk to her about, urgently."

"Ah, young love! Of course, my boy, as long as you have Poppy's permission."

"Pleeease?" He asked her sweetly.

Without a response, she went back to her office and brought back another potion. "If you drink all of this, then it will be fine."

Harry braced himself. Judging from her tone, this was going to be a challenge. He took a deep breath and let it out, and then took another and let it out, and another, and then put the glass to his lips and then brought it back down, and took another deep breath, and then finally tried to drink some.

"Baah baah bleeeeurgh!" He chanted, as if that would make the taste better.

"You have to finish it, if you want your alone time." Pomfrey smirked at him, making him glare back at her.

"Fine, but I want a mint afterwards," he said, suddenly realising how horrible his breath must have smelled to Tonks. But oh well, not like she was real.

Somehow, he finished the potion in a few minutes and gratefully accepted a mint from Madam Pomfrey and after repeated affirmations that his body, putting aside his head, was painfree, was free of her... For now.

Dumbledore left as soon as they heard footsteps outside with a see-you-soon and a nod to Harry. After a few seconds, Harry heard Tonks' voice, "But I wanna see."

'No. You can't see.' Oh, he had such a naughty mind. Hehe.

Soon, Hermione was there and nearly running towards his bed, and although he really wanted her to jump him, he kinda really didn't want her to jump on him, so he tried to get up but was too late and... She was lying on top of him on the bed. Fortunately, it didn't hurt. And he had to admit, he dearly missed these hugs. It had been such a long time.

Hermione was having a hard time keeping her tears in check, but she got up to look into her best friend's eyes. Swiping a few strands of her hair from between the two of them, she asked, "Are you ok?"

"I'm great. You?"

She laughed and nodded, accidentally filling the space between them with her hair. He chuckled and brought his hand up to slide some behind her ear, his hand staying on her face, his thumb stroking her cheek.

She barely felt it, but he was slowly pulling her face towards his, and soon he was kissing her. Her thoughts were a mixture of "What the -?", "Oh god, is he really doing this?", "Does he know it's me?", "Yes! Yes! Yes!", "Everything's going to be different now," and "Ok. As Tonks said, I was the only thing on his mind ever since he came out. That must mean he had been thinking about me for quite some time. It could be something else but that probably meant that he had feelings for me and finally realised it when he was all alone at Azkaban. But what do I do? I'm not in love with him, yet. But I do love him. And... Oh god, we're gonna get married and I'm going to be Hermione Jane Potter. That sounds good. And he's going to be Harry James Potter. Excellent. Do I love him? Hell yeah. What about Ron? He's going to be even more jealous. Remember the Yule Ball? ... Actually, Ronald, you can fuck off. Me and Harry, we're doing this."

After that, her mind went blank for a while until she realised that Harry's hands were resting on her breasts. "Harry, don't put your hands there," she said, breaking off the kiss, expecting him to be embarassed that he had accidentally moved his hands there, but he just looked disappointed with her. Damn, Harry was moving fast. However, she kinda understood. He had been locked in Azkaban for months with nothing but his thoughts; it was really easy to get carried away. But no. She wasn't ready just yet.

"Harry, just not yet. Take it a little bit slower, okay?" She told him gently, leaning down to give him a much softer sweet little kiss. She heard a tiny okay.

She smiled and sat up beside him, taking one of his hands in hers.

"Dumbledore said you had to rest. Is that the potion?"

Harry looked sideways painfully and said, "I really don't want to go."

"Harry! Don't worry. Just take it, and you'll fall asleep and you won't even know it and you'll wake up, and I'll still be here. If I'm not, just tell Tonks or someone. I'll be here right away. I promise."

Harry looked at her a bit sadly but... What could he do? He couldn't force her to do what he wanted her to. And he had to wake up sometime. Despite however much he wished, he couldn't dream forever. And this had been a horribly sweet one, one he didn't want to end. But well...

He sighed and reached out to take the dreamless sleep potion and quickly drank it. Putting his glasses on the bedside table, he scooted on the bed to make a little space, inviting Hermione to lie beside him as he fell asleep. With one hand on her waist, and the other holding on to hers, her breath on his lips, her fingers in his hair, her scent filling his breath, with Tonks spying on their fluffy moment from the doorway, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

He woke up to someone stroking his hair, humming so softly as if trying to lull him back to sleep. The moment he moved his hand, the humming stopped and he heard Tonks' smiling voice, "Good morning!" The stroking stopped with a final ruffle. He sat up and was almost poked in the eye with his own glasses.

"Ow!"

"Sorry sorry!" Taking his glasses from Tonks and putting them on, he stared at her with a confused look on his face, making her giggle and ask, "Do you know where we are?"

He looked around and suddenly remembering the last dream he had, for some reason decided to risk waking up from this follow-up dream and pinch himself.

Pinch. Pinch.

Looking at Tonks' amused face, he shouted, "Holy -

A/N :

Okay... Was that Totally bonkers or just a little bit?
Please tell me about any mistakes or suggestions.

I would really appreciate it. Thanks.