Harry Potter belongs to J.K Rowling.
Harry was trapped. There was no way out. Death Eaters surrounded him as Cedric's body and the Tri-Wizard Cup lay glittering, out of reach. He would never get there in time.
Lord Voldemort's snake like face loomed out at Harry.
"Bow to death, Harry!" He jeered, red eyes flashing. "It might even be painless. I would not know. I have never died."
The circle of Death Eaters laughed and closed ranks around Harry. Harry knew that he was going to die right here, right now. He wasn't going to die cowering. He stood up to his fullest height and stared Voldemort right in the eye. Voldemort's mouth twisted into a smirk. He raised his wand and there was a flash of green light.
Harry Potter woke up in a cold sweat, heart beating as if he had run a marathon. He sat up, reached for his glasses on the bed side table and put them one and got out of bed slowly and quietly, careful not to wake his sleeping wife, Ginny who turned over muttering something about James and Quidditch fouls.
After putting on his dressing gown and slippers and snatching his wand from the bedside table, Harry tiptoed downstairs being extra careful not to disturb any of his kids who were home for the Summer Holidays.
Harry crept into the kitchen, lit the lamps with his wand and sunk into a chair at the table. He had dreamed about the graveyard again. The graveyard in which Cedric Diggory had been killed and Lord Voldemort had been resurrected.
Harry had been revisiting the Graveyard a lot in his dreams recently ever since his middle child, Albus had stolen a Time Turner with his friend Scorpius Malfoy and tried to change time to bring back Cedric Diggory from the dead. Harry had almost lost his son but the adventure had brought both father and son a little bit closer together recently.
Harry had vowed not to repeat his mistakes and make Albus feel that he was unloved again. He had been working tirelessly on improving his relationship with Albus and although things were much better, they still weren't perfect.
Harry suddenly felt very thirsty. 'Time for a drink.' He thought.
He got up, summoned a glass, and began pouring Pumpkin Juice .
Suddenly, Harry heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He glanced at the clock. It was Midnight. Who could be up at this hour?
It was Albus. He entered the Kitchen bleary eyed and jet black hair all over the place, saw Harry and frowned. His body tensed up as if he were preparing for a confrontation.
"Dad?" Harry felt the icy demeanour emanating from Albus. The tension became thick as Albus stood frowning at Harry. 'This is stupid.' Thought Harry in a voice that sounded like Ginny. 'Things are supposed to be better between us, now. Do not mess this up!'
"Hello, Albus." Harry said cautiously. He mentally kicked himself. 'What is wrong with you?! You're supposed to be his dad! Stop acting like he's going to bite you and actually act like his dad for once!' "Couldn't sleep?" The words came out more softer. More like Ginny and less awkward.
Albus shook his head. Frown disappearing, his body seemed to relax and he appeared less tense.
"Do you want something to drink?" Harry asked in the much softer tone. "I've got some Pumpkin Juice, if you want some."
"Alright then." Albus said cautiously, a small smile reluctantly appearing across his face.
Harry summoned another glass as Albus sat at the table. Harry was aware of his son's gaze as he began pouring the drinks. Albus wasn't usually one to get up during the night. Something must be wrong.
"Did I wake you?" Harry asked worriedly as he levitated the drinks to the Kitchen table with his wand.
"No, it's alright." Albus replied, taking his glass. "I was already awake."
Harry observed his son's profile. He looked as bad as Harry felt. His face was pale and glistened with sweat. Harry was about to say something when Albus spoke.
"Dad? Are you okay? You look rather pale, to be honest."
"I could say the same about you." Harry smiled. Touched at Albus's concern.
"Had a nightmare." Albus mumbled, taking a sip of his drink.
"So did I." Replied Harry. Albus gave his father a curious look before returning to his drink. There was silence for a moment as Father and Son both sipped their drinks.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Harry asked a minute later. "Because, I can do that, you know. I usually find talking about my nightmares helps a bit. I used to do that with your Mum quite a lot after the war."
He waited a moment as Albus was still drinking his Pumpkin Juice. He then put his glass down and shifted in his seat as if he were debating whether to speak or not.
"She was torturing him, Dad!" He finally burst out. "Delphi was torturing Scorpius and I couldn't do a thing about it!"
Harry felt as if his stomach had dropped to the floor. Of course Albus would be dreaming about his adventure. He had had nightmares for months after his school time escapades.
"I couldn't help him but then you showed up. She turned her wand on me. She was going to kill me, but you jumped in the way and got hit instead."
Albus put his head in his hands. Harry reached out tentatively and patted his sons arm. To his relief, Albus didn't recoil.
"It's alright, Albus." Harry said, gently. In that soft, caring tone that he thought was starting to suit him. "I'm right here. I haven't been hit and Scorpius is fine."
Albus looked up, wiping his face with his pyjama sleeve.
"I know." Albus said in a thick voice. "It was only a dream. It's a bit stupid, really. Me getting upset over a dream like that when I know that Scorpius is safe."
"It's not stupid." Harry said. "There's no shame in having these nightmares, Albus. I have them all the time and I know for a fact that everyone who fought during the war, had them as well at some point."
"I didn't say that it was stupid to have nightmares." Albus said quickly. "I was just saying that it was stupid of me to fall to pieces like that."
"No it's not." Harry said. "I used to fall to pieces like that after the war. You and Scorpius have faced things that not many Wizards your age have faced. You're bound to have nightmares after what you experienced. It's a part of being human. And having these nightmares shows that you care very deeply about Scorpius. He's lucky to have a friend like you."
"I'm lucky to have a friend like him." Albus said sharply. It was obvious that he was thinking about the events of last year.
"Yes. You are." Relented Harry as the guilt of attempting to force them apart flared up in him again. "And I'm sorry….For everything."
"We've already forgiven you, Dad." Said Albus. "Don't go beating yourself up about it. We're supposed to have moved past all the stupid things we've said and done."
"You're right, of course" said Harry. Both of them lapsed into silence before Albus spoke again.
"What was your nightmare?" He asked. Green eyes full of curiosity.
Harry told Albus about revisiting the graveyard in his dreams. About how he was cornered by Voldemort and his Death Eaters and about how he decided to die on his own two feet.
"I've had that dream loads of time." Harry finished. "Sometimes, Voldemort is torturing me and other times, I see my parents and Cedric. Cedric asks me to take his body back to his parents."
"How often do you have these nightmares?" Albus's eyes were full of concern.
Harry took a sip of his Pumpkin Juice before answering.
"Well, I used to have them once a month but after your little…Adventure." Albus's face turned red. "I have them every night. It's always the graveyard as well. "
Harry paused sipping his drink. They lapsed into a comfortable silence yet again. Father and Son both grateful that the other was here. After a while, Harry got to his feet.
"Chocolate." He said as a response to Albus's quizzical look. "I always find Chocolate helps me after nightmares."
"But we don't have any Chocolate!" Albus said. "Mum's banned it all."
"Yes" Harry said guiltily whilst rubbing the back his neck. "But I've got a secret stash. You can never be too cautious."
Harry moved to the cupboards and stopped at the end one. He took out his wand, tapped the door and whispered "Hedwig." He opened the door revealing a bar of Honeydukes Chocolate, a box of Chocolate Frogs and a pack of toffees that were given to him by Hermione.
Harry took the bar and a couple of Chocolate Frogs, sealed the cupboard and took the chocolate back to the table where Albus was giving Harry an amused look.
"I've already eaten half of it." Harry said, giving Albus the Honeydukes bar. "You have the rest and I'll have a Chocolate Frog."
"So let me get this straight." Albus said with a small grin . "You've got a secret stash of chocolate and Mum doesn't even know about it?"
"What she doesn't know, won't hurt her." Harry grinned.
"You know she'll go mad if she finds out, right?" Albus said, grinning at the look on Harry's face.
"But she won't find out, will she? You won't tell her, will you?" Harry pleaded.
"Don't worry, Dad." Albus grinned. "I won't tell a soul."
He took a bite out of the bar of Chocolate. "This stuff actually helps. It's great!"
"I found it really useful after facing Dementors and it helps with nightmares too. But it's best not to rely on it too much." Harry said while taking a Chocolate Frog. "Chocolate Frogs. I haven't had one of these in years."
Harry unwrapped it and took a bite out of the Frog and immediately, felt the warmth spread all over his body.
"What card did you get?" Albus asked eagerly. Harry took out the card and looked down to see his own face.
"Me." He groaned. "No wonder I haven't had these in years. The amount of times that I've seen my own face staring back at me."
Albus laughed. "I think a lot of wizards would love to have their own Chocolate Frog card."
"Uncle Ron said that it was his dream come true." Harry chuckled. "He even said that it was the best day of his life. Right in front of Aunt Hermione, as well. Poor bloke never looked at saucepans the same way again. That lump on his head took ages to go down."
Harry and Albus both laughed before sinking into a comfortable silence again. Albus took a Chocolate Frog and unwrapped it and started eating the frog. He looked at his card.
"I've got Dumbledore" He said quietly.
"He was the first card I had." Replied Harry.
"It's funny." Albus said thoughtfully. "I used to think that you actually enjoyed the attention. But now I'm beginning to see that you don't actually likeit as much as I thought you did."
Harry smiled. "I hate it." He said. "I've always had people gawking me and staring at my scar. They think that I'm this big hero all the time who's not afraid of anything. But I'm not. I was terrified. Every time."
"I know, dad." Albus said. "You've told me this before."
"I couldn't even walk into Flourish and Blotts without making the front page of the Daily Prophet." Harry laughed at the memory.
"Bet that must've been embarrassing." Muttered Albus.
"It was." Harry chuckled. "I just wished the whole ground would swallow me."
Albus looked at him in wonder. "That's exactly how I feel." He exclaimed. "All the time when we're out in public. All the people that stare at us."
"You get used to it, after a while." Harry said gently. "I know it's not as easy for you as it is for James and Lily. James, in particular finds it too easy. I sometimes think he's far too confident for his own good."
Albus gave Harry a small grin.
"Are you planning on telling him that?" He asked slyly.
"Probably." Harry replied. A grin forming on his own face. "After he's done something stupid. Won't be long, now."
Albus laughed again. Harry found his sons laugh rather infectious and couldn't help but join in. 'it's not everyday that we laugh like this.' Harry thought. Harry's relationship with Albus was often strained with many awkward silences or Albus snapping at him. But tonight. Tonight was probably the first time since Albus had started Hogwarts in which Harry was able to talk to Albus without him scowling or snapping at Harry.
"it's good to see you laughing again, Albus." Said Harry.
Albus stopped laughing and smiled.
"Yeah. Thanks." He said, face reddening slightly "It's great to be laughing with you. I hope we can continue laughing together. I know I'm not James. I'm not good with jokes like he is. But I am trying be a better son and got on well with you."
"You are a good son, Albus." Harry reassured him. "I was just a terrible dad to you. But I'm trying, too."
"I wouldn't say you were terrible." Albus mumbled. "A bit clueless perhaps, maybe a bit embarrassing, sometimes. But not terrible. But thanks. I appreciate the fact that you're trying."
Both father and son finish their drinks. Harry glances at the clock. Half past one in the morning. Albus was attempting unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn.
"Do you want to go back to bed?" Harry asked.
"Yeah. Thanks." Albus replied as he took his Chocolate Frog card.
"I don't really want my card." Harry said tentatively "I've got about a hundred of them somewhere in the attic. But if you know anyone who collects them…"
"Scorpius would like it. He's been wanting your card for ages."
"Oh, great." Said Harry feeling relieved. He handed Albus the card and then got up to wash the glasses.
Albus hovered for a bit watching Harry. After a while, he spoke.
"Thank you for the drink. And the chocolate. And thank you for letting me talk to you about my nightmare. I'm glad you were up. I-I appreciate it."
Harry stopped washing up and walked up to Albus.
"I'm glad I was finally able to help you, Albus." He said. "And I'm glad I was able to talk to you, too." Albus suddenly gave Harry a fierce hug. Harry, lost for words, patted his back.
"I didn't know we hugged." Harry said awkwardly after a while. To his complete surprise, Albus burst out laughing.
"You sound like Scorpius!" He chuckled.
"Is that a bad thing?" Harry asked uncertainly
Albus pulled out of the hug and looked at Harry, grinning.
"No." He said. "It was just funny."
"Oh." Said Harry, comprehension dawning on him. He started to laugh too. "Right."
"I'm going back to bed" Albus told him whilst moving towards the door. "Night, dad."
"Goodnight, son." Harry had a sudden idea. "Albus?" He called.
"Yeah?" Albus was by the kitchen doorway.
"I've taken a week off work for the holidays. If you want to, maybe we could have a game of Exploding Snap together, tomorrow?" He waited with baited breath for his sons answer.
Albus's face split into yet another wide grin.
"Yeah. All right, then. But you know, I'll probably beat you, right?"
"We'll see" Harry laughed. "Sleep well, Albus."
"You too, Dad. Looking forward to the game." And with that Albus left the kitchen and went back upstairs.
Harry could hardly believe his luck. He once again, had a conversation with his youngest son that didn't end with either of them saying things that they would regret later.
After washing up and vanishing the Chocolate Frog wrappers, Harry made his way back to bed. Head dizzy with elation and mind going over his successful conversation with Albus again.
As he got into bed, Ginny stirred.
"Where have you been?" she croaked sleepily.
"Had a nightmare, again." Harry whispered "Went down to get a drink and Albus came down saying he had a nightmare."
Ginny sat up, fully awake and looking worried.
"Is he alright?" She asked.
"He's fine." Harry assured her. "I made him a drink and we had a chat and I actually got through to him for once."
"That's great! Ginny beamed. "So it wasn't a disaster, then and you didn't say something completely stupid like you wished that Albus wasn't born or anything like that?"
"What?! Of course not!" Harry exclaimed.
"Just checking." Ginny said hastily. "You two are not the only ones that have nightmares, you know. I had that one the other night."
"Gin. He hugged me." Harry's voice was full of emotion.
"He hugged you?"
"Yeah. I did a good job of comforting him. I decided to do what you suggested and I was honest with him and everything. It worked."
"Now if only you had done that earlier, we wouldn't have had this mess in the first place." Ginny remarked dryly.
"That's not all" Harry grinned. "I asked him to play Exploding Snap with me, tomorrow."
Ginny's eyes widened. "Harry Potter! You never cease to amaze me!" She laughed.
Ginny pulled Harry in for a kiss that went on for quite a while.
"You know he's probably going to beat you, right?" She asked after the kiss ended.
"Oh, yes" Harry laughed. "But I'll still make him work for it."
"Well best you get some sleep, then." Ginny winked. "You don't want to lose too quickly tomorrow, do you?"
Harry laughed as he took his glasses off and settled down. Happiness radiating through him. He had had a successful conversation with his youngest son and things were much better between them now. He was looking forward to his game with Albus tomorrow.
Harry was dozing off when Ginny suddenly spoke.
"I can taste chocolate."
Harry opened his eyes in horror.
Thank you for reading.
Check out the sequel: Midday Chats and Exploding Snap