(Reincarnation fic) Have you ever felt that you were controlled by fate? Felt that there was some unseen force in the world driving your actions? Or your dreams? Harry Potter had been plagued by dreams his entire life. Up until recently, he had never found the courage to face them. Once he does, it may lead to the adventure and a discovery of a lifetime.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter or any of its characters. I merely use them to fulfill my creative desires.

Tempting Fate

It was happening again. He felt the sick electric pull of whatever light was flying at him. He tried to dodge it, and successfully managed to swivel out of the way as the red lightning bolt flew past him. The sweat on his brow began dripping into his eyes as they narrowed at the source of his fear. No, not fear. He was feeling a challenge. He felt his mouth turn into a smirk, which seemed so unfamiliar to him. He opened his mouth to call out to the darkness ahead of him, but another streak of light flew at him. He ducked past the yellow light and then rolled on his shoulder to the right. He held out what appeared to be a twig in his hand as he crouched in the dirt. Harry stared at the twig for a moment, questioning what to do with it. It seemed he stared for a moment too long as a final stream of light shot out and struck him in the arm. He fell onto his face and breathed in the scent of the earth as his body seemed to rock with shock. Harry wasn't hurt badly, but he felt numb, as he always did. He closed his eyes and felt his sweat dripping off of his head as he waited. He heard it then. He heard the laughter. It was harsh and mocking, yet warm at the same time. A smile played on Harry's lips. How he loved that laughter. It seemed so familiar. He saw a pale hand reach out to him before he sighed.

He shot up in his bed, sweating as if he had just run a mile. Harry brushed his damp, clammy hair back from his eyes and rubbed the middle of his forehead—a habit he seemed to have picked up when he was young. It felt soothing and reassuring. He sighed and threw his head at his palms. What the hell is up with these dreams? Harry threw back the sheets on his bed with the feeling that his room was unfamiliar. He had lived here for two years now, yet every time he woke up from his bizarre dreams, he had a sense that he should be somewhere else. He stared at his walls for a moment. He could close his eyes and almost see a dark room with curtains drawn around his bed. He shook the idea out of his head and opened his eyes once more. He fumbled on his nightstand for his glasses before getting the nerve to place his bare feet on the cold wooden floor.

"Harry, are you alright?" a voice piped up from his doorway. He smiled sheepishly as he turned to look at his roommate, Hermione. She always seemed to have a sixth sense about him. She sensed when he was distressed or hurt. She eyed him over and took another step into his room. "You were dreaming again, weren't you?" she asked simply. He nodded and sniffed the air, just noticing the smell. She opened her mouth to question him about it, but he cut her off, "Breakfast ready?" She sighed, knowing how he hated to talk about his strange dreams. "Just about," she said shortly. "Ron is just finishing up some toast."

Ron was his other roommate, and as it turns out, Hermione's boyfriend of 5 years. They had been living together in this two bedroom apartment before Harry had called them about their ad in the paper for a roommate. The rent had been getting a little steep and they needed more bodies to fill the apartment. They had all instantly hit it off. It was almost strange how well they got along. They welcomed him in, and their habits had taken a bit for Harry to get used to. Hermione was studying to be a lawyer, and spent most of her time at the library or in the small study Ron had set up for her in the apartment. She was one of the kindest people Harry had met. She was intelligent and strong. But her relationship with Ron was a mystery. Ron was a very easy going guy. He had flaming red hair and freckles, which Harry found a bit alarming at first. His family originated from Britain, so he also had a bit of an accent. Ron played chess at the local tournaments on weekends and worked at the local pub on weekdays. They were an interesting pair. Hermione seemed to nag Ron to death, and it would occasionally lead to an explosive argument, but Harry could tell they loved each other nonetheless.

He finally moved to get out of bed and follow Hermione into the kitchen. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder as they rounded the corner. Hermione took a seat at the table and Ron turned away from the stove to say good morning. "Oi, mate! It's almost ready."

Harry smiled at his best friend. He looked to the table and then had a second thought, "I'm going to take a shower first. I'll be back in a few." Ron and Hermione nodded knowingly as Harry padded away into their bathroom.

"He looks terrible," Ron started. Hermione stared after Harry thoughtfully. She began thinking of ways to help him. She couldn't take him waking up in a cold sweat with those sunken eyes anymore. He looked exhausted. He needed a change of scenery. He said that his dreams always took place in one of three places: at night in a forest, in a castle, or a house he had never recognized, but felt at home in. Hermione thought for a moment more before turning to Ron. "He needs to get out of here. He said his dreams have only gotten worse since he moved here," she brushed back a stray strand of her unruly brown hair.

"My folks have been bugging me to come home and visit for quite some time," Ron started. "Why don't we all go and take a vacation. Your classes will be over in a week and we can fly over to see my mum and dad." Ron began speaking faster, getting excited. "Ginny will be thrilled, and I'm sure mum will whip up some of her famous dinners." Hermione stared at Ron for a moment. "Why didn't we think of that before?" She beamed over at her boyfriend. "That'd be wonderful! There are also plenty of castles over there. They may be in ruins, but Harry can go sightseeing and finally see that the dreams are just dreams." She chewed on her lower lip for a moment as she considered what she was saying. He'd had the same dreams since he was young. He's always seen the same things. He's always prayed for a dreamless sleep. What if they weren't just dreams? What if it meant something more? She shook her head. She couldn't keep questioning it all. She had to be the voice of reason here. She would take Harry sightseeing and prove that he couldn't have ever visited these places. He will finally be able to sleep in peace and move on with his life.

Ron also fell into thoughts about Harry. His mum had been a bit superstitious while he was growing up. She always had these crazy thoughts about past lives and everything unfolding as it should. Seeing Harry these past few weeks made him think about her words from long ago. Maybe Harry remembered a past life. Maybe Harry had a destiny that only the universe understands. He glanced over to Hermione. Maybe he lost someone he loved. He smiled at her as she chewed on her bottom lip. She must be really worried about him.Their minds were made. Whether Harry wanted to understand his dreams or not, a vacation was certainly well overdue.

Harry let the hot water beat down over his back. He turned around and felt it sizzle over his face and run down his body. His thoughts always came easier while he was in the shower. He needed to clear his head. Why won't the dreams go away? They've gotten worse now that his 23rd birthday was approaching, he thought. He had never thought much of birthdays. His parents had made a fuss about it when he was younger, but they had passed away in a car crash on his 5th birthday. He missed them. He wished he had parents to talk to now. What was he supposed to do? Why did they have to be the ones to die? He realized the turn of his thoughts and ran a shaky hand through his soaked hair. Can't blame them. They'd be here if they could. It wasn't like it was their choice.

Harry opened his eyes. Maybe it was time he started making his own choices. He needed to stop letting his dreams run his life. It was time he took control. He wasn't sure how yet, but he had set his will in a steely resolve. He would get to the bottom of this. Maybe he would see a therapist if he had to. He would find peace and follow his heart, rather than running from his crazy dreams for once.

Harry finished rinsing the last of the soap off of his body and stepped out of the shower. He wrapped his favorite towel around himself. It was off-white and always felt like silk on his skin. It had also always reminded him of the way that the one pale hand had always felt in his own from his dreams. He couldn't shake the feeling that it was more significant than he wanted to believe. He wrapped the towel around his waist and made his way back to his room, stopping when he got to the kitchen. He didn't know how long he had been in the shower. Hopefully he still had time to sit with his roommates and have breakfast.

As he stepped in the kitchen, Ron and Hermione both had significant looks on their faces. They were up to something. Ron stepped forward and clapped a hand on Harry's bare back. "Pack your bags, mate. I think it's time for a vacation." Harry stared at the both of them for a moment before smiling and shaking his head. They always seemed to know what was best for him.

A/N: This story is a bit reminiscent of Kate Brallier's novel The Boundless Deep. Once I finished writing the first chapter, I realized it seemed slightly familiar. The original idea may have spawned from my reading of that book months ago, but it won't follow that storyline necessarily. I hope you enjoy, and don't forget to review.