Chapter 10: The Nightmare

It was Halloween and the twins had just gone to bed. Ginny was sitting up in her bed reading a book on dealing with 4 year olds.

"LEAVE THEM ALONE!" a small, boyish voice yelled.

Ginny's attention snapped from her book and she ran to her son's room. She found Tara already there trying to wake her brother up. Dobby was also there trying to comfort his young master.

Taran was tossing and turning in his bed sweating.

"He won't wake up, Mummy." Tara told her mother.

"Taran?" Ginny tried.

"No." Taran said quietly. "NO!"

"Taran!" Ginny tried again.

"NO! DADDY!" Taran screamed in horror.

"Dobby." Ginny ordered. "Get Harry."

CRACK

The elf was gone.

"Wake up!" Taran begged.

With that one line, Ginny had a decent idea what he was dreaming. And she did NOT like it.

0000

Meanwhile,

Harry was sound asleep extremely comfortable in his bed. All that was lacking was Ginny.

Suddenly, he felt a poke. Then another. And another.

"Stop poking me." Harry groaned.

"Dobby must poke Master Harry Potter. Or Master Harry Potter won't wake up."

Harry reached over and put his glasses on only to see his house-elf.

"Dobby?" Harry asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Mistress Ginny Potter told Dobby to get Master Harry Potter, Sir." Dobby explained. "Little Master Taran is in a nightmare and will not wake."

Harry was wide awake now. He put on his night robe and ran to the defense office.

When he got there, he pushed his desk out of the way and revealed the trap door he and Ginny had discovered back in his seventh year. He opened it up, lit his wand, and went through it.

Harry ran down the dark tunnel knowing all the twists and turns having gone through it so many times. He had found it more efficient than the path to Hogsmeade and the path through the tapestry room.

When he got to the other end of the tunnel, he turned off his wand and ran to his son's room.

"Daddy!" Tara said worriedly just outside the door. "Something's wrong with Taran!"

"I know. Dobby told me." Harry told his redheaded daughter as he went in.

There, he saw his wife trying to calm down Taran, who was tossing, turning, and whimpering. Looking closer, he saw his son was sweating

"No." Taran groaned. "Daddy. Please. Get up."

"Taran." Harry whispered as he gently shook his son. "Wake up."

"Daddy?" Taran whispered almost as if in shock, but still asleep. "How…?"

"You're having a nightmare." Harry told his son. "It's only a dream."

"It's only a dream?" Taran repeated.

Suddenly, the three year old opened his green eyes and saw his father.

"DADDY!" Taran screamed as he threw himself in Harry's arms and sobbed.

Harry gave a confused look towards Ginny who looked just as confused.

"Shhh." Harry said comforting the crying child. "It was only a dream."

"I'll go put Tara back in bed." Ginny whispered. "C'mon Tara. The show's over."

"Will Taran be alright?" Tara asked.

"I think so." Ginny said.

Taran kept crying for well over an hour. Worried about his son, Harry put a hand up to the boy's forehead.

Taran was burning up.

"Taran." Harry whispered. "Why don't you go back to sleep?"

Taran quickly shook his head and hugged Harry tighter.

"Is he asleep yet?" Ginny asked peeking into the room.

"No." Harry said shaking his head. "He's frightened he'll have that nightmare again. Not to mention he's burning up."

Ginny walked into the room and sat down on the bed. She reached over and felt her son's forehead.

"What now?" she asked.

"I have an idea, but I need him to let me go." Harry said.

Taran gripped tighter and mumbled something.

"I'm just going to get Madame Pomfrey." Harry told his son.

Taran still refused to let go.

So, Harry turned to his wife, "Do you mind if I take him with me?"

"Not at all." Ginny said. "Keep him the night if you must. Let me know how he is first thing in the morning."

"I was coming home tomorrow anyways."

After a few minutes, Harry was now carrying Taran. Taran's head was situated on Harry's shoulder and was gripping his father's robes for dear life.

"C'mon. Let's go pay Madame Pomfrey a visit." Harry said as he and his son stepped through the secret passage.

0000

When Harry and Taran got back to the castle, Harry went straight for the all too familiar hospital wing. When he got there, the matron was nowhere in sight. So, he went to her bedroom.

BANG BANG

Nothing

BANG BANG

"I'M COMING! I'M NOT AS YOUNG AS I USED TO BE!"

The door opened to reveal a tired looking Madame Pomfrey. She sighed at the sight of the two Potters

"Like father like son." She said to herself as she remembered when James had come running to her aid to tend to a sick Harry.

"I'll ask about that later." Harry said hearing her. "Taran had a nightmare and refuses to fall asleep. He also has a bit of a fever. I wanted your opinion about what to do."

She nodded and went to her cabinet.

"Here's a fever reduce potion for children." She said handing the Defense Professor a small bottle. "And if he had a nightmare, then a VERY small dose of Dreamless Sleep Potion should do the trick."

She started to grab some of the familiar potion, but Harry stopped her.

"I have my own batch." He told her. "Sara taught me how to make it myself. Ginny and I both use it. She doesn't use it as much anymore because of the kids."

The nurse nodded.

"If he's not better in the morning, bring him back." She instructed.

"I will." Harry told her. "Thank you."

He left her to go back to sleep.

0000

"Here we go." Harry said after giving Taran the fever reducing potion as the boy sat in his lap and he sat on the bed. "This should help the fever."

"Thanks Daddy." Taran whispered.

"And THIS," Harry said preparing the sleeping potion that was on the nightstand. "Will help you sleep."

Taran looked a little reluctant to take this one.

"Don't worry." Harry said to comfort his son. "You won't have that dream again after taking this."

"Will you be here when I wake up?" Taran asked.

"I should." Harry said brushing the bangs away from his son's face. "Luckily, it's the weekend so I was going to come home later today anyways."

Taran slowly took the cup with the potion and drank it. His eyes grew heavy and he leaned his head against his father's chest. The fact that Harry was rubbing his back really helped Taran fall asleep.

TBC

"It's okay." Harry told his son. "No one is going to hurt you."

"Mummy?" Tara asked looking at a character coming their way as she held her mother's hand "Why is that big mouse wearing a suit?"

"Harry?" Ginny turned to her husband. "You're the person who grew up Muggle."