Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.
Web of Lies.
Two hours later the silence of the office was shattered by a soft knock on the door. Looking up, Harry and Dumbledore shared a glance. The younger wizard looked at the headmaster questioningly, but the old man simply shook his head and stood up. Walking towards the door, he could feel Alec's eyes on him, but he didn't turn around; he knew he should have gone to the Ministry, they were expecting him there, but he hadn't been able to leave Harry alone after last night. Opening the door, he was met with the concerned golden eyes of Remus Lupin, who had been about to knock again. With a glance towards the boy, Dumbledore stepped outside and closed the door behind him.
Remus frowned and looked at him curiously. "Is there something wrong, Albus? We were waiting for you at the Ministry." Looking for a moment at the closed door, he lowered his voice a bit more. "Has something happened with your grandson?"
Closing his eyes tiredly, Dumbledore leaned against the door. "He broke down yesterday, Remus. The nightmares have been affecting him a lot and he just lost it. When I came back last nigh, his room was destroyed, and he was just lying on the ground, completely exhausted. Twinkle said he had been screaming for a long time." With a sad voice he added. "Once again, I wasn't there when he needed me."
Remus looked at him through concerned eyes. Putting a hand on the wizard's frail shoulder, he tried to comfort him. "It's not your fault, Albus. You couldn't have possibly known that was going to happen."
The old man shrugged a bit. "I know that, Remus, but it doesn't help any. I'm supposed to take care of him; he should be able to rely on me, but every time things like this happen, I am busy with something else, and I don't find out until it's too late to be of any help." The younger man didn't know what to answer, so he decided to remain silent, giving the man a bit of time to compose himself. Finally, Dumbledore straightened up and smiled at him a bit. "You should be going back, Remus, or they'll send even more people to see what's wrong."
The younger wizard nodded hesitantly. "Are you sure you are both going to be alright?"
Albus nodded lightly. "Yes, we still have to talk about it; I wanted to give him some time to calm himself down." Remus nodded and turned around, but was stopped by the Headmaster's voice. "Remus, could you tell Severus to come by this evening? I might need some help with Alec after I talk to him, and he seems to get along with the boy."
Remus raised an eyebrow; he had noticed the unusual behaviour of the potions master towards the child. "Yes, I noticed. I was wondering what happened between them, I've never seen Severus so... affectionate, at least for him."
Dumbledore chuckled lightly. "I have no idea, Remus. Both, he and Alec are particularly tight lipped about the whole issue. And they don't really interact that much, they just spend the time playing chess. Maybe that's why Severus had taken to the boy, he doesn't talk much, and he doesn't expect much from him."
Remus nodded with a small, sad smile. "You might be right, not many people chose to be in Severus' company if they don't want anything in exchange."
Dumbledore nodded, pain crossing his eyes, knowing he was one of those who wanted things in exchange. Remus nodded once his way and finally left. It took Dumbledore a few minutes to gather himself, and then he opened the door and went back to his office.
Harry was still sitting on his chair, but he had closed the book and was now looking through the window. Dumbledore was about to go sit behind his desk again when the childish soft voice stopped him. "What happened yesterday was not your fault, you know."
Albus stopped and looked at him intently. "You shouldn't eavesdrop on other people's conversations."
Harry blushed a bit, but kept his gaze fixed on the window. "Sorry."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "You don't really mean that."
Sighing, Harry finally turned to face him. "No, I don't. I wish you wouldn't talk about me with other people if I'm not there."
The old wizard shook his head and went to sit behind his desk. Looking at his charge briefly, he nodded slightly. "I can't promise I won't, but I'll try." Not giving the boy a chance to answer, he quickly spoke again. "Are you going to tell me what happened yesterday?"
Sighing, Harry stood up and walked to the man's side. Leaning against the desk, he looked pensively towards the window. They stayed silent for a long moment, and then the teen started to speak. "You know that the nightmares have been bothering me a lot. They are getting better with your help, but there's only so much I can take. The night you left me with Professor Snape, he asked me what my nightmares were about. Obviously, I refused to tell him, and he said I should talk about it. That I should let it all out."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow and looked at him intently. "I thought that was what you did when we talked after the nightmares?"
Alec looked at him, a bit uncomfortable. "Well, I did, in a way." Not giving the old man a chance to comment, he continued. "I always tell you what happens in the nightmares, but I've not really told you how I feel about them. I think that's what bothers me the most. Not what I see, but the way the nightmares make me feel." Dumbledore nodded in understanding, and he allowed Harry to continue with his explanation. "So, I guessed I should talk about it with someone, but there's no one to talk about. Well, there's you but, I don't... I mean, I can't... I..."
Dumbledore placed a calming hand on his arm. "It's ok, I understand."
Harry swallowed and continued. "I remembered that Professor Snape said that if I couldn't tell someone, I should try to write it down. I thought it was a good idea and did so. I got a bit out of control."
Dumbledore nodded and looked seriously at the bowed head. "I saw the papers. I wish you wouldn't do something like that when you're on your own. I understand your need to deal with things on your own, but this was dangerous, Alec. You completely broke down."
The boy nodded. "I know. It's just, I wanted to try and get it all out, and once I started, I couldn't stop."
The headmaster stood up and hugged him tightly against his chest. They stayed like that for a long moment; Harry taking all the comfort his headmaster was giving him. Finally, Dumbledore kissed his forehead lightly and pulled away. "I would like to read those papers. I didn't want to do so without your permission, but it would help me to understand you better."
Harry looked at him hesitantly. This was very personal; did he trust Dumbledore enough to allow him to read about all his feelings? On the other hand, if he didn't trust Dumbledore, who was he going to trust? Snape was out of the question; while he had started to like the man, he wouldn't trust him with something like that after all those years he had spent humiliating him. Sirius wouldn't understand; he was too childish. Remus would help, but he had enough trouble keeping his own emotions straight with the werewolf coming out once a month, it wouldn't be fair to him. Ron and Hermione were his best friends, but they were hardly mature enough to help him out. Loathe as he was to admit it, only an adult would be able to understand and from all the adults, Dumbledore was the best choice.
Sighing, he finally nodded. The headmaster could see that the boy wasn't sure, but he didn't press the matter. He was happy with the little trust he had got from the child and would take it for now.
Looking at the clock, he noticed it was already time to have lunch, and he ushered the boy out of his office, intent to make sure he would have a good meal after yesterday's happenings.
A/N: Thanks for all reviews and thanks to my beta-reader, Vinnie.
Web of Lies.
Two hours later the silence of the office was shattered by a soft knock on the door. Looking up, Harry and Dumbledore shared a glance. The younger wizard looked at the headmaster questioningly, but the old man simply shook his head and stood up. Walking towards the door, he could feel Alec's eyes on him, but he didn't turn around; he knew he should have gone to the Ministry, they were expecting him there, but he hadn't been able to leave Harry alone after last night. Opening the door, he was met with the concerned golden eyes of Remus Lupin, who had been about to knock again. With a glance towards the boy, Dumbledore stepped outside and closed the door behind him.
Remus frowned and looked at him curiously. "Is there something wrong, Albus? We were waiting for you at the Ministry." Looking for a moment at the closed door, he lowered his voice a bit more. "Has something happened with your grandson?"
Closing his eyes tiredly, Dumbledore leaned against the door. "He broke down yesterday, Remus. The nightmares have been affecting him a lot and he just lost it. When I came back last nigh, his room was destroyed, and he was just lying on the ground, completely exhausted. Twinkle said he had been screaming for a long time." With a sad voice he added. "Once again, I wasn't there when he needed me."
Remus looked at him through concerned eyes. Putting a hand on the wizard's frail shoulder, he tried to comfort him. "It's not your fault, Albus. You couldn't have possibly known that was going to happen."
The old man shrugged a bit. "I know that, Remus, but it doesn't help any. I'm supposed to take care of him; he should be able to rely on me, but every time things like this happen, I am busy with something else, and I don't find out until it's too late to be of any help." The younger man didn't know what to answer, so he decided to remain silent, giving the man a bit of time to compose himself. Finally, Dumbledore straightened up and smiled at him a bit. "You should be going back, Remus, or they'll send even more people to see what's wrong."
The younger wizard nodded hesitantly. "Are you sure you are both going to be alright?"
Albus nodded lightly. "Yes, we still have to talk about it; I wanted to give him some time to calm himself down." Remus nodded and turned around, but was stopped by the Headmaster's voice. "Remus, could you tell Severus to come by this evening? I might need some help with Alec after I talk to him, and he seems to get along with the boy."
Remus raised an eyebrow; he had noticed the unusual behaviour of the potions master towards the child. "Yes, I noticed. I was wondering what happened between them, I've never seen Severus so... affectionate, at least for him."
Dumbledore chuckled lightly. "I have no idea, Remus. Both, he and Alec are particularly tight lipped about the whole issue. And they don't really interact that much, they just spend the time playing chess. Maybe that's why Severus had taken to the boy, he doesn't talk much, and he doesn't expect much from him."
Remus nodded with a small, sad smile. "You might be right, not many people chose to be in Severus' company if they don't want anything in exchange."
Dumbledore nodded, pain crossing his eyes, knowing he was one of those who wanted things in exchange. Remus nodded once his way and finally left. It took Dumbledore a few minutes to gather himself, and then he opened the door and went back to his office.
Harry was still sitting on his chair, but he had closed the book and was now looking through the window. Dumbledore was about to go sit behind his desk again when the childish soft voice stopped him. "What happened yesterday was not your fault, you know."
Albus stopped and looked at him intently. "You shouldn't eavesdrop on other people's conversations."
Harry blushed a bit, but kept his gaze fixed on the window. "Sorry."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "You don't really mean that."
Sighing, Harry finally turned to face him. "No, I don't. I wish you wouldn't talk about me with other people if I'm not there."
The old wizard shook his head and went to sit behind his desk. Looking at his charge briefly, he nodded slightly. "I can't promise I won't, but I'll try." Not giving the boy a chance to answer, he quickly spoke again. "Are you going to tell me what happened yesterday?"
Sighing, Harry stood up and walked to the man's side. Leaning against the desk, he looked pensively towards the window. They stayed silent for a long moment, and then the teen started to speak. "You know that the nightmares have been bothering me a lot. They are getting better with your help, but there's only so much I can take. The night you left me with Professor Snape, he asked me what my nightmares were about. Obviously, I refused to tell him, and he said I should talk about it. That I should let it all out."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow and looked at him intently. "I thought that was what you did when we talked after the nightmares?"
Alec looked at him, a bit uncomfortable. "Well, I did, in a way." Not giving the old man a chance to comment, he continued. "I always tell you what happens in the nightmares, but I've not really told you how I feel about them. I think that's what bothers me the most. Not what I see, but the way the nightmares make me feel." Dumbledore nodded in understanding, and he allowed Harry to continue with his explanation. "So, I guessed I should talk about it with someone, but there's no one to talk about. Well, there's you but, I don't... I mean, I can't... I..."
Dumbledore placed a calming hand on his arm. "It's ok, I understand."
Harry swallowed and continued. "I remembered that Professor Snape said that if I couldn't tell someone, I should try to write it down. I thought it was a good idea and did so. I got a bit out of control."
Dumbledore nodded and looked seriously at the bowed head. "I saw the papers. I wish you wouldn't do something like that when you're on your own. I understand your need to deal with things on your own, but this was dangerous, Alec. You completely broke down."
The boy nodded. "I know. It's just, I wanted to try and get it all out, and once I started, I couldn't stop."
The headmaster stood up and hugged him tightly against his chest. They stayed like that for a long moment; Harry taking all the comfort his headmaster was giving him. Finally, Dumbledore kissed his forehead lightly and pulled away. "I would like to read those papers. I didn't want to do so without your permission, but it would help me to understand you better."
Harry looked at him hesitantly. This was very personal; did he trust Dumbledore enough to allow him to read about all his feelings? On the other hand, if he didn't trust Dumbledore, who was he going to trust? Snape was out of the question; while he had started to like the man, he wouldn't trust him with something like that after all those years he had spent humiliating him. Sirius wouldn't understand; he was too childish. Remus would help, but he had enough trouble keeping his own emotions straight with the werewolf coming out once a month, it wouldn't be fair to him. Ron and Hermione were his best friends, but they were hardly mature enough to help him out. Loathe as he was to admit it, only an adult would be able to understand and from all the adults, Dumbledore was the best choice.
Sighing, he finally nodded. The headmaster could see that the boy wasn't sure, but he didn't press the matter. He was happy with the little trust he had got from the child and would take it for now.
Looking at the clock, he noticed it was already time to have lunch, and he ushered the boy out of his office, intent to make sure he would have a good meal after yesterday's happenings.
A/N: Thanks for all reviews and thanks to my beta-reader, Vinnie.