I own nothing. J.K.R Owns everything :(

Chapter 17: Nightmares

21, August, Saturday, 1998...

Ginny was the first to wake up the next morning and she didn't like what she saw, all three of the Golden Trio were thrashing around in their beds with looks of pain and fear on their faces.

"Poppy! Poppy!" she yelled urgently as the three started screaming.

Poppy came running out of her office, eyes wide as she saw the three teens.

"I dont understand, the potion should've worked. Try to wake Harry." she shouted over the Trio's yells, she went over to Ron and Hermione's side and set about trying to wake her patients up.

Suddenly the doors to the Hospital wing flew open and James, Lily, Molly and Arthur ran in.

"Help!" Ginny pleaded, she couldn't get up no matter how much she wanted to, her legs just wouldn't hold her weight.

James and Lily went to Harry's side as Ron sat up gasping for breath and drenched in sweat.

"No! No! I wont!" Hermione screamed thrashing about knocking Poppy away with an arm. The nurse stood further back watching helplessly.

"'Mione! Wake up!" he shouted, "You're safe!"

"No! No! It wasn't us!" she continued screaming.

Molly went to her side as Arthur helped Ron to his feet and over to her, knowing his son could help her more than Molly or himself.

Ron grabbed her arm and she calmed instantly, "Wake up 'Mione, come on, you're safe here." he soothed as she opened her eyes slowly.

Harry screamed louder and when they tried to his parents couldn't get anywhere near him because of an invisible barrier.

"Harry!" Ginny yelled, James looked on helplessly as his son thrashed so much he fell out of the bed, and still didn't wake up.

Lily went to Ginny, "If anyone can get to him it'll be you." she said helping the younger woman out of bed and to where Harry was lying.

"No! I'll kill him! Argh a Basilisk! Got to save them!" he screamed.

Ginny quickly grabbed his head as he almost smashed it on the floor, he still didn't calm down.

"Harry! Harry mate get up! It's not real!" Ron yelled over.

"Come back to us Harry." Hermione shouted.

"Can't! Not - Strong - enough!" he panted as things began to levitate and the windows broke as a coldness similar to a Dementors surrounded the room.

"You can hear us. Come back, come on Harry." Ginny pleaded grabbing his hand.

Finally he gasped and sat right up, panting and completely soaked with sweat and the room went still and warm again.

"What the hell happened?" he panted.

"Nightmares." Hermione said shakily, "Very realistic."

"Yeah." Ron nodded, Molly and Arthur were comforting the two on Hermione's bed.

Ginny was helped back to her feet by Lily as James helped Harry up and sat him down on his bed. Lily sat Ginny next to him and the two leaned on each other, Harry breathing heavily.

"Somehow that potion made things worse." Poppy muttered, clearly confused, "It should've stopped any nightmares or dreams."

"Apparently it didn't work." Lily frowned, putting a comforting hand on Ginny's shoulder, "Whatever it was."

"How come you're here so early?" Ron asked tiredly as he and Hermione leaned against each other too.

"I had a vision while I was doing a meditation exercise this morning." James shrugged, "It usually doesn't happen but it did today, I saw we'd be needed, not why though."

"Vision?" Harry frowned as though trying to remember something, his breathing had calmed down.

"Ravenclaw gift." Lily reminded him.

"Oh yeah." he smiled sheepishly, "Forgot about that."

"I still need to teach you how to do it but it can wait until after the memories, it requires a fair amount of concentration and if your worried about our reaction to something or thinking about what to show us next then I doubt you'd be able to do it." James told him, he nodded in understanding.

"The other's are still at the Burrow finishing the clean-up from breakfast and trying to control Jinx and Jex, we think they're upset about you four not returning with us last night, they didn't come near any of us all night or morning once we got them home." Arthur explained.

"I think Remus explained to them and kept them in with him, Teddy and Dora." Molly mused.

"They'll listen to him." Ginny smiled tiredly, "Even if none of you can understand him like us I think Remus will be able to more, and he's the oldest, except us two, in terms of time being a Lycan."

"With him being a ex-werewolf too, he could understand Padfoot well enough even when he wasnt furry himself." James smirked.

"Hold on." Harry frowned tilting his head as though listening to something, "Hmm... The other's are apparently being annoyed to death by the cubs." he grinned, "According to Bill anyway."

"That's what I heard too." Ginny giggled. Ron and Hermione laughed as well nodding that they'd heard it as well. "I think they want something." she commented.

"I'll see if I can figure it out." Harry said, he closed his eyes in concentration.

Hello?

Hi Harry, nice to know this link works this far away, Luna's voice drifted to him.

Mind telling us what's up with the cubs? Ginny asked.

They're restless and won't behave when we ask them to, Neville grumbled.

They behaved a little for Moony but they won't listen anymore, Astoria commented.

Harry repeated this out loud for the parents and Poppy who was checking them over one at a time starting with Ron.

"I think they miss you." Molly smiled.

"Who exactly are Jinx and Jex?" Poppy asked.

"The only members of our Pack you haven't met yet." Hermione smiled, "They were found here at the castle."

"People?"

"No they're Guardian wolves." Harry explained, "They're still only a month old and their parents were killed and their not old enough to look after themselves so we've adopted them into our Pack until they're either old enough to fend for themselves, want to leave, or bonded to the humans they were born to protect and guide. We call them the 'cubs' even though technically they're pups." he shrugged.

"Oh I've heard about them. Quite rare to find them as pups though." Poppy commented, "Usually people keep quiet if they're bonded to a Guardian wolf, and it's normally only adult wolves that bond with a human. From what I've read it's even stranger to find more than one Guardian wolf at a time." she shrugged.

Ginny looked at Harry, "Why do odd things always happen to us?"

"Because we're us and nothing can be normal for more than 3 weeks?" he guessed.

Ron and Hermione laughed, "We'll second you on that one." Ron smirked.

"It's like a law that we don't get to be normal." Hermione mused.

"Or certain people like playing about with us." Harry muttered looking up at the sky through the window.

"I'm going to go with it's both." James shrugged, "From what we've seen in the memories so far no one should've been able to do half the things you've done and stay sane."

"Good point." Arthur nodded.

"We certainly didn't know about most of the things you've done and had happened to you." Molly added, looking between them, "It's a wonder your still alive, never mind sane."

"I think I speak for all of us when I say there's been a few close calls with our sanities." Hermione admitted, Ron, Harry and Ginny nodded their agreements.

"We wouldn't be in here with PTSD relapses, and development for Ginny, if we were completely alright." Ron shrugged.

"Your all mentally stable the only one of you who's been at risk of 'losing their minds', so to speak, is Harry... and Ron to some extent." Poppy told them, "And that was years ago."

"When?" Ron frowned.

"I have the feeling you two don't know everything yet." Poppy said to James and Lily, they shook their heads, "I won't say right now then."

"Was it before our 5th year?" Harry asked.

"No, during it." she said, "I didn't tell you for a reason." she admitted, "The worst thing would be for you to think you were crazy or well on the way there, the last thing any of us needed was for you to be stuck in St Mungo's because of something I told you."

"That would be bad." Ginny nodded, "On to more cheerful topics, when are the others getting here?" she asked the four parents.

Arthur checked his watch, "In about 20 minutes, Minerva wanted to talk to some of them. There wasn't much left to clean up, so they'll probably be arriving now or talking with Minerva."

"Ah. That'll give us enough time to get cleaned up a little." Harry noted.

"Good plan. James, Arthur do you mind helping the boys?" Poppy asked, "And Lily and Molly if you'll help the girls there's two washrooms in the back so you'll have to take turns."

"I know where they are." James nodded, he put his arm under Harry's shoulders, "Come on, up you get."

Harry rolled his eyes but allowed his Father to help him anyway as Ron did the same with Arthur and they headed into a room at the very back of the hospital wing.

Poppy went back into her office leaving the four women alone.

"Care to explain what actually happened?" Molly asked.

"I woke up and those three were thrashing about." Ginny shrugged, "As soon as I started shouting on Poppy they started screaming."

"Just nightmares." Hermione mumbled, "Nothing to worry about, they'll go away eventually."

"Isn't there anything you can take to help get rid of them?" Lily frowned.

"Nothing's strong enough. Poppy gave us the strongest potion she had for it last night and they still broke through." she shook her head.

"Except with me." Ginny added, "I woke up normally."

"I'd noticed something." Molly said, "As soon as you touched Harry he calmed down quite a bit. Same thing when Ron touched Hermione."

The two teens frowned, "It's happened before." Hermione admitted.

"It's skin-to-skin contact." Ginny nodded, "Like how it's only me that can wake Harry up when he's like that. Ron's the same with Hermione."

"It's always been like that." Hermione mused, "When Harry was sick only Ginny could calm him down." she explained.

"Harry thinks it might be something to do with the soul bonds." Ginny put in, "He's listening in while protesting about being treated like an old man by James." she giggled.

"Of course." Lily laughed, "James did that whenever Sirius or Remus had to help him after he was injured, never once protested if I helped him after we were married though. Then again we spent most of our time in that house at Godric's Hollow." she muttered bitterly, "I don't think we'll go back there, I hated it just as much as he did."

"You have the choice now." Molly reminded her, "And you're welcome to stay with us until you have it figured out."

"Thank you Molly." she smiled gratefully.

"It's no problem, as soon as the boy's get ready to head back to work and these four are back here the house will be pretty empty." she sighed, "I plan on keeping Fred and George home for as long as I can though."

"You know they won't Mum." Ginny shrugged, "They'll want to re-open the store again, Charlie's been looking into getting a house nearby, Bill and Fleur have Shell Cottage, Ron and I will be here and Percy..."

"Is staying with us at home." Arthur said as he helped Ron back through, Ron in clean pajamas, "He told me last night that he's moving back to the Burrow until he can handle himself better than he has been." he sat Ron down on a clean bed, "All of the bedsheets will need changed, so just sit there for now." he told his son.

"Don't really have a choice when I can't walk on my own." Ron shrugged.

"True enough." Molly smiled, "I suppose we could just say 'Stay'. Maybe your canine side will listen." she said mischievously.

"Funny." he rolled his eyes.

"Works with Sirius." James commented as he and Harry came through, "Tell him to 'sit' and he'll 'sit' instantly."

"It was quite amusing." Lily grinned, "Especially when Harry figured it out when he was a toddler." she chuckled.

"What'd I do?" Harry inquired, he was also in clean pajamas.

"You followed him about and shouted a command at him randomly whether it be 'sit', 'stay', 'lie down' or once it was even 'roll over'." James smirked, "He was in dog form most of the time when he was playing with you." he added, "Remus done it occasionally, human of course, but yelling 'sit' usually made him and Padfoot both do it instantly." he chuckled.

"Very amusing." Lily nodded, "Come on, the others will be here soon." she and Molly helped Hermione and Ginny into the wash rooms.

James sat Harry down on a clean bed and waved his wand at the four bed's the teens had been in all night, causing them to strip themselves and then summoned fresh sheets and flicked his wand at the bed's again causing the fresh sheets to replace the old ones.

"And Mum used to make us do it by hand." Ron muttered.

"It was a good learning experience for you." Arthur shrugged, helping him over and into the now clean bed, "Trying to show you that you didn't have to use your wand for everything."

"That's exactly what my Mum did with me." James mused, "Tried to at least, I could usually bribe Lanky to do it for me and it only took her 2 minutes."

"I used to have to do it by hand all the time." Harry shrugged, "Dudley's too occasionally. I think some things are better done the Muggle way."

"Like getting cleaned up in the morning." James nodded, "Or summoning your glasses."

"I figured that out myself on my 17th." Harry mused, "After poking myself in the eye. Glad I don't need them anymore."

"Makes you less recognisable." Ron nodded, "And stops you poking yourself in the eye trying to summon them in the morning."

"I've done that before." James winced, "Not a very nice thing to do when you first wake up."

"I'll agree with you on that." Arthur muttered, thinking of his reading glasses.

Harry tilted his head to the side, "The others are on their way down, with a surprise according to Remus." he told them as the women re-joined them.

"I'll bet it's the cubs." Ginny mused as her mother put her on his bed at her request.

"Probably." Harry agreed, he held her hand as she rested her head on his shoulder, Ron and Hermione mirroring them on Ron's bed.

There was two barks before the doors burst open and Padfoot skidded into the room before running and hiding behind James.

"What the-" James muttered as an annoyed looking Dora ran in.

"I'll get you for that Sirius!" she growled.

Padfoot whimpered.

"What'd he do?" Arthur asked.

"Decided to make a comment on something I did when I was younger." she huffed, "And he wasn't supposed to tell my Mum about it."

Padfoot changed back into Sirius, "You started it!" he protested.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Yes you did Dora." Regulus said as he walked in carrying Teddy with Andy and Moony behind him, Moony was carrying Jinx by the scruff of his neck.

Moony put Jinx down and changed back into Remus, "She didn't, it was Padfoot who started it."

"Can we just go with they both started it?" Andy asked tiredly.

"Deal." Dora and Sirius said at the same time.

"I'm still going to get revenge though." Dora warned him.

"Fine." he shrugged as the others walked in.

Snowstorm was carrying Jex and had Astoria on his back, he put the pup down and lay down slowly to allow Astoria to climb down.

Jinx and Jex immediately ran over to Harry's bed and James lifted them up since they were too small to jump.

"Miss us?" Harry asked.

"We didn't know where you were and they kept mis-understanding us." Jex whined, cuddling up to Ginny as Jinx did the same with Harry. "And we couldn't understand a lot of what they said."

"Even as wolves they couldn't understand us properly and we were worried about you." Jinx nodded. "We knew something had happened, the other two-legs smell like here."

"We're fine, just a little mistake with out potions." Harry assured them.

Snowstorm changed back into Draco, "The potion for the PTSD is being checked by Slughorn right now." he told them. "And those two didn't want to be carried." he added nodding at the cubs.

"But it was quicker and we were going to come down as wolves anyway." Remus added.

"Fair enough, they said you kept misunderstanding them." Ginny told them, "And they didnt understand a lot of what you told them either."

"Good thing we brought them then." Draco mused, "How're you feeling now?" he asked his fiancée.

"A little better." she shrugged, noticing the confused looks she added, "Morning sickness."

Hermione looked around, "Where's Bill and Fleur?"

"They're staying home today, Fleur's not feeling great and she's going to Floo her parents later to find out when they plan on coming over to help out with her pregnancy." Charlie told them.

"I can sympathise. I actually considered staying in bed today but that's not very productive." Astoria smiled.

"And you didn't want to listen to me either." Draco muttered.

"I would've hexed you if you'd argued." she shrugged, "I don't like doing nothing all day."

"I'll keep that in mind." he mused.

"Good boy, your learning." she patted his head like he was a dog.

"It's been known to happen occasionally." he drawled before sticking his tongue out childishly, making the others laugh. "So are we continuing today?" he asked, clearly trying to change the subject.

"I'll allow it after they've had their potions." Poppy said coming out of her office.

The four teens groaned when they saw the 20 vials levitating on a tray behind her.

Poppy just chuckled and handed 5 to each of them, "Drink them all and you can continue, I'll be in my office and remember not to get up." she warned.

"We can't get up ourselves." Ginny pointed out, "Already tried that, twice."

"Trying to escape?" Fred grinned.

"Nope." Hermione shook her head, "It was only Ginny and Ron who tried to get up..." she trailed off.

"Why?" George asked.

"Nightmares." Ron told him blushing, "The three of us, Ginny was trying to stop Harry cracking his head off the floor while I was calming Hermione down."

"Hence why we ran here." James said, "We figured they could use some help after I saw it in a vision. You wouldn't like to have cracked your head on the floor by the way Harry, you would have fractured your skull twice and had a bad concussion, meaning an extra week in here. That was the only thing I could tell for sure."

"Good thing Ginny stopped me doing that then." he sighed absently scratching behind the now asleep Jinx's ears.

At Poppy's reminder the four teens quickly downed their potions, grimacing at the taste.

"Why do they always taste horrible." Ron mimed throwing up.

"You wouldn't know they were healing potions if they tasted good." Andy smirked, "It's a law and allows healers the satisfaction of watching their patients reactions. Especially if the patient is fussy or very annoying."

Poppy chuckled, "These four aren't so bad when they're not trying to escape. I'll be in my office." she said, taking the empty potions vials into her office with her.

"Have you eaten yet?" Remus asked.

"Not hungry." the four muttered.

"It's one of the potions. You wont be hungry for an hour or so, it's just an after effect." Andy told them.

"Oh well... Let's just get started." Harry shrugged.