45. Rain
Harry Potter awoke, feeling like a new man. Shooting upwards, he found himself in comfortable pajamas and a rather nice but typical apartment suite. It was filled with warm colors and a smidge of black every now and then.
Oddly enough, Harry felt… distracted. It was as though his attention was being divided over and over and over again. A sense of not being all there hit him hard. A plethora of images engulfed his sight.
His eyes saw things that didn't make much sense. Every wizard and witch came to mind. He felt that power of every magical creature and understood them. So much was now swimming in his head. It was all too much yet just right. This occurrence made him feel more natural than he ever did.
Concentrating on his apparent visions, he saw stranger marvels. There was modern weaponry that shot out amazing feats of magic: deconstruction, sight, and even flight. Another vision had golden artifacts controlling mythical beasts. Each vision was unique and astounding in its own way.
He loved this.
Finally getting down from his euphoria, he had to wonder where he was exactly. Seeing how comfortable everything was, he couldn't think of it as a Death Eater trap. His questions were answered as the door opened.
It was the Pale Lady. In her hands was a tray of hot food. Seeing him awake, she seemed relieved. "This is a pleasant surprise. I wasn't sure when you would get up from your power nap." Her voice was rather chipper as she placed the tray on the nightstand. "So, how do you feel?"
Harry thought of his reply for a moment. It was a bit difficult to really communicate how he felt. Would expanding be appropriate? "J∑¥∞ πiҖҘ." Harry squinted as his tongue worked in ways he didn't know possible. Coughing, he tried again at a deliberate pace, "I'm getting better. Thank you for taking care of me." Harry smiled with as much warmth as there was in him.
She playfully bopped him on the nose in return. "You're very welcome, but don't seem so surprised. You are worth the effort, no matter what your relatives will tell you. As I've told you so many times before, accept the kindness of those around you."
Harry stared at her for a moment before sighing and then laughing. "It's shameful, but I still rely on you to set me straight. I didn't realize I was so moody", Harry said as his laughter died down. Idly, Harry stared at the walls as he asked, "What happened to me?"
The Pale Lady rocked her head, "It seems that your body needed to adjust to some… changes. Strange isn't it? I haven't felt this frightened for anything in quite a while. Your life wasn't in danger, but you weren't well either. If you hadn't recovered, I don't know what state you would've been left in. I suppose I just want to say thank you for pulling through." She punctuated her statement by scooting closer to Harry's side.
Turning towards her, he marveled her beauty. Though he was reluctant to say it out loud, he based his ideal of beauty around the Pale Lady. Sadly, he found other females around him sorely lacking. He still cherished that night where she accepted his courting.
The sound of her feminine giggling interrupted his thoughts. An all too knowing look was plastered on her face. Used to this behavior, he smiled widely as though to reaffirm his thoughts. Following that, he quickly ate his prepared meal. Eating itself was a bit of an adventure. Most of the food he had never seen much less tasted. His favorite was a bread called Lembas.
After the best meal he ever had, he said his thanks. Suitably nourished, his curiosity returned, "Is this your place?"
"Yep", she said rather simply.
That caused him to smile, albeit a bashful one. Though he was sure that nothing would occur, he could not stop his hormone induced mind from drawing more mature conclusions. Unsure what would be appropriate for such a moment, he said the truth, "It feels cozy." Left unsaid was how poorly the Dursleys home seemed in comparison.
Sliding off her bed, the Pale Lady pulled her typical black umbrella from a holster and gestured for him to follow. And so Harry left the confines of the cozy mattress. As a pair they left through the door.
Heavy rains poured upon them. The rate so great that Harry could see very little. Roaring waters alerted him of the multiple waterfalls in the backdrop. Heavy and steady drops pelt the ground in a comforting pulse. His heart relaxed for a time. Closing in for the security of her umbrella, he continued to marvel at the land around them. Despite him being barefooted, neither his legs nor feet gained moisture.
His mind was brought to the present and how so many things had changed. Superficially, he was taller now, but not tall enough. At moments like this, he should carry the burden of the umbrella, but his height lost to hers. He would simply have to wait for a growth spurt. Internally, he started to notice something off about her nature, not at all bad, but different.
"You aren't human", he said in recognition. Since he'd woken up, her presence stood above the rest. For some reason, he knew this as fact now.
Instead of troubled, she appeared pleased, "That's correct, is that a problem?"
"No", he said immediately. "It adds to your allure. Besides, I'm the last person to reject you for being unique." He smiled happily. Following that, he nestled closer to her and cautiously wrapped his arm around her waist, not exactly sure if he was making her uncomfortable.
A small smile from her assured him. Eventually, their trek led him from the waterfalls to his relatives' house. "The walk was nice, we should do it again someday. Maybe in better weather?"
"I would like that. See you later, Harry."
"Goodbye", Harry said in return as she walked back from whence she came. A glow surrounded his eyes as he chuckled. That woman was so mysterious.
And he loved it.
