Chapter 7

"You will lose everything," the snake like voice hissed at Harry as long fingers coiled around his neck. His other finger pressed into Harry's scar as searing pains jolted through his veins and slowly the life started to leave him.

Harry jolted awake in bed his arms flailing as he gasped for air his green eyes full of fear. He was grateful when he realized his surroundings the familiarity of Ron's room a strange comfort to him. As he caught his breath he turned to his right and was met with a pair of concerned hazel eyes.

Harry glanced away uncomfortably and searched for his glasses.

"Here," Hermione whispered passing Harry the glasses from Ron's bedside table. "I took them off of you last night."

"Thanks," Harry murmured placing them on the bridge of his nose. He looked up vision now clear and noticed that Ron was still fast asleep.

Hermione pressed a finger to her lips and pointed to the door. Harry emerged from the room as quietly as possible and made his way down the stairs towards the kitchen pulling on a white t-shirt. He went to grab his wand from his pocket to start the tea, but found himself empty handed. Then he remembered the night before. He glanced down at his hands and cringed. His knuckles were scabbed over and large purplish bruises had settled beneath them. He heard Hermione padding down the stairs and crammed his fingers into his pockets.

"Harry I almost forgot," she yawned coming around the corner, "I have your wand." She held it out for him to take.

"Just put it on the table," Harry muttered turning around trying his hardest to look cheerful, what was meant to be a smile came across as more of a grimace.

"Okay…" Hermione set his wand down on the table and ran a hand through her curls observing Harry curiously. "How are you?" she asked.

Harry leaned against the kitchen sink his knuckles throbbing in his pockets. He shrugged sadly and bowed his head.

Hermione sighed at his lack of communication and began fiddling with the Weasley's kettle. It would begin singing whenever it pleased and not when the water was hot. Its last number had woken the entire house up at 5am and it hadn't been a pleasant experience for many.

"Auguamenti," Hermione pointed at the kettle with her own wand as it filled up with water. "Harry grab me some mugs."

"Can't you just summon them?" Harry asked sheepishly. He knew he sounded like bloody git, but he couldn't let Hermione see his hands.

She shot him a devious look and Harry looked at the ground stupidly.

"Accio mugs," she remarked sharply and Harry's face began to burn. He huffed and sat awkwardly at the kitchen table his hands still crammed in his pockets.

"Want me to pour it for you as well?" Hermione held out the kettle which was humming a common tune.

"Please." Harry shamefully looked up at her.

Hermione's eyes flickered over Harry and settled on his torso. Her expression changed and her eyes narrowed. She set the kettle down and knelt down in front of Harry forcing their eyes to meet. "Harry, let me see your hands."

"Hermione-"

"Harry," she said more forcefully, "let me see your hands."

Harry blinked cautiously and slowly pulled his swollen fingers form his sweats bracing himself for Hermione's reaction.

A small whimper escaped her mouth and she gently reached for his left hand. She palmed through his fingers her touch tender and electric as she sadly stared down at his gashes. Slowly she worked her fingers up to the faded outline of the words "I must not tell lies". She ran her pointer over the words and gazed at Harry softly.

Harry bore his eyes into hers and he longingly wished she understood what he was feeling. If only she could penetrate his mind without getting her hands on the minor detail of him being in love with her. That would make for an interesting dinner table conversation.

"Can I?" she asked slowly pointing her wand at his hands.

Harry nodded gruesomely.

"Episkey," she muttered softly and a blue light shot out of her wand and Harry's cuts dissolved into nothing.

"Thanks," Harry murmured lamely as he shoved his fists back into his pockets. The skin to skin contact was killing him.

Hermione was about to continue when a blood curdling scream erupted from upstairs. The pair jumped up and sprinted towards Ron's room. They flung the door open to find Ron thrashing madly with his sheets scattered around the room. Hermione bounded forward shaking him pleading him to wake up. Harry stood helplessly in the doorway unsure of what to do and a panicked Mrs. Weasley brushed past him.

"Ronald!" she panted, "Ronald, it's just a dream, Ronald!"

Harry watched as the two women frantically tried to coax him out of his slumber. A bottle at the foot of Ron's bed caught his eye.

"Accio vial!" Harry said as the flask flew into his hand. He quickly uncorked it and sniffed it tentatively. It was sleeping drought, just as he suspected.

He quickly pointed his wand at Ron and forcefully yelled. "Rennervate!"

Ron's eyes opened immediately sweat dripping from his forehead. He glanced around startled to see both his girlfriend and his mother tears stinging in their eyes.

"What happened?" he asked incredulously.

"You took too much sleeping drought," Harry replied lowering his wand, "if you take too much the effect is opposite. Instead of a dreamless sleep you have vivid nightmares and you don't wake up."

Mrs. Weasley scolded him repeatedly her tone a notch short of the howler that he received in his 2nd year at Hogwarts.

"I'm sorry," Ron muttered, "I just wanted to sleep without… well you know," Ron discouragingly looked around at the three of them stopping on Hermione and Harry looked away as they longingly gazed at each other through their tears. Unnoticed by all he slipped out of the room and crept back downstairs.

"Hello Harry," a melancholy voice greeted him as he rounded the corner.

"Ginny!" Harry jumped back, "What are you doing here?"

She sipped at her mug and raised her eyebrows. This was technically her kitchen.

"Sorry," he pulled out the chair next to her, "you just startled me. How are you?"

"I should be asking you that," she mumbled her eyes a piercing blue.

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "I'm…" he hesitated to say the right words. "I don't know. I'm not okay."

Ginny looked surprised, "None of us are Harry. Did you just hear my brother? You can't honestly think he was thick enough to not know the effects of a sleeping drought? We are all struggling Harry."

This caught Harry off guard and he waited silently for her to continue.

"You've lost weight," Ginny observed him from behind jaded eyes.

"Thanks for noticing," his attempt at humor failed miserably as she stared right through him.

Harry sighed and got up to leave, but decided against it and turned around to face her, "Why do I get the feeling that you're mad at me?"

"I'm not mad," she muttered indifferently.

"Well what are you?"

Ginny glared at him, "You really don't know?"

"Know what?" Harry asked wide eyed.

"You broke your promise!" Ginny spat out at him. "You told me you were going to be there yesterday, right behind me! Remember? I turned around and you weren't there! Instead you had your wand pressed to Malfoy's throat!"

Harry shook at the mention of Draco's name. "What do you want from me?" he yelled back accusation and fear evident in his tone.

"You!" Ginny begged taking his hands as she stood inches from him. "I just want you."

Harry cringed and watched the frail girl. Just last year he would've sworn he'd marry her. "I need time Ginny." Harry pulled his fingers from hers and her face fell. "I need time because obviously I can't be there right now. I need to take a step back. We need to take a step back."

Tears swelled in her eyes. "I'll wait," she choked out, "I'll wait as long as you want, just please don't shut out the people that love you Harry. There the only chance any of us has."

"You know I do…"

"I know," Ginny cried softly, "I do too."

Harry did love her, but just he wasn't lying, he needed time. And it wasn't fair of him to keep her waiting.

Ginny wiped at her face furiously as they heard footsteps on the stairs and a pale Ron and worried looking Hermione rounded the corner.

"Sorry," Ron looked awkwardly from Ginny to Harry, "did we interrupt something?"

"No," Ginny said warily, "We're finished."

Harry's heart gave a sharp pang of guilt and he fought back tears. Ron let go of Hermione's hand and strode past him enveloping his sister in a vice grip of a hug and she softly cried into his shoulder. Ron turned a strange expression on his face and he watched Harry suspiciously through cold blue eyes.

Harry gulped nervously and turned slowly on his heal his eyes glued to the ground. He started towards the stairs, but stopped when he reached Hermione who stood at the base where Ron had been moments before. He raised his head and couldn't read her expression as she gazed at him, her eyes uncertain. "I'm so sorry." Harry stammered out lowering his head again, his eyes a stormy grey. "I'm so sorry."

Hermione's gaze softened as it had this morning and she reached out to brush his hair from his forehead, the moment suspended in time as the two teens stared at each other. "Harry," she whispered firmly her voice full of promise, "when are you going to get it into your head that this is not your fault."

Harry watched her wanting so badly to give her the answer she wanted to hear. "I don't know," he murmured so only she could hear and he bowed his head again and began to climb the stairs.

Hermione turned around and watched him brokenly take each step and she remembered how only yesterday he was smiling madly holding the newborn baby in his arms. She sighed after him unsure of what to say or do. Harry Potter was a shell of the person she had met seven years ago and as hard as she fought she couldn't figure out how to get him back. She thought of that night in the tent when she was consumed by her own misery. Listening sadly too the radio as he watched her patiently. He didn't take no for an answer when she had visually pleaded with him to leave her alone and the two had shared a few precious minutes dancing like fools. Where was that Harry? The one who promised hope even in the darkest of times. She turned back to Ron and Ginny who were speaking in hushed whispers.

The three teens looked at each other in a stunned silence unsure of what to say or do. They didn't have much time to think as a crack filled their ears from up the stairs.

"Harry!" Hermione let out a cry and she took the stairs two at a time with Ron and Ginny right behind her. She rounded the corner to find Ron's room empty and a pit formed in her stomach. She stepped forward and picked up a scrap of parchment that lay neatly on Harry's pillow.

I'm so sorry. You deserve better.

That's all it said and Hermione held out the note for Ron and Ginny as she stumbled backwards on to Ron's bed. And the stunned silence continued as they all wondered helplessly where Harry Potter had gone.