Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling, so I don't own any of these wonderful characters that I love so much.
A/N: So, you see, this thing called school, it ate me up for a few weeks there. Yeah, sorry about how long it's taken for Chapter Four to come up, especially with these chapters being so short. But you all have given such wonderful support! I really appreciate all the reviews at I feel very special, because you all like it so much. I would make a whole list and everything but it would take awhile, but I love you all, and I give you all virtual hugs. Sadly, there is only one more chapter to go. But I've already started thinking about ideas for new fics so check in to see what's new. Aside from all my wonderful reviewers, I must give a special thanks, as always, to Athena and Emily who've helped me since the beginning. I've babbled enough, read, enjoy (hopefully), and review.
Chapter Four:
Four- hundred and seventy-three flobberworms…four-hundred and seventy-four flobberworms…four-hundred and seventy-five flobberworms…
It had been three hours since everyone else had dozed off and Harry was still wide-awake. Three hours since he had started counting flobberworms in his head. Three hours since Mr. Weasley had eyed Harry and given him a wink leaving Harry quite confused. Three hours since Ron had rushed into bed and fallen asleep without so much as a word to Harry. Three hours since Ginny carefully placed herself far away, on the other side of sleeping redheads, away from Harry.
It certainly had been an odd day and was shaping out to be one of the most confusing ones as well. Ginny had kept herself busy with anything she could find herself to do, while Harry engrossed himself in Quidditch and hiking through the forest with Fred and George, which he quickly learned was a mistake since they had placed traps everywhere. Harmless traps, but still traps.
The whole day, Harry thought about what had happened the previous night. He really didn't feel that he should thinking about it so much. But the fact remained, he had fallen asleep holding his best friends sister. This was not good.
Now he was trying with all of his might to fill his brain with anything that might put him to sleep. One of his History of Magic Lessons, Hermione going off about Hogwarts: A History again, Mr. Dursley's drill company, and now counting flobberworms in his head. It was no good. Nothing could get him to sleep. As much as he tried to focus on other things, in the back of his mind were all the horrors of what his dreams might bring, and now the fear of what horrors lay in Ginny's.
He couldn't help but worry about her. He knew all too well what those dreams where like and how they haunted you. How they ate away at you, driving you into a never-ending state of darkness. Harry knew what night brought to those that had encountered Voldemort. And the fact that innocent people, young people, good people had to endure those nights just made Harry's pure abhorrence of the Dark Lord grow.
But Harry hadn't made anything better. Oh no, he had just made things worse. Now, not only was Ginny suffering from terrifying nightmares, but was also suffering from complete embarrassment and confusion. Harry never did get the chance to explain to her what had happened. Ginny must have felt incredibly uncomfortable all day. Now, not only could he not get himself to be happy for this wonderful family that had taken him in, now he was ruining the whole vacation for one of them.
Harry started counting flobberworms again, not wanting to think anymore about his failures. Once he had reached five hundred he decided to stop counting and start thinking about his dreaded homework for potions and how he was going to finish it in the next couple of days. If he got up early enough he could start right after breakfast and work with Ron on it for a few hours before the family would be heading over to the beach. Then they could take a break and pick it up once-
"Go. Go away!" Harry's thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice but he tried to avoid it as best as possible.
Oh no. Um, once we get back then we'll pick up again before sending an owl to Hermione seeing if-
"No Tom! I won't. Go away! Tom!"
Her voice was filled with panic and fear. He could tell that the nightmare was getting worse as she started gasping for air. She was crying again. Harry could hear her even though she was all the way on the other side of the camp. He ached to go over there, but tried to push that thought away. Potions Class, he had to think about Potions Class.
"You can't. No! Don't touch them! Stop! Tom!"
He could surely get his homework done tomorrow.
"Harry?"
Harry turned sharply at the sound of his name coming from a different voice, drawn out from his attempts to drown out Ginny's screams. He stared right into his best friends face.
"Go." Ron's appearance was filled with distraught, as if it took a lot for him to say this. He couldn't bring his eyes to Harry, he felt too uncomfortable.
"But-"
"No. Harry, she's my sister, and the only way she'll calm down is if you go."
"Ron-"
"She needs you. Now go."
He finally looked right at Harry. Ron knew.
Harry lingered a moment, as if to make sure Ron really wanted him to go. Ron just kept staring, waiting for him to leave. With a slow nod, Harry quietly stood up and slipped over to where Ginny was now tossing, gripping her pillow fiercely and crying. He knelt down next to her. Tentatively, Harry reached his hand to her face, just barely touching her cheek. She pushed her face closer to his hand, tears still pooling out from her eyelids. He stayed there for a while, not sure if he should dare do anything else. Her screaming ceased but she was still swallowing moans of pain.
"Shhhh. Ginny, you're ok."
She quickly brought her hand to where Harry's was, holding on. It was soft and foreign to her fear, soothing her.
"No Tom. Tom." Ginny's voice died down to a mumble. At this Harry forgot about everything he'd been worried about all day.
He lowered himself so that he was lying next to her. He moved his hand away from her cheek and placed it on her back. As she felt the absence of his hand to her face, she found his arm and pulled him in, close to her. With Ginny's head buried in his chest and her sobs dying down to a slow calm breathing pattern, Harry relaxed.
Screw apprehension. None of it mattered. Now they could both sleep, without nightmares.
A/N: So, you see, this thing called school, it ate me up for a few weeks there. Yeah, sorry about how long it's taken for Chapter Four to come up, especially with these chapters being so short. But you all have given such wonderful support! I really appreciate all the reviews at I feel very special, because you all like it so much. I would make a whole list and everything but it would take awhile, but I love you all, and I give you all virtual hugs. Sadly, there is only one more chapter to go. But I've already started thinking about ideas for new fics so check in to see what's new. Aside from all my wonderful reviewers, I must give a special thanks, as always, to Athena and Emily who've helped me since the beginning. I've babbled enough, read, enjoy (hopefully), and review.
Chapter Four:
Four- hundred and seventy-three flobberworms…four-hundred and seventy-four flobberworms…four-hundred and seventy-five flobberworms…
It had been three hours since everyone else had dozed off and Harry was still wide-awake. Three hours since he had started counting flobberworms in his head. Three hours since Mr. Weasley had eyed Harry and given him a wink leaving Harry quite confused. Three hours since Ron had rushed into bed and fallen asleep without so much as a word to Harry. Three hours since Ginny carefully placed herself far away, on the other side of sleeping redheads, away from Harry.
It certainly had been an odd day and was shaping out to be one of the most confusing ones as well. Ginny had kept herself busy with anything she could find herself to do, while Harry engrossed himself in Quidditch and hiking through the forest with Fred and George, which he quickly learned was a mistake since they had placed traps everywhere. Harmless traps, but still traps.
The whole day, Harry thought about what had happened the previous night. He really didn't feel that he should thinking about it so much. But the fact remained, he had fallen asleep holding his best friends sister. This was not good.
Now he was trying with all of his might to fill his brain with anything that might put him to sleep. One of his History of Magic Lessons, Hermione going off about Hogwarts: A History again, Mr. Dursley's drill company, and now counting flobberworms in his head. It was no good. Nothing could get him to sleep. As much as he tried to focus on other things, in the back of his mind were all the horrors of what his dreams might bring, and now the fear of what horrors lay in Ginny's.
He couldn't help but worry about her. He knew all too well what those dreams where like and how they haunted you. How they ate away at you, driving you into a never-ending state of darkness. Harry knew what night brought to those that had encountered Voldemort. And the fact that innocent people, young people, good people had to endure those nights just made Harry's pure abhorrence of the Dark Lord grow.
But Harry hadn't made anything better. Oh no, he had just made things worse. Now, not only was Ginny suffering from terrifying nightmares, but was also suffering from complete embarrassment and confusion. Harry never did get the chance to explain to her what had happened. Ginny must have felt incredibly uncomfortable all day. Now, not only could he not get himself to be happy for this wonderful family that had taken him in, now he was ruining the whole vacation for one of them.
Harry started counting flobberworms again, not wanting to think anymore about his failures. Once he had reached five hundred he decided to stop counting and start thinking about his dreaded homework for potions and how he was going to finish it in the next couple of days. If he got up early enough he could start right after breakfast and work with Ron on it for a few hours before the family would be heading over to the beach. Then they could take a break and pick it up once-
"Go. Go away!" Harry's thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice but he tried to avoid it as best as possible.
Oh no. Um, once we get back then we'll pick up again before sending an owl to Hermione seeing if-
"No Tom! I won't. Go away! Tom!"
Her voice was filled with panic and fear. He could tell that the nightmare was getting worse as she started gasping for air. She was crying again. Harry could hear her even though she was all the way on the other side of the camp. He ached to go over there, but tried to push that thought away. Potions Class, he had to think about Potions Class.
"You can't. No! Don't touch them! Stop! Tom!"
He could surely get his homework done tomorrow.
"Harry?"
Harry turned sharply at the sound of his name coming from a different voice, drawn out from his attempts to drown out Ginny's screams. He stared right into his best friends face.
"Go." Ron's appearance was filled with distraught, as if it took a lot for him to say this. He couldn't bring his eyes to Harry, he felt too uncomfortable.
"But-"
"No. Harry, she's my sister, and the only way she'll calm down is if you go."
"Ron-"
"She needs you. Now go."
He finally looked right at Harry. Ron knew.
Harry lingered a moment, as if to make sure Ron really wanted him to go. Ron just kept staring, waiting for him to leave. With a slow nod, Harry quietly stood up and slipped over to where Ginny was now tossing, gripping her pillow fiercely and crying. He knelt down next to her. Tentatively, Harry reached his hand to her face, just barely touching her cheek. She pushed her face closer to his hand, tears still pooling out from her eyelids. He stayed there for a while, not sure if he should dare do anything else. Her screaming ceased but she was still swallowing moans of pain.
"Shhhh. Ginny, you're ok."
She quickly brought her hand to where Harry's was, holding on. It was soft and foreign to her fear, soothing her.
"No Tom. Tom." Ginny's voice died down to a mumble. At this Harry forgot about everything he'd been worried about all day.
He lowered himself so that he was lying next to her. He moved his hand away from her cheek and placed it on her back. As she felt the absence of his hand to her face, she found his arm and pulled him in, close to her. With Ginny's head buried in his chest and her sobs dying down to a slow calm breathing pattern, Harry relaxed.
Screw apprehension. None of it mattered. Now they could both sleep, without nightmares.
