Episode Thirty Five
Part One
After several minutes trying to catch her breath and Harry pondering over her exclamation Gwen was ready to trudge back downstairs. Harry was obviously cranking the gears in his head and it might be awhile before he had a response.
She was working her way quietly to the door when Harry suddenly noticed her intention. "You can't leave after a pronouncement like that." He said, with mock irritation.
"I figured you might need some time to work this out in your head."
"Well, I do. But I have some questions for you before you go."
"Ok." She said, leaning against one of the four poster beds. This was exactly like the girls' dorm except that it smelled decidedly male. Even the summer couldn't cure it of that purely hormonal scent.
"I scare you?"
"Yeah? I can't really explain that one. You just make me shiver sometimes. Snape does that to me. But not the same way. He's just creepy. You're different. Maybe it's because you're so powerful and I never in a million years would have suspected that you could love me. Remember, you were a fictional character to me for 7 years almost."
He cringed slightly and then nodded as if understanding. Even though it didn't make any sense to Gwen it was making sense to Harry. He was fitting all of the little pieces together for her. "And what about Corwin?"
"Regardless of what you decide I'll just have to owl him and tell him the truth. My heart belongs to someone else."
"And before either of us goes to bed you must tell me about your visit with Gemma."
"Only if you tell me about your dream."
Harry felt a surge of fear and it showed on his face. Gwen went to his side then and wrapped her arms around him. "I know I probably shouldn't touch you, but I don't care. You need someone to hold you now."
Harry shook his head. "Gwen you can touch me whenever you want." He laughed. "Please."
He spent a moment tickling her and she him, rolling around on the floor giggling like idiots. They ended in a warm embrace, Harry having her pinned to the floor. He looked down into her eyes deeply. "You have so much to tell me." He said. "And I you."
Part Two
Gwen and Harry spent the rest of the night snuggled up under his blankets. She told him everything she could about her visit to Gemma and her amazing powers. She didn't mention anything about her real name. If he needed to know that it would be much later, after she herself found out.
It was his turn to speak and he looked as if he'd swallowed an elephant. He was trying so hard to articulate the images flashing in his brain, the broken fragments of his dream. He had to tell her. He was certain it was a warning because his scar only hurt when there was danger coming. The scar had ached for some time but it was particularly thunderous the night of the dream. This girl shared a part in his future now.
Finally choking on his words as he forced them out he began to relay the fabric of his dreams. "Gwen, it still hurts to me to even think on it." He said softly, his voice catching on her name. "It was very dark. You were standing by my side and you looked so happy. You had this sweet expression on your face and I just want to look at you forever. But it was getting darker all the time and soon I couldn't see you at all. I felt your hand ripped out of mine and I heard you screaming over and over. And when finally I got to you…" He trailed off, the fear brilliant in his eyes.
"Harry, it's ok. It was just a dream."
"It wasn't Gwen, it was a warning and you need to know. I have to finish." He said the last bit more for himself than her. He was steeling himself for what was about to come out of his mouth and memory. "The light returned just enough to see you. You were lying on the ground; your wand had been shattered. There was a circle of death eaters and your mother was among them."
Gwen gasped.
"I know, but I don't know what that means. She wasn't robed. You looked dead, but you weren't. They were taunting you. They had used the Cruciatus curse on you to the point that there wasn't much left to do in order to kill you. I couldn't do anything to save you. I was frozen with fear and horror. I've never felt so helpless in all my life."
She looked into his green eyes, pale in the dim candle light. He had been through hell. No wonder he flew all the way to Hogwarts.
"It was so real." He whispered, clutching her tightly to his chest. "It was so real."
