Ch. 4: Recovery
When Harry next opened his eyes he found himself in what appeared to be the Hospital wing of Hogwarts. Great, just great, he thought. With the number of times I've been here over the years I really aught to think about buying my own bed and have a few posters put up on the wall.
"Ah good you're awake. Welcome back Harry."
He squinted. Without his glasses all he could see were soft blurs. Was that Dumbledore? He began to feel round for his glasses. Ah, there they were. He put them on and turned back toward his visitor. Sure enough it was Dumbledore. He had a feeling it was going to be a very long day.
Half an hour later Dumbledore had left and Harry was just starting to doze off when Ron and Hermione dropped by. They both had a look of intense relief on their faces. Considering that Dumbledore had told him that he'd been unconscious for almost two solid weeks he guessed that he could understand it. Sometimes he had a feeling that someone somewhere had put a cosmic "kick me" sign on his back and the world, and most particularly Voldemort, had a liking for kick the Harry or something.
First his parents were killed leaving him with only his evil muggle relatives, then he had to save the philospher's stone from Quirrel who wanted it for Voldemort, then there was the incident with Tom Riddle's diary, next had come the shock of finding out about his godfather, then the tri-wizard tournament and the battle at the ministry of magic. And those had been just the highlights. If he were to write a book about everything that had happened to him over the past few years it would be a best seller. Not because it was true (which it would be), but because he was the boy who lived.
* * *
*
It had been a very strange month. First the ministry had finally cleared Sirius' name, even if it was a good dozen years too late, then there had been the meetings with the auror's during which he'd had to repeat his story of Voldemort's demise so often he felt like a broken record that had yet to be removed from the turn table. If all that hadn't been enough there was the strange turn that his relationship with Ron seemed to be taking. One morning he'd been sitting across from his best friend at breakfast and it had occured to him how handsome Ron was. That had really thrown him for a loop. Ron handsome? What in Merlin's name was he doing thinking about Ron in that way? THe worst part was the occasional glares that Hermione seemed to be giving him since then. It was like she was trying to tell him without the use of words to keep away from her property. He'd wanted to tell her not to worry, that he didn't want that sort of relationship with Ron, but for some reason he just couldn't.
"Harry?"
"Yes Ron?"
"You ok?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I dunno. You just seemed to be spacing out a bit."
"I guess I'm just a bit tired. Studying for the n.e.w.t.s. on top of everything else has taken a lot out of me."
"Well, just remember if you need anything, I mean anything, I'm here for you Harry." Ron smiled at him a strange look in his eyes.
"Thanks Ron I appreciate that." What was going on. Ron had never looked at him like that before. Or was it just that he'd never noticed his friend look at him like that before? He was so confused.
Ch. 5: The Stars
The n.e.w.t.s were approaching fast and time seemed to be telescoping shut the nearer they came. This evening they had to study the planet Venus and its interactions with the rest of the celestrial spheres or some such thing. Harry sighed. It was likely to be a long night. Several weeks had passed since he'd first noticed the looks that Ron seemed to be giving him when he thought Harry wasn't looking, and he was more and more puzzled by what they could mean. In the meanwhile Hermione had almost stopped talking to either of them. She claimed to not have time for idle chit chat now that the finals were just over the horizon, but the excuse just didn't ring true to Harry. Something else was bothering her, and he wanted to know what.
They had been at it for several hours now and Harry still couldn't fathom what looking at a smog covered dot had to do with anything magical. Still the stars were pretty. Especially when they were reflected in a pair of beautiful blue eyes. Merlin. There he went again. He had to get those thoughts out of his mind. Ron could never think of him that way, could he? He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Ron looking at him, his eyes smoky with concern and, and something else. Without thinking he reached up and caressed Rons face for a moment before moving in closer for a kiss. To his surprise Ron didn't push him away in disgust, but instead kissed him back with equal intensity. For a moment all was still, then a barely audible gasp reached his ears. He turned just in time to see Hermione running for the exit of the tower.
"Bloody hell," Ron swore as he too realized what had just happened. Harry couldn't agree more. He sighed. Why did life always have to be so infernally complicated?
When Harry next opened his eyes he found himself in what appeared to be the Hospital wing of Hogwarts. Great, just great, he thought. With the number of times I've been here over the years I really aught to think about buying my own bed and have a few posters put up on the wall.
"Ah good you're awake. Welcome back Harry."
He squinted. Without his glasses all he could see were soft blurs. Was that Dumbledore? He began to feel round for his glasses. Ah, there they were. He put them on and turned back toward his visitor. Sure enough it was Dumbledore. He had a feeling it was going to be a very long day.
Half an hour later Dumbledore had left and Harry was just starting to doze off when Ron and Hermione dropped by. They both had a look of intense relief on their faces. Considering that Dumbledore had told him that he'd been unconscious for almost two solid weeks he guessed that he could understand it. Sometimes he had a feeling that someone somewhere had put a cosmic "kick me" sign on his back and the world, and most particularly Voldemort, had a liking for kick the Harry or something.
First his parents were killed leaving him with only his evil muggle relatives, then he had to save the philospher's stone from Quirrel who wanted it for Voldemort, then there was the incident with Tom Riddle's diary, next had come the shock of finding out about his godfather, then the tri-wizard tournament and the battle at the ministry of magic. And those had been just the highlights. If he were to write a book about everything that had happened to him over the past few years it would be a best seller. Not because it was true (which it would be), but because he was the boy who lived.
* * *
*
It had been a very strange month. First the ministry had finally cleared Sirius' name, even if it was a good dozen years too late, then there had been the meetings with the auror's during which he'd had to repeat his story of Voldemort's demise so often he felt like a broken record that had yet to be removed from the turn table. If all that hadn't been enough there was the strange turn that his relationship with Ron seemed to be taking. One morning he'd been sitting across from his best friend at breakfast and it had occured to him how handsome Ron was. That had really thrown him for a loop. Ron handsome? What in Merlin's name was he doing thinking about Ron in that way? THe worst part was the occasional glares that Hermione seemed to be giving him since then. It was like she was trying to tell him without the use of words to keep away from her property. He'd wanted to tell her not to worry, that he didn't want that sort of relationship with Ron, but for some reason he just couldn't.
"Harry?"
"Yes Ron?"
"You ok?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I dunno. You just seemed to be spacing out a bit."
"I guess I'm just a bit tired. Studying for the n.e.w.t.s. on top of everything else has taken a lot out of me."
"Well, just remember if you need anything, I mean anything, I'm here for you Harry." Ron smiled at him a strange look in his eyes.
"Thanks Ron I appreciate that." What was going on. Ron had never looked at him like that before. Or was it just that he'd never noticed his friend look at him like that before? He was so confused.
Ch. 5: The Stars
The n.e.w.t.s were approaching fast and time seemed to be telescoping shut the nearer they came. This evening they had to study the planet Venus and its interactions with the rest of the celestrial spheres or some such thing. Harry sighed. It was likely to be a long night. Several weeks had passed since he'd first noticed the looks that Ron seemed to be giving him when he thought Harry wasn't looking, and he was more and more puzzled by what they could mean. In the meanwhile Hermione had almost stopped talking to either of them. She claimed to not have time for idle chit chat now that the finals were just over the horizon, but the excuse just didn't ring true to Harry. Something else was bothering her, and he wanted to know what.
They had been at it for several hours now and Harry still couldn't fathom what looking at a smog covered dot had to do with anything magical. Still the stars were pretty. Especially when they were reflected in a pair of beautiful blue eyes. Merlin. There he went again. He had to get those thoughts out of his mind. Ron could never think of him that way, could he? He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Ron looking at him, his eyes smoky with concern and, and something else. Without thinking he reached up and caressed Rons face for a moment before moving in closer for a kiss. To his surprise Ron didn't push him away in disgust, but instead kissed him back with equal intensity. For a moment all was still, then a barely audible gasp reached his ears. He turned just in time to see Hermione running for the exit of the tower.
"Bloody hell," Ron swore as he too realized what had just happened. Harry couldn't agree more. He sighed. Why did life always have to be so infernally complicated?