Disclaimer: I'm melting... MELTING!!! Wait... even THAT'S someone else's. Ok. The melting thing belongs to Wizard of Oz and stuff. The HP characters and stuff belong to J.K.R, and a good bit went to Warner Bros. Only my plot is mine and mine alone... I should hope.
Harry awoke slowly in the early hours of the morning, the dawn slowly filtering into the dormitory in a misty haze of dim light. He had experienced an interesting dream, the details of which were slowly slipping away like water trickling through cupped hands. All he could remember was that he had been with Sirius. He gave a dry sob. By now, he felt all cried out, all dried up, as if there was no liquid left in him to cry out.
He was not sure if he wanted to talk to Lupin anymore either. He felt slightly uncomfortable. Maybe it was because of what Ron had said. Ron did have a point in saying that the four Marauders, James included of course, were like brothers, and Harry was just as close to Sirius as Remus had been, or so it seemed. So why was Harry like this? Moreover, showing Lupin? For all Harry knew, Lupin could think he was stupid for all this. Harry put his head in his hands. From his current position, speaking up, speaking out, was more difficult than holding it in.
~~~
Ron sighed
as he sat down next to Hermione at the breakfast table.
"What?" she asked.
"I want to tell Harry something, but—oh I don't know—it just sounds stupid when I think about how I'm going to say it."
"What's that?"
Ron blushed. It sounded stupid even with Hermione.
"Well, see, he told me something like, Lupin's stronger then me or something, I'm weak and I just wanted to tell him it's not true and you know..." He faltered, ears glowing bright red, as they did tend to do when he was embarrassed.
"Encourage him?" Hermione offered, smiling and stifling a laugh.
Ron nodded.
"Go ahead, Ron. It's what he needs."
~~~
"Harry?"
"What?" said Harry, looking up.
"Look, I just wanted to say—" Ron's ears, which were slowly fading back to their normal color, began to grow red again.
"I've been thinking on that conversation we have in the Great Hall the other day."
"Same."
"And... And Harry, you're not weak," Ron finished rather lamely, his face beginning to match his ears. Ron decided to say exactly what he had thought aloud. "You're one of the strongest people I've ever met, and always will be, but we all have a breaking point."
Harry sighed, realizing most people were putting almost all their thoughts on him, and was feeling rather ashamed and slightly guilty.
"Thanks Ron," he said, smiling. "You're a great friend."
Ron looked up from his shoelaces to see Harry was looking extremely ashamed.
"Look," Harry began, but Ron stopped him.
"Harry, you have a right to feel like that, and it's ok with us."
"Thanks Ron," he said again.
~~~
That night, Ron found himself leaning over a Transfiguration essay with no idea what any of the material was. When the book they had been assigned to borrow from the library was completely in Greek, it wasn't east to understand.
Both he and Hermione were surprised when a voice spoke behind them, not because there was a voice, you got so many in the Common Room, but the speaker.
"Mind if I join?" Harry asked.
"No, come on, Harry," said Hermione.
He sat down, pulled out his books, and began to pour over the homework until he had caught up to where Ron was. Then he sat down and translated the passages with his friends. These were the kinds of memories that seemed so distant and foreign, and Harry really enjoyed their company, laughing and working together just as they used to.
"Well, time to turn in," said Ron, yawning.
"Yes, goodnight," said Hermione, gently placing an inkbottle in her bag.
Harry just smiled, putting his work into his bag and snapping it shut. His face was lit up and looked happy for the first time in ages.
He rolled into bed and fell into a blissful sleep, feeling the happiest he had felt in months. I ought to do homework with Ron and Hermione more often, he laughed to himself, drifting into sleep.