Pairings in this chapter: Ron/Harry friendship
Disclaimer: Not mine. Not getting money. I wish.
Chapter 13 : I Find It Kinda Sad
The third visit of Dr. Hayaka Minokura was what finally broke Harry of his silence. Diligently, the man had arrived at exactly noon and left five hours afterward. During each of the first visits, Harry laid in silence with his back to the man. The psychiatrist simply read.
"I want Tom."
Hayaka glanced up from the words at the unprovoked words, eyes spotting those of the withdrawn Harry Potter. The boy stared at him tiredly, his face showing no malice or anger, simply heavy regret.
"Tell me about him," replied the older man. Harry's curled fists shifted close to his face as if to protect himself.
"He's a ghost," the boy said softly. "He was nice to me and talked to me when my nightmares woke me up. He was there when I first woke up too. He was always there…He didn't leave me alone…"
"I see," Hayaka nodded and put down his book. "What happened to him, Harry?"
"They took him away!" The boy was suddenly enraged, his body shaking with the hot anger that raged through him. His eyes burned with flames. "They took him away from me! I hate them! I HATE THEM!"
The mirror on the wall shattered. Calmly, Hayaka got up and cast a quick restoration spell before going to the boy's side. Harry's eyes were shut tightly and moisture was beginning to form in the corners of them. Gently, he laid a hand on the boy's cheek. Green eyes shot open before the boy jumped and lashed out at the older man. Hayaka dodged most of them, letting the boy get his anger out.
"I hate them! I hate them!" Harry chanted as his voice shook with sobs. "They took him away! I hate them! I hate them…"
The boy took a shuttering breath as he collapsed against Hayaka's chest, still beating his hands feebly against it. The doctor sighed softly and brought his arms up around him.
"Harry, do you understand why they took Tom away?"
He didn't answer, but his fists stilled.
"Do you remember it?"
"Why wouldn't he trust gentle Tom, who'd never hurt him?"
'No!' cried Harry within his mind as he moved to cover his ears. 'No! Tom, don't!'
"Hm…He's screaming for you, Weasley…Crying and begging for me to spare you…" 'I'm going to tear him apart, Harry…I'll rip out those pretty blue eyes you like so much…I'll make that hair the REAL color of blood!'
'NO!'
"Oh…Now he's crying for YOU…He wants me to stop tormenting you…Doesn't he know the real torment doesn't start until blood is shed?" 'Maybe I'll slowly pull off his fingers…and then I'll cut out those lips that tried to claim you…He shall be made to know that you are mine!'
'NO! NO! NOO!!!!'
"Idiot wolf… Idiot traitor…" 'They'll pay…pay dearly for protecting you…for keeping you from me…Their blood will flow so freely that even the sky will be repulsed by their obscene gore!'
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"
Hayaka held tightly as Harry's body went into wild convulsions, his scream ripping and tearing at his throat. The fit was slow to pass and left both exhausted. Hayaka gently laid Harry down and looked at the boy's tired face. His eyes were still open, but dulled and sorrowful. Tears fell freely.
"Why…?" the boy croaked. "He was…nice…"
Hayaka sighed ever so softly and sat down next to him. "He was a disturbed soul, Harry…A very bad man…"
"He knew me when I lived…" Harry shivered. "When I was a very bad man, Harry… When I killed and tortured and did a great many bad things…"
"But you're nice, Tom…"
"No, Harry. I'm not nice." The ghost chuckled softly and pressed his icy lips to the boy's temple. "I'm a very bad man."
Harry shut his eyes tightly as new tears came. He felt so tired, so worn. The soothing warmth on his cheek was enough to coax him into sleep. Hayaka watched this quietly, then pulled the blankets onto the boy and left the room. As he expected, a group of four awaited him, each called by the boy's scream. It was a wonder that the Truth-Cat mother hen wasn't about as well.
"What happened?!" Ron cried at once.
"Is Harry all right?" continued Remus with a worried look.
"Harry experienced a short emotional fit," replied Hayaka calmly. "After some sleep, he shall be fine."
"What triggered it?" Draco asked suspiciously.
The doctor's eyes hardened as he took in the boy. "My treatment is not without outbursts like this, gentlemen. The fastest way for Harry to recover is to have him face what has happened and accept it! Albus has told me to do as much as I can before the start of school. If the boy is not stable, he will not be allowed to continue his schooling."
Draco turned away, fists clinched.
"Now then," continued Hayaka with a softer tone. "My time is over for today. I shall return tomorrow."
Snape moved from the other man's way, frowning after him. Hayaka was very abrupt with his exits, never lingering. It seemed he had learned from years past. A door shutting signaled his leaving of the house.
Later that evening, Ron entered Harry's room with a tray of food. The other boy was still in his bed, but the sheets had been twisted into a sort of cave around his body. He lay in a fetal position, fists beside his face and sheets exposing his upper torso. But Harry wasn't asleep. His dull eyes focused on the redhead's form immediately.
"I brought dinner," Ron said softly, nervously. Harry didn't answer, only keeping his stare. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Ron set the tray on the bedside table and dropped his gaze. "I…I'll just leave you alone, okay?"
He got to the door before Harry's voice stopped him.
"Draco kissed me two days ago."
Ron's hand was motionless on the doorknob and his back stayed to the other.
"Tom kissed me before that, but then he tried to kill all of you."
Still, Ron didn't leave, nor did he turn around.
"I wonder if Draco will do the same. Or Professor Snape. Or Mr. Lupin. Or Hayaka. Or Mr. Dumbledore. Or even you"
Slowly, ever so slowly, the redhead turned to stare at Harry, who hadn't moved. Those green eyes were pleading him, begging even. The other boy was hopelessly lost and in dire need of a stable factor in his life. It was the worst look Ron had ever seen in Harry's eyes. It made him want to cry.
"I wonder if kissing me is some sort of curse that makes people go insane. I…remember feeling so lonely, before…I don't know why…but I think it was because I was so alone. Am I cursed, Ron?"
Ron knew those words. Harry had asked that before, the day after Sirius' death. He had asked that after the death of Cedric. He had asked after the escape of Wormtail. His darkest moments, that question had been asked. 'Am I cursed?' And each time, Ron had nearly cried.
However, Harry's voice had never been so lost and scared ever before.
Slowly, as not to scare the other boy, Ron moved to the bed and sat down beside him, keeping his eyes locked onto his. He lifted one hand and gently laid it over the other's shoulder.
"You aren't cursed," Ron whispered vehemently. Harry continued to stare at him. Then, quiet tears filled his eyes.
"Thank you," he murmured almost soundlessly as he raised an arm to clasp the other around the neck and bring him down. Ron embraced him tightly, happy that finally he could be of some limited use to the hero of the world.
A/N: Another day, another chapter... Maybe some Ron/Harry or Draco/Harry next chapter. Dunno yet...Prolly just a bunch of talking between Harry and Hayaka...
Time for another round of Acknowledgements! Man, I really need to get in the habit of these...I haven't since chapter 7...
TeeDee - Who will Harry end up with? I dunno. Not all the pairings I'm planning on have been introduced. Any suggestions? Glad you like Rylia and Hayaka. And Ron IS acting like an overprotective parent!!!
AoiHyou - Hermione's stability will be explored later... Harry's is on the table. Glad you like angsty stories, but smut? Eh...Just remember that I'm a little sixteen-year-old virgin. I can't write well what I haven't really gone through myself...
Silver Neo - Glad you like Rylia! ^^ She's cool. As for Hayaka...You can have him as long as you let me borrow him for the fic. ^_~. And tell your Draco that I'm not a 'her', but a 'him'. Thank you.
Tsuyuno - Yeah, Harry's way submissive. ^^ Can't help it. I like him that way.
lilypurewhite - Sev spanking Draco?!?! Yes, Ron is a dunderhead. Snape/Lupin? Well, I still haven't decided. Yes, Rylia saved the day. Hurrah for Rylia!! ^^ Rough Draco/Harry is a good thing? Oki... *blush* I'm glad you liked my drawings. ^^ I should have Hayaka's up soon.
Elbereth - I'm glad you like Rylia. Now then: Poltergists are actually a 'subspecies' of ghosts, not a completely different creature type. When I asked, it was mostly rhetorical. I'm a huge ghost/alien/supernatural stuff buff. ^^;;
Cassi Angelica - Yeah, Rylia's gotta be tough with THESE boys! ^^ I agree; stupid Dumbledore...The guy just really annoys me. Yes, I'm evil ^^ Not rooting for Draco/Harry? Wow!! Somebody's not!!! *cheers* Hayaka's annoying? ^^;; I'm sorry you don't like him.
princessdaisy - Glad you like Rylia. ^^ Yes, Tom was mean to Harry so I had to... off him.
Emily - Too much estrogen...Way too much...
Machine of Death - I've already given you the Gold Star, but... I love you. ^^ So you get a note anyway. ^^
Icelight-warm - I've already done the same for you too, but you're still cool ^^ I've never seen Donny Darko....
dixon - I made you cry? Wow.... Yes, there should be many more angsty fics and OCs like Rylia.
Laila - I'm glad you liked my OCs ^^
Phew....Man...This story's getting more reviews than any other story I've ever written...