Disclaimer: J.K. owns it all

When Nightmares Are A Good Thing

Chapter 19: Fan Mail Answered

When the four teenagers reached the basement kitchen, Mrs. Weasley had just finished placing lunch on the table and was settling down into a seat. When she saw Harry, however, she leapt up and began fussing over his state of health, much to Harry's chagrin.

It took nearly five minutes for Harry to assure her that he had taken his potions earlier and was feeling fine. By the time Harry was seated, Ron had already polished off his first sandwich.

"You do look much better, Harry," Tonks commented in between bites.

"Yeah, mate. Somehow talking to the three of us helped rid you of the shadows under your eyes," Ron stated in a voice that held a hint of a warning to remind Harry that he'd forgotten and left his face morphed into a normal appearance.

"Hmmm, guess we'll just have to talk to you more often then," Harry said before anyone else could raise questions on the subject.

Remus raised an eyebrow in Harry's direction but said nothing.

A laugh, coming from Ron's mouth that was full of food, demanded the table's attention and started up the real lunch conversation for that day.

"Ron, who are all those letters from?" Mrs. Weasley asked curiously, having seen the pile next to her youngest son.

Seeing that Ron was having enough problems trying to stop laughing long enough to chew his food, Harry answered for him.

"They're mine, Mrs. Weasley-"

"Molly" corrected Molly.

"Riight. Well, I talked Ron into scanning through all of my overdue mail. He is supposed to be filtering out the nonsense rather than having himself a good laugh at my expense," Harry finished with a glare at his best friend who was still chuckling.

"Sorry, mate. I accidentally mistook that last letter as a love note from some anonymous witch. Wasn't though."

Harry gave him a nervous look of foreboding. "If it wasn't an anonymous love note, what was it?" This wasn't the sort of thing Harry wished to be speaking of in front of the others but his apprehension was flowing too strong for him to care.

"Oh it's a love note alright! It's just not anonymous," Ron smirked.

"W-what?" Harry reached across the table as quickly as he could to snatch the parchment from beside Ron's plate.

Harry felt his stomach drop all the way to his knees, similar to the way a paper grocer's bag would bust when if its contents weighed too much. Cho Chang had written to him. Not only had she written a letter to him, but also it was on parchment that Harry now realized he could smell a good three feet away. To stall, for time before he would have to read what she wrote, Harry looked up at Hermione.

"Why would she be writing to me? I mean, I thought I mucked everything up with her," Harry asked while endeavoring to strain the desperateness out of his voice. He didn't even bothering to include Ron in his question. Truth be told, Harry was becoming a bit annoyed that he had to read such a troublesome letter as the one that he now held, grasped in his fist and held away from his body, and all Ron could do was laugh and smirk. It wasn't likely that Ron would be able to answer his inquiry anyway.

"I suppose you'll have to read it find out, now won't you." Hermione eyed the letter intriguingly.

With much trepidation, Harry pulled the parchment towards himself and lowered his eyes.

Dear Harry,

I want to apologize for my behavior towards you last year. I can't believe I acted the way I did. I hope you can forgive me. I suppose I don't really deserve it but I know that you're a nice guy who will hear me out in the least.

I can't really tell you what I was thinking last year, as I don't know myself. How anyone could feel badly around you is beyond me. Somehow, I felt guilty for being happy with you. I didn't know what to think. I had liked you first. Who wouldn't like you? You have the most brilliant eyes that I have ever seen and your hair is really cute not to mention your gentlemanly behavior even during quidditch. That's when I started to really like you, you know. I even wanted for you to ask me to the Yule Ball. When the Ball was only a few days away I decided that I was thinking wishful thoughts. So, when Cedric asked me to the Ball later that Day, I accepted. I wanted to move on instead of dwelling on something that would never happen. I could have kicked myself for telling Cedric 'Yes' when you DID ask me to go with you. I felt very divided in my own mind.

Still, I liked you first and last. I should not have been so jealous of Hermione. It was pointed out to me that you must have given the interview for that Quibbler article after leaving Madame Puddifoot's with me. I don't exactly know why I was so quick to jump the lake when I heard you were meeting with her. I'll admit it was good that you did. Never waste an opportunity to undermine Umbridge.

Anyway, I'm sorry for the way I was acting and I hope you'll find it in you to please forgive me. I'd like to pick up where we left off but I'll understand if you don't.

Yours,

Cho Chang

Harry stared at the parchment before looking up at Ron in bewilderment.

Ron continued laughing out loud in short spurts. "W-what's she wa-want?"

"Apparently, she wants to get back together with me. Hermione? I have a question for you," Harry asked suddenly, continuing without waiting for an answer. "I know I'm a guy so I'm going to run this by you because I simply don't understand how we could "get back together" when we were never "together" to begin with. Did she just forget that she blew up on me before we could get that far?"

Hermione, it seemed was doing her best to be as sympathetically polite to Harry as she could, though it was clear that she would really have liked to laugh along with Ron.

"I don't know Harry. Maybe she didn't realize that crying all over you for a year doesn't officially count. I think you ought to write her back and set her straight. It's really not fair to allow her to continue thinking that you were together, let alone think that she might have a another chance. I'll bet anything she wants back in your good graces now that you're officially not a liar nor crazy anymore," Hermione stated in her classroom explanatory manner.

'Great,' thought Harry. 'Just what I need; some fame hungry girl chasing after me for my money.'

Remus cleared his throat loudly. "Would this happen to be Cho Chang of Ravenclaw?"

"Fhwats fhur!" said enthusiastically, mouth full yet again.

The gathered group looked oddly at Ron who's face burned as he swallowed his bite of food in order to clearly repeat, "That's her!"

"Well, I suppose I ought to get a start on reading and replying to some these letters," Harry said. "Ron, where did you put the rest of the readable letters?"

Harry had just finished reading all of his letters for the day when a knock on the door broke the silence.

"Come in."

The door gave a creak as it revealed the tan skin of Hermione's face.

"I know you probably want to write your reply yourself, but I thought I might be able to help," Hermione said.

Harry smiled at his best friend. "Sure. I just finished it. I wrote it as politely and clearly as I could make myself."

He stood up from his desk chair and walked over to Hermione. She took the letter and sat down on the edge of Harry's bed to read.

Cho,

To be honest, I did not expect to hear from you. I am glad that you were finally able to see that Hermione and I are nothing but good friends.

I'm not really sure what to say to you, but we do need to get a few things straight. We are not and were not together. Although, at one point, there was nothing I would have liked more. I understand why you were upset so much. I would have been too, but there are some pretty good reasons as to why I didn't want to discuss Cedric's death with you. As much as you needed the closure, talking or even thinking about it is really hard for me. You shouldn't have tried to force me into reliving those memories before I was ready and willing.

I suppose I first realized that I had feelings for you in my third year. You were pretty and good at quidditch. All throughout the year you were nothing less than polite to me, before and after Cedric asked you out. You didn't even know me, really. And yet, you still supported me by not taking a stand against me. Odd isn't it? That I write how thankful I am because a person of who knew nothing about me didn't cast unsupported judgments against me. What's the world coming to? My point is that you were always nice to me when the entire school hated me. It shows a lot about your true character. You're a good person, Cho, don't doubt it.

However, I don't think that we're right for each other. I could elaborate but you really do feel the way about me that you wrote, it wouldn't do any good, would it? I just don't feel like our personalities mesh. Trust me, you'll find a guy who's so much better than me. Don't settle for second best, Cho. Wait until you've found the one you want.

I know this probably sounds clichéd, but I hope we can still be friends. Real friends who trust each other and are able to laugh and speak to each other without loads of tension and jealousy.

As for the last fight that we had... I don't blame you for Marietta's actions. That has nothing to do with us. I do think you ought to be more cautious. Real friends are trustworthy. What she did was not right. It put the lives and futures of the entire D.A. in jeopardy. Believe me when I say I know a thing or too about endangering the lives of people close to you. I take responsibilities for any of my mistakes and accept all of my blame. Does Marietta? I should not have allowed us to be caught. If I had been a better leader I would have devised a better plan for us. But, like I said we all make mistakes. I apologize for mine and promise to try harder in the future. That's really all I can do. The past is the past and it affects the future in ways that we allow it to.

Perhaps I will see you on the train, if not I will see you when we get to school.

Your Friend,

Harry Potter

When Hermione looked up there was pride in her eyes.

"That was beautifully written, Harry. You were polite and worded yourself very clearly. I'm sure she'll understand."

The letter was handed back to Harry who rolled it up and tied it to Hedwig's waiting leg. He opened the window and watched her fly out. For a few minutes he simply gazed at the sunset until he realized that Hermione was staring at him from her position on his bed.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Nothing. It's just... I didn't realize you felt that way. I didn't know you could..."

"Figure out my feelings without you explaining it to me?" Harry grinned.

Hermione gave a small nod and smiled sheepishly up at Harry, who laughed as he turned back to face the sunset.

"It took me a little while, but I figured it out. I am capable of thinking. Ron, however..." Harry joked.

The two best friends shared a laugh.

Hermione cleared her throat, which caused Harry to sigh and turn back around. He took a seat across from his female best friend on his own bed. It didn't take a genius to know that Hermione had something serious to say, and when it came to Hermione, serious usually meant a long discussion.

She must have known that Harry was aware of what was to come, as she started in on the area under discussion immediately.

"Harry, I know you are hiding some- many things from me. I've known you long enough to pick up on when you are keeping a secret. I normally don't say anything because I generally assume that your secrets have to do with rule breaking. This time, I'm certain that's not the case.

"While I don't think it's a good idea to allow you to bottle it all up, I think it's an even worse idea to force you to talk about it. I tried that tactic with you more than once. I just hope that you are able figure out that you're not alone and that talking sometimes helps. If you want to talk or if you need someone, I'm here for you Harry. So is Ron, Ginny, Remus, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Fred, George, Tonks, Kingsley, Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore, Ha-"

Harry held up his hand "I get the idea 'Mione. It's not really something I can tell. "

"Just don't let it eat away at you. You're only human, Harry. I know you wish you were made of steel-"

"I don't"

"What?"

"Wish I were made of steel," Harry elaborated sporting a small smile. "If I was all metal how would I be able to play quidditch?"

A voice in the back of Harry's chided himself for thinking that he would even be allowed to play, or fly even, ever again. Hermione must not have remembered his ban, because she merely shook her head and said, "Boys! Always thinking about quidditch."

Hermione reached over and pulled Harry into a hug.

"Seriously, though. I'm here if you need me Harry."

"I know. It's just...well, parts of it are so confusing. I haven't even been Able to figure out what I think about... well, you know."

Hermione smiled at his genuine reply. "Come on, then. Mrs. Weasley probably has dinner all ready.

"Don't you mean Molly?" Harry joked as he followed Hermione downstairs.