Before we start just a quick note. It was NO fun writing this chapter at all.
Harry stomped down the corridor, hands stuffed in his pocket's grumbling to himself. To say he was pissed was an understatement. Harry was furious. Not only did Scamander yell at him and Draco for about ten minutes, but he also gave him the fault! The professor said that it was he who drew the wand first, it was him that made it to a fight. Even though Harry had tried to explain more than once, that it was Malfoy's spell that hit the giant serpent. But he wasn't heard! Scamander said it didn't matter, he started it. Oh yes, Draco also got detention but only three evenings, other than him, who got two full weeks with Filch.
Harry gritted his teeth in anger, thinking about it. This was so not fair! He hadn't hurt the damn snake! All he did was pull his wand when basically pushed into it. On his shoulder, Dawn fluttered her wings, chirping into his ear in an attempt to cheer him up. Her bonded human was angry, sad and hurt and all she wanted was him to be happy again. She disliked the emotions that came through their bond deeply and tried her best to chase them away. But not this time.
"Cut it, Dawn!" Harry snapped at her, glaring over at the black feather ball. This wasn't the reaction she wanted and she disliked it even more so she made her disagreement known by nipping on his ear once.
"Ow!" Harry hissed, actually swatting his hand at her. Dawn dodged it leaving his shoulder in a flutter of feathers. The young phoenix didn't understand. What was wrong with her human? He had never pushed her away, he always got happy when she drew his attention towards herself. What was wrong with him? She batted her wings twice looking at him with hurt eyes, chirping loudly and demanding. Harry glared over at her.
"I said cut it damnit!" He growled out again. Dawn was confused by this and slowly it dawned on her, her human didn't want her! She gave him one sad cooing sound before she tilted to the side, diving out of a window, into the sky and thick rain. She needed time to think about what just happened and if her bonded human didn't want her than she would go, even though she disliked the wet and cold of the November rain deeply.
Harry's eyes followed Dawn out of the window and for a moment, he felt the stab of pain and hurt through their bond, but the anger washed over it quickly. Did she want to be a Diva? Fine! Life wasn't always happiness she had to learn that one way or the other. He had learned it long ago when he was still little. He gritted his teeth thinking back his aunt and uncle and a lot of the things that happened in the first years of his life.
"Harry!" A voice called out from somewhere behind him. He turned, seeing Hermione jog down the corridor towarts him, her arm full of books. Her bushy hair swung back and forth.
"Oh hey, Hermione." He said with a little sigh. He just hoped she hadn't seen what just happened, but her eyes were more filled with worry than anything. She frowned slightly.
"What happened in class? Professor Scamander seemed livid."
Harry snorted, shaking his head. "Scamander is an asshole." He stated, turning as they walked down the corridor. Harry felt a little bad leaving the window where Dawn had left but at the same time, he scolded himself for it. She had run away, that was not his fault, he said to himself. Hermione frowned deeply.
"Harry! Don't say that, I thought you liked Professor Scamander." Her head was tilted and she eyed him. Harry shook his head.
"Yeah but now? He gave me two weeks of detention, two weeks!" He growled. Hermione frowned.
"What happened anyway? There must be a reason for it." They turned around a corner, walking on.
Harry nodded gravely while rubbing his forehead. "Malfoy of course!" He states firmly. Hermione scowled hard.
"What did that git do this time?" She asked curiously yet she knew Harry and Malfoy clashed so often over all this time. So she wasn't so much surprised. Harry growled slightly.
"I helped him with the snake because of course, he couldn't do it by himself. Instead of thanking me he started to be his gitty self, taunting me and insulting Dawn."
Hermione's eyes turned to his shoulder, now noticing that there was no black phoenix on it. She frowned slightly.
"By the way where is Dawn anyways? She is normally always with you."
Harry flinched slightly shaking his head slightly. "She went out to fly." He half-lied, not sure what else to say. He knew full well if he told her what really happened she would be mad and at the moment he just didn't want to deal with that.
Hermione raised a surprised eyebrow looking at the closest window. Rain dripped against it, running down the glass, almost making seeing through it impossible. She frowned.
"Really at this weather? She hates the rain." She stated, looking back at her best friend with a little confused look. Harry finched inside. Hermione knew Dawn well, spending the last few months quite a lot with her and Harry had always been vocal about the feelings of his little girl. All the sudden he felt really bad about letting her leave. He would have to find her. Yet, he still didn't want Hermione to know. He noded.
"yeah, I don't know why. Just went out the window." He lied with a shrug of his shoulders. Harry wasn't really a good liar under normal circumstances, but this time he seemed to get through with it as Hermione nodded, moving on.
"Maybe it was too warm for her, I don't know." Harry knew that wasn't correct. Even with the distance between the two of them, he could still feel her slightly, mostly confusion and hurt pride. It didn't make him feel better, but he had no idea what to do about it. He couldn't send something through their bond, even though he felt quite bad for being mean to her. Luckily Hermione dropped the topic after that, nodding.
"Who knows...anyways, why would Professor Scamander give you detention if Malfoy did all of it?" She asked, clearly curious. Harry nodded, pointing at her.
"Exactly! That is what I said. Malfoy hurt the snake, it was his cutting curse, he started it, yet he gets only three damn detentions while I get two weeks because I pulled my wand first."
Hermione frowned a little.
"Well, you aren't allowed to duel and to pull your wand during that-"
"Oh now you are on their side?" Harry spat, pointing down the corridor where they came from.
Hermione frowned, tilting her chin up. "I'm not Harry. I just say that there are times-"
Harry waved his hand again cutting her short. "Scamander is unfair that is what it is! So what I pulled my wand, that happens all the time with god damn Malfoy! No one was hurt so what's the bloody point?"
Hermione frowned a little. "Professor Scamander, Harry."
Harry whos mood plummeted even more, combined with the guilt towards Dawn and his anger, just exploded at that.
"God, Hermione you sound just like Scamander! Don't yell at me Peverell, Responsibility bla bla bla! It was Malfoys god damn fault, why is he giving me all the grief?"
Now Hermione's eyes flashed as well, tapping her free finger on his chest. "Damn Harry! Yes, maybe it wasn't fair but that wasn't only you two! You can call yourself lucky Blaise was just outside the Greenleaves pen, getting a new pumpkin."
Harry waved over his shoulder. "So what?" He grumbled. Hermione gasped a little.
"Harry! You know how Greenleaves go when trees are hurt! Blaise could have been seriously injured."
"Still Malfoys fault. Would be right if one of his cronies took the blow for it, maybe then he will learn not to pick fights with me." Harry spat out, gritting his teeth again. Hermione stared at him with an open mouth. She gaped for a moment, then a steely look came to her eyes.
"I know you are hurt, with what happened with Gryph but get it together Harry. We are talking about a fellow student here."
"A Slytherin." Harry countered, knowing at that moment, that he said the wrong thing but way too proud to keep it in.
Hermione blinked once, then scowled at him. "Stop it, Harry. Like I said I know you hurt but there is a limit to everything. In case you didn't notice, you crossed it just now." She spat out, breathing heavily.
"Is there now? Fine, I'm sorry I hurt your precious sence of morality right now." He yelled out, getting into her face. Hermione blinked at him, before shacking her head.
"Think good and hard about what you said there, after that find me. I won't be around you, when you are like that, because quite frankly, right now Harry...You are kind of an ass!" She yelled the last part and stormed away from him, pushing through the circle of bystanders, who got interested in the yelling that happened pretty loudly. Harry glared at the people around.
"What are you staring at?" He barked at them, making them move on. He then turned and stormed off in the opposite direction. His robes billowed behind him as he just walked with no aim. He came around a corner, finding an empty classroom and he quickly went inside. He slammed the door shut, casting a silencing spell on it and then he just screamed. Slamming his fist on the table he screamed again, a raw animal-like scream of anger. For a little while, he just screamed. Slamming his fist again and again onto the table, kicking a chair. It was so unfair, unfair unfair UNFAIR! It wasn't his fault! He didn't make Malfoy fire a spell! He didn't want to be there every year fighting for his life! It wasn't his fault his parents, that Gryph and others had died. It wasn't his fault, it just wasn't.
After a while he just slumped down to the side, sliding down the wall near a window. His throat was hoarse and hurting. He pulled his knees to his chest, while he thought. It was his fault. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew it was true. It was his fault that his parents had died. If it wasn't for him, if it wasn't he Voldemort wanted, then they would be alive, laughing, being happy. If he had been careful, had left Gryph with Sirius that day, he would still live. He would still breath and it was on him. Harry had forgotten the small snakeling was around his neck. He reached up to his shoulder, wanted to feel Dawn's feathers, but she wasn't there. She had left him alone too. Hermione had left him alone. What friend would leave you like that?
Harry stayed there for quite some time, not noticing the first bell, not the second one. He just sat there, staring out the window, thinking. His anger was still there, this anger about the unfairness of the world and Hermione and Ron so to speak. They both had dropped him, left him. What were friends good if they didn't stick with you when you needed them the most? Why would he even need them? One day that damn Snakeface would get what he wished for anyways. What was the point in it. Maybe he had gone all wrong about this, Harry thought to himself. He would die anyway, not getting old. So why should he shackle himself to something stupid? He could just enjoy his life. He owed no one anything. At least no one alive. All had always left him alone. Sirius had when he went and got himself in Azkaban, Dumbledore had when he sent him to the fucking Dursleys, Remus could have taken him, he could have but he didn't want to. Because he was just a burden to them. Now his other friends also left him.
He didn't care, Harry told himself when he got up. The bell just rang to account for the end of the evening meal. He had sitten there the entire day, he thought to himself. Outside, the sky had gotten dark and it was still raining. He released the silencing spell on the door and moved out. He was worried though. About Dawn, she hadn't returned the entire day and while he was still mad at her for just leaving and not understanding, he still loved her and didn't want her hurt. When he felt into the bond though, she seemed fine, not great but mostly sad, not hurt. Harry sighed, walking down the corridors towards the Great Hall. He knew he had missed classes today, but really right now, he couldn't care less.
When he entered the Great Hall, he was one of the last to come there. Eyes followed him when he walked towards the Gryffindor table. Of course, his fight with Hermione had already made its way around the school due to the rumour mill of Hogwarts. People whispered to each other, eyeing him. Harry felt himself grit his teeth again. They should mind their own business really, this was none of theirs. Stop staring at me he thought to himself, his eyes focused on the free place there. There were others too, but he didn't want to sit with his housemates at the moment. There was a place free next to Hermione, who only looked up shortly when he came near, before resuming her meal. But he walked past her, walked past Neville who eyed up at him, and moved on to the part of the table, where the German students were sitting, talking with each other. A place was free next to Sebastian and Harry just flopped down, startling the older student a little bit.
"Oh, Harry, hi." He said, raising his hand shortly. Harry nodded at him to acknowledge his greeting and grabbed some chicken and rice from a bowl in front of him. By sitting all day in that classroom, not eating, Harry might not have much appetite but his stomach had different ideas about whether or not he should eat. Harry started eating with vigour since it would mean he didn't have to talk much during that. For a while, he just listened to Sebastian and Anna talking quietly. They had turned to English out of courtesy and were discussing some TV-series they both seemed to enjoy back home.
"Lord Peverell?" A voice asked behind him in an emotionless manner. He turned his head. Her blond hair like so often in a braid over her shoulder, her robes like so often pristine and clean, not a speck of irregularities on her pale skin, Daphne stood there, her dark green eyes focused on him. And she was not alone. On her arm, looking sadly at him with her big golden eyes, was Dawn. Harry reached out, offering her his hand to jump on.
"Dawn!" He said getting up. The phoenix jumped from the girl's slender arm and onto his wrist. Quickly he pulled her to his chest, his free hand brushing over her back.
"Oh dawn, I miss you, I'm sorry." He whispered into her feathers, while she rubbed herself against his chest. She cooed sadly and timidly at him and he actually felt his eyes sting a little. For a moment he murmured at the small creature, before looking up. The first smile this day came to his lips.
"Thanks, Daphne." He said. The girl just raised her eyebrow.
"I took care of her after I found her."
Harry looked down at the slightly shivering black bird. "Where did you find her?" He asked.
Daphne looked at him calculating. "In the third floor in the beams that hold the ceiling. She was soaked and made broken croaked whimper like sounds." Harry felt his heart clench at these words. He nodded.
"Thank you." He murmured out, Dawn shuffling in his hands. Harry could see that Daphne wanted to ask more but then the blond girl shook herself, turning away after a courtesy towards him. The raven-haired boy sat down again, the food forgotten, Sebastians' and Annas conversation and everything else he zoned out. He leaned down, placing his forehead lightly against the small feathered head.
"I'm sorry Dawn." He mumbled, knowing not his words but the feelings that came through the bond would more likely be understood by her. Dawn looked him in the eyes, golden and emerald connected for a long time, just staring at each other, while emotions rushed between them. Finally, Dawn cooed, raising her beak, so he could tickle her under it, in a peace offering. Harry reached out his index finger tickling in the demanded spot. For a while he didn't mind the looks he got, just focused on his familiar, until a slight coughing sound was heard behind him. Harry turned and flinched inside when he saw Professor McGonagall standing there, her stern eyes fixed on him. The deputy-headmistress wore her regular dark green robes and pointed hat while she raised an eyebrow.
"Lord Peverell." She stated firmly, not loud, apparently but still firm. He quickly rose, Dawn in his hands.
"Professor." He said.
Minerva McGonagall looked at him with certain sternness, yet not completely cold. "Would you please follow me in case you are finished with dinner." She said, a roll of parchment holding in her hand. Harry turned his head towards the mostly eaten plate and he nodded, following out of the Hall and into a side room. Dark green eyes followed him out of the hall. Nothing special was in there just a few spare desks and chairs. The stern head of house Gryffindor turned towards him.
"It has come to my attention that you missed out on Charms as well as Divination today. Would you care to elaborate on this fact?" She asked her eyebrow raised a little. Harry nodded looking at the floor.
"I'm sorry, I didn't feel well Professor." He said quietly. McGonagall shook her head slightly, still disapproving.
"Yet you didn't report to the hospital wing. I know that because I asked Madam Pomfrey. How does that come to be?"
Harry just stared down at her feet, shrugging slightly, so he saw her stepping closer.
"Or would it perhaps have something to do with your fight with Miss Granger after your first period this morning?"
He eyed up at her seeing a slight smirk in the corner of her mouth. "The rumour mill in this castle is quite quick Lord Peverell." She said, answering her unspoken question.
"Harry." Her voice turned softer. "I know you have a lot on your mind right now. What you are dealing with, quite frankly adults would have trouble to handle. You are doing better than half the adult populace would do, it is okay to be shaken." She stated with her hand coming down on his shoulder, yet instead of comfort, Harry felt it like a heavy weight of an additional expectation.
"I will overlook that you weren't present in those classes for today. Maybe it would be good to talk to someone." She said softly, trying to comfort the boy with this massive weight he was carrying around.
"Like whom?" He bit out, again not looking at her. Minerva smiled, trying to soften her approach.
"Harry, there are people who can help you in these situations. Professionals. Mind healers."
Harry stepped back, pulling his shoulder out of her hand as he shook his head. "I don't need a shrink, I'm not crazy."
Professor McGonagall shook her head. "Harry, you don't have to be crazy to talk to someone. It can help."
This was definitely something Harry didn't want. He did not need someone to talk to. He didn't need to talk about it because there was nothing to say. Voldemort wanted to kill him, had killed others to get to him and he wouldn't stop until he was dead. There was nothing some shrink or mind healer or whatever you called them could do about it. So he would not lay out his life in front of a strange for him to prod and pock at it likesome frog on a dissecting table.
Harry again shook his head. "Can I go now?" He asked instead, his eyes careful not to look at his head of the house. Minerva sighed nodding.
"All right, please think about it. I spoke to Professor Scamander, your detention has been postponed for the moment, but please refrain from this recurring."
Harry nodded, slipping out of the room. He hadn't even thanked his professor for getting him out of detention, because he couldn't bring himself to care really. He just wanted to go to bed and sleep. He felt like shit right now. He ignored the few people he met during his walk to the Gryffindor tower, quickly walked through the common room and got through the dorm into his trunk again. It was only when he stood in front of his bed, he stopped, raising Dawn to his face again.
"I'm so sorry girl, I didn't mean to yell at you." He whispered, moreto himself than to her. The phoenix was still gloomy but she chirped, rubbbing her head against his nose for a moment. A sad smile came to his lips.
"Let's go to bed, okay? This is just a shitty day all in all."
A chirp was all agreement Harry needed there and then.
"NOOOOO!" Harry tried to reach out, but where just was his mother reaching out to him, only darkness awaited really. Harry blinked, his breathing laboured as he tried to understand what was happening. Ragged breathing filled the silence in his small room. Harry swallowed, trying to calm his breathing ever so slightly when he realised he had been dreaming again. He felt his sheets clutched around him, drenched with sweat and feeling cold. A soft movement and a quiet cooing sound came from his stomach area, and when he looked down he saw a blurry blob of golden shine there. He reached out, careful not to miscalculate without his glasses and rubbed over Dawn's head for a moment. Slowly his breathes got slower as he calmed down.
Again a nightmare. Similar to the one last night. His mother and Gryph again. A detached piece of his mind wondered why his father was not so often in his dreams like his mother. Was there a meaning behind it? Professor Trelawney would probably say yes, but he couldn't think of any, so he just shook his head, trying to get rid of the thought. He grabbed his glasses and wand, casting a tempus. Three in the morning. He sighed, pulling back the blanket ad getting up. He just knew he wouldn't be able to go to sleep again, just like last night. Instead, he went to the shower and after that pulled on some sweatpants. Maybe...after he had drunk last night, he had been able to sleep, maybe he should again. He turned to his dresser, on which the square bottle stood. About a third of it was empty, drank by him and Ginny last night. He nodded to himself picking the bottle up and went over to his bed. He sat down on the edge and instantly Dawn settled in his lap. Harry smiled, rubbing over her back. While she seemed to keep close to him, had huddled closer during the sleep than she had done for a long time, she still was upset with him and he made his best effort to make up for his outburst towards her. Harry leaned down, burying his nose in her feathers, blowing a warm breath under her wing, making her coo.
"I love you little feather." He murmured into the black feathers, making her coo even more. For a moment he just nuzzled and played with the small bird, before leaning back. He smiled at her opening the bottle once more. He raised it.
"To you.." He said with a chuckle, as he looked his small familiar into the eyes. She titled her little head slightly, looking back at him as he took a swig from it. Once again the burning came, he grimaced at it, while it flamed it's way down his throat and into his stomach. While it wasn't as bad as yesterday, it still didn't feel the same. He raised the bottle, looking at the ember contend. It had tasted better yesterday, somewhat different. It wasn't bad or something, the burning aside and he already felt the warmth spreading through his stomach but there wasn't the same feeling that had been there before.
What was different? He asked himself while looking over at the pictures that stood beside his bed. With a glare, he started at the one of him, Hermione and Ron. His hand reached out, tilting it over and laying it flat. He did the same with the one of his parents who waved at him from their tiny frame, but for a different reason. He just couldn't stand looking at them like that happy. It made him feel guilty again, the life they never had. They would be forever like they were in that picture, forever young and full of potential but nothing of it fulfilled. All because of him. Harry took another swig from the bottle, again wincing sligtly due to the burning in his throat. He even coughed slightly, but got up.
He couldn't stand being in the room with their picture for one more minute all the sudden. Quickly he threw over a jumper and climbed the stairs, putting the bottle into a small bag just in case someone was awake in his dorm room.
No one was, all were sleeping, snoring slightly. They had no worries, Harry thought bitterly. Their lives were easy really, they could just have fun and don't really worry. The worst fear they had were the some essay deadline or what some girl thought of them. They didn't have a crazy serial killer after them, didn't know what it was like risking your life. His eyes fell on the red hair of his ex-best friend.
Ron had taken part in his adventures enough over the years that yes, he had some experince in it. He had fought t his side, stood ready to defend him from Sirius last year. And now he abandonded him out of something pit like jealosy, Harry thought, quickly turning on his heel and marching to the door. He opened and closed it quietly, not because he was taking care or was consiered, but he didn't want them to see him leave, so it was tippy-toeing all the way. At least there was a silencing charm on the common room, so you could sleep in the dorms without hearing the sometimes big noise from the room where years worth of Gryffindors spend their free time.
And when he stepped the last step on the stairs, he saw one of the Gryffindors sitting there.
"Ginny?" He said in surprise. The red-haired girl put down the book she was reading, looking over with a smile.
"Hey, Harry." She said warmly, waving him closer. He followed her direction, sitting down next to her.
"What are you doing awake? Did you have a nightmare too again?" He asked, placing Dawn on his knee.
The red-haired girl smiled, shaking her head. "No I didn't. But I knew you would have one probably, so I wanted to be here when you came down." He smiles was still soft and simple. Harry raised an eyebrow.
"How did you know?" He asked, his fingers gliding through Dawn's feathers, while just the single candle Ginny had lid for reading, illuminated the younger girl. She chuckled slightly.
"Harry I have had my time with nightmares and the ones where you flee the bed and avoid going to sleep normally does not come alone. Also, it is quite obvious from the way everything happened, that it was pretty bad where ever you went. So I thought you would want to take of your mind of it."
Harry flinched slightly when she hit it right on the head. He nodded slowly. Ginny rose from the couch and stretched out her hand towards him.
"Let's go." She said with a smile. Harry frowned slightly, taking her hand.
"where?" He blurted out. She laughed lightly, her laugh was actually quite nice Harry noticed once more. She shook her head.
"To the classroom of course. I saw the bottle. Which by the way, even though I like spending the night with you, isn't the best way to sleep." She winked at him, making him blush slightly.
Harry followed her to the portrait hole, raising a curious eyebrow. "And what is if you would let me ask?" He nudged her slightly while Dawn cooed at them. Ginny turned.
"I so often forget that you are muggle raised. A dreamless sleep potion of course." She said with the roll of her eyes. Harry blinked of surprise. Why didn't he thought about this himself? Tomorrow night, he said to himself, when Ginny chuckled slightly and pulled him through the hole.
They had been in what they called "their" classroom for quite some time now and the bottle had circled back and forth between them, while they told each other simple jokes. Again a silencing charm was on the room, so no one would hear them. Harry was surprised that quite a few of Ginny's jokes had made him blush a little but when he asked how she knew such lewd jokes, she had just smirked an said: "I'm Fred and Georges sisters, remember?"
The bottle was with Harry right now and he already felt pretty warm and fuzzy. Ginny was again lying on the couch her feet in Harry's lap, while Dawn had nuzzled into the crook of Harry's neck. Normally, Harry was certain, she would have bounced all around the room but today she kept close to Harry. He took another shot to wash away the guilty feeling.
Ginny suddenly raised her head, chocolate brown eyes focusing on green ones. "Let's play a game." She said with a smile. Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Like what?" Setting down the bottle.
"Let's play Two Truths one lie." She said, her hands folded behind her head. Harry waved his hand, indicating she should elaborate.
Ginny eagerly sat up and sat closely next to him.
"Each of us tells three things. Two truths, one lie. And the other has to guess what is true and whatnot."
Harry nodded, it did sound like fun. "Sure why not. Should I start?" He asked. Ginny nodded, grinning slightly. Harry also agreed, looking around, while thinking. There were a few candles around, giving the whole scene a warm look. For a moment, he thought what he should say, then he smirked.
"I stole from Snape once." He stated, earning a whistle from Ginny.
"Oh, I do hope that one is true." She said with a laugh. Harry also chuckled, nodding.
"Second, even though I lived with her the entire summer, I have never seen the inside of Narcissa's room." He said, nodding to himself. Ginny nodded, eagerly listening. Harry had taken her bait, telling her more about himself, a topic she could listen all the time.
Harry smirked down at Dawn, raising her to his chest. "When I was younger, I always wanted to be an actor."
He smiled, leaning back. Dawn quickly took her place on his chest and he brushed through her feathers, while he watched Ginny. The girl put on a thinking pose, her index finger tapping against her chin, while she stared at him with a concentrated face. Harry grinned widely back. Ginny smirked.
"Well, the first one is too good to not be true, so yes I would say that's a truth."
Harry nodded, smirking. "Yeah, correct there Miss Weasley."
Ginny laughed slapping on his shoulder. "What did you steal and why?"
Harry already a little drunk leaned over, whispering into her ear. "Boomslang skin. We made Polyjuice potion to spy on Malfoy." He leaned back taking the bow the girl made, still sitting.
"I bow before you Harry. Stealing from Snape is something not even Fred and George dare to do."
Harry barked out a laugh, smirking. "Well if that isn't a compliment I know none. One found, two left."
Ginny thought again, then snaped her fingers. "The one with Miss Black is so specific, it just has to be true. So I say, no you never wanted to be an actor."
Harry clapped his hands over his head, making Dawn chirp according to it.
"Well done! That is absolutly correct. I wanted to be a policemen when I was younger." To arrest Uncle Vernon, he added in his thoughts. Ginny smirked.
"And what is that with her room?" She asked, picking up the bottle and drinking a mouthful.
Harry shrugged. "No idea. She had that as an iron clad rule. No one was allowed in her room, not me, not Sirius, not even Kreacher. I have no idea why that is the case." Ginny also shrugged slightly.
"Some people are that way." She said, holding the bottle out to him. Harry took it, also drinking a sip before leaning back in the comfortable couch cushions in blood red. He waved at the other teenager with the bottle.
"Now you."
Ginny smirked, nodding.
"Okay, first off. Fred and George don't dare to prank me, because I once retaliated when I was nine and they never dared to try it again."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "I can't think of anyone who could tame the twins. I think that is already the lie."
Ginny raised an eyebrow but said nothing, pulling a pillow onto her lap, hugging it.
"When I was four I wanted to meet Santa Claus so bad, I stole my brother's broom in the night and flew six miles, before Mum found me crashed in the snow, crying my eyes out."
Harry smiled, thinking about Mrs Weasley and her fierce protective feelings towards her children.
"I can totally see that happen. It's a clear contender for true. Still, the first one is my pick for the lie. What is the last thing?"
Ginny leaned over, whispering into his ear.
"I don't wear underwear right now."
Harry stiffened, while his face flushed extremely red. He stared over at Ginny who looked back at him while biting her lip for a moment. Then she fell back and started laughing hard, her finger pointed at him.
"You...You should see your face Bwharharharhar." Ginny almost fell from the couch, rolling back and forth while Harry tried to get some resemblance of dignity back. He huffed slightly crossing his arms under Dawn.
"I take that was the lie then." He grumbled out. His face was still flushed and he glared over at the girl. Ginny still trying to calm her breathing whipped away some tears from the corner of her eyes, so hard she had been laughing. She reached out, placing her hand around Harry's upper arm, pulling slightly.
"Oh come on, Harry, lighten up." She laughed, before her fingers sneaked down, tickling him in the side. Harry shrieked, making Dawn jump from his chest in surprise. Ginny pulled back to her side of the couch, stretching out her tongue at him. Harry squinted his eyes.
"Oh, you will get that back." He whispered, before pouncing on her. The two of them fought while laughing and calling out at each other, while Dawn flew circles around them chirping loudly. They wrestled with each other, trying to tickle the other, while keeping their own body tickle free. One time Harry was on top, then Ginny, then Harry again, there was an ongoing tug of war between the two of them, both trying to get the upper hand.
Their fight came to a sudden stop when they both tumbled from the couch to the ground, Harry landing on top of Ginny. Both of them winced, hissing out in surprise and slight pain that you would get from falling onto hard stone floor. Luckily none of them hurt himself, since some of the blankets and pillows had fallen during their tug of war and covered the floor.
Harry's hands were planted on both sides of Ginny's head when he pushing himself up a little. Her red hair was sprawled out like a halo around her and in this light, Harry just could think how beautiful she was. Her chocolate brown eyes were sparkling in the candlelight, her breathing was a little laboured do to their play fight and a slight blush showed under her freckles. Harry swallowed hard, looking down into her eyes, and from there, his own gaze wanded down towards pink and moist-looking lips. He felt his own breath halt for a moment when he wasn't sure how he should continue, his mind was firing blanks just right now, nothing in it. He feel her hip which was pressed into a certain part of his own anatomy, slim and yet curved. He did had noticed that she had started to developed breast this year, ware of them out of the corner of his eye right now, while every piece of him touching her felt like it burned like a fire. She brushed a strand of her hair from her face, staring at him with such intensity, he was sure she was reading his soul right now with those brown pools that were her eyes.
"Ginny" He breathed out quitely, blinking at her. Ginny's lips curled into a smile as her short fingers hocked into the collar of his jumper and pulled him down towrds her.
Harry felt his mind go numb as their lips meet in a firey dance.
Okay, this was the most uncomfortable chapter I had to write so far.
Yet, welcome to angry asshole Harry for the foreseeable future.
I need Harry separated from his friends right now. Harry is hurting, bad, feeling guilty and other things coping badly. This is part of it. He is shutting himself off and now goes the easy way.
That is what Ginny is right now, the easy way. She doesn't want him to confront all but instead just enjoy. She doesn't ask uncomfortable questions. Also, the girl that is so madly in love with you, is the easy way there, so they go into this for the entirely wrong reasons but that is kind of the point. This will only drive home by other things in the future.
The two truths one lie thing is from Life is Strange, my first fandom and one I still hold close to my heart even though I don't write there anymore.
One thing that hurt me more than anything was with Dawn. I love the little feather ball and hurting her hurts me. So yeah, that is a line Harry crossed once here and that is one he will cross just one more time. You will see what happens, but other than the others, this one is the one will stay away from for now. No matter how much Harry is hurting he learned (for the most part) his lesson about hurting Dawn. I first wanted to set her outside for the entire night, with Harry deliberately closing the window to the dorm room and her taking refuge with Daphne for the night, but really I couldn't do it, it was too far off.
Also and that is an important point, the people get something wrong. Harry is hurt, yes, he is scared but more than anything he feels guilty, an emotion he does not tell others, but no one recognises right now. That fuels his anger an also his path from here on for a while and others don't get it.
All the people have different reasons not seeing the guilt in him at the moment. There will be a wake-up call, you will see.
Next up: The King and the Queen of Gryffindor