Chapter 7: A Reunion of Friends
After spending several more hours together in Hogsmeade, Harry and Ginny apparated into Hermione's garden, almost on the exact spot where Ron and Harry had spoken the night before.
"I had a great time today, Ginny." Harry said sitting down on the low garden bench.
"Me too, Harry, but I need to let you know something before Hermione gets back." She said sitting down next to Harry and taking his hands in hers. "She plans on stopping by the local Mediwitch to get something to try and help you get over some of your grief."
Harry looked thoughtful for a moment. "What is she planning?"
"Oh, she wasn't going to trick you into anything if that's what you are thinking, but she made plans to get a small dose of Veritaserum."
"Veritaserum? How will that help me? I thought it was a truth potion."
"It will make you tell the truth, Harry, but its real use is for people, like yourself, who went or are going through a lot of stress. It helps the person relax enough to feel comfortable to speak about past horrors that they normal would bottle up and never reveal otherwise." replied Ginny squeezing Harry's hand and looking into his his eyes.
"I don't know about drinking that stuff. Snape always used to threaten me with it-"
"Harry, we would never use it like that and you know it! We want to help you not hurt you!" She said sounding hurt.
"I'm sorry; Gin, but I didn't mean it like that. I just meant I'm not sure if I could do it...but...for you...I'll take it."
"Oy! What are you two doing back there?" Ron yelled from the kitchen window just as Ginny was about to lean in and kiss Harry.
"Damn! I was hoping he would be off feeding his face somewhere until later." Ginny said irritated. "We were having a private talk before you interrupted!"
"Just a little bit snappy this afternoon aren't you? Is it that time of month already?" Ron said casually as he walked over.
"You're feeling pretty brave after...how should I say...you turned the other cheek so to speak this morning?"
"Maybe I'm willing to drop that incident, Ginny."
"Alright, Ron, what do you want that is so important that it couldn't wait until we got inside?"
"Hermione just sent in an owl saying she would be here in about an hour, if we wanted to talk to Harry about...you know."
"The Veritaserum?" Harry cut in sounding cross.
"Well...yea...since you...err...already know that is...we don't need to talk it over." Ron replied losing his cocky attitude, he was trying to pull over on Ginny.
"Did you honestly think I would spend half a day with Harry and not mention it?"
"The thought did cross my mind, yea."
"Please, Ron, I am not like you! Always prancing around Hermione acting like a twelve year old."
"I do not act like a twelve year old!" Ron yelled turning red in the face.
"I rest my case." Ginny said to Harry, who was laughing, retook his hand and headed toward the house with Ron following behind still grumbling.
"So, Harry...er...did Ginny ask you about coming to stay at the Burrow for a while?" Ron asked once inside Hermione's sitting room again and Ginny had excused herself.
"Yes, she mentioned it, but I don't know, Ron, it would feel to me like I was imposing on you-"
"No, mate, it wouldn't be that way at all. Ginny and me just want to-"
"Try and help. I know. Just let me think on it, Ron, that's all I ask."
"Sure, take as long as you need." Ron said sitting down in the over large chair and thumbing through the scrapbook again.
When Hermione entered her home an hour later she found Ron and Ginny flipping through her scrapbook that she started just before their third year of Hogwarts and Harry just staring into the low flames of her fireplace as if contemplating jumping into it.
"Harry, are you feeling OK?" Hermione asked softly sitting down next to him.
"Yea, I was just thinking about drinking this Veritaserum is all." He replied sounding a little distant.
"You do know that we aren't going to be prying into your personal life right?"
Harry laughed loudly when Hermione finished speaking. "Personal life? You are joking right? My personal life right now is wake up, eat, think, go back to bed and have nightmares." He looked from Ron, to Ginny and then back to Hermione. "OK, I'll take to stupid stuff!"
Hermione nodded and pulled a tiny bottle from her skirt pocket. "All you have to do is drink this little bit and then we will ask you some questions. If it looks like your going through to much stress then we will stop, OK"
Harry took the tiny bottle that was only half way full of a clear liquid. Slowly he pulled the cap off, turned the bottle up and drank it off. He closed hi eyes and shuddered at the peppery taste it left in his mouth. When he reopened his eyes, Hermione had a glass of water held out to him, which he gladly to a couple of sips from then leaned back against the sofa as wave of relaxation swept through him.
"Harry, can you hear me?" Hermione asked.
Harry blinked several times and then looked at Hermione and nodded.
"Harry, you said you are having nightmares still. Are they about Voldemort?"
"No."
Hermione looked at Ron and Ginny, a little shocked, who had come to stand beside her in front of him.
"What are they about?" Ginny pressed.
"My life at Privet Drive before I got my Hogwarts Letter."
"What exactly are you dreaming at Privet Drive?"
"About Uncle Vernon." Harry responded sounding almost like Luna Lovegood's dreamy voice.
"What about your Uncle, Harry?" asked Ron.
"I heard my Uncle cursing everything he knew one night when I was eight. He was drunk and dangerous. He was corroded by envy and hate of me. Those were endless days to me, my dreams were frozen, and I did not have anywhere to hide, but my cupboard. And my Uncle's eyes were blank as he hit me again, again, again. I still believe if not for Hagrid he would never have let me leave and that I would have to run away alone." Harry paused taking in a shuddering deep breath and continued. "There were so many threats and fears and so much wasted time before my life-"
"Harry, it's OK." Ginny said sitting down next to Harry, who had succumb to tears, and pulled him into a close hug.
Harry pulled in another ragged breath and continued onward with his story once again. "And though those nightmares should be over, some of my terror is still intact. Then, from nowhere, I'll hear his ugly, violent and coarse voice and it feels like he grabs me from behind and pulls me back into that old life." When he finished speaking, he let his head rest back on Ginny's shoulder.
"Don't ask anymore, Hermione, please." Ginny whispered running her fingers through his hair trying to calm Harry back down.
Harry suddenly sat bolt upright pushing himself away from Ginny and standing. "I'm sorry. I can't go on anymore with this. I thought I could handle some time with you guys, but...I don't know...it just feels..." Harry rushed from the room his color going to a sheer white as if he was about to be sick.
"Harry!" Ginny yelled running after Harry and catching him in the foyer before he could escape through the front t door. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going back to Godric's Hollow for good, Ginny, I'm sorry, but I just can't-." Harry hung his head and apparated before Ginny could grab hold of his arm.
Ginny leaned against the wall and slid into a sitting position as her own tears over took the strength she had in her legs just as Hermione and Ron made their way into the foyer.
Ron kneeled down next to Ginny and slid an arm around her waist, helped her back into the sitting room and down onto the sofa.
"Ginny, look one of the side effects of Veritaserum is irrationalism when it starts to wear down." Hermione said.
"Plus he was bringing some strong memories to the surface maybe it all combined to make him...I don't know have an anxiety attack?" Ron added.
Ginny nodded her head and excused herself to the bathroom where she sat on the edge of tub.
'Maybe that's all it was.' She thought drying her eyes.' Just a side effect from that damnable potion that I should have refused to go along with giving him.' She stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. "Harry, don't lock yourself away from me anymore." She whispered, then splashed a bit of water on her face and then rejoined Ron and Hermione back downstairs.
A/N: The Veritaserum, JK says it unreliable when given because it can be fought off which is why it is not used in trials. So I took liberties with the potion and decided if it could not be used that way why couldn't it be used as a therapy tool instead? If any fault should be laid as to the use of Veritaserum in this chapter blame me!
Thanx for reading: )