Harry could feel the waves of a pounding headache washing over him; Occlumency lessons with Snape always left him feeling like one of Ron's post-Quidditch practice socks.
"Mimbletonia," he muttered, as he shuffled through the portrait hole. Harry felt like he could drop at any minute. it was all too easy to ignore the Fat Lady's scoff at his lack of manners.
Heading straight to the sixth-year boys' dorm, Harry wasted no time in grabbing his pajamas and heading towards the showers, brushing past Dean and Seamus, who were both still slightly damp. He was covered in sweat, and the chilly atmosphere of Hogwarts at night meant he had a thin layer sticking his shirt to his back. Harry wished his stress could be washed away as easily as the sweat was. He stepped into the single shower stall and cranked the heat to high; standing under the steamy spray, Harry lathered his hair, and allowed his thoughts to wander.
Snape could really be a right bastard. Did he get off or something, mentally torturing him? For all that he was supposed to be "fortifying his mind," Harry never felt more helpless. Tonight was almost certainly going to be another nightmare-fueled hell. At least McGonagall's essay on notable exceptions to Gamp's Laws was already finished; Hermione might just be merciful and let him catch some shut eye during their study session tomorrow. It was no guarantee she wouldn't toss him through another round of revision though.
Steam billowed out from the bathroom once he was done. The charms of Hogwarts quickly dehumidified the room, but not before Harry had removed his glasses, placed them on his side table, and flopped on his bed. The sheets always carried a faint hint of pansies.
Harry swiftly removed his glasses, tossing them on his side table before collapsing into bed. As the escape of sleep beckoned him, Harry could barely make out the blurry forms of Dean and Seamus, who have always been the best of friends. Drifting off, Harry had the off-handed thought that even him and Ron, who are practically brothers, weren't as close as those two are….