July 29, 1995
Lying on the bottom bunk in the smallest bedroom, in a normal looking house, in a normal looking neighborhood of Privet Drive. Harry Potter laid wide awake.
It was not for lack of trying either. Neither was it because he was not tired, because he definitely was. Harry Potter, the 14 almost 15 year old boy laid awake, afraid of the dreams that would haunt him if he was even brave enough to close his eyes.
Dreams of flashes of bright lights, the bangs of the ground crumbling under the fire of missed curses. The sound of a body dropping. The emptiness of Chocolate brown eyes staring back at him.
For all the braveness in the world, Harry Potter did not want to feel brave anymore.
And Aubrey knew this.
Lying on the bunk above him, in the same room, in the same neighborhood as one Harry Potter, Aubrey Potter was having similar dreams.
Dreams of bright flashing lights, the ground crumbling under the blasts of spells that missed their targets, The snake-like man going toe-to-toe with her older brother.
It was a fair assumption that the potter children did not get any sleep anymore.
And Aubrey knew this.
So, with a heart full of anguish and grief. Aubrey climbed down the ladder of their bunk bed and looked into the eyes of her older brother.
"Do you want me or Az?"
Sad Jade eyes looked back into mine with so much anguish that tore my heart in two.
"You."
The word whispered so quietly, if I did not have my advanced hearing I would not have been able to pick it up.
Mutely I nodded, pulled back his covers and crawled into bed with him.
As night turned into day we lay awake with only the sounds of our breathing filling the small room.
"When we were little." Harry said suddenly, "I dreamt of someone taking us away from this place...away from the confines of the cupboard….away from them. Freeing you and I. Where I knew you would be safe. And then-"
I heard him choke back a sob as I held my own tears in, so I just clung to him tighter.
"And then Hagrid came...a-and we were whisked away to this land full of magic. A place like I had dreamt of. So far away from the Dursleys. A place I had thought was safe."
His last words were barely above a whisper. His voice had grown more and more emotional as he went on, it brought more tears to both of our eyes.
"And now-" The tears gently fell. "And now I..I know this will end badly." His voice grew softer as his tears wet the top of my dark auburn hair. My own wet the grey of his pajama shirt, growing darker as they continued to fall.
"I just-I…" His voice barely above a whisper, "I just want you to be safe." Closing my eyes to try to rid it of the pool of tears, I looked up at my Jamie.
His green eyes, almost identical to mine. Glossy and filled with unshed tears. I slowly laid my head back down in a clean spot away from the dark grey of my tears. And I spoke for the first time. My voice filled with emotion and tears as I whispered back just as softly.
"And I you."
