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Chapter Five: Nightmares

Severus and Draco were awoken around midnight by two screams. They rushed out into the hallway. With a look of agreement from his father, Draco went down to Harry's room while Severus went to Hope's.

Draco walked up and shook Harry to wake him. When that didn't work, he sighed and slapped his best friend across the face. Still he didn't wake.

Draco was pondering other ideas when Harry screamed out words. "No!!! Hope!!!"

Draco, out of ideas, conjured a bucket of ice water and dumped it with a wince. Harry jerked awake.

"Finally," Draco muttered.

"What?" Harry asked, turning confused eyes on Draco.

"Well, you wouldn't wake up from your nightmare. Sorry about the wet clothes and stuff."

Harry looked even more confused. "What nightmare…Hope!" Harry unsteadily got to his feet, rushing out of his room and down the hall to Hope's.

Draco was right behind him and saw Severus' panicked look the moment that he entered. "She won't wake up!" He exclaimed.

"Voldemort's in her head. He was in both our heads, but I guess it was costing him too much energy."

Severus and Draco winced. "What's he doing to her?" Severus asked.

Harry sighed. "He knows the pain he causes us in our minds will also hurt in reality. The cuts, bruises and blood won't carry through, but the pain and aftereffects of curses will. He started out by torturing me and making her watch, blaming her for it. Then he turned to her and released my mind. I only can imagine that he is using the same curses on her."

Hope let out another scream and Harry turned to the potion's master. "I need to get back in her mind. Will you help me or are you going to listen to your daughter scream all night?"

Severus stood up and moved beside an obvious tired and sore Harry. He took his wand out and waited for Harry to do the same.

"Are you sure you have the energy to do this after what just happened?" Severus asked in concern. "It'll drain you're energy."

"I have to do this. There will be time later to focus on the pain and tiredness, right now I have to rescue her."

Severus nodded and showed him the complicated steps and watched as Harry correctly repeated the spell before entering Hope's mind.

Harry was thrown into a world identical to the one he had left moments earlier. He heard Hope groan and turned toward that direction. Hurrying, he threw up a shield around them and placed himself directly in front of Hope. He knelt down to get the girl to look at him.

"Harry?" She whispered.

"Oh Merlin, Hope! I'm so sorry," he said, seeing the damage done to her.

"Not your fault," she whispered hoarsely. Her eyes held a pleading look in them. "Get me out of here."

Harry felt the shield behind him flicker, but knew he couldn't get distracted. If it collapsed, the curse would hit him rather than Hope.

"I'm going to. Remember everything Severus taught us? Push him out. What was your 'wall' again?"

Hope closed her eyes. "A field at midnight with no moon."

Harry nodded. "That's right. Put us there."

He felt the shield collapse an instant before the pain overcame his body. Pushing it aside, he focused on Hope as another curse hit him.

"Do it for me, if not for yourself. Because I'm not moving out of his way until you get to your field or until I die."

Harry felt another more painful curse hit him and bit his lip. Hope closed her eyes again and soon they were in the middle of a pitch black field.

Harry let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks," Hope whispered.

Harry nodded. "I'm going to leave your mind now, Hope. Wake up as soon as I leave, okay? Severus and Draco are there to take care of you."

"What about you?"

Harry shrugged. "After they're done with you, I'll get a few potions from Severus."

"But Harry! You were hit with the Cruciatus curse at least four times. You shouldn't be up, and you won't be able to hide the aftereffects from my dad."

"He hasn't noticed them yet, he's too focused on you. Let them take care of you, Hope. I'll be fine."

Hope nodded, knowing arguing back would only prolong the care they both needed. She smiled weakly as he nodded before exiting her mind.

Harry almost fell off Hope's bed as he reentered the real world. He stood up shakily and backed up to let Severus and Draco take care of Hope.

Hope looked around for Harry and locked eyes with him. She went to say something, but a potion vial was at her lips. She noticed a tremor go through Harry's body as he sat in a chair and closed his eyes wearily.

Harry felt Hope's eyes on him after he sat down and opened his eyes to meet her midnight ones again. He raised an eyebrow at her father and brother hovering over her. The unasked question in her eyes made him force a fake smile on his face.

"I'm okay," he mouthed to her.

Harry saw the disbelief in her eyes. He stood and used the wall for support as he exited the room. He leaned again the wall outside and closed his eyes again.

"Harry?" A voice asked from the door. "You okay, mate?"

"I'm fine, Draco. Go take care of Hope."

Draco noticed a tremor that Harry failed to stop. "You're not fine. I can't believe Dad and I forgot about you. Come back in and sit down. Hope's fine, just resting. You need some potions for the after effects of so many curses."

Harry hesitated but did as the blond asked. He followed Draco to the couch in Hope's room and laid down on it. Severus looked in his direction and his usually stoic face was filled with concern over the two teens.

He rushed over and handed Harry numerous potions. Harry drank them all quickly and glanced at Hope. She was watching him, and from the look on her face, he knew she wanted to say something to him.

Harry finished drinking all the potions he was given, and after answering questions, was finally left alone. Severus and Draco went back to irritating Hope with questions.

"I'm fine!" She burst out suddenly, catching Harry's attention.

"Hope," Severus said as a warning. Hope rolled her eyes.

"I'm okay, Severus. Really. Can I talk to Harry for a minute please?"

Severus and Draco exchanged looks but nodded and left the room. After the door pulled shut, she turned her attention to the boy on the couch.

"Harry, I'm so sorry."

Harry had to stop and make sure he had heard her right. "What are you apologizing for?"

"Because you never would have been dragged into this if it wasn't for me. The pain you're feeling wouldn't be there."

Harry ignored the pain and tiredness of his body to walk over to her bed and sit down beside her. He pulled her against him.

"Hope, I was 'dragged into this' long before you were. Voldemort has been after me since I was a baby. If anyone should be apologizing, it should be me for leaving you alone again with that madman."

Hope winced. "I'm not going to be able to go back to sleep tonight."

Harry nodded, empathetic about that fact. "I don't think anyone is planning on going back to sleep. We'll all catch a nap and be done with it."

Hope paled considerably. "I think I'll stick to just sleeping at night, thanks."

"Hope, why are you so afraid of sleeping? I know you have nightmares, but ask Severus if he can come up with a potion to stop them. He's a Potion's Master. He should be able to come up with something."

Hope shook her head. "I don't take anything to help me sleep because then I just get trapped in the memories. Or I wake up alone. I reverted to not being able to stand waking up alone. That's why I had Hermione sleep in here."

Harry was shocked. "Hope, why didn't you say anything? Any of us would have been willing to stay with you. Especially me, I mean, I was your boyfriend."

Hope's face dropped even more. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry I mess up so much."

Harry shook his head. "Hope, we can fix anything."

Hope nodded, letting the discussion drop for now. Harry held her close to him for awhile longer before mumbling something about going to his room.

After he left, Hope pulled out her journal and wrote about the horrible night that had just transpired.

Two hours later, Severus left Draco with the potion they were brewing to go check on the other two teens in the house. He walked into Harry's room and noticed him reading the journal Hope had given him.

"The sadistic bastard!" Harry screamed, slamming the journal shut.

"Has it really taken you six years to realize that's what the Dark Lord is?" Severus asked from the doorway.

Harry jerked his face up to see the older man. "No, but this reinforces it. Do you have any idea that he tortured muggles in front of her, and then got her to blame herself?"

Severus nodded. "I was only there with her as she sorted through her feelings."

Harry looked down. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Harry, I warn you, if you are this upset now, it only gets worse."

Harry shook his head wearily and set the book down at his desk. He sat back down on his bed.

"How did Hope make it through that ordeal without giving in? She had no clue what was waiting for her on the light side, yet she never gave up."

Severus smiled. "I asked her that once. What had been her beacon of light in the darkness surrounding her. What caused her to never give up. Her answered would surprise you."

Harry looked up questioningly. "What was it?"

Severus shook his head. "That's for Hope to tell you, Harry."

Harry pouted. Severus pulled some potions from his robes and laid them on the table beside Harry's bed. "Drink those now, but save the blue one for whenever you feel ready to sleep again."

With a swish of robes, the man disappeared down the hall and into Hope's room. His daughter was curled up in her bed, writing furiously into her notebook. When she heard the door close, she jumped and looked up with unshed tears in her eyes.

Severus sat down next to her and pulled her against him. She turned against her father's robes and let her tears fall.

After all her tears had escaped, Hope sat back up and rubbed her eyes. She wasn't ready for the emotions that returned tonight, and writing them down only helped so much. She needed to talk to her father, but was afraid of the reaction.

Severus saw the turmoil going on in his daughter's eyes. "Hope?" He whispered.

She shook her head as an answer. A symbol she wasn't quite ready to tell him what was on her mind. Her answer hurt him. It reminded him that she still did not trust any of them unconditionally. Or maybe she was pushing them away again. He needed to have a serious talk with her soon.

But for now, he laid the potion's on her table, giving her the same explanation as Harry. Raising from Hope's bed, he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before leaving the room to go finish those potions.

A/N: Hey everyone. Sorry it's a couple days late. I've had a lot going on. Hope you enjoy. Review please.

Kayla