"Arya- hey! Erm…we were just talking about finding out, erm…"
"Finding out when the first Hogsmeade visit this year will be!" Harry looked gratefully at Hermione as she covered, but Arya still didn't seem totally satisfied.
"Okay…so how did you three like the first day of classes?"
"It was actually pretty good. It's a nice change not to have double potions first thing on Mondays anymore!"
"Don't you have that tomorrow morning Ron?" Arya chuckled, "No worries, I'll be there with you almost all day, so I have to put up with Snivel- I mean Professor Snape." Everyone chuckled at Arya's slip up on the professor's nickname, everyone except Hermione who kept attempting to reprimand them for it- trying not to laugh herself. The four Gryffindors found their way into the common room to work on their first assignments of the term. Hermione went up the dorms, as she was the first one to finish her work for the evening; eventually Ron gave up doing any more and trudged upstairs to bed, leaving Arya and Harry alone. "Harry…from now on you must keep your Saturday mornings open. At least until 11, I will be putting you through particular training that now only Drew and I know. You will go through much of what we had to learn to become riders."
"Why do I need this?"
"Harry, Voldemort will use any means necessary to destroy you; and I have to honestly say that after I'm through with you- you might be almost as powerful as myself."
"What about Drew? Don't you mean both you and Drew?" Arya stiffened a bit as he asked this penetrating question.
"Not quite. There are a few other qualities that I have which Drew doesn't posses. These…attributes add to my strength, making me surpass even Dumbledore at times. Voldemort knows and fears this. But now, off to bed! You have class with my brother tomorrow, and I promise you that you will need all the strength you have."
'What about you? Don't you need to sleep if you need to put up with Snape tomorrow morning?" Arya lightly laughed to herself as she approached the boy.
"No Harry. I don't sleep well any longer. I will be down here all night probably. But go- you need the sleep." Harry began to head up the stairs until Arya called out for him, "Harry wait…I know that you have problems sleeping. With Voldemort invading your mind- and I know that Snape taught you in a brutal way…so here, this is my gift- my gift to you for now until you learn to calm the storm which clouds your mind." At that point her face was less than an inch from his, and she raised her palms placing them on each side of his head. Arya closed her eyes briefly, opening them again to reveal her eyes rapidly changing color; Harry gasped as he felt a great calm wash over his mind. "Now you should be able to sleep with a closed of mind. Each night you must seek me to put up this barrier surrounding your mind, for if Voldemort penetrates too deep…well you know what happened last year. Go get some sleep Harry." He turned and walked up the stairs, pausing for a moment to see her go to sit on the couch and gaze at the dancing flames. One thought remained bouncing in his mind…If he didn't fancy her- then why were his cheeks burning and his stomach flopping like mad…
Right before daybreak, Harry awoke to a soft noise coming from the common room. After quickly putting his glasses on his nose, he ventured out the door and down the stairs to follow what he found to be singing, with a soft melodious tone. "Lonely mountains, and tragic spells; forbidden potions from haunted realms. Seas of stardust, light years apart; fields of dragons, that'll rip your heart." Harry found the tune coming from Arya who had moved from her position last night- to sitting in a window-sill; quietly he stood in the archway. "I've faced them all, and I survived, to get right here as you arrived. And when I heard your voice in song, I knew that I fin'lly belonged. Now I know we'll never part, cause your magic is inside my heart- ohhh. And we'll always be together- cause your magic lives inside my heart forever- yeah- and ever….You know Harry, I usually don't sing in front of others." He moved towards her.
"Why not, you have an amazing voice." She did not respond, "Come with me." Harry took hold of her hand and led her towards the portrait. He carefully led her up the maze of stairs until he found a dark corridor. "Harry, this doesn't go anywhere."
"Well you'd think that. Dragon's Rage." A secret portrait opened at the end of the hall, and light poured out. The two walked out onto a balcony, just in time for the sun to rise.
"This is an incredible view, when did you find this?"
"Last year, when I wanted to escape from Umbridge or Malfoy. I come up here to think, you like it?"
"I absolutely love it. It's breath-taking…" She looked back into his emerald green eyes, only to find them already gazing at her. "Is something wrong Harry?"
"Erm…no why?"
"Well, for one thing you are still holding my hand." Harry blushed and quickly released his grasp. "And another thing," she reached to take his hand back, "I feel as though you are nervous…worried…maybe confused? Is that correct?" he sighed and pulled away from her, looking back to the rolling country.
"It's…..it's nothing."
"Are you sure? We will be working closely together so I just want to make sure you are alright."
"I will be fine…don't worry about it." Harry gazed back into the smiling and knowing eyes of Arya.