"Hello Harry."

Harry blinked, looking around in wonder. He wasn't in the hospital wing. He was in some kind of underwater paradise. There were fish and coral everywhere. It was calming. It was colorful. It was the most beautiful place he'd ever seen.

"Do you like it?"

Harry recognized the voice, it was the musical voice that had calmed him when the others had been fighting. He turned to see Neville Longbottom floating just behind him. But it wasn't the Neville he was used to. His warm, friendly brown eyes were the same, though they now had a bit of silver and shone with confidence instead of nervousness. His blond hair had hints of blue and green. His lean body had an added layer of muscle. His once tanned skin was pale, nearly translucent. He seemed to almost blend in with the water; distinguished only by his eyes and hair. Harry could see now how this creature might be mistaken for a ghost.

"Yes, I love it. Where are we?"

"The Irish Sea, several miles southwest of the castle*."

"It's gorgeous." He stretched out an arm and one of the fish swam into his palm, cuddling against him playfully. "Is this real?"

Neville shrugged. "In a way. Have you ever heard of astral projection?"

"Where you send your consciousness somewhere else while your body stays where it is?"

"Yes that's exactly it. This is a real place, but we're only here in spirit. Do you understand?"

"I think so." Harry gave Neville a long, searching look. "Why did you bring me here?"

"I wanted to show you how this, us, could be. Down here, it's beautiful, surrounded by magic. You don't have to be famous. You don't have to be the 'Boy-Who-Lived'. You can be Harry, just Harry, with no one around to make you uncomfortable."

Neville pressed his chest to the boy's back and wrapped his arms around the lithe creature Harry had become. Harry melted into the embrace, feeling more comfortable than he had in months. "I've always loved you. Since first year. I'd do anything to make you happy. I don't want to possess you, and I don't want you because you're a desirable mate. I just want you. This thing that happened has just given me the opportunity to have you. I won't fight like the others because I know how much that upsets you. And I won't force you to be with me. If you choose one of the others, I'll accept that. I just want what's best for you."

Harry turned in the embrace, locking eyes with the man Neville had grown into. "Thank you." He whispered softly. He reached up, looping his arms around the lined neck, noting with interest that Neville did have gills. His eyes flicked back up, chocolate meeting mint. He stretched up and pressed his lips to Neville's.

***

Harry woke with a jolt, sitting straight up in bed. Had it been real? He pulled his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms loosely about his legs. He hoped it was real, but, when had anything in his life ever gone the way he wanted? He tossed and turned the rest of the night, far too stressed to fall asleep...

A/N: *Some sources said it was to the west of Scotland, others said it was to the south, the only maps I could find that showed it seemed mostly west to me, but most (and my dad) said south west so that's what I went with. I suck so hardcore at Geography so, if I'm wrong, or if someone has a better suggestion as to their location, PLEASE let me know.