A/N: Yeah I know last chapter sucked; the order was weird, transition from paragraph to paragraph kind of stilted. So bad I almost considered posting this early but decided against it.

Harry jerked awake, screaming. The silencing charm around his bed making sure Ron and Seamus didn't wake up. He sighed when he realized it was just another nightmare, even with Voldemort gone he still had at least two a week. He rolled over, trying to get back to sleep. It didn't work. Harry took a few deep breaths but couldn't seem to calm down. No matter how often he had the dreams, he couldn't get used to the absolute terror he felt when they occurred.

It was like the night when he'd needed to find water. Tonight he needed Neville. The claim he'd made and the growing bond between them didn't like much distance between them. Day by day it had been getting worse. It was like having an itch you couldn't scratch, growing more and more irritating. Neville was feeling it too. Just a few nights ago it had gotten to be too much for him and Harry had woken up to find him and Ron beating the crap out of each other. He'd managed to separate them but Neville refused to leave the dorm. Seamus ended up sleeping in the commons while Harry spent the rest of the night listening to Neville and Ron growling at each other.

Tonight it was his turn. He wouldn't be able to calm down without Neville, and sleep would most likely be impossible. Harry flipped over onto his stomach. Then he went back to resting on his left side. Only to roll over onto his right side. He couldn't even manage to get comfortable! He flopped over onto his back, giving a sharp huff. Sleep, sleep, sleep...Please sleep. After another twenty minutes of tossing and turning to no avail, he admitted defeat.

Harry slid out of bed and wandered through the hallways until he reached the portrait of a sleeping mermaid. Neville took Harry to his rooms for a few hours every day after classes ended so he didn't have any trouble finding it and already knew the password. The background was almost identical to where Neville had taken him in the dream. He cleared his throat loudly. The mermaid woke with a jerk and glared at him blinkingly. "Wha'?"

"Sorry to wake you. Zinnia Envy." He blushed slightly as he mumbled the password. The zinnia was a green flower Neville said reminded him of Harry's eyes.

The mermaid smiled sleepily, "It's no problem dear. He was hoping you would drop by."

Harry blinked at her, startled. She smirked and swung open silently. Harry crept slowly inside. It didn't take him long to find Neville. To attend classes Dumbledore had created a sort of collar filled with water that covered his gills and allowed Neville to breathe without having to constantly focus on his magic. It was bloody uncomfortable to sleep in though, so there was a large pool, about thirty feet deep, in the center of the room that he could sleep in instead. It was pretty far down so difficult to make anything out, but the water was clear enough that Harry could see clear to the bottom. Sure enough, he was naked, curled against one of the walls, resting comfortably.

Harry bit his lip. He didn't want to wake him. Neville had made him promise to come to him with any problems though, so surely he wouldn't mind. He nibbled on his lip a bit more, forcing himself to stop when he tasted blood.

He shook his head and mustered up his courage. What am I anyway: a Gryffindor or a Hufflepuff? He walked over to the pool and sat down at the edge, sliding carefully into the cool water. He swam down to where Neville was, directing the water as best he could so as not to disturb him. He lay down next to Neville, as close as he could get without touching him. The bond, as he expected, calmed down, though it wasn't completely satisfied. Harry wanted no needed contact with his mate. But could he do that without waking him up?

He stared at Neville's prone form for a few moments then gently took the larger boy's hand in his own. The relief was immediate. Harry gave a contented sigh and drifted off to sleep...