Word Count: 605
Challenges: L4: Office of Misinformation: Trio Era fic / Easter Egg, Chevron Day 5: "Please don't hurt me."
Wake Up (I'm Right Here)
Ron startled awake, confused as to what had woken him up. He didn't think he'd had a nightmare, and it was still dark in the dormitory. The only light was coming from the moon outside, still high in the sky.
A whimper sounded and he turned to see that Harry was shifting in his bed, clearly in the throes of a bad dream. It wasn't a new situation, especially lately. Every year, the nightmares seemed to get worse, and this year had been particularly bad. Not that Ron could really blame him.
After last year, with Cedric, and He Who Must Not Be Named, and then the summer, when he was almost expelled… hell, anyone would have nightmares.
"Please," Harry whimpered, drawing Ron's attention back. "Please don't hurt me."
Ron's heart broke for his best friend, and he scrambled out from the warmth of his blankets.
"Harry," he murmured, as he approached. "Harry, come on, mate, wake up."
He reached out to shake him gently, and Harry's eyes snapped open as soon as he made contact, looking around wildly until the green gaze settled on Ron's face.
"I… Ron?"
"Yeah, mate. You were having a bad dream, I think."
The shoulder where Ron's hand still touched lightly was sweat soaked, but Ron didn't move his hand. Harry blinked rapidly for a moment and then shuddered.
"I… yeah. Thanks for waking me up."
Ron nodded. He moved his hand away slowly and then perched on Harry's bed, by his knees. "What were you dreaming about?"
Harry didn't often talk about his nightmares, especially not in the cold light of day, but Ron's mum always said that they'd feel better if they talked about it, so he had to try.
Anything to ease the burdens of Harry could only be a good thing.
"I… Voldemort," Harry said after a minute. "It was a nightmare, not a vision," he clarified quickly. "From the graveyard."
Harry hadn't told Ron and Hermione the specifics of what had happened in the graveyard. Ron thought that Harry believed he was sparing them in some way, or that maybe they couldn't handle what had happened.
"You know you can talk to me—us—about that, right? Hermione and me, I mean. We'd listen."
"I know you would," Harry replied tiredly. "I know. I do. I just… don't want to relive it. But apparently my dreams feel differently."
"What… what did he do to you?"
Harry shook his head, and looked away, but Ron held his tongue, let the silence stretch between them.
"He tried to use the Imperius curse on me," Harry admitted softly. "And when it didn't work, he used Crucio on me multiple times. I'm still amazed that I got away. He… I thought I was going to die."
Ron blanched. "He used Imperio and Crucio?"
Harry nodded, and then said, "I suppose he wanted to make sure he'd used the full set on me."
"Insane bastard," Ron muttered.
Surprisingly, it made Harry chuckle.
"Go back to bed, Ron," Harry said after a moment. "Really. I'm okay now. You should get some sleep."
Ron looked at his bed for a moment and then checked the scratched watch on his wrist. It was almost five.
"Nah. Come on, mate. I didn't finish up my dream diary for Trelawney, and you know the old bat'll give me detention. And you've still gotta do the Charms homework."
Harry stared at him for a moment and then nodded. "You're right, I do. I… thanks."
Ron smiled as he got up and crossed back to his own bed, to his trunk where his homework was stashed. "Anytime, Harry."