You promised

The night was peaceful. Lucy, who was currently sleeping in her four poster bed in the Gryffindor tower, had for once a good night sleep in over two weeks since the stress over the exams always makes the students lose some of their sleep whether they admit it or not.

Lucy had just rolled around in her sleep oblivious to everything around her and started to hug her pillow when needle-sharp pain exploded on her forehead making her wake up.

She immediately sat up and started to rub her forehead but the pain didn't go away. The pain on her forehead soon brought the familiar headache she always got when her, or rather Harry's, forehead was hurting. The pain got worse and when you add her headache into it her head felt like it would split in two anytime now.

Then for a second the pain lessened but it certainly didn't fade away. She was just about to get up and go see what Harry was doing when she felt something choking her throat. She fell to her knees next to her bed trying her hardest to get some air into her lungs. And at the same time her head was starting to spin over the stabbing pain on her forehead and the lack of air in her lungs.

Then after a while of chocking in her own body she finally got to take that deep breath of air into her burning lungs when the choking feeling left her but the pain on her forehead didn't go anywhere. She was frozen to her place not being able to get up due to the pain.

The pain was similar to the one she got when Harry had his detention but hundred times worse. Her forehead was starting get sweaty once again and the tears had started to spill from her eyes long ago when the pain started.

She was almost begging that she could faint or that something would make the pain go away, and at the same time her heart was aching by the idea that her baby brother was feeling the exact same pain at the same time as she did. Whether the pain was from Harry or Lucy they both felt it at the same time.

Then suddenly the pain that was already making her wish for death to come got worse. She had to bit her tongue so that she would not scream out loud and wake her roommates. It didn't take long 'till she was starting to taste the cool metallic blood in her mouth when the pain started to fade without her realizing it. She had her eyes tightly closed when she noticed the pain fading away. She opened her eyes and saw a puddle of sweat and tears, which had fallen from her face and eyes, in front of her.

She slowly, avoiding the puddle, got up and sat on her bed. She closed her eyes and took some deep breaths to help her calm down. After some minutes of taking deep breaths and counting every second as she did she quietly stood up and started to walk towards the first year boy's dormitory to check on Harry, she had to make sure he was okay. If he asked what she was doing there she would just make some petty excuse that he would most likely believe giving the time of the night.

She tip toed to the door and quietly peeked in only to notice that Harry and Ron were not in their beds as the other of their classmates were loudly snoring while they slept. She quickly ran towards Fred and George's dormitory and quietly nicked the Marauders map from Fred's trunk, where it was hidden under his messy and wrinkly clothes, not bothering to worry about waking the twins since they slept like dead. After that she got her wand from her night stand from the girl's dormitory making sure that none of the girl's woke up.

She then went down to the common room and kneeled next to the small withering fire so she would see what was written on the map.

''I solemnly swear that I am up to no good,'' she quietly whispered and saw how the map was starting to appear on the paper where she had pressed her wand.

After the map had fully emerged on the paper she started to look for Harry and Ron and most likely Hermione too as she has been with them ever since the troll incident back in October.

She went through every room and every class that the school held and then she finally found Harry's small dot in the Hospital wing, unmoving, and Ron and Hermione's outside it with Professor Dumbledore.

She had to swallow a lump that had started to form into her throat as she saw Harry in the Hospital wing in the middle of the night. She quickly got up and as she was about to walk out of the common room she noticed that the first year boy, Neville, was lying on the ground, stiff as a plank.

She slowly made her way towards him and noticed that his eyes were closed and the steady and even breaths he took told her that he was just sleeping. Even though somebody had put a petrifying spell on him. She took some pity on the unfortunate boy and quietly performed the counter-curse so that Neville could get up after he woke up.

She then left the common room and made her way towards the Hospital wing.

XXX

As she stood outside of the Hospital wing doors she took some deep breaths to make herself calm and after checking that Madame Pomfrey was not in she walked inside.

She immediately noticed the only person lying in the hospital and that was the small frame of her little brother. She slowly made her way towards him as if fearing that if she walked too fast he would wake up or worse just disappear in front of her.

She stopped right next to Harry and quietly sat at the side of his bed to examine his pale yet somewhat scratched face that was on sight, the rest of his body hidden under the blanket.

He looked so weak and innocent as he slept taking deep and even breaths. Lucy noticed that somebody, most likely Madame Pomfrey, had taken his classes away and put them on the nightstand next to his bed.

What had Harry been doing in the middle of the night that had had such big effect on both of the Potter siblings?

Lucy hesitated for a moment but then she placed her shaking hand on Harry's surprisingly warm cheek. The warm touch of her brother made a small smile appear on her face, but it was soon wiped away by the thought of what had made Harry to be in this bed in the first place.

''You promised that he'd be safe. You promised to keep him safe. Now look at him,'' Lucy said quietly as she stroked Harry's cheek with her thumb.

''I am sorry, my dear. I had no idea that this would happen. But I can reassure you that Harry is completely fine,'' Dumbledore said behind her. After hearing those words Lucy turned around to face him.

''Completely fine. Does he look fine to you? Unconscious in the Hospital wing. What the hell happened to him?'' Lucy finally asked.

And so Dumbledore explained to her how Lord Voldemort, in professor Quirrell's body, was after the Philosopher's Stone that would not only bring him back but would also make him immortal. And Harry along with his friends had figured this out and had stopped him. Although Harry had apparently faced Voldemort by himself.

During all that time Dumbledore explained what had happened Lucy's hand never strayed from Harry's warm cheek where it had taken its residence.

''I assume that you would like to tell Harry about yourself after he wakes up?'' Dumbledore asked as he stood at the other side of Harry's bed.

''No. Not this time. Harry has gone through something no eleven years old should ever have to go through. To tell him now, who knows what he might do. Even though my heart begs for me to tell him everything, how much I miss him, how much I love him, I can't. Not now at least. I know that I will tell him someday but now is not the time. Even I know that,'' Lucy said as she stood up from the bed.

Dumbledore gave her a warm encouraging smile as he escorted her out of the Hospital Wing.

''I am glad that you acknowledge that. It tells me how wise you have grown over this year, for I would have not allowed you to tell him that just yet. I have promised it to you before and I will promise it again. You can tell your relationship to Harry someday but I am afraid that the time has not yet to come. The times are still too dark for the light to clearly shine through the mist of darkness even though it will one day.

Now why don't you join your classmates and go get some last minute sleep. Tomorrow will be new day to think everything through,'' Dumbledore said as Lucy started to walk towards the Gryffindor Common room to get some sleep while she still could.