Lilah smiled at Harry and Hermione. "I'm going back over to the Hufflepuff table. I'd like for both of you to join me, if you don't mind."
Harry and Hermione followed Lilah to the Hufflepuff table where they spent the last few minutes of their lunch together. Lilah opened up her bag, took out a case containing a quill, a bit of ink, and some parchment, and wrote down her parents' address and phone number and gave it to Hermione.
"I'd like for you to have this, Hermione," Lilah said. "It sounds like Harry's going to spend Christmas with your family, so I thought I'd give you my parents' contact information so we can at least talk on the phone once or twice while school is out. You might want to forward this on to your parents."
Hermione smiled at Lilah. "Thank you, Lilah," she replied. She then opened her bag, and got out a quill, some ink, and some parchment herself, then wrote her parents' information down and gave it to Lilah. "And here's my parents' contact information. I'm not sure if we'll be able to physically meet up, but I'm sure we can at least talk on the phone, yes."
She placed her hand on Lilah's shoulder. "And you're okay with Harry spending the holidays with my parents?"
Lilah beamed. "I'm perfectly okay with it. I'd love to meet up once, maybe to exchange gifts or something, but it would do me a lot of good just hearing your voices." She giggled. "It's going to be so weird getting reacquainted with Muggle technology."
"It also sounds like Harry is most likely going to be staying with your family during the summer," Hermione replied. "You and I didn't live all that far apart before Hogwarts, so I'm sure that the three of us can meet up a few times during summer break. I'm actually really looking forward to that because I didn't really have friends to play with, so it'll be nice to spend some time with you two. It'll be nice to be children for once, without worrying about schoolwork or anything."
"I would love nothing more," agreed Lilah. "I'll write my parents tonight for sure, and give them your parents' information so they have it handy."
"And I'll do the same," said Hermione.
The next day, Harry got another note from Hedwig. Once again,it was from Professor McGonagall. It read as follows:
"Mister Potter,
Madam Pomfrey and myself have heard back from Madam Peel, the specialist that we mentioned last week during our time in the infirmary. If it's okay with you, your first session can start this Thursday during your free period. The plan is to meet up every other week for roughly forty five minutes.
Please bear in mind that these sessions are very personal in nature, and that while Miss Darling and Miss Granger mean well, they unfortunately will not be eligible to attend, even though they both are clearly a source of comfort for you. Madam Peel is a kindly witch and has considerable experience working with young wizards and witches such as yourself; she should be able to make you feel at ease right away. Madam Pomfrey says that she's the type that will provide pumpkin juice and other such treats, so you have something to look forward to, at the very least.
You may meet me at my office Thursday during your free period, and I will escort you to Madam Peel's office, which is located right outside of the infirmary.
Sincerely,
Professor M. McGonagall"
"What was that all about, Harry?" Hermione asked.
Harry smiled at Hermione. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Remember last week when you escorted me to the infirmary? Well, therapy is starting on Thursday. I wish you could go with me, but as you probably already know, these sessions are strictly confidential."
"Oh," Hermione mumbled softly. "I wish I could be there too. I hope everything goes well."
"I'm sure it will," replied Harry. "And think of it this way. That's extra time for you to study." He gave her a silly grin.
Hermione giggled. "True. Oh, and I wrote my parents last night, I gave them Lilah's address and phone number. One of the school owls picked up the note just a little bit ago, so hopefully they'll get it soon. Maybe they'll call Lilah's parents, or her parents will call mine, and we can maybe meet up during the holidays? Maybe at a nice restaurant or something?"
"That would be terrific," agreed Harry. "I would love that."
During lunch that day, Harry sat with Lilah at the Hufflepuff table.
"Hiya, Lilah," Harry said. "I missed you this morning."
"Hiya, Harry," replied Lilah. "I missed you too. What's new?"
"Oh, not much," Harry said with a shrug. "I'm starting therapy with Madam Peel this Thursday. They're going to be every other week."
Lilah smiled at Harry. "That'll be good. I'm sure she'll help you heal internally."
Harry nodded. "Both Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey say that she's good at what she does, and she's good with children. I can't help but feel a little nervous though, because I still don't really know what to expect."
"That's understandable," Lilah replied. "I know these sessions are personal in nature so I don't think they'll allow me to be there with you, although I'm sure you wouldn't turn down the moral support."
Harry grinned at his friend. "You're right. I wish they'd let you sit there with me…" His voice trailed off into a very faint whisper. "You don't have to do anything, just… hold my hand. It'd make my worries melt away."
Lilah beamed at Harry. "I don't need to sit in a shrink's office with you to do that, Harry. If you just want to sit under the big oak tree tomorrow during our shared free period, and do just that, I'd be delighted."
"I'd like that," Harry said. "You don't have to say a word… just being there is enough."
"Oh," Lilah said, suddenly remembering something. "I wrote my parents last night. I gave them Hermione's address and phone number. The school owls took the note this morning, so I'm sure they'll get it soon."
Harry chuckled. "Yes, and Hermione owled her parents this morning as well. She said something about maybe having us all meet up during the holidays, maybe her family and your family meeting up at a restaurant or something? Maybe exchange gifts too?"
"That would be brilliant," Lilah said. "I mean, I'd be happy with just a phone call or two, but meeting up as just regular, Muggle-type children would be terrific. Something special to look forward to, you know?"
"Well, I've never really had a proper Christmas before," Harry said quietly. "It would be very nice to celebrate with people that actually care."
"You'll love it, Harry, I promise," Lilah said. "I'm sure Hermione's family will get you something for Christmas, and I know my family will get you something. It'll be something you'll remember for always."
"I'm blessed to have two amazing friends that care for me like this," Harry replied.
"And we're blessed to have you in our lives, Harry," Lilah murmured. "You do far more for us than you'll ever know. We both truly adore you, Harry Potter."
The next day, Harry wasted no time getting to the big oak tree during his late-morning free period. In fact, he got to the tree before Lilah did. The two friends embraced each other warmly. Harry then laid down a blanket from his pack as the grass was a little damp, and the two friends sat down.
"You beat me to our spot today, Harry! I'm impressed," Lilah said with a giggle.
"Well, I thought about yesterday, and I didn't want to waste a single second," replied Harry.
Lilah giggled again, and she grabbed Harry's hand and gently squeezed it. Harry didn't say another word, he just basked in the moment. This is perfection, he thought to himself.
They didn't talk much during their free period, but Lilah didn't let go of Harry's hand. Harry didn't let go of Lilah's. Harry just listened to the rustling of leaves, the chirping of birds, and a gentle breeze whooshing sporadically. All his worries started to slowly dissipate. It was all so utterly perfect, Harry thought.
Harry gave Lilah's hand a gentle squeeze. Her delicate, feminine fingers returned the squeeze. Still clasping her hand, he leaned over to Lilah and whispered in her ear. "I could do this forever," he said rather dreamily. He then gave her a small peck on her forehead – the first time he had actually kissed a girl.
"Did you just… kiss me?" Lilah asked in a soft voice.
"Erm, I s'pose I did," Harry replied.
Lilah smiled at Harry. "Took you long enough," she giggled.
Harry's cheeks turned a deep vermilion. "Sorry, Lilah."
"You have nothing to be sorry for, Harry," Lilah murmured. She leaned over and kissed Harry on the forehead. "It's about time for lunch." She stood up, and helped Harry to his feet, and helped him fold the blanket. "I enjoyed our quiet time together. It was very peaceful."
"I thought so too," Harry replied. "I know we didn't say much this time, but it felt good knowing you were just there. The way you held my hand… my worries just kinda melted away."
"That's a nice feeling to have, isn't it?" Lilah asked. "Even if it's just temporary."
"I wish I felt like this all the time," Harry admitted. "No worries, no stress, just peace."
The next day was Thursday. It was a big day for Harry as it was the day his therapy sessions would start with Madam Peel.
Harry marched to Professor McGonagall's office during his free period, just as instructed in the note he got earlier in the week.
"Hello, Mister Potter," Professor McGonagall said. "Are you ready for your appointment with Madam Peel?"
"Ready as I'll ever be, Professor," replied Harry.
Professor McGonagall nodded. "Very good. Follow me to the infirmary, please. Her office is right next door."
A few minutes later, Professor McGonagall knocked on a door right by the infirmary. An attractive witch in her early thirties opened the door. She wore a black pinstriped skirt suit and wore her shoulder-length milk-chocolate hair in bouncy ringlets. "Hello, Professor. How may I help you today?" she asked in a strong Scouser dialect.
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat "Madam Peel? Mister Potter is here for his appointment this afternoon."
"Thank you, Professor. Please send Harry in, he may take a seat. I'll be with him in a jiffy."
Professor McGonagall turned to Harry. "Good luck, young man. I'll see you in about forty five minutes." She gave him a quick hug.
"Thank you, Professor," Harry replied. "See you then."
Harry entered Madam Peel's office. It was surprisingly cozy – just big enough to fit a desk, a couple of bookshelves, and a couple of comfortable armchairs, and not much else. There was a fireplace on the opposite end of the room as well.
Madam Peel looked like she was filling out some sort of paperwork on her desk, while Harry sat and waited for her to finish.
She then looked up at Harry, and smiled. "I'm sorry, love. This'll just take a moment longer. Would you like a pumpkin juice? Perhaps a chocolate frog or a pumpkin pastie?"
"That would be wonderful, thank you," said Harry. "A pumpkin juice and a pumpkin pastie, please."
Madam Peel nodded. Harry heard a soft rumbling sound, which he took as her pulling out one of the drawers from her desk. A moment later, she produced a small bottle of pumpkin juice and a pumpkin pastie.
"Here you are, Harry. Thank you for being so patient with me. I promise this will be just a minute or so."
"No problem, Madam Peel," Harry replied. "And thank you for the treats."
"It's my pleasure, love," she replied gently. About a minute later, she took the parchment and stored it in an envelope, and tucked it away in a black bag on a shelf behind her desk.
"Now that I got that boring paperwork out of the way, let's get down to business, shall we? As you already know, I'm Madam Peel, but if you're comfortable with it, you may call me Miss Trudy or simply Trudy. It's short for Gertrude, but that's a horrible name," she said with a bit of a laugh.
"I think I like Trudy better too," Harry agreed, smiling at the witch-counselor. Gertrude? Harry thought to himself. I gotta tell Hermione that. She'll think her name's bloody brilliant compared to Gertrude!
Madam Peel giggled. "Glad to know I'm not the only one."
Harry chuckled. "I'm not going to lie, I thought you were going to be, erm, well… older."
Madam Peel giggled again. "I get that a lot, Harry." Her smile faded, but not completely. "Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey have given me quite a bit of information about the Muggle family you lived with prior to Hogwarts. The Dursleys. It sounds like you had a less-than-ideal childhood in the nearly ten years you spent there, correct?"
Harry nodded. "I was never wanted there. I was only taken in because my Aunt Petunia is my only living blood relative. I don't know all the details, but from what I gather, she and my mother had a bit of a… strained relationship."
"And why do you suspect that, Harry?" Madam Peel asked.
Harry sighed. "I'm not entirely sure, but it might be that Aunt Petunia was jealous of my mum's gifts."
Madam Peel nodded. "That's a very astute deduction, Harry. Especially for someone who has no memories of their parents, except for photos, letters, and the like."
Harry couldn't help but detect a certain tone from Madam Peel's response. Like, something struck a chord with her. He arched an eyebrow. "Erm, Miss Trudy?"
"Yes, Harry?" Madam Peel asked sweetly.
"Did you… did you… uh, know my mum?" Harry asked with trepidation.
Madam Peel smiled at Harry. "Funny you should ask that. Yes, I did. The former Lily Evans. She was a sweetheart. We were both Gryffindors. She was the year ahead of me, actually."
Harry's face brightened. "Terrific!" he exclaimed. "Were you friends, by any chance?"
Madam Peel's smile brightened. "We were, Harry, yes. She was one of my closest friends, in fact."
"What was she like?" Harry asked. "I never really knew her."
"She was a very caring person, Harry. She was very passionate, but also stubborn to a fault." She paused to laugh for a moment. "It also didn't take much to crack her up – she had the sweetest little giggles."
Harry started to sniffle a bit. "I never got to know her like you did. She sounded… she sounded so wonderful."
"She was wonderful, Harry. It broke my heart hearing what happened to her and your father on Halloween Evening ten years ago. I wish you knew how much she cared about you – she gave her own life to ensure your safety."
Harry broke down sobbing. "If my mum and Aunt Petunia got on better, I might not be in this room today."
Madam Peel smiled at Harry reassuringly. "This is a two-way street, Harry. You trust me to not share personal details, so I'm going to ask you the same. Can you keep this to yourself?"
Harry nodded. "Yes, Miss Trudy."
Madam Peel looked at Harry with a serious expression. "Your mum and her sister had a strained relationship because Tuney was jealous of her gifts. In fact, Tuney went to lengths to try to attend Hogwarts to be with her sister, but Professor Dumbledore couldn't allow that. Of course, he let Tuney down as gently as he could, but it did nothing to mend the growing rift between the sisters. She disapproved of your father, and all of her Hogwarts friends, really. Her jealously left her embittered and effectively without a sister."
"Did my mum try to repair their relationship?" Harry asked.
"She did," Madam Peel replied. "But by then the damage had been done, and Tuney had effectively shut Lily out of her life. Lily loved Petunia so, it was so heartbreaking." She gave Harry a wistful look. "And truth be told, Tuney still loves Lily, and the memories she has of Lily."
"I suppose that's yet another disadvantage of being a Muggle-born," Harry said.
"Unfortunately Harry, you're correct," Madam Peel confirmed. "You and I are both half-bloods, so of course we're expected to study magic. But Muggle-born witches and wizards – particularly those with siblings – don't have such expectations. And when one child has magical gifts, and the others do not, that is unfortunately known to cause friction and create rifts, sometimes ones that cannot be repaired. It's definitely one of the uglier aspects of the wizarding world."
"My two very best friends are both Muggle-born witches," Harry added. "They both lack siblings, thankfully."
"Yes, being an only child does have its advantages when it comes to Muggle-borns," Madam Peel agreed.
"Is it weird that my two best friends are girls?" Harry asked. "I mean, I don't see anything wrong with it, but I did get teased about it before."
"There's nothing wrong with that, Harry," Madam Peel replied. "It sounds like your cousin and his friends picked on you pretty badly prior to Hogwarts. I can see why you might find more comfort in girls than you do boys since you've had such negative experiences with boys growing up."
"That makes sense," agreed Harry. "They're both really nice to me, and what's even better is that they're each other's best female friend. I'm glad they're as close as they are to each other as they are with me."
"So you spend a lot of your time together as a trio then? That's nice to hear," Madam Peel said.
"We try to at least," Harry replied. "But one of them is a Hufflepuff, which makes it kind of hard to socialize outside of the classroom and the Great Hall. My other friend and I are both in Gryffindor."
Madam Peel nodded. "Yes, being sorted in different houses can complicate things, but inter-house friendships are certainly possible. When there's a will, there's a way… and it sure sounds like you're doing your best to make it happen."
Harry took a swig of pumpkin juice. "I was heartbroken during the Sorting Ceremony, because my Hufflepuff friend was the very first actual friend I've ever made. I was hoping to get sorted into Hufflepuff because she was so nice to me – she actually wanted to be my friend. It was a wonderful feeling. I was actually really disappointed when the Hat put me in Gryffindor. But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because my other best friend's a Gryffindor."
"Do you have feelings for your little lady friends? Like, being more than friends?" Madam Peel asked.
"I don't know," Harry replied. "I'm just eleven. I mean, I took my Gryffindor friend on a – what was that word again – soiree, yes, that's it – last Friday, but only as friends. And I'm taking my Hufflepuff friend on another one tomorrow, again, only as friends. They do like to hug and kiss me a little bit, which doesn't really bother me because they're just friendly little pecks on the forehead. But to answer your question, I wouldn't be opposed to dating one of them – one day."
"That's understandable, Harry," said Madam Peel. "They seem to think the world of you, and you think the world of them. There might not be any jealousy now because your relationship with both of them is platonic – or in layman's terms, non-romantic – but that could change, say, four or five years from now when it's more common for wizards and witches to date. Just be mindful of that, Harry. If you date one, it could make things awkward with the other, especially if she still fancies you, and is still not dating anyone herself. I hope that makes sense."
"I was afraid of that," Harry sighed. "It's going to stink knowing that our little trio isn't going to be this tight forever, because I really enjoy it."
"I wouldn't worry about it too much, Harry," Madam Peel replied gently. "You'll still have a few years with them, exactly as things are now."
Suddenly, there was a sharp rapping on the door. "I think that's Professor McGonagall, Harry. Those forty five minutes sure flew by, didn't they? I'll see you again in two weeks. I hope you found this session at least a little helpful."
Harry nodded. "Thank you, Miss Trudy. I really appreciate you talking to me about my mum like that. I know I'll never know her like you did, but maybe if you told me little stories about her? I'd really like that."
Madam peel smiled radiantly. "Sure, Harry. I'd be glad to share some stories about her with you. But that will have to be for next time."
"Sounds good. See you next time," Harry said.
Professor McGonagall smiled at Harry. "Are you ready, Mister Potter?"
Harry nodded. "I think so, Professor."
They headed back to the Gryffindor common room together.
"It looks like you're done for the day anyway, so go ahead and relax, or perhaps take a few minutes to get caught up with your schoolwork," said Professor McGonagall.
"I have an unusual question," Harry said. "Would it be possible to invite Lilah to the Gryffindor common room sometime?"
Professor McGonagall smiled. "Normally, we would frown on that, but Miss Darling has proven to be a most trustworthy witch. I don't see the harm in that. As long as she's always accompanied by yourself or Miss Granger, and as long as she's the only non-Gryffindor guest, she has my blessing."
"Thank you, Professor," said Harry.
"You're welcome, young man," replied Professor McGonagall. "And you still plan on taking her out for a butterbeer or two tomorrow evening, is that correct?"
Harry beamed. "I've been looking forward to it all week."