Hullo everybody! I'm back! It has been quite a long time but I did it. Still undecided between two different endings but hopefully by the end everything will become clear.
In the meantime enjoy and thanks for reading.
Chapter 1 – The bad man
'Daddy?'
A soft voice woke Harry up. It was so soft he marvelled to have heard it at all. He turned his head and squinted in the dark. Two big round and scared eyes were looking at him. The green of those eyes was so piercing it was visible notwithstanding the darkness of the room.
Sunrise was squeezing her teddy bear convulsively and was slightly quivering in the cold of the night.
'What's wrong, sweetie?' he asked with furred tongue.
'I…' she stopped insecure 'a bad dream' she murmured almost whimpering.
'A bad dream, hey?' he said scooping her up and nestling her under the duvet 'What did you dream about?' he mumbled feeling his eyelids extremely heavy. He threw a glimpse to the clock on his bed side table. Half past three. Still two hours rest before the alarm would go on. Ginny was in a deep sleep beside him.
'A bad man' she said.
'A bad man?' Harry asked closing his eyes, her black curls tickling his face.
'Yes, he wants to hurt you daddy.' She said in an agitated murmur, still trembling.
Harry perceiving the tremor carefully folded the duvet around her and kissed her head 'It was only a dream. It's not real. Sleep now. Don't think about it anymore'
'But he is wicked' she pressed on.
'It is not real, Siry. Think about something nice' he said hugging her a bit tighter to reassure her.
'Something nice?'
'Mh-mh' he mumbled racking his brain to find something soothing to calm his child, sleepiness downing on him faster and faster 'Think about when mummy and daddy brought you to the sea. You liked that, didn't you?'
'Yes' she murmured eager 'Jamie made a castle!'
'Quite right. Think about that'
'And you made me plunge!'
'Yes, sweetie… Now sleep'
'And I sleep with mummy on the swing'
'It's called hammock, sweetie. Now sl.. '
'And Alby give me a poppicle'
Harry opened his eyes and sighed.
'I wanna go again'
Harry grasped the opportunity at once 'If you sleep now, we will go again.'
'Tomorrow?' she whispered excited.
'Not tomorrow, when summer comes' he mumbled.
'When summer comes?'
'Yes, when Alby and Jamie come home. But it won't happen if you don't sleep now' he reminded her desperation overcoming him.
'I sleep now.' She said keen.
'Good girl…' he drew a breath of relief and was already about to slumber when Sunrise spoke again bringing him on the verge of tears.
'Daddy?'
'Yes, my love?'
'You give teddy a kiss?'
A smile spread on his face despite the weariness.
'Sure. Give me teddy'
Smiling happily, she dipped out her plush from the duvet.
It was a game they had between each other, she would ask for a kiss for teddy and him, pretending he was going to do it, kissed her instead.
So, he played along and covered her face with kisses. She shrieked delighted, making Ginny turn on the other side mumbling something in her sleep. 'Ssssh!' he hushed her putting a finger to his mouth and she, eager, copied his gesture producing the same sound.
Harry couldn't help but snigger, but he repressed it and injecting some sternness in his voice cautioned 'Now Siry, you must sleep. Dad needs to work tomorrow. Alright?'
'Allight' she said squeezing her eyes purposedly.
But again, before Harry could fall asleep another whisper came to his ear.
'Daddy?'
'Yeeeeeees?' he replied beyond desperation.
'And the bad man?'
Some uneasiness was detectable behind that childish question.
'He won't come, Siry. Sleep tight now.' He reassured her smothering her hair and finally, by degree his daughter relaxed under the cuddling slumbering slowly in her sleep, and as she did, he did the same, his fingers remaining tangled in her corvine curls.