Atrum Viridis

AN: Amara de Nuit: ^^ thank you and that is actually going to be a point later on. I’m sorry to disappoint but unfortunately I have to establish a little bit more on how the wizarding world is after Voldemort is gone before I can have Snape show up for good and play a major role. ^^” I’m not very good at writing instantaneous love affairs and since there is so much history between the two it’s going to be a process of falling in love and not a single moment.

Vittani: ^^ Thank you so much for the support! >> To be honest I wanted to go a little bit more into the shopping scene – it feels very very rushed to me – but I didn’t have time. Maybe I’ll be able to go back and revamp that chapter later but for right now thank you for the vote of confidence! *huggles* and for being my first reviewer this chapter is dedicated to you ^^.

Karisma: ^^ thank you again! >> and I LOVE your Xena story! EVERYONE GO AND READ IT! IT’S AWEOMSE!!!!!!!





Chapter Four: Darkness







Dinner was a quiet affair as Harry ate the meal absently as he buried himself into the books. It was strange but after fighting for your life and living on the run for months…book work didn’t really seem that difficult anymore. In fact, it might just be the different books or not having a glaring, dominating, god-of-sneering breathing down his back but whatever it was reading through the books and trying to find out what he could do and what he didn’t really need. Quite a few corners had already been folded to mark a particularly interesting potion and he was only through the first half. Before he knew it, the large clock in the hall was chiming the late hour.



Harry gave a loud yawn before stretching and gathering up the books and parchment he had been using to make notes. He put them over on the desk so they would be out of the way before heading to the bathroom. More towels and clothes were set out for him, thanks to Kreacher, but this time he was a bit too tired for a long soaking so he just stripped off his clothes and climbed in, turning the tap on. He looked over his injuries carefully, making sure none had gotten infected or were doing anything weird like leaking puss or something before washing.



A few minutes later a damp but content raven haired boy stepped back into the room and towards the bed. He snuggled into the covers before letting his eyes wander over the moon lit room, taking in the smiling faces of his family and their best friends in the pictures on the walls and set on the dressers. Pictures of the Weasleys and Ron and Hermione would look great there too…he should see about getting some and putting them up. He knew Sirius wouldn’t mind…in fact, the man was probably proud and ecstatic that his godson liked his room so much that he would stay there. In truth it was depressing…knowing that this was the closest he was ever going to get to being with his godfather, his parents or even Remus again…but at the same time he didn’t want to give it up. He knew he couldn’t live in his parents’ old house – even if he could have it fixed up – because of the throngs of people who would swarm the place. He definitely wasn’t going to hide out in the muggle world after fighting so hard to remain in the wizarding one…and still he couldn’t go to the Burrow. This was home now and he was going to make the best of it…since it was seldom that he was able to make his own decision. Now that he was no longer tied to a prophecy or being told where he would be going or how he would be doing things by those who thought they were older and wiser than him…he was going to make the most out of it.



With that freeing thought, Harry let his eyes droop as he snuggled down into the plush bedding.



“Night everyone…” he whispered to the picture facing him on the small side table.



The smiling, waving images of his parents, Sirius, and Remus were the last things he saw before he drifted into slumber.



Blood. It was everywhere; it filled his nose and blinded his vision. And the screams. The horrified, terror filled screams that made his heart stop and his chest seize up so that he couldn’t breathe. That laugh. HIS laugh. The triumphant and blood curdling sound that made his veins freeze echoed loudly around him. This had to be Hell. He had come too late. Bodies were strewn around the grounds of Hogwarts like some grotesque painting…but this was worse. Much much worse. He could see the Dark Mark hanging over the school, could hear the cries of agony that melded together almost as one but he couldn’t reach them! He couldn’t save them! He tried running, but it felt like he couldn’t move. He tried apparating but his magic was gone.



Panic welled inside his stomach as he heard another scream. “NEVILLE!” he cried, trying to reach the unseen battle that was inside but the more he tried the slower it felt like he was going. More screams, another and another. “LUNA! CHO! DEAN!” More and more he could hear them, know that as each scream was suddenly silenced that they were dead.



More screams. Professor McGonagall. Another. Hagrid. Another Fleur. Another Bill. Charlie. Fred, George. Mr. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley…Remus. Ron. Hermione….



“NOOOOOOOO! NO STOP!!” he screamed at the top of his lungs and the next moment found himself inside the castle, standing in the middle of the Great Hall while the bodies of his classmates and friends lay broken and bloody at his feet.



Ron was right near his left…throat viciously slashed open and mouth wide in a silent cry as he stared up at Harry with large blank eyes. Hermione was right beside him, face down with a hole blasted through her back so that he could see bone and organs. Remus…Remus’s face was unrecognizable.



Harry stumbled back in horror, not able to tear his eyes from the sight of everyone he loved brutally murdered. No! No it couldn’t happen! This wasn’t what happened! He killed Voldemort! He killed-



Harry’s eyes widened as he looked up when the shadowed figure stepped out.



Ginny.



He almost threw up as he saw Ginny standing there…but it couldn’t be her. Ginny had been hit with the killing curse…no wounds…no blood…but now she stood before him as a vision from a horror movie. Her pretty hair was dripping with blood as a gaping wound on her head continued to bleed. Her shirt was ripped and he could see the multiple stab wounds and burns all over her skin. Her fingernails had been ripped off and her fingers broken. She had been tortured…



No this didn’t happen! This hadn’t happened! Voldemort hadn’t killed them like this! He didn’t do this! He…



Harry’s breath left him as he looked down on his hands…they were dripping with blood. Their blood…his friends…his family’s blood…Ginny’s blood.



“You killed me Harry…”



His head jerked up as he stared widely at Ginny.



“You killed us all…it’s your fault we’re dead. You couldn’t protect us…we died because of you….I died because of you…”



Harry stumbled back numbly, shaking his head desperately.



“N-no…no I didn’t do this…I didn’t!”



“You said you loved me Harry! How could you let me die! It’s your fault! If it wasn’t for you Voldemort wouldn’t have killed me! YOU DID THIS! EVERYONE YOU CARE ABOUT DIES BECAUSE OF YOU!” she was getting closer with each step, walking over the bodies of his loved ones.



“NO! NO I DIDN’T! I TRIED TO SAVE YOU!” he screamed, covering his ear as sobs broke from his throat. “I DIDN’T DO THIS!”



“YOU’RE JUST LIKE VOLDEMORT! HE WAS IN YOUR HEAD! YOU’RE GOING TO KILL EVERYONE JUST LIKE YOU KILLED ME!”



His eyes flew open as he met her honey brown ones, her hate, her rage. It was all because of him.



“I HATE YOU! YOU KILLED ME!!! MURDERER!!!!”



“NOOOO!”



Tears streamed down his cheeks as painful sobs wracked his chest. Harry barley managed to stumble blindly out of the bed and into the bathroom before throwing up everything that had been in his stomach.



Oh gods….oh gods Ginny…Remus…



His whole body convulsed with the tormented screams that escaped his lips as her words rang loudly in his ears. The look in her eyes…the blood everywhere…



He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, how long he had screamed and cried but when he finally managed to gather himself enough to think his legs were numb from sitting on the cold tiles and his throat was raw.



Swallowing weakly he managed to pull himself up to his feet and shakily flushed the toilet. He tried to brush the tears from his eyes but they were so swollen and red that it hurt to touch them so he just fumbled for the sink and splashed cold water onto his face. The shock of freezing water helped clear his mind and ease the burning in his eyes a little but it didn’t take away the sick feeling in his stomach. He rinsed his mouth out before turning tiredly to drag himself back into his room even though his body felt like it was weighed down by lead.



The-boy-who-lived blinked as he saw Kreacher standing at the door shifting from one foot to the other, looking concerned and torn as to what to do. Harry was his master and he wanted to help but he knew after seeing Master Sirius return that what had happened was very personal and he wasn’t sure if he was going to be yelled at or if he would be able to help the boy.



Harry didn’t even have the energy to feel ashamed after being caught in something like that. He just shuffled over to the bed to get his slippers and robe.



“Could you prepare the potion’s room Kreacher?” he whispered hoarsely as he picked up his books and notes.



Kreacher instantly nodded. “Yes Master Harry.” He said softly, deciding not to mention anything. “Would you like some…tea to help your throat Master?”



Harry swallowed again as he stepped out of the room and followed the old house-elf to the room prepared for him. He didn’t think he could keep anything down for a while…not after that…



“No…thank you Kreacher.” He said before stepping into the larger room set up as a lab. “I shouldn’t be needing your help anymore for tonight…you can go back to bed…sorry…sorry that I disturbed you.”



He felt ashamed and broken in more ways than he could count. Was it really his fault? Was there some sort of curse placed on him so that everyone that cared about him would end up dead? It certainly seemed like it…



“It is no trouble, Master Harry…Kreacher sleeps little…he can always help if Master Harry needs him.” He said softly, watching his young lord closely.



“Thank you Kreacher…”



The elf nodded, seeing that the boy needed to be alone now and turned to hobble off, going to prepare some broth and warm tea incase his master changed his mind.



For a moment Harry could just stand silently and look around the room before walking tiredly over to the large cauldron in the center and put his books and notes down on the table situated beside it. The room had obviously been a potion’s lab before with smaller cauldrons on the shelves off to the left and rows and rows of left over ingredients that covered the entire opposite wall. There were even a row of windows at the top to let in light and fresh air. With a tired flick of his wand he pushed the windows open and turned to the books. Sleep was out of the question after that horrible vision and it was close to dawn already anyway so there was no reason he shouldn’t start on working. It would also help to keep his mind occupied with something other than images of his dead girlfriend and thoughts that his friends might end up dying some horrible death because of him.



A part of his logical mind knew that his fears were unfounded and that Ron and Hermione survived intact and he still had many friends and people who cared about him who hadn’t been savagely murdered or tortured…but nightmares like that don’t go quietly and it took all his energy to force himself to concentrate fully on the potions and not what he had seen.



He flipped the first book open and began looking through the marked pages for the Draught of Peace. He had been drilled on it by Snape in his fifth year for his O.W.L.s. After being thoroughly embarrassed so many times perhaps now he would be able to prove that he wasn’t a complete moron and did know the basics of brewing a potion. Especially now that he actually had a drive to make it…he doubted that he would be allowed to stay here alone anymore if Mrs. Weasley or anyone saw him looking so horribly ill. He could handle this…he deserved to have dreams like that after what had happened but he didn’t want to make everyone else worry. The thought of being the center of attention again made his stomach turn and he was more determined than before to make them think that everything was normal and that he was alright. He could talk to Hermione later…maybe Ron depending on how he was taking everything…but he wasn’t going to go running to others anymore…it was his demons….and he would be the one to deal with them.



He gathered the items that he needed and set them out in easy reach before looking at the instructions again. He went over them a couple of times in his head to make sure he knew exactly what to do and when before pulling on the dragon hide gloves that had been hung on a peg with a few other instruments like special cutting knives and such. Instantly the gloves molded to his hands so that they wouldn’t be bulky and get in the way but still protect him and keep the ingredients from being contaminated by anything on his skin. Ready to start he picked up the glass jar that had small opaque stones inside that glittered with blues and pinks from inside.



Taking two of the moonstones out of the jar he placed them into a leather pouch and carefully used the wooden hammer to ground them into fine powder. It took a few minutes and it left his arm a little sore but once it was done he set it aside for later when it would be added and then started working on getting the sticky, syrupy like juice from the hellebore and collect it with a special vile.



He worked diligently on the potion and didn’t even notice as the sun began to rise and the room brightened more with the addition of natural light. During the time that he had been working, Harry had shrugged off his robe and dropped onto a chair in the corner since it was now getting a bit warm with the fire under the cauldron and the robe was just too cumbersome and got in the way. He had rolled up the sleeves of his pajamas and tied on the work apron that he had found stowed away in some cabinets – which seemed so much more practical for potions than wearing their school robes. He wondered absently why Snape hadn’t just made them get aprons instead…probably because he wanted to wear his own robe and didn’t want to loose the effect of swooping around them like some demonic gargoyle.



The thought made Harry chuckle dryly as he sprinkled in the moonstone powder and stirred clockwise twice before giving four counter clockwise stirs. Looking at the instructions again he made sure he had done everything right before setting down the stirring rod and lowered the fire so that the potion could brew for a few hours.



Harry stepped back, wiping his brow and nodding to himself faintly, feeling a bit accomplished that he had managed to pull off most of the potion without any major hitches. Take that Snape. He would have to come and check on it later but for now a quick bath was in order.



Yawning faintly but pushing back the exhaustion, Harry wandered back to his room, realizing that he was starting to really feel comfortable in the large Black house. It wasn’t all warm and fuzzy memories but it felt much homier than the Dursley’s house ever had. He bathed quickly, scrubbing off the sweat before pulling on the robe he had worn yesterday but that Kreacher had obviously found and washed because it was folded neatly on the bed.



He ran his fingers through his hair faintly, trying to tame it a little but didn’t put much effort into it as he headed downstairs. He was still shaken from the vivid nightmare but focusing on work had helped to calm him a bit. He knew enough that he had to eat something no matter how ill he felt or he was going to get sick and that wasn’t something he wanted to deal with on top of everything.



“Kreacher, could I have some-” but he blinked and paused as he stepped into the kitchen to find three sets of eyes turning to him from the table.



“Um…hi…I didn’t know you were here.” Harry said sheepishly, nodding faintly at Charlie.



He had known that Ron and Hermione wouldn’t be able to keep away but he hadn’t expected them to come this soon…though he needed to remember that he had slept for three days after the battle…so it was longer for them. The next moment he had an arm full of the bushy haired girl as Hermione hugged him furiously.



“Harry James Potter! I should throttle you this instant for not contacting us!” she said angrily, though it was obviously more worry than anything else. “You said you needed some time alone but couldn’t you have CALLED or SOMETHING!?” she demanded exasperated.



Harry smiled weakly, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.



“Sorry ‘Mione…I just needed to get myself together a little…I was going to use the fire to talk to you today or something…really.” Of course that was a lie but it was better than anything. “Really…I am sorry…I

didn’t realize you were so worried…I thought that Mrs. Weasley would have told you I’m okay.”



Ron smirked weakly, looking relieved to see his friend in one piece. Harry noticed, though, that his eyes looked shadowed and hollow. All three of them did, actually, which made his heart twist painfully.



“Sorry mate, but it was worse. Mum was nearly beside herself after coming back, talking about how yer were too skinny and all alone and how you must think she’s not a good enough mother. She made it sound like you were dying. But she’s being so protective right now that we had to sneak out with Charlie to be able to come see you.”



Harry blinked widely, looking clearly aghast at the idea, causing the two read heads to chuckle.



“Yeah, don’t worry Harry. Mum knows you care.” Charlie assured him, “She’s just worried is all.”



“We all are.” Hermione added, pulling back from Harry and worrying on her lower lip. “You ARE okay…aren’t you Harry?”



Harry instantly forced a quick smile and nodded.



“Yeah, I’m fine, Hermione…really…I just still getting used to the change…I mean I don’t have to go to the Dursley’s anymore…and Hogwarts is closed…and Voldemort’s dead. It’s just a lot to realize.” He said, making sure that he didn’t meet any of their eyes and that he didn’t mention those that they had all lost.



He didn’t think he could deal with mentioning them again yet…not to others.



“So…how about we have breakfast?” Charlie suggested, keeping the mood from becoming uncomfortable or strained – something Harry was very thankful for.



“Yeah…that sounds good.” He agreed, moving to sit beside Charlie and across from Ron and Hermione.



Kreacher – who had been cooking at the stove – looked up and nodded excitedly, glad that his Master would eat and that he looked better than the last time he saw him. Soon the table was covered with platters of eggs and bacon and toast, the smell making Harry’s stomach churn. He swallowed thickly though and forced it back as he pushed away all the sausages and meat before just taking some of the butter-less toast and the glass of milk in front of him and nibbled on it.



“Harry, mate, are you alright? You’re not eating much.” Ron blinked, watching his friend closely.



Harry smiled quickly. “I was making potions upstairs…the smell made me a bit queasy.” He lied.



It was starting to disturb him just how good he was getting at that…lying. It definitely made handling situations like this easier…but it also made his gut twist at how easily he had seen Tom Riddle lie in his past… Was he becoming more like him? Was that really something that he wanted?



Hermione seemed proud as she instantly started chattering about how wonderful it was that he was studying and that he had been trying to get Ron to do the same but he wouldn’t and it all fell into a nicely normal breakfast with all its occupants staying away from any serious topics for now.



Once the four were full and the food had been cleared away Harry shifted a little, the seriousness settling back down like a cloud. Charlie seemed to realize they needed some time to talk and beamed brightly.



“I’m going to go investigate your attic. Sirius mentioned that he had some neat cursed items that I should see.” He said.



Harry quickly nodded and offered a weak smile.



“If you find anything that you want you are more than welcome to take it.” He said, causing the young man to laugh faintly and ruffle his hair before standing.



“Right-o! Well I’ll be back down in a little bit. Mum would want us home before lunch or she’ll have a fit.”



The trio nodded before waiting for Charlie’s footsteps to disappear. Harry shifted uncomfortably before standing.



“Do you wanna talk in my room?” he suggested, thinking it might be more private.



Hermione nodded, gently pulling on Ron’s sleeve to make him follow. The three shuffled out of the kitchen and up the stairs towards his new room. If either of the two had a comment about the room he chose, they didn’t say it out loud. Once inside, Harry cast a silencing charm on the room, reminding himself that he would probably need to start doing that every night to prevent Kreacher from hearing him if something like that happens again.



“So…” he said softly as he moved to sit on the bed while Hermione and Ron followed.



They all situated themselves before looking at each other. There was a brief silence before Hermione elbowed Ron gently in the side. The red head fidgeted faintly before looking up at Harry again.



“How are ya doin’, Harry?” he asked softly.



Harry blinked before shrugging faintly. “I’m alright…I kind of like living here…and Kreacher makes food for me so won’t have to worry about starving.” He said, trying to make a joke. It was a bit weak though.



The two nodded quickly, giving soft, forced laughs before they died away quickly. Hermione finally sighed before shaking her head.



“Oh this is ridiculous! Harry, we’re worried about you. Talk to us! Are you alright? What happened during the battle with Voldemort? Where did you go? Why did Hagrid carry you back? You looked dead!” she said quickly, obviously both were just as confused as everyone else about what had happened and they wanted to know.



“Yea, mate, we tried to get information from the adults but they blew us off again! Can you believe that!? After all we did they act like we’re too young to know!” Ron jumped in, both angry and offended.

Harry wasn’t really surprised. To a lot of the adults they would always be their children or their students.



“It’s…kind of hard to explain.” He admitted, trying to find a way to possibly explain what had happened and how he had seen the dead Dumbledore and Snape’s memories and everything else that had happened when they had been separated.



“It’s okay…just try…we just want to know what happened…we were so worried…when we saw you…oh Harry we thought you were dead!” Hermione suddenly broke, throwing herself at him again to hug him desperately.



Harry blinked, having forgotten how he had played dead and what that must have done to them. He sighed softly and hugged her awkwardly.



“I’m sorry Hermione…I didn’t mean to scare you…I had to…to make Voldemort believe I was dead...but…I really did die. Sort of.” He whispered softly.



Ron almost choked, paling almost a deathly white and looking at him with wide shocked eyes.



“You WHAT!?” they gasped together.



Harry sighed before settling back against the headboard to tell them everything. It took awhile but eventually he managed to tell them everything that had happened between the times they had split up until after he had killed Voldemort. He skimmed over Snape’s memories, knowing that they weren’t his to tell, but he made sure they knew that the man hadn’t betrayed them…that it was indeed a plan that Dumbledore had come up with. When he was finally done – having to stop them from asking questions along the way – he looked to the both of them, waiting for their reactions.



“So…what you’re saying is that you were a Horcrux?” Hermione asked in wonder, thinking over everything she had heard. “That’s…unbelievable…amazing I can’t believe someone managed to turn another human being into a Horcrux.” She said in awe almost, making Ron and Harry roll their eyes.



“It’s not a good thing ‘Mione.” Ron snorted, knowing that his girlfriend was insane. “But I can’t believe that you just went to him and let him kill you!” he said, getting angry, Hermione instantly agreeing.



Harry winced. “I was trying to save you you know…I thought it was the only way to kill him.”



“Yea, well it was a bloody stupid idea.” Ron said tensely, his eyes suspiciously glassy but he quickly blinked it away. “I mean what would have happened to us if you died? Gryffindor wouldn’t have a seeker!”



Harry blinked before throwing his head back and laughing, really laughing for the first time since this stupid thing had started. Hermione scoffed, cuffing Ron on the back of the head lightly.



“Honestly! There are more important things, Ronald Weasley, besides quidditch!” she exasperated.



Ron whined, rubbing the back of his head before smiling a little, knowing that he had made Harry laugh and that was good enough for right now. Once the amusement faded off a little Harry offered a faint smile.



“Thanks…” he said softly before looking between the two. “So…what’s been going on that I’ve miss?” he asked.



Hermione smiled sadly.



“Well, there was a big memorial a day after the battle for the…the victims. Everyone showed up, it was huge.” She said.



“Yeah, I’m kinda glad ya weren’t there, though, Harry…you would have been mobbed. WE were mobbed and we didn’t even fight Yo-…Voldemort.” He said disgusted. “It was like they didn’t even care that people had died! I wanted to punch a few of them!” he said angrily.



Hermione nodded. “A few of them were pretty bad…one man even told Collin and Denis’s mom to stop crying, that he would have given his sons gladly if it would get rid of the Dark Lord.” She said darkly, her eyes narrowed.



The thought made Harry tense, remembering how it had been when he had gone out.



“Yeah…a lot of people were following me around when I went to Diagon…I just wanted to stupefy them all and leave.” he muttered.



“It’s like that everywhere…we’ve gotten tons of your mail, Harry…sent to The Burrow, even given to Professor McGonagall. We weren’t sure if you wanted it yet or not so we’re keeping it safe for you…we think a lot of them are fan letters…we’re also having the Aurors scan them all incase any have curses or jinxes on them.” She said.



Harry groaned, not wanting to deal with that kind of thing at the moment…any moment really and just shook his head.



“What about…”



A pause before Hermione sighed softly as Ron looked away.



“They already had the funeral…we…we tried to tell you but Kreacher wouldn’t let Mrs. Weasley come in…” she whispered, causing Harry’s throat to close tightly.



Ron frowned, sending a faint glare.



“She would have wanted you there Harry. You had bloody well go and see her.” He said darkly, looking close to crying.



Harry couldn’t even get the anger to be defensive, just nodded faintly.



“Ron…I’m sorry…you know…you know I cared for her.” He whispered softly. “To…be honest I’m not sure…if I could have gone anyway…I…not when it’s my fault that she’s gone.” He whispered, looking down at the bedding.



The next moment Harry when crashing off the bed, tumbling to the floor while his cheek was throbbing painfully at the full out punch Ron had given him. He was too shocked to even react when he was grabbed by the collar and slammed into the wall by his friend.



“Don’t you ever say that! She was my sister Harry! You didn’t kill her and I’m not letting you ruin her memory by thinking that she was so weak that she needed you to protect her! She was strong and one of the best of the DA! She took down four Death Eaters with her and it was THOSE monsters that killed her! NOT YOU!” he growled angrily.



Harry was speechless for a long moment before closing his eyes tightly and nodding, trying to swallow the frog in his throat. The hands on his collar loosened faintly before pulling away. They just stood there for a moment, Hermione watching them silently from the bed before Harry looked off to the left.



“Thanks…” he whispered softly.



Ron just nodded weakly and Hermione relaxed faintly. The two shuffled back over to the bed before sitting down again.



“Is Fred alright?” he asked finally, trying to change the subject a little.



Hermione took the chance and nodded. “He’s doing well. He’s going to be coming home next week if he keeps getting better as fast as he has.” She smiled, glad that there was something good to tell him.



Harry smiled in relief. “That’s good.” He said before pausing. “Have you heard…anything on Snape?” he asked.



Ron and Hermione glanced at each other before shaking their heads.



“No…” Ron said softly. “He’s in the intensive care unit that’s all we know…no one will let us see him.”



Harry sighed softly and nodded.



“Do you thing we can visit Fred sometime soon?” he asked. “I’d like to see…Ginny and Remus too.” He said softly, his voice trembling.



The two nodded, Hermione reaching out to touch his arm gently.



“Alright, we can probably talk Mr. and Mrs. Weasley into letting us…” she smiled.



Harry chuckled and nodded before blinking as Kreacher popped into the room.



“Sorry Master Harry, but Mr. Weasley says that your friends must go or they will be chased down by a monster.” He said with faintly wide eyes.



Hermione blinked before they all chuckled and climbed off the bed.



“Alright, we’re coming, Kreacher, thank you.” Harry smiled as they headed for the door.



When they reached the living room Charlie stood from the couch and smiled.



“Alright, kiddies, lets get going.” He said, clapping his hands together. “Will you be coming with us, Harry?” he asked.



Harry smiled weakly and shook his head. “No…sorry, not today.” He said softly.



“We’ll be going to see Fred tomorrow with Harry.” Hermione said quickly.



“Great! The little twin terrors will be happy to see you, the kid’s going stir-crazy in his bed.” Charlie laughed, making Harry smile faintly.



It meant a lot to him that Charlie was trying to make him feel better when Ginny had died and he could very well have blamed him for it. He nodded and watched as Charlie grabbed some floo powder.



“See you later, Harry, take care of yourself. You know you can come see us.” He smiled brightly.



“I will…tell everyone I said hi.” He said sheepishly.



Charlie laughed again before nodding and stepping into the fireplace and shouting “The Burrow” before being whisked away. Ron and Hermione looked at Harry before the brown haired girl hugged Harry one more time.



“Be careful, Harry…if you need us come and talk to us.” She said seriously before kissing his cheek.



Harry blushed faintly and shifted embarrassed before nodding.



“Alright…I will.” He promised, watching as Ron nodded.



The red head watched his girlfriend go through the fire before gently nudging his shoulder.



“I’m glad that you’re alright Harry.” He said faintly, making Harry smile widen just faintly.



“Thanks Ron….and I’m really sorry….I never wanted her to get hurt.”



Ron’s eyes dimmed before he nodded in understanding.



“I know Harry…and she did love you…I guess I wouldn’t have cared…” his voice broke and Harry looked away, acting as if he didn’t see the wetness on his friend’s cheek. “I wouldn’t have cared if you…were with her.” He said before the boy gave Harry a quick, fumbling hug before going to the fireplace.



“We’ll see you tomorrow.” He mumbled before stepping in.



Harry waved faintly, watching Ron go before slumping down on the couch. His emotions were in shambles again but he did feel a little better than before. They didn’t blame him for what happened…it was a small comfort when he blamed himself…and in the same it was worse because he felt like they should hate him.



Sighing exhausted he stood, stretching and heading to the kitchen again. He really wish he was old enough to drink.



TO BE CONTINUED…



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