The Last Year

The Second Meeting

  The next few practices were awkward between Harry and Ginny. Even after his conversation with Hermione, he was still processing everything said by Ginny. He only spoke to her when necessary, and then very to the point. She in turn was not being rude in her defense but had a flame of defiance in her eyes.
Harry stepped into the shower, exhausted. The past few nights had been tough, he had been having constant nightmares. This lead to very little sleep.
  As the hot water poured over him, his muscles slowly relaxed, and his mind slowed down. He placed his head against the wall, relishing the water rolling down his head.
  Suddenly, a green light ripped across his vision, and he awoke with a start. He realized he had drifted to sleep standing in the shower. Another dream of the killing curse.
  He quickly got out of the shower, and dressed. He decided he needed a few moments alone in the room of Requirement. Flying had not helped him think as it usually did, so maybe destroying dummies would.
Harry walked alone towards the castle, the air turning chilly as the sun dipped below the tree line. Harry took a deep breath and tried to relax his frayed nerves. Ever since the Final Battle, he would randomly become nervous for no reason. This had led to a panic attack before, but he didn't believe that was the case this time.
He walked though the massive doors and up the staircase. He reached the 7th floor and looked down each hallway before walking towards the large wall that led to the Room of Requirement. With each step, Harry began to notice a small thump noise. As he got closer to the door, the thump got louder and sped up.
Suddenly, the air around him exploded, the outside wall flew into him, knocking him to the floor and completely covering him.
His heart began to race as the wall slowly smothered him. As he struggled to breathe, the air smelled of fire and burned flesh. The world began to grow hazy as he heard someone screaming, screaming a name. He heard what sounded just like Percy Weasley screaming Fred Weasley's name.
"Harry!" Hermione was shaking Harry.
Harry's eyes snapped open and he found himself face to face with Hermione. As he looked around, he found himself laying on the floor against the wall, 10 feet in front of the Room of Requirement.
Hermione stared at him worriedly, "Are you okay? What happened?"
"I don't know" He responded.
The walls were fine, he wasn't being suffocated, and the air was fine. He had heard Percy screaming Fred's name......... this was the spot where Fred died. He hadn't thought about it since that night, but evidently the moment still lurked in his subconscious.
"I thought I was being crushed by the wall, and I heard Percy Weasley yelling about Fred. I think I just relieved Fred's death." Harry's voice broke.
Hermione set her head against Harry's, her eyes filling with tears.
"We need to see Madam Pomfrey."

   Twenty minutes later, Harry was sitting on a bed in the Medical Wing, telling Madam Pomfrey everything that had happened.
  "I see. Has anything like this happened before?" She asked.
  "I had some...... issues over the summer, and I went to therapy for a month, but I've been fine since then."
  "Hm. Well, nothing is wrong with you physically, so I would guess it's the same as the doctors told you a few months ago. Has anything else strange been happening lately?"
  "I've had nightmares every night this week, but those are pretty par for the course really." Harry responded.
   Hermione cut in, "He's been driving himself into the ground, he's constantly working on quidditch or working out or practicing or even studying. A year ago I would have loved to have seen him studying so much, but now it's part of a larger unhealthy pattern."
  "Okay. Now, Mr. Potter, I am a doctor, but not one who specializes in the mental aspects, so take this as you will. I know that with everything you have gone through and experienced, there is no possible way your mind in complete and whole. Be that as it may, you must take good care of your mind, even more so once it has been compromised. I will reach out to some of my contacts and see if I can't get a therapist who could come once a week to talk to you, and I must insist that you see them if I can get one here."
  Harry began to argue before being cut off, "I am serious, I will also be going to the Headmistress about this to see that you do. It also appears that you have been pushing off working through your issues and taking care of yourself by constantly keeping yourself working so that you don't have to face this head on. However, our bodies have a way of forcing us to face things at the worse possible times. I'm afraid that your battles are not over, even if Voldemort is dead."
  Hermione nodded her thanks as Madam Pomfrey returned to her office. She sat down beside Harry, laying her head on his shoulder.
  "How do you feel?"
  "I feel fine now, but it was terrifying in the moment. It was exactly like that night, just when I thought I was finally free of that battle. I....I never expected Fred to die, or for it to hurt so bad. But I loved him like a brother. Yes, we were different ages, from different worlds but he and George and the whole Weasley family took me in as one of their own, they became my family. Fred, he was one of the smartest guys I knew, I mean he and George figured out the Marauder's Map, and I feel like they never get the credit they deserve. I just, I miss him a lot, as I do all the people we lost."
  Hermione listened as Harry spoke, wishing she could just hug him and take away his pain. He carried everything on his shoulders and he didn't deserve it. She looked up at him, kissing him on the cheek. She went to spoke, when suddenly she snapped back, and stood up suddenly.
  She looked at Harry vacantly, "I need to go to the Library." And quickly walked away.
  Harry watched her walk to the door, confused by her abrupt exit. It was almost as if she became a different person or a robot.
  Harry shook the odd experience off and slowly stood to his feet. He needed to go have an awkward conversation.

  Hermione arrived at the Library in a daze. She looked around and realized she had no idea why she was here. She stepped inside and instinctively walked towards the restricted section. As she passed the first row, she noticed how eerily silent and empty the Library was.
  From behind, someone muttered "Imperio"
  Suddenly everything was fine. She didn't have a care in the world.

  Harry nervously walked through the portrait hole and into the Gryffindor Common Room. He looked around to see if she was there, but she wasn't. He muttered a curse and found a random first year girl, and asked her to bring her down to the Common Room.
 
  "Hello Hermione, did you miss me?" James asked as he appeared around the bookshelves.
  "I missed you quite a bit. I'm so glad the spell worked as intended, and that you came back. Eventually I hope we can meet without me having to cast this spell, but I know we aren't ready for that." James walked slowly in circles around Hermione as he spoke, as she hung onto every word he said as if she needed it to survive.
  "I noticed your still following Harry around all the time, cleaning up his messes and comforting him when he gets his feelings hurt. Doesn't it get tiring? Isn't it exhausting taking care of him?"
  He finally came to a stop in front of her. He reached out and gently rubbed his thumb against her face. He took a step closer, there faces a foot apart. He stared directly into her eyes.
  "Can I kiss you?"
  The question, or the weight of it, didn't register in her enchanted mind and she gave a small nod. He leaned forward, his lips joining hers. It was a soft, quick kiss, but a kiss none the less. It served to speed up her mind and suddenly she realized what was happening, she took a step back, raising her wand to his face.
  "What are you doing, how did I get here?" She asked horrified.
 
  A few moments later, the small girl returned with Ginny Weasley in tow. He thanked her and have her a sickle. Ginny had obviously been in bed as she had her sleeping robes on underneath a cover robe. She looked slightly irritated at being summoned but her curiosity was piqued as well.
  "Would you walk with me?" Harry asked hesitantly.
  Ginny nodded and fell in line with him as they exited the Common Room.

  "We met up here, and you agreed to a small kiss." James responded.
  "No, I didn't, I would never, I have a boyfriend."
  "Not here you don't. Just wait a second, everything will be fine."
  "What? No!" Hermione shrieked as he rose his wand again.
  "Imperio"
 
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Yes, I know, another cliffhanger. Sorry, not sorry. I hope to have the next chapter out very soon, but until then, enjoy this chapter!

Until Next Time,
-JRich