A/N: I would just like to thank all of you who have reviewed, it means a lot and it helps to keep things going. I would also like to thank both of my Beta's for all their help, for without them this story wouldn't be going anywhere. Thanks again and I hope you enjoy. Jade.
Chapter Twenty
Reassurances
Knight's Sanctuary
Same summer night
03:00
With a tired sigh, Evan drops into his bed as gently as he can manage, so as not to aggravate his headache any. Closing his eyes against the sudden onslaught of pain as a hiss releases from his clinched teeth. "I really don't like this," he mumbles as he gently maneuvers himself back into bed. "I have done all that I can," he says to the empty room, a room that matches his heart. He feels empty without his family; he feels so alone and lost. "I miss you, all of you," he suddenly shouts out to the darkened room, the need to see them so painful it starts to tear him apart from the inside out. He has been putting on a brave face for the world to see; only his family can see him as he truly is, only his family knows him for who he is. How he needs them now, if only he could see them for a little while, it would hold him over for a while longer. If only he could just glimpse them for a single heartbeat. "Stop it Potter, they are safe, do not wish them into harms way. Do not wish them to you," Harry shouts out, the pain and lonely clear in his voice. "You are not worthy of them," he whispers softer as he turns on his side, "You are not worthy to have ever known them," he whispers as he draws his knees up to his chest. "You are unworthy," he mumbles as he closes his eyes, the headache combined with his broken heart drag him from consciousness, throwing him spiraling into complete darkness.
Potter Manor
Same summer night
03:23
"Harry," Hermione shouts bolting upright in bed, the sheets clinging to her sweat soaked pajamas. Hermione quickly looks around, trying to find him, only to painfully remember Harry isn't here. Hermione is unable to stop the tears that have formed in her eyes from overflowing and tracing down her cheeks. Throwing the sheet off and standing up she looks over at the other sleeping form in the room, instantly relieved to see her bunkmate is still soundly sleeping. With a quick look around the large bedroom, her mind instantly taking in the burgundy color or the room and the placement of the two beds within the room, Ginny's on the north wall and hers just to the west of the doors. The room is clean, minus a few thrown out theories, Ginny and herself have been looking everywhere for any information on just how Dumbledore was able to seen Harry to another dimension, as of yet they have come up with nothing. Shaking her head of such thoughts at this time in the night, Hermione reaches down to the end of her bed and grabs her robe, sliding it on. Hermione quietly makes her way out of the bedroom to the study. Hermione stops just as she enters the doors to the large room, to look up at the enchanted ceiling to the stars above, knowing she is still crying but finds she is unable to stop, finds she doesn't care if she continues to cry until she sees Harry again. She feels like a specter looking within from her place on the outside, unwelcome and unneeded. She feels helpless and alone, her reason for continuing lost to another world and she is left her in this study, this study that could put the library at Hogwarts to shame.
Hermione can't help but mentally review the dream she has just awoken from as she stands there looking out into the night sky. She never told Harry she could feel when he had nightmares, it always felt as if her heart was being squeezed in her chest not allowing her to breathe. It took her awhile to figure out what was happening but when she did, she never second guessed it and was in fact honored. Closing her eyes against the emptiness in her heart Hermione remembers back to a day that feels to have happened years ago, lifetimes ago, rather than a few short months ago. She remembers waking in the middle of the night knowing she needs to get to Harry, knowing he had just had another dream, another vision. They were in camp, and she was wearing the same pajamas as she is now, the ones Harry had given her last Christmas. It didn't matter that she was wearing blue colored pajamas with stars and moons covering them, she knew she had to get to his side. So Hermione did the only thing she could think of, she threw off her covers and ran out of her tent and across the camp until she was next to Harry.
It had broken Hermione's heart to enter Ron's and Harry's tent to witness the sight before her. Harry was sitting on the edge of his bed, sweat soaking him clear through. She could see him shivering from the cold and from the horrors of his dreams, of his visions. Swallowing her tears she softly made her way to the shivering form, almost dropping to her knees before him, "Harry," she had whispered and instantly cringed with regret to see him jump in fear as he heard her voice. Hermione never wanted Harry to fear her, even when he didn't know who it was. Slowly he started to move his head, lifting so he can look her in the eyes, she could see the confusion, the disbelief in his telling eyes, "Hermione," Harry had whispered in a hoarse cracking voice. It was at this point Hermione could no longer control herself; she quickly wrapped her arms around him, needing to feel him close to her heart, needing to help him no matter what. As he wraps his arms around her as well, Hermione is unable to stop herself from slowly rocking the both of them from side to side; trying everything she knows to help ease his pain.
It was awhile before Harry spoke again, as Hermione knew he would, he always does. "I hate this Hermione, I hate being the Boy-Who-Lived, I don't know what to do," he tells her in his scratchy broken voice as he tries to get closer to her, to feel her heart beating. Hermione doesn't argue as she pulls him closer to her, needing to feel his heartbeat just as much. "You do the only thing you know how to," Hermione whispers into his ear softly as she buries her head into his hair, taking in the smell of him, the shaking of his body and the fear in her own heart as she quickly looks around the slumbering tent. "Doing the right thing is never easy Harry. You of all people know this," she tries to sooth him, knowing in her heart she isn't. Closing her eyes against the sudden feeling of being unworthy of this boy's friendship she starts to rub her hand across his back as her mother used to do for her all those years ago when she used to have nightmares. "But it's the only thing you know how to do and I'm so proud of you for it, for all of it," she says trying to make him understand how she feels, how everyone feels about him. He is their hope, not because he is the only one who can win, but because he is Harry. He is the light of her life and she fears the day she losses him to someone else, someone more worthy of this love than she will ever be. As this thought passes her mind she quickly tightens her hold on him, never wanting to let him go, never wanting to take a breath in a world where he isn't near her. She continues to rock slowly, gladly taking more of his weight on herself as he slowly starts to fall back to sleep.
"Thank you," Harry whispers with a slurred voice startling Hermione out of her self-pitying thought. "For what," she asks with a smile at how he talks when he is on the edge of wakefulness and sleep, his words surprising her. "For being you, I know I take you for granted," Harry continues to say as he slumps more fully into her welcoming embrace, his voice slurs once again causing Hermione to smile. "But I do love you, I don't know what I'd do without you and I don't want to find out," Harry states as he finally loses the battle and slumps completely against Hermione as sleep takes him once again. Hermione smiles brightly into his hair as her heart feels to almost overflowing at hearing his words. She slowly begins the once strange and now familiar process of laying him down, so he can continue to sleep, without waking him. "And I you Harry, on all accounts," Hermione whispers in agreement as she takes in his now peacefully sleeping face, finally allowing for her own tears to roll down her cheeks as she thinks about all he has been and is forced to endure. Wiping the tears from her face she smiles once again as she tucks the blankets securely around him, knowing just how to move so as to not to wake him. Once she is satisfied with her work she stands up, only to lean over him to place a gentle kiss on his forehead. She avoids the scar, knowing to kiss him there would be more intimate then Harry might like and more than her own heart could handle at the moment. "And I you, more than you know, sleep my sweet Harry, sleep well," she whispers again as she turns around to exit the tent to return to her own until he needs her again or until the morning comes.
Hermione releases a sad sigh as her mind returns to the present, to the dream that had just woken her. She knows her dream is just that, a dream; however she also knows that Harry has just had another vision, wherever he is. Unable to stop herself as she starts to remember the dream she had just had, she is forced to see once again her reoccurring nightmare of the last time she saw Harry as he was standing on the battlefield, only in her dreams he was laying on the ground covered in blood, dieing.
Hermione suddenly jumps as a soft hand unexpectedly touches her shoulder; she quickly turns to see the caring and concerned eyes of Molly Weasley. "Are you okay child," Molly asks softly. Hermione doesn't answer; she is unable to, as she buries herself into the caring arms of Ron's mother desperately searching for warmth, even though she knows she will not find the real warmth she is seeking in these arms, though the silkiness of the Weasley matron's dressing gown allow Hermione to still be comforted. "What happened dear," Molly asks after a moment of hold Hermione to her.
"Harry had another dream," Hermione whimpers into the embrace, her tears still flowing uncontrolled down her cheeks.
At hearing these words Molly gasps, she remembers well what theses dreams mean. She remembers the pain Harry would have to endure after waking and during the dreams. "The first one since his disappearance," Molly asks fearfully, hating that he is alone in a world foreign to him, that they aren't there for him.
Shaking her head against the older lady's chest, "No, just the worst one yet," Hermione explains as she slightly pulls back to look Molly in the eyes to see the pain in her own heart reflected back at her. Seeing the pain helps her to continue on with what's really hurting her at the moment. "I always help him," she says urgently, "I can't this time," she cries as the tears start to flow again. "This time he's alone," she whimpers as she buries her head back into Molly's chest.
"He still has us child," Molly reminds her gently as she tightens her embrace around the tearful teen.
"But Dumbledore said he wouldn't know we are coming," Hermione says as she bites back a sob, "He doesn't know," she repeats as the tears start to flow faster from her eyes, her heart breaking as the words from the letter run thru her mind once again, even at a time where she knows Harry more than likely feels lost, where she feels lost without him.
"No he doesn't," Molly sympathetically admits.
"Then how does he still have us," Hermione whispers in confusion, her heart still breaking with the knowledge she can't help Harry. She slowly and reluctantly pulls away from Molly to look at her in question. "How can he still have us when we aren't together," she repeats softer.
Molly smiles softly at Hermione, knowing any other time the teen before her would understand her meaning. Not tonight however, her heart is in too much pain to allow her mind to process information as it usually does. "Because we're in his heart," Molly explains softly, "We're his family," she says smiling still. Hermione can't stop the slight, but watery smile from gracing her own face as she closes her eyes softly, thinking of the boy who so holds her heart. "Let's sit down for a bit," Molly says as she starts to lead the teen further into the study.
Hermione nods her head in agreement as they walk, "I've been thinking," she says as the two of them sit down in the chairs in the center of the study, chairs Harry once loving called the meeting circle, as there are enough chairs for everyone to sit at and be able to look at each other. It has been nearly nine months since the Burrow was so ruthlessly destroyed during retaliation lead by the Death Eaters for the Weasley's being in the Order, since then they have been staying here at Potter Manor. A place they have come to enjoy, but it can never be as it once was, and now it was empty with out Harry being there with them.
"What about," Molly asks knowing from past experience Hermione Granger is a very secretive woman and when something is bothering her, she tries to smooth her way around the heart of the matter, until she can no longer fight against what's bothering her. It is because of how Hermione had phrased her statement that Molly knows they are finally getting to what seems to be the most bothersome. Molly also knows that if Harry were here, the two of them would have talked about this long before now. The both of them always know when the other needs to talk and when just to listen. Something that still amazes Molly to no ends, but she loves them all the same, even if she can't readily understand them.
"What if he's become friends with our counter parts, with the, us of his new world," Hermione starts with a trembling voice. "What if his parents are alive, what if he's spending his life with them now," she whispers softly knowing this part might bother the lady with her whom she feels is a surrogate mother. "What if Dissy is there," she continues and then pauses as she closes her eyes, a few tears leaking down her cheeks. Opening her eyes once again, Molly finds herself surprised at the pain she finds in the teens eyes, "What i…if," Hermione pauses the fear evident not only in her voice but in the fact she has started to stutter, forcing herself to swallow roughly, Hermione continues on, "W…what i…if H…Harry no longer n…n…ne…nee…needs us," she forces her self to finish her voice and body shaking with fear that now that she has said the words they will come true. "What if he no longer needs me," she whispers so softly Molly would have missed it had she not read the words on the young woman's lips.
Molly releases a quick breath as she realizes just how worried Hermione is about this, and to be honest she should have expected this. Molly leans back in her chair as she contemplates not only how to comfort the woman before her, but her own heart. It is something she too has been worried about. "I have thought about that," she finally says truthfully. She smiles softly as Hermione quickly looks up at her, the sudden hope in the teen's eyes causes Molly's own heart to skip a beat. "And if it were anyone but Harry I'd be worried," she tries to comfort as she continues to look into the brown eyes of the smartest witch she has ever had the pleasure of meeting, of ever getting to know.
"W…what do you mean," Hermione asks, her voice cracking as she tries to keep the little hope she has at bay.
"You and Harry became friends fairly quickly," Molly says to her, "Ron and him did as well," she says still amused at this truth. It would normally take years to get the level of trust this three achieved with each other so completely. The fact Harry would allow them even near him was amazing in itself, but that the two others didn't fight against it either just tells her it was meant to be. Something to this day she thanks Merlin for. "But," she says quickly before Hermione can add or ask anything. "How long did it really take him to let you in, into his heart," she asks in a knowing voice that only mother's seem to be able to use. As Hermione sits there and stares at her in shock, Molly continues.
"Think about it Hermione," Molly says softly, soothingly. "It wasn't until we were going to tell him of Sirius's death that we truly understood what he was going through," she reminds the young woman before her. "Even then it was only the five of us," Molly says knowing Hermione understands what she is truly talking about, she can see the shadow cross those brown orbs. She knows Hermione understands that she is referring to the day when the five of them, Dumbledore, Arthur, Hermione and herself, went to see Harry to tell him of the unfortunate news, only to be more shocked by what they found.
"I wish he would have told me sooner," Hermione says with a whimper as the tears start anew.
"As do we all," Molly agrees with a soft nod as her mind throws the mental pictures of that horrid day to the forefront. She closes her eyes as she sees the state Harry had been in when they had to force their way past the Dursleys, where they had found him still haunts her to this day.
"He still doesn't like to talk about it," Hermione offers softly.
"He only talks about it with whom," Molly questions with a watery smile as she looks at the now blushing teen.
"Me," Hermione says as she swipes at some tears on her face, ignoring the fact that more are replacing them as quickly as she removed them.
Molly nods her head in agreement as silence closes in on them. "The others still don't know," Molly continues after a moment, her voice cracking as her mind tries to chase away the images of that fateful day. Clearing her throat, and trying to hide the tears in her own eyes she tries to continue, "He doesn't want anyone else to know," she says in a softer tone of voice, the pain clear as she looks away from the teen before her to try and re-gather herself.
"He doesn't like that we know about it," Hermione discloses softly.
Shaking her head she looks back up at Hermione, "Why would he just pour his heart out to people he knows aren't us," Molly questions with a slight sniff. "Do you really believe Harry would start letting other people into his heart now," she asks further.
"No," Hermione answers softly with a sigh.
Molly smiles softly at this answer, "Right," she agrees.
"What about his Parents," Hermione question hesitantly, "We both know he loves them even if he doesn't know them, he'll run to them," she says unable to stop herself, her insecurities taking over her mouth.
"If his parents are alive," Molly says softly as she watches Hermione wipe the tears from her face once again. "If his parents are alive," she repeats as she tries to find the courage within her own heart to say what she has needed to say for many a night now plowing through the difficult task of talking about a subject that has been at the forefront of her mind for several days. Days it appears where it wasn't just her personal fear, but another's as well. "He won't push us away," Molly says more to herself than to Hermione, but Molly knows this to be truth, trying to reassure herself with logic.
"How can we know," Hermione whispers as she swallows back a sniff.
"He won't push us away," Molly repeats firmer this time, "If anything it will be them that he will push away," she explains with a soft shake of her head.
As soon as Hermione's mind catches up with what she is hearing, her head snaps up and she looks Molly directly in the eyes. With a gasp Hermione realizes her error. What she should have known long before but was too afraid to think about, now stares her directly in the face making its truth known. Hermione blinks in surprise as she now allows her mind to broach a subject that was previous forbidden. Swallowing against the tears still wanting to be cried Hermione tries to reason out her thoughts, "Harry knows," she starts slowly hoping against hope what she is thinking is true. "Though they are related," she pauses slightly, "Technically," she adds on then shrugs as she tries to figure out if the genetics of the new world are the same as this world. Shaking her head Hermione continues, "By blood," she says still looking into Molly's eyes. "They are not his parents," she says her eyes widening as realization finally dawns not only in her mind but also in her heart. "His parents are dead," Hermione finishes in an awed whisper, as she finally allows her eyes to close as she realizes that if Harry's parents are alive he is more than likely hurting because of it. At this thought the stinging returns to her eyes once again.
"Right" Molly agrees with what Hermione has said and has not said a soft yet sad smile on her face.
"What about Dissy," Hermione questions as she reopens her eyes, "What if Dissy is there," she re-asks, the thought of losing Harry to someone she has never met before start to ruthlessly tear all hope from her heart.
"What about her," Molly asks in confusion, after covering the topic of Harry's parents she can't understand what can be wrong now. "He's told us many things about her," she continues knowing better than to just laugh this subject off. "And he's told us how he feels towards her," she says with a soft tender smile as she looks into the pain filled orbs of the young woman across from her. "Yes," Molly says with a nod knowing what Hermione is about to asks as Hermione opens her mouth to speak. "He feels she is another sister to him," she carries on with a gentle smile, "That hasn't changed anything about how he feel or acts towards us," she says and then asks, "Has it?"
Hermione shakes her head vigorously in response to this question, "No," she states knowing she needs to say the words aloud so as to be better able to believe them herself.
"Harry has enough room in his heart for more," Molly points out with a wide smile at the way Hermione responded to her question. Molly expected nothing different and would have been disappointed had Hermione reacted that way.
"What if is it the same world that Remus is in," Hermione questions softly, but Molly can tell the emotions behind this question aren't the same as previous questions.
"Then he has his honorary Uncle back in his life," Molly answers with a slight chuckle as Hermione blushes at her own silliness. "As do you and Ron, so I see no harm there," she pauses slightly, the smile sliding instantly from her face as the name of the next person floats into her mind.
"As with Sirius," Hermione whispers softly, distantly as her mind returns to the day they went to the Dursleys to tell Harry about Sirius's death.
"As with Sirius," Molly agrees with a sad smile, only to find herself on the receiving end of a fierce hug a moment later, which she gladly returns, her smile turning more content.
Hermione reluctantly pulls back from the hug, "He still needs us," she whispers happily, a huge smile crossing her young features making her appear years younger than she normally looks.
"He always will," Molly agrees softly, smiling still.
"Thank you Molly, you don't know how much I have needed to hear those very words," Hermione says with a grateful smile, her heart feeling lighter than it has in a long time.
Molly smiles knowingly, "Anytime my child," she says to the young woman before her, "Now off to bed with you," she orders with a gentle laugh.
"Yes mum," Hermione laughs out only to quickly give Molly another hug.
"Sleep well dear," Molly whispers into the embrace. "Now off with you," she says as they break apart. Hermione smiles in answer and with a soft nod she almost skips back to her room. Molly watches with kind, caring eyes; her heart feeling a little lighter than it had earlier. She no longer fears losing one of her three surrogate children. Though in her heart she knows Hermione and Harry belong together, it pains her however, how long it will be until all of them are once again reunited. A time she is looking forward too as well, it is hard to have a child missing from the family. It is even harder than when Percy turned on them and led the Death Eaters to the Burrow, destroying their home and nearly killed Arthur and herself in the process.
"Thanks mum," a male voice says softly from directly behind her causing her to jump.
Twisting around in her chair as she places her right hand over her racing heart, "Ron," Molly says almost scolding the teen.
"Sorry," Ron instantly says the truth of his statement is clear in the slight coloring of his ears. Molly watches in question as he sits down in the chair Hermione had just vacated a few moments before. "Thanks for helping Hermione," Ron says as he looks into his mothers eyes, a sadness residing within his blue eyes, his face as serious as she has ever seen. "I knew what she needed," he pauses here for a moment, trying to rephrase his thoughts so they can be better understood. "At least I thought I did," Ron finally admits with a shrug. "It's," he says and shrugs again, unable to get his mouth to work with his mind. "It's just I couldn't word it right," he admits and then smiles. "I would have made a right mess of things," he teases only for his smile and the teasing manor to instantly disappear. "And I…" he starts but drifts off, finding himself unable to continue, unable to utter the next words.
"You also needed to hear the same words," Molly asks knowingly as she smiles kindly at her son. She is pleased her children feel comfortable enough to come and talk with her, even if the subject is something they don't want to deal with.
"Yeah," Ron admits a little sheepishly.
"It's okay dear," Molly says with an understanding nod. "I needed to hear them myself," she admits to her son.
Ron nods in acceptance only to shake his head a moment later, "What is it going to be like going to a different world," he whispers in question to himself as much as to his mother.
"Things there will be very different than here," Molly says with and understanding nod. This too is something she has thought about often. "We will more than likely have to meet ourselves of that world," she says shaking her head as she contemplates what this would mean. "And that will be weird in and of itself," she says with a distant look on her face, her mind trying to envision such an encounter.
"Yeah it will," Ron agrees with a slight chuckle.
"However," Molly says as her eyes come into focus onto her son, "We have to remember how our Harry has changed our lives," she continues after a moment to think about her words, her thoughts.
Ron's eyes widen in surprise, "I never thought of that," he admits after a moment, his voice squeaking slightly giving the depth of his surprise away.
Molly sighs softly, "I think about it all the time," she says sadly as she turns and looks towards the room Hermione and Ginny share. Closing her eyes she turns back around to look at Ron.
Ron takes in the suddenly sad look on his mother's face; he is confused as to what had caused this sudden change. He quickly looks to where she had been looking a moment before, wondering just what it was she had been looking at. "What are you thinking mum," he finally asks knowing he has no chance of figuring it out without help.
"I know Harry still blames himself about the diary," Molly answers as she finally opens her eyes, and Ron and see the intense sadness and pain held within them. Ron nods his head once in agreement, wondering just where this is going. Molly takes a deep breath as a haunted look crosses her eyes, "I also know Lucius would have given it to her anyway had Harry not been there," she explains softly the fear of what might have happened tangible within the large room.
Ron thinks about this for a moment, a contemplative look on his face and his eyes unfocused. Suddenly his eyes widen almost comically as he finally understands what his mother is getting at. "And since our Harry wasn't there in the new world," Ron starts to say thinking aloud, thus missing the somewhat surprised look on Molly's face as she realizes for the first time her little boy has grown into a fine young man. "Ginny mo…more than likely d…d…died in that place," Ron stutters in a whisper a look of horror crossing his face as the meaning of these words settle in.
"I fear so," Molly says softly as she tries to hide the fear and pain Ron's words have set off in her heart. She hasn't ever really come to terms with what almost happened that year and she is grateful for never having to deal with it.
"Poor Harry," Ron mutters interrupting her train of thought and she finds she is grateful.
"What," Molly asks confused by the abrupt change in topics.
Ron looks at his mother and then down to his hands that are currently resting in his lap. "I know Harry mum," he whispers softly, sadly. "I can hear him talking in his sleep," he explains as he quickly takes a look at his stunned mother only to look just as quickly back down at his hands. "I know what he dreams," he pauses here, "For the most part," he says to his mother who is softly placing her wrinkled aged hand on top of his. This one, single act of caring gives Ron the courage he needs to look his mother in the eyes. "I also know Harry still blames himself for what happened all those years ago," he says with a soft sniff and then shakes his head softly. "No matter how much everyone tries to convince him otherwise," he says with a soft smile, "Stubborn prat," he whispers affectionately.
Ron drifts off for a moment as he tries to place his thoughts into words. "Then for Harry to have to go to another world," he says as he swallows roughly. "A world where he isn't who he is here," he pauses as a look of confusion crosses his face. "That doesn't make much sense," he admits and then shrugs dismissively as he sees understanding in his mothers caring eyes. "Anyway Harry goes to this new world, only to see the boy he could have been. To see the Harry, if you will, of that world," Ron tries to explain his thoughts on this mater to Molly.
"Only to learn that this new Harry doesn't have the same values, morals as our Harry does," Molly says continuing her son's thoughts.
"Right," Ron says in relief as he realizes she understands what he is trying to really say. "Then he learns it really wasn't his fault that Ginny was chosen," he drifts off here as he struggles to find his next words.
"Yet he learns he wasn't there to save her," Molly finishes with a hoarse whisper.
"Yeah," Ron agrees softly the sadness clear in the slump of his shoulders.
"So he's trading one type of guilt for another," Molly states in the form of a question but she knows the answer already and it tears at her heart. "When we get there," she mutters threateningly but the teasing is clear in her shaking fist and the slight smile appearing on her face.
"We are so going to hug him to death," Ron laughs knowing what it is that his mother has in mind.
Molly smiles wider at this, this time reaching her eyes, "That we are," She agrees with a laugh of her own.
"Then we have to figure out how to get these two dolts to fess up," Ron says with an evil gleam in his eyes, the sad mood of a moment ago forgotten for the moment.
"You do realize we will have to incorporate the help of your brothers," Molly points out as her mind goes back to her own Hogwarts days, to the days she played the matchmaker for her friends.
Ron smiles even wider at hearing this, "Oh we are already working out the bugs of our plan," he says causing her to laugh a little harder and shake her head.
"I can help you know," Molly offers with a girlish type of excitement. "I used to be very good at it," she says letting her son know of something he never knew before.
"I think we could use all the help we can," Ron says still chuckling. For the next few minutes the two conversed about their plans to set up Harry and Hermione, that is at least until both figures started to yawn uncontrollably. The two decided it was time to return to bed, so with relieved hearts the two bid each other sweet dreams.
****
As peace returns to the study once again, the starlit night shines through the ceiling far above. Through this enchanted window to the world without, a shadow of a figure could be seen, only if one knew what to look for. A specter in the night can be found sitting in the center of the enchanted ceiling. A specter who means those within the manor no harm as he watches the last remnants of live within with a sad smile gracing his youthful features. As the darkness within matches the darkness of the night sky, the specter slowly stands up and steps away from the enchanted window, enchanted in so many ways that he is only now starting to fully appreciate. The specter continues to walk away, but pauses slightly to look back at where he once perched, he knows this dream is over for the night but somehow he knows he will return again. He is grateful for the gift he has been given this night, though he did not get to hear their voices, he at least got to see them once again. And for tonight, that is what he needed. With this thought the specter instantly vanishes from this place, returning to where he came.