Disclaimer: Not mine. This is all JKR's world, and I'm just setting up camp here. But 'Dyers Eve' is Metallica's.
I'm reworking this fic a bit. I started working on a sort of sequel, but I wanted to come back and rework this before I did anything major with the other story.
Chapter 1: Moonlight and Depression
On a Scottish bluff, over looking a magnificent lake stood a castle. It was quite obviously the type of castle that one only finds in fairy tales. There were the usual towers and ramparts and such. There was a courtyard and beautiful green grounds that faded into an enchanted forest. In the dark of night the windows shown like precious gems multiplied to infinity on the surface of the lake.One would not expect such a place to be home to nearly four hundred students. Well, maybe once you considered these students were studying magic. Then it seemed much more plausible that this place could be a school. It was in fact Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
It was a very late September night that found one of Hogwarts' young charges, a Miss Ginevra Weasley, grumbling her way back to her tower dormitory. Her most hated teacher, Professor Severus Snape, had given poor Miss Ginny a detention during the very first week of her fifth year.
Now, you must realize that normally, Ginny is a very good student. She doesn't usually get detentions at all, let alone in the first week of term. No, she left things like that to her brothers. That was one of the reasons she was so upset. That, and the fact that it was a completely unwarranted detention had her mumbling obscenities about Snape through the halls.
She very nearly missed the black shape that was sitting in a windowsill in an empty room not far from Gryffindor Tower.
Ginny stopped walking to see a boy sitting curled up in the moonlight. His head rested against the window and his breath was making a cloud on the glass. His messy black hair and the glasses sliding off his nose gave him away for who he was, her friend, her brother Ron's best friend, Harry Potter.
"Harry?" she called into the room.
He didn't move.
Ginny took a cautious step into the room to make sure Harry was all right. With the moon shining down on him like that, he seemed to glow. She quickly realized that he was asleep.
Ginny smiled at the irony, it was supposed to be the beautiful princess who slept in the enchanted castle, not the dashing young prince. And Harry was quiet dashing. At sixteen, he was one of the most attractive boys in the school. It helped that he didn't pay any attention to it. And with everything he'd been through, Harry had understandably developed a bit of an attitude. He had that bad-boy 'don't mess with me' look down perfectly. It was beyond sexy. But being asleep, he looked much younger, more peaceful. It was sexy in a different sort of way.
"Harry," she said softly again, this time standing next to him. She brushed the hair out of his face and watched as his brilliant green eyes fluttered open.
"Hey Gin," Harry said giving her a weak smile. "I mush have fallen asleep," he said stretching and pushing his glasses more firmly on his face. "The Common Room was so noisy. I just needed to get out so I could here myself think."
"Yes," Ginny said trying not to giggle. "You were concentration very hard there."
"Oh, ha ha," he said with a slight grin. "I was just watching the light on the lake water. It lulled me to sleep."
"Well, whatever it takes, Harry," Ginny said as she stretched her sore muscles and rubbed her neck slightly. She sat across from him and looked out the window. He was right. It was a nice view.
"How was your detention?" he asked. "What'd Snape make you do?"
"Scrub the potions lab," she shrugged.
"Lovely," Harry said.
"Oh I know. And I hurt like a . . . well, our Quidditch practice tomorrow won't be fun for me," she said rotating her shoulders again.
He frowned. "Well, we can't have that. Here, let me help."
Harry got up from his perch and stood behind Ginny. He began to rub her shoulders. Ginny tensed up at his touch but quickly relaxed.
"Merlin, Harry," she groaned. "I didn't know you could do this."
"It's a gift," he shrugged. "One of my more bizarre hidden talents."
Ginny cocked an eyebrow. "One of? There are more?"
"You'll just have to wait and see, Gin," Harry chuckled.
"Hey, if you're holding out on me," she stated menacingly.
"Gin, do you really want to threaten me right now?" Harry asked working out a particularly fierce knot in her shoulder.
"No," Ginny groaned. "I give up. Hold out all you want on the other stuff. Just don't stop this."
Harry was shaking and laughing quietly behind her.
"What," she asked.
"Well, it's just, if anyone happened by, they might get the wrong impression if they heard us," Harry said.
Ginny turned her head to look at him. "Harry, I didn't know you had such a dirty mind."
Harry smiled wickedly. "I thought we just established there's quite a few things you don't know about me. Why? Does it bother you?"
Ginny just smiled back. "What that there's a pervy sixteen-year-old boy rubbing my shoulders? No, I rather like it."
Harry laughed out loud now. "Well, I'm afraid I have to stop."
"Why?" Ginny whined.
"My thumbs are numb," Harry told her.
"Aw," she sighed as he stopped.
Harry sat back across from her and smiled. "Sorry, Gin. You'll just have to wait until next time."
"Next time?" Ginny asked hopefully.
"Yes, well, if there is a next time," Harry said noncommittally.
"You're mean," Ginny pouted.
"Yeah," Harry agreed. "And it's fun!
"Come on. Curfew's in few."
"Oh alright," Ginny said. "But there had better be a next time!"
Harry sent her a half smile from the doorway. "Then you'd better do something to warrant it, hadn't you?"
At the start of his sixth year, Harry Potter seemed to be very angry at the world. It's probably because he was. He was having trouble dealing with the deaths of people close to him. His parents, a friend, even his godfather, all died and he had to live with it.
But he was dealing with it.
Dear Mother
Dear Father
What Is this Hell You Have Put Me Through
Believer
Deceiver
Day in Day out Live My Life Through You
Pushed onto Me What's Wrong or Right
Hidden from this Thing That They Call Life
He wasn't as snappish as he had been. He was more in control. He was reading all kinds of things to help him deal, from potions books to Muggle literature. Harry was surprisingly fond of Shakespeare. Music also helped. He had gotten most of these things from his Muggle relatives, the Dursleys. Not they actually knew this.
Harry lived with his Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and cousin Dudley during the summers. The Dursleys didn't want him, which was okay with Harry since he didn't want them either. The four had come to terms with the fact that they needed each other. Harry would ignore the Dursleys and they pretty much ignored him. But his cousin Dudley had always been spoiled and a collection of broken and unwanted shit ended up in Harry's room. (Harry included.)
Harry took advantage of this. He read the unused books his cousin didn't want. He fixed some of the small electronics, including a disc man. He basically didn't come out of his room because he found stuff to do.
Dear Mother
Dear Father
Every Thought I'd Think You'd Disapprove
Curator
Dictator
Always Censoring My Every Move
Children Are Seen But Are Not Heard
Tear out Everything Inspired
Except when he couldn't stand it in the house anymore. Then he went walking. Harry even spent sometime with his neighbor, old Mrs. Figg. She was his only tie to his world, the Wizarding world. She was squib, which meant she wasn't magical herself, but at least she had some idea what Harry was going through. She even paid him to do odd jobs around her house.
And that was how he spent his summer. Trying not to brood, but still being a bit depressed. He had hoped it would be easier at Hogwarts. This place had always been like home for him.
And for the most part, it was. Ron and Hermione still stuck by him. He also had other friends he knew he could count on now, Luna, Neville and Ginny. He knew how much he meant to Remus Lupin, and Remus to him. Professor McGonagall, his Head of House had even stood by him and gotten him into all the classes he needed for this year.
Innocence
Torn from Me Without Your Shelter
Barred Reality
I'm Living Blindly
Harry had even somehow managed to forgive Professor Dumbledore. Not that he was really happy with the Headmaster, but Harry needed him.
It was his friends that he was really living for now. After everything he put them through, they deserved to have him survive. Or so Ron and Hermione had said.
Dear Mother
Dear Father
Time Has Frozen Still What's Left to Be
Hear Nothing
Say Nothing
And although he loved them dearly, Ron and Hermione could be a bit . . . intense. They were protective of him. They wanted him to be careful, to be safe. He couldn't let them down. Sometimes though, he felt like Ron and Hermione put more pressure on him then anyone else did.
Cannot Face the Fact I Think for Me
No Guarantee, its Life as Is
But Damn You for Not Giving Me My Chance
Harry was extremely glad he had brought his pilfered disc man to Hogwarts. There were charms, most still in development stage, that allowed electronic devices to run on magic. The ether around Hogwarts could actually power his disc man rather then subvert it and ruin the sound.
Dear Mother
Dear Father
You've Clipped My Wings Before I Learned to Fly
Unspoiled
Unspoken
I've Outgrown That Fucking Lullaby
Same Thing I've Always Heard from You
Do as I Say Not as I Do
Harry knew that his dorm-mates were a bit upset that he blasted his headphones loud enough that they could also hear fuzzy music-like sounds. He didn't care really. Ron was convinced he was damaging his ears.
"How can you still hear, properly, Harry?" Ron asked one night.
"What?" Harry called loudly trying not to laugh.
"See!" Ron said. "You'll be deft as well as blind."
Harry just rolled his eyes. "Fine Ron. I'll go with out the headphones tonight."
"The what?" the boy raised entirely in the Wizarding world asked.
Harry held up his headphones. "These."
"Oh," Ron nodded. "Right then. Good. Fancy a game of chess?"
"No thanks," Harry shrugged. "Maybe I'll take a walk."
"Why?" Ron asked. But Harry was already gone.
Innocence
Torn from Me Without Your Shelter
Barred Reality
I'm Living Blindly
I'm in Hell Without You
Cannot Cope Without You Two
Shocked at the World That I See
Innocent Victim Please Rescue Me
Harry sighed as he curled up on the windowsill of the empty room. He was brooding again, he knew. He couldn't help that he was depressed. If Ron and Hermione noticed however, they'd fret about him. Then he'd feel guilty too. Just what he needed, more guilt.
Harry could see the lake stretching out before him. No matter how depressed he was, at least he was at Hogwarts now. The bizarre old castle was his home.
Harry leaned his head on the cool glass. He watched the water reflect the moonlight. Six days until the full moon. Harry hoped Remus would be alright.
Before he even realized what was happening, Harry fell asleep leaning against the window.
Dear Mother
Dear Father
Hidden in Your World You've Made for Me
I'm Seething
I'm Bleeding
Ripping Wounds in Me That Never Heal
Undying Spite I Feel for You
Living out this Hell You Always Knew.
A soft hand brushed his fringe from his face and Harry heard his name being called gently. His eyes opened to be met the sight of Ginny Weasley, slightly rumpled, standing over him looking half-concerned half-amused.
Harry muttered a greeting, still waking up. "The Common Room was so noisy. I just needed to get out so I could hear myself think," he finally said in a coherent manner.
Ginny laughed at him. Ginny Weasley was laughing at him! "Yes," she said through the obvious giggles. "You were concentrating very hard there."
Harry couldn't help smiling at her. "I was just watching the light on the lake water," he muttered trying to make an excuse. "It lulled me to sleep."
"Well, whatever it takes, Harry," Ginny said.
As she stretched Harry couldn't help notice how her school robes pulled around the curves of her body. She put an arm up to rub her neck and sat across from him. Harry raised an unnoticed eyebrow at her. She was too busy staring out into the night as the moonlight poured in on her. He had to admit, it was a nice view.
"How was your detention?" he asked suddenly realizing why she was probably in pain. "What'd Snape make you do?"
"Scrub the potions lab," she shrugged.
"Lovely," Harry snorted. Snape was a bastard.
"Oh I know. And I hurt like a . . . well, our Quidditch practice tomorrow won't be fun for me," she said rotating her shoulders again. She looked like she really hurt.
He frowned. "Well, we can't have that. Here, let me help."
Harry got up and stood behind Ginny. He genuinely wanted to help her. He began to rub her shoulders. It didn't have anything to do with his sudden urge to touch her. Ginny tensed up at his touch but quickly relaxed.
"Merlin, Harry," she groaned. "I didn't know you could do this."
"It's a gift," he shrugged. "One of my more bizarre hidden talents."
Which it was. He didn't think even Ron knew. Hermione only found out because of all the time they spent tighter at the beginning of fourth year and her neck cramps from being hunched over her books all night. Harry could only take the complaining so long before he started to rub her shoulders. With Hermione it really was just about helping her, and shutting her up. It had surprised both of them that he was actually very good at it.
Ginny cocked an eyebrow. "One of? There are more?"
She was extremely cute sometimes. "You'll just have to wait and see, Gin," Harry chuckled.
"Hey, if you're holding out on me," she stated menacingly.
"Gin, do you really want to threaten me right now?" Harry asked knowing the answer.
"No," Ginny groaned. "I give up. Hold out all you want on the other stuff. Just don't stop this."
Harry was shaking from trying so hard not to laugh out loud at her antics. He wondered if she knew how she sounded.
"What," she asked. Obviously not.
"Well, it's just, if anyone happened by, they might get the wrong impression if they heard us," Harry said wondering how she'd take it.
Ginny turned her head to look at him. "Harry, I didn't know you had such a dirty mind."
Harry smiled wickedly. This was actually fun. "I thought we just established there's quite a few things you don't know about me. Why? Does it bother you?"
Ginny just smiled back. "What that there's a pervy sixteen-year-old boy rubbing my shoulders? No, I rather like it."
Harry laughed out loud now. She was flirting with him. Sure, he was flirting with her too, but still. "Well, I'm afraid I have to stop."
"Why?" Ginny whined.
"My thumbs are numb," Harry told her.
"Aw," she sighed as he stopped.
Harry smiled. She was even cuter when she pouted. "Sorry, Gin. You'll just have to wait until next time."
"Next time?" Ginny asked. Harry wonder if the hopeful tone was about the massage or flirting with him.
"Yes, well, if there is a next time," Harry said noncommittally.
"You're mean," Ginny pouted. He smiled wider seeing her make that face again.
"Yeah," Harry agreed. "And it's fun!
"Come on. Curfew's in few."
"Oh alright," Ginny said. "But there had better be a next time!"
Harry sent her a half smile from the doorway. He would make sure there was a next time. However all he said was, "then you'd better do something to warrant it, hadn't you?"