When Nightmares Are a Good Thing

By Rhiane Raine

Chapter 26: Late Night Rendezvous

Waiting was the worst part of anything, Harry decided. It wasn't so much that he couldn't entertain himself for the time that he was to be contained in his room but that he was almost afraid that anything he did would be construed as "strenuous". Sense when did Mrs. Weasley yell at him? He did feel fine! Harry agreed with her that in the past he had falsified his health but this time he felt fine. Did he not look fine?

Harry sighed. From now on he would have to pay more attention to how his face looked before going into public. If he'd have made use of his new morphing abilities he wouldn't be where he was currently…in his room…alone and bored, waiting on the school mediwitch to assess his health yet again. What made it worse was that Snape knew that he was on nutrient potions! From what Ron had told him, nutrient potions were the equivalent of the muggles chewable vitamins for small children. Judging by the taste Harry assumed that some sort of flavor was included in the original product otherwise children would never drink them willingly.

His thoughts were interrupted by Ginny opening the door to his room. Harry instantly sat up on his bed. He didn't notice his right hand jumping to his hair in an attempt to smooth it down as he was peering at the small red head through the half open door.

"Psst, Madame Pomfrey just arrived. You'd better make sure you're resting!" Ginny whispered loudly.

"I am resting!" Harry said, indignantly.

"Shhh! They're on their way up!"

With that, the door was closed quickly and hurried footsteps lead away from his room. As quickly as Ginny had fled the scene, two more set of feet could be heard marching towards his room.

Harry flung himself backwards on his bed and arranged himself to look casually rested, even closing his eyes for good measure. The door opened and in came Mrs. Weasley and Poppy Pomfrey, both with a look of determination marking their faces. He opened one eye to see them looking down at him from either side of the bed and could only pray that he wasn't about to be scolded to death.

"Well, well, Mr. Potter," began Madame Pomfrey. "It appears that yet again this summer you have ignored the advice given to you as well as your body's needs. Let's see how much damage you have managed to inflict on yourself this time."

Harry gulped as Mrs. Weasley walked around to the other side of the bed and sat down on the edge.

"Mrs. Weasley, Madame Pomfrey, I know in the past I've said I was fine when I wasn't but this time I really do feel fine! Honest!" Harry pleaded as the nurse began waving her wand over him, all the while muttering charms and exclaimations over his health.

"Not another word, young man!" Mrs. Weasley interrupted his last ditch plea firmly, "You lied about your health- yes, lied! that's what you call it when a person deliberately tells you the opposite of the truth! - and became so sick that immediate care was needed. Now you will suffer the consequences. Until you are able to asses you own physical needs and health, Poppy and I will do it for you. For too many years you have been allowed to abuse yourself; falling off of broomsticks, battling basilisks and dragons. Harry," she paused to place a gentle hand on his forearm. "I don't think you are able to recognize when you aren't feeling well. For so many years you have been allowed to shove it aside and you paid no attention to your hurt so that now, well, you don't feel it half the time these days."

As much as it hurt to hear his best friends mother tell him that, Harry knew it was true. One of the things that he had learned from living with the Dursleys was that nobody cared about Harry's pain. Now that Mrs. Weasley had said it aloud, he knew he couldn't deny the validity of her statement.

Harry sighed but said nothing to confirm Mrs. Weasley thoughts. Instead, he turned to look at Madame Pomfrey who was muttering a great deal less while waving her wand about a great deal more. It was only another awkward moment later when she too sighed and sat down on the edge of his bed.

"Well, Potter-"

"Harry."

"I beg your pardon?"

"It's just that, you've seen me naked numerous times. I think it'll be okay for us to be on a first name basis don't you? Haven't I already asked you to call me Harry instead of Potter?"

"Just because you ask does not mean you will receive, Harry. And to be completely honest with you, calling you Potter makes our "rendezvous", as you called them, seem a bit more forbidden. Got it Potter?"

Harry smirked and replied cheekily, "Whatever's good for you."

This time Madame Pomfrey blushed as she turned away and began digging in her medical bag.

Mrs. Weasley cleared her throat quietly as Harry smiled in his victory at having gotten Poppy to blush first.

"Anyways, back to your health P-"

It seemed that the nurse was about to call him 'Potter' but decided against it. Harry smirked again at having eliminated all of his possible names from Madame Pomfrey's vocabulary.

"Yes, well. Interestingly enough you have lost body mass. You have successfully gained weight but yet you are smaller than you were before. I noticed this when I assessed your ulcer but this new ailment has become more pronounced since then."

"What!" Harry cried indignantly. He had been working out and to him, he had grown a bit!

"Don't look at me like it's MY fault! You have been taking your nutrient potions, correct?"

"Yes! Every disgusting one of them!"

"I can verify that," Molly spoke up. "I have watched him swallow it every morning!"

"Well, the one thing I can say for you Po- …The one I can say for you is that you have a higher percentage of muscle versus body fat compared to the last time I saw you a few weeks ago. It's actually rather alarming, how you could have transformed so much of your natural body fat into muscle in such a short amount of time." Pomfrey fixed Harry with a piercing stare that made Harry feel very uncomfortable.

In answer, he shrugged his shoulders while scratching his head. Mentally, he was making plans for replicating Dudley's weight bench so that instead of simply slimming down what little body fat he had into toned muscle, he could add some muscle to his physique.

"Should we maybe up the dosage of nutrient potions?" Mrs. Weasley suggested sincerely.

Though Harry was fervently shaking his head "NO!" Madame Pomfrey agreed to have Snape make an addition batch of potions for Harry so that Harry could begin taking them in the mornings as well as at night.

Harry thumped his head back against his pillows. Snape was going to not only provide him with nutrient potions, but with double the amount that he had begun with originally.

"Is there some way we could please leave Snape out of this? Do you know how much ammo we're giving him to hit me with? It's going to be really bad once school begins!" Harry implored the two witches.

"I'm sorry, but there is no one better to brew this particular potion that Severus Snape," Pomfrey replied. "Most people who attempt to brew this potion end up boiling away most of the nutrients that it is actually intended to have. I'm really am sorry though, Harry."

"Besides," Molly pitched in, "you'll be twice as strong as you are now after you finish taking them, Harry. Don't you want to fill out the bones you have?"

Harry shifted awkwardly at the implication that his skeletal structure was bigger than he actually was. "Not if it means that I'll be artificially healthier. I want to get bigger naturally, not because of some potion I've been taking."

"Well then, I will bargain you a deal, Mr. Potter," Madame Pomfrey said, her bag in her hand. "If you take the nutrient potion as I have prescribed you for the rest of the summer, once school starts you may stop taking them and we will discuss other options for your health and fitness. Deal?"

"Deal!" Harry jumped on it instantly. Not only did she not mention refraining from exercising currently, but it gave him an excuse for continuing his current schedule once school began.

Mrs. Weasley pressed her lips together in slight disapproval but said nothing as she followed Poppy to the door.

"You lay there and rest, young man! You are to do nothing but rest today. You need sleep, that much is evident!"

So that was how Harry found himself. Alone, in his bedroom at number twelve Grimmauld Place with nothing better to do than read "Hogwarts, A History" and flip through his two photo albums. Lunch and dinner were both brought to him via Mrs. Weasley who had also checked in on him no less than twenty two times during the course of the day.

Not only did Harry find himself looking forward to the next day when he would be allowed up, but he was also anxious to put his new plans for a weight bench into action.

One of the downsides to resting all day in bed was that it made it very hard to sleep that night. Sure, Harry felt tired enough but dropping off was suddenly difficult for him.

Just as Harry was about to resort to his backup plan (dreamless sleep potion) he heard a soft creak outside his door. Harry sighed and laid back in bed, assuming Mrs. Weasley was back to check up on him for the twenty third time. Quietly the door opened and closed. A moment later he felt a gentle dip on the edge of the mattress.

"Harry? I know you're awake."

Confused, Harry rolled over to face Ginny Weasley.

Sitting up, Harry asked, "What are you here for?"

"Well, I figured you might want some company now that Mum's gone to bed. If you would rather be alone…" with that she stood up and began making her way towards the door.

"No," Harry insisted quickly. "It's just…I thought you were your Mum coming to check on me again. I don't mind the company at all."

"Good," Ginny smiled as she sat down next to Harry on the bed and tucked her feet up underneath her legs. "Truth is, I want to repay you for yesterday. You know, for showing me the memory and then staying up with me."

Instead of pretending that it hadn't been that big of a deal, Harry accepted her thanks.

"So, uh, I see you've still got my Weasley sweater."

"Oh, yeah," Ginny admitted, while looking down at it. "Sorry, I was going to just bring it back to you but it smells really good and I was a bit chilly on the walk over here. This house is entirely too drafty for its own good."

"Well, it is a Weasley sweater," Harry pointed out.

They sat there for a moment, the darkness settling around them until Harry reached over and lit one the lanterns on his nightstand. Once again Harry watched the light from the flames dance across Ginny's crimson colored hair.

Hypnotized, Harry reached over and fingered a long strand that was splayed over her cheek before gently pushing it back with the rest of her hair.

"I like your long red hair, Ginny. It's so beautiful, especially in the firelight." Harry said softly.

Even though the room was still semi dark, Harry could see the blush that stained her cheek and knew that she could also see the redness in his own face.

"Thanks, Harry. You know," Harry looked up at her in time to see the grin that stretched across her face. "I have always liked your hair. There's just something about that…how was it that Ron described it? Oh yeah, the 'I just rolled out of bed with my best mate's girl' look. It's very attractive. I'd say that your hair without the rest of you could still attract half the females at Hogwarts."

Instead of volleying a witty comment back at Ginny, he choked. Harry knew she had only said what she had so to embarrass him, but it was a shock for him to hear. He decided that she had won that round of who could embarrass the other more. He wanted to die as Ginny kneeled close to him so that she could rub his back a bit until he was able to function properly without hacking and coughing so much.

"Better?" Ginny asked when he had calmed down. She had not yet moved an inch, her hand still spread out against his back.

"Yes," Harry whispered as he realized just how their faces were. The memory of Ginny's birthday kiss came back to him as he stared longingly at her soft lips. That kiss had been so delicious that Harry recognized now that he wanted nothing more than to taste it again. He leaned in just slightly and paused wondering if she felt the same way. Harry held his breath as he waited for her to pull away.

For a moment Harry's heart fell from inside his chest down to the bottom of his stomach when he saw her move. Her arm came up to thread into the back of his hair. Did he dare? Harry's eyes lifted from Ginny's soft lips up to her eyes only to find they were looking down at his lips.

Harry would have taken a deep breath as he gathered his courage but since he was only an inch away from Ginny's face he simply leaned all the way over to her.

He let his lips brush hers before settling against them. It was every bit as good as he could remember. Harry's heart was soaring as he swept his bottom lip across hers as she kissed back.

Unwillingly, Harry slowly pulled away a few moments later.

"Ginny?" Harry murmured only to be interrupted as she pulled his head back to hers for another amazing kiss. Every thought of questioning the actions was drove out of his mind as he participated in the kiss eagerly.

Boldly, Harry used his tongue to trace Ginny's bottom lip as he caressed it between his own. It was a surprise to him as the redheaded Weasley's tongue met his own. The sensation was so new to Harry that he couldn't believe such enjoyment could come from this activity. Ginny's lips stroked his slowly before departing with a soft smack.

"I never gave up on you, Harry." Ginny said quietly as her brown eyes starred intensely up at him. "Ever since I saw you that day on the platform…The scrawny, scared boy, who was polite to everyone but seemed so…hurt. Yet, you were so brave. I didn't even know you yet but I could tell that you were a brave, gentleman who would be an amazing person to know someday. I wasn't wrong, Harry. I got to know you better and each year improved my opinion of you."

"So what made you stop….erm…?"

"Pursuing you?" Ginny laugh softly. "Well, after the Yule Ball fiasco, I offered Hermione some advice concerning my dear sweet brother, Ron. It's been a gradual process but hanging out with me has had a positive effect on Hermione, I think. Her hair looks great, as you noticed."

"It didn't look bad before," Harry replied truthfully.

"No, it didn't and you're really sweet to say that. The point was that she gave me a piece of advice concerning you."

"And what was it that our friend Hermione told you?" asked Harry, curiously.

"She suggested that I not appear to be so interested in you. She seemed to think that the only way things would change was if I tried moving on and retreated a little bit."

"It worked," Harry nodded his head. "You definitely have my attention now."

Ginny smiled at him. "Well, you've always had mine." With that she ran her fingers through his hair, effectively ruffling it up.

"So, what happens now?" Harry quietly asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious with a beautiful redhead running her fingers through his hair and looking deeply into his eyes.

The fingers in his hair paused as Ginny said, "What do you mean?"

"Well, I like you Ginny. I really like you a lot. I think you just admitted to liking me back so…" Harry trailed off.

"What do you want out of it?"

"Would you be my girlfriend?"

"Of course I will."

"Good."

"Good."