inflicted [h.p]

07

this isn't a full update. there's an authors not at the end explaining <3

The next day Harry was once again granted a lonely moment of silence. It was peaceful, washing over him in gentle waves as he rested his back against the fence. He was by the quidditch pitch, the very edge, one jump over the fence and he'd be in the forbidden forrest.

He hadn't been this close since the battle. The memory of Voldemort killing him wasn't the worst of it, not by a long shot no. The worst memory, the one that incapacitated Harry in the most horrible way, was the resurrection stone. Seeing his parents - his dead parents, that was a very important distinction to make- talk and guide him through that motion hurt Harry. Not because he missed them. How could he miss people he didn't remember? People he didn't know?

No. It hurt him because, unbeknownst to Harry at that time, those were the final moments of what he used to be, and the moments that made him what he had become. He might have survived the killing curse for a second time that night, but his soul and conscience had crumbled beneath him, abandoned in the after life perhaps.

It hurt him because he imagined if his parents could see him now, how disappointed they would be if they were to know him.

It hurt him because he didn't die that night. At least if he had died then, he could still be their son. Forever. An eternity with them.

Harry took a drag of his cigarette, watching the exhalation of smoke playing with the air until it swirled within itself, forming two figures, dancing, mouths agape with laughter as they moved. It took him a moment to realise it was his parents, joyous in the false moment Harry had subconsciously created.

"Pretty image you've created there." A voice interrupted him. Harry wafted his hand through the smoke so the image faded away, stubbing out his cigarette as he rose to face the source of the voice.

It was Theo Nott, his hands shoved in his pockets as he swayed back and forth on his heels, and of course he was smirking, he wouldn't be Theo without that all knowing gleam in his eye.

"Nott." Harry nodded, brushing his hands off on his jeans. It was chilly, and both boys sported similar outfits, jeans and a hoodie, Theo's looking a lot more expensive than Harry's. Harry thought it was odd for Theo to be wearing muggle clothes—being pure blood and all—but refrained from commenting on it.

"How's your head after last night?" Theo asked. Harry doubted that he cared. The two had hardly spoken through out their time in Hogwarts, Theo had no reason to.

"Bit of a headache, I can hack my drink alright." He shrugged. The headache probably wasn't from his drinking, Harry couldn't remember the last time he had felt genuinely well, mentally or physically.

"Lucky for some I guess. Pansy had to all but carry me back to the dorms." Theo chuckled.

Harry leaned against the fence as he properly looked at Nott.

y'all this is an incomplete chapter and i'm sorry if i got you excited. i haven't updated since june? july? idk but it's been a while. i basically haven't had any motivation to write. i wrote all this whilst i was living in america for a year. and at first i was too busy to write, moving from the US back to england, starting uni, catching up with family and friends i hadn't seen on a year, i just didn't have the time. but now i don't know when i'm going to carry on writing because i don't have the motivation. i go to write more, write 10 words than give up. i have the whole storyline mapped and planned, i know the ending (sorry in advance) but the getting to it is hard. i'm doing good, my life's good, it's nothing to do with that i just don't like forcing myself to write.

but this lil bit has been in my drafts for months so i figured i'd post it. idk when i'm gonna finish writing this story, i love it and the characters (especially my draco <3) and don't want to half arse it, i want to do it good. so i'm putting it on a hiatus until i know i can bust a good few chapters out.

thank you for all your patience and all your comments, they make my day and i see them all.

love always,

grace x