TOGETHER (A HARRY POTTER LOVE STORY) 4

54

MILLIE'S POV:

"Are you okay?" Harry asked gently, cupping my cheeks in his hands and scanning my face protectively. Those emerald eyes were still narrowed, swimming with a pain that made both my heart and head hurt. "Mills, don't cry!" He groaned, clearly in a state of pure annoyance at the world as he pulled himself away from me, running a hand through his dark, dishevelled hair.

I couldn't help it; seeing red, I glared up at him as my temper finally got the best of me.

"Don't cry?" I exclaimed, repeating his words with a frustrated scoff. "You were unconscious on that pitch, Potter! Do you know-? You looked-! You could've died-!"

"Could've...still here though," he muttered casually, unamused. I stared at him, panting heavily as I tried desperately to keep my tears to myself. I knew I was being selfish, but anger always seemed to override any other emotion when it came to my distress.

"Harry...what even hap-?"

"Don't..." he cut me off, pulling me into his chest once again- his heart beat was slow, and mine seemed to gradually sync with his as he croaked, "I'll be - I'll be okay...we'll be..."

"Harry?"

Dumbledore was watching us closely, I could feel him; he had sat down behind his desk, now, and was staring right at us. At the sound of his name, Harry pulled away from me once again, his green eyes set hard on the Headmaster as Dad guided me to the side of the room and into a chair.

"You okay, kiddo?" he asked anxiously, sitting down quickly beside me and biting his lip. I nodded, remaining silent as I began to watch the scene unfold in front of me.

Sirius placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, but the boy was quick to reject his advances as he dropped down into a seat in front of Dumbledore's desk, narrowed eyes not leaving Dumbledore's. Sirius sighed, shooting Dad a cautious look, before joining Harry in the second seat next to him.

The silence was extremely uncomfortable, making me shuffle in my seat restlessly, only broken by the soft rush of wings as Fawkes the phoenix suddenly flew across the office, and landed on Harry's knee.

"'Lo, Fawkes..." Harry muttered numbly, lifting his fingers and trailing them over the creature's beautiful scarlet and gold plumage.

As comforting as Fawke's presence was, it was obvious what Harry was doing; he cleverly avoided Dumbledore's eyes completely as the Headmaster leant forward, hands entwined on the wooden desk in front of him.

"I need to know what happened after you touched the Portkey in the maze, Harry."

"What? No-!" I began protesting, before immediately shutting my mouth at the look on Dumbledore's face.

"We can leave that 'til morning, can't we, Dumbledore?" Sirius agreed harshly, and I felt a rush of gratitude towards him. "Let him have a sleep. Let him rest..."

"Exactly what I said," Dad hummed idly from his chair, also watching the scene in front of us with a glare.

Dumbledore, however, took no notice of any of us. Harry hadn't moved except for his fingers, his gaze remaining on Fawkes.

"If I thought I could help you," Dumbledore said gently, watching - almost studying - the boy, "by putting you into an enchanted sleep, and allowing you to postpone the moment when you would have to think about what has happened tonight, I would do it. But I know better. Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it-"

"Load of bullshit..." I heard Dad mutter from beside me, while I dug my nails into my fists.

"-You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you. I ask you to demonstrate your courage one more time. I ask you to tell us what happened."