Because You Love Me

67. Out in the Open

 As soon as Professor Lupin left the compartment to go and talk to the driver of the train, Harry scooted to the edge of the seat. Ron and Hermione were both staring at him worriedly.

"Okay," Harry said. "What happened?"

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

He shot him a you-know-exactly-what-I-mean look. "What happened to me when the Dementor came in?"

Ron glanced at Hermione as if to get her permission before he spoke. "Well, like they told you earlier, you passed out, but it was weird. You sort of went rigid. Hermione and I thought you were having a fit or something.

Hermione nodded in agreement.

Harry frowned. "And did either of you, you know, pass out?"

"No," Ron answered, "but I felt weird though. Like I'd never be cheerful again."

"But someone was screaming. A woman."

Hermione shook her head. "No one was screaming, Harry."

He looked out the window, perplexed. He wasn't mental. He knew he had heard a woman screaming, almost as if she had been right there in the room with him. She sounded so afraid of...something. It sent a shiver down his spine. He looked out the window and watched the rain beat against it, his mind on the woman and the scream he had heard inside of his head. He wondered who she was and why she was so frightened. It was something he was afraid he would ponder on fairly often. He turned back to Ron and Hermione.

"So, what did you guys do this summer?"

Hermione grinned. "I already told you at your birthday. All I did was read mostly. Oh and I got a cat." She patted the pet carrier beside of her. "Crookshanks is his name."

Harry leaned in closer. A low meow came from the cage. She had already told him about it, but he didn't say anything. After all, he had asked. He smiled. "Cute cat."

"Thanks, Harry."

"What about you, Ron?"

Ron smiled. "There is something I forgot to tell you about actually. I was too interested in the party and I actually forgot. We all went to Egypt to visit my brother Charlie. It was really fun." He petted his rat who was sitting patiently beside of him since the Dementor had disappeared. Before that he had been hiding under the seat. "Even Scabbers enjoyed himself."

Harry smiled. "It sounds amazing."

"It was."

Ron went on for almost twenty minutes talking about all the things they had seen and done while they were there. Harry listened intently to every single word.

"How is everyone dealing with...you know, um, Ginny's death?" Harry asked quietly. It was something he had been wondering about lately. He wasn't doing too well himself. He was having nightmares almost every night. Of course he hadn't told anyone. He was sure he wasn't the only one experiencing bad dreams from that night, but he was probably the one that was experiencing the worst of them.

Ron suddenly became silent. Hermione gazed at him, waiting for a response. It was obvious that she too had been wondering the same thing.

"I-I didn't mean to bring it up, Ron-" Harry started.

"No, it's okay. I don't mind telling you. Fred and George are taking it okay. They have each other to talk to. Mum and Dad are doing okay with it as well. Charlie and Bill and Percy aren't talking about it at all and I-­" he paused. "I think about her everyday, but I know you did the best you could to save her, Harry."