True Love's Heart

Chapter 32: Coming to a Rest

Harry always found it interesting how the same thing could mean something so different from one person to another. Like, how something as simple as a flake of snow could elicit feelings of excitement in one person and feelings of fear in another. It all depended on your experience with that object. And what is cooler is that your emotions that an object can cultivate in you can change depending on the circumstances you find yourself in at the time.

When he was a small child, the sight of a snow flake stirred up feelings of curiosity in him. It was something to steal looks at from the slits of the curtains in the Dursley's kitchen window when he was preparing them meals. He was never allowed to play in it, so he was always wondering how the snow could looked so dense in the sky but could easily melt on your tongue.

When he was old enough to attend Hogwarts for the first time, his feelings for the presence of snow changed. It signaled pure happiness, for he knew when he saw it, Christmas at the Burrow would be right around the corner. A time to relax with friends, give and receive presents, and eat fig pudding.

But now, as a sixteen year old snake, he found his feelings for the precipitation change again. Instead of a child's curiosity or a student's excitement, the emotion Harry found in his heart when glancing out his bedroom window at the first snowfall of the year was worry.

Yes, Harry was worried. He was about to embark on the next stage of snakehood: brumation. In less then two hours, he was going to find himself, buried in a hole, where he would stay, unconscious, for four months. And not just him, but the love of his life too. How was he going to keep her safe if he was dead to the world? And what if he woke up halfway through brumation and he couldn't fall back asleep? Could you become claustrophobic while sleeping?

Harry sighed and tore his gaze from the window, looking up to the canopy to search for his mate in the clumps of ivy and moss. Where Harry's color pattern was meant to help camouflage into fallen leaves and colorful flowers, Nagini's helped her blend seamlessly into green grasses and tree tops. So he wasn't sure why he was expecting to spot her above his head so easily. She literally had biology on her side.

~Are you going to keep staring at me, or are you going to join me?~  She revealed her position to him as she peaked out between the rungs of the trellis to smirk at him. She was about two feet to the left of where he thought she was. Camouflage won this round, for sure.

~I think I'll stay on the ground for now, thanks.~ he smiled up at her. ~I'm still getting used to using my body down here, probably shouldn't take my chances up in the air yet.~

~You may have a point. You do make for a pretty clumsy snake.~

~Hey! Its only been a week! You can't rush these things!~ He stuck his tongue out at her in mock annoyance.

She giggled at him as she turned around and disappeared back into the foliage, only to reappear a few seconds later as she climbed down the lattice-lined wall to join him on the floor. She slithered over to him and snuggled into his side, nudging his neck with her head. ~Somethings on your mind. What's wrong?~

~Nothing. Just worried about your safety during brumation. What if something attacks us while we are sleeping and I lose you forever?~

~You won't. We will be fine. Millions of creature brumate out in the Forest every year and wake up fine. The snow will hide our den from sight and the ground will freeze around us, making it impossible to reach us. Nature keeps us safe, you just have to trust her.~

Harry sighed and shook his head in defeat. ~Ok, if you say so.~

~I say so, and you know I'm always right.~

~Mhmm sure.~ He playfully rolled his eyes and kissed her chin.

----

Two hours later, while everyone else in Hogwarts began eating dinner, Harry found himself following Nagini across the school grounds and into the Forbidden Forest. Harry had been informed by Dumbledore that his friends would be notified of his absence so that they wouldn't worry and to help put some of Harry's own worries aside. He hated making his friends worry about him, especially when they had other things to worry about, like finishing up the school semester and buying last minute presents. 

Harry, as they left Hogwarts, was also approached by Snape, who informed him that the development of the transformation potion was coming along swimmingly. If all went well, it would be ready for them by September.

Harry was glad he would have two less things on his mind when he was trying to fall asleep.

Nagini and Harry finally came to stop at the base of a tall oak tree. Nagini then started to circle the tree, poking and prodding at the surrounding dirt. 

~What are you doing?~ He asked.

~Looking for a soft area to begin borrowing.~

A few minutes later, she found a place that suited her and began to dig in the dirt with her snout. Harry joined her and soon, he was following her into the soft ground, their bodies being swallowed by the earth. Nagini then stopped moving forward, and instead, began to wiggle the dirt away in a spiral, creating a pocket in which they could lay down comfortably.

Eventually, Nagini came to rest, nudging Harry down beside her in the den she made them. ~Are you ready, Harry?~

Harry swallowed the rest of his nerves down. Actually, he was finding this den quite comfortable, not claustrophobic at all. What a relief.

~Yeah, I'm ready.~ He answered, already feeling his body relax and he was having a hard time keeping his head up.

~ok, dear. Just let your mind go blank and your muscles relax. You'll be awake before you know it.~

Harry nodded before snuggling in closer to her, surrounding her body with his. ~Good night, Nagini.~

~Good night, babe.~

~I love you.~

~I love you too.~

Harry felt himself fade away as the world went black.