Our Once Upon A Time

Chapter 10 1/2 (Flashback)

A/N 

I know we got flashbacks now, we gettin' real fancy now eh?

HARRY POV

*FLASHBACK*

(2 YEARS AGO)

Four older kids stood over me, they had me backed up into a corner and I was disarmed. I sat without flinching at every hit they threw. My hearing had gone away long ago so all I heard was ringing. I was prepared to be knocked out when something stopped them. Smoke filled the air and caused the four kids to begin to cough. A violent wind even came rushing through the alley. 

They all stopped and put their arms up to keep the dust from getting in their faces. Then one of them was mysteriously swept off their feet from an unknown force. One by one they were picked off by what looked like the smoke. One was forced against the wall in a chokehold and another was thrown against the floor. The last two seemed to almost figure it out and began to swing punches in the air. They looked ridiculous until one of them seemed to actually hit something masked by the smoke with a low hook style punch. I heard a slight cough but that kid was thrown into a trash can and their counterpart was dumped in the trash can opposite of it. The smoke slowly began to clear and I was able to hear again. I heard gasps for air, ones from a voice I thought I recognized. Then a hand came out of the smoke and grabbed my arm and pulled me back up before disappearing back into the dense smoke. I tried to grab hold of it somehow but it was far from my grasp. I took a minute and thought.

The chip shop is around here, maybe I could get some quick help there

I limped into the chip shop to see Uma and Holly, it looked like Holly was injured. She grasped her side and seemed to have slight trouble breathing. Uma was already taking care of her when she saw me. She said something to Holly and came up to me,

"Damn what happened to you?"

She led me to the booth Holly was at and helped me sit down,

"Just finished getting beat up that's all"

Holly avoided eye contact with me and seemed to only want to whisper,

"You good?"

She said quietly, she sounded weaker than normal for sure,

"Yeah, I was probably imagining things but a smokey fog came in and I think someone beat them up for me"

I glanced to Holly to see her nervously fiddling with her hair,

"That would be me you're referencing"

She said quietly. I paused and took a double-take,

"Ye did that?!"

"Yeah"

She laughed a little and looked to me,

"I got your back, even if you get on my nerves half the time"

She nodded to me and took a deep breath which seemed to really hurt her,

"Where did they hit ye?"

"Right in the ribs, and hard"

She said visibly clenching her teeth slightly,

"If it weren't for this damn barrier I would be able to heal it but of course that's too much for it"

She seemed to clench her fist so hard in pain that her nails were digging into her skin. I took a breath and took her hand,

"Take the pain out on me, not you"

I said quietly. She looked at me and tilted her head slightly. She went ahead and began to squeeze my hand through the pain,

"I won't die, I'll be fine it's just uncomfortable that's all"

Uma came back with a potion mix and gave it to both of us. We both took it and I realized the pain was subsiding. Holly wasn't squeezing my hand so much anymore. Uma walked back and gave a few tables their orders cause she was technically still on the clock. Holly looked over to me and smiled,

"Thanks for... this"

She squeezed my hand twice. I looked at my hand and back to her,

"No problem, I was uncomfortable too and that helped me so we both got some good from it. Besides, I didn't like seeing ye in that much pain"

I said quietly,

"Well, my injuries are far from the heart. I'll be fine. If anything I'm more concerned about you"

She smiled which sent my heart fluttering, not to mention that she has actually said is concerned about me. That's new.