The Hidden One (2)

bus rides

"Did you really think I was actually proposing?" Harry asked with a cruel laugh.

"You said it was for real," Rose said shakily, tears streaming down her face.

"Why would anyone want to marry you?" Harry asked harshly as he got closer and closer to Rose, who backed up until she was pressed against the wall. Harry cornered her and forced her to stay pressed up against the cold wall. "You're weak and messed up. You take and take, and you never help anyone other than yourself. You're a whore. You left me and trapped Neville instead just to throw him away too. I bet you wanted to marry Draco, too."

"Harry, please," Rose pleaded. Harry slapped her, causing her to gasp and cup her cheek as it started to sting.

"I've never loved you," Harry said darkly as he brought out his wand. With a disgusting smirk, he started torturing Rose, laughing as she fell to the floor and started screaming.

"Rose, wake up!"

Rose gasped and pushed Harry away from her as she shot up in bed. Tears were streaming down her face and her heart was pounding in her chest. Harry looked hurt as he turned on the bedside lamp.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Harry asked tentatively as he summoned a glass of water for Rose, who accepted it with shaky hands. Tillie jumped onto the bed and cuddled up next to Rose to try and comfort her.

"You...you hurt me," Rose said softly. Harry felt his heart break as he heard her sniffle.

"It was just a nightmare," Harry said quietly as he handed Rose some tissues.

"I know," Rose whispered, but she couldn't look at him yet.

"What do you need?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Rose admitted. "I...it was so real."

"I know, Ro," Harry said as he hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder. Rose tensed for a second, but quickly relaxed.

"I just want them to stop," Rose sobbed as she cuddled into Harry's chest, letting his arms circle her. "I want to sleep through the night without having a nightmare. I want to be able to go to the grocery store without constantly checking over my shoulder. I just want everything to go back to normal."

"I know," Harry whispered. "Me too."

"It's not fair," Rose cried. "Why us? Why do we have to deal with this?"

"I don't know," Harry said as he ran a hand through her hair. After months of nightmares, they both knew how to calm the other person down.

"I'm so tired," Rose whispered, her voice breaking.

"We all are," Harry told her. "But we're all going to be so much stronger after this."

"I know, but that doesn't make it suck any less right now," Rose said. Harry let out a small chuckle as he placed a small kiss on her head as she started tracing patterns on his cheat.

"When's your next session with Aly?" Harry asked.

"Today, actually," Rose said. "I'm going after we drop everyone off at Kings Cross."

"I forgot that that's today," Harry said. Hogwarts was finally starting back to school, and they had agreed to join everyone at the train station.

"Are we making the right decision?" Rose asked. "I mean, we need to finish school, right?"

"We're making the right decision," Harry said. "Going back to Hogwarts would hurt us more than it would help us. Plus, I doubt anyone will turn us down for a job because we didn't finish school."