Remember Your Heart

'What the hell?' thought Harry. Keeping his eyes on the Dursleys, he pushed off the wall and sunk into a chair. Vernon and Petunia were huddled together, nearly on top of one another at the furthest end of the couch from Severus. Vernon's bulk had increased over the years and he no longer had any visible neck. Petunia, as bony as ever, still had enough neck for two.

"You relatives," Severus stabbed a finger in their direction, "arrived shortly after you left. Despite my advice, they chose to remain and wait for you." Severus sneered and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You've been sitting here, waiting for me, all these hours?"

"Yes," hissed Severus.

Harry giggled and Severus, Vernon and Petunia all glared at him.

"If you will excuse me," Severus stood. The Dursleys flinched as he swept by and strode up the stairs.

"He's quite rude," said Petunia as she smoothed unseen wrinkles from her skirt. "Not once did he offer us refreshment and it's well past lunch."

"Hey, he didn't hex you, did he?" asked Harry and the Dursleys blanched.

"Harry, I..." began Vernon. Harry let Vernon's voice fade into the background. Severus had been strange that morning, working at something, not letting Harry see in the bedroom and he didn't argue with his usual ferocity.

Vernon slammed his fist on the couch and Harry jumped. "Are you even listening to me boy!"

Harry stood and made a motion to draw his wand. "Don't call me boy." Petunia clutched Vernon. Harry chuckled.

"Not an underage wizard anymore now am I? I need to check on Severus." The Dursleys mouths gaped as Harry left the room and quietly climbed the stairs.

***

The door was open, so Harry peaked in. Severus stood facing the bed, his back to Harry, stuffing clothes into a brown paper bag. Severus took out his wand, muttered a charm, shrunk the bag to palm size and pocketed it.

"You're leaving," said Harry.

"Yes." Severus stiffened but didn't turn around.

"If the Dursleys hadn't shown up you'd be gone already." Harry slowly moved into the room.

"Yes."

Harry reached out and lightly put his right hand on Severus' left shoulder.

"Stay," said Harry. Severus didn't move.

"Stay," Harry whispered again and he squeezed gently. Severus turned his head enough to look at Harry's hand.

Harry stepped closer, so that his body was inches from Severus. Severus moved to look straight ahead.

"You've been hurt your whole life. By so many people, so many times that you can't conceive of anyone caring for you." Severus was stone beneath his hand.

"Albus did."

"I care." Harry moved from behind to face Severus' left side.

"Considering our history, I find that difficult to believe," Severus said.

Harry reached his hand out to touch Severus' cheek. Severus startled at the contact and looked at Harry. They were now the same height and Harry gazed directly into Severus' indecipherable black eyes. "Stay. Give me the chance to make you believe. Give yourself the chance to come to believe." Harry rubbed a thumb along Severus' cheek.

Severus closed his eyes and nodded. "For now," he said.

Harry beamed. He stepped back from Severus and clapped his hands together. Severus looked at Harry in surprise.

"Good. Put your things away and come teach me the proper way to torment my relatives." Harry rubbed his hands together, still grinning.

"Really, Harry, an emotionless expression is a key component. You must create a certain atmosphere to be effective."

"Right, emotionless, got it." Harry struggled to take the grin off his face.

"Pathetic," said Severus as he enlarged his possessions. Harry kept grinning as he watched Severus put his clothes away in the armoire.

Severus turned back to Harry. "Are you under control yet?" Harry tried not to smile, without success.

"Indeed not," Severus murmured.

***

Harry and Severus returned to the living room, once Harry had suppressed his grin. Vernon was pacing and Petunia was wringing her hands. Vernon started in at once.

"May we speak at last?" he snapped.

"Not the best way to start in, Uncle Vernon, when you clearly want something," said Harry.

Vernon took a deep breath. "I apologize. I am under a great deal of stress and I do not mean to be harsh."

Harry's eyes widened before he resumed a blank face. He gestured from everyone to sit. The Dursleys eyed Severus.

"This is a family matter..." said Vernon. Harry and Severus stared at Vernon until he began to fidget and sat down.

"Well, if you wish your lover to be present..." said Vernon. Severus snorted.

"My relationship with Severus is none of your business. If you wish to talk, then talk," said Harry.

"It's Dudley," said Petunia. She drew a tissue out from her purse to dab at her eyes. "I'm afraid we're going to lose him," she whispered.

"Lose him?" asked Harry.

"My poor baby," Petunia began sobbing into her tissue.

"There, there, Petunia," Vernon patted her leg. "Let's settle down and speak to Harry." She nodded and quieted to occasional sniffles.

"Dudley is suffering severe complications due to his diabetes. Life threatening complications. He's been hospitalized for some months now and his prognosis is poor. We've seen every doctor imaginable, tried every alternative therapy, without satisfactory results." Vernon paused.

"Dudley's diabetic? Since when?"

"He was diagnosed several years ago," said Petunia, dabbing away stray tears. "He's suffered so much."

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," said Harry. "So...what do you want?" Harry crossed his legs and folded his arms over his chest.

Vernon looked exasperated. "We are investigating every alternative to assist Dudley," Vernon looked at Harry pointedly.

"Ah. So let's see what the freak can do with his abnormality," spat Harry. Severus arched an eyebrow and continued to observe.

"Perhaps magic has its place," Vernon growled.

"Magic! Can you even say the word? I was certainly never allowed to speak it. You overindulged Dudley and now the gluttonous pig has indulged himself to an early grave. And I'm supposed to just wave my wand and make it better? I remember nearly being strangled for taking out my wand." Harry shot to his feet, fists clenched at his sides. He had fantasized about getting back at the Dursleys for all the injustices he had suffered. Maybe that time had arrived.

Petunia stood, shaking. "How can you!? After all we did for you. Took you into our home, clothed you, fed you, put our lives at risk. We saved your life!" Petunia began sobbing again into her disintegrating tissue as she sank down to sit next to Vernon. Vernon wrapped an arm around her in comfort.

"How can I?" Harry growled. "After the horrible way you've treated me, you try to make me feel guilty?" Harry was shaking and then, as if the trembling had liquefied his bones, he slumped into his chair. Covering his face with his hands, he said "Oh Severus, I am so sorry." Everyone stared.

"What the bloody hell does this have to bloody well do with him!" Vernon's face began to resemble a deformed eggplant.

"I said the same things to you, Severus. She plays upon my sense of duty and I did the same, however unconsciously. I did want you to appreciate what I had done, what I had gone through. It should have been freely given, to honor your sacrifices, out of respect for you. I am sorry." Harry's voice dropped to a whisper.

Severus cleared his throat. "The circumstances are dissimilar." Harry looked up. "You treated me well, despite your motivation." Severus glared at the Dursleys. "They have no such claim." Petunia began rhythmically smoothing her skirt and Vernon seemed fascinated by the motion.

Harry smiled, "Thank you." Turning to the Dursleys, "I will see what can be done for Dudley." They brightened. "However I will caution you that despite magic even wizards die. After this, I will consider any debt between us satisfied."

The Dursleys gulped and nodded.

"The past is always part of us," said Severus.

"But it need not rule the present." Harry got up and moved to the Floo powder on the mantel. "Time to contact Hypericia."

***

There's something soothing about preparing a meal. Perhaps it is the focus required to keep the pasta water from over-boiling while sautéing the onions and peppers to translucency or the care of one's fingers when chopping the pungent basil and oregano. Maybe it's the aroma of fresh bread rising in the oven that wafts away all miscellanea. Harry added chopped Portobello mushrooms to the sautéing vegetables followed by minced garlic and stirred. No time to make sauce; it will have to be a jar tonight, he thought. Uncle Vernon was on the phone to the hospital; the living room floor groaned under his pacing. Severus sat at the kitchen table, watching as Harry added the vegetables to the sauce and sprinkled on the herbs.

Harry turned to the table, swished his wand and the dishes and silver began setting themselves.

"Eek," squeaked Petunia, stepping into the room. She stared at the dishes moving on their own. Harry smirked. A loud crack resounded through the house followed by another "eek" from Petunia.

"Hypericia is here. Come sit everyone." Harry set out the pasta in a large earthenware bowl and poured the thick sauce over it. He added a basket of fresh rolls and a bottle of red wine. Hypericia greeted Harry and Severus, was introduced to the Dursleys and everyone sat. They ate greedily due to the urging of hunger and as with any truly good meal, talking was reduced to "Please pass the..."

Hypericia sat back and burped. "Lovely, Harry," she smacked her lips. Petunia cringed. "Now tell me about your cousin."

"Dudley is suffering from heart and kidney failure, complications developed from his diabetes," said Vernon, sipping his wine.

"What's diabetes?" asked Hypericia.

Vernon choked and sputtered. "What the hell kind of crackpot...If you think I'll let this freak touch my Dudley..." Petunia brought out another tissue to dab her watering eyes. Severus smirked.

Hypericia leaned over the table, shaking a finger at Vernon, "I'll have you know that I am a fully qualified mediwitch." Severus began snickering and Hypericia and Vernon looked at him.

"He means Gunhilda's Syndrome. Muggles call it diabetes." Severus sipped his wine, still smirking.

"Oh, well, why didn't he say that? I can fix that in a jiffy." Hypericia sat back in her chair and drained the wine from her glass.

Vernon harrumphed. "I do not believe this is in Dudley's best interest."

"But Vernon," Petunia's voice cracked, "what else can we do?"

"Hypericia is an excellent mediwitch," said Harry.

"Her cleansing charm needs refinement," said Severus. Harry and Hypericia smiled.

"What does that mean?" asked Vernon.

Harry replied, "You can ask Dudley soon enough." He watched with disgust as Vernon heaped a second helping onto his plate.

Petunia wiped her face of tears and stuffed the tissue into her purse. "I am staying with Dudley."

"Muggles in St Mungo's, should attract a lot of attention. Everyone will want to in on the case," Hypericia sighed.

"Can Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon get into St Mungo's? Won't they just see the illusion?" asked Harry.

"That's right. They're muggles," said Hypericia. "I don't know. I don't remember having muggles in St Mungo's before." She poured another glass of wine.

"What's this St Mungo's? What illusion? We will be with Dudley. We will not leave him alone with you..." the wizarding folk glared at Vernon"...strangers."

"St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries," said Petunia. Severus raised an eyebrow while Vernon and Harry stared at her.

"I don't believe you; keeping all this quiet all those years." Harry folded his arms across his chest and glared at her.

"It wasn't part of our lives," she said.

"Just a part of mine."

"Perhaps Dudley could come home," Petunia's eyes pleaded with Vernon.

"Well, I treated Severus here." Hypericia glanced at Harry. "We'll need to open the Floo." Vernon and Petunia shuddered. "And the hospital will want to be compensated for my time away."

"Money isn't an issue," Harry sighed. The Dursleys stared at Harry in a calculating manner.

"But what will the neighbors say?" Petunia began smoothing out her napkin repeatedly. "People will want to visit Dudley if he's home. He's very popular."

"We can't take him home yet, Petunia," said Vernon. "Dudley can't be seen while being treated. How would we explain a mediwitch from this St Mungo's of all things? We can tell the neighbors that Dudley is away at a convalescent home. I can stay home, visit on the weekends and you can remain at Dudley's side." Vernon leaned toward Harry and punctuated his words with a crust of bread sopped with sauce, "Dudley and Petunia can stay here." Severus sniggered.

"No."

"Suits me." Hypericia drained her second glass of wine. "Harry can contact me if there's a problem, so I won't need to be here as often. I can Apparate, the Floo works, won't disrupt the schedule at work as much and it will be easier to keep quiet. Hell, I can tell them Mr. Snape relapsed and no one need know."

"It is settled," said Vernon and he popped the crust into his mouth.

"No."

Harry and Petunia locked eyes for a long moment. Harry looked away and nodded weakly. Severus sneered.

"Contact me when you have the details. I've some things to prepare," Hypericia rose. "Thanks for dinner." She patted Harry on the shoulder and said her goodbyes. Harry put his elbows on the table and dropped his head into his hands. Vernon left to call the hospital while Petunia took out a scrap of paper from her purse, a used envelope that had come with junk mail, and began listing what she would need to bring for an extended stay.

"Gryffindors can be quite amusing." Severus raised his glass to Harry and drained it.

***

"America may present better opportunities for me," said Severus. He and Harry sat in cushy chairs before the fireplace. The Dursleys had left for the evening and the house was quiet. Harry watched the shift of light and shadow play across Severus' face, the firelight flickering in his dark eyes.

"You said you'd stay," murmured Harry. Severus turned to him.

"I said 'for now'. The circumstances have changed. You need space for your ailing cousin."

"It's only temporary. You can take my room and I'll sleep on the couch," Harry struggled to keep the whine from his voice.

"Always the martyr," Severus turned back to the fire. "There's nothing here for me."

"Nothing at all?" Harry could feel the heat creep onto his cheeks and prayed it was dim enough not to be noticed. "I could transfigure my bed into two beds. It's just temporary." Harry leaned forward and reached out to touch Severus' knee. A sharp look stopped him and he dropped his hands onto his own knees. "I want you to consider my home as your home."

Severus sighed. "You are persistent. As I have no other plans...I shall stay awhile longer."

Harry snuggled back into his chair, satisfied. "I spoke to Terry Boot today." Severus shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with the new topic. "He said you've been blacklisted. Someone's definitely working against you." Severus got up and poured a brandy. Harry nodded when Severus glanced at him and he poured another. He handed a glass to Harry and both sipped.

"Another reason to leave," said Severus, swirling his brandy.

"No, a reason to continue to investigate," replied Harry. Severus gave him a questioning look. "We should determine who is behind this and why," he continued.

Severus shrugged. "You can't fix everything," he said softly.

"True, but this bothers me. You should be recognized for your service to the wizarding community."

"The injustice of it all," sneered Severus.

"Don't you care?" asked Harry.

"Once, recognition was all I wanted. Now, it has become unimportant." Severus downed his brandy and poured another.

"I went up to Hogwarts as well," Harry said quietly, staring into the fire. Severus stopped his glass a breath from his lips. "It was like reaching down my throat and trying to rip out my own heart." Severus rested the glass on the arm of the chair. "You would never know that anything had ever happened," Harry whispered. "That so many died." He raked his hand through his wild black hair and closed his eyes. "I spoke to Dumbledore's portrait. He was glad I found you." Harry looked to see Severus staring at him, eyes bright. Harry looked away quickly.

They sat quietly, sipping brandy, lost in memories before Harry roused. "I met the potions professor. He's Neville's cousin."

Severus groaned. "Longbottom's cousin? In my labs? Is the universe mad?'

Harry smiled, stretched out his legs to warm his toes. "Yes, the universe is quite mad."

***

Ripper the bulldog was chasing him, snarling. He scrambled up a tree to escape. The Dursleys laughed.

Blink.

Dudley and his gang were playing 'Harry Hunting'. He panted, lungs stinging, legs screaming as he ran.

Blink.

Darkness. Heavy, pressing, compressing, smothering. The cupboard.

Blink.

Click, click, and click. The locks were secured on the door. Bars on the window. He was trapped in the room with no escape.

Blink.

"Freak! Abnormal!" Vernon and Petunia shouted, pointing fingers, while Dudley looked smug.

Blink.

A hand came down on his shoulder. He screamed and wrenched away.

Thud.

Harry lay on the floor with his blankets twisted around his body. He heard quiet laughter and peeked over the bed. Severus stood in his black pajamas, moonlight softening his features, chuckling. Struggling against his blankets, he unwrapped himself and got up to untwist his boxers and t-shirt.

"Quite amusing," said Severus.

"You scared the bloody hell out of me."

"Should I have left you to your dreaming?" Harry threw the sheet and blanket back onto the bed and Severus helped to straighten them out.

"I hope I didn't disturb you," said Harry.

"I was awake."

Harry sat on the edge of the bed. "Thanks for waking me. It's not fair that I dream about the Dursleys as well as spend my days with them." Severus turned to leave.

"I'm going to make some chamomile tea," Harry said quickly. "I won't sleep now. Would you like to join me?"

A brief pause then, "All right."

Harry lit a candle at the kitchen table preferring the softer light. Both men sat, relaxed, sipping chamomile tea.

"You should send for a Dreamless Sleep Potion," said Severus.

"No, I've used them too much."

"There must be worse horrors in your life than your family?" Severus sat back, put his arms behind his head and stretched out his long legs under the table.

"Yes. A great many, but I think family should be a foundation, you know, to bear you up when those horrors hit. I never had that." Harry ran his finger around the rim of the teacup.

"Nor did I," said Severus softly. "But drowning in self-pity is of no practical purpose."

"Sometimes I feel..." Harry blushed and stopped.

Severus rested his elbows on the table. "What do you feel?"

"That you and I are more alike than different," Harry looked into Severus' dark eyes. "There is a kinship between us." Severus sniffed and sat back.

"You're romanticizing." Harry blushed again. "You cannot know what I've experienced, let alone feel some connection to me."

"I know humiliation, rejection, grief and pain," said Harry earnestly. "The circumstances may have been different but it doesn't diminish understanding."

"All these pains are part of the human experience, so thus all people are connected," Severus looked away from Harry.

"You can talk to me of your experiences. I know how to keep things to myself." Harry tried to catch Severus' eye but Severus resolutely refused the contact. They sipped their tea and the silence grew heavy.

"So why this little cottage? I would have expected some grand manor, equal to your ego," Severus asked.

"I sold the manor," said Harry, ignoring the jibe. Severus arched his eyebrow.

"It was beautiful, filled with antiques and art," Harry sighed. "But I was never alone. There was always someone there; a guest or some member of the staff lurking about, but I needed the staff to maintain the place. The press circled the perimeter like vultures. I felt obligated to host parties to show off the manor. It was like I bought a lifestyle along with the building." Harry shook his head. "Then the clincher. If I went out with someone, I knew it would headline Witches' Weekly but most people wanted to be seen with me. It was when I took someone home that I tried to be very discrete. I brought a man home," Harry paused, took a deep breath and continued, cheeks pink "First time ever with a guy and I was nervous. Someone on the household staff sold me out to the papers. The public's response was passionate, for and against. Scared off the guy for good." Harry examined the bottom of his teacup, too embarrassed to look at Severus.

"I'm surprised that a house-elf..."

"No house-elves. Hermione insisted." Harry brought the tea service to the sink and began washing it by hand. "So I sold the manor and bought this place. It's heavily warded. No intrusions. I find it peaceful, especially after any public appearances." Severus brought his teacup over and gave it to Harry. He leaned with his back to the counter close enough to Harry that he could feel the warmth emanating from his body. The teacup slid from Harry's fumbling fingers and smashed.

"Reparo," said Harry and the teacup mended. "Getting tired I guess," he mumbled.

"How did your family get here, through these so called 'heavy wards'?" asked Severus.

"I allowed for it. They've contacted me before; once to attend Aunt Marge's funeral. So I leave them with my address and phone number and allow then to penetrate the wards." Harry brushed by Severus to put away the tea service and a small shiver ran through him.

"You'll need to adjust the wards again," Severus said.

"Yes, in the morning."

"You should get some sleep then. Tomorrow the peace of the place will be shattered. Good night." Severus glided from the room.

"Good night," said Harry, a small smiled played upon his face.

***

Harry woke abruptly. He had charmed his wand to wake him early in the morning with an alarm, which was far louder than necessary. "Finite Incantatum," he groaned. 'There's too much to do,' he thought. 'Will the world go away if I lose myself in the blankets?' He heard Severus walk down the stairs. Harry forced his body out of bed and he felt much better after a shower and a headache potion.

The wards were adjusted so the ambulance would be able to find the house (and so the drivers wouldn't remember an urgent appointment). Harry's bed was transfigured to two smaller beds and the armoire was charmed so that it would reveal the possessions of the person who opened it. After breakfast, while Severus moved his belongings to Harry's room, he added a second bed to the guest room and enlarged the armoire. The room was overcrowded.

"You need to enlarge this room," said Severus, stepping in behind Harry.

"It will bother them to be in a room larger than they can visually account for." Severus smirked.

Harry shook his head and gestured them both out. Pulling the door closed, he touched the door with his wand and concentrated. Like a pebble dropped in a lake, a ripple ran out from the wand point, across the door and expanded across the wall before disappearing.

"I didn't hear the incantation," Severus said.

"I don't know it. The intent focused through my wand just felt right." Severus gave him an incredulous look. Harry opened the door and the room had increased in size, proportionate to the furniture. Harry smiled proudly.

"Let's do it to our room," he said, ducking past Severus. Severus rolled his eyes at his enthusiasm. Harry repeated the process and grinned as he checked the effect in his room.

"Maybe the bathroom is a little tight," said Harry, turning toward the bathroom. Severus held up a hand.

"Let's see how stable the spell is first." What would happen if the spell wasn't cast properly? An imagine of Dudley and Petunia laying in their beds one night screaming as the walls closed in on them made Harry laugh.

"Good to hear laughter in the morning," called Hypericia as she entered the house. She quickly climbed the stairs. In what was now Dudley's room, she set out a variety of potions and stated that everything looked quite right.

The ambulance did not arrive until late that afternoon. Harry was irritable, and had spent a good deal of time pacing, muttering expletives. Following lunch, Hypericia and Severus had scouted out the basement as a possible potions lab, decided it was satisfactory and busied themselves with preparing it. They were now sitting at the kitchen table writing a list of supplies.

"They're here," said Harry. He glanced at Hypericia in her mediwitch robes. "You should wait out of sight until the attendants leave." She nodded and went to Harry's room to wait.

Harry opened the door. Petunia came out the back of the ambulance. "Now be careful of my baby, he's delicate," she said. Four attendants had come and they struggled to get Dudley out of the ambulance. It looked like an elephant had been strapped to the gurney. Dudley must be pushing 600 pounds, thought Harry, what happened?

"Severus," called Harry, "I think a little help will be needed."

Severus moved to beside Harry. "Every father wants more for his son."

"Dudley has more of something anyway," Harry giggled.

The ambulance attendants came to the door. "We aren't going to get him up the stairs," said one.

"Just about broke out backs getting him out of the ambulance," muttered another.

"We'll help," said Harry. The attendants looked skeptical. "Dudley will be better off upstairs. That's where the bathroom is." Harry and Severus moved to either side of Dudley. Severus surreptitiously cast a lightening charm.

"Harry," said Dudley in a vague way, "don't turn me into a pig."

The attendants sniggered. "We gave him a little something to relax him."

"It's okay Dudley; you've done a great job on your own." Dudley smiled and dozed off.

The six of them got Dudley up the stairs and into his room. Severus had applied the spell so adroitly that each man felt Dudley to be heavy but not unmanageable. Harry smiled at Severus who gave a brief nod.

"That was easier than I figured," said one attendant. The others nodded.

"A few extra hands work wonders. Let's move him to the bed," said Harry. With the help of Severus' charm, that was easily accomplished.

"Thank you gentlemen, I appreciate your assistance." Harry directed the men from the room. "If you like, there's a pub in the village, The Mucky Duck, which serves an excellent beef dinner. I'll call the proprietor and have him take care of you." The men agreed gratefully and drove to the pub while Harry made the requisite phone call.

Harry returned to Dudley's room.

"You will explain at once," Petunia was saying to Hypericia.

"I am treating him, that's all you need to know at this point." Hypericia coaxed Dudley into drinking a potion. He gagged, shouted "Yuck" and rubbed his tongue on his sleeve.

"What was that?" Petunia shrieked. "Duddykins are you alright?" Dudley sounded like a cat trying to bring up a fur ball.

"Mummy, tasted awful," he gasped.

"Aunt Petunia, many medicines taste lousy," Harry stepped forward and led Petunia to a chair next to the bed, opposite from Hypericia. "Let Hypericia do her work."

When Hypericia brought out her wand, Dudley called out, "I don't wanna be a pig!" Harry choked down his laugh and Dudley clutched Petunia's hand. "Mummy, don't let them!"

"There, there, dearest, it will be okay," Petunia soothed. "What is she doing now?" she hissed at Harry.

"What she needs to," Harry sighed. "I'm not a mediwizard. It's a very specialized branch of magic."

Dudley whimpered when Hypericia picked up another potion vial. "Mummy's right here, Duddykins," murmured Petunia. Dudley twisted his face around but drank the potion and collapsed into a deep sleep.

"What did you do?" asked Petunia.

"Dreamless Sleep," said Hypericia.

"So what exactly do you do?" Petunia demanded from Harry, clearly not expecting much.

"I am a slayer of Dark Wizards," said Harry. Petunia's eyes bulged. "It's quite profitable. I'll make dinner now." As Harry left the room he could hear Petunia begin to quiz Hypericia.

***

The day and most of the night had slipped away, what with dinner, cleanup, settling the Dursleys and assisting Hypericia. The moon was beginning to set when Harry finally stumbled into the bedroom. Harry could see Severus' outline in the bed farthest from the door. He stood for a long moment listening to the slow deep breaths, a restful lullaby. He toed off his shoes and went to crawl into his bed. He paused as the curtain fluttered in an errant breeze and moonlight highlighted the room. The bed was turned down and his night clothes were laid out. Harry felt the tensions of the day drain away and he fell into a restful sleep.