Behind Emerald Eyes

"When it rains it pours and opens doors. And floods the floors we thought would always keep us safe and dry. And in the midst of sailing ships we sink our lips into the ones we love. That have to say goodbye. And as I float along this ocean I can feel you like a notion that won't seem to let me go. Cause when I look to the sky something tells me you're here with me. And you make everything alright. And when I feel like I'm lost something tells me you're here with me. And I can always find my way when you are here..."

-When I Look to the Sky by Train

What Time Brings

He watched them.

He watched how Hermione's eyes glittered with humour when she laughed and smiled. That spark of familiar brown summoned memories to his mind.

oOo

Hermione's laugh filtered through the common room. Ron was imitating a troll. Thumping around the scarlet carpet, a bewildered look on his freckly face. Their laughter followed him, their cheers driving him on. Harry was laughing along with them. Hermione turned to him, with her brown eyes sparkling.

oOo

That had been just after the exams, one week before the Hogwarts Battle and the end of Tom Riddle's reign over the Wizarding World.

She turned to him now, love for her friends shining clearly in those brown pools. He returned her glittering smile, emotions tugging at his heart.

A loud snort of laughter from Ron drew Harry's attention. His friend's fiery red hair sparkled in the light from the hanging lantern. His blue eyes were a window into his swirling mind. A spark was glowing there, burning with the laughter pouring from his mouth. It was a lit flame, sparked by the return of his two best friends. Ron turned to him and grinned goofily. That smile was given when the red-haired man had said or done something foolish. A new memory surfaced.

oOo

"Ronald Weasley!" Hermione shouted, marching into the common room, her brown hair frizzing with electricity. Ron sank down lower in his armchair by the fire, ears turning red. Harry laughed as she thrust a muddy pair of Quidditch robes into his lap. Ron looked up into her glowering face. He shrugged, smiling goofily, looking passed Hermione to Harry.

oOo

That scene flickered in his mind, as clear as the day he had received it. Those had been the days when all had been happy and perfect. Even at that time, the threat of Voldemort still hung around them like an ill-fitting cloak. But being in Hogwarts, surrounded by his friends, made the thought of Voldemort waver into a thin wisp of mist that sat at the back of Harry's mind. The Second War and the final battle seemed to be years away, they had as much time as they liked. But Harry's life was not meant to be perfect or carefree; Voldemort was not meant to be pushed away like an unwanted dinner. He had been real and coming ever closer each minute Harry had let down his guard. Harry was meant to be ever watchful. He was the one supposed to defeat the Dark Lord and there he was, fooling around in the common room. He could have been training for the last war, if he had just pushed himself that extra bit and readied himself more, he could have saved more lives. He could have prevented innocent people being killed. He could have stopped Albus Dumbledore from dying.

Guilt plagued him like an everlasting storm cloud. Nightmares and memories combined to create a raging tornado of pain inside his body and soul. Every time he heard the headmaster's name a new layer of guilt pressed down upon him harder; suffocating the breath from his lungs.

At each gaze of his old friends and acquaintances, memories spilled in from forgotten parts of his mind; things he thought he lost, never to be seen or heard again by his tormented mind. Scenes enveloped his vision; of a time passed.

oOo

The surface of the lake glittered in the light from the blazing sun. The giant squid was basking on the shore, one of its many tentacles reaching for a picnic basket resting between a couple under a tree. The students were out on the grounds, this spring being rather hot and stuffy. A few older boys were even swimming in the lake, dodging swipes from the giant sea creature. Girls were sunbaking along the bank or dangling their feet in the shallow waters. Harry felt at peace under the large tree at the edge of the lake. It was the same tree that his father had sat under many years ago. It made Harry feel alive and at home, sitting in the same spot that once his dad had sat in.

Someone called his name. He turned to spot Professor McGonagall hurrying down the grassy slope towards him. Harry stood and walked over to meet him. He began to smile but let it drop at the look on the old woman's face.

"What's wrong?" he said, feeling nerves creep into his stomach. McGonagall's eyes were glistening with tears and her face was white. "The headmaster needs to see you urgently, in his office," Harry nodded and hurried up the grounds. A moment later he was standing before Albus Dumbledore, spotting no twinkle in his clear eyes. He looked older that Harry had ever seen him and his eyes were full of pain and sadness.

"What is it, sir?" Harry asked. Dumbledore looked into his emerald eyes and let a tear drop from behind his half-moon spectacles.

"He got them, Harry. Tom has killed the Dursley's"

oOo

Harry blinked away the tears threatening to spill. He moved his gaze from the chipped table, his mind a whirl wind of emotions and memories. His eyes fell on Ginny.

Her hair framed her face like a fiery mane. Her eyes glittered magically through a creamy freckled face. It contained a calming beauty. It was like looking into the face of your mother and you knew that those eyes would never hate you, never turn you away. It was only love and care he found in those hazel orbs.

Harry just watched her eyes sparkle with laughter and began to love the way her hair curled to the left side of her face. The freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks contained a hidden puzzle; waiting to be uncovered.

As he continued to sit enchanted by her tender movements, Harry began to feel the pain slowly fade and the memories dissolve, so he was left in the present, staring at Ginny Weasley: his saviour from the life he once called his own. He was now back where he belonged; with his family.

"Harry, can you hear me?" Harry was drawn from his reverie at the sound of Ginny's ringing voice. He blinked a few times and stared back into her puzzled eyes.

"Ah, yes?" he stammered, feeling his cheeks flush. All eyes were on him. Hermione's glittering brown; Ron's clear blue; and Ginny's soothing hazel.

"I asked if you were okay. You've been staring into space for a while and you haven't said a word for an hour!" Ginny said her red hair bouncing at the slight turn of her head.

"Oh, yeah, just thinking..." His voice trailed off. He knew their eyes would be watching him. Minds working on trying to figure him out. Self-consciously, he rubbed his finger over the rune tattooed on his middle finger. Hermione caught his movement; her eyes held the familiar signs of a problem being solved.

"When did you get that done, Harry?" she asked softly, locking his eyes with her own. Harry sighed.

"About a year after I left. When the memories got too much..." Again he rubbed the mark, remembering the time when he couldn't even sleep without seeing death.

"What does it mean?" asked Ron, his eyes were fixed on the little black rune, with wide eyes. Hermione never let her eyes waver from Harry's.

"It is the Elfish symbol for Hope. But in the old language it says: let those who remember, forget. It is meant to protect from nightmares which were caused by horrors the victim witnessed." Her eyes glazed with brimming tears as Harry fought the screams of those who died.

"Oh," was all Ron said, lowering his head.

"Did it help?" asked Ginny softly. Harry caught her gaze.

"A bit. It made me forget the sights of the deaths through my life. But the screams will always be with me," he said, forcing his eyes to stare at the scratched table. The lamp blinked overhead. It was quite late. Probably a bit after midnight. Molly and Arthur had retired to bed an hour before. So it was just the four of them; now lapsed in an uncomfortable silence. Thoughts ran through each of their minds; each one remembering something different; each more horrific that the last.

Finally, Harry broke the silence. "I'm quite tired, I think I might go to bed," he stood up, keeping his gaze away from any of theirs.

"Okay, mate, you're sleeping in the twins' old room, remember where it is?" said Ron, his voice straining. Harry nodded and faked a goodbye smile.

"Goodnight," he simply said. "Night, Harry," murmured Hermione, trying to wipe away the tears without him noticing.

"Try to sleep well," Ginny said, almost a whisper. Harry walked quickly from the room but slowed once he entered the hall.

Harry had always consider the Burrow his home. The old paintings on the walls watched him with unseeing eyes. The grandfather clock ticked in the shadows. A single gong signalled that it was now half-passed twelve. Even the smells reminded him of old times; a scent of herbs and dust.

The stairs creaked as he made his silent way up to the second landing. He was one with the shadows; dark hair and dark clothes, even a dark past. Only his eyes shone from the darkness; two points of emerald pain.

Harry found his room, even after over seven years without walking these halls. He collapsed on the bed, the darkness his blanket. His body ached from too long on his feet, but sleep did not claim him. Instead, visions swirled in his mind, like a pensive sucking in memories none wanted the world to see. Harry lay motionless in the shadows, while tears glittered on his cheeks from the light of the moon.

...................

The morning arrived a little too early for Harry's tastes. It was still dark as he dragged himself from the warmth of his bed. He quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and a shirt and tiptoed from the house. The cool morning air bit at his skin as he walked the path from the back of the Burrow. He did not sleep much these days. He was never able to have a complete night without having a dream or hearing screams from hi mother or the Last Battle. The rune was able to protect from some of the most vile memories but other minor ones, such as moments with Albus Dumbledore, struck the most pain in his heart.

Harry followed the path leading to the small stream at which he sat the previous day. Birds were just beginning to wake. They were singing tunes of happiness and joy into the morning air. With the lovely green leaves bordering the forest and bushes making homes for small creatures, Harry felt at peace. It was so nice here, and he forgot what it felt like to be free. With Dave in London, he had to cover up everything he did. His muggle room-mate did not know of Harry's talent and wouldn't understand them if he did.

But here, in the presence of the woods and the slowly trickling stream, he was able to do whatever he liked. Of course he could use magic around the others, but it felt weird to do it around other people when he wasn't allowed to for so long.

He sat down with his back against the trunk of the tree and breathed in the scents of dirt and life. He pulled out his wand and conjured a glass and filled it with water from the end of his wand. He took a sip and sighed in relief. It tasted so good, even if it was water.

The soft trickling of the water and the lulling tunes of the birds, caused him to feel drowsy. Soon after, the glass fell from Harry's grip and landed with a thump on the grass. His head fell to the side and his slow breathing indicated he was asleep. From the other side of the stream, a figure hid behind a tree.

..................

She watched him sitting there, with his back up against the tree, his eyes closed in clumber. The morning light, just beginning to appear, played on his dark hair. Black rimmed glasses no longer hid his eyes. She imagined them open, all green and enchanting. It was like looking into an emerald ocean, where the waves of his emotions sent ripples across the surface.

Luna Lovegood remembered him from Hogwarts. She had only known him since her fourth year, where she had been granted a certain spot in Harry's little group. That year, and those that followed, had been the best she ever had. All through Hogwarts, she pretended she didn't care what others thought of her. She did what she liked, keeping her chin held high and ignoring nasty comments made behind her back or even to her face.

But it had hurt. All that she kept so hidden, had been tearing her up inside. No one knew what it was like to be so alone in the world, with no one understanding you or what you believed in. She had lost her mother when she was young and watched her die. But still she stayed brave. She had to care for her father who had retreated into his magazine and remained isolated form his own daughter. So Luna was forced to go through her school days alone and with no one to understand.

Then she met Harry. He had always been looked down on. Before she went to Hogwarts, she remembered hearing things about him. Sometimes people would call him a hero and the saviour of the Wizarding world. But others would call him an attention seeking brat only caring about what he would get. They believed that Harry Potter was a pompous boy, over-confident and boasting about his triumph over the Dark Lord.

When Luna had attended Hogwarts, she had watched him. He was nothing what everyone said he was. She heard people calling him names but still he held his head high. So she copied him. When others called her weird and loony, she just looked down at them and head her head high. She believed in what she wanted to believe in. And she believed in Harry.

He was always being hurt or hunted down by a mad wizard every year. Luna honoured him. Not for his bravery and fearlessness in facing all those dangers, but on his heart and mind. Harry Potter was not a pompous little hero, but a shy, kind boy. He did not like the attention others gave him and cared not for the fame his parents death had brought. He treasured what he had. And that was two great friends that he would protect til the day he died.

So, in her fourth year, when Ginny Weasley had introduced her to Harry, she looked into his eyes and smiled. She already knew him enough to know his name and dreams. From that day on, she was connected to Harry by more than one thing; he had been orphaned when he was little over one year old and forced to live with people who didn't understand him. Luna was much older than him when her mother had been taken but it hurt all the same. She was so young when she had to care for her father and look after herself through their depression.

After her fourth year, when Harry was in sixth, she became a part of his life in Hogwarts. No longer was she Luna 'Loony' Lovegood. She was Luna, friends with Harry Potter and part of his legendary trio now made six. Her last years at Hogwarts were her best for many reasons; one, Harry made her feel accepted and made her feel fit in. Two, they shared a common bond; they knew what it felt like to loose someone you loved. And what it was like to be shunted and ridiculed for no reason accept following your beliefs. And three, she finally had someone that would risk his life to save her own, no matter the consequences.

So, now, as Luna Lovegood watched the dozing form of Harry Potter, she smiled.

Through all the years Harry had been missing, she prayed that one day he would return and make her feel accepted once more. And here he was, asleep and happy. No nightmares plagued him this day, she could tell by the way his eye lids remained still and by the smile that was tugging at his lips.

She sat by the whispering stream and listened to the soft trickling of the water running over stones. Harry shifted once in his sleep and that was when a leaf fluttered from the tree he was leaning against, and scraped against his cheek.

............................

As the sun was growing large and hot in the sky, Harry Potter awoke. The glare from the blazing sun made him blink furiously. The birds were singing as he looked across the stream. For a moment he believed he spotted a woman standing on the opposite shore. But when the sunshine lifted, there was only the trees, whispering in the slight breeze that blew their branches.

...............................

How was that one? I'm so, so, so sorry that it took so long for this to come out! And I have a reason for it. My computer crashed a couple of weeks ago and I was only a few paragraphs into this chapter. I didn't get the computer back until Tuesday night and by then I was freaking out from lack of writing and reading. SO I have been writing frantically for the passed two days and here is the finished product. There probably are a few errors in it, but I might go through later and fix them up.

Thanks to my reviewers, especially Kraeg who gave me titles to some songs. I might use some of the lyrics the next chapter or the one after, depends what I decide to write. You're the best, mate! Luv Ya!

Peace Out

DW