Therapy

Therapy

Harry Potter was depressed.  He had been depressed for a very long time.  The depression ate away at his insides, gnawing at his stomach and hurt him with a pain he had not felt since he was eleven years old, alone without a friend in the world.  The reason why he was depressed?  Harry didn’t know.  And now, somehow, the counsellor at Hogwarts had found out. 

“Mr Potter,” Julianne… well Harry didn’t know her last name.  Somehow, Julianne thought they would have a better ‘relationship’ if he didn’t know her last name.  And somehow, Harry didn’t think so.  “Why is it you think that you are depressed?” 

Harry shrugged his shoulders. 

“What caused you to feel this way?” Julianne leant forward and stared deeply into Harry’s eyes.  “You can tell me.” 

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat.  Julianne’s piercing black eyes, reminding him of Snape’s, seemed to ram him back into the large leather chair.  “I’m not sure,” he muttered into his robes. 

“Has anyone you care about hurt you in any way?” 

Harry blinked. 

“Has anything in your life changed in any way before you began to have these feelings.” 

Harry blinked again. 

“Do you think,” Julianne said gently, “that these feelings may actually be bottled up desires that need to be released?” 

Harry stared at her.  “What do you mean?” he finally asked, incredulous. 

“I mean,” Julianne quietly stood up, her long Muggle skirt falling below her knees as she walked demurely to the door.  She waited. 

Five seconds later, there came a knock.  She smiled gently at Harry’s wide-open eyes.  “I can tell the future.”  She opened the door and Harry’s mouth fell open. 

~~~~

The boy’s silvery-white hair flopped over his eyes as he walked up the stairs.  There was something controlled, stiff about his jerky movements, almost as if he was holding something in, controlling himself forcing himself to behave.  He lifted a slender hand and knocked on the heavy door.  Immediately, the door swung open and Draco Malfoy walked in. 

“Potter?” he hissed, “what on earth are you doing here?” 

“Funny you said that,” Harry’s voice was equally cold, “I was about to ask the same thing.”  Both of them glanced over at Julianne who smiled softly and sat down. 

“You wish to know?” she asked. 

“Yes,” Harry and Draco cried angrily.  Their voices echoed in the small room. 

She smiled again.  “You both have come to me with similar problems.  I have contacted around, and feel as though…” she paused, “that your problems are somehow connected.  And the best way of solving problems that are connected is to talk them out.  Or even a old-fashioned fist fight.  Anything.  Ignoring the problem won’t make it go away.  You two seem to be jealous of each other and have an intense hatred that I can feel emanating towards the other.  This is not healthy for your growth. ” 

Harry’s eyes narrowed.  “I think,” he said slowly, “that you are very mistaken.” 

“Usually I do not agree with Potter on anything,” Draco drawled slowly, “but I happen to think on this instance, he is correct.  You are mistaken.  And I didn’t come to you, you came to me, with this imaginary depression syndrome that you seem to imagine that I have.” 

“You both seem to deny it.” Julianne stated, and stood up.  “I will leave you two here.”  And before the two boys could react, she stood up and walked to the door, opened it and left.  They could hear her clear voice outside the door saying a word of locking.  “You two will remain in my office until you solve your problems.”  Then they could hear her footsteps echoing down the corridor and she was gone. 

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