Helium | Harry J. Potter

07

WARNING:
Mention of self-harm

Harry, Hermione, and Ron were currently in the common room discussing the recent events called Dolores Umbridge. Harry was twirling his wand with his right hand while Hermione scolded Ron for stepping on her toe. Harry hadn't even noticed Ron calling him.

"Harry!" Ron shouted as he harshly tapped on his shoulder.

Harry's wand fell out of his hand, and he shook his head. "What?"

"Where were you last night? You got in pretty late."

"Just helping someone. Kept me out late."

"I'd say more than late. You came back at two in the morning!"

Hermione looked up with her brows furrowed. "That's why you have bags under your eyes," Hermione observed. "They must be special," she smirked.

"Uh... in a way, yeah." Harry picked up his wand and began twirling it again.

Ron's mouth opened then closed as if he'd remembered something.

"What is it?" asked Hermione.

"Did you hear? Cedric and Alura broke up."

Harry's wand fell from his grasp once again. When Alura was with Harry, she had never once told him what happened, so it was more than a shock when Ron blurted it out.

"That can't be right." Hermione shook her head stubbornly.

Ron smirked. "Is that who you were with? Cedric?" he asked him.

Harry shook his head. Though Alura and Harry didn't get along, he'd never pursue Cedric without Alura being okay with it. He had morals, which Alura apparently didn't when she started dating Cedric knowing Harry's feelings hadn't changed.

"No," Harry finally answered.

"Whatever you say, mate." Ron patted his back and shook his head, still unconvinced.

"So they really broke up?" Hermione asked, still processing the news.

"Yeah. Someone overheard what happened. I guess word spread from there."

Harry furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. That couldn't be right, he thought. If anyone other than Alura and Cedric were there, they would've heard them. And since Harry was the only other person that could've overheard, Alura was surely going to blame it on him.

"I've got to make sure she's okay," Hermione said as she began to stand up.

"Why? She doesn't even like you. She made that plenty clear," Ron said.

"And rightfully so. I treated her horribly after you two stopped being friends." She looked at Harry. "The least I can do is ask if she's okay."

"I'll come with you," Harry announced.

He wanted to explain himself before Alura got the chance, though he doubted she would believe him.

Ron shook his head. "It's your funeral."

Once Hermione and Harry were out of ear-shot, Hermione turned to him with a smirk.

"You were with her last night, weren't you?"

"There's a lot of 'her's,' Hermione. You've got to be a little more specific."

Hermione playfully rolled her eyes and smiled. "I mean, Alura, you were with her, right?"

"How'd you - actually, I'd rather not know."

"Are you two gonna be friends again?"

Harry shook his head. "No. I still don't like her."

Hermione smiled as she looked at Harry. "You didn't say hate. You usually say you hate her."

"No, I still hate her," he corrected. "Better?"

Hermione looked at Harry with a serious face. "Harry, it's okay if you want to be friends with her, you know that, right? Don't let your pride ruin something that could be great."

"For the millionth time, I was only comforting her," he replied. "And asides, if we were ever friends again, one of us would screw up, and the same thing would happen over again," he ranted.

"Only if you have that attitude, it might."

They entered the dungeons, and a certain chill came across both Harry and Hermione.

"Do you remember it being this cold?" Harry crossed his arms and rubbed his hands up and down his arms.

"Well, you haven't been here in a long time."

Hermione said the password, and the door opened. Harry and Hermione looked around the Slytherin common room, and a lot of Slytherin's were looking at him skeptically.

"Uh... has anyone seen Alura?" Hermione asked awkwardly.

"She's in her dorm," Blaise answered.

Hermione and Harry started walking up the steps before Blaise stopped them.

"Not you, Granger. Katerina's up there, and she doesn't like you much."

Hermione nodded and told Harry, "tell Alura I'm sorry."

He nodded and continued upstairs. Harry had no idea what he was going to say; he hadn't given it much thought. Harry knocked on the door quietly. He instantly regretted coming up here alone. He was counting on Hermione to make conversation. He was hoping she hadn't heard him knock, but no luck. Theo opened the door.

Theo's eyebrows shot up in surprise before asking, "do you need anything...?"

Harry was struggling for the right thing to say when a voice called. "Who's at the door?"

"Uh, you know, the kid with circular glasses, awkward, has a thing for food and Ginny Weasley..." Theo described.

It didn't take a detective to figure out that he was talking about Harry Potter.

Alura rolled her eyes at Theo's in-depth description. "Let him in."

Theo opened the door fully, allowing Harry inside. Alura was in her pajamas, tucked under her comforter. Katerina was sitting next to Alura when she saw Harry come in. Katerina stood up, allowing Harry to take her place. Katerina left the room, giving Alura an assuring nod; Theo left with her. Once Harry was sure they were out of the room, he immediately spoke up.

"I didn't-"

"I know," Alura stopped him. "Cedric explained that one of his friends blabbed."

"Oh," Harry said awkwardly. "Hermione told me to tell you she's sorry."

Alura nodded.

"And I'm also sorry," he said.

"Thanks."

Along with numerous reasons Alura didn't like Harry, one stood out: his ability to make anything awkward. Harry had already made it uneasy by coming up alone.

Something caught Alura's attention. "You didn't heal it?"

Harry followed her eye-line to his right hand. "It's nothing, I just forgot," he made up.

A realization came to Alura as she pulled up his full sleeve to reveal his arm, which was covered in scars. "Harry..."

Harry harshly pulled down his sleeve. "It's nothing," he said not-so-convincingly.

"You told me you stopped."

"I'm fine," he mumbled.

"Harry-"

"I said I'm fine, Alura," he snapped. "I'm sorry I bothered you." Harry stood up and left the room.

"Wait-"

Before Alura could move, Theo and Katerina came back.