It's OK To Not Be Ok...Right?

35. Dream On

Harry was used to everyone staring and whispering around him. It was nothing new, and he had gotten pretty good at ignoring it. But as the Headmistress, Minister, Matron, and Aurors left the students outside the hall to enter by themselves, Harry was suddenly very nervous. He knew what the students of this school were like. They have probably already come up with theories as to why they are being made to stay in the Great Hall and why there were eight students missing. 

"You ready?" Ginny asked as they all stopped. 

"For this?" Draco said, motioning ahead of him. "Not a bit."

"I think I was safer with the demon," Sloane groaned.

"I say we go in as a group, ignore the looks and whispers, just grab our cot beds and not talk to anyone until the morning," Hermione suggested. 

"We have no idea what to tell everyone anyway. McGonagall said not to mention anything to anyone. That she would deal with it later," Blaise shrugged. 

"Right, so ignore everyone and stick together. That's the plan?" Luna asked. 

"Sounds bloody good to me," Ron responded. 

"Ok, we go in together." Harry nodded. 

The doors to the hall opened, and just like they each predicted, every student and teacher turned to see who was coming in. No one expected to see the group before them. One student was covered in bloody bandages, one whose arm was in a sling, and the rest were covered in small grazes, dust and dirt. But as discussed, they ignored everyone and headed to the eight cot beds in the back of the room, which were, as of yet, unclaimed. Hermione passed out blankets to everyone, and they sat down between a few of the beds together. "Well, so far, so good," she said as she wrapped one blanket over her and Harry's shoulders and the other over their legs. 

Ron looked curiously between the two. A few weeks ago and this simple move, which admittedly probably meant nothing as Hermione and Harry were so close, would have made him so jealous that he would be spitting fire. Now he thought nothing, seen nothing and felt nothing. And it confused him. But as he went to sit, he found himself doing the same thing with Luna. What did annoy him was that Ginny did the same with Blaise. But he made a mental note to talk to her another time. That was tomorrow's battle. 

Draco and Sloane were the last to sit, Sloane trying not to move too suddenly for fear of opening a wound. If she went the rest of her life without feeling that peeling sensation, it would be too soon. Draco, Merlin bless him, was trying to help her, but with one arm in a sling, it was almost an impossible task. Instead, he lowered himself slowly onto the cot bed sitting beside her but leaving enough room so as not to touch her. He looked, noticing that the others had broken into pairs and were talking amongst themselves. He looked to Sloane, who was also watching them. 

"How are you?" He asked. He could see she was about to shrug, so he added. "Really."

She looked up at him. "I am not going to lie, I've been better. Every part of me hurts, but it's nowhere near as bad as it was. But I just... I keep picturing that thing. I keep hearing the sound that it made as it crawled towards me. I just know that thing is going to haunt my dreams."

Draco sighed. "I am sorry we didn't get to you quicker."

"Are you kidding?" Sloane almost laughed. "You guys went above and beyond to help me. I can't believe you told McGonagall you quit school. Just to save me."

"Just to save you?" Draco asked. "Are you kidding?" He retaliated. "Sloane, we all went after you because we all...well we think of you as a friend. A very close friend. You have helped each of us since the start of the year. Like we said, you are one of us. We take care of our own."