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

72. Our Turn Now

"Firestorm," Kingsley explained. "It is a very rare spell. I have only ever known one person who could cast it correctly and have full control over the flames."

"That would be Dumbledore, correct?" Harry said, realising he had experienced this spell on two occasions. Kingsley nodded. "When Dumbledore took me to the Crystal Cave the night he died. We were hunting a horcrux, and we managed to get attacked by a group of Inferi, and Dumbledore used the spell to help us escape."

"You also fought Inferi?" Narcissa gasped her eyes full of sympathy for the poor boy as he nodded and looked down at his feet. She stepped closer to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You, Harry, have faced quite a lot in your young age. It wasn't fair."

He shrugged, not knowing what to say in response. "It's fine," he murmured.

"It most certainly is not," Sloane said, sensing the emotions coming off him. "You have been through true horrors, Harry. Horrors the rest of us couldn't even imagine." she turned to Hermione and Ron. "You two," then to Draco and Blaise. "And you. You have all been tasked with quests that we wouldn't even know where to begin with. Harry from you were a baby you have had terrible ordeal after terrible ordeal and yet you never wavered in your loyalty, never turned your back on the right thing, and you literally died to save us all." She turned to Ron and Hermione. "You chose Harry as your friend. You helped him with every task every year. You didn't ask why or question if you were making the right decision. You simply followed him blindly, and that took real bravery and loyalty. I know Harry will never be able to tell you what you did for him, but I can. You saved him not from evil or a dark wizard. You saved him from himself. You took that lost little boy under your wing and showed him what friendship and love looked like. He had forgotten. You saved him before he even needed saving. You are everything to him."

Hermione looked like she might cry, and Ron cleared his throat to try to keep his emotions in check. Sloane turned to Blaise. "You both were given an impossible choice. Either join the dark side or lose the only people you ever really cared about in your life. And so you chose to join him. Not out of loyalty but out of desperation. You were determined to keep your families safe, knowing full well you might not survive. You hid me from Riddle and pretended I was dead while really doing all you could to keep me safe. I am eternally grateful to you for it."

"Are you kidding?" Blaise laughed. "You saved us first....and you have been saving us ever since.

"Choosing to keep you safe was the easiest decision I ever made," Draco chuckled.

"I wasn't here before the battle. I never had to experience those horrors. I can't imagine what you went through, but I know that it was horrific and unfair, and yet I know you would all do it over again if given the choice." Harry nodded as did Draco. "But don't tell us it's fine or that it doesn't matter because it does. Everything you are feeling is completely justified, and I want you to know that I understand how you feel. And you can always talk to me if needed."

Draco felt an immense surge of pride for his girl at that moment. She knew exactly how they were feeling, and she wanted them to know they weren't alone. That was one of the big issues Draco had since the war, and he was fairly certain that Harry did too. Feeling like no one understood what you were feeling, you didn't understand yourself. And then this angel comes in, and just by having a few sessions with her whereby she gets him to open up, suddenly the room feels less small. The world feels less small, and his chest feels less tight. Like he can breathe.

"Thank you, Sloane," Harry squeaked as he held out his hand for her. Draco made to let go of her (reluctantly, but he was willing to do it), but there was no need. Sloane pulled Draco along with her, still holding firmly onto his hand as she put her arm around Harry, and he kissed her head. "Blaise is right," he smirked. "You saved me too."