Harry Potter and the Path to Nowhere

A Visitor in the Night

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Harry gazed at Six, watching as she stared at the trinket in her hand with near reverence. He couldn't imagine being trapped in this place for so long, that escape seemed an impossible hope. He was glad he could bring that feeling back to her.

But now that dinner was over, Harry felt a sudden fatigue wash over him. The day's events crashed into him, sapping whatever energy he had left. The first room with the dresser, then the moth, the birds and the bridge, and even cooking dinner. All of it seemed to be hitting him at once.

Harry let out a loud, long yawn, stretching his whole body out, feeling the day's stress in every muscle. That probably wasn't good for his health.

Six watched this happen, a hint of amusement at seeing his sleepy face drooping down with weariness. Not that she could blame him. She herself was feeling rather tired as well. Maybe not as much as her friend, considering everything he went through today, but enough to desire a bed.

"Sleepy?" she questioned, looking at him.

"Mhm," he mumbled, much to her further amusement. His head bobbed up and down in a jerky motion, almost like he was falling asleep and waking up at the same time. She wasn't sure what time it actually was, but there was no harm in finding a spot to rest.

She stood up, wiping the remains of her food on a dirty cloth. She grimaced at the feeling of it, but it was better than wiping it off on her own clothes. She turned her gaze toward Harry, "Alright, get up."

He looked at her for a moment, a petulant expression adorning his face. She almost thought he would argue with her, but thankfully, he stood up. He stumbled a bit in his tired state, but he managed well enough.

She looked at him for a moment, then down to the key in her hand. The key that was a third of the puzzle to escaping. With reluctance, she offered it back to him, "Here."

Harry stared at the object being offered to him, before reaching his hand out, and wrapping Six's own around it. She seemed shocked as he gently pushed it back towards her, eyes filled with confusion.

"I... But why?" she asked. Harry gave her another small smile, "It seems to mean a lot to you, so you keep it."

Six wasn't sure what to say, even as she cradled the object to her chest. She was overwhelmed by an emotion she couldn't recognize, and one she couldn't name. Grateful? No that wasn't it. She knew what that felt like.

Whatever it was, it was nice. She's been feeling a lot of emotions like that recently, all thanks to a certain someone. She hasn't felt anything like this since she lost her friend. And even then, it was different.

There wasn't any more time to ponder this, as Harry looked dead on his feet. So instead, she pushed it down and entered survival mode. She was far more comfortable with that.

But not before she let him know she appreciated the gesture. "Thank you," she said in a small, but sincere voice. Harry gave her a nod, "No problem."

Now with that out of the way, it was time to get down to business. She carefully placed the item in her pocket, thankful that it was just big enough to hold it securely.

"Alright, we need to find somewhere to sleep, " she stated, before looking around at the room. She frowned when she saw there appeared to be no good place to hide away. She suddenly missed that dirty old teddy bear she used last night.