𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 \\ 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗷. 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

𝐿𝑋𝐼𝐼.

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙞𝙭𝙩𝙮-𝙩𝙬𝙤

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

THE TWITCH IN Caroline's hand wasn't going away. Madam Pomfrey did everything she could think of, Caroline finally allowing healing magic to touch her skin. She never wanted to feel pain again, if she could help it. Being hit by the Cruciatus Curse so many times with so much strength had its effects, and her tremor was one she had to live with.

Sirius was dead, and a piece of Caroline died that day too. But she couldn't lose herself again, like she had when Jacob was killed. Caroline was a different person, and she had to live with the changes Voldemort had forced upon her. It had to get better, like Harry told her it would.

Eloise Jones was home from the hospital, but Caroline wouldn't go back to her house. Andy Jones wasn't doing better, but he wasn't doing worse. He was alive, and that was all Caroline could wish for. At least for summer, Caroline Taylor-Jones would live with her godfather and his girlfriend, Tonks. That was where she was supposed to be.

And Harry would go with her. She made that clear to Remus. They weren't spending summer alone like they had a year before. Neither trusted themselves enough to be alone for that long, after everything that happened. He loved her, but he hadn't told her. She loved him, but she hadn't told him. That was okay. That was right.

Caroline forgave Seamus, and when he hugged her, it hurt, but she powered through. The phantom pain was everywhere now, not just her shoulder, and her hands. She was the pain, and the pain was her. Caroline would live with that, she would manage. Dean hugged her, she pushed herself, and she made it. She had friends again.

Her hand was useless, at least for now. She would have to learn to write again, to hold her wand, to simply function with it. She couldn't escape things anymore. This was her life and she had to live it. Hermione helped her tie her hair up in a bun while they waited for Ron and Harry to go to the feast. Caroline had to learn to accept help. She was trying.

"I love you, Carol." Hermione said, hugging Caroline from the side. It wasn't fair, what Caroline's life had become, but Hermione would be there for her.

Caroline leant into the embrace. "I love you, too." she said as Ron came down the stairs, without Harry. He shook his head, and the girls understood what that meant.

"I think he needs you, Carol." Ron said, his face swollen. Caroline nodded, and she walked to the stairs, knocking on Harry's door.

Harry threw open the door, his gaze softening when he saw who was there. "Lana, you just said an hour ago how hungry you were. Go to the feast." Harry said, having expected Caroline to show up.

She stepped into his room, her cheek scratched. "Well, I'd rather starve than leave you by yourself." Caroline said, straightening Harry's tie out of habit, using her non-dominant, tremor-free hand.

Harry sat on his bed and Caroline sat beside him. "Do you think he's proud of me? Sirius?" Harry asked a few moments later, holding Caroline's hand to ease his anxiety.

She dropped her head to his shoulder. "Yeah. I know he is. And I'm proud of you, too." Caroline said. They had talked about it all, everything that Harry went through at the Department of Mysteries. Caroline figured she needed to get him another journal before summer ended from all the writing he had been doing.

"The prophecy–" Harry began.

"No. We already talked about the 'what-ifs'. You're not dying. We'll figure out how that happens when we get there. No sense worrying about it now. And I don't care what it has to do with me. We'll deal with it, together." Caroline said, hand on Harry's jaw, turning him towards her.

Harry nodded. "Go to the feast. I need to find Dumbledore." he said, and Caroline knew what that meant. He needed to just be alone.

Caroline kissed Harry and he held her until they broke apart. "If you need me..." Caroline stood up, pointing to her ring.

"I know." Harry said, his bracelet always on his wrist.

Caroline eyed one of Harry's jumpers that was sitting on his bed. "This is mine now." she said, folding the material between her arms.

He let a small smile slip, and she left his dorm, going to the feast. She hid her shaking hand under the table as she ate, nestled against Ginny. This was right, sitting with her friends. For the first night in a long time, Caroline didn't have the need to plummet off of the Astronomy Tower. She was fine where she was. She wasn't great, but maybe she would get there.

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

PENNY MEOWED IN Caroline's bag, Marie yowling in response. They were ready to go home, and she was too. As long as Remus was there, Caroline could manage. Harry caught up to his two best friends and his girlfriend, the latter wearing his jumper. "I've been thinking about something Dumbledore said to me." Harry said suddenly.

"'One can never have enough socks'?" Caroline remarked, remembering when Dumbledore stood in front of the Mirror of Erised with her and Harry when they were only eleven.

Harry rolled his eyes. "That even though we've got a fight ahead of us, we've got one thing that Voldemort doesn't have." he said as they neared the train.

"Yeah?" Ron prompted.

"Something worth fighting for." Harry looked at Caroline as he said the words, and she noticed, looking away quickly.

They boarded the train, Caroline tucked into Harry's side, their cats annoying Hedwig. Remus was waiting for them at the station. He had no problems allowing Harry to spend the summer with them, but he would be lying down strict ground rules, and that was fine. He didn't mention Caroline's twitching hand when he saw her, just ruffled her braids and hugged her. That was right.

Tonks was waiting for them at the house, Caroline's room set up. Her bed with the trundle was there, had been since the end of last term. After Jacob's death, Caroline wouldn't sleep anywhere but her own bed, so Remus enchanted it and moved the furniture into his house. It was comforting to her, even still.

Harry let Hedwig out of the window as Caroline took Penny and Marie out of her bag, the cats rushing off to go explore. The door was open, one of the rules. Caroline picked up one of her books with her right hand out of habit, the object clattering to the floor. Harry looked over at her, refraining from lifting it up for her. Madam Pomfrey told her to accept help, but that didn't mean she wanted to. She was trying, but she could do this. When it was clear she couldn't lift the book off with the twitch in her hand, Harry did it for her. "It's day one. It's okay." Harry said, and Caroline nodded.

        They sat on her bed above the covers, another rule. "We're gonna be okay, Harry. We'll make it." Caroline said, Harry's arm across her chest, her hand drumming on his skin.

        Harry kissed her head. "Just promise me you won't go anywhere." he said quietly, almost ashamed to be asking.

        Caroline looked up at him. "By the stars, and the sky, and the moon, I swear it." she said softly, her voice angelic.

        "Is that Shakespeare?" Harry teased, pulling her to him closer.

        "No, it's just me." Caroline answered. That was enough. That moment in her room, wrapped together. That was how it was supposed to be. That's how it would always be

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —