Him - A Harry Potter Love Story

Chapter Thirty

A/N Woot woot chapter thirty

Also I'm gonna be kind of skipping forward a lot now, there'll only be a few more chapters for the fifth book.

It had been a couple months since Harry and I broke up; it was December, and winter break was coming up. I had recently broken things off with Draco, which caused him to be just as cold to me as before he ever apologized. My nightmares had gotten so bad, I was barely sleeping...and then there was the worst one yet.

I didn't know what was happening. I just kept attacking Mr. Weasley, I couldn't stop myself. After what seemed like forever, I woke up in a cold sweat, my throat tightening up as I took deep breaths.

"Cassie, what's wrong?!" Hermione cried out. I scrambled out of the bed and dropped to the ground, throwing up. The other girls in our dorm woke up, their words not reaching my ears, which were ringing.

"We need to find him!" I gasped, pulling myself up from the bed. Hermione rushed over to me as I fell again. "He's hurt! He's going to die!"

"Who?!" she cried out, helplessly trying to pull me to my feet.

"Arthur! Mr. Weasley, he's been attacked!" I sobbed. Hermione suddenly rushed out of the room, leaving me crying on the floor. Lavender and the Patil twins sat in their beds, staring at me in horror.

Suddenly I felt arms picking me up. It took me a while to realize that it was McGonagall, carrying me down the stairs. I finally saw Harry, pacing around, also in hysterics.

McGonagall put me down, and I stumbled into Harry. I backed away as he saw me, his eyes wide.

"Did you see it too?" he asked, the first words he's spoken to me that weren't filled with hate.

I nodded, a sudden urge to throw up again causing me to drop to the ground.

Eventually, McGonagall got us to Dumbledore, who I'd barely seen all year. I managed to calm down, but Harry started to get angry as the headmaster went around telling the portraits to send help to the ministry.

I found myself curled in a blanket on a couch at Grimmauld Place, staring blankly in front of me. I couldn't get the image of Mr. Weasley out of my head, covered in blood, screaming.

Sirius approached us at about two in the morning, telling us to go get sleep. I nodded mutely, standing up slowly and following Hermione and Ginny mindlessly up the stairs.

Somehow, the moment I laid down, I was asleep.

••••••••••

Arthur was found by aurors at the Ministry, nearly dead. He was brought to Mungo's immediately, and we were told he was going to survive.

The holidays passed quickly. Although I had gathered a bit of hope that Harry and I could talk some and work everything out, he continued to ignore me. I slowly felt myself giving up...we both made mistakes, and this wasn't going to be fixed.

We went back to school. DA was exposed, we all got more detention. My hand was never going to recover from this, I was sure. No amount of magic can remove scars.

Then, one day, just a week before the OWLS, I was called to McGonagall's office.

"It appears there has been an emergency at your home, Miss Winters," she explained as I sat down. I immediately felt my heart speed up.

"What? What kind of emergency?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"It was not specified," she sighed, handing me the letter.

Dear Hogwarts School,
I am afraid there has been a family emergency. As much as I hate to disturb Cassandra's studies, she needs to come home. It will not be long, but it is best for her to be here right now.
I'm sure you've been informed of some of the choices I've been making. I've started going to therapy, and I have been sober for four months now. I cannot explain how sorry I am for what I have done to Cassandra. Please show her this...I want my daughter to come home. Please.
Sincerely, Sarah Winters.