Magic? || Years 5-7

Back to Normal: Year 5

"'Mione," Harry tapped the brunette on the shoulder. "Can I talk to Amisty, please?"

"Oh, yeah, of course, Harry," Hermione smiled, sitting back and scooting a bit so he had a place to sit down.

Harry cleared his throat, looking down, "I -- er -- I meant alone."

"Oh!" Hermione's cheeks went pink. "Okay, I'm sorry, I'll just -- "

And she hurried off. It was three days before term ended, and they had all just been released from the hospital wing.

Harry took Hermione's seat, clearly struggling with what he was about to ask her.

"Is everything okay, Harry?" Amisty asked softly. Sirius's death wasn't something she had learned about until three days after she woke up the second time.

"Yeah," He replied and then shook his head. "Well, no, sorry. I just. . ."

"I'm not going to judge you, Harry," Amisty murmured, offering him her hand.

He sighed and took it, squeezing her fingers, "When you cast that Shield Charm. . . did you actually die?"

"Well. . . technically," Amisty replied. "But I -- "

"Did it hurt?" Harry asked.

"Oh, uh. . ." Amisty trailed off, "for me it did, but I don't think it's like that for most people. I had. . . well. . . special circumstances, I guess."

"I'm sorry," Harry cleared his throat and rubbed his eyes. "I just. . ."

"I can't be certain, Harry, but I think Sirius passed peacefully," She kept her voice quiet and low. "Most people do. It's quick, it's fast, and they go somewhere better in the end."

"And. . . uh. . . where did you go?" He asked.

"I. . . I went to my mother," She nodded, tilting her head down. "I woke up and I was in my mother's arms and she comforted me and she explained what had happened. She told me what was going to happen and. . . how I was going to come back."

"And when you did come back?"

"It was slow, but it was painless," Amisty replied. "I'm sorry, Harry, but Wolf Born's have a different afterlife than most, I think -- "

"I don't think it's that much different," Harry argued quietly. "You still have spirits, you still have an afterlife. It's just. . . a different perspective."

"Harry. . ." Amisty's voice trailed off as she looked up at him. "Is everything okay?"

"It's been a rough few days," He sighed. "Thank you for talking about this, though, you didn't have to."

"I'm worried about you, Harry," She replied, squeezing his fingers.

"I'm not the one who died and came back," He teased, but his voice sounded dry and unfeeling.

"Harry. . ."

"I've been better," He sighed, "and I'll get better. It's just going to take a little more. . . time, I guess."

"Do you know when you're coming back to the Burrow this summer?" She asked.

"No idea," He sighed. "It's been getting more and more chaotic, but I haven't spent a full summer there in a while. Anything you need me to grab?"

"No, it's okay," Amisty waved him off. "Thanks for offering, though."

"Why'd you ask?"

"I feel like you're the only one who kinda gets it, you know?" She replied quietly, leaning against him.