Read My Mind

Nightmares

Once again, Harry woke up in cold sweats, except this time the horrific feelings in his dream did not go away even after he had woken up.

"Ron, your dad. I saw him--"

They all rushed into Dumbledore's office, and when Dumbledore was going to send them to Grimmauld Place, Ria burst in.

She was still in her nightgown, but even when in her sleep her hair was braid neatly on the side.

"I felt, my embattle--"

"Of course." Dumbledore said.

She squeezed in to touch the portkey and the next thing they know, they were at Grimmauld Place 12.

"Oh Fred." Ria reached to give Fred a pat on the back, but the latter suddenly buried his head on her neck. She froze for a second and then hugged him, wrapped him with her arms and started gently stroking his hair. "It's okay, Fred. He's going to be alright."

Fred couldn't describe how he was feeling when he saw Ria walk into Dumbledore's office. For a second, he wanted to rush to her and just stand by her. But instead, he just stood there silently, and tried to steal a touch from her when they all laid fingers on the portkey.

For the past semester, things have been hard, even though he was reluctant to admit it. Classes were getting harder, all the fun stuff was forbidden, and there was constant, invisible tension everywhere.

And Ria stopped sitting next to them, sliding them notes when the professor asked one of them to answer a question. She stopped trying to make them study harder or help them with their inventions. He was angry at her for not standing up against Umbridge with them, but also regretted asking her to do so because otherwise she would still be with them.

He never realized he missed her company so much until he had lost it, and he was, hopelessly, tamed.

He missed her frustrated gazes when they had done something stupid, he missed her gentle touch when he forgot to straighten his collars; he even purposefully left them there being all kinds of messy because he knew she couldn't stand it. He missed her occasional sentiment and the few Chinese poems that she had recited, and he missed how he was dozing off in her calm, melody-like voice, absorbing in the refreshing, pleasant smell from her.

He wanted to talk to her about how annoying Umbridge is, how worried his parents are, how Quidditch practice had been so hard and she should come and watch them play, how George and he had dreams that others will not understand, or futures that will lack support. No one else will understand, except for her.

He was like a fish, enjoying the luxury of having water yet to know how lucky he was until he was snatched out of the caring pond.

Ginny was explaining to Harry and Ron how Ria had known about what happened with their father. It's not like they have anything better to be talking about while waiting for updates on Mr. Weasley's situation.

"Her heaven and Earth magic embattle, it only gets triggered when something is hurting the owner. I didn't realize she cares about our family this much though."

Ria had always kept the embattle with her. In the room that she shared with Ginny and Hermione in Grimmauld Place, or in her dorm. Her roommates just thought the read beads were some weird decoration, but only she knew how much mental energy it took to run something like that every day. Each bead had a drop of her blood inside, and when all of them started shaking tonight, it felt like a hundred needles piercing her at the same time. But that's fine, at least she now knows what Fred must be feeling.

Harry felt bad for ever questioning her intention, and apparently Fred and George were thinking the same. But that's not the most urgent concern here. Harry didn't understand why Dumbldore was acting so distant and nonchalant, and why was he in the form of a snake in his dream.

When they finally got a message from Mrs. Weasley saying that Mr. Weasley is stable now, everyone shared a huge sigh of relief and was able to stand up and come back from those dark, terrifying ruminations.

Fred was still holding Ria's hand and had no intention of letting go. He was looking at her, with looks that she didn't quite understand.

"I should probably go." She pulled her hand out and started heading upstairs. "I need some sleep." She said, meaning she will be taking some Custodia and pass out for a couple of hours to recharge.

In the meantime, they went to the hospital where they also ran into Neville and his grandmother. Harry had wished Ria would be here, she would probably know something better to say, or know what's something better not to say.