Darkness filled the hallway, darkness and silence, as a lone figure crept inch by inch. Each creek in the floor gave them pause, each breath forced to be as shallow as their lungs would permit. They neared their destination, a doorway near their own, near and yet all too far. It was only steps away, a few more steps, a few more monts, and they would be able to open the door and…
"Amaryllis, what are you doing up?"
The younger woman froze, ntally swearing before clearing her throat, an act which seed like thunder in the night. "Uh, I couldn't sleep, I was just going to get a glass of water."
Lily Potter stared back, before glancing over at the door her daughter had been approaching. "A glass of water from your brother's room?"
"What? No, I was just uhm going to see if he wanted any too, you know see if he was doing okay."
"At a quarter till midnight…" The girl forced a smile, one that her mother didn't buy for a minute. "How about you head back to bed now hm? And no more late-night trips around the house."
Seeing she wasn't going to win the argunt, the girl consented and trudged back to her own room. Her mother, on the other hand, rely shook her head and returned to where her husband was waiting.
"Everything okay?" he inquired, earning a sigh from the woman.
"Amaryllis was walking around."
Jas frowned, "Sleepwalking?"
"Not unless she has a habit of sleepwalking into boys' rooms."
His eyes widened, earning a soft laugh from the woman. "I told her to go back to bed, but I think we might want to consider setting so alarm Wards. I want Harry to feel safe, not that he needs to lock his bedroom door to ensure his female self doesn't sneak into his room at night."
They both stayed silent for a few minutes, each contemplating what to do. "We will have to take precautions. I don't want him being afraid, especially while living here. We can have a talk with her in the morning."
Lily snorted, "We should add Harriet as well. Lord knows she is that age as well."
****
"You left us"
"You abandoned us"
Harry Potter spun in place, lost in a dark fog, voices calling out from all around him, echoing.
"We needed you and you weren't there"
"We followed you, trusted you and then you disappeared"
He recognized them, his friends.
"You were supposed to be better, supposed to save everyone"
"You couldn't save , just like you couldn't save your parents"
Sirius and Remus
" Already found a new family, haven't you? Already moved on and forgotten about us, the ones who died for you"
" Abandoned your friends, abandoned everyone just so you could be happy"
His parents
Harry Potter woke up, covered in sweat and out of breath. He was in a room he didn't recognize, in a house that he couldn't rember. Reaching out, he managed to find his glasses despite the room being illuminated only by the moon shining in through a nearby window.
Eyes glancing about he noticed Hedwig sleeping soundly nearby, cage opened because there were no rules about that here.
His heart rate slowed, breath calming.
He was in his room, or at least his temporary one.
mories returned to him, nightmares began to fade, and tears welled up in his eyes as he brought his knees up to his chest and lowered his head.
The quiet sobs would awaken no one.
****
Despite his nightmares Harry woke early the next day, seemingly before any of the other inhabitants had even stirred. His body moved on autopilot, slipping out of bed, and making his way, silently as had been 'taught' to him by the Dursleys, down to where he rembered the kitchen to be.
Coffee first, it would take the longest to make, then preparing breakfast. Would they rather have eggs and bacon or… "Harry?" The boy froze, half expecting violent repercussions, before his mind reminded him of where he was. "What are you doing up so early?"
The voice was tired, likely just waking up, yet he could still identify it despite the few interactions they had.
"Just… making breakfast."
A silence fell between Harry and Lily Potter, a silence that seed to stretch on forever and contain so many questions that it would take a lifeti to answer them all. She stepped forward, quietly but with enough intent that she didn't surprise him. "May I… hug you?"
It was a question he hadn't expected, and almost made him break down into sobs. She was supposed to be his mother, was his mother by so regards, and yet she wanted to know if she was allowed to hug him.
Did she understand what he would have given for such a thing in his previous life? What he would have sacrificed for such an opportunity?
He nodded slightly, and a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind, a ss of red hair falling in front of his face as she pressed her own into the top of his head.
"I'm sorry… I'm so, so sorry." She whispered, tears leaking into his ssy locks. "I promise you Harry, I promise that your parents never wanted this for you, that they would have fought tooth and nail to keep you from ending up there."
She held him until the sound of footsteps break them apart.
_____________________
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