That night, Ben had one of those occurring dreams of his in which his parents were mad at him. The only difference was that, this time, he seemed to be aware of it being a dream. Or maybe he wasn't, and his dream self just didn't really care about what they were yelling at him for.

"Ben!" his arm was shaken by someone.

His dream self told his mother to let go of him. "Ben!" repeated Katherine. Since when was his mother's voice like that? Why did she sound so much like Neville?

Ben woke up at once. Neville was next to him, his face as pale as the moonlight coming through the window. It was still dark, why was he awake? But he wasn't the only one. Ron was standing near Harry's bed. He had just used a spell to clean something on the floor.

"What happened?" he asked sleepily.

"Ben!" exclaimed Ron.

"Harry's very ill," explained Neville.

Ben rushed over to approach them. Harry was sitting in his bed, covered in sweat, and he was muttering something unintelligible to Ron, who was as confused as him. "Your dad," he panted, his chest heaving. "Your dad's... been attacked..."

"What?" stammered Ron.

"Your dad! He's been bitten, it's serious, there was blood everywhere..."

"Harry, mate," said Ron uncertainly, "you... You were just dreaming."

"No!" he said furiously. "It wasn't a dream... Not an ordinary dream... I was there, I saw it... I did it."

Ron and Ben exchanged looks in the darkness. "I'm going to go get some help," said Ben.

"No," said Ron. "No, you stay with him. I'm going."

They heard Ron's footsteps running out of the dormitory. Ben leaned on one knee in the bed, in front of Harry, pushed some of his strands of dark hair away, and placed his hand on his forehead. "You're burning, Harry."

"I'm fine!" he choked.

"Maybe it was one of those fever dreams," suggested Neville. "I used to get a lot of those when I was younger."

"Yeah, probably," agreed Ben, sitting next to him.

"I'm fine!" Harry insisted, shaking uncontrollably. "There's nothing wrong with me, it's Ron's dad you've got to worry about- We need to find out where he is- he's bleeding like mad- I was- It was a huge snake..."

Seamus and Dean were whispering from a corner of the room. Harry looked at where their voices were coming from, shaking even more. He looked at Ben. "Ben, you don't think I'm going crazy, do you?" he whispered, low enough for only him to hear him.

Ben got closer to him, and took his right hand in his very carefully. He didn't think anyone could see it, perhaps only Neville, but he was sure he wouldn't think much of it, or even care if he realised what it meant.

"Of course I don't," he whispered back. Harry breathed out, though he didn't stop shaking. "Does anything hurt?"

"My scar. A lot," he admitted.

"Whoever Ron's calling will help you," he assured, slowly. "Now you need to try to calm down as much as possible."

"I can't."

"I'll help you, then..." He stopped to think. What did he usually do when Alycia got up, terrified after a nightmare? "Okay, we're going to play a little game, alright? I'm going to trace a word in your hand, letter by letter, and you're going to try to tell me which it is."

"Okay."

It was a bit stupid, but it always helped Alycia. It drove away her focus to something else, at least for a while, and she usually managed to fall back asleep after a few rounds. Very slowly, he traced an 'H', followed by an 'I'.

"This one's easy."

"Hi?"

He nodded. "Mhm."

H.

"H."

E.

"E."

D.

"D."

W.

"W?" he asked. "Is it Hedwig?"

"That's right," he smiled. He could've sworn he saw him smile weakley as well.

"Over here, Professor..." came Ron's voice.

Professor McGonagall came hurrying into the dormitory in her tartan dressing gown, her glasses perched lopsidedly on her nose. "What is it, Potter? Where does it hurt?"

Harry and Ben dropped each other's hand at once, and the brunet stood up.

"It's Ron's dad," said Harry. "He's been attacked by a snake and it's serious, I saw it happen."

"What do you mean, you saw it happen?"

"I don't know... I was asleep and then I was there..."

"You mean you dreamed this?"

"No!" said Harry angrily. Would none of them understand? "I was having a dream at first about something completely different, something stupid... And then this interrupted it. It was real, I didn't imagine it, Mr. Weasley was asleep on the floor and he was attacked by a gigantic snake, there was a load of blood, he collapsed, someone's got to find out where he is..."

Professor McGonagall was gazing at him, looking horrified.

"I'm not lying, and I'm not mad!" Harry told her, his voice rising. "I tell you, I saw it happen!"

"I believe you, Potter," said Professor McGonagall curtly. "Put on your dressing-gown... We're going to see the headmaster."

Harry nearly jumped to his feet.

"Weasley, you ought to come too," added McGonagall. "Walker, stay here. You will be informed of everything, but it's better if you remain here."

He nodded in understanding. "Alright."

Harry quietly said goodbye to Ben through a look, and he went back to his bed, watching them leave.

———————————————

Ron and Harry didn't return that night. When the sun had risen the next morning, and Ben gave up on trying to fall asleep, he finished getting his things ready, although he wasn't sure if they were still going with the Weasleys.

McGonagall said they'd keep him informed, so he assumed she would've told him if there had been any changes in the plan already. However, thankfully, as soon as he went downstairs to the common room, he came across the woman, who was talking to a worried-looking Hermione.

"Professor, has-"

"They are all okay," she interrupted. Ben breathed out, relieved. "All of them are with- Um... Padfoot. Arthur Weasley is currently being taken care of at St. Mungo's, and I believe his children are going to go visit him today... I'm afraid that, by the time you get to London, they will have returned."

"That's okay," said Hermione. "We are allowed to go there, right?"

McGonagall nodded, and Ben mentally thanked Merlin, Godrid and the stars above. "Tonks offered herself to take you and your sister with them," she told Ben. "I don't think there would be any problem with you joining as well, Miss Granger."

"Thank you," she said, and they watched Professor McGonagall exit the common room, struggling a bit through the portrait hole.

"I thought you were going skiing with your parents?" Ben asked her.

"This is far more important," she replied, and shyly added, "Besides, I don't... Really think skiing's my thing, you know? Don't you dare tell Ron, though."

He chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't."

She smiled. "What happened before McGonagall got there last night, Ben?" she asked him as they began making their way to the Great Hall to have breakfast.

"Neville woke me up telling me Harry was very sick. He seemed to have had a really bad nightmare, and kept saying that Mr. Weasley had been attacked. I said I'd go get some help, but Ron told me to... Stay with Harry instead."

"Of course he did," grinned Hermione, all of a sudden.

"What'd you mean by that?"

Her grin widened. "Well, you really seem to have a way with him, don't you?"

"I still don't get what you're talking about."

She rolled her eyes and breathed in exhasperatedly. "I will be straightforward with you, then... Although I don't think 'straight' is the best word, do you?" she raised an eyebrow at him both inquisitively and knowingly.

He sighed, dejected. "No, I don't think so."

She giggled loudly. "Knew it!"

"Shut up, you did not!"

"I did!"

"You were saying things about him and Mei-Xing!" he whisper-exclaimed. "And about me and Marina!"

"Because I wanted to see how you both reacted to it," she said matter-of-factly, looking very pleased with herself. "Since you three knew it, yet refused to tell me anything, although it was very obvious you were keeping a secret from me, I had to take matters into my own hands."

"And what did you do, to take matters into your own hands?"

"I just told you; by watching- No, observing your reactions to things. For example, on our way here in September, he freaked out when I said Marina was your girlfriend. It was really funny, do you remember it?"

"Yeah, yeah, okay," he rolled his eyes, hiding a smile.

"But you're not dating, are you?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

"Why not?"

"I don't know," he shrugged.

It was a good question. Maybe they actually were dating? Well, technically they weren't, since neither of them had asked. But, last night... He felt his face grow hot at the memory. He wished Harry was there, now, and nothing had happened, so he could ask him what they were.

Well, he could ask him over Christmas, if things went right at Grimmauld Place.

"I was so confused yesterday, you know... When Harry said he had kissed Mei-Xing. Well, I'm still confused about it, but I bet they were, too, and that's why it happened."

"What happened after I left?" he wondered.

"That Harry got up so quickly he nearly knocked down the table," she said. "He went to the stairs but panicked and didn't come up. Ron and him started talking very fast in a hushed voice, and I couldn't hear them but I think I knew what they were saying. And then he suddenly got very mad and stormed up the stairs, followed by Ron."

"Oh."

"I don't think he really was mad, you know."

"Well he did seem angry when he talked to me upstairs," he muttered.

"Who seemed angry?" asked Alycia's voice, suddenly. Her appearance from behind them made Ben notice they were already in front of the Great Hall. "Where are Harry and Ron? Ginny and the twins aren't here either...

So Hermione and Ben sat down with her, and told her everything.

———————————————

It turned out Tonks was probably one of the coolest people Ben had ever met. It didn't even take them that long to get to Grimmauld Place, since they apparated to a nearby alley, but every second with her meant loads of fun.

When they got there, everybody seemed to be in a bit of a dark mood, the tension from the incident hanging in the air. It was late, and Mrs. Weasley had just finished preparing dinner.

"Mom has just told me to go tell Harry," Ron told Ben as soon as they had set foot in the kitchen, where they were all except him. "Come with me."

He grabbed Ben by his arm and took him to the corridor.

"Hello to you too, Ron," said Hermione sarcastically.

Ron suddenly blushed furiously. "Er- Hi."

Ben snickered.

"How's your dad?" He asked him as they walked up the stairs, not precisely at a fast pace.

"We went to see him today, and he seemed fine. He said he was fine, but he told us the wound keeps bleeding... That's why he can't leave yet. They're trying to find an antidote."

"An antidote?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Oh, I forgot to say... That snake had some sort of strange poison that stops wounds from healing. Thankfully Harry told us, or Dad might have bled to- You know."

"I'm sure they'll find a way to cure him completely soon," assured Ben. "But it's a good thing he feels alright, it's a very good start, I think."

Ron smiled at him. They stopped in front of a door. "By the way, I'm sorry for yesterday."

"What?"

"For leaving you alone with him, I mean."

"Oh, trust me, it's okay."

"Alright..." he nodded, and opened the door. It was the room in which they had slept during summer.

Harry was inside, laying on a bed, looking very pale. He seemed to have unintentionally fallen asleep, since his glasses were still on.

"Harry," said Ron awkwardly. "Mum says dinner's ready, but she'll save you something if you want to stay in bed... Ben's here, by the way."

"Hi."

His eyes snapped open. "Hello."

"I'm going downstairs," Ron told them, and quickly left, closing the door behind him.

"Does he think I'm going to attack him as well if he spends more than a second talking to me?" snarled Harry.

"Of course he doesn't."

Harry murmured something grumpily under his breath, leaning against the headboard. Ben walked up to him, and sat next to him. "Why aren't you downstairs with everyone?" asked Harry.

"Because you're not there."

"That's a good thing."

"Not to me."

"Only because you don't know."

"What is it that I don't know?"

He stared at a portrait of someone from the Black Family on the wall, deep in thought. He looked as though there was a debate inside his mind. Ben waited in silence.

"We heard Moody say that perhaps Voldemort's possessing me... Using me," he said. Ben's breath hitched. "I bet they all think that I'm a monster now. Maybe they're right; I am a monster, and I'm dangerous to be around, so you should start avoiding me as well."

"I'm not going to."

Harry frowned. "Why not?"

"Because I know you, I know what you're like, and I know you're definitely not a monster."

"Well I'm becoming one, then! Voldemort's turning me into one!"

"Harry, why don't you go downstairs? I don't think isolating yourself in this condition is going to be any help at all. Sometimes the mind is a dangerous place, and we need to avoid being left alone with it. If you talk to Sirius and Mrs. Weasley and the others, they might explain what they know to you."

"No they won't. Nobody ever explains anything to me, and I'm getting sick of it!" he exclaimed. "They expect me to... To be okay with being blindfolded in the middle of everything that's happening, while they discuss things that include me, but leaving me out. I don't know what I'm supposed to do or what I'm supposed to act like."

He was right, and Ben knew it. He wished he could say something to confort him, to assure him that it'd be okay, but he couldn't know if it was true. It was well out of his domain, let alone control.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I really wish I could help you but I don't think there's anything I can do."

"It's okay, I know. I just want you to be safe. And I don't think you'll ever be if you're around me. That's why I- I think that you should distance yourself from me. Being my... friend? Would only put you in more risk, both because it turns out I'm dangerous and attack people, and because, if I can see or feel what Voldemort's seeing and feeling... What if he can see and feel what I do? If he realises how much I care about you, he might want to hurt you, and he might even try to use me to do it. And I will never let that happen."

He blinked. "Well, that'd be really bad... But I refuse."

"What do you mean, you refuse?"

"That I refuse to distance myself from you."

"Ben, I'm telling-"

"I don't care. Don't you think I've already put myself in danger for being your friend all these years? Not only because of the 'adventures' you brought us into, but because of... Other things as well- Like I showed you yesterday. I've already assumed and accepted that being around you means that life will never be boring."

"This is different."

"But my decision isn't. I refuse to lose you again, especially now that- Well, you know..."

Harry was silent for a while. Ben's mind was running very quickly, thinking of what else to say if he maintained his point of viewing it. He didn't care how long he had to keep assuring him he didn't care, or what he had to do to prove it. He refused to ruin everything again.

He watched him observe the painting again. Ben glanced over at it too, and was quite surprised to see that the man had disappeared.

"You're really stupid," said Harry, sighing. "And very reckless as well."

He nudged him playfully on the arm. "What can I say? I learned from the best... That's you, by the way."

Harry laughed, and pulled him into a hug, making them both fall to the bed. Heart fluttering, he wrapped his own arms around him, as well. He had truly missed being able to be that close to him, though the proximity was heating up his face.

"You're blushing so hard," Harry told him, as though it wasn't obvious.

"I know, I can feel it," he admitted, embarrassed. "It's just that you make me nervous."

He grinned. "You didn't seem nervous yesterday, though."

So he spun around.

"No, no, wait, I was kidding!"

"I can hear you pretending not to laugh."

"Sorryy," he said innocently. "Please come back."

"Fine," he said, turning back around to face Harry, who had a smile plastered on his face. "What if someone comes in?"

"I don't care," he shrugged, and leaned forward to place a peck on his nose. "You have no idea how happy I am to be able to be with you... Even if everything else is terrible."

"Trust me, I think I have any idea," he assured, pushing a strand of hair away from Harry's eyes. "By the way... Um. Hermione knows."

"What does she know?"

"What doesn't she know would be a better question, if we're speaking of Hermione."

"Good point... Well, what were you saying?"

"That she knows about... Us?"

He blinked. "How?"

"It turns out she had been suspecting it for months, and was trying to see how we reacted to her saying certain things."

"I don't even know why I never told her."

"Yeah me neither... Well, yes, it was because saying it out loud scared me."

"Scared you?"

"Until yesterday, I just wanted to force myself to not care, because everything would have been easier if I didn't. But, well, I did care. And I'm glad I did."

"So am I..." he began, but his face went pale. "Hold up, no, that sounded terrible. I mean that I'm really glad things went as right as possible."

He smiled. "Er- Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Are you sure you don't fancy her as well?" He was a bit embarrassed to ask, but he needed to know it.

Harry sat up again, so Ben did, too. "Do you really think I do?"

"Well you kissed her yesterday."

"She's the one who kissed me. I pulled away as soon as I could, and she began apologising and crying even more."

"Why didn't you tell us that yesterday? You don't even want to imagine what I thought..."

"I would've said it, but you sort of ran upstairs before I could even find the words," he explained. "I'm still really sorry about it. Perhaps if I had paid more attention to her body language or something I would've realised before it was too late... I don't know, I'm not really good at that kind of thing anyway."

"It's okay, it's not your fault."

"But no, I don't fancy her. At all. I promise. At some point, I wished I did, and sort of tried to convince myself, so I wouldn't ruin you and I's friendship... It didn't work."

"Yeah I tried that unconsciously, too. I've never failed so miserably at something."

A/N: don't worry pookie, you will surpass that record!! 

anyways school is starting again next monday and i have a lot of exams scheduled so i might not be able to update for a while (again), so i've been trying to put out as many chapters as possible while i could, hope you enjoyed!