A New Dream: Single chapter
by Fizzabella
Note: I make no money and intend no copyright infringement to either J.K Rowling or Within Temptation. The characters, settings and lyrics remain copyright to them.
Many thanks to Southern_Witch_69 for beta-reading this for me.
Lay your head down
And sleep on my shoulder
Lay your head down
And start a new dream
His head was heavy on her lap, and she could feel waves of heat radiating away from him as his body fought a desperate battle to throw off the venom coursing through his veins. He moaned softly in the throes of fevered dreams, but quieted when he heard her voice or felt the soft touch of her hand as she ministered to him with wet facecloths and cool water. She thought she had managed to quell most of the pain he had to be feeling; at least, his body wasn’t rigid with tension. The lines of his face were softened in the dim candlelight, and he looked so vulnerable.
He felt so heavy, his limbs weighted with lead and stiff as wood, though he didn’t actually hurt. Not now. He was hot, though, and dimly recognized it as fever. He wasn’t alone, and that was a comfort beyond measure. Someone was holding him, speaking softly to him, bathing his hands and face with cloths dipped in cool water, and the sensation was as close to heavenly as he’d ever experienced. He couldn’t fathom where he was, couldn’t imagine who would be taking care of him so tenderly. If this was heaven, then it might be his first friend taking care of him. But the earlier pain and his fever didn’t seem very consistent with heaven, so logically, it could not be her tending to him. It had to be someone else. It was too much to figure out right now. He floated away on waves of healing sleep.
And for tonight the moment is over
Drift in a lullaby
Here where the stars reside
And angels are always seen
The battle was over and Voldemort was dead. After so many years, so many deaths, so much pain, the prophesied hour had come and gone, leaving the world fundamentally changed. And nothing had changed more than her feelings for the man she cradled here in her arms. Had she ever touched him? She was sure she never had, was sure she’d never wanted to before. Touching him now was essential to her peace of mind though. Aside from checking him for fever, and making sure his muscles weren’t tightening into spasms, she knew that her touch brought him comfort. And she wanted to comfort him like she wanted her next breath. She hummed a lullaby under her breath as she ministered to him, and he seemed to be calmed by the sound of her voice, though she knew she was no singer. If it helped him, she would do it, though she wished she could do more.
He’d read about angels as a child and had been told stories about them by his mother. Those angels had big, feathery wings and usually came equipped with harps or flutes or big, heavy books. They had curly golden hair and blue eyes and wore long, flowing robes of white or light blue. He’d never seen an angel in blue jeans and a jumper with muddy trainers on her feet. True, her hair was curly, but the color was a soft, mild brown, and her eyes were a darker echo of the same shade. Actually, her eyes were the color of melted chocolate. His brow furrowed at that thought. He wouldn’t be thinking about chocolate in heaven, would he? He filed that question away for another time and simply drifted, secure in the arms of his own peculiar angel, listening to her soft voice humming a lullaby under her breath. Off-key had never sounded so good before. He slid into sleep.
Lay your head down
The stars they have whispered
Hear what they say
And know that it means
She truly didn’t intend to go to sleep. But the room was dimly lit and warm, and she was so very tired. Hardly realizing what she was doing, she fumbled for her wand and cast a charm to cushion the hard floor, then shifted his weight so his head rested against her shoulder. He stirred when she moved, and she felt his hands clench on the hem of her jumper, but when her body remained aligned with his, he relaxed and drifted into deep sleep once again, and she followed him, her eyelids so heavy she couldn’t hold them open. It wouldn’t hurt to rest for just a little while. Her last conscious thought was to cast a warding charm that would shield them for a time. They were safe. Finally, safe.
Warm. He was comfortably warm now, not burning with fever and not shivering in fear and shock. He felt her reaching for something, felt a tingle of magic in the air around him, and then the ground under them grew softer, somehow. He felt her shifting her weight and wanted to protest. He didn’t want her to go away. But she didn’t. She smoothed her hands over his back and ever so carefully guided his head so it rested against her shoulder and then she stilled again. And safely cradled against her, his breathing slowed and his hands loosed their almost convulsive grip on her jumper. He was aware of the soft glow of candles twinkling in the dark, reminding him of stars on a clear night. The message they whispered was peace, and he rested. They were safe. Finally, safe.
The moon is your guide
The stars they have kissed her
As she goes gently by
Light as a baby's sigh
Safe on a fairytale stream
The moon rose high in the sky as the day ended. She could see the moonlight shining in through a broken floorboard and a gaping rent in the roof far above their heads. The beautiful chunk of barren rock that shed its silver light on the earth was set like a pearl on a cushion of black velvet, accented with the pinpoint lights of twinkling stars. She watched the shining orb gliding through the heavens and knew that all would be well.
His breaths were even and deep now, as the potions that coursed through his veins contained the venom that had poisoned him and repaired nerves and muscle, eased his breathing and strengthened his heartbeat. This wasn’t heaven, but it was a perfectly acceptable substitute. He would take it and savor it and be a better man for the blessing of this time spent with her. What did tomorrow hold? He didn’t know, and for the first time in many years, he didn’t really care. The stars and moon tracked across the sky as they had for thousands of years, as they would for thousands of years more. It was enough to know they were there, shining for him. He knew they were shining because he could see them reflected in her eyes.
And start a new dream
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