Chapter 18

                                    

                                          
I woke up in my own bed in the dorms. I thought for one moment that it had all been a dream, a horrible dream, but looking at Hermione's unslept in bed I knew it was real. I wondered how I got here and then I turned to my right and saw a single flower on my nightstand, an emerald green rose and realised it must have been Draco that got me here, he knew the password to the common room after all. 
                          
I dragged myself out of bed and down to the common room, which was empty, except for one person. He was sat, gazing into the fire, still wearing his tournament clothes. 
                          
"Hey you" I said, as I sat down next to him and examined him. His face was covered in small cuts and his clothes were dirty and he looked at me, his eyes brimming with tears. "Hey come here" I said, and he laid his head on my lap, exhausted. 
                          
"He's back, Voldemort, I saw him, he killed Cedric, then he tried to kill me" he said all in one breath. 
                          
"Shhhh, I know, I know everything that happened."
                          
"You don't know about Moody, it was really Crouch's son, he put my name in the goblet of fire, he set it all up" 
                          
"What?" 
                          
"He was working for Voldemort, he's on his way back to Azkaban right now" 
                          
"Oh Harry, it's all over now, you're ok" 
                          
"But it's not", he said, sitting up to face me. "It's not over, it's just the beginning." 
                          
"Then we'll fight, we'll fight until the end" 
                          
"No Tori." He looked away from me. 
                          
"What?"
                          
"This is my battle to fight, not yours." 
                          
"Oh no you don't Harry James Potter. This is so much bigger than that. My father was killed by these people don't you forget." 
                          
"Are you sure you still want to be with me? I'm literally a time bomb Tori, one day I'm going to blow up and everyone in my wake will suffer." 
                          
"That's a bridge we'll cross when we get there Potter. You're pretty much stuck with me." 
                          
He smiled at me, his eyes meeting mine before they fluttered down to my lips. I closed my eyes and leaned in and he cupped my face gently as our lips met, pouring all of our emotion into the kiss. A warm glow spread throughout my body and when we pulled away I looked at Harry's bruised face and stroked it gently. "Does it hurt?" 
                          
"A little. But I'm too tired to go to the hospital wing" 
                          
"Here, sleep." He laid down on my lap and I stroked his hair as his eyes closed and I looked down at him. This boy had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and this really was only the beginning of it all. But he wasn't going to be alone, I would be with him throughout it all. No matter what.
                          
The school year was cut short, ending 5 weeks earlier than it was supposed to, and we said goodbye to the Beauxbaton's and Durmstrangs. Madam Maxime gave me a kiss on both cheeks and told me to send my mother her love. 
                          
When the train pulled into King's Cross after a long journey, I took my head off of Harry's shoulder and said "I'll write to you, as often as I can." 
                          
"You'd better, I'm going to be so bored with the Dursley's" 
                          
"'Maybe you can come to Brighton for a weekend?" 
                          
"I'll have to see if the Dursley's will let me, if not I'll see you on the first day back."
                          
"You'd better save me a seat on the train!" 
                          
"Of course. Bye Tori." He pressed his lips to mine softly and then he was gone, off to find his aunt and uncle. 
                          
"Victoria!" My mother came running towards me and scooped me up into a hug. "I've missed you so much! Tell me everything, starting with that boy" 
                          
I wrapped my arm around my mother and we headed home for a peaceful summer holiday. 
                          
Or so I thought.