"Goodnight, Padfoot." Harry carefully ended the call once Sirius wished him goodnight in return and he gently placed the mirror under his pillow. He snuggled down into the comfortable covers to sleep.
In some respects he knew the mirror was a crutch. It kept both him and Sirius from having to deal with the reality of their separation too much. Harry also knew that apart from the first night when Sirius had asked him to confirm he was safely at Hogwarts, there was no real reason or expectation for him to call Sirius every night.
Just a nagging instinct that he should.
On the other hand, Healer Allen had thought the mirror was a good idea while they adjusted. He was going to continue to see the mind healer using the new therapy room in the infirmary early on Sunday mornings. Harry figured he was eventually going to have to tell Ron or Neville; his excuse that day that he'd gotten up early and hadn't wanted to wake them would only work a couple of times.
He chewed on his lip. He didn't want to tell anyone about the mind healing. Mostly because it raised questions of why did he need healing, and he didn't want to tell anyone about the Dursleys…and he couldn't tell anyone about the prophecy.
Except he already had, hadn't he? He'd told Neville. And Neville would understand the need for discretion about mind healing more than most.
Harry winced.
Ron would go nuts if he knew Harry was confiding in Neville and not him. He sighed and rolled over. He'd just have to deal with the fallout if it happened. Maybe Ron would understand.
Maybe.
He either confided in Ron or he didn't. It wasn't a question of trust but safety. The more people who knew the prophecy, the more the danger of it getting out – and if Voldemort thought Harry's friends knew the prophecy...it would place them in immense danger. It was bad enough that he had told Neville but Harry felt deep down that Neville needed to know, deserved to know why Voldemort's supporters had targeted his family.
He fell asleep still turning the problem over in his head with no resolution.
The first Monday dawned bright and early. Harry made it out of bed at six. He did his yoga and tai chi by his bedside to the sound of his dorm mates snoring; it was strangely relaxing. He woke Ron and Neville before diving into the shower. Half an hour later he was dressed and waiting in the Common Room.
Hermione clattered down the girls' staircase, looking slightly flustered. "Morning, Harry. Have you been up long? Are you worried about the results of the Runes exam we had yesterday? I think I am. I don't think I really answered the essay question at all and…"
"You probably aced it, Hermione." Harry reassured her as he pulled her down to sit on the sofa and wait for Ron.
Her brown eyes narrowed on him. "Why aren't you worried?"
"I did my best." Harry said simply.
And he was really not bothered about whether he skipped ahead to the fifth year Runes class or stayed with the fourth year. It would be an achievement but if it didn't happen Harry was content to stay with his own year group. He just hoped that whatever happened, he and Hermione stayed together – which probably meant that he should be rooting for good marks and progression because there was no way Hermione hadn't gotten through to the fifth year class.
He poked her. "I know you did your best so…we'll find out this morning and we get the reissued schedules if they're needed, yes?"
Hermione nodded, her hair cascading over her shoulders. Ron and Neville joined them and they all trooped out to breakfast.
Harry decided on a bacon sandwich and he assembled it as he watched Ron serve himself a full English. Neville had gone for poached eggs on toast smothered in brown sauce. Hermione had porridge with a side of fruit.
"Have to admit I was kind of expecting to see your stalkers by now." Ron admitted as he tucked in.
Hermione hummed. "I think someone snuck into their dorm and cancelled their alarms."
The three boys looked at her in shock.
"I had nothing to do with it!" Hermione said quickly. "I just overheard Parvati and Lavender giggling about it this morning."
Harry shrugged and took a bite of his sandwich. He owed Parvati and Lavender a thank you. It was the first restful breakfast he'd had since he'd gotten back to Hogwarts.
"I don't have the faintest what's gotten into Ginny, mate." Ron said somewhat apologetically. "I mean, I know she, uh, liked you but…"
"Not your fault." Harry quickly said.
"I think it's a mob mentality." Neville offered. "She's just going along with Lydia and Jessica, well mostly Lydia." He frowned. "I only hope they're being true friends to her and not just you know…"
"Using her to get to me?" finished Harry grimly. It was a thought.
"They'd better not or I'll…I'll…" Ron searched for a suitable punishment. "I'll set Fred and George on them!"
"Set us on who?" asked the twins joining them.
Ron quickly explained and the dark looks that the twins exchanged sent warning bells ringing for Harry.
"Hey," he said firmly, "we don't know yet that they're doing anything other than being Ginny's friends. We should see how things turn out. If they are friends that's a good thing for Ginny, isn't it?" The timing of the friendship was suspicious though and Harry was concerned even as he smoothed the older brothers' ruffled feathers.
"It is." Fred sighed heavily. "If they are her friends…"
"…for the right reasons…" George slipped in.
"…it's a good thing." Fred completed.
"How do we know?" demanded Ron, who looked very much like he was in favour of trapping the girls in a room and interrogating them.
"We don't." George admitted.
"Some things…"
"…have to be worked out for themselves." George sighed unhappily. "Ginny has to be the one to decide whether they are her real friends or not."
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