258

Sobbing

He woke panting and crying harder than he knew how to handle. Seated in the dark, Harry drew the blankets close to him and tried to level himself out. A flash of lightening hit outside, thunder rolled somewhere far away and the storm continued dancing against his window. There wasn't much light in the room to see. Shadows took forms he knew weren't there.

A blond mass beside him rolled over and groaned.

Knowing he wasn't getting himself in control, Harry slipped out of bed and threw a t-shirt on to match his boxers. He padded out of the bedroom, finding the bathroom quickly and relying on the sink to keep him steady.

Looking in the mirror, he realized how heavy he was crying. He was a step above sobbing, but not quite at hysterics. Trying to calm himself only made it worst.

"Harry?"

He turned to the voice, spotting her standing in the doorway. Worry and concern were painted in her soft brown eyes. "Go back to bed, Daph. I'm sorry if I woke you."

She stepped into the bathroom, wrapping her arms around him. It only took a moment for Harry to return the embrace as he held her softly. His tears were just below sobbing now.

"A nightmare?" Daphne guessed. Harry nodded. "Want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Do you need to talk about it?"

"No."

She knew better than to press after that. Harry waking up in the middle of the night was common. After all he had seen, all he had been through, it was expected for him to have a few emotional scars. Waking up crying this intensely, however, was becoming less frequent as the years went by.