Stopping All Stations - Ch. 24

Harry swept his fringe from his face, sighing in frustration. He'd been lying in bed for almost 2 hours trying to clear his thoughts and let sleep take over, but his mind had other ideas. Images of Cash kept swarming his brain, making sleep impossible. Thoughts of her ebony hair, her gorgeous smile, those dazzling eyes, and especially of the scent of vanilla that always hung around when she was near.

He grunted angrily and sat up, hugging the covers tightly over his legs – a soft breeze was wafting through the window, but it was cold as an Arctic wind to Harry. He thought about getting up and going for a walk, but it was too cold for that. Besides, if he went rummaging through his trunk to get out his Invisibility Cloak, he'd more than likely wake somebody up. So he just sat in his bed, eyes wide and unfocused, mind clouded with thoughts of Cash.

After a few hours of nothing, Harry got extremely bored with his current situation. Deciding that he didn't give a damn anymore about waking someone up, he climbed out of his bed, slipped on his glasses and started looking through his trunk for his father's old Invisibility Cloak. He found it at the very bottom, covered with discarded Chocolate Frog cards and various scrunched-up wrappings. He extracted it and brushed it off, enjoying the feel of the cool, lighter-than-air fabric underneath his fingers. He also dug out a pair of socks while he was there, because his feet were practically freezing to the concrete. Swinging the cloak over his head and shoulders, Harry bent his knees slightly to completely cover himself, then slowly edged out of the room, taking care not to wake any of his friends up as he went.

As he scrambled out of the portrait hole, Harry cursed himself for not remembering about the Fat Lady. She was currently shrieking about intruders and mass murderers or something ridiculous like that. He readjusted the cloak and continued on his way down the marble stairs, hoping that nobody in the castle was a light sleeper. He hadn't been sure where he was going to go when he'd left his dormitory, but he suddenly had a strong urge to go outside for a while. He tried to reason with himself. It'll be below freezing outside, why go out there? I'll never be able to have children! Eventually, his mind won him over, and he changed his course to head to the big oak doors that lead to the grounds.

A draught of wind as cold as a bastard hit Harry when he eased open the doors, and he had to work very hard to keep himself from swearing loudly. Trying his hardest to make the creaking not quite so loud, Harry squeezed himself through an impossibly thin sliver in the door, gasping as he was engulfed in the frosty night air. Not for the first time, he wondered what on Earth had possessed him to take a walk outside.

The night was perfectly black, save for the tiny pinprick stars that were scattered lavishly across the inky canvas of sky. As the cool air sailed on and out of Harry's lungs, he suddenly found himself feeling refreshed. Alive. He instantly wanted to run, to leap and sprint through the grounds with no inhibitions. He wriggled his toes within the fabric of his worn socks, allowing the foggy air to pass between the cracks. Again, he readjusted the cloak, but this time he didn't bother bending his knees. He didn't even feel like wearing the cloak anymore, but he kept it on just to be safe.

The cold made Harry feel like his eyes were being squished mercilessly inside his skull, but he kept them wide; he didn't want to miss a moment of the amazing night that was surrounding him. A silky blanket of fog gave everything an entirely surreal impression as it swirled around the grassy grounds, circling around Harry's legs, embracing him. An incredible silence hung in the chilly air, making Harry feel like an intruder. Like the evening had a secret, and it wasn't letting him in on it.

Harry was almost afraid to move; he felt as if he'd ruin the enchantment that hung over the grounds. He just stood there, barely moving except to breathe or turn his head. His eyes swivelled every which way as they took in every aspect of the stunning night, and he suddenly lost his urge to run. He still felt alive, his heart still pumped rapidly, but this was a different kind of rush. He simply wanted to stand where he was, and never leave that beautiful dreamland.

After almost thirty minutes, Harry realised that his skin was a mass of prickling goosebumps. His lips were frozen in the same dazed smile he'd been wearing since he'd stepped out of the castle, and his every joint creaked as he tried to turn away. Even his cloak seemed a lot more rigid than usual. Working his fingers slowly to get some form of circulation going, Harry took his time in getting his body warm again. After about five minutes, he could feel his toes once more, so he made his way back inside and up to the Common Room. He dreaded having to wake up the Fat Lady again, but there was no way he was spending the night in the halls.

Finally, after a few minutes of arguing with the Fat Lady and trying to convince her that he was actually a person, not a spirit, Harry scrambled into the inviting warmth of the Common Room. He sighed in pleasure as a wave of heat swamped his body, and his skin prickled again in delight. Harry made himself a promise that if he ever decided to go on another midnight stroll, he'd at least keep his wits about him so he didn't freeze to death. He carefully put away his cloak, then collapsed onto his bed, suddenly feeling extremely drowsy. He barely had time to adjust the covers over himself before he finally fell asleep.