If it were up to me, I would try to forget the Hunger Games entirely. Never speak of them. Pretend they were nothing but a bad dream. But the Victory Tour makes that impossible.
When Professor Mcgonagall told him that he had to go to the hospital wing right away he had rushed over there, stomach full with dread. A visit to the hospital wing never bode well and after all that he’s been through, he could certainly do without. He was rather sick of the scent of disinfectant (potions or not), the slight tinge of blood, and the ever present sounds of coughing. It reminded him too much of the Capitol’s operation rooms.
Even now he couldn’t erase Katniss’s farewell gaze from the insides of his eyelids. Small smile and shiny grey eyes glistening with unshod tears. An image so vivid he could almost reach out and touch it.
He shook his head clear of the memory and threw open the doors to the nurse’s room, panting from the long trek from Mcgonagall’s office. He looked into the room and then a smile blossomed across his face.
She doesn’t say a word, just gives him the tiniest of smiles, a rare smile from the ever stern Katniss Everdeen.
He rushed to her side, reached out to touch her cheek just briefly with his fingertips. He had a quick moment of horrible fear that she was just a halo, an invention of the Capitol, but his fingers touched flesh.
“That tickles, Harry,” she laughed, an even rarer laugh. She was full of surprises today.
And he pulled her into a tight hug.
“Harry! Harry!”
“Katniss!”
Harry makes a run for her, but strong arms quickly wrap themselves around him, holding him back like an anchor would a ship.
“No, you can’t take her! Let go of me!”
The strong scent of wolf, a scent that Harry has grown to associate with Remus Lupin, registered momentary before Katniss’s frantic gaze met his.
“Katniss!”
“Harry!”
Her voice sounded desperate, wild, and worst of all, terrified. Katniss was never terrified. Throughout the entire games she was nothing but brave, strong. Not now. Now she sounded frightened, she sounded hysterical and Harry realized he was going to have to be the brave one.
His voice was growing raw from screaming her name and Remus was having a tough time holding him back. Still the man was a werewolf and Harry was but a child. And so, despite all the struggling and the fighting, Remus managed to keep Harry from running into the fray while the Capitol took away the girl, Katniss Everdeen.
“They’re going to kill her, Remus! They’re going to kill her!”
“I’m sorry, Harry.”
“No, no! I won’t let this happen. I have to save her! I swear it to you. I’m going to save her!”
Remus has never seen the boy who lived looked more determined about anything in his life.
