nightmares {katherine}

[johndawlish]

I'LL KEEP THIS WORLD
FROM DRAGGING ME DOWN AND I WON'T BACK DOWN

John was starting to regain his ability to tell time. Nights felt like nights and days felt like days again. He could tell when he was meant to get up, or go and have lunch - food, oh how John had missed it - and his life was starting to feel normal again.

It helped having Katherine by his side every moment of every day. She was the light that kept him going - and by some great occurrence, it just so happened that she loved him back. After all the years that John had loved Katherine, it turned out that she had loved him back. There could not be a more picture perfect ending for him.

Albus Dumbledore was another person who had been of a great help to John upon his return. He'd let Katherine take the week off from teaching and John wasn't expected back at his post for at least another few months - not until he was ready. If he was ready, more like...

Madam Pomfrey kept John on a strict schedule - he had to eat small portions of food every hour and a half and he had to keep drinking a thick, olive green liquid that would help with healing the internal wounds in his lower abdomen. It was disgusting, but it had to be done. The dreamless sleep potion was working wonders, but after a week straight of taking it, Madam Pomfrey began to worry that John was becoming hooked on it. She took it away and placed John in the care of Katherine for the night.

That was the first night the nightmares came.

It was like reliving everything that he had been through - his desperate plea to spare Katherine's life, Dimmare's masked face as he gave John the bad news. The teenagers who strapped John down to a table and took to him with a knife...

'Mmmmmpfh!' The piece of wet cloth stifled John's scream as one of the three masked figures made a slash at his stomach, leaving a trail of deep red blood in it's wake. His breathing came in short, sharp intakes and his mind was starting to go fuzzy.

'Tell us where the headquarters are,' one of the thugs said as they ripped the cloth from John's mouth.

'I - I - I don't know!' John breathed, his eyes darting quickly from one masked figure to the other, unable to tell which was actually talking. 'I've never been there!' John pleaded, his voice hitching in fear.

The larger, gruffer one chuckled. 'Y'here that, boys? He said he dunnit know. The three of them burst out into a fit of laughter. 'Looks like we'll just have to start all over...

John woke up screaming, sitting bolt upright with a fresh sheen of sweat on his forehead. "No!"

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[katherinedupree]

It had been a long tiring week, but Katherine couldn't remember being so happy. John was home, back where he belonged and slowly getting better, there was still a long way to go but he was getting there. She'd not once left his side during this week, unable to shake the worry that he'd disappear again.

She'd gotten the entire week off teaching, thanks to Dumbledore and she couldn't be more thankful to the older man for understanding her need to be there for John. She was determined to make these last couple days off though as relaxing as possible for John. Tonight was his first night without the sleeping draft, Katherine understood Madam Pomfrey's reluctance to give him any more but didn't like it. John was staying with her for the night though, so Katherine felt slightly more at ease knowing she'd be able to keep an eye on him.

Sensing a disturbance beside her, Katherine sighed quietly and rolled over. Pushing herself up into a sitting position she looked down at the man beside her and frowned, he was distressed, obviously having a nightmare and she sighed sadly. She'd been prepared for this, so much so she hadn't slept herself and it was now past mid-night.

It was breaking her heart to see him in such distress, and she placed her hand on his cheek, "John...John...wake up come on your safe..." she said softly, her other hand resting on his arm and giving a small shake, not wanting to intentionally startle him. John though screamed out and shot up into a sitting position, scaring Katherine who gasped and jumped at the sudden surprise, "John...John look at me..." she quickly got to her knees when he called out, her hands cradling his face as she gently urged him to look at her, "Your okay!" she told him softly, her eyes searching his.

[johndawlish]

I'LL KEEP THIS WORLD
FROM DRAGGING ME DOWN AND I WON'T BACK DOWN

Before John could realise his whereabouts, he felt warm hands on his cheeks and soft breath on his face. Someone was talking to him. His eyes wide and the sweat pouring off his forehead, his eyes darted around to search for the source of the heat.

Katherine. It was alright. It was just Katherine. Taking a slow, deep breath, John's eyes met hers in the moonlit darkness. "Katherine," he said, grasping onto her hands and pulling them away from his cheeks. He took another deep breath, calming himself.

What he had just dreamed was so vivid. It was like it was actually happening - like he was actually re-living it... His eyes looked back up from their entwined hands into her blue ones and his breathing steadied. He wanted to say something - find the words to say how grateful he was that she was here next to him, but nothing came. He opened his mouth and closed it a few times, trying to form sentences, but instead settled for pulling Katherine close and laying back down under the covers.

"They were there," he explained after a silence fell between them, their heartbeats falling into rhythm with each other. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side, appreciating the warmth that she brought. "It was like I was back there, going through it all again..." He caught himself before the tears started and took another breath.

"Pomfrey said I can't take the medicine for another day, didn't she?" he asked, hoping that Katherine knew the answer. John couldn't remember. His mind was filled with the thoughts of the Death Eaters, tearing away at parts of his flesh and leaving him to fester in the damp cell he was kept in. What did it matter if he became addicted? At least he could sleep peacefully - and that was something he needed right now.

He wasn't sure if Katherine wanted to hear about it, or if she wanted to go back to sleep and forget about. All John knew was that it was going to take a while for him to forget what had happened to him.

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[katherinedupree]

He whispered her name softly, to Katherine’s delight, finally coming back to her and realizing he’d in fact been dreaming. She hated seeing him in such a state, but knew it was to be expected after everything those monsters had put him through. When he lay back and tugged her with him beneath the sheets, she went willingly, hoping to help ward off the negative after effects of the nightmares.

“You’re never going to have to go back there John, your safe now, here with me...no one is going to hurt you ever again.” she whispered, replying to him when he finally broke the lingering silence.

She wrapped her arm around his torso and held him closer to her, wishing she could somehow take away all his pain. At his question about the potion she shook her head against his chest before looking up at him, lightly tracing her fingers over the slight stubble now on his face, “Not tonight...last thing we want is you becoming too dependent on it...” she said softly, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek, lingering there for a few moments longer than she normally would have.

“You’re going to get through this...you know that right?” she whispered, looking at him as she awaited his answer. Smiling softly after a few moments she leaned up and pressed her lips to his, hoping she could, at least for now make him forget about the horridness of his nightmare and focus on something good.