Dancing so abnormally
Harry Potter was a weird child. He knew that much. But Harry couldn't really be bothered by it, better to be a freak than to be so disgustingly normal and average.
Even so, it was in moments like these that he wondered if there truly was something deeply wrong with him.
It was raining right now, and most kids wouldn't be allowed out in the rain but the Dursleys didn't care enough about Harry to make him stay home; so he just took an old umbrella that his aunt didn't care much for and left the house to walk around. The kids in the neighborhood were absolutely insufferable and Harry didn't like any of them, so these types of peaceful and lonely moments were incredibly important to him.
The rain was dying down now, and in his distraction, Harry accidentally stepped on a puddle. When looking down, his reflex looked back at him.
God, my eyes are so weird.
His right eye was green. A beautiful green that reminded Harry of the emeralds he sometimes saw on the TV, because of that he really liked to look himself in the mirror; Harry thought his right eye was beautiful, whereas his left eye...
Well, to say the least the thing was simply unnerving.
Harry's left eye had an iris that was completely black, to the point where Harry couldn't tell where his pupil started and the iris ended. Also, differently from his green eye, the left one was weirdly missing any sign of light. It was almost as if the damn thing was greedily sucking away all the light surrounding it; as if it was a void that could never be filled.
Harry felt a tremor spread through his chest. The thought of emptiness was... Unpleasant, to say the least. He hated thinking about the concept, because every time he did, an all consuming and overwhelming sense of hollowness would take hold of him. That void would then take over his mind and his body, and Harry would panic as the pain of being empty coursed through him.
It has happened once or twice now, and the punishment for his little 'stunts' –as the Dursleys so kindly named it– was not only a beating but also being locked away for two weeks.
So really, Harry was better off not thinking about it at all.
He looked back at his reflex. Recently, Harry had learned in school that the weird phenomenon on his eyes was called heterochromia, and it was extremely rare– Barely 1% of the world population had it.
Even if his eyes were unnerving, Harry still felt proud of being so special. The Dursleys didn't agree, obviously, thinking that something so rare was unnatural and not normal, so they'd always tried to make Harry feel bad for it. Clearly, it didn't really work. Harry loved his heterochromia, the only thing he disliked about it was how weird his left eye was, but if his left eye was only a little bit less strange Harry would have no problems with it.
Harry sighed and got up from the crouching position he was in. He felt the childish urge to jump on the puddle, but Harry knew that would only lead to him getting all wet and cold– The Dursleys would never bother in giving him something to warm himself.
It was time he go back 'home'. If Harry fooled around any longer he'd definitely be in trouble.
Harry sometimes had strange dreams. And this was one of them.
Normally, his dreams would just be an amalgamation of things that had happened throughout his day. That or silly wishful thinking. But from time to time, he'd have a dream where he was conscious. Aware of what happens around him and able to change it however he wishes. Not that he actually did anything with these 'powers' the conscious dream gave him, after all, it was much more interesting to converse with him.
Him, being the boy that was always there when Harry had a lucid dream.
"Hello." Harry said softly as he sat down next to him, the boy looked at Harry and smiled warmly.
"Hey Harry." The wind picked and the boy's hair was ruffled, making the boy huff with annoyance. This dream was set on a cliff, there was soft grass spread along it and violent waves crashed down below them.
Harry looked back at the boy. He didn't really know what to call him. Harry had asked him once, but the boy made an expression that was a cross between confusion and unbelief, like he was shocked Harry didn't know his name, but at the same time didn't know it himself.
Anyways, the boy said he was Harry, that they were the same person. Harry however, didn't quite believe that. The boy felt like him, sure, but Harry also felt the boy was a foreign presence inside him. One that Harry had no desire to expel, but a foreign presence nonetheless.
They sat in silence for a while, just listening to the crashing waves and enjoying each other's company. Even if Harry didn't know a whole lot about his companion, he still cherished him, that's why he got up and extended a hand to the other boy.
"C'mon, let's dance a little."
The boy scoffed, "You want to dance?"
Harry nodded.
His companion rolled his eyes but smiled fondly, "You're so silly."
Harry arched an eyebrow, "Aren't you me?"
He blushed and stuttered, "I-"
Harry laughed, "Stop being an idiot, just take my hand."
The boy huffed but did as much, taking Harry's hand and getting up.
"I bet you don't know the first thing about dancing." , the boy said with a scorching tone.
Harry shrugged, "You're right, I don't."
Even so, Harry pulled his companion along as they spinned and swayed from side to side, a waltz that didn't follow any rules or even common sense; an abnormal dance performed just for them.
Eventually, they were both laughing and stepping on each other's toes, but it was fine, at least they were together.
Harry tripped, making them both fall down onto the grass, small white daisies that weren't there before blooming around them.
Harry let out a laugh and the other yelped with Harry's sudden bodyweight on top of him.
They stayed like that for a few minutes. Harry simply laying there and listening to his companion's heartbeat.
The boy tapped Harry's shoulder slightly, "Alright, get off me, you're too heavy."
Harry huffed and got off the other.
He then hummed, "Have you had any luck with your name?"
His companion frowned, "I already told you, I don't have one because I am you."
Harry rolled his eyes, "Right, I'll pretend I believe that."
The boy seemed angry, but before he could say anything, Harry spoke, "But don't you agree that it'd be better if I could call you by a proper name? It's difficult to think about you otherwise."
At this, the boy's features seemed to soften, "I suppose..."
They were silent for some time before his companion spoke again, "I think... Yeah, you can call me Tom."
Even tho it was the boy who had suggested his own name, his brow was furrowed as if there was something wrong with it.
"Tom? Why does it look like you don't like it?"
Tom glowered, "It's just... It's so common, I'm sure there are millions of Toms out there."
Harry blinked and tilted his head, "If so, then why not choose something else?"
Tom was frowning now, "I- I don't know, it just feels right to go with 'Tom'."
Harry shrugged, "Well, if it's fine with you then it's fine with me."
Tom looked at him and smiled, "I like you, Harry Potter."
Harry felt something warm spread through his chest. Almost like the emptiness inside him was diminishing for a while,
"Of course you do, you're me right?" He said jokingly, aiming Tom roll his eyes.
Even so, Tom was still smiling. He joined their hands, touching his forehead with Harry's. Tom closed his eyes and after a few minutes passed, Tom's mouth was open slightly and his breath was slow but steady. He seemed to be sleeping.
It was weird, to sleep inside a dream, but Harry did so nonetheless. Closing his eyes and sleeping next to Tom.
He wished he could've lucid dreams more often.