( old habits are sometimes so hard to fight. he feels it — the natural urge to snap and yell i'm fine in jin ling's direction, because anytime anyone asks those questions, they don't really mean them. how many times has he yelled at hermione that she doesn't understand, that she wouldn't get it, that his problems are so far out of reach from anyone's grasp they could never hope to get what he's going through?
but it's jin ling and it's different. because he does get it, at least to a certain extent.
a smile peels up his lips, insincere and sad, and he turns his hand to squeeze his back. )
No. And yes.
( smiling, because it's always true. on the happiest day of his life, you could ask harry again and the answers will always be the same — i'm not okay and i am hurt.
it's just not especially important. licking his lips, harry rubs a thumb over his knuckles, dropping his hand from his forehead a little awkwardly. )
Just. Tell me one thing, and then I'll drop it. ( frowning, ) He wasn't planning to kill you, was he?
( because then harry is going to think about dumbledore and. that's a can of worms he thinks he'll be content to never get into in his entire life, ever. )
no subject
but it's jin ling and it's different. because he does get it, at least to a certain extent.
a smile peels up his lips, insincere and sad, and he turns his hand to squeeze his back. )
No. And yes.
( smiling, because it's always true. on the happiest day of his life, you could ask harry again and the answers will always be the same — i'm not okay and i am hurt.
it's just not especially important. licking his lips, harry rubs a thumb over his knuckles, dropping his hand from his forehead a little awkwardly. )
Just. Tell me one thing, and then I'll drop it. ( frowning, ) He wasn't planning to kill you, was he?
( because then harry is going to think about dumbledore and. that's a can of worms he thinks he'll be content to never get into in his entire life, ever. )