<<<<<<<<<<"My mum used to, oh, run her fingers through my hair, sometimes. Or skim her knuckles along my cheeks. And Greg and Vince, when they were feeling bold in private, would knock my shoulders lightly. Snape had a habit of putting his hand to my back, as if I wouldn't go in the right direction if he didn't push me there. I never really noticed these things."



Ron thought about the way his mum was forever kissing his forehead at the most embarrassing of moments; Ginny mussing his hair for the sheer humiliation factor; Harry shoving at him lightly out of affection; Hermione tugging at his arm to garner his attention; Viktor settling an arm over his shoulders. They weren't the type of touches one paid much attention to, no.



"In Azkaban nobody touches you, but it's Azkaban, so I suppose that's expected and it's better than the alternative. Only when one is released from Azkaban, without knowing it, one expects the touch to return, has craved its return without understanding, precisely, what the craving was, having any sort of way to name it. But a released prisoner from Azkaban is every bit as untouchable as one interred and so the touch does not return.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>