Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all of the characters in the Harry Potter series belong to the brilliant J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros.. My only claim is to Victoria (and her friends that will be mentioned in later chapters. ). Please don't sue me! I'm poor and you'll be wasting money on the lawyers.

Hate to Love Him, Love to Hate Him

Chapter 1

The dark haired boy watched as the minutes slipped by. Only 6 more, he thought. He would be 16 in just more than 5 minutes. Life at the Dursely's had been just as awful as usual. Harry had barely received any letters from his friends this summer, and those he had could barely count. They mainly asked not about how he was, but about what was happening. Did his scar hurt? Did he have any dreams about Voldamort? 5 minutes, he thought, would it kill them to tell me anything? Harry wanted to destroy something, kick something, rip up a book, anything! But he didn't want to disturb his relatives. God forbid they miss any of their much needed beauty sleep. One good letter wouldn't kill them! 4 minutes…

He paced in the small room and opened the window for Hedwig. "You still care about me, don't you, girl?" Harry said. The owl hooted and nipped his finger affectionately. The boy sighed, and mentally battered himself when he caught sight of his reflection in the broken mirror. He was an almost a sickly pale color, and his large green eyes were all big and girly. His hair was the same raven black it had always been, only he had decided to let it grow, and lo and behold, the weight kept it from sticking up in all directions. Despite his age and mediocre circumstances, Harry was still rather short. It helped to be small and light because he was a seeker, but this was getting ridiculous. The muscles from quiddage that he had grown so used to were almost gone since the previous year he had been banned from the team, and malnourishment at the Dursely's didn't help anything.

3 minutes… I mean, I'm a good friend, right? I help out, I'm nice, right? What's wrong with me? He looked back into the mirror again. I look ok, right? I don't have the best wardrobe, but seriously! He was used to being ignored, living with the Dursleys and all, but Harry could help but feel hurt. …2 minutes… He sat in the corner and took out a box cutter blade that he'd stolen from his relatives and carved lines into his arm. They would heal up soon, they always did, to Harry's annoyance. He decided to make little hearts, as if they could take the place of his broken one. …1 minute…It would be so easy to end it all, Harry thought, but he knew better. He wouldn't die, just get to the brink of it, then feel miserable that he couldn't. It was like being in a cage with the door open, but there was a chain that was connected to the back of it and he could only bake it to the entrance before it dug into his throat. Harry longed for the release, the peacefulness of death. …15 seconds… He licked the blood that dribbled from his cuts …10 seconds, 9 …8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1. "Happy birthday, Harry" He said to himself. Harry curled into a ball and fell asleep.

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Harry let his feet drag on the ground as the swing he sat on moved. He was at the park, and night had seemed too fast. Dudley and his gang were in the far corner, so Harry didn't have to go yet. He heard the sounds of a scuffle and looked up. It seemed Dudley and the others were in a fight with someone. Then he heard something disturbing. "I said, hold the dike still!" Harry got worried and started over. Who knew what they'd do to that poor girl? As he got closer he could hear what was going on better. Harry heard a girl yell, "Get the fuck off me, 'for I cut your dick off!"

Then he heard a few shouts of pain as the boys retreated, the girl even threw one of them! Harry almost ran to her, all he could think was, I wanna be just like that!

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah," She said, "just great."

There was an awkward silence; all the girl did was glare at him. The pause gave him a chance to really look at her. She was pretty enough, with wavy black hair and big brown eyes. Harry couldn't help but notice how very… large her chest was. "Well," she said, "whadaya want?"

"Listen, I'm sorry, I didn't know you were back here with them. I would've-"

"Would've what? I mean, you're not the toughest lookin' guy 'round here. Those pricks probably would've snapped you in half, so don't act like you'd be my knight in shining armor."

"It's not that," he said, blushing. "One of em's my cousin; he usually backs off if I tell him to."

"You mean the on with tits bigger than mine?" She said doubtfully.

"Yeah, that one."

"Well?"

"What?"

"Why you still here?"

"Just wanted to-"

"See if I'm ok. Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

"I'm Harry. Harry Potter." He said, extending his hand. "You new here?"

The girl eyed him suspiciously; she seemed to be sizing him up. Then she just looked at his hand, and said, "So?"

This must be how Malfoy felt. Harry thought, slightly embarrassed.

"And your name is…?" He said.

"Victoria."

"Listen, Victoria, if you wanna hang out some time…"

"Why would I?"

Harry's blush deepened. "I just thought-"

"That you might be able to get in my pants? Sorry, not happening."

"You sure have a high opinion of yourself."

"Look whose talking, Mr. I-can-call-guys-off-like-dogs!"

"I never said that!"

"Well it sure sounded like you did! Why am I even talking to you?" She turned and started to walk away.

"Wait!" Harry called after her, running to catch up. "Are you really gay?"

She turned away.

"I didn't mean to sound arrogant, it's just, you seem cool and I'd like to hang out with you sometime."

Victoria gave him a doubtful look. After a few seconds she said, "why do you really wanna hang out?"

"I already said, You seem cool and-"

"That's it?"

"Yeah"

"No other reasons?"

"None."

"Bullshit!" She said.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"I don't get it."

"I'm not stupid, what's the real reason, if it's not sex?"

"Okay," Harry said, looking around. "I'll tell you."

"Well? Go on."

"Well, I really do think you're cool, but…"

"But…?"

"I'mbiandit'sniceknowingsomethingIhavesomethingincommonwith." He rushed.

"Come again?"

"I said, I'm bi and it's nice knowing someone I have something in common with."

"Ah."

"And I think it's cool how you beat those guys up."

"Okay, Harry. I'll see you tomorrow, same time, same place."

And Victoria walked off. And stumbled.