Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting on the floor of Ron's and Harry's room at Grimmuald Place. They were talking about anything and everything, but somehow the conversation always seemed to come back to the bleeding scars on the back of Harry's right hand.
Harry was listening to Ron and Hermione arguing, as he felt the ever so present burn on the back of his bleeding hand. Harry had let Hermione soak it in 'murtlap essence' every night after his detentions with Umbridge, but because they weren't at Hogwarts at the moment she weren't able to do that. And Harry refused to ask Sirius or Remus for some. He didn't want anybody to worry about him. And he already knew how Sirius would react. Sirius would run strait to Hogwarts, somebody would then see him and he would get thrown in Azkaban again, or worse, get the dementor kiss. Harry was thinking about all this when Hermione suddenly snapped him back to reality.
"Harry you need to tell someone about your detentions with Umbridge", she said determinedly. "Or at least let me look at it", she continued. Hermione was getting really worried now, because the rag that Harry had wrapped around his hand that morning was now soaking with blood, and was starting to stain his shirt.
Harry just wished that Hermione would stop worrying. It was Christmas after all, and he just wanted to have a good time with his friends and family.
"Hermione, I don't want Sirius to know, alright?"
"You don't want Sirius to know what?" asked the calm voice of Remus Lupin, who was standing in the doorway.
"Nothing", Harry responded a bit too quickly.
"Alright", Remus said, still looking very suspicions. But he thought he could talk to harry tomorrow, it was after all Christmas and the werewolf wanted Harry's first Christmas with them to be the best. "Molly sent me up here to tell you that Christmas dinner's ready" he continued as he left the room.
The trio shared glances before they headed downstairs to eat dinner.