To Love a Windscreen Wiper

"Maybe it's wrong, maybe it's not normal, but… I can't help the way I feel."

It was the first day of Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts. The feast was over, and night was throwing her shadowy net across the darkening sky. Harry sat on his bed, pretending to rummage through his luggage, his mind faraway. From the corner of his eye, he watched as Ron plodded through the door and threw himself onto the bed with a groan, sighing nosily into the bedcovers.

"I'm beat," he complained, and with one elbow, propped himself up to look at Harry. "You feeling alright?" he asked him, brows creased. "You've been acting real distracted all the way here. Is something up?"

Harry glanced at him, quirking his lips. "I'm fine," he said.

Like I could tell him… he'd think I'm a freak. This is something that nobody can find out about.

Ron frowned, dissatisfied, but let it pass. He slumped back down onto the sheets, and moments later, began to snore.

Harry clutched his arms round his chest, and thought about what had happened earlier that day; that terrible earthquaking moment, which had changed his life forever.

Xxx Flashback!!! xxX

Harry was preparing to leave for Hogwarts. He had his case packed with untidy precision, Hedwig was in her cage, and everything was ready. His uncle had agreed to drive him to Kings Cross station, though with a great degree of grumbling. Even now, Harry could hear his angry mumbling resonating from downstairs like a blocked hoover.

He checked his watch; it was time. He grabbed his luggage and staggered downstairs, bringing them outside. He opened the boot of his uncle's car and tossed everything in. He wiped sweat from his brow.

All of a sudden, something caught his eye.

It was something that sparkled; something metal.

He span around, his eyes locked upon the car in the opposite neighbour's drive. They had recently bought a new one- a BMW, and had had no reservations about bragging to others to their neighbours about it. Harry had seen it before- but not like this. His heart leapt in his chest, blood thudding in his head.

It wasn't the car- no, no silly automobile could stir feelings inside him like this. This was something quite different.

Time slowed around him, and in slow motion, Harry walked across the road, several cats turning around to stare at him as he inched his way across the empty road.

As he drew nearer, his heart rate accelerated- his prize now in plain sight. A glorious, beautiful- oh-so-beautiful… windscreen wiper.

Gently, he touched it, feeling a shiver run through him as he touched the metal and dark plastic, so formly fitted, the multi-blade edge as sharp as razor.

He'd never felt anything quite like this before.

Inside his chest, feelings were blooming, a warmth filling him, like a flower opening, petals splayed… he felt stirrings in other places, too.

Harry then did something that would be considered quite irrational in the muggle world, and even in the eyes of the wizards.

He ripped off that left windscreen wiper from the BMW and pressed it to his lips, plastering it with kisses. He hugged it to his chest, so tightly that it hurt, a low whimpering erupting from his lips.

Xxx End Flashback!!! xxX

Listening to Ron's rhythmic snores, Harry sighed, and then, his eyes darting left and right, he unzipped his pack. Inside, the windscreen wiper lay like a talisman.

"Don't worry Steve," he breathed to the wiper, "no matter what people think… I won't let you go. I can't.

"… I love you."

To be continued