Disclaimer: Once again I don't own anything, as much as I would like to. Everything belongs to the wonderous JKR.
The door to the Burrow creaked open, Harry's heart was expectedly pounding much faster than it had been when he arrived last year. The beatings had got increasingly worse, hence the dishevelled look Harry carried about with him. Harry always used to wonder whether Mrs Weasley knew about his summers at the Dursleys that being the reason he was often invited to stay. Harry looked to the ground, as Mrs Weasley answered, addressing Snape first.
"Severus." She spoke calmly, Snape nodded his greeting and moved into the warmth of the house where a sweet scent of food drifted outside and made Harry's insides squirm with a sick feeling of nausea . Harry tried his best to sneak past Mrs Weasley as he emerged from the shadows under the roof, he kept his head down but Mrs Weasley grabbed the top of his arm.
"Harry." She spoke, hints of concern crept into her words and Harry bit his lip, she looked him up and down, taking in every aspect of his appearance. He wondered how fast her mind was working, and how quickly she would gather what had been happening over the last month. Much to Harry's displeasure she sighed and gave him a hug. This was the last thing Harry needed; sympathy. Harry pulled away from her and shook his head trying his best to show a smile.
"Erm, where's Ron and Hermione?" Harry asked hastily, avoiding her worried eye. Mrs Weasley took a moment to reply, before answering stubbornly.
"Ron is working at Fred and George's shop, Merlin knows why! He seems to be spending a lot of time down there and his wage is terrible." Mrs Weasley smiled, and carried on. "Hermione has gone away with her parents, she will be back in a few days." She reassured Harry, though deep down Harry didn't want to see either Ron or Hermione. The predictions about how they would react to everything was too much to bear, or to dwell on, Harry didn't want to be thinking about that right now. Acting as if he was interested, Harry smiled.
"Doesn't matter," Harry shrugged, making a step to the door step, Mrs Weasley shook her head and took the trunk from Harry's grip.
"There is still some food out, get something to eat then you can get to bed. I doubt you have had much to eat over there." Mrs Weasley finished with distaste, Harry noticed the way she said 'over there' as if he had been to Azkaban, locked away for a month. Judging by his current state, that could have been easily true…
Harry followed Mrs Weasley into the house, he turned left towards the kitchen and dining room, stopping at the doorway, realising what Snape had said to him previously; 'The entire Order is here tonight.' Harry felt a pang of nerves hit him., he wanted to run out, run away from the attention and the worry. Would Snape have said anything? No doubt the professor would have mentioned it, it was indeed Snape's favourite pastime to humiliate and torment Harry is anyway possible. It was too late to run. The whole of the order had looked up from the table where they were obviously holding a meeting, mouths agape, some were whispering amongst one other. The people Harry knew all too well had risen from there seats, that being Lupin, Tonks, and Mr Weasley. Tonks was the first to speak. She looked speechless, her hair was a pale purple a change from the last time Harry had seen her with vibrant violet hair.
"Merlin Harry." She whispered, Harry was beginning to wonder how bad he actually looked… he fiddled with the zip of his jacket, biting his lip. He could have just turned away but the expression on Lupin's face suggested that if he did, Lupin would have ran after him. Furious, he moved over to Harry, who was a little frightened, he had never seen Lupin so angry. Harry stepped back a little when Lupin arrived much to near for Harry's liking obviously trying to get a better look at him.
"What the hell has happened?" Lupin looked Harry straight in the eye, he looked more tired and weary than usual, increasing in lines around his face, his eyes strong brown in colour. Harry tried to wriggle free from Lupin's hands that were on his shoulders, gripping him tight, Harry couldn't even look at him. Mr Weasley spoke now, quietly, calmly.
"Remus sit down." He ordered, Lupin took a last look a Harry before deeply sighing and obediently re-joining the group at the table. "You can have Fred and George's room, Harry." Taking this as an instruction to go, Harry nodded and headed out of the door and up the stairs, where he sat, slumping against the banister to hear what was to be said.
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Severus stood as voices started to talk, he put up a hand and the group silenced. Molly looked close to tears and Arthur was glaring at the table, thinking of a reasonable explanation. Severus was interrupted by Remus who pushed his chair back and headed for the door.
"What was Albus thinking?" He shouted to himself, the rest of the order returned to a babble of raised voices and Severus swiftly glided to the door an arm stretched out denying Remus exit. He shook his head.
"Potter won't want to talk."
"You're right. We need to resolve this… I just- I can't- Did you see the cut below his lip, the bruises on his face, the look he gave me as I touched him- it's-"
Remus attempted to speak, pacing up and down the room, passing hands through his hair trying to concentrate, trying to put his finger on what had happened, the same as everyone else was doing. Severus cleared his throat.
"We cannot blame Dumbledore for this, we can't blame anyone. According to Potter, he had 'bit his lip'." Severus sniggered rolling his eyes, a few voices whispered and Remus stopped and turned to Severus.
"We can blame those muggles he has to call his family, and that house he names his 'home'. How could anyone have overlooked this?!" Remus blared, breathing through his anger. "Now with You-Know-Who gaining power, strength and knowledge…" Remus sighed, sinking down into a chair next to Kingsley Shacklebolt.
"These shouldn't be the worries of a sixteen year old boy." Remus despaired.
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Harry sat on the cold stairs, longer than he had expected to, the Order hadn't been able to drop the subject of Harry Potter though Harry was not at all surprised. When he heard the scrape of the chairs on the wooden floor, Harry darted to the landing where he stopped to listen to the members departing.
"What should we do about it?" Mrs Weasley asked on the verge of tears, Harry gulped, feeling a lump of guilt lodged in his throat. Snape replied, Harry could see his lank black hair through the stairs, and Mrs Weasley touching his arm with desperation. Snape looked down at her hand.
"Potter is not my problem, if you are concerned ask Albus." Snape spoke in a bored voice though the look in his eyes said otherwise. Harry slunk to Fred and George's room. The bedroom brought nothing of comfort and warmth, boxes and boxes where stacked tall, with two small beds in the centre. Harry sat on the edge of one, realising that his trunk had been brought up and moved towards it, laying it on its side and opening the locks.
The first possession to greet him was the stained razor blade and Harry picked it up attentively, his mind becoming numb and his fingertips tingling with a craving that he longed to fulfil. Taking of his jacket, he brought the blade to his wrist and swiped it cleanly across, blood surfacing a few drops at a time. Harry retrieved the rag he used to clean the spillage and pressed it firmly onto his fresh wound, a few teardrops cornering his eyes. He hated the addiction, he hated the thrill the got from the habit. He loved however the numb and calm sensation that sends him to a sleep where it rarely brings nightmares and any other displeasures. He stumbled across to his bed, the rag soaking more of the blood now, Harry was beginning to feel the usual light-headedness that sent him to a faint.
A/N - I guess this is sort of a filler chapter to the next chapter, since nothing really happens in this one. Chapter 4 will be better I swear! So Harry has seen the reactions from the order, but what about the reactions from Ron and Hermione?
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