4

Rose Petals

Harry was sitting in his chair but the surgery was backwards. The guy he had finished tattooing a few minutes ago was now piercing Harry's lip: Just a small stud on the side of his mouth. There was a small amount of blood by the piercing and he gently licked it, feeling the soft metal next to the skin. He smiled to the guy sitting in front of him. "Thanks."

"Girls love it." He handed Harry and a mirror and Harry looked at his now pierced lip.

"I do to. I always love being paid this way. But unfortunately my boss doesn't. Don't worry. I'll pay. You won't have to pay me and I won't pay you." The guy smiled. He then left and being Harry's last client he leaned back into his chair and used his tongue to play, bored, with his new lip piercing. He wondered if Bonnie would like it.

He dropped his feet from off the other chair when the door opened, quickly fearing it to be his Boss. But it was only Fish.

"Hey bud," he said sitting down. "Did you pierce your lip?"

"Last guy who came in did it. Does it not look good?"

"Looks great. Any idea if you'll be joining us at the bar tonight. The girls really miss you."

"Aww, I can't. My uncle's getting a bit stricter with the curfew thing. I'm an embarrassment to him by staying out so late. Obviously if anyone is going to see me up so late they are as well."

"I said the same thing once. Got myself an intervention within the week."

Harry laughed. "Well, sorry but I can't go tonight. I'll have to quiz Bonnie about what she learned today. She's going to Hogwarts this year. I have to go with her now. I really don't want to talk to my parents."

"You'll have to do it sooner or later. I found that it's best to just get it over with and secretly despise everything you're doing in your mind. It's a little harder to just avoid them completely."

"I don't want to avoid them or hate them. Because I don't. I just don't want to fall for them. Cause then there will be something to lose."

Fish nodded. "I say, talk to them, but don't get attached. Attach a recording in your head that tells you over and over not to care about the hugs or the 'I love you's', no matter how much you want it."

"Yeah I guess. Maybe I should go right now."

"Alright," Fish said, standing up with Harry. "I'll go collect the men for tonight. We'll be in the same place if you decide to change your mind." They both headed out and Harry told his boss he would see him tomorrow. They headed out and began walking down the street, heading back to Mongolia Crescent, hoping Bonnie was home so they could use her for food they were starving for. But then Fish leaned over next to him to whisper something. "You were right. He does look like your clone." Harry twitched his head as if shocked to see his dad and Sirius sitting down on his front porch. "Have fun getting into your house with them sitting there. I'll see you tomorrow. Maybe," he smiled.

"Thanks," Harry said sarcastically. Fish left and Harry turned back to the two people he really didn't want to see at the moment. He sighed, before walking very bored like over to them. He stopped in front of them and they only noticed him when he spoke as they had been staring at the ground solemnly.

"So why isn't my mum here?" Harry asked. They were both surprised to see that he had actually shown up.

"Harry," they both breathed standing up quickly. "Your mum, we decided it would be easier for you, or more Bonnie did, if we didn't come in a group. And it may be easier if there was someone you actually knew." He left out the fact that Lily might kill her sister if she saw her.

"Bonnie? Spilled did she?" Harry smirked. "Did she also tell you that I didn't want to be found? Maybe I should just tattoo it on my forehead. 'Stay away from me.' Obviously I don't make it clear enough when I spree from the house just to get free from all of you."

"That's not very nice Harry," Sirius pointed out. "Since when did you start acting like Draco Malfoy?"

Harry thought the remark was a bit harsh, but had one back none the less. "I'm not acting like, Draco, Sirius. I'm just pointing out the facts. Draco makes fun of them. You shouldn't compare me to people; it just makes the argument harder on you."

Sirius gave James a slight glance, giving him the 'know that Harry was never like this before now.'

"Is Petunia really letting you sit on her porch?" Harry asked, knowing if she hadn't, he would really be getting a beating tonight. Thanks James, he thought.

"Oh well, no. We kind of just sat here. I don't think she knows."

"Oh she knows," Harry assured them. "She's been peaking out her window for however long it is you've been sitting here. She wouldn't let the fact that two people are sitting on her porch go. In fact, I'm sure that if she wasn't sure you had wands on you, she would probably chase you away."

"Can't get her big fat hus―"

"H-h-he's at work," Harry cut him off. In case Petunia heard and told Vernon. Sirius and James both noticed the scare in Harry's voice while mentioning his uncle. But Harry looked away.

"Well, Harry, we are here for a reason. Bonnie says that you're going to school is that right?" James asked, seriously wishing to just pull Harry into a hug right now and drag him away. But he had been warned that Harry had a big thing about being touched. Even Hermione and Ron couldn't deny that he did; though they had never taken much thought to it before.

"Only for her. I was completely set on art school. But she was going with me and we both decided to go to Hogwarts. Savvy?"

"Sure," Sirius said. "So you are going to school. That's good."

There was a long silence that followed. Harry knew he should go inside and wait patiently in his room for Vernon to come home so he could leave again and come back later tonight for his beating. He wondered if it would hurt more now that his lip was pierced if Vernon punched him in the mouth.

Harry faintly noticed his father speaking to him. "So Harry? Are you going to come?"

"What? Where?" Harry asked, having missed the whole conversation.

"To Grimmuald Place," James repeated. "I know you don't―"

"No…" Harry cut him off, discussing faintly with his mind that if he left he wouldn't have to accept the beating. That sounded like as good an excuse as any to follow James. "Actually, I'll come." Sirius and James looked at him in surprise, as this had been terribly hard earlier, yet it now it only took a few sentences to get him to go with them. James wanted to grab him with joy but the next sentence cut him off before he could take a step forward. "As long as you stay away long enough for me to accept what's going on. I'm not sure I'm ready to believe that, even if you look exactly like me, that you're my father. I just need some time." James nodded solemnly, holding up his hands saying he wouldn't touch him. He was a bit disappointed but knew it was better getting him to come than nothing at all. "I just have to get my stuff."

"We'll just come to. We're going back to Grimmuald via portkey," Sirius said. Harry was a little panicky for a second. He didn't remember what he left on the floor. But he figured if they saw anything he would finally never have to come back here again. The thought made him move forward toward the house. He pushed open the door and walked out of the room, completely ignoring his aunt. James and Sirius looked around the living room while passing. There was no indication that Harry actually lived here. They then quickly followed Harry, ignoring Petunia as she quickly ran into the kitchen. They followed Harry to a dead locked door.

He then turned to them. Sirius got the hint and unlocked the door with his wand. Harry then pushed open the door.

Whatever way they were expecting from where the boy-who-lived lived, this wasn't what they pictured. It was a very small room, disheveled, as if he had only been in and out of the room but never actually lived in it. The bed was messed as if he had done nothing but jump off and on it. The floor was dusty and was laden with other things. Butterbeer bottles, candy wrappers, an apple core. Obviously Harry didn't care much for being clean. His trunk was sitting open in front of his bed, waiting for someone to use it. It was half-empty, save for a few pairs of black trousers and T-shirts. Harry kicked them off the edge and the rest of the way into the trunk without looking as he continued over to his desk to see Hedwig.

"Hey girl," he cooed to her, as if she were his child. "We're going to get out of here. Excited?" Hedwig hooted happily and nipped his finger affectionately. Harry closed her cage and set it with his trunk while going over to his closet and throwing in the rest of his clothes, all neatly folding themselves. Three pairs of Converse hightops came from under his bed and Harry placed them gently on the side of the trunk as if not to ruin his clothes or the shoes. He went over to his bed and pulled about five books from under his sheets or in the edge of his bed. He pulled a sketchbook out from behind his pillow and gently placed it in the trunk with his books. He went over to his desk and found everything else, from books to ink to quills.

Sirius and James watched interestedly at Harry's speed in moving around his room. He was definitely a seeker.

James's attention was directed at Harry's wall. In big letters of red was the word 'himself'. "Hey Harry," James said, looking at the wall. "Where did you get this paint?"

"It's not paint," Harry said as he searched the room to see if he was missing anything. "They're rose petals.