Amnesia
Chapter 6
The rest of the day passed without event. Harry even cooked a supper that was edible, even if it was just macaroni and cheese. Voldemort even helped with some much needed cleaning, to Ron's amazement. For some reason he thought the guy would just sit back and freeload off them.
However, that night was not as peaceful. Voldemort was sleeping soundly in his comfortable bed.
He opened his eyes to find himself in a burning town square. He was surrounded by men and women with their wands pointed at him, waving torches, and for some reason, pitchforks.
"YOU KILLED MY BROTHER!"
"YOU TORTURED MY PARENTS TO INSANITY!"
"I'VE LOST MY ENTIRE FAMILY TO YOU!"
The man shouted back. "No, no! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to. Please….." he fell to the ground, huddling at the foot of a statue. He looked at the statue. It was glaring down at him too, aiming a great stone wand at him.
The screaming continued, people accusing and damning him. They began rushing him. Beating at him, cursing him, slicing him with their forks and burning him with their torches. He screamed, shouted, cried in pain and fear, for help, from anyone.
"No! Please!"
"Voldemort, wake up!" Came a cry breaking into his dreams.
He snapped up in his bed, shaking and shivering with cold sweat. Tears coursed down his cheeks. He opened his eyes and looked into the kind, green orbs of his only protector, his only defender.
The boy's eyes peered into his, as if trying to see what he had dreamed. "You're alright, it was just a nightmare, just another bad dream."
The man fell into the boy sobbing. "I'm sorry…..I'm sorry….I'm sorry." He kept repeating, over and over, as the boy took to rocking him gently, patting his back and rubbing soothing circles on the back of his hands.
"It's alright, I'm right here." The boy's words assured him again and again.
The man pulled away. "Why, why do you stay? You told me I killed your parents, you should hate me. Just like everyone else does." Voldemort insisted. "You should hate me…."
Harry felt a twinge in himself. He thought that about himself a lot. He blamed himself for his parents' death. After all, Voldemort had been after him, not them. He blamed himself for Sirius' death. If he hadn't gone after that vision, if he had only practiced occlumency better. He realized that he and Voldemort weren't that different. Take away the tough exterior and peal away the veil the old man put over himself, and you had just a frightened, lonely child, begging to be loved.
"Why do I stay? Well….other than the fact that you need me. You're the only person to ever give it to me straight. You never withheld your opinion of me. Even though what you said hurt, despite the fact that you were trying to kill me at the time, you never withheld anything. I never had to doubt whether or not you'd show up sometime during the year. I know it sounds awful, but you've always been the ONE constant in my life." Harry admitted, ashamed that he actually felt that way, as true as it was. "And not just that. We're almost just a like. We're just a pair of orphans, who grew up in a world of hate and bigotry only to find we're meant for bigger greater things only then to find that the hate and bigotry we sought to escape just followed us here. Let's face it, this wizard's war isn't your fault, not entirely. Your followers did not honestly HAVE to obey your orders. They did not have to join you in the first place." Of course Harry knew he was talking to a brick wall now, after all, the man couldn't remember anything about his past. All he knew was that he was a killer but that Harry would protect him anyways.
Voldemort looked at the boy again, fighting a new waterfall of sobs and fell back into the comforting embrace. Harry felt an even stronger pain inside, like someone had taken a ply wrench to his heart and just twisted it. And he couldn't stop a few tears from joining his former arch-enemy's. He knew now, that even if Voldemort still wanted to kill him, when his memory returned, he could never, never fight back.
The next day, Ron did as he had promised and left in search of a job. He went to every single place he could find with 5 blocks of the flat. And he quickly found something out. He was qualified for nothing. He had no skills that a muggle job found useful. He left each and every place even more discouraged than he left the last.
Finally, in exhaustion the redhead collapsed in a cushy seat in a small café. An elderly woman came over to him. "Alo dear" She greeted.
He looked up, she was offering him a menu. "No thanks, I just need a rest."
"ard day, 'eh?" She asked him.
To which he nodded. "Yeah, I'm trying to find a job but no one'll hire me."
The woman shook her head in understanding. "Well don't ya be giving up now son. You'll find something, it just takes time. I'll leave ya to rest a bit." She stood and went to cross over to the counter where a customer had stopped to place an order. She stopped after a few paces and turned around. "Ya know, I could use an extra 'and around here. Probably someone just like you. Ya interested?"
AN: And there you have it, Chapter 6 up and I feel confident about this one. I cried writing the nightmare scene. I hope y'all enjoy this. Tell me, do you think I should get Harry and Ron together? You know, like a couple? It would be my first slash pairing.
NEXT: Ron's first day at his new job, and Harry's adventures in babysitting (Um, I mean Voldy-sitting)
