The next day.
Harry awoke early, a nurse came in, he remembered her saying something or other but he didn't reply, and she checked his machines. He did see her smile at least. It was a little later that he was daydreaming, and trying to remember what Remus had said that the door opened, he didn't even look up. He heard a voice he recognised as his headmasters, and then he couldn't look up, he wanted to run and hide and not have to see anyone, except perhaps Remus, who was his new friend. Some part of Harry's mind registered that he was behaving like a four year old, but his instincts were telling him that this was clearly rational, as he couldn't handle others disappointment right now. He knew that Albus was speaking but had fazed him out to a point where he heard only the voice, not the words they spoke. Then a slightly harsher sound made its way through the shell he had built.
'Merlin Harry, do you even hear me?' his headmaster appeared to have shouted this, but it shocked Harry enough to peer out at the headmasters over the top of his covers.
Albus for his part saw a pair of startled green eyes peek out at him after he shouted; he was amazed anyone could phase out his chatter so long.
'Ah, good, I was afraid for a moment I had the wrong room, but you are here after all, lemon sherbet?' he said as if nothing was wrong.
Harry sat up as far as he could and just stared incredulously at the man, who still way holding a paper bag with sweets in near Harry's arms.
'No? Well no matter, more for me, its not so bad here is it, nice and colourful, are you comfortable, settled in?' Albus still spoke in a tone that suggested he was commenting on the weather.
Harry glanced at the walls, which he noticed for the first time, were red and blue, he really didn't care about the colour scheme though. 'What is it you want headmaster?' he said finally after pondering the odd behaviour for a few minutes, he felt a bit like Snape when he spoke in such a cold manner, he almost winced.
'Oh, just thought you might like some company, a chat, but it seems that your about as friendly as Severus when he comes up for tea, no matter though, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it soon enough.' He tilted his head to the side and smiled at Harry, whom was still somewhat in shock at this very calm man who still thought he was commenting on the weather.
'Oh' Harry said looking confused, perhaps he should enquire about a long- term slot in department two for the headmaster.
'Are you Ok Harry, you look a little lost' he still smiled benignly.
'Err, yes fine, are you leaving soon?' he tried to match the older mans tone.
'No, no I'm just fine here, I have some free time today, and a whole bag of sweets to eat, and if you won't share them, then it will take me some time to eat them.' He winked.
'You could take them back to the school you know?' Harry was really puzzled now.
'Yes, but its nice to have company, and everyone there is always so busy, but you don't look busy, so I'll talk to you.' 'Oh, wonderful' Harry said dryly.
'I knew you'd come around to my way of thinking' he grinned at Harry again.
Harry groaned loudly and tried to throw his pillow in the headmaster's direction, but because of the bond only managed in pulling it half way out from underneath him, making him uncomfortable. The headmaster was still sat there with a worryingly serene smile.
'Would you like some help there Harry?' he asked, cocking his head to the side again.
'No' shouted Harry, pulling his pillow straight eventually. His face was flushed with exertion when he had finished; he looked back around at the cause of his current distress. It wasn't leaving.
'Go 'way' he mumbled.
'What was that Harry, didn't hear you right?'
'Go away' Harry shouted he couldn't take the mans cheerful nature anymore, it had gotten to him. What he didn't know was that this was the mans objective all along.
'No' he said sharply, Harry whirled his head back around in shock at the change in voice, the gormless smile was gone; it was replaced with something like anger. 'I will not leave, I have every right to visit you, you have disappointed me I confess, but I still care and wish to be of any assistance I can, you need help and I have the time and wish to fulfil that need.'
'I'm not a charity case, I don't need your help, I just want to be left alone, I hate it here it is not comfortable, I'm not settling in, and I don't care one bit what the décor is like.' He pulled once more against the damn bonds and slumped back in anger.
'I'll see you tomorrow then Harry, don't worry I understand what you really meant was thank you, I'd love some help and the red and blue walls really compliment each other' the smile was back.
Harry couldn't help it anymore, he laughed, and tears streamed down his face as he fought to control the giggles that came in waves that seemed to release his misery a little at a time. Finally he managed to calm down, the headmaster was smiling at him again, but it was a true warm smile, not a sinister crazy old man smile. Harry smiled back, and the old man chuckled.
'Wonderful, I go back to Hogwarts and rest easy now, I have successfully made you a little happier with my wonderful sense of humour, now if I could only get you to eat..' He trailed of as if in thought.
Harry picked at an invisible piece of cotton on his sheet, tears threatened to spill from his eyes again, he didn't want that but the headmaster seemed to understand.
'Oh well, I have grumbling professors to listen to, and rule breaking students to see, I'll be back in a day or two Harry, feel better.' He turned and left, Harry waved him goodbye, Albus had made him feel better, and he half wondered why he was so reluctant to see these people. After all Remus didn't care if he cried in the night, and Albus made him laugh all the time. The one person he was truly worried about seeing was Sirius, his gut told him that he might not be so kind as the others.
Harry awoke early, a nurse came in, he remembered her saying something or other but he didn't reply, and she checked his machines. He did see her smile at least. It was a little later that he was daydreaming, and trying to remember what Remus had said that the door opened, he didn't even look up. He heard a voice he recognised as his headmasters, and then he couldn't look up, he wanted to run and hide and not have to see anyone, except perhaps Remus, who was his new friend. Some part of Harry's mind registered that he was behaving like a four year old, but his instincts were telling him that this was clearly rational, as he couldn't handle others disappointment right now. He knew that Albus was speaking but had fazed him out to a point where he heard only the voice, not the words they spoke. Then a slightly harsher sound made its way through the shell he had built.
'Merlin Harry, do you even hear me?' his headmaster appeared to have shouted this, but it shocked Harry enough to peer out at the headmasters over the top of his covers.
Albus for his part saw a pair of startled green eyes peek out at him after he shouted; he was amazed anyone could phase out his chatter so long.
'Ah, good, I was afraid for a moment I had the wrong room, but you are here after all, lemon sherbet?' he said as if nothing was wrong.
Harry sat up as far as he could and just stared incredulously at the man, who still way holding a paper bag with sweets in near Harry's arms.
'No? Well no matter, more for me, its not so bad here is it, nice and colourful, are you comfortable, settled in?' Albus still spoke in a tone that suggested he was commenting on the weather.
Harry glanced at the walls, which he noticed for the first time, were red and blue, he really didn't care about the colour scheme though. 'What is it you want headmaster?' he said finally after pondering the odd behaviour for a few minutes, he felt a bit like Snape when he spoke in such a cold manner, he almost winced.
'Oh, just thought you might like some company, a chat, but it seems that your about as friendly as Severus when he comes up for tea, no matter though, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it soon enough.' He tilted his head to the side and smiled at Harry, whom was still somewhat in shock at this very calm man who still thought he was commenting on the weather.
'Oh' Harry said looking confused, perhaps he should enquire about a long- term slot in department two for the headmaster.
'Are you Ok Harry, you look a little lost' he still smiled benignly.
'Err, yes fine, are you leaving soon?' he tried to match the older mans tone.
'No, no I'm just fine here, I have some free time today, and a whole bag of sweets to eat, and if you won't share them, then it will take me some time to eat them.' He winked.
'You could take them back to the school you know?' Harry was really puzzled now.
'Yes, but its nice to have company, and everyone there is always so busy, but you don't look busy, so I'll talk to you.' 'Oh, wonderful' Harry said dryly.
'I knew you'd come around to my way of thinking' he grinned at Harry again.
Harry groaned loudly and tried to throw his pillow in the headmaster's direction, but because of the bond only managed in pulling it half way out from underneath him, making him uncomfortable. The headmaster was still sat there with a worryingly serene smile.
'Would you like some help there Harry?' he asked, cocking his head to the side again.
'No' shouted Harry, pulling his pillow straight eventually. His face was flushed with exertion when he had finished; he looked back around at the cause of his current distress. It wasn't leaving.
'Go 'way' he mumbled.
'What was that Harry, didn't hear you right?'
'Go away' Harry shouted he couldn't take the mans cheerful nature anymore, it had gotten to him. What he didn't know was that this was the mans objective all along.
'No' he said sharply, Harry whirled his head back around in shock at the change in voice, the gormless smile was gone; it was replaced with something like anger. 'I will not leave, I have every right to visit you, you have disappointed me I confess, but I still care and wish to be of any assistance I can, you need help and I have the time and wish to fulfil that need.'
'I'm not a charity case, I don't need your help, I just want to be left alone, I hate it here it is not comfortable, I'm not settling in, and I don't care one bit what the décor is like.' He pulled once more against the damn bonds and slumped back in anger.
'I'll see you tomorrow then Harry, don't worry I understand what you really meant was thank you, I'd love some help and the red and blue walls really compliment each other' the smile was back.
Harry couldn't help it anymore, he laughed, and tears streamed down his face as he fought to control the giggles that came in waves that seemed to release his misery a little at a time. Finally he managed to calm down, the headmaster was smiling at him again, but it was a true warm smile, not a sinister crazy old man smile. Harry smiled back, and the old man chuckled.
'Wonderful, I go back to Hogwarts and rest easy now, I have successfully made you a little happier with my wonderful sense of humour, now if I could only get you to eat..' He trailed of as if in thought.
Harry picked at an invisible piece of cotton on his sheet, tears threatened to spill from his eyes again, he didn't want that but the headmaster seemed to understand.
'Oh well, I have grumbling professors to listen to, and rule breaking students to see, I'll be back in a day or two Harry, feel better.' He turned and left, Harry waved him goodbye, Albus had made him feel better, and he half wondered why he was so reluctant to see these people. After all Remus didn't care if he cried in the night, and Albus made him laugh all the time. The one person he was truly worried about seeing was Sirius, his gut told him that he might not be so kind as the others.