Harry paced restlessly back and forward in the space between the bed and the invisible wall. Several times he tested the barrier, hoping he might somehow catch it off guard. But each time the same thing happened and he was thrown mercilessly back again, only to pick himself up and renew his pacing.
His whole body ached, his head churned over the same frustrated thoughts and his stomach growled. On top of that he was still wearing the same handmade pyjamas he had been left in the night before and trivially he dreaded to think what he looked like, or what would happen if Deatheaters discovered him now. He hoped, among other things, that he would get his clothes back before any rescue attempt was made. At least he would be able to retain some dignity.
He eventually grew tired of his pacing and sat down on the bed, resting his aching head in his hands. Almost immediatly however he heard the familiar sound of the door being opened and closed, followed by soft, hurried footsteps echoing nearer.
As he stood up to get a better look an excited looking Bella Baronte emerged into the light of the room, beaming at him as she approached. She was wearing a long, pale dress that blended with her ashen skin almost perfectly. In her arms she held a bundle of neatly folded clothes that Harry recognised as his own. Bella swiftly checked the entranceway behind her as though making sure she had not been followed.
"Father said I wasn't to see you today!" She said, apparently thrilled at her own impudence. "But I could see you weren't happy, pacing up and down, wondering no doubt where your clothes are!"
Harry stared at her, perplexed
"Wha…oh, er… Yeah!" Harry stammered, his voice catching up to a sudden idea "My clothes, thanks."
He reached forward and accepted them from her, his hands feeling the familiar compacting sensation as they neared the invisible wall.
Harry noticed that Bella was also wearing a pink flowery apron, previously hidden behind his clean clothes. He could see the top of a hastily wrapped package which made the pocket bulge abnormally.
Bella extracted her wand from inside her sleeve and drew up a child sized, pink and yellow chair to match what she was wearing, and delicately sat herself down. For a full-grown woman, Harry could not see how she could sit comfortably on a chair big enough for a child, despite her light frame. However she appeared perfectly at ease as she looked back at Harry, who had not moved since receiving his clothes.
"It's alright, you can get changed now!" She smiled again.
Harry started, and turned towards the screen left behind from the night before. He could hear Bella humming softly to herself as he began to change.
"When you're finished, I thought you might like a bite to eat."
Bella's voice almost sang. Harry found it extremely annoying.
"Thank you." Was all he could manage. His stomach gave a hopeful growl as he emerged fully clothed in his own jeans and t-shirt. He carried the pyjamas, along with a pair of bright purple fluffy socks he had found with his clothes that he knew did not belong to him. Harry seemed to remember that he had been wearing an old grey pair that had once belonged to Uncle Vernon.
"Just put those on your bed so they're ready for you tonight." Bella said in an airy, motherly voice.
Harry placed the pyjamas near the pillows, secretly hoping he would never have to put them on again, and making a mental note to burn them as soon as he was free again.
"These aren't my socks." He said, as he turned and held them up for her to see.
"Oh I know!" Said Bella, wrinkling her nose. "Those nasty grey ones were awful, so I threw them out and made you some nicer ones. They're lovely and warm, try them on!"
She watched him eagerly.
Careful not to disappoint her, Harry bent over and pulled them on.
She beamed at him again.
"Yes, yes! They look lovely!"
Harry smiled awkwardly. He noticed that she had not passed through the barrier herself, so he sat crossed legged on the floor, as close as he could get to the invisible wall.
Bella looked from the socks to his face, still smiling happily, and reached into her apron to reveal a small package wrapped in kitchen roll. She passed it through the barrier with one hand, and put a finger unnecessarily to her lips with the other
"Shhh, don't tell Father!" Bella whispered rebelliously with a wink "He said you probably wouldn't be hungry, but I think you're looking very underfed!"
"Thanks." Harry said again, accepting the bundle and unwrapping it to reveal a few sandwiches and a slightly squashed pumpkin pasty.
"Ham and Pease-Pudding!" Bella announced enthusiastically. "It's my favourite, I hope you like it?"
Harry took a careful bite of the sandwich and chewed slowly. For the first time Bella looked slightly worried. He swallowed his mouthful awkwardly.
"It's lovely." Harry said, his eyes watering slightly as he swallowed the bit of half chewed sandwich too soon. "It's really nice of you, thanks."
Her face split instantly into a huge smile
"Oh that's sweet of you to say!" Bella beamed again.
Harry took another bite, conscious that she was still watching him. The sandwich was good and his hunger eased as he ate.
"So, where is Mr Baronte?" Harry asked, trying to break the unnerving silence between bites.
"Daddy?" Bella grinned mischievously "He had to go out. He made me promise not to come see you, but you looked so depressed… I just couldn't help myself!"
"So you can see me in here?" Harry asked.
He remembered that Athos had said something the night before about being able to watch him.
"Oh yes!" Bella said, suddenly looking mockingly stern "We must keep an eye on you!"
Her face sprang back into its ever-ready smile and she began to laugh loudly.
Harry took another tentative bite of his sandwich while she composed herself.
"Oh I am sorry!" She managed eventually, dabbing a teary eye with the corner of her apron. She began pointing vaguely towards the barrier. "Father's got a clever picture on a wall in the house that shows us exactly what's going on in here. Daddy used to keep allsorts in here before it became your new home!"
Harry put down his sandwich, suddenly losing his appetite. It was taking most of his energy to keep calm. Her laughter at his situation was bordering on unbearable and he tried to keep the anger from his voice as he spoke
"So, who else can see this picture?" He asked carefully
"Just me and Father. We can't have anyone else finding our little secret now can we!" She shrugged, smiling her irritating smile again.
Harry cast around for a change in subject so as not to lose his temper.
"What sort of things did you keep in here?" He asked
"Lots of things." Bella answered eagerly "Father kept the things he collected in here. Once something is put in here, it can only be taken out by whoever put it in, so it's very safe, and Father could always keep an eye on them by looking at the painting."
"So, what kind of things did he collect?"
"Well…" Bella screwed her face up as she thought. "Father wanted only the rarest things. He had an old silver candlestick once that he said belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw, but that turned out to be a fake, and Merlin's Goblet of Beer … they were my favourites, I think…"
"The way you spoke last night it sounded like you were both collectors." Harry interrupted "But it sounds to me like your father is doing most of the collecting."
"Yes, perhaps…"
Bella sounded distant for a moment, then she stood up quickly and with a flourish of her wand, made her chair vanish.
"Well, I'll leave you to enjoy your food!" She said, sounding cheerful again
"Where are you going?" Harry asked, sounding more annoyed than he had intended to and almost squashing his sandwiches beside him.
"I know you'll miss me Harry dearest!" She cooed "But father will be here any minute. I'll come and see you again soon!"
She gave a little wink
"Why won't your father let you see me?" Harry asked desperately, he didn't want her to go now. Despite his frustrations with her, she was his best chance of getting the answers he needed.
Bella gave him an indulgent smile.
"I thought that would have been obvious!" She spoke with the air of a mother talking to a young child "Besides, you're going to be here for a long time and we'll have plenty of opportunities to get to know each other better!"
With that she turned towards the exit.
Harry was starting to lose his patience.
"You can't keep me here!" He shouted recklessly.
Bella stiffened and turned. The smile had vanished from her face and she looked suddenly much older and very severe. The change was startling.
"Now Harry," She said, her voice shaking slightly "This really is the best place for you. You'll be safe here."
"But you don't understand!" Harry said discarding all pretence "It's NOT safe for me here, you're not safe! You have to let me go, HE's looking for me right now!"
As he spoke, Bella's expression changed again. She looked shocked and hurt, as though she was unable to cope with what she was hearing. Her eyes filled with tears, and when he stopped talking she took a great shuddering breath
"No one can ever hurt us again, Harry!" She wailed
Then, bursting into tears she hid her head in her hands and ran down the entranceway. The sound of her sobs ended abruptly with the slamming of the door.
Harry cursed loudly. He spun round and kicked the end of the bed as hard as he could.
The purple fluffy socks did little to cushion the blow, and Harry cursed again as his big toe began to throb painfully.
Frustrated and angry with himself, he sat down heavily on the bed and ran a hand unconsciously through his hair. Then he stared at the invisible wall, remembering what Bella had said about the painting. Felling utterly rebellious now, he stood up, grabbed the half eaten sandwich and pumpkin pasty and sat down on the floor behind the screen.
He crossed his legs and ate in silence while he thought.
He had barely finished the last sandwich, when a sudden crash echoed down the entranceway. It sounded as though the door had been thrown violently open.
Harry scrambled to his feet as Mr Baronte thundered into the room. He was wild eyed and furious and he panted heavily as though he had just run a long way. His wispy hair stood out at odd angles and his face looked ruddy and flushed. He still wore a light travelling cloak and he gripped a large square package, loosely wrapped in brown paper, under his arm.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Athos bellowed
Harry stared, bewildered
"Wha..?"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY TO MY DAUGHTER!"
Harry felt a sudden rush as his own anger boiled
"Only the truth, Mr Baronte!"
Athos' face darkened, and be began to remove his cloak with jerky movements, reaching as he did so for his wand in the inner pocket.
Harry squared his shoulders and stood up straight, determined not to show any fear.
"I gave her the same warning I tried to give you!" Harry said angrilly "He's looking for me, it's NOT safe here!"
"How DARE you!" Athos threw his cloak and the package to the floor with a crash, and swung his wand towards Harry.
"You are ignorant enough to presume that I have not placed every conceivable form of protection on this house! That I would EVER let any form of harm come to me or my daughter?"
"I am not as ignorant as you think!" Harry snapped back "I know more about protection than you realise, and I definitely know more about the people looking for me then you ever will! I'm telling you…"
"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Athos shrieked, sparks flying from his wand. He looked on the brink of losing control.
"Just listen…"
"Not another word from you, boy! SILENCIO!"
Harry was struck dumb instantly, and he grabbed his throat as he tried in a vain shout back.
Athos began to pace, breathing heavily. He unconciously ran a hand across his head in an effort to tame his wispy hair. Finally he turned back towards Harry
"Now you listen to me young man" Athos growled, his wand hand still shaking "You will not speak to my daughter like that again do you understand?"
Harry folded his arms.
"You will keep a civil tongue, or I will not allow you the freedom to use it at all!"
Unable to say anything Harry continued to glare back.
Athos lowered his wand and stepped back towards the entrance.
"You will have plenty of time to think on what I have said" Athos spoke quietly, sounding more dangerous than before. Then he turned and headed down the tunnel leaving Harry unable to do anything but glower after him. Only when the door at the end of the tunnel was open did Athos mutter the counter curse and Harry was able to speak again.
With no one around to speak to Harry vented some of his frustrations by directing a two fingered jesture towards the doorway and returning to his hidden place behind the screen.
The more he thought about his situation, the more his anger was stoked and he was unsure how long he'd been sitting there when the sound of the door opening for the third time almost caused him to curse out loud. However he froze suddenly as he realised that there were two sets of footsteps approaching slowly, and neither sounded like they belonged to either Athos or Bella.
Harry moved quietly behind the screen, poised for whatever was coming and ready to fight with whatever strength he had if needed. Then, the footsteps stopped and Harry held his breath.
