A Long Summer
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling.
Authors Note: An apology for those who I told this would be uploaded on Monday, it turns out it takes quite some time to pack all of your things ready for moving house and I had my first day at college on Tuesday. Thanks again for the reviews, alerts and favourites; they make me smile every time I see them in my email inbox. Enjoy chapter 14.
A Long Summer
By Eve
Chapter Fourteen
Visitors
As Harry woke up he felt something on his hand, it was warm and suddenly Harry realised it was a hand, someone was hold his hand. Remus was back!
Harry knew it was childish of him to want Remus with him but it felt so nice to have the company even if he was just in the room, it was nice to know someone cared.
He opened his eyes quickly expecting to see Remus, hoping to see Remus.
It was a blurry form of Mrs Weasley.
Having managed to persuade Remus to sleep, Molly Weasley had set off to see Harry. To get to the hospital she had taken the Knight Bus just as Remus had done. Once in the hospital she took the lift up to the floor Remus had told her, three.
Molly exited the lift to find a desk adjacent.
"Hello, I'm here to see Harry Potter," Molly told the woman who was sitting behind desk with one of those Muggle computers that her husband had several pictures of.
"Room 332, just along to your right and it's a door on the right."
Entering room 332 Molly found Harry asleep. She sat down on a chair to Harrys right she had no doubt it was on the chair Remus had sprawled himself on yesterday.
She spoke to Harrys prone figure, "Hello, Harry, dear it's Mrs Weasley," Harry always called her that even when she isn't it was just Molly; she supposed it was because she was his best friends mum.
Molly saw bruises and grazes littering Harry's body, he was wearing a neck and an oxygen mask. His right wrist was in plaster and his left hand, a bandage. There was also a gauze on Harrys forehead obstructing his left eye and his eyes themselves looked sunken both bruised and his left slightly swollen.
"Oh, Harry!" Molly exclaimed she wanted to wrap her arms around him in a hug but took his gently took his right hand instead.
She saw Harry's eyes open quickly. Harry suddenly looked disappointed and then annoyance flashed across his features. Molly thought she should not take this to heart the poor boy had probably been expecting Remus.
Harry was looking up into the blurry figure of Mrs Weasley. Was he disappointed? It may have shown that she like him but, wait, no it didn't, it meant that Remus didn't want to come back to see. Remus had delegated his duty of babysitting to his best friends' mother and she no doubt obliged due to her being in The Order.
Molly passed Harry his glasses, he moved his left arm to take them and then put them on.
"How are you, Harry, dear?" There was that question again.
"Fine," he replied and then added, "you?"
"You are sweet, I'm glad to see that you're fine."
"See?" he questioned, "I bet I look like a right mess," Harry said more to himself than Mrs Weasley.
Molly didn't quite know what to say, she smiled, "You'll be better in no time."
Harry didn't say anything and an awkward silence reigned.
"Remus spoke to Dumbledore, there's going to be a meeting later," Mrs Weasley broke the silence.
'Great,' Harry thought, 'you can all sit around talking about me yet again!' He didn't say anything.
"Remus will be back later, he needed to get a little sleep," Molly added in the hope of cheering Harry up.
Harry didn't even look at her, why was he being so rude? She was trying to be nice, but she doesn't want to be here, a nagging voice in the back of his head spoke, and nor does Remus.
They were saved from more silence when there was a knock at the door and a nurse walked in.
Laura Manning had just finished her night shift, it was 8:05 in the morning, Harry Potter had been moved out of the Recovery Room and into his own room yesterday and she wanted to see how he was. She was also a little, actually very, curious to hear from his social worker but she knew that would never happen.
After enquiring as to which room Harry was now in Laura knocked at the door for room 332.
She saw Harry, looking less like the colour of the sheets, lying down on the bed and a plump red haired woman to his right.
"Hi," she smiled as she closed the door behind herself, "Hey, Harry, you probably don't remember be, I'm Laura, I was the nurse with in the Recovery Room, I just wanted to see how you were doing."
Molly saw Harry frown at Laura, trying to remember.
Harry looked up at the nurse. He remembered her face swimming in and out of his vision when he first woke. She had spoken to him "You had an accident; you were hit by a car…how may fingers can you see, Harry?"
"How are you?" Laura asked.
That question was really annoying, "Ok."
Harry wondered why this nurse, this stranger, wanted to come and see him again, wanted to see if he was all right. Adults were strange sometimes.
"I'm just on my way home but do you want anything, a magazine, a book? Or I can see if I can get hold of a TV, if you'd like?" Laura asked.
When Harry didn't respond Molly asked, "Do you want to watch a bit of TV, Harry?" She knew how much her husband said they entertained Muggles and so she imagined he would watch one at his relatives.
"'K," Harry replied unenthusiastically. He didn't really want to do, or watch for that matter, anything, he was quite content without entertainment. He had always managed at the Dursleys.
"Ok, I'll see what I can do," Laura exited and a few moments later reappeared with a smile on her face, "It's on its way. Harry would you like to sit up so you can see the TV better?"
"'K."
Soon Harry was sat up, the bed raised and a pillow propped behind him, facing a portable TV.
"Ok, all set, I'll leave you now. You'll be getting your breakfast soon too," the nurse left the room leaving Mrs Weasley to choose a television channel for Harry and her to watch.
Breakfast came; porridge and orange juice, and Harry ate without protest and watched the morning news on the TV.
A nurse came to check up on not long after his empty bowl and glass had been taken away.
"You doing a lot better, Harry, your oxygen levels have risen and from the looks of it," she indicated to the nearly empty bag at the side of his bed, "you'll be getting that chest tube out very soon."
Harry thought now was a good time to ask about the neck brace, "When can this be taken off?" he pointed to the neck brace with his left hand.
"Later today I imagine," she smiled.
"Really?"
"Really." The nurse then continued, "You'll be up and around in no time. You're a very lucky boy."
Harry smiled. He'd be able to home soon. But where was home?
Molly was very happy to see Harry smile, she was thankful, he had been in such a bad mood only a few moments.
The nurse changed the bag at the end of the chest tube and stated that if the clear bag was still empty at the end of the day they would take the tube out.
Harry now was in a good mood, he felt happy though there were still nagging voices in the back of his head, one of them sounded suspiciously like his Uncle Vernon, but he ignored them and listened to Mrs Weasley telling him about the summer at The Burrow so far and how she wished Harry had been there when they had been swimming in their pond a few days ago when the weather had been so nice.
The hour long news programme finished and up next on the television came a property programme.
"Today the Stevens family want to move from their busy life in the city to a quite more relaxed life in the countryside…" the man on the TV programme spoke.
Harrys' attention went from Mrs Weasley, who was now talking about how Ron wanted to go and watch the Chudley Cannons at their next Quidditch match, to the TV.
Molly saw Harry move his eyes from her to the TV, completely distracted.
Harry remembered sitting in the lounge at the Dursleys, his Aunt Petunia was ironing and watching the same property programme on TV, his uncle was at work and Dudley was out with friends.
"Harry?" he heard Mrs Weasley as if she were miles away.
"Hmm?"
Molly smiled, "You were in your own world for a moment there, should I turn this off?" she indicated to the TV. Once Harry had replied Molly went over to the TV and switched it off.
Around midday, Harry had just had his lunch; the nurse came into the room again and said to Harry very cheerfully, "Well, I suppose you'll be wanting that neck brace off."
Molly saw Harry smile and again she was thankful to see it.
The neck brace was taken off and Harry first felt cold and then realised his neck felt really weak.
The nurse put her hands around Harry's neck, checking for any damage that had previously not been spotted.
Harry flinched when he felt the hands on his neck.
"Sorry if my hands are a tad cold," the nurse smiled.
When the nurse moved away from Harry Molly saw the vivid bruises around his neck, they were varying colours, she couldn't help but stare.
Mrs Weasleys eyes were now looking at Harry's neck, he wondered if the bruises looked worse than when he saw them. He felt very self conscious and suddenly wanted to be on his own.
The nurse began, "Harry, can you just move your head slowly to the right and left," he did and his head felt heavy and his neck weak, "That's brilliant, thank you. Ok, see you later."
The door closed after the nurse left and moments later there was a knock.
Harry looked, and actually moved his head, to Mrs Weasley who frowned and got up to answer the door.
It was Aunt Petunia. She didn't look happy.
Molly allowed the tall, thin and bony women to enter.
"Harry," Aunt Petunia said curtly.
Not wanting to intrude Molly dismissed herself saying she would wait outside.
The door closed and Harry was alone with his aunt.
"What have you said?" his aunt asked angrily whilst striding over to Harrys bed.
What?
Harry didn't say anything.
Petunia saw Harry frowning, "Well? What on earth did you tell them?" she spat out.
Harry didn't say anything. What was his aunt talking about?
"We had some social worker at our house this morning! Asking about you! What did you tell her?"
"N-nothing."
"Didn't I tell you not to say anything about, about t-that night?"
"I, but I didn't say anything, she started asking me questions about the bruises, I said I got into a fight. I didn't say anything about what he did."
"Well, next time you'll tell her you fell down the stairs."
He couldn't say that, it wouldn't make any sense, "But, but my neck?"
"You fell down the stairs."
"But I didn't!" Tears began to flow down Harrys face, "He hit me! Your husband hit me!" Harry cried out, his chest was heaving up and down. He felt sick. He had just said out loud something he didn't ever want to admit. He sounded weak. Sounded weak? He was weak. He was angry. He was angry because he wanted to tell the world what his uncle had done so he would never have to see the monster again. He was angry because he couldn't tell anyone what his uncle had done; they would find out what the monster had done.
"Shut up! You will not tell anyone what happened," Aunt Petunia was now inches away from his face, "Do you understand?"
He nodded in response, tears still slowly flowing down his cheeks, his sniffled.
"Good, n-now get better," Aunt Petunia left the room.
Molly walked back into the room to find Harry sat on his bed wiping his eyes and sniffling.
"Harry, dear?" What had his aunt said to him?
Harry put his head back onto the pillow and closed his eyes.
"Harry, are you all right?" Molly asked, though obviously he was not.
She moved to put her hand on Harrys upper arm but as soon as she had Harry flinched and snapped, "Don't touch me," his voice shaking slightly.
As she was now next to Harry she noticed him trembling.
"Harry, what happened?" Molly asked kindly.
His shaking became more pronounced, "Please, please can you just go?"
"Ok, Harry," Molly replied. Harry was in distress and all she wanted to do was make him better, she wanted to hug him and tell him that everything was going to be all right but she didn't know what had happened with his aunt just now. Remus had also confided his thoughts with Arthur and her about Harry being hit by the Dursleys; it would explain the bruises around his neck and a social worker had also spoken to Harry.
She left not wanting to upset Harry further.
Harry heard the door close as Mrs Weasley left. He opened his eyes. Why had he been so stupid? He had sent away one of the few people who cared about him. As soon as he thought this the voices in the back of his head began their tirade; they didn't care about him, they had to make sure he was all right so that he could kill Voldemort, he was unlovable, a freak, a basterd.
More tears trailed down his face.
To Be Continued
There we go, what did you think?
Microsoft Word has started doing that really annoying thing where when you type in front of words all ready written it deletes letters. Arrrggghhh! So frustrating.