Chapter Five: People Are Strange
He was doing a decent job of ignoring the stares as he made his way to Havermill's Diner. Harry could honestly say he was hating Godric's Hollow. He longed for the cold solitude of Little Whinging.
The entire diner went silent as he ground his teeth and walked in, and paled as the inhabitants looked up at him, and didn't turn away.
This succeeded in annoying the hell out of the Boy Who Lived.
"Oh, shit," he muttered. He didn't care that Jonas was waving him over from the far right corner. He turned and stormed out, knocking into someone as he did. "Sorry," he muttered more out of habit than anything else.
The girl he'd knocked into stopped to stare at him. "Hey, your-"
"Yes!" Harry growled, whirling to face her. "I'm Harry fucking Potter! Go ahead and stare! Everyone else does!"
She smiled at him. "Actually, Harry fucking Potter, I was going to tell you that your shoe is untied. But if you insist I stare…"
He stared at her, completely dumbfounded, and then looked down at his shoe to see the laces were undone, and hanging limply. He looked back at her and she gave him a smile, pushing a strand of brown hair out of her face.
He couldn't help it. He had to laugh.
The girl smiled wider.
"I'm…" he caught his breath a moment later. "I'm really sorry." He told her. "It's been… a really bad day."
She nodded, and stuck out a hand to him. "Well, Harry fucking Potter, I'm Delia fucking Wellings. It's nice to meet you."
He nodded and smiled, taking her hand. "Hi."
"So, why were you in such a rush to leave?" Delia asked.
Harry sighed. "Too many eyes, all staring at me."
Delia shook her head. "This town is awful like that. They do that to everyone who's new. It must be even worse for you, seeing as you're top news these days."
Harry rolled his eyes.
"Come on," She snickered. "Let's find somewhere with less eyes."
He nodded and followed her as she led the way to a small shop near the grocery store. She opened the door and he looked around at a bookstore that was nearly void of people, but most certainly not lacking in books. The walls were lined with volumes, and there were three extra tall ladders, none of them in use at that time of night. Much shorter, free-standing shelves covered the area of the shop, and at the front of the store was a check-out counter with a Muggle cash register and a book display that read "Employee Picks."
Sitting at the front counter sat a lanky boy, who was reading one of the thickest books Harry had ever laid eyes on. He occasionally reached up to push a strange of long blond hair out of his eyes.
"Carter!"
The boy looked up at Delia through thin, square glasses. "Yes?"
Delia smiled. "This is Harry."
Carter's brown eyes looked over Harry and he smiled. "Hi, Harry. Good t'meet you."
Harry nodded. "Yeah."
"Carter's dad owns this place." Delia informed him. "Not many people spend huge amounts of time here. It's good if you're not big on crowds."
Harry nodded and looked around the store and smirked. It reminded him of Hermione. If she came to visit he'd have to bring her. She'd be in heaven.
---
He arrived back at the house at nearly quarter to twelve to find Bella still reading at the kitchen table.
He walked over and sat down across from her. She pretended not to notice.
"Bella?"
"Hrm?"
"I…" he sighed. "I'm sorry I yelled at you."
She sighed and put her book down. "Where did you go tonight?"
"The bookstore," he replied. "I was originally going to go to Havermill's, but… everyone was staring at me…"
Bella nodded. "People were a bit shocked to learn you'd returned here, and Havermill's is mostly frequented by wizards."
He nodded, and they sat in silence for a while.
"Hey, Bella?"
"Yes?"
"Is there any left-over supper?"
She smiled. "As a matter of fact, there is…"
---
After eating his late supper, he walked up the stairs and climbed to his room to be met by Hedwig, who was holding a letter. Harry smiled and took it, recognizing the handwriting on the front envelope as Ron's.
Harry-
Hermione and I will try and visit sometime soon.
-Ron
Harry's expression fell a little. He wished Ron could have written something longer. It had only been a few days since school had let out for holiday, but he missed his lanky red-headed best friend already.
The knock on the door tore him from his thoughts and he turned around. "Come in."
The hatch opened, and Remus climbed up. "I see you're back," he said. "Bella said you ate."
Harry nodded. "I did."
"Did you have a good time tonight?" Remus asked, putting his hands into his pockets.
Harry shrugged. "Alright, I guess. The bookstore is nice."
Remus smiled. "Yes, it is." He sighed. "Well, it's getting quite late, and so I think I'm going to turn in for the night."
Harry nodded. "Alright… Remus?"
"Yes?"
Harry opened his mouth to ask, and nothing came out at first. "Is… Is there any chance of Sirius…" He stopped as Remus' curious expression turned sad.
"Good night, Harry."
Harry looked down and nodded. "Good night."
When Remus was gone, Harry got into bed without changing into his night clothes, flung the covers over him, and didn't come out until morning.
He was doing a decent job of ignoring the stares as he made his way to Havermill's Diner. Harry could honestly say he was hating Godric's Hollow. He longed for the cold solitude of Little Whinging.
The entire diner went silent as he ground his teeth and walked in, and paled as the inhabitants looked up at him, and didn't turn away.
This succeeded in annoying the hell out of the Boy Who Lived.
"Oh, shit," he muttered. He didn't care that Jonas was waving him over from the far right corner. He turned and stormed out, knocking into someone as he did. "Sorry," he muttered more out of habit than anything else.
The girl he'd knocked into stopped to stare at him. "Hey, your-"
"Yes!" Harry growled, whirling to face her. "I'm Harry fucking Potter! Go ahead and stare! Everyone else does!"
She smiled at him. "Actually, Harry fucking Potter, I was going to tell you that your shoe is untied. But if you insist I stare…"
He stared at her, completely dumbfounded, and then looked down at his shoe to see the laces were undone, and hanging limply. He looked back at her and she gave him a smile, pushing a strand of brown hair out of her face.
He couldn't help it. He had to laugh.
The girl smiled wider.
"I'm…" he caught his breath a moment later. "I'm really sorry." He told her. "It's been… a really bad day."
She nodded, and stuck out a hand to him. "Well, Harry fucking Potter, I'm Delia fucking Wellings. It's nice to meet you."
He nodded and smiled, taking her hand. "Hi."
"So, why were you in such a rush to leave?" Delia asked.
Harry sighed. "Too many eyes, all staring at me."
Delia shook her head. "This town is awful like that. They do that to everyone who's new. It must be even worse for you, seeing as you're top news these days."
Harry rolled his eyes.
"Come on," She snickered. "Let's find somewhere with less eyes."
He nodded and followed her as she led the way to a small shop near the grocery store. She opened the door and he looked around at a bookstore that was nearly void of people, but most certainly not lacking in books. The walls were lined with volumes, and there were three extra tall ladders, none of them in use at that time of night. Much shorter, free-standing shelves covered the area of the shop, and at the front of the store was a check-out counter with a Muggle cash register and a book display that read "Employee Picks."
Sitting at the front counter sat a lanky boy, who was reading one of the thickest books Harry had ever laid eyes on. He occasionally reached up to push a strange of long blond hair out of his eyes.
"Carter!"
The boy looked up at Delia through thin, square glasses. "Yes?"
Delia smiled. "This is Harry."
Carter's brown eyes looked over Harry and he smiled. "Hi, Harry. Good t'meet you."
Harry nodded. "Yeah."
"Carter's dad owns this place." Delia informed him. "Not many people spend huge amounts of time here. It's good if you're not big on crowds."
Harry nodded and looked around the store and smirked. It reminded him of Hermione. If she came to visit he'd have to bring her. She'd be in heaven.
---
He arrived back at the house at nearly quarter to twelve to find Bella still reading at the kitchen table.
He walked over and sat down across from her. She pretended not to notice.
"Bella?"
"Hrm?"
"I…" he sighed. "I'm sorry I yelled at you."
She sighed and put her book down. "Where did you go tonight?"
"The bookstore," he replied. "I was originally going to go to Havermill's, but… everyone was staring at me…"
Bella nodded. "People were a bit shocked to learn you'd returned here, and Havermill's is mostly frequented by wizards."
He nodded, and they sat in silence for a while.
"Hey, Bella?"
"Yes?"
"Is there any left-over supper?"
She smiled. "As a matter of fact, there is…"
---
After eating his late supper, he walked up the stairs and climbed to his room to be met by Hedwig, who was holding a letter. Harry smiled and took it, recognizing the handwriting on the front envelope as Ron's.
Harry-
Hermione and I will try and visit sometime soon.
-Ron
Harry's expression fell a little. He wished Ron could have written something longer. It had only been a few days since school had let out for holiday, but he missed his lanky red-headed best friend already.
The knock on the door tore him from his thoughts and he turned around. "Come in."
The hatch opened, and Remus climbed up. "I see you're back," he said. "Bella said you ate."
Harry nodded. "I did."
"Did you have a good time tonight?" Remus asked, putting his hands into his pockets.
Harry shrugged. "Alright, I guess. The bookstore is nice."
Remus smiled. "Yes, it is." He sighed. "Well, it's getting quite late, and so I think I'm going to turn in for the night."
Harry nodded. "Alright… Remus?"
"Yes?"
Harry opened his mouth to ask, and nothing came out at first. "Is… Is there any chance of Sirius…" He stopped as Remus' curious expression turned sad.
"Good night, Harry."
Harry looked down and nodded. "Good night."
When Remus was gone, Harry got into bed without changing into his night clothes, flung the covers over him, and didn't come out until morning.