It was 9:20 am, and the bus wouldn't be coming until 10. Lacci sat herself on a bench. She knew why Harry put the sweatshirt on her. It would look very strange to see Harry on the bus with a girl in a straight jacket. Lacci wished she could wipe away the bloodied tears that were drying on her face. She wanted to hide her face, but she couldn't easily bend in the jacket. She knew Harry had put it on her for her own good, but she couldn't stand having him mad at her. She wished she knew why he was mad. He said himself that he didn't like the Dursleys. She wanted to talk, but knew better of it. Harry would need to cool off before he'd let her talk to him.
Lacci looked over at Harry, whjo was avoiding looking at her. She could see the mark on Harry's face. She wanted to make it better. She wanted to make him happy, and she couldn't. Lacci felt another tear roll down her cheek.
*******
Harry stared blankly at the sidewalk. A cool breeze swept past, having awesome healing powers on Harry's cheek, which was red and sore. Harry avoided Lacci's gaze. He knew he shouldn't be so mad at the girl. She wasn't really the living hell he made her out to be. And he knew he was being cruel to her. She couldn't do any more harm now. Not when they were away from the Dursleys. And he knew Lacci wouldn't talk unless he spoke first. She was waiting for him to forgive her.
Harry opened his mouth to say something, and closed it again.
"You know, it isn't easy," he began, and stopped.
"I'm sorry that I.." he said again, and stopped.
"Look, you know you.." Again he stoped. He turned to face Lacci. She sat there, watching him hopefully, sitting up straight wearing Harry's large blue sweatshirt and his white jeans that he had gotten from Dudley when he was 7. The way the blood stained tears etched across her pathetic and hopeful face was almost poetic. He sighed and pulled out a handkerchief, which he wet and began rubbing the blood off her face. Carefully, so as not to upset her bruises. She closed her eyes and breathed with relief.
"Effigrof?" she asked.
Harry nodded. "Effigrof." He smiled at her. She smiled back.
At 10 am the bus arrived, and Harry told Lacci, "Now, please, dont say anything while we're on the bus. Let me handle the fares." She nodded, and Harry helped her up. She wlked with ease in the straight jacket, aperently very used to it. He gave her a push up the steps as they climbed into the bus, and gave the ttwo pounds to the driver.
There's no point in describing what the driver looked like, because he's not a very important character in this fanfic anyway. But he did speak up.
"Excuse me, but whats wrong with you, young lady? Did you get beaten up?"
Before Lacci could respond, Harry intervened. "She doesn't like to talk about it. She cant, really. She only speaks Greek."
The driver turned his slow gaze on Harry. "Why's she got her arms in her sweatshirt?" He asked testily.
"It's a cold day out," Harry responded immediately. The driver looked at his thermomator, which stated to anyone who cared that it was 78 degrees out. The driver looked back at Harry.
"It's cold out for her. She's from Greece, it's much hotter there."
The driver looked again at Lacci amazingly pale skin, but didn't comment. "Ok, come on, get in." He ushed them inside the bus, and Harry grabbed Lacci's sleeve and brought her to two empty seats in the back. They sat down.
*******
Lacci looked at the little girl next to her, and smiled. The little girl smiled back. Within a few moments, they were deep in conversation, and occasionally a shreik of laughter would come out of one of them. The girl's mother turned and looked down at Lacci. Lacci looked up at her. "hiyo," she said cheerfully. The mother just stared at her. Lacci looked like the devil in disguise. She put her arm around her child and said, "Shelly, why dont you sit on the other side of me, please."
"But mum, I dont want to. I want to play with Miss Vrij," Shelly complained. Her mother didn't seem very fazed.
"That's.. not the kind of person I want you around," her mother said firmly. "Now please, come sit over here."
Reluctantly, the girl got up and sat on the oppisite side of her mother. Lacci leaned over and stuck her tongue out and Shelly. Shelly stuck her tongue out back. They both smiled. Shelly's mother gave Lacci a stern look, and Lacci hurriedly turned to face Harry. Shelly giggled, and Lacci giggled in return, still facing away.
*******
Harry, on the other hand, wasn't having as much luck with his neighbor. He sat next to a tall muscular boy with long purple hair that was in two short black spikes in the front. He looked about 19 or 20 years old. He was wearing a black fishnet shirt under a sleeveless black shirt that said "Asshole" on it, in red writing. His pants were black vinyl. He was wearing heavy black eyeliner and dark blue lipstick. Harry tried hard not to stare. He hoped the boy wouldn't notice him, because he also head head phones on that were blasting some sort of awful screeching screaming music.
Unfortunately, the boy did notice him. He gave Harry a strange look and raised one eyebrow.
"Can I... help you?" He asked, in a thick german accent.
"Er, no, that's alright," said Harry, averting his gaze. He turned and watched Lacci, who was talking to some little girl. Her mother appeared to really disapprove of Lacci. Harry wanted to do something, but wasn't really sure what. Luckily, the mother intervened.
Harry found himself staring face to face with Lacci, who was giggling. She looked up at the boy with the headphones, who had turned off his music and taken off the headgear. He appeared to be taking an interest in her.
Lacci was the first to speak up. "Haio, Fishbuns."
The boy looked amused. "And hallo to you too. Awesome contacts." Harry didn't understand what the boy had said, but assumed he was referring to Lacci's eyes, which still had blood in them.
"Danke," Lacci said, Grinning. When she only spoke one or two words, she sounded almost sane.
"Bitte," the boy replied, taking note of the Grin like some sort of signal between 'goth/punk' people. Then he turned his attention briefly towards Harry. "Cute girlfriend," he said, winking. Harry looked shocked.
"She isn't my girlfriend!" He protested. The boy smiled. "Sure." He reached out to shake Lacci's hand. "My name is Gian, what's yours?"
Lacci just smiled. Harry said, "She doesn't like taking her arms out of her sweatshirt."
Gian gave him a strange look. "What? Is she an amputee or something? Have you got any scars on your wrists you're afraid to show, girl?"
Lacci shook her head. "Nah. Straight jacket," she explained carefully.
The boy laughed out loud. "Bondage!" He cried, and was shushed feircely by serveral people in front of him. He quieted down a little. "How much are you getting paid to do this?" He asked them both.
Lacci smiled and opened her mouth to say something, but Harry drowned out her words with his. "That isn't really any of your business, is it?"
Gian gave him a look of mock offense. "Dont be so nasty, kid. What's your name, by the way?"
Harry gave him a sour look. "Potter. Harry Potter. I'm not being nasty, I just dont think it's really anything that concerns you."
The boy raised his eyesbrows. "Harry Potter? The Harry Potter? Mr. I-Can-Defeat-You-Know-Who-All-By-Meself?"
Harry looked surprised. Lacci tried to look surprised, but instead broke into a wide Grin. "You're a wizard?" He asked. He found it hard to believe that this person could be a wizard.
"Nah, you've got it wrong. My sister, she's a wizard. Born into a muggle family. I read her books though. Read about you. Dint think I'd be meeting you though. Imagine what she'd say, if I told her I met Harry Potter on the bus, with his bondage girlfriend! She wants to marry you, ya know." A wide smiled spread over Gian's face, and he laughed a little. "So tell me about You-Know-Who. What's his real name?"
Harry took a moment to let this sink in. Lacci didn't. "I dunno," she said. "Vurrdemold, like that."
Gian laughed. "Well, that's a bloody stupid name for a Dark Lord, isn't it?"
Harry got his wits about him and said, "No, his name is Voldemort. And Lacci is not my bondage girlfriend, thank you very much."
"Voldemort? Just as bad, in my opinion. Your name is Lacci? That's cute," he said, turning to Lacci. Harry sighed and gave up. "Look, why dont you move over here, and I'll sit nexxt to the window?"
Harry stood up, and Gian scooted over into his seat. Harry sat down next to the window.
"Lacci. Mmhhmm. Lacci De Vrij." She nodded.
"Ah, I've heard of you too. Pleased to finally meet you, Miss Vrij."
*******
As Lacci and Gian got further into their conversation, Harry zoned out and started looking boredly at the clouds again. He began to wonder what Gian meant by, "I've heard of you too." Perhaps she had been in the Daily Prophet, and Gian had read it over his sister's shoulder or stolen it when she wasn't looking. It confused why everyone called Lacci 'Miss Vrij.' Even little children.
Gian turned and poked Harry in the shoulder. "Hey! Could you be my translator? I cant understand a word she says." Lacci nodded behind him, and made bunny ears behind Gian's head. Harry smiled. "Well, why cant you? Cant you understand her, like everyone else she talks to?"
"Look, I just told you I cant understand a fookin' thing she says. She speaks gibberish. I guess that comes from being in Azkaban. She's gone mad."
Harry looked over Gian's shoulder to see if she had heard him. Luckily, she was too wrapped up in making faces at Shelly to notice. "No, I dont think I want to be involved in whatever it is you're talking about."
Gian sighed. You are a tough one, Potter. Alright. If you see my sister in that school of yours, give her my regards. She goes by the name of Ling."
Harry nodded. "I'll do that."
Finally, there was silence in the back seat. Gian put his head phones back on, and started blasting that strange music again. After some poking, Gian took off the headphones, turned the music down a bit, and put them on Lacci head. She smiled and leaned against Gian, falling asleep. Harry didn't know why, but he felt somehow jealous. If he hadn't traded seats with Gian, Lacci would be leaning against him. But then, why did he really care? Harry turned back to the window and gazed out at the clouds. One shaped like a lightning bolt went by. The one right next to it looked like a pillow, or possibly a rabbit.
*******
Soon the bus ride came to an end, and Harry and Lacci stood up. Gian removed his head phones from Lacci and stood up as well. Harry hoped it was only so he could stretch.
Gian grinned at them. "It was nice meeting you, Miss Vrij, and you too, Potter." Lacci bounced and Grinned. "Meet-fig you too, fishbuns!" Gian laughed and gave Lacci a big hug, picking her up as much as the bus ceiling would allow him. He set her back down and they left. Harry waved to Gian, and he waved back. Lacci waved her head from side to side, and then was pulled off the bus by Harry. She watched it roll away. Then she turned around to look at King's Cross.
"Erg tinglek nit Fishbuns," Lacci said longfully. Harry squeezed her shoulder. "I'm sure he misses you too." Then he spotted something red. And another something red. They were heads. After a bit of fishing the crowds, he spied 5 more heads, bobbing around. Harry grabbed Lacci sleeve and pointed with his other hand. "There they are. See them? The Weasleys. That's our new home for the rest of the summer."
Lacci followed his finger, and spied the red things. It didn't look like much of a home to her, but oh well. Whatever Harry said must be right. Harry began running towards them, and Lacci followed because he was holding her sleeve.
"Ron!" Harry called. One of the redheads turned. "Hey there, Harry!"
Within moments Harry, Lacci and all the Weaselys were within the same 10 square feet of space. That was actually a fairly amazing feat. Molly gave Harry a hug. "Hello Harry, it's good to see you again."
After veryone had finished hugging Harry, Fred and George had finished hugging each other and random muggles and Percy had finished not hugging anyone but getting squeezed by both the twins on opposite sides, Lacci walked up. "Hallo," she said quietly.
Arthur looked over at Lacci. "Oh, and this must be.. Lacci, yes? Hello Lacci. I'm Arthur, this is Molly, these are Fred and George, oh, no, sorry, Fred and George, this is Ginny, Percy, and Ron."
Lacci nodded to all of them. "Hi hi hi hi hi hi hi," She said, smiling at all of them. They just stood for a moment in uncomfortable silence. Then Ginny walked up to Lacci and gave her a big hug. "It's wonderful to meet you, Lacci," she said.
With the ice broken, the rest of the Weasleys gave Lacci a welcoming hug. Fred and George got back in line and hugged her several times. When all that was over, it left Lacci smiling like a maniac. "I'd hug beck, but straight jacket," she said, trying to sound as normal as possible.
"Straight jacket?" Molly asked, turning towards Harry. Harry turned pink.
"She came with it!" He said. "She had to wear it on the way here for safety reasons."
Fred laughed. "Sure Harry. You kinky boy." George laughed. Molly glared at them. "Now, that isn't nice at all." She gave Harry in indescribable look, and said to Lacci, "Come on, lets all squeeze into our car, and we'll go back to the Burrow. Then you can get out of that awful thing. Lacci nodded thankfully, and they all piled into the Weasley's car. They drove home. On the ground. The normal way.
Lacci looked over at Harry, whjo was avoiding looking at her. She could see the mark on Harry's face. She wanted to make it better. She wanted to make him happy, and she couldn't. Lacci felt another tear roll down her cheek.
Harry stared blankly at the sidewalk. A cool breeze swept past, having awesome healing powers on Harry's cheek, which was red and sore. Harry avoided Lacci's gaze. He knew he shouldn't be so mad at the girl. She wasn't really the living hell he made her out to be. And he knew he was being cruel to her. She couldn't do any more harm now. Not when they were away from the Dursleys. And he knew Lacci wouldn't talk unless he spoke first. She was waiting for him to forgive her.
Harry opened his mouth to say something, and closed it again.
"You know, it isn't easy," he began, and stopped.
"I'm sorry that I.." he said again, and stopped.
"Look, you know you.." Again he stoped. He turned to face Lacci. She sat there, watching him hopefully, sitting up straight wearing Harry's large blue sweatshirt and his white jeans that he had gotten from Dudley when he was 7. The way the blood stained tears etched across her pathetic and hopeful face was almost poetic. He sighed and pulled out a handkerchief, which he wet and began rubbing the blood off her face. Carefully, so as not to upset her bruises. She closed her eyes and breathed with relief.
"Effigrof?" she asked.
Harry nodded. "Effigrof." He smiled at her. She smiled back.
At 10 am the bus arrived, and Harry told Lacci, "Now, please, dont say anything while we're on the bus. Let me handle the fares." She nodded, and Harry helped her up. She wlked with ease in the straight jacket, aperently very used to it. He gave her a push up the steps as they climbed into the bus, and gave the ttwo pounds to the driver.
There's no point in describing what the driver looked like, because he's not a very important character in this fanfic anyway. But he did speak up.
"Excuse me, but whats wrong with you, young lady? Did you get beaten up?"
Before Lacci could respond, Harry intervened. "She doesn't like to talk about it. She cant, really. She only speaks Greek."
The driver turned his slow gaze on Harry. "Why's she got her arms in her sweatshirt?" He asked testily.
"It's a cold day out," Harry responded immediately. The driver looked at his thermomator, which stated to anyone who cared that it was 78 degrees out. The driver looked back at Harry.
"It's cold out for her. She's from Greece, it's much hotter there."
The driver looked again at Lacci amazingly pale skin, but didn't comment. "Ok, come on, get in." He ushed them inside the bus, and Harry grabbed Lacci's sleeve and brought her to two empty seats in the back. They sat down.
Lacci looked at the little girl next to her, and smiled. The little girl smiled back. Within a few moments, they were deep in conversation, and occasionally a shreik of laughter would come out of one of them. The girl's mother turned and looked down at Lacci. Lacci looked up at her. "hiyo," she said cheerfully. The mother just stared at her. Lacci looked like the devil in disguise. She put her arm around her child and said, "Shelly, why dont you sit on the other side of me, please."
"But mum, I dont want to. I want to play with Miss Vrij," Shelly complained. Her mother didn't seem very fazed.
"That's.. not the kind of person I want you around," her mother said firmly. "Now please, come sit over here."
Reluctantly, the girl got up and sat on the oppisite side of her mother. Lacci leaned over and stuck her tongue out and Shelly. Shelly stuck her tongue out back. They both smiled. Shelly's mother gave Lacci a stern look, and Lacci hurriedly turned to face Harry. Shelly giggled, and Lacci giggled in return, still facing away.
Harry, on the other hand, wasn't having as much luck with his neighbor. He sat next to a tall muscular boy with long purple hair that was in two short black spikes in the front. He looked about 19 or 20 years old. He was wearing a black fishnet shirt under a sleeveless black shirt that said "Asshole" on it, in red writing. His pants were black vinyl. He was wearing heavy black eyeliner and dark blue lipstick. Harry tried hard not to stare. He hoped the boy wouldn't notice him, because he also head head phones on that were blasting some sort of awful screeching screaming music.
Unfortunately, the boy did notice him. He gave Harry a strange look and raised one eyebrow.
"Can I... help you?" He asked, in a thick german accent.
"Er, no, that's alright," said Harry, averting his gaze. He turned and watched Lacci, who was talking to some little girl. Her mother appeared to really disapprove of Lacci. Harry wanted to do something, but wasn't really sure what. Luckily, the mother intervened.
Harry found himself staring face to face with Lacci, who was giggling. She looked up at the boy with the headphones, who had turned off his music and taken off the headgear. He appeared to be taking an interest in her.
Lacci was the first to speak up. "Haio, Fishbuns."
The boy looked amused. "And hallo to you too. Awesome contacts." Harry didn't understand what the boy had said, but assumed he was referring to Lacci's eyes, which still had blood in them.
"Danke," Lacci said, Grinning. When she only spoke one or two words, she sounded almost sane.
"Bitte," the boy replied, taking note of the Grin like some sort of signal between 'goth/punk' people. Then he turned his attention briefly towards Harry. "Cute girlfriend," he said, winking. Harry looked shocked.
"She isn't my girlfriend!" He protested. The boy smiled. "Sure." He reached out to shake Lacci's hand. "My name is Gian, what's yours?"
Lacci just smiled. Harry said, "She doesn't like taking her arms out of her sweatshirt."
Gian gave him a strange look. "What? Is she an amputee or something? Have you got any scars on your wrists you're afraid to show, girl?"
Lacci shook her head. "Nah. Straight jacket," she explained carefully.
The boy laughed out loud. "Bondage!" He cried, and was shushed feircely by serveral people in front of him. He quieted down a little. "How much are you getting paid to do this?" He asked them both.
Lacci smiled and opened her mouth to say something, but Harry drowned out her words with his. "That isn't really any of your business, is it?"
Gian gave him a look of mock offense. "Dont be so nasty, kid. What's your name, by the way?"
Harry gave him a sour look. "Potter. Harry Potter. I'm not being nasty, I just dont think it's really anything that concerns you."
The boy raised his eyesbrows. "Harry Potter? The Harry Potter? Mr. I-Can-Defeat-You-Know-Who-All-By-Meself?"
Harry looked surprised. Lacci tried to look surprised, but instead broke into a wide Grin. "You're a wizard?" He asked. He found it hard to believe that this person could be a wizard.
"Nah, you've got it wrong. My sister, she's a wizard. Born into a muggle family. I read her books though. Read about you. Dint think I'd be meeting you though. Imagine what she'd say, if I told her I met Harry Potter on the bus, with his bondage girlfriend! She wants to marry you, ya know." A wide smiled spread over Gian's face, and he laughed a little. "So tell me about You-Know-Who. What's his real name?"
Harry took a moment to let this sink in. Lacci didn't. "I dunno," she said. "Vurrdemold, like that."
Gian laughed. "Well, that's a bloody stupid name for a Dark Lord, isn't it?"
Harry got his wits about him and said, "No, his name is Voldemort. And Lacci is not my bondage girlfriend, thank you very much."
"Voldemort? Just as bad, in my opinion. Your name is Lacci? That's cute," he said, turning to Lacci. Harry sighed and gave up. "Look, why dont you move over here, and I'll sit nexxt to the window?"
Harry stood up, and Gian scooted over into his seat. Harry sat down next to the window.
"Lacci. Mmhhmm. Lacci De Vrij." She nodded.
"Ah, I've heard of you too. Pleased to finally meet you, Miss Vrij."
As Lacci and Gian got further into their conversation, Harry zoned out and started looking boredly at the clouds again. He began to wonder what Gian meant by, "I've heard of you too." Perhaps she had been in the Daily Prophet, and Gian had read it over his sister's shoulder or stolen it when she wasn't looking. It confused why everyone called Lacci 'Miss Vrij.' Even little children.
Gian turned and poked Harry in the shoulder. "Hey! Could you be my translator? I cant understand a word she says." Lacci nodded behind him, and made bunny ears behind Gian's head. Harry smiled. "Well, why cant you? Cant you understand her, like everyone else she talks to?"
"Look, I just told you I cant understand a fookin' thing she says. She speaks gibberish. I guess that comes from being in Azkaban. She's gone mad."
Harry looked over Gian's shoulder to see if she had heard him. Luckily, she was too wrapped up in making faces at Shelly to notice. "No, I dont think I want to be involved in whatever it is you're talking about."
Gian sighed. You are a tough one, Potter. Alright. If you see my sister in that school of yours, give her my regards. She goes by the name of Ling."
Harry nodded. "I'll do that."
Finally, there was silence in the back seat. Gian put his head phones back on, and started blasting that strange music again. After some poking, Gian took off the headphones, turned the music down a bit, and put them on Lacci head. She smiled and leaned against Gian, falling asleep. Harry didn't know why, but he felt somehow jealous. If he hadn't traded seats with Gian, Lacci would be leaning against him. But then, why did he really care? Harry turned back to the window and gazed out at the clouds. One shaped like a lightning bolt went by. The one right next to it looked like a pillow, or possibly a rabbit.
Soon the bus ride came to an end, and Harry and Lacci stood up. Gian removed his head phones from Lacci and stood up as well. Harry hoped it was only so he could stretch.
Gian grinned at them. "It was nice meeting you, Miss Vrij, and you too, Potter." Lacci bounced and Grinned. "Meet-fig you too, fishbuns!" Gian laughed and gave Lacci a big hug, picking her up as much as the bus ceiling would allow him. He set her back down and they left. Harry waved to Gian, and he waved back. Lacci waved her head from side to side, and then was pulled off the bus by Harry. She watched it roll away. Then she turned around to look at King's Cross.
"Erg tinglek nit Fishbuns," Lacci said longfully. Harry squeezed her shoulder. "I'm sure he misses you too." Then he spotted something red. And another something red. They were heads. After a bit of fishing the crowds, he spied 5 more heads, bobbing around. Harry grabbed Lacci sleeve and pointed with his other hand. "There they are. See them? The Weasleys. That's our new home for the rest of the summer."
Lacci followed his finger, and spied the red things. It didn't look like much of a home to her, but oh well. Whatever Harry said must be right. Harry began running towards them, and Lacci followed because he was holding her sleeve.
"Ron!" Harry called. One of the redheads turned. "Hey there, Harry!"
Within moments Harry, Lacci and all the Weaselys were within the same 10 square feet of space. That was actually a fairly amazing feat. Molly gave Harry a hug. "Hello Harry, it's good to see you again."
After veryone had finished hugging Harry, Fred and George had finished hugging each other and random muggles and Percy had finished not hugging anyone but getting squeezed by both the twins on opposite sides, Lacci walked up. "Hallo," she said quietly.
Arthur looked over at Lacci. "Oh, and this must be.. Lacci, yes? Hello Lacci. I'm Arthur, this is Molly, these are Fred and George, oh, no, sorry, Fred and George, this is Ginny, Percy, and Ron."
Lacci nodded to all of them. "Hi hi hi hi hi hi hi," She said, smiling at all of them. They just stood for a moment in uncomfortable silence. Then Ginny walked up to Lacci and gave her a big hug. "It's wonderful to meet you, Lacci," she said.
With the ice broken, the rest of the Weasleys gave Lacci a welcoming hug. Fred and George got back in line and hugged her several times. When all that was over, it left Lacci smiling like a maniac. "I'd hug beck, but straight jacket," she said, trying to sound as normal as possible.
"Straight jacket?" Molly asked, turning towards Harry. Harry turned pink.
"She came with it!" He said. "She had to wear it on the way here for safety reasons."
Fred laughed. "Sure Harry. You kinky boy." George laughed. Molly glared at them. "Now, that isn't nice at all." She gave Harry in indescribable look, and said to Lacci, "Come on, lets all squeeze into our car, and we'll go back to the Burrow. Then you can get out of that awful thing. Lacci nodded thankfully, and they all piled into the Weasley's car. They drove home. On the ground. The normal way.