Harry woke up, his head pounding. Lupin was shaking him gently.
"C'mon, Harry, it's time to get up. You need to have some breakfast."
Harry groaned and turned over. With his natural strength Lupin pulled Harry's unresponsive body towards him. The boy tensed up, straining away from his father friend.
"Hey, Harry, I'm not going to hurt you!"
To tell the truth, Lupin was a bit disappointed. He had always wanted to be a father, but because of his condition it had never been possible. He regarded Harry as his half-godson. But the boy obviously didn't want anything to do with a werewolf.
Lupin abruptly released Harry and retreated a step.
"You need breakfast," he said a little more abruptly than he meant to. "There are some clothes on the chair. Get dressed and come through to the next room and we can go to breakfast together."
He realised his words had sounded harsh, and added,
"Ok, Harry? Take your time"
In a more gentle tone.
********* 10 minutes later **********
Lupin sat tapping his foot waiting for Harry. Eventually he tapped on the door.
"Harry, are you coming?"
Silence.
"Harry? Are you there? I'm coming in, ok?"
Silence.
Heart pounding, Lupin opened the door and looked inside. What he saw made his anger rise again. Harry was asleep.
Lupin walked over, and roughly shook his shoulder.
"Get up!"
Harry's eyes opened and he flinched away from Lupin.
The werewolf ran a hand through his hair and sighed.
"Harry, I'm not going to hurt you. Can't you even tell the difference between me and those muggles?"
"Sorry, Remy."
Harry's voice was small and cracked.
"Professor Lupin while we're at school."
"umm. . .ok. Sorry."
**************************
Harry sat playing with his food at breakfast, not eating anything. Lupin had insisted that he ate with his 'friends' in Gryffindor. He wouldn't listen when Harry tried to explain. As though he felt Harry thinking about him, he caught the boys eye and shot him a look that clearly said 'If you don't eat something soon you will be in big trouble, young man'.
Conflicting emotions raced through Harry. Anger, fear, loneliness. He grabbed some muggle cereal that Dumbledore had an obsession with, and started to shovel it into his mouth. When it was finished, he began on the croissants, never letting his eyes leave Lupin. Lupin nodded approvingly and turned away.
'Bastard!' thought Harry. 'Make sure I'm eating and then just turn away like. . .like. . .oh what the hell, fuck him, fuck them all.'
He kept wolfing down food, unaware of the looks he was getting until Lavender murmered loudly enough for him to hear, "My god, he'll put on so much weight!"
His stomach suddenly felt leaden; standing up abruptly he ran out of the Hall in search of the nearest bathroom. Which happened to be in Remus' rooms.
How had he done it before? Two fingers, as far down his throat as he could force them. And he felt his breakfast rising, and began to vomit.
*********************
Snape leaned over to Lupin, smirking falsely.
"I think your little charge is feeling unwell, Lupin."
Lupin sighed.
"He's such a nuisance. Just acting all pathetic to try and worm out of lessons, I think. Merlin knows what James and Lily would say."
Snape prayed inwardly Lupin wasn't ever going to say that to Harry.
"Ah well, I should go see if he's ok."
"Don't make him go to classes, Remus. He needs the rest."
Lupin snorted.
"He's had enough of that already. He looks as good as new."
Snape groaned inwardly as Lupin left the Hall. Had the werewolf not heard of concealing charms?
***************************
"Harry! What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing?"
Harry didn't look up from where he was shoving his fingers down his throat.
"Piss off, Re- Professor Lupin."
"Don't you dare talk to me like that!"
Lupin crossed over to Harry, his mood not helped when Harry flinched away from him.
"So your relatives didn't even hurt you. Or starve you. You're doing it to yourself. For attention."
Harry swallowed. Was he? He was only vaguely aware of the fact his arms and knuckles were bleeding. Lupin looked at him in disgust.
"You can go to your lessons today. And grow up a bit, Harry. Your parents would be ashamed of you."
Harry felt sick to his stomach. Stumbling with dizziness as he got to his feet, he brushed past Lupin and walked as quickly as he could to the Potions room. Oh great. Double Potions with Snape and the Slytherins. Lets all take the piss out of Potter.
He pushed open the door.
"Sorry I'm late, sir. Professor Lupin kept me after breakfast."
Snape eyed Harry with interest. The aura of anger coming off the boy was very, very strong.
"5 points from Gryffindor. Go and work with Master Malfoy."
He stalked around the classroom as slowly as he could, before reaching Harry and Draco. As quietly as he could, he muttered,
"Sit down if you need to, Mr Potter. Draco, if there are any problems, let me know immediately."
Harry refused to sit, despite the concerned looks Draco kept shooting him. He would not be weak. He would make his parents proud. Whatever Lupin said. But then, Lupin had known his parents as well as anyone. They probably were ashamed of him. Ugh.
*******************
Two melted cauldrons and 30 points off Gryffindor later, Snape finished the class.
"Potter, a word please. No Mr Malfoy, not you. You go to your next lesson."
As the class filed out, all the Gryffindors giving Harry evil looks, Snape started on him.
"Potter, I expect this sort of incompetence from Longbottom, not yourself. Pray explain why. . ."
His face relaxed into concern as the last students left the classroom.
"Why are you not resting?"
"I'm healed, sir, I feel fine."
"Come."
Snape lead Harry into his private rooms, muttering a password that Harry didn't catch.
"Sit."
Harry sat, looking scared, and Snape kicked himself inwardly. The boys uncle and aunt probably talked to him like that.
"If you are fine, will you take off the concealing charms?"
"No sir, I'd rather not."
There was no spirit in his answer and it worried Snape. Harry had seemed to diminish, as though he was trying to disappear entirely off the face of the earth.
"I will do it."
"You can't."
"If I try hard enough I can, Mr Potter, don't doubt it."
Harry looked at him flatly.
Snape muttered something and pointed his wand at Harry, hating himself for scaring the boy. Harry's face contorted and he broke the counter spell Snape was trying to work. His power stretched around him and he grimaced with the strain the magic was bearing on him.
Just when Snape wondered if he could break the spell, Harry gave a small moan and passed out cold on the floor. The concealing charms broke abruptly, leaving Snape to look at Harry Potter even worse than he had been the previous night.
The bruises on his face were partially healed, but there was vomit around his face, his knuckles were red and swollen, and blood was slowly trickling down his arms.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"Severus?"
It was Dumbledore.
"C'mon, Harry, it's time to get up. You need to have some breakfast."
Harry groaned and turned over. With his natural strength Lupin pulled Harry's unresponsive body towards him. The boy tensed up, straining away from his father friend.
"Hey, Harry, I'm not going to hurt you!"
To tell the truth, Lupin was a bit disappointed. He had always wanted to be a father, but because of his condition it had never been possible. He regarded Harry as his half-godson. But the boy obviously didn't want anything to do with a werewolf.
Lupin abruptly released Harry and retreated a step.
"You need breakfast," he said a little more abruptly than he meant to. "There are some clothes on the chair. Get dressed and come through to the next room and we can go to breakfast together."
He realised his words had sounded harsh, and added,
"Ok, Harry? Take your time"
In a more gentle tone.
********* 10 minutes later **********
Lupin sat tapping his foot waiting for Harry. Eventually he tapped on the door.
"Harry, are you coming?"
Silence.
"Harry? Are you there? I'm coming in, ok?"
Silence.
Heart pounding, Lupin opened the door and looked inside. What he saw made his anger rise again. Harry was asleep.
Lupin walked over, and roughly shook his shoulder.
"Get up!"
Harry's eyes opened and he flinched away from Lupin.
The werewolf ran a hand through his hair and sighed.
"Harry, I'm not going to hurt you. Can't you even tell the difference between me and those muggles?"
"Sorry, Remy."
Harry's voice was small and cracked.
"Professor Lupin while we're at school."
"umm. . .ok. Sorry."
**************************
Harry sat playing with his food at breakfast, not eating anything. Lupin had insisted that he ate with his 'friends' in Gryffindor. He wouldn't listen when Harry tried to explain. As though he felt Harry thinking about him, he caught the boys eye and shot him a look that clearly said 'If you don't eat something soon you will be in big trouble, young man'.
Conflicting emotions raced through Harry. Anger, fear, loneliness. He grabbed some muggle cereal that Dumbledore had an obsession with, and started to shovel it into his mouth. When it was finished, he began on the croissants, never letting his eyes leave Lupin. Lupin nodded approvingly and turned away.
'Bastard!' thought Harry. 'Make sure I'm eating and then just turn away like. . .like. . .oh what the hell, fuck him, fuck them all.'
He kept wolfing down food, unaware of the looks he was getting until Lavender murmered loudly enough for him to hear, "My god, he'll put on so much weight!"
His stomach suddenly felt leaden; standing up abruptly he ran out of the Hall in search of the nearest bathroom. Which happened to be in Remus' rooms.
How had he done it before? Two fingers, as far down his throat as he could force them. And he felt his breakfast rising, and began to vomit.
*********************
Snape leaned over to Lupin, smirking falsely.
"I think your little charge is feeling unwell, Lupin."
Lupin sighed.
"He's such a nuisance. Just acting all pathetic to try and worm out of lessons, I think. Merlin knows what James and Lily would say."
Snape prayed inwardly Lupin wasn't ever going to say that to Harry.
"Ah well, I should go see if he's ok."
"Don't make him go to classes, Remus. He needs the rest."
Lupin snorted.
"He's had enough of that already. He looks as good as new."
Snape groaned inwardly as Lupin left the Hall. Had the werewolf not heard of concealing charms?
***************************
"Harry! What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing?"
Harry didn't look up from where he was shoving his fingers down his throat.
"Piss off, Re- Professor Lupin."
"Don't you dare talk to me like that!"
Lupin crossed over to Harry, his mood not helped when Harry flinched away from him.
"So your relatives didn't even hurt you. Or starve you. You're doing it to yourself. For attention."
Harry swallowed. Was he? He was only vaguely aware of the fact his arms and knuckles were bleeding. Lupin looked at him in disgust.
"You can go to your lessons today. And grow up a bit, Harry. Your parents would be ashamed of you."
Harry felt sick to his stomach. Stumbling with dizziness as he got to his feet, he brushed past Lupin and walked as quickly as he could to the Potions room. Oh great. Double Potions with Snape and the Slytherins. Lets all take the piss out of Potter.
He pushed open the door.
"Sorry I'm late, sir. Professor Lupin kept me after breakfast."
Snape eyed Harry with interest. The aura of anger coming off the boy was very, very strong.
"5 points from Gryffindor. Go and work with Master Malfoy."
He stalked around the classroom as slowly as he could, before reaching Harry and Draco. As quietly as he could, he muttered,
"Sit down if you need to, Mr Potter. Draco, if there are any problems, let me know immediately."
Harry refused to sit, despite the concerned looks Draco kept shooting him. He would not be weak. He would make his parents proud. Whatever Lupin said. But then, Lupin had known his parents as well as anyone. They probably were ashamed of him. Ugh.
*******************
Two melted cauldrons and 30 points off Gryffindor later, Snape finished the class.
"Potter, a word please. No Mr Malfoy, not you. You go to your next lesson."
As the class filed out, all the Gryffindors giving Harry evil looks, Snape started on him.
"Potter, I expect this sort of incompetence from Longbottom, not yourself. Pray explain why. . ."
His face relaxed into concern as the last students left the classroom.
"Why are you not resting?"
"I'm healed, sir, I feel fine."
"Come."
Snape lead Harry into his private rooms, muttering a password that Harry didn't catch.
"Sit."
Harry sat, looking scared, and Snape kicked himself inwardly. The boys uncle and aunt probably talked to him like that.
"If you are fine, will you take off the concealing charms?"
"No sir, I'd rather not."
There was no spirit in his answer and it worried Snape. Harry had seemed to diminish, as though he was trying to disappear entirely off the face of the earth.
"I will do it."
"You can't."
"If I try hard enough I can, Mr Potter, don't doubt it."
Harry looked at him flatly.
Snape muttered something and pointed his wand at Harry, hating himself for scaring the boy. Harry's face contorted and he broke the counter spell Snape was trying to work. His power stretched around him and he grimaced with the strain the magic was bearing on him.
Just when Snape wondered if he could break the spell, Harry gave a small moan and passed out cold on the floor. The concealing charms broke abruptly, leaving Snape to look at Harry Potter even worse than he had been the previous night.
The bruises on his face were partially healed, but there was vomit around his face, his knuckles were red and swollen, and blood was slowly trickling down his arms.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"Severus?"
It was Dumbledore.