(A/N: This chapter brought to you by the number eight.)
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Harry lay in his bed in the cupboard under the stairs, his hands behind his head and his face alit with the memory of Madison's reaction to his gift. He began to think of what he might be able to get her for Christmas, seeing as though he still had some money left over from the department store outing. Maybe he could get her a necklace to match one of the charms on her bracelet.
He couldn't help but snicker at how angry Vernon was when he caught Harry in the back yard and how purple the large man's face was. The Dursley adults had since then promised to lock Harry in his cupboard until summer, but it had only been three days and Harry could already tell they were letting their guard down.
Petunia had forgotten to lock the door back the last time she let Harry out to use the bathroom and would've left it like that had Harry not found her in the den and reminded her. Her red-faced embarassment in front of Vernon was enough to make another three days of being locked up pretty much bearable.
Finally the day came that Harry couldn't take it any more. He had to see her again. One can only stand being locked in a cupboard for so long. Harry woke up that morning and was almost in physical pain for longing to talk to Madison. An hour after he woke, Petunia came down to open the door to let him use the bathroom.
She followed him up the stairs and waited outside the door for him, then followed him back downstairs and to the cupboard. He stepped back inside, but just as she slammed the lock, he pushed the door slightly so that the lock didn't go into place. Satisfied and thinking that she had locked him in securely, Petunia had then left.
Harry, now full of a childish glee, waited with good spirits until he heard each of the Dursley's go into the kitchen for their breakfast. His would've been that of a peice of toast and half a glass of orange juice. Not very hearty. Once he believed that they had each settled down to eat, he snuck almost silently out of his cupboard and over to the front door where, in the future, hundreds of letters with his name on them would come flying out of the mailslot.
He stole quietly out the door and around to the backyard where he did the same as he had on Madison's birthday and took behind the hedges, slinking along behind them until he came to the spot where they usually talked.
"Madison?" he called hopefully. There was no answer. Oh well, he could wait.
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Minutes passed. Thirty minutes...fourty-five...an hour. Harry grew bored with building a miniature hut with broken twigs and leaves pulled from the brush around him. Finally, after about an hour and twenty minutes, he heard foot-steps behind him in Madison's yard.
"Hello?" came Madison's shaky voice.
"Madison!" called Harry happily.
The girl broke down into tears and said, "Harry, something's wrong." Her hand reached up under the fence and held onto his wrist. He reached over and patted her hand.
"What is it?" he asked.
"My...my mum," sobbed Madison, "she's n-not moving..."
"What do you mean?" asked Harry with concern.
"John and my mum were fighting...and...and...John...he...he broke the table...and...mum was yelling at him...but when I left the house, she wasn't moving..."
Panic swelled in Harry. "Well...we gotta do something. We gotta tell someone, or call the police," he said in the shaky voice of a frightened child.
A huge sob emitted from the girl. "I can't! John said if I come back in the house he'd punish me!" She sighed and said, "Here, Harry."
Harry felt her pull her hand away and a moment later she had dropped her beloved bracelet into his hand.
"Take care of it for me? Every time John looks at it, he looks like he wants to just rip it up," Madison sniffled, "I couldn't stand to lose it, Harry, but I trust you. Please, Harry. Please take care of it for me, just until John calms down and my mum gets better."
The boy put the bracelet into his pocket and held onto her hand tightly. "I will. I promise I'll never let anything bad happen to it." There was a level of truth in his voice that Madison couldn't possibly doubt.
Just then, the back door of Madison's house flung open. Harry could hear glass the breaking off of it as it hit the side of the house. Madison shrieked and held Harry's hand as tightly as she could.
"Be as quiet as you can," she hissed to him.
Harry squeezed her hand in reply and they both waited, petrified, for the horror that was John to pass.
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"MADISON?! WHERE ARE YOU?!" slurred John as he trampled through the back yard. Harry could hear him knocking over the lawn chairs and kicking at the bushes.
"Stupid girl! I KNOW YOU'RE OUT HERE!" the man screamed. It was easy to notice that he was drunk and undoubtedly violent. Madison reached her other hand down and clung to Harry's as if for dear life. Harry could sense her fear. It scared him too.
The fence shook as John threw a chair at it. Madison squeaked, Harry could feel her start to tremble.
"AH-HAH!" Harry could hear more stomping. "You're talking to that boy again, eh?!" Suddenly there was a rustle of bushes and Madison screamed. Her hand was jerked away from his. Harry stood up.
"Let her go!" he yelled, trying to hop over the fence. As Harry pulled himself up over the wooden planks of the fence, he caught a glimpse of of John's face before the man reached out and punched Harry, knocking him out.
The last thing Harry heard before his world faded away in a swirl of leaves was Madison's terrified scream.
"Don't, John! Please! NO!" There was a terrible cracking sound and Harry heard, saw, and generally knew no more.
-------
(A/N: The next few chapters are going to be REALLY angsty. Prepare yourselves.)
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Harry lay in his bed in the cupboard under the stairs, his hands behind his head and his face alit with the memory of Madison's reaction to his gift. He began to think of what he might be able to get her for Christmas, seeing as though he still had some money left over from the department store outing. Maybe he could get her a necklace to match one of the charms on her bracelet.
He couldn't help but snicker at how angry Vernon was when he caught Harry in the back yard and how purple the large man's face was. The Dursley adults had since then promised to lock Harry in his cupboard until summer, but it had only been three days and Harry could already tell they were letting their guard down.
Petunia had forgotten to lock the door back the last time she let Harry out to use the bathroom and would've left it like that had Harry not found her in the den and reminded her. Her red-faced embarassment in front of Vernon was enough to make another three days of being locked up pretty much bearable.
Finally the day came that Harry couldn't take it any more. He had to see her again. One can only stand being locked in a cupboard for so long. Harry woke up that morning and was almost in physical pain for longing to talk to Madison. An hour after he woke, Petunia came down to open the door to let him use the bathroom.
She followed him up the stairs and waited outside the door for him, then followed him back downstairs and to the cupboard. He stepped back inside, but just as she slammed the lock, he pushed the door slightly so that the lock didn't go into place. Satisfied and thinking that she had locked him in securely, Petunia had then left.
Harry, now full of a childish glee, waited with good spirits until he heard each of the Dursley's go into the kitchen for their breakfast. His would've been that of a peice of toast and half a glass of orange juice. Not very hearty. Once he believed that they had each settled down to eat, he snuck almost silently out of his cupboard and over to the front door where, in the future, hundreds of letters with his name on them would come flying out of the mailslot.
He stole quietly out the door and around to the backyard where he did the same as he had on Madison's birthday and took behind the hedges, slinking along behind them until he came to the spot where they usually talked.
"Madison?" he called hopefully. There was no answer. Oh well, he could wait.
-------
Minutes passed. Thirty minutes...fourty-five...an hour. Harry grew bored with building a miniature hut with broken twigs and leaves pulled from the brush around him. Finally, after about an hour and twenty minutes, he heard foot-steps behind him in Madison's yard.
"Hello?" came Madison's shaky voice.
"Madison!" called Harry happily.
The girl broke down into tears and said, "Harry, something's wrong." Her hand reached up under the fence and held onto his wrist. He reached over and patted her hand.
"What is it?" he asked.
"My...my mum," sobbed Madison, "she's n-not moving..."
"What do you mean?" asked Harry with concern.
"John and my mum were fighting...and...and...John...he...he broke the table...and...mum was yelling at him...but when I left the house, she wasn't moving..."
Panic swelled in Harry. "Well...we gotta do something. We gotta tell someone, or call the police," he said in the shaky voice of a frightened child.
A huge sob emitted from the girl. "I can't! John said if I come back in the house he'd punish me!" She sighed and said, "Here, Harry."
Harry felt her pull her hand away and a moment later she had dropped her beloved bracelet into his hand.
"Take care of it for me? Every time John looks at it, he looks like he wants to just rip it up," Madison sniffled, "I couldn't stand to lose it, Harry, but I trust you. Please, Harry. Please take care of it for me, just until John calms down and my mum gets better."
The boy put the bracelet into his pocket and held onto her hand tightly. "I will. I promise I'll never let anything bad happen to it." There was a level of truth in his voice that Madison couldn't possibly doubt.
Just then, the back door of Madison's house flung open. Harry could hear glass the breaking off of it as it hit the side of the house. Madison shrieked and held Harry's hand as tightly as she could.
"Be as quiet as you can," she hissed to him.
Harry squeezed her hand in reply and they both waited, petrified, for the horror that was John to pass.
-------
"MADISON?! WHERE ARE YOU?!" slurred John as he trampled through the back yard. Harry could hear him knocking over the lawn chairs and kicking at the bushes.
"Stupid girl! I KNOW YOU'RE OUT HERE!" the man screamed. It was easy to notice that he was drunk and undoubtedly violent. Madison reached her other hand down and clung to Harry's as if for dear life. Harry could sense her fear. It scared him too.
The fence shook as John threw a chair at it. Madison squeaked, Harry could feel her start to tremble.
"AH-HAH!" Harry could hear more stomping. "You're talking to that boy again, eh?!" Suddenly there was a rustle of bushes and Madison screamed. Her hand was jerked away from his. Harry stood up.
"Let her go!" he yelled, trying to hop over the fence. As Harry pulled himself up over the wooden planks of the fence, he caught a glimpse of of John's face before the man reached out and punched Harry, knocking him out.
The last thing Harry heard before his world faded away in a swirl of leaves was Madison's terrified scream.
"Don't, John! Please! NO!" There was a terrible cracking sound and Harry heard, saw, and generally knew no more.
-------
(A/N: The next few chapters are going to be REALLY angsty. Prepare yourselves.)
