Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter or its surrounding
properties; they belong to the wonderful JK Rowling. I own my computer and
my brain.
You can kill me for not updating, but I got a beta (not that that's why it took so long, she had it back to me like a week ago). Blame my math teacher, if blame is to be set on others besides me. Stupid hour long assignments! Half of the next chapter is done though too, I'll finish it up tonight and have it up by tomorrow probably. Enjoy!
Chapter 3 Call Me Remus
Harry fell asleep soon after Albus had left that evening, giving me plenty of time to think about everything that had happened and that's exactly what I did as I set up his bedroom upstairs. I didn't quite know how I was going to confront Harry about all this. As it turns out, I didn't have as much thinking time as I thought...
"Ahhh!!! No Vernon, no! Please, I'm your nephew! Please, have mercy! Dudley, no!" Harry screamed from upstairs, where I had placed him on my bed. I ran up the stairs almost as if my life depended on it. This was Harry, and he needed me. I would of fought packs of ravenous wolves to get to my young charge at that moment. I approached the door, opened it and entered the room cautiously. I looked over at Harry who had sat up straight in his bed and had sweat rolling down his forehead. A look of complete and utter terror was visible in his face. I walked towards him and sat on the bed beside him.
"Harry what happened?" I asked with concern evident on my face. He looked at me and than turned away, tears rolling down his face, mixing with the sweat. I could tell that he didn't want me to see him cry.
"Harry, I want to help you, you need to tell me what has happened" I said, turning his face towards mine and looking deep into his emerald eyes. My father always told me that if you want someone's trust you must first look directly into their eyes and not blink once for a noticeable while.
"I.I can't Professor Lupin" Harry replied. He then burst into a fit of sobs and dug his head into my robes. We stayed like this for quite a while. He nuzzled in farther into my robes and I placed one arm around his trembling body while using the other to stroke his hair affectionately.
"Shh, shh, it's okay now. Never again will you live with those monsters, I promise" I said into his ear as he cried. His sobs started to slow down a bit and he started sniffling a bit. Than he looked up at me, and our eyes connected once again.
"Really? You promise?" Harry asked incredulously. I nodded. He gave me a weak smile and I smiled back. Than he suddenly frowned again.
"What's wrong?" I asked, as soon as I saw the huge frown.
"Well, I'm not looking forward to telling you about everything" Harry said. "I know I have to, but it's a little awkward" he than admitted. I smiled down at him again.
"Well, you can start at wherever you want and go through to the end. If there are any gaps, or things I don't understand, you can fill me in. Don't worry, I'm here to support you through this and everything else from now on" I said. Harry gave a nod of appreciation and took a deep breath, as he launched into his story.
"I don't really know where to start. Ever since before I can remember the Dursleys have been abusing me in some way or another. I spent the first 10 years of my life sleeping in a cupboard under the stairs and I was never given any affection, or praise, like their precious Dudley" Harry started, saying the word precious with anger that I think surprised even him. "Starting when they found out I was a wizard they've given the occasional push or shove, maybe a slap on the face when they thought I deserved it: nothing that I couldn't handle though. Ever since you guys threatened me at the station though, they had been much worse. Vernon whipped me with a belt, causing big welts on my back and Petunia would push me down the stairs. Now, it didn't even seem like I had to have done something wrong to get a 'punishment'. It seemed like all I had to do was simply be there and that was enough" he shuddered. "Sometimes...they.even." he started.
He then seemed to think better of it though, as his face went completely white and he ran from the room. I waited a few seconds, absorbing everything that had seeped in. Then I came to my senses and chased after him. I found him on the couch, crying again. I walked over to the couch and sat down next to him. I put my hand on his shoulder, because my instincts told me he needed support, not comfort.
"What Harry? What else did they do?" I asked gently. He just looked at me and than spoke earnestly.
"I don't think I can tell you, I don't think I can tell anyone" Harry said, with his eyes straight into his lap. I took his head in my hands.
"Harry, no look at me" I said as he tried to look down again. "You have shown me that you are a very courageous man, by telling me what you have so far. But in order for me to help you, I need to know what you've been through. You can tell me anything Harry, I'm not here to judge you".
"No, everything that I've said so far is stuff that you can go report to Dumbledore, but the other thing.oh.I don't know, it's very personal" Harry said.
"I promise Harry that whatever you tell me will never leave the walls of this house, as long as you don't want it too. All of your physical injuries have been healed. I'm not reporting to Dumbledore anything more than you want me too. He doesn't NEED to know anything" I reassured him.
"Fine, but never, and I mean never tell anyone else" Harry said. "Well, sometimes, when Vernon and Dudley were drunk they'd come in and rape me" he added quietly, with earnest tears rolling down his face once again. "There is nothing like being forced to have sexual intercourse ,anal or otherwise. It's a feeling of utter shame and embarrassment, followed by fear and anger. There's really no true to God way to describe it" Harry sniffled, as he uttered the last few words. I looked at him.
"Poppy found traces of foreign semen in your bloodstream and that would explain that" I said quietly. "Harry I am very sorry for what you had to go through, but it's late and I think we could both use some sleep. I want you to remember that none of this is your fault, you did nothing to deserve it, any of it. You know you can come talk to me about whatever, whenever right?" I confirmed with him.
"Right Professor Lupin, goodnight. Oh, and thanks, what you did tonight means a lot to me." Harry said earnestly.
"Good-night Harry, I love you" I said.
"I love you too Professor Lupin" he said, as he headed up the stairs to the bedroom I had set up for him.
"Oh, and Harry, I'm not your professor anymore, call me Moony or call me Remus" I said. He smiled and nodded as he reached the top of the stairs and turned right into his room. I smiled and headed up to bed myself, thinking of what the days ahead would hold.
Okay guys, that was really long! I did it all in just 2 sittings too. Wow, I'm good! Jking, jking, I'm not one to toot my own horn. But you guys can, or you can just tell me what you honestly think. REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!! You see, reviews make me happy and a happy writer is a faster writer. Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapters and a special thanks to Kangaroo for all her support and for being my Betta. Chapter 4 should be up by tomorrow night if all goes well. I'm swamped with work, but I'll try my hardest. Remember that a happy author is a frequent author, and reviews make me happy. Thanks!
luv and gratitude,
Twigs
You can kill me for not updating, but I got a beta (not that that's why it took so long, she had it back to me like a week ago). Blame my math teacher, if blame is to be set on others besides me. Stupid hour long assignments! Half of the next chapter is done though too, I'll finish it up tonight and have it up by tomorrow probably. Enjoy!
Chapter 3 Call Me Remus
Harry fell asleep soon after Albus had left that evening, giving me plenty of time to think about everything that had happened and that's exactly what I did as I set up his bedroom upstairs. I didn't quite know how I was going to confront Harry about all this. As it turns out, I didn't have as much thinking time as I thought...
"Ahhh!!! No Vernon, no! Please, I'm your nephew! Please, have mercy! Dudley, no!" Harry screamed from upstairs, where I had placed him on my bed. I ran up the stairs almost as if my life depended on it. This was Harry, and he needed me. I would of fought packs of ravenous wolves to get to my young charge at that moment. I approached the door, opened it and entered the room cautiously. I looked over at Harry who had sat up straight in his bed and had sweat rolling down his forehead. A look of complete and utter terror was visible in his face. I walked towards him and sat on the bed beside him.
"Harry what happened?" I asked with concern evident on my face. He looked at me and than turned away, tears rolling down his face, mixing with the sweat. I could tell that he didn't want me to see him cry.
"Harry, I want to help you, you need to tell me what has happened" I said, turning his face towards mine and looking deep into his emerald eyes. My father always told me that if you want someone's trust you must first look directly into their eyes and not blink once for a noticeable while.
"I.I can't Professor Lupin" Harry replied. He then burst into a fit of sobs and dug his head into my robes. We stayed like this for quite a while. He nuzzled in farther into my robes and I placed one arm around his trembling body while using the other to stroke his hair affectionately.
"Shh, shh, it's okay now. Never again will you live with those monsters, I promise" I said into his ear as he cried. His sobs started to slow down a bit and he started sniffling a bit. Than he looked up at me, and our eyes connected once again.
"Really? You promise?" Harry asked incredulously. I nodded. He gave me a weak smile and I smiled back. Than he suddenly frowned again.
"What's wrong?" I asked, as soon as I saw the huge frown.
"Well, I'm not looking forward to telling you about everything" Harry said. "I know I have to, but it's a little awkward" he than admitted. I smiled down at him again.
"Well, you can start at wherever you want and go through to the end. If there are any gaps, or things I don't understand, you can fill me in. Don't worry, I'm here to support you through this and everything else from now on" I said. Harry gave a nod of appreciation and took a deep breath, as he launched into his story.
"I don't really know where to start. Ever since before I can remember the Dursleys have been abusing me in some way or another. I spent the first 10 years of my life sleeping in a cupboard under the stairs and I was never given any affection, or praise, like their precious Dudley" Harry started, saying the word precious with anger that I think surprised even him. "Starting when they found out I was a wizard they've given the occasional push or shove, maybe a slap on the face when they thought I deserved it: nothing that I couldn't handle though. Ever since you guys threatened me at the station though, they had been much worse. Vernon whipped me with a belt, causing big welts on my back and Petunia would push me down the stairs. Now, it didn't even seem like I had to have done something wrong to get a 'punishment'. It seemed like all I had to do was simply be there and that was enough" he shuddered. "Sometimes...they.even." he started.
He then seemed to think better of it though, as his face went completely white and he ran from the room. I waited a few seconds, absorbing everything that had seeped in. Then I came to my senses and chased after him. I found him on the couch, crying again. I walked over to the couch and sat down next to him. I put my hand on his shoulder, because my instincts told me he needed support, not comfort.
"What Harry? What else did they do?" I asked gently. He just looked at me and than spoke earnestly.
"I don't think I can tell you, I don't think I can tell anyone" Harry said, with his eyes straight into his lap. I took his head in my hands.
"Harry, no look at me" I said as he tried to look down again. "You have shown me that you are a very courageous man, by telling me what you have so far. But in order for me to help you, I need to know what you've been through. You can tell me anything Harry, I'm not here to judge you".
"No, everything that I've said so far is stuff that you can go report to Dumbledore, but the other thing.oh.I don't know, it's very personal" Harry said.
"I promise Harry that whatever you tell me will never leave the walls of this house, as long as you don't want it too. All of your physical injuries have been healed. I'm not reporting to Dumbledore anything more than you want me too. He doesn't NEED to know anything" I reassured him.
"Fine, but never, and I mean never tell anyone else" Harry said. "Well, sometimes, when Vernon and Dudley were drunk they'd come in and rape me" he added quietly, with earnest tears rolling down his face once again. "There is nothing like being forced to have sexual intercourse ,anal or otherwise. It's a feeling of utter shame and embarrassment, followed by fear and anger. There's really no true to God way to describe it" Harry sniffled, as he uttered the last few words. I looked at him.
"Poppy found traces of foreign semen in your bloodstream and that would explain that" I said quietly. "Harry I am very sorry for what you had to go through, but it's late and I think we could both use some sleep. I want you to remember that none of this is your fault, you did nothing to deserve it, any of it. You know you can come talk to me about whatever, whenever right?" I confirmed with him.
"Right Professor Lupin, goodnight. Oh, and thanks, what you did tonight means a lot to me." Harry said earnestly.
"Good-night Harry, I love you" I said.
"I love you too Professor Lupin" he said, as he headed up the stairs to the bedroom I had set up for him.
"Oh, and Harry, I'm not your professor anymore, call me Moony or call me Remus" I said. He smiled and nodded as he reached the top of the stairs and turned right into his room. I smiled and headed up to bed myself, thinking of what the days ahead would hold.
Okay guys, that was really long! I did it all in just 2 sittings too. Wow, I'm good! Jking, jking, I'm not one to toot my own horn. But you guys can, or you can just tell me what you honestly think. REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!! You see, reviews make me happy and a happy writer is a faster writer. Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapters and a special thanks to Kangaroo for all her support and for being my Betta. Chapter 4 should be up by tomorrow night if all goes well. I'm swamped with work, but I'll try my hardest. Remember that a happy author is a frequent author, and reviews make me happy. Thanks!
luv and gratitude,
Twigs