Before I begin, I'd like to apologize in advance for the lousy formatting.
This is my first fiction posted on the net so there might be some problems.
Just bear with me kz?
Disclaimer: Do you mind? I don't own any of these characters etc. Ok on with the story.
Chapter 3
Ron's POV
Harry is getting way too obsessed with painting. We never seem to spend enough time with each other these days. I try to capture his attention with other hobbies but it doesn't seem to help. Yet whenever I ask him to do something with me he never refuses. Harry can never refuse anyone. It's against the grain of his nature to be selfish about anything or to decline to help.
He still loves to fly and we would spend hours out in the dying light of the autumn sun, practicing feints and loops and other quidditch moves. And any time I asked him to play chess with me, he would oblige. He even tries to please Mione by doing all his work with her in the library. But afterwards, he would return to painting. Always. Harry spends literally hours at his easel. He has painted almost all the Gryfindors already and a few Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Anyone who would sit for him.
Maybe I'm being selfish but I miss those cozy evenings in front of the fire, just the three of us. Talking about nothing important. I don't have qualms in saying that I'm scared of losing him. It's fear not totally unfounded due to the constant lurking presence of a mad psychopath that has been after his life since he was a baby. But what happened last summer caught us totally by surprise. I know the Dursley's didn't like Harry but what they did to him was brutal. Inhumane. You look at Harry and you can't believe he went through that kind of torture. He's so delicate and untainted. You would expect scars but that's magic for you. Physical wounds don't leave scars. And he hides his pain so effectively. It's like nothing happened. No one suspects a thing.
Absurdly, I blame painting for stealing Harry from me but in a way it is I admit that it is more than a hobby to him. In a strange way I think it's his only link to sanity. Somehow it helps him cope with the abuse he went through. And if it helps, I'm the last person to take that away from him. He often forgets to eat and Mione and I would save him food during the meals. I think we are afraid to disturb him.
There was this one time when he entered the Great Hall with Snape, looking flushed and flustered. I stood up and waved him over. As he approached, I saw his hands dripping with red. I gaped in shock. It took a few moments before I registered Mione's gasp of dismay. By the time I recovered, she had grabbed his hands as he reached her side, pushing up his sleeves to look at his wrists.
"Mione!" Harry protested, trying unsuccessfully to withdraw his hands. I could tell he was embarrassed. She ignored his objections and murmured a quick cleaning spell before running her fingers lightly over the length of his arms, her small hands disappearing underneath the roomy sleeves of his robes. Finding no cuts she looked imploringly at Harry.
"Where are you bleeding?"
I couldn't help cutting in, "Are you hurt? Where did all that blood come from?"
"No and no that wasn't blood," Harry smiled lightly. " It's just red paint. I think Malfoy managed to puncture a tube somehow..."
"Malfoy?" I spat, " What did he do this time? If he hurt you I swear I'll rip his guts out."
Harry replied easily, shrugging, " He just took my paints, luckily Snape turned up in time and made him give them back. I'm ok, you don't have to worry about me so much."
"Oh." Mione looked slightly contrite for overreacting. Then suddenly she burst out, " But if we were there for you this wouldn't have happened. We should have stayed with you!"
"You guys didn't know I was planning to come down for dinner. Besides, I can take care of myself, I'm a big boy now Mione." Harry laughed, yet inexplicably I could tell that something was bothering him. "Besides, this is Malfoy we're talking about, he'll pick on me no matter who's around." Harry fished a packet out of the pocket of his robe, grimacing when he saw that the red paint had soaked through the parchment papers. He drew his wand out, careful not to get paint on it and cast cleaning spells over the package and his robes. Placing the package on the table, he carefully unwrapped the layers of paper to reveal several paint brushes and a burst open tube of red paint. "Great." He sighed, " Now I'll have to order more from that catalogue. This was my last one."
He sat with us for a few moments longer but it was obvious that Harry was distracted. His eyes were slightly unfoccussed and I wondered what had shaken him that badly. He wasn't shying away from the normal dinnertime conversation but I could tell that his laughter was strained. The difference was hardly noticeable that I thought I was reading too much into his emotions. However, I noticed that he had barely touched anything on his plate when he told us he was heading for the Owlery. Immediately, Mione jumped up and announced that she was done too and offered to accompany him. I began to rise but Mione's explicit stare kept me in my place.
"Er.... then I'll meet you guys back at the common room later." I smiled weakly.
"Oh and Ron you have that Charms essay that you have to hand in on Thursday. Do try and get it done." That girl just can't give a guy a break. I sighed and scowled darkly at the amused glance Harry shot me. At the same time I secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Mione was so much better than me at these things. If something was bothering Harry she'd be able to find out and deal with it.
As they turned to leave I heard someone comment, "Mmm... red really is his colour."
I rose an eyebrow at Seamus' remark. Whoa... hey where did that come from? I glanced over at Seamus to see him practically drooling at Harry's retreating back. Seamus' eyes were slightly glazed over and he was contorting his body in order to watch Harry leave the Great Hall. Oh no. Seamus is gay?!? Harry's got to be warned!
This is going to be a long year. I groaned and put my head in my hands.
To Redmeadow: thanks for the review. yeah i know... i hate cliffies too i'm sorry if the last chapter was one.... i'll try not to do that in the future.. er hope this isn't one.
To JE: oh wow... thanks. hmz... about your questions i haven't quite decided yet. so i'm going with my inspiration. but yeah it gave me a few ideas that i can explore.
To BJ Jones: you like the change of perspectives? oh ok good coz i was thinking that this might be a little disorientating for some people.
To katrina: nope.... act chapter 1 occurred first. think it might be slightly confusing first but as the story moves on it'll get better. sorry about that.
To NayNymic: i can't exactly say that he wasn't raped. coz i did imply that harry was sexually abused. oh dear... now i got myself into a situation....*bangs head on keyboard* and draco is being a bastard at the moment. but that will change. i'm trying to make draco 'grow up' as the story progresses. i'd like to make them fall in love eventually and not take the line of 'hate being a form of suppressed love'. they honestly don't like each other now but they'll get to know and understand one another later on.
To suse: thanks that was sweet of you =).
To Lanevaly: yah we writers are a rather sadistic breed. but i won't let harry suffer too much. i hope. hey i do have a heart.
To anonymous: thanks.... i do try to keep in character.... at least in my interpretation of the character.
Disclaimer: Do you mind? I don't own any of these characters etc. Ok on with the story.
Chapter 3
Ron's POV
Harry is getting way too obsessed with painting. We never seem to spend enough time with each other these days. I try to capture his attention with other hobbies but it doesn't seem to help. Yet whenever I ask him to do something with me he never refuses. Harry can never refuse anyone. It's against the grain of his nature to be selfish about anything or to decline to help.
He still loves to fly and we would spend hours out in the dying light of the autumn sun, practicing feints and loops and other quidditch moves. And any time I asked him to play chess with me, he would oblige. He even tries to please Mione by doing all his work with her in the library. But afterwards, he would return to painting. Always. Harry spends literally hours at his easel. He has painted almost all the Gryfindors already and a few Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Anyone who would sit for him.
Maybe I'm being selfish but I miss those cozy evenings in front of the fire, just the three of us. Talking about nothing important. I don't have qualms in saying that I'm scared of losing him. It's fear not totally unfounded due to the constant lurking presence of a mad psychopath that has been after his life since he was a baby. But what happened last summer caught us totally by surprise. I know the Dursley's didn't like Harry but what they did to him was brutal. Inhumane. You look at Harry and you can't believe he went through that kind of torture. He's so delicate and untainted. You would expect scars but that's magic for you. Physical wounds don't leave scars. And he hides his pain so effectively. It's like nothing happened. No one suspects a thing.
Absurdly, I blame painting for stealing Harry from me but in a way it is I admit that it is more than a hobby to him. In a strange way I think it's his only link to sanity. Somehow it helps him cope with the abuse he went through. And if it helps, I'm the last person to take that away from him. He often forgets to eat and Mione and I would save him food during the meals. I think we are afraid to disturb him.
There was this one time when he entered the Great Hall with Snape, looking flushed and flustered. I stood up and waved him over. As he approached, I saw his hands dripping with red. I gaped in shock. It took a few moments before I registered Mione's gasp of dismay. By the time I recovered, she had grabbed his hands as he reached her side, pushing up his sleeves to look at his wrists.
"Mione!" Harry protested, trying unsuccessfully to withdraw his hands. I could tell he was embarrassed. She ignored his objections and murmured a quick cleaning spell before running her fingers lightly over the length of his arms, her small hands disappearing underneath the roomy sleeves of his robes. Finding no cuts she looked imploringly at Harry.
"Where are you bleeding?"
I couldn't help cutting in, "Are you hurt? Where did all that blood come from?"
"No and no that wasn't blood," Harry smiled lightly. " It's just red paint. I think Malfoy managed to puncture a tube somehow..."
"Malfoy?" I spat, " What did he do this time? If he hurt you I swear I'll rip his guts out."
Harry replied easily, shrugging, " He just took my paints, luckily Snape turned up in time and made him give them back. I'm ok, you don't have to worry about me so much."
"Oh." Mione looked slightly contrite for overreacting. Then suddenly she burst out, " But if we were there for you this wouldn't have happened. We should have stayed with you!"
"You guys didn't know I was planning to come down for dinner. Besides, I can take care of myself, I'm a big boy now Mione." Harry laughed, yet inexplicably I could tell that something was bothering him. "Besides, this is Malfoy we're talking about, he'll pick on me no matter who's around." Harry fished a packet out of the pocket of his robe, grimacing when he saw that the red paint had soaked through the parchment papers. He drew his wand out, careful not to get paint on it and cast cleaning spells over the package and his robes. Placing the package on the table, he carefully unwrapped the layers of paper to reveal several paint brushes and a burst open tube of red paint. "Great." He sighed, " Now I'll have to order more from that catalogue. This was my last one."
He sat with us for a few moments longer but it was obvious that Harry was distracted. His eyes were slightly unfoccussed and I wondered what had shaken him that badly. He wasn't shying away from the normal dinnertime conversation but I could tell that his laughter was strained. The difference was hardly noticeable that I thought I was reading too much into his emotions. However, I noticed that he had barely touched anything on his plate when he told us he was heading for the Owlery. Immediately, Mione jumped up and announced that she was done too and offered to accompany him. I began to rise but Mione's explicit stare kept me in my place.
"Er.... then I'll meet you guys back at the common room later." I smiled weakly.
"Oh and Ron you have that Charms essay that you have to hand in on Thursday. Do try and get it done." That girl just can't give a guy a break. I sighed and scowled darkly at the amused glance Harry shot me. At the same time I secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Mione was so much better than me at these things. If something was bothering Harry she'd be able to find out and deal with it.
As they turned to leave I heard someone comment, "Mmm... red really is his colour."
I rose an eyebrow at Seamus' remark. Whoa... hey where did that come from? I glanced over at Seamus to see him practically drooling at Harry's retreating back. Seamus' eyes were slightly glazed over and he was contorting his body in order to watch Harry leave the Great Hall. Oh no. Seamus is gay?!? Harry's got to be warned!
This is going to be a long year. I groaned and put my head in my hands.
To Redmeadow: thanks for the review. yeah i know... i hate cliffies too i'm sorry if the last chapter was one.... i'll try not to do that in the future.. er hope this isn't one.
To JE: oh wow... thanks. hmz... about your questions i haven't quite decided yet. so i'm going with my inspiration. but yeah it gave me a few ideas that i can explore.
To BJ Jones: you like the change of perspectives? oh ok good coz i was thinking that this might be a little disorientating for some people.
To katrina: nope.... act chapter 1 occurred first. think it might be slightly confusing first but as the story moves on it'll get better. sorry about that.
To NayNymic: i can't exactly say that he wasn't raped. coz i did imply that harry was sexually abused. oh dear... now i got myself into a situation....*bangs head on keyboard* and draco is being a bastard at the moment. but that will change. i'm trying to make draco 'grow up' as the story progresses. i'd like to make them fall in love eventually and not take the line of 'hate being a form of suppressed love'. they honestly don't like each other now but they'll get to know and understand one another later on.
To suse: thanks that was sweet of you =).
To Lanevaly: yah we writers are a rather sadistic breed. but i won't let harry suffer too much. i hope. hey i do have a heart.
To anonymous: thanks.... i do try to keep in character.... at least in my interpretation of the character.