9. Friends and Enemies
A/N: I had fun writing this chappie. Harry can't seem to escape the Weasleys, even in an AU. -grinwink- Thanks to Cielita for helping me out at the end.
Harry wasn't quite sure what to make of the two redheaded boys, but they seemed nice enough and Mum had trusted them to play with Harry. The younger one plopped down with Harry. "Hiya, Harry, I'm Charlie."
"Hi, Charlie," Harry replied, shaking the hand he offered. He looked more closely at the other boy's face. "Have you been crying?"
Brown eyes widened, before a reluctant grin appeared on his freckled face. "Yeah, I have."
"Why?" Harry asked, honestly wondering what would make this boy cry.
The older of the two boys sat down now. "Someone stole Norbert from him. I'm Bill, by the way."
"Hi, Bill." Harry shook his hand as well. "Who's Norbert?"
Charlie answered the question. "My stuffed dragon. I've had him for years an' years."
"Only two, Charlie," Bill corrected him, a little harshly Harry felt.
The little boy scooted closer to Charlie. "Would you like to hold my teddy bear? It might make you feel better."
"Please?" Charlie looked like he was on the verge of tears again.
Harry looked around and spotted his teddy bear on the floor behind Mum's desk. Running over, he picked it up and returned to where Charlie and Bill waited, handing the bear to the younger of the two. "Here you go."
"Thanks." Charlie smiled and accepted the bear, cuddling it for a moment. When he looked up, he looked much calmer.
Harry smiled back. "You're welcome."
The three of them settled down in the corner to play.
It hadn't taken Minerva long to retrieve the kidnapped toy. It had just been a matter of getting Severus to speak to his Slytherins. She left the disciplining to him, with a suggestion that the culprits see what it felt like to have such a cherished possession taken from them. "I know how to discipline my own students, Minerva."
"I realize that, Severus," she replied, checking the stuffed dragon (it reminded her strongly of a Norwegian Ridgeback) for any jinxes or curses Severus might not have found. "I was merely offering a suggestion. You needn't take it."
With that, she left, returning to her office to find Harry asleep on the couch, his head in Bill Weasley's lap. Charlie sat at Harry's feet, the five-year-old's teddy bear in his lap. "He just fell asleep, Professor."
"You don't need to apologize, Mr. Weasley," Minerva answered Bill, even as she offered the stuffed dragon to Charlie.
The boy accepted it with a smile. "Norbert!"
"Norbert?" Minerva repeated with a fond smile, even as she eased the teddy bear from Charlie's lap to the crook of Harry's arm. The little boy relaxed, a small smile curling the corners of his mouth.
Charlie nodded. "Yeah, I like that name. Hagrid says it's a good name for dragon."
"I'll bet he does," Minerva commented quietly as she eased Harry's head and shoulders up so Bill could get to his feet. Once Bill was standing, Minerva took his place, gently stroking Harry's tousled black hair. "You boys may go now."
Nodding, they headed for the door. "Thanks, Professor."
"You're welcome." She watched them leave and sighed. Harry sighed in his sleep and snuggled closer to Minerva. As she waited for him to wake up, she slowly slipped into the arms of Morpheus herself.
That's where Albus found them when he arrived to escort them to dinner. Minerva was sprawled in the corner of the couch with Harry curled up half in her lap, holding his teddy bear close. Smiling to himself, Albus smoothed the boy's hair back from his forehead and kissed the spot where his scar was located. Harry stirred and slowly opened his eyes. "Hi, Mr. Albus."
"Hello, Harry. Did you have a nice nap?" Albus asked, watching Minerva's face out of the corner of his eye.
Harry nodded, seeming content to stay where he was. "Yep!"
"Good." Albus helped Harry sit up.
The boy looked around and frowned. "Where are Bill and Charlie?"
"The Weasley boys?" Albus asked, puzzled.
Minerva's voice made both jump. Her eyes were still closed. "Yes, Albus. Some of the Slytherins took Charlie's dragon, so he and Bill came to me." She opened her eyes and stretched as thoroughly as her animagus form. "I asked them to stay with Harry while I retrieved it."
"Did you, Mum?" Harry asked, sounding concerned.
She nodded as she sat up. "Yes, I did. I took Bill's place and sent both on their way."
"That's good to hear," Albus commented as he helped Minerva to her feet.
She stretched again, her spine popping several times. "Yes, Charlie was very glad to have Norbert back."
"Norbert?" Albus asked with a chuckle.
Harry scrambled down from the couch. "Yep! That's what he calls his dragon."
"Ah, I see," Albus replied. "Are either of you hungry?"
Harry's eyes lit up. "Starving!"
"Yes, I am," Minerva added.
Albus smiled. "Shall we go down to dinner, then?"
That Friday, Albus arrived at lunch looking very sober. "Albus, is something wrong?"
"Hmm?" Albus blinked and looked at Minerva. "I'm sorry, did you say something, Minerva?"
This concerned her even more. It wasn't like Albus to be distracted at a meal. "I asked if there was something wrong."
"Not with me, no," he replied quietly.
She frowned, just noticing that he was merely poking at his food. "What about with someone else?"
"This is not an appropriate time or place to discuss it," Albus told her, his voice still quiet.
She raised an eyebrow. "What would be an appropriate place and time?"
"Tonight, after Harry's gone to bed, and in your rooms so we can keep an ear out for him," Albus answered promptly.
The other eyebrow rose. "Very well, then. Tonight."
"Yes." They both turned back to their lunches.
Once Harry was safely tucked in bed and asleep, Albus and Minerva sat down in front of the fire in her living room. "Albus, what has been bothering you?"
"When Harry mentioned that Vernon would make Petunia cry, I asked a friend of mine to do some investigating for me," Albus told her, the twinkle gone from his eyes.
Minerva drew in a sharp breath. "Albus, what is it?"
"He found that Mr. Dursley is in the habit of harming Mrs. Dursley physically," Albus informed her, his voice tight, his hands balled into fists. "Apparently, he blames her for Harry being 'foisted' on them, because Lily was her sister."
Minerva frowned, not liking the news she was hearing one bit. "Harry's been gone two weeks, why would he still be abusing her?"
"It takes time to get past this sort of thing." Albus sighed deeply. "The way I acted when I visited them probably didn't help, either."
Minerva sighed, exasperated. "Albus, it's apparent that Vernon Dursley was abusing his wife before you arrived to speak with them about their treatment of Harry. You are not responsible for the way he treats his wife."
"Thank you, Minerva." He smiled faintly at her, patting the hand she'd laid on his arm. When she tried to discreetly remove her hand, his grip tightened and she desisted. "My friend visited them and he said dinner was a very strained affair, with very little conversation. Dudley, their son, seemed to be the most relaxed of the three Dursleys."
Minerva sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. "Should we do anything, Albus?"
"I do not know, Minerva," he answered, looking and sounding very tired. "I would like to, but I don't know if she would welcome assistance from 'freaks'."
She thought for a moment, trying to think of a way they could help Petunia without her realizing who was helping her. "Perhaps a few words to the right authorities? Much as I dislike the way she treated Harry, no woman deserves to be abused by her husband."
"Or the man courting her," Albus added quietly, his eyes meeting hers.
Minerva froze. She'd told no one except Poppy about that. "How do you know?"
"I overheard you and Poppy discussing it once," he explained, his voice quiet, gentle. She turned away, not sure if she should be angry with him for eavesdropping or relieved that she wouldn't have to explain to him. He saved her by returning to the subject at hand. "I do believe a few words to the right Muggle authorities will work quite well."
Minerva turned back to him, composed once more. "Thank you, Albus."
"I asked--" he started, but she stopped him.
"Not just for agreeing to help her, Albus." Minerva's eyes met his without hesitation.
He slowly nodded. "You're welcome, Minerva. Now, it is getting late and I believe it's time we both retired and got some sleep."
"Tomorrow's Saturday, Albus," she reminded him.
He nodded. "Yes, but I'm aware that you still get up early on the weekends."
"Of course, I still have work to do," she replied, frowning slightly.
He smiled. "Exactly, so you still need to go to bed at a decent hour."
"Are you going to tuck me in, then?" she asked, and immediately wished she could take it back. It was one thing to tuck her and Harry in. It was another to tuck just her in.
His eyes twinkled in the firelight. "Only if you wish me to, Minerva."
"I haven't needed someone to tuck me in since I was a little girl, Albus," she told him, trying not to sound as if she was rejecting him.
He chuckled, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. "Good night, then, Minerva."
"Good night, Albus." She kissed his cheek and waited until he'd left for his own rooms before heading into her bedroom to change and go to bed.