Disclaimer: See the first chapter
Chapter 6
Harry woke up late the following afternoon. The events of the previous night seemed unreal, though the pain was still real. He was afraid to open his eyes and find himself back in his room at Pivet Drive, about to be beaten for getting up late. He took a deep breath and whimpered at the pain it brought. Seconds later he felt a presence over him and flinched back into the bed.
"Mr. Potter, I know you're awake so can you please open your eyes for me?" Dumbledore asked gently, staring down at the shaking form.
"Professor Dumbledore?" Harry whispered, still afraid to open his eyes.
"Yes Harry, it's me. You're safe...you can open your eyes."
Harry slowly opened his eyes and saw the blurry form of Dumbledore and the infirmary. He immediately reached his hand out for his glasses and Dumbledore handed them to him.
"How are you feeling my boy?" Dumbledore asked.
"Fine," he replied.
"You don't look very fine to me Mr. Potter. Care to answer again?"
Harry was saved from having to answer again by Sirius and Remus entry into the infirmary.
"I told you he should be awake by now Mooney," Sirius said. "Hi Albus. Are we interrupting anything?"
"No, I was just seeing how Harry was doing," Dumbledore replied, looking at Harry. Since the two of you are here now, I think I will return to my office and some papers I need to work out. I'll come see you later Harry." He looked at Harry a few seconds longer then walked out the infirmary doors.
"So how are you doing Harry?" Remus asked softly, taking a seat next to Harry's bed; Sirius taking one on the other side.
As soon as Harry opened his mouth to answer, Sirius cut in "And you better not say 'okay' or 'fine'," but softened the words with a grin. Harry immediately closed his mouth.
"Harry can you please tell us the truth about what happened and how you are?" Remus asked, this time him being the one who stared at Harry's face.
"I can't," Harry whispered.
"Why not? What is so bloody hard to tell us? We just want to know how you are!" Sirius exploded, trying to stay somewhat quiet.
Remus saw Harry flinch back into his bed and knew he would reveal nothing now, especially with Sirius there.
"Mr. Black, what do you think you're doing?!" Pomfrey exclaimed. "If you think yelling is helping anybody then you are more of a fool then I though. Mr. Lupin, you may stay but Mr. Black you must leave."
A dark look came over Sirius's face and he opened his mouth but Pomfrey glared at him and said "Out. Now."
Sirius glared back then stormed out, slamming the doors on his way out.
"That man needs a talking to," Pomfrey grumbled. "I'm going to go floo Albus. Harry are you okay here with Mr. Lupin? Good," she said, not waiting for an actual response. She stalked off to her office, mumbling under her breath about stupid men and their issues.
Remus shook his head, not believing Sirius' behavior. When he looked over at Harry, his heart nearly broke in half. Harry had his eyes shut tight and was still sitting up, but with his arms holding his legs up to his chest, and he was rocking. He was also whispering "I'm sorry" over and over again. Now Remus wanted to hurt Sirius along with the Dursleys (he was certain they were the ones who did this to Harry).
"Oh Harry," he whispered sadly. "Harry, it's okay. Can you please look at me? Sirius and everybody is gone; it's just you and me," he said a little louder but gently.
Harry stayed in the some position with his eyes shut but stopped whispering "I'm sorry." This time he said "I can't."
"Why can't you Harry? You know I would never hurt you."
"How do I know Sirius isn't still there? Ready to beat me for not giving him the answer he wanted," he answered, fear evident in his voice.
'Damn you, Sirius,' Remus thought. He took a deep mental breath and then an outwards one. "Sirius is just worried about you kiddo. We all are...he just doesn't handle emotions too well. I promise you I am the only one in here, even Poppy is off in her office somewhere. If I'm lying, I give you full permission to hex me into oblivion, but ya gotta open your eyes first."
"Can I get that in writing?" Harry asked quietly, his hold on his legs loosening some.
Remus had to chuckle at that. "Sure thing kiddo."
Harry argued with himself about it for awhile but finally decided it was okay to open his eyes. 'I can trust Professor Lupin. He has never yelled at me and has always been nice.' He slowly opened his eyes and saw only Remus.
"Darn," Harry rasped. "I can't hex you now."
"Well once you're feeling better maybe I'll let you hex me some anyways," Remus replied and winked at him then got serious. "I'm not going to force you to say anything but is there anything you want to talk about?"
Harry gulped. He wanted to talk to someone but at the same time he didn't. This was Professor Lupin though...maybe...
"I don't know what to say," he answered quietly.
"Then you don't have to say anything." Remus decided to switch to a lighter topic. "Are you going to be Seeker again this year for Gryffindor?"
Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, thinking of what to write next on his parchment when he heard a loud 'pop'. He looked over and saw Poppy's head sticking out of his fireplace.
"I hope I am not disturbing you Albus but this is important. I think you need to have a little talk with Mr. Black about his behavior, especially around Mr. Potter. Thank you sir." Giving Dumbledore no time to reply as she had done to Harry and Remus, she immediately 'popped' out of the fireplace, leaving Dumbledore alone in his office again. He couldn't help but smile and chuckle at her actions. 'Always firm, making sure things will be done, and giving no time for a response.' He now had the duty of tracking down Mr. Black though so with a sigh he put down his quill. He probably needed a break anyways.
Chapter 6
Harry woke up late the following afternoon. The events of the previous night seemed unreal, though the pain was still real. He was afraid to open his eyes and find himself back in his room at Pivet Drive, about to be beaten for getting up late. He took a deep breath and whimpered at the pain it brought. Seconds later he felt a presence over him and flinched back into the bed.
"Mr. Potter, I know you're awake so can you please open your eyes for me?" Dumbledore asked gently, staring down at the shaking form.
"Professor Dumbledore?" Harry whispered, still afraid to open his eyes.
"Yes Harry, it's me. You're safe...you can open your eyes."
Harry slowly opened his eyes and saw the blurry form of Dumbledore and the infirmary. He immediately reached his hand out for his glasses and Dumbledore handed them to him.
"How are you feeling my boy?" Dumbledore asked.
"Fine," he replied.
"You don't look very fine to me Mr. Potter. Care to answer again?"
Harry was saved from having to answer again by Sirius and Remus entry into the infirmary.
"I told you he should be awake by now Mooney," Sirius said. "Hi Albus. Are we interrupting anything?"
"No, I was just seeing how Harry was doing," Dumbledore replied, looking at Harry. Since the two of you are here now, I think I will return to my office and some papers I need to work out. I'll come see you later Harry." He looked at Harry a few seconds longer then walked out the infirmary doors.
"So how are you doing Harry?" Remus asked softly, taking a seat next to Harry's bed; Sirius taking one on the other side.
As soon as Harry opened his mouth to answer, Sirius cut in "And you better not say 'okay' or 'fine'," but softened the words with a grin. Harry immediately closed his mouth.
"Harry can you please tell us the truth about what happened and how you are?" Remus asked, this time him being the one who stared at Harry's face.
"I can't," Harry whispered.
"Why not? What is so bloody hard to tell us? We just want to know how you are!" Sirius exploded, trying to stay somewhat quiet.
Remus saw Harry flinch back into his bed and knew he would reveal nothing now, especially with Sirius there.
"Mr. Black, what do you think you're doing?!" Pomfrey exclaimed. "If you think yelling is helping anybody then you are more of a fool then I though. Mr. Lupin, you may stay but Mr. Black you must leave."
A dark look came over Sirius's face and he opened his mouth but Pomfrey glared at him and said "Out. Now."
Sirius glared back then stormed out, slamming the doors on his way out.
"That man needs a talking to," Pomfrey grumbled. "I'm going to go floo Albus. Harry are you okay here with Mr. Lupin? Good," she said, not waiting for an actual response. She stalked off to her office, mumbling under her breath about stupid men and their issues.
Remus shook his head, not believing Sirius' behavior. When he looked over at Harry, his heart nearly broke in half. Harry had his eyes shut tight and was still sitting up, but with his arms holding his legs up to his chest, and he was rocking. He was also whispering "I'm sorry" over and over again. Now Remus wanted to hurt Sirius along with the Dursleys (he was certain they were the ones who did this to Harry).
"Oh Harry," he whispered sadly. "Harry, it's okay. Can you please look at me? Sirius and everybody is gone; it's just you and me," he said a little louder but gently.
Harry stayed in the some position with his eyes shut but stopped whispering "I'm sorry." This time he said "I can't."
"Why can't you Harry? You know I would never hurt you."
"How do I know Sirius isn't still there? Ready to beat me for not giving him the answer he wanted," he answered, fear evident in his voice.
'Damn you, Sirius,' Remus thought. He took a deep mental breath and then an outwards one. "Sirius is just worried about you kiddo. We all are...he just doesn't handle emotions too well. I promise you I am the only one in here, even Poppy is off in her office somewhere. If I'm lying, I give you full permission to hex me into oblivion, but ya gotta open your eyes first."
"Can I get that in writing?" Harry asked quietly, his hold on his legs loosening some.
Remus had to chuckle at that. "Sure thing kiddo."
Harry argued with himself about it for awhile but finally decided it was okay to open his eyes. 'I can trust Professor Lupin. He has never yelled at me and has always been nice.' He slowly opened his eyes and saw only Remus.
"Darn," Harry rasped. "I can't hex you now."
"Well once you're feeling better maybe I'll let you hex me some anyways," Remus replied and winked at him then got serious. "I'm not going to force you to say anything but is there anything you want to talk about?"
Harry gulped. He wanted to talk to someone but at the same time he didn't. This was Professor Lupin though...maybe...
"I don't know what to say," he answered quietly.
"Then you don't have to say anything." Remus decided to switch to a lighter topic. "Are you going to be Seeker again this year for Gryffindor?"
Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, thinking of what to write next on his parchment when he heard a loud 'pop'. He looked over and saw Poppy's head sticking out of his fireplace.
"I hope I am not disturbing you Albus but this is important. I think you need to have a little talk with Mr. Black about his behavior, especially around Mr. Potter. Thank you sir." Giving Dumbledore no time to reply as she had done to Harry and Remus, she immediately 'popped' out of the fireplace, leaving Dumbledore alone in his office again. He couldn't help but smile and chuckle at her actions. 'Always firm, making sure things will be done, and giving no time for a response.' He now had the duty of tracking down Mr. Black though so with a sigh he put down his quill. He probably needed a break anyways.