A/N: Another consistant update. I really wasn't going to do this, but I got so many reviews, and thought, 'Booya! Update time for my adoring fans!' (You guys are really inflating my ego!) This is a slightly longer chapter, I believe. I finished my exams today, but I can't promise the frequent updates anymore, though I'll try. What with the Christmas rush, my birthday coming up, my relatives coming down, three of my toes broken, and a trip to Punta Gorda, I'll be a little busy. I'll try, though; really, I will...
After Hermione dropped Harry off, he hurried into the house, relieved that Uncle Vernon's car wasn't in the driveway. For the first time in weeks, Harry was truly happy. When Uncle Vernon had announced the move, he'd felt his heart sink. Back in Surrey, he had a lot of friends—good friends, friends that he'd hoped to know for the rest of his life. He'd even been working out living arrangements with his boyfriend, Cedric, who was well-off and older. They'd broken up, however, when Harry had to leave, because they'd both agreed that a long distance relationship would never work.
Harry felt a pang in his heart when he thought of Cedric, with his preppy good looks and gleaming smile. Though he had never fallen in love with the boy, he did love him, and missed him dearly. They'd enjoyed a sweet, ten month relationship full of long talks and steamy sex. A good-looking guy, that Cedric.
Unbidden, the image of Draco Malfoy rose in his mind. Now, he was just gorgeous. Long, silvery blond hair that fell, straight as a pin, to his shoulders, icy grey eyes the color of a winter day, a mouth like heaven and sneering words like hell. He had been dressed so conservative, all subdued colors and shining shoes. Harry grinned, remembering the aristocratic lines of his face and the 'I-am-God-bow-down-before-me' attitude. It sent pleasant shivers up his spine.
Of course, he certainly hadn't cared for it when the insults towards Hermione had begun pouring from that luscious mouth. No, not at all.
But Harry had the feeling that maybe Malfoy wasn't as bitchy and cold as he appeared. He wasn't sure what made him think this—hadn't there been blatant interest in his eyes as he'd looked over Harry? Oh, sure, it was obvious he thought he'd hid it, but Harry was used to watching people for subtleties. He had to be, living with the Dursleys, whose moods changed like lightning. A shift in the color of Vernon's skin, for example, meant a beating was imminent if Harry didn't do as he was told, perfectly and as fast as possible.
Sighing, wishing he could have spent more time in the company of Hermione, he headed upstairs to his new room. It was almost identical to his old room—impossibly small, with one window, hardwood floors, and no closet. There was more furniture than he'd ever had before, though, and for that he was grateful. A small, cot-like bed occupied the left hand corner farthest from the door, with a foldable nightstand next to it. There was a dresser in the opposite corner, and a tiny bookshelf that Harry adored. The Dursleys had purchased the house furnished, which he delighted Harry. Otherwise, he'd only have a bed.
His two suitcases and his skateboard were sitting on the bed. Inside the suitcases was everything Harry owned: his clothes, a few bottles of unnaturally colored hair dye, several cartons of cigarettes to tide him over, a half-empty bottle of vodka, a case of CDs, and a dozen or so books. Everything had been bought with his own money. He'd worked at a fish and chips joint in Surrey for some time before they'd moved.
Harry spent the next ten minutes unpacking and artfully arranging everything he could to make the room seem not as empty. But when he finished, it was still pretty obvious that he didn't own much. Two of the bookshelves were empty; there was nothing on top of the dresser, which had only one drawer filled. Mildly disappointed, he kicked off his shoes and put his skateboard in the middle of the room, pleased to see it filled a little more space.
He lay down on the bed, wincing at the hard springs that prodded him. Perhaps a little nap before the Dursleys came home would do him well.
And, with thoughts of Cedric and Malfoy lingering in his mind, he drifted off.
> > > > > > > > > > > > > >
"You lazy wanker!" Vernon bellowed.
Harry was instantly awake. He sat up wildly, gasping, and didn't have time to brace himself for the blow. It hit the side of his face, hard, and he fell back onto the mattress, willing himself to silence; any noise he made would only infuriate his uncle further.
Vernon towered over him, face purple with anger. He scowled at his nephew. "Bet that's all you've been doing today, eh, boy? Resting your worthless ass. Is that it? Is it?" He raised his fist threateningly.
If Hermione had seen Harry at that instant, she would have barely recognized the cowering, trembling mess as the happy, wild boy she'd met earlier that morning.
"No, Uncle Vernon! I swear!" he hastened to reply. "I brought in the suitcases!" Hating the pleading tone of his voice but unable to stop it, he felt the usual helpless rage rise up within him and fought to keep it hidden from his uncle. The anger had only escaped him twice before, and both times, Vernon had nearly killed him.
Vernon made a guttural sound deep in his throat. "You brought the suitcases in," he conceded, his tone ominously quiet. "That you did, boy, that you did. But you didn't fucking UNPACK THEM, you worthless FUCK!" The shriek echoed throughout the house. Downstairs, his fat pink face buried in the contents of the fridge, Dudley grinned, and his mother nearly dropped a plate in surprise at the outburst.
Harry's eyes grew wide. "But…but you only told me to bring them in!" He regretted it even as the words left his mouth.
Vernon stared at him for a second with bulging eyes. Then he growled and lunged forward.
The beating began.
Harry remained silent.
> > > > > > > > > > > > > >
The next morning, at Petunia's insistence, the Dursleys went out again, this time in search of household appliances for their new home. "We won't be home until late," Uncle Vernon told Harry, smirking as the boy shifted in discomfort, favoring one shoulder. "I expect everything to be unpacked by the time we get home, and I don't want to find you asleep again, understand?"
"Yes, sir," Harry mumbled, eyes downcast, body rigid with fury.
"What's that, freak? I didn't quite hear you."
"Yes, sir," Harry said louder. Satisfied, the Dursleys left, and Harry spent most of the morning unpacking the boxes and trying to put everything where he thought they'd like it. Of course, he knew they would find a thousand little things that he had done wrong, but he would do the best he could.
By noon, Harry was popping aspirin like Tic-Tacs. Aside from the livid bruise under his left eye, Vernon had not strayed above the collarbone in his beating last night. All of Harry's injuries were easily concealed by the right clothing, as usual. But his right arm throbbed in beat with his heart, and his back felt like a herd of elephants had danced the tango upon him. His stomach ached horribly.
By one, he had done as much as he felt able to, and lay down on the living room couch with a groan. As soon as he did, the doorbell rang. Harry cursed colorfully, not moving. It rang again, cutting through his headache like the path of a dagger.
"Who is it?" he yelled, and pulled a cushion over his face.
"Harry?" replied a muffled female voice. "Harry, it's me, Hermione!"
Harry was torn between dismay and delight. He sat up, arranging his features into a happy grin that felt semi-real. He quickly grabbed the clicker and turned on the television, pretending to relax.
"Come on in, Mione! I'm watching some fascinating American telly, and I'm too lazy to get up!"
He heard her laugh as she opened the door and entered the living room. Harry glanced at the TV, saw a cooking show, and quickly switched it to a sitcom before Hermione could notice. She sat down beside him somewhat awkwardly.
"Ready to go?" she asked, and turned to look at him for the first time. She gasped, a hand rising to cover her mouth involuntarily. "Oh, Harry, what happened to you! You look awful!"
He laughed easily, feeling nauseous. "When I was telling you about myself yesterday, I suppose I neglected to mention I'm a complete klutz. Last night I forgot that we were in this new house, which has stairs—duh—and when I went to get a glass of water from the kitchen, I took quite the tumble." He touched the bruise with slender fingers, wincing. "Looks that bad, huh?"
Hermione nodded, eyes worried. "Really bad, Harry," she supplied helpfully, and then blushed. Harry shrugged, grinning.
"So where are we going?" he asked.
"You don't remember?" A flicker of hurt flashed across his friend's face.
Harry thought quickly. "Of course I do…into town, right? But I meant, where in town are we going?" Hermione looked uncertain. "Is there a mall here? Why not the mall, then?" he continued when Hermione nodded. Harry stood up, and to Hermione it looked slightly strained. "Been moving stuff all morning," he explained at her questioning look.
Harry got ready, ruffling his hair into some semblance of order and pulling his boots on over a pair of slim blue jeans. He changed into a clean shirt that bore the legend of the Rolling Stones while Hermione waited in the living room. He found her gazing thoughtfully at the pictures he'd arranged on the mantle earlier. "Harry," she said as he walked into the room. "Why aren't you in any of these pictures?"
Harry shrugged, tugging on a long, black canvas coat with studded lapels. "There's another box with more pictures around here somewhere," he lied easily. "Ready?"
Hermione nodded and they went outside. Harry began to fiddle with the radio once again, as soon as he got into the Jeep. "Got some money on you?" he asked idly, tapping his boot to a song he liked.
"Yes, why?"
Harry smirked and pulled out his Newports, cranking down the window. "Because," he said, casually, as he lit up. "We're going to get you some really snappy clothes."
Hermione was caught between worry and pleasure.
Alrighty, there we go. Coming up:Harry's first day at Stonewall, more Draco, some Ron, perhaps some Sirius and Remus (still debating over that one), and punky!conservative!Hermione, or something of the sort...
For my reviewers, again:
oracale: I hope you loved this chapter as well.
HitTheFloor04: St. Pete, really? I live like 15 minutes away from you then! I love the cold weather, too. What school do you go to? I finished my exams today, thank god. Thanks for the review! Hope you keep reading.
Bibilien: Don't worry, not-so-shy Hermione is emerging bit by bit. I love AU stories, and I'm so glad you're enjoying it.
falconwingdiving: I wanted a Dark!Harry, but I wanted to make him uber loveable too. Thanks for the review!
Flame-OF-Ciara: I'm still trying to decide about Sirius and Lupin, but Ron will definately pop up, probably in the next chapter or two, and he won't be a jackass--he'll be Hermione's new love interest! Predictable, I know. So sue me Thanks for the review!
doxie: Not entirely sure yet; are you?
magic-shield: And I enjoy writing every update...and reading my reviews! So keep on, if you will.
lita-2003: Thank you! And I'm updating, don't worry.
Hippy FlowerVoldie's kid: Hermione's about to get a makeover, certainly. I'm pleased you are enjoying it so much! Thank you!
Burning tree: Ahh, my version of Draco is a tad different. I adore angsty Harry fics, though. Thanks!
peachesjo: I hope you DO find a way around your lack of computer and manage to review again, because I really enjoyed it
ura-hd: Direct!Harry is the only kinda Harry there should ever be! Thank you, and I hope you continue to enjoy this.
Little Sweetling: Another speedy update, just for your reading pleasure...And longer, too!
medusa-oblangada: I love the nose stud idea. Subtle, and cute. And drunk Hermione will be great fun for later chapters. Maybe once Harry gets settled into school, he'll throw a party when the Dursleys are gone, cha? Thanks for all the ideas!
Squirellswillrule: NO! Not the llamas! Anything but the llamas! Hope this update was speedy enough for you...
doughgurl12008: Thanks! Good luck on future baby-related projects...
Sezza Ridka: Well, this was a bit longer, though I was tempted to end it a little quicker. I resisted the urge. Hope you liked it as much as the last!
Raven's Light: I'd love to chat! (I'm quite the people-person, love making new friends and all.) My screen name on AIM is shortnspunky001. I added you to my buddylist, and I hope to talk to you soon!
(By the way, that invitation is open to anyone else who may want to chat, okay?)
All American19: I've said this before and I'll say it again: I get so giddy when I get reviews telling me my fic is original! Ahh, I love it I love it I love it! Thank you so much for your review!
zoomaphonethepirate: But of course! Thanks!
Shadow of ZAFT: And continue I shall! I'm glad you like this Harry, I did try to make him...alarmingly likeable. Lol.
angelkitty77: Ermm, I think you might be disappointed with the Ron I come up with...if he gets the snot beat out of him, as you so eloquently put it, it probably won't be because he deserved it...but you never know! Merry Christmas to you, too, sweetheart!
Whoa...my fingers are numb. In a good way. In a GREAT way.