Abused – School Scathes
I sit on my bed, looking at the white sheets. I've never had white sheets – not in my room at least. All my sheets are covered in blood and dirt and who knows what else. These sheets are clean. I don't like them much, but maybe I'm just not used to them. I look around the Dormitory. It's my first night at Hogwarts and the night before my mom and dad send me a Howler, scorning me in front of the whole school. I'm nervous. I'm not sure why, it's not like I have any friends yet that will stop liking me because of them – unless you count James Potter, a kid I met on the train. But I still don't like the idea of everyone in the world knowing how my parents act. Maybe to get rid of some of the stress, maybe because it's a habit, or maybe because I'm just bored, I take out my knife.
I got the knife a few years ago for my birthday. It is an awesome knife. It can open any door, and the blades can cut through anything – even brick. I didn't get it from my dad or mom, or Regulus even. It was from my favorite cousin, Andromeda. She's sorted into Ravenclaw. Well, her parents won't like that, but they won't be as mad as my parents. I was sorted into Gryffindor, which is Slytherin's worst enemy. My parents were saying how I'd be a great Slytherin. Well, their world is going to come crashing down on them. I'm happy for that at least, and it's quite funny to imagine Mom's face. I pull up my sleeve and lower my knife to the skin. It's already scabbed, scarred, burnt, and bruised. A few of these things I've done myself, and my parents, and cousins caused the others.
I'm just about to slit part of my skin when I hear someone enter the Dorm. I look up, trying to hide the knife and pull down my sleeve, but the boy has already seen my arm and the knife. He is just a little shorter than I am. He has light brown hair that hangs in his pale, freckled face. His eyes are a dark brown, but he has gray among that. He looks almost sick, but I don't pay attention because I'm probably as pale as he is and feeling as sick as he looks. He walks over to me – I've put my knife away – and looks at me quizzically. I don't look at him, but mutter, "Hello." He ignores me though, and looks at my arm. I push my sleeve down so that he can't see how bad the blemishes are.
"Did you do that to your arm?" he asks, looking at me with a serious look. I shrug slightly, but nothing that's noticeable. If I keep up like this, my dad's words will be true. 'You'll never have friends with your attitude! Rude, scornful, and a blood traitor! Not to mention how weak you are. Even if you do find someone willing to be your friend, you'll be so refined they'll loose interest!' So I know I have to say something. I don't know exactly what to say, because no one has ever asked me that before. I suppose I'll have to tell the truth.
"Well, partly. My cousins have caused a few of the bruises and my mum and dad caused most of the burn marks." The boy looks at me. I'm still not looking at him; instead I look at my shoes. I know what his expression wears. It's the I'm-so-sorry-for-you look. I don't want that look, or people to feel sorry for me. Of course, he's probably wondering what kind of parents mine are to do these things. "It's a long story," I say. I look at him and grin – hoping it's not a rude grin – and, to change the subject, stick out my hand. "I'm Sirius Black."
The boy takes my hand and smiles. "I'm Remus Lupin," he says, letting go. He is probably the first person to touch me – intentionally – outside my family. I look back at my shoes and we stand (actually, I sit) awkwardly for awhile. He looks at his watch and mutters something to himself. He looks at me and smiles once more. "Kind of late... I think I'll go to bed." I nod and watch as he slips into his bed and turns on his side, back away from me. I watch him for a few minutes more and grab my knife from my back pocket and roll up my sleeve. I take out a blade and run it slightly over my arm. The blade is sharp and a small pain is coming over me. There isn't any blood – yet – and the sheets are still clean.