Disclaimer: Not mine and never will be. (Gee, so original!)
Raven black locks spread messily over as pillow as the owner of them flopped back on his bed. He really didn't want to be where he was, even if he had more freedom than the last time he was here. Harry Potter was back at 4 Privet Drive after his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and although the warning that Moody, Mr Weasley and Remus had given his Aunt and Uncle meant that he had more freedom - he had his school things in his room for once! - he still didn't want to be there.
Most kids loved the summer holidays - even Ron and Hermione looked forward to them! - but Harry knew that this one was going to stretch on forever. He was adamant that he was not going to the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, so he was stuck at Privet Drive all summer, probably with the exception of a trip to Diagon Alley to get his new school things at some point.
Harry was startled by a knock on the door - no one ever came into his room, and when they did, they certainly didn't knock! Moody's warning must have really scared his Aunt and Uncle! It was his Aunt Petunia. "I'm putting Dudley's school uniform in the wash, do you need anything doing?" she asked, with forced calmness. Harry was stunned speechless but he recovered enough to hand over the school uniform he had been wearing for the train ride home and the jumper he had been wearing the night before - it was the one Mrs Weasley had knit for him in his fourth year with the dragon on the front.
He flopped back down on his bed and stared listlessly out of his window - it was warm and the air had a sticky, oppressive feel to it. It was going to be another extremely hot summer, not that he cared though. All his thoughts were on Sirius and how he'd never see the man again, the one person who had offered him a home. It hurt, it hurt so bad, and now he was going to have the whole summer to dwell on it, as well as coping with Voldemort and visions - oh, why hadn't he worked harder at Occlumency? He knew he was going to have to attempt to clear his mind every night if he wanted to get any sleep these holidays, but it was visions or nightmares about Cedric and Sirius. He didn't know which was worse.
He sat up and looked around the room restlessly, he was going to go stir crazy if he spent the holidays just looking at these four walls and thinking. He had to get out of the house. He was dressed in a pair of Dudley's old jeans, held up by a belt because they were so big on him, and a ragged grey t-shirt. He knew he looked a mess, but he didn't care. It wasn't like he was going to see anyone he knew whilst walking about the streets of Little Whinging, Surrey. After telling his Aunt and Uncle that he was going out he began to wander the streets with no real destination in mind. It was hot and he stripped his t-shirt off, walking around bare-chested. He knew if he wasn't careful he was going to end up burnt, but he really didn't care - his skin would just have to get used to the sun.
He idly noted a family moving in three blocks away from Privet Drive - he didn't care, they wouldn't know him anyway. He finally set course for the local neighbourhood park, hoping he wouldn't run into Dudley. Not that he expected that Dudley would try anything after the warning at the train station, but you never knew, his cousin could be really stupid at times.
Sitting on one of the swings, Harry absent-mindedly stared into the sky. No matter where he went, he couldn't escape from his thoughts. Letting the swing sway lightly to and fro and he looked around at the park. It was the first day of the summer holidays and you could tell it, the park was quite crowded and Harry was glad he'd chosen the old swing-set, right at the back of the park - he didn't want any company. He wondered about what Ron and Hermione would be doing right now in an attempt to take his mind off other darker things, such as Voldemort and Sirius. Hermione would probably be reading, curled up in her bedroom, glad to be home. That or telling her parents of all the goings-on that year and explaining something magical to them. Ron would probably be with Ginny, out flying behind the Burrow. Or if they'd gone straight to headquarters, they'd probably be playing chess and no matter where they were Mrs Weasley would be cooking something good for tea.
Harry sighed and stopped the swing and hunched over, staring at the ground. This was going to be one long summer holiday… he knew that just thinking about that wouldn't help, but he couldn't help it. There wasn't much else he could do expect think.
A shadow fell over him and a hesitant voice said; "Hi, Harry."
Harry looked up and it was the last person he wanted to see… well, maybe they weren't the last person he wanted to see, but he certainly didn't know what he felt about the person stood in front of him anymore. "Hi, Cho," he said quietly. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, we just moved in a couple of blocks away," Cho answered shyly. Harry looked up at her again. She was dressed in short dark denim shorts and a bright turquoise blue strap top. Her long black hair was pulled back into two tight French plaits and she was looking distinctly uncomfortable.
Harry was feeling just as uncomfortable, he hadn't a clue what his feelings for Cho were, especially not after the end of last year. Cho sat down on the swing next to Harry, gently rocking it to and fro. She didn't look at Harry. It was weird to be sat there in an almost companionable silence after the events of last year, but if Harry was honest with himself he knew that he didn't want to lose anymore, well, friends. If that was what Cho was, he really didn't know what his feelings for Cho were anymore.
"So, how have you been, Harry?" Cho asked in an attempt to break the silence.
"I've been better," Harry found himself admitting to his great surprise. Cho looked at him with what Harry managed to identify as worry in her eyes. He managed a weak smile. "I'll be fine," he attempted to reassure her, but it sounded false, fake and strained even to his own ears and Cho didn't look convinced.
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