Bruises:

Julia's attention was brought back to reality by a loud crash downstairs:

"How could you Dudley? How dare you ruin your future that way."

That was her uncle Vernon yelling. It sounded like he was yelling at Dudley, Julia's cousin. Wait' Julia thought 'yelling at Dudley? Uncle Vernon yelling was the norm at Privet Drive, but it was rare that he yelled at his son. More often than not Vernon Dursley yelled, insulted, or otherwise abused his niece and nephew.

Then again Julia usually bore the brunt of what ever abuse their uncle and aunt threw at them. It was common knowledge that Harry and Julia were close and that Harry was the main object of the Order Of The Phoenix's concern. Julia was the object of nobody's concern. Nobody paid attention to Julia except for the fact that she was Harry's sister. The only person that paid attention to Julia was Harry. Harry always watched out for Julia no matter what. But what he didn't know about he couldn't protect from. So with the knowledge that if Harry didn't know about it, it was safe to do .the Parsley's made sure that they had adequate evidence to keep Julia from telling Harry about their little late night meetings. Such evidence this year was the fact that Julia had diabetes. She had been diagnosed the previous summer and had so far managed to keep it a secret from Harry. Unfortunately the Dursely had found out about her condition. Her endocrinologist had called during the school year when Julia had missed a check up. They knew then that they had the information that was needed to keep Julia from blabbing. The Dursley's were fairly sure that they would not be punished for their actions against Julia, so Petunia and Vernon directed most of their bile against Julia, not Harry.

Stomp. Stomp, stomp. It sounded like Vernon was coming up the stairs for the shouting had ceased without Julia noticing. 'Oh dear what did I miss? I hope Dudley didn't blab about the job I got' Julia had acquired a job at the local bakery so she could pay for any necessary supplies she might need over the summer. Her aunt and uncle had expressly forbidden Julia from getting the job on the grounds that she was too young and what would the neighbors think about this? Would they think that the Dursley were some sort of charity case that they needed their charges working? Julia had countered that the job would bring her valuable experience with the real world and that the neighbors would commend them on their excellent parenting skills while earning a little money on the side. That had been the wrong thing to say of course. There was no right way to go about things when dealing with the Dursley's. Julia had been slapped for implying that the Dursley's were anything but good parents. When had she said they were bad? Did she listen? No, she needed the money too much so she had gotten the job anyways. I'm in for it now Julia thought.

Julia thought about all of this as the footsteps paused at Harry's door. She heard the door swing open as Vernon checked on the most troublesome occupant of his humble abode. From Harry's room the footsteps progressed down the hall towards Julia's room. Julia had just enough time to shrug into her dressing robe before the door was thrown open to reveal her uncle Vernon, and he looked livid. Julia shrank back against the wall as he advanced into the room. Finding his prey cornered against the wall Vernon took one long stride and grasped Julia above the elbow in a painful vise. Leaning forward so that their faces were mere inches apart he wispered through clenched teeth

"We need to talk young lady, so get your ass downstairs this instant."

Nodding to show that she that she understood Julia attempted to keep from crying out from the pain her uncle was inducing.

"If you even think about waking that mangy brother of yours you will be sorry, very sorry indeed." Her uncle hissed before he let go of Julia, and strode out of the room.

Julia let out a little whimper of pain as soon as Vernon left the room wondering as she got up out of bed just what the hell Dudley had told his father to get him in such a towering temper.

The last thing Julia wanted to do was go down to the kitchen to where her uncle, and undoubtedly her aunt too, waited, but the last time Julia had tried to hide out in her room from them she had ended up with a black eye and had to find some way to explain it to Harry. Just before Julia left her room she looked at her reflection, at her face, which so far this summer remained, bruise free. Hopefully it would stay that way.

When Julia arrived in the kitchen she was shocked to see Dudley sitting at the kitchen table with a bloody nose 'what the hell is going on here' Julia thought as she looked around for any sign of her aunt and uncle for they were not to be found anywhere in the kitchen. Julia tentatively approached her cousin to see if he was all right.

"Dudley. Dudley " she wispered tentatively "where are your Mum and Dad and what the hell is going on"?

Dudley looked up at her blankly before whispering "Behind you."

Julia turned swiftly around just in time to see Vernon and Petunia enter the Kitchen. Petunia was saying "I locked the boy's door but make sure she doesn't make a sound I don't know if a door can hold him with his... abnormality"

Julia was fairly certain that a door would not hold her brother if he heard any suspicious sounds. Sounds like his sister being beaten black and blue. Julia did not think that her Aunt and uncle would do that though usually they just slapped her, but then again she had never seen them so angry before Unfortunately enough though the Dursley's were of the opinion that making a sound during their late night meetings was akin to telling Harry directly about them.

Just then the Dursley's noticed the presence of their niece. Vernon strode over to Julia and grabbed her arm in the same painful vice that it was in before. He then proceeded to push her into a chair, leaned down and said, "Well I don't think we can worry about that. Do we girl?"

Julia slowly shook her head wondering what the hell she had done this time. Julia thought carefully about what she was going to say before she said it. "With all due respect aunt Petunia, uncle Vernon why was I asked down here?" Julia knew it was the wrong thing to say right after she said it.

Her uncle's face turned the color of puce and her aunt gave out an unrecognizable snarl. "How dare you come down here and pretend you know nothing about this. How dare you?" her aunt hissed. Seeing that Julia didn't understand Vernon grabbed her arm again and pulled her toward the pantry where he then took out a coffee can and opened it

" Don't pretend you know nothing about this", he said. Julia looked down and gasped. It was a plastic baggy with what looked like powdered sugar. For some reason Julia didn't think it was though.

"Who's is it?" she asked

. Vernon put the coffee can up and dragged Julia back to the chair before he answered. Shaking Julia with every word.

"It's your cousins, he said you... what was it again? Oh yes. 'Hooked him up with the right guy's at your job.' A job Julia, after we expressly forbade you from getting one at the beginning of the summer? Why would you go and do a stupid thing like that? Why? And then to tell Dudley to talk to a bunch of hooligans and start selling cocaine like a common thug, how dare you."

Julia didn't know what to say except that she had been royally screwed over. Dudley had been found out and had purposely lied by telling his parents that Julia was responsible for him selling. For all Julia knew he had probably told his parents that Julia had forced the cocaine on him.

"Uncle Vernon it wasn't me you have got to believe me it wasn't me. Why would I turn Dudley on to drugs why?" Julia sobbed.

"Who knows why your 'Kind' does anything", he snarled turning slowly. He leaned over the sink and asked again. "Why did you turn Dudley on to Drugs. Tell me the truth and it will go easier for you", he said in an almost silent whisper.

Julia didn't know what to say. She had already told the truth and Vernon didn't believe her, but she couldn't lie. A lie wouldn't help the situation. If she lied Dudley wouldn't be helped, and it could possibly turn the situation deadly if Vernon decided to destroy the cocaine, which hopefully he wouldn't be stupid enough to do that.

She could always ask Dudley how he came to have the cocaine on him. Maybe he would slip up and reveal that he had been lying.

"Dudley maybe you could tell me where you got the cocaine from?" Julia asked quietly.

Dudley paled visibly "dad told you Julia those guys that you told me to talk to at your work hooked me up with the stuff". Dudley said while nervously running his fingers over the wood grains on the kitchen table. Julia noticed this and took advantage of it, or at least tried to.

"Dudley", Julia began," where do I..." suddenly Julia was on the floor and for a second she had no idea how she had gotten there. Realization hit her as she looked up from where she was on the ground to see Vernon standing over her with one of the scariest looks Julia had ever seen.

Yet as terrified as she was Julia was suddenly struck with the hilarity of the situation. She was being falsely accused of selling drugs when she had to take shots every day for diabetes. It was kind of funny. Julia Imagined herself on a dark street corner in baggy clothes pushing insulin shots.

"Ha.Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha." Julia suddenly realized that she was laughing aloud.

She looked at Vernon. If she had been freighted of her uncle before it was nothing to what she was feeling now. Her uncle's face, where it had been a deep puce before, was now a dark red. He was gnashing his teeth together in rhythm with the clenching and unclenching of his fists. While Julia had never been actively scared of her uncle right now Julia was terrified. she thought he might do more than slap her or let loose the occasional punch as was his usual practice. He might actually hurt her.

"Why were you laughing just now young lady?" Vernon asked her. Why had she been laughing? Julia never laughed at privet drive. She never got angry either. It was always polite, kind, understanding Julia. Show no expression; keep your thoughts to yourself Julia. Julia tried to remember just why she had been laughing. Oh yes, that whole drug dealer bit. That was weird; maybe she was having a diabetic reaction. She should check. So completely ignoring Vernon. Julia climbed to her feet and started to make her way out of the kitchen and to her room where her testing meter was. Of course she never did get there.

As Julia was walking toward the door, she vaguely noticed Vernon saying something but she paid no attention to him. He never had anything important to say. Goodness all he ever does is yell at me, not one scrap of validation, ever. What's the use of listening to him if he's just going to repeat the same old rant over and over again, it's a waste of concentration.

Of course Julia really should have listened to him. If she had maybe things would have turned out differently. Just as Julia had reached the door, she felt a viscous jerk, on her arm. Vernon swung her around so that Julia was facing him. Vernon leaned close to Julia, and hissed, " Where do you think you are going young lady? We are not even close to being done here."

"Oh, but I think you are." an unmistakable voice by the door said.