Author's Note:
Wow thanks for the reviews guys. Well to be honest I was not expecting such gracious ones.
Harry Foureyes: Yeah I knew they were the same names. But I'm really bad with guys names. The names I like are all in another language, or the ones with a good ring in English don't come to my mind. Girls, well… They are always a different scenario aren't they :D. Hahaha!
Lily will be an iffy one through out the story. His parents will be neglectful (or abusive, thanks for the clarification) but in their heats they'll justify it with some reason. Not very strong, but an ok one at that.
On with the story…
Chapter 2: Best Christmas Ever
"Harry! Get up honey, it's Christmas! It's Christmas! Lets trade presents quickly, we have to go out celebrate Sheryl's birthday."
Pale green eyes snapped open. Harry grinned and jumped out of bed wondering how his family would react to his presents. He ran downstairs nearly tripping over some of the toys on the floor and quickly made his way towards the Christmas tree after running into the couch.
"Wow big bro, I never thought this was possible but you're getting clumsier and clumsier. What a loser!" snickered Charlie which earned a hearty laugh from Sheryl.
"Morning everybody! Merry Christmas Charlie! Sheryl! Mom! Dad! Merry Christmas everybody!" chirped Harry.
"Ugh way too loud Harry, way too loud. My head, its killing me…" James groaned.
"Well maybe you shouldn't have started that ridiculous drinking game of yours." Lily said with an amused expression.
"Too late now. Alright lets do this. Come on come on, open the presents."
And so the Potter family sat under the tree opening presents. Charlie and Sheryl both found themselves with a mountain of presents. Nimbus 2000's from their parents, sweaters, chocolates, and lots of other goodies from their friends. A box of "Prank Em and Pin Em" from Sirius and books from Remus. James received a new wand holster from Charlie and Sheryl, an elegant looking new cloak from Lily, a 1939 firewhiskey from Sirius, and dragon boots from Remus. Lily found herself with several chocolates, dress robes, and an embarrassingly revealing night gown from James, earning a blush from Lily and a wink from James. Harry ripped through his gift wrappers and got found himself a soft silky shirt from his mother and father, chocolate from Charlie, Sheryl, and Sirius, and a few briar books from Remus.
"Try the candies Charlie and I got for you Harry! It's a new flavor at Honeydukes," Sheryl said expectantly.
Harry, surprised Sheryl even talked to him on her birthday, nodded his head, and popped one of the candies in his mouth. His first instinct was to spit the soft mushy candy out, but he kept chewing with a restrained smile for his sister's sake and said, "Uh yes. I don't think I have tried this one before. What flavor is it? Oh and Happy Birthday Sheryl!"
Unable to keep a straight face Sheryl and Charlie burst out laughing and said, "Haha that's the ear wax flavor! It's the Beanies Every Flavor candy from Zonkos, all of em ear wax. That was awesome Charlie!"
It was then that Sheryl noticed that there were a few more packages under the tree. She crawled over and pulled out the one addressed to her and greedily ripped it open. Inside she found a note saying Your greatest fan! which she recognized as Harry's chicken scratch, attached to a sky blue necklace and bracelet made from small beads and crystals. Inwardly she was shocked at its simplicity yet charming appearance. 'Where did Harry get the money for something like this? Can't be what we gave him, that was just fake money from Zonkos. He's besting off Charlie that show off! Always looking for attention, even on my birthday! I'll put him down, and let him know what I think of him!'
"What the heck is this garbage? Mum! We have a stalker! It must be from those crazy Death Eaters," Sheryl scowled glancing at her eldest brother happy she wiped that silly grin of his face.
"What? Let me see. Oh, your greatest fan huh? Isn't that Harry's writing?" Lily inquired.
All attention turned to Harry, "Erm yeah. I went to Diagon Alley and went Christmas shopping for everybody with the money Sheryl and Charlie gave me yesterday."
"You what?" James asked incredulously, "Diagon Alley? Alone? Are you mad? Did Voldemort take your blood brain as well? How did you even buy all this junk?"
"Junk?" Harry asked, hurt by his family's reaction, "The Weasley's helped me go around and buy stuff."
"What? Weasleys'? You asked someone for help?" James asked again towering over Harry in rage.
"N-n-no! They offered to help me sir!"
"And you took it? Do you enjoy being pitied all the time, huh boy? Oh look here comes the blind Potter's boy!"
"James, honey, its ok. We'll have to simply floo the Weasley's and thank them for helping Harry. However, I'm still very disappointed in you. Here I thought you stay home like a good boy, but instead I here you go around visiting places when we're gone."
"I'm s-s-sorry! I just thought you guys wou-"
"Don't think you stupid child! I've had it with you and your antiques! You're grounded for today! Go up to your room and don't come out until tomorrow."
"But – "
"RIGHT NOW! And give me those books! You sit there and think about what you did, not read your stupid books."
"It's only fair Harry. Now listen to your father and go upstairs," Lily said.
Harry's heart was crushed. Not for being punished. He was used to being punished occasionally, but to the fact that James had referred to his presents as junk. At the moment he could hear James snatching all the presents that Harry had bought for them, walking over to the kitchen and crushing them into the dispenser. He needed to control his emotions. Relax. If he cried he'd get in even more trouble. Due to his cursed eyes, Harry did not have the same salty tears as everybody else. Harry's tears were thick blood stricken, something that scared Sheryl to no end, which was never taken well by his father.
"Ew ew ew Daddy! Harry's crying! Make him stop make him stop!" squealed Sheryl, inwardly grinning in glee.
"Oh my god! How many times have I told you not to do that. Come here!"
James tightly grasped Harry's wrist and started dragging him upstairs. Harry all the while trying to control his tears and keep his balance while falling over every other step.
"Gently James, gently," Lily said over her shoulder.
James then pushed Harry in his room and slammed the door shut and muttered the locking charm and walked back downstairs to join his family for breakfast before they leave to celebrate his youngest's birthday.
Harry picked himself off the ground and tried to wipe the blood off his ways which had now made their way down to his lips. He was about to go and lie on his bed when he heard Charlie whisper Alhomora. Smiling he turned around to face his brother.
"Harry why do you do these stupid things," Charlie said with a concerned tone in his voice.
"Sorry, I thought you guys would like that stuff. After all, didn't you ask me to get some new stuff for you guys."
"So now you're pinning this on me?"
"No no! I was just saying – "
"No, I think you've said enough for today Harry!" Charlie retorted "Still since I'm such a nice brother I have a proper present for you, but I hid this one in your closet."
Grinning Harry walked towards his closet and open it. He began to reach out and feel around to find something out of place when Charlie muttered from behind his back, Imbobulus. Harry's hands and legs closed onto him and locked up to his surprise. Unable to move he lost his balance and fell into his small closet hitting his head against the door frame on his way to the floor.
"Surprise Harry!" Charlie spat, "Time to get over your fear of small enclosed places. A day of therapy should do. No need to thank me. Hahahaha! How about a little pain curse to keep you in line as well. Maybe you'll stop crying like a girl every time someone hurts your feelings you stupid loser. Avanius Crodos!"
Harry yelped in surprise and pain. It felt like his skin was on fire or like he was being shot by pellets continuously. Harry screamed for a fraction of a second when his brother continued his barrage of curses, Silenco.
Laughing his brother slammed the door shut and locked it and the door to his room with a final charm. Every part of his body was screaming in pain and trying with all its might to get free and to scratch itself. His mind and instincts feeling the walls close in on him. However, to an onlooker it simply looked like a body lying on the ground, dead pale green eyes shot wide open with blood streaming out of the corners at an alarming rate.
Back downstairs, Lily ushers her steaming husband to a corner and says, "James you shouldn't have overreacted that much. The boy was only trying to be nice. Besides it's Christmas."
"No Lily! He needs to be responsible for his action, and start becoming independent. What's he going to do when we are not around huh?"
"Well he has his brother and sister doesn't he?
"You think Charlie is going to have time for him. He's going to stand to run for Minister and make his family proud. Sheryl at this age hates being restricted by his handicap you think a fiery girl like her would stand up for it when older and has more freedom."
"You're right James. Sorry I doubted you."
"It's only for the best Lily. He knows we love him and he'll realize this one day as well."
While in the living room Charlie sits by his sister and whispers, "That was wicked Sheryl. Job well done!"
Sheryl grins, proud her famous brother was happy with her antiques replies, "He is quite disgusting when he does that isn't he. Besides that I don't know where he got the money from to buy those gifts. Pity Daddy threw it away, it was kind of nice."
Charlie looked at his sister in disbelieve and says, "You actually liked it? And you called it garbage just to put him down. Oh I love you dear sister of mine, you're sooo evil!"
"I love you too Charlie," Sheryl winked causing both the siblings to roll over in laughter.
"Aren't they so cute together James," Lily said, standing in James arms in the corner of the room, "We've raised the perfect family haven't we."
"Yeah… Harry should learn from them."
"Oh yeah, Harry. Completely slipped my mind. Alright kids! Lets go out! We're going to Wizard World!"
With a final appraisal from the children the Potters slipped out of the house and left Harry in his closet under mental exhaustion trying to scream in pain, in quite literally, a bloody mess.
8 hours later
"Thanks a lot Daddy and Mommy! That was the best birthday a girl could ask for."
"Hehe no problem honey. Make sure not to make Harry feel too bad about missing him." Lily replied.
Sheryl made a face as the family entered the front door of the house, "Who cares about him anyways? That loser…"
"Now now Lily. That's no way to talk about your older brother," lectured her mother.
"Sorry Mommy."
"Hey guys. I'm gonna go and let Harry out. I think his punishment has gone on long enough Dad. Besides, its Christmas," Charlie suddenly said, having completely forgotten the state he had left his brother earlier, and now worried if their would be any side effects for the pain curse to go on for that long.
"Fine son. Tell him that we're still mad at him though," James replied.
Charlie quickly tore through the house and into Harry's room. Once in the room, his stomach churned at the site of the blood soaked carpet around the closet door. Using a quick spell he opened the door and breathes in sharply, "Fuck!"
On the floor lay his brother, looking dead, eyes still wide open with dried blood crusted on his cheeks. Charlie quickly pulls his brother out and cancels the silencing, pain, and the body locking spells. He glances over his shoulder to see if anybody is around whips his wand up to his brother's head and whispers, "Oblivate." He then picks is brother off the floor and heaves him on to his bed, mutters a cleaning charm on the floor, and calls his parents with urgency in his voice.
Lily and James rush into Harry's room only to take in their oldest son's appearance. James with his angered renewed marched over to Harry's bed and yanked him on to his feet, "What's wrong with you boy? Look alive will ya! Look at you, and this only after being locked in your room. Now stop acting like that and go fix us some tea and cookies."
James let go of his child only to see him collapse onto the floor with a load thud.
"Fine be that way! Lily! Charlie! Leave him here to humor himself with his own masquerades!"
Surprised at his name being yelled at him like that, Charlie walks towards the exit after his father had stormed off holding his mother's hand, turns to look at his brother in fury and says, "Dad has never raised his voice at me like that! I'll get even with you! You just wait! Today would seem like your best Christmas ever once I'm through with you!"
Charlie slammed the door shut and flickered off the lights to leave Harry occasional twitching due to the after affects of the extended pain curse, hungry since morning, and mentally raped for the day. One more day to unknowingly add to Harry's list of best Christmas ever, like thousands of other suffering children.
Author's Note:
Chillax guys, I'm not such an angst person in reality. Actually, I'm anything but that. But for one to rise with elegance and respect, one must climb out of a ditch first.
Weekend is coming up. Too many plans. May not update till Monday probably. I may work on it at night though. Regardless, have a good weekend everybody!
Forky Forkinson out!