Chapter fifteen: time out for good behaviour

By the time half term came around, Harry knew that Ginny and Hermione had yet to renounce their endorsement of Harry's exclusion. Mrs Weasley was looking more and more upset about the matter, though Harry could hardly talk to her about it. After all, he couldn't offer her advice on her daughter's motives, nor was he an expert on girls in general. He'd offered to write a letter to the girls, but had been advised against it by Ron of all people, who thought it best not to tempt fate by stirring things up; part of Harry knew his lover was right.

The Potters had withdrawn from the household completely. They ate at separate times, refused to join in the evening and weekend activities and left the room if anyone else entered. Sirius and Remus were furious about the matter, but did their best to keep that from Harry. He was already upset enough about the mess as it was. Molly Weasley also kept her own counsel, though she was prone to giving him warm hugs and gentle pats from time to time, her own brand of motherly support.

They were thoroughly distracted from the tensions of the Potter family by the arrival of Fred and George, who needed two 'subjects' for their pranking items and had decided to take advantage of the half term break. Harry pulled them aside and made sure they knew that if Sirius was so much as changed colour, let alone shape, species, size or sex, Harry would personally hex them blind and impotent and then sell them for potions ingredients. Sirius therefore spent the week watching his godson change colour, shape, species, size and sex, sometimes all at once. Harry didn't mind, in fact most of the time he thought it was pretty funny, though Ron completely panicked at one point and needed to be led into a quiet room by Moony and calmed down while Harry did his best to reattach his ears. They went on all right in the end and the boys were ready to resume their studies with keen minds at the end of the week.

The Headmaster himself foiled this plan. He arrived with Fawkes in a golden flash and joined them for lunch as if it was not unusual for him to come popping in unannounced. A keen twinkling glance around the table made the tension Harry had been feeling over his parents anger return in full force, though the Headmaster waited until their luncheon had finished to ask his question.

"Are James and Lily not joining us?" the old Wizards voice was pleasant and light, but there was an undertone that scraped Harry's strained nerves raw.

"They don't mix with us," he said softly, and something in his voice had Ron cringing in sympathetic pain. He couldn't spare a glance for his lover, his eyes locked on the Headmasters, reading the disappointment there. The thought that the Headmaster was also disappointed in him and his choices was too much.

"They're disappointed in me too," the words spilled out, raw agony underscoring them, "I grew up without them and I'm not good enough. My own parents hate me…and you knew they would… oh Merlin, you knew they'd hate me that's why you sent them in disguise…"

By the end he could barely choke the words out. There was movement and then strong wiry arms clad in ridiculously bright robes gathered him into a thin chest covered with a scratchy white beard.

"My dearest child," Dumbledore's voice held a wealth of sorrow and love, "Oh my dearest boy."

Harry was rocked and soothed; hot tears and bitter sobs gushing from him like a festering wound that had been lanced. He could barely breathe through the grief, and clutched the soft material in shaking fists. An aged cheek rested on his temple and Fawkes sung softly. For once the song failed to make a dent in his feelings, their grip on him so strong. He hadn't dared to say those words out loud before, not even to Ron, the one person he trusted above all others.

It took some time for Harry to regain control. The Headmaster was holding him close, rocking them gently and simply waiting the storm out. When Harry finally found the strength to stir, in control once more, he was offered a hot pink handkerchief with little silver brooms on it that zoomed about. He mopped his hot face and blew his nose, putting the hanky away with a mental note to wash it before returning it.

"Harry, your parents are fools," Dumbledore put a finger under his chin and raised his head to look in his shame filled eyes, "You are a wonderful gift to all of us who have the pleasure of calling you friend. Please do not think so meanly of yourself."

"Sir," Harry bit his lip, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Dumbledore's eyes weren't twinkling for once, and his face was completely serious. It was the lack of benign expression that helped convince Harry that his next words were honestly meant.

"I would be proud to claim you as one of my own."

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The moment that the Headmaster had taken Harry in his arms the rest of the family had left them in privacy. Now Ron stood outside the kitchen door, his ear pressed to the wood while his mother fretted behind him. She wasn't going to protest his eavesdropping this time.

Harry's words had been a bombshell, and Molly Weasley had been completely devastated when she realised how the green-eyed teen had felt. Ron himself felt like bawling in sympathy, but was restraining himself sharply. Harry needed him to be strong now, not a basket case. Sirius and Remus were pacing the corridor anxiously, identical looks of rage on their faces. For once, Ron was glad that the Potters avoided the household, the last thing they needed right now was for Sirius to end up in a coma for hexing them.

The door was not very thick and they could all hear the sounds of grief that poured from their Harry. Ron couldn't imagine how his lover had hidden this from him, and felt like a fool that he hadn't noticed. Some lover he was…

"You couldn't have known, sweetheart," Molly put a hand on his shoulder, exercising the mothers privilege of mind reading, "No one suspected this, and I even spoke to him about them on several occasions."

"So did I," Sirius said in a low voice, "And he never hinted he felt this bad, not once."

"I'm never going to urge him to consider their point of view again," Moony swore in a low growl, "I can't believe I was so blind!"

"This isn't helping," Molly tried to calm the enraged werewolf, but Ron shushed her when the terrible sounds from the kitchen began to quieten. They all pressed anxiously against the door and heard Dumbledore's words to Harry, and his surprised gasp in response.

"Perhaps it would be best if I came back tomorrow," Dumbledore continued, not giving Harry time to respond, "I'll see you for breakfast dear boy. I do have something to discuss with…"

Ron was in the kitchen in an instant, plucking Harry from Dumbledore's arms and holding him close, anxious to see for himself that his lover would recover. He wasn't so thick that he couldn't see that Harry had some healing to do when it came to the issue of his parents and their love or lack of it for him.

"… several members of the household, but my discussion with yourself and Mr Weasley can wait until breakfast," Dumbledore continued and Harry nodded, his eyes a bit dazed. He was clinging to Ron with determination though and that was all that the redhead needed to lead them out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

Once in their room he set up the strongest privacy spells he knew, and watched as Harry came out of his fugue enough to add his own. They were going to clear the air together, and Ron was determined that any shouting they did be private.

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