A firm hand on his shoulder jolted him awake. Harry looked up to see the concerned gazes of his best friends as he stifled a yawn. “You alright mate?” Ron asked as he lifted his and Hermione's trunks into the overhead rack to join Harry’s.
Harry nodded and gave a half grin, “Yeah, you know how the Dursleys are, tried to cram an entire eight months of chores into one week before I left for school.” Harry leaned away as Hermione sat down next to him and peered closer. Now that he was on the express near other witches and wizards he was able to cast a glamour without triggering the trace, but he wouldn’t put it past Hermione to be able to see through it. She was the smartest witch of their year for a reason after all.
“I really wish you would tell Professor Dumbledore or Professor McGonagall about how they treat you,” Hermione stated worry evident in her voice, as her orange cat Crookshanks curled up in her lap. “Now that you have Sirius you won’t need to go back there next summer, right? How is he by the way?”
Harry shrugged half-heartedly, not wanting to get into the conversation he, Sirius, and Remus had in Dumbledore’s office at the end of last year. “He’s good,” Harry replied, quickly latching onto the change in conversation. “He should be getting out of St. Mungo’s tomorrow actually. He tried to convince them to let him out today so he could be here to say goodbye, but apparently, they need to monitor him for a new potion he started. Remus wanted to be here, but he’s dealing with his furry problem.” Ron and Hermione nodded, knowing that Harry was referring to the full moon last night. In truth, Harry was grateful that neither of them had been there to see him off- it would’ve made it much harder to hide his injuries. “How was the rest of your summer?”
“It wsmph fibe,” Ron said through a mouthful of chocolate frogs.
Hermione rolled her eyes in disgust at his manners, “It was nice. Mrs. Weasley was anxious about all of us, but that is to be expected given what happened at the World Cup. Fred and George created mischief as always.”
As if summoned with an Accio, the red-headed twins appeared in the doorway of their compartment, “What was that?” Fred asked.
“We heard”
“Our names and decided”
“To see what you three were up to,” George said, the two of them finishing each other's sentences as always. Fred started regaling them with tales of the pranks they played on Percy this summer. Even though Ron had been there for most of them, the stories were just as funny the second time around. Slowly, Harry began to drift asleep to the sound of his friend's laughter.
The next time Harry awoke it was to Hermione calling his name. He blinked his eyes open, looked out the window, and saw that the sun was setting. “Harry, we’ll be there soon, you should get changed,” Hermione told him her own robes in her hands as she left the carriage to go to the restroom. Harry knew he wouldn’t be able to change there, he was too exhausted to trust his glamour to cover all his bruises, so after he got his robes out of his trunk he followed Hermione out the door.
“Where are you going, mate?” Ron asked as he pulled on his robes, it was only him and Neville in the carriage now, Fred and George must have left to go find Lee Jordan.
“Have to use the loo, so I’ll just change there,” he replied as he slid the door closed behind him, not giving them a chance to question his actions.
Harry kept his head down as he made his way back to their carriage, fiddling with the cuff of his robes. He tried to ignore the stares from the new first years as he walked by, but he would never be able to get used to everyone staring and pointing at him. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t see when Draco harshly bumped into him, flanked by his usual goons, Crabbe and Goyle.
“Watch where you’re going Potter,” he muttered. Harry tried to ignore him and keep walking when he felt a stinging hex hit his back. Letting out a low hiss as it hit one of the parting gifts his uncle left him, he squared his shoulders and turned around, wand raised.
“What do you want Malfoy?” he gritted his teeth, his wand level with Malfoy's chest, as he stared into his stormy grey eyes.
“How’d you like the visit from my father this summer?” Harry’s brow furrowed as he tried to make out what Malfoy meant when he realized he was talking about the Death Eaters at the World Cup. “I’d be careful if I were you, you never know when they might reappear, and next time there might not be as many muggles around to distract them.” With that final threat, Draco whirled around and Harry watched his blonde hair disappear down the corridor before he finally headed back to Ron and Neville.
Hermione was back by the time he returned, slamming the door as he dwelled on his interaction with Malfoy. “What’s wrong Harry,” Neville asked, looking at his friend with concern.
“Malfoy,” Harry clenched his teeth as he sat back down, earning a hiss from Crockshanks as he almost sat on him.
“Harry,” Hermione scolded as she picked up Crookshanks and placed him into her lap, Harry only glared at her in return.
“Sorry,” he let out a breath and looked away from her hurt expression. He was only taking it out on her because he was still tired from his relatives and the wound on his back was now bleeding again from where Malfoy hexed him.
“Whoa, I hate him too, but no need to bite her head off mate,” Ron interjected glancing between the two of them as he shoved another licorice wand into his mouth. “What happened?”
“He’s up to something.” Hermione let out a long sigh at Harry’s statement and rolled her eyes.
“What?” he asked angrily, “He threatened me, told me to watch my back because the Death Eaters may be back. I’m telling you something is going on and he’s in on it.”
“Harry,” she began timidly and Harry knew he was in for it. “You always think Malfoy is up to something, the number of hours you spend watching him, in the great hall, during class, at Quidditch, one might think,” she slowly trailed off.
“One might think what?” Harry asked, his voice sharp and menacing, daring her to finish her statement.
She didn’t back down though and lifted her chin high as she met his eyes. “One might think that you have a crush on him.” The three boys exploded at that statement, Ron spit out the rest of his licorice wand, Neville started laughing nervously, and Harry sputtered completely lost for words, flabbergasted at what she just said.
After a good minute just staring at her Harry was finally able to reply, “What the actual fuck?” He practically yelled. “What component, exactly, of the times he bullied us over the past three years would make you think I actually like him? As if I could ever even tolerate a basic conversation with that pompous prick?”
“I’m with Harry on this one ‘Mione,” Ron interjected, “I think you’ve read one too many muggle romances to think there would ever be anything going on with those two aside from hatred.”
Hermione merely raised her eyebrows, thinking that Harry’s defensiveness actually proved her point. She was about to say that when the Hogwarts Express jolted to a halt indicating that they were back at school and she decided it would be wiser to bite her tongue.
***
Harry was still angry with Hermione the following morning at breakfast but knew that would only prove her point if he kept making a big deal of it, so he gave her a half smile and apologised for exploding the previous night. Hermione only nodded her head in response, eyeing him warily, and glanced down at his plate as he only put a plain piece of toast on it.
“You need to eat more Harry, I’m sure you didn’t get enough this summer and you hardly ate anything last night.” He grunted and was about to reply when she continued, “I don’t want to pick a fight, I’m only worried, Ron and I both are.” At the mention of his name Ron’s head shot up and he glared at Hermione, silently asking why she dragged him into it.
Harry tuned out their impending argument as he watched Malfoy over at the Slytherin table. He was clearly up to something nefarious, leaning in and whispering with Theo Nott and Harry was determined to figure out what. He couldn’t believe what Hermione said last night on the train, as if Harry would ever have a crush on that tosser. As Harry watched the platinum blonde conspire with Nott, his thoughts betrayed him as he thought of running his fingers through silky hair and brushing his lips against Malfoy’s soft pale skin. Disturbed by the direction his thoughts had taken, he shook his head and figured that his Uncle must’ve hit him one too many times in the head if he’d actually been thinking of making out with Malfoy.
Harry came out to his friends last year after learning that Ron’s brother, Charlie, was in a relationship with a male dragon trainer he worked with. Apparently, being gay wasn’t a big deal in the Wizarding world like it was in the muggle world, and to no one’s surprise Hermione was of course very accepting and considered herself an ally. It took some time to be honest with them, Uncle Vernon was extremely homophobic, blaming all the “fags” for everything going wrong in the UK and the only person Dudley liked to beat up as much as Harry was a boy in the neighborhood who was obviously queer. After he told them though, Harry was relieved, it was one aspect of his personal life he no longer had to hide from his two best friends. He could now focus on hiding all of his injuries instead.
Harry was startled out of his musings by Ron shoving his arm. He winced in pain as it was the arm that Dudley had dislocated three weeks ago right after Harry returned “home”, as if that house could ever be his home. Luckily, Ron didn’t notice Harry’s grimace, he was too focused on breakfast and handed him their schedule for the year. Harry bit back a groan as he glanced down and saw that they started their Monday with History of Magic and ended the day with double Potions with the Slytherins, it was going to be a long day.
***
Harry had a pounding headache and could hardly keep his eyes open as they walked down to the dungeons. Hermione kept sending him not-so-furtive glances. She knew he was in pain. Hopefully, he could just chalk it up to a headache and blame it on Voldemort. Suddenly, he lost his feet as Parkinson sent a tripping jinx his way and his left side crashed into the stone wall. He let out a slow hiss as he grabbed his already sore ribs and turned around to see the Slytherins cackling in laughter. For some reason, Malfoy was on the edge of the group and wasn’t laughing along. For a second Harry thought he looked almost concerned, but knew that would be impossible, it must’ve been his migraine messing with him. He pulled out his wand to jinx them back when Snape chose that moment to open the door to his classroom.
“Dueling already Potter,” the Potion’s professor drawled. “It hasn’t even been a full day and you’re already breaking rules, I don’t know why I would ever expect any different. After all, the rules don’t apply to Prince Potter. Detention. For a week.” The Slytherins broke into another fit of laughter at that but quickly stopped when Snape sent a glare their way, before he turned on one heel and stalked into his classroom, black robes billowing behind him.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville sat at a table towards the back and pulled out their textbooks and parchment. Hermione started to lean over and ask Harry if he was ok, but the dungeon bat took 10 points from Gryffindor for talking and started his lecture. Harry placed his head on his hand, his eyes fluttering shut, and slowly dozed off.
He jumped as he heard a textbook crash to the ground and looked up to see the greasy git looming over him. “Do you find my lecture boring Potter? Certainly, it is not as thrilling as bulling the neighborhood children and being waited on hand and foot by your relatives, as you undoubtedly were this summer.”
At the mention of his relatives, Harry’s control finally snapped, “The only bully here, sir, is you. I’m sure you were bored out of your mind this summer without Gryffindors to torment.” Harry held his ground as Snape glared at him, knowing he had gone too far but unwilling to back down.
“Detention, Potter, for a month. Now, get. Out. Of. My. Classroom.” Harry shoved his supplies into his bag, not meeting Ron or Hermione's eyes. He didn’t want to see the reproach in Hermione's gaze or sympathy in Ron’s. Without a glance back, he stomped out of the classroom slamming the heavy oak door behind him with a thud. The moment he was outside though, he was overcome with dizziness and the urge to vomit. Running down the corridor, he made a left to the nearest restroom and rushed to a stall. He dry heaved into the toilet several times, he didn’t have enough in his stomach to actually vomit. After he was done, he slowly stood up and went over to the sink to splash cold water onto his face. It was too hot and he was sweating as his hands fumbled to undo the tie around his neck so he could breathe. Suddenly, the world started to tilt and the last thing he remembered was a thud as his head hit the cool floor and the world went black.
Chapter 2