Chapter 1
It all started on a seemingly beautiful day.
The sun shining brightly and the day being warm, a bit windy and overall beautiful. All in all, it should have been a wonderful day, even for Harry, who, as we all know, has an incredibly bad case of Potter Luck. You can't blame him for not suspecting the way the day would end. After all he was finally out of the Dursly's hair and into the caring care of his godfather, Sirius, who he was finally getting to see after all this time, along with his friends. In fact he was so happy about it all that he completely forgot about the bruises that he should be hiding, bruises that were still not healed and we're fairly new.
So you can't blame him for what happened next.
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.
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He was happy and content, sucking up all the positive attention and affection his godfather was giving him. He couldn't remember ever getting positive attention before meeting Hagrid, going to Hogwarts and meeting his now best friends, Ron and Hermione. All the attention he got before that was filled with insults, glares, hateful words and pain. So much pain.
But he tried so hard, to be the perfect nephew to his aunt and uncle, but all that got him was words like:
"who do you think you are, trying to outshine our Dudley! We took you in, fed you, gave you a roof on top of your head, and this is what we get!?"
Curtsy of his uncle and aunt, and getting tossed around by his uncle, beaten until he was black and blue, and getting what little food he was given, taken away as a punishment.
At some point he gave up, realizing he would never receive love and affection from them. That in their eyes he would always be the filth beneath
their shoe.
So yes, maybe he was a bit touch-starved, sue him. He got his first hug from Hermione, in first year. When he was eleven. Thinking that it was normal, to be so hated by his relatives that they would actively go out of their way to make his life a living hell. But no. Apparently it was not normal.
He got that from observing his roommates, who talked about their family with fondness, and a bit of annoyance, when retelling the story of being grounded.
Apparently, children were supposed to be loved and supported, not beaten and starved. Guess that was just another thing he messed up.
But that's besides the point right now. Currently he was sitting next to his godfather and listening to him talking about his parents, retelling some of the stories of their childhood. What they got up to and what kind of trouble they came across.
So when, in the middle of his story about his father, trying yet again, to ask his mother out, Sirius paused, looking at him-wait no, he was looking at his... shoulder? Which honestly, was a bit exposed due to his hammydown clothes, that were hanging off him, they were so big. He was confused.
so happy about finally being told something about his parents ,other than looking like his father with his mothers eyes, he completely forgot the bruises. Which were honestly kind of noticeable, what with it being a fresh set of bruises, if you looked for more than a minute
At that point Sirius was done inspecting the bruises from afar and decided to finally ask the dreaded question.
"Harry, did you get into a fight with someone? Cus ' those bruises look like the ones you get fistfighting."
"I-"
"Honestly, I'm kind of glad that you're acting like a teen. With the stress from last year, and the trauma I thought I wouldn't get to see you actually acting like a teen."
Sirius said with a mischievous light in his eyes.
Anddd thank Merlin, that's how he thinks I got those from, I certainly won't correct him. What would I even say? ' actually I got the bruises from my uncle and cousin, who like using me as a punching bag?' No thanks, he'll take that secret to the grave. He doesn't want him to realize how pathetic he actually is, then decide to leave him as well.
So he got a little attached, so what? He's basically the only adult who cares so much about him. I mean , Remus came pretty close, but then again, he also never contacted me, asked how I've been, and just left me yet again. Not even sending a letter on the holidays.
He got snapped out of his thoughts by Sirius talking again, apparently taking his silence as shame or embarrassment.
" You know, when I was your age, I got into so many fights-"
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Sirius is happy to admit to being absolutely excited seeing his godson again.
He lost enough time as is. Rotting in Azkaban, and abandoning poor little Harry. If only he didn't go after that rat, peter, he wouldn't have to just be getting to know his godson. Heck if only he hadn't suggested him as the secret keeper James and Lily would still be alive and well. But he did, and they died and it's all his fault. If he could swap places with them, he would in a heartbeat.
But enough wallowing in self pity. Today is about Harry.
Though he did look a bit weird when I asked him about the bruise. He looked panicked and afraid. But surely he's reading a bit too much on it. It was probably nothing, he just got into a bit of a fight with another teen, Right?
Nothing to worry about, right?
Cause surely he's just overreacting because of his own past of being abused. Harry's loved, and treated well, not being abused. Because he would know if he was, he would tell him , right?
And besides, albus put him there, so obviously he should be safe, after all albus wouldn't put him in an abusive home, in an abusive family.
Cause if he did, then that would mean he failed.That he failed James. Failed James son. His godson. His little Harry, who used to call him pa'foo, cus he couldn't pronounce padfoot. His light, the reason he survived Azkaban. That he let him go through the same thing he did. And that couldn't be true, he won't accept it.
(He tried to ignore a part of him, saying how suspicious it was, that Harry, sweet, little Harry, agreed to come live with him, after just a couple hours of meeting him. How he never mentioned the Dursly's. How he flinched at loud noises or if someone unexpectedly touched him. Or made sudden movement. How he was too thin. How, when he entered the room, his eyes would flicker towards all the exits, memorizing them. How he didn't seem to trust most of the adults, eyeing them with distrustful eyes. How he looked just like him, when he returned to school after the holidays. How he seemed to display all the signs of an abused teen.)
Because the alternative was too painful. So much so, that even thinking about it left him feeling miserable.
Because surely that just wasn't true.
right?
...
Right?...
...
Right....