Green & Gray

Something, Someone, Somewhere.

Hermione Granger

He's too skinny.

Way too skinny.

When we burst into the bathroom, Harry hadn't fully put on his hoodie. His ribs were jutting out in sharp relief, his arms were severely scratched, and his palms were bleeding.

He hadn't even been gone for 5 minutes.

I immediately pulled the hoodie over his arms, and he instantly latched tighter onto Ron's arm. Ron took to whispering sweet nothings into Harry's ear to keep him focused on breathing, but his focus was slipping.

He was shaking, wincing as if he was hearing something unbearable.

Ginny was the genius. She practically flew into the bathroom holding Harry's phone and headphones. She slipped them over his ears, and he began to relax.

When he finally spoke, it was more of a broken whisper.

"God, it's brutal out here," he croaked before he slumped against Ron, his grip slackening.

I let out a choked sob, but Ron held up his hand.

"He's just sleeping," He whispered. Ginny and I let out a sigh of relief. Ron offered a small smile before he pushed up Harry's sleeves. "We should fix these,"

"By 'we', you mean me," I muttered with an attempt at annoyance. He laughed a bit and sagged against the bathtub as Ginny handed me my wand.

"Episky!" I murmured, tapping both of Harry's arms. The skin on his arms and palms closed up, pinker than it was before. "Christ, he scratched the brown right off his arms," I said to myself before nodding at Ron.

He got the message.

He stood and tossed Harry over his shoulder, carrying him to a couch, steering clear of his back because Harry hates it when we touch his back.

I think he's hiding something.

Scars probably with some sort of glamour spell, but he's really good at hiding them.

And I can't find a way to ask without triggering him.

I know that his summers with the Dursleys are far worse than he lets on.

But I don't know how to ask him about it.

By the time I left the bathroom, Harry was passed out on the largest couch, still wearing his black headphones, and hugging that octopus he swears to anyone who listens he hates.

Ron and the twins were splayed on the carpet in front of the fireplace having a quiet conversation with an open newspaper between them.

Ginny was perched on the arm of the couch, holding the newspaper as if she was scared to open it.

When I closed the bathroom door, Ginny looked up at me with a pained expression.

I sighed, knowing that everyone was waiting for me to come up with a plan.

I conjured a chalkboard and grabbed my own copy of the article, which I had already read twice.

I shifted uncomfortably, not really sure where to start.

It was Ginny who spoke up first.

"How about bullet points?" She offered quietly as she began to read the article.

Just then, Luna and Neville crashed through the door, both on the verge of tears.

Ginny let out a choked sob and hugged her girlfriend and best friend.

I stood at the board, letting them hug it out for a bit before I cleared my throat.

"Bullet points," I said quietly, creating the first dot.

📚📚📚

Ginny Weasley

"And she did mention that her source was the Dursley's," I added as I traced hearts on Luna's hand.

When she arrived, she sat on the floor in between my legs, like she always does.

"Yep yep," she replied. "We have all the facts on the board, but should we also document the lies Rita wrote?"

"Like how she wrote that he's a bully," Fred pointed out. Hermione jotted that down on her board.

"How she claims he beat up that ten-year-old, and not Dudley," George added. She nodded and put that on the board too before she added some more.

LIES

Bully (beat up 10 yo), manipulative, scheming

Evil streak, probably working for Vold the Mold

Infiltrated Gryffindor to earn our trust then stab us in the back

Brainwashed us into being his friend

Has tried to get us killed during Vold the Mold attacks

His parents would be disappointed in him

He is weak :(

I sighed, as I read through the list.

"This shit doesn't even make sense," I scoffed. Everyone murmured in agreement.

Just then, Harry stirred, murmuring something about ice cream.

I smiled at him, his face clear of worry and suffering.

"Usually he looks like he's in a lot of pain when he sleeps," Ron said quietly. I nodded in agreement as he spoke. "Like he's being terrorized by something,"

"Someone," Neville corrected. We all looked at him.

"How do you know it's a person?" Fred and George asked in unison. They were so interested in the answer they didn't even bother calling 'jinx'.

He smiled sadly, as he looked at us. "I can only say that much. I promised I wouldn't ever give a name, but I can say that HE is a real bitch."

"It's Vernon," Hermoine said matter of factly. "He only ever really flinches when one of the boys grab him, his back is- and always has been- a no-no zone, and he always comes back from summer break jumpy, tired, malnourished, and generally looking like death."

"I've never seen scars, but I have a feeling he's had to get so good at hiding them that he can even do it in his sleep,"

"That checks out," Neville offered with an approving nod.

"Guys, he's waking up!" Luna hissed as Harry stirred again.

It took him a second to sit up, and when he did, he was struggling to focus, his glasses crooked against his golden-brown face. He ran his fingers through his perpetual bedhead and let this adorable sneeze. His nose still scrunched, he squinted those green eyes at me before speaking.

"Hey gang," He croaked. "I know it's been a shitty night, but can we go to the kitchens for food and snacks? I haven't eaten anything."

I snort, thinking about just how adorable my husband is.

"Alright bubs," I giggled as I kissed him on the head. "Let's go bother Dobby."

|AN:  Hey, Ashlan here! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out! Wattpad decided to have issues or whatever. 🙄 (like seriously, I've got issues too, but you don't see me stop functioning...) Anyway, have a good day/ night! -AQ|