Standing Alone.

Chapter 3 - Hate and Ignore.

A/N: Last chapter out before I can't post for 2 weeks. Have fun reading!

"Damn... Thats one hell of a spell..." Hermione huffed and looked at the stairs. They had tried different methods to get up there, but none worked.

"Yes. Master Regulus is quite smart." A voice spoke behind them, all flinched and spun around, just to see Kreacher standing there. "And, who are you?" Ron asked, laying his head to the side. "Kreacher." The elf bowed half-heartedly and then looked at the stairs. "Kreacher misses Master Regulus... Always such a kind man." He shook his head.

The Fred and George got an idea. "Hey uhm. Kreacher. Can you find Harry Potter?" They asked and Kreacher's eyes widened. "Oh, Master Potter! Yes yes! Kreacher can find Master Potter indeed. Master Potter so nice to Kreacher always giving Kreacher shiny things." Kreacher nodded and they all beamed. "Oh that would just be wonderful!" Hermione smiled.

Kreacher looked at her and hummed. "A mudblood." He commented and Hermione flinched, while the others were about to shout at the elf. "Master Regulus always told Kreacher of a mudblood. Lily Evans indeed. Very nice girl, yes yes. Master Regulus liked studying with the mudblood. Mistress Walburga did not know, no no. Master Regulus would spasm for days after, if she did. Yes. Crucio was bad, on Master Regulus." Kreacher nodded, everyones eyes widened.

"Did... Did Walburga... Who..?" Ginny was speechless. "Mistress Walburga was Master Regulus' mother. Always wanted the best for Master Regulus... Kreacher did not agree with how Mistress handled Master..." He shook his head. "Sirius Black is devils boy. Sirius Black was mean to Master Regulus. Kreacher will never forgive." He raised his hand and shook his head defiantly.

Kreacher popped away, most likely to find Harry, or so everyone hoped. Getting to the kitchen, they all looked at Sirius with furrowed brows and hesitant eyes. "Yes?" The man asked, raising his head. "We... We bumped into Kreacher..." Ron said nervously and Siris raised his brows. "And?" He asked with a small smile. "Did... Did your mother used to beat you..?" Ginny asked nervously. "Ginerva!" Molly gasped and the young girl looked at her mother with furrowed brows. "It was just a question, Molly. No harm has been done." Sirius assured and Molly sighed. 

"Yes, Ginny. My mother used to hit me when I was younger. My father did as well... Luckily..." He hesitated, almost gagged on the words, which confused everyone, except for Remus. "My younger brother, Regulus, went free of their wrath. Being the perfect spoiled brat that he is... I'm sure you can relate, knowing the Malfoy boy." He grimaced and Ron raised a daring brow.

"But. Kreacher just said that Regulus was put under the Cruciato curse... Often, even. Especially if he got a bad grade." Hermione squeaked and Sirius hummed. "No matter. My brother died, many years ago... Served my parents right to lose their 'only heir'." He sneered and downed a glass of water. No more was spoken about the matter. "We need to figure out how to find Harry." Bill said and that made the Twins smirk. "Oh we sent Kreacher on that. He popped right off to find him." This shocked the adults. "You sent the elf to find, Harry!?" Remus asked in disbelief. "Oh yeah! He got really happy too. Something about 'Master Harry so nice to Kreacher', or something." Fred laughed.

Remus and Sirius shared a glance. How did Harry and Kreacher know one another..?

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Dinner was served and they ate in relative silence. Not uncomfortable, but kind of tense. Molly was praised for her cooking, which she never grew tired of hearing. There was a popping sound from the living room, and then talking. "You sure?" It was Harry's voice, definetly. "Yes Master Harry. Kreacher is certain." Harry hummed and then footsteps approached the kitchen, the door opening and he stepped in. "Ah... Hello..." He said and waved to them all, Kreacher walked in behind him, staying close to Harry's side.

"Kreacher found Master Harry." The elf said and Harry gave the elf a little pat on the head. "Good job buddy. How about you take some food for yourself and then you can talk to Mistress for a little while, hm?" With that, Kreacher was off, happily with a bowl of food in his hand as he went to talk to the painting.

"Harry, how do you know Kreacher?" Remus asked and Molly looked at the man as if he was crazy. "That is the first thin you ask!? Not 'Where have you been this past month'?!" She asked and Remus raised his brows at the woman. "Please refrain from yelling in the house, Molly." Sirius sighed. He couldn't really say it was 'his' house, as it seemed that he was not the master of it, but someone else was.

"I was with my friends... Greengrass, Zabini, Nott, Parkinson, Malfoy and Lovegood." He said and raised his brow at them all. "What did you need?" He crossed his arms and Remus narrowed his eyes, looking at the boy. It almost looked a bit fake to him... The glasses, the face, all that seemed remotely true, was the hair and the piercing green eyes.

Only now, Remus found that they were not Lily's eyes. Lily had Emerald green eyes, these were darker, but not in colour, more in their over-all gleam, and they looked like the Avada Kedavra curse... It made a shudder go down the mans spine.

It was as if Harry's face shifted before his eyes, but not quite... A glamour, he realised. The boy was wearing a glamour. But how could he use magic outside of Hogwarts? His eyes fell on a locket on Harry's chest, the silver chain around his neck, covered by his curls. Meeting Harry's eyes, Remus saw him slowly move the locket under his shirt, and out of sight.

'Why hide it..?'

"Harry dearest, please sit." Molly smiled and gestured for the Slytherin boy to sit. Harry gave a curt nod and pulled out a seat at the smaller oval table, the others sitting at the transfigured larger table. "Why not sit up here, pup?" Sirius asked, but Harry didn't pay him any mind. Kreacher entered the room once more and quickly poured a bowl for Harry, placing it on the table with a bow. "Thank you, Kreacher. Can you prepare me a room?" Harry asked and Kreacher quickly left to do that.

"What, to fancy to make one yourself?" Ron asked with a smirk and Harry shrugged. "He enjoys helping out. Well, those he finds deserving of it at any rate." Pulling some bread apart, Harry slowly ate it. "How do you know Kreacher?" Remus asked once more and Harry smiled. "He found me some years ago." Harry shrugged. "After that we just hung out."

They all continued to eat, Harry feeling Molly's eyes on him as he ate, knowing that the woman would ask what she had asked every year so far. "Harry dearest... Don't you think it would be better for you to try and be sorted into Gryffindor?" Harry raised his head and sighed, dropping the bread onto the table. "Mrs. Weasley. Please stop asking me that. I am perfectly happy in Slytherin, it is where I find myself to be most comfortable." She was just as bad as Albus and Minerva.

Harry was about to blow a fuse on them all, but it was not in his best interest to do so, and he knew that, deep down. But alas, he still found it infuriating, and often sent a silent prayer to whoever wanted to listen to him. "Please, just Molly, dearest." Molly said with a sigh and shook her head. "I just do not understand how  you, with two Gryffindor parents, ended up in Slytherin." She said with furrowed brows and Harry took a deep breath. "I lost my appetite. Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Weasley. I will be in my room." Kreacher popped in and took the food, looking up at Harry with worry in his big old eyes.

"Master Harry did not eat his food. Does Master Harry want Kreacher to bring it to Master Harry's living quarters?" Harry sighed. "No thank you Kreacher. See to it that the guests are well suited, yes, even Mr. Black." Sirius felt a tuck on his heart as Harry called him 'Mr. Black'. "Yes yes Master Harry. Kreacher will make sure everything is good." Harry smiled at the elf, before letting his face turn back into its serious folds, and give a curt nod to the ones at the table. Sirius sighed and watched his godson leave. "Do we really need to bring him..?" Ginny asked and her father gave her an angered glare.

"Ginerva! Harry is a good boy, and it is because of him that we can even go this year. So yes, we will be bringing him." Ginny sighed and nodded slowly.

After dinner, the group all settled into the living room. Ron and Hermione were playing a game of wizard chess, a table with it built in, as well as two chairs, neatly placed in one of the corners of the living room. Fred and George played around with their inventions, Bill and Charlie quietly talked about their work with Sirius and Remus, Arthur and Molly sitting individually, with a news-paper and a knitting project.

When Kreacher came down, they all glanced at him. Harry walked beside him, a pencil in between his teeth, book in hand, reading glasses on his nose. His Led Zeppelin band tee sitting loosely over his thin shoulders, only one side azily stuffed into his pants, which were a pair of loosely sitting, black cargo pants. A pair of black bunny slippers on his shoes. His hair even poofier than usual, and Remus noticed that the amulet was back out over the shirt.

Fred let out a high pitched whistle, wiggling his brows; George joining in with a smirk. Harry looked up, raising his brows at them all. Noticing the twins, he rolled his eyes with a smirk, taking the pencil out from between his teeth, flipping it between his fingers. "Harry." Sirius said, raising a brow at his godson, not getting a reaction out of the boy.

Sirius furrowed his brows, was Harry deliberatly ignoring him..? Harry sighed and walked to the piano, laying down on the chair, his feet propped up on the wall, taking off his glasses and setting them on the Piano. "Mate, how can you see without your glasses?" Ron laughed and Harry glanced over there. "You are aware, that they are only reading glasses, right?" Harry asked, cocking a brow, Ron's jaw dropped at the sight of Harry without his glasses. "Mate. You need to lay them away more often, the glasses make your jaw look way out of proportion."

Remus furrowed his brows, looking at Harry and eyeing his face. True enough, he looked, quite different. More different than anything merely removing your glasses, could change. So when the glasses were on, so was the glamour? Why'd he take them off then? Granted, it was still difficult to see his face completely due to the way he was laying and the piano blocking some of the view.

"Shut up Ron, Harry's fucking hot." Fred laughed and wiggled his brows, throwing a popcorn into the air and catching it with his mouth. Harry just rolled his eyes and took his glasses once more, putting them on and continuing to read his book.

A/N: See you all in two weeks! Remember to eat, sleep and hydrate. -Author Cupcake <3