A Summer at Private drive

5. The First Week

03.01.2024 23:09
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Pov: Harry Potter

The first week of summer went alright. Petunia hadn't forced him outside, Vernon hadn't handed him too many beatings. Harry was doing okay.

Though, if living a life like Harry's would teach him anything, it's that all good things must come to an end. And so they did.

"Boy! Don't think you can neglect your garden duties just because you haven't been told to, get out there now! The weeding needs done desperately," petunias squeaky voice screeched from outside the cupboard as she knocked stiffly six times.

Harry froze, quickly shoving his book under his dirty pillow. Fuck. He felt tears welling up in his eyes, but refused to let them drop. His aunt knocked again and Harry wiped his eyes as he scrambled out of the cupboard, slipping his old shoes, which where two sized too big, on as he went. He all but ran out of the house and around the side to grab his tools, before gritting his teeth and peeking around the wooden shed wall.

"Potter! What are you waiting for?!" Vernon's voice boomed as he pulled into the driveway. He winced, but did his best not to show it.

"My apologies, sir," he mumbled as he shook his head and went out into the garden.

The hot summer sun beat down on his back, but Harry was determined not to slow down pulling weeds, watering plants, and turning over soil. He could feel his aunt's beady eyes analysing his every mood from where she sat in the living room with her glass of wine. Honestly, it was far too early to be drinking.

"HURRY UP YOU LOT!" he heard from the other side of the street.

Shit. Was that Ron? He grabbed his tools and dashed towards the fence so the frail wooden structure would over all of him, ducking down over a patch of soil, hoping he looked busy enough to his aunt. He peeked through a small gap, and confirmed that it was in fact Ron across the road. Alongside.. Hermione, Parkinson, Luna and Draco.

What?? Why were they hanging out with those two? Luna he could understand, but were Ron and Hermione on good terms with the two Slytherins too now? He felt a small ache deep within his chest when he looked at the platinum blond boy laughing with his best friends, a stinging pang of jealousy and a longing to be with them.

But no. He was stuck HERE. At number four, not number three. Only a road away, hiding behind a rickety wooden fence, selfishly hoping one of them would realise he was there yet desperately wishing none of them would see him.

Why did everything have to be so complicated? How he longed to live a normal life, with two parents present, with a happy summer. But, as Petunia would say, 'I want never gets'. Quite hypocritical since Dudley was now on 52 presents on his last birthday...

Harry silently cursed himself as he heard the front door on his side of the road crack open.

"Come here, freak," his aunt spoke sharply.

He stayed still, tears building up for the thousandth time this summer as he watch Hermione look directly at his aunt in confusion. He turned his head to find Petunia looking quite red, in both embarrassment and anger.

"Up, boy, do as I say."

He foolishly hoped that none of him schoolmates would recognise him with his back turned, but his traitorous mind brought him back to the countless times he'd appeared in the daily prophet with his back to the camera.

He scrambled up, gathering his tools as he did, and walked swiftly towards the sour faced woman. She slapped his face hard the second he stood within read. He stumbled back slightly, but other than that there was no reaction. He heard a gasp of shock from behind him, and then two of both horror and recognition. The first from Ron, the second from Luna, and the third from Hermione. Harry assumed the two Slytherins either didn't realise or couldn't care less either way.

He kept intense, heavy eye contact with the woman facing him, keeping his breathing even. She didn't like that, and raised her hand again, but a shout stopped her.

"Oi, pack it in!" Ron. Ofcoarse it was Ron, it was always Ron. Rushing in to rescue everyone. The boy had more of a saviour complex than him, at this point.

Petunia's reaction was an instant one, she stepped back and seemed quite affronted. She could have atleast had the decency to look guilty, but no.

Harry's aunt was a lot of things, but guilty was not on the list.

Reluctantly giving up on the eye contact thing, Harry allowed his eyes to drift to the concrete in-between his feet, but refused to bow down his head.

So sorry to end it here. This was written on 3.1.24, and it's now 13.2.24 and I don't remember any of my plot. (Dd.m.yy) Feel free to adopt this story or take inspo. Hell, copy it all of you give me credit <3