Figured You Out

6: Tears of Melancholy

He sighed as he crossed off yet, another day on the calendar that hung by a rusty nail on the wall of his small bedroom. It's the second week of July and they haven't come to get me, nor offered - not that I want to go. After all I rather stay here instead of going to some place that reminds me all about Sir-

Harry fell back onto his bed, took off his glasses and rubbed his pale, drawn face, trying to brush away the memories of his recently deceased Godfather, Sirius Black. However, every time he tried, he couldn't, Sirius was still as clear in his mind as if he had just seen him yesterday. Hot tears pricked the back of his eyes as he held them in, trying to fight the urge that was constantly overcoming him ever since that day at the Ministry. He tossed onto his stomach, grabbed at the comforter on his bed and gasped as the dreadful feeling in his stomach returned. He let out a silent sob as the tears seeped out between his tightly shut eyelids and the lump in his throat grew as he choked down the whimper creeping up his throat. There's only one thing that came to his mind that would help him get through this. He crawled off his bed, wiped the tears from his face with his shirt and sat at the desk. Taking hold of the unopened parchment that Hedwig brought him earlier, he tore the seal and began looking at the perfect handwriting of the one he truly deeply cared about. The only person that seemed to feel an ounce of love for him and that was Hermione. He read over the words of comfort that she offered, telling him she understood why he hadn't been answering any of their letters and why he's feeling so much pain. Oh how this girl understands me so much and yet I haven't written her a word all summer.

"BOY! Come down here and make my lunch! I'm hungry!" Howled the menacing voice of Vernon Dursley.

Harry opened his desk drawer, pulled out a stack of letters he had been keeping and slipped the most recent under the rubberband. Placing the pile back in the drawer, he pushed it shut and sighed as he grabbed his glasses on the way out of his room.

Before going down to the kitchen, he stopped in the bathroom and splashed water over his face. Heading towards the kitchen, he entered to find his glutton cousin perched at the table with his eyes attached to the TV screen that showed a professional wrestling program and Uncle Vernon was moodily looking over business papers as he grunted and threw papers across the kitchen. Aunt Petunia was off on a week vacation with some of the neighborhood wives, in Hawaii, America. "Now boy! I haven't got all day!"

If it wasn't for me, he would starve and I would be dancing upon his body. He thought darkly.

Fifteen minutes later, Harry sat down at the table with Dudley and Uncle Vernon, staring at the sandwich before him as they inhaled one after the other. He lost his appetite as he watched them eat, he left his sandwich sitting on his plate and headed back upstairs. When he was about to open the door to his room, he heard a knock come from the front door. The screeching of the wooden chair against he ceramic tile in the kitchen made him creep down the stairs, knowing that Uncle Vernon was going to answer the door. He figured it was Dudley's gang to ask if he could come out and play. More like, "could Dudley come out and play? We got this ten year old who called me fat ass and he's gonna pay for it." Yea, that's probably what they're going to do. Harry thought. However to his surprise he heard a woman's voice and Uncle Vernon was actually being civilized? Harry crept down the rest of the stairs and poked his head around the corner to see a young woman in khaki shorts, green top and sandals. Her black wavy hair was up in a ponytail and sunglasses sat upon the bill of the white visor. Oddly, he noticed a large bruise on her thigh and she held a cane in her right hand. Wonder what happened to her? He heard her commenting Uncle Vernon in a sweet voice and rolled his eyes. Someone begging for charity? That won't get you far.

"Harry," Uncle Vernon called. Harry jumped, he never said his name in that sort of tone and Harry started towards the door warily. When he reached the door Uncle Vernon patted him on the shoulder with a forced smile and Harry turned his attention to the young woman before him.