Bloodred

TWELVE

Later that evening Harry and Hermione are alone in a room.
"Harry?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I see your scars?"
After a few seconds, Harry takes of his shirt.
"What's that one from?" she asks still sounding shocked while pointing at a hole-like scar in his left shoulder.
"Uncle Vernon and Dudley were hunting in the woods with a crossbow. I had to go get the arrows. Dudley had one arrow left and he shot it."
Hermione gasps.
"And this one?" she asks while running over a scar-line that goes from his right shoulder to his right hip.
"Oh, this one hurt less while making. Uncle Vernon had a fight with one of his co-workers and he had to work out his anger. So, he threw me on the floor and picked up a knife."
"Why are you talking like it is normal?"
"It's how I grew up; everything was blamed on me. I was the punching bag to work out your anger. I thought it was like this everywhere"
"Oh Harry, I'm so so sorry"
"it's okay" he says comforting her.
"but why didn't you tell anyone?"
"I once told someone, but he didn't believe me. And I was told that if I would tell someone, I would regret it."
"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry I didn't suspect something. I'm sorry I didn't understand some of your hints" she says hugging him tight.
"hey, it's okay. You're here right now, that's most important" Harry wipes some of her tears away. "and I don't blame you for don't understanding, I didn't want you to know"
"but why didn't you want us to know?"
"I don't want you guys to act different to me just because I was abused. I don't want bloody pity. I just want people who care about me, that's all."
"oh Harry. Know that I am always here for you"
"thanks Hermione"

Fred and George go into a room and what they see shocks them both. They see a raven-haired boy in the arms of a bushy-haired girl. But that isn't what shocks them. What shocks them so much is that the raven-haired boy isn't wearing a shirt and what they see is awful. A back full with scars and the word 'Freak' carved in it. They both gasp. Harry and Hermione come out their hug. Harry looks scared.
"Harry, can you please tell us what happened to you when you weren't at Hogwarts?" Fred asks with a worried voice. Harry stays quiet and looks to the wall.
"Please Harry, we want to help you" George says also worried.
"I was abused" he says in a quiet voice.
"what? How can they do that to you?" Fred and George shout and they run towards them and take Harry into a big hug. After a few seconds Hermione joins the hug. They keep hugging for a few minutes and then break apart.
"Thanks, but please don't tell everyone"
"We won't" they both agree.
"Thanks"
"Can you tell us some stories Harry?" They ask
"Yeah sure" and they spent the next hour in the room listening to Harry. After that they all go to sleep.

Hermione wakes up from someone screaming. She looks at the clock, 2am it says. She recognizes the screaming as Harry's. She runs to his and Ron's room. Ron is still sleeping but Harry is stirring in his sleep and breathing irregular. Hermione sits on the side of his bed and starts to go through his messy hair with her hand. The hair is wet, full of sweat, but she doesn't care. She just wants Harry to sleep calm. A tear rolls down his cheek, she wipes it away. She keeps going trough his hair till he stops stirring, he's still breathing irregular. When she stands up to go back to her own bed, he grabs her hand while he's still asleep. It's like he doesn't want her to go. After a few seconds she decides to stay with him, so she lies down next to him and rests her head on his chest. She listens how his breath becomes normal again. After a few minutes she falls asleep with Harry's arm around her.

Harry wakes up with something pressing on his chest and his arms around something. He puts on is glasses with his free arm and finds Hermione lying on his chest. She looks so peaceful, he doesn't want to wake her. He can hear Ron's snoring in the background. He begins stroking Hermione's hair while trying to find out why she's here.

After a minute Hermione wakes up, she feels someone stroking her hair. It feels good.
"Morning 'Moine" Harry says soft.
"Morning Harry" she answers
"Why are you here? Not that I don't want you here but there has to be a reason why you are here right?" he asks getting nervous.
Hermione sits up, "I woke up from your screaming, did you have a nightmare?"
"oh, yeah. Sorry for waking you up"
"don't worry. I came to here and began stroking your hair to calm you down. After a few minutes you were sleeping peaceful again. So I wanted to go back to my own bed, but you wouldn't let me go"
"oh really? Thanks for calming me down and for staying" Harry says smiling a bit. Hermione takes him into a hug which he returns.

"What was your nightmare about?" she asks after a minute
"first it was Voldemort and the whole thing of his return, but then he turned into Uncle Vernon. He began to kick and choke me"
"oh Harry" she says while hugging him.

That's it for chapter twelve

See u in the next one!