Once in a Blue Moon

Disclaimer: Not mine, wish it were, but it's not.

AN: I"M BACK!!!! YAY!!!!! I'm so sorry, and for so may things, but I'm back! There was a minor family crisis and no computer for a while, and...school (real life?), but I've finally written the next chapter, and I know it could be longer, but I was just so excited that I'd finally written it that I wanted to post it right away. I will go back and fix the previous chapter's horrible formatting, and hopefully this chapter will not suffer the same fate. Thank you all for baring with me. *hugs and kisses for all*

Several days latter came Harry’s big test. He had sworn to himself that this was the day he would tell Ron and Hermione what had happened. If he could get through that, then maybe, just maybe he could see about the trial. Currently, he was lying awake in his bed, the soft snores of his roommates, and Potion’s purring having an almost calming effect on him. The sun was just barely beginning to peak above the horizon, and Harry was able to watch from his bed as the sky was tinted with shades of pink and gold.
“I can do this, right Potion?” He whispered, stroking the kitten’s ears thoughtfully. “I mean, it Ron and Hermione, they’re my best friends; they’ll understand right?” The feline cocked his head to the side, licked Harry’s hand, and ran off, probably searching out an unfortunate mouse. The Boy Who Lived gave a soft laugh, silently padding after him so he could be the first in the showers.

~*~


“And so then, Malfoy’s all, ‘If you got a Knut for every brilliant idea like that Weasley, you’d still be dirt poor.’” Ron grumbled, taking an angry bite of his marmalade toast. “I mean the nerve of that kid.”
Hermione rolled her eyes.
“Well you have to admit, Ron, telling him to ‘go join his father in jail’ wasn’t exactly the best insult you’ve ever come up with.”
Harry snorted, setting down his goblet and looking at the fuming redhead with amusement.
“Harry,” Hermione interjected, before Ron could show offence. “You made me promise to make you tell us what ever was going on today, remember?”
“Yes, Hermione.” The green eyed boy promised, in much the same tone the twins used
with Mrs. Weasley. “But not now, we can al meet up by the lake during our spare
period, okay?” The two gryffindors nodded their agreement, and the resulting tension was soon broken when Seamus and Dean’s long planned scheme to hex Snape’s hair pink went off with out a hitch.

~*~


Harry was the first to arrive at the predetermined spot by the lake, chest tight with anxiety. Nervously, he skipped a few pebbles across the Great Lake, until a large tentacle emerged, and chucked one back. Harry was still rubbing the resulting bump on his head when Hermione arrived, Ron in tow.
“Ouch, Harry. That looks mighty painful mate. You wanna get that checked out?” The redhead ogled the mound with morbid fascination. Hermione elbowed him in the ribs.
“Ron.” She admonished. They sat down, and after a brief lecture about teasing the giant squid, the conversation turned towards the reason they were there.
“Well,” Harry began, “You guys know how much I hate going to the Dursley’s, right?”
Ron snorted. “Not like anyone blames you mate, there terrible.”
The green-eyed-boy bit his lip, “Yeah, well…the thing is…they were worse than I told you.”
Hermione frowned. “Harry, are you alright?” she asked nervously.
The seeker nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine now…I…I will be fine anyways. They- well, Vernon mostly…um…” He closed his eyes, trying to compose himself, and Hermione immediately flung her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. Harry gave a soft smile, hugging her back briefly, before pulling back. “He beat me a fair bit.” he said rather calmly, “Which, I probably would have minded so much if he hadn’t been whoring me out since I was eight.” His voice broke as he finished the sentence; his eyes burned and though he tried furiously not to, he couldn’t stop the tears that broke through, sliding down his cheeks. He’d never said it so bluntly before…He looked up anxiously to see his friends’ reaction. Ron’s ears had turned very pink, and he was staring at Harry aghast, while Hermione’s face was contorted in some strange fashion, he wasn’t quite sure what she-
“OH Harry!!” The bushy haired girl seemed to exploded, crying just as hard, if not harder than Harry, pulling him into a hug. “I’m so sorry! I should have known! I-I should have spotted the signs! I-”
“Hermione?”
“I should have-…yes, Harry?”
“There was nothing you could have done. I didn’t tell anyone, but now I have, and everything is going to be fine.” he said reassuringly, in a calm, slow voice. It disturbed him to see his friend so upset.
“I-um...I-” Ron seemed to be trying to speak, and was having great difficultly. “Is...there anything we can do?” he asked finally.
“Um…yeah, actually. There’s...going to be a trial, and...if you guys could...come, I’d…” he trailed off.
“Of course, Harry.” his friend’s said in unison.
He smiled softly. “Thanks guys.’

~*~