Behind the Cover

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Behind the cover
By CelticFox
Chapter Four

It was nearly a week later before Harry was allowed out of the hospital wing. And by then everyone knew that Harry Potter had spent his first week in the infirmary. McGonagall had informed Ron and Hermione about Harry's condition when the boy had been asking for his friends. After that Ron and Hermione had been visiting him every day in the hospital wing. Harry had only found it slightly comforting, Ron didn't seem to know what to say to him any more, and Hermione had taken it upon herself to help Harry with everything. He was grateful for it the first few times, but once he had memorized the way to the bathroom he found it more then a little embarrassing to have Hermione help him there, then wait outside the door to lead him back to his bed. But as always Harry let this continue because it made her feel helpful while also still trying to look up possible cures in any medical text book she could find.

It was during this first week that Draco Blaise and Pansy had chosen to keep their distance. Especially after what happened the first day when the three of them went to see how Harry was doing. Or rather Blaise and Pansy were going to see how Harry was doing and Draco tagged along because Pomfrey had ordered him to keep an eye on Harry and help him where he could. At least, that was the story he told and he was sticking to it. When the three of them had entered the infirmary Hermione had sent a glare at Pansy while Ron stood up as if getting himself ready for a fight.

"What are YOU doing here?" Ron asked glaring in Draco's direction.

"That is none of your business weasel." Draco sneered at him as Blaise rolled his eyes at the two of them and went over to stand next to Harry's bed.

"Afternoon Potter." Blaise said as he leaned over to inspect the bandages. Harry didn't move having remembered bits and peaces of the train ride and knew that it had been Blaise and Pansy that had healed him. He still didn't know why, but he wasn't going to be rude to the people who helped him.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" Ron shouted and moved to shove Blaise away from Harry but Blaise had already backed up.

"I am checking on my patient if you don't mind." Blaise said and Draco almost laughed at the looks on Ron and Hermione's faces. Draco also noticed how Harry seemed to be bracing himself for the explosion that was bound to happen. Draco saw it was going to happen to, if Ron's face turning red was any indication.

"Let's come back later Blaise, when the weasel isn't around." Draco put a hand on his friend's arm. Blaise looked at him then back at Harry and nodded.

"Yeah! You better leave!" Ron said though sounded relived.

"Ron…please." Harry said with a sigh.

"That slimy Slytherin git was calling you his patient."

"Just drop it." Was the last thing Draco had heard before closing the door behind him. Oh how he wanted to hex the weasel and mudblood into next century. Sitting there as if they were Harry's best friends in the world. Granted they had been together since first year, but Draco could still remember over hearing what Ron had said on the train, and the fact that Hermione hadn't done much of anything to shut him up, and was still friends with him, just thinking about it made Draco's blood boil.

And now a week later and Harry was allowed to get back on his feet and start staying in Gryffindor tower again. Though it was still unsure how he would continue classes when he had to stay blindfolded all the time. So it surprised Draco when on a Tuesday morning and he was late for potions class that he saw Harry slowly up ahead of him feeling his way along the wall sliding his feet along so as not to walk into anything or trip over something. So Draco walked up to him, the other boy hadn't noticed that there was someone else there.

"What are you doing Potter?" Harry nearly jumped five feet in the air as he spun around turning his head to look in the direction somewhere to Draco's left, and if Draco's chest hadn't tightened at the site of it he probably would have laughed. So instead Draco moved over so that Harry would have been looking at him. "Didn't mean to scare you. But what are you doing?"

"…I was...going to class." Harry said truthfully and Draco raised an eyebrow at this. How did Harry think he was going to be any good at potions when he couldn't see? The boy was bad enough at the class when he COULD see.

"I don't think Snape will like it, classes haven't been decided for you yet since…"

"Since I'm officially blind? Yeah I know. But I'm not going to be sitting in my room doing nothing while I fall behind." Harry said stubbornly. Draco looked at him for a long moment before shrugging.

"Suit yourself Potter, now if you excuse me, I'm already late for potions." He said and started walking away though, his footsteps were a bit slower and louder then they normally would have been as he 'lead' Harry down to the dungeons. Once he was at the bottom of the steps he looked behind him to see if Harry was making it down the stairs alright. He was surprised to see that the other boy had kept up quite well. Draco smiled and waited until Harry had reached the bottom step before he started walking again.

“Malfoy.” Harry called after him before Draco could get more than two steps ahead. He stopped and turned to look at Harry again. The black haired boy smiled almost shyly at him. “Thank you.” He whispered and if the dungeon hadn’t been so quiet Draco was sure that he would have missed it, and even in the dim light he could easily see the blush that had spared across Harry’s cheeks.

“You’re such a sap Potter.” Draco said and turned going into the fifth door leaving it open ajar so that Harry would be able to find his out what door to go in.

“You are rather late this morning Draco.” Snape pointed out glancing up from where he had been obviously about to criticize Longbottom’s poor excuse for a potion.

“Sorry professor, should I stay behind for a detention?” Draco asked but at that moment Harry had made his way into the room. The site of him standing in the door seemed to catch the attention of everyone in the classroom. Draco heard a couple people at the Slytherin table whisper something before everyone around them laughed. Snape didn’t say anything as he stalked over to Harry and glared down at the boy. Harry must have noticed who was standing in front of him because he took an unconscious step back.

“What are you doing in this class Potter?” Snape asked and couldn’t help but sneer at him. "I was under the impression that you were not to return to any classes until the headmaster had decided if it was even possible for you to continue schooling here when you can not see what you are doing to begin with." Harry was shaking with anger as he clenched his fists and waited for Snape to continue speaking when he didn't Harry decided it was his turn to say something.

"I can still come to classes, just because I can't see what you're doing doesn't mean I can't listen to the lecture or-"

"Potter." Snape hissed clearly annoyed with Harry, but this was nothing new Harry was always doing or saying something that annoyed Snape. Draco set his bag down watching the two of them. Most of the class was watching them as well waiting to see what was going to happen. "I refuse to let you into this classroom where you will just take up valuable space." Snape glared even though Harry couldn't see it. "Now I suggest you go back to where you belong." Snape had been expecting for Harry to continue arguing with him, so he was momentarily surprised as the boy stepped back with his head lowered. He was still shaking though he didn't seem to be angry any more. Before anything else could be said Harry turned and bolted down the hallway. Snape snorted and closed the door muttering about recklessness. He glared at the students that were still watching while others had already turned back to their work pretending not have been interested at all. Draco finally sat down and got his things out of his bag, if he had been anyone else and hadn't had his own love for potions Draco would have let his mind wander to the raven haired boy that had just run off. But he was Draco Malfoy number one student at potions. He did however, before beginning, sneak a peak over to the Gryffindors and saw that Hermione and Ron seemed to be having a rather silent row about something. And it was quite clear what it was they were fighting about.

"I thought you said you had talked to him about coming to classes?" Hermione asked in an angry hiss when Snape was out of hear shot.

"I did! He said he was fine with taking some more time off." Ron said as he cut up the roots he needed for his potions. "Maybe he just got board sitting up in the tower all day with no one to talk to." Ron suggested. "Then again, he's not talking to anyone so I don't see how THAT could be his problem."

"Honestly Ron." Hermione shook hear head. "What's the matter with you?" Ron didn't answer her as he pretended to be very absorbed in making his potion. Hermione didn't press the question either and turned her attention to her own potion. It seemed that most everyone in the class had spared a few moments thought to Harry before continuing their own work.

---

Harry ran along the passageway his eyes felt hot and wet, but he wasn't crying. At least, that's what he told himself. But Snape's voice was still ringing in his head. And soon other voices were dug up from Harry's memory. Voices laughing at him as he was shoved punched and kicked. But Harry refused to listen to any of them. If he did he was afraid that he would be swallowed whole by the darkness just as his eyes were. He ran and ran until his lungs were burning from not getting enough air and it was only then that he stopped and leaned against the wall sliding down it slowly as he tried to catch his breath. His bandages were getting wetter by the second and the voices Harry refused to listen to seemed louder now that he had stopped running. He covered his ears in a vain attempt to block them out.

'Freak! You abnormal freak!' The voice echoed through his head. 'Nothing but a waste of space!' Harry shook his head disagreeing with the voice. But it was no use, even when his uncle had been alive it had been no use disagreeing or arguing with him. Because it always meant more laughing voices, more pain more sleepless nights of lying awake wishing he could escape that someone, anyone would come for him. But the last time he had wished this, it had taken eleven years for someone to come and take him away. Only to send him strait back when the school year was over.

'Please…." Harry begged softly. "I want to forget." Harry said curling up and shaking as the voices seemed to be louder, and he could almost feel the pain in his body as if it was remembering everything as well. And now, Harry half expected to open his eyes and find himself in the basement with his uncle waiting for him to open his eyes so he could begin the punishment. So Harry kept his eyes tightly closed refusing to open them. And he was still shaking as he pleaded with anyone that would listen to him, just once he wanted someone to listen.

"My poor child." Harry knew that voice, even though he had only heard it once before he knew it. He tried to open his eyes and only met with more blackness and then he remembered, he was not in the basement, his uncle was not here. He was at Hogwarts, and his family, his family was…A bloody image flashed through Harry's mind so quickly that it made him jump up and put a hand over his mouth in an attempt not to be sick. "Shh, it's alright little one." The voice said and Harry felt a warm hand brush through his hair and he relaxed into it.

"why won't you make me forget…" Harry asked, and he got the feeling that whoever this person was, they were smiling at him.

"Because you have not talked about what you have seen."

"But, I haven't seen anything." Harry said frowning. "Not for a week-"

"You know very well of what I speak little one." The voice was stern yet somehow still gentle. "You do yourself a great injustice by pretending nothing has happened. Why do you wish to forget?" there was a very long silence where Harry debated not saying anything. But he had a feeling he could trust this voice, for that's all it was to Harry because he had never seen this person so there was no face harry could place with the voice.

"…because it hurts." He finally said.

"And you think forgetting will make the pain go away?" Harry nodded. "Forgetting what happened is only a way of covering up the pain." The voice ran a hand through Harry's hair before it vanished. "I will see you again little one, when you are ready to talk." And then the voice was gone, Harry was alone again and it was only then that he remembered he was in a hallway somewhere in the castle. He wasn't exactly sure where he was or how far he had run from the potions class or even how long he had been sitting here slowly he stood up leaning against the wall and strained his ears trying to listen to any noises that might help him find his way back to Gryffindor tower. Keeping one hand on the wall with the other reached out ahead of him so he wouldn't bump into anything he slowly started to move down the hallway and couldn't help but wonder how he had made it here without thinking when he had run away from Snape. Harry attempted to not think about what Snape had said, he was just a slimy git who knew nothing and Harry was seriously considering going to classes tomorrow. This thought firmly set in his mind Harry started taking longer steps instead of shuffling his feet along.

Harry thought he was making pretty good progress on his own, but he could hear voices down the hall and that made him stop. He listened closely, he was sure he didn't recognize the voices, at least, he hadn't until he heard Seamus. Smiling a little Harry quickened his pace as much as he dared to and headed towards the voice trying to figure out if it was getting closer or further away. Just as Harry had decided that the voice was indeed getting closer he lost his footing when his foot made an unexpected dip. Harry flung his arms out to stop himself from falling but this was harder then it sounded. But even though he was braced for the impact, it never came. In-fact, he wasn't even falling any more.

"Whoa there runt!" Someone said and Harry was pulled back against a strong chest. Harry's whole body tensed, even though he was grateful to whoever it was he didn't like being touched, and this person was so much larger then he was.

"Harry?" Harry's head shot up and turned in the direction of the second person.

"Seamus?"

"Yeah, what are you doing down here? I thought you were still in the tower." Seamus said as he took Harry's hand pulling him away from the person that was still holding him.

"…I wanted to go to classes…" Harry said simply. "…it turns out it wasn't such a smart idea after all." Harry moved closer to Seamus and hopefully away from the other person he was sure was still standing there watching him. But whoever else was standing there didn't say anything. And this seemed to make Harry even more nervous. Seamus noticed this and frowned looking down at the boy who seemed to have stopped growing at the age of thirteen. He lifted his hand and brushed some hair out of Harry's face.

"What's wrong Harry?" He asked in what he hoped was a gentle voice. The last thing he wanted to do was make this boy even more nervous. Harry leaned into the hand but didn't say anything; he always felt the most comfortable with Seamus. It had been like this since about half way through first year. Sure Ron was his best friend, but Ron could also be a loudmouth and Hermione was a know it all. With Seamus, Harry could sit in complete silence with the other boy and just feel completely at ease. Plus, Seamus was the only one who knew everything Harry had to endure while living with the Dursley's. It was this thought that made Harry wonder if Seamus knew what had happened this passed summer.

"Hey Goyle, I think I should take him back to the tower now. I'll talk to you later kay?" Seamus asked the other boy who had caught Harry before he could fall down the stairs. Harry groaned and buried his face against Seamus' shoulder.

"you okay?" Seamus wrapped his arms around Harry as he asked this. The black haired boy said something that was muffled by Seamus' shoulder. "Sorry, didn't catch that."

Harry lifted his head a bit so they could hear him this time. "I said I'm beginning to think I'm a Slytherin magnet!" He rested against Seamus for a long moment. "First Malfoy finds me on the platform, then Blaise and Parkinson are secret Slytherin healers and now Goyle stops me from breaking my neck!"

"…I'm failing to see how any of that is actually a bad thing." Goyle said. "I have only heard rumors about Draco finding you back in London. And I wouldn't call Blaise or Pansy secret anything. Well, at least not with anyone from our year. You might be socked to hear this Potter, but just because we're Slytherin doesn't make us evil."

"Oh no of course not! Slytherin means sunshine and roses. That makes everything SO much clearer now!" Harry said sounding more then a little hysterical. Seamus shot Goyle a look, the other boy sighed and nodded.

"I'll see you later Seamus." Goyle said turning to head back to his own common room while Seamus turned in the other direction leading Harry back up to the tower. Their walk was silent and Harry held onto Seamus' robe, it was easier to be led around this way, one, he could follow Seamus without much effort and two, it wasn't like Seamus was holding his hand to lead him along, like Hermione had taken to doing.

Once they were safe in the tower Harry let go of Seamus' robe slowly making his way up to his dormitory. Seamus looked around the common room before following him. He had not gotten much time to talk to Harry in the passed week. Mainly because Ron and Hermione were constantly hovering around the boy. Entering the dorm he saw Harry was already curled up on his bed holding his pillow tightly. Sighing deeply Seamus walked over, pulled the pillow from Harry's hand and sat on the bed next to him. Still not saying a word Harry scooted over and wrapped his arms around Seamus' waist letting his head rest on the other boy's lap. Seamus ran his fingers through Harry's hair.

"Harry." Seamus said finally and Harry sighed.

"…Sea…I don't really want to talk about it…" Harry said before the question could be asked. Seamus just nodded and let the subject drop. Harry would talk in his own good time. For now Seamus would just sit here and wait until the boy was ready. Seamus couldn't help but smile a little bit; this is how it always was. Ever since their first year when he had found Harry hiding in the bathroom after the boy had had a bad dream. Seamus had been so worried about him, but hadn't even known where to start asking questions to find out what was wrong with the smaller boy, so he had sat down next to Harry, much like he was now, and let the boy cry. Seamus smiled at the memory of the very red faced Harry apologizing to him before breakfast the next morning. Seamus had reassured Harry that he didn't mind, and would gladly do it again if it helped. And that is how their very strange friendship had started. Sure they didn't really hang out as much as he Ron and Hermione. But Seamus had always viewed the other two as more….leaches, then friends. Hermione with her know it all smarts wanting to prove that her brains were worth something, and Ron there to bask in the light that was Harry Potter. But Seamus didn't mind those two quite that much, because he had this. He had his own friendship with the boy who lived. And Seamus was sure that he was one of the only people who had seen what lay under the mask of the bright and happy boy.

"So did you really try and go to classes today?" Seamus asked.

"Yeah…"

"Obviously that didn't go so well. What happened?"

"Potions…" Seamus winced, of all the classes Harry could have tried to go to, it had to be Snape's class.

"Well, that would explain why you were in the hallway alone." Seamus leaned back against the head board. "So did Snape take more points from Gryffindor?"

"Don't know…I didn't really stick around very long to give him the chance. I'm sure he did though…slimy git…" Harry huffed and was silent again. This silence seemed to last longer and Seamus smiled he noticed that Harry had actually fallen asleep. Closing the bed curtains he put spells on them so that anyone coming into the room couldn't disturb them. Scooting down a bit on the bed Seamus closed his eyes and he to drifted off to sleep. Neither boy were aware of the figure that had been standing in the corner of the room watching them.

"Sleep well my poor boy." The figure sighed and seemed to fade back into the wall.

TBC>>
Gah. This chapter is late. >_< I had a slight bit of writers block. And then work six days in a row which didn't help said writers block! So yeah. Here is next chapter. Not much of a development I'm afraid. But, we'll get there~