I'm fine, leave me alone!

chapter 3 - train ride

- Story originally written 20th January 2020, fully edited 18th March 2023 and further edited 30th December 2023.
- This part was originally re-published March 18th 2023. Renamed 1st January 2024.

Warnings:
> Mentions of cuts

Directly continued from last chapter, the flashback

———

"Another year with that spoiled brat." Harry heard the girl say, a noise being heard after she spoke, like she had sat down. He covered his mouth with his hand to shield his breathing, not wanting to be heard.

're they talking about me?'

"I know, with his squiggly scar and his perfect little life." moaned Ron, disgust evident in his voice. Harry's heart felt like it shattered when he realised that they were, indeed, talking about him.

'Why did they pretend to be my friends this whole time? Why do that if they hate me?'

As if they had heard his thoughts Hermione spoke again, "If it wasn't for Dumbledore insisting we need to be his friend then we wouldn't be in this situation."

Harry ran back to the great hall, tears threatening to fall from his eyes, longing to anywhere but here, where his friends spoke about him like that, anywhere but there.

———

For the rest of the school year, Harry pretended he hadn't heard anything they'd said, he didn't talk to them as much but they never seemed to notice and if they did they didn't care enough to comment on it. He'd already decided that this year he's ignoring them and everyone he can, keeping his hood up, he's tired of his feelings getting trampled on.

Students were told at the end of the last school year, they're being re-sorted into houses this year and although Harry would never admit it, he hoped to be placed into Slytherin, where he knew he was meant to be housed in since the start. 

Snapped out of his thoughts by Vernon shouting, "Freak, hello? We're here. Get out." Harry got out and grabbed his trunk and Hedwig, before Vernon drove off mumbling to himself, Harry could've guessed it was more profanities against him.

He found an empty compartment nearer the back of the train, and sat there. Soon after someone walked up to the door to the compartment and stood there for a second, as if contemplating their choices, "Potter? There's no other spaces, can I?" he motioned to the seat opposite Harry.

The boy just nodded, put his hood over his head and his headphones on. He tried to sleep, but fell short when he realised he'd forgotten to put a glamour spell over his hand, the cuts being visible to everyone. Pulling the sleeve down over his hand, thankful he at least remembered to place the glamour over his face.

Draco glanced over at Harry, who now had his hood over his head and his headphones on, head leaning against the window, he turned away and looked back to his notebook, resting on his lap. He decided not to speak, the other boy obviously wasn't in much of a speaking mood, and he didn't really know what to say.

The blonde haired boy couldn't help but look over again, he wondered if he was okay. Deciding to think nothing of it, writing it off as a tired mood from waking up too early, maybe an argument or something, making possible excuses in his head, he now saw them, words on the back of his hand, are they carved into his skin? Before he could read any of them the sleeve of his hoodie was brought over his hand, eyes shutting again.

The only thing playing on Draco's mind was Harry and his hand, questions filling his head, why are there words etched onto his skin? what did they say? He wanted to ask what happened but he didn't know how to.

Harry soon fell asleep with Draco trying not to stare at him but not being very successful in his attempt, he was worried about him. Everyone thought they hated each other and they always acted as such, but Draco was tired of the fighting, the nagging, the pointless hatred that they had forged for each other.

Draco quickly looked away when Harry started to move lightly, before opening his eyes. "Are we almost there?" he asked barely awake, "About 15 minutes away." Harry simply nodded before taking out his sketchbook, his most prized possession apart from Hedwig, not that he had many to begin with. 

Draco noticed Harry looking at him every now and then, his face morphed into one of confusion, and only went away when he finally caught onto what Harry was doing, 10 minutes go by and he was still drawing whilst Draco maintained his attention on his notebook.

Only a few minutes away from arriving at Hogwarts, Harry and Draco put their things back into their bags, Draco broke the silence in the room, "Do I get to see it?" 

"Not yet it's not done."

With a silent nod the two boys got into their robes before leaving the train and making their way towards the school, no further communication between the two. They arrived at Hogwarts, today wasn't a busy day just the first day feast and long speeches, the re-sorting was happening tomorrow.

All the students now in bed, it was past curfew, so they were either sleeping or talking to each other, it was half ten when Ron decided to speak to Harry, "Why've you been ignoring me all day?" he just stayed on his side, facing away from him and not responding, "Hello? Harry? Answer me!" Ron whisper-yelled with anger and annoyance lacing his voice. 

Harry just stayed silent, not wanting to deal with this one-sided conversation any longer, "Whatever man, we'll talk tomorrow hopefully by then you'll learn some manners." he mumbled.

Harry just closed his eyes and tried to sleep, he wished his slumber would last forever.

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924 words - chapter 3: train ride