The Silver Tongue

Chapter 5

Harry woke to hear Dudley yelling he was home. His head was pounding and his body ached from just breathing. He just lay there in his dark little cupboard listening to the house around him. He never noticed when he fell back asleep. He was in and out for days after. Sometimes he woke to find himself being fed soup by his aunt on the couch, sometimes he was being washed in the tub and other times he was in his cupboard under the stairs.

This time Harry woke to find his aunt sitting beside him on the bed in the guest room. She was feeding his little one and Amara was wrapped around her wrist. Petunia was humming a soft tune Harry remembered from his early childhood.

The humming turned to soft singing. "Now let the day just slip away, so the dark night may watch over you. Velvet blue, silent true, it embraces your heart and your soul, Nocturne. Never cry never sigh. You don't have to wonder why. always be always see. Come and dream the night with me, Nocturne."

Harry listened to his aunt continued singing. He opened his eyes when he felt a hand on his forehead. Petunia's eyes brightened when she noticed her nephew awake. "Harry sweetheart, how are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. How are you and my darlings?" Harry asked looking from Petunia to his little one, who was trying to make it to him, and to Amara, who was gently holding his little one back as best she could.

"We are fine. You start school in two weeks." Petunia answered sadly.

Harry almost shot forward in shock. "I have been out that long!?"

"Yes. Draco sent a letter asking if you wanted to come over for a week and get on the train together. It came today so I haven't replied yet." Petunia pushed his bangs to the side, trying to gauge his reaction.

Harry lay on the bed trying to wrap his head around the fact that his uncle beat him so bad that he has been out for close to 2½ weeks. He processed his aunt saying Draco, letter, and train. "What? Draco sent a letter?"

Petunia gave a small smile, "Yes, he wants you to stay over at his home for a week and get on the train together. I haven't been able to reply to it yet. I got it today."

"I would like to go, but what about you?" Harry knew his uncle would throw a fit.

"Don't worry about it. While taking care of you I went through the papers that we got from Gringotts and found that one of your uncles bought a small little shop in Hogsmeade with the second floor converted to a home. When you go I'm going to get everything of ours moved over there and I have thought about opening a small café. You can help me run it during the summer. How does that sound?"

Harry grinned at his aunt, "I think it sounds great on one condition. You use the money from my account to do it."

Petunia shook her head, "I will take loans out."

Harry's grinning face turned into a glare. "No I have more than I'll ever need in my accounts. Use whatever you need to move us and open the café. You don't need loans. you have done your best to protect me, feed me, clothe me, and you have always loved me. Let me help you get out of here. This is as much your hell as it is mine."

Petunia sighed in defeat knowing her nephew was going to get his way one way or another. "Alright, you win. Now let's get you into the bath and then you can eat. We'll send a reply back to Draco after."