Pass the Glamours

Chapter Six: Reasoning

Harry felt sick the moment he saw Vernon. The large man didn't say anything as he began to walk to his car the moment the fifteen-year-old was close enough to him. He didn't want to interact with him as much as possible, something that the boy felt good about.

The only time he ever had freedom from the abuse was when he was at Hogwarts. Was when he was far away from them, literally in a different country! They hadn't even tried to owl him or send him a letter of any kind! They only spoke to him near the end of the year, and even that only happened once. Now, they suddenly wanted him to be there for their Christmas? Weren't they happy that he wasn't trying to be there? He often heard Dudley happily boasting to his friends about how amazing it was that a 'freak' like him was forced to stay at his boarding school during the Christmas holidays.

It worried the ravenet about what his guardians were thinking. The only reason he could imagine them forcing him back was if they had a client over, a very high-end client. Yet, that felt flimsy at best. They were prideful, but Petunia was a genuinely good cook, he had learned cooking from her first. Honestly, that was probably the nicest memory he had of her... She had felt more like an aunt when she was teaching him how to do all of his chores. She scolded him, sure, but it was never so cruel. It almost made him believe that she did care about him on some level. Of course, now he knows she never did, she was just being gentle.

"Get out." Was the first thing Vernon said to his freak of a nephew.

The boy hurried out, moving to the back of the car and grabbing his enchanted trunk. He hadn't brought his bird, which the over-sized walrus was glad about as that meant there wouldn't be any screeching or hollering at night. That also meant that none of the freak's friends could communicate with him for the next couple of weeks.

"Inside."

The scrawny teen bowed his head and hurried to enter the house before his uncle, waiting politely to take his hat, coat and scarf from the man like a bellboy. Vernon was glad that the freak hadn't said a single word, hadn't glanced at him yet either. It seemed the school hadn't made him lose as much obedience as it had throughout the years. Perhaps he should keep him over the holidays, if only to ingrain that the boy was nothing more than a freak. All thought could wait later though.

"Kitchen now." He grumbled; shoving pass the boy, who flinched at the touch. "And stop using your damn magic." The words were hissed with disgust and hatred, making the boy wince again as he gave a weak noise of agreement.

The three Dursleys waited only for a half a minute when Harry revealed himself to them. His skin had a slightly healthier appeal to it, his hair looked more like hair than ratted, sunbathed yarn, and it seemed he had put on weight. Of course, he still was sickly thin, and his skin was still that pale white that allowed them to see most of his blue veins and his hair wasn't as dark of a black as his father's hair was. He needed more time than just a few months away from them to properly recover, but they didn't care.

"Disgusting freak." Dudley sneered, his nose wrinkling.

Harry gulped back the panic he was already beginning to feel. He wanted to leave already. To run away and call Sirius for help. Yes, he needed help, he wanted help... But would Sirius believe him? Would he try and help him away from this? Or would he believe Dumbledore like everyone else?

"We're having high-end guests coming over for Christmas Eve dinner." Petunia looked annoyed, her arm in a cast. "I can't believe I broke my arm and we had to call you." She sneered in disgust at the boy standing before them.

Harry felt his throat dry. He could offer her a Skele-grow, it would fix her arm faster, but that would mean nothing at this point. The train wouldn't leave for Hogwarts till the end of the Yule/Christmas season. At least with her arm broken, she would a little nicer to him... Hopefully.

"You'll be allowed," disgust appeared on three of their faces, "to use some magic to look less... you." Vernon huffed.

"Less dead, but not like your vile father." Petunia hissed, swatting her uninjured hand at the boy.

He flinched at the sudden motion before nodding. He had roughly five days before the clients were to come back, and he wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel about it. The fact that they were allowing him to use glamours meant that he would be joining them. Yet, he wasn't sure about that.

"A-Am I joining you for the meal or just making it? U-Using a glamour ta-takes a lot of energy..." He murmured loud enough for them to properly hear.

Their beady eyes narrowed before the patriarch gave a grim smile. Harry gulped as he felt the hairs raise on the back of his neck. He felt like he was going to be in danger. No, he was in danger.

"The full meal, you'll even get to taste your own cooking for once." He hummed, but it felt like a threat. Like poison.

The shaggy-haired boy nodded, his body involuntarily shaking.

"T-thank you, s-sir..."

Vernon and Dudley laughed as Petunia only narrowed her eyes. They looked like monsters. Two fat ogres with small eyes and a tall, spindly giraffe like creature just watching him. Waiting for him to make a mistake so they could destroy him, eat him.

How much Harry wished he was in front of Voldemort again, at least then he could fight. At least then he knew he would die instantly. Out of the evils in his life, Harry would take a mixture of Voldemort, the Malfoys, and Snape any day than the Dursleys. Within a heartbeat.