DN- TW for abuse for these next few chaps, ngl we made the Dursleys a lot worse than canon and it can be very upsetting to read, we'll have markers though.
Before Harry and Sirius knew it, they were standing in front of Number 4 Privet Drive. Harry took a deep breath, then grabbed onto Sirius' fur and knocked on the door.
"Petunia, go see who it could possibly be at this time of day!" Harry flinched as Uncle Vernon's voice boomed through the house, and Sirius pressed more closely to his legs. Jor, wrapped around Harry's upper arm, squeezed gently as well. A moment later the door cracked open, only to slam shut a moment later. Harry sighed and knocked again. When Aunt Petunia opened the door this time, Harry held out Professor Dumbledore's note.
"I was hoping it would be a joke," Aunt Petunia said with a scowl. "I should have known better. You freaks don't know how to leave a good, normal family alone!"
"I don't want to be here any more than you want me here, Auntie," Harry spat. "Unfortunately, my godfather who happens to be a murderer is on the loose. He's very protective of me though, so I'd be careful if I were you," he added.
Aunt Petunia blanched, which was a very good sight to see, but she didn't back down yet. Finally she took the letter from Harry and opened it, beginning to read it.
"Shouldn't you at least let me in the front door? You don't want the neighbors to see, do you?" Harry asked with an innocent face. Aunt Petunia jerked her head up to look at him, then peeked out the door, looking around.
"Well get in here then, boy," she snapped. Harry quickly stepped inside, and Sirius tried to follow, but Aunt Petunia slammed the door before he could get more than a paw in. "The beast stays out. It can go somewhere else, or if it must stay here, its food comes from your plate."
"That's fine," Harry agreed reluctantly, knowing he had no choice. He'd sneak Padfoot in later if he could. For now he had Jor.
Aunt Petunia finally finished reading the letter and was glaring at Harry. "Come on then, freak," she hissed. "Vernon will have to know you're back." Harry couldn't stop the flinch at the admission and Aunt Petunia smirked at him. "Vernon!" she called. "We have a... visitor, for the summer." She led him to the living room where the tele was blaring some news station. Vernon didn't even look up.
"Well, who is it, then? Marge isn't due for another month. No one else has any reason to visit us for multiple nights."
Uncle Vernon hadn't changed at all, it seemed, except he was possibly bigger now. Harry bit back a shiver with sheer willpower. Aunt Petunia seemed to notice and smirked even more fiercely. "The freaks have sent my freak sister's freak son back," she said almost gleefully, watching Uncle Vernon for a reaction.
Uncle Vernon actually muted the tele and turned around. "Our freak nephew's back? Whatever for? They decided they didn't want him?" His voice was mocking as he looked at Harry.
Harry bit his tongue, trying desperately to ignore his uncle. He hadn't even been in the house for ten minutes and he was already falling back into his old mindset. Don't ask questions. Don't speak. Be invisible. You are worthless. No one wants you. You're a burden. Harry looked away, staring at a point on the floor right in front of the wall across from them. Jor squeezed tighter around his arm, sensing his spiraling thoughts.
Uncle Vernon smirked, then turned to Aunt Petunia. "Back in the cupboard with it. And for being a burden on us for the summer, it can spend the first week paying for its keep by making our meals and watching us eat them without any for itself. I'm sure Dudley will enjoy playing his favorite game when he gets back from Smeltings in a few days."
Harry held in another flinch at the thought of Dudley and his Smeltings stick and gang.
"Unfortunately the freak brought a dog with him," Aunt Petunia said. "The letter the old coot sent said the beast has to stay with the freak for protection and if it doesn't come back healthy then he'll do something about it. He didn't say what, though."
"The creature will stay outside and it can find its own food. Surely there's plenty for it to eat. If nothing else Mrs. Figg has those cats." Uncle Vernon's voice held no inflection as he said it. Harry wasn't surprised. His relatives had always hated Mrs. Figg and her cats. Harry resolved to sneak Sirius in that night after his aunt and uncle had fallen asleep. It would be a tight fit in the cupboard, but at least Padfoot would be inside and with Harry.
That night, Harry waited until he heard his uncle's snores and reached in for the accidental magic he'd done as a child. It couldn't really be tracked like his wand, and as he'd gotten older, several moments of his "accidental" magic hadn't been so accidental. If he wanted something to happen, mostly unlocking doors so he could get out of his cupboard or into the house at night, it happened. So he did it again, letting himself out of the cupboard and opening the door to let Sirius in.
"It's going to be a tight fit," Harry warned in a whisper. "But at least you'll be warm and dry. Come on. I have to get you back out before they wake up." Sirius slunk in with a whine and followed Harry to the cupboard. They both got in and quickly fell asleep. As promised, Harry woke them up before Vernon and Petunia woke and snuck Sirius back out. "Sorry," he whispered. Sirius just gave him a lick on the cheek and slipped back outside.
An hour later, Harry was woken again by banging on the cupboard door. "Get up, freak! Vernon wants breakfast before he goes to work this morning, and it had better be perfect!" Aunt Petunia's voice grated on Harry's ears but he pulled himself up and out of the now unlocked cupboard.
What followed was both the most horrible and the most dull day that had happened to Harry in recent times. He "ruined" breakfast and had an extra three days added to his no meals punishment. Then he was sent out to weed the garden. Aunt Petunia said he missed weeds and was locked outside for the rest of the day in the hot sun. At least he had Padfoot.
He was finally let in to make dinner, which he did well enough, apparently, as he wasn't punished for it, and then he was locked in his cupboard. After Uncle Vernon's snores started up again, he quickly snuck out to let Padfoot in.
*****PHYSICAL VIOLENCE REFERENCED BUT NOTHING ACTUALLY HAPPENS*********
Unfortunately, Harry was exhausted because of the day spent in the hot sun slaving away in the garden, so he didn't wake up before Aunt Petunia woke up, and he didn't even hear her banging on his door. Her scream when she yanked open the door and found Harry and Padfoot cuddling, however, did wake him up. The next thing he knew, Uncle Vernon had thundered down the stairs and was physically throwing Sirius out the door, then reaching in with his meaty hand and grabbing Harry by the arm. Harry couldn't resist the whimper that slipped out as he was thrown into the doorframe into the living room. He scrambled backwards into the living room, but Uncle Vernon followed him, face purple and hands reaching for his belt. "I'll teach you to disobey my rules, freak," he hissed. Harry curled up and covered his head as the first strike hit.