Burnt

Chapter 9

Harry, Sirius, and Remus were all returning from the Burrow. Harry's belated birthday celebration had a fairly awkward atmosphere, but it was still fun to have been there with everyone, even if Percy did keep trying to making things about his job, trying to get them to ask what the big event coming up was. Harry didn't really care, as long as it didn't put him in danger again, anything was good.

What they hadn't been expecting, and wanted to not have happen to them, happened.

Outside their door, sat Dudley. Luke was standing beside him, somehow managing to look both intimidating and inviting at the same time, Remus guessed it was normal for queer people in muggle schools.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Sirius asked, Harry having frozen before Sirius stepped in front of him in a protective stance.

"I- I'm sorry. I know you don't want me here, but my parents found out about Luke and kicked me out. I don't have anywhere to go." Dudley said, his voice shaking. He knew he also needed to apologise to Harry, but he wanted to explain why he was there first.

"Why don't you stay with Luke?" Remus suggested, putting his hand comfortingly on Harry's shoulder.

"I'm a runaway, I stay in empty muggle homes, the new building sites are the best, but it's not that safe, especially not for two people." Luke explained, his story was heartbreaking, but he talked as though it was an ordinary day for everyone.

"Um, Harry," Dudley said quietly, fiddling with his fingers, he knew he should be looking Harry in the eye, but he couldn't see him anyway due to Sirius. "I'm really sorry about what happened. I shouldn't have bullied you or stand by and let my parents treat you the way they did."

"I-..." Harry started. He knew what that house was like, and Dudley had stopped actually catching him since year 3, and he hadn't even pretended to want to hurt him since going to secondary school, other than stealing his food. "It's okay."

"Harry, are you okay with them staying here for a few days?" Remus whispered to Harry so Dudley and Luke couldn't hear. "We can keep them away from you while we try to find them a place to stay."

"That's fine." Harry said, his smile stiff and somewhat forced, making Remus worried.

"You can stay here for a few days, but you're not allowed anywhere near Harry's room, and you are expected to help out around the house. And no doing anything illegal." Remus said, his own eyes turning cold as he, too walked forward to face Dudley and Luke.

"Thank you." Dudley said, quietly.

-----

True to his word, Dudley mostly avoided Harry during their stay, although Luke ended up talking to Harry quite a lot. In the end they customised Harry's walking stich so it could also be used in the same way as a beginner broom, meaning it couldn't be as fast as a normal broom, nor could it fly very high up. It was mostly for him to be able to get around Hogwarts without too much difficulty, but they hoped it would help when he couldn't walk.

Luke's style wasn't dissimilar to Sirius' when he was at Hogwarts, lots of leather, maybe it was a runaway/banished wizard thing.

It was one of the rare times that all the teens were in the same place. Luke was the only person talking between Harry and Dudley, the two still uncomfortable around each other, not that either could blame the other for their discomfort.

Luke was wearing a long coat with an open front, his old fashioned tunic loose at the top. He was wearing black trousers and long boots with fairly tall heels. He was already the tallest in the room, but he needed just a little more height to be the average height for 13 year old guys in the UK. He had a tear drop shaped pendant hanging loosely to his mid chest, where the magic he had learnt by hiding in the library at his family's home had removed the lumps of fat on his chest that had developed a while ago.