Sparrow

Chapter One

Harri walks down the corridor at school, keeping his head down as he listens to his music. Being pushed from behind, he hears a snap from his arm as he falls to the floor "Oops, didn't see you there Todd." Braden laughs from behind him. Groaning, Harri gets up "Did I tell you that you could get up?" Braden asks, shoving him to the floor again. "Hey, what's going on?" a voice asks, Harri perking up slightly. "What's it to you, Drake?" Braden's friend, James, asks. "Tim." Harri whimpers. "Harri? What the Hell, Braden?!" Tim shouts helping Harri up. Noticing his wince, Tim gently pulls the younger boy's sleeve up "Harri, was it Braden?" he asks, his eyes darkening when he sees a purple bruise forming. Harri doesn't respond, looking down "I'm going to kill him." Tim mutters. "Don't, it's not worth it." Harri tells him. "Leave my brother the Hell alone, Braden. If I see you near him again, we'll be having a different kind of conversation." Tim threatens, leading Harri away. "Come on, you need to get your arm checked out, it's most likely broken." he tells Harrison. "I'm fine." Harri mumbles, Tim scoffing. "Harri, you need it to be checked." Tim tells him, not giving him room to argue with him. Harri grumbles slightly as they head out to the front of the school, waiting for Alfred to pick them up.

Alfred pulls up to the school, the two brothers climbing in the back "How was school today, Master Timothy, Master Harrison?" Alfred asks. "Harri's most likely got a broken arm." Tim tells him. "Tim!" Harri groans. "We'll head to the hospital now, if one of you could call Master Bruce?" Alfred asks. "I don't need to go to the hospital." Harri protests, being ignored as Tim calls Bruce and Alfred drives in the direction of the hospital. Harri sighs and slumps back in his seat, looking out the window at the city "He's going to meet us there." Tim tells Alfred. "Good." Alfred nods. "Dick's coming too, he was with Bruce when I called." Tim says, looking at Harri. Harri nods, not looking away from the window "You told me they left you alone." Tim whispers. "They were." Harri whispers back. "Then what was that?" Tim asks. "I got a higher score than him in class." Harri responds. Tim shakes his head "I knew I should have punched him." he grumbles. "No, that would have made it worse." Harri tells him, panic in his eyes. "Harri, you're eight and in freshman year for half of your classes because you're a child prodigy. "And?" Harri asks, looking at his older brother. "It means that you're going to be targeted because you're smart and small, you need to tell Bruce what's happening." Tim responds. "No. It'll make it worse, it's always worse when you tell people." Harri mutters.

Harri sits on his hospital bed, a nurse finishes wrapping his arm in a cast "There you go, Sweetie." she smiles. "Thanks." he tells her as Dick walks in. "Hey Birdie." Dick smiles. "Hey Dick." Harri responds as the nurse leaves. "Want to tell me what happened?" Dick asks, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I fell over." Harri responds, not looking at him. "Birdie, we both know that's a lie." Dick tells him. Harri doesn't look at him "Hey, look at me. What's going on?" Dick asks him, gently lifting Harri's chin with his finger. "I don't want to talk about it." Harri tells him, looking down. "Okay, only for now though." Dick sighs. Harri nods, fiddling his cast "Don't fiddle with it, it's still drying." Dick tells him, grabbing his hand to stop him. "Sorry." Harri tells him. "You don't have to say sorry, Birdie. Just... think about telling me what happened." Dick responds. Harri shakes his head "I told you, I fell." he mumbles. "And I'm a yeti." Dick responds, Harri smiling slightly "Ha, I saw that. I got a smile." Dick grins, ruffling Harri's hair and pulling him into a bear hug. "Dick!" Harri giggles, leaning into his brother. Bruce walks in and smiles lightly at the two of them "The doctor said you can be discharged now, you just have to come back for a check up in a week or so." he tells Harri. "Okay." the boy nods. "I've already signed the paper work so we can go." Bruce tells them. Harri nods, getting off the bed "Let's go them." he grins, wanting to get out of there.

Getting back to Wayne manor, Harri immediately heads to his room and crashes onto his bed with a groan. A knock on the door makes him sit up "Yeah?" he calls. Dick opens the door and walks in, lying on the bed next to him "Tim told me about Braden." he tells him. "Well he shouldn't have, nothing happened. I told you, I fell." Harri says. "Sure you did." Dick tells him, giving him a look of disbelief. Harri looks away, not making eye contact "Hey, you need to tell us what happened, Birdie. We can't help if you don't tell us." Dick says gently. "It just makes it worse, it always makes it worse." Harri mumbles. Dick sighs and pulls Harri into his chest, the eight year old curling into him and nuzzling his face into his chest as they lie down "It won't get worse, Birdie. If you tell us, it means we can make it stop." Dick tells him. Harri shakes his head "Okay, I'll stop pushing it for now." Dick sighs, kissing the top of Harri's head. Harri climbs up so he's lying on Dick, his head on his chest as he looks at the picture of him and Jason on his bedside table "I miss him... Bruce never talks about him anymore." he mumbles. "I know, Birdie. I miss him too, so does Bruce, Alfred and Barbara. Bruce... he just..." Dick trails off. "I know." Harri mumbles. "Hey, how about we watch a movie with Cass?" Dick suggests. Harri shrugs, nuzzling his face into Dick's chest "Don't know." he yawns. Dick chuckles "Get some sleep, I'll wake you up when dinner's done." he smiles. "Mhm." Harri hums, his eyes already closed.

Alfred soon walks in, smiling when he sees Harri asleep in Dick's embrace "How long has he been asleep?" he asks. Dick looks up from his phone "About half hour, I think everything that happened caught up with him." he responds, gently brushing Harri's hair out his face. "Did he tell you what happened?" Alfred asks. "No, he said it'll make it worse. Tim told me it has to do with Braden though, the same boy from before." Dick tells him. "The one who is the same age as Master Tim but in the same biology class as Master Harrison? The one who was giving him problems before?" Alfred frowns. "The very same." Dick confirms. "I'll try and get Master Bruce to talk to him." Alfred says. Dick nods "Also... get him to talk about Jason more... Harri was saying he misses him but Bruce doesn't talk about him anymore." he explains. Alfred looks at the child in Dick's arms sadly "I'll mention it but each time I bring him up... Master Bruce deflects the conversation." he responds. "It's not fair on Birdie though, he was only three when it happened. He deserves to know about his big brother." Dick points out. "I know, I just make no promises." Alfred nods, leaving the room.