Chapter 27

"Are you sure?"

He nodded, perhaps a bit too quickly and was quick to explain, "It's not that I don't want to I just… can't yet. I spent every holiday break at Hogwarts, it is… was my home more than the house I grew up in ever was. I just need some time still to get things figured out."

Harriet and Amaryllis both frowned, and he didn't blame them in the least bit. How does one explain the fact that they didn't want to spend a week with who their family should be because they never had one growing up?

"What…" the dark-haired girl hesitated, "do you want us to tell mom and dad?"

That was another issue. How was he supposed to say it in a way that didn't sound like he was angry or avoiding them? Technically, he was avoiding them but not for the reasons they might think. "Just tell them that there are some things I need to make sure about, some problems and issues that I need to see through, or I won't be able to relax anyway. I don't want to ruin anyone's holidays."

The redhead quickly shook her head, "You aren't Harry. I know you think you're intruding but you aren't. We want you there, want you to be part of our family. When we met you it was like…"

She shook her head in frustration and looked to her, more studious, sister for help.

"Like you were always our brother."

It was sweet of them to say, and Harry smiled. He didn't want to say that he knew what she meant, that he had always been aware of it. He had wanted a family more than anything else in the world, the Mirror of Erised proved it, but he still wasn't sure why they wanted him so badly.

The Potters had been happy, why did they even bother with him?

"Guilt" a voice whispered in his mind, one that sounded like a horrible mixture of all those who had ever tormented him in his previous life. "They would feel guilty abandoning you. They don't care about you. They don't love you. Who would ever love a freak like you?"

Harry pushed it back into the depths of his mind, as he always had before, and replied to the comment with a smile. It clearly didn't soothe their worries, but it would have to do for the time being.

****

Some of the staff did leave for the holidays, some stayed to watch over the students that chose to remain behind as well. In Slytherin it was near empty, with only Harry and a few others who remained behind. Those who did were consumed in studies leaving the boy-who-lived to his own devices.

Or he would be if his Head of House had left as well. Instead, Riddle seems to haunt him, and rarely was there a time in which he did not feel a presence watching him, studying him. The one benefit of the situation seemed to be that he knew when she was not there as well, which makes it far easier for him to get tabs on her location.

If someone was going to try and steal the stone, it would make sense for them to do so when the staff was at a minimum.

Christmas passed without incident, and it was much the same as Harry remembered from his own years. A few packages delivered to him with miscellaneous gifts. Candy, new clothes, a book or two.

It hurt more than Harry wanted to admit, that James and Lily Potter knew almost nothing about him, about his interests, about his life. He didn't blame them, of course, how could they after all? The conversations have been brief and few, they didn't know him growing up, couldn't know him growing up.

They were doing the best they could, and he appreciated it.

But it still hurt.

Apart from the gifts labeled from his family there was one that stood apart. A small, wrapped package without a sender's name on it. He was curious, naturally, and slowly unwrapped the box. In his own first year, he had received a gift from Dumbledore, and although he had his doubts it could very well be from the headmistress this time.

Instead, it was a container like what he remembered his aunt occasionally receiving, one that contained something sparkling and valuable. He didn't open it, instead putting it in a drawer and going about his day until he ran into the older woman in question.

When asked, she shook her head, seemingly apologetic that she hadn't bought him something. Harry was quick to dismiss her concern, already knowing who the gift was from.

He didn't so much as look at the box for the rest of the week.

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