Title: Why Me?

Author: Yuki of the Kamikaze

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or anything contained therein.

Warning: Adult themes, such as slash and abuse. Do not flame me for reading this, because you read at your own risk.

Pairing: Dudley Dursley/Harry Potter

A/N-1: So, I have been trying to find some really good DD/HP fanfictions, but I can't. There doesn't seem to be many on either or , which makes me sad. So, I thought I would write my own. I hope this is received well, and that people like it. I would love to get some feedback on this story, and figure out if I should write the sequel that I am thinking about. Please review!

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Dudley

Grunt. "Damn, for someone so little, you sure do weigh a ton," I muttered as I dragged Harry Potter across the lawn of Number 4 Privet Drive towards the back of the house. Harry didn't answer, but I doubt it is because he didn't have anything to say. He was unconscious, thanks to me. Piers chuckled dryly about ten meters off, sitting in wait for me to come around. He was probably laughing because he had hefted Potty before, and the boy only weighed as much as a ten-pound sack of potatoes, though not literally.

When I got back to the shed, me and Piers--though mostly Piers--threw Harry inside. I followed after. Piers was about to as well, but I suddenly stopped him.

"Hey mate, thanks for the help, but I want to teach Potty a lesson all by myself, if you don't mind." Piers looked at me oddly, but left us alone all the same. I gave the unconscious Harry a cruel smile before closing the shed door, effectively keeping prying eyes and ears away from what was going to happen.

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Harry

Groggy blackness filled my mind, as if I were struggling beneath the battering waves of the great black ocean. For some reason, thoughts eluded me. I couldn't tell if I was awake or dreaming, up or down. Shapes were swirling around my head now, but none of them made any sense. Suddenly, sweaty, pale hands reached towards me and pulled me up to the surface.

Once above water, I took a shuddering breath and started coughing. Dudley laughed at me, and pounded me hard on the back. It didn't stop my coughing. In fact, it aggravated it. Fat water droplets were dripping off of my head, and down my neck. Dudley had decided to wake me up by shoving my head forcefully into a bucket of rainwater Petunia collected to water her garden.

I was sure at first that I was going to die. Dudley had this look on his face like he was going to kill me, and then pick his teeth with my bones. Then, all of a sudden, a smile shoved its way onto his face. "I really had you scared there, didn't I, Potty?" Laughing heavily, Dudley moved away from me to fiddle with something in the shadows.

"Hey, Big D. What are we doing in the shed?" I had noticed our location by the bucket of rainwater, and the heavy smell of potting soil in the air. Dudley ignored me and continued rooting around for something, his great arse thrown unflatteringly in the air. I could hear him grunting and muttering to himself about something, but I had no idea what.

Finally, after much grunting, moaning, muttering and rooting, Dudley straightened up and turned around. He had a blindfold, a gag, and something long and thick in his hands. It made me nervous. He had the most lecherous look on his face, and I paled. I had a good idea what he was going to do with the gag and the blindfold, but I didn't want to think about what he would do with the long, blunt object.

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Dudley

I could see the look of fear in little Potty's eyes as I turned around with my "devices" in my hands. I knew he knew what the gag and blindfold were for, but the heavy stick in my hand confused and scared him. I was going to enjoy his torture. I just knew he would scream, and cry, and beg me to stop…but I wouldn't. I want to see little Potty cry out for help, just like I did.

It was last year today that something really bad happened to me. Potty had gone to the park, I guess, to do God knows what. I didn't really care. But, anyway, the guys and I went out to terrorize the kids in the neighborhood. After a few hours of it, I knew it was getting late and I would have to make sure Potty got in on time, or else Dad would start yelling again. And when he yelled, I couldn't hear the telly. Anyways, the guys and I went to the park to check and see if Potty was there, and sure enough he was.

I walked Potty back to the house, shovin' him a bit so that the guys wouldn't think I had gone soft…not that I have. Doesn't matter. Potty and I were just about to walk through the tunnel under the road when some slimeball came up to us. I thought he was interested in Potty, the way he kept looking at us. But when he shoved Potty away and came at me…I knew he didn't care one lick about stupid Potty.

They slimeball had friends hidin' a bit up the way, and he made sure I got to where they were. The other guys overpowered me and forced me to the ground. I had no idea what they wanted with me. I didn't care. I figured I could take them, so I started fighting. Unfortunately, I look tougher than I am, and I was overpowered once again. I don't know where Potty was.

I don't like talking about what happened next. It hurts to think about, mostly because I don't really understand why. It should have been Potty who had the men touch him like an object. It should have been Potty who had his pants ripped of and his cheeks spread. It should have been Potty who was forced to suck another man off. It should have been Potty who had been raped… Why would anyone rape someone like me? Freaks like Potty should be the ones who have bad stuff happen to them.

When we got back to Number 4, Harry told Mum and Dad that these…dementoids…had come and done something to me. He never told them the truth, and for that…I guess I was thankful. But I would have been even more thankful if he would have used his stupid stick to stop them from touching me. I would have been really fucking thankful if it would have been him instead of me. Mum and Dad got really mad at Potty after he told them about the dementoids. They didn't really believe him, but when this letter arrived from the freak's Ministry, they new that something freakish had happened. All Harry got was a slap on the wrist…all I got were nightmares.

Movement from Potty broke me out of my inner turmoil. "Where do you think your going, Potty?" I sneered at him. He looked up at me from the floor with slight fear in his eyes. He must not have had his precious stick on him. He wouldn't be able to fight me off then. I advance on him and grab his arms in one of mine and pin him to the floor. Blindfold first. It only takes me a few seconds to get the blindfold on him, and a few more to securely tie on the gag. He won't need it for long…not once I've started on my revenge. It is then I realize I forgot something.

I get off him and go back to my crate of supplies I have hidden in the shadows. I forgot something to tie him up with. I don't want him to fight me…at least not yet. Finding the length of rope I have, I turn back to him and proceed to tie his hands together above his head, and I leave his legs free. He looks a bit like a human sacrifice.

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Harry

I knew something was off when Dudley's eyes went blank for a bit. He must have been thinking about something. Figuring he would be out for a while, I tried to slowly edge my way towards the door. Unfortunately, my moving must have shaken him from his stupor, because he glared at me and sprung into action. He blindfolded me first. Then, he tightly tied the gag around my mouth. It really hurt, as it was biting into the corners of my mouth. It really wouldn't keep me from talking much…but enough that I wouldn't be able to perform and spells…though I had forgotten my wand anyways.

After the gag was in place, I heard Dudley curse softly under his breath and move off somewhere…I guess he must have forgotten something. A second later, he had his hands around my wrists again and was tying me up, with my hands above my head tied to a leg of the potting shelf…I thought. I couldn't be sure of anything with my eyes covered. He left my legs free. I found that odd, but I couldn't really ask about it.

I gasped then, because Dudley was unbuttoning my shirt. I didn't expect it, which made it all the worse. After my shirt was unbuttoned, I could feel my cousin running his fat, sweaty hands over my exposed flesh. It gave me goose pimples…but not because I was enjoying it. I had a sick sense of dread then. I knew where he was going with this. It was the anniversary of his rape…and it was my turn.

Not that I escaped the last time.

The whole time the child molesters were having their fun with Dudley…I had my own attackers to worry about. As soon as the creep who took Dudley had left the opening to the tunnel, some of his buddies came to keep me preoccupied. It only took one of them to get me to the ground, face against the concrete. Another one pulled my shirt off and began running a knife slowly and painfully down my back. Yet another took my pants and skivvies off and ran his own blade across my legs and arse. While they were stealing Dudley's innocence, they were taking much more from me. My rapists were taking my pride, my innocence, and my future. The second assailant carved SLAVE into by back, just above my shoulder blades. The third carved the word WHORE into the tender flesh of my arse. I wasn't raped like Dudley was. Oh, no. Mine was much worse. He got the forgiving flesh of his attackers. I got the cold, hard steel of mine's blade.

It cut me open and spilled my blood on the concrete. I couldn't sit comfortably for a month. For Dudley, it was a few days. I never threw it in Dudley's face that he got off easy. I don't think he ever knew. That was fine; let him think what he wants. I lied for him, and told his parents that Dementors attacked us. They believed me when the letter from the Ministry came. The letter came because I used magic to clean up the scene and to heal Dudley. The ministry never found out the truth, but Dumbledore got me off anyway.

It really didn't matter. Nothing mattered after all that I had lost. I would never again be able to live a normal life…in any sense of the word. I was branded a slave…a whore. Branded for the rest of eternity. My wounds still won't heal.

I could still feel Dudley's hands abusing my flesh, pinching my nipples, and scratching at my skin. He must be replicating what he felt that day. He then sucked hard on my neck, and I knew he'd leave a bruise. I just hoped Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia did't notice. Dudley's mouth moved from my neck down to my chest, sucking and biting my nipples much too hard. It hurt, but not as bad as the first time. Nothing could compare to that pain.

His hot mouth moved down my torso to the waistband of my jeans. I cringed, and I knew he could feel it. I was glad I couldn't see the look on his face. It would break me. I tried to move away from the violation, but I was held fast to the potting table. How ironic. Potty tied to the potting table. Dudley must have thought hard about that one. His mouth was sucking hard around my navel, and it sent sick jolts through my system. I thought I might throw up. I hoped I wouldn't; Dudley might beat me for that, and I had enough scars already.

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Dudley

I don't really like touching Potty like this, but he needs to feel the violation I felt. It isn't fair that I am the only one who had to suffer. I sucked on his neck much harder than I needed too, and I knew it would leave a mark. I hoped Mum and Dad noticed it. Then I moved my mouth down his body to his nipples. They were already hard little nubs before I even got to them. I ignore that and suck and bite them like my captors did to me. I could tell it was hurting him by the way he gasped every time I bit down. I smiled at that.

After I finished with his nipples, I licked and sucked my way down to his belly button. My captors had spent a lot of time down there, and it made me sick. I figured he deserved to feel like that too. I nipped hard at that spot, sucking hard on the soft flesh next to it. I hoped he hated it just like I did.

At the waistband of his jeans, I nipped at the exposed flesh there. I couldn't reach much without taking his pants off, but I wanted to save that for a bit. I moved back up his chest and licked and bit his nipples some more. I was starting to get into it. I think he was too, because the gasps started turning into moans…especially when I would lick him, then blow on the wet spot.

Almost on its own, my mouth continued up Potty's body and nipped and sucked at his jaw line. He leaned into the touch, and let out a quiet moan. I started getting angry. He wasn't supposed to enjoy it! I bit him viciously and he started to bleed. It drew a whimper from him. That made me smile.

I leaned back on my knees and I ripped his jeans open. It was time for the pain to begin. I could feel him struggling, and I hit him across the face to make him stop. It wasn't time for him to move yet. With Potty's pants around his ankles, I used my pocketknife to cut his skivvies off. He wouldn't need those.

His penis was a decent size, but not as big as mine. It was trying to hide from me, I was sure. I leaned over and nipped hard at the flesh at the crease of his leg. He gasped and started whimpering more. It just brought a smile to my face. He would suffer. Then, I moved to the other crease and nipped there too. It made him whimper louder, and me smile wider.

I used a hand to grab his prick. I squeezed pretty hard, and I guess it really hurt because tears sprung to Potty's eyes. I laughed, and pumped my hand up and down his limp member. When I leaned down and nipped at that too, it jumped a little in my hand. That was when I learned that Potty has a thing for pain. So I bit him. Not on the prick; even I'm not that me. But I bit his thigh, and his penis jumped up a bit more. I pinched his nipples hard, and it stood proudly at attention. The tears were coursing down his face.

I laughed again at the sight. Harry Potter's prick was in my hand, and it was stiff, and he was crying. Suddenly, I shoved his prick in my mouth. I didn't know why I did it, but I did. He cried out as best as he could with the gag in his mouth. I decided to take some pity on him, so I cut the gag off too. Each time I stuffed him in my mouth like a bulging sausage, he cried out. After a while, it turned into pleasured moans.

I ignored that fact because I was enjoying myself too. I made my mouth into an "O" shape and I bobbed my head up and down. A clear, salty liquid was coming out of the slit at the top of his prick, and it tasted good. I wanted more of it in my mouth. So I sucked. Like a vacuum cleaner. And Harry cried out in pleasure, thrusting his hips into my mouth. I used a hand to hold him down. I slowly pulled him out of my mouth and blew my warm breath on him. He shuddered in pleasure.

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Harry

I was crying bitter tears. I hated myself so much. I was enjoying it. Each and every time Dudley engulfed me with his hot, wet mouth, I cried out in pleasure…but a little bit of me died inside. I was being raped by my cousin…and I enjoyed it. His hands were running over my fevered body. I was writhing beneath him. After he took off the gag, I was more vocal in my pleasure.

But something was still off. I wanted to see him. I wanted to know if he was enjoying this too. "Please…Dudley…the blindfold." I begged him. He took it off of me carefully, and I blinked a bit to clear my vision. I could see his flushed face, his open, panting mouth, and my pre on his lips. It intoxicated me. I began thrusting up into that delicious looking mouth, wanting him to suck me off forever. He used one meaty hand to hold me down at the hips, and the other to fondle my balls. I thought I was going to die.

We went on like that for a while. He was sucking on me hard. Not hard enough to really hurt, but hard enough to make me want to cum in his mouth. I didn't though. It would take more than that to get me off. I think he must have known that, because soon he was trying to shove a thick finger into my arse. I cried out in pain. His finger was dry.

I gasped out, "Dudley…it needs…lube." He looked shocked for a minute, then he shoved two of his large fingers into my mouth. I sucked on them like sea salt ice cream. When he thought that they were slick enough, he tried to shove one inside me again. I tensed up, afraid of how it would feel. I think that might have reminded him that I wasn't supposed to be enjoying this, because he got a mean glint in his eyes and just kept on shoving.

It hurt, really badly. His shoving caused the old, barely healed knife wounds to open up again. I cried out in pain. The blood added to Dudley's saliva and made his finger slide into me easier. It also made his saliva burn the open cuts. Without giving me a chance to adjust or stretch with the first finger, her shoved another one inside. More of the old wounds opened again, and I screamed. It felt like I was being raped with the knives all over again.

After only a few seconds of Dudley's rough preparation, something hard and cold was pressed against my bleeding entrance. It didn't feel like Dudley's prick. And that was when I remembered…the long, blunt object he had been carrying earlier. That thing was huge, and would surely rip me open anew.

I'm sure Dudley saw the fear on my face because he laughed. I was terrified. He was going to kill me with that dildo. I would be dead from blood loss by the time he was finished punishing me for something I didn't know I did. I shuddered at that thought. I wasn't ready to die yet. I still had to defeat Voldemort.

Dudley pulled the dildo away from my arse and I thought he had spared me. But I was wrong. He merely flipped me over on my back, viciously twisting my arms above me, and ripped my shirt all the way off. Then he gasped. The spells must have worn off.

I had placed glamour charms on myself so that no one would ever be able to see the shame that I lived with. Dudley's saliva-and-blood coated fingers traced the word SLAVE across my shoulders. With his other hand, he softly traced the word WHORE across my arse. I didn't know what he would do when he saw them, but being so gentle wasn't even a consideration.

"Potty…how did you get these?" Dudley asked me quietly. I hung my head and the tears began to fall. I didn't want to think about it again. I didn't want to tell him that he wasn't the only one who lost something a year ago.

Dudley spoke more firmly, "Harry, where did you get these scars?" He poked hard at the words carved into my skin. I cried out in pain, as the wounds were as fresh as they were a year ago and seeping blood.

"It doesn't matter, Dudley. Just…just finish what you were doing so I can forget about everything."

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Third Person

Dudley sat behind Harry and thought about things. Harry obviously didn't want to talk about anything, but Dudley wasn't giving up. "Harry James Potter, you better tell me how and where you got these words carved into you, or I'm gonna pound you!"

Harry looked down and started speaking softly. "I got them a year ago today, Dudley."

Dudley was shocked into silence. He didn't…he never…why? Dudley sat back on the floor with a thud, oblivious to the fact that he was then eye level with Harry's bleeding entrance. Harry curled into himself, wincing when his abused rectum came in contact with the floor.

"Can you untie me, Dudley? Please…" Harry whispered brokenly. He hurt, everywhere, but he didn't want Dudley to know that. He just wanted to run to the cupboard under the stairs and lock himself away for all eternity.

At his cousin's whispered words, Dudley looked up. That was when he noticed, really noticed, all of the blood dripping out of Harry. He rocked forwards on his knees and used his pocketknife to cut the rope around Harry's wrists. Instead of letting his younger cousin leave, he pulled him close.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't know. I thought you had abandoned me then. I thought you might have been watching, but not helping me. I never…I never imagined that they got you too. Please forgive me, Harry." Dudley held the boy close and whispered into his hair. Harry melted into the embrace and started crying heavily. He needed the comfort after being neglected for so long. He craved it. And he didn't even flinch when Dudley lifted his head and placed a chaste kiss to his lips.

The boys embraced each other, Harry moving so that he was straddling his older cousin, and Dudley wrapping his arms more securely around the smaller boy in his arms. They kissed desperately, passionately. Their hands roamed over each other's bodies. Harry, feeling as if Dudley were wearing too much clothing, began to pull at the bigger boy's shirt. Dudley quickly complied, and pulled off his shirt. Harry dropped soft kisses to the newly exposed flesh, making Dudley shudder in pleasure.

The boys fell backwards on to the floor with Harry on the bottom. They were kissing and licking and groping, both feeling a need and an urgency. Dudley felt it the most and decided that it would go away if they fully felt each other. He tried to pull his pants and skivvies off quickly, but they got stuck around his large hips. Harry lent him a hand, and once the pants were down to Dudley's rather large ankles, things were moving smoothly again.

Harry thrust his hips against Dudley's feverishly. He needed release, especially after the foreplay that Dudley used against him earlier. Even with the sudden shock of having Dudley find out his secret, his arousal was not gone. Dudley thrust back, and soon the boys had an erotic rhythm going. It was Harry who eventually stopped it.

"Dudley…I need…I need to feel you…I want…" Harry gasped out.

Dudley put a finger to his mouth to shush him. "I know, Har…me too." He kissed down Harry's chest to suck softly at his nipples. Once he got Harry to close his eyes, toss his head back and moan, Dudley entered his petite cousin swiftly. Harry cried out in pain and Dudley stilled. "Shhh, little Harry. It'll be okay. I don't want to hurt you."

Harry nodded his head with tears in his eyes. With all of the cuts in his anus, it was hard to feel any pleasure at all, but Harry was determined to get past it. He was strong than a memory. Pushing Dudley backwards, Harry managed to land on top of his wide cousin. He knew that in that position, he would have more control, and he would be okay.

Dudley seemed to understand, and nodded he acceptance of the new position. Once Harry had calmed down and relaxed his muscles, he felt well enough to continue. He experimentally drew himself up Dudley's length a bit before dropping himself down. He hissed in a bit of pain, but continued nonetheless. Up and down Harry went, gasping and moaning all the while. Dudley met Harry gently at first, until Harry started slamming himself down on his cousin's hard rod.

"Oh, Dudley…oh, yeah…I…I…mmmmm…." Harry got out, barely managing to make coherent sounds. Dudley got the gist of it though and started thrusting up into him faster and harder. He even started moaning too. Never in a million years would he have believed that having sex could feel so good, especially after what had happened to him a year ago. Harry, unknowingly, shared his sentiments.

The boys were moving together quickly, and the slap of flesh against flesh resounded in the room. Neither one realized that they had an audience. Piers had been watching them for the last several minutes, ever since he heard a moan when he was walking up to the shed to check on Dudley. There was an opening in one of the knotholes that was in the perfect location to see what was going on inside the potting shed. He was shocked to see "Big D" slamming his prick into "Potty's". With a malicious smile on his face, he ran to get Mr. and Mrs. Dursley.

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Vernon was sitting on the sofa watching a bit of late afternoon telly. It was a balmy Saturday, and he didn't have to work. His lovely wife Petunia sat on the chair knitting a new scarf for her "Diddydums". Both were so absorbed in what they were doing that they didn't notice Piers run into the room until he "ahemed" loudly.

Vernon spluttered a bit before he found his voice. "What do you want, boy? I'm trying to watch the telly."

Piers looked properly distraught when he told them, "I just saw the most horrible thing. That Potter boy had Dudley pinned down in the shed and was doing disgusting things to him. I thought you might want to know. I didn't know what else to do. I'm afraid of that freak."

Vernon had turned a lovely shade of puce by the time that Piers was done talking, and Petunia looked so pale she would rival a ghost. Both parents shot up from their seats and ran outside to the potting shed to save their "poor Dudders".

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Harry was so close to climax he could feel the tightening in his balls. Dudley was right there with him, and both were moaning like two-bit whores. They were so lost in their sea of passion that they screamed when the shed door was thrown open. Vernon Dursley's chest was heaving, and he looked as though he were going to drop from a coronary any moment. One look at Harry riding Dudley into the ground and Vernon instantly knew Piers was telling the truth…or at least a version of it.

Without really thinking, Vernon grabbed Harry by his tousled black hair and dragged him from the shed into the back of the house. Once he got to the cupboard under the stairs, he threw him harshly into the small space and slammed the door shut with suck force that plaster fell onto Harry's head. Then he locked it, with no intention of ever unlocking it again.

Back in the shed, Petunia was smothering Dudley, despite the fact that her Diddydums was nude. "Oh, my poor baby! How could that freak do this to you? He will pay! We have put up with that brat for long enough. He won't be getting away with this one. Oh, we should have thrown him out a year ago when he said those dementoids had come after you. I bet he was lying then. Did he hurt you, Diddydums? Did he lie, and really hurt you?"

Dudley didn't want to answer his mother. He didn't want he to know that he had been raped a year ago…especially because he would have to tell her that Harry was raped too, and she'd never believe that. So he kept quiet, and ignored her. She kept on ranting about how bad that "freak" was, and how he was finally going to get it. Dudley didn't want to hear that, but he couldn't stand up to his parents.

Piers cleared his throat and suggested to Mrs. Dursley that perhaps Dudley should get his clothes on and go inside so that the neighbors couldn't see. At the mention of the neighbors, Petunia gasped. She urged Dudley to hurry and put his clothes on, then rushed him into the house. They had appearances to keep up after all.

Inside the house, Vernon was on the phone with the police. He was yelling at them that his little boy had been raped by a monster, and it was clear that the person on the other end of the phone wasn't buying it. Enraged, he hung up the phone and turned on Petunia. Upon seeing said "little boy", he went to him and wrapped his son in his arms.

"That freak will pay, Dudders. Don't you worry, he will pay for what he did to you."

Petunia looked at her husband and voiced her opinion. "I say we call Dumbledore. He can take the freak away and give him the punishing he needs."

Vernon grew purple again at the mention of another "freak". "Petunia, I will not have more freaks in this house, not for a minute. Do you year me? I don't care if it is to take that by away! He'll stay in that cupboard until the day he dies!!"

Dudley gasped inwardly at that statement. He knew he had to do something. But what? He thought for the rest of the night about what to do to save his cousin-cum-lover. Then the thought hit him. He could call Dumbledore and tell him what really happened. With that idea in mind, he waited for his parents to fall asleep.

Once he knew for certain that both of his parents were dead to the world, he crept as silently as possible into their room and stole the key to the cupboard under the stairs. Creeping as stealthily as possible, he climbed down the stairs and unlocked the cupboard. Harry was curled up inside, still naked and shivering. His skin felt like ice and his lips were blue.

"Hey, Harry. Come here little one. Please? I'm going to get you out of here, ok?" Dudley coaxed. Harry tuned his emerald gaze to his cousin and leaned towards him. His joints were much too stiff from the cold in the cupboard to allow him to move much. Dudley tenderly picked him up and carried him upstairs to his room.

The place was a mess. There were games all over his desk, and clothes all over the floor. But none of it mattered to either boy. Dudley placed is small, shivering cousin in the middle of his bed and walked across the hallway to his second bedroom to get Harry some clothes. When he got back, Harry's eyes were closed as if he were sleeping, but they shot open as soon as Dudley came near him.

"Hey, it's okay, Har. I'm not going to hurt you. Here're some clothes, ok?"

Harry looked relived and gladly took the clothing and put them on. When Dudley sat down next to him, Harry snuggled into his side and sighed. Dudley dropped an innocent kiss to the top of Harry's head. Harry closed his eyes and smiled.

"So, what is the plan? How do you expect to be able to get me out of here without your parents noticing?" Harry asked quietly, hyper aware that Vernon and Petunia were asleep in the next room.

Dudley looked away for a moment before look Harry in the eyes once again. "I figured we could call Dumbledore and tell him what really happened and why you need to get away from here. He's supposed to take care of you, right?"

Harry smiled at his cousin, but shook his head sadly. "Yeah, Dumbledore is supposed to look out for me, but he never believes me about how you guys treat me. He thinks that I am just making it up… I don't think he is going to be much of a help. But I do have an idea, if you'd like to hear it?" Dudley nodded and Harry continued. "Well, there is this bus, called the Knight Bus, that picks up stranded witched and wizards. I could call that, and it will take me wherever I want to go. I've got a few galleons left from my last shopping trip at Hogsmead…so I would be able to pay for it…"

"Harry," Dudley interrupted, "I don't understand any of that freak-talk. Sorry, wizard-talk. What is a galleon? And what's a Hogsmead?"

Harry chuckled. "Sorry, Dud. A galleon is a form of wizarding currency. And Hogsmead is a village really close to my school. Anyways, I can take this bus, and it will take me away from here. Just tell your parents in the morning that I used my magic to get me out, or something."

Dudley shook his head. "Nope. I'm coming with you. I can't leave you alone with what happened to you. No, I'm going to take this Night Bus, or whatever it is, and I'm going to make sure you're ok."

"Dudley, just stay here. You'll be fine. I don't even know if a muggle can ride the Knight Bus. Please, it might even be dangerous for you."

"If it is dangerous for me, then it is dangerous for you, too. So I'm coming. And, I'll make the stupid driver let me on to the bus. Harry…I'm coming with you and that's that."

Harry could tell that Dudley wasn't going to budge on the matter, so her gave in with a heavy sigh. "Fine, Dud, you can come. But if something happens to you that I can't stop, it isn't my fault. I warned you." The boys quietly walked across the hall again and packed Harry's trunk. Hedwig, Harry's owl, had been sent to stay with Ron for the summer, so all he had to take was her cage. Dudley carried the heavy trunk down the stairs, and unfortunately made a lot of noise.

Fearing that they had been caught already, Dudley ran down the last few steps and out the door after Harry, making much more noise and truly waking his parents. Vernon got up and put on his robe and slippers and ran out of his room. He noticed that both of the doors to both of Dudley's rooms were open, and Dudley was nowhere to be seen. Just to be safe, Vernon went down the stairs to check to make sure that Harry was where he was left. The lock was hanging open on the latch to the cupboard door.

"Petunia, the freak has escaped!" He roared, forgetting that he might be waking the neighbors with all the racket. He ran out the door, but saw neither Harry nor Dudley. They had managed to get away.

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When Petunia made it downstairs, Vernon turned to her. "Call the freaky headmaster. He'll need to know that the freak has stolen our Diddydums." She nodded and went into the kitchen to grab some of the floo powder Dumbledore gave her a long time ago to keep in contact with him.

She then went into the living room and knelt before the fireplace. "Do you know what you are doing, Petunia? Get off the floor, you silly woman!"

Petunia merely gave her husband a look and went back to flooing the headmaster. She stuck her head as far as it could go into the cold fireplace and threw in the bluish powder. "Headmaster Dumbledore!" She called. Her head began spinning and she thought that she was going to be sick.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

At Hogwarts, headmaster Dumbledore was sitting at his desk sucking on a lemon drop and conversing with Severus Snape. The dour potion's master was commenting on the continued creation of the wolfs bane potion for Professor Lupin when a shrewd looking woman's head popped out of the grate.

"Professor Dumbledore. It is about Harry. I think there is something we should tell you." With that, Petunia pulled her head out of the fireplace and back into her living room.

Dumbledore and Snape exchanged glances and both rose from their seats. Snape, allowing the headmaster to go first, followed behind closely, shouting "Number 4 Privet Drive" clearly into the grate.

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Harry and Dudley had made it far enough away from the Dursley's house that they no longer feared being caught by Vernon. Dudley slumped down on the curb and heaved in several breaths. Harry, on the other hand, was trying to remember how to hail the Knight Bus. As Dudley was beckoning him to sit and rest for a minute, Harry remembered. He had to use his wand. Holding his want up as if he were using a lumos charm, he hailed the bus.

A giant purple bus came screeching to a halt next to them. Harry smiled at the shocked look on Dudley's face. "So, I didn't tell you that the bus was giant and purple…so what? Come on, I'll buy the tickets and you can get us a bed."

"A bed?"

"Yeah. The bus has beds at night for people who want to sleep. We don't have to lay on it…we can just sit. Doesn't matter. Get up and come here."

There was some new kid helping Ernie on the bus, someone that Harry didn't know. He brushed it off and walked up to her. "Hi, my name is Harry Potter and this is my cousin Dudley. I'd like to buy two tickets, please."

The girl just looked at Harry for a moment, then at Dudley. "He a muggle?"

"Yeah, but look…it doesn't matter. He knows about us, so just give us the tickets and we can be off, ok?"

Dudley was looking at Harry funny, not recognizing this side of his usually quiet cousin. When Harry was handed the tickets, Dudley picked up the trunk and shoved it on to the bus. The girl didn't even attempt to offer him a hand.

The girl turned back to Harry after watching Dudley lug the heavy trunk up the stairs. "So, where to?"

Harry thought for a moment, then said the first place he could thing of, "The Burrow."

The girl have him an odd look, but turned to Ernie and called out, "The Burrow, Ernie. Get a move on!"

Harry, who had ridden the bus only a year previous, braced himself for the sudden jump forward. But, he had forgotten to warn Dudley. His large cousin flew off the bed and landed in front of him on his hands and knees.

"Oh, you might want to hang on to something, Dud." He did.

It was early morning by the time they got to The Burrow. The sun had started rising, and both boys were extremely tired. "What is this place?" Dudley asked as they got off the bus and is sped away.

"You remember those redheads that came to get me two years ago when Uncle Vernon put the bars on my window?" Harry asked.

"Yeah."

"Well," he responded, "this is their house. Eight of the nine of them live here. Charlie works with dragons in Romania, so he doesn't live here. But Bill, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley all live here. Isn't that amazing? I figured we'd be safe here for a bit. We can call Dumbledore after we've had some breakfast. I'm sure Mrs. Weasley has made something delicious!"

Dudley looked astonished, and merely followed Harry to the front door. Harry knocked three times, then waited for an answer. Ron was the one who answered the door.

"Blimey, mate! Didn't expect to see you here. Come in, come in. MUM, HARRY'S HERE!" Ron called. "So, who's this bloke?" Ron pointed at Dudley.

"Oh, Ron, this is my cousin Dudley. Dudley, this is my best mate, Ron. Please be nice?" Harry looked pleadingly at Dudley. The blond boy nodded, but said nothing.

Ron actually answered, "Um…nice to meet you. Harry has…umm…told us a lot about you." At that point, Mrs. Weasley entered the room.

"Harry, oh, just look at you. You're too skinny. Have to get some food in you. Off to the kitchen you go. Already a steaming plate ready for you. And who's your friend?"

"Oh, that's my cousin Dudley, Mrs. Weasley. I'll tell you the story at the table."

The three boys followed Mrs. Weasley into the kitchen and sat at the table. Fred, George and Percy were already seated and eating.

"Hello, Harry--" Fred started.

"Good to see you." George finished.

"Hello, Harry. Nice of you to visit." Percy greeted.

"Well, Harry." Mrs. Weasley prompted. "What brings you to The Burrow?"

Dudley and Harry shared a look, and both boys blushed. Harry swallowed a bit of toast and egg before saying, "Well…we are running away from my aunt and uncle." He looked back down at his toast.

Everyone looked at Harry with a puzzled look on his face, except for Dudley. Sensing how embarrassing it was for Harry to talk about what happened, Dudley took over. "Well, I guess this is all my fault." He started. Harry looked like he was going to protest, and Dudley sent him a look that said, "Shut up, or I'll pound you." Harry closed his mouth and allowed Dudley to tell the story.

"Anyways, this is all my fault. Something really bad happened to me a year ago yesterday, and being the idiot that I am, I thought it was Harry's fault. But it wasn't! Um…" Mrs. Weasley smiled at him, and nodded that he should continue. "Since I thought it was Harry's fault, I wanted to make him pay for it. I don't suppose Harry's told you what a bully I am…was. Anyways…I was paying back Harry for what I thought he did to me…when my parents found out. They don't like Harry…at all. I don't suppose he's told you that, either. When they found out, they blamed Harry…and my dad…well; he locked Harry in the cupboard under the stairs, and wasn't ever going to let him out.

"My mum suggested that they call Dumbledore, and tell him what they thought Harry had done…but my dad hates everything to do with magic, and wouldn't let Dumbledore into the house. So they didn't call. I knew that I had to do something to help Harry. He didn't do anything wrong, after all. It was all my fault. So, I suggested we call Dumbledore and tell him what really happened, after my parents went to sleep, of course." Dudley took a break to take a drink of pumpkin juice and a bite of his eggs, which were now cold. Harry took over from where he left off.

"Um…I didn't want to call Dumbledore, just in case he didn't believe me and told the Dursleys. So, I suggested that we take the Knight Bus somewhere safe…and we could maybe call Dumbledore from there. Here is the first place I could think of. You guys are like my family. I knew you would help me. And Dudley, he's here because he wanted to make sure that I was safe. He wouldn't let me go alone. I'm glad he came with me."

Mrs. Weasley looked at both boys and sighed. So much heartache happened around Harry, and now his cousin was dragged into it too. "Well, don't worry boys. We'll give the headmaster a call as soon as we're through with breakfast. Now, tuck in." The boys gave her a thankful look and finished eating their breakfast.

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Vernon and Petunia sat rigidly on the sofa, while the Headmaster sat on the chair across from them and Professor Snape stood behind him. "So, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley. What is it about Harry of which you need us informed?" The Headmaster asked.

Vernon slowly started turning purple in the face. "That freak kidnapped our Dudders and ran away! We want him imprisoned! You better do something, or so help me…!" Snape sneered down at Mr. Dursley.

Dumbledore looked to Petunia. "My dear, is this true? Did Harry take Dudley somewhere?"

Petunia looked haughtily at both of the wizards. "Yes, Headmaster. But that isn't all. Earlier today, we caught Harry…raping our Diddydums out in the potting shed. He is a monster, I tell you. My poor baby…so frightened!" Petunia erupted into tears, and Vernon held her.

"Do something about him!" Vernon yelled.

Snape, every the level headed one, replied, "Do we have any proof their Harry did either of these things? Rapping and kidnapping your son?"

Both Dursleys looked at the snarky man venomously. "How dare you insinuate that we are lying! Our son, our own flesh and blood, had been taken and tainted by that…that… that freak! Something needs to be done before I take matters into my own hands!"

"And what do you mean by that, Mr. Dursley?" Snape asked coldly.

"I'LL KILL HIM!" Vernon roared.

"I see. Headmaster, I do believe that we have sufficient information to start our search." With that said, Snape walked back to the fireplace, grabbed some floo powder from a pouch he always kept in his pocket, and flooed back to the headmasters office at Hogwarts.

"Well, as Professor Snape said, we do have sufficient information. We will contact you as soon as we know anything. Have a nice night." Dumbledore then took his leave, flooing back to Hogwarts himself.

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At The Burrow, everyone had gathered in the living room, including Bill, Mr. Weasley and Ginny, who was blushing furiously, but not because of Harry. She continued to peek at Dudley through her bangs, smiling shyly. No one seemed to notice.

Mrs. Weasley was bent over in front of the fire, placing a call through to the headmaster. After a few moments of talking to someone, she leaned back and stood away from the fireplace. Then, out walked the headmaster and Professor Snape, who happened to still be in the office at the time. Ron and his brothers, save Bill, groaned upon seeing Professor Snape. Neither Harry, Bill, Ginny, Dudley, nor either adult made any appearance of discomfort at seeing the snarky Potion's Master.

Dumbledore, however, had a slight look of shock at seeing both Harry and Dudley calmly seated on one of the Weasleys' couches. "Harry, my boy. I didn't expect to see you here. How are you?" The aged headmaster made no sign that he was angry with the boy.

Snape spoke next. "Do you realize, Mr. Potter, how much trouble you've caused by leaving the protection of your relative's home? You could have been kidnapped by Death Eaters, or worse."

Harry looked properly ashamed of his actions. "I'm sorry, sirs. I didn't mean to be a bother. But, if you knew why I left, I'm sure you wouldn't be as angry with me." Dudley placed a hand protectively on his cousin's shoulder, feeling how tense the boy was at the presence of both the headmaster and one of his teachers.

"Please, sir. Don't be mad at Harry. We only left because my dad was being mean to Harry, and threatened to lock him in the cupboard for the rest of his life." Dudley came to Harry's defense.

The headmaster nodded his head, as if he knew this all along. Knowing that the man knew Legilimency, he probably did. The headmaster briefly spoke to Snape, then to Mrs. Weasley, before returning to the room and speaking to everyone. "Harry, due to the circumstances, you will be allowed to stay at The Burrow for the rest of the summer while we find you another placement. As for you, Dudley, I'm afraid you will have to go home to your parents. We won't tell them that you left willingly, though neither will we lie and tell them that Harry had indeed kidnapped you, as they seem to think. Things would be different if you weren't a muggle, but the past cannot be changed. Have a good day, everyone. Dudley, please come with me."

Before Dudley went with the headmaster, he asked for a moment alone with Harry. The cousins went outside for a bit of privacy, though Fred and George were using extendable ears to listen in on the conversation.

"Harry…I'm going to miss you. I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, and I pounded you more than I should, but…I've come to like you. Life without you is going to be pretty boring."

"Yeah, who are you going to pound when I'm gone? I was your easiest target." Harry joked with a hint of sadness in his voice. "I'm going to miss you too, Dudders."

Dudley shuddered at the nickname. "God, Harry. Don't call me that. Please. You sound like my mother."

Harry laughed and pulled his cousin into a tight hug. "I love you, Dudley. One day, we'll finish where we left off, ok?" Harry whispered into Dudley's ear.

Dudley blushed and gave Harry a light peck on the cheek. Fred and George gave each other conspiratorial grins and went back to listening. "I love you too, Harry. And I know we'll meet again. Maybe…maybe I'll get powers like you…maybe I'm just a late bloomer?" Tears were welling in Dudley's eyes. "I don't know how I'm going to live without you."

Harry just hugged Dudley tighter until Dumbledore came out and called for Dudley. "It's time to go now, my boy. Must get you back with your parents. Goodbye, Harry. I'll see you at the start of the year feast." With that, they were gone and Harry was alone with the Weasleys.

Ron came outside. "It'll be ok, mate. You'll see. We'll have loads of fun. Dad's taking us to this year's Quidditch World Cup, like before. Only…this time there shouldn't be any Death Eaters!" Ron laughed and patted Harry on the back. Harry sighed and followed Ron back into the house. He knew things were going to be alright…they just wouldn't be the same.

The End

A/N-2: So, it is finished. Did you all have a great ride? I am sooo stoked right now. Really. I spent over nine hours working on this story. I know, with only 18 pages, that's like two hours or more per page. But, you also have to take into consideration all of the breaks I took. And now, my hands hurt. But, oh well. This is my fourth update since yesterday afternoon. I think I'm doing pretty well. Anyways, I hope you review!