A Long Summer

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Authors Note: Well here is another chapter, hope you all enjoy, it's a longer one this time. Thank you very much for your lovely reviews all of you lovely people.

A Long Summer
By Eve

Chapter Eighteen
The Police

Harry awoke to find Remus still sat beside his hospital bed, the sun made him squint.

"Morning," Remus smiled, passing Harry his glasses.

In response Harry smiled and shuffled himself into an almost upright position whilst Remus adjusted the bed.

The door to Harry's room opened to reveal a nurse carrying in a tray of breakfast. "Ah, that's good timing," stated Remus as the tray was placed on a table which was then pulled over Harry.

"How are you feeling this morning? The night nurse said you had another nightmare," the nurse asked Harry.

"Fine."

Before the nurse left the room she checked up on Harry's vitals and she also noted Harry's empty chest tube bag and said, smiling, "You should be out of here soon, that'll be good won't it? Someone will be along shortly to remove the test tube for you as well."

Harry nodded in response just as she left the room.

"Are you going to eat that?" Remus asked, smiling, indicating to Harry's breakfast tray.

Harry looked down at the tray as if he'd forgotten it was there. "Yeah, sorry."

After eating breakfast Harry watched Remus move the table away and asked, "Is it Wednesday today?" Now he had said it out load it sounded stupid, he should know what day it is.

Remus smiled as he sat back in his chair, "Yeah it is. I think," he smiled again; "we might both be loosing track 'cause of our odd sleeping patterns. Hmm.. Wednesday, that means it's your birthday in week, you'll have to think about what you'd like to do."

Gosh, his birthday, Harry had almost forgotten about it.

"It'll be great whatever happens if I'm not at the Dursleys." It slipped out before Harry thought. He didn't want Remus to think too much into it. Luckily, if he did he didn't say anything and just smiled.

"You'll have to see if there's anything you'd like too or you could just have lots of surprise presents."

Harry smiled, "Hermione's will probably be a book of some sort, not a surprise."

"Yeah, I imagine you're right about that."

The door to the room opened for the second time that morning revealing another nurse who stood in the doorway and said, "We've just had a call from the police, they'll be here to talk to you at around lunchtime."

Harry looked worriedly towards Remus who dismissed the nurse with a "thank you."

Remus saw Harrys expression, "You've got nothing to worry about, Harry. They just need to get a statement from you. I imagine they just want to know how you got in the accident." This didn't seem to reassure Harry and Remus realised that he had never asked Harry how the accident occurred.

"Harry?" Remus began, "How did it happen?"

Harry didn't respond straight away. He could remember his uncle arriving home from work…

A car pulled up onto the drive next to the front garden where Harry and Aunt Petunia were standing.

The car door slammed after a large oaf of a man got out holding his leather briefcase.

"You!" He began as he charged from the car to Harry, "you!" His arm was stretched forward point a chubby finger towards Harry.

Petunia tried to defuse her husbands anger, "Vernon, dear, you're home early." It was a feeble attempt and didn't work. Next she whispered sharply, "Vernon, the neighbours!" She was ignored.

Uncle Vernon had reached Harry, who hadn't moved since the car door had slammed, his uncle would never hit him out here not where the neighbours could see, would he?

"Vernon," Aunt Petunia warned again but Vernon continued unabated.

"You, boy! You caused me to be late for work this morning! If you hadn't behaved like you did last night I would not have slept through my alarm!" He put his hands on to Harry's shoulders shaking him, his grip get tighter with every syllable.

Vernon must have realised he was out in public and stopped shaking Harry, though not letting go of his shoulders, and turned to go inside.

As Vernon turned around he pushed Harry away from himself.

And Harry found himself in the middle of Privet Drive facing a speeding car.

"I think I must have just been crossing the road, to go home. I don't know if I checked the road before I stepped off the pavement."

Harry didn't seem sure at all, or was he hiding something, but Remus didn't press the matter. "Well once the police have gone you'll be able to see Ron and Hermione, and I think the others are all trying to wrangle themselves a visit too, they should be coming this evening."

Resigned to his fate Harry didn't argue and suddenly worried about the state he was in, he quickly blurted out, "What do I look like, though?"

Remus smiled, "Now that is something I never expected to hear from you, your father yes, but not you," he chortled. "You look a lot better," Harry frowned unbelievingly, "honest."

It was true Harry did look a lot better, he wasn't so deathly pale and his bruises had started to fade. The laceration on the left of Harry's forehead was still covered with a white gauze which obstructed his eye, which was still bruised but the swelling had gone down considerably, did, admittedly, give him a slightly worse for wear look but it was a vast improvement from two days ago. The only other evidence of the accident that was on show were the bruises and cuts on his arms, the cast around his right wrist and the large plaster that was on the palm of his left hand. Under the bedding Harry's left knee was still wrapped up tightly and a gauze pad was covering a stitched up laceration on his chest. There was also all the medical equipment but that was being lessened each day. There was now only one IV tube attached to the top of his left hand, the monitoring equipment and the chest tube which was to be removed later in the day.

Harry was still looking sceptical when Remus stated, "You had a nightmare last night." He didn't expect a response and so continued, "What was it about?"

"I can't remember."

"Really?"

"I-I don't know."

"You don't know, or you don't want to tell me?"

"I-," Harry sighed, "I-, you'll think it's stupid."

"I won't. And I think you'll feel better if you tell someone."

Harry looked at Remus' sincere expression and then back to the foot of his hosptital bed.

"It's sort of twisted," Harry said twist the bed covers with his left hand, "It doesn't make a lot of sense."

Remus smiled encouragingly.

"I'm in the bathroom, Uncle Vernon is there too but there's so much water and I still can't get away from him." Harry's face blushed pink with embarrassment.

"What did your uncle do?" Remus asked seeing that Harry was not going to say anything more, "I mean, not in the nightmare, but really."

Harry continued to stare transfixed at the foot of his bed, barely blinking.

"Harry?" But Harry was in a world of his own.

Harry's skinny wrist was grabbed by Uncle Vernons chubby hand.

Glass shattered. His uncle was livid; Harry went down to his knees. Uncle Vernon stepped away from the broken shards. A shallow pool of water was spread on the bathroom tiles.

"Look what you've done now, boy!"

"Harry?" His breathing was shallow.

Glass shards in Harry's hands broke deeply in his skin as he clenched his hands to brace his fall. Harry tried not to but as the shards became embedded into the palms of his hands he cried out.

Uncle Vernon seemed to enjoy Harry's reaction and continued to bombard his chest with kicks.

The hits came down again and again, winding Harry.

His uncle was relentless.

Harry moved so as to curl himself into a protective position in order to give his stomach and chest a break from his uncle's foot. He felt like he was going to be sick, the repetitive strikes to his abdomen had made his empty stomach churn.

Kicks now began attacking his back, his arms and his legs.

Harry felt Remus' hand on his shoulder and suddenly he was back in the hospital room.

"Sorry."

"Now, what did I say about that word?" Remus smiled, masking his concern. Harry wasn't ready to tell him yet. But he would eventually.

Nearing lunchtime a rosy cheeked nurse entered the room jovially. "I heard that someone needs their chest tube taking out," she smiled brightly.

Remus looked at Harry with a bemused expression and Harry smiled slightly in return.

"Ok, what I want you to do for me sweetheart is lie slightly on your right and move your left arm so I've got access to the left side of your chest. Just do it slowly for me, love, we don't want you jarring your ribs."

Harry did as the bubbly nurse said and found his chest uncomfortable in his new position. He grimaced. Remus smiled and took his right hand. Harry accepted it without flinching.

The nurse lifted Harrys top up and prepared to take the tube out.

"Ok, I want you to take a deep breath in, that's it, and out, good," she was now hold the tube, ready to pull it out, "now take another deep breath, and hold it for love." The tube was pulled out, Remus was amazed as to how long it was. "Ok, don't breath."

Harry held his breath as the nurse closed up the hole from which the chest tube had been taken out.

"There we go. All sorted," she smiled, "You can move back onto your back now."

Harry repositioned himself onto his back.

"How does that feel?"

"Fine."

"Ok, not in any pain?"

"No, not really."

"Brilliant."

Remus and Harry were left alone once again after the nurse exited the room. Harry began to lower the bed from the controller.

"You ok?" Remus asked.

"Just tired," Harry responded as he closed his eyes. Remus wasn't surprised as he'd been awake for the longest time since the accident. Seeing Harry doze off made Remus realise just how tired he himself was, he yawned.

The next thing he knew was a knocking at the door. Remus' eyes snapped open. It can't have been a nurse, they usually just walked in.

Remus opened the door to find to Muggle police officers.

"Afternoon, sir, we're here to speak to Mr Potter," one of the officers spoke.

"Erm," Remus looked back to Harry's sleeping form, "could you give us a moment, please, thanks." He shut the door and walked back over to Harry.

"Harry? I'm sorry, you need to wake up," Remus spoke softly at first but it seemed to have no effect. "Harry?" Remus sighed; he really didn't want to wake him up. Taking Harrys left shoulder he very gently shook Harry.

Harry grunted and tried to move away from the offending touch. His eyes opened slightly then closed.

"Come on Harry, wake up, that's it," Remus smiled as Harry's eyes opened once more.

There was non-coherent sound from Harrys mouth and then a guttural, "go away," as he closed his eyes once more.

"Harry, you need to get up, the police are here. You can go back to sleep when they've left."

This time Harry kept his eyes open and he did not look happy.

"I'm sure it won't take long," Remus said as he went to open the door once again.

The two officers walked in. "Hi, Harry, we're here to talk to you about the accident so we can get a statement from you."

Harry didn't respond.

"Ok, let's just start with checking a few details," the first officer spoke. Taking Harry's silence as acceptance he continued, "Your full name is Harry James Potter?"

"Yes," Harry answered, now looking at the two officers.

"Your birthday is July 31st 1980?"

"Yes."

"You live with your aunt and uncle in Little Whinging?"

"Yes."

"Thanks, now can you tell us what happened on the day of the accident? My colleague here will write your account down and then all you need to do is sign it."

Harry looked away from the officers and Remus smiled encouragingly to him.

He began, looking once again at the policemen, "I was just crossing the road, I can't remember if I looked or not, I usually do."

"Ok, and were you leaving your house or going home?"

Harry stuttered, " – Going home."

"Ok, do you know where your aunt was when the car hit you?"

"Erm.. Outside the house."

"Your house?"

"Yes," 'where else?' Harry thought, annoyed, he wished they would go.

"And your uncle?"

Remus saw Harry face grow pale and look away from the officers.

"On the drive," Harry said calmly, inside Harry was panicking, they knew he was lying, "He'd just got home from work."

"Ok, that's great, thank you," the officer said, "If you just read this through and sign we'll be on our way."

The other officer handed Harry the pad that he had written Harrys answers down on and a pen, Harry skim read it then signed it hurriedly with his left hand.

Finally the officers left with Harry's statement.

"There, that wasn't too bad was it?" Remus spoke up once the door had closed behind the policemen.

Harry smiled unenthusiastically in acknowledgment.

After a few moments past Harry asked, "Is that it? They won't come back, will they?"

"Erm... I don't know, why?"

"Just wondering," He replied and then changed the subject, "I'm going to get some more sleep."

"'K, do you want me to wake you for lunch?" which Remus didn't doubt would be along very shortly. Harry shook his head, he was already on his way into the world of sleep, "all right but you need to be up for dinner and Ron and everyone's coming this evening."

"Mmm."

And with that Harry was asleep. Leaving Remus sat beside him and the two police officers in their car on the way back to the station where they would discover the discrepancies on Harrys statement when compared to his aunts, his uncles, and various bystanders.

To Be Continued

Hope you liked. Next time a visit from friends..