Author's note: Written for Hogwarts Online Monthly challenge for June. The challenge was life with out Magic for the Harry Potter Characters.
*** means time passed in the story
My character: Harry Potter
He walked past her with out looking at her, but stops suddenly and turns around. Harry wouldn't have noticed her if it weren't for a bunch of girls staring near her poking fun at how she was reading. She keeps reading her book, not paying attention to the girls. Finally one of them came up to the girl sitting on the ground.
"What are you reading now braini-ack?" she pokes fun at her.
"Leave me alone, Joslin," the girl responded with out looking up.
"You're always reading. Why can't you just enjoy the beach? Oh wait, your father's a famous dentist. I keep forgetting, simple pleasures like the beach bore you," Joslin pressed on hoping to get a rouse out of the girl on the ground.
"I said leave me alone," the bushy haired, brown eyed girl demanded, this time standing up. Joslin took her book from her hands, and threw it in the ocean.
"Go for a swim, Granger," Joslin said teasing the girl.
"Joslin, you're such a brat!" the girl said pushing Joslin aside to race after her book. Joslin and her cronies laughed as they walked off leaving the girl alone. Harry got there first, and picked up the book out of the ocean. It was wet, but she could dry it off. She caught up to him standing knee deep in the water. He froze, taking in the scenery. The salty air made his lips water, the gray skies formed around them as the waves crashed angrily against them.
"Here, I think this is yours," he said handing it to her.
"Thanks," she replied. She stared at him. The brunette had never seen emerald eyes before like his.
"I'm Harry, Harry Potter. You shouldn't let those girls bother you," he replied as he tried to break the ice.
"I don't. They just poke fun at me because of who my dad is." She wiped her book dry with her sweatshirt and opened it up.
"Is it damaged?" Harry said.
"A little, but it will dry. It is a book of poetry, by William Shakespeare, my favourite book. I've read his books over a hundred times. That's another reason why Joslin teases me." She looked at the group of girls with anger in her brown eyes.
"Joslin's a bitch, ignore her. I don't even know her and realized that right away. I would have stopped her, but before I could come over she already took your book."
"What did you say your name was?" she asked.
"Harry. I'm new here. We just moved here a week ago, I go to an all-boys school in London," Harry replied.
"I'm Hermione, Hermione Granger. And I'm local. I go to an all-girls school with those brats over there." She tilted her head in Joslin's direction.
"And Joslin's the head brat?" Harry smiled.
"You catch on quick." Hermione nodded and went on.
"She's so spoiled. She gets everything handed to her and my father doesn't even do that. He says I need to earn the value of a pound so he makes me go to work at the coffee shop around the corner from our house." She turned to the oncoming grey clouds and sighed. He followed her gaze towards the sky.
"I should go, our house is a few blocks away from here and I need to run back before I get caught in the rain."
"Thank you for getting my book before it got too wet," Hermione said.
"Will I see you again?" Harry asked as he gave her a tiny smile.
"Why?" Hermione said a little rudely.
"What do you mean?" Harry crossed his arms. Something about this girl made him want to get to know her.
"No one's ever asked me that before. I don't have many friends here because of …" she trailed off staring back at the ocean.
"Joslin?" Harry guessed, but she didn't answer.
"I've gotta go" she said sadly and started walking out of the water.
The next morning, Harry woke up extra early hoping he'd catch Hermione at the beach again. His mum was in the kitchen of the little cottage and stopped him before he left. He noticed her red hair was turning a little gray too soon, but never spoke about it. She still had her pretty green eyes that he inherited from and the smile that made him glad she was his mother. Lily turned after pouring some tea and smiled at her son.
"Where are you going, Harry?" she said sweetly.
"Running again," Harry replied with a twinkle in his eyes. His mum knew better, she could tell he met someone.
"Harry, just be careful. I don't like the looks of the clouds in the distance. Another summer storm might come," she said.
"I will, mum. I'll be careful," Harry replied. He was only seventeen, but still loved the fact that his mother looked out for him. Ever since his father died a year back in a car crash she's been extra careful.
"Harry, remember we moved here for a reason. To start over, start fresh. I know you may not like it now, but once we get settled in, we'll get use to it. Grandma and Grandpa will come and visit when they can. I just couldn't stay in the town where your father grew up anymore after he died," his mom explained.
"Mum, it's okay, I understand. I like it here," Harry replied before heading out the door. He turned to look at the house and saw his mum crying. He hated how they came here, but was starting to like it all because of a girl with a weird name.
He ran. He ran until he couldn't run anymore. Running was his way of escaping real life. He realized he came to the spot where he met Hermione the day before and saw she wasn't there. He was a little disappointed when he looked around. He did see that Joslin girl in the distance coming his way. When she reached him, she started talking.
"Don't hang around with Granger. She's too good for everyone," Joslin said catching up to Harry. He had started walking again to get rid of her.
"I think I can hang out with whomever I want to," he said in a snappy tone.
"You're new here. You'll soon learn who is popular and who isn't. I can help you become popular even if you don't go to the same school." She held out her hand for she expected him to shake it, as if they were making a deal.
"Fine, I see how it is. You'll be a loser like Granger, working at the Coffee All the Time coffee shop."
Harry smiled as he remembered Hermione talking about work. She was at work today, she wasn't ignoring him by not going to the beach like he had thought.
"You sure don't talk much," she said.
"I don't talk to people I don't like," he said bluntly glaring at her with his bright green eyes. She stepped back because of the intense look Harry gave her.
"I see. You won't be liked. Granger doesn't have any friends because of me. It's all my doing. People worship me around here." She tossed her hair shaking her head and completed it with a snobby satisfaction smile.
"I don't give a damn about you. You're not my type anyways," Harry said suddenly stopping. He took a good long look at her. Sure she was pretty, she had blond hair and a tan, and blue eyes that could kill a man if they stared at her the wrong way. But she was fake. Everything about her was fake. He liked real, normal girls. Normal, like Hermione.
"What's your name? You just met your worst enemy, and I can make your life here a living hell," she said.
"It's Harry," he didn't know why he answered her.
"What a boring name." she snickered.
"Bug off," Harry said as he started to run the opposite direction leaving her in the dust.
He made it home before the storm came and went after a short while the summer storm left. His mum was out, so he decided to shower and head to the coffee shop. How could he forget she was working? He did have to give Joslin credit for reminding him.
"Harry, it's good to see you," Hermione said smiling when he finally reached the counter. He placed his order and handed her money. She shook her head, handed him change and continued to smile at him.
"I looked for you at the beach, and ran into Joslin," he said.
"She's a brat Harry, don't listen to her. Let me guess, she said not to be friends with me right?" Hermione said sighing.
"Yeah," Joslin said from behind Harry. He turned around as Hermione handed him the coffee she made.
"Stay out of our conversation," Harry said taking the iced coffee.
"When you talk about me, I'm allowed to butt in," Joslin replied.
"Cut it out, Joslin, you're just trying to make trouble again," Hermione said from behind the counter.
"Shut up, Granger, no one's talking to you," Joslin said making Hermione blush in front of her customers.
"Leave her alone, Joslin," Harry said.
"Why? A loser likes a loser? That's interesting, because no one ever talks to Granger and enjoys it." Joslin said with a satisfied look.
"I said leave her alone," Harry said.
"What are you going to do about it newbie?" Joslin said.
He had to plan it right or it wouldn't look like an accident. He turned, ignoring Hermione on purpose and walked past Joslin, gently brushing against her making his cold coffee spill down her white dress. She screamed and glared at him. Everyone around them was in shock, they all knew Joslin, and knew how she was and wanted to get back at her but didn't know how or wasn't brave enough.
"You did that on purpose! Hermione, clean this up now," Joslin said growing red in the face. Hermione tossed her a towel, as everyone started to laugh. Hermione's manager walked past and saw her.
"You need to clean up your coffee mam'am," she replied. Joslin glared at the Manager.
"You didn't see that?"
"I saw nothing," was her reply as she walked off to go back to work.
Joslin stood there embarrassed as Harry sat down at a table to get a good view. Joslin finally started cleaning the mess and threw the wet towel at Hermione as she handed Harry a fresh iced coffee.
"You'll pay for that, Potter," Joslin said as she stormed out of the shop. On her way out, she tripped over the welcome mat and stumbled towards the door causing the whole shop to laugh at her.
"Harry, you shouldn't have done that. She fights fire with fire," Hermione said taking the wet rag.
"It was worth it, Hermione, besides did you see the reaction of everyone? They were happy she finally got what she deserved."
"Hey, mate, well done with Joslin. She's a true you-know-what." A tall, lanky redheaded guy came up from behind the two of them. He had entered the shop moments before Joslin walked out with iced coffee all over her dress and laughed along with everyone else.
"Thanks," Harry said pointing to the chair next to him. The guy took the chair, spun it around and sat in it backwards.
"I'm Ron Weasley," he said holding out his hand for Harry to shake it. Harry accepted and smiled.
"Harry."
"You know Joslin screws with a lot of people. Making their lives a living hell. It's about damn time someone returns the favor," Ron said.
"She makes mine a living hell all the time. I just ignore her," Hermione said.
"This is Hermione," Harry said as he turned to Hermione.
"I know, I've come in here a few times before." He blushed at Hermione and then looked away.
"You're the kid with six brothers and one sister right?" she said sitting down with the two of them as she checked the clock. Harry guessed it was her break time, and was glad she spent it with him.
"Yeah, that's me. Are you on vacation?" he asked Harry.
"No, I just moved here a week ago and ran into Hermione yesterday."
"That's how he met Joslin," Hermione finished his sentence.
"Gotchya, Welcome to the neighborhood, we could use a fresh face around here," Ron said smiling.
Harry liked Ron off the bat and hoped they'd become good friends. He didn't know what was going on with him and Hermione, but hoped he and Hermione would become more than friends. They all had one thing in common, and that was they didn't like Joslin. She wouldn't be a problem anymore as long as they stood together. Maybe moving here wasn't such a bad idea after all. He knew Hermione was grateful for him 'spilling' the coffee on Joslin.
"What?" Ron and Hermione said as they stared at Harry.
"Nothing, just thinking. I think I'm going to like it here," Harry said as they all smiled.
Author's note: I am thinking of continuing this on my own profile. I like my Joslin character that much. She reminds me of a Female Draco.