A breeze was sweeping across the empty meadow that lay between the only house for 5 miles and the large fishing pond that all the kids in the area used for swimming practice. Next to the pond a girl had fallen asleep in the warm June sun. She had placed a book across her face to block the sun from her eyes an hour before and had drifted off. The tall grass shaded the rest of her body. Strands of her light brown hair were picked up in the wind's dance and twirled around her sleeping form; the pale skin on her arm and legs drinking in the suns rays.
She hadn't heard the group of people approaching her secret spot. Their loud shouts and laughter was nothing to her dreamland. She was back home in America. Not in this foreign land of tea, crumpets and checkered history. She was currently dreaming of her school starting in a few months, with her friends enjoying classes and social times with her. But suddenly the mood in her dream changed. She was imprisoned on the outside of her classes. Looking in and banging on the class window, but no one could hear, or if they did hear they didn't care enough to look up. Her hands hammered down on the glass until it broke and she stumbled forward through the window. Still, none of her friends moved form their enjoyment. Their laughter rang in her ears as they played games before her eyes. Screaming she pulled at their clothes and tried to make them look at her. But it was to late, they had already moved on and forgotten her existence. Tears started to fall down her cheeks as her face fell. That was when she noticed the blood dripping from her palms, glass from the widow sticking jaggedly to her skin, the pain shot up her arm and her eyes flew open.
The book fell from her face as she sat upright, panting heavily and looking at her hands to see if they had really been cut. Not even a faint trance of her nightmare could be found. Breathing deeply with a hand on her heart she reached for her book, only to realize someone else was holding it.
"Er…Hi there. We happened to notice you over here and came to see if you were alright…when you kind of…" The man holding her book trailed off looking concerned at her flushed expression.
"Freaked out." The surprisingly identical man next to him managed to find the words he had lost.
The girl in front of them sat momentarily frozen; her blank expression doing nothing but causing them to worry more. Leaning forward she snatched her book back before inching away from them, she could feel the wand in her pocket, but had to remind herself that they could be muggles and pulling a wand on muggles is not the attention she wanted right now.
Physically shaking herself, she slid on an a new expression that had the boys instantly relaxing. Her smile showed off two rows of perfectly white teeth that lit up her hazel eyes. "Oh sorry, I must have fallen asleep, I had a bit of a nightmare. I really should be going." Before they could recover from her mood swings she was on her feet and headed towards her house.
"W—wait! Hold on just a minute!" One of the boys had zipped after her, but she was faster.
"Let her go George! Honestly, don't bother strangers." That voice made her pause. It was a girl, she sounded her age. Maybe this wasn't something she had to run from.
Slowing her slide she turned around and was greeted by a larger group of people than she had imagined. Three boys and one girl, all with flaming red hair, and all staring at her with looks torn between her being a complete nut, and her being the new play toy.
"You move fast for an American." The identical boy that hadn't followed her shouted up the path towards her.
"I…Excuse me?" His random comment had thrown her off balance and she had to fight back laughter at his absurdity.
"So you are American then?" The boy named George was only a few feet from her, he had his hands wrapped in a blue blanket that she had forgot she had brought with her.
"I…am. Good guess?" She shouted down to the other.
"I'm an expert at accents. Could pick yours out a mile away." Winking up at her, he made her bight her lip in embarrassment.
Realizing she had no place to look for salvation in this situation she turned to the boy next to her. "Oh…thank you. I guess I forgot I had that…" Sheepishly she took it back, looking down at a suddenly interesting spot of grass between them.
"Not to worry, always here to help a damsel in distress." Tipping an invisible hat to her, he bowed much deeper than necessary. "I'm George by the way, that down there is my less attractive twin Fred, our brother Ron and sister Ginny."
"You got it wrong mate, I'm the more attractive one, really can't you even keep that straight?" Wrapping an arm around his brothers shoulder, Fred gently shook him as the both laughed. The group had immerged around her in only a few seconds. She had allowed herself to be distracted by the twins actions and hadn't noticed, she was slipping.
"Hi." Smiling her fakest smile she waved at them all and tried to back away without them noticing.
"Feel free to ignore my brothers, they are true 'gits sometimes, we didn't mean to bother you, normally there isn't anyone here." Sticking out her had the girl named Ginny waved off the boys. "No need to surround her. You three go down for a swim, like we planned." Almost sensing her relief the ginger smiled at her. "Really am sorry about them. Not often we see a new face around here."
Her eye's watched as the three boys made their way to the pond, strip themselves of their jeans and jumped in, in rather ungraceful fashions. "It's perfectly fine. I just moved here, I thought this was on my parents property but I guess I was wrong." Shuffling a few steps back again she could still feel her wand in her pocket. The jeans she was wearing had become stained by the grass she fell asleep on. The muted red shirt felt perfectly thick in the sun, but to thin in the breeze that was starting to pick up.
"Oh did you just move into the McAllestor house?" Trying to be conversational Ginny looked behind her to the house in the distance.
"Yeah…we did. Nice place." Trying to remember if they had put up protective charms on just the house or the property she must have seemed uninterested in the small talk.
"Never been in it myself, but the pond here is technically public property, I think some of it might be on that land, never really interested myself in the world of muggle politics like that." Ginny was watching her intently for a reaction.
Even though she attempted to hide it, her relief was evident. Smiling sly she inadvertently moved in closer to Ginny, "Yes, the world of muggles can be quite controversial at times."
"I thought as much." Smiling herself, Ginny nodded in approval. "They had a bet going as to if you were a witch or not. I swear I don't know how I'm related to them at all most days. See we don't get many new faces here, and when we do, it's usually muggle travelers." Attempting to rationalize her brothers behavior she just looked apologetic.
"I understand, I was trying to figure out what you guys were myself and—" Freezing momentarily she felt a tug on her wrist.
"Misses must come home now." A house elf was at her feet trying to pull her away.
"Oh, right, sorry, I'll be right in Emma." Smiling she nodded for the house elf to go, but it stayed pulling at her. "Really sorry, guess I have to go home." Trying her best to look apologetic herself she turned to go.
"So I see I won." The boys had gathered back around with the arrival of the house elf. "Pay up Fred, you too Ron." George seemed more than thrilled at his new monetary gain.
"Are the wizards bothering you Misses?" Emma was suddenly in front of her, glaring at all three dripping wet boys.
She hadn't even noticed Emma move, all she noticed was George smiling at her, and that his white shirt was sticking to his body because of the water. "No it's fine Emma, I'll be right there." Trying to steer the house elf towards the house she turned back to them. "Well nice meeting you four. I'm sure I'll see you again." Allowing herself to be dragged off she waved goodbye to them.
"We didn't catch your name." Ron shouted up at her, as the space between them widened.
"I didn't give it!" She called back smiling a real smile that time.
"If you want to be sure to see us again, we'll be here tomorrow! Same time!" This time George called up to her. She just smiled and shook her head towards the elf, with a pop they were gone.