Disclaimer: Everything you recognize is JK Rowling's. Anything pertaining to Harry Potter is hers. All the settings and backdrops are hers. Taylor, Ryan, and Libby are mine.
Note: I use different symbols to represent different things.
'name' says who's point of view the story is in.
.'flashback'. or .'fb'.is a flash back.
./././.signifies a difference in time
... represents same time, different view.
Another Note: sorry if this confuses you.
XxXxX
'Ryan'
My year started off as usual: my mom crying at the train platform and my dad being gawked at. It's always the same, for the past four years it's been like this for me and for the last seven for my sister, Taylor.
I climbed into a cart, rode to the school with my two best friends, Marc and Adrienne. We took the carriages up to the castle and sat with the rest of the Gryffindors. As I've come to expect, everyone stares as we sit done.
I see Taylor standing up front, looking horribly uneasy. I know what everyone is saying and so does she.
The hall grows quiet as the first years file in. The sorting is about to start.
'Taylor'
"She's the new head girl?"
"Well, duh."
I pretend to not hear the remarks that filter through the cabin as I go to the front.
"Shut up, all of you," Robbie barks.
Everything goes quiet. Here goes nothing.
The hall is loud and noisy as everyone greets each other. I know what they are all thinking. Some of the Slytherin's even voice it out loud. Meg smiles reassuringly at me.
The hall goes quiet as the first years enter. I sit. The sorting is about to start.
XxXxX
"Ashland, Graham," McGonagall called out the first name.
The hall seemed to wait, almost impatiently, as each student was assigned a house, for the name they knew would be joining them this year.
Eventually, the name came. The one everyone wanted to hear. The one they all wanted to be able to put a face to. The one that two others sat anxiously, with fingers crossed, for her to be placed among their ranks.
"Potter, Elizabeth."
The buzz started instantly. Taylor's throat clenched while, along down the table, Ryan's fists did the same.
'Libby'
Hmm, another Potter, huh? Well, where to put you. You've got your mothers spunk and your fathers nerve, I've seen this before. And I'll say what I've said before, Slytherin would fit you well.
No, please. No.
No? It's always the same with you Potters, isn't it? Alright, if not in Slytherin, then it better be "GRYFFINDOR!"
I sigh with relief as I take the hat off and rush over to the Gryffindor table. I sit down next to Taylor. Ryan's not far down the table and he leans in and gives a thumbs up as Taylor wraps her arm around my shoulder and whispers, "Way to go, Libs."
I turn to watch the rest of the sorting, content that I hadn't let the family down.
XxXxX
"She's another one."
"You see her?"
"I hear she's got a scar too."
"Really? I can't see one. Wonder where it is."
Libby's life had made a radical change over night. For the first time in her eleven years of her meager existence on this planet, she had lived with the focus completely on her father. Now, everyone was staring at her.
"There's the boy!" someone yelled as Ryan came rushing over to Libby.
"Ignore them," he said steering her away from them.
"Do they always stare?"
"Nah, they'll stop when you start to bore them. Then you can either slip happily back into the shadows, like me, or be like Taylor and keep the drama rolling so they know who you are."
Libby nodded in understanding. She didn't want to be like Taylor. Ryan deposited her at the Gryffindor table amidst the other first years, who all looked slightly terrified by his presence. "Have a good day," he said, then whispered into her ear, before slipping away, "Watch out for Snape."
She watched him walk over to where Marc and Adrienne sat. She liked both of Ryan's friends very much. Marc and Ryan had been friends since forever. Marc had red hair and freckles and was a Weasley in every sense of the word. Adrienne had hair so black it was blue and strange gold eyes. She defiantly intrigued Libby.
Further down the table, near the front, stood Taylor. She was trying to get Morgan Malfoy to sit down at her own table. Morgan irately did as told as Taylor flashed her badge at her. She sank down at the Slytherin table next to her brother Matthew, who was also a seventh year. Both had blonde hair and blazing blue eyes. They were defiantly Malfoys. They also had the distinguishable sneer, which they both sent towards Taylor.
Taylor, ignoring the ever so common sneers, sat down to the third of the Malfoy triplets, who also happened to be her best friend, Megan. Megan had the eyes and hair, but she lacked the look of contempt. She was the first Malfoy to ever become a Gryffindor and her siblings weren't afraid to show their house rivalry towards their sister.
"Hi," said the girl sitting across from Libby. Libby's focus turned towards her.
"Hi," she replied.
"I'm Zara Page."
"Libby Potter." Libby said then wished she hadn't.
"I kinda know how you feel," Zara said seeing Libby's look of disconcert. "My dad's the Minister of Magic."
"My dad's Harry Potter." Libby blushed and added, "But you already know that."
"Yeah," Zara replied. They shared a glance and a surge of understand shot through them. Both of them were known for things they had no control over.
"So, you're the daughter of the most famous wizard in the world."
"I guess. I don't really look at my dad like that. He's just my dad."
"Well, it must be weird living with all the fans and stuff."
"I dunno. Not really. My mom's taught all of us how to deal with it. I mean, she's lived with it for a looonng time."
.'fb'.
"Miss, what's your name?"
"Are the rumors true?"
"How did you meet?"
"Have you set a date?"
Lyndsey pushed her way through the mob of photographers towards her house. She yanked the door open and shoved the paparazzi back outside as she slammed the door.
"My, goodness."
"Sorry," Harry appeared in her hallway looking very upset, his brow furrowed. "I never meant for 'Lyndsey-mania' to breakout."
"It's not your fault," she replied brushing her shoulder off. She looked at him. "Give me a kiss?"
He smiled the little crocked smile she loved and came over and gave her a kiss. "How was your day?" he asked putting his arms around her waist.
"Alright, until I got mobbed."
"That's why you need to apparate," he informed her.
"I don't like doing that," she reminded him.
"Well, then it is your fate to endure the paparazzi," he said in a mystic voice.
"It's still better than yours." She detached herself from him and waltzed down the hall towards the living room. There she plopped onto the couch and flicked on the TV. She was a pure-blood, but was raised in a very muggle environment.
Harry came and sat down next to her. He yawned and ruffled his hair, then realizing what he did, tried to flatten his hair. Lyndsey shook her head in amusement.
Suddenly there was a loud crash. A cameraman had fallen through Lyndsey window.
"ARGH!" she yelled as she jumped up. Harry was quicker though.
"Get out! Out, out, OUT!" he grabbed the guy by the neck and the pant and chucked him back out the window. He then repaired it and placed a charm on it.
He stood, breathing heavily, for a few moments then turned and said with a forced calm in his voice, "That should keep them out."
He came back over to the couch. He sank down by Lyndsey who was starting to shake. She internally yelled at herself for letting this get to her. Harry wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.
"I'm so, so, so sorry. I never, in a million years, thought they'd treat you like this."
She tried to say, "Alright," but she couldn't let it reach the air. She had a horrible feeling that she knew it wasn't true. She wasn't alright with being followed and mobbed everyday. She told herself, forcefully, that it was worth this. It was all worth this. She looked up at Harry and he kissed the tip of her nose. Yeah, that proved it, the somersault in her stomach; it told her that Harry was way worth it.
.'endfb'.
"My mom goes crazy every time someone even gives her a second glance on the street. Your mom's gotta be pretty tough," Zara said.
"Yeah," Libby said, smiling at the thought of her mom, "I guess she is."
…
"So, how's she taking it?" Marc asked motioning towards Libby.
"Fine, so far," Ryan said perturbed.
"She'll be fine," Adrienne insisted. "She has got that Potter backbone."
"It's more like the Andrews backbone," Ryan said simply.
.'fb'.
"Harry Potter has made it big, but has it gotten to big? That story, an indef look, at 6."
Lyndsey switched off the WWN. She was mopping the kitchen floor. "Taylor, no."
The 5 year old turned and looked at her mother. "Drop it," Lyndsey warned.
The big green eyes stared innocently at her mother. Damn those eyes.
"Taylor James," she warned again.
The baby in the high chair reached out to his older sister who came bounding over to him. He took the wand out of her mouth and waved it above his head. Taylor watched happily as he played with it. She giggled at him and stated, "Stupid Ry-ry."
She ran off as Lyndsey called after her, "Don't call your brother stupid."
She heard a raspberry from down the hall and a shrill giggle. Ryan's clear blue eyes, they reminded her of Dumbledore penetrating stare, looked at her and held out the wand. Lyndsey smiled at the little boy as she took it. "Thank you, Ry." She kissed him and he smiled contently.
"Baby," Harry appeared in the middle of the kitchen, "Great news!"
Lyndsey continued to mop as he came over and wrapped his arms around him. He kissed her cheek and then her slightly bulging stomach. "I'm going to have my own chocolate frog card!"
She looked at him. "What? This is exciting! For me, anyways."
She gave him an empathetic look. "Press conferences. Endorsements. Photo ops. Potter-mania." She shook her head as his face fell.
"I hate all of this," he went over to the table and sank down. He buried his head into his hands. He let out a moan of frustration. Harry had apparently been born without a gene that made him cope with his press surroundings. Even after all these years.
"You'll come with me?" he asked looking up.
"Yeah," Lyndsey replied automatically. "Of course."
He beamed and got up and came over to Ryan. "You hear that, buddy. Daddy's going to be on a frog card!" Ryan just looked up at him. Harry kissed him and turned and announced, "I've got to go tell Tay." With that he left the kitchen.
Lyndsey watched him leave and leaned against her mop. His sad celebrity act was really starting to get under her skin.
Later, at the conference, Harry beamed as he had grown use to doing as Lyndsey answered all the questions. Taylor kept jumping up from behind the table to get a good view of the crowd. Ryan, who was perched on Lyndsey left hip, kept burying his head into her shoulder. Like father, like son, Lyndsey thought bitterly, using me to hide.
She couldn't keep up the appearance though. By, the end of the interview, she started feeling the ever dwelling resentment for Harry swelling. One photographer caught the look on camera and as Lyndsey and Harry argued during the brief break he got another shot.
The next morning, it was headline news. "The Potters Double-lives."
Lyndsey didn't say anything as Harry slammed the paper down. "Where do they come up with this stuff?"
Lyndsey looked at him incredulously. After 7, almost 8, years of marriage he still couldn't see it.
"Bunch of lies," He mumbled as he bit into his toast.
"Is it really?" Lyndsey cried, finally snapping.
Harry looked up, shocked. "What?"
"Are we happy?" Lyndsey asked putting her hands on her hips.
"I thought we were. I didn't know we weren't." He looked like a wounded puppy. Had he actually been a dog, his tail would've been between his legs.
"No, I'm not sure we are. I'm not." He jerked like he had just been smack. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.
"Harry, you are the face. You are the boy-who-lived and England's prized Quidditch Captain—"
"I can't help that," he stated shortly.
"I know, but, like I said, you're just the face. I am the brains behind the face. I do everything. From the handwritten interviews for you to actually talking you through the interviews. I handle the press just as much, if not more, than you do and I get nothing out of it." She stared at him hard. "It's putting a strain on 'us', Har."
Harry sat silently for a while. Lyndsey stood watching him. After what seemed like an eternity to Lyndsey, he smiled a fake smile and said in an obviously pained voice, "Well, at least now everyone knows our marriage is a sham. They probably all knew before I did."
He got up. "I've got it go to work." He disappeared with a sad little pop.
When he returned from work that night, it was late. Both kids were already asleep. On the table was another newspaper. He went to push it out of his sight. He didn't want to see its mocking headline. However, it had a different headline this time. "Potters Double-life a Fake."
He reread it a couple of times before he was interrupted. "I went to see the papers editor."
Lyndsey was in the doorway clad in a robe. "He's a very nice man. Was very willing to retract his previous statement, especially after I bent his finger all the way back and threatened to snap it off." She smiled wickedly.
"Retracted?" Harry asked.
"Yeah," she came and sat down. "I figured you're right. We have issues, but they are ours, not the worlds. So, I had him take it back. But, Har, we've got to work on this." She smiled a small smile that told him she was sorry for earlier. He smiled letting her know he forgave her for it. She then went on jokingly, "Cause, face it, you'd be soo screwed without me."
He laughed, "I would. That's for sure."
.'endfb'.
"Ignore them. I do," Megan said firmly.
Taylor sat down. "I hate them."
"Well, fortunately enough for you, they aren't your relatives," she said rather coolly.
"Sorry," she mumbled, "I forget sometimes."
"It's alright," she said. "So, talk to Robbie yet?"
"Nooo!" Taylor squealed then giggled and soon Megan was joining in.
.'fb'.
"Don't giggle."
"Why not, daddy?"
"It's not good."
"Stop bothering her, Harry." Lyndsey said. "Girls giggle. It's what we do."
Harry stood up. Taylor smiled up at him with her pink boa and princess crown on. They had been having tea with her dolls when she had started the whole giggling thing.
Harry followed Lyndsey out of the room. "Don't corrupt her little mind," Lyndsey insisted, "She's still young enough to actually believe you."
Harry made a face at Lyndsey. "Ahh, did I hurt little Harry's feelings?"
He stuck up his bottom lip. "Oh, don't start that."
He smiled and grabbed her around the waist and pulled him close and, without thinking, the sound escaped her lips. Lyndsey giggled.
Harry pulled back and looked at her, surprised.
"Sorry," Lyndsey said, her giggling turning into regular laughter.
"You better be," he said grinning.
.'endfb'.
"Time to be off, I think," Ryan said standing.
"Yep," Marc said standing.
The passed Libby and Zara and Ryan instructed, "Get to class, ladies." Libby rolled his eyes at him. Taylor passed them too. "Enjoy you first day." She looked over her shoulder at Robbie as he passed. "And—" she didn't finish but silently followed him out of the hallway.
"She meant to say, 'And ignore the whispers and looks,'" Megan smiled and followed Taylor. "Tay, wait up!"
"Shall we?" Libby asked.
"Let's!" Zara agreed.
XxXxX
Oh, I am amazed at how my mind works while in Government class. Too bad I don't ever put this much effort into my gov't work. Well, here is chappie one. So, what did you think? Not too confusing, I hope. I'm branching off a bit. I've done past, present, and now future Harry Potter. I just can't seem to keep from starting new stories. I'll have to work twice as hard to keep up now. Goodness, how my gov't grade will suffer. Well, all in the name of art, I guess. Leave me a review, if you'd please.