Fan Fic (Harry Potter)
I awoke, lying on my bed, eyes still closed. I cracked a cautious eye to see who, or what, woke me up and found a thin blonde woman peering down at me with a forced smile stamped on her face.
"Hello, dear," said Petunia Dursley, obviously struggling to be polite. At first I panicked, not remembering why I was with this British woman, but relaxed once the memory came back to me. I was staying with them as a favor to my stepfather, a very powerful manager in the American branch of the drill company, Drunnings. Vernon Dursley, er, happily volunteered when my stepfather asked who would be able to house me for the summer in Britain. I was supposed to be going to, ack, boarding school next year. Looking up at the wife of this co-worker, I knew it was a trouble for her to be nice to anyone except her Dinky Duddykins, Dudley Dursley. I smiled, more of a grimace than a smile, and got out of bed to get dressed.
"Breakfast is ready," she said, the smile still frozen on her face, and left without another word. I stuck my tongue out at the door and sighed, thinking about the past summer. Vernon and Petunia hate me, and they spoil their fat son, who has a terrible crush on me. I got up and pulled on a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, a bulky sweater, and some Nikes. I frowned suddenly. There was something I forgot, something important, like a big upcoming event. Oh, well, I thought, yawning. It'll come to me.
"Good morning, Charlotte!" said Vernon Dursley genially when I got into the kitchen. I grit my teeth when he called me by my first name. It was too formal, I didn't like it. "Have a seat! Breakfast is served!" He chortled, and with that, settled down to read the newspaper. He was probably more annoying than Petunia, putting on the whole buddy-buddy act, thinking that I could tell my stepfather what a wonderful person he was. As if I had any influence. The only thing my stepfather knew about me was my inamei. I forced another smile anyway and took a seat. Petunia set a plate of grapefruit and a glass of orange juice in front of me. I resisted the urge to make another face. Dudley was more than slightly overweight, and the Dursleys were on a diet. Though, grapefruit was one of the better foods I had been served. Yesterday, Petunia made something called pickled beets, which looked more like a cow pie than any form of food. Just then, Dudley Dursley entered the room and I was once more reminded of a large pig. The only thing missing was a corkscrew tail. Dudley caught a glimpse of me and smiled shyly.
"Good-morning, Charlotte," he said coyishly, taking two seats next to me. "I hope you slept well?" I forced a smile.
"Yes, Dudley, I slept fine," I said politely. Harry entered the room, then, rubbing his eyes. He was dressed for the day, but still looked dreary and his jet-black hair was sticking up in every direction. But then again, it always was.
"Harry, come get more grapefruit out for Dudley," snapped Petunia, leaving the room. Harry glared in her direction and walked to the refrigerator. He glanced at me and his face lightened. I grinned encouragingly at him. I felt sorry for Harry, how his aunt and uncle and cousin always treated him. They were always ordering him around, and leaving him behind on family outings. But Harry had also been my only friend this whole summer. Though I had to admit, he was very strange. I had never seen inside his room, and his aunt and uncle always went nuts if anyone said anything that had to do with magic or witches. I got a little squeamish thinking about it. I was afraid maybe they had figured out my secret, or my stepfather had and had told them about it. I scooped out a chunk of tart grapefruit, worrying about it. No, they couldn't know, I thought. They only freaked out when Harry did it. I froze, spoon half way to my mouth. Could it be? Could Harry be the same as me? That would explain his secrecy. I could understand why the Dursleys would want to keep something like that from the stepdaughter of a powerful boss. I was jerked out of my thoughts by a tap on the shoulder.
"Charlie, are you all right?" murmured Harry, concerned. I smiled slightly. Harry had saved me from my name, and given me the nickname of 'Charlie'. I thought it was playful and kind of goofy, like me. Better than stuffy, boring 'Charlotte'. I glanced at Harry, who was sitting on the other side of me. I nodded in response to his question, looking at him in a new light. I shot a weary look in Dudley's direction to find him peering at me uncomfortably. He smiled.
"Your eyes were popping out," he said pointedly. "But there, you look normal now." I smiled sarcastically. You never look normal, I said to him in my mind. You look like a barnyard animal.
"I bet your eyes never pop out," I said, taking a sip of my orange juice. I grinned at Harry. He was the only one who hated these people more than I did, and they weren't even my family. I turned back to Dudley. He shook his head, digging greedily into his grapefruit.
"They're too small to pop," I said under my breath. Harry heard me, though, and snorted into his cup of milk.
"What's so funny, boy?" demanded his uncle, turning the page in the paper.
"Nothing, Uncle Vernon," Harry replied, giving me a Look. I smiled placidly. Vernon folded his paper and set it on the table.
"All right. As you all know, today is our monthly family outing. We will be going, erm, wherever Dudley wishes," he said professionally. "Where are we going, Dudley, my boy?" he asked, clapping him on the shoulder. Dudley chewed thoughtfully.
"To the theatre," he replied shortly, and proceeded to scoop out the remains of his grapefruit. Vernon clapped his hands together.
"Well, then, if you're done, and everyone is ready, we'll leave," he said merrily. I raised an eyebrow. iEveryonei? I thought skeptically. "Come on, get your coats, and we'll drop Harry off at Mrs. Figg's," he continued, getting up from the table. My hopes fell. But from the look on his face, Harry looked content. Petunia entered the room, with a sour look on her face.
"I've just been on the phone with Mrs. Figg," she bitterly. "She said she can't take ihimi," she paused, nodding sharply at Harry," because she's got to visit her daughter." Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley gave Harry identical looks of venom.
"Can't we leave him with anyone else?" asked Vernon. Petunia shook her head.
"No, don't you think I've tried everyone? We'll either have to take him with us, or leave him here," she said bitterly. Jeez, I thought. They act as if he's not even in the room.
"Well, we can't take him with us," announced Vernon. Then, in an undertone, as though I couldn't hear, "Don't you remember what happened last time?" Petunia nodded solemnly. "We'll just have to leave him here." I glanced at Harry, and was surprised to see that he was beaming, as if he iwantedi to stay home. I shrugged it off. I would never understand Harry Potter.
"Oh, all right," snapped Petunia, walking toward the door. "But if I come home to find my house in disarray, you will-," she paused mid-threat and glanced at me, "be punished." Harry nodded happily. Vernon and Dudley stood up and walked to the door. They all put their coats on, and stood at the door, waiting expectantly.
"Aren't you coming, dear?" asked Petunia, that forced smile back again. She obviously thought I wasn't too bright in the head. My mind raced for an excuse.
"Ah, actually, I'm not feeling well, I thought I could just stay home and rest," I lied. Petunia and Vernon nodded in fake sympathy. I almost lost my composure and laughed hysterically, but bit the inside of my cheek instead. "And I could, ah, make sure Harry doesn't wreck anything," I said, barely controlling myself. I glanced sidelong at Harry. He was glaring at me, but obviously trying not to laugh. We both turned back to Petunia and Vernon and stared at them with identical stoic looks on our faces.
"All right," said Vernon. "I do hope you feel better." And with that, they were out the door. Well, Dudley got stuck for a few moments, and itheni they were out the door.
I awoke, lying on my bed, eyes still closed. I cracked a cautious eye to see who, or what, woke me up and found a thin blonde woman peering down at me with a forced smile stamped on her face.
"Hello, dear," said Petunia Dursley, obviously struggling to be polite. At first I panicked, not remembering why I was with this British woman, but relaxed once the memory came back to me. I was staying with them as a favor to my stepfather, a very powerful manager in the American branch of the drill company, Drunnings. Vernon Dursley, er, happily volunteered when my stepfather asked who would be able to house me for the summer in Britain. I was supposed to be going to, ack, boarding school next year. Looking up at the wife of this co-worker, I knew it was a trouble for her to be nice to anyone except her Dinky Duddykins, Dudley Dursley. I smiled, more of a grimace than a smile, and got out of bed to get dressed.
"Breakfast is ready," she said, the smile still frozen on her face, and left without another word. I stuck my tongue out at the door and sighed, thinking about the past summer. Vernon and Petunia hate me, and they spoil their fat son, who has a terrible crush on me. I got up and pulled on a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, a bulky sweater, and some Nikes. I frowned suddenly. There was something I forgot, something important, like a big upcoming event. Oh, well, I thought, yawning. It'll come to me.
"Good morning, Charlotte!" said Vernon Dursley genially when I got into the kitchen. I grit my teeth when he called me by my first name. It was too formal, I didn't like it. "Have a seat! Breakfast is served!" He chortled, and with that, settled down to read the newspaper. He was probably more annoying than Petunia, putting on the whole buddy-buddy act, thinking that I could tell my stepfather what a wonderful person he was. As if I had any influence. The only thing my stepfather knew about me was my inamei. I forced another smile anyway and took a seat. Petunia set a plate of grapefruit and a glass of orange juice in front of me. I resisted the urge to make another face. Dudley was more than slightly overweight, and the Dursleys were on a diet. Though, grapefruit was one of the better foods I had been served. Yesterday, Petunia made something called pickled beets, which looked more like a cow pie than any form of food. Just then, Dudley Dursley entered the room and I was once more reminded of a large pig. The only thing missing was a corkscrew tail. Dudley caught a glimpse of me and smiled shyly.
"Good-morning, Charlotte," he said coyishly, taking two seats next to me. "I hope you slept well?" I forced a smile.
"Yes, Dudley, I slept fine," I said politely. Harry entered the room, then, rubbing his eyes. He was dressed for the day, but still looked dreary and his jet-black hair was sticking up in every direction. But then again, it always was.
"Harry, come get more grapefruit out for Dudley," snapped Petunia, leaving the room. Harry glared in her direction and walked to the refrigerator. He glanced at me and his face lightened. I grinned encouragingly at him. I felt sorry for Harry, how his aunt and uncle and cousin always treated him. They were always ordering him around, and leaving him behind on family outings. But Harry had also been my only friend this whole summer. Though I had to admit, he was very strange. I had never seen inside his room, and his aunt and uncle always went nuts if anyone said anything that had to do with magic or witches. I got a little squeamish thinking about it. I was afraid maybe they had figured out my secret, or my stepfather had and had told them about it. I scooped out a chunk of tart grapefruit, worrying about it. No, they couldn't know, I thought. They only freaked out when Harry did it. I froze, spoon half way to my mouth. Could it be? Could Harry be the same as me? That would explain his secrecy. I could understand why the Dursleys would want to keep something like that from the stepdaughter of a powerful boss. I was jerked out of my thoughts by a tap on the shoulder.
"Charlie, are you all right?" murmured Harry, concerned. I smiled slightly. Harry had saved me from my name, and given me the nickname of 'Charlie'. I thought it was playful and kind of goofy, like me. Better than stuffy, boring 'Charlotte'. I glanced at Harry, who was sitting on the other side of me. I nodded in response to his question, looking at him in a new light. I shot a weary look in Dudley's direction to find him peering at me uncomfortably. He smiled.
"Your eyes were popping out," he said pointedly. "But there, you look normal now." I smiled sarcastically. You never look normal, I said to him in my mind. You look like a barnyard animal.
"I bet your eyes never pop out," I said, taking a sip of my orange juice. I grinned at Harry. He was the only one who hated these people more than I did, and they weren't even my family. I turned back to Dudley. He shook his head, digging greedily into his grapefruit.
"They're too small to pop," I said under my breath. Harry heard me, though, and snorted into his cup of milk.
"What's so funny, boy?" demanded his uncle, turning the page in the paper.
"Nothing, Uncle Vernon," Harry replied, giving me a Look. I smiled placidly. Vernon folded his paper and set it on the table.
"All right. As you all know, today is our monthly family outing. We will be going, erm, wherever Dudley wishes," he said professionally. "Where are we going, Dudley, my boy?" he asked, clapping him on the shoulder. Dudley chewed thoughtfully.
"To the theatre," he replied shortly, and proceeded to scoop out the remains of his grapefruit. Vernon clapped his hands together.
"Well, then, if you're done, and everyone is ready, we'll leave," he said merrily. I raised an eyebrow. iEveryonei? I thought skeptically. "Come on, get your coats, and we'll drop Harry off at Mrs. Figg's," he continued, getting up from the table. My hopes fell. But from the look on his face, Harry looked content. Petunia entered the room, with a sour look on her face.
"I've just been on the phone with Mrs. Figg," she bitterly. "She said she can't take ihimi," she paused, nodding sharply at Harry," because she's got to visit her daughter." Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley gave Harry identical looks of venom.
"Can't we leave him with anyone else?" asked Vernon. Petunia shook her head.
"No, don't you think I've tried everyone? We'll either have to take him with us, or leave him here," she said bitterly. Jeez, I thought. They act as if he's not even in the room.
"Well, we can't take him with us," announced Vernon. Then, in an undertone, as though I couldn't hear, "Don't you remember what happened last time?" Petunia nodded solemnly. "We'll just have to leave him here." I glanced at Harry, and was surprised to see that he was beaming, as if he iwantedi to stay home. I shrugged it off. I would never understand Harry Potter.
"Oh, all right," snapped Petunia, walking toward the door. "But if I come home to find my house in disarray, you will-," she paused mid-threat and glanced at me, "be punished." Harry nodded happily. Vernon and Dudley stood up and walked to the door. They all put their coats on, and stood at the door, waiting expectantly.
"Aren't you coming, dear?" asked Petunia, that forced smile back again. She obviously thought I wasn't too bright in the head. My mind raced for an excuse.
"Ah, actually, I'm not feeling well, I thought I could just stay home and rest," I lied. Petunia and Vernon nodded in fake sympathy. I almost lost my composure and laughed hysterically, but bit the inside of my cheek instead. "And I could, ah, make sure Harry doesn't wreck anything," I said, barely controlling myself. I glanced sidelong at Harry. He was glaring at me, but obviously trying not to laugh. We both turned back to Petunia and Vernon and stared at them with identical stoic looks on our faces.
"All right," said Vernon. "I do hope you feel better." And with that, they were out the door. Well, Dudley got stuck for a few moments, and itheni they were out the door.