Mandee's eyes slid open just barely at the sight of the sun seeping in
through her window. Today was Diagon Alley Day, as her parents always
called it. She slid out of bed and ran over to her closet, slipping on a
red shirt and jeans, before skidding down the stairs.
Slashing tresses of chestnut hair into a sloppy ponytail, she shoved down a piece of toast and some grits. Her sister, Tabitha, was supposed to be taking her to Diagon Alley in the old Trans Am in five minutes, and Tabitha was known for taking off without caring or knowing who's going with her. Mandee hurried down the stairs, dragging her suitcases behind her and slipping on a leather jacket, just as Tabitha walked in the door.
"Oh, good, you're awake," She chuckled. "I was just about to leave without you."
"We all know that," Mandee muttered. "So, where are mum and dad?"
"Oh, they're already at Diagon Alley," Tabitha said cheerfully, smiling and grabbing a piece of toast.
"What are you so happy about, Tabs?" Mandee asked, hauling her suitcase out of the door.
"Turns out Mum and Dad know that cute little boy, Harry Potter's, parents," Tab said. "And they volunteered to take him in. and he said he'd be willing. I can't blame him, I heard about the people he lives with. awful people. You should just hear-"
"WHAT?" Mandee said, as if all of it had just processed into her brain. "Harry Potter is going to live with us? But, what am I going to do? There are only 3 beds in this house!"
"Ooh, right," Tab said, thinking. "I guess you'll be staying with Aunt Tawny."
"You're lying!" Mandee winced at the thought. "Please say you're lying!"
"Nope," Tab said cheerfully, walking out the door and locking it up. "It's a great day, isn't it, Dee?"
The rest of the drive there was quiet. Mandee had never met Harry Potter in person before, and even if it was Harry Potter, she didn't want him to spoil her summer by taking up her own room space. Some girls she knew, of course, would be ecstatic about something like this, but she didn't exactly feel too happy about some stranger coming into her house and put his Dark Lord-stained body on her beddings. It just wasn't fair. But she assumed she would have a proper discussion with her mum and dad about this before they left.
As the old Trans Am skidded to a halt, she climbed out of the car and waited for Tab. After they both checked to see if their luggage had made it, as well, they both headed off into Diagon Alley to meet their parents. But just outside of Flourish and Blotts, there they were. and they just had to bring Harry, too. I mean, she knew this boy suffered from parent-loss, but her parents didn't have to make it seem like they were his parents. She felt a wave of pity towards him, until she drew near and shyly greeted her parents with an awkward smile, hiding the anger within about her now- occupied room.
"Hello, Mandee," Her mum said, giving her a squeeze. "Have you met Mr. Harry Potter yet? He's said he's seen you quite a few times."
Mandee looked over at Harry, who grinned. He was wearing jeans and a long black shirt, which she assumed was his cousin's. He suddenly appeared kind of cute, but. she didn't have a crush on him, or anything.
"Hi," Mandee smiled, holding out her hand. "You must be Harry."
He nodded and shook her hand, his grin never leaving his face.
"So, 'arry," Mandee's dad said. "You've got all your books. and we can get yours Mandee. You two can hang out until we finish." And with that they disappeared into the crowd of Flourish and Blotts shoppers.
"So umm," Harry said. "You. ever seen a firebolt?"
"Have I ever?" Mandee asked, astonished he would ask. "It's my all-time favorite broom. The fastest and best handled broom of all brooms, it is. You like Quittich?"
"Duh!" He said, growing excited, she thought, because his face lit up. "What's your favorite team?"
"Definitely Chuddley Cannons," Mandee said. "They rock."
"Me too!" Harry said, grinning. "Hey, do you mind stopping by some place? I have to deliver something for Hagrid."
"Not at all," Mandee grinned.
They twisted and jumbled through most of the Diagon crowd, and into a deep alleyway, and over into a shop.
"What is this place?" Mandee asked as she entered, the room filled with bones and skeletons.
"I don't know," Harry said raising an eyebrow. "Hagrid just told me to give this to the owner.
But the owner was no where in sight. so they looked at the bones for a few minutes, supposing he's on a lunch break.
"What do you think this is?" Mandee asked, running her fingers over a light- blue bone. "It's pretty weird."
"Not as weird as Potter," Said a voice from behind. It was, obviously, Draco, as dark alleyways were where his father usually hung out, Mandee thought.
"Malfoy," Harry said, gritting his teeth and turning around to face him.
"Who's this?" Draco asked, pointing to Mandee. "Awfully pretty to be hanging out with you, Potter.." He said, slyly. "Mandee, is your name, right? Perhaps, you'd like to come with me to Silver's Sweet Store?"
"I'd rather rot," Mandee said, rolling her eyes. "Go stink up some other room with your poisonous fume, you idiot, because we're in need of fresh air."
"Awe," Malfoy said, grinning. "Potter's got a girlfriend! That's so sweet. Too bad, though, I mean. her being a mudblood and all."
"Take that back," Harry said firmly, much to Mandee's surprise, who was about to slap Malfoy.
"Why should I?"
"Not my problem," Harry grinned, shrugging, whipping out his wand. "Wingar Totalos!"
Suddenly, Malfoy burst out in fits of itches, his skin turning red and rash- like by the minute. Mandee stared down at his apple-like face and could only laugh. Harry, however, quickly set the box he was supposed to bring to the owner on the front desk and grabbed her arm.
"Come on, before his dad comes looking for him," Harry urged, and they both escaped out of the alleyway and into the sun's warming rays.
"W-why'd you-" Mandee panted. "Do that?"
"He was making fun of you," Harry said, his hands on his knees.
"S-so?" She asked, feeling a weird churning sensation in her stomach.
"So," Harry hesitated. "I just don't like him, that's all."
"Ooh," Mandee panted, drawing breathe and standing up again. "I get it."
"Thanks for sticking up for me, anyway," Harry said, a cracking a smile.
"Malfoy did look pretty lame laying there, looking like he'd just got a third-degree burn." She laughed, still panting. Harry laughed as well, and they started back to Flourish and Blott's to meet her parents again in time for the train, laughing about how Malfoy looked so stupid the whole time.
Slashing tresses of chestnut hair into a sloppy ponytail, she shoved down a piece of toast and some grits. Her sister, Tabitha, was supposed to be taking her to Diagon Alley in the old Trans Am in five minutes, and Tabitha was known for taking off without caring or knowing who's going with her. Mandee hurried down the stairs, dragging her suitcases behind her and slipping on a leather jacket, just as Tabitha walked in the door.
"Oh, good, you're awake," She chuckled. "I was just about to leave without you."
"We all know that," Mandee muttered. "So, where are mum and dad?"
"Oh, they're already at Diagon Alley," Tabitha said cheerfully, smiling and grabbing a piece of toast.
"What are you so happy about, Tabs?" Mandee asked, hauling her suitcase out of the door.
"Turns out Mum and Dad know that cute little boy, Harry Potter's, parents," Tab said. "And they volunteered to take him in. and he said he'd be willing. I can't blame him, I heard about the people he lives with. awful people. You should just hear-"
"WHAT?" Mandee said, as if all of it had just processed into her brain. "Harry Potter is going to live with us? But, what am I going to do? There are only 3 beds in this house!"
"Ooh, right," Tab said, thinking. "I guess you'll be staying with Aunt Tawny."
"You're lying!" Mandee winced at the thought. "Please say you're lying!"
"Nope," Tab said cheerfully, walking out the door and locking it up. "It's a great day, isn't it, Dee?"
The rest of the drive there was quiet. Mandee had never met Harry Potter in person before, and even if it was Harry Potter, she didn't want him to spoil her summer by taking up her own room space. Some girls she knew, of course, would be ecstatic about something like this, but she didn't exactly feel too happy about some stranger coming into her house and put his Dark Lord-stained body on her beddings. It just wasn't fair. But she assumed she would have a proper discussion with her mum and dad about this before they left.
As the old Trans Am skidded to a halt, she climbed out of the car and waited for Tab. After they both checked to see if their luggage had made it, as well, they both headed off into Diagon Alley to meet their parents. But just outside of Flourish and Blotts, there they were. and they just had to bring Harry, too. I mean, she knew this boy suffered from parent-loss, but her parents didn't have to make it seem like they were his parents. She felt a wave of pity towards him, until she drew near and shyly greeted her parents with an awkward smile, hiding the anger within about her now- occupied room.
"Hello, Mandee," Her mum said, giving her a squeeze. "Have you met Mr. Harry Potter yet? He's said he's seen you quite a few times."
Mandee looked over at Harry, who grinned. He was wearing jeans and a long black shirt, which she assumed was his cousin's. He suddenly appeared kind of cute, but. she didn't have a crush on him, or anything.
"Hi," Mandee smiled, holding out her hand. "You must be Harry."
He nodded and shook her hand, his grin never leaving his face.
"So, 'arry," Mandee's dad said. "You've got all your books. and we can get yours Mandee. You two can hang out until we finish." And with that they disappeared into the crowd of Flourish and Blotts shoppers.
"So umm," Harry said. "You. ever seen a firebolt?"
"Have I ever?" Mandee asked, astonished he would ask. "It's my all-time favorite broom. The fastest and best handled broom of all brooms, it is. You like Quittich?"
"Duh!" He said, growing excited, she thought, because his face lit up. "What's your favorite team?"
"Definitely Chuddley Cannons," Mandee said. "They rock."
"Me too!" Harry said, grinning. "Hey, do you mind stopping by some place? I have to deliver something for Hagrid."
"Not at all," Mandee grinned.
They twisted and jumbled through most of the Diagon crowd, and into a deep alleyway, and over into a shop.
"What is this place?" Mandee asked as she entered, the room filled with bones and skeletons.
"I don't know," Harry said raising an eyebrow. "Hagrid just told me to give this to the owner.
But the owner was no where in sight. so they looked at the bones for a few minutes, supposing he's on a lunch break.
"What do you think this is?" Mandee asked, running her fingers over a light- blue bone. "It's pretty weird."
"Not as weird as Potter," Said a voice from behind. It was, obviously, Draco, as dark alleyways were where his father usually hung out, Mandee thought.
"Malfoy," Harry said, gritting his teeth and turning around to face him.
"Who's this?" Draco asked, pointing to Mandee. "Awfully pretty to be hanging out with you, Potter.." He said, slyly. "Mandee, is your name, right? Perhaps, you'd like to come with me to Silver's Sweet Store?"
"I'd rather rot," Mandee said, rolling her eyes. "Go stink up some other room with your poisonous fume, you idiot, because we're in need of fresh air."
"Awe," Malfoy said, grinning. "Potter's got a girlfriend! That's so sweet. Too bad, though, I mean. her being a mudblood and all."
"Take that back," Harry said firmly, much to Mandee's surprise, who was about to slap Malfoy.
"Why should I?"
"Not my problem," Harry grinned, shrugging, whipping out his wand. "Wingar Totalos!"
Suddenly, Malfoy burst out in fits of itches, his skin turning red and rash- like by the minute. Mandee stared down at his apple-like face and could only laugh. Harry, however, quickly set the box he was supposed to bring to the owner on the front desk and grabbed her arm.
"Come on, before his dad comes looking for him," Harry urged, and they both escaped out of the alleyway and into the sun's warming rays.
"W-why'd you-" Mandee panted. "Do that?"
"He was making fun of you," Harry said, his hands on his knees.
"S-so?" She asked, feeling a weird churning sensation in her stomach.
"So," Harry hesitated. "I just don't like him, that's all."
"Ooh," Mandee panted, drawing breathe and standing up again. "I get it."
"Thanks for sticking up for me, anyway," Harry said, a cracking a smile.
"Malfoy did look pretty lame laying there, looking like he'd just got a third-degree burn." She laughed, still panting. Harry laughed as well, and they started back to Flourish and Blott's to meet her parents again in time for the train, laughing about how Malfoy looked so stupid the whole time.