Title: First Sight
Rating: T
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Harry/Susan
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.
Word Count: 558
Summary: Susan rescues a stranger.
Notes:
Marathon Competition: Second Mile - Harry/Susan
Year Long Scavenger Hunt: C19. Write about a character protecting a stranger
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: March Event – Jewel Day Challenge – Turquoise – Necklace: Write a FirstMeeting!AU
When fifteen-year old Susan saw a boy in danger, she got angry. She might not have been a brash Gryffindor, but she was a loyal Hufflepuff. And she felt she had to be loyal to all human beings, even ones she didn't know.
And her protective trait might not have been a Hufflepuff quality, but it was definitely a Susan quality. Aunt Amelia had taught her well.
The boy must have been her age. He looked scared, and when she narrowed her eyes, she saw an overgrown whale of a man raise his hand to the boy as if he was going to slap him upside the head. And a stick-like woman did nothing but watch. She simply turned her back on the scene.
The area was deserted, and they must have thought no one was around to see the horrible spectacle. Otherwise, no way would they dare be so bold to actually raise their hand to a child in public.
She might not be able to use magic on Muggles, or even show them she had a wand and it was one that she knew how to use, but she could surely scare them enough to maybe leave the boy alone.
She fearlessly marched up the trio. "I wouldn't do that if I was you," she growled threateningly.
The adults looked at her with contempt.
"Mind your own business, Girl!" the whale hissed.
Susan raised an unimpressed eyebrow. She knew enough about the Muggle world to know their terminology and queried out loud, "I wonder what a police office would say if I went to them with accusations of child abuse."
The man took a step towards her. She put her hand on her hidden wand. Technically she wasn't allowed to use it, but she would if she had to defend herself. She was sure Aunt Amelia would understand if it was in self-defense.
The woman—she obviously had more sense than the man—put her hand on his arm. "Vernon, don't. It's not worth it."
The man, Vernon, turned back to the teenager. "We'll finish this at home, Boy."
Susan stiffened, and she wondered if she had made everything worse for him. When the adults were gone, before she turned to the boy she had protected, even if it was only for a little while, she apologized. "It looks like I didn't help you as much as I wanted to. I'm sorry about that."
Then she faced the boy and gasped. He had a lightning bolt scar on his forehead which meant he was Harry Potter: the boy-who-lived.
The whole Wizarding world knew the boy-who-lived became a squib the same night his parents were killed, and because of that, he lived in the Muggle world.
She never thought she'd meet him. Much less rescue him from what was probably his Muggle family.
"It's okay," he softly murmured.
Her heart went out to him. He sounded so sad, so defeated. He couldn't have a very good life with those disgusting people.
"I'm Susan," she introduced herself.
"Harry," he answered.
They stared at each other, and Susan felt her heart pick up speed as his expressive green eyes seemed to stare into her soul.
She had never felt like this before, and she wondered if this was what people meant when they talked about love at first sight.