Disclaimer: Dursleys and Harry etc are not mine, I'm just borrowing them,
I'll put them back when I'm finished, okay?
The kids of Privet Drive were rather frightened of Harry Potter. With his shabby clothes and bored look, he was not welcome in the neighborhood. They were terrified of Dudley, of course, but there was something mysterious about "that Potter boy" - at least you knew that Dudley could beat you to a pulp - who knew what Potter could get up to! Alicia Morton (a sixteen-year- old upstanding citizen of Privet Drive) was just remarking upon this fact to her cousin Lindy, recently returned from America. Lindy remembered Harry from elementary school - he had not looked so dangerous then, just scruffy and malnourished. When she told Alicia this, her cousin said contemplatively: "Well, he does go to St Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys. he must have DONE something to get in there!"
"Hey, maybe he finally fought back and laid Dudley out!" Lindy exclaimed chirpily. "You notice Dudley seems a bit frightened of him?"
"Never! Dudley's not frightened of anyone! Remember Cousin Gilbert? Who is four years older than us and has muscles like a gorilla? He was in hospital for two weeks when Big D finished with him!"
Lindy snorted with laughter. "Is that what they call him? I'm not surprised, he's huge!"
"Well, anyway, whoever's frightened of whom, you have to admit that Potter boy is a bit scary. He goes around like he doesn't give a damn about his appearance, he isn't afraid of Dudley, and did you see that scar? I wonder where he got it." Alicia shivered.
"Well, I think it's sexy." Lindy said dreamily.
"Are you kidding?!" Alicia exclaimed. "What do they teach you in the states?"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Hi Harry! There you are! I've been looking for you!" The object of the search turned around, surprised that a) a Muggle apart from the Dursleys was speaking to him and b) anyone outside of school called him by his first name. A Muggle girl with long straight reddish-blonde hair and deep blue eyes was running towards him. "Do I know you?" He asked politely, although he didn't particularly need to be - who knew what these people believed about him!
"No," she answered, panting slightly. "I just - heard about you from my cousin - and -" "And you wanted to come gawk at the infamous Harry Potter?" He asked sarcastically.
"Well, actually, I just thought you sounded interesting, that's all. pardon me for trying to make friends with you!"
Harry stared at her. "Let me get this straight. you, an inhabitant of Privet drive, want to make friends with me, the 'incurably criminal' boy who unfortunately lives with the Dursleys?"
"Got it in one!" She exclaimed, grinning at him. "My name's Calinda, Lindy for short, can't imagine what got into my parents when they were naming me - I'd ask, but they've been dead for fifteen years."
"Oh." Harry said, perturbed. "Um. my parents are dead too." Why am I telling this to a complete stranger?!
"Well, they would be, wouldn't they, otherwise you wouldn't be living with the Dursleys, horribly boring people, how on earth do you put up with them?"
Harry grinned. "I know, I tend to get ignored a lot - but they're my. um, legal guardians. so I can't go anywhere else in the summer holidays."
"I wouldn't think St Brutus's had holidays." Lindy said.
"Oh. well. only in the summer."
"I've been in America since I was seven. I remember you, you always came to school in baggy clothes, and Dudley always used to beat you up. he doesn't anymore though. my parents drowned in a boat crash, what happened to yours? I'm chattering a bit aren't I? Sorry. Um. did I say the wrong thing about your parents?" She backed away.
"Oh, good grief!" Exclaimed Harry angrily, as a flash of pain ran through his scar. "I'm not going to cur- kill you or something!" He silently berated himself for the slip of his tongue.
"I never - look, I'm sorry. you must know what people say about you." She looked flustered.
He turned away. "Never mind. I'm - just a bit - sensitive. about my parents."
"Oh. I'm sorry. is - I mean - do you - want to talk about it?"
Harry growled, his head pounding. "TALK about it? With you? What is there to talk about?" He sat down angrily on a fence.
After a while she sat down next to him. "I - I'm sorry - really. how - how did they die?"
He looked at his scruffy sneakers for a while. What was he doing, talking to a Muggle like this? "Do you really want to know?"
"Yeah. it can't be that bad, after all this time? You ought to talk about it." "Fine then!" Harry snapped, his temper rising. "They were m-" He caught himself. "They were killed in a car crash." His hand instinctively rose to his scar. He had almost told this - this muggle for heavens sake! He had almost told her what really happened to his parents! "I'd better go." He got up and ran.
Lindy stared after him. There was something oddly alluring about that boy. She was sure he hadn't meant what he said about the car crash. why had he touched his scar like that. why had he run off? She was determined to get past the icy exterior to the boy inside if it killed her.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The next evening, she saw him again - he was sitting forlornly on a swing. He looked so vulnerable just then that she wanted to reach out and hug him. controlling herself, she walked up and sat on the swing next to him. Harry looked up, startled. "What are you stalking me now or something?"
She smiled shyly. "No, I just - you left a bit .suddenly. yesterday." "Yeah, well. keep your nose out of my business, okay? You're too curious for your own good."
Her eyes widened. "Oh, are you threatening me now, Potter?"
"What if I am? ...nah, I wouldn't hurt you. not unless I had to." He grinned, then stopped. How could he be so comfortable talking to this muggle? As if she was, was Hermione or something! He barely knew her! Although she was beautiful. no! He hadn't even been able to concentrate on Cho after Sirius died. had he gotten over it so quickly?
She studied his face. He had that haunted look in his eyes again. What was he thinking about? Those iridescent green eyes. she could just imagine looking into those eyes as he. what am I thinking? This guy is supposed to be incurably criminal! I can't just. just fall in love with him like this! What would Aunt Millie think? She giggled as she thought of the look on her family's faces if she announced she was going out with Harry Potter!
"What are you laughing about?" He asked, slightly annoyed.
"Oh. I was just imagining what my family would think if I introduced you to them."
"Huh. if they're anything like the Dursleys I'm hoping you don't."
They sat in silence for a while; then Lindy realized she would be late if she didn't hurry, so she said an awkward farewell and left Harry sitting alone in the darkness, pondering the possible meanings of what was happening.
The kids of Privet Drive were rather frightened of Harry Potter. With his shabby clothes and bored look, he was not welcome in the neighborhood. They were terrified of Dudley, of course, but there was something mysterious about "that Potter boy" - at least you knew that Dudley could beat you to a pulp - who knew what Potter could get up to! Alicia Morton (a sixteen-year- old upstanding citizen of Privet Drive) was just remarking upon this fact to her cousin Lindy, recently returned from America. Lindy remembered Harry from elementary school - he had not looked so dangerous then, just scruffy and malnourished. When she told Alicia this, her cousin said contemplatively: "Well, he does go to St Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys. he must have DONE something to get in there!"
"Hey, maybe he finally fought back and laid Dudley out!" Lindy exclaimed chirpily. "You notice Dudley seems a bit frightened of him?"
"Never! Dudley's not frightened of anyone! Remember Cousin Gilbert? Who is four years older than us and has muscles like a gorilla? He was in hospital for two weeks when Big D finished with him!"
Lindy snorted with laughter. "Is that what they call him? I'm not surprised, he's huge!"
"Well, anyway, whoever's frightened of whom, you have to admit that Potter boy is a bit scary. He goes around like he doesn't give a damn about his appearance, he isn't afraid of Dudley, and did you see that scar? I wonder where he got it." Alicia shivered.
"Well, I think it's sexy." Lindy said dreamily.
"Are you kidding?!" Alicia exclaimed. "What do they teach you in the states?"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Hi Harry! There you are! I've been looking for you!" The object of the search turned around, surprised that a) a Muggle apart from the Dursleys was speaking to him and b) anyone outside of school called him by his first name. A Muggle girl with long straight reddish-blonde hair and deep blue eyes was running towards him. "Do I know you?" He asked politely, although he didn't particularly need to be - who knew what these people believed about him!
"No," she answered, panting slightly. "I just - heard about you from my cousin - and -" "And you wanted to come gawk at the infamous Harry Potter?" He asked sarcastically.
"Well, actually, I just thought you sounded interesting, that's all. pardon me for trying to make friends with you!"
Harry stared at her. "Let me get this straight. you, an inhabitant of Privet drive, want to make friends with me, the 'incurably criminal' boy who unfortunately lives with the Dursleys?"
"Got it in one!" She exclaimed, grinning at him. "My name's Calinda, Lindy for short, can't imagine what got into my parents when they were naming me - I'd ask, but they've been dead for fifteen years."
"Oh." Harry said, perturbed. "Um. my parents are dead too." Why am I telling this to a complete stranger?!
"Well, they would be, wouldn't they, otherwise you wouldn't be living with the Dursleys, horribly boring people, how on earth do you put up with them?"
Harry grinned. "I know, I tend to get ignored a lot - but they're my. um, legal guardians. so I can't go anywhere else in the summer holidays."
"I wouldn't think St Brutus's had holidays." Lindy said.
"Oh. well. only in the summer."
"I've been in America since I was seven. I remember you, you always came to school in baggy clothes, and Dudley always used to beat you up. he doesn't anymore though. my parents drowned in a boat crash, what happened to yours? I'm chattering a bit aren't I? Sorry. Um. did I say the wrong thing about your parents?" She backed away.
"Oh, good grief!" Exclaimed Harry angrily, as a flash of pain ran through his scar. "I'm not going to cur- kill you or something!" He silently berated himself for the slip of his tongue.
"I never - look, I'm sorry. you must know what people say about you." She looked flustered.
He turned away. "Never mind. I'm - just a bit - sensitive. about my parents."
"Oh. I'm sorry. is - I mean - do you - want to talk about it?"
Harry growled, his head pounding. "TALK about it? With you? What is there to talk about?" He sat down angrily on a fence.
After a while she sat down next to him. "I - I'm sorry - really. how - how did they die?"
He looked at his scruffy sneakers for a while. What was he doing, talking to a Muggle like this? "Do you really want to know?"
"Yeah. it can't be that bad, after all this time? You ought to talk about it." "Fine then!" Harry snapped, his temper rising. "They were m-" He caught himself. "They were killed in a car crash." His hand instinctively rose to his scar. He had almost told this - this muggle for heavens sake! He had almost told her what really happened to his parents! "I'd better go." He got up and ran.
Lindy stared after him. There was something oddly alluring about that boy. She was sure he hadn't meant what he said about the car crash. why had he touched his scar like that. why had he run off? She was determined to get past the icy exterior to the boy inside if it killed her.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The next evening, she saw him again - he was sitting forlornly on a swing. He looked so vulnerable just then that she wanted to reach out and hug him. controlling herself, she walked up and sat on the swing next to him. Harry looked up, startled. "What are you stalking me now or something?"
She smiled shyly. "No, I just - you left a bit .suddenly. yesterday." "Yeah, well. keep your nose out of my business, okay? You're too curious for your own good."
Her eyes widened. "Oh, are you threatening me now, Potter?"
"What if I am? ...nah, I wouldn't hurt you. not unless I had to." He grinned, then stopped. How could he be so comfortable talking to this muggle? As if she was, was Hermione or something! He barely knew her! Although she was beautiful. no! He hadn't even been able to concentrate on Cho after Sirius died. had he gotten over it so quickly?
She studied his face. He had that haunted look in his eyes again. What was he thinking about? Those iridescent green eyes. she could just imagine looking into those eyes as he. what am I thinking? This guy is supposed to be incurably criminal! I can't just. just fall in love with him like this! What would Aunt Millie think? She giggled as she thought of the look on her family's faces if she announced she was going out with Harry Potter!
"What are you laughing about?" He asked, slightly annoyed.
"Oh. I was just imagining what my family would think if I introduced you to them."
"Huh. if they're anything like the Dursleys I'm hoping you don't."
They sat in silence for a while; then Lindy realized she would be late if she didn't hurry, so she said an awkward farewell and left Harry sitting alone in the darkness, pondering the possible meanings of what was happening.