Lucy looked at the window and saw in a faint reflection a small brownhaired girl who stared back. Slowly she turned her head and looked at her cousin, who was losing her head.
"Where is she?" Rose said impatiently and opened the car door.
"Lily, hurry up, will you!" Rose yelled
"Take it ease, Rose! You don't want Mal- Scorpious to run away from you!" said Molly.
Finally, Lily came running out of the house.
"I'm sorry, really sorry! When you said you were coming to my house, I thought you meant that we were flooing."
Rose laughed.
"We're not going to the Leaky Cauldron. Since we are celebrating MY engagement with Scor, we're going somewhere special. So, dad let me borrow the car. Besides, I doubt Hannah would be very happy if we flooed to the Leaky Cauldron only to go somewhere else!"
As soon as Lily closed the car Rose drove away from the house.
"Wow Rose, no need to hurry!" Lily said laughing, as she fastened her seatbelt.
After a long search for a place to park, the girls walked into a muggle restaurant. A waiter came sailing towards them.
"We have a reserved table. The name's Weasley." Rose said.
He nodded and asked them to follow him.
"And when he finally found the ring he knelt down and asked if I would marry him."
Lily sighed, listening to Rose's story.
"You two are so lucky." She said.
"Yeah," said Lucy. "I mean, how'd you convince your parents? Your fathers being old enemies and all."
Rose smiled.
"Well, it wasn't easy. First I –" She stopped, looking at a man standing beside Lily.
"Yes?"
"Sorry for interrupting, but I couldn't help but to notice you."
He turned to Lucy.
"Excuse me. Are you a witch?"
The girls all gaped.
"What?"
Lucy gave a furtive glance to her sister, who looked perplexed.
"Well, I noticed you looking at me and I felt bewitched. Did you put a spell on me?"
Lily giggled and gave Lucy a push. Lucy looked at the man. He was tall, with brown eyes, short black hair and quite handsome.
"It depends on who's asking?"
The man smiled.
"I knew it! I'm Tim, by the way, a wizard-in-training."
Lucy laughed
"What's your name?" Tim asked.
"Lucy."
"Hm. Nice name."
Lucy smiled.
Tim looked at the other girls.
"Look, I don't want to disturb you, but are you doing anything tomorrow?"
Lucy hesitated.
"Well, yes, I'm working."
"Oh. Well, here's my number," he handed her a piece of paper, "call me when you're free."
Lucy smiled.
"Thank you, I will."
Tim said goodbye and walked away. When he was out of earshot, Rose turned to Lily.
"Why can't you find someone like that?" she said.
Lily turned crimson causing Molly to laugh.
"Lil-ly, have you found him already?" Rose asked suspiciously. Lily shook her head.
"I wish I had!"
Rose looked at her food.
"Are you all done eating?" she said.
All the girls nodded.
After paying for the food, they stood up and walked outside to the car.
Molly turned to her sister.
"I promised dad I would go and buy some stuff for him. It's nearby so I'll just walk and take a taxi home."
She said goodbye and walked down the road.
Lucy frowned. "Weird, it's not like Molly to just go like that."
But that frown turned into a big smile when she felt the paper in her hand.
"Oh snap!" she yelled suddenly. "I don't have a phone!"
Lily and Rose laughed.
"It's ok!" Lily giggled. "You can use the one at my house."
A couple of days later, Lucy sat by the phone at the Potter residence.
"To call or not to call, that is the question." She murmured.
"I don't even know how this thing works."
"Hi, Lucy, waiting for a call?"
Harry came into the room.
"Oh, hi uncle Harry. No, Lily, er, she let me use the phone."
Harry smiled.
"Well, make yourself at home! Who are you calling?"
Lucy frowned.
"I really don't know! He's a muggle and I've only met him once. I don't know him at all! What if he is a serial killer or doesn't want to go out. I don't even know how to use this bloody thing!" she said in a panicked voice
Harry laughed.
"Don't worry. Ginny!" he called.
Ginny came into the room.
"Hi, Lucy. Harry, what's going on?"
Harry took the paper from Lucy's hand and explained.
"Lucy met this muggle and is too afraid to call him. What's his name?"
"Tim, and I am not afraid." Said Lucy irritated, snatching the paper back.
"That's not what you said to me just now."
Harry smirked.
"I know. Ginny, call this number and ask for a date tomorrow."
Lucy gaped.
"Uncle Harry, are you mad? I'll do it myself, I'm not 12."
Harry shrugged and shared a smile with his wife.
"Suit yourself. Good luck."
He laughed and walked out of the room.
Lucy opened her mouth.
"Bu-bu-u-ut. Wait!"
"Hi, Tim? Yes, it's Lucy, you know, we met last Friday. Mhm. I was wondering, are you doing anything tomorrow? No? Yeah, sure. Great! See you there. Bye!"
Ginny put the phone down.
"You have a date tomorrow! Good luck and try to learn how to use a phone. I'm not surprised Percy doesn't own one." She said and winked her niece. Lucy blushed.
"Thanks a lot!" she said.
"No problem. So we'll see you tomorrow?"
"What? Why?" Lucy said perplexed.
"Well, we have got to teach you how to use a phone before the date, so you can call him afterwards."
Lucy was nervous. She stood outside a small restaurant, waiting for Tim to arrive.
"Hi! Lucy?" a voice said behind her.
Lucy turned around and saw Tim standing there, holding a flower.
"You look good." he said
She smiled.
They went inside and sat at a table beside a big window. They ordered their food.
"So, Tim, who are you exactly?"
Tim smiled at the question.
"Well, I'm Timothy Braxton, an American wiz- wizard-in-training. My mother is British but went to school in America where she met my father. Right now I'm on a vacation in Britain but I'll be going home in August. I'm going to school there, I'm studying to become a he- erm, doctor. And what about you?"
Lucy laughed.
"There's not much to tell, really. My dad's got five siblings and I'm the youngest of my cousins. I'm working in my uncle's shop this summer but am going back to school in September. I –"
Tim interrupted her.
"What are you studying?"
"Magic."
They both laughed at the joke, even though Lucy knew it was the truth.
"No, ha ha, I'm in-" Lucy hesitated.
What should I say? she thought.
"Erm, it's a private school, that, erm, has all kinds of studies."
Tim nodded.
"What's the name of this university?"
"Oh it's not an university."
Tim paled.
"Wait, how old are you?"
Lucy furrowed her eyebrows.
"I'm 17. Why?"
"Seventeen!" he exclaimed and stood up quickly. "You're still a kid!"
"No, I'm not!" Lucy answered angrily. "I'm an adult!"
Tim opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted when a waiter came with their food. He put it on the table.
"Here you go. Enjoy your meal." He went away. The pair was silent for a moment.
"You become major when you're 18 here in Britain, right?" Tim said after a moment.
Lucy hesitated. She remembered that muggles gained majority a year later than wizards.
"Well, I'll be 18 in September."
Tim laughed sarcastically. Feeling irritated, Lucy snapped at him:
"Yeah, and how old are you then?"
"27."
Lucy fell silent.
"I'm sorry, I don't think I can do this."
He stood up.
"Wait!" Lucy said quickly. "Don't you at least want to finish your meal?"
He sat down reluctantly.
"I suppose I could."
They ate in silence. After a while, Lucy decided to break the silence.
"So-o, when did you decide to become a doctor?"
"That's a good question." Tim said, feeling relieved that she had said something.
"I had decided to become a cop, but when my mother got sick, I changed my mind. And you, what do you want to do in the future?"
"I'm not sure. I've always liked my grandfather's job. He works in the ministry, in the muggle department."
Lucy realised too late what she had said.
"Muggle?" Tim said surprised. Lucy thought quickly.
"No-o. Mugging. You know, handtheft and stuff!"
Tim eyed her suspiciously but said nothing.
Lucy was quick to change the subject and for the rest of the evening they talked about all and nothing. When they had fininshed eating the ordered the bill and went outside, after Tim insisted on paying but Lucy argued.
"This is not a date anymore so I want to pay for my own dinner at least, thank you!"
"But I never said the date was over, so I will pay!"
Finally Lucy gave in and Tim paid.
"I'm sorry for the misunderstanding." Tim said apologetically.
"It's just that when I saw you first you seemed so mature, well, you still do, but I don't think could date someone so much younger than me, because- oh, nevermind."
Lucy smiled.
"That's allright. It's not the first time I have confused people."
They both laughed. Then came an awkward silence. Time broke it.
"Hey, I was wondering, I am looking for a British person who can guide me through London. Do you want to be my guide?"
Lucy grinned.
"I'd love to!"
Tim smiled back. Then he ordered a taxi for her, but when it came he refused to join her.
"I live nearby, so I'll walk. It was nice to see you!"
He waved as the taxi drove away.
Lucy turned to look through the rear window and saw Tim walk away. She smiled and looked forward to being his London guide.
Too bad I can't show him Diagon Alley!
Over the next couple of months, Lucy guided Tim through all of London, even though she didn't know all of it herself.
August came and Lucy was reminded of how little time they had.
"Next week, I'm going home." he said to her.
Next week came and Lucy went to the airport with Tim to say goodbye.
She looked at him where he sat next to her in the taxi and realised something. She loved him, loved him with all her heart. And she knew what he would say if she told him, so she didn't.
When they came to the airport, Lucy was tempted to tell him how she felt but decided against it. She knew it would only ruin their friendship.
She looked at Tim and felt she had to tell him that she was a witch.
"Tim, I have to-"
He interrupted her.
"I have to go and check in."
He hugged her tightly.
"Thank you for guiding me. I won't forget this summer, never!"
"Goodbye." Lucy said hesitatingly.
He turned to walk away, but stopped suddenly and turned to her again.
"I completely forgot! Here."
He drew from his pocket a camera.
"I took photos here in London. You can keep them to remember me."
He handed her the camera and walked away again. When he came to the check-in he turned and waved.
Lucy lay on her bed and lookde at Tim's photos. She smiled at them. Suddenly, she felt tears streaming down her face.
"I will never forget you."
So, what do you think? Is it too corny or not enough? Please review and tell me what you think.