Sweet Sixteen, Sweet Kathleen
Discalimer: Jk owns all Harry stuff, but all the new stuff, (anything you don't recognise) is mine:D MUAHAHAHA
A/N: This story is set in Harry's Seventh year, just so ya all know :D
Full Summary: Harry has just turned Seventeen. And he's still at the Dursley's; needless to say he's beginning to get (just a touch) sick of the place. But new neighbours have just moved in, and Harry's suddenly not so keen to move out.
Prologue:
New Neighbours
A black haired boy-no, he wasn't a 'boy' anymore. As of two days ago the 'boy' had turned 17, he was now, by law, considered an adult…not that that had changed anything for him.
The 'boy' scowled up at the ceiling from his bed, his messy black hair splayed around his face, his glaring emerald eyes slightly hidden behind his wire rimmed glasses, he could hear his aunt and uncle down stairs doing what ever it is they did on the weekend. He never (if he could help it) went down stairs these days, he had recently taken to wake up as early as he could to get breakfast in the mornings, and only after the Dursley's had gone to sleep did he go back down for dinner. He was sick of being scowled at as he entered the room, he was tired of being ignored and treated like a house elf! He wanted out! Out of the muggle world were he was more worthless then scum, out of the Dursley's lives. Out of this damn house!
"HARRY POTTER! COME DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!" he heard his aunt shriek. Closing his eyes and refraining the urge to punch something he got to his feet.
"Coming" he muttered as he shoved his door open. He made his way down the stairs as slowly as he could manage without stopping entirely, but he still reached the kitchen where his aunt was waiting with her hands on her bony hips.
"What is this?" she hissed, Harry arched a brow
"A kitchen" he answered with a straight face. Aunt Petunia pursed her lips
"Don't you cheek me! Look at this mess! You were the last one in here; you clean it up, NOW! And when you're done go back to your room" she hissed before she left the room. Harry's fists clenched at his sides, he hadn't been in the kitchen since before dawn.
"Better hurry up Harry, don't want to have to tell mum you aren't doing as your told" a voice sneered from the doorway; Harry just stopped himself from groaning.
"Dudley, guess what it was two days ago" he said as he turned to face his cousin, Dudley was still the same bulling pig, he was still beady eyed, and he was still on the school wrestling team. Yes, he was still large and flabby, but he was also growing some muscle…
Dudley arched a brow
"Err…Thursday?" he suggested weakly, Harry shook his head
"My birthday, I turned seventeen. Guess what that means for you?" Harry asked coldly, his eyes sparking with animosity. Dudley began to look less confident, his watery blue eyes began to widen as he took a hesitant step away from Harry.
"W-w-what?" he stuttered, Harry drew his wand from his back pocket. He never left his room without it since Voldemort had returned.
The blond lump before him began to whimper, Harry smirked
"I'm allowed to use magic," he whispered loud enough for his cousin to hear, Dudley yelped and clamped his hands over his bottom before he sprinted from the room, wailing loudly.
Harry allowed himself a small moment of mirth before he slipped his wand back into his pocket; it instantly disappeared from view. He'd found a charm in one of the books Hermione had given him for his birthday that made an item invisible to muggle eyes. Very useful these days… he thought idly as he filled the sink with hot water; there was a small pile of dishes to be washed, the table needed to be cleared, the floor was caked in mud…Dudley is going to pay, the lazy pig he thought he scrubbed a plate more 'forcefully' then he needed to. A second later the so mentioned plate broke in his hands.
He closed his eyes for a moment and breathed deeply before he re-drew his wand and repaired the porcelain with a flick and a muttered word. I love magic,he thought as he twirled his wand in his fingers, can't wait to leave this sorry excuse of a home…pushing his last thought aside he set his wand on the counter and continued with the dishes.
Half an hour later the kitchen was clean and Harry began to make his way to his room, but the sound of a car pulling up stopped him and he creased his brow…sounds like a truck he realised before his curiosity got the better of him. Quickly the raven-haired boy made his way to a window and peaked outside. A moving truck was slowly driving away from number six Privet Drive.
"New neighbours " he said in surprise,
"Didn't realise the old ones had moved out…not that I'm here very often" he muttered, thinking aloud.
Without thinking he made his way to the front door and pushed it open, he knew he wasn't allowed to go outside (Order rules) but he didn't care, he doubted any Death eaters would pop up. He walked across the road and looked at the replica of his own…I wouldn't call it a home. Before he knew it he was knocking on the door with the shiny gold 'Six' nailed to mahogany.
He heard scuffling inside and waited for the door to open; when it did he was very glad his jaw didn't drop.
The girl-no, teen before him was stunning, she had to be sixteen at the most. She had elbow length straight brown hair that shone in the sunlight, her skin was olive and she looked like she was used to being in the sun, a lot. Her blue eyes were bright and cheerful and her smile was enough to make his knees go weak. She was dressed casually in loose denim jeans and a baggy black t-shirt, but even with the shapeless clothes Harry could tell she was lean and curvy.
"Hello, can I help you?" she asked and Harry couldn't help but notice how soft and beautiful her voice was,
"No, I live over in number four and thought I'd welcome you to the neighbourhood" even as the words left his mouth he realised how corny he sounded…
The teen beamed and Harry was entranced with her smile,
"Good, there are actually people around my age around here" she said happily,
"The last place I lived was really remote, the closest neighbour was like, two miles away and they were really old," she explained,
"I'm Harry" Harry said as he held out a hand, the girl smiled and shook it enthusiastically as she said
"I'm Kathleen, but call me Kat, I hate my name," she said with another grin. She stepped aside and gestured inside
"Come on in, half of our stuff still hasn't arrived yet but I can still make you a drink or something" she said and Harry smiled as he accepted her offer and went inside. The house was an exact replica of number four, but instead of the pale creams and whites in number four, number six was painted in warm oranges, reds, and browns. He already liked the place better.
Kat closed the door behind him and began to weave through the large cardboard boxes scattered hazardously around in the hallway,
"How long have you lived here?" she asked as she walked,
"For as long as I can remember" Harry answered sadly, Kat stopped and turned back to him
"Why is that bad?" she asked,
"I've never lived in the same place for more then a year, I'd love to be able to say that" she continued, Harry shrugged
"I don't like my uncle and aunt very much…or my cousin" he admitted, Kat arched a brow
"Why don't you live with your mum and dad?" She asked,
"I would if they were alive," he said offhandedly and Kat paled slightly
"Sorry" she said quietly, Harry shrugged
"It's okay, I never really got to know them, so it isn't too bad" he lied. When Kat didn't respond Harry quickly changed the subject
"About that drink?" he prompted and Kat smiled weakly,
"Yeah, this way" she said before she continued to the kitchen.
The kitchen was done in a vibrant red colour and the table had a glass top and stainless steel legs, the fridge was a large double door kind and was also stainless steel, the whole room was modern.
"Nice" Harry said as he looked around, Kat smiled as she nodded
"Yeah, but I still think my mum went over bored with the red" she said as she looked around.
"What does your mum do?" Harry asked as he sat at the glass top table. Kat opened one of the fridge doors and began to root around inside
"She's a renovator, like my dad, they buy houses and do them up before they sell them again. So we usually live in the house there doing at the time, saves money," Kat explained as she took a large glass bottle.
"Home made lemonade. My dad makes it," she said proudly as she got two glasses from one of the cupboards and filled then up. Kat sat opposite Harry and sipped at her glass,
"So, what do you do around here?" she asked, Harry tasted the pale liquid and smiled, it was definitely better then the stuff the Dursley's got from the store.
"I'm not around that often, I go to boarding school" Harry lied smoothly. Kat arched her brow again
"How come?" she asked and Harry faltered
"Er…I…er…-"
"Kathleen!" A female voice yelled from upstairs saving Harry from answering.
"Yeah mum!" Kat called back,
"Come and help me with this couch!"
Kat rolled her eyes and got to her feet
"Be right back" she said as she put her glass back on the table, Harry did the same
"Can I help?" he asked, Kat paused for a moment before she smiled
"Sure" she answered happily, pushing her chair back. Kat led Harry up the stairs to where his room would be in number four; this room was terracotta and already filled with furniture. A short, lean woman with paint-splattered overalls was struggling to move a couch, her wavy brown hair was pulled into a messy ponytail and escaping around her face
"I want this over there Kathleen, can you-" The woman broke off as she looked over at Harry
"Oh, and who is this young man?" she asked as she looked at Kat with a sly smile. Harry felt his face redden as he hunched his shoulders slightly. Why do I have to blush now! Why now! He demanded silently. The woman dusted her hands on her overalls and walked over to him
"No need to blush honey, I'm just being my usual annoying self. I'm Joann by the way," she said with a friendly smile as she held out a hand, smiling slightly Harry shook it
"Harry" he said and Joann nodded
"Just what I needed, a big strong man. Come and help me with this couch, you to Kathleen" she said as she went back to the bright red sofa. Harry arched a brow as he looked down at his lean frame… 'big strong man'? Is she looking at the same thing I'm looking at? He wondered, Kat smiled at his expression
"Don't mind mum, she always seems to know the best way to embarrass you, I mean. I hate my name. 'Kat', is that too hard to remember, I want them to call me 'Kat' but does she ever? Nooooooooo, of course not, I'm her 'Kathleen'" Kat said with mock disgust, though Harry didn't miss the smirk she shot at her mother. They obviously did this often.
"Come on! I don't have all day," Joann said as she tried once again to lift the couch. Harry and Kat both quickly went over and helped. Together they lifted it with ease and placed it where Joann wanted.
"So Harry. I'm guessing you're a neighbour" Kat's mother said as she blew a strand of hair from her face, Harry nodded
"Yeah, I live in number four" he said as he nodded to the building opposite them just visible through the window.
"Ah, you doing anything tonight? Were ordering pizza since I can't cook to save my life, and you'd be welcome to join us" she said with a jolly smile. Harry was amazed at how quickly Joann had accepted him; Harry looked over at Kat and saw her smile
"Come on, you gotta love pizza" she said and Harry finally smiled
"Sure, I'd love to" he said and Joann gave a sharp nod
"Good, that's that then. As soon as David comes back we'll head out. I saw a pizza place in that bunch of shops around the corner" she said before she looked around the room,
"So, tell me the truth. What do you think of it so far?" Joann asked, Kat sighed
"Don't answer that. No answer is the right one with mum" she said before she grabbed Harry arm and dragged him from the room and into the one across the hall.
Once she had closed the door behind her she looked around at the blank walls
"This is going to be my room. Mum's even going to let me decorate it, that's why it's still white," she said excitedly. Harry smiled; the only things in the room at the moment were a few boxes and a sleeping bag.
"Do you want to ring your aunt or uncle and tell them about the pizza?" she asked as she went and sat on the purple sleeping bag. Harry shook his head with a smirk
"Nah, they don't care" he muttered as he sat beside her, Kat frowned
"How come?" she asked, Harry shrugged and leaned back against the wall
"My mum was my aunts sister, they hated each other, my mum was everything my aunt wasn't, pretty, smart and…er…well my mum was special, talented, and my aunt wasn't. Any way, a few months after I was born my mum and dad died…in a car crash. And my mum's sister was my only living relative. But like I said, my mum and my aunt never got along. Basically they hated each other. And there I was one morning, on my aunt's doorstep. I guess I stood for everything my Aunt hated my mother for…" Harry realised what he had said and imminently shut up. He hadn't even told Hermione and Ron all that, they new the basics…but, he looked at Kat who was looking at him with something shining in her blue eyes, she's easy to talk to, he thought. Kat quickly shook her head
"Sounds rough, I've always lived with my mum and dad, I'm an only child and well. Their rather protective of me," she said before she laughed at her own words
"That's the understatement of the year," she said between laughs.
Gravel crunched in the driveway and Kat jumped to her feet,
"Dad's home!" she yelled to her mother before she dashed from the room. Harry quickly got to his feet, wondering if he'd be calling that if Voldemort hadn't murdered his parents.
When Harry reached the front door he found Kat hanging from a tall man's neck, the man hugged her for a second before he noticed Harry standing uncomfortable at the foot of the stairs.
"Oh, hello" He said in a kind alto voice that somehow reminded Harry of Lupin. The man had dull brown eyes and thick sandy blond hair that was beginning to bald.
Kat relished her father and looked between the two
"Dad this is Harry, Harry this is my dad David" she said gesturing to each of them.
"Nice to met you Harry" David said with a welcoming smile
"Thankyou sir" Harry said and David laughed
"Call me David, None of this 'sir' business," he said before he mussed Kats hair
"I've got a few things for the house Kitty, could you help me bring them inside?" he asked, Kat rolled her eyes at Harry
"Sure dad" she said with a grin,
"Come on Harry" she said before she dashed through the door, Harry shook his head before he made to follow her, but David stopped him before he made it through the door.
"Kat's a good girl, she's moved around a lot and she's never really made any good friends. The last one ended up stealing all her jewellery. I'm glade she's already found someone her own age, but if you hurt her you'll have me to answer too" he said softly and Harry gulped… yep, definitely the understatement of the year. Harry thought before he nodded
"Yes sir" he said quickly before he sprinted outside to help Kat.
Outside it was nearing dusk. Kat was leaning against the car with her arms crossed, and as Harry approached the streetlights sprang to life and light up the darkening street.
"He gave you the 'talk' didn't he?" she asked flatly. Harry nodded slowly
"Yeah, he's just a bit protective" he muttered and Kat laughed humourlessly
"That he is. He's the reason why I never had that many friends. So sorry, and I understand if you don't want to have pizza with us" she said lowering her gaze, Harry arched a brow
"Why wouldn't I want to come?" he asked, Kat raised her head
"Everyone else was always freaked my dad would come after them if something happened…" she said slowly, Harry laughed
"I've faced worse then him" he said, now that's the understatement of the year.
"You're not going to avoid me now?" she asked, her nervousness clear in her voice, Harry laughed
"Now, why would I do that?" he asked, she looked up at him and another of her beautiful smiles spread across her face, at the sight of it Harry felt his stomach do and odd flop.
Ya know…staying with the Dursley's for the rest of the summer might not be that bad…
And that's the first chap.I hope you all liked. Well, i have plans for this story (Grins evilly). And just incase you didn't catch it this is what i'm making happen in his seventh year at Hogwarts. I hope you all like Kat, she talks to much, she's almost always happy. and everyones favoritesaviour has just fallen for her! (Cheers loudly and throws streamers in so mentioned boys messy black hair :D)
mali
((Like i say in every story these days. see the little button just below this writting? CLICK IT!))