Chapter 1 : A Canadian Kiss

The morning sky was murky over Privet Drive as a young man walked out of a red-bricked house. This young man had his father's very messy black hair and his mother's vivid green eyes that shown clearly through the morning light. Looking around the garden, he seemed to be searching for something. Suddenly, he sprinted over to a rose bush. Passer-byres and on-lookers of this street would have been shocked yet curious of what he was doing. You see, Privet Drive is the most boringly and normal street, filled with the most boring and normal people, ever. They never would have thought talking to rosebushes was normal, but you see, that was exactly what the young man was doing.

"Hey Tonks" said the young man.

"Wotcher Harry," responded the bush, "how did you find me?"

"I saw the bush move."

"Oh...well...er...you can't stand here talking to nothing!! Get back inside the house!"

"No!' The young man named Harry hissed. "the Dursleys are being unbearable!'

"Harry you can't go out side now, you know it's-"

"Not safe." Harry grumbled. "I know, I know...but Tonks with you here, I don't have anything to worry

about, right?" Harry winked at the bush.

"I...er...now don't you start that with me! You know the rules!"

"C'mon Tonks, please let me stay out. Please, please, please!" Harry begged the bush.

"Okay fine, but don't you tell anyone I let you, especially Mrs. Wheasly!"

"Okay, but how is she? How is everyone? They haven't owled me in forever!"

"Everyone's fine, Harry! I know you don't like being left out, but we just can't tell you everything"

"I know" replied Harry, sadly.

"Right, now Harry I need to go, it's Mr. Wheasly's shift now, and I really don't think you should talk to him, he wont be too happy" And with that Tonks vanished with a POP.

As Harry heard another POP in the bushes, he was sure that, that was Mr. Wheasly apparating to watch over Harry. True to his word, Harry didn't talk to Mr. Wheasly and acted as if he didn't know that he was there.

"Get in here!" snarled Harry's uncle Vernon from inside the house, calling Harry in.

"What?" asked Harry really not wanting to go in.

"NOW!" yelled his uncle.

"Fine" sighed Harry as he stepped into the house.

"The new neighbors just called and will be here in a few minutes. They're moving right next to us and on the phone they seemed like completely ORDINARY people!" Uncle Veron glared at Harry before continuing. "They are not to find out about YOU! And so you will be leaving right now! You can also tell your friends to stop sending those ruddy owls here! Now LEAVE!"

"Where am I supposed to go?"

"I don't know and frankly I don't care! NOW LEAVE AND DON'T COME BACK UNTILL 10PM!!" Uncle Vernon pushed Harry out the door.

So Harry had hours of doing nothing outside. Without knowing exactly where he was going, Harry started to walk to the park.

When Harry reached the park he saw a girl who looked about his age, just sitting on the swing. Even though Harry was usually very shy around girls (except for Herms) he came up to her thinking that there was no point in ignoring her as they were the only people in the park.

"Hey" Harry whispered, trying not to disturbed the girl.

"Oh, hello!" The girl turned around to face Harry. She had gorgeous shiny brown hair that fell below her shoulder and curved under her breast. Harry looked at her and couldn't help but think how beautiful and full of life she looked. This girl also had chestnut brown eyes and a smile anyone could get lost in.

The girl looked up at Harry and after a while of silence, "You know you can sit down if you want"

"Oh, yea!" Harry blinked and sat down on the swing beside the girl.

"Well, my name's Laura, I just moved here...about a minute ago" Laura extended her arm to Harry.

"Oh, I'm Harry, I lived here practically all my life but you wont see me here during the school months as I will be at H..." Harry quickly stopped, remembering that this girl was a Muggle and doesn't know of Hogwarts. "I...I'll be at a boarding school!" Harry quickly covered-up his stutter.

"Really? Yea, I'll be going to a boarding school too, maybe it's the same school!" Laura smiled.

Harry very much daughted that Laura would be going to Hogwarts.

"What school are you going to be going to then?" Harry asked.

"Oh! Uh ... you know the one ... I uh ... I'm not sure actually! My dad told me I'll be going to a boarding school but he didn't tell which one! Yea that's it!" Laura blushed.

Silence fell after this, and Harry never having to talk to a girl before, felt very awkward but glad for company all the same.

"Soo ... why're you here if you just moved in, shouldn't you be helping to unpack and stuff?" Harry asked Laura, not really looking at her but past her because of how nervous he was.

"Well um no, my parents didn't want me to get in the way and told me to take a walk. Why're you here?"

"Same reason"

"I thought you said you've lived here almost all your life!"

"I did! They just told me to leave because our new neighbors are moving in and they didn't want them to know...uh they didn't want me to get in the way" Harry was again so close to revealing to Laura that he was a wizard! C'mon Harry you can't do that!

"Oh! Really? Where do you live?"

"I'm number 4 Private Drive, but don't tell my aunt or uncle I told you"

"You're number 4?! Omsh! I moved in to number 2!!"

"What?! We're next-door neighbor?"

"I guess! This is great! My first day and I already made a friend!" Laura smiled even more at Harry, which made him blush deeply.

Harry looked down. He was taken by Laura saying that he was her friend. Harry had NEVER EVER had a Muggle friend before. Dudley would always scare them off.

"So where are you from, Laura?" asked Harry when he was sure his face turned back to its normal shade of peach.

"I'm from Richmond Hill, Ontario ... Canada" Laura added to Harry's quizzed look.

"Wow you're from Canada? How is it there?" Harry thought about Hermione and knew that she would be so excited about learning of different cultures.

"Well it's really different! I mean to us it's like people from Britain have an accent, but I guess to you I have an accent!" she laughed. "Also you have 'years' here but we had 'grades' and just the everyday things are so different! Like there it was always so spacious because Canada is such a large country with few people, while Britain is so much smaller with more people! I really miss Canada, but am also very excited to learn all about Britain and its people!" Laura got up and slowly started to walk towards private Drive. Harry followed.

"My friend Hermione, she loves learning new things. She would be so happy to meet you, mind you she'd kill you with all the questions she'd ask" Harry laughed.

"Hermione...she's you girlfriend?" Laura seemed a bit upset by this thought.

"Hermione? My girlfriend? HECK NO! She's one of my best friends! My other one is Ron." Harry laughed at the though of Hermione being his girlfriend.

"Oh!" Laura seemed really pleased in knowing that Hermione wasn't going out with Harry.

"Are you going out with anyone?" She asked after a while not looking up at Harry. Harry looked at her for a while, the truth is no one has ever asked him that besides Cho and Cho really liked him then. Harry remember last year when he went out with her and how unpleasant it was. Did Laura want the same thing?

"No" was all Harry said. Then, "You?"

"No" she whispered. "Well ... I had a nice time talking to you Harry" she kissed him on the cheek [awwww wipes tear this is so sweet!]"Goodnight" and with that Laura ran inside number 2 Private Drive.

Harry looked around him and realized that they had walked back to his house, and he too walked back to his house, all the way to his room and plopped onto his bed.

The only other person who had kissed his cheek was Hermione and she was a friend. Then Harry remembered Cho and what happened in the Room of Requirements. Did Laura like him in that way? Or was it like a 'Hermione' kind of kiss...like a friend? But why had she asked if he was going out with anyone?

Without taking his clothes off or changing into his pajamas, with the comforting thought of Laura liking him as more than a friend, Harry Potter fell asleep.