A Second Chance
Chapter Two
Neighbor Girl
A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone :) I was extremely nervous about posting this - I've had the idea for this in my head for over a year just never sat down and written it. I've been writing fanfic for over a decade but always ended up trashing it and never sharing. I'll try to update at least once a week, but I've got a lot on my plate atm so if I don't update that often I'm sorry! It's been pointed out to me that in my last chapter I had Snape doing things uncharacteristic of him (IE cursing). In my head, I think his stick in the mudness (otherwise known as properness) would go out the window, seeing how he's you know..dead and kinda upset about it :). But that's just my opinion. Also I apologize for the perspective - this is my first time writing not in a first person perspective, and third person omniscient is still working its kinks out in my head. The first two chapters are basically my info dump chapters so if there's not much plot exposition I'm sorry :s
Muggles had a funny way of traveling. Mommy and Daddy had said they would be moving to America, but they hadn't told him they would be surrounded by muggles. The British Magical Embassy had expected them to live amongst muggles, and since they were in such close quarters with them, they had to use their strange ways to travel. Daddy was driving what he said was called a car. He wrinkled his nose and went back to reading his book.
"We're here." Daddy said, the car coming to a stop. He opened his door and got out. Mommy opened the door and unhooked Sean from his seat. He climbed out slowly, his legs tired from the long journey.
Mommy grabbed onto his hand and began to lead him up to the house. There were three people standing by the front door, smiling. "Look Sean, our neighbors have come to greet us." his mother smiled. "The daddy works with your daddy, and I think you'll be going to preschool with their little girl."
Sean hadn't even noticed the little girl. She stood next to her mommy, burying her face in her mommy's leg. All he could see was long blonde hair. It was lighter than mommy's, so light it was almost white.
"Hi! You must be our new neighbors. I am Bridgette." Mommy turned and looked back at the car. "The man taking stuff out of the trunk is my husband John." she turned back around, resting her hands on Sean's shoulders. "And this little man is our son Sean."
"Hi and welcome!." The new woman greeted Mommy with a smile "I'm Susan, this is my husband Alastaire, and this shy little one," she moved her leg so that the little girl couldn't bury her face anymore, "is our daughter Aisling."
Sean looked at the little girl. He had only seen her hair before, but when he actually saw her a large smile grew on his face. She had the prettiest eyes he had ever seen. Her eyes were the brightest blue he had ever seen, the color of the sky on a bright summer day. She smiled and she saw two dimples form on her cheeks. He let go of his mother's hand and walked up to her.
"Hi, I'm Sean." He waved and smiled at her.
"Hi." She whispered, wrinkling her nose. Her smile went away for a second, then quickly came back. Walking up to him, she put her arms around his shoulders. "Fwiends?"
Stepping out of the hug, Sean smiled. "Uh-huh."
"Asling! Ash! Wait up." Sean panted out, trying to keep up with her. Ash kept running up the hill and it seemed like she was purposely going faster then he could, just so she could make fun of him for it. It was the first day of summer break, their last one in America.
Ash finally stopped running. She turned back to look at him and smiled. "I can't help it if you're slow." She yelled at him, giggling.
He shook his head. When mom and dad had sat him down, and told them that since he was old enough to go to Hogwarts, they felt it was safer for him to go there then to stay in America. He had surprised his parents though. The only protest he put up was the fact that he would have to leave Ash. He didn't care about what else he would be leaving behind - his parents, his home. Just Ash.
When Sean finally caught up to her, Ash ruffled his hair and sat underneath the tree at the top of the hill. "So, I have a surprise for you." she said, a bit of deviousness in her voice.
"Oh?" Sean collapsed next to her and reached for the bottle of water in his pocket. "This better not be like the time you put ink in my tea. I had black teeth for a week!"
"No no, it's nothing like that. When you told me your parents were sending you to Hogwarts I didn't know what to think. I was going to lose my best friend. We've lived next to each other for six years, I don't know what I would do without you. But then I got an idea." Ash grinned
Sean sat up. "Idea? I usually don't like it when you get those."
"You'll like this."
"That's what you always say." He raised his eyebrow warily. "Black teeth!"
Ash giggled. "Oh pff, it's not like you're completely innocent." Sean rolled his eyes. "Anyways as I was saying, when you told me your parents were sending you to Hogwarts, I was devastated.I didn't want to lose you." Ash put her hand on top of Sean's . "I had no idea what to do to fix it. Then it dawned on me. I sat down with my parents last night for dinner and I asked them why I wasn't going to Hogwarts too, and told them how much I wanted to go." she smiled.
Sean sat up, wide-eyed like a kid on Christmas morning. "You..what?" He stuttered.
"I told them I wanted to go to Hogwarts too. After a little while they finally agreed to it."
Sean was speechless. He knew Aisling didn't like to be away from her parents for long periods of time, especially now that her mother was having another baby. He leaned over and gave her the biggest hug he could. He really didn't know what to say to her. They sat there for awhile in silence, holding hands and listening to their surroundings, huge grins on both of their faces.
They arrived in London a week before school was supposed to start. Both families shared two rooms in The Leaky Cauldron. They had warned Sean and Ash to not wander off or go out into Diagon Alley alone, but of course they didn't listen. The first chance their parents' backs were turned they were out of their rooms exploring the inn. The magical community they had been a part of in America had been limited to their two families. The British Ministry had wanted to be diplomatic, but it was only limited to their fathers and they didn't like mingling with the Americans on their off hours. Father had always said the Americans were brash and rude and that he would rather only be around them when he was getting paid to be around them.
When they got down to the tavern area of The Leaky Cauldron it was packed. Ash grabbed Sean's hand and they slowly walked out into the tavern. The blonde woman behind the bar noticed them quietly stepping away from the stairs. She smiled and put down the wash rag she was cleaning the bar off with.
Walking over to the two of them, the smile on her face calmed the two of them. "Hi there. Why do I have the sneaking suspicion that you aren't supposed to be down here?" She asked them, squatting down to be eye level with both of them.
"I ah." Sean blushed sheepishly "Yes we are ma'am." He looked down at his feet.
"There you are! Sean, Ash did you really think we wouldn't notice?" A exasperated voice behind them called out. Ash and Sean turned around. Both of their mothers were standing there with angry scowls on their faces.
"I, I'm sorry mama. We were just bored up there." Ash whispered as she hid behind Sean.
"Ladies, don't worry. They are completely safe here at The Leaky Cauldron." The blonde woman smiled. "I am Hannah Longbottom, the owner."
Both mothers relaxed a little. "Hello Hannah. I am Bridgette Lennox." Sean's mother smiled at Hannah. "and this one," she ruffles Sean's hair. "is my son Sean."
Ash's mother held out her hand. "I am Susan Forsyth and this is my daughter Aisling."
"Nice to meet you both."
"Longbottom, any relationship to Neville?" Bridgette asked Hannah.
"Yes, he's my husband." Hannah looked down on the two children. "I take it you two are starting at Hogwarts this year?"
Sean nodded his head "Yes ma'am." Ash just nodded her head, still scared of her mother and how much trouble she was going to be in.
"Well," Hannah started, standing up. "If I've learned anything from Neville and his friends is that curiosity is a wonderful thing, but you have to be smart about it." She smiled at both mothers. "I think you should listen to your mothers. They only want what's best for you. Not everyone is as nice as I am." She held out her hand to Susan. "You ladies need anything, just ask." She shook Susan's and Bridgette's hands and then turned and went back to work.
"You two upstairs now." Bridgette said to the children, pointing up the stairs. Both children begrudgingly listened to her and went back upstairs.
Sean and Ash loaded their trunks onto the train. The last week had gone by faster then they had expected. All of their school supplies were bought, they had each gotten an animal companion (Sean a large barn owl named Aristotle, Ash a cat that looked like a giant ball of white fur named Snowball), and they had spent the last week exploring England and learning more about where they came from. Now, together they were stepping onto the train that would take them to the next chapter of their lives. They found two seats together and waved goodbye to their parents as the train pulled out of the station. Ash continued to look out the window as the scenery passed them by, while Sean couldn't stop staring at Ash. He was happy to be here, happy that she was here too. Something about this just felt right. He didn't know what the next year at Hogwarts held for them, but he knew he was glad that he didn't have to do it alone.