A/N: Please review and tell me how I'm doing, I'd like to know what you think. This chapter starts off immediately after the last one. They were originally going to be one big chapter but I changed my mind. Thanks for reading! --Mac

Disclaimer: Do not own Harry Potter or associated characters/story lines. I do however own Melanie, her friends, family and the plot of this fic. Yay me!

Chapter Thirteen:

The Difference

As soon as the last word left my lips I turned and left the room. I didn't even wait to see their reaction. I just slipped into my room quietly. I didn't come out of my room until late afternoon when I left immediately to meet Kaya, Cam and Hayden. I said a quick goodbye to Dani and left a note taped to the outside of my bedroom door for my parents. When I got to the restaurant, I spotted Hayden immediately. He was sitting at a table alone.

"Hayden!" I called.

"Hey Melanie." Hayden voiced as I sat down next to him, "Kaya's running late, Cam had to go pick her up or something."

"No, it's good. I need to talk to you anyway." I said.

"What's up?" Hayden questioned, looking a little confused.

"I talked to my parents." I said, "At three this morning."

"How did it go?" Hayden asked.

"Great. Just perfect." I smiled. "Everything is cool between us again. I guess. They told me, rather my mom told me, that they lied to me because she made a final decision, a judgment call, basically that I had no right to make my own decisions and she didn't care if I liked it or not. But I told them I forgive them and things are going to be okay."

"You're still hurt." Hayden stated.

"And you're not blind." I sighed, "I don't know what it is. I just thought letting them, her, whoever explain it wouldn't hurt so much anymore, but I only feel worse now. They acted like I attacked them..."

"Did you?" Hayden inquired.

"No, the first thing I did was apologize a long, drawn out, rambled apology. I make one bad choice of words and my mother goes off on me! She called me a liar." I exclaimed.

"Really?" Hayden frowned.

"Not exactly, but she might as well had. I said 'I don't lie' and she said 'that could be debated' in that tone parents get when they think you're lying." I replied.

"Well do you lie?" Hayden asked with a smirk. "Because I know for a fact that you do."

"Of course I do, but little ones not seven years long ones." I responded, "Nothing big."

"What did you tell them about me?" Hayden asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?" I questioned.

"I'm at your house almost as much as Kaya and Cam. I go in and out of your room as I please. I'm sure they've asked about me. What did you say?" Hayden clarified.

"Sure they asked about you. I didn't really say much, just that you're a friend helping me with some things, just like Kaya and Cam." I answered.

"But I'm not like Kaya and Cam, I'm sure they can tell that. Did you tell them about my reputation? Did you tell them that you think you're little prediction might be about me? Hmm?" Hayden replied.

"How did you?" I stuttered, completely caught off guard.

"You think I don't notice? You look at me different, like you're sizing me up. You study me more than that piece of paper. I know you tried to hide that little green eyes bit from me, but I got that the first time I read it. I'm smarter that that Melanie." Hayden explained.

"Oh." I said quietly, "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." Hayden shook his head, "That's not why I said it."

"I didn't realize you knew..." I started.

"Look, it's not a big deal. Just don't worry about it anymore." Hayden interrupted.

"Okay, I nodded. "Forgiven?"

"Of course." Hayden agreed with a smile.

"I bet you twenty bucks that Kaya and Cam won't show up." I replied, changing the subject.

"You're on." Hayden accepted and shook my hand.

"Come on." I said and pulled him out of his chair.

I led him to the pay phones in the back of the restaurant by the restrooms. I searched my pockest for some change, before reaching my hand out to request some from Hayden. He shook his head violently, and I shook my hand harder, yes.

"Your idea, your quarter." Hayden stated simply.

"Fine," I scowled at him, I looked around and saw an older woman exiting the women's bathroom. I stopped her, "Excuse me ma'am, my brother here and I need to make a very important call, it seems we've found ourselves without a ride home, and I'm a little short, could you possibly spare some change?"

I said it in the sweetest voice I could possibly manage and the woman smiled brightly at me, "Of course, honey, I would be glad to."

As she looked down to pull a change purse out of her bag, I gave Hayden a satisfied look. She turned back to me not long after.

"Here you go, sweetheart." She replied as she dropped some coins into my hand, 'Get home safe, dears."

She continued off into the din of the restaurant, and as soon as she was out of hearing range, Hayden exclaimed, "Brother? Brother?"

"It was more believable, plus it gets the sympathy vote. Friend doesn't work half as well. And would you rather I said boyfriend?" I explained.

"Well..." Hayden began.

"Rhetorical question." I stated as I slipped the coins into the payphone.

"You just scammed an old woman out of her spare change." Hayden smirked, "And she didn't doubt you in the slightest."

"Shh!" I whispered as I dialed Kaya's number. After two rings or so, Kaya answered breathlessly, "Hey Kaya. Where are you? Hayden said you guys were running late."

"Oh...can't make it...parents won't let me...chores or...something." Kaya mumbled.

"Is that right. Chores, huh?" I said watching Hayden with a smirk, "What about Cam? Wasn't he supposed to be coming to pick you up?"

"Don't know...never...showed up." Kaya replied obviously preoccupied.

"He never showed up?" I called in a fake angry voice, "Maybe I should call him and see what happened. How dare he not show! I'm going to call him right now."

"No!" Kaya exclaimed loudly.

"Why not?" I asked.

"I'll talk to him. He is my boyfriend." Kaya said.

"Okay, you talk to him." I replied, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow or something."

"Yeah, sure. Gotta go, bye." Kaya muttered and a dial tone reached my ears seconds later.

"Pay up, buddy." I smirked and pushed Hayden playfully.

"How about I buy you dinner and call it even?" Hayden suggested.

"Fine." I agreed with a laugh, "But you're buying me steak!"

After dinner, Hayden and I headed back to my house. It was closest and I still hadn't got to ask him about his parents. My parents weren't home at the time, they were working overnight at the hotel--I peeked at their schedule a few days before.

"My parents aren't home, make yourself comfortable." I replied as we entered the living room.

"Mine probably not either, probably because they were expecting me home right about now." Hayden joked. "But hey, I'm better off here anyway."

"What are you going to do about them?" I asked, sitting down beside him on the couch.

"I don't know." Hayden answered, "I used to talk about it with my grandma--I don't anymore. I just remember her saying that they got married too young, before they were ready for the commitment and that when they had me, they just weren't suited to be 'normal' parents. And they're there, I see them, I've talked to them, I but they're not there there. You know what I mean? They're not 'there' like your parents are."

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked quietly.

"No, I don't think so." Hayden responded, "I kinda like having friends for once in my life. As long as you guys stick around, I think I'll be fine."

"You can't only depend on us." I stated matter-of-factly.

"I don't. I depend on myself too." Hayden corrected. "You can only trust yourself, right? Everyone else has to earn it."

"Yeah." I agreed, "There's nothing but truth to that."

"I just wish more people were like you and your family: caring, supportive, and loving." Hayden whispered, "You're such great people."

"There's nothing more important than family. You need your family, Hayden." I stated, "You have to do something. Anything."

"They won't change. I know they won't I doesn't matter what I say. It doesn't matter what I do. They will never change." Hayden exclaimed, "Or maybe they will when hell freezes over. Twice."

"I don't believe that. Everyone has the potential to change, to improve themselves." I shook my head.

"And that would make you a romantic." Hayden said.

"And what's wrong with that?" I questioned, my eyebrows raised. "I believe it. You just have to give them the opportunity to change."

"I just don't think they would. I could give them all the opportunities in the would and they wouldn't take them. I believe that." Hayden replied, "And there is nothing wrong with being a romantic. One of us has to have hope, I guess."

"They could change, I know they could." I exclaimed forcefully.

"They wouldn't change for me." Hayden stated, "I know that."

"And why not?" I called, "You should be the most important part of their lives! You should be the center of their worlds! I mean you're such a great guy...They're your mom and dad!"

"There's a difference between a mom and dad and a mother and father." Hayden replied calmly, "You have a mom and dad. I have a mother and father."

"Explain it to me." I smiled, "I want to know how you see it."

"Your parents, well, they're real parents. They would do anything for you and your sister without a moment's hesitation. Mine wouldn't do anything for me unless it served some sick benefit for them. Your parents can tell when you're hurt or upset. Mine wouldn't notice if I screamed it in their faces." Hayden explained, "A mom and a dad are caring and loving. A mother and a father are just that, the people who gave birth to you. Nothing more, nothing less."

"You don't stop blinking, and you chew on the inside of your mouth." I said suddenly.

"Huh?" Hayden frowned, confusion setting in over his features.

"When you're upset you blink a lot and chew on the inside of your mouth." I clarified.

"You noticed?" Hayden questioned.

"Of course I did. What kind of friend do you think I am?" I smirked, "Why won't you let me help you?"

"I just don't think they could change enough to make a difference." Hayden replied, "And knowing you if it didn't work out, you'll blame yourself. I don't want that."

"You'd rather live like you do now?" I questioned firmly, disbelief evident in my voice.

"Yes. I've got you." Hayden smiled, "And you make up for 'the difference.'"

A/N: I wrote this when my sister was watching the movie Sleepover for like the twenty millionth time in a week. It inspired that line about hell freezing over. Anyways...Please, please, please (I'm begging you) review! Thanks a bunch.

-Mac