A/N: Quite honestly I think this could have been a lot more interesting. But it was an idea I just couldn't get out of my head and so I had to use it. I probably could have taken more time with it, but I'm already pressured enough for time and I really wanna get them back to school 'cause I've got loads of ideas for then! As always please review! I'm getting desperate. My school is building up and it seems pointless so my writing is all that's keeping me going and I'd like to know that people are still enjoying it. Okay, that's as bad as I'm going to beg. Enjoy. Review. La-di-da-di-da…
"Thank you." Dawn handed the cabby a few bills as she climbed out of the cab.
"Enjoy your day miss." The cab driver tipped his hat and drove away, leaving Dawn alone in the driveway of a very proper looking house in the middle of a very prim looking neighborhood.
"This is it." Dawn mumbled to herself as she read the address on the door: number 4 Privet drive. She walked boldly up to the front door and paused to straighten herself out. She had dressed in her most attractive outfit, or at least her favorite outfit: a knee-length black skirt with a plain white shirt and a denim jacket with the sleeves rolled up. She pushed her long hair out of her face and rang the doorbell.
She only had to wait for a minute before the door swung open. A very large and awkward shaped teenager stood in the doorway. He gazed at Dawn with big blue eyes that seemed to bulge out of his very round face.
"Who are you?" He asked rudely, but clearly also very surprised to see a pretty young girl standing on his doorstep.
Dawn smiled as sweetly as possible. "I'm so sorry to disturb you, but umm, I think I'm lost." She shrugged.
"I umm, well…" The pudgy boy didn't know how to answer. All he could do was stare.
"Dudley, who's at the door?" A man appeared behind the boy with a puzzled scowl on his face as he surveyed the young girl. "Who are you?"
"My name is Dawn Summers, and I think I'm lost…" She smiled again.
"Are you an American, girl?" Vernon asked bluntly.
"Yes sir, I'm from California." Dawn said. "So you see, I'm not very familiar with this area. Do you think I could maybe…if it isn't too much trouble, do you think I could borrow your telephone?"
"Well…" Vernon seemed about to turn her away but Dudley quickly nodded and motioned the girl in.
"My name is Dudley Dursley. The telephone's right through here…" He eagerly led Dawn through the hallway and into the kitchen, pointing out the telephone on the counter.
"Thank you Dudley." Dawn smiled charmingly and noticed the boy blush. "You know, that name sounds very familiar. Is it possible that we've met before?"
Dudley shrugged lamely. "I…I don't know…"
Dawn smiled. "You're probably right. I'm sure I would've remembered meeting a guy like you." Dudley obviously took that as a compliment because he grinned foolishly and blushed harder. Dawn dialed a number and turned away from the very large boy. "Hello! Yea it's me…yea, I came to where you said but I think something got mixed up…" Dawn carried on her phone conversation as though Dudley was not hovering over her shoulder. "I don't know Ginny…all these English addresses confuse me!" She pretended to become depressed and held her head in her hands and forced fake tears into her voice. "I'm borrowing some nice peoples' phone…well I don't know where I'm going so even if I called a cab…alright fine…I'll try…bye." She hung up and turned to Dudley apologetically. "Thanks for letting me use your phone. I'm so sorry to bother your family." She started towards the front door and was suddenly aware of both the boy's parents standing in the hall.
"Are you lost dear?" The mother asked.
"It's not a big deal. My friend's going to come pick me up in a while. I'll just wait outside for her…"
"Nonsense dear, you'll do no such thing." The mother ushered Dawn into the living room. "Dinner's almost ready and you're more then welcome to join us. You just sit here on the couch with my son until it's ready…"
Dawn allowed herself to be forced onto the rather small sofa beside the rather large boy. This is getting ridiculous. She wasn't sure how much longer she'd be able to maintain the charade. At that moment the front door opened and a jumble of obnoxious voices filled the hall moving towards the living room. A group of guys, obviously Dudley's gang, piled into the room, all gaping at the girl on the couch.
"Hey big D, who's the babe?"
"This is Dawn." Dudley answered as if he'd known her for a while. "She's American and she's staying for dinner."
Another guy squeezed down on Dawn's other side making the couch arrangement very close and uncomfortable. She had to end it.
"Can I help you with dinner Mrs. Dursley?" She called out and Mrs. Dursley entered the room. "In California, of course we have house keepers and a cook so I haven't had much practice preparing my own food, but I could try…" She had said the magic words.
Mrs. Dursley smiled her horsy smile and moved to the foot of the stairs hollering up. "Harry! Come down here boy and make us dinner. Your cousin is entertaining." She smiled at Dawn. "We have a servant as well, of course." She called up the stairs again. "He's actually my nephew. Quite the little delinquent, but he works for his keep. A very troubled and strange child. Nothing like my little Dudders…" She beamed at her son who was blushing under the laughing stares of his friends. "Ah, here he is."
"Did you want something, Aunt Petunia?" Harry lingered on the last step, glaring fiercely at his aunt. Dawn had to fight the urge to laugh at his angry expression. He was completely oblivious to her presence.
"Make dinner boy, your cousin has guests." Petunia ordered.
"Yes Aunt Petunia." Harry stepped off the stairs and headed towards the kitchen.
"See we really do have a perfect little servant." Dudley grinned as his friends chuckled. Dawn understood why Harry found his relatives so unbearable. "He can cook almost anything, but his cake is rot."
Dawn nodded unconsciously as she silently plotted how to make her presence known to Harry. She shrugged and jumped to her feet, shocking Dudley and his friends by her abrupt movement. She forced the most surprised tone into her voice that she could manage and grinned at Petunia.
"I just can't believe how lucky I am! I was so confused and I thought I was lost but I'm in the right place after all…"
"What do you mean?" Petunia frowned curiously.
"Oh it is amazing that I ended up here." She hurried into the kitchen with Petunia, Dudley and his friends following closely behind. Harry was dutifully preparing pasta on the stove and his back was towards the door. "Happy birthday Harry!"
He spun around the instant she spoke. His face lit up brilliantly with a grin when he saw her. "Dawn? What are you…"
Dawn cut him off from saying anything else by running over to him, throwing her arms around his neck, and fixing her lips over his. His Aunt and cousin were utterly shocked. A moment later Mr. Dursley entered the room and released his surprise in a roar of outrage.
"What is the meaning of this?" Vernon yelled ferociously. Dawn held on to Harry for almost a whole minute longer before breaking the liplock and turning back to the stunned expressions of the others. "Potter! What are you doing?" Vernon ignored the fact that Harry seemed just as surprised as the others.
Dawn smiled with perfect calmness. "I thought I had come to the wrong house but I just didn't realize that you had Cinderella locked away upstairs!"
"You two know each other?" Vernon asked tensely.
Harry grinned. "Uncle Vernon, this is my girlfriend Dawn. She started at my school last fall."
The Dursleys looked about to burst. Dawn was smiling widely as she linked her hand with Harry's.
"I wanted to surprise him for his birthday." She kissed Harry's cheek. "Are you surprised?"
"Very! I thought you were still in America with Hermione and Connor…"
"I was. We just arrived and I wanted to come straight to see you." She ignored Vernon's detest. "Is your trunk packed? I think Ron's obtaining a ride for us."
"I'll have it packed in a minute." Harry assured her, instantly forgetting his cooking.
"Just a moment, where do you think you're going? You are grounded, or have you forgotten?" Vernon boomed.
"Well, you didn't really think you'd be able to keep him here all summer, did you Mr. Dursley?" Dawn smiled. "We're having a party for him tonight with some friends, it's his sixteenth birthday you know?" She tugged on Harry's hand.
"He'll not be going!" Vernon insisted.
"Umm, okay, keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better…" Dawn rolled her eyes. "Come on Harry, I'll help you pack." She let him lead her past the staring relatives, up the stairs, and to his room.
"I can't believe you Dawn!" Harry exclaimed as soon as they were alone and behind the closed doors of his bedroom. "You're either very brave or very stupid for coming here without warning! If my uncle had known the truth about you I doubt you would've been allowed to come in at all!"
"Which is why I had to act lost when I arrived. I knew exactly who those people where the second they answered the door. Your descriptions were perfect!" Dawn moved over to Hedwig's open cage and held out her arm to let the snowy owl hop onto it. Then she made herself comfortable on the bed while Harry started throwing things into his trunk.
"So how are we getting to the Weasleys'? They don't own a car…anymore…" Harry grinned.
"I don't know. Hermione assured me they'd think of something. She and Connor went straight to the Weasleys' while I came here. We separated at the airport." Dawn explained quickly. "But they should be here soon, so hurry and finish packing."
"Right." Harry quickly finished stuffing his things in the trunk.
The doorbell rang and Dawn leapt off the bed and looked out the window. A cab was parked in the driveway and Hermione, Ron, Connor, and Ginny were huddled on the doorstep, waiting for the Dursleys to answer.
"Hurry up. I'm going to let them in because I highly doubt your aunt and uncle will be anxious to admit anymore of your friends." She kissed him again and rushed downstairs, ignoring the disapproving glare from the Dursleys as she hurried to open the door.
"Dawn!" Ginny squealed, lunging herself at Dawn and squeezing her in a tight hug. "I have missed you so much! Summer has been very boring without being able to talk to you!"
"You should have come to America with us, Gin!" Dawn reminded her. "But you wanted to go home…"
Ginny nodded. "I know…"
"And Ron, I've missed you too, of course!" Dawn winked and gave him a quick hug. "Harry's just finishing his packing, maybe you guys should go help him." Dawn suggested. The guys obediently went upstairs to help Harry bring down his things while the three girls were left to be stared at bitterly and be scrutinized by the Dursleys.
The boys quickly returned, weighted down by the bulkiness of Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage. Connor and Ron started bringing the things out to the cab while Harry waited nervously for his aunt and uncle's outrages about his leaving.
"Aren't you going to say goodbye?" Dawn asked Harry sweetly. "You won't see them again until next summer."
"Is that a promise?" Harry smirked.
"Come on, be polite…" Dawn encouraged.
Harry sighed. "Alright. See you guys next year." He waved simply to his relatives and followed Hermione and Ginny outside. Dawn stayed behind briefly.
"Nice to meet you all. Thanks for letting me in." Vernon and Petunia scowled but Dudley looked completely devastated. Dawn smiled at him. "I'm sure I'll see you later. Maybe next summer." She shrugged. "Bye." And she followed the others out to the cab, squeezing into the backseat with the three guys; Hermione and Ginny were sharing the front with the driver.
"Harry were they starving you again?" Ron asked with a teasing grin as Hermione directed the cabby towards the Burrow.
"Not completely. But the food they make is uneatable anyway, so they may as well have been." Harry shrugged. "I can't wait for some of your mum's cooking Ron!"
"Well, I'm sure she'll have quite a feast prepared for your birthday tonight, so don't worry about that!" Ginny smiled.
"I can't wait…" Harry turned his attention to Dawn who was watching him with adoring eyes. "I've missed you this summer…"
"I've missed you too, so much!" Dawn grinned and slipped her arm through the crook of his elbow. "That's why I knew that I had to come and get you free. There's no way that I could have let you stay with the Dursleys all summer without being able to see you!"
"I'm glad you felt that way." Harry kissed her forehead.
"Knock it off you two. You're making me sick!" Ron whined.
"Sorry Ron." Dawn mock apologized. "You know we really do need to get you a girl this year."
"Oh give it up…" Ron sighed. "There's nobody at school Dawn, we've been through this remember? Whatever though, I'll manage just the same as I did last year." He didn't seem very happy about the fact that he would, however, once again be alone all year while his friends were happy with their relationships.
"Well I'm not going to give up, but I'll at least stop talking about it. And then you can imagine that I've given up. Deal?" Dawn laughed and dropped her head on Harry's shoulder. "So how have the twins been doing with their new business?"
"Oh they're doing brilliantly! I never imagined that they'd be so successful with their joke shop!" Ginny gushed over her brothers proudly. "We'll have to visit their shop before we go back to school Dawn, you'll absolutely love it. If mum would let me I'd buy everything!" She giggled. "But of course mum won't even let me in the shop without her by my side. I think she's a little nervous that I'll follow in my brothers' footsteps of troublemaking."
"Well, I'll let your mother know that I'm going to keep you in line this year!" Dawn smiled. "At least as much as is possible!"
"Oh, I'm sure that'll ease her mind!" Ginny agreed with a roll of her eyes. "For some reason mum trusts you Dawn! It's strange really! She doesn't have much of a reason to. In fact, I think you might be more mischievous then I have ever been!"
"Well, there's no reason to tell your mother that!" Dawn decided.
