Nosey

Nosey.

It was 5am the following morning. Harry had quietly slid out of the house and had painstakingly removed all of the rubbish and forgotten toys blocking in Dudley's old bike. Harry had feared waking up the house several times, so was finally glad to be pushing out the dusty old mountain bike. Dudley had acquired it when he was 12. Thankfully for Harry, the bike had been bought with a large person in mind, so it seemed just right for Harry, now 15 himself.

Of course, by rights, there should be no reason why Harry should not have the bike, but he knew what his wicked Uncle would be like. Quietly, Harry wheeled the bike out of the garage and around the corner. He had bags of time until he had to be at work, so had decided to practice riding the monstrous thing before he made a fool of himself in front of Jasmine. Why he was worried about embarrassing himself in front of her was a mystery to him: he guessed it was because she was so damn superior all the time.

After crashing straight over the first few attempts, Harry had finally gotten himself on the bike. His feet touched the ground easily and he used these to push himself everywhere. Of course, he fell over as soon as he dared used the pedals. After half-an-hour of frustration, he sulkily began pushing the bike back to the garage.

"This is stupid! It's not as if the thing even flies!" grumbled Harry as he rounded the corner.

"Wow. Nice bike Harry. Where did you get it from?" cooed a chirpy voice. It was Jasmine.

"Oh. well, I've sort of borrowed it," flustered Harry. This was the last thing he needed.

"It's not stolen is it?" gasped Jasmine.

"No silly! It's my cousin's. And even though he doesn't use it, he would moan about me borrowing it. And my uncle would practically kill me."

"Siblings eh?" sighed Jasmine. "So, where are you taking it? The shop's the other way?"

Harry realised there would be no point in hiding it any further. "Look Jasmine. Truth is I cannot ride a bicycle."

"Ha! Thought so! You're one of those posh kids who gets driven everywhere I bet!" Jasmine giggled cruelly as Harry pushed the bike past her and on home.

"No I'm bloody well not!" he snapped. Jasmine stuck her tongue out and laughed as Harry staggered home.

"See you in the shop then," she cooed. "then we can go orf for our jolly little bike ride, what-ho!"

'That's it', thought Harry, 'I'm going to grab my broom and drag that brat up to a thousand feet - then let's see who's the clever one then.' Of course he would be unable to use his broom without getting into a lot of trouble with the Ministry, but the thought of Jasmine begging tearfully to be let down cheered up Harry all the way back to the garage.

Jasmine had sorted out their bags for when Harry had arrived so that all they had to do was to deliver the papers. This suited Harry as he was not too keen on working with Jasmine.

"Off you go then lovebirds," laughed Mrs. Mohebbi as the pair ambled silently out of the shop. As one the pair both went "No way!", causing her to roar with laughter.

The morning was clear and warm. Harry was miserable all morning. Jasmine was whittering on about a load of muggle stuff that he simply did not understand.

"So, did you see Popstars this weekend?"

"No. Where were they then?"

"On television, silly!"

"Oh." Harry knew what a television was. Dudley sat in front of it all day at the Dursley household. Harry was not impressed with it as it seemed no more than a moving poster in a box.

Eventually Jasmine gave in. "Oh Harry. Look, I was only teasing! There's no need to be so mardy you know."

"Mardy?"

"Yes, posh spice. As in 'a right old misery.' Come on, let's be friends." she asked sweetly.

"Really?" said Harry, confused at Jasmine's change of heart.

"Yes. At least Pete - the boy who got done for stealing before you turned up - well, he was a laugh. but you seem down all the time."

"Sorry," said Harry "I'm just a little lost outside of school, really."

"Yeah? I bet you go to public school too."

"Public school?"

"A big school in the country, away from home the whole term and you're one of those who lets mummy and daddy do everything for them." Jasmine was beaming smugly and nastily at Harry.

Harry showed no mercy back. "You are half right. I do go to a great school far away from here. But my mum and dad died when I was very young. As a result, I work like a slave at my mean uncle Vernon's house and live in the spare room, wearing my cousin Dudley's hand-me-downs whilst he gets to sit on his fat bottom all day long as his mother, Petunia, dotes on him."

Jasmine went quiet as Harry stood there fuming.

"So this is my first time out and about by myself. I could do with your help, although I don't really want to ask you for it," sulked Harry.

Jasmine sighed. "I told you you were too miserable! Lighten up Harry. Tell you what, if you promise to be chirpy, like me, I'll teach you to ride your bike. Okay?"

Harry shrugged. What could he lose. "Yeah, okay Jasmine. Sorry for being so mean."

Jasmine grabbed Harry's hand and gave it a squeeze between both of hers. "Sorry to hear about your mum and dad too. It could not have been easy."

Harry was used to this sort of reaction and sympathy, but from Jasmine it sounded quite sincere and caught him off-guard. "Well, I don't miss them as I never really knew them. It's weird. I was actually alive and with them, but cannot remember them. That's the thing. It's not the missing having them here, its missing remembering them whilst we were together."

Jasmine gave him a hug from where she sat on her bike. "Aw Harry. That's sad." She let him go.

Harry smiled and said "Well, thanks."

"I mean, that must be terrible. But when I lost my older brother Daniel two years ago, I had the opposite problem. The memories were more painful than the fact he had died. If you see what I'm saying." Jasmine seemed suddenly quite sad and Harry decided to return the compliment and hugged her too.

"Well, that's cleared the air between us, wouldn't you say?" laughed Jasmine. "Well, here I am trying to cheer you up, but instead you bring me down!"

"Sorry! I really did not mean too at all," babbled Harry apologetically.

"Aw forget it. Come on. Only have to do Barrow Close and we can go home."

"Thanks Jasmine."

"That's okay, posh."

"Okay rags."

"Rags? You can talk with those tatty clothes of yours!" laughed Jasmine.

Harry and Jasmine laughed and the pair seemed less tense around each other. Harry caught Jasmine looking at his scar.

"So, did you get that when you mum and dad died?" confessed Jasmine, realising she had been rumbled.

"Sort of."

"Was it a car crash?"

"I am not really sure. Yes," lied Harry.

"Oh, well that's how Daniel died. Hit and run up by the post office."

Harry and Jasmine finished delivering the rest of the papers in silence and were soon back in the shop to see if they were needed anymore. Mr and Mrs Mohebbi said that the other pair of paperboys had deliver the rest, so all was fine and they could go home.

"So, do you want to learn how to ride then or what?" pestered Jasmine.

"Well, it'll be tricky. I'll never sneak the bike out now. Besides, my uncle and aunt would have me working when I get back. Maybe tomorrow. I'll sneak it into the shop. I'm sure Mr. Mohebbi will not mind."

"Oh, Okay then," said Jasmine, crest-fallen "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Okay. Sorry, but I'll try for tomorrow. I promise." Jasmine flashed him a disappointed smile before leaving him goodbye and leaving.

Harry could not get her sad face out of his mind all the way home. At home, the day dragged on, waiting on Dudley until late, when he had a pile of homework to get through. Harry sighed at half eleven that night, realising that the early start tomorrow would be exhausting.

However, deep down he could not wait to wake up for tomorrow.