Accidents Will Happen

Accidents Will Happen.

Harry snuck out with Dudley's bike and walked briskly to work. At the shop, Mr. Mohebbi was impressed with Harry's new bike.

"Seems a nice little bike you've got there?" he complimented.

"Thanks. It's really my cousin's. I was wondering if I could store it at work?"

"At work?"

"Yes, whilst I do my round."

"Why not take it with you? You'd work faster?"

Harry felt a little uneasy. Mr. Mohebbi studied Harry's expression. "Sounds a suspicious bike this - are you sure it is your cousin's?" He was a kind and caring man, but he was also a suspicious man and liked to be sure of all the facts.

"Oh yes! Of course it is," cried Harry. "It's just that I cannot ride a bike - and Jasmine has said she will teach me."

Mr. Mohebbi smiled. "Really? You have been leaving it a little late to learn haven't you? I could ride when I was five!"

Harry felt foolish, but Mr. Mohebbi smiled "Of course. Leave it in the stockroom for now." Harry parked the bike carefully inside and when he returned Mr. and Mrs. Mohebbi were whispering to each other.

'Great', thought Harry, 'they think I'm a thief!'

"Jasmine's looking after you well then, Harry?" winked Mr. Mohebbi. Harry gave him a puzzled look. "Just you mind that girl, okay Harry? She can be a real little madam sometimes. And I'm sure Pete was an honest little boy before he got involved with that one." The warning seemed a tad harsh.

"Okay," said Harry, feeling a little embarrassed and confused.

Jasmine arrived shortly after and the pair left the shop excitedly.

"Where's the bike Harry?" asked Jasmine immediately.

"Oh, well it's in the stockroom. Mr. Mohebbi does not mind."

"Cool. We'll start our lessons after this little lot."

"Okay." Harry seemed troubled by something.

"What's wrong Harry?"

"When did you learn to ride your bike then?"

"Oh, when I was about six. Why?"

"Oh." Harry, the Tri-Wizards champion suddenly felt really useless. "I'll never fit in here," he sighed.

"Ha! Cheer up Harry - remember our agreement? Be happy or I quit!"

Harry smiled and the pair got through the Wednesday morning fine. Harry realised that the job was easy and none-too taxing.

As they made their way back to the shop, Harry remembered Mr. Mohebbi's warning.

"Jasmine - this Pete? Did you like him or something?"

"Oh, well, not really. He was nice enough," Jasmine smiled. "Why?" she asked sweetly.

"Oh, no reason," said Harry far too casually. Jasmine sniggered to herself.

Within minutes, Harry and Jasmine had a bike each and were outside again.

"Right then, I'll take you to this industrial estate five minutes from here. We can practice in the car-park, okay?" smiled Jasmine.

Harry nodded and followed her meekly along the alien streets. He was sure his auntie and uncle would miss him, but Uncle Vernon was back at work today.

Once at the car park, Jasmine looked over Harry's bike. she had obviously come prepared and had brought along a small bag of spanners and tools to adjust the saddle, pump the tyres up and clean the dust off of the bike. Harry was grateful and within ten minutes had a bike that he could sit on comfortably.

"Okay," said Jasmine by his side. "Take your feet off of the ground and I will support you."

"Oh, okay," smiled Harry. He let himself be supported by Jasmine and she gently guided him along the deserted long-stay loading bay of the plastics factory. She coaxed him gently and was soon walking briskly alongside him.

"Okay Harry - my, you are a natural at this! You've got great balance!" laughed Jasmine, sounding impressed.

"Really?" beamed Harry like an idiot.

"Let's both find out!" laughed Jasmine, and suddenly let go of Harry. Harry gasped as he travelled along, but to both of their amazement, he rode fine.

"Oil! I thought you had said you had never ridden before?" gasped Jasmine as she caught up with him.

"It's okay. A bit slow really," smiled Harry, reminiscing about his broom.

Jasmine punched him in the arm. "Right then, if your that good, I'll race you - come on!"

And so Jasmine leapt on her bike and was off. Harry laughed and gave chase, but immediately fell off when he tried to turn - Jasmine had not really made it clear about cornering, smacking his knee onto the tarmac.

Jasmine can cycling back and dismounted to help Harry to his feet. "Not so cocky now then, are we?" she laughed.

"Okay. Sorry." he said. Jasmine looked at his knee and asked Harry if it hurt - Harry realised he had grazed his knee and shrugged it off "I've had worse."

"Hard man, yeah?" sneered Jasmine.

"Yeah." sneered Harry back. He tapped the scar on his forehead. "I've been in many a battle."

Jasmine pushed Harry away and raised her old-looking top to show Harry her bare stomach. Above her belly button was a small scar. "Daniel gave me this when I was five - he accidentally stabbed me with a broken piece of wood. My mum let me smack his bum for five minutes when I came out of hospital."

Harry had been startled by this sudden exposure of bare flesh, but rallied by pointing out a small scar on his forearm. "That's nothing."

"What's that tiny thing?"

"I got that from tracking wild beasts through a forest." Harry pointed out a small scar he had picked up from the brambles in the forest when he and Malfoy had been out with Hagrid looking for Unicorns.

"Beasts huh?" sneered Jasmine playfully. She sat on the ground and bared her shin. On it were four close scars. "Our Tiggy got me two days ago with her savage claws."

"Really?" said Harry. He showed her his shin. "I got these scratches from riding." Which had been sort of true, for he had caught his shin on a tree branch when he had been on a Griffon.

"Oh, but that does look nasty!" said Jasmine pointing at Harry's shoulder.

"Where?" said Harry. And before he knew what had hit him, Jasmine had pounced on him and bit his bicep.

"Ow!" he yelped as Jasmine laughed and backed away. "That hurt!"

"I thought you said you were tough?"

"Well, even so!" whined Harry, "There was no need to bite me!"

"Aw sorry Harry," she smiled. "Here, let me kiss it better."

Her lips were warm on his exposed arm and she pressed herself closer to him. Harry turned to face her and she looked up into his eyes, squinting at him as the sun was in her eyes. Harry realised this and took a step sideways so that he could shade her face with his.

Unfortunately in doing this, he stepped into Dudley's bike and fell heavily onto his bottom, dragging Jasmine down with him.

"Oww!" she screamed. To Harry's horror, she had fallen knee-first onto his pedal and was bleeding heavily. "You clumsy prat! Look at me knee!"

Harry scrambled to his feet, kicking the bike away and squatted down, wrapping his hand around her bloody knee.

"Oww! Gerrof!" she wailed. Harry helped her to her feet instead.

"Sorry." he managed, feeling wretched.

"That' okay. Cripple me, see if I care!" grumbled Jasmine.

"I did not mean too," he explained, but the damage had been done and Jasmine grabbed her bike and limped off.

Harry caught her up, wheeling his bike and she let him support her.

"Well, that was a crap first lesson!" she winced.

"Second one tomorrow then?" asked Harry.

Jasmine grumbled something under her breath. "Okay then. Let's get these bikes home."

Harry thought about where to stash his bike. "Do you think Mr. Mohebbi will let me store my bike in his stockroom overnight?"

Jasmine brightened up. "Tell you what, why not store it at my place? There's lots of room in the garage?"

Harry felt terrific. As they set off though, Harry heard something that made his blood freeze.

"Harry Potter!" boomed a voice from across the car park. It was Uncle Vernon, here on some sort of business.

"Oh, hi Uncle Vernon," sighed Harry turning to see.

"What are you doing with that girl - and that looks like Dudley's bike! Get home at once!"

Harry felt awful. Jasmine squeezed his hand as he trudged home, but was inconsolable.

"He's awful Harry!" whispered Jasmine as they turned into Harry's street.

"I know! But what can I do?"

"I know what I'd do!" growled Jasmine evilly.

"He's the only family I've got, Jasmine," sighed Harry. She watched him despondently walk home. Uncle Vernon had returned home to punish Harry, knowing full well that Harry was forbidden to use magic to protect himself.

Jasmine turned and cycled home, filled with anger and sadness.