Author's note/disclaimer: This is my second chapter of my chronicling the
first year of the Raspberries, blah blah blah, I don't own anything, blah
blah blah. Um. m0o0o? I dunnoooooo . m00f. And, yeah. Pardon my rambling,
my mind is boggled from Christmas munchings. (I may not post this
Christmas, but my Author's note was made on Christmas ^.^) Um... join my
Harry Potter RPG, at www.avidgamers.com/raspberryrpg. It's a knockoff of
this story! I also would very much appreciate it if you read my story "The
Unknown Two Fellowship Members" and advised me on that story, I notw have a
huge case of writer's block concerning Libby and April. Did I mention I
own nothing created by J.K. Rowling, goddess who created Harry Potter?
Okay, Tricia will zip her trap and get on with the story.
The next day, August first, was even more scorching than the previous day. Fern's hair was up in a messy ponytail, but it was no good. She felt as if she would positively perish from the relentless heat. Wiping sweat off her face for the umpteenth time, Fern entered the Leaky Cauldron with her parents on either side of her, carrying the bag containing the robes they had purchased from Madam Malkins. Her father had the heaviest of the bags, containing everything from a cauldron to smaller Potions ingredients. Mrs. Potter, in contrast, remained empty-handed.
"Are we getting ice cream or anything? It's hot out!" Fern complained as the Potters passed the cashier and they took a particularly large table. "Why such a large table?"
"We're meeting some old school friends of your father," Mrs. Potter told, patting her lanky daughter on the table. "Sit. We'll get food after everybody has arrived."
Fern frowned. Everybody? Did this mean that more people besides Ms. Granger or whatever her new surname was and Mr. Weasley would be making an appearance? Fern didn't like this; she wasn't really used to meeting a large number of unfamiliar people at once. Both her parents tended to be introverts, not even conversing with the neighbors. She, Fern, had inherited the reserved disposition both her parents possessed. Her father, judging by the stories he'd told her, only had two close friends, although he was also friendly with his teammates on the Gryffindor House Quidditch team, and Mr. Weasley's siblings. This was a new thing for her, a large sort of gathering with her parents being the center of attention. She was used to being gawked at, as the daughter of an exceptionally famous man, but being directly in the action was another matter entirely.
The door creaked again, as another family of three came into the dismally lit pub. This family, however, did not have the paternal unit with them; just a mother, brother, and sister. if the woman wasn't their aunt or something. Perhaps she was even a lonely woman who took the children or grandchildren of her next-door neighbors on trips. The brunette woman was of average stature and a slender build. Her hair was long, thick, and extremely bushy. The girl, who was older than what seemed to be her brother, had hair the exact same color, although it was straighter and less unruly. While her eyes were the same shape as the woman's, they were blue rather than brown. The boy appeared to be about four or five, judging by his gait. His hair was blond, thick, and straight, and he had brown eyes. To Fern's surprise, the woman suddenly pointed directly at her father, and the trio hurried towards the Potter family. A pink tinge appeared in Fern's cheeks. Apparently, the woman had spotted the lightning-bolt shaped scar on her father's forehead.
"Why, hello, Hermione, long time, yet no see!" Of course, Fern thought, how could I be so dense? The woman fit an older version of the description her father had given about his friend from adolescence, Hermione Granger.
"Harry!" The woman threw her arms first around Mr. Potter, and then Mrs. Potter, as Fern sat there dumbfounded. The unfamiliar boy and girl seemed to be hanging back behind their mother.
"I am Ms. Belasca," Hermione said, smiling at Fern. "Harry, what did your say your daughter's name is? Francine?"
"Fernanda," said Harry, as his daughter reddened, "but we usually call her Fern.
"Fern. That's a nice name," Hermione said. "Harry, Hannah, Fern, these are my children, Felicia and Tommy." She indicated a gangly brunette and a small blonde boy of about five or six. Felicia grinned at the other girls her age present in the group.
After introductions were completed, the entire cluster of people took one of the larger tables in the Leaky Cauldron, dividing into groups by age. Before long, another family had joined them: Mr. and Mrs. Justin Finch- Fletchley, and their two daughters Daria and Lucia. Lucia was the same age as Fern, Daphne, and Felicia, while Daria was a year younger. The girl their age was chubby with very fair skin, and long, dark hair and eyes. Her sister Daria had lighter hair and darker skin, but the same build and eyes. Before long, Felicia, Daphne, and Luicia were chatting animatedly as if they'd known each other forever, while Fern merely ate her food and then stared at her empty plate. The others kept asking her questions, but the blonde was too shy to give more than monosyllabic answers, and did not prove very keen on idle table conversation. Klucia was also soft-spoken, yet she contributed to the conversation, while Fern felt as if she had little to say to these girls.
"What do you think, should we all get a compartment together on the Hogwarts Express? All four of us?" Felicia asked, indicating Daphne, Fern, Lucia, and herself with one of her bony hands.
"Hey, that's a good idea, at least one of us must be early though, to reserve an empty compartment," Daphne pointed out, idly running a hand through her long, wavy red hair.
"You're right," Felicia said thoughtfully, "but don't worry. Mom is a stickler for punctuality, I'll definitely be early, me and Stinko and all."
"Hey, don't call me Stinko Felice!" Tom whined from further on down the table, where he was sitting with Daphne's 9-year-old sister, who wasn't too pleased with the seating arrangements. "Mommy, Felicia caled me Stinko again! She's being mean to me!"
"Felicia," Ms. Belasca admonished, "be nice to your brother."
Felicia scowled, then shot an extremely hostile glower at her younger sibling, mumbling about younger brothers being enormous frustrations.
"Sisters, too," Daphne added, who at least one younger sibling of each, thinking of Miranda. Lucia ardently nodded her concurrence.
"What about you? Got any others or sisters or cousins?" Lucia asked, once again trying to pry some words out of the taciturn blonde. She wondered why the girl was being so withdrawn, as if she disliked them.
Fern shook her head. "I'm an only child," she mumbled in a barely audible mode. Lucia sighed inwardly, finally giving up on easily befriending Fern Potter. The girl was obviously a recluse, reluctant to enjoy the company of others.
Fern felt different. These girls did seem interested in her, but she wished to observe them more before jumping to trust the. She'd been betrayed by those she'd counted friends before, and had no desire to repeat the experience. These other girls seemed to be getting frustrated from their efforts to lever open her shell, but that was their loss. A true friend would just have to accept the fact that Fern was one of those who needed time to feel at ease around others.
A couple of hours later, the adults finally made the decision to depart from the Leaky Cauldron and return home, planning to meet again at King's Cross to do something after they had seen their soon-to-be first year daughters off. Felicia, Fern, Lucia, and Daphne, meanwhile, decided to share a compartment. Fern still remained withdrawn and almost sullen, a point which Daphne, Felicia, and Lucia discussed after she had left with Mr. and Mrs. Potter.
"She's really quiet, isn't she?" Felicia mused, twisting one of her wisps from her bangs around her knobbly index finger.
"Quiet isn't the word for it, she barely said two words to us all afternoon!" Daphne said, her orange eyebrows knitting together in a frown. The redhead was impatient and lacked the tolerance for coaxing shyer peers out of their shells. She tended to get irked by crustaceans very easily. "Good grief, all she has to do is say she doesn't want to be friends with us! A real disappointment, considering that my dad and hers were best friends."
"You're not kidding," Lucia said, "but maybe she's just shy." The chubby girl could understand Fern better than her more extroverted friends Felicia and Daphne, after all, she had a timid nature herself, although not as extreme as Fern Potter's temperament. She pulled her scrunchie out of her hair in a gesture of sheer boredom, allowing her fine dark hair to fall forward into her bloodless complexion. "Well, I guess we'll see one another on the Express again.
Author's note: Aargh, not my best of chapters. Writer's block: the bane of my existence. Hopefully, Chapter 3 wll be up much more quickly than this one!
The next day, August first, was even more scorching than the previous day. Fern's hair was up in a messy ponytail, but it was no good. She felt as if she would positively perish from the relentless heat. Wiping sweat off her face for the umpteenth time, Fern entered the Leaky Cauldron with her parents on either side of her, carrying the bag containing the robes they had purchased from Madam Malkins. Her father had the heaviest of the bags, containing everything from a cauldron to smaller Potions ingredients. Mrs. Potter, in contrast, remained empty-handed.
"Are we getting ice cream or anything? It's hot out!" Fern complained as the Potters passed the cashier and they took a particularly large table. "Why such a large table?"
"We're meeting some old school friends of your father," Mrs. Potter told, patting her lanky daughter on the table. "Sit. We'll get food after everybody has arrived."
Fern frowned. Everybody? Did this mean that more people besides Ms. Granger or whatever her new surname was and Mr. Weasley would be making an appearance? Fern didn't like this; she wasn't really used to meeting a large number of unfamiliar people at once. Both her parents tended to be introverts, not even conversing with the neighbors. She, Fern, had inherited the reserved disposition both her parents possessed. Her father, judging by the stories he'd told her, only had two close friends, although he was also friendly with his teammates on the Gryffindor House Quidditch team, and Mr. Weasley's siblings. This was a new thing for her, a large sort of gathering with her parents being the center of attention. She was used to being gawked at, as the daughter of an exceptionally famous man, but being directly in the action was another matter entirely.
The door creaked again, as another family of three came into the dismally lit pub. This family, however, did not have the paternal unit with them; just a mother, brother, and sister. if the woman wasn't their aunt or something. Perhaps she was even a lonely woman who took the children or grandchildren of her next-door neighbors on trips. The brunette woman was of average stature and a slender build. Her hair was long, thick, and extremely bushy. The girl, who was older than what seemed to be her brother, had hair the exact same color, although it was straighter and less unruly. While her eyes were the same shape as the woman's, they were blue rather than brown. The boy appeared to be about four or five, judging by his gait. His hair was blond, thick, and straight, and he had brown eyes. To Fern's surprise, the woman suddenly pointed directly at her father, and the trio hurried towards the Potter family. A pink tinge appeared in Fern's cheeks. Apparently, the woman had spotted the lightning-bolt shaped scar on her father's forehead.
"Why, hello, Hermione, long time, yet no see!" Of course, Fern thought, how could I be so dense? The woman fit an older version of the description her father had given about his friend from adolescence, Hermione Granger.
"Harry!" The woman threw her arms first around Mr. Potter, and then Mrs. Potter, as Fern sat there dumbfounded. The unfamiliar boy and girl seemed to be hanging back behind their mother.
"I am Ms. Belasca," Hermione said, smiling at Fern. "Harry, what did your say your daughter's name is? Francine?"
"Fernanda," said Harry, as his daughter reddened, "but we usually call her Fern.
"Fern. That's a nice name," Hermione said. "Harry, Hannah, Fern, these are my children, Felicia and Tommy." She indicated a gangly brunette and a small blonde boy of about five or six. Felicia grinned at the other girls her age present in the group.
After introductions were completed, the entire cluster of people took one of the larger tables in the Leaky Cauldron, dividing into groups by age. Before long, another family had joined them: Mr. and Mrs. Justin Finch- Fletchley, and their two daughters Daria and Lucia. Lucia was the same age as Fern, Daphne, and Felicia, while Daria was a year younger. The girl their age was chubby with very fair skin, and long, dark hair and eyes. Her sister Daria had lighter hair and darker skin, but the same build and eyes. Before long, Felicia, Daphne, and Luicia were chatting animatedly as if they'd known each other forever, while Fern merely ate her food and then stared at her empty plate. The others kept asking her questions, but the blonde was too shy to give more than monosyllabic answers, and did not prove very keen on idle table conversation. Klucia was also soft-spoken, yet she contributed to the conversation, while Fern felt as if she had little to say to these girls.
"What do you think, should we all get a compartment together on the Hogwarts Express? All four of us?" Felicia asked, indicating Daphne, Fern, Lucia, and herself with one of her bony hands.
"Hey, that's a good idea, at least one of us must be early though, to reserve an empty compartment," Daphne pointed out, idly running a hand through her long, wavy red hair.
"You're right," Felicia said thoughtfully, "but don't worry. Mom is a stickler for punctuality, I'll definitely be early, me and Stinko and all."
"Hey, don't call me Stinko Felice!" Tom whined from further on down the table, where he was sitting with Daphne's 9-year-old sister, who wasn't too pleased with the seating arrangements. "Mommy, Felicia caled me Stinko again! She's being mean to me!"
"Felicia," Ms. Belasca admonished, "be nice to your brother."
Felicia scowled, then shot an extremely hostile glower at her younger sibling, mumbling about younger brothers being enormous frustrations.
"Sisters, too," Daphne added, who at least one younger sibling of each, thinking of Miranda. Lucia ardently nodded her concurrence.
"What about you? Got any others or sisters or cousins?" Lucia asked, once again trying to pry some words out of the taciturn blonde. She wondered why the girl was being so withdrawn, as if she disliked them.
Fern shook her head. "I'm an only child," she mumbled in a barely audible mode. Lucia sighed inwardly, finally giving up on easily befriending Fern Potter. The girl was obviously a recluse, reluctant to enjoy the company of others.
Fern felt different. These girls did seem interested in her, but she wished to observe them more before jumping to trust the. She'd been betrayed by those she'd counted friends before, and had no desire to repeat the experience. These other girls seemed to be getting frustrated from their efforts to lever open her shell, but that was their loss. A true friend would just have to accept the fact that Fern was one of those who needed time to feel at ease around others.
A couple of hours later, the adults finally made the decision to depart from the Leaky Cauldron and return home, planning to meet again at King's Cross to do something after they had seen their soon-to-be first year daughters off. Felicia, Fern, Lucia, and Daphne, meanwhile, decided to share a compartment. Fern still remained withdrawn and almost sullen, a point which Daphne, Felicia, and Lucia discussed after she had left with Mr. and Mrs. Potter.
"She's really quiet, isn't she?" Felicia mused, twisting one of her wisps from her bangs around her knobbly index finger.
"Quiet isn't the word for it, she barely said two words to us all afternoon!" Daphne said, her orange eyebrows knitting together in a frown. The redhead was impatient and lacked the tolerance for coaxing shyer peers out of their shells. She tended to get irked by crustaceans very easily. "Good grief, all she has to do is say she doesn't want to be friends with us! A real disappointment, considering that my dad and hers were best friends."
"You're not kidding," Lucia said, "but maybe she's just shy." The chubby girl could understand Fern better than her more extroverted friends Felicia and Daphne, after all, she had a timid nature herself, although not as extreme as Fern Potter's temperament. She pulled her scrunchie out of her hair in a gesture of sheer boredom, allowing her fine dark hair to fall forward into her bloodless complexion. "Well, I guess we'll see one another on the Express again.
Author's note: Aargh, not my best of chapters. Writer's block: the bane of my existence. Hopefully, Chapter 3 wll be up much more quickly than this one!
