Disclaimer; still not mine unfortunately.
I'm updating them, the story hasn't changed but hopefully the formatting
will be easier to read.
WHEN HARRY MET SALLY
CHAPTER 1
Harry sat in the garden of number 4 Privet Drive staring at nothing in particular, when a loud moving van pulled up in front of the house next door. Two men jumped out and started to unload various pieces of furniture. Harry was surprised, he hadn't realised that the house was empty.
Though maybe he shouldn't have been too surprised as he had spent the last two weeks in a kind of limbo, thoughts chasing round his numb mind the way Sirius had chased the pigeons on the way to platform 9 ¾ almost a year ago. The happy image of Sirius was shattered and replaced by one that haunted Harry's dreams. Sirius falling through the arch.
Shaking off this image Harry watched the proceedings next door, in a very Aunt Petunia-ish fashion. What kind of furniture did they have? All those boxes and odds and ends, a large cage much like Hedwig's being carried in, this peaked Harry's interest.
What if? Could they be? Had Dumbledore sent some here? Harry now deeply curious got to his feet and walked over to the perfect hedge that separated the two gardens.
He waited for a glimpse of the new occupants, if they were wizards he would surely be able to tell from their clothes. None of the wizards he knew were very good at disguising themselves as muggles.
A dark blue family car pulled up and out of it got a man and woman, obviously muggles and a young girl with long blue-black hair. Harry let out the breath he didn't even realise he'd been holding, turned and walked morosely back to the house.
The Dursley's didn't even look up as he entered the kitchen. They barely spoke to him at all these days which suited him fine. He climbed the stairs despondently, entering his room he sat at his desk trying to focus on his homework.
The next evening as he was coming down for dinner he heard Aunt Petunia talking to his Uncle "very nice people, so I invited them for dinner tonight, with their pretty daughter." Uncle Vernon grunted his "right dear," and continued to watch TV.
"You boy," snapped his aunt "your dinner is on a plate in the oven, you can take it upstairs if you like, we're having company for dinner."
Harry noticed a distinct improvement in the way his Aunt treated him, she was almost nice but not too nice! Harry retrieved his dinner and some cutlery from the drawer, placed it on a tray with some diet coke and trudged back up the stairs. Just before he went into his room he heard the doorbell and fat Dudley stomping along to answer it.
"Hello, you must be the Suttons from next door; I'm Dudley, do come in."
Harry closed his room door and let out a humourless laugh, "and I thought they might be wizards!"
Harry had finished his dinner when Dudley barged into his room and muttered "you're to come down and meet the new neighbours, and no FUNNY STUFF, Dad said."
Harry sighed as he made his way down stairs, 'why?' he thought, 'they don't usually want me around their guests.'
Harry entered the dining room and Uncle Vernon said loudly "Feeling a bit better now. Think you could manage a bit of dessert?
Harry stared at him in shock but before he could answer Uncle Vernon continued "This is Mr Sebastian Sutton his wife Abbey and their daughter Sally, they saw you this afternoon and were asking about you!"
Uncle Vernon's moustache wiggled dangerously at the last part and Harry knew that Uncle Vernon was furious that Harry had allowed himself to be seen - therefore causing him embarrassment.
Harry smiled his hellos to the visitors and did a double take of Sally, she looked vaguely familiar. He joined them silently at the table for some of Aunt Petunia's meringue, Mr Sutton was asking Dudley about his wrestling and Mrs Sutton was complimenting Aunt Petunia on her roses, asking questions on how best to start her own rose garden.
This topic bored the life out of Harry but his Aunt and Uncle lapped it up.
A small voice spoke on Harry's right side, "Hello Harry, How are you?"
"I'm fine," lied Harry "Sally isn't it?"
"Yes you don't recognise me, do you?" Sally asked in an even quieter voice.
"Uh no, should I?"
"Well, no I guess not," but whatever she was about to say next was cut off by Aunt Petunia. "So Sally, where do you go to school?"
"Oh I go to a very strict boarding school in Scotland, Mrs Dursley," answered Sally politely.
"Is it a good School? Dudley goes to Smelting's," said his aunt proudly.
"Oh yes it is, it has a very high pass rate for exams and such," Sally answered silkily, "though some of the teachers are ancient! Our history teacher is Dead boring!"
This started Uncle Vernon on a rant about discipline and how the old ways were much more effective than the new namby-pamby idea's of gentle understanding! Mr Sutton was agreeing with him gravely.
Harry phased out the conversation thinking of his own dead history teacher, which lead his thoughts back to Sirius, he stood up abruptly and said "please may I be excused, I'm still not feeling too well."
"Yes of course." came his Uncle's sharp reply.
"Goodnight" said Harry shortly as he escaped to his room.
He lay down on the bed, his head pounding, wishing he could get just one night's sleep, without waking up in a cold sweat from the nightmares.
Harry woke up the next morning, astonished to find his clock read 10.30am, he hadn't slept so long since the night Sirius had.but best not to think about that.
He showered and dressed in his usual scruffy, too big hand me down clothes, slipping down stairs into the kitchen he made himself some breakfast and went to sit out in the garden.
WHEN HARRY MET SALLY
CHAPTER 1
Harry sat in the garden of number 4 Privet Drive staring at nothing in particular, when a loud moving van pulled up in front of the house next door. Two men jumped out and started to unload various pieces of furniture. Harry was surprised, he hadn't realised that the house was empty.
Though maybe he shouldn't have been too surprised as he had spent the last two weeks in a kind of limbo, thoughts chasing round his numb mind the way Sirius had chased the pigeons on the way to platform 9 ¾ almost a year ago. The happy image of Sirius was shattered and replaced by one that haunted Harry's dreams. Sirius falling through the arch.
Shaking off this image Harry watched the proceedings next door, in a very Aunt Petunia-ish fashion. What kind of furniture did they have? All those boxes and odds and ends, a large cage much like Hedwig's being carried in, this peaked Harry's interest.
What if? Could they be? Had Dumbledore sent some here? Harry now deeply curious got to his feet and walked over to the perfect hedge that separated the two gardens.
He waited for a glimpse of the new occupants, if they were wizards he would surely be able to tell from their clothes. None of the wizards he knew were very good at disguising themselves as muggles.
A dark blue family car pulled up and out of it got a man and woman, obviously muggles and a young girl with long blue-black hair. Harry let out the breath he didn't even realise he'd been holding, turned and walked morosely back to the house.
The Dursley's didn't even look up as he entered the kitchen. They barely spoke to him at all these days which suited him fine. He climbed the stairs despondently, entering his room he sat at his desk trying to focus on his homework.
The next evening as he was coming down for dinner he heard Aunt Petunia talking to his Uncle "very nice people, so I invited them for dinner tonight, with their pretty daughter." Uncle Vernon grunted his "right dear," and continued to watch TV.
"You boy," snapped his aunt "your dinner is on a plate in the oven, you can take it upstairs if you like, we're having company for dinner."
Harry noticed a distinct improvement in the way his Aunt treated him, she was almost nice but not too nice! Harry retrieved his dinner and some cutlery from the drawer, placed it on a tray with some diet coke and trudged back up the stairs. Just before he went into his room he heard the doorbell and fat Dudley stomping along to answer it.
"Hello, you must be the Suttons from next door; I'm Dudley, do come in."
Harry closed his room door and let out a humourless laugh, "and I thought they might be wizards!"
Harry had finished his dinner when Dudley barged into his room and muttered "you're to come down and meet the new neighbours, and no FUNNY STUFF, Dad said."
Harry sighed as he made his way down stairs, 'why?' he thought, 'they don't usually want me around their guests.'
Harry entered the dining room and Uncle Vernon said loudly "Feeling a bit better now. Think you could manage a bit of dessert?
Harry stared at him in shock but before he could answer Uncle Vernon continued "This is Mr Sebastian Sutton his wife Abbey and their daughter Sally, they saw you this afternoon and were asking about you!"
Uncle Vernon's moustache wiggled dangerously at the last part and Harry knew that Uncle Vernon was furious that Harry had allowed himself to be seen - therefore causing him embarrassment.
Harry smiled his hellos to the visitors and did a double take of Sally, she looked vaguely familiar. He joined them silently at the table for some of Aunt Petunia's meringue, Mr Sutton was asking Dudley about his wrestling and Mrs Sutton was complimenting Aunt Petunia on her roses, asking questions on how best to start her own rose garden.
This topic bored the life out of Harry but his Aunt and Uncle lapped it up.
A small voice spoke on Harry's right side, "Hello Harry, How are you?"
"I'm fine," lied Harry "Sally isn't it?"
"Yes you don't recognise me, do you?" Sally asked in an even quieter voice.
"Uh no, should I?"
"Well, no I guess not," but whatever she was about to say next was cut off by Aunt Petunia. "So Sally, where do you go to school?"
"Oh I go to a very strict boarding school in Scotland, Mrs Dursley," answered Sally politely.
"Is it a good School? Dudley goes to Smelting's," said his aunt proudly.
"Oh yes it is, it has a very high pass rate for exams and such," Sally answered silkily, "though some of the teachers are ancient! Our history teacher is Dead boring!"
This started Uncle Vernon on a rant about discipline and how the old ways were much more effective than the new namby-pamby idea's of gentle understanding! Mr Sutton was agreeing with him gravely.
Harry phased out the conversation thinking of his own dead history teacher, which lead his thoughts back to Sirius, he stood up abruptly and said "please may I be excused, I'm still not feeling too well."
"Yes of course." came his Uncle's sharp reply.
"Goodnight" said Harry shortly as he escaped to his room.
He lay down on the bed, his head pounding, wishing he could get just one night's sleep, without waking up in a cold sweat from the nightmares.
Harry woke up the next morning, astonished to find his clock read 10.30am, he hadn't slept so long since the night Sirius had.but best not to think about that.
He showered and dressed in his usual scruffy, too big hand me down clothes, slipping down stairs into the kitchen he made himself some breakfast and went to sit out in the garden.