Chapter 1: Strange Little Girl
Sun in Her hair, Sky in Her Eyes
On the Isle of Wight, along the high chalk downland in the midst of a lush forest, stood a grand castle called Villa Monteverde. It towered over the other homes on the quaint island. Its highest peak had a spectacular view of The Needles and the whole length of Tennyson Trail. Tennyson's monument, a long narrow cross, stood at a fair distance along with the rundown Carisbrooke Castle. Villa Monteverde overlooked the whole circumference of the island (a bit over 100 square miles) and spied over the island's central city of Newport onto the shores of Hampshire and Dorset. Behind the castle swished the vast English Channel that lapped against the golden sands of the beaches below.
The castle bustled with activity on this hot August day. Various sorts of people carrying brightly wrapped presents of tinsel and silk popped in front of the castle's gate dusting off their robes and pointed hats. Bigger groups came in horseless carriages. A tall, slender elf with black hair and blue skin welcomed each guest ushering them to one of the many tables strewn all over the yard. Food apparated on the tables the moment the guests sat on the chairs.
Children ran around the property holding inflated felines, pigs, and ducks that mewed, oinked, or quacked in protest. Every now and then, violet and blue sparks would blast from the castle's tower as confetti rained down its stone walls. This always prompted several tiny elves to appear, sweeping madly at the debris in a cloud of green arms and dustbins. One child cheered his friend on as the other boy bucked on the back of a hippogriff. A giant man hovering over them chuckled as he gulped down a keg-sized mug. This whole scene would've caused more than one resident to stop and stare. But to the muggle eye, it was just a dilapidated pile of logs and boulders. Not even worthy of a tourist photo op.
Villa Monteverde was the home of retired-Auror Rhonda Zabini. She sipped on a chilled glass of red currant rum. Her bright violet eyes crinkled at something the man sitting across from her said. This man had shocking purple robes and a long, pale blond beard streaked with silver. He talked with grand gestures as Rhonda listened keenly. Their third mate kept his nose in his pint of mulled mead, but his glass eye circled toward the kids scurrying along the stone-tiled hedge.
"Oy, Zon!" The man with the glass eye piped. "I reckon the little ones are straying too close to the cliff there. That's a long drop to the water," he said gruffly. The man he addressed grinned lazily up from the parchment he had been reading.
"Who Blaise?" He turned to see the children leaning over the hedge. "Cedric's with her, Moody. He's watching over them." Moody grunted as he pulled himself to his uneven feet.
"An eight-year old supervising these tots? Parents today, I bloody swear …"
"Oh, don't be such a killjoy, Alastor," Rhonda grinned, the trace of a wrinkle just barely etched along her mouth. "It's Blaise's birthday. Besides, I doubt you can catch up with them!" She teased. The man in purple robes twitched his lips into a smile.
Alastor ignored Rhonda and hobbled over to one of the gazebo's beams. "Oy, you ankle-biters! You're too close to the ridge!" A total of one head perked up at the old Auror.
"We're fine, Mr. Moody!" The tallest boy called waving his hand. Just then, a blur of blond hair pounced on the boy, sending him sprawling on the ground. Moody grabbed at his chest.
"Did you see that?!" He gasped and waved his wand at the group of giggling arms and legs. "Reckless little bogeys the whole lot of them!" The other adults chuckled. "Oh, it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye!"
The wizard in purple robes pushed the mug across the patio table. "Have another pint, Alastor. And enjoy yourself." After some hesitation, he did with small smile on his face.
Blaise Zabini squealed in delight as her victim swung her around by the waist. She then flopped on the ground next to a chubby redheaded girl. They grinned at each other and tried once again to defeat the 'enemy' that was Cedric Diggory.
"Oy! No fair! Blaise! Susan! That's two against one! Two against one!" He gasped in between his giggles. Another redhead, a boy, wrinkled his nose at them.
"Where did my brothers go?" He sniffed. He pushed up his horn-rimmed glasses and scowled at a pair of redheads further along the hedge. "Fred, George, what're you two doing? Mum said you're not supposed to go that far—"
"Mum said we're not supposed to go too far," one boy mimicked. His twin silently mimed beside him. The boy with glasses pouted. Blaise giggled.
"Percy, come and play with us. Hide and go seek!" Then she and Susan Bones proceeded to jump up and down chanting hide and go seek at the top of their lungs.
"I don't want to play anymore," Percy whined. Then he turned on his heel and marched straight to his dad who was in deep conversation with a rugged man with sandy brown hair speckled with grey streaks.
"What a cry baby." Cedric rolled his eyes. He cocked his head over to two kids clinging onto their mum's skirt. "Oy, Ron! Ginny! Wanna play?" The boy named Ron buried his face in his mum's robes as the girl Ginny continued to suck her thumb. Blaise giggled. Her face suddenly twisted into a devilish smirk.
"HUG TAG!" She roared nearly choking Susan in a headlock. She then sprinted away as Susan chased after the other kids. One pudgy boy with black hair tripped and howled. Blaise stumbled over him and laughed at his face.
"Oh, get up Neville. It's only grass." He threw her a misty-eyed glare. She pulled him up anyways and threw her arms over him. "YOU'RE IT!" She laughed and dashed away again.
"Noy fair. Susan was it. You'y making up wooles." His lip quivered. Blaze cackled wildly as she danced around him.
"But it's my party, Neville," she sang. She skipped away just as he tried to grab her. His nose wrinkled in concentration.
"I'm gonna get you, Blaise Zabini!" He declared triumphantly. The little blonde stuck out her tongue and tore down the yard leaving Neville to choke on her dust. She found Susan standing by the line for the Balloon Mage. As Blaise drew nearer, she saw her friend in tears.
"What wrong, Susan?" She pulled the girl to her. Susan pointed to the pigtailed blonde who stood a few feet from them, tapping her foot.
"S-she said my mum and dad were dead. And I was going to an orphanage." Susan's lip trembled. Blaise glared at the girl who only widened her eyes.
"Well, it's true. That's what my mum said. She has no family." Blaise gasped and covered Susan's ears.
"Don't say that! That's mean!" She hissed at the girl. She narrowed her eyes. "And her Uncle Dedalus is her family. So there!"
The other girl rolled her eyes. "But that's not her real family." Susan wailed. Blaise took a step closer.
"Who are you?! Why are you here?!" The other girl stuck out her lip.
"I'm Hannah Abbot. My parents took me here," she said turning up her nose and crossing her arms. Blaise raised her brow.
"Well, maybe it's time they took you back."
"Who said?"
"Me."
"And who are you?!"
"I'm the bloody birthday girl!"
"Blaise!" A dark-haired woman ran over and scooped the irate girl in her arms. "Language, young lady," she said sternly rubbing her nose against the child's with a smile.
"Sorry, mama," Blaise mumbled. Vanessa looked to her husband, Zon. He nodded and with a flick of his wand produced a hefty cake under the gazebo.
"Everyone, follow me," Vanessa called over her shoulder. "It's time for Blaise to blow out the candles."
Blaise stood in front of the cake swinging her arms excitedly at her side. Susan sniffled beside her as Cedric took his spot on Blaise's right. A total of 8 or so redheads lined around the table as Hannah, Neville, a dazed looking girl, and several other family-friend kids crowded around. The adults oohed and ahhed around them, delighted in the cuteness of their offspring. Blaise turned to Cedric and rolled her eyes.
"Everybody's doting on ickle Blazy," he cooed. She pinched his arm. Cedric made a dramatic show of pain and smeared some icing on Blaise's cheek to avenge himself. Susan covered her mouth with a giggly snort.
"Oooooh, Cedric … that's bad. We're supposed to eat that cake!" Percy scolded over Neville's shoulder. Cedric rolled his eyes as one of the twins lunged forward.
"Here, have some then, Percy!" Fred or George, whichever, plowed an icing-caked finger over Percy's shocked face. The kids roared in laughter. The adults had been too preoccupied, crowding around the camera that Arthur Weasley handled tittering softly.
"Urgh, Weasley's," Hannah scoffed, eying the scuffle between Percy and his brothers. "My mum said they're riffraff. Why are they here?" Blaise and Susan exchanged glances.
The following pictures taken on Blaise Zabini's 5th birthday followed. Blaise and Susan, fists oozing with cake, jumping on a bewildered Hannah. Percy sticking out his lip as he wiped his glasses. Fred, George, whichever, covering Percy's face with more icing. Cedric lazily yanking Blaise off a disheveled, red-faced Hannah. Ginny sucking her thumb. Ron covering his head with a tablecloth. Neville laughing and silenced when Luna Lovegood shoveled cake into his face. Moody waving his cane as Blaise and the Weasley twins jumped on him. Rhonda exchanging small smiles with Albus Dumbledore. Zon wrapping his arms behind Vanessa's waist. And Remus Lupin calmly licking the icing splattered on his left cheek.
More pictures followed but most of it consisted of Blaise grinning wickedly as she chased the photographer around the castle.
Blaise's Wish for Her 7th Birthday
In the bright, airy kitchen of the Diggory's, two children sat at the dining table. They both had silvery blond hair with golden streaks and almond shaped eyes. The boy had a broad, square jaw but the rest of his features were slender and well rounded. His grey eyes stood out from his face and thick black eyelashes framed them. He was tall, toned well for his age, and tanned from his summer days in the sun.
The girl's honey-tinted tan camouflaged the tiny freckles across her short, button nose. She had vivid indigo eyes with thick, heavy lashes. Her hair flowed past her waist, and fell over her eyes. Her fleshy, bee-stung lips had a perennial smirk that only made her eyes glow brighter. She was petite and skinny, looking younger than her actual age. She also had bandages across her elbows and knees, from her many excursions in the orchard. She kept her hair in a ponytail. And there was always a smudge of dust on the tip of her nose. They were Cedric Diggory and Blaise Zabini respectively.
Cedric squirmed in his seat, preoccupied with something in front of him. Blaise sniggered quietly as she swung her jiggered trainers from the chair. Suddenly, she blinked up at the tall blonde woman in front of her. Cedric stuck out his tongue as he stuffed the bunny back into his overalls. Both children kept an innocent expression on their face as the woman twisted from her cauldron to face them.
"Are you two up to something?" She asked inclining a brow.
Blaise's eyes widened as the bunny almost hopped out of Cedric's shirt.
"Umm … no." Cedric said as he grabbed some asparagus stalks from the table. The woman snorted.
"Are you sure?" Blaise suddenly clapped her hands.
"Cedric's mum, where do babies come from?"
"What?" Her ladle fell into the pot.
"Babies," Blaise said blinking her eyes as Cedric muffled his giggles. "How do they get here?" Mrs. Diggory blushed.
"I don't know if you're old enough to know that, sweetie."
"Why? I'm almost seven years old."
"That's still too young," Cedric's mum grinned. "And I know you're just asking this because you don't want me to know Cedric's brought another furball into the house."
"MUM!" Cedric gasped. Blaise groaned.
"I told you she has eyes in the back of her head!" Mrs. Diggory laughed. "But we had to take him in. The bunny's lost!" Cedric nodded in agreement.
"And he's hungry, Mum. I promise, we'll just feed Mr. Bugs, so he'll get stronger. And then we'll take him back to the orchard."
"Aha, so he's got a name now?"
"No, he told us his name's Bugs," Blaise said matter-of-factly. Mrs. Diggory smirked.
"Okay, you can keep him." They cheered and jumped off their seats. "But clean up after him! I don't want to be stepping on any of Bugs' … bugs." She shook her head.
Cedric had already bounded up the stairs. Blaise turned to Mrs. Diggory and wrapped her arms around the woman's waist.
"Thanks, Cedric's mum." Mrs. Diggory laughed.
"How many times must I tell you, Blaise? In this house, you can call me Mum or Gwen."
"I keep forgetting. Can I just call you McGee? Only Mama is my mum." She shrugged shyly.
Gwen smiled. "McGee sounds lovely. Very creative. I'd love for you to call me that. But, what does it mean?" Blaise returned her smile.
"Mum of Cedric, Gwen." Mrs. Diggory's eyes shimmered with pride. Blaise twirled a lock of hair in her finger. "Sorry we tried to trick you. And it's okay. I already know where babies come from."
"Y-you do?" She laughed nervously. Blaise grinned proudly.
"Yeah! Dad said they ordered me through owl."
Gwenyth Diggory's eyes twinkled as Blaise followed Cedric up the stairs. She sighed and turned back to the stove.
"Well, that's one way to put it."
Cedric held out an asparagus for Bugs as Blaise kneeled on the floor and rested her elbows on his bed.
"So when does your muggle school start again?" He asked as Blaise played with Bugs' tail. She frowned.
"Start of September. But I wish I could go with you to Hogwarts. But mum says I'm too young." Cedric shrugged.
"We'll write. Oh yeah, you DO know how to write, don't you?" He teased. Blaise stuck her tongue at him.
"I know how! I'm learning cursive next year. And Mrs. Kaiser wants me to join the gifted students studying group. She's says I've sir-past the stand-durd coo-reek-coo-loom and studying ad-vans would be poh-duck-tive. Whatever that means. It sounds cool though." Cedric rolled on his bed laughing. Bugs' nose twitted as it hopped in his chest.
"The words you know, sheesh. You should just go to Hogwarts with me now. Just one more year! I can't wait!"
Her eyes brightened. "I want to go there so bad! But Dad and Mum don't know which school they want me in. Dad went to Durmstang. Mum went to Beauxbatons. But Gran went to Hogwarts. And Gran's so cool." She sighed.
"You have to go to Hogwarts. I'm in Hogwarts," Cedric insisted. "Besides, do students in Durmstang and Beauxbatons speak English?" Blaise frowned.
"I don't think they speak a lot of it."
"Yeah, your parents still have weird accents."
"That's because they're funny," Blaise giggled.
"Why can't you just stay home? Susan's studying at home," he said.
Blaise shrugged. "Who'd teach me? They both work. Only Mama will be home in the afternoon."
"My mum could look after you." Blaise wrinkled her nose.
"Yeah, I told Mama that. But she said your mum would be too busy."
"But why would she be busy? I'm not gonna be here, because Dad's enrolled me in Junior Wizarding camp for the year – BUGS!"
The bunny had hopped off Cedric's chest, bounced on Blaise's head, and scurried down the stairs. The kids ran after it, skipping over the tiny droppings Bugs' cottontail left behind.
"Mum's not going to like this," Cedric groaned twenty minutes later, after they ransacked the Diggory's living room. Blaise pinched at a stitch in her side. She had been laughing too hard.
Her family celebrated Blaise's 7th birthday at Villa Monteverde again.
"Happy Birthday, Blaise!" Oma (Grandma) Rhonda greeted scooping Blaise in her arms and twirling her easily around the castle's front yard. Zon ran to the pair.
"Ma, your back!" He gasped as he lifted Blaise from the woman's embrace.
"Oh, stop being a hen, sweetie. The bogey's light as feather!" Rhonda kissed Vanessa on the cheek and ruffled Cedric's hair. Cedric always accompanied Blaise to the parties. He hung with her everywhere. "How's your mum and dad, handsome?" Rhonda grinned locking Cedric in another embrace. He muffled a reply, but Rhonda's robes drowned him out.
"Is Susan here yet?" Blaise asked standing on her toes. Since her 5th birthday, Blaise became a little more specific with her guests. As in, she explicitly told her folks she wanted Susan, Cedric, Neville, the Weasley's, the Lovegood's, Moody, Hagrid, and everyone else BUT Hannah Fart-face Abbott to attend her party.
Unfortunately, the first kid she saw had the trademark pigtails and pinkish face. This face leered at Blaise before pivoting back to face the mime gagging on a flavored bean. Blaise let out a groan and yanked her dad's robes.
"Pa, what's that Hannah doing here?!" She whined. Zon grinned shyly.
"Well, Blaise her folks are your mum's friends. We couldn't invite them and have them leave her home."
"I don't want her here! She made Susan cry! And last year, she tripped Neville on purpose. Just because Neville laughed at her stupid pigtails." Well, he wouldn't have laughed at them if Blaise hadn't accidentally-on-purpose jinxed them to grunt but that was beside the point. Rhonda tutted as she pulled Blaise to the group of kids gathered around a flamethrower.
"Don't let one brat get you down, sweetie. It's your birthday." Blaise nodded slowly as Oma pecked her again on the cheek. Susan called to her. Blaise waved back and ran to her friend, avoiding Hannah's narrowed eyes the whole time.
Susan and a couple of other kids had sat along the stone hedge. Blaise raised her brow when she noticed Susan held a boy's hand in her lap.
"What are you doing?" Blaise asked wrinkling her nose. She noticed Ginny Weasley had her arm around Neville. He giggled as he chewed on a treacle.
"This's Ernie," Susan smiled goofily. "He's my boyfriend!" The girls giggled loudly while Ernie scowled.
"I'm not your boyfriend! Girls are ugly!" He hopped off the fence and stormed over to Ron and his twin brothers who had brought some Exploding Snap.
"Oh, it was fun while it lasted, Ernie!" Susan called blowing him a kiss. Blaise rolled her eyes and took a treacle Neville offered. "My cousin Althea has a new boyfriend. She brings him to the house all the time. He's smelly."
Blaise snickered. "What about Stewart then?"
"She broke up with him. She said it was fun while it lasted, Stewy! He cried. Boys are stupid." Neville tried to say something but the treacle glued his mouth shut.
"Oh well, we have to break up now, Neville," Ginny yawned. "I wanna play Exploding Snap." She hopped off the fence as Neville attempted to talk again.
Blaise twirled on her toes. "I wanna break up with a boyfriend!"
"You need a boyfriend first. Here use, Neville." Susan pushed him to Blaise.
Blaise pushed him back. "But he was Ginny's boyfriend. I want my own."
"Get one of the Weasley's." Blaise spun around and counted at least five redheads. All of them looked like Fred.
"Never mind. Picking one's too much trouble. Let's just play hide and go seek." Susan and Blaise exchanged smirks.
"NEVILLE'S IT!" They roared. Suddenly, all the kids yelped and scrambled away ducking into various shrubs and trees as Neville sighed and covered his eyes.
"Wun, to, twee, pour, pive …"
Hours later, Blaise and her friends gathered around another enormous birthday cake. Happy 7th Birthday, Blaise! Everyone chorused. She grinned ear to ear.
"Make a wish, Blaise!" Oma Rhonda called over Percy's shoulder. Blaise scanned the group of people around her.
She saw her dad snuggling with mum under the gazebo. Ron's mum was fixing Mr. Weasley's hat. Susan and Ernie held hands again, while Ginny had her arm around Neville's shoulders. And just then, she saw Padre peck Oma gently on the cheek.
Blaise closed her eyes tight and said to herself, "I wish I had a boyfriend so I could break up with him, hold his hand, fix him up, hug, and kiss on the cheek. Oh, and he has to be really nice to me too like Cedric."
She blew the candles and all eight of them went out in one shot.
"Hey, Blaise, you blew them all out! That means your wish'll come true!" Neville pointed and successfully jabbed his finger into the icing. "Opps!" Not thinking, he wiped it on Ginny's cheek.
"No not again! Hey, kids-" Vanessa tried to say, but Zon pulled her back to him. Meanwhile, Blaise already smeared icing on Padre's crooked nose as he cuddled her in his billowing indigo robes.
The Little Park in Little Whinging
Blaise woke up two nights later in a fit of tears. Vanessa rolled over her husband as he grunted blearily.
"What happened? Why's she crying?" He groaned with his eyes still closed. Vanessa wrapped her bathrobe around her and threw a pillow at his face.
"I'm going to find out, silly. Just might be a bad dream. Go back to sleep."
He snored in response as Vanessa jogged up the stairs to Blaise's floor. She tapped lightly on the door as the girl behind it sniffled loudly.
"Honey? Are you all right in there?" She opened the door to find Blaise sitting in her bed covering her eyes. Vanessa scooped the child in her arms. "What happened, Blazy? Mama's here. It's all right."
"Mama, the grumpy man shoved the boy in the closet again," Blaise wailed. "I saw him and it was dark in there, Mama! And no one helped the boy."
"What boy, Blaise? What do you mean again?"
"The boy I always see in my dreams. The boy with the scar on his head."
Vanessa stiffened. She titled her daughter's face to her. "Y-you see a boy with a scar on his head?" Blaise nodded as Vanessa smoothed away the damp hair from her face.
"His scar looked like-" She gestured in the air making a lighting bolt. Her eyes were round with curiosity.
"Blaise, you must keep that a secret."
"But it's just you, Mama."
"Even still. It's a secret magic scar. You can't tell anyone about it. Not even Cedric."
"I know, Mama. But what about the boy? Can Papa get him? He's all by himself," her lip began to tremble again. Vanessa pulled the child closer to her. "Please, Mama. Tell Papa to get him. I don't know who he is, but he needs help."
"I-I'll tell your dad. You just sleep now. No … don't worry about the boy. He'll be fine." Blaise reluctantly reclined back on her bed. Vanessa kissed her on her forehead.
Vanessa crawled back in bed minutes later. "Was it a nightmare?" Zon asked.
She thought over what Blaise had just said and decided to tell her husband the truth. "Blaise dreamt of a boy, Zon. I think it was the Potter's son." This time, Zon sat up from bed.
"Quatsch?!"
"Zon, she said the boy in her dream had a scar on his forehead. And you can't overlook what happened to her that night! I think she is seeing him."
"Okay. I'm not arguing with you here. It's just …"
"Unusual? Dangerous? I'm all too aware of it. Don't you think we should tell Dumbledore this?"
"Du miene Güte. That would be a very uncomfortable conversation."
"Et si? Frankly, Zon, Je m'en fou! Why must we walk on eggshells?! This's our daughter. Of all the people to dream about, she dreams of the boy. She's having nightmares. And quite, honestly, I don't like this whole situation. Dumbledore should know. He could bloody have all the answers! I think we should forego all our stupid pretenses and help our child!"
"Okay, take it easy! I'm just not keen on talking to Dumbledore."
"Mon dieu. You're just sore because he supplied testimony against Sirius."
"Yes, Van. I am sore about that. Look. I'm just saying that we don't always have to run to him for every situation. I'll check up on the boy myself. Yes, I know where he is. He's very well-protected there though. I don't see why Blaise would think …" Vanessa sighed and pulled him to lay beside her.
"Please, mon minet, just check if he's all right. I'm sure she'll be convinced when you tell her he is fine. I think the dreams'll stop." Zon bit his lip.
"What if he's not all right?" They turned to look at each other.
"Then would you go to Dumbledore?"
"Or we could adopt him." They exchanged tired smiles.
Next day during lunch, Blaise pounced on her dad as he read the Daily Prophet. He spilled a bit of pumpkin juice on his shirt that Vanessa whisked away with a flick of her wand.
"Papa, you're going to see the boy?" She asked widening her vivid violet-blue eyes on him. His own violet-blue eyes twinkled as he pulled her to his lap.
"As soon as I finish lunch, sweetie."
"Can I come with you?"
Vanessa glanced at him and shook her head.
"Ah, sorry, sweetie, but you can't. You see, after I check up on the boy, I have to go to Diagon Alley and buy some books for my classes. That's just errands for adults."
"You're going back to Durmstang again?" She groaned. He laughed.
"Well, I do teach there, Blaise. But I'll come back every other weekend like I always do. And Mama's going to work too. In Spain!" Blaise turned to her mum.
"Can I go with you to Spain, Mama?" Vanessa smiled.
"No, dear. I'll be busy with a case there. You'll get bored staying in the inn. But you get to stay with Oma and you'll see your classmates again on the island. And just like last year, Papa and I'll visit every weekend." Blaise seemed to find the thought of staying with her grandma appealing so she resigned to pick at her sandwich. Two minutes later, she pushed her plate aside.
"I'm going to Cedric's to play," she called over her shoulder as she hastily stuffed her feet into her trainers. Zon folded up his newspaper and pecked Vanessa on the cheek.
"I'll be back in a bit, love," he said and walked out the door. When he reached the end of their driveway, he stuck out his wand hand and waited as the bougainvilleas beside him swayed. Minutes later, the Knight Bus popped a few feet in front of him. Zon boarded and headed to the end of the bus just as it lurched forward again. He sat down only to find a pair of eyes twinkling in front of him.
"Blaise!" He gasped as she giggled and flopped on the seat next to him. "You're not supposed to, how did you, your mum's going to kill me," he groaned. But he planted a kiss on his daughter's head as she stared out the window.
"It's okay, Papa. You need me there. How else are you going to know it's him?" He almost said he would know the boy in her dream, but Blaise did have a valid reason. "Where are we going?" She whispered. He marveled how she seemed to understand the secrecy of the mission.
"There's a narrow alleyway that forms a shortcut between Magnolia Crescent and Wisteria Walk. That's our bus stop. Then we'll walk a little over a block to a street called Privet Drive."
Blaise nodded, not realizing her father had divulged to her some extraordinary facts. But the little girl always assumed her father knew everything. Her mind focused on the skinny boy in her dream. He was about her age if not the same, with lop-sided spectacles, a scar on his forehead, and jet-black hair. She found the messiness of his hair fascinating. She also found his loneliness pulled at her heart. In her dreams, she saw him and felt his misery. However, being a child, she didn't know what to call it.
After a zigzag ride that made Zon nauseous and Blaise giggly, the pair exited the bus. He clasped her hand in his as they followed the sidewalk leading into Privet Drive. Blaise stared avidly at the houses.
"Fancy living here, Blaise?" He asked following her gaze to a muggle mowing the lawn.
"Not really," she said lightly. "All the houses look the same, how would I know which one is home? And there's no gnomes in the garden. No garden's fun without them. And I like our river. And Cedric lives close, And …"
"Okay! I take it that you like our place," he chuckled. Blaise beamed and skipped lightly to catch up with her dad's strides.
The Dursley's home loomed just several paces away when someone called over to the pair.
"Zabini, what are you doing here?" Zon looked up in surprise but grinned when he saw an old woman glaring at him over her mailbox.
"Hi, Mrs. Figg. Just taking my daughter for walk," he said sending her a toothy grin that made many a witch melt into a puddle of giggles. Unfortunately, Arabella Figg was a Squib.
"I should report you to Dumbledore for this. Heck, I'd tell Rhonda! But …" She glanced down at Blaise who blinked up at her and gave the woman a shy smile. "Why hello there, pretty. What's your name?"
"My name is Blaise Ophelia Zabini," she replied flashing Mrs. Figg the same killer-watt grin. To Zon's astonishment, Arabella smiled back.
"Well, no harm in bringing her here. The boy could use a friend. That is if you find him. Those muggles never let him out of the house." The woman frowned. "But I did see that aunt of his leave the place. I'm not sure to where though."
"We can wait," Zon said. Arabella stepped aside.
"Well, I don't usually entertain guests, but I can brew up some tea for you while you wait then," said Mrs. Figg, not seeming at all peeved to have people over.
"Thanks, Mrs. Figg. Coming, Blaise?"
"Oh, she'll get bored with our chatter, Zon. Pretty, why don't you go to the park? It's just a ways from here. One of my cats will show you."
"Oh, can Mr. Tibbles come with me, please?" Blaise perked.
"Why yes, I was just going to suggest – How did you know his names was Mr. Tibbles?" Mrs. Figg raised her brows to Zon who shrugged with a smile.
"He told me," Blaise simply said. At that, she and Mr. Tibbles ran out of Mrs. Figg's yard and dashed along the sidewalk to the park.
When Blaise reached the park, she saw several children already playing around the monkey bars and tube slide. Although she never feared approaching other kids, Blaise sat on a swing keeping her distance. A group of bigger kids huddled over to the side. They had gathered around something. They were kicking sand into the center, and yelling out bad words that Blaise herself got scolded over. The yelling grew louder. To the point that Blaise's hair began to stand on her neck.
Just then, the crowd parted and a skinny boy stumbled out. He ran from the other kids, as one particularly fat boy shouted to him.
"Scared are you, Potter?" He sneered. The other kids howled in laughter. Blaise frowned as she saw the boy limp over to the swing next to her. He leaned on the post catching his breath. Blaise cleared her throat. He looked up in surprise.
Grime and sweat covered his entire face and his hair looked as if the kids had pulled on it. He blinked up blindly at her as his hand trembled with what looked like broken glasses.
"You can sit here. Catch your breath," Blaise said patting on the swing next to her. He mumbled his thanks and sulked on the swing. He tried to rearrange his glasses. Meanwhile, the group of big kids began chanting:
"Poor boy Potter has no friends, Poor boy Potter has no home, Poor boy Potter has dirty knickers, Poor boy Potter all alone!"
"Don't mind them," the boy said quietly. Blaise looked away from the group. "Dudley and his friends only tease when they have nothing better to do." She wrinkled her nose at the fattest boy with the loudest voice. Of course, that oaf was Dudley. Stupid boy, stupid name.
"Why do they do that? Why do they make other kids cry?"
"I'm not crying," he said quickly. Blaise jumped off her swing and stared at him.
"No … you're not." He looked startled that she had been staring at him thoroughly. "But you're all dirty." She pulled up the hem of her skirt and wiped at his face. The boy seemed too shocked at her gestures to pull away. Blaise stepped back to study the boy's grime-free face.
"You have a scar on your head," she simply said. The boy nodded.
"Ever since I was a baby."
"Where did you get it?" Her eyes widened.
"Umm … car accident my uncle told me." He looked away. Something in his expression made Blaise want to hug him. She bit her lip.
"Why do they say you're poor?" In Blaise's mind, poor was just a grade one gets if they did a bad job on their spelling tests.
"They say I have nothing. And it's kinda true. I'm wearing hand-me-downs and everything I have is broken or just junk. I don't even have a real room. It's just a cup … It's a small room." Something dropped on the ground. Blaise bent and picked it up.
"You dropped this." It was a watch. The clasp came loose in the boy's tussle.
He took it from her gingerly. "Yeah, this's mine too. I got it ticking a few days ago … It just worked a little. Dudley broke it again," he muttered. He sighed. "Everything I have is rubbish." He eyed Blaise shyly. She took the watch from his hand.
"It's broken. But it's still yours." She clasped it back on his wrist. "I keep my mum's empty perfume bottles. I don't think they're junk. I make it my own." She scratched her nose as she studied the watch's cracked dial. "It's junk to Dudley but it's special to you, right? He can break it, but he can't change your mind about it. That's all."
The boy stared at his watch with a newfound interest. He smiled shyly at Blaise. "Thanks."
She shuffled her feet. "Don't get mad, but I was told that fighting's bad," Blaise mumbled. He snorted.
"I'm not starting the fights. They always find me. And even if I don't wanna do it, I still try to fight back."
"But aren't you scared?"
"Sometimes. Mostly I just get mad, you know? But … if I don't stick up for me, who will? I don't have a mum or dad. It's just me."
For once, Blaise had nothing to say. She reached for his hand instead. He stared at their interlocked hands and smiled gratefully at her. The group of boys rounded on them.
"Hey, Potty-head! Didn't you hear me calling you?" The fat boy named Dudley grunted as his equally hefty sidekicks snickered beside him. Blaise didn't see anything funny with what he said. She curled her lip at them.
"How anyone hear you with your blubber covering half your throat?" She snapped. The boy with the scar gawked at her, as did Dudley and his group. "Whenever you talk you sound like a cow. Your arse alone's big as one." Dudley's beady eyes flashed.
"Who are-"
"There it goes!" Blaise drawled cupping her hand over her ear. "MOOOOOO!"
"What are-"
"MOOOOOOO!" Dudley's friends chuckled as Dudley's whole face turned magenta.
"You better watch your mouth, girl! Or I'll-"
"Or you'll what, udder boy?" Blaise challenged stepping closer to Dudley. He easily outweighed her by fifty pounds, but she defiantly poked Dudley on the chest. He raised his fist.
The boy with the scar pulled her away. "Leave her alone, Dudley. Why do you wanna bully girls too?" Dudley narrowed his eyes.
"This your new girlfriend, Pot-face?" He glanced at Blaise's lacey sundress to the boy's raggedy, holey ensemble. Blaise realised Dudley called her Pot-face's girlfriend. "I know, Pooter. You're her garbage boy. All garbage boys are orphans."
Pooter hurled himself at Dudley. His effort wouldn't have been much, but Blaise deftly kicked Dudley in the shins as well. The chubby boy howled.
"Dinky-diddy-dums!" A shrill voice yelled. The kids circling Blaise, Pooter, and Dudley scrambled away as a woman twatted Pooter on the head with her purse.
"Geroffme!" He growled. Blaise pulled him away as the woman fussed over Dudley who had chosen to root his arse on the ground and drown in his puddle of tears and snot.
"Are you okay?" Blaise asked Pooter. He looked up at her. That's when she noticed his bright green eyes. He lifted his broken spectacles to his face. He used the lens with fewer cracks to peer up at her.
"Yeah. You look okay too," he said. He staggered to his feet. Blaise suddenly took his broken glasses.
"I broke my grandma's glasses once. I fixed it though, before she found out." She closed her eyes and concentrated.
"Harry!" He tore his gaze off Blaise to see Dudley's mum glowering at him. "You come here this instant!"
He turned back to Blaise. She smiled and held out his glasses. They were good as new. Well, except for the tape in between the lenses' frames.
"How did you do that?" He gasped as Dudley's mum yelled again.
"Magic," she said with a shrug. He smiled at her and wore them. Blaise's whole face brightened. She knew him. He was the boy in her dreams.
"Okay. Magic." He smirked. Suddenly, she felt very shy. He didn't seem lonely right then. But she couldn't imagine he lived with Dudley. She didn't know about the cupboard under the stairs. She only knew that he wore glasses, had a scar on his head, and never cried when bullies teased him.
"What's your name?" She mumbled blushing hotly.
"HARRY POTTER!" They both turned to Dudley's mum.
"That's me. I'll see you," he said reluctantly. Blaise nodded biting her lip. She watched the three of them leave. The boy named Harry Potter followed Dudley a few steps away. As if they pretended that they didn't know him. She watched them turn a corner. She watched until she could see him no longer. Then she watched the horizon as the sun began to set in colors of red and gold.
"Blaise?" Her dad walked through the park's gate with Mrs. Figg. "We saw the boy go into his house, sweetie. He looks fine. Happy even. I'm sorry you didn't get to see him."
She almost said she met him already, but she only nodded in response. As the pair of them walked back to the alleyway between Wisteria and Magnolia, it dawned on Blaise that Harry Potter was her boyfriend. Well, if one considered Dudley's comment. She also noted soberly that she didn't break up with him, kiss him on the cheek, and all that other good stuff. Well … At least, she fixed his glasses.
They boarded the Knight Bus again. As her dad snored in the seat next to her, Blaise's thoughts drifted back to the boy. Something about him made her want to see him again, if just for one more time.
***********
Thanks for reading. Thanks for reviewing. ~Nengski