Love Lost is Love Gained

Chapter 1: Pig Boy's Welcoming

"This place sucks," said a mop of black shaggy hair just visible over a towering pile of boxes. "Why couldn't we just stay in Glasgow? My whole life was there. My school, my friends, Carli was starting to fancy me! She could have been my first girlfriend. But since Dad keeps moving us, I'm going to die a virgin."

Sixteen year old Artemis looked over at her pouting younger brother, Paris.

"Pare, why are you talking about losing your virginity at thirteen? And anyway, with looks like yours, you're destined to die a virgin."

"Shut up!" Paris yelled.

"Artemis, Paris, please be quiet," said their mother, Laura. Who was busy unpacking a box of china on the front lawn to make sure nothing was broken, "I would like our stay here to be a pleasant one."

Artemis sat down on a beanbag chair that was sitting on the drive. She fished her iPod out of the messenger bag sitting near her feet and started listening to 'Death of an Interior Decorator', Author's Note: Don't you love Death Cab for Cutie? So, this is the second revision of this chapter. Because the original was boring. On South Park today...Cartman became a millionaire and the Kyle (whom I love) got a hemorrhoid and almost died. So, it turns out that the only reason Kyle lives is to watch Cartman be miserable. And now back to the story. while watching three large, burly men struggle with her wardrobe. While watching them she couldn't help but think that it would have been a lot easier if she had emptied out her clothes. But like Paris, she didn't want to move, so she took it on herself to make it as hard for them as possible.

Looking around she noticed that this was the most boring and bland place she has ever stayed in her life. All the houses looked exactly the same. Looking up at the sign post she thought, 'Privet Drive, even the name is boring.' Losing interest in the struggle with the wardrobe and the bland surroundings, she decided to take a look inside number 7, her new home.

It wasn't anymore exciting inside than out. The only thing that vaguely caught her interest was the cupboard under the staircase, which she thought might be a good place to let her pictures dry, since whenever she left them in her darkroom, Paris always touched them.

'Pictures,' she thought, 'They always tell so much.' She had always been upset that there were no baby pictures of her. There were of Paris, just not her. Her father, Trevor, said they got a new camera and he kept putting the film in wrong. It was believable; he was never good with technology.

She walked up the stairs and down the hall, but stopped to look in a large mirror leaning against the wall next to her parent's new bedroom. She was the same Artemis she had always been. Same black hair, same deep blue eyes, and same concert shirt as she had on that morning, but something felt different. It felt like the last piece of a puzzle was finally placed in her mind, or taken out for that matter. She walked back downstairs, slowly making her way to the front door, but then she stopped. She heard voices from outside, the two of her parents, and one she didn't recognize.

"Yes, Mr.Byrnes. It's a really lovely neighborhood, a very low crime rate-"

The rest of his words were drowned out by clattering, and in walked an unhappy looking Paris.

"Hey, Paris! What's going on out there?"

"I dunno," he replied, "Some fat kid asked us to dinner, I hope we're not the main course."

"Paris, that's a horrible thing to say, for all you know he has an eating disorder."

"No, Artie, you have to see this kid, he looks like a pig." Paris was the only one who could call Artemis 'Artie' she hated it if anyone else did.

He grabbed her by the wrist and led her to the picture window in the living room, to get a good look at the kid. He looked like a pig in every sense.

The Pig Boy looked at the picture window and saw Artemis. An ugly pink blush formed on his face, it enhanced his resemblance to a pig even more.

"Artemis! Where are you? There's someone here who would like to meet you." Her mother yelled from the porch.

"Paris," Artemis whispered quickly, "Tell Mum I'm outback, I don't feel much like socializing at the moment."

"Okay," he said. Artemis smiled her thanks and made her way toward the kitchen. "Mum! Artemis is trying to sneak out!"

"Paris! I thought you- how could you? Oh, you're dead!"

"That's for the virginity slur," he sneered throwing open the front door. Artemis stood there; she could not believe that her only brother had sold her out. 'I swear,' she thought, 'I'll kill him, he's dead, he's dead.' She began contemplating her revenge as she walked slowly toward the door; by the way her revenge involved a black garbage bag, and a rather sharp ice pick ...

"Artemis, this is Dudley Dursley," her mother said, motioning to the Cartman-esque Author's Note: Cartman, hahaha don't you love him? I don't but he makes the show interesting. blob standing in front of her. "He lives at number Four."

"How, er...lovely," said Artemis stiffly, she had never seen anything less lovely in her life.

"Hmm..." said her mother, noticing her formality."He's sixteen as well."
"Wonderful, but I'm not going to be sixteen until November." Said Artemis, still being extremely formal.

"Yes, it is wonderful," interjected Dudley, clearly only hearing the first word of her sentence. He eyed Artemis up and down, seeing him do this made her shudder, and feel like she had to vomit. There was something wrong with this kid, and she knew it.

"Are you cold?" her mother asked, seeing her shudder.

"No," Artemis answered blankly, "I'm fine."

"Well, Dudley has invited us over for dinner tonight."

"Oh, alright," said Artemis, "I'll go tell Paris."

"He already knows, no need to," her mother said. Artemis wasn't going to get out that easily.

"So," she said, "I'd-I'd better go...unpack."

"Oh, yeah," said Dudley, "I'd better go inform my parents of our dinner guests."

"Alright," said her mother said, "Goodbye then."

"Dinner starts at 7:30, see you then," then Dudley departed, waddling down the road. Her mother then turned to her, "Well, what do you think? He fancies you, you know."

"I think he looks like a white, British Fat Albert. Can I call him that?"

"Most certainly not! You shall call him by his name," her mother shot. "But what do you think?"

"He gives me the creeps, something's not right about him."

"Oh, tosh! Nothing is wrong with him; I want no more of this."

"Fine, I'm going for a walk." And with that Artemis made her way down the drive, past two men now carrying her computer desk, and headed down Privet Drive.

After about five minutes Artemis came to a small park that was extremely vandalized, 'Low-crime rate?' she thought, 'I bet he vandalized it.' Most of the swings were broken, and there was rude and vulgar graffiti everywhere. Artemis was so busy taken in the surrounding she didn't notice the lone figure sitting on one of the unbroken swings.

"Oi! Who's there?" the voice sounded thick, like the speaker had been crying.

"I should ask the same thing," Artemis replied.

"Harry Potter," the voice said.

"Artemis Byrnes," she hesitated, "Am I allowed to join you or shall we continue our shouting contest?"

"You can join me if you want." He stared at the ground, and began wiping his eyes with his sleeve. 'So he was crying,' she thought as she made her way over to the vacant and unbroken swing next to him.

He looked up at he, he was pale and thin, but very attractive none the less. He had extremely untidy black hair that had a certain sort of charm. Artemis couldn't understand why he kept pushing it onto his forehead. He also had the most beautiful green eyes that Artemis had ever seen in her life. Authors Note: Jake Ghylenhaal has the most beautiful blue 

"Why were you crying?" She asked.

He looked up at her, "I wasn't." Even though his eyes were bloodshot and puffy they were still fabulous.

"Yes you were, I saw you." He didn't remove his gaze from her; it kind of made her uncomfortable.

"Do I know you?" He asked.

"Doubt it, I just moved here from Scotland. Glasgow to be exact."

"Oh, you look familiar, that's all."

"Oh, well I really doubt we've ever met. So why were you crying?

"You want to know?"

"Yes," Artemis said simply, she really did want to know.

"Someone really close to me just died."

"Oh, I'm so sad for you. If you don't mind me asking, how did they die?"

Harry looked up at her, then hesitated. Finally he spoke, "He was murdered."

Artemis gasped,"Oh, oh my."

"Yeah, I don't know if you know, but last year, ten Death- convicts escaped from prison-?"

"Oh, yes, I remember."

"Well, he was murdered by the woman, Bellatrix Lestrange."

"That's awful. Did they catch her? Or any of them?"

"They didn't catch her; they caught most of the others, though."

"Well, it's good that they caught some of them, I'm sorry about your...loss."

"Don't be." He smiled at her, but she could tell it was a forced; he was just trying to be brave.

"It's getting kind of late, if you live near by I can walk you home." He was right, the sun was setting and she would have to go to dinner by Dudley's soon.

"That," she said, "would be lovely." He smiled, thus time it was for real.

At the same time the got up from their swings and made their way down the sidewalk in silence. After a few minutes Artemis said, "I live at number Seven."

"Alright." They crossed the street and Harry walked her up to her porch.

"Thanks for walking me home."

"Thanks for letting me."

She smiled and turned to go inside,"Goodbye," she said, and got the same reply. She opened the door and stepped inside the brightly-lit hall, turning around to shut the door, she smiled at his retreating back and closed the door. She began to climb the stairs, glad that she had met at least one decent person.

Isn't that a lovely ending for this chapter? I think it is, because I wrote it.