Sorry for not updating in so long! Highschool started and I have far too much homework. Not to mention two other fics. But I hope you like this chapter, and please don't forget to review! ::kisses:: (Oh and thanks Sakura - but wait and see what happens with Snape...)
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Lydia goggled for a moment, then recovered her senses and tried to smile. "N-nice to meet you," she stammered.
Michael looked carelessly down at the book she was reading. She blushed, and he said, "You don't need a book like that. You're so cute already."
Her blush deepened. "Thanks," she said, lowering her head.
Bending over slightly, his finger appeared at her chin, lifting her face to look into his deep, blue-green eyes. "You're really cute," he commented.
"Um, okay," Lydia said, beginning to feel uncomfortable – but he was so cute it was hard for her to break away.
Suddenly Daniel was at her side, observing quietly the miniscule distance between Michael and Lydia's lips.
Lydia stepped back, embarrassed. "Oh...Daniel..."
"Michael. You trying to get another girl?" Daniel asked calmly, but Lydia felt an aura of anger emancipating from him.
"This one's rather cute, don't you think?" Michael asked, leaning casually against a bookshelf. "Well, must be going – see you later," he said winking at Lydia and leaving.
Lydia's face felt rather hot.
"Don't get mixed up with Michael," Daniel told her firmly. "He's always trying to win another girl. I reckon he's had twelve girlfriends at once."
Lydia kept silent. She was noticing her heartbeat was at a normal pace, not like when she was usually with Daniel.
Mostly in silence, Daniel helped her pick out the books that were required.
After paying, Lydia asked, "Where next?"
"I'm sure your mom wants to get you fitted for a robe," Daniel said.
"Aren't you coming?" she asked.
"I've got to get a few things." His tone seemed slightly stiff, and it hurt her. He must have noticed, because he said, "Meet me at Izzy's Ice Cream in an hour?"
"Okay," she said, spotting her mother. "See you!"
Her mom watched Daniel go. "Are you going out with him?" she asked.
"What? No!" Lydia said, shocked. "I don't even like him." As the sentence slipped out, she wondered if it was true. She knew she'd liked him; was that over? Michael...
"Okay, let's go." Her mom steered her to "Madam Malkin's Robes" where Lydia was measured and fitted for a new robe. After a half hour of standing, squirming and having tape measures flitting about her nose, finally she left with her robe.
"Want to get your wand now?" Marie asked as they stepped into the open air.
"Oh, I already got it," Lydia said.
Marie looked disappointed. "Oh. Can I see it?"
Lydia took out the wand. "It's willow, eleven inches, dragon scale," she said, imitating Mr. Ollivander's wispy voice.
Her mom took it and turned it over in her hand. "It's a nice one," she said approvingly.
"It's cool. So what can I do with it?"
"Everything. Anything." Her mom returned the wand.
"Where next?"
Her mom checked her watch. "Oh, looks like it's time to go."
"But I promised Daniel I'd meet him at Izzy's Ice Cream store in half an hour from now!"
Marie looked at her strangely. "There's no ice cream shop here."
Lydia's eyebrows furrowed. "But there's got to be."
"I don't think so, sweetie. There's a shop that sells food and ice cream, but no Izzy's Ice Cream."
Lydia rushed forward.
"Lydia!" Marie called. Lydia didn't turn. She knew there had to be an ice cream store, so she surged along with the crowd until she saw it – a small shop squeezed between two much larger shops.
"Lydia, what do you think you're doing! Stay close to me!"
"Mom! I'm not a little kid! And look, here's the place!"
Sure enough, there was a small sign that read "Izzy's Ice Cream".
Marie squinted. "Where?"
"Right there!" Lydia pointed.
"Honey, I don't see anything—"
"That's cuz grown-ups can't see it," said a voice. Lydia looked over at a girl who looked a bit older than her. She had black hair, slightly wavy, that reached her shoulders in a sophisticated way. Her eyes were piercingly blue, and she wore no makeup. Her shirt was a red tank top that was covered in black fishnet, and her blue flares had a bright red stripe down each leg and were rolled up to reveal wild red and white striped knee socks. Overall, she looked fashionable and wild at the same time, and the look in her eyes made you want to get to know her, or fear her.
"You must be new to Diagon Alley," the girl continued. "They put this place in a few years ago, and all the kids know about it. Izzy magicked it so no adults but Izzy would see it."
"Oh," Lydia said eloquently.
"Okay, I'll come back in a half hour," Marie told her daughter. "You're fifteen minutes early, so that'll give you fifteen minutes to get ice cream."
After she left, Lydia turned to the girl, who was watching her curiously.
"I'm Cecilia Trelawney," said the girl, extending her hand.
"Lydia Weasley," she replied, shaking the girl's hand.
Cecilia smiled. "Ron's daughter, of course."
"Um...how do you know?"
"My aunt taught him while he was at Hogwarts," Cecilia told her. "My aunt's Sibyll Trelawney. She's quite an interesting person." She wrinkled her nose at "interesting". "She's like a psychic, only she's mostly wrong. A bunch of junk. I happened to inherit some real skill."
"Really?" Lydia asked excitedly. "What do you see about me?"
"I make it a point not to tell people their future, lest they screw it up," Cecilia said. "Unless, of course, they're in grave danger or something. I've saved twenty-seven lives so far, and prevented forty-three accidents."
Lydia gaped. "Wow..."
Cecilia shrugged. "It's okay. But, just to prove I'm not a phony, I'll tell you about yourself. You're Lydia Marie Weasley, daughter of Ron and Marie, previously Marie Brewer. You're fourteen, fifteen on November fifth. You only recently learned you were going to Hogwarts and you weren't too pleasantly surprised about it. You think you're over your crush with Daniel, and feel a fuzzy feeling when you think about Michael Sameya. Don't go there, dear," she added as Lydia stared in awe.
"How'd you do that?" she asked in shock.
"I can see it all," Cecilia said simply. "Want to go in?" She gestured at the shop. Lydia only nodded.
"Just to let you know, Michael Sameya is a gorgeous charmer but an absolute sleaze," Cecilia informed her as she sat at a table. "I can tell you're infatuated."
Lydia blushed. "Yeah, I guess."
"Hey Lydia," Daniel said, entering the shop. "Who's this?"
"Cecilia Trelawney. You're Daniel Sameya, Michael's brother. You know he's a sleaze and you wish you weren't his brother. Don't worry, you're nice."
"Y-you're Michael's brother?" Lydia asked, shocked for the millionth time that day.
"Yes, he is. He didn't tell you because he's ashamed."
"Would you please stop talking for me!" Daniel said.
"I'm sorry. I get ahead of myself. Please, go ahead and tell her you're sorry and you didn't want to be categorized along with Michael so you conveniently forgot to mention you're related." Cecilia sat back in her chair, then frowned. "Oh dear, I believe I did it again."
Daniel couldn't help laughing. "Well, I guess she said it for me," he said, slipping into a chair.
"She forgives you," Cecilia informed Daniel, and they all laughed again.
This feels comfortable, Lydia thought lazily. I'm with two fun people.
"Okay, ice cream!" Daniel said. "I'm going to try peach cobbler."
"Oh, that one's not that good," Cecilia told him. "Besides, they're out of it."
"Ah, Cecilia, my physic – or psycho – customer!" said a booming, friendly voice. Lydia looked up to see a very tall woman looking down at them.
"Hey Izzy, trouble with Rachel again?" Cecilia asked.
"See, I don't even have to tell her anything, she just knows," Izzy told Daniel. "Yeah, she quit."
"Again."
"I'm expecting her any moment now."
Suddenly a young woman burst in. "I'm back," she grumbled.
"Hello, Rachel dear," Izzy said, winking at Lydia. "Now, what can I get you?"
"I'm very tempted to try hot dog, but I'm in the mood for a cappuccino," Cecilia said, smiling.
"Wait – isn't this an ice cream store?" Lydia asked.
"Yes, you're surprised about their flavors. It's pretty interesting." Cecilia grinned impishly.
"I'll take a blueberry pie," Daniel ordered.
"Um..." Lydia looked at the listings of flavors printed on the ceiling.
"Great place to put the flavors, eh?" Izzy asked, smiling.
"I'll just take a chocolate raspberry mousse," Lydia said.
"Sounds good to me," Izzy replied.
For the next fifteen minutes, the three teens talked, laughed, and got to know each other better. By the end, they were definitely friends.
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A/N: Okay, hope you liked that! Review review review! ;) Luv y'all!