A/N: Hey everyone, thanks to the few others who reviewed. Sorry it's taken me so long to update... When I got back from my trip I kinda put off finishing this chapter for a bit, lol... ok enjoy!
New Neighbor
Chapter 3
When Kira's parents had finished preparing dinner, Kira quickly helped her father tidy up the house. Her dear aunt and uncle would arrive any minute, as it was now 5 o'clock.
DING DONG!
"They're here!" exclaimed Mrs. Sanden.
Kira and her parents rushed to the front door to meet their company.
When Mr. Sanden opened the door, he was immediately enveloped in a bone-crushing hug from Kira's favorite aunt Ramona.
"DAVIE!" Aunt Ramona cried, "it's been a a while hasn't it?"
Aunt Ramona turned from Mr. Sanden to wrap Mrs. Sanden in a tight embrace, while Uncle Griffin shook hands with Mr. Sanden.
Like Kira, her dear aunt and uncle would've been looked down upon by the other residents of Privet Drive. For as long as Kira could remember, Aunt Ramona and Uncle Griffin had always dressed like they were oblivious to what they pulled out of their closet each morning. Aunt Ramona was wearing a magenta floral dress with white panty-hose and green galoshes, while Uncle Griffin sported a think orange sweater with black trousers and red suspenders. While her parents had always found them a bit strange, Kira loved everything about them. She had always felt she had a special bond with them, though she could never explain why.
When Ramona had finished her hug with Mrs. Sanden, she turned, saw Kira, and shrieked, "My dear Kira!" She then embraced Kira in the third bone-crushing hug to take place that evening. Griffin joined in as well and soon Kira was smothered in between them.
"Oh, I've missed you two!" Kira said happily, though it came out a bit muffled.
Grinning, Griffin pulled away from Kira and said, "My, you've grown taller! Growin' like a weed, I say!"
Kira smiled at him as Ramona parted from her.
"Oh, I agree with your uncle dear, you're growing like a weed!" said Ramona, "now tell me how my favorite niece if fairing in this new neighborhood of hers."
Griffin and Ramona were not acutally blood relatives of Kira's parents. They were more like close family friends. Her parents had met them a little after they had adopted Kira and Griffin and Ramona had taken an immediate liking to Kira. Ever since they had visited her frequently.
"Well I--" Kira started but was cut off my her mother.
"Now Kira, I would think your aunt and uncle are exhausted from their drive, so I suspect we should start on dinner?"
"My, yes of course!" exclaimed Ramona, "I'm sure you've made something wonderful for us to eat tonight, Vera."
"Oh yes, I think so too," Kira's mother answered happily.
Together they walked into the dining room where an array of food dishes were waiting for them. A few dishes looked suspicious, but the sweet potato pie didn't look half bad. Kira was thankful for this. After all, she was hungry.
As they settled down to eat, Mr. & Mrs. Sanden filled Griffin and Ramona in on the new neighborhood, jobs, and finances. Just as the group started on dessert (key-lime pie with whip cream), Ramona turned to Kira.
"So dearie, back to my question from earlier, how've you been doing?"
"Oh, it's been okay. The park is nice, it's right down the street. I go there often…" Kira replied.
"Met any friends?" Griffin asked. Kira thought she saw an odd glint in his eye, but ignored it.
"Um, I suppose so. I met Harry at the park a couple of days ago." answered Kira.
"The one you met with earlier today, honey?" hey father asked absent mindedly.
"Yes, Dad."
They ate in silence for a while until Kira noticed Ramona and Griffin exchanging peculiar glances. Uncle Griffin had a strange twinkle in his eye and Aunt Ramona had a silly smirk on her face.
Kira stared at them for a second and then they both turned towards her. Uncle Griffin broke the silence.
"Um, Kira dear…" he started, "now may be a good time to tell you the other reason why we've come to visit you today. Aside from wanting to see you, of course."
"Huh?" Kira said blankly.
"Er, what we mean, sweetheart, is that there are a few things we've come to tell you tonight." said Aunt Ramona rather excitedly.
Kira was still confused. But whatever they had to say to her, she'd hear them out.
"Okay.." said Kira cautiously, "what do you need to tell me then?"
"Well, for starters," Griffin answered cheerfully, as if nothing was amiss, " you won't be attending South King high school in the fall."
"Er…" Kira said intelligently.
"What he means is, dear, you're a witch." Ramona paused for a second and Kira's mind went blank. "Your birthparents were highly-esteemed in the wizarding world, but we weren't able to find documented proof to prove it to the Ministry until a few days ago."
Kira glanced at her parents. They looked dumbfounded.
"Umm, Auntie, I don't think it's possible to me to be a witch… besides, all records of my birthparents have been either lost or erased."
"Lost, Kira, and now found," Griffin said with yet another twinkle in his eye. "Which reminds me," he reached into his back pocket, "this is for you."
He handed her a yellowish envelope, address in emerald green to, "Miss K. Sanden, Upstairs Bedroom, 9 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey."
Kira slowly opened the envelope, breaking a bright purple seal with a large letter "H" pressed into it. She pulled out the letter and read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)
Dear Miss Sanden,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Due to reasons which will be explained to you by Mr. Griffin and Ramona Bloxton, we apologize for the delay of your letter. Enclosed is a list of your needed school book and supplies. We will be sending an associate from our school on the 10th of August to escort you to purchase your school things. We await your owl by no later than July 31st.
Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
A billion questions exploded inside of Kira's head but Kira's dad broke his silence before she could ask any of them.
"Uh, Ramona, Griffin, I think we need to talk to you alone for a sec…" he said uncertainly.
Kira got up and walked shakily out to the back deck.
She lowered herself down onto a bench and looked up at the darkening sky.
'A witch? What the heck! Witches were supposed to be the evil ones in movies with a green nose and warts! Eew…'
Kira glanced back inside the house where her aunt and uncle were talking animatedly to her parents, who looked utterly confused.
But her birthparents… Until now, she'd never even thought of them… Was there another world out there that she was destined to be a apart of? Her birthparents were a part of it…
A strand of striking honey blonde hair blew into her face. She stared at it and a thought struck her.
Since she hadn't been a part of the world her birthparents had been a apart of, was that why she always felt so alone?
Kira looked up at the sky once more.
'Maybe I won't feel like an oddball at-- what was it… Hogwarts?' Kira giggled, 'funny name.'
She furrowed her brow.
'Maybe this path is the one for me! A chance for me to finally feel like I belong!'
A small smile played on her lips as she stared at the night sky. She heard a sound and swiveled around to see Aunt Ramona walking towards her.
"Hello dear, may I join you?" she asked, a smile on her face.
"Yeah, sure…"
Aunt Ramona softly sat down on the bench beside Kira. She sighed.
"Sweetie, I'm so sorry that it's taken so long to get this news to you. But your parent's records--"
Kira cut her off.
"Did you know my birthparents?"
"Um, yes dear… I knew them distantly. A friend of a friend you could say."
"Where are they?"
Ramona looked uncomfortable. "Kira dear, it is quite a long story…"
"Tell me."
Ramona sighed yet again.
"Kira, at the time you were born, the wizarding world was not a safe place. Bad things were happening. Bad things you will learn about later on."
Kira opened her mouth to protest but Ramona held a finger to the younger woman's lips.
"No, I won't tell you right now dear, but at the time, your parents felt it was in your best interest, as their child, to send you into hiding. So after you were born, your parents sent you into the muggle wor--"
"Muggle-wadah?" Kira asked quizzically.
"Muggles. Not magic people. Like your parents in there." She motioned towards the house, where Kira's parents were still talking quietly with Uncle Griffin.
"Anyhow, your parents-- birthparents sent you into hiding in the muggle world. Later on… they were killed." She paused and looked at Kira. Kira was looking back with a curious look in her purple eyes.
"And so, a bit later on, your parents finally adopted you, and here you sit." Ramona sighed… again.
'Okay,' Kira thought, 'sounds believable…' Another questiong popped into her head.
"If all records of me were lost, then how could know who I was? How did you know that I-- belonged in your world?"
Ramona smiled at her. "When we met your parents, who had recently adopted you at the time, and then met you, we knew from your appearance then you were-- a bit different. So, we did a bit of research."
"But then why don't you look like me? With the eyes and hair, I mean…"
"Dear, we found that your mother--" she paused with a twinkle in her eye, "was half faery."
Kira jaw dropped. "Huh?"
"Half faery dear. I know that here faeries are nothing but a silly tale, but in our world…" Her eyes twinkled once again.
"They're real?!" Kira exclaimed.
Ramona chuckled. "Yes sweetie. As so, we knew that since a faery is a magical creature, and muggles can't even see them in the first place, we knew that you must've had a magical background."
"Oh," was all Kira could manage.
They sat in silence for a while."So, are my parents gonna let me go?" Kira asked tentatively.
"Umm… I think you're going to have to talk to them about that."
Kira looked towards the house. Her parents had left the room and Griffin was coming outside, to retrieve Ramona, she guessed.
"Hey Kira, I think we need to be leaving now," he said with a big quirky smile on his face.
"But wait! What did my parents say?!" Kira cried expectantly.
Griffin turned to Ramona, "yes I really think we should be going, hon."
Kira mumbled to herself in annoyance. As her aunt and uncle turned to leave, a certain boy crossed her mind.
"Aunt Ramona, Uncle Griffin, wait! Who can I tell about this? Can I tell my friends?"
Ramona turned towards Kira. "No sweetie, I'm sorry. No muggles aside from your parents can know about any of this."
Kira looked down, disappointed. "Okay," she said quietly.
As Aunt Ramona and Uncle Griffin left, Kira wondered about Harry. What would she tell him? And how could she NOT tell him about all that's happening? After all, she couldn't exactly tell him she was a witch, he'd probably look at her like she was insane and never talk to her again!
'Unless of course he was a-- nah, the chances of that are very unlikely,' she scolded herself.
She walked through the house, and not meeting up with her parents, who were talking in whispers in the living room, went up to her bedroom. She changed into her pajama's and slipped into her bed. A little while later her mother peeked her head into Kira's room.
"Kira, sweetheart, you awake?" she asked a bit nervously.
"Yes, mum," Kira answered, hoping for a chance to talk about what had happened that night.
Her mother stepped fully into her room and gently sat on her bed.
"Dear, I know you're wondering about-- what we think, and we've… talked about it and decided that you and only you can decide whether or not you want to go to that-- er, place-- in the fall." Her mother looked a little uncomfortable.
Kira looked thoughtful.
"Mum, you know that I have trouble in school… and I'm an outcast most of the time…"
Mrs. Sanden opened her mouth to protest but Kira quickly continued her train of thought before her mother could say anything.
"And I think… that this could be a new beginning. You know, somewhere where I could finally feel like I belong… If my birthparents were apart of Ramona and Griffin's world, then I think I must belong there too." Kira finished quietly.
Mrs. Sanden looked at her daughter admiringly.
"You know Kira, you're not exactly the little girl you were to me a few years back." Kira smiled and her mother continued, "and you're old enough to make your own decisions. Even if I feel this… opportunity of yours is a little out of the ordinary…"
Her mother finished and smiled at her only daughter.
"Oh thank you, mum! I love you." Kira sat up and gave her mother a hug.
Her mother glanced at the clock and exclaimed, "My goodness, Kira! You may be almost seventeen, but that's no excuse for you to be up this late!"
Kira grinned and snuggled back under the covers.
Mrs. Sanden kissed her softly on the forehead and silently left the room.
A/N: Okay sorry this chapter gets away from the whole Kira/Harry storyline but now Kira knows shes going to Hogwarts! Yay! And neither Harry nor Kira know that the other is a witch/wizard! ::smirks evilly:: BUA HA HA HA!!! Oh and when you review, please be brutally honest, I REALLY need to know what's going on in your head! lol, ok now review!
