Disclaimer: not mine.

Chapter 9: meeting Fred and one last try.

For the next two weeks together Elle and Harry enjoyed the wonders of Diagon alley together. Fear was growing of the escaped prisoner of Azkaban, Sirius Black. Her thoughts strayed to Pivet drive though. To her mum, dad, brother and Lauren. She wished she was here. She needed to talk to her about everything.

Finally the night before they were due to start school came. She was so nervous. What if she wasn't a witch after all? What if they just sent her home? How – what would she tell her family? She had decided that she most definitely wanted to be a Gryffindor with her big cousin. All the others well… she guessed being a Hufflepuff or a Ravenclaw wouldn't be the end of the world but no way did she want to be a Slytherin by the description Harry had given her of it.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Harry came in.

"Hey, sweetie how you doing?" he asked cheerfully.

"Alright. You look a bit out of breath though."

"Biting book that's all."

"What?"

"Don't worry. Come on time for dinner." She smiled got off her bed and walked downstairs with him where they heard two people arguing.

"I'm warning you Hermione." shouted the red headed boy. "Keep that bloody beast of yours away from scabbers or I'll turn him in to a tea cozy."

"It's a cat Ronald. What do you expect? It's in his nature." replied the girl and Harry beamed.

"Cat! Is that what they told you? Its looks more like a pig with hair if you ask me!"

"That's rich coming from the owner of that smelly old shoe brush. It's alright Crookshanks you just ignore the mean little boy."

"Harry" the boy said looking up and seeing his best mate.

"Harry" the girl repeated on turning round.

Laughing Harry turned to Elle. "They're not always like this Elle. Well actually on second thought yeah they are. Elle, I want you to meet Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Guys, this is Elle my baby cousin and she got her acceptance letter a few weeks ago on my birthday."

Harry had told his friends about Elle and every time had spoken highly of her. It was obvious to them she was extremely important to him. She was practically his sister and was just as protective of her as Ron was of Ginny.

"Nice to meet you." She said politely. "Harry's told me so much about you."

"Same here." said Ron. Hermione just smiled at her.

Just then the twins walked down the stairs as the four began a conversation about Ron's holiday in Egypt in which Hermione and himself took any chance they could get to annoy each other. Fred saw the young girl sitting with her elder cousin and immediately felt something he had never before sand she got it too, they were for a minute trapped in a 'moment'. She smiled up at him and felt exactly the same.

"Fred? Earth to Fred?" his twin, George shouted at him but it was useless.

"Man, shut up." Fred told him.

"You like Harry's cousin!" George understood. It was weird how they knew each other so well.

"Wow!" teased Fred. "You're a genius."

"Hi." he said as he came face to face with Ellouise.

"Hey, I'm Ellouise." She said.

"Hi." He replied. "I'm Fred, but you can call me Freddie."

She laughed. For the first time since leaving the drive she truly laughed. "Ok, Freddie." He wanted to say something else. He didn't want to look like a dip stick so in the cool Weasley twin style that him and his brother had perfected so well he got an idea.

"Ellouise, do you like ice cream?" he asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes, I love ice cream." She smiled.

"Feel like going to get some?"

"I'd love too." She turned to her cousin who gave her the thumbs up. "I'll just get some money."

"No way! My treat." He said taking her hand. "See you later, George."

"Right." He said laughing at Fred's lame attempted at a chat up at the same time out standed that it had actually worked. Normally he was the ladies twin not Fred. "Have fun and be good." He called after them. Elle just looked at her cousin confused but sure enough she was undoubtedly happy.

"So ..." he said as they sat down with a scoop of vanilla each in front of them. "Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

"Absolutely." She sighed happily. "I can't believe I'm a witch. I mean I spent my whole life studying drama, dance, math and english and now soon I'll studying flying, potion, the history of magic and transfiguring. I still can't believe my luck. I bet Aunt Lily felt this way too and Harry."

"I remember thinking that but of course I knew more then you do, not meaning to be rude. But I always knew me and George would go to Hogwarts. Even when we were annoying mum when she was trying to teach us, I just knew."

"You'll lucky I'm going to look like such an idiot. I mean I've looked over my new books but not too much. This is … a lot to take in at once."

"You look like an idiot. Are you joking? There loads of muggle born's. You know Hermione? And what a muggle born is?" he said waiting for Ellouise to nod. "She's the smartest girl in her year and she's muggle born. Any way, we've got one more day of freedom still…….so what have you done this summer?"

"Not much. Hanged out at my friends, saw a few movies and went to the park a lot. What about you?"

"Nothing really." He brushed off the question. "So now on to the important stuff. Had any boyfriends?" This made Ellouise laugh. Hard.

"You don't bet around the bush!"

"Where's the point in it?

"

"I guess so. Any way, yes but only one. It was last summer with a boy called Piers Polkiss."

"So it's over?" he doubled checked though it sounded that way.

"Yep."

"That is good news." Ellouise laughed. Fred was a lot like all the lad's who hanged out over the park, so full of himself. Normally she'd flirt back with them but nothing more. But for some odd reason she badly wanted this to go further than flirting. Soon enough, Fred was teaching her everything he knew about the magical world including his sport Quidditch which she knew Harry also played. She guessed the wizarding answer to football. She took in everything he said. When they got back she sat by Harry for dinner. She felt comfortable with Fred but not the others yet; all of this was all so new to her. But she so far loved every minute of it.

THE NEXT MORNING

It was madness in the leaky cauldron. Everyone was rushing around to get their bits together for the new term. Incredibly as 9:30 approached Elle was downs stairs looking through her potions text book. She was fascinated by potions. She'd asked Harry about it and apparently the professor for it was dreadful, but that fact did definitely not put her off. She was immersed by it when someone sneaked up behind her and made jump.

"Good morning, Miss Dursley." The voice said.

"Same to you, Master Weasley." She smiled.

"Call me Freddie." He insisted.

"Fine. Freddie." She echoed shaking her head

"So are you ready for your big day." He said saucily.

"Only if you are." She replied smiling. "I'm so nervous."

"Don't be. I'm here to hold your hand." He said wondering off back to his room.

By 10:45 they were in kings cross train station. Elle was about to go through the barrier with Harry and Fred when she heard a voice she knew too well called her name. Her brother's voice. She turned around to see the 3 Dursleys standing their. Harry protectively put an arm round her but she pushed it off.

"I'll just say goodbye." She whispered in his ear before walking over to her family.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"We've come to put a stop to this madness." Said her mum. "Elle, you're coming home with us. I won't let you make the same mistake your aunt did." She said grabbing her arm and obviously hurt the girl. Vernon couldn't believe this, how could his wife treat his little girl like this. While he wanted to get her home he would not let his wife treat her like this.

"Petunia let her go." He cried.

"HARRY!" Ellouise called to the boy who was automatically by her side.

"Let her go!" he said hitting his aunt with such a force that she fell to the floor.

"Elle, are you ok?" asked her father.

"I'm fine. I'm so sorry but I can not come home. Not now." She gave him a last kiss and ran over to Fred. "See you later Dudley, I'll miss you." She called to her sibling.

"Whens later?" he asked.

"Christmas holiday!" she suggested quickly. She had to get to the platform.

"Promise me you'll be back for them!"

"You're my brother, who else would I spend them with?" she laughed slightly at his anxiety. "I love you!" she said slightly upset knowing she wouldn't see him for 3 months, the longest time they had ever spent apart.

"Are you sure your ok, dear?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

"Yeah. Come on, let's get out of here." She told Harry who was by her side again she took a last look at her family. Dudley was helping his mum up while her dad shouted at her. "How could you be so stupid, you idiot women?"

When they ran through the barrier she saw a huge red steam engine, the Hogwarts express. It was simply beautiful. She loaded on her trunk and pick up lucky and boarded herself. This was going to be one big, grand adventure.

A/N; I've revised chapter two and six just so you know. Next chapter is due before the 12th of Feb. I hoped you liked it!