Harry made his way through the crowded pub to a table in the corner. He
plopped his packages down and waited. Harry glanced at his watch. He was
shocked to see what it said. 'She's coming'. Harry stared at it for a
minute, then looked up. Abby was hurrying through the pub. She was looking
very harassed, but smiled when she saw Harry.
"Hi!" She smiled as she sat down. Harry grinned as Abby pushed her hair
behind her ears.
"This place is absolutely packed! I completely got separated from Luka in
Diagon Alley!" Abby laughed. Harry's smile faded for some reason.
"Luka? Who's Luka?" He asked quietly. Abby looked at him for a minute, then
smiled.
"Luka's my little brother. He's six and my Mum asked me to watch him for a
bit, so I did." She explained. Harry felt a wave of relief wash over him,
but he had no clue why.
"So your Mum and Dad are here then?" He asked. Abby smile turned sad. She
bit her lip.
"My Mum is. It's just her, Luka and me. My Dad died..." She said quietly.
Harry felt horrible.
"I'm so sorry...I didn't know." Harry said hastily. Abby smiled sweetly
again.
"Don't be...it's okay." She replied. Harry's eyes wandered around the room.
"So where are your Mum and brother?" He asked. Abby looked around too. "Oh, my Mum was taking Luka to look at quidditch stuff. He's absolutely addicted...like me!" Abby laughed. Harry smiled. They ordered their drinks and chatted happily. Harry found out a lot...like why Abby had come to Hogwarts. "My Mum remarried. She married this guy and he turned out to be Mr. Jeckle, Dr Hyde." Abby explained. Harry noticed, eager to hear more. "My Mum went on a business trip and left us with Kent and well..." Abby shifted awkwardly. Harry stared at her for a minute. "He didn't..." He began. Abby shook her head. "No...but he tried to. Luka ended up walking in when Kent was wrestling me to the ground and the arse chased after Luka. I tackled him and well, my Mum divorced him." Abby explained. "But why'd you move?" Harry asked, not able to believe what this man had almost done to Abby. "Um...Kent was harassing my Mum. Threatening her and stuff. So we moved." Abby explained. Harry nodded. They continued talking until Sirius showed up with Ron and Hermione. He greeted Abby with a smile and told Harry it was time to go. Harry and Abby said goodbye to each other and Harry left with Sirius and his friends.
SEPTEMBER THE 1ST ****************************************
Harry and Sirius were standing awkwardly on the platform, not sure how to say goodbye. "Oh hell!" Sirius laughed. He pulled Harry into a tight hug. They stood, embraced for a few seconds and then separated. "You better go before I start blubbering!" Sirius grinned. Harry nodded. He bit his lip. There was something he had been meaning to ask Sirius. "That day that your name was cleared and we were coming back on the train, you knew Abby's last name. You knew what happened to her, didn't you?" Harry asked hastily. Sirius became very serious and nodded. "Yeah, I did. I knew her Dad before he died. I heard things in Azkaban about his kids, Abby and Luka. Bad things that had almost happened. I was a little nervous when I thought you and her were...I just didn't think it was a good idea. You have both been through so much pain. You more than her, but nevertheless..." Sirius explained. Harry nodded. The whistle on the train blew. "I gotta go." Harry said hastily. Sirius nodded. He ruffled Harry's hair before the teenager dashed onto the train. Sirius watched until the scarlet steam engine disappeared into the vast distance. Then, he turned and went back through the barrier.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Abby all sat in a compartment together. Rain was lashing against the windows. Hermione had her nose buried in a book and Ron was asleep, his head resting on a pillow. Abby was leaning against the wall. She shivered slightly. Harry sighed. He grabbed his cloak and wrapped it around Abby. She smiled appreciatively. Harry grabbed another pillow and rested it on his lap. Hermione watched in horror as Abby stretched out across the seat and rested her head on the pillow, wrapped in Harry's cloak. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. Harry rested a hand on her shoulder and stared out the window. Hermione was just staring at Abby. This was getting a bit ridiculous! Hermione scowled and went back to her book. The train chugged along the usual course, bound for Hogwarts. A little while later, Ron woke. He stared at Abby, then smiled. Harry rolled his eyes. "Bugger off." He said with a grin. Ron shrugged and went back to sleep. Pretty soon, they had all drifted off to sleep. Even Hermione. Harry's head was rested against the window and Hermione had curled up on the seat. Abby and Ron were comfortably stretched out. There was a knock on their compartment door that woke them all. It was the plump witch with the food trolley. Harry and Ron groggily picked out what they wanted. Abby was awake now and still had Harry's cloak wrapped around herself. She inhaled the smell. Harry's smell. It was a mix of cologne, aftershave and perspiration. It was the smell of Harry. Abby smiled to herself as she nibbled on a pumpkin pasty. She didn't even realize she was falling for Harry.
The train lurched to a stop and there was a scramble to get off. It was still pouring outside. Hermione did her cloak up and Abby removed Harry's, handing it to him. Harry didn't take it. "Where's yours?" He asked. Abby smiled. "I left it in my trunk." She laughed. Harry frowned. He took the cloak, but put it back around Abby. She smiled gratefully. The four made their way through the crowds and over to the waiting carriages. By the time they scrambled into one, they were all soaked from head to food. Harry more so than any of them. His clothes were sticking to him and his hair was soaked. He ran his fingers through the mess of black hair and it became spiked. Hermione sighed and waved her wand. Harry was dry...they all were. The ride was pretty much silent up to the castle. No one was anxious to go back into the rain.
BEGINNING OF OCTOBER ****************************************
Ron groaned as he climbed through the portrait hole. "What's wrong?" Harry asked. He was sitting on the couch by the fire, thinking about things...people...Abby. "There's a Halloween Ball!" Ron whined. Harry snapped out of his trance. "What?" He asked. Ron nodded. "Yeah...they weren't gonna have one, but Dumbledore thought we should 'let loose'." He explained. Harry groaned. This meant he would have to find a date. "You'll have a sinch finding someone to go with you, but me..." Ron trailed off. Harry glanced at him. "Oh whatever! You won't have any trouble!" He laughed. Ron rolled his eyes.
"Why don't you loan me one of your groupies?" He asked, pointing to the corner of the common room. Harry glanced over. Lavendar Brown and Parvati Patil were giggling at him. Harry rolled his eyes. "It's not all it's cracked up to be." He said tonelessly. Ron snorted with laughter. Just then, Abby came down the stairs from the dormitory. She and Harry had become even better friends. She was dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. Her hair was pulled into a messy ponytail. "What's wrong?" Harry asked as Abby sat down next to him. "I'm gonna flunk my potions test!" Abby sighed angrily. Harry sighed. "Won't we all..." He said quietly. Abby grinned. "Don't be a prat!" She laughed. Harry stuck his tongue out and turned back to Ron, who was wearing a grin. "What?" Harry asked. Ron just grinned at him, before turning to Abby. "Abby, do you have a date to the ball?" He asked coyly. Abby stared at him.
"Well...no. Some guys asked me, but they weren't really my type." Abby said, scrunching up her nose. Ron smiled and raised his eyebrows. He shot Harry a glanced before heading up to his dorm. Abby stared after him. "What was that all about?" She asked, confused. Harry just shook his head. Abby sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "I swear Snape hates me." She laughed. Harry laughed and rested his cheek on the top of Abby's head. Across the room, Lavendar and Parvati were scowling. Harry enjoyed this warm moment with his friend. His friend Abby.
"So where are your Mum and brother?" He asked. Abby looked around too. "Oh, my Mum was taking Luka to look at quidditch stuff. He's absolutely addicted...like me!" Abby laughed. Harry smiled. They ordered their drinks and chatted happily. Harry found out a lot...like why Abby had come to Hogwarts. "My Mum remarried. She married this guy and he turned out to be Mr. Jeckle, Dr Hyde." Abby explained. Harry noticed, eager to hear more. "My Mum went on a business trip and left us with Kent and well..." Abby shifted awkwardly. Harry stared at her for a minute. "He didn't..." He began. Abby shook her head. "No...but he tried to. Luka ended up walking in when Kent was wrestling me to the ground and the arse chased after Luka. I tackled him and well, my Mum divorced him." Abby explained. "But why'd you move?" Harry asked, not able to believe what this man had almost done to Abby. "Um...Kent was harassing my Mum. Threatening her and stuff. So we moved." Abby explained. Harry nodded. They continued talking until Sirius showed up with Ron and Hermione. He greeted Abby with a smile and told Harry it was time to go. Harry and Abby said goodbye to each other and Harry left with Sirius and his friends.
SEPTEMBER THE 1ST ****************************************
Harry and Sirius were standing awkwardly on the platform, not sure how to say goodbye. "Oh hell!" Sirius laughed. He pulled Harry into a tight hug. They stood, embraced for a few seconds and then separated. "You better go before I start blubbering!" Sirius grinned. Harry nodded. He bit his lip. There was something he had been meaning to ask Sirius. "That day that your name was cleared and we were coming back on the train, you knew Abby's last name. You knew what happened to her, didn't you?" Harry asked hastily. Sirius became very serious and nodded. "Yeah, I did. I knew her Dad before he died. I heard things in Azkaban about his kids, Abby and Luka. Bad things that had almost happened. I was a little nervous when I thought you and her were...I just didn't think it was a good idea. You have both been through so much pain. You more than her, but nevertheless..." Sirius explained. Harry nodded. The whistle on the train blew. "I gotta go." Harry said hastily. Sirius nodded. He ruffled Harry's hair before the teenager dashed onto the train. Sirius watched until the scarlet steam engine disappeared into the vast distance. Then, he turned and went back through the barrier.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Abby all sat in a compartment together. Rain was lashing against the windows. Hermione had her nose buried in a book and Ron was asleep, his head resting on a pillow. Abby was leaning against the wall. She shivered slightly. Harry sighed. He grabbed his cloak and wrapped it around Abby. She smiled appreciatively. Harry grabbed another pillow and rested it on his lap. Hermione watched in horror as Abby stretched out across the seat and rested her head on the pillow, wrapped in Harry's cloak. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. Harry rested a hand on her shoulder and stared out the window. Hermione was just staring at Abby. This was getting a bit ridiculous! Hermione scowled and went back to her book. The train chugged along the usual course, bound for Hogwarts. A little while later, Ron woke. He stared at Abby, then smiled. Harry rolled his eyes. "Bugger off." He said with a grin. Ron shrugged and went back to sleep. Pretty soon, they had all drifted off to sleep. Even Hermione. Harry's head was rested against the window and Hermione had curled up on the seat. Abby and Ron were comfortably stretched out. There was a knock on their compartment door that woke them all. It was the plump witch with the food trolley. Harry and Ron groggily picked out what they wanted. Abby was awake now and still had Harry's cloak wrapped around herself. She inhaled the smell. Harry's smell. It was a mix of cologne, aftershave and perspiration. It was the smell of Harry. Abby smiled to herself as she nibbled on a pumpkin pasty. She didn't even realize she was falling for Harry.
The train lurched to a stop and there was a scramble to get off. It was still pouring outside. Hermione did her cloak up and Abby removed Harry's, handing it to him. Harry didn't take it. "Where's yours?" He asked. Abby smiled. "I left it in my trunk." She laughed. Harry frowned. He took the cloak, but put it back around Abby. She smiled gratefully. The four made their way through the crowds and over to the waiting carriages. By the time they scrambled into one, they were all soaked from head to food. Harry more so than any of them. His clothes were sticking to him and his hair was soaked. He ran his fingers through the mess of black hair and it became spiked. Hermione sighed and waved her wand. Harry was dry...they all were. The ride was pretty much silent up to the castle. No one was anxious to go back into the rain.
BEGINNING OF OCTOBER ****************************************
Ron groaned as he climbed through the portrait hole. "What's wrong?" Harry asked. He was sitting on the couch by the fire, thinking about things...people...Abby. "There's a Halloween Ball!" Ron whined. Harry snapped out of his trance. "What?" He asked. Ron nodded. "Yeah...they weren't gonna have one, but Dumbledore thought we should 'let loose'." He explained. Harry groaned. This meant he would have to find a date. "You'll have a sinch finding someone to go with you, but me..." Ron trailed off. Harry glanced at him. "Oh whatever! You won't have any trouble!" He laughed. Ron rolled his eyes.
"Why don't you loan me one of your groupies?" He asked, pointing to the corner of the common room. Harry glanced over. Lavendar Brown and Parvati Patil were giggling at him. Harry rolled his eyes. "It's not all it's cracked up to be." He said tonelessly. Ron snorted with laughter. Just then, Abby came down the stairs from the dormitory. She and Harry had become even better friends. She was dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. Her hair was pulled into a messy ponytail. "What's wrong?" Harry asked as Abby sat down next to him. "I'm gonna flunk my potions test!" Abby sighed angrily. Harry sighed. "Won't we all..." He said quietly. Abby grinned. "Don't be a prat!" She laughed. Harry stuck his tongue out and turned back to Ron, who was wearing a grin. "What?" Harry asked. Ron just grinned at him, before turning to Abby. "Abby, do you have a date to the ball?" He asked coyly. Abby stared at him.
"Well...no. Some guys asked me, but they weren't really my type." Abby said, scrunching up her nose. Ron smiled and raised his eyebrows. He shot Harry a glanced before heading up to his dorm. Abby stared after him. "What was that all about?" She asked, confused. Harry just shook his head. Abby sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "I swear Snape hates me." She laughed. Harry laughed and rested his cheek on the top of Abby's head. Across the room, Lavendar and Parvati were scowling. Harry enjoyed this warm moment with his friend. His friend Abby.