Harry's Twin by Gemzgurl

"Oh no, Ginny. She's not living with us!" Ron folded his arms across his chest, the argument final. "No way she's staying with us."
"You could stay with me, I suppose," Hermione offered kindly, "but my parents work a lot and aren't really home often enough to take care of us both. But I wouldn't mind the extra company. I hope you don't mind having a cat around, though."
"Cat's are cool. Why? Do you have a cat?"
"Yes, his name is Crookshanks," Hermione replied, grinning. "I got him three years ago. He's really great and---"she looked pointedly at Ron--- "he knows evil when he sees it."
"Hermione, I think you and I are going to get along great." Lei smiled and put her arm around Hermione's shoulders in a show of friendship. "Is there somewhere that we can get a bite to eat and maybe talk about where I'm going to stay?"
"That sounds like a good idea to me," Harry said. "I'm starving!"
"You're always hungry, Harry." Ginny smiled. "You and Ron, over there. Between you two, I don't know who eats more."
"It doesn't matter who eats more," Harry said. "All that matters is that we get some food and soon." He grinned around at everyone and got smiles back, even if Ron's smile was weak, while he was still glaring at Lei.
They all decided on ice cream, and once they had ordered, they all sat down at a table and began eating. Silence was at the table for a while, but before long, the conversation started up again.
"What if Lei was to stay with Mrs. Figg, down the street from Harry?" Ginny asked, taking a small bite of the banana spilt she was sharing with Hermione. "Then she and Harry wouldn't be very far away in case something happens, and Harry can just tell his aunt and uncle that he's been invited over for tea at Mrs. Figg's house."
"I don't know," Harry said skeptically. "Everything she makes to eat tastes like cabbage, she's old, and she's got about a hundred cats."
"I know a woman who lives in my neighborhood that I could talk to," Hermione offered. "She's really nice, and only about twenty three years old. She really likes kids, but doesn't have any."
"She sounds nice," Lei said with a smile. "I think she'd be perfect, and she knows about magic, right? I mean, she's not a muggle, because that would be really hard for me to hide my magic from."
"No, she told me a while ago that she used to go to Hogwarts. I don't know how she knew that I went, but she did. I think she would be really happy to look after you while you're here."
"Bene. Grazie, Hermione."
"Huh?" Ginny raised her eyebrow.
"Oh, sorry, Ginny. I said, 'Good. Thank you, Hermione.'"
"Oh, okay."
Lei went home with Hermione and her parents, and while they were driving home---it was weird calling England home, since she had lived in Italy for so long---Lei wondered what this young woman who used to go to Hogwarts would be like, or if she would get along with her new roommate, she guessed she could call her.
"Her name is Kathia Johannes (A/N: pronounced Cat-tia Yo-haun-is)," Hermione said from beside Lei in the backseat of the car, "but she told me to call her Kat, although I usually don't. She used to live in Germany, when she was a child. She lived there until she was fifteen years old, and then she switched into Hogwarts when she and her family moved to England. After she finished Hogwarts, she moved back to Germany for a while, until she was twenty, and then she moved back here, and moved into the house where she lives now."
"Cool," Lei said with a smile. Now she really couldn't wait to talk to this Kathia Johannes of Germany, because she would understand what it felt like to move to another country. Bundles of nerves twisted in her stomach at the thought of meeting a new person, however, just like they always did.
Ten minutes later, the car pulled up in front of a coffee-with-cream colored house, and Mr. and Mrs. Granger were telling Hermione that they would wait out front for her to come back from walking Lei up to meet Kathia. Lei's heart beat against her chest, and she wondered absentmindedly if she would ever be comfortable when meeting new people.
As she stepped out of the car, Lei took in her surroundings. There were several trees in the front yard of the house, some pine trees, others aspens. Right in the front of the yard, there was a large patch of dirt in which beautiful, bright colored flowers were growing. The yard itself was a lush, well-kept emerald green. Lei thought it was beautiful.
Hermione walked up the flagstone path in the middle of the yard that led up to a small, concrete front porch. Lei followed quietly behind her. Hermione knocked on the big oak door and waited expectantly. Lei swallowed, trying to calm her heart down. It was just another person, right? She hadn't had time to be nervous about meeting Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny because she had been to worried about that man from Italy following her.
The heavy door opened then, and Lei took a deep breath as a lean young woman stepped out onto the porch. She had dark red hair and pale green eyes, and looked to be about five feet, nine inches or so. She was dressed in a short, black skirt and white shirt and had been putting a golden hoop through her ear; another hoop dangled from the other ear.
"Hermione," the woman said cheerfully, smiling brightly, showing dimples in her cheeks. "How have you been? You haven't stopped by in a while." She waved towards the car and smiled again. Hermione's parents waved back.
"Hello, Kathia," Hermione greeted, putting on her own smile. "This is my friend, Lei. She arrived from Italy today, and she's looking for a place to stay. She's transferring to Hogwarts," she added quietly, in case the neighbors were listening.
"Well, hello there, Lei," Kathia said happily. "I'd be glad to have you stay here, if you don't mind, that is. Why don't you come in and get yourself settled." Kathia looked around, then asked, "Where's your luggage, kiddo?"
"I don't have any," Lei said quietly. "I came rather suddenly."
"Hmmm, well then, we'll have to go shopping for you after I get off work. I hate to be rude, but I'm supposed to work tonight, but not for very long. Only four hours or so." Kathia chewed her lip for a moment. "Hermione, I hope your parents don't mind watching Lei until I can come and get her after my shift ends. I'd hate to leave her all alone in a house she doesn't know, especially with Romeo and Phoebe there."
"Romeo and Phoebe?" Lei asked.
"My parrots," Kathia explained. "They talk non-stop." She rolled her eyes good heartedly.
"I don't think my parents would mind watching Lei until you get off work, Kathia," Hermione said. "I'm sure that they will be happy that I have another friend."
"I told you a million times, Hermione, please call me Kat. Kathia sounds so formal, and we're friends, and friends give each other nicknames, right?"
"Right, Kat, anyway. I'll take Lei with me, okay? And then you can pick her up on your way home. What time do you get off work?"
"Around five, so I'll be around five fifteen or so. I'll call you when I get off, okay?"
Hermione and Lei nodded and then headed back for the car after exchanging goodbyes with Kat. Hermione quickly explained to her parents about the situation and they agreed that Lei shouldn't have to stay alone with the parrots.
Lei felt like she was causing everybody a hassle, the one thing she didn't want to do in her first day in a new country. But at least Kathia seemed nice. Now all she had to worry about was Romeo and Phoebe. And whomever might have followed her to England.