Chapter 2: TI-CHI

Harry awoke to Hedwig gently pecking his ear. He had let her out last night after he got in from his walk and was surprise to see her back already. "Okay girl I'm up, I'm up" he said grumpily, sitting up and reaching for his glasses. She flew up onto his shoulder and dropped a letter in his lap, it was from Hermione. No doubt she wanted to know how he was doing and why haven't he answered any of her letters. This was the third one. She had written to him everyday since he's been back. She means well but Hermione could be a pain sometimes with her incessant need to analyze and understand everything. But she was one of his very best friends who have been with him through almost everything and she deserved better than this so he decided to write to her.

Dear Hermione,

Sorry about not answering your letters but I haven't been myself lately and I just needed sometime to sort things out for myself. Right now I do feel a little better though so don't worry about me. The Dursely's haven't said one word to me since we've been back so I suppose that the threat from Mad Eye, Moony and the rest is still fresh in their minds. Anyway don't worry about me like I said I'm doing fine, just enjoy your holiday and I will see you soon.

Harry

He knew it sounded a little formal but for right now it's the best he could do. He took out another piece of parchment and wrote another letter much like the first one to his other best friend Ron, and then he wrote his usual letter to the order. They had told him to write everyday and let them know how he was doing, and if there was any trouble with his relatives. So he did even though he didn't want to.

This Harry still alive the Dursely's are behaving and I'm fine.

He didn't address it to anyone in particular and he didn't really care he was still mad at everyone especially Dumbledore right now. He didn't want to think about it right now so he sent Hedwig on her way and went to take a shower before going downstairs.

Mrs. Weasley was in a right mood this morning it has been four days since Harry had been back with those wretched relatives of his but for all she was concerned it could have been four weeks. She was worried about Harry, why did Dumbledore insist on sending him back there was beyond her. Why couldn't he stay here at the Burrow she already thought of him as one of the family and the poor dear wasn't in any condition to go home with those horrid creatures. She was going to have a talk with Dumbledore today, she had tried talking to him after everything that had happened at the end of term, but all he said was that because of the protection charm placed on Harry by his mother he had to go back to his relatives every year. The Order had warned his relatives about abusing him but she still didn't trust them to leave him alone and knowing Harry he wouldn't tell them if they did anything all he would say is I'm fine. And then there is the matter of Sirius' death she knew how much Harry loved Sirius and she knew that he must be blaming himself for his death. She didn't care what Dumbledore said the poor dear is in no condition to be left on his own with those people, blood protection or no one way or another she was going to get Dumbledore to let Harry spend the rest of the summer here the boy needs someone to look out for him and by Merlin she was going to do it.

After his shower Harry went downstairs to the kitchen, Aunt Petunia was making breakfast Uncle Vernon was reading his paper and as usual Dudley was whining about not having enough to eat. "I guess Dudley is still on his diet not that it's doing any good, in fact it looks as if he's gotten even fatter if that was possible." He thought to himself. As soon as he walked in the kitchen everyone held their breath eyeing him as if they expected something to happen. If he didn't have his own problems this would have been very funny but under the circumstances he just wanted to get away from them.

"Good morning all" no one said anything. "Alright then I'll just grab a piece of toast and be off then." He said and with that he left. What should I do today he thought to himself, maybe I'll go to the park it's still early and I doubt anyone will be there. The park was empty except for one individual over by the trees, there was nothing odd about that except for what the person was doing. It look as if they were dancing but it wasn't anything that Harry had seen before they were moving very slowly and gracefully and Harry was curious as to what was going on. As he got closer he thought the person looked familiar then he notice the copper color hair and he realize who it was.

It was Amelia she was wearing a black yoga pants and tank top with black trainers and she had her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. She had her eyes closed and Harry couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. How he hadn't noticed yesterday was beyond him. But yesterday he was too wrapped up in his own problems to have noticed a lot, but standing here looking at her doing whatever it was she was doing he couldn't help but appreciate everything especially since she couldn't see him. So him looking at her now wouldn't upset her. She had an oval shaped face with almond shaped eyes a button nose and her lips he stared at her lips the longest they were full and soft and a little pouty which had him thinking what it would be like to kiss her. What was he doing he didn't need to go down that road again not after the disaster with Cho. But he could still admire her unnoticed. She was a slender girl with delicate features and Harry knew he would have to be blind not to notice how beautiful and sexy she was with her small waist and rounded hips and very long legs. She wasn't like any of the girls he'd seen at Hogwarts not that he'd seen any dressed like this before. He was still in that train of thought when he heard her voice.

"Good morning I hope you are enjoying yourself," she said with laughter in her voice startling Harry out of his musings.

"G g good morning" he stuttered his face coloring profoundly. "I was just wondering what you were doing, it look like you were dancing or something and I was just trying to figure out what it was." He knew he was babbling but he couldn't stop himself he couldn't believe he had let her catch him staring at her like that. She must think I'm a complete perv, or something, he was so embarrass.

"It's called ti-chi" she said, she had seen how embarrass he was and she didn't want to add to it by teasing him so she decided to change tactics and pretend as if nothing had happened but she had to smile to herself because she had known he was standing there for at least twenty minutes just studying her openly. "It's a form of martial arts meditation exercise it helps you to relax and clear your mind, you should try it sometime I could teach you if you'd like," she offered.

He was so relieved that she wasn't going to tease him about staring at her. "Sure" he replied, "I'd like that what do I do first"

"Well first you have to relax and clear your mind, stand like this with your legs shoulder width apart and your arms by your side and take deep breaths and relax now empty your mind of everything and breath". Listening to her voice Harry could feel all the tension leaving his body and it was as if he was someplace else he didn't think about all the things that had happened to him, he didn't think about the prophesy he didn't think about anything. It was as if all his problems just went away and all he heard was her voice and even that sounded distant now he could still hear her telling him how to move his body but it was like she was a dream and he just followed along. Then he heard her voice calling him and he opened his eyes to see her smiling at him, he wasn't sure how long they had been there but he knew it had to have been at least thirty minutes because there were a lot more people in the park now. He smiled back at her "That was amazing I feel better than I have felt in a very long time you have to teach me more, this is so relaxing" he said excitedly.

Amelia was very pleased this is the first time she had seen him so happy in the four days she'd been observing him, he had looked so lost the first time she had seen him it had broken her heart. She had decided whatever was bothering him she would help him to deal with it as much as she could. "Why don't we meet here every morning and practice for about an hour and then we can go to breakfast or should I say brunch afterwards?" She asked.

Harry was so happy she'd agreed to teach him he really did enjoy the ti-chi as she called it but he also enjoyed being around her even though he didn't know much about her. "Sure" he replied, "That shouldn't be a problem", wait a minute did she just say go out afterwards. His mind started working a mile a minute what could he say he wanted to learn the exercise but he couldn't go out with her afterwards he didn't have any money, how would he pay for his meal.

She saw how he had stopped speaking and was deep in thought and she could guess what it was, he was probably thinking that she wanted him to take her out or something and he didn't have any money. She decided to save him from himself. "Hey Harry are you alright?" She asked

"Oh umm yes" he replied. "Good" she continued before he could say anything else, "as I was saying I don't live far from here and since we will be practicing early in the morning I just assume we could eat breakfast afterward. I don't usually eat before I come here but if you do it's okay you don't have to come if you don't want to" she replied.

Harry felt terrible for hurting her feelings he didn't mean to she just caught him off guard is all he didn't expect for her to invite him for breakfast or brunch or whatever she called it. He wasn't use to Muggles talking to him much less inviting him out to eat and that's when it hit him. She didn't feel like a muggle. Merlin knows she didn't look like one. Maybe she's a witch, and how did he know she wasn't working for Voldemort. As soon as he had that thought it vanished. Somehow he knew she wasn't working for Voldemort he didn't know how but he just knew. "Don't get upset I didn't mean anything you just caught me off guard is all, breakfast at your place sounds good".

She smiled at him "okay shall we go then?"