Thanks to Mojo, Chuck, N. Chan, P. Peters, Malvika R, and Anon users on Discord for giving this a look.

Weirdhunterangel also has my thanks again.

Chapter 2: Heading to the Weasleys

"Psst! Holly!"

Ever since the boy had learned her name, that's all he ever said. As if learning her name meant that they were friends.

She simply pretended not to hear. If he got into trouble, that was his own fault.

"Holly!"

"Mr Kann," said their teacher, Ms Michaels, from the front of the room. She was a young woman with brown hair and blue eyes. "Is your work complete?"

The boy – well, Kann, now - nodded, holding up a neatly filled out Maths sheet with pride. "Yes Ms Michaels. I finished five whole minutes ago!"

Dudley overhead and sniggered. "I finished five whole minutes ago," he said to Piers, mimicking Kann's eager tone. He covered his forehead with a fat hand, dramatically leaning back in his seat. "I need more work, Ms Micheals!"

Piers and several others laughed.

"What a swot."

Kann turned bright red.

"Mr Dursley, Mr Polkiss," she warned as she sent them a look.

When they went back to their work, Ms Michaels returned her attention to the boy. "If you've completed your work, remain quiet and do not distract your classmates. Do you understand?"

Kann stared at his desk, clearly embarrassed. "Yes Ms Michaels."

The room filled with titters before it went silent again. Holly didn't feel bad for him. Kann had to be new. He should have known better. The only person that could be an annoying swot was Elizabeth Hughes, the smartest girl in class, and that was because her parents gave money to the school every year. Even Dudley left her alone.

She looked at him again. His face wasn't red anymore but he was still looking at his desk and twirled his pencil in his right hand. For the rest of class he didn't say a word, even though he clearly knew all the answers when they went over their work.

It couldn't hurt to say hello though, maybe during break? She shook off the thought. Today was Friday. By Monday he'd forget about her.

~•~

The dinner had gone extremely well, and that was all Vernon would talk about for the next three days. Holly, on the other hand, could feel anxiety bubble in her gut.

Of course, she wasn't truly going to stay at Privet Drive. The idea was madness. If she hadn't lied to the hyper house-elf, she could have been trapped in her room for the rest of summer for all she knew. Holly had convinced the elf that she would need to 'say her goodbyes' to Ron, Hermione and Hagrid, so he said he wouldn't interfere with the rest of her post. She set Hedwig out that very night with apologies, explanations and replies.

Hermione had sent her summer assignment inquiries, already having completed the work. She included her house phone number to call in case something happened to Hedwig. Her thoughts on Herbology and Muggle farming were quite interesting; had Holly received her letters when she was supposed to it would have made a great discussion.

Hagrid had also sent on general updates on Fang, Fluffy and the Forest. Fang was doing well and Hagrid and Dumbledore had sent Fluffy back home to Greece. He had also—indirectly—informed her of what truly happened to Quirrel. The Professors had set up traps to catch another who came after the Stone last year, and Quirrell made it through all but the final one. He had been caught by Dumbledore that same night and arrested by the Ministry of Magic.

Ron's letters were the most interesting. He detailed life in the Burrow, his home, and a written introduction to his sister Ginny, who would be starting Hogwarts in September. He moaned about the summer work and chores he had to do and filled the parchment with tales of flying in sunny Devon playing pick up games of Quidditch with his brothers. He even invited her to stay. A few times, she realized, as she went through the letters.

It would be a refreshing change of pace, she thought as she penned down her reply. She missed real flying, and winced at the thought of Wood finding out that a Nimbus Two Thousand had been used like a toy broomstick for Muggles. When the Kanns came back and she and Alex had some idea of how the business would work when she went back to Hogwarts, she would accept the invitation.

THUMP.

"Knock it off Dudley!"

Vernon had been working more than ever since his promotion. Petunia was out more often, too, gossiping to the neighbourhood ladies about all the new things they would be able to buy with Vernon's increased salary. Dudley had alternated between hanging out with his gang and bothering her. It seemed like today was a 'Holly hunt' day.

THUMP. She could hear whatever Dudley was using to hit her door with roll away.

Scowling, she Softened the door just as the object hit once again. It stretched, making a circular indent on her side as if someone punched through a sheet of rubber before returning to its original shape.

She wasn't bothered again.

Holly watched the sunset idly as she drummed her fingers on the desk.

Her PDA pinged.

"Holly?" said Alex. He had a bit more colour than when she last "saw" him. From the camera's position, she could see a white vest. His back was against what appeared to be a rock. She heard the sound of running water in the distance and several distant voices, including Sam and Rhea's. They sounded cheerful.

"Alex! Where are you?"

"At the beach," grinned Alex, his braces glinting in the sunlight. He panned his phone.

"Which one?" It didn't look like any beach she had seen. The sand was grey instead of yellow and the sky was white, not blue. The ocean was also an odd colour - nearly clear rather than blue - and the few plants she could see were purple and very dark brown as if it was autumn rather than summer.

Alex tensed, moving a black branch with purple leaves out of sight. "Uh, nowhere important."

She rolled her eyes. Did he think she was thick? "Yeah, pull the other one."

"I'm serious, Holly. It's just a regular beach. There are some weather problems, you see..."

"Whatever you say." She wasn't going to push. "So when do you think you'll be back?"

"In less than a week, we should fly back on the twelfth."

"That's good."

They chatted idly before she brought up Dudley snooping in her room and discovering her potions book.

"That is pretty weird."

"Isn't it? But we do need testers for the potions, testers that know about magic...he'd be perfect!"

"I don't know if that's a good idea," said Alex.

"Why not? He knows about magic and he's a Muggle. Besides, he's clearly interested in potions."

"He could snitch to your aunt and uncle and ruin everything."

She snorted. "Petunia and Vernon still won't hear of magic, and any other adult would think he's barmy."

A pause. "Well, we do need test subjects," he said, seeming to reconsider her idea. "I guess it'd be alright if we give him Dittany. But you're going to have to sort it out with him."

"That'll be a piece of cake. Oh, and we need a name for the business, too. Do you have anything?"

"'Potions for Prosperity'?"

Holly gave him a look. Was he daft? "Sure! Do you think the Ministry will wait until after we start selling the potions to investigate, or just arrest us right then and there?"

"Alright, alright, that was a bust. How about 'A Healing Hand'?"

"Hmm...it's okay I guess, but kind of generic."

"Picky picky. 'Eternal Elixirs'."

She opened her notebook and wrote the name. "That could work. It doesn't stand out too much, it's short, it's alliterative, and it implies longevity, which could be ironic if it doesn't work out."

"It'll work. I'll make sure of it. So we're agreed?"

"Yes. We'll need a logo for it."

"The Rod of Asclepius, makes the most sense," he said, sounding like he'd had it in mind for quite a while. "Except we'll reverse the rod to make it look more like a wand. It pays tribute to our magical heritage and it's so common no one will look twice at it."

Holly grinned. "Brilliant."

The Kanns returned on the twelfth, and the preteens quickly resumed their business operation. After a sit-down with Dudley, the three of them set up a working arrangement where Dudley would test watered-down potions and send the information to Alex. In return, Holly would pay Dudley and he agreed to leave Holly alone for the rest of her summers at Privet Drive.

With that out of the way, Holly was able to go through her school letter—which, thankfully, had not gone "missing"—and looked over her supply list. The Standard Book of Spells Grade 2 was expected, seven of Gilderoy Lockhart's books weren't. The list was tucked away.

With everything coming together smoothly, Holly mailed Ron her acceptance to his invitation, and they sent a few letters to confirm the details. When the twenty-first came around, Holly decided to bring up her end-of-summer plans to Alex.

"So...I'll be leaving for the last week or so of holiday," said Holly, jittery with excitement as she stirred the Dittany. "On the twenty-third."

Alex nearly dropped a jar of burn-healing paste. "What? Where?"

"Ron's house. He invited me to stay back in July but I didn't see it until earlier this month, and by then you were on holiday. I wanted to make sure we had everything covered before I said yes and since we do, well, I'm off!"

But Alex didn't share her excitement. "That...sounds like fun."

Holly glared at him. What could it be now? "Is everything okay?"

He opened his mouth before snapping it shut and nodding. "Yes. I'm happy for you. Enjoy yourself."

"Don't give me that! What's your problem?"

"Nothing's a problem. Didn't I say I'm happy for you?"

"You don't sound it."

Alex shrugged, pointedly staring at his notebook. "It's just...you've always spent the summer between Privet Drive and here."

"Yes, but it's every summer. Nothing's wrong with a change of pace. I mean, I get to stay at wizard's house and all—"

He shot her an irritated look. "Oh, I see."

"At least they don't keep secrets from me," Holly snapped, reaching her breaking point with the implied criticism. She had thought they had been over this. "Do you think I'm blind? You're always hiding something!"

"No, we—"

"Oh? Then what really poisoned Rhea during Easter? It's why we started this entire thing, isn't it?"

"I—"

"Why do you have a bunch of locked cabinets?"

"Hol—"

"Secret looks at each other? Why are your siblings avoiding me, even now?"

They stared at each other, flustered tawny-brown eyes meeting penetrating bright green.

Alex looked away first. "Sorry."

"What about your school? Your friends? You don't tell me any of that stuff. I tell you everything." And honestly, it hurt.

"I know. I know." He sighed. "About school...the first term was...well, it could have gone better, to tell you the truth." At her questioning look, he added, "I wasn't exactly the most popular person there, and I had a bit of trouble making friends."

"Can't imagine why."

"I don't like this any more than you do, Holly, but I haven't got a choice." He looked resentful at this. "Dad has the final say."

"If you can't—or won't—tell me, fine. But don't make a fuss when I get to go on the first deliberate hoilday of my life away from Privet Drive. We spent most of the summer together, the business is doing well and you've had your fun. Why should I stay here? Is there any good reason?"

Alex didn't respond, choosing to stare at the floor irritably.

Why didn't he want her to go? She was reminded of the argument that they had a few months ago. Had she listened to him the first time, she wouldn't have gotten detention nor gotten the unicorn tail hair. On the other hand, taking his advice the second time had stopped her, Ron and Hermione from going after Quirrell and whatever traps the Professors set up for him.

There was a clear difference in his behaviour this summer. The perfectionist that had rarely surfaced pre-Hogwarts had come out full-force to look over her work, going over her completed assignments so thoroughly it would give Hermione a run for her money. He had only gotten away with it because Holly could tell he was just as hard on himself, but it was still annoying.

His over-protectiveness had also made a comeback if his reactions over the year were any indication. And it seemed as if something changed within the family, something she was not privy to. But with no one able or willing to inform her exactly what, she hadn't a clue on how to proceed.

"You're right," he said, finally meeting her eyes. "I'm sorry. I hope you have a good time."

She nodded warily. The argument was far from over, but she was content to shelve it for now. "Thanks."

Neither were satisfied, but Holly accepted his hug nonetheless.

Holly headed for the blind spot at the corner of Privet and Hazel on the morning of the twenty-third, lugging her trunk and Hedwig's cage behind her while her faithful owl flew ahead. She'd left a note for her relatives, not that she expected them to notice or care. Vernon had contractors every day to see if they could knock down a wall and add another room, and Petunia looked through a catalogue of paint swatches constantly and took to leafing through property magazines in search of that perfect house in Majorca. Dudley insisted his room needed to be painted fire lorry red.

Even though she and Alex were on relatively good terms now, she couldn't help but worry about him. Before Hogwarts, he smiled more and was cheerful, in contrast to her more subdued demeanour. His kindness and expressiveness were what drew them together, and his sense of humour—including those obnoxious, adorable pouts—had grown on her. They were the school loners and bonded over it.

Now he was less friendly and more critical. He didn't joke around as much, and while part of it was due to spending most of their time working and the supposed bullying from last year, another part was due to his refusal to be open with her. In fact, the entire family wasn't. They had always kept to themselves, but now it seemed to be kicked up a notch. She could tell Alex was suffering from it, and that it went against everything he was - honest and open - but he still did it.

What did they have to hide from her? Were they in a gang? Some government conspiracy? Undercover operation? Witness protection? Holly looked over the PDA Alex had given her. Red and gold-toned with wooden assents, Internet access, video and audio calls, practically unlimited storage and highly durable. This technology was at least a decade in the future, yet they had it made in a matter of weeks. It never died and she never had to charge it. In fact, there was no battery or signal strength icon. How had she not noticed that?

She shook her head. Explains why Alex said things went over my head at times, she thought, raising her wand for the Knight Bus.

"There you are—are you alright, dear?" said the plump redheaded woman that answered the door. "You're looking peaky."

"Never better," she said, trying to keep herself from spewing. The woman, introducing herself as Ron's mother, Molly, fussed over her, bringing her inside the house.

"I knew that Knight Bus was an awful idea! Come in, come in! You can set your bag in front of the door dear. We've just begun breakfast," she said, guiding her to the kitchen table. Ron, Fred, George and Percy were already eating.

"Holly! You made it!" said Ron, pulling out the seat next to him.

Holly gave an uneasy grin as she sat. "Hey, Ron. Happy to be here. I just need a moment...the Knight Bus wasn't exactly the smoothest ride." The entire trip was a nightmare. When Mrs Kann had told her about it, she assumed with was just a "normal" flying bus, like from The Magic School Bus. Nope. It was a triple-decker, jerking, banging monstrosity.

Fred and George looked at each other and then at her.

"You've ridden—" said Twin one.

"—The Knight Bus?" said Twin two.

Holly nodded.

"Wicked!" they said in unison.

"What was it like?" asked One.

"Bumpy," she said, accepting a glass of water from Mrs Weasley.

"Is it true—"

"Leave her alone, can't you see she's ill? Give her some space," Percy said as he buttered his toast.

"Thank you, Percy," said Mrs Weasley as she put down the pitcher. "I'm happy someone is being thoughtful."

The twins mocked Percy when she turned to plate up some bacon.

"Thank you, Prefect Percy."

"Yes, thank you."

Ron nudged her, rolling his eyes at his brothers. "Barking, aren't they?"

Holly let out a weak chuckle, the prospect of food easing her stomach. Mrs Weasley added more bacon to her plate and she smirked when Ron got told off for stealing her sausages. She was introduced to the rest of the family as they arrived—Ron's father, who had an odd fascination with Muggles, and Ginny, who alternated between looking starry-eyed and timid when she told her that Ron told her all about her.

After breakfast, Ginny was tasked with showing her where she would stay. The trip upstairs was awkward, to say the least. Ginny refused to look at her and rushed into her room, no doubt tidying it up before allowing her to enter. The room itself was pretty standard, painted a pale green with several suspiciously light patches where something formerly hung. She awkwardly set her old bag from primary down in a corner while Ginny closed her wardrobe door and darted out the room.

Hope she gets over it soon. She removed her Shrunken owl cage and trunk. For an additional five Knuts the bus conductor was willing to shrink them, which was a good thing too, considering the ride.

"Finite Incantatem," she waved her wand, feeling the rush of power as her things returned to full size. She tucked her wand away and headed back downstairs. It was easy to sneak out past the kitchen and find the boys flinging the gnomes into the air.

"Still working?" asked Holly after she crossed the lawn.

"Yeah, but I reckon we're almost done," Ron said, lifting a gnome. He held it at arm's length as it kicked out at him with its horny little feet; he grasped it around the ankles and turned it upside-down. "This is what you have to do," he said. He raised the gnome above his head—"Gerroff me!" it shouted—and started to swing it in great circles like a lasso.

"Don't worry, it doesn't hurt them," he added, throwing it twenty feet in the air. "Give it a go."

She only managed a few feet, but it was fun trying.

Over the next few days, Holly quickly settled into the daily routine at the Burrow. Wake up, eat breakfast, do chores, have lunch, play Quidditch, play chess or sleep, have dinner, practice magic and sleep. It was much more relaxing than at Privet Drive, where she'd have to worry about nosey neighbours, Dudley bothering her, and Petunia and Vernon giving her suspicious looks. It was even better than Alex's house, something she once didn't think possible.

She put down her glass of chilled pumpkin juice and turned her gaze away from the thick trees surrounding the Weasley paddock. Flying above, Ron, Fred and George playing Beaters vs Keeper. The twins were nearly as vicious here as they were on the pitch, but Ron was still able to block about half the shots coming his way.

"Nice save Ron!" she called when he stopped eight successive apples.

One of the twins flew next to the other and shouted something to Ron, who then proceeded to miss several saves in a row. Odd.

It didn't take much longer for Ron to fly down on her Nimbus, his face bright red. He chugged two glasses of juice before offering to switch.

Holly shook her head. "I'm rubbish at Keeper and even worse at Beater. You can still beat them you know."

Unfortunately for her, it was one of those rare times that Ron noticed something was off. "You alright?"

She sighed, running her hand through the grass. "Just trying to figure something out."

Ron looked uncomfortable. "This isn't a girl thing, is it?"

She almost laughed. "No, no," she reassured him. "You know I live with Muggles?"

Ron nodded.

"Well, Muggle children start school at four, not eleven, and I had a friend that was, well, wondering where I went this year. We had a fight about it."

"You didn't tell her, did you? About magic?"

Holly shook her head, partly because Alex already knew and partly because she didn't want Ron to know. "No. We spent the summer together though, but he"—Ron tensed—"didn't like the fact I wanted to 'visit a friend' for the rest of summer."

"He? Your friend is a boy?"

"Yes." Holly rose an eyebrow. "Is that a problem? You're a boy, aren't you?"

"No, it's fine," Ron said, trying and failing to seem unbothered as he sat on the blanket next to her. "So he wanted you to stay?"

"Yes. He thinks I'm at an old-fashioned boarding school, but I couldn't explain why I couldn't keep in touch. It's not as if I could send him letters, either," she lied.

Ron frowned. "You aren't going to tell him about magic, are you? The Statute doesn't allow it."

She knew all about the Statute, of course, but shook her head anyway. "No, I won't tell. But I haven't a clue about what I'm supposed to do. Can a witch be friends with a Muggle? One that they grew up with?" Especially if the Muggle already knows, she wanted to add.

"I dunno. Haven't thought about it, really. Most Muggle-born don't mention it. Hermione hasn't."

That was true. Neither had asked her about her pre-Hogwarts life. To be fair, Holly hadn't been open either. She mentioned neither the Dursleys nor the Kanns, whom, now that she thought about it, had once important thing in common—they had both at one time lied to her. Still lying to her, she was certain.

Holly let out a deep breath. "So you think it's a bad idea then? Staying friends with him?"

"I dunno. I reckon you know him better than I do. Dad says it's hard for our kind to be friends with Muggles because they aren't allowed to know about magic or they'll get Obliviated. That's why most who grow up Muggle cut them off sooner or later."

She wasn't pleased, but it made sense.

"Right. Thanks Ron."

"You're welcome."

"Mr Weasley," began Holly during pudding the next night, "would I get into trouble giving potions to my cousin?" She'd done some research, but it couldn't hurt to get information from a trusted source.

"Giving potions?" The redheaded patriarch shook his head. "Generally, no. Cousins fall under the Family and Marriage clause of the Statute...first cousins, correct?"

She nodded.

"Then you should be fine, as long as he knows to keep it under wraps." He took a bite of his sponge cake. "You wouldn't believe how much legwork the Ministry has to do when one relative tells another. Statute violations all over the place."

Percy set his glass of water down importantly. "As the British Youth Representative to the Wizengamot, I have to say that that's not entirely complete information. Making potions at a Muggle home would be a problem, given you're underage and haven't completed your OWLs. It violates the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, you see. Now, once you've gotten an A or better on your Potions OWL you can brew at home, so long as no unrelated Muggles find out."

Holly nodded, knowing full well she broke and would continue to break that law.

Fred and George exchanged a look. "And what about in our very own home, dear brother?"

Percy huffed. "The law applies to wizard- and Muggle-born and raised just the same."

"Not to Bill," muttered one of the twins.

"Have you gotten the chance to go to Diagon Alley yet Holly?" asked Mr Weasley.

Her eyes widened. She had completely forgotten!

"Not to worry, we have a bit of time left. We can go tomorrow. It's actually better this way. There will be fewer people milling about, and we'll be in and out in no time at all!"

Holly nodded. It sounded good to her—the fewer people to notice her buying potions stuff the better.

"That works splendidly for me, I do need to stock up on quills," said Percy before he sipped the last of his water.

Fred (or George) whispered to his twin, who snorted.

"Can I come along too?" asked Ron.

"Well, I don't see why not, so long as you stay out of trouble. You can help Holly get all her things, especially all those Lockhart books," said Mrs Weasley as she collected the plates with a wave of her wand.

Ron looked like he bit something bitter, but nodded.

Holly inhaled and exhaled deeply, taking in the feeling. She smiled. It had been over a year since she'd been to the Alley, and with the delays between getting her letter and Hagrid retrieving the Stone, she hadn't had the time to really enjoy it.

"Hurry along, we haven't got all day!" called Mrs Weasley, ushering them along, away from Gringotts.

She sighed. Well, maybe next year.

"Now, I'll go to buy more Floo powder while Percy will escort you to all the shops." Mrs Weasley tapped her wrist, looking nervous. "I don't like leaving the twins at home by themselves longer than I have to, especially with Ginny."

Percy looked exasperated. "They will be fine. You've left me home alone when I was younger than them."

"It's not their age I'm worried about..."

"I'll escort Ron and Holly to all the shops. It shouldn't take long," said Percy.

"Be back here in one hour, do you understand?"

The three of them chorused varying forms of yes before she departed. The second she was out of view Percy turned to them and frowned.

"What?" asked Ron.

After glancing in the direction their mother had gone, Percy began, "Alright listen to me. I have to go somewhere. Mum can't know about it."

Ron's eyes widened. "You're joking!"

"Is it for your British Youth thing?" asked Holly.

He flushed, shaking his head. "We only meet every other Monday. Now the both of you know the way around so there shouldn't be any trouble getting your supplies, correct?"

"Er—"

"No," said Ron quickly.

"Good," said Percy stiffly. Then, with a bit of reluctance, he reached into his pocket and pulled out six Sickles, giving three to each of them. "Meet back here within an hour's time and remember, don't tell Mum."

They nodded and Percy walked off.

"What was that about?"

Ron stuffed the coins in his pocket. "Who cares? Let's get your things before Mum gets back. Where do you want to go first?"

Forty-five minutes later, Ron shoved the last of the textbooks into the new pewter cauldron. "I still don't know why you wanted to buy another one of these."

Holly shrugged, not wanting to explain. "I can carry it the rest of the way."

"I reckon we're almost done. What's left?"

She took out the list as they left Flourish and Blotts. "Just some ink and parchment. Oh, and we should get something for Hermione's—"

"Well, if it isn't Scarhead and Weasel," drawled a voice neither of them wanted to hear.

"Malfoy, Parkinson," snarled Ron as the two Slytherins came up to them, wearing their usual sneers.

"What do you want?" asked Holly.

"We wanted to congratulate you," said Parkinson. Her face was twisted in cruel glee. "It's not every day one sees a pure-blood trailing pathetically after a half-blood."

Malfoy, on the other hand, looked bored. He examined his fingernails and said, "Tell us, Weasley, how much is Potter paying you to lug that cauldron around for her? A Galleon? Ten Sickles?"

Ron looked at Malfoy as if he were something unpleasant on the sole of his shoe. "I don't charge my friends."

He returned the look. "Just when you think a family couldn't sink any lower. Though I suppose being Potter's errand boy is the best you can hope for. At least she's rich enough to properly clothe you—and do get on with that, Potter."

Ron flushed angrily and Holly rolled her eyes, pulling him by the elbow. "Nobody asked you, Malfoy. Let's go Ron."

Parkinson gasped, looking between the two. "I think you were wrong Draco. It seems like Potter's gotten herself a boyfriend! "

What!? The cauldron fell with a loud clang and Holly felt her cheeks grow warm.

Malfoy gave them a nasty grin. "Well-spotted, Parkinson! I shouldn't be surprised, though, Father says Potters have a type—"

"And so do Malfoys, apparently," said Holly quickly. "Tell me, Pansy, when was the marriage contract between you and Draco signed?"

Parkinson paled and Malfoy lost his arrogant look.

"What—"

"It was easy to figure out, seeing as you two have been attached at the hip since before the Sorting. It's so... sweet, isn't it Ron? Knowing who you'll marry ahead of time?"

He looked between them in confusion. It was clear he didn't know what was happening. "Er, yeah."

Parkinson didn't answer, giving her a dirty look as she pulled Malfoy away.

"Send us an invitation to the wedding, yeah?" called Ron as they left.

Malfoy looked back to sneer at Ron. "In your dreams, Weasley."

Holly smirked once they turned a corner. "Brilliant touch, Ron."

He reddened. "Thanks. How'd you know they were betrothed?"

"That's the funny thing. I didn't. I took a shot and they caved."

They burst into laughter before crouching to pick up the fallen books.

"What's this?" asked Ron, holding up a slightly worn black book with a leather cover. He opened it up. "It's completely empty."

Holly shrugged. "Maybe it's one pair of a set of two-way journals."

"Hmm." Ron closed the book. "Can I..."

"Go ahead," she said, putting a mail-order catalogue in and heaving the cauldron up. "Looks like we're out of time. We'll have to owl-order something for Hermione."

"What? Why?"

"Her birthday's coming up, Ron."

"You never got me anything for my birthday," said Ron as they made their way to the rendezvous point.

"Well, you didn't tell me until the day of and by then it was too late."

Ron muttered something under his breath before they spotted Percy, who was trying to fix his ruffled hair and clothes.

"What happened to you?" asked Ron.

The older boy flushed. "Never you mind. Mum's waiting for us, come on."

~•~

For whatever reason, Kann was still talking to her. Well, trying to, anyway. Every day he would walk in and sit next to her until she told him to leave her alone. He'd whisper to her, getting himself into trouble during class. He'd find her at break and share some odd fact about space — "Nobody knows how many stars there are up there" — before buggering off.

She was tired of it. He wouldn't leave her alone. How many times did she have to say it? If he was going to turn out like Eva, or Emily, or Dennis, or Angela and Corey, then she'd rather have no friends at all.

"Did you know that—"

"I don't want to talk to you," snapped Holly, throwing a ball against the large oak tree.

"There's a planet that's made out of diamonds!"

"Yeah right." She threw the ball again. "Bother someone else."

"But—"

Holly lost her temper. "Just go away!" she yelled, slamming the ball on the grass. It shot up into the air like a rocket.

"Woah," said Kann. He looked between the disappearing ball and her in amazement. "That was so cool!"

That wasn't supposed to happen. Holly paled. How was she going to explain this?

"How'd you—"

"Hey freak!"

Uh-oh. Holly's stomach dropped further when Dudley pranced over with his friends. "Give us the ball!" he said, a chubby hand out. "Or else!"

"Leave her alone!" said Kann.

"Shut up, no one was talking to you!" Gordon said.

Holly glared at Dudley. This was the worst time for him to be bothering her. "What ball?"

Unfortunately for her, the ball chose that moment to finally descend, landing in her hands.

Dudley pointed at her hands. "That one!"

Holly stepped back. "Find your own!"

"No! I want it!"

She looked around. A few of their yearmates were watching what was happening, but none of them came to help. When Dudley started on someone, everyone had the good sense to stay away. Even the older kids made themselves scarce.

"You can't have it, it's mine," she said, taking another step back.

Dudley cracked his knuckles. Holly swallowed. He wouldn't really hit her, would he? Boys weren't supposed to hit girls, Aunt Petunia always said so!

"Just leave us alone," said Kann.

"Bugger off, you stupid know-it-all," said Piers with a sneer. "This is between us and the weirdo."

Ignoring the laughter, Holly inched further away. If Kann was distracting Dudley, maybe she'd have a chance to get a break monitor.

Kann crossed his arms. "You can't tell us what to do."

"Yes we can," Dudley said, stepping towards him with an ugly scowl. The rest of his friends blocked the way, trapping them by the tree and the fence behind it. "Why are you helping her? Nobody likes her! That's why she's always by herself! Not even the girls talk to her!"

"Oooh!"

Holly clutched the ball tighter, stuck between anger and tears. It was Dudley's fault no one wanted to talk to her, not hers! She didn't do anything wrong!

"If you want to play with someone, you can play with us," Malcolm said. "We're better than her."

"Yeah. She's just a dumb girl." Dennis sneered.

Holly could feel tears well in her eyes. She just wanted one day where she would be left alone. Being noticed was never a good thing.

Kann looked annoyed. "Come on Holly, let's go over there."

"We won't let you!" Dudley shouted. "Let's hit them!"

"Yeah!"

As they backed them against the fence, Kann shoved her behind him, as if the protect her. "Stay behind me!"

She looked between Kann, Dudley, and the rest of their classmates. More than a few looked worried, now. She saw one run inside.

"Help!"

Dudley shoved Kann into her. "Shut up, freak!" Holly hit her head against the fence and fell.

Still standing, Kann shoved Dudley back, giving her room to crawl away from the fence. "Back off!"

Dudley recovered fast. He reeled back and punched Kann in the stomach. Piers, Malcolm and Dennis took turns kicking a downed Kann while Gordon — the tallest boy in their class — stopped anyone from getting close.

Holly watched in horror as Kann curled up into a ball to defend against the worst of the attacks. This is my fault. She couldn't deny it now. If he hadn't tried to defend her, he wouldn't be on the ground, coiled up and getting beaten.

"Stop it! You're hurting him! Stop!"

That only drew Dudley's attention to her again. He kicked her leg. "Shut up!"

She rubbed her leg and looked up at Dudley in anger and disgust. Holly opened her mouth to tell him off when—

"My word!" Ms Michaels shouted. The other kids scattered as she strode over to them.

Dudley looked dumbfounded. Never before had a teacher come when they were beating her. Either the teacher came before things went too far, or she got sent to the nurse after it ended.

Mrs Michael's glare could have melted an iceberg as she looked at all of them, but it was especially cold for one Dudley Dursley.

"You five. Inside, now. And you best believe that this will be on your end-of-week report!"

Holly couldn't help but grin when Ms Michaels sent a still speechless Dudley and his friends inside. She looked like Vernon did whenever he read something 'unsavoury' in the paper. Malcolm had even started crying!

"Ow," muttered Kann as he got up. His clothes were covered in dirt and his hair had grass in it. "That really hurt."

Oh, right. She'd almost forgotten Kann came to help her.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah."

Holly bit her lip. No one had ever defended her against Dudley or his friends. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't care, and he scared everyone else away a long time ago. Maybe she was wrong about him. No—she was definitely wrong about him.

"Dudley's a twit," he added, shaking grass out of his hair. "And so are his friends."

Everyone knows that, she thought, letting out an accidental snort. Her eyes widened.

The boy laughed. "That was cool!"

"I'm not supposed to do that." Aunt Petunia said it was unladylike.

"So? It's still cool. Watch this." He stuck two fingers in his mouth, letting out a whistle she had heard from some of Uncle Vernon's old movies. "My Mum doesn't like it."

"And she still lets you?" asked Holly, surprised.

"Yeah. My dad doesn't care," he said as he sat down next to the tree.

After a moment of hesitation, she followed.

The boy's eyes widened as if she took out a gold bar from her pocket.

"What?" she asked when he wouldn't stop staring.

"You're sitting next to me," he said carefully.

Holly shifted uncomfortably. "So?"

"So…aren't you going to tell me to leave you alone?"

Holly shook her head. "No." Suddenly feeling bashful, she stared at her lap. "I was thinking that...if maybe..."

"Yeah?"

But Holly couldn't say that she wanted to be friends. She'd been really rude to him since they met, and Dudley attacking him because of her wouldn't help. There was no way he'd say yes and then she'd look stupid. And girls and boys couldn't be friends. Could they?

"I still want to be friends with you," the boy said quietly.

She looked up. "Why?"

He shrugged, running his fingers through his hair. "I dunno. I just want to."

"Well...okay," she said.

The boy grinned widely. Now that she was paying attention, she noticed his teeth were slightly crooked and one was missing. "My name is Alex. Well, Alexander." He held out a hand.

She shook it firmly like Uncle Vernon always told Dudley to do. "I'm Holly," she said, even though he already knew.

Alex leaned back against the tree, making himself comfortable. "What month is your birthday in?"

"July." She only knew because Aunt Petunia made a point of making her birthdays as miserable as possible.

"Mine's in May." He raised his fingers, counting each month off: "January, February, March, April, May! Hah! I'm older than you. That means you have to listen to me," Alex said proudly.

"No, I don't!" she shouted and jumped to her feet. Who did he think he was? "You can't tell me what to do!"

Alex looked confused. "What?"

She glared at him. "Just because you're older than me doesn't mean you can boss me around!"

"I'm not! I was just..."

"Just what?"

"Joking," he said, looking away from her. "I guess I'm not very good at it."

Holly felt her face grow warm. "Oh." She suddenly felt very silly.

"Sorry," he said.

There was silence for a long moment.

"Did you, um, want to sit back down?"

Holly sat. "I'm sorry too," she muttered, looking down at her shabby dress. She hated saying sorry. Her Aunt and Uncle always made her apologize to Dudley, even when she didn't do anything wrong.

"It's okay," said Alex, still not looking at her.

They sat in uncomfortable silence until the bell rang.

"Um," began Alex, "Can I..."

"Can you what?"

"Can I sit next to you in class?"

"That's what you do every day already," said Holly, confused.

"Yeah, but you tell me to bugger off every time."

Holly shrugged. "If you want to, I guess." No one else was going to.

Alex beamed anyway.