I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.

Note: This was the original version that I wrote and posted on Reddit. I thought people might like to see it and how the fleshed out version came from it. I tried to keep the big hits that I thought were the foundations of the story. I hope you enjoy reading this too.

Thank you so much for the comments and likes. It really makes me happy that so many people enjoyed this story.

"Hey, you."

Harry Potter sighed deeply. It was bad enough that he was at Privet Drive, now he was being harassed by someone that wasn't a Dursley. "Yes?" he said as politely as he could, his eyes still looking down at his work.

"You the freak?"

Harry ground his teeth. "Yes," he said. He was waiting for the inevitable vitriol and venom. Everyone along Privet Drive listened to the Dursleys. Believed their lies.

After a long beat the voice spoke again. "Huh, you don't look like one."

He looked up in surprise. He looked at the girl standing before him. Everything about her screamed rebelliousness. One side of her head was clipped short, the other side over long. Her hair was a riot of colors. Her eyes were hard and calculating, a startling shade of green much like his. She had a ring in her lip, her ears reflected the sunlight. Her clothes were artfully torn and weathered, her shoulders broad and her posture aggressive.

Harry gaped for a few moments. "Thanks?" he said, unsure of what else to say.

She snorted. "It's actually kind of disappointing. I've heard a lot about how much of a delinquent freak you are."

Harry snorted too. "Sorry to disappoint then," he said. "I guess you can't believe everything you hear."

"Yeah." She sat on the sidewalk in front of him, her legs opened wide. "Why does everyone call you that then?"

Harry stared at her for a moment. "They don't like me," he said simply. "Never did."

"Aren't they your family?" she asked, her chin pointed at Number 4.

Harry laughed hollowly. "Technically. They always resented me for being dropped off when I was a baby."

She frowned. "That's not right, that's not your fault."

Harry smiled weakly. "Tell that to them."

She looked at him. "Hmm. I think I'll make Dudley suffer more for lying. He's been going on and on and like I said, I'm rather disappointed."

Harry's smile grew in strength. "Suffer more?"

"Yeah. When I first moved in, he and his group of friends thought they could bully me. I taught them to not mess with me. You notice that shiner Dudley got?" At Harry's nod she kissed her fist.

Harry laughed for the first time he could remember while at Number 4 Privet Drive. He held his hand out. "I'm Harry, and I think you're my new best friend."

She looked incredibly surprised, staring at his hand with pink cheeks. She hesitantly reached out and shook it. "I'm Mack. I think that'd be nice."

-0-

"Do you really have to go?"

Harry smiled sadly. This summer had been the best one he could remember while at Privet Drive. He spent his days with Mack and the bullying from the Dursleys had been almost non-existent. Mack had kept Dudley under control and he begged his parents to leave Harry alone. Nothing Vernon or Petunia said to Mack's relations had any effect so they had to comply. "I do. Gotta go to school."

"I wish I knew where you went, I'd transfer."

"I wish you could too," Harry said sincerely. "I...uh...I'll try to send you letters. Not sure if I can but I'll do my best."

Mack punched him in the arm and he still marveled at how she made such a violent act be incredibly soft. "You better." She looked sad. "I'm going to miss you."

"Me too. Don't get into too much trouble."

She snorted. "Trouble's my middle name."

-0-

"Harry, what happened to you?!"

Harry smiled sadly at Mack. After what happened during the tournament, he wanted to just put the memories away, to bury the deep forever. Yet the look of genuine concern on Mack's face melted his icy resolve. He had been able to exchange letters with her and the only thing that made the idea of returning to Privet Drive tolerable was knowing there was someone who cared was waiting.

He told her in broad terms what happened. That a competition he was forced to compete in went wrong. That he saw a classmate die. That he was called a liar over what happened.

Mack ground her teeth and punched the brick wall. "Bastards! Wait 'till I get my hands on them!"

Harry grabbed her hands before she could damage them. "Don't hurt yourself for me," he pleaded.

"I wish I could hurt others for you," she said with a bright red face.

"You don't have to do that either, Harry said softly. "I'm happy you want to though."

-0-

"Harry, no. You can't do this."

Harry looked at his oddest yet incredibly close friend. The years passed and they grew closer together. They never failed to exchange messages, to share hopes and dreams, fears. This year, one of his greatest fears came to life. He had to go and hunt the Horcruxes.

He never thought he would ever want to stay for any reason.

He told her everything. Told her about magic. About his past. About Voldemort. About what he had to do.

She begged him to take her with him.

"Who's going to watch your back for you?!"

"Two of my friends will!"

"I don't trust them. They won't stick with you like I will."

"Mack...you can't cast magic."

"I got my magic right here," she raised her fists. "You need me Harry."

"I need you to be safe. I need to know you won't be in danger."

For the first time that he saw plainly, tears grew in her eyes. "I hate this. I hated it every time you left. I only stuck around, behaved, cause I knew you would be back. Something tells me you aren't coming back from this."

Harry hugged her. "I promise I'll be back. For you You give me a reason to come back."

Mack squeezed him tightly. "You better. Or I'll come find you and beat the shite out of everyone in my way."

Harry pulled back and looked her in the eyes. Every year, Mack's appearance changed drastically, except for her eyes that looked so much like his. He always felt like they shared a connection, of a past that was hard, of emerald green eyes that saw too much. "I like you a lot," he whispered. "Like, a lot. That's my secret. One I've had for a long time. It'll bring me back to you."

Tears fell down her face but she did not look away. "Me too. Though that's not really a secret." She sighed. "My name is Mackenzie Taire Blaithin." Her face went bright red at Harry's astonishment. "I told you my middle name is trouble."

"Your name is Mackenzie Trouble Little Flower?" He laughed. "You're such a girl."

She punched him in the shoulder. "You're a girl."

-0-

Mackenzie puttered around the garden. She knew people always looked at her funny when she did. She had picked up the hobby after meeting someone. It reminded her of him, when he was away.

He had been gone for so long. No letters, no messages. No way of knowing if he was okay.

Maybe he had failed and he was dead somewhere. She sobbed silently.

Maybe he had succeeded and was with someone else, in his magical world where she did not belong. She sobbed harder.

A shadow fell over her and she grimaced. She did not look up. "What d'you want?" she growled.

"I'm looking for trouble. Know where I can find some?"

Her heart stopped and she looked up so fast she cricked her neck. She gaped at the young man that looked down at her. He was thin, his skin pale. He had new scars. He looked and felt different. His green eyes, full of new pain, looked like hers still.

She smiled through her tears. "You're such a girl. Looking for trouble? Cheesy prat."

He offered her a hand and pulled her to her feet. "Did it work?" he asked, his voice a mixture of false confidence and hesitant anxiety, of hope and want.

She punched him. "Here's trouble if you want it," she whispered.

"I do."