Chapter 2

"Kathryn it's been three days!" I pleaded with her. "Please can we just go?"

"No," came the resolute answer.

We had been spending every evening since meeting Fred and James waiting in the local park for them to show up. Well I say we, really it was Kathryn who wanted to see them again. I was assuring myself they had been so bored with Ottery St Catchpole that the bright lights of London had lured them back. It wasn't that we would have been doing anything terribly more interesting with our time exactly, but sometimes other options arose. Like tonight.

"Kathryn get in the car," said Tom. Tom was Kathryn's older brother who had passed his driving test the previous summer. He was still saving up for his own car, but tonight he had managed to borrow their dad's.

"No" she said firmly again. She sat on a swing, arms folded over her chest.

"Well I'm going," I said, starting towards the car.

"Good!" Tom said enthusiastically. "At least one of you has some sense. Come on Kathryn! The showing starts at eight…"

"No! And you're can't go either!" she scolded me. "You can't leave me here on my own! What if they show up?"

"They won't!" I shouted at her, jumping into the passenger seat. "Besides you're not on your own," I continued, gesturing over towards some twelve year olds dangling off the climbing frame. I closed the door quickly so I couldn't hear whatever tirade she launched at me. "Drive!" I commanded, shouting over Tom's laughter.

"What was that all about?" he asked, as we sped out of the square and towards the outskirts of the village.

"Boys," I said rolling my eyes and immediately felt guilty. I shouldn't portray Kathryn as a boy crazy teen when she really wasn't. Especially to her older brother. "Some boys came in the shop the other night. Said they might come down to the park," I clarified.

"But you don't think they will?"

I shook my head. I didn't really feel explaining why I hoped they wouldn't.

"Anyone I know?" Tom continued.

"No," I replied. "Well I don't think so. They're not from here. They're just up staying with their grandparents."

Tom shrugged and turned the radio on, his interest in the newcomers waning. I suppose hearing about some boys that you've never met and are likely never to meet, who your sixteen year old sister may or may not have a liking for is not every eighteen year olds top priority. I slipped into an uncomfortable silence with myself, beginning to wonder if I had done the right thing leaving Kathryn on her own like that. I still didn't think they would turn up but what would Kathryn do now I had left her? She wouldn't just stay there all night by herself would she?

"You mind what we see?" asked Tom, interrupting my inner monologue.

I shook my head. I was not a great film fan so it didn't matter. The nearest cinema was in the next town over and the only way to get there at this time of night was to grab a lift with somebody. Really I just liked the drive.

I was just about to ask Tom what movie he wanted to see when two people walking along the side of the lane towards us caught my attention. A pair of bright brown eyes caught mine as we passed them.

I gasped.

"What?" asked Tom, craning his head round briefly to see.

"I think that was them," I explained.

"Oh," said Tom. "You want me to drop you back?"

"No, no."

Yes.

"No, its fine."

Leave me back.

"Besides it's not fair leaving you. You'll have no one else to go with."

"Oh get the tiny violins out why don't you!" Tom protested. "Poor little Laura having to take me out to the cinema because I have no friends!"

I burst out laughing.

"Not my fault your friends all went on holiday without you!"

"Yea well it's not my fault I didn't have the money to spend on that and try and save for a car. Seriously do you want me to take you back?" He slowed the car down.

"No," I said resolutely. The initial want to see them had be conquered by my overwhelming desire not to make an idiot of myself in public again. "No," I said again, taking a calming breath.

Tom eyed me wearily and then sped up again.

"Good girl," he said.

"What do you mean 'good girl'?" I asked incredulously.

"Don't run after boys, Laura. Let them come to you," he continued, nodding sagely.

"Ok, Dad."

"I'm very wise, Laura. You would do well to remember that." He winked.

"Tom. You are eighteen. You are only two years older than me," I contested. "And besides no teenage boy has ever been wise."

"You would do well to remember that as well."

We laughed for the rest of the journey.

I don't remember what movie we saw.

Mrs Martin was in the shop the next morning when Kathryn made her dramatic entrance. It took some of the theatrics out of it and also gave me a moment to prepare for the onslaught I knew was coming.

"Listen," I started when Mrs Martin had left. I decided to get my justification in early to try and diffuse the situation.

"Oh don't apologise to me," she said, wafting away my unspoken apology. "Apologise to yourself."

"That good?"

"Better. Told you they would come back."

"You did," I concurred, as Kathryn jumped up to sit on the counter. "What did you get up to then?"

"Oh this and that," she smirked. "I showed them a few sites."

"Sites?" I scoffed. "Like what? The cricket ground?"

"Yea actually. I know," she agreed, responding to the look I had just given her. "But they actually seemed genuinely interested in it, and everything else I showed them."

"Like what?"

"Like the different shops, and the school and… oh they got a real kick out of Mr Rossborough's garden gnomes." Kathryn started laughing at the memory.

"Really? They never seen those before?"

"Mustn't have. Suppose they wouldn't really have those in London would they?"

"Suppose not," I concurred. "What else did you do then? Or did the three of you just walk about all evening?"

Kathryn blushed. I raised an eyebrow.

"I kissed him," she all but burst.

"Who?"

"Fred!" For a brief moment a strange feeling washed over me. Relief? It didn't last long enough for me to decipher.

"My goodness Kathryn you don't waste your time," I chastised her. Kathryn was not normally in the habit of kissing boys she had just met, myself even less so.

"I know," she said, placing her hands over her face to hide her crimson cheeks. "But he's really nice. Really nice."

"What do you even know about him?"

"Well he's older," she started. "Same age as Tom, just finished school."

"Oh? He off to Uni as well then?" Tom was leaving for Bath in September.

"Don't know. He didn't talk much about himself."

"Or were you too busy talking about yourself to listen?"

"No! Honestly they seemed more interested in what I had to say." I gave her a stern look. "Honestly! Look I'll ask him tonight."

"You're seeing him tonight?"

"Yea, he's coming round to mine," she said gleefully. "My parents are out for their anniversary and Tom's working."

I raised my eyebrow again.

"It's not like that!" she protested. "James is coming too."

"Poor James," I scoffed. "Having to put up with another night of you two snogging."

"I told you it's not like that, and besides you'll be there too."

"I will?" I asked sceptically.

"Yes you can talk to James so it's less awkward. Please?"

"Ok, but I'm not sitting watching you two smooching on the couch all evening alright?"

"Promise. See you 'bout seven, ok?" she said sweetly.

"Yea, I'll text you."

She gave a little wave as she left.

"Do you need me for anything tonight Mum?"

She looked up from the dining room table, where the paperwork from the shop was spread out in front of her. Our small terrace house had just two rooms on the ground floor. The kitchen was tucked out the back of the house, to the left of the main room. The 'dining room' was really just where we put the table in this room, which at the front had two two-seater settees, forming the 'living room'. Upstairs we had two bedrooms, one for each of us, and the bathroom. It was small, but we made do.

"No love." She smiled, but she looked stressed. The shop was a family business, passed down to my mum from her parents, who had retired and moved to the coast a few years ago. My grandparents had always had each other to help lessen the load of running their own business, whereas my mum was on her own. I tried to help as much as I could but balancing the books and stock ordering where still out of my expertise.

"Ok, well I'm going to go next door to Kathryn's. If you need me just text," I said, waving my phone at her.

"Ok love," she said without looking up from the bookkeeping in front of her. "Have a nice night."

I took the short walk down our little garden's path, and turned immediately into the Hutchinson's front yard. I gave a small rap of the front door and then walked inside. Kathryn and Tom's house had the exact same layout as my own. The main difference was that the Hutchinson's had their loft converted giving them another bedroom at the very top of the house. This was Tom's room. Kathryn's room was the same as my own, and it was where I found her straightening her hair.

"Sorry, I'm a bit early."

"No problem. Can you do the back?" she said handing me the straighteners. She was wearing makeup and a strappy top with sequins sewn around the neckline. I looked down at my own boot cut jeans and hoodie and gave a little sigh.

"What exactly are you planning to do tonight?" For a horrible moment I thought she might have changed the plan from just sitting in the house to heading out to some party I knew nothing about.

"I don't know. Watch a movie or something?"

When we went downstairs the television was already on, showing one of the evening soaps. I sat down to watch it while Kathryn sat by the window, her eyes trained down the street.

"Do they know where they're coming to?" I asked, whilst trying to decipher the storyline unfolding in front of me.

"Should do," she replied distractedly. "I showed them last night."

"Why don't you text him?" I didn't think I could take another night of Kathryn sitting waiting for these boys to show up.

"Can't. Doesn't have a phone."

"He doesn't have a phone?" I asked incredulously.

"Says he doesn't need one. Oh! They're here. Oh."

"What?"

"There's a girl with them," she replied, sounding a little dejected. "Why would they bring a girl with them? Do you think it's his girlfriend?"

"Yea," I replied, not looking away from the television. "I think he kissed you last night so tonight he's brought his girlfriend to meet you."

"She's pretty."

"It's probably his sister. Or another cousin."

"Well we're about to find out. They're right outside."

She had the front door open before they'd even opened the gate. I stepped up behind her so that she looked less eager and also because I thought she looked like she needed moral support.

"Hey," said Kathryn, a bit too breathlessly for my liking.

"Alright?" said Fred in response. James lingered at the gate for a moment with the mystery girl, although now I could see her it was far less of a mystery. I had been right with my first guess, this tall, slim, dark hair, dark skinned girl was clearly Fred's sister. The likeness was striking. The look on Kathryn's face told me she was far from convinced though.

James whispered something unintelligible to her then followed Fred down the path. She lingered by the gate, grinning at Kathryn and me.

"I'm Roxy," she declared when it became clear neither boy was going to introduce her.

"My sister," Fred clarified. "She's not coming in."

"Oh?" said Kathryn, trying and failing to sound disappointed.

"Not allowed," said Roxy, continuing to beam at us. It was beginning to feel a bit unnerving, but I think that's what she was going for.

"Shut up, Rox," said Fred marching past us and into the house.

"Later Rox," called James, following him.

Kathryn and I exchanged a look and followed them into the living room.

"Sorry about that," said Fred sitting himself down on Kathryn's settee. "Sisters you know?"

"Not really. I only have a brother," said Kathryn sitting down beside him. She tried not to look too excited when he took her hand.

"What about you?" Fred asked, nodding at me as I sat down in the armchair.

"Only child," I replied.

"Cool. What's that like?"

"Alright I suppose. I don't really know anything different."

"You?" I asked James, noticing he hadn't sat down yet.

"One brother, one sister," he replied briskly. He finally picked a seat, uncomfortably sitting down beside Kathryn on the settee. She looked disgruntled.

"So movie or videogame?" she asked.

"Uh… don't really play videogames," replied Fred. An eighteen year old boy who doesn't have a phone and doesn't play videogames? Something didn't really add up.

"Movie then?" Kathryn seemed unperturbed.

"You pick," said Fred

The movie was nearly over and I still wasn't feeling any more comfortable. I went into the kitchen under the pretence of getting a drink but really I just wanted a break and a chance to plot my escape. Thirty seconds later I had an accomplice.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" James asked.

"I…" I was a little taken aback. James had barely uttered a word since he had first arrived. He opened the door a little so I could see Kathryn and Fred kissing on the sofa. "Oh ok."

We muttered a goodbye as we left but received no response. Walking down the street outside I realised I had no idea where we were heading, and hoped something would inspire me soon. Until then, here I was walking aimlessly with a boy I didn't know and had barely spoken to, while my friend tongue wrestled his cousin. Thanks Kathryn.

"So Fred seems nice," I said, trying to break the awkward silence. James laughed.

"He is actually. You know, if you actually get to talk to him."

"Well I don't think I'm going to get to do much of that this evening. Does he do this often?" I wanted to get to the bottom of this quickly. Kathryn was my friend and she seemed to really like this boy, but to me something just seemed… off.

"Not that often. But…"

"But what?"

"Don't let her get too attached." It was frank but it was honest. I found myself warming to this boy.

"Thanks. I appreciate that."

"No worries. This is a nice village." He gestured to the village hall we had just passed.

"It's ok. It's nothing on London though."

"London's ok, but sometimes it's nice to have some wide open space."

"You go to school there?"

"No. I go to boarding school in Scotland. Fred used to go there too."

"Boarding school? Wow." I had never met anyone who boarded before. "How many years do you have left?"

"Two. You?"

"Well if I do ok in my GCSEs I'll hopefully being going to Sixth Form College in September. You must be waiting on your GCSE results as well?"

"Uh…"

"Oh wait. They do something different in Scotland don't they? Highers or something?"

"Something different yeah… What do you want to do at college?"

"Doesn't really matter. I'm just going to end up working in the shop here anyway." I pointed over to the little paper shop, closed up for the night. "It's a family business."

"Cool. Fred has one of those as well. A family business, I mean. A shop."

"Oh? What do they sell?"

"Jokes," came the unusual answer. "It's really popular actually," he added, responding to my disbelieving look.

"Sorry," I said, readjusting my face. "It's just I haven't seen a joke shop in years. What's it called?"

"Weasley's."

"Weasley's? That's your family?" He nodded. "Fred Weasley?" He nodded again. "James Weasley?"

"Potter," he corrected me.

"Sorry."

"It's ok. The rest of them are all Weasleys. We're the Potters," he said a little stiffly. "My mum is the only girl."

"Big family?"

"Yeah she's one of seven."

I gave a little chuckle. As an only child I couldn't even imagine having a family that big.

"You must have a lot of cousins."

"There's…" I watched him count them up in his head. "…twelve of us, I think."

"You think?" We had just reached the end of the village square. I sat down on the bench beside the bus stop. The buses wouldn't be running at this time in the evening and I didn't feel like going back yet. James joined me.

"It's easy to forget someone when it comes to the Weasleys. There's hundreds."

"Well at least you're a Potter then. Makes you easier to remember!" I smiled at my own joke, but James didn't seem to share my amusement.

"No one ever forgets the Potters. Trust me."

"Memorable lot are you?" I goaded him.

"Quite."

"So are all twelve of you staying with your grandparents at the moment then?"

"No. Just Fred, Roxy and me," he said. Then after a moment – "Oh Lucy's here too. Another cousin."

"They are easy to forget," I laughed.

"Well she doesn't have much to do with the rest of us. Sees enough of us in school I suppose," he reasoned.

"She goes to your school as well?"

"We all go to the same school."

"And your brother and sister?

"Yeah them as well. They're both in at home in London with my parents at the moment though. They're both younger," he explained, although it was clear he didn't want to discuss them any further.

"So Roxy seems fun?" I tried again.

"Yea she is," he said, immediately brightening. "Loves winding Fred up."

"I gathered that. Why didn't she come in earlier?"

"Oh she was only coming to keep me company. Last night got a bit awkward."

"I'll bet," I chuckled.

"She decided to go though, when she saw you were here."

"Oh? She didn't need to," I said earnestly. I wanted him to be absolutely sure that this was unconditionally, unequivocally, definitely not a date.

"Maybe not," he said. "I think Fred wanted rid of her as well though."

"I'm sure."

"You're not out with your friend tonight then?" asked James. So he had seen me in the car with Tom. "Is he your boyfriend?"

"Tom?" I laughed. "No. No, no, no. Tom is Kathryn's brother. Not my boyfriend. No."

James smiled.

"Good."

As I said, this was definitely not a date.

We must have sat on that bench for an hour or more. We watched the few residents of Ottery St Catchpole go about their evening errands and we talked. Kathryn hadn't been lying when she said the boys had been more interested in her than talking themselves. James spoke sparingly about his life and even less so about his family. However he was far from a boring bench companion and I found myself a little disappointed when it started to get dark and he suggested going back. I didn't pull away when he took my hand as we walked.

As we got nearer to my house I felt my mouth starting to go dry. How were we going to say goodnight? Would my mum be waiting for me? Would he try and kiss me? It had been a nice evening but I'd only just met him.

I needn't have worried. The presence of Kathryn sitting on my doorstep took all those thoughts from my mind.

"Where have you been?" she demanded, as we got closer. The hedges in my garden hid the fact we were holding hands from her. I gently let go and stepped into the path. James followed me.

"Around," I replied vaguely. "Why are you here?"

"Ugh! Tom got off shift early. Fred left about half an hour after you did. I've been waiting for ages," she ranted.

"Then why didn't you wait in your house?" It seemed a reasonable idea, what with her living next door.

"Because Tom is being a… prat!" She would have used something stronger if James hadn't been there. Suddenly I had a better idea of why Fred had left so quickly.

"I better go," said James. He didn't though. He just stood looking between myself and Kathryn. Kathryn stared resolutely back.

"Kathryn…" I began when she still didn't get the hint.

"Ugh! Fine!" she opened my front door, which my mother normally left unlocked, leading to even more questions as to why she was sitting on the step.

"Sorry, I just wanted to ask Laura something," James apologised as she huffed off inside.

"You want my number?" I asked after she had slammed the door behind her. He looked at me puzzled. "My mobile number?" I asked again, taking my phone out and waving it at him.

"Oh! No," he replied. I deflated a bit. "I don't have one." He didn't have a phone either? Strange family.

"I was going to ask you for a kiss."

I don't know if it was because it was so brazen. Or if it was the way his bright brown eyes never left mine when he said it. Or if it was simply the way he never took his hands out of his pockets whilst he did it, but something about this boy had won me over.

I gave him a quick kiss on the lips, then turned round and went inside without saying another word.

And I'm glad I did.

Thanks Kathryn.