URBAN CONFESSIONS

Chapter Two: Off Balance

When we arrived at the house, I was stunned into silence. It was an old European brick-like house that was two stories. A balcony above the front door with white railing. A white fence circled one side of the house, no doubt hiding the back of the property. A garage to the other side of the house that Casino drove into. The house was very elegant and high-class to say the least.

"The property is two and an half acres," Casino chuckled as he turned the engine off and turned back to look fully at me. "Dere is a small cottage towards the back dat I live in. Your Aunt insists to haff me nearby so she had it built. She is very kind."

"Is she unable to manage without you?" I asked in concern.

"She prefers someone around since her husband's passing," he reassured me. "Dat and your Aunt is a terrible driver."

I grinned as I could only imagine how bad. He laughed when seeing my expression before slipping out of the car and going to retrieve my trunk from the back. I slipped out, taking care to not jostle Hedwig in her cage as she clicked her beak when she caught sight of Casino again. She ruffled her feathers, only to appear even larger than before.

"Your bird does not like me," Casino stated matter-of-factly.

"It's rather unusual," I replied. "She's usually more friendly than this. Then again, she's been very mistrustful of others for a long while now that I think about it."

"Understandable," he chuckled. "Considering the circumstances." He took my trunk full in his arms and closed the trunk of the car firmly. "Let's just hope most of dose old birds haff flown the coop."

"Oh, good, you're back," I heard a soft voice from behind me, making me turn to look at the little woman standing in the doorway.

Her eyes were the exact same color as mine. At first glance they looked like the a very dark emerald, but if the light hit it just right the specks of that dark emerald and lighter emerald and peridot jumped out about the iris. It was a very eye-catching color and just as I remembered.

She still had the whitest hair and still aged and very beautiful. I always wondered if my own mother would have looked just as well as her from time to time. They looked eerily similar whenever I thought hard on it. I wouldn't have been the least bit surprised if my Aunt had actually been my grandmother had I been shown a picture of my mother prior to meeting her. It was a remarkable resemblance.

"Come on, dear, let's get you inside and have a look at you," she laughed as I felt Casino nudge me forward.

I hurried inside after her and Casino followed at a slow pace. I entered a large and very clean kitchen. My Aunt pulled me out of Casino's way and told him to put my trunk upstairs before turning back to me. She inspected me thoroughly even going so far as to pinch the side of my arm.

"You need more weight on you," she announced before tugging me over to the bar and forcing me to take a seat. "Have you been getting enough to eat at that school of yours, Harper?"

"Um... yes," I answered, feeling slightly off-balance. "Aunt Anemone, are you sure this is oka--?"

"Oh, nevermind that, dear," she laughed, smiling at me as she pulled something from the fridge and retrieved a plate. "You need to eat something. I can always tell when someone hasn't eaten."

"Um... okay," I mumbled, blushing.

Okay, it was funny when she acted like this when I was younger. However now I understood why the Dursleys were thrown off. She always had a one-tracked mind. I also think she does it purposely if that sparkle in her eyes was anything to go by.

"Don't give me that look, dear," she reprimanded. "I may be odd, but I do not warrant the craziness that others apply to me."

"I didn't think you were crazy, Aunt Anemone," I stated matter-of-factly, trying to bring my courage to a forefront. "I'm just out of my element."

"Of course you would be, Harper," she laughed, winking at me as she brought the plate over and set it in front of me. She patted my cheek. "No one has ever taken care of you properly. Now don't you worry. We'll have those people in trouble at the end of the week."

She was so matter-of-fact that I nearly felt scared at the unruly calmness she held. I tried to gather logic to my side. "But I don't want them to be in trouble--"

"They abandoned you," she cut me off firmly. Her words sliced through my numbed heart. "They deserve nothing but jail time. Now let me take care of everything. You don't need to worry yourself."

"I'd rather not be a burden to them any longer," I stated softly, trying not to show how hurt I was to her. "I'd much rather let it rest."

"Heart of gold," she sighed with a soft smile at me as she retrieved silverware. Hedwig looked like she had swallowed something sour as she watched with surprised eyes. "Just like my dear Alexander; God rest his ashes wherever they may have blown." She placed the silverware down before eyeing the cage in my arms. "And who is this lovely critter?"

"This is Hedwig," I answered with a smile down at my snowy owl.

"Hedwig?" my Aunt asked with a mischievous smile. "You must be like my neice on my husband's side. She named her daughter Hermione for some odd reason. Weird names if you ask me. I always like classic but modern names myself."

"Hermione Granger?" I asked with a sudden frown.

"You know the little rascal?" Her eyes lit up and a bright smile filled her face.

"We go to the same school," I replied with a sudden smile. "She's my friend."

"Well this is a small world after all," she sang with delight. "We must get all of us together for dinner. I've been meaning to have my neice and her husband, and daughters over since Christmas, but little Hermione stayed for the holidays. Something about a dance. Did you two go together by any chance?"

I knew that glint that lit her eyes. Hermione would scream if she saw it. I knew I suppressed one.

"No, we're just friends," I replied sternly.

"Oh, don't give me that tone," she reprimanded with a frown before taking the cage out of my arms without a by-your-leave. "Now eat, Harper. I don't want to have to put you into a hospital due to you being so skinny. Makes a woman wonder."

My eyes widened and I did as told. There was no way in heck that I was going to another hospital before school started. She'd have to get that oversized man to catch me first.

"Does she eat anything special, dear?" my Aunt asked as she set the cage nearby, fawning over Hedwig.

"She likes to catch her own food," I replied after swallowing the spicy tasting food. "I have special treats for her. I have to buy them at a private store here in London that's hard to find."

"Really?" she asked. "Well I suppose you'll have to show me this special place in the future." She sighed. "Are you all right, Harper dear?"

I paused. Was I? I shook myself mentally.

"I don't think it's fully hit me," I noted passingly, looking at her with a side glance. "It's not like I never expected it to happen."

"This is quite intolerable," she stated before smiling again. "We must get you new clothes. I can't have you walking around here in clothing that barely fits. My friends wouldn't let me hear the end of it. Nor would Casino and his siblings." Suddenly, a large gleam appeared in her eyes. "Nor his father." She gave a dramatic shiver, making me smile and laugh. "Then again, that man can come on over here any time he chooses and lecture me."

"Auntie, I don't need to hear such things," I teased, unable to help myself.

"Oh, you," she giggled, looking prettier than before. "Don't worry. He's married and happily so. I get enough by staring alone."

I closed my eyes, leaning forward, and laughing hard. Casino appeared back into the room, chuckling. I looked up to see him smiling at my Aunt fondly.

"My father vill be happy to hear dis," Casino remarked after grabbing the plate I finished and proceeding to wash it. "Your nephew is a mean one. He called me a cat in heat."

"You are a cat in heat," my Aunt remarked with a broad smile. "If it wasn't for the fact that you are nice to look at and have a rich foreign accent, none of us would put up with you very long."

I covered my mouth and watched as he glared at her. It wasn't a mean glare though. It was fully playful and it looked like it was an ongoing joke between the two of them. My Aunt gave me a cheeky smile.

"He's a bit of a man-whore, that one," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Anemone!" he growled with amused eyes.

"What?" she asked innocently. "I didn't say anything that wasn't true." She gave me a smile. "I think you should get to bed, dear. It must have been a long train ride from your school, I suspect."

"Um... yes."

"We'll discuss everything in the morning," she stated as she pulled me out of my chair. She looked at Casino. "You'd better get to bed yourself, sonny. I do not value slacking. Now off you trot."

He harrumphed playfully before leaving through the garage door. I grabbed Hedwig's cage before following my Aunt into the living room that was large and open. The furniture an oak wooding and perwinkle blue with other shades of blue throughout the room. It was very calm and mellow.

She led me up the stairs and up to an open hallway. "The bathroom is right across from us and your room to the right of it. My room's to the left. Now if you need anything, do not hesitate to ask. I'd rather you ask than make an utter fool of yourself. The guest room is to the right and the next right. The computer and the library is to the right as well. Do not hesitate about using either. However be careful with the sculptures. They're from India and very fragile."

My Great Aunt and Uncle had been living in and around India before settling back into England years before. However they also had a house in America at one point in Salem from what I remember hearing when my Aunt Petunia and her were discussing back during that one visit. Though I didn't hear about whether or not she still retained that house.

Maybe that could be useful one day?

Okay, now was not the time inner-voice guy...

"Now I'd like to see no bags under those eyes in the morning, are we clear?" Aunt Anemone stated with narrowed eyes, interrupting my thoughts.

"Yes, ma'am," I replied, nodding once.

She led me to the room I was staying in and I sat Hedwig's cage on the desk by the window. I looked at my Aunt nervously. I was unsure how to act during these silent moments.

Her eyes softened and I was suddenly swept into a hug. "My little Harper."

I patted her awkwardly on the back, unsure of what to do. "There, there."

She snorted softly, pulling away. "You'll need to work on the hugging, dear." She smiled again. "One minute you were this little duck and now you look so grown." A frown appeared on her face as she pushed my hair out of my face. "We need to get you some other glasses and cut your hair. You look like a nerdy ruffian."

Gee, thanks.

"Now get some sleep," she laughed and ruffled my hair before leaving me alone in the lit room.

It was around midnight that I was still up, looking through one of my books, unable to sleep. I suddenly caught movement out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head to look out the window.

There pacing back and forth was Casino. He looked up and caught my gaze. A smile flitted across his face.

Notes:

When I thought about it, I imagined Harry to look similar to Jackson Rathbone, funnily enough. He was the closest I could imagine and about striking. I saw him in Twilight (yes, I watched it with several friends out of curiosity; could never get into the books though) and saw him playing Jasper Hale and was most impressed. He can be geeky and then be completely cute in retrospect. I imagined Harry to be the same. So that's a tidbit for those looking for a carbon copy of this character I imagine. Oh, and Anemone is like the equivalent of Diane Lane; not to say she looks like her, just ages well with pretty features of a no doubt prettier face back in her prime. Not that she'll ever admit to being out of her prime. Never ever.

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