Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter- JK Rowling does
A/N: If you wrote a review it would make my day. :)
"That one there looks like an angry woman with a uni-brow," Stan said, pointing to the sky. I tried to follow his outstretched finger but all I could see was a random cluster of stars. "You know, it kind of looks like you..." He joked and I playfully punched his arm and smiled at him. He lay back in the grass at that park where we first met; I laid back with him and clasped his hand.
"I don't want to go back this year," I murmured, burying my face in his chest. He took my face in his hands and looked, if possible, even deeper into my eyes.
"You know how I feel about that," He said softly. "Go there and enjoy it like I can't,"
"Maybe, if you asked then-" I started but knew it was worthless. He dropped out in 4th year; he couldn't magically catch up to 7th year. Stan shook his head. "I'll wait for you," I said, but it sounded so false coming out of my mouth. I suddenly felt like my mouth was stuffed with peanut butter. Where was that milk when you needed it?
"You don't have to say that," Stan said sadly. I stayed quiet knowing I couldn't say anything to help.
"Promise me you won't forget about me?" I asked him. I held out my pinky. He quickly clasped it with his own but he looked away. I bit my lip expectantly. When he said nothing, my hope drained out of me and then, suddenly, it hit me. It wasn't going to work. He would be on the Knight Bus, stuck there forever, and I would get a job, somewhere out in the unknown world. I bit back the need to cry and slowly pushed myself into a sitting position. I buried my faces in my hands. I concentrated my thoughts on how the breeze lightly flitted over my head. It was too good of a night to be haunted with these feelings. My hands felt cold against my burning face. Before I knew what was happening, I felt two arms slowly circulate me.
I woke with a start. I sat up with a jerk as the covers of an unfamiliar bed tangled my legs. I stared at the wall opposite of me, a faint light shined in from a partially curtained window. The walls surrounding were a strange bronze color. Where the hell was I? I slumped down on the bed again, burying my head in my pillow. I tried recalling the dream I had had. I couldn't remember any specific details but I remember I was really really happy. I smiled to myself and closed my eyes again hoping sleep would overcome me.
"Don't play that with me!" Said an all too familiar voice. I kept my eyes shut. It was all a bad dream, really. He would just go away in a few seconds and I would wake up in Hunter's bed. I heaved a fake snore and cuddled in closer to pillow. He stayed silent, and I sighed a sigh of relief. He bought it. I heard footsteps leading away from the bed and the door close. I opened one of my eyes slowly to see if he was still around. Stan's face was mere inches from mine "Good Morning, darling," He said in a whisper with an all to stupid grin on his face. My other eye popped open and I slapped him on the head. "Ow!" Stan said jumping back from where he had been kneeling. I hated when he played with me like that. He was so two faced. How could he be so embarrassed with his mum but with me he was a devil? So, I guess this isn't a dream, I thought rubbing my sore hand. I looked at the pile of blankets on the ground and remembered talking for hours before the both of us passed out asleep. He never seemed to run out of stories about the goons who rode on the bus. I told him about my job, the low paying one, a waitress at a new restaurant in Diagon Alley.
"Why are you up so early?" I questioned throwing a pillow at him. Stan smiled and shot me a glance.
"Well, it is 2 in the afternoon," He smiled cheekily. I stared in shock. We barely went to sleep minutes ago! How was it possible?
"Is your mum looking for me?" I asked him, jumping out of the bed. I was surprised to find myself in a pair of his pajama bottoms and one of his shirts. I found my black dress rolled up into a ball on the floor.
"Yes, but I told her we got to bed late," He said and I nodded, wondering if Mrs. Shunpike took what he had said the wrong way. "I didn't tell her how long you would be staying when she asked…" Stan trailed off and looked at me with a question in his eyes. My heart wrenched and I felt my breathing shorten. Where would I stay? I had sold my apartment long ago and moved in with Hunter… Now what? I had enough money for a dingy rat infested apartment, but barely at that.
"I'll look for a place tomorrow. I'll be out in less than a week, promise." I said, pleading him not to press. He nodded slowly and headed to the door.
"Mum and Abby are going shopping and they wanted to know if you wanted to go. That's why I woke you up." He turned to face the door and then back towards me. "Did you know you snore?" He said simply, that devilish grin on his mouth. I jumped. I do not snore!
"I do not snore!" I yelled my thoughts. I didn't! I think I would know if I snored! He slowly started backing out of the door and I quickly followed him. He broke off into a run heading all around the unfamiliar house.
"BROOKE SNORES! BROOKE SNORES!" He yelled rounding bends and walls, the house seemed to be growing bigger and bigger. I chased after him, my arms stretched in front of me trying to reach him and figure out where the off button was. He headed down the stairs and into the kitchen I had seen last night. "BROOKE SNORES! BROOKE SNORES!" He yelled again and I saw Mrs. Shunpike and Abby sitting at table already dressed as we rounded a corner. Mrs. Shunpike was sipping tea while Abby read a skinny book. Stan finally stopped, gasping for breath, and I grabbed his arm as I doubled over gasping for air too. When finally my lungs seemed to expand at a normal rate, I turned to Stan and smacked his shoulder.
"I don't snore!" I yelled at him. He giggled at looked at his mother who looked at me in stony silence.
"I know. I just wanted you to chase me," He smiled and sat down next to Abby, which left the only seat open next to Mrs. Shunpike. I took the seat next to her suddenly felt very conscious of Stan's pajama pants and his shirt, which hung loosely on me.
"I suppose Stan told you about our shopping trip. I want to leave in a half an hour." She said in a moderate tone, not showing any emotion. I grimaced and looked down.
"I don't really have anything to wear-" I trailed off. I could always wear my little black dress, but it was so formal I might as well have been heading to the Yule Ball. She looked at me and shook her head.
"I figured as much. I found some old clothes of mine that might fit you." She said. I mumbled thanks but wondered if her clothes would fit my, for lack of a better word, bodacious frame. I took the clothes she outstretched to me and Stan led me to the bathroom. We stopped outside the door, neither of us bothering to move.
"She's just not used to you. She'll warm up in no time." He whispered and took off leaving me in the darkened bathroom. I turned on a light, shut the door, and pulled the clothes out. A light pink top lay first and I put it on gingerly, hoping not to tear the fabric. The shirt suddenly grew to fit the curves of my body exactly. The jeans did the exact same and I was very grateful. I knew that Mrs. Shunpike must have put some kind of enchantment on them. I left the bathroom in a much better mood knowing that Stan's mother was warming up to me, as he had called it. I met Abby and Mrs. Shunpike back in the kitchen and wondered if we would be able to apparate to Diagon Alley but I knew that Abby was too young. I dreaded the thought of going by Floo Powder, but Mrs. Shunpike suddenly grabbed some powder on the floor next to the fireplace and through it into the fireplace. The flames immediately turned green and Abby yelled "Diagon Alley" like an old pro and stepped in. I was still unused to Floo Powder, growing up from a half-muggle family and spending most of my time with my muggle mother. I didn't even know it existed until in the winter of my 7th year when I went to a friend's house for winter break. I had been watching the chimney absent-mindedly waiting for Santa, and imagine my surprise when somebody actually came out of the then green flames.
"You go first, Brooke, Stan said he wanted to talk to me," Mrs. Shunpike said. I nodded and moved forward. I warily threw the powder into the fireplace, the flames immediately turned green.
"DIAGON ALLEY!" I yelled a little to loudly. I felt my feet reach a floor some moments later and looked to find myself in the infamous Diagon Alley. Abby stood a few feet away with a smug grin on her face.
"I have been using Floo Powder since I was a baby." She said as I tumbled over my own feet to try and get to her. Mrs. Shunpike popped out of the fireplace next with a huge grin on her face. I gasped to see her face had a glow to it and she was far happier than I had seen her before. She walked over to us, her arms outstretched. How strange, it looked like she was heading towards me. Wait, she WAS heading towards me. She wrapped her slim arms around me and gave her best attempt at a bear hug. I stood there frozen. What the hell had Stan told her?
"Stan told me everything!" Mrs. Shunpike beamed. My fears had come true. I was still frozen and even Abby looked appalled. I nodded my head jerkily. Even if Stan had told her complete lies, I liked this Mrs. Shunpike much better. "I'm so sorry about your parent's marriage though. It is their fault that now you're afraid of commitment." There it was. I nodded again prepared to keep up any lie. "He told me how the two of you fell in love when you were teenagers but fate had kept you apart. It's like a soap opera!" She clapped her hands together excitedly.
"I guess it was just meant to be. Each night I cry myself to sleep rethinking the last words he said to me." I said waving my arms dramatically, sarcasm dripped off of my voice. Mrs. Shunpike however didn't seem to get my joke and let out an excited squeal. Abby though shot me a look that I shrugged at behind Mrs. Shunpike's back.
"Mrs. Shunpike, what are-" I started but was cut off by Mrs. Shunpike.
"Stop, Brooke. It's Julia. You could even call me 'Mum' if you want. I suspect we'll be family quite soon." She said excitedly. I could practically see the wedding plans in her eyes. I nodded and blushed. I mean, it was a great save by Stan, and I could probably stay at their house for a lot longer than I originally expected, but that was a lot of pressure.
"I don't really know if we're that serious yet," I said drifting off.
"Nonsense, dear. I see the way he looks at you and the way you look at him!" Mrs. Shunpike said. I blushed again, a deeper red if possible. She grasped Abby's hand, which the independent 9 year old quickly shrugged off, and we headed towards Flourish and Blott's. Abby stalked a few paces ahead of us and I laughed at our resemblance. I remembered always wanting to be independent, not wanting to be seen with my mother, who always seemed to be on the phone, or even worse, pretending that we were at the mall instead of the magic filled streets. Mrs. Shunpike, or should I say Julia, couldn't stop talking about my apparently drama filled life, almost making up my relationship with Stan as we followed after Abby. She babbled on and on about how she always knew truelove existed, yada yada yada.
"- I always doubted that he would find someone, I mean with what happened to his father and me. He was so set on providing for the family once his father left and- well you know the story. He dropped out of Hogwarts, despite my protests, and started apprenticing for what was his name?" She said looking at me.
"Ernie," I supplies entering the cool bookstore.
"That's right, Ernie. And then after that he had that horrible Imperius Curse put on him. I didn't see him for that long time he spent in Azkaban." I saw her eyes fill with tears and I remembered when I heard the news that Stan was put in Azkaban, I couldn't believe it. I cursed the former Minister of Magic, and then took it back, feeling horrible for cursing the dead. "And then he came back. He wasn't home often. He spent all of his time on that darn bus. Eventually he started coming home every once and a while. And then imagine my surprise when he brings you home!" She squealed again and took my hand in hers. I smiled at her warmly. She was so cute! I wanted to take her home and bake her into a pie. "And you're everything he's ever wanted! I remember he used to talk about you back when he was younger, 16 or so, I guess. But I didn't put 2 and 2 together! I guess it was just meant to be!" Abby then came stalking up to us, a shopping bag already clutched in her hand.
"Oh sorry, Mom," Abby sneered, "I almost didn't recognize you. You were to busy giggling like a school girl to realize I had left you." Mrs. Shunpike just shrugged and I stifled a life. Yes, she was an exact copy of a younger me.
"Abby, you learn how to fly a broom yet?" I asked as we headed towards Fortescue's for ice cream. A relative of old Fortescue recently reopened Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, and I was eternally grateful. I didn't think I could stand another trip to Diagon Alley without an ice cream stop. It was relatively not busy, probably because it was a Tuesday afternoon. Abby shot another look towards me.
"No, I'm not at Hogwarts yet." She snipped and sent me a look that looked as if to say "DUH!" I held my hands up in a defensive position.
"I would have thought you would have stolen your sister's, or even your brother's, brooms, a crafty girl like you." I said, smiling. She blushed a deep red.
"Who says I haven't?" She said and stuck her tongue out at me. Mrs. Shunpike came back with 3 chocolate scoops and Abby immediately stuck her tongue back in her mouth.
"I think we have Stan's old broom in the attic. Maybe you could teach her some moves." Mrs. Shunpike suggested. I saw a shimmer of excitement grow on Abby's face but it quickly disappeared.
"Why should I learn from her?" Abby spat. I smiled again. She grimaced and I could tell my amusement just mad her madder.
"I was a seeker for my house for 3 years. And I'll have you know, each of those years we won the Quidditch Cup." I said and began to dig into my ice cream. I could see a look of wonderment cross over Abby's face; it was quickly replaced with disgust.
"So? I bet you were on Slytherin's team!" She spat. Mrs. Shunpike gasped.
"Tyler is in Slytherin! Just because that house has had some sort of reputation in the past doesn't mean that everyone in it is bad! I'm surprised at you Abby. Your own brother… really!" Mrs. Shunpike said loudly, a twinge of disappointment on her voice. Abby mumbled an apology and I stared at my melting ice cream. I licked up a dripping side quickly as it slid down the side of my cone.
"I was in Ravenclaw." I said to Abby but she no longer paid any attention to what I was saying and sulkily ate her ice cream.
"Maddie is in Ravenclaw. Stan was in Gryffindor. I have no doubt that Abby will be in Hufflepuff and then we can have our own House Cup each year." Mrs. Shunpike giggled.
I heard Abby mumbled something about Hufflepuff being "stupid cowards" but Mrs. Shunpike shot her a look and she went back to her silence.
"What house were you in, Mrs. Shun- Julia?" I asked remembering our conversation earlier. I ate the last of the sugar cone I had in my hand and looked over to Abby again but she was engrossed in eating her ice cream and staring at passer byers.
"I was in Hufflepuff myself. My husband though was in Ravenclaw and was he ever so smart!" She said excitedly and I saw Abby cringe at the mention of her father. Mrs. Shunpike looked toward the setting sun. "We'd better get going. I know Stanley will be starving by now. C'mon, Abby." She said. Abby swallowed the last of her cone and stood up. Her mother grasped her hand again and this time Abby didn't pull away. I followed behind quietly them and we Flooed back home. I shook the thought out of my head. Let me rephrase. We flooed back to Stan's house. I sighed, what have I gotten myself into?