August 2019 – Summer

"Meredith!"

"Coming, Mum!" I hurriedly pull on and tie my left shoe, grab my Hogwarts letter and bag, and rush out of my room and down the stairs.

Mum is waiting at the door with her arms crossed. Seeing me, she sighs. "I thought you wanted to be on time to meet your friends."

"I'm sorry!" I say back, frustrated. "We can go, now, though."

Mum shakes her head and grabs my hand. She turns, pulling me along with her, and the uncomfortable squeezing sensation surrounds me as we Disapparate.

We materialize at the entrance to Diagon Alley. Letting go of Mum's hand, I take a few deep breaths to steady myself with my eyes closed.

"Mer!"

My eyes shoot open and I see James Potter run towards me waving, arm flailing wildly back and forth and messy black hair flying around his face. I snort loudly as he approaches. He looks ridiculous.

"James! Why are we running?" Behind James I see tell-tale Weasley red hair and a face I recognize. Rose Weasley is trying to catch up to her taller, more athletic cousin as he races towards me.

James rushes up to me and grabs me into a tight bear hug. "Hey James," I manage through my constricted chest. Rose reaches us, but stays back a couple of feet.

"And who is this?" Mum is looking at me slyly and I wriggle myself out of James's embrace and roll my eyes. She knows perfectly well who this is.

"Mum," I say, slightly annoyed at her expression. "This is James Potter."

James puts on a winning smile and holds out his hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Blount. Thank you for letting Meredith meet us here today. I'm sorry it was such short notice."

"It's not a problem at all, James," Mum replies sweetly taking his hand in hers and shaking it firmly. "I'm just happy to hear that Meredith finally has some friends to meet."

"Mum…" I say under my breath.

James laughs and pulls his hand through his hair, mussing it even further. "I'm definitely happy that she considers me a friend." He smiles warmly at Mum and she returns it. I can tell she already likes him quite a bit.

Ugh. He is such a charmer.

Prat.

"Hey Rose," I greet in an attempt to stop any additional Mum-charming. She has been standing silently where she stopped before, but closes the gap between us when I acknowledge her.

"Meredith!" After giving me a quick hug, she pulls away and asks, "Has the rest of your holiday been going well?"

"Brilliant," I assure her. What I don't say, since Mum is standing a few feet away, is that these past few weeks have been much better than the first few.

I had spent the first portion of the summer traveling Britain with my parents. It wouldn't have been so bad, but I didn't get an owl from anyone from school and had started to think that maybe they didn't like me as much as I thought they did. Although I did enjoy being with my parents, I kept randomly remembering that I hadn't heard from my 'friends' since we'd left. This resulted in me being very emotionally unstable and my parents being at their wit's end with me by the time we returned home.

The owl that came after we returned was from James, inviting me to his birthday party on July 31. I was thrilled. My parents, much less so… at least, at first.

I scan the contents of the short letter from James excitedly.

Meredith,

I hope your summer has been going well. Mine's been interesting. Mum went crazy after seeing my exam results and threatened to force me to quit the House Team if I didn't get my act together and pass my O.W.L.s. Can you believe that?

I sniff a laugh. Honestly, I can. James barely revised for our exams this year claiming his 'intuition' would get him through.

I told him he was an idiot.

He ignored me and went off to snog his girlfriend.

I passed my exams with high grades.

He nearly failed.

Justice.

I continue reading:

Believe it or not, I've spent this whole holiday studying so far, which is why I haven't been writing you.

If I had been drinking anything, it would have ended up all over my desk as I spit it out in surprise. Studying? James Potter studying?

I look up at the ceiling for a moment trying to picture James reading ahead in his text books alone. I can't do it. Literally nothing pops into my mind.

I know you probably just did a spit-take, but I'm telling the truth. I don't think I could survive without Quidditch until I graduate. Dad and my Uncle Ron are very concerned for my sanity right now.

I'm really sorry I didn't send anything. I knew you would be traveling with your parents, and I didn't want to feel like I was getting in the way. When I told Rose I hadn't written you all summer, she looked at me like I was an idiot and threw a potato at my head (she was helping Mum make dinner when her family visited us), which I feel was completely unjustified.

He would. He's an idiot.

However, even though he is an idiot, the weight in my stomach that had settled there since the start of my family's trip disappears. James may not have written, but he hadn't forgotten.

He's still an idiot.

Anyway, to make it up to you, I am inviting you to my birthday party! Not that you wouldn't have been invited anyway, but I'm just trying to make you feel better.

I smile and shake my head.

So whenever you get this, send me an owl back and let me know if you can come. It's going to be at my Grandpa Arthur's and Nana Molly's house on July 31 at 5pm. Since it's a National Holiday celebrating my existence, you definitely shouldn't miss it, yeah?

Don't worry about bringing a gift or anything. Having you there will be enough if you can make it. Mum and Dad are really looking forward to meeting you, too.

Owl me back with an answer as soon as you can!

-James

P.S. Al, Lily, and Rose all tell me to say hey. They came to drag me away from my textbooks and force me to play Quidditch and saw me writing this letter and forced me to write this at the end.

A birthday party? Never mind James's birthday party, but Harry freaking Potter's birthday party? And he wants to meet me? And not just the Harry Potter, but the Ginny Potter of the Holyhead Harpies? She may have been a Chaser, but she has always been my idol.

My breathing becomes ragged and my heartrate quickens. What am I so nervous about? They're just normal people.

Normal people who saved the Wizarding World and played world-class Quidditch.

Yeah… totally normal.

I hear footsteps in the hall that stop in front my bedroom door followed by a knock and I hastily stuff James's letter back in the envelope it was sent in. "Come in!"

The door opens with a slight creak and Dad sticks his head into my room. "Hey, Sweetheart. Dinner is ready."

"Thanks Dad," I reply opening the drawer to my desk and placing the letter inside.

"Who was the letter from?" he inquires.

"A friend from school."

"A friend?" Dad steps fully into my room, now. "I don't think you've gotten a letter from a friend since first year."

It's true. I rarely receive letters over the summer… unless they're from Hogwarts.

"A new friend," I explain, turning in my seat to face him. "I got to know him last year."

"Him?" Dad's eyebrows shoot up and a slight frown forms on his face.

Before I can reply, Mum calls across our flat, "David! I thought you were letting Meredith know that dinner is ready!"

I roll my eyes slightly which results in a warning look from my father. If she was just going to yell, why didn't she do that instead of sending Dad all the way over here?

Dad and I both exit my room and walk to the kitchen where Mum had already placed the food on the table. The three of us take our seats and serve ourselves in silence and it's awkward.

Both Mum and Dad know that I received a letter. I know they assumed it was from Hogwarts, as was evidenced by Dad's surprise to hear it was from a friend. Both of them are watching me closely: Dad because he knows I've been corresponding with a male and Mum because I know she's hoping I've been made a Prefect this year.

I guess they're both hoping that I'll bring it up first.

Yeah… Not going to happen.

I silently eat my food and my parents continue to silently glance at me from their own plates. Finally, Mum can't stand it anymore and asks, "So who was the letter from, Meredith." Dad's fork freezes halfway to his mouth and the slice of roast beef he had speared slips off.

"A friend from school," I say again.

Mum tilts her head to the side slightly. "A friend? Who?"

"Someone I met in Defense last year."

"A boy," Dad puts his, a hint of a growl in his voice.

"You got a letter from a boy?" Mum asks excitedly. "A boyfriend maybe?"

Dad and I both choke on the food we have just put in our mouths and cough loudly. "No way!" I exclaim. "He is not my boyfriend. He's just a guy I get on with well." Dad eyes me suspiciously and Mum seems to deflate slightly. "He's invited me to his birthday party."

Dad sets his fork down and looks closely at me. "He's invited you to a co-ed birthday party?"

I hadn't thought of that. It's supposed to be at his grandparent's house, so there will probably be both genders around, especially if his extended family shows up. "Well, I assume so seeing as-"

"You are not going."

"What?" I swing my head quickly to face him. "Why?"

"We don't know anything about him and I'm not about to let my daughter be alone with teenage boys I know nothing about."

"David…"

"No, Lisa. I don't think this is a good idea."

"But his whole family is going to be there!" I exclaim defensively.

"How am I supposed to know for sure that's true?"

"You can trust me!"

"I trust you, Meredith, but I don't trust a teenaged boy I know nothing about."

I slam my fork on the table. "This is so unfair! Why don't you ask his parents? I'm sure you'll probably trust Harry and Ginny Potter." Mum and Dad stare at me for a second and I continue. "James Potter sent me the letter and invited me to come to his and his dad's birthday party on July 31. If you had let me talk, I would have explained this sooner!"

I push my chair back and leave the table in a huff, retreating to my room. I throw myself onto my bed and sob into my pillow. Dad is always like this. He never lets me do anything on my own. Doesn't he understand that I'm fifteen? I am top of my class in Defense. I can take care of myself.

Twenty minutes later, Mum knocks on my door and immediately lets herself in. "Meredith, Dear, I'm sorry." I don't respond. "I spoke with your father and we agreed that it will be fine for you to go as long as Mr. or Mrs. Potter sends us some sort of confirmation about the event.

I turn my head to face her. "Thanks, Mum." I sit up fully and rub my face with my hands to clear off the dried tears. "Why is Dad so unreasonable?"

Mum sits down next to me on my bed and places a comforting arm around my shoulders. "Your father is just having a hard time realizing his little girl isn't so little anymore."

I lean my head on Mum's shoulder and she rubs my arm. "What's it going to take for him to realize?"

"I think he's taken a big step tonight already. The idea of you being with a boy is probably going to be the hardest thing for him to overcome."

"But James is not my boyfriend!" I say forcefully.

"I know that… and so does he. But even so, he was presented with the idea that he may not be the only man in your life for much longer and it's a bit of a nasty shock for him." She sighs and squeezes my shoulders in hug. "He's just trying to protect you."

"I can take care of myself."

"I know, Sweetheart," she says soothingly. "Just give him time. He'll come around."

I shake my head slightly to clear the memories. "Has your group done much shopping, yet? I know we're a little late."

James shakes his head. "Nah, we just got here, too. Plus we would've waited for you, anyway."

"James," Rose says with slight annoyance. "I think you mean you would have waited. My mum is already getting antsy just standing around. You know how she can be when we do school shopping."

"Where are your parents, James?" Mum asks, a hint of excitement in her voice. I raise an eyebrow at her and she smiles at me nervously. I give her a sympathetic smile back. She's nervous about meeting the Potters and the Weasleys and I only just overcame that hurdle three weeks ago at James's party.

"They're waiting at Wheezes," James responds, pointing arbitrarily behind him. "I'll introduce you!"

He motions for us to follow him up the alley towards the orange eye-sore that is Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. I've never actually been inside. Joke shops are not something that I necessarily find enthralling on my own, but I'm really looking forward to taking a look this year. James talked it up all last year and now I want to see for myself if it really lives up to the hype.

Mum, James, and Rose walk slightly ahead of me and my thoughts wander back to the party and my own first meeting with Harry and Ginny Potter.

"Do your best to be home before eleven," Mum says, holding the pot of Floo powder out to me. "I don't think your father would be too happy if you stayed out later than that."

"Yes, Mum." I reach out and take a generous pinch of the green powder, throw it into the flames, and yell, "The Burrow!"

Grates fly past me and before too long, I find myself stumbling clumsily onto the stone floor of a warm-looking kitchen and being surrounded by wonderful smells.

I look around, trying to get my bearings, but I'm suddenly wrapped in an unexpected bear hug by none other than James.

"Mer!" He yells, as he squeezes me causing the soot on my clothes to fall on the kitchen floor and to stick to his bare chest. "I'm so glad you could make it!"

I am not used to hugs. I've never been a touchy-feely kind of person and physical contact with the opposite sex has been pretty much non-existent in my life. This thought brings to mind the row with Dad and I frown slightly.

I squeeze my eyes shut, forcing my thoughts back to the present and pat the exposed skin on his back awkwardly. "Thank you for the invitation," I manage to respond. Yes, the hug is making it hard to breathe, but I'm mostly flustered by the fact that James Potter is hugging me… shirtless. If the girls at school hear about this, my life will certainly be in jeopardy.

"James." An aged witch with gray hair flecked with the faintest hint of red remaining walks into the kitchen and smiles warmly as she sees the two of us. "Ah," she says gently. "This must be Meredith." I feel the blush spread over my face. I bet she thinks I'm some kind of slag to arrive at a place I've never been and immediately hug an attractive shirtless guy.

James releases me and smiles at the witch. "Yeah! Nana, this is Meredith Blount. Mer, this is my Nana Molly."

I smile, nervously, my flushed face likely turning a deeper shade of red. His grandmother? This is her house. This is her kitchen. She has to think I'm a terrible person.

"Meredith," his grandmother says, moving towards us. "It is so good to finally meet you. James has told me so much about you." She holds out her hand and I feebly take it. She clasps it in both of her own and smiles warmly at me.

His grandmother's smile and demeanor ease my nerves. Her presence is soothing. I understand, now, why The Burrow is one of James's favorite places in the world. "Thank you, Mrs. Weasley. I've heard a lot about you as well."

"Dear, call me Nana Molly. Merlin knows that I'm so used to it I won't know to respond to anything else." Nana Molly walks towards the stove and lifts the lid on one of several pots and stirs the contents. "Please clean up the ash on the floor, James. You know better than to hug someone right after they Floo."

James rolls his eyes and complains, "But you can just clean it with magic. Why do I have to do it?"

Nana Molly sends him a dangerous look over her shoulder and he clamps his mouth shut, walks to a closet, and pulls out a broom and dust pan. I stand awkwardly and watch as he sweeps the ashes that fell from my clothes into the pan. He walks towards a door at the back of the kitchen and, not knowing what to do with myself, I follow him.

He opens the door revealing a large yard with chickens walking freely, a lush garden, rolling hills on one side with a small village just visible on the horizon, and trees and a lake taking up the other side. I can make out makeshift Quidditch hoops through a small gap in the trees and there are several teenaged-looking people playing in the lake. That would explain why James is only wearing a pair of swim trunks. The sounds of their laughter reach my ears and I smile recognizing the unmistakable howl of Fred's laugh.

I take all of this in while James is dumping the ash behind an overgrown Flutterby Bush. "Please don't tell Nana that I dumped the ashes here. I'm supposed to take them over to the fence behind the chicken coop."

"This place is amazing, James." I am smiling like an idiot. I've lived in the city all my life and the sights and smells of the country are thrilling.

James looks up at me and smiles himself. "I know. I love it here." He stands up and I notice that he seems to have doubled the difference in our height since I last saw him, forcing me to actually tilt my head up to look him in the eyes.

"Why'd you have to grow?" I whine, sticking my lower lip out slightly. "I'm older. I should be taller."

James looks at me and cocks an eyebrow. "Well, what do you know?" He places his left hand on top of my head. "You went and got all short."

"Watch it, Potter," I say as threatening as I can. "Just because you're taller, now, doesn't mean I can't still kick your arse."

James laughs loudly and picks up the broom and dust pan. "I'm going to put these away then we can go say hey to everyone. He reenters the house and I stand alone, giving me another opportunity to appreciate the scene. I could get used to seeing this.

A moment later, James sticks his head out the door. "I lied. Sorry," he says with slight smirk. "Before we go see everyone else, my parents want to meet you."

My heart skips a beat and I have to force myself to breathe as the realization of where I am and who is here hits me all over again. This is it. I'm going to meet THE Harry and Ginny Potter. And, probably, THE Ron and Hermione Weasley at some point.

I quickly brush the remaining ash from my clothes, trying to breathe deeply and only succeeding in inhaling the airborne ash. I start coughing roughly and James opens the door completely and rushes to my side. "Mer! Are you okay?"

His voice relays his concern and while I'm somewhat touched… I'm still bloody about to meet the most famous person in all of Wizarding Britain!

I raise a quivering hand in an attempt to stop him from worrying as I finally catch my breath. Upon seeing my shaking appendage, he smirks once more. "Don't tell me you're nervous."

I shoot him a glare, stand up straight and brush off my clothes again. "No! Why would I be nervous? I'm only meeting two of the most famous wizards in the country."

"I detect sarcasm," he replies, walking back to the door and leaning on the frame. I continue to glare at him. "What?" he asks in response. "They are only my parents."

"You are such a prat!" I yell and James looks nervously over his shoulder through the open door. "I get that you've lived with the fame your whole life, but this is different for me!" I take a breath and turn my back to him. "I mean… what if they don't like me? Everyone would know that the great Harry Potter doesn't like me and think-"

"Did you know that my mum's full name is Ginevra?" James asks, cutting me off.

I whip around and look at him. That was random. "What?"

"Mum's full name is Ginevra Molly," he says crossing his arms over his chest. "I always figured that 'Ginny' was short for something, but Mum did a hell of a job hiding that."

"What does that have to do with anything?" I ask, slightly perturbed by his change in subject.

"I don't really like today," James admits. I watch as he looks over to the lake where our mates are still swimming. "July 31… I mean, sure, it's my birthday, but it's also Dad's birthday, not to mention a National Holiday. Every year, since I can remember, it's been a circus at our house. Reporters have been hounding my parents since even before they left school and they always attempt to get an interview in today no matter how many times my dad refuses."

Another random statement? What is he on about?

"Since it gets so crazy at our house, I've taken to sneaking away into the attic."

"The attic? That's a bit of an odd place to hide."

"Maybe," he replies. "But it's worked. I started going up there…" James cocks his head and scratches his chin thoughtfully. "Probably when I was eight. I was trying to get away from Mum and Lily was throwing a fit. I hid in the attic, but I got bored after a while and starting going through some boxes that my parents stored there. That first year I found a box with a lot of my old baby toys in it.

"I've found a couple of really boring boxes of random files and old clothes and such, but this year I found a box of items relating to my parent's wedding and found a copy of the marriage license. There was Mum's name in plain view. I'm surprised no one came to see if we now had a ghoul in our attic since I was laughing so hard and probably making a hell of a racket."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Meredith, my parents, and the rest of my family for that matter, are just normal people. They keep loads of rubbish in their attic, collect keepsakes from their children, and got married like other normal people would do."

I think about his words. I guess it makes sense. "But what if they don't like me?"

"I doubt very seriously that they won't, Mer." James stands back up straight and walks to my side again. "And if they don't like you, which, again, I seriously doubt will happen, it's not going to change what I think about you. You're my friend and nothing anybody could say would change that."

I give him a genuine smile and he returns it, pulling me into a gentle hug. This one is considerably less awkward than the first, though I'm still a little flustered with the fact that he's not wearing a shirt. After he releases me, I ask, "Your mum's name is Ginevra and she still called your brother Albus?"

James laughs loudly saying, "I know! I thought the exact same thing!"

"I guess I'm ready," I tell him after a pause.

"Brilliant. I bet they're wondering why we're taking so long as it is." James turns his back to me and makes to walk back through the door into Nana Molly's kitchen.

"Hey, James…" James stops and turns to look at me, still smiling. "Thanks."

"Anytime," he answers and he heads through the door.

I take a deep breath and exhale, repeating, "They're just normal people. They're just normal people." under my breath as I follow him through the entrance and into the sitting room.

As I enter, I see Harry and Ginny Potter looking at me, and my heart leaps to my throat as the nerves return full-force. James is facing his parents and gestures to me as he says, "Mum, Dad: this is Meredith."

Mr. Potter's face lights up and he vacates the couch and walks towards me and James. He holds out his hand and says, "Meredith. It's a pleasure to meet you. James has told us quite a bit about you." I take his hand and shake it firmly.

Mr. Potter is standing next to James and I mentally compare them. They have the same messy black hair, but James has brown eyes. Mr. Potter is only a few inches taller than his son suggesting his eldest will surpass him at some point.

Huh. I expected the savior of the wizarding world to be taller.

Mrs. Potter joins the three of us and offers me her hand as well. As I shake it she says, "So you're the reason James was able to fit his head through the door after coming home from school this year?"

I blush slightly at her words. "Thank you for inviting me, Mr. and Mrs. Potter." I look into Mrs. Potter's face and notice her eyes are the exact same shade of brown as James's.

"The pleasure is ours," Mr. Potter replies, smiling warmly. "I'm always happy to meet a friend of James's." He wraps his arm around his wife's waist and I feel my racing heart start to slow as it hits me.

They're just normal people.

James, Phillip, Roger, Fred, and I exit Wheezes, the boys all carrying large bags of merchandise and myself carrying a small bag containing a new product Angelina Weasley talked me into buying. I look down at the paper bag in my hands skeptically. It contains instructions for charming a quill of your choice to become self-inking.

"It provides you the freedom to choose a better quality quill compared to the low-tier quills generally provided with the self-inking charm," she had said.

"Meredith," Phillip asks with a grimace. "How could you walk into a store like that and come out with one of the most boring pieces of merchandise they carry?"

"Shove off, Finnigan," I say without looking at him. "You're just upset that I have no intention of sitting in detention with you tossers this year."

"Where are we off to, now?" Roger asks, checking his watch. "We need to meet our parents back here in a couple of hours, so we should get started with the rest of our shopping."

"We should probably get our textbooks last so we don't have to carry them around for the rest of the time," I say looking down the busy street.

"Let's go over to Scribbulus," James offers, looking at me out of the corner of his eye. "Mer is probably really anxious to find a new quill." I roll my eyes. I really don't want to think about quills.

"If we must," Roger says with a huff. "That place always makes me feel like I have to sneeze, though."

The five of us make our way down Diagon Alley and into the musty supply shop. We split up and do our individual shopping. At least, that's what I would have done if James hadn't decided to tag along behind me annoyingly. "What quill are you going to pick, Mer?" he asks with a smirk. "We both know how much you love using them."

"Shut it, Potter," I hiss sharply. We make our way to the quill display and I make a face as I take in the dozens of options laid out before me. I pick up a few, placing them back in the appropriate box almost immediately. "Should I pick the one that will dull, or the one that will dull?" I ask myself sarcastically, walking around the table.

"I think maybe you should pick the one that will dull," James says cheekily.

I shoot him an annoyed look and pick up yet another apparently high-quality quill, holding it up in front of my face. "Merlin, I hate quills."

"Then pick the one that's not a quill," James says, inspecting a quill himself.

I freeze in the middle of returning the item I was inspecting. Not a quill. "James," I say slowly, excitement building inside of me. "You just gave me a brilliant idea."

James eyes me warily. "If it's got anything to do with torching this batch of expensive quills, I can't say that I approve of the plan, no matter how much fun that would be."

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Why is that the first thing you thought of?"

James shrugs. Idiot.

"Come on, Potter," I say, grabbing his arm and dragging him out of the shop.

"What? What are you doing? Where are we going?" he shouts as I pull him towards the Leaky Cauldron.

"We're going to Muggle London," I answer.