A/N: I know this is super short, but I felt that this scene deserved its own chapter. Enjoy!

Nefaria walked into the kitchen and was met with Bellatrix muttering to herself, scrambling through the cabinets and refrigerator. "No more milk… low on everything… no more bubotube-"

"Mum?" Nefaria asked, interrupting Bellatrix's train of thought. "What's going on?"

"We're just low on supplies. And food," Bellatrix sighed. "Guess it's time for a trip to Diagon Alley…"

"Can I come?" Nefaria asked timidly.

"No, no, I don't think-" Bellatrix stopped short. "I have a better idea!" Nefaria cocked her head in confusion. "I'll go to Diagon Alley for potion supplies, and you go to the muggle grocery store down the street for food."

"By myself?" Nefaria asked.

"Yes, I think that would be very good for you. Does that sound good?"

Nefaria's eyes began to light up slowly. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "That sounds very good! Oh, fun. All by myself!"

Bellatrix smiled. "Come on then."

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-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-

Bellatrix stood with her hand on Nefaria's shoulder, inside their house facing the front door. "What do you do if a muggle comes and talks to you?" Bellatrix asked.

"Ignore them," Nefaria replied.

"What if they try to touch you or hurt you?"

"Crucio them to oblivion, put on a disillusion charm, and run," Nefaria recited.

Bellatrix squeezed Nefaria's shoulder. "Good," she said. "I'll be back in two hours. I'm going to do a bit of extra shopping. Are you ok with this?"

Nefaria nodded vigorously. "Yes, mum," she said, smiling. "I have the shopping list right here!" she waved a long piece of paper in front of her mother.

"Go," Bellatrix said, and opened the door. "Wait!" she called as Nefaria was about to step off the property and out of the protection of the Fidelis Charm. "Your nose!" Bellatrix waved her wand and a normal-looking nose formed on top of Nefaria's snake-like, flat, conspicuous nose.

The little girl frowned in distaste. "Bye mum!" she said, and began walking down the sidewalk. Bellatrix closed the door and began preparing herself, changing her appearance. Finally, she was ready, and she apparated to the Leaky Cauldron.

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Nefaria skipped down the pavement, ecstatic about being free to roam in the world outside her house. She passed many similar looking houses, each with slightly different gardens or decorations.

On about the fifth house down, she saw a boy mowing the lawn with a small manual lawn mower- one that used no electricity or batteries. The boy was barely as tall as the lawn mower itself, and he struggled to push it across the neatly-gardened front yard.

The boy stopped to rest, and wiped his hand across his forehead, pushing away the sweat. He looked up and saw Nefaria coming towards him. He smiled timidly. "Hi," he said.

Nefaria began to smile, but then turned her head sharply away, remembering what her mother said. She ignored him and kept walking.

"What?" he asked. "I just said hi…"

Nefaria stopped, and turned slightly towards him, feeling the need to explain. "I'm not supposed to talk to you," she said.

"Why not?" he asked dejectedly, as if he knew the answer.

"Because you're a-"

"Freak? I know. My aunt's told me plenty of times," the boy interrupted.

"No," Nefaria replied, surprised. "You're a muggle." She said the word 'muggle' with the distaste that her mother often used when referring to the non-magical people.

"That doesn't sound like a very nice thing to say," the boy said, hurt. "It sounds bad! I'm not bad. Or- or rude. Or whatever that word means…"

"You're not a muggle, then?" Nefaria turned all the way, facing the boy. She had a smile growing on her face.

"I don't think so," the boy said, unsure.

"Well… if you don't know what a muggle is, then you are a muggle."

"What is a muggle?"

"Mum says they're filthy, evil creatures who are nasty and gross and mean and stupid."

The boy smiled, considerably happier. "I took a bath this morning!" He chuckled. "So I'm not dirty. And I get good marks in school. No one's ever called me stupid! And I'm nice. Well, I think I am."

Nefaria pondered. "Well, you seem nice. Maybe you're a mudblood," she said hopefully.

"That doesn't sound much better. And I've seen my blood before, when I get cut and stuff. It's not muddy. It's red, like everyone else's!"

Nefaria gave an exasperated sigh. "If you're a mudblood, your blood doesn't look dirty. It just is."

"Well, I don't think I'm a mudblood."

"I'm sure you are. It's better than being a muggle! And think about it. You're nice- that means you're not a muggle. But you don't know what a muggle is. So you're a mudblood. You think you're a muggle until you turn eleven."

"I'm only seven years old. That's a long time until I turn eleven…"

"Well, I'm six!" Nefaria exclaimed.

"What happens when you turn eleven?" the boy asked.

Nefaria smiled. "You get to go to school!"

"I already go to school. I go to primary school with my cousin."

"No, silly, a special school. A school where you learn things that you would never learn in a muggle school."

The boy pondered. "Maybe we'll go to school together when you're eleven, and I'm twelve."

Nefaria looked down at her feet. "No, Mum teaches me at home. I'm not allowed to go to school." She looked up slightly, a sneaky smile on her face. "You see, I'm not supposed exist," she whispered.

The boy laughed. "You're funny," he said. Suddenly he stopped smiling and looked around quickly. "I have to finish mowing the lawn."

"Oh," Nefaria said. "Will I see you again sometime?"

"I guess not at school. But I mow the lawn every Saturday morning, if you want to come visit me then. It would be nice to have a friend to talk to," he said quietly, almost to himself.

"Friend?" Nefaria whispered.

The boy chuckled. "Sure, why not? Friend," he said firmly, and held out his hand. Nefaria took it and shook, gazing at their clasped hands in wonder.

"I'm Nefaria, by the way," she said, suddenly remembering her manners.

"Harry."