Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I wish.

A/N: I'm so sorry I haven't updated in ages. Thanks for sticking with me! Here's the story!

Last time: 'Never mind, cub.' David said. A silence settled over the room. Beth was the first to ask the question they were all stuck on,

'What now?'

'What now' turned out to be a visit to Chewie's. Harry followed Beth and David, a hairs' breadth away from their feet. He paused when they reached the staircase and felt for the handrail. Grabbing hold of it, he tentatively put one foot down on the stair. Finding the step, he put his other foot down. Then he reached for the next bar of the hand rail and clambered down to the next stair.

He continued this process until he finally reached out and felt no bar. The bottom! No more stairs! Phew... He went to take another step when David caught him round the waist and swung him around to the right.

'Not so fast. You'll trip down the stairs.' More stairs! Awww... Sighing, Harry reached out for the bar and began the stupidly long trip down the stupidly big steps. When they finally reached the bottom (which in Harry's opinion took far too long), David steered him out the door and into the street.

Harry blinked. It didn't help. The world was still in the three layers it had appeared to separate itself into when they'd gone outside. The grey bottom layer he assumed was the road. The greyish blue above had to be the sky but then why the hell was the rest of the world red?

Buildings? But they couldn't be. Buildings were white, not red. All the buildings on Privet Drive were white, so why were these ones red? He didn't realise he'd stopped until Beth wheeled around and picked him up, swinging him onto her hip and proceeding to carry him down the street. He tensed. Beth ignored it, simply saying,

'We want t' get t' Chewie's place before t'morrow, y'know.' They got to the end of the street and turned, Beth shifting her grip on Harry so that he was over her shoulder, resting his chin hands with his elbows propped against her back.

Harry nearly fell asleep as Beth unknowingly rocked him as she walked, but he kept his eyes wide open, trying desperately to remember the route they were taking. One should always know the way around their living space (just in case you ever needed to escape it) and seeing as Johnny, Beth and David lived on the streets, then he needed to learn his way around.

The jingling of a bell broke Harry's concentration and he yelped in surprise as Beth put him down abruptly.

'Sorry Harry.' Beth said apologetically, squatting down so she was at eye-level with the small boy.

''s fine.' Harry mumbled, bemused, not quite sure what she was apologising for. Suddenly a woman ran out from the back room, gasped and breathed,

'Bel bambino,' she she ran back into the other room and he heard her calling for someone. 'Chewie, abbiamo visitatori! Vieni fuori! Hanno un altro ragazzo con loro. Un piccolo.' Harry didn't understand her. He turned to David.

'Chewie and Ophelia are Italian. They speak Italian as well as English.' Harry's mouth formed an 'o' shape and he nodded as the woman returned, this time bringing a man with her. The man clapped his hands together.

'Well 'e is adorable, no?' Chewie bustled forward, the wispy woman behind him following curiously. He bent down to Harry's level. Harry flinched. 'Don' worry, bambino, I won' 'urt you. Don' you worry.' He continued soothingly, gently reaching for Harry's hand and grasping it in his hands between them. 'You see? Don' fear me, bambino, I won' urt you. I promise, eh?'

Harry nodded shyly. He couldn't make out the man's face but he imagined it to be round and kind, with an irrepressible smile and wise, crinkled eyes. His hands, Harry knew, were soft and warm – comforting. Harry decided he liked the man. The woman leaned down and in broken English, asked,

'What your name?' Harry glanced at Beth. She nodded.

'Harry.' He whispered. He thought she might be smiling when the pink smudge on her face (her lips, he thought) curved up at the edges.

'Attendere,' she instructed. And then she was gone, disappearing through the door behind the counter. He heard the sound of the woman opening what sounded like the screw-top of a jar that hadn't been opened in a while, the crinkling sound that sweet wrappers made when Dudley screwed them up, then the sound of the lid screwing back on and the woman's footsteps.

Then she was kneeling in front of him again and in her hand she held something small and green. She spoke again in her broken English,

'It is nice. It is a, how you say...sweet. Yes! Sweet, for you, Harry.' There was that crinkling sound again then she took his hand, her fingers thin and gentle, and placed the green thing in it. Cautiously, Harry put it in his mouth. She was right; it was nice.

'Thank you.' He whispered, sucking on the sweet. The woman, 'Ophelia' David had called her, smiled again and clapped her hands.

'Di niente, bambino.' David bent down,

'She says you're welcome.'

'You speak Italian too?' Harry asked, surprised.

'Not much.'

'Oh.' Harry yawned, swaying slightly. Beth must have noticed, because she immediately picked him up, resting him on her hip. He flinched at the unexpected touch, then relaxed as he reminded himself that she wasn't going to hurt him. He laid his head on Beth's shoulder, and stared drowsily at her dark hair as the grown-ups (and teenagers) continued their conversation. He wasn't quite sure what they were talking about, but he liked the sound of the woman's voice. It was soft and it went up and down as she spoke.

He struggled to keep his eyes open, but soon gave up and just listened to the woman's voice. It sounded like she was singing, almost. It was soothing and pretty. Like a lullaby almost. He yawned again. She was nice, he decided sleepily, he liked her...

Here are some translations – if they're off, blame Google Translator:

'Bel bambino.' : 'Beautiful child.'

'Chewie, abbiamo visitatori! Vieni fuori! Hanno un altro ragazzo con loro. Un piccolo.' : 'Chewie, we have visitors! Come here! They have another boy with them. A little one.'

'Attendere,' : 'Wait'

'Di niente, bambino.' : 'You're welcome, child.'

A/N: Well...what did you think? I was going to make it longer but thought this was a good place to end it. Anyway, until next time (and this time that will be sooner than the last time)! Adios amigos!!!