"Hey!" She said cheerfully startling him, she couldn't ever understand why he took car washing so seriously, and why he'd reach to his waist whenever startled, he grinned at her however so she just brushed it away.
"What are you doing up so early," he said rinsing the car with the hose.
"Walking obviously," she took a step closer, eyeing his work.
"You walk too much," he said still busy with the car, washing it way too seriously. She couldn't help but contemplate him putting every ounce of energy he got in scrubbing and cleaning, he looked a lot skinnier in the vest he wore, however his muscles were toned and his movements were precise and quick, the way he focused on the job and did it effortlessly was both heart breaking and amazing.
He started to work on the inside of the car when she wordlessly took another step closer and started helping him, he stopped on his tracks at her action.
"What?" She said "Come on that way you will finish faster, and then we can go walk together- it is really boring, walking alone- I am just doing myself a favor".
He contemplated that for a minute, then took the dirty cloth from her hand and continued working on the back seats.
"I can't," he said finally "My uncle's sister is coming over and I have a lot to do".
"Well that is a better reason to give you a pair of extra hands" she grabbed another cloth and copied what he did.
He smirked at her "you will get yourself dirty," he took a step closer wearing a mock serious expression "besides, you probably don't have enough experience in that sort of hard labor".
"You keep underestimating me," she said unzipping her sweatshirt and tossing it on the grass, snatched the washing cloth from him and started working.
He looked at her with an amused expression on his face, one day she is in a silk dress smoking a cigarette in an empty park, and another in a plain white t-shirt and jogging pants cleaning the neighbors' car.
They worked in near silence, the silence breaking occasionally when Harry gave her instructions here and there.
"I don't get the point of cleaning the boot, I mean it is supposed to be dirty, isn't it" she said huffing a stray lock of hair out of her face.
"Well, tell that to my uncle," he said helping her getting the tool box out of the car boot " Besides, he will be picking up his sister today and if her luggage gets dirty because the boot is dirty, because I didn't clean it well.."
"Fine, fine," she interrupted "I get your point" she bent over to clean the far corner of the boot, her shirt traveling upwards in the process revealing a strip of tanned skin. Harry mentally reprimanded himself as his gaze lingered on the spot for too long, crossing all the borders of politeness.
He coughed nervously and said "You really don't have to do this".
She looked at him over her shoulder "I know, but I want to".
"Have a break then," he said "I will get the rest done" with that he took the now very dirty cloth from her leaving her no choice to comply.
She moved to the spot where her sweatshirt lied, picked it up and tied it around her waist. She noticed then the hose lying innocently on the grass, with its faucet closed. She glanced in Harry's direction making sure that he finished cleaning the car, sure enough he was actually collecting the cleaning supplies.
"Hey Harry!" She called for him, the moment he looked at her she directed the water right to his face "you owe me this," she said in business like tone.
He gasped in surprise as the cold water drenched his clothes, face and hair.
He glanced at the car first to make sure that his handy work was safe, then glared at her dangerously, so she just raised a brow in a show me what you got gesture and directed the hose a second time at him.
He laughed, he couldn't help but laugh as the water dripped from his hair and his vest clung pathetically to his body. He looked at her in determination "That was unfair," he said "Now you owe me," and before she could react he strode towards her and grabbed the hose spraying both of them with water in the process.
She raised her hand in a sign of surrender, her hair wet only from one side and sticking out comically "I surrender!" She said giggling" I request peace".
Harry was about to launch another attack when the front door was violently opened and the high pitched voice of his aunt struck him before she could even come to his view "BOY! What is going on here?"
Nada quickly hid herself towards the side of the house, Harry wore a blank innocent expression to face his aunt. "What is going on, where?" He said.
"You were talking to someone! - and why on earth are you drenched in water!"
He kept his innocent face and said with a shrug "I was washing the car".
She stared daggers at him and looked around searching for a sign of someone else, Nada dove deeper in her hiding place that she almost reached the backyard.
His aunt hissed to him "You were talking to someone from your lot," she glanced around to see if any of the neighbors were listening " I told you before, if I ever have any of those freaks in my house again you will regret it potter! You will painfully regret it!"
Harry's expression didn't change at all "and I told you I was talking to no one, I was actually singing- sorry if I woke you up"
She looked at him as if he grew another head "Singing!"
"Yes, you know, speaking poems in a tune?"
She shot him one of her nastiest looks and said "Vernon will get Marge earlier, you better start on breakfast and then you will help me in dinner".
He didn't move, looking sideways were Nada disappeared.
"Did you hear me?"
He reluctantly moved towards the front door while his aunt didn't move from her place.
Nada was about to leave her hiding place when she heard rushed footsteps approaching, she darted quickly to the backyard and waited for a fraction of a second, but the footsteps were approaching anyway, she glanced around in panic when she heard a rushed whisper from the kitchen door.
"Come, quick" harry opened the door and let her in just in time "Go upstairs, the room with the locks on its door" she looked at him questionably "Go!" He whispered, so she ran to the stairs and tried to climb them as quickly and silently as possible. She looked around franticly for a door with locks, it was on the far right of the hallway, she looked around cautiously, opened the door and entered a very small room, Harry's room, she realized.
She sat on the small bed, and looked around trying to grasp her surroundings. The room could barely take a small bed, a very small wardrobe and a desk. There was an empty huge cage on the desk near the window, and to her shock there were bars on the window. She didn't dare to move around, not only in fear of making any sound, but also because she knew that she crossed a line with Harry, she shouldn't be seeing this, she gazed at the door waiting for him to open it at any moment, but she noticed something in the lower half of the door, a cat flap, realization washed on her coldly, she shouldn't be seeing this.
She took off her shoes and curled on the bed, waiting and thinking. Why did she hid herself when his aunt showed up, she didn't know for sure, maybe because he told her before that she didn't like guests, maybe because of the look of urgency on his face, or maybe be she was just caught by surprise. But she was thankful that she did. Hearing the conversation between Harry and his aunt, especially the part of "you will painfully regret it" made her shudder.
Harry couldn't remember if he ever worked that fast in his life. What was he thinking, why did he panic, and God there's a girl in his room. What if she saw his books? If Hedwig came with letters? What if she got curious and went through his things? And then the more embarrassing ideas came through, he couldn't remember the state of which he left his room, what if it was too dirty? What if there was too many apple cores or some dirty pair of under pants lying around? He worked as if those what ifs were physically chasing him.
He finished the breakfast as fast as possible, and laid the table quickly. He wanted to leave desperately but he stayed as calmly as he could manage so that he won't raise any suspicion. He washed the dishes as his family had their breakfast, then he ate his own breakfast hiding a banana and two toasts in a napkin, and could barely suppress a sigh of relief when his family moved to the living room.
He slid slowly out of the kitchen but stopped in his tracks when his aunt's detested voice hit his ears "Go wear a proper t-shirt and come down again to help with dinner".
"Yes aunt petunia," he said obediently, and moved quickly towards the stairs.
He opened the door hastily, but paused In front the scene before him. Nada, soundly asleep on his bed. He smiled against the whole situation and closed the door slowly.
He changed in to an old T-shirt then moved to the bed tentively "Nada," he whispered "Nada wake up".
She stirred lazily but then she gasped and sat upright immediately, looking around disoriented.
"It's Ok," he said quickly as she gained her composure.
"Dad will kill me," she said the remainder of sleep in her voice" I have to return home"
He looked around for a moment, then took her hand abruptly "Come on, we will simply get downstairs and leave-that is ridiculous, you shouldn't have hidden in the first place"
She didn't move however.
"Come on," he said insisting.
"No Harry, I heard your aunt" his grip was loosened around her wrist "I won't get you in trouble- Dad will be mad but I can handle him-but- but I am not really sure if they could be handled"
"I can handle them!" He said defiantly.
"But you don't have to," she reasoned, sitting on his bed.
He took a deep breath then muttered "Ok," then with a louder voice "but I can't guarantee that you can leave before dinner, my uncle just left and my aunt will keep fussing around the house until he gets back, my cousin is probably asleep now or lazing around in his room, but he can be up and about any minute".
"I will stay till dinner then, when all of you are in the dining room I will sneak out," she said a little more confidently than she felt.
"Fine," he said, then noticed the wrapped toast and banana on his desk, "here, I brought you something to eat, you must be hungry"
She smiled widely at the gesture," You have a girl in your room, and all you think about is to feed her?" she took a piece toast and started nibbling at it "that is so- motherly of you".
He blushed but tried to cover it up with a mean retort "considerate, the word is considerate- and you're welcome!" she merely giggled at that, starting on peeling the banana.
In another universe, this would be a funny story to tell his kids, about how he kept a girl in his room in the middle of the day. How she was funny and bright and ate her banana in just three huge bites. In another universe he would have done something rash. In another universe the possibility of living to the day when he has kids won't be that slim.
"I must go now," he said finally, "I will try my best to be quick"
"it's alright, I will make myself at home, don't worry," she said scanning the room for somewhere to put the banana peel.
He glanced around nervously and nodded "Ok then".
A couple of hours passed, she glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table every minute to make sure that time actually passed.
It wasn't only because she was bored, but there was something about the room that made her feel claustrophobic, the bars, the locks, the size, everything about it was like a prison cell with only the essentials of living, they kept him alive, she thought.
The idea that Harry grew up here sent shivers down her spine, that he was probably locked here, maybe for days given the innovative idea of the cat-flap, she couldn't stand a couple of hours, how on earth did he spend 15 years here and still maintained his sanity.
All her problems seemed trivial and childish, well most of them. But her respect for the bespectacled boy swelled in her heart, amidst all the mess, He was thoughtful enough to bring her something to eat. Amidst all his mess, he could still be kind, and that both amazed her and made her feel quite uncomfortable. For she knew, with no doubt, that if the places were reversed maybe she wouldn't find it in herself to be kind, whilst the world is crumbling apart around her.
She was mercifully dragged away from her thoughts when she heard the door open, only wide enough for Harry to enter.
"Sorry for making you wait" he said, almost breathless.
"That's ok," she said "I had plenty of time to think"
He glanced around nervously, she wondered why he did that all the time.
A bang on the door startled them both, but thankfully no body opened it.
"They will arrive shortly, make yourself presentable," Harry's aunt screamed behind the door, he merely closed his eyes in annoyance.
"Honestly Harry, she is a nightmare" she said exasperated.
"You haven't met Marge yet," he said chuckling.
"They all should be abducted by aliens," she said seriously" the poor aliens will get a taste of the ugliest part of humanity, and flee away"
He laughed at that.
"I should be get going," he said "I don't want to give her a reason to barge into the room".
She nodded "yes please".
He strode to the wardrobe and picked up a shirt and a pair of trousers, but before he could turn around he realized what he was about to do.
"Er, I will have to change here" he said busying himself with unfolding the shirt "Dudley is using the bathroom, and anyway she will get suspicious if.."
"It's ok, go on" she interrupted him, and turned her head to face the window. That didn't help much though, as he could still see his own reflection in the window, crossing his fingers that she won't notice that particular detail, He reluctantly started to undress.
She gazed at the sky above, it was clear and unusually blue only disturbed by the ugly bars of the window. She could picture how the world, wide and full of possibilities, can be marred by ugly bars. Ugly bars of traditions, ugly bars of misfortune and ugly bars of one's place in life.
"One day, you will leave," she said solemnly, not sure if she was talking to herself or the unfortunate boy whom she was giving her back to.
He stopped in the act of buttoning up his shirt.
"One day, you will live the life that you deserve"
He didn't move or make a sound, he just stood there.
"Are you decent enough?" She asked his reflection in the window, so well, she noticed that particular detail.
He nodded absently, then realized that he should speak "er, yes"
She turned around slowly, taking a step nearer, and reached out to button the last button of his shirt, her hand lingering there for a moment, "One day, you will be happy" she said, looking him straight in the eyes "You deserve to be happy".