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2. Cupcakes and Apples

"Goodbye Ella, don't be shy now, come around and play with Jonathan whenever you feel like."

"Thank you Mrs Pike, I'll try and visit soon."

At last, the remaining guests had finally left. All night the house was filled with families from the village of Ottery St. Catchpole after hearing of the appearance of the 'mysterious new girl'. The small village hardly had any exciting happenings and with the tight knit community, the rumour spread quickly and Nanny Anne and Bill were catering for a full house of people in no time.

After being accepted into the household of my new carers, Bill and Jimmy led me around the village despite Nanny Anne's protest for me to stay indoors for my health – I had only just returned to a somewhat average temperature. He showed me their paper shop first as it was adjacent to their – our – home. While he organised the stock, I was left to roam around the shop floor. The knick-knacks on the counter caught my attention and I spent most of my time analysing them. There were key rings showing sceneries of hills and foreign beaches, tiny packets of sweets, nuts and dried fruit, an array of colourful threads, yo-yos and a few packs of cards.

Bill then showed me through the market as he had to pick up a few items needed for lunch and dinner. Not many people were out and almost the entire street was barren of stalls due to the thick layer of snow splayed out from the storm. All the while Bill would be talking about the village and its occupants. I had found out my new home was now in Devon, a fact which did not surprise me as much it would have if it were not for the fact that I had been staying with my family at their holiday cottage in Somerset at the time, as opposed to our everyday London home.

Jimmy was constantly by my side, leading me this way and that, as if chaperoning me himself. The sweet dog didn't hesitate to pull me along to his favourite spots, one of them being a large tree at the bottom of Stoatshead Hill – a sign by the hill said. As I was about to venture further up the hill to discover the wonders of the village beyond (I could have sworn I heard a running stream close by), Bill had called out that we should be heading back.

Upon returning home, we were greeted with several cheerful faces much to my dismay. More people arrived late into the night and, for once, I felt a deep sense of loneliness surrounded by crowds of strangers. Nanny Anne and Bill were swept away, busy attending to the needs of the guests and Jimmy was being hassled by several children. This left me alone to deal with the relentless questioning. Question after question. The feeling of immense panic crept onto me like hundreds of spiders crawling over my bare skin. It itched and prickled but I couldn't escape. Bill and Nanny Anne had been nice enough to make a cover story for me as I was still unwilling to share my story to them after breakfast, however I still found myself freezing up whenever asked. It was only when Nanny Anne entered the room and sought me out amongst the crowd, registering the look of frightfulness on my face that she huddled me into the confines of the kitchen where I was left with the sweet and savoury smells of her lush dinner.

And that was when I met Zoe. Zoe Brimble wobbled into the kitchen and fell unceremoniously onto her behind, giggling like a lunatic and letting out snorts every few seconds. Her laughter caused her to fall back onto the floor where she rolled over several times and banged her fists on the floor before – finally – calming down enough to sit herself back up, red in the face splotched with tears. That was when she noticed me staring. She stood up and made her way towards me looking completely at ease, not at all embarrassed by how she was sprawled out on the floor in hysterics only moments before.

"I'm Zoe Brimble and I'm 10 years old. Dad says you're the new girl." Her greeting was so formal unlike any other child's. She stuck her hand out.

Zoe was a tall girl even for a ten year old. I had to stand to get a decent grip on her hand. After introducing myself for the umpteenth time that night, Zoe led me out of the kitchens and to a boy her age: Jonathan 'Nate' Pike. We spent the rest of the evening together finding out about each other's favourite hobbies and animals and childhood stories, until they all departed along with the rest of the guests, Nate leaving last with his mother as she was delightedly gushing over Johnny's new little friend, producing a bright red blush on his face.

I sighed, collapsing at the kitchen table as Jimmy too flopped down on his little bed in the corner.

"Ah, there you are, Ella. I hope you had a pleasant evening. I do apologise for the crowd though, not everyone normally visits all in one go like that so you won't go through it again I assure you," Nanny Anne said. She pulled on her yellow rubber gloves and began washing the cutlery in the sink.

I opted for a smile in return, my throat sore from all the talking I had to endure – or rather avoided. A yawn broke through my lips as Bill entered and sat himself opposite me.

"Enjoy y'rself girl?"

I smiled again, but all I wanted to do was huff and puff and sprawl myself out on my new bed. After all, I was immensely grateful for all they had done, and it had only been a day! I wasn't going to be rude and moan in frustration after I intruded in their home and their lives.

Despite this, Bill seemed to see through me and chuckled. "How 'bout a game of cards? You know how to play?" He pulled out a pack of cards from his pocket and removed the elastic holding them together.

"I've never played," I said.

"Ok, we'll start with somethin' simple."

Twenty five minutes later we were still sat at the kitchen table in a heated game of Go Fish after having the game explained to me well over four times. Bill was in the lead (although I was sure he was cheating; I could have sworn I had the three of hearts in my hand not two minutes ago) and our raised voices attracted the attention of Jimmy who trotted between us to get a good look at our cards. Nanny Anne had retreated to the living room once the dishes were all gleaming.

"Got any…fives?" I asked, glaring at my hand.

"Go Fish."

I slammed the cards down. "I give up! This game is stupid," I huffed.

Bill chuckled and gathered up the cards and shuffled them. "How 'bout somethin' a little harder, eh? Ever heard of blackjack?"

I shook my head. Nanny Anne bustled into the room as Bill began to deal out the cards. "Oh, no you don't. No teaching the girl how to gamble Bill." She grabbed the cards out of his hand and the cards on the table and put them in her cardigan pocket.

"Oh, come on love! I need to play with someone," Bill groaned.

"Not with a little girl you don't."

Nanny Anne sat down at the table. "Ella, love, did you make any new friends tonight?"

I nodded. I told her of Zoe Brimble, the tall, pretty brunette, and Jonathan Pike, the blushing blonde. She claimed they were lovely kids and was proud I got along with them, despite my arguing that Zoe did most of the talking while Nate and I just nodded and answered her questions. Zoe was different from the girls I once associated myself with. Yes, she was forward and rather blunt ("You have quite a long nose there Ella, reckon you can ring a doorbell with that?") but she was outgoing and honest and nice. While others had before taunted my slightly longer than average nose (it wasn't even that big! Honestly), she made it sound cool, as if everyone in the world should have a nose like mine. In all honesty, she was my first real friend.

Remembering the people I once called friends made me realise I would probably never see them again. This thought should have made me happy, but I felt somewhat disappointed. They were still my friends, albeit they were family friends first, so we had spent loads of time together, whether it was going out in the garden and swimming, or having sleepovers.

Just then I recalled seeing two mops of bright red hair sticking out amongst the crowd of children by Jimmy earlier in the night. Never before had I seen hair so fiery and wild. It seemed to call out to me, enticing me to get close like the light attracts moths (did I really just liken myself to a moth?). But just as soon as I saw it, they had gone. The red heads did not come to greet me as everyone else had, and no parents laid claim to having red haired children so I was left unaware as to who the mystery kids were.

"Well, it's good you've made some nice friends. You know, we'll have to enrol you in school soon, we don't want you lagging behind everyone else now," Nanny Anne said.

"School?" I asked.

"Yes, of course! There's only one school in town though so you should be ready after the holidays, which if I'm correct, ends on Monday, so you should be all set by Tuesday. Oh, you'll love it there Ella, the teachers are marvellous and you'll see a lot more of Zoe and Nate."

My mind was too tired to think anything of this and I felt another yawn bubbling up in my throat.

"Go on up to bed love, you look knackered," Nanny Anne said.

"I'm not tired," I insisted, failing to stifle the oncoming yawn.

"Well then Ella, how 'bout you tell us a bit 'bout yer family seemin' as yer not tired," Bill said, watching me, and I instantly regretted my decision to follow my excitement.

I froze. No. No, Bill I can't. I'm sorry. His words quelled my fatigue. Just thinking about what happened made my blood run cold.

"I-"

"Bill! Don't rush the poor girl. You know it can't be easy for her to talk about this," Nanny Anne snapped.

"Anne, we need to know. She's livin' under our roof, I think we have the right to know, don't you?" Bill said, still keeping his eyes on me.

"Bill, think reasonably-"

"I am, Anne!" His eyes darted to Nanny Anne. "We know nothin' of this li'l girl here. Yes, I see she's just a young girl, but you don' think that they wouldn' stoop so low as to send a child to-"

"No, Bill! That's enough. I won't hear another word of this."

I was shaking at this point, eyes wide in fear. Bill had not let on that I was a burden to him; he made sure to make me feel welcome and was nothing but caring, if a bit awkward, since I awoke on their sofa. So why was he so mad?

"Anne. Please love. I know you're thinkin' the same, you jus' won't say it," Bill said in a much softer voice, though still firm.

"Ella, why don't you go on up to bed?" Nanny Anne said, ignoring her husband.

Unable to form a reply, I nodded swiftly and made my way up the stairs hurriedly. Jimmy did not follow.

Nightmarish thoughts swirled through my mind as I lay restless in bed. I was sure I had been lying in bed for hours now; I heard Nanny Anne and Bill retreat to bed a while ago. Bill's snored penetrated the air, broken every few moments with a grunt, as Nanny Anne prodded and pushed him to stop, I presumed.

Why was Bill so angry? He seemed to enjoy my company when we were playing cards. His little outburst made me feel unwanted – a feeling I was, unfortunately, already familiar with. I thought back to everything I'd done since I arrived but nothing I did seemed to make sense for him to snap. Maybe he just didn't want me. Maybe I was just a burden to everyone.

Jimmy and I raced towards the bakery and waited outside, Jimmy barking for Nanny Anne to hurry her pace. The smell of fresh bread and cakes wafted down the street and I could not resist ogling at the display through the window, shielding my eyes from the glare of the sun on the window.

"Oh, keep your fur down Jim, I'm here now, I'm here, down boy," Nanny Anne chuckled as she reached the bakery.

"Come on Nanny!" I grabbed her hand and dragged her in, the bell tinkling above the door as we entered, leaving Jimmy outside.

It had been almost a month since Bill's outburst and we hadn't spent much time together since. Almost all of our encounters went by speechless apart from the occasional "hello" and "have a nice day". He always kept a wary eye on me, monitoring my every move. I had begun to think him paranoid. The atmosphere was always awkward when it was just us – something Nanny Anne made sure to prevent as much as she could – and not once did he bring up my family again. I was glad he had not probed me any further but I knew I would have to open up to them soon; even Nanny Anne began to show signs of discomfort with her lack of knowledge. Her eyes would linger on me for longer than usual and she would fidget whenever I mentioned change from my old life.

I avoided thinking of my family at all costs. After all, they were not my family anymore. It had taken me a long time to get used to that idea and the tension around Bill, the father figure in my new 'family' did not help to make me adjust to the sudden change. In all honesty, I missed the cuddles and kisses from my parents and sister. I missed playing with my aunt's pets, and hide and seek with my friends in their large houses.

But that was my old life. I had to move on.

"Hello Imogen," Nanny Anne greeted the baker.

"Oh, hello there Anne, Ella," the woman, Imogen, greeted. She was a young woman, newly married with a contagious glowing smile.

"Hi Immy."

"How about a little cupcake?" she asked. I grinned and nodded. Ever since I first came to the bakery it became customary for Imogen to offer me her famous chocolate fudge cupcake – my favourite.

Imogen passed me the large cupcake – or rather muffin by the size of it – and winked as I took a great big bite.

"What'll it be today, Anne?" Imogen asked, turning her attention to Nanny Anne.

"The usual please: a loaf of your oat seeded bread and some of your…"

I tuned out Nanny Anne's order as I ate the gooey cupcake. I peered out the window to see Jimmy wagging the remnants of snow with his tail and nosing the lamppost.

"Ella dear, you go on out with Jimmy, seems we'll be here while," Nanny Anne said as Imogen retreated to the back.

"Ok."

I left the toasty bakery and sat on the bench outside, Jimmy trotting over as soon as he saw me. He flicked his tongue out towards my cupcake.

"Uh-uh! No you don't Jimbo, you know Nanny Anne doesn't like it when you nibble on cakes. And besides, you know only people can have chocolate," I chastised Jimmy, bringing my free hand up against his face and moving the cupcake away behind me.

"Oh, don't mind if I do then."

In an instant the cupcake vanished from behind me.

"Hey!" I turned quickly and saw a face grinning at me. I put my hands on my hips. "That's my cupcake."

He looked at the cupcake, as if observing it, turning it at all angles to get a decent look before taking a great big bite with his eyes closed. "Mmm, and what a good cupcake it is! Very delicious." He licked his lips.

"Oi! Stop eating my cake," I reached out for the cupcake as he took another bite, moaning noises of approval. He leaned back out of my reach.

"Buh ish sho goof!" He gushed.

"Jimmy!" I yelled, annoyed at the boy, now nibbling the almost finished cake.

With no response from the dog in the seconds that passed, I looked back to see him sitting back on his haunches with his head tilted, amused.

"Fat lot of good you are," I mumbled.

A whistle from behind me caught Jimmy's attention and he immediately trotted over to the source – the greedy cupcake thief. He crouched down and began petting Jimmy, the dog stretching and posing in appreciation.

"Traitor," I huffed.

"Nice dog you have here, what's its name?" the boy asked without looking up.

"Jimmy," I answered.

"Hello Jimmy, you're a good boy aren't you? Your friend there is such a meanie though, isn't she boy?" he cooed. Jimmy barked in response.

"Hey! Stop turning my dog against me," I said. I strode towards him and planted my hands on my hips again. "Where's my cupcake?"

He smirked. Instead of replying, he winked and patted his flat stomach. My eyes narrowed down at him. "You didn't."

He winked again.

I began to grow frustrated as Jimmy lapped up the boy's attention. "Jimmy, come here boy," I called, bending down slightly and putting my hands on my knees. No way was this boy going to knick my cupcake and turn my own dog against me.

But he ignored me.

"Jimmy. Here boy, there's a yummy treat for you back home."

Again, nothing.

"Come on Jimbo, you don't want to be with the mean boy, you could get germs from him."

"Oi!" the boy said looking affronted, although the slight twitching of his lips gave him away.

After a few more tries of getting Jimmy's attention I gave up.

"Well fine then! Stick with the ginger, you traitor," I said, flinging my arms up in the air and moving to sit on the vacated bench like a petulant child, feeling it appropriate.

Instead of watching the affectionate display between boy and dog, I turned my gaze to stare at a patch of snow, murky and grey from the trampling of feet it had endured. I only flickered my eyes upon the two when I heard him chuckling and Jimmy barking, only to see him looking back at me with that stupid smirk in place accompanied with a wink. This happened a few times before I looked towards the white sky, adamantly ignoring them.

"Jimmy's great, very loyal indeed," his voice was right next to me, making me jump. He somehow managed to sit beside me on the bench without making any noise – or was I just really zoned out? – With Jimmy now lying by our feet.

I eyed the boy. "Thanks."

"George," he stuck his hand out and winked again.

"Do you have a problem with your eye? It's twitching an awful lot, maybe you should get it looked at," I smirked. But to my surprise he smirked back. And winked again.

"It does that when I see a pretty girl," he said, followed by an exaggerated wink.

My face scrunched at his comment, although inside, my little eight year old self flushed at the compliment in spite of who it was coming from. Determined not to reveal myself, I scoffed.

"Still, I think it needs looking at. You look terrible," I smiled at his insulted expression.

"Terrible? Me? Oh, no, I do believe it is you who needs their eyes testing."

I saw his still outstretched hand and bit my lip.

"Ella," I said and shook his hand.

"Pleasure to meet you Ella!"

"Likewise."

"So, Ella. I haven't seen you 'round before." George leaned back on his elbows.

"Oh, didn't you know? I'm the new girl." It was shocking to hear that he didn't know; by now everyone in the town knew who I was and made a point of talking to me whenever possible. "Wait, you were at my house."

Of course! His bright red fiery hair should have alerted me straight away. He was one of the red heads at my welcoming party. Up close his hair was even more wild and vibrant. His eyes were the brightest blue and they seemed to have a sparkle to them, and his face was adorned with hundreds of freckles.

"Aha! Yes, I remember you!" I exclaimed, pointing my finger in his face.

"Er- when was this?" he asked sheepishly.

"About a month ago."

"Umm…a month ago…a month ago- Oh yes! I remember now," his face returned to normal after being furrowed in deep concentration. "Sorry for not saying hello, only had enough time to pop in for a minute. Should've realised it was you when I saw little Jimbo here."

Said dog let out a bark upon hearing his name.

"It's fine, I had a massive headache after repeating myself over and over and over again to everyone. I must say it was quite nice not speaking to everyone, made you more mysterious," I instantly regretted my words at the mischievous smirk George displayed.

"Mysterious, eh? That's my middle name!"

"Your parents must hate you."

He frowned in obvious contemplation behind the meaning of my words.

"The stall's open, I'm hungry." I jumped up and ran to the stall opposite the street. The apples were the best at this stall, so juicy and crisp and sweet. My mouth began to salivate just from the thought of it.

"Hello, Mr Dicks," I smiled to the old man at the stall.

George snorted from behind me.

"Don't be rude, there's nothing wrong with Dicks," George sniggered, "For all I know you have an even worse surname," I hissed under my breath so Mr Dicks wouldn't hear.

"Hello little Ella, another apple today?" the stall owner grinned, his bushy grey moustache covering half his face and revealing his cracked yellow teeth.

I nodded. "The red one as usual please."

"And how 'bout you mister? You like an apple?"

George fiddled around in his pockets, the sound of coins jiggling filling the air before he took out a handful and counted through them.

"Sorry, I don't think I'll have enough. I still have to get mum's stuff."

"Two apples please," I said to Mr Dicks.

"No, no Ella, it's fine, really-"

"I'm offering, George. It's no problem."

George grabbed my arm and looked at me unsurely as I was reaching my hand out to take the apples. I smiled in response. After another moment's hesitation George let go and looked to Mr Dicks. "I'll have a green one then."

The old man nodded and exchanged one red apple for a green one and handed them to us.

"Thank you sir," I waved, walking across the street and back towards the bakery.

"Cheers," George said, both to me and Mr Dicks.

We ate our apples in silence on the bench. I found myself eyeing his green fruit and eventually asked: "How can you like green apples?"

"'Cos they're good," George said.

"But the red ones are better."

"No they're not," George snorted. "Everyone knows the green ones are way better."

"No, the red ones are the best. They're sweeter and juicier-"

"But the green ones are more sweet and juicy, and just overall nice."

I glared at him. He winked again.

"Whatever," I mumbled.

A sudden chill in the air bought Jimmy shuffling closer to us, cuddling me in his fur to keep me warm.

"I should be going now, mum needed a load of things and I haven't even started." George shot up from his seat and tightened the scarf around his neck. "Well, I'm off. Nice to meet you-"

I smiled.

"-Jimmy."

The smile fell and tightened into a line, accompanied by a glare.

"Just kidding," he chuckled. "Nice to meet you Ella."

"Whatever."

Nanny Anne came out of the bakery just as George jogged down the road, the warm smells drifting out of the shop and surrounding the air, instantly reminding me of my cupcake.

"It's Weasley!" George called out. I looked at him blankly. "My surname. It's Weasley."

And then he was gone.