Chapter 3. A New Friend

Anissa King was walking wearily down the street from her house. She had had enough 'family time' for the day and simply left. If she could even call those hateful people family anymore. She could hear John, her stepbrother, leave the house shortly after her and start walking behind her and a shiver of fear ran down her spine.

John, and his dad Greg, had been a part of her family for almost a year now. Anissa had been so excited to have a big brother, to have someone she could talk to and hang out with, and things were great until she absentmindedly made the TV remote float to her from across the room.

She did not mean to do it, she just did not want to get up, and the remote was way over there across the room. It was such a normal thing for her to do, that she did not even think about it. She had been doing things like that her whole life – making things float to her that is.

When the two men had first moved in, Anissa had been careful of what she did and hid her talent. She guessed she had finally gotten comfortable enough with them that she had just forgotten about hiding it.

Unfortunately, it had really scared them, and ever since that day, Greg feared her and John had hated her. John bullied and tormented her any time she was alone with him, accusing her of thinking she was better than him because she could do 'freaky' things. Like she could help it.

Her mum did not listen to her when she told her what John was saying and doing. She just passed it off as him adjusting to living with someone special and being a new family. She assured her that Greg and John would get over it and all would be okay. Why would her mum not believe her?

Anissa had tried holding it in, but that only made it worse when she could not hold it anymore, especially when she became angry. Things would break, or it caused other problems, and her mum would yell at her for causing her and Greg to fight. Like she was purposely trying to hurt her mum and destroy their new family.

She was not afraid of what she could do – actually, she thought it was pretty cool – and had been trying to see what other things she could do. But that only added more fuel to John's hate and her mother's disappointment.

Anissa just gave up and kept to herself. She hardly left her room unless she was home alone, and when she had to be near her family, she just stayed quiet. It was easier that way, and it seemed to please her mum, even if it made her miserable.

Anissa started to walk faster, knowing John was right behind her, and she did not want another confrontation. She just could not take any more today. His painful words earlier (again ignored by her mother who was sitting right there listening) were why she had left the house in the first place.

"Come on, sis, let's play a game," John sneered nastily.

Anissa started running. She knew what happened when John 'played' with her. Each week it became worse. She was still hurting from their earlier 'game' when he dragged her around by her feet. Her back was still throbbing from the carpet burn.

John was three times her size and four years older, with blonde hair and drug enhanced muscles, which he liked to use on her. His blue eyes constantly glared at her and she was permanently on edge when John was around.

It was very tiring, and Anissa hated being anywhere near him. Her parents just ignored what was happening and told her to give him time to adjust to her. Yeah right… it had been months, and it had only gotten worse.

"You can't get away from me, freak." John taunted her, knowing he could get away with anything he wanted to. No one cared about her.

Anissa ran harder and closed her teary eyes. 'I won't let him see me cry.' she thought. Anissa wished she could just get away from him. Maybe she could go to the park that was a couple streets away. That was her favorite place to hang out. She could breathe there.

John did not like that area, too many little kids and not enough hot babes. That made it the perfect place for her. As Anissa ran, she felt a weird sensation flutter through her abdomen and gasped. When she opened her eyes, she skidded to a halt, almost falling on her butt, but quickly regained her balance.

"Whoa!" Anissa breathed.

She turned her head to look around. Slide, swings, teeter totter, basketball hoop…. How did she get here? She smiled when she realized that her talent must have brought her there. She turned to look behind her and met the wide glowing-green eyes of a black-haired boy.

Harry had finally made it to the park down the street from his house and was trying to find a comfortable position on a bench. His uncle had tossed him outside after his latest punishment and told him to stay away for at least four hours so they could have a new client over for dinner.

Harry had made that dinner, but accidentally dropped the dessert, causing his aunt to have to make another one, hence his painful adjustments while trying to sit. At least he had been able to walk and stretch the muscles instead of being stuck curled up in his cupboard where he would just get cramps. He was lucky Uncle Vernon did not have time to give him a proper licking, so he was not in too much pain.

Suddenly a loud CRACK! – like the sound of an engine backfiring – filled the air and Harry jumped like he had been electrocuted. A girl with long black hair had just appeared a few meters in front of him. Shocked and frightened, Harry stared at her, frozen in disbelief.

'No, no-no-no-no!' Harry thought wildly. He frantically looked around to make sure there was no one around. He could not take another beating if someone saw and told his uncle what had happened. Harry knew he would be blamed for doing something freaky. He was always blamed.

Harry stiffened when the girl suddenly turned around and locked eyes with him. She had beautiful violet eyes. Harry had never seen eyes that color before, and her smile entranced him. He just stared, frozen with his mouth hanging open.

When she started to walk towards him, Harry quickly moved behind the bench, putting it between them like a shield. Ignoring the pain that moving so fast had caused him, he watched her warily, ready to bolt at the slightest provocation. She halted and tilted her head to the side as she studied him.

"You know you'll catch flies like that?" Anissa could see the confusion in the boy's eyes. Laughing, she said, "Your mouth is hanging open. I'm Anissa by the way."

Harry snapped his mouth shut, his face going red in embarrassment and quietly watched the girl. He had no idea how to react or what to say. He was not allowed to speak to others. Anissa rolled her eyes.

"Usually when someone introduces themselves to you, you give them your name back. That's how it works."

Harry was quiet for a moment more, his heart pounding, looking around to make sure no one was around, before he responded quietly. "Frea- Harry,"

Anissa looked Harry over. He had messy black hair – which looked like it had never been combed – a thin face and broken round glasses on amazing green eyes. 'Such a brilliant color,' she thought.

On Harry's forehead was a jagged scar that went from his hairline to just above his right eyebrow and was in the shape of a lightning bolt. 'That looks pretty cool, I wonder how he got it? Hmm, it must have really hurt though. It looks painful.'

Harry's clothes, she noticed, were three sizes too big and looked like they were about to fall apart, but he was clean. He looked younger than her, skinny, lonely, and scared. Her heart went out to him.

He reminded her of how she had been feeling for a while now, so alone, so she decided to try and befriend him. She could also use a friend. She had been feeling so lonely since her mum had turned on her.

"Can I sit with you? I've been running and I'm knackered." she asked softly.

Harry looked like a frightened deer, ready to bolt at the slightest movement, so she waited for him to answer. Anissa had been staring at Harry for so long that he jumped when she spoke. He nodded slowly but moved to the far side of the bench so he could keep an eye on her and maintain his distance. He started trembling when she got near him.

Harry could feel something in his chest as Anissa approached him. Something familiar, but not. It was warm, welcoming, and grew stronger the closer she came to him. The feeling was like something he had felt before… but from where? He did not know what to think.

How did this girl just appear here? She did a freaky thing like him, and that scared Harry a lot. But she did not look like she was treated the same way he was, she looked like she was taken care of... and wanted. Harry just kept staring at her, trying to wrap his head around it.

Anissa noticed that Harry was trembling, he looked so scared of her, and she wanted to calm him down. Anissa put her hands up, palms facing him, to show that she meant him no harm. She moved slowly towards the bench he was hiding behind. Her heart hurt when she looked into his scared eyes.

"I'm not going to hurt you, okay, I just want to talk to you. Is it okay if we talk? I would like someone to talk to. Would you like to talk to me?"

"Are you a freak too?" Harry blurted out in a whisper.

"Excuse me?" Anissa was affronted.

Harry jerked back at her tone and took a few steps away, shaking badly. Anissa instantly realized her mistake and quickly spoke up, she felt sorry for scaring him like that, but really? A freak? Anissa hated that word.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. What do you mean am I a freak too?"

Anissa saw that Harry was poised to run, but she did not want him to. He was interesting. Harry was different… like her. She had felt something when she had approached him. Something familiar, something comforting and welcoming, and she liked it. It had been a long time since Anissa had felt safe, and she felt safe with Harry. She would do anything to keep feeling that.

Anissa sat and patted the bench in invitation, but Harry did not move from his stance, and he was still trembling hard with his eyes wide. Anissa sighed and patted the bench again, this time giving Harry her best smile. She wanted him to trust her, to sit by her.

Harry was afraid, deathly so, but he really wanted to get to know this girl. To know if she did other things like he could. Something about her called him, made him feel safe, and that scared him as well as drew him. She made him feel comforted, which was something he had never felt before. He had to know more.

"You did something freaky," he whispered, his heart pounding in his chest at his forbidden action. "I thought I was the only freak around here. How did you do that earlier? How did you just appear?"

Harry was trying to be brave, and it took everything in him to stay and ask questions. He was not allowed to ask questions or to speak unless he was spoken to. If Harry had dared to ask questions at home, he would have been slapped, hard.

Don't ask questions – that was the first rule with the Dursleys. Any questions about his past or memories had been brutally put down. Harry had learned that rule so well that he never asked an adult a question. He was scared and excited at the same time as he waited for Anissa to answer.

"I don't know how I got here. I just wished I was here and here I am. And you are not a freak, Harry. I hate that word, my stepbrother calls me that, and it's a nasty word. I like that I'm special and can do the cool things I've only read about in fairytales. Don't you think it's cool?"

Anissa was watching Harry as she spoke and saw his rigid stance soften slightly. Harry tentatively perched on the very edge of the bench, but he was still ready to run at a moment's notice if he needed to. Harry shook his head, then nodded, then shook it again.

"Freaks are no good and don't deserve descent things. Bad freaky things always happen around me. Not supposed to talk about it." he whispered the last part and looked at his feet.

Harry sounded like he was reciting something he had been told many times. No one should be told something like that, especially by their family. He seemed like a good kid and his words made Anissa sad. Anissa frowned at Harry and reached out to touch the hand clenched in his lap. Harry flinched, his eyes snapped to hers, but she kept her hand lying on his.

"You are not a freak. You are amazing and cool. I've never met anyone else who can do the things I do and it's exciting. I'm glad I met you and I hope we can be friends."

Anissa was dead serious and wanted to make sure Harry believed her. Harry searched her eyes, a sliver of hope swimming in his before they dimmed, and he lowered his own to the ground usure.

"Freaks don't deserve friends,"

Harry sadly repeated what he had drilled into him since he could remember, but he really wanted to believe her. To believe he deserved more than what he had been given so far and what he had always longed for. That he deserved love and kindness. It would be great to have a real friend. He loved Snuffles dearly, but to have another person to talk to…

Harry was happy to meet Anissa, but he was scared that this was not real, or a prank set up by Dudley. He could see Dudley setting him up like this, and then Dudley would beat him up while laughing hard when he told him it was not real. Tearing the mickey out of him for believing he could have friends. "Who would want to be friends with a freak like you?" Dudley's voice echoed through his mind.

But Dudley was at that dinner with his parents, and Anissa had appeared out of nowhere. Just like Harry had when he appeared on their roof when Dudley had been chasing him down the hall. Dudley was too stupid and lazy to set this up. Maybe this really was real? Hope started to grow in Harry's chest, just a spark, but it was there.

"I see we're going to have to work on the 'freak' thing. I really don't like that word, and if we're going to be friends you need to stop calling yourself that. I do weird things too. Does that make me a freak?" Anissa asked.

She did not like Harry calling himself that name. He was not a freak. Harry vigorously shook his head hard. He did not want to upset his 'hopefully' new friend.

"N–no. You are too nice to be a freak."

"Well, so are you. So, if I'm not a freak then neither are you."

Anissa squeezed Harry's hand before she let go. Harry gave her a small smile and said wistfully, "I'd like to have a friend. I've never had one before."

That set the tone for the coming weeks. Harry would meet Anissa at the park on weekdays when Petunia kicked him out for an hour so she could have some alone time without the 'freak' in the way. And as long as he lost Dudley on the way there, then they would have the pleasure of each other's company.

It was slow in coming but Harry started to open up to Anissa. He told her about his only friend, Snuffles. Then in stuttering bursts, he told her about his life with the Dursleys and how he was treated by them.

She, in turn, told him about her stepbrother and what he did to her. Why she was at the park the day they met, how her mum never believed her, and now did not love her and seemed to want her gone. They talked about the feelings they always seem to have around each other – well Anissa talked. Harry just blushed a lot.

They bonded over their shared trauma, although Harry's was by far the worst. They became very protective of each other, and Harry finally felt like he had someone who really cared about him. Anissa was a bright light in his vision, always glowing warmly. She became the sister he wished he always had, and he vowed to himself that he would keep her safe.

They made a pact that they would always take care of one another and always be together. They would never leave the other alone. And like many other children, they decided to become family by slicing their palms and placing their cuts together. Unknown to them, their magic was bonding them together as well, tying their magic together.