Okay, here is part 2 of my story. All the usual disclaimers apply. Oh, and don't forget fdk! This fanfic lives off fdk, it is survived by fdk, it is updated by the will of its readers who feed it fdk...okay, I think you get my drift. On with the story!
“What the HELL do you think you’re doing? Spying on me?” she yelled at him.
“NO,” he yelled back angrily. “I am not a spy! I just…I heard you scream and I thought you might want some help. I’ve grown up in this neighborhood with those gits and I’ve seen what they’re capable of.” He took a deep breath and his voice softened slightly. “But it seems to me that you’ve got everything under control, so I’ll just be going now.” He turned and started to walk away.
The girl sighed, took a few deep breaths to calm down, and then said, “Look, I’m sor…I…I think we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. Let’s start over, okay? Lara Kent,” she said by way of introduction, extending her hand to him.
“I’m Harry…Harry Potter,” he replied, accepting the offered handshake.
He then looked back at the girl. She was undoubtedly beautiful, even in blue jeans, a T-shirt, and tennis shoes. Her straight, dark brown hair flowed down to her waist and was pulled back in a low ponytail at the nape of her neck. She was slender, not skinny, and it took him a moment to realize exactly what she was saying. She was apologizing; something which he had a strange feeling she wasn’t exactly used to doing. He raised an eyebrow at her.
“So you didn’t come here to harass me?” she asked him with a smile.
“After what I just saw? I’m not that stupid. I’m sorry my stupid git of a cousin and his friends were, though. By the way, when…how…where…”
She giggled. “You left out what and why.”
He gave her a teasing glare and said, “I was just wondering about that fighting you did. Where did you learn that?”
She looked down as her face turned a faint pink color. “My…my father taught me.” She paused then mentally shook herself back to the present. “Anyway…you mentioned your cousin. Which one was he?” she asked, desperately trying to change the subject.
“The ringleader of the group, you know, the one that’s as wide as he is tall.”
Her mouth dropped in amazement. “That
pig is your cousin? No way!”
He scowled. “Unfortunately, he is.”
She chuckled. “I take it you two don’t get along?” she asked.
“Erm, not exactly, no,” he replied. “Actually, I try to keep as much distance between us as possible during the summers.”
“During the summers?” she asked him curiously. “Where are you the rest of the year?”
“Oh, um…I go to a boarding school, but I doubt you’ve heard of it.”
She smiled. “Well, considering I’m not exactly from around here, that’s probably a safe bet. Wait…Mrs. Winters warned me just before leaving that ‘that dratted St. Brutus delinquent is back from school’…”
Upon noticing the bright shade of red Harry’s face had just become, Lara couldn’t contain her laughter. “You? A delinquent? I’m sorry, I just…I have a hard time picturing that…”
“Good,” he snapped, “because I’m not. I don’t go there. That’s just what my aunt and uncle are telling everyone because they can’t stand my real school.”
She raised her eyebrow at this. “So let me get this straight: your aunt and uncle would rather everyone think you’re a criminal than that you go to the school you go to? Gee, that’s…that’s…pretty weird, actually. I just, I don’t know what to think about that. Do I even want to know what the school you actually go to is like?”
“The school I go to is wonderful, actually. It’s much more of a home to me than my aunt and uncle’s house. I can’t wait to get out of here.”
“Your aunt and uncle’s house must be pretty bad, then,” she said.
Harry looked down, noticed his watch and gasped in shock. Dudley usually was home about this time, and if Harry didn’t make it home before Dudley did, there would be trouble. Big trouble.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize how late it was. I have to go.”
“Okay. Hey, can we meet tomorrow? Say, around 6:30 at the ice cream parlour?”
“Alright,” Harry replied. “See you, then!”
“Bye Harry! It was nice meeting you!” Lara called to his retreating back, then headed off in the opposite direction.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The next chapter will include L&C themselves, and will not be Harry's POV. It should be posted within the next week, hopefully. Enjoy!
