// SONG: ABC, Jackson 5 \\
-//-
1st of August, Friday, 1975
One week into the summer holidays, Andrea woke up, reveling in the beauty of not having to worry about classes anymore.
As she got out of bed, she realized the house was unusually quiet. Her father was famous for not knowing how to be quiet when the rest of the house were asleep, so it made her uneasy that there was no sound coming from downstairs.
Since break had started, her parents had been more often at work than at home and she was starting to miss them. She didn't see them all year at school so she at least wanted her breaks with them.
She quickly got dressed and wandered down the stairs, looking for her parents. "Mama? Papino?" she called out.
Stopping in the deserted kitchen she came to the conclusion that they were off at work. Again.
Not wanting to hang around alone, she headed for the fireplace in the den. She grabbed a handful of Floo Powder and stepped into the fireplace. "Potter Cottage!" she called out clearly, throwing the Floo Powder to the ground.
Green flames erupted around her and she felt her surroundings spin with her. As the flames disappeared, Andrea opened her eyes and looked into the Potter's family room.
Last time the Russo's had taken the Floo Network here, they had ended up in the fireplace in the sitting room by the kitchen. But now Fleamont had switched it to the family room fireplace after he spilled hot tea on his toes one evening in fright.
The family room was empty, the worn out, comfy couches standing empty in front of her as the sunlight streamed in through the open, cream coloured curtains.
They had been lucky with the weather this far in their summer vacation. She just hoped it stuck.
"Potter's?!" she called out, stepping into the room. She heard footsteps on the floor above her. "Andie?!" James called back. She headed for the stairs up to the first floor, reaching the landing as James padded out of his room, yawning loudly.
"Where are your parents?" she asked him as greeting. By the state of James' hair, it looked like he had slept in today as well. Well, as 'in' as the early bird James Potter could ever sleep in. It was only 8:30 after all.
James ran a hand through his hair and looked around Andrea as if he could maybe see them downstairs.
"Not here, I'm guessing," he yawned, his voice hoarse and rough with sleep. Andrea huffed in annoyance. "Mine weren't home, either. D'you think they're at work?"
James could tell by her voice that Andrea was starting to get worried. Their parents were working more and more. And the horrible things in the newspapers were starting to outweigh the good.
He gave her a relaxed smile. "Yeah probably. But that means they're there together, so, no worries, right? Have you eaten? Let's make breakfast."
James headed past Andrea down the stairs, her following right behind him. He was worried about their parents joining the Auror's too, but he couldn't show he was worried in front of Andrea. Arriving in the family room, James picked up a new shirt off the laundry basket on the coffee table and switched out the one he had slept in.
Andrea sucked in a breath but did everything in her power to smother the noise by clearing her throat. James had been serious about wanting to make Quidditch Captain this year, and beating his record for goals scored during a game.
And it was showing.
He had been working hard, drilling both Andrea and Sirius to join him last term, but he had worked a lot harder than the both of them. Andrea felt herself freeze in place as the sunlight from the window shone perfectly on his toned upper body, shadows cast in every dip and peak of his muscles.
As soon as she caught herself staring, she shook her head and kept walking, following him through the entryway, sitting room, and into the kitchen.
Stupid hormones, she scolded herself internally. She had thought about this quite a bit.
In June, before their school year ended, James had accidentally kissed her, making her question a lot in their relationship. It had sent her thoughts into a downward spiral and she had tried to block it out ever since it happened.
The same night, they had agreed to just forget it, to not let something so silly and stupid ruin their friendship. He regretted the kiss, and she told him she did too.
And as much as she told herself it was nothing, she wasn't always very confident in that statement.
The rest of the school year, Andrea's body and mind betrayed her countless times. Where something as subtle a touch of her leg had sent her entire system haywire, or how she would automatically hold her breath whenever James got a little closer than necessary.
But the worst part was when she was peacefully daydreaming and then the kiss would suddenly pop into her head, playing on repeat as she tried to concentrate on schoolwork.
So she had come to the conclusion that she was a crazed fifteen year old with hormones affected by the opposite sex.
Yes, she knew James was fit and good looking but she wasn't attracted to him. Never had, never would be.
Dorcas had told her to get it out of her system, to which she had laughed, but maybe there was some truth to that.
Maybe it was time to start dating and flirting. Sirius had flirted since he could talk and it seemed to be working for him.
As Andrea silently followed James into the kitchen he figured she was worrying about their parents.
He was feeling very anxious himself but he couldn't show her that. He could be scared another day, but right now he needed to help her out of her head. Andrea would return the favour the next time he was a mess and she was able to hold it together. That's how they'd always worked.
Give and take, always.
He didn't know what to say to help her though. This had become a problem for the last couple of months. Ever since the day they won the Quidditch Cup, James has found it hard to talk to Andrea. It was hard to find the right things to say and for the rest of the school year he had to avoid one on one conversations with her.
He hated that he had become awkward in their friendship, but there was nothing he could do about it. He just needed to power through as if there wasn't anything else on his mind. He set her to work on the coffee as he got started on the pancake batter.
"So one week and you missed me, huh?" he teased her, looking over at Andrea. Her messy brown curls were tied up into a messy bun and the t-shirt she had tucked into her black shorts was one of James' old ones, sporting the logo of the Ballycastle Bats, their favourite Quidditch team.
"Hilarious. I just didn't want to stay at home alone," she replied. She looked over to James and couldn't help but laugh. In his making of the pancake batter, he had gotten flour on his hand and run his hand through his hair and over his left eyebrow, leaving a white trail.
"What?" he asked in confusion, pouring the batter onto the pan. She stepped forwards and grabbed the kitchen towel off the counter, stepping into his side by the cooker.
She reached up and ruffled his hair, letting the white powder dust out of his hair, and then wiping the flour off his face. James sucked in a breath as Andrea's fingers went through his hair. Andrea froze, the towel still against James' temple.
Both frozen, they stared at each other for another few seconds, no one ready to stop the contact first. A knock on the door had them both jumping away from each other quickly.
Flustered, James turned back to the pancakes. "You mind getting that?" he said, his voice coming out hoarse and strained. Silently Andrea nodded and headed out into the entryway trying to shake her thoughts clear.
Another hurried knock came at the door. "I'm comin'!" Andrea yelled out annoyed, hearing James chuckle from the kitchen. She opened the door and smiled widely when she saw Peter standing there.
He pulled his lollipop out of his mouth with a smack and smiled at her. "Andrea! What are you doing here?" he asked. Andrea opened the door widely and let Peter in. "Makin' breakfast. You?"
Peter sighed. "My sister showed up back home and dad started yelling so I didn't want to be there right now. Is that pancakes I smell?" he said eagerly, rushing to the kitchen. "Tell Peter there's more than enough!" James yelled out just as the other two reached the archway into the kitchen.
"Good. I'm starving," Peter grinned. The three sat down at the breakfast table in the sitting/dining room, passing around the food.
Thankfully, Peter stuck around for the rest of the afternoon, making the awkwardness of this morning's event between Andrea and James disappear quickly.
"So Animagus, what are we going to do about it?" Andrea asked as they settled down in the family room. Peter looked nervous at the mention of their plans. "Are we still sure that this is a good idea? I mean, werewolves don't attack animals but what if he can tell we're not actual animals?"
James huffed in annoyance over Peter's doubt. "We've been over this. Minnie told us in Defence in third year that Animagus' in animal form will seem as animals to any and every living thing except other Animagi. There's no danger."
"But what if we -" James held up a dismissive hand. "We're going to be doing this whether you're in or not. So what are you saying? In or out?" James questioned him. Andrea looked to Peter in comfort.
"We'll all be together through it all, helping and guiding each other. Scary things often aren't that intimidating when you're doing them with friends," she offered with a smile.
Ever since they had involved her on this plan, Peter had been the one most nervous about it. James and Sirius were too reckless to consider consequences, and Andrea was almost as bad as James. But she thought James was being a bit short with their friend.
Peter swallowed audibly. "I - I'm in... Yeah, yes. I'm in."
"Okay then," James said cheerfully, the seriousness disaperating from his features. "I'll get the book."
Andrea looked at James in surprise as he headed upstairs. "The book? You mean the library book you were supposed to turn in at the end of term?!" she questioned as he ran up the stairs.
James stopped halfway up and turned his head around the corner so they could see him from the couch and grinned at her. "Ah, yes. But I never officially borrowed it from the library so they can't pin it to me," he said as he turned and headed up again.
"You're not a criminal mastermind, bro! No ones trying to pin anything on you!" she yelled after him.
Peter chuckled. "To be fair, there's probably a lot of people at Hogwarts who want to pin things on that boy." "Touché."
James reentered the family room with the heavy book on Animagus that McGonagall had subtly told them about.
A few hours later when the front door opened they quickly shut the book and hid it under one of the couches, trying to act natural.
"Andrea!" Marco's voice rang through the house loudly, his voice traced with alarm. Andrea furrowed her brows. "Yeah, I'm here!" Fleamont swung the door open from the entryway into the family room and Marco pushed past him, rushing to his daughter.
He tackled her on the couch and pulled her into a tight hug, Aisha joining in on the hug too, both parents suffocating her. "What's wrong?" she questioned.
Marco pulled away quickly and, as he did on rare occasions, he looked mad. Furious, actually.
"Non puoi uscire di casa senza dirci dove ti trovi!" he scolded. He always turned full Italian when he was angry.
"But you guys were gone when I woke up. And I was just here." "Peter, your mother called and said you should get home for dinner. I'll walk you," Fleamont said.
Peter only lived down the road so Fleamont had been walking him home every time he visited ever since third year when whispers about dark magic enthusiasts started up.
Peter got up and left and Mia ushered James into the kitchen with her. "You don't understand -" Aisha started but Andrea jumped up off the couch. "Then help me understand! You guys go off to work a billion hours a week and don't tell us anything!" she yelled, mad at them herself now.
Aisha looked at Marco and he sighed defeatedly. "Mia, come back. Bring James," Aisha called. The two Potters returned from the kitchen and came back to the room. Andrea sat down on the coffee table, James sitting beside her.
The three parents sat down on the couch, facing their children. "Okay. We know we've been working a lot more since last summer, and we haven't been completely honest with you about it because we wanted to protect you."
James and Andrea shared a look but didn't say anything. "Things are getting worse out there. We told you about this Dark Lord," Aisha explained. The kids nodded. "Well the Ministry suspects he's gathering more and more followers everyday and more chaos is happening," Mia finished.
"So we've been out trying to control some of the attacks out there. When we come home and don't find you, we get worried that..."
Andrea felt guilty for snapping at her parents as her dad let the sentence fall. They were worried something bad had happened to her.
"Well don't you think it's safer for the two of us to hang out together here instead of both of us being home alone?" she asked, trying to defend her actions.
"Yes, of course, cocca. And we wanted to talk to you both about that."
Marco looked at Mia and Aisha and the two women nodded, telling him to go on. Andrea and James both leaned forward on the table, waiting for more.
"We wanted to talk to you about the summer," Marco continued. "We were thinking, seeing as we'll all be working a lot this break, it's best that the two of you stay under the same roof, as you say. So we don't have to worry about both of you being home alone."
"So, if you're willing, Andrea, you would be staying here for the summer," Mia said kindly. Andrea looked James up and down.
"So I have to see him everyday this summer and for the school term next year?" she said, disgust evident in her voice.
"Well, seeing him during term is really an independent choice. No need to be with him at school as well," Mia shrugged.
"Thanks mum," James said with fake sincerity. "No problem, sweetheart." "Fine, I'll move in. Under one condition." "What?"
"We bring the TV over," she grinned.
-//-
4th of August, Monday, 1975
Andrea and James had been staying together for four days at Potter Cottage and they were about to kill each other. Fleamont and Euphemia were starting to regret their plan as they sipped their morning coffee, overhearing the fight upstairs from the family room.
"WIZARD MUSIC IS NOT BETTER THAN MUGGLE MUSIC!"
"MUGGLE MUSIC MAKES NO SENSE!" Mia looked to Fleamont. "Should we get involved?" Fleamont unfolded his newspaper. "I actually want to see who wins this one."
"Show me something better than The Temptations!" Andrea challenged James. It sounded like they were screaming from opposite rooms.
"BLODWYN BLUDD!"
"STEVIE WONDER!"
"SPELLBOUND!"
"BOB MARLEY!"
"THE BEATLES!"
"THEY'RE MUGGLES IDIOTA!"
It went silent for a minute and Fleamont and Mia looked up the stairs, waiting for James' response.
"FUCK!" he yelled out. "Language!" Mia called upstairs. "And breakfast is ready!"
The two grumbling teenagers came down, Andrea wearing a smug smile as she looked at James across the table from her.
"I hate you," he mumbled. "It's pronounced 'love', puffo."
"Actually it's pronounced amore. Hold onto your roots, puffetta," he grinned at her. Andrea rolled her eyes and Monty and Mia shared a look as the bickering teenagers went on.
"Your parents will be joining us for dinner tomorrow, but we don't know when we'll be back today," Mia explained. "But stay inside tonight, it's gonna rain and they said a large thunderstorm is on its way tonight."
The Potters got up and both kissed each of them on the top of their heads. "Have fun. And try not to kill each other," Fleamont chuckled.
They headed off to work and the kids tidied up the kitchen after lunch. "Out and fly our brooms before the rain starts?" James suggested.
Andrea grinned and ran upstairs to change into clothes to fly in, ready for an afternoon outside.
-//-
A/N
Translations:
Non puoi uscire di casa senza dirci dove ti trovi!: You can't just leave home without telling us where you are!
– ACE
♥