Lucy's POV:
Vanessa had left after a while to go buy school stuff in Diagon Alley with Minnie and her parents. I had gone home, seeing Harry there and a day later, visited the Hale family to see Vanessa.
Mr. Hale was quite mad with me and Vanessa and her mom in turn, were mad with him. Mrs. Hale luckily didn't hate me for what I did.
I wanted to apologize, I really did. Truth is, I just couldn't, because it'd mean he's right. He was not, he was wrong for judging Remus so soon.
Today is the day: Harry's birthday. He was 12 now and I had gotten him a great present. With us having no money whatsoever, at least, muggle money, we had barely anything here, but I had written to Hagrid to get money out of Harry and my vault, far before summer had started.
Yes, I used money that was partly Harry's, but what else could I do?
"Happy birthday, big bro!" I jumped on his bed, jerking him awake abruptly. He groaned, but smiled nonetheless at my excitement.
"Mornin'..." he sat up, facing me and I hugged him. He had a smile, but I knew he was sad and had been for a while now. Because of the Dursleys, the upcoming full moon and his friens not writing to him.
Today he hadn't received a single letter again and I was mad at those 'friends'. When we would go back together, if I could come at all, I was gonna tell show not to mess with my brother this way.
"I got you a present!" I pushed the small box into his hands and a goofy grin appeared on his half-asleep face. "It wasn't too much, was it?"
He unpacked it and gasped in awe. It was a beautiful muggle camera, small enough to take with you everywhere.
"You didn't... how did you get it?" I grinned. "I had some help." His smile grew so broad it must have hurt and hugged me tight.
"Thank you Lucy..." the relief I felt, and always feel on his birthday, when I know I've found the right gift and know he loves it, overcame me again.
Because of the lack of money I used to have and the lack of Muggle money I have now, it's a bit hard to find a present that I don't have to steal because I can't pay it.
But now I had wizarding money, from our parents' vault, that I could use. I had needed to ask Remus for his help in changing it to muggle money, because getting away from the Dursleys these days.
I had planned on asking Hagrid, since he actually knew Harry, but Hagrid doesn't understand muggle money and Remus for some reason, does.
"Now, let's take our first picture with it, shall we?" I clapped my hands together ans sat up straight.
Harry grinned and examined the camera better. When he found out all he needed for now, he hugged me and I hugged back, while he took the picture.
When the polaroid came out, Harry was quite surprised to see the picture moving. "I asked my helper on this part," I explained. "It's bewitched. It takes muggle polaroids, but makes them move like in the wizarding world!"
Amazed it worked this well, we looked at the picture and smiled at it together: it was a plain photo, of two kids hugging and being happy, but it held so much love. The kind of love you'd only ever find between family.
"The only thing we need now, is an album!" Harry looked at me in suspicion, but the smirk was evident in his features.
"How're we getting it, Sarge?" He saluted and I laughed at his antics. He might not be as much into pranks as I was, but he definitely had the same humour and sas.
We went downstairs. The Dursleys were still asleep, seeing it was Saturday and they were boring, lazy people.
Perfect.
I snuck into the barn in the backyard, the 'no go area' for me and Harry since we were toddlers and started looking in the drawers and cupboards.
"Lucy, what are you doing?" Harry looked around with both fear and concern and curiosity. He'd never broken this rule before, like I had so many times.
"Bingo!" I picked the object I was looking for up from the drawer and held it up. It was a photo album. It was probably filled with old stamps Uncle Vernon had once started to collect, long ago, to maybe one day sell when they would be valuable enough.
It was old and dusty, but still intact and big enough. I lead Harry out of the barn and he followed me inside.
"Are you insane? Do you have a death wish or something?!" Harry whisper-yelled. "Uncle Vernon will kill us!"
"Only if we get caught, silly!" I smirked at his nerves and tugged him with me upstairs, to the bedroom, where I opened it. I blew the dust off and like I'd expected, in there, were stamps of some sort. I took them out and put the first polaroid on the first page.
"Give me your feather," Harry gave me his feather qnd ink and I started writing underneath the photo.
' Happy 12th birthday, big bro,
Xx Lu '
"Thanks so much Lu," Harry said, while looking what I wrote. "This means the world to me, really!"
*~*
Harry's POV:
I still can't believe Lucy actually got me a camera! She's honestly the best! But what should I get her then? Lucy's always been the best at thinking up great presents, but I need to give her something big as well, and her birthday was quite soon too.
Her birthday was August 14.
But for now, it was still my own birthday and Lucy wouldn't let me just sit down alone on this day, especially because my friends were ignoring me today again.
"So, whatcha wanna do, bro?" Lucy said, all happy after putting away the photo album we had just stolen.
"Dunno, what d'you have in mind?" Lucy smirked and thought for a bit.
"We could stop by Mrs. Figg for some cake, she always has some at her home... WAIT, I KNOW! We could go to the woods some- where and ride your broomstick!" She clapped her hands together in enthusiasm.
"Er... Lu, the woods are so far away... and I don't know if you've noticed, but me broomstick is locked in the cupboard."
Lucy smirked again. Oh no, not again! I knew that evil smirk of hers like no one else. She took something out of her pocket: a hairpin.
"I've lived in that cupboard for years, including the past, I have experience."
I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from asking more. She knew I was worried and I knew the past year had been hard on her in ways I couldn't even imagine. But she wouldn't answer properly anyway.
"Why do I agree to this stuff?" I sighed, but I couldn't stop the smile on my face and followed her.
She picked the lock like an expert, smirking at my surprised face when she opened the door. She entered quietly and grabbed my broomstick. She handed it to me and closed the cupboard again. It didn't look like it had been opened in the slightest.
"So... how many times have you done this exactly?" I asked and she just winked. "Enough times, as you can see."
We left the house quietly, the Dursleys were still in bed. "So, I'm assuming you know the way to the woods well Lu, because I don't!"
Lucy scrunched up her face. "Oh shit! Now we're doomed!" I looked up. "But..."
"Just kidding! Of course I know the way, I go there every month now!" I swallowed, because she definitely meant the full moon.
But without commenting on that, I followed Lucy out of town, to the woods that had always seemed so far away.
"Now you can show me why you are the youngest seeker in a century!" With that, she sat down and I mounted my broomstick.
After three hours of me showing my sister my flying skills and her taking the broom and trying herself. She was really good at it too!
"Watch out Potter! I'll take your spot on the team!" Oh no. "Please don't!" She laughed and stuck out her tongue to me.
"Real mature!" I called and she smirked. "I know!"
But we had to go back after three hours, because the Dursleys were definitely up by now and wondering where we were.
Well, the Dursleys were mad! Apparantly, they'd guessed and opened the cupboard, missing the broomstick they knew we had stolen before leaving. When we got back, Uncle Vernon beat us up for it, leaving both of us with freshly made cuts, bruises and scars.
"YOU UNGRATEFUL FREAKS! OBEY WHEN WE TELL YOU TO STAY IN!" was the last thing Uncle Vernon yelled at us, before throwing both of us to the floor one last time in our room.
"I want you two downstairs in ten minutes!" With that, he slammed the door and stormed downstairs.
We were still lying on the floor, out of breath and in pain. "Are you OK, big bro?" Came Lucy's now small voice.
"Yeah. You?" Lucy sat up straight, with some struggle. "Fine..." we stayed there for two minutes, before getting up fully and starting to clean up.
"I'm sorry..." Lucy said in a quiet, guilty voice. "I didn't mean for you to get punished like this, especially on your birthday."
"That's OK, Lu, this was not your fault." She shook her head with a sigh.
"I know it is Harry, you don't have to try make me feel better. I don't deserve that." With that, she left the bathroom and went downstairs.
"Lucy!" I followed her, but fell silent when I saw her standing in the living room, with the Dursleys staring at her and me.
"Now, today's a special day!" Uncle Vernon said, clapping his hands together. Lucy and I shared a confused look.
"Today, if everything goes the right way, I will get my best customer ever! I invited Mr. Gardner and his wife over for dinner!"
Of course, he'd been going on about that dinner for weeks. How could we forget? I had no idea that was today though.
"So, when the Gardners arrive, Petunia you will be-"
"In the living room, happy welcome them into out home and inviting them to sit." Aunt Petunia said with a welcoming motion.
"Excellent!" Uncle Vernon answered. "Dudley you will be?"
"At the door, to greet them and offer to take their coat!" Dudley held a weird, fake smiley face that I had only seen on him when he wanted something from his parents.
"Exactly!" The Dursleys remained quiet, turning to me and Lu with strict faces. "... and ypu two?"
I had no idea. I'd only heard they'd come, the day after I came back from Hogwarts. Luckily, Lucy cleared her throat and said, in a monotome voice:
"We'll be in our room, making no noise and pretending that we don't exist." I looked at her. Are you kidding me? Lucy went on though. "But WHY can't we just go to Mrs. Figg? She'll love it and you'll have no risk at all!"
"BECAUSE we can't have Mrs. Figg see you like this and get suspicious, you stupid child!" Aunt Petunia scoffed. Dusley was silently laughing at us from behind his mother.
"It's Harry's BIRTHDAY!" Lu argued. "He shouldn't be locked up in a bedroom on his birthday!"
"Lucy," I warned in a low voice. She was gonna get in trouble again if she carried on like this. "No, I'm not having it! You guys didn't even acknowledge it, or God forbid, for once not beat him up!"
That was it. A hard punch could be heard and a small, suppressed groan after. Uncle Vernon had punched her cheek, which was now thickening and reddening.
"Leave her alone!" I yelled at him, making him madder. He stepped forward to beat me too, when...
*Ding Dong*
The bell rang, causing everyone to look out of the window. A car was parked just outside and a wealthy-looking, fancy lady was stepping out. The Gardners.
"Upstairs! I don't want a sound out of you and keep the owl quiet!" Uncle Vernon pushed us into the hallway first, shoved us to the stairs.
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A/N:
So, it's been a long wait, I know. But here the chapter is. Hope it's OK