Family meeting

H

Harriet Turner

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Wand
Black Walnut/ Maple Wand 12 3/4" Essence of Silver Thistle
Harri rushed down to Brightstone village, she wasn't able to contain her excitment! She had recieved a letter saying that her parents and uncle were dropping by to see her! Harri hadn't seen her parents since the beginning of school and all the excitment was making her scatty and jumpy, she had woken early in the morning showered, washed her hair and applied make up before 9:00! It was quite warm today so she had long denim shorts and a hoodie on. She was warm yet not hot. She practically ran to Brightstone and when she arrived she realised she was infact extremly early so she settled down on a bench to wait.
 
James walked extremly slowly to Brightstone village. He was unaccompanied. Alone. And he knew this would hurt his niece. As he walked he rubbed his forehead slowly trying to think of a suitable excuse for his brother and his sister in law. He turned the corner and saw Harri sitting there. She looked excited and who could blame her, afterall she hadn't seen either parents since before she started school. He paused for a minute still trying to find the perfect words. After coming up with none he walked over to her "Hey Harri! How are you?" he asked smiling brightly, he was pleased to see her but all he could think about was how she was going to react.
 
Harri jumped up as she saw her uncle approaching "Hey James!" she said hugging him tight, and ,although she was glad to see him, she couldn't help but look past his shoulder in search of her parents. "Yeah I'm fine!" she said absent mindedly, a sinking feeling beginning to grow in her stomach "Where's mum and dad? In the shops or something?" she asked looking around though deep down inside she knew it wasn't true. She carried on looking "Gosh I hope they hurry up I'm dieing to see them!" she carrried on, inside she knew they weren't here but she didn't want to admit it to herself.
 
James hugged Harri back pleased to see her smile again, his own smile was long since gone as the prospect of telling Harri her parents were not here dawned on him. As she walked around speaking of them, he realised how much she wanted to see them, he rubbed his forhead in fustration thinking about how many times Harri had been let down by them. There was a short silence before he spoke, it wasn't awkward it was just a silence "Harri." He finally said before pausing and thinking how to phrase it "Harri your mum and dad couldn't come." He said settling for simple words "Their away with work. Again." He added sounding slightly sad at his last word. He looked at Harri, like a small child seeking approval. He knew she would probably be devestated as it had been a long time since she had seen either parent.
 
Harri soaked up the silence looking at her uncle to see what he would ssay next. His words felt like a thousand knives "Erm.. Well thats okay!" she said trying to smile but feeling like she wanted to cry "Not like this hasn't happened a thousand times before. I'm used to it by now!" she said a tear trickling down her face. She burrowed her face into her uncle arms, somehow ashamed of her tears.
 
James felt so guilty for having to deliver the news, he comforted his niece as she cried, he constantly felt like the bad guy for having to always do his brothers dirty work "There just really busy at the moment! They would have loved to come but they couldn't!" he said though really he was angry at them.
 
Harri pulled herself off of her uncle and looked up at him "If they would have loved to have come then why haven't they? I'm sure they could have taken a few hours off of work!" she said wiping away her tears "I mean you can come! Your here for me but they never seem to be!" she said, a fresh set of tears trickling down her face.
 
James' face crumpled and he rubbed his forehead again, what she said was true but he had to make her think that it wasn't "They were really busy!" he said feebily "And I'm always here for you though sometimes, as you told we over christmas, you would have got rid of me for your parents." He paused slightly when Harri had told him this it had hurt him and still did "And this is obvious I mean their your parents and I'm only your uncle!" he paused again breathing in sharply "You know their job is demanding! And they get called away all the time!" He said matter of factly. He didn't really believe in his last words seeing as Harri's parents were in fact in New Zealand they just said they had no time to come and see her.
 
Harri winced as her uncle recalled her words " I was just annoyed James! I didn't mean it like that! I mean your more of a dad to me then dad!" she said, though her words were true they stung "So which exoctic place have they been called off to today?" Harri asked wiping away the last of her tears.
 
James shook his head "Don't be silly Harri." he said still shaking his head. "Your parents. Where are they?" he said though not really asking just repeating the question well there in "New zealand!" he coughed trying to cover up the words and not looking Harri in the eye.
 
Harri's eyes widened and her mouth fell open and she jumped up "There in New Zealand and they can't come and see me?" she said a hint of annoyance in her voice "Their to busy to come and see their only daughter when there in the same place!" she said her voice angry and upset. "I hate them. I hate them. I hate them I hate them." she siad over and over again tears spilling from her cheeks. "That shows how much they care about me then doesn't it!" she said, tears still running down her cheeks.
 
James' face fell, he knew not what to tell her or how to comfort her. He could think of no excuses for Harri's parents and part of him didn't want to. He opened and closed his mouth looking more like a fish then a responsible adult. "Harri." was all he could stay, he decided to try and change the subject "Hows school been?" she asked quietly.
 
"Trying to change the subject." Harri muttered under her breath, but she then said "Schools fine, I really love transfiguration and hope to become an animagus!" she smiled lightly, it wasn't her uncles fault that her parents didn't show!
 
James felt extremly tense and Harri muttering under her breath wasn't really helping. He chose to ignore the comment she made but let her know that he heard it by raising his eye brows. His face was unreadable and he let know hint of expression cross his face untill he was more comfortable with the subject. His tightened expressions loosened as Harri began speaking of school "Yeah I always wanted to be an animagus but I never did it!" He said a trace of dissappiontment in his voice. "You should definatly go for it when your old enough though!" He said encouregingly. "How about friends? Settling down okay?" these were all questions that had gone unanswered at christmas.
 
Harri stared at James' face, it was stern and unusually unreadable before breaking back into his normal expression. "Why didn't you become one?" she asked, it should have been a friendly question but her voice sounded prickly and aggitated. She began pacing as she often did whent there was something on her mind.
 
James noticed the roughness in Hari's voice and was a bit put off by it "Harri I know you upset! But don't take it out on me!" He said as gently as he could "I don't know why I didn't! It was stupid and I should of! I could have been something good!" he said his voice getting quieter and quieter as he reflected on his life.
 
"I know it's not your fault!" Harri said undeliberate anger in her voice, her mouth opened and closed like a goldfish several times before she began walking off at a quick pace "I just can't do this at the moment James!" she called over he shoulder.
 
James looked after Harri shocked his mouth hanging open "Why are you running away?" he called after her, he ran and easily caught up with her despite the speed she was running. He silently thanked all his running and rugby sessions that he did. He jogged slowly besides her "So whats really up?" he asked softly, unsure whether she would answer him or not.
 
Harri sighed irratibly as her uncle caught up with her easily. "Everythings up!" she said and sighed stopping for a moment before carrying on. "I feel like my own parents are strangers to me! They have written to me. I haven't seen them in God knows how long! And they just don't seem bothered!" she sighed, stopping again and staring at her uncle "And all I want to know is why? Have I done something? Said something?" she asked, managing to keep the pleading from her voice but not her eyes.
 
James listened patiently as she spoke, stopping when she stopped and walking as she walked. But when he saw her blue eyes pleading to him her grabbed her by the shoulders and crouched down to her height. "You have done nothing and I mean nothing wrong!" He sighed not knowing how or what to tell her to make her feel better. He looked at her again, she was never usually like this he wondered whether events at school or friends was part of the issue "Is everything okay at school? No troubles?" he asked straightening up to his normal height and releasing Harri from his grip.
 
Harri rolled her eyes. Why did every mood she was in have to revolve around school? "Schools great! I have fantastic friends who I think have helped me more then my own parents in the past few months! I'm getting good marks in most of my lessons! I'm doing my homework, settling down, I haven't had one detention! But they don't notice." she put a particular emphasis on the word 'they'.
 
James stared blankly at Harri, he had no idea how to comfort her. What could he say? What could he do? He smiled weakly at her, but his eyes betrayed him. His eyes showed that he had no idea what he could do to help her. "You shouldn't be having this conversation with me." he said weakly, immedietly regretting his words.
 
Harri stared at James, a look of shock and disgust on her face "I know I shouldn't be having this flipping conversation with you! But I can't exactly have it with them when there not here! Can I?" she screamed at him, she was frustrated and anxious. she still had a look of disgust on her face as she ran off "And don't even bother coming after me! Cause I am fuming James!" She fumed "Seriously!" she called and ran off so fast no-one would be able to catch her. She ran and ran untill she reached the castle and was safely inside the four walls of Hogwarts.
 
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