dursley [h. g.]

••dursley•• || halloween pt. i

Kendra always tried to spend more time with Harry on Halloween. It was easy to look at him and think that he was perfectly alright, but he was a child who had a life ripped away from him. It didn't matter that it had now been thirteen years, the sting of never having a mother or father never really went away.

Though most students rose late on Saturdays, because of the tournament, there were a generous number of people up when Kendra sat next to Harry. He was alone at the table, whether he had come down alone like Kendra had or if Ron and Hermione had simply left to give him space.

"Hello, Harry," she said, staring at the line of people in front of the goblet. Harry's eyes watched them as well. The Great Hall had been decorated for the holiday, with pumpkins the size of boulders and bats flying across the enchanted sky being the most sound out things.

"Hello, Kendra," Harry replied. He paused for a moment to eat a piece of toast. "Who's your pick for champion?"

"Lisa and I've made a bet," Kendra said.

"Turpin, right?" Harry clarified. Kendra nodded before continuing.

"She doesn't think a single Ravenclaw will enter. I don't think a Ravenclaw will get picked, but there'll be one who enters. We like a good gloat as good as the next person."

"Why doesn't she think there'll be any Ravenclaws?" Harry asked.

"She thinks that they'd all much rather criticize every little move from the sidelines and say 'the most optimal way to do that is this', which is true, but I think there will be one person who thinks that they're the only one who can do it properly," Kendra finished, smiling fondly at Lisa's words. "Though there will probably be running. We don't like running very much."

"How are you, Kendra?" Harry asked after a moments pause. "I mean, I know that your illnesses have been acting up-" Harry was cut off by Kendra before he could say anything.

"Oh, you know, if I stand up too fast, I fall over and if I fall over too hard, I dislocate something. I'm tired all of the time, if I get too stressed, I get a rash, or chest pain, or not be able to breathe. I can't eat the foods I want, I get migraines when there's too much light- really a cup of tea, if you ask me," Kendra sighed. "But I don't get acne, so there's a plus."

"You still haven't told your friends, yeah?" Harry said, watching as another Beauxbatons boy put his name into the flames.

"No," Kendra sighed. "I've been meaning to, I mean, it's not like they're going to alienate me for having a bad immune system. I trust them, it's just..."

"Yeah," Harry replied,

"I feel like I've lied to them," Kendra shook her head, like she could shake her guilt away with the movement. "Even though I really haven't and it really isn't that I need to tell them, I feel guilty for keeping it secret."

"Don't ask me for advice," Harry said, smiling slightly. "I'm literally the worst person to ask for advice."

"Yeah," Kendra said, laughing quietly. She saw Ron and Hermione enter the Great Hall, bickering as usual, and stood to leave. Harry grabbed her hand pleadingly.

"Just for a bit?" he asked, seeming the same as the small boy who had begged her to stay in his cupboard for just a bit longer to play with the toys she had stolen from her twin. She smiled and sat down.

"Hello, Kendra," Hermione said as she sat down across from the girl in question. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Is it a crime for a girl to say hello to her cousin?" Kendra asked, nudging Harry in the ribs. "Any news on who's entered?"