The Cousin

2

It was the summer of 1994, and on a small farm with multiple green trees and, dead ones, two pastures for cows and their calves. The sun was shining bright down on a girl and her calf.

Olivia was bottle feeding her calf Peter. He was a red angus with a full brocle face. Peters mother had no nutrients in her milk so she couldn't supply. She held the four pint bottle up so that the tiny calf could get each droplet of milk. The bottle made a noise, as if there was someone drinking with a straw out of an empt cup, she took the bottle out of the calves mouth and took it to the house, where she washed it and put it up-side-down to dry.

She walked up the small steps in front of their medium sized farm house, that was 3 bedroom 2 bathroom. It had hard wood siding, so of course the paint was peeling and had four windows on the front of the house. There were simple living arrangements, Kevin got his own room, as well as Olivia. While Raymond and Kobe had to share. And for obvious reasons their parents shared a room. As Olivia walked through the tattered oak door, she was met with both her parents sitting in the living room. In the living room there were two sofas, one was a love seat - so it had two seats - and the other had three seats. There was also a recliner in the corner of the room. As Olivia looked around the house she loved, she noticed Her mother with a new letter in hand, and her father with a solemn look on his face.
"Please sit." Her mother said. Rose Evans was never one with bad news, she never liked hurting people. O when she looked y her daughter she bit her lip and looked at her shoes. Just as Rose was about to speak her face was then one of happiness as she said, "Your going to Hogwarts!" Then her father joined in.

"But you'll be leaving early." He said

" what do you mean I'll be leaving early?" Olivia asked, with her chocolate brown eyes swimming with confusion.

"Well we want you to spend more time with your cousins and—" he was cut off by Olivia's voice,

"What do you mean cousins? Did aunt Petunia have another baby? Isn't she a bit old?" She whispered the last part, and her parents smiled a little. Rose looked at her husband and said,

"We have a lot of explaining to do." She looked back at Olivia who looked severely confused. Rose took her thumb and index finger and rubbed her eyes. She started to explain how her cousin Harry had defeated Voldemort when he was just a baby, and how he was orphaned that night. So now he was living with Petunia and Vernon. Olivia was not mad, she couldn't be mad. They kept it from her, yes, but she really didn't need to know. She only had one question.

"Do the boys know." Her parents automatically knew she was talking about her brothers.

"Yes, they know. We just told them." Rose responded.

"Okay...so when am I leaving?"

"Your leaving tomorrow." Olivia looked like she was about to explode. Not with anger, but with happiness. She always wanted to go to England and now was her chance. She was going to leave tomorrow too. Olivia immediately ran to her room to pack her things. Back in the living room her parents sat there thinking they should have told her much earlier, until she came running back hugged them both and told them how happy she was.

***

"Is she really!?" Asked a very exited Dudley

"Yes She is and we need to have the house nice and clean for when she arrives tomorrow." Relied Vernon, the Dursley's had just gotten the call about their cousin and niece coming to stay with them, until she had to go to a boarding school. Of course Rose wouldn't tell them that she was a witch, because then Olivia would be treated absolutely horribly. Given she didn't know what had happened with Harry, she just wanted to take all precautions. So Rose told them that she would be attending a boarding school she got a scholarship for. Of course the Dursley's knew that Olivia had been a very good student, no wonder she got the chance to go.

"You boy go upstairs and clean the spare room!" Said Petunia " I want to see it shine!" Harry went up the stairs to clean the room that his cousin that he hadn't even met, and she probably didn't even know him. All he really cared for in that moment was the nagging feeling in his stomach that told him something was going on.

***

Olivia was in the car with all of her belongings packed into her trunk. Her and her father had just pulled up to the station where she would get on a train to go to kings cross station, and meet the Dursley's. She got out of the old ford truck -that her father fixed up- and grabbed her trunk. She looked at the ticket she held in her hand, then at the watch on her wrist,

11:05

The watch read. The train was to leave at 11:15 she had time to say good bye and board the train. As they walked through the station she kept glancing at her father who looked quite sad. Watching his 13(almost 14 ) year old daughter board a train all by herself was something he didn't want to see. Watching her all grown up. As they reached the right platform Olivia looked up at her father who stood at a good 6'4 and smiled. He pulled her in for hug and rested his chin upon her head.

"Goodbye darling."

"Bye dad. I love you. I'll see you at Christmas, I can ask one of the teachers to apperate me, or I can bye my own ticket." Olivia never really liked asking people for things, so she would probably find a job at Diagon ally, or babysit some kids in her family's neighbourhood.

" I love you sweetheart, always know that. "

"Always daddy."Olivia was starting to tear up. How much she hated crying, no one would ever know. She always told herself crying was weakness, she always got out of situations that made her cry. So she hugged her dad one last time, and boarded the train. She found a compartment that was empty put her head phones in and listened to some muggle country music.

***

After a very long train ride, then boarding a boat, sailing across the seas, and taking a car the rest of the way was hard. Olivia's legs were asleep, and she could hardly keep her eyes open any longer. The time difference between the two countries was drastic. After riding city through city, plains over plains, she finally made it to the Dursley residents, 4 Privet Drive. The anxiety was growing as Olivia walked up the drive to her aunt and uncles house. She noticed how every house looked the same. That is not how it is back in Canada. I mean in some places yes, but where's she's from. Not at all. She hadn't really noticed she was at the door till she found her self knocking. She sat there in silence for a while, until she finally heard movement coming from behind the door. The door opened and a boy with striking green eyes is standing in front of her
"Hi." He says well this must be Harry.

***
Harry was up in his bedroom writing a letter to Ron and Hermione when he heard a subtle knock on the front door. It was so quiet he didn't think he heard it. That was until he checked the time,it was 4 o'clock. Olivia was supposed to be here after over 24 hours on three different transportation devices. He cursed to himself and thought if the Dursley's would open the door or not. He didn't hear movement or voices, so he decided to do it himself. He walked out of his room just as Dudley was barreling out of his. Harry walked down the stairs towards the door as Dudley went squealing like a tea kettle to uncle Vernon.He walked up to the door and twisted the handle. When he opened it he was not ready for what he saw, he saw a very tall girl. That was the first thing you noticed, next was the eyes, they were brown. They weren't a cruel brown like most people's, they were a kind, yet brave brown.
All I could say was, "Hi." He guessed this is Olivia.