Relationships Explained!

Prologue

"But Mum told me you have to read me a bedtime story!" the little boy whined to his big sister.

"Why can't she read you a stupid bedtime story?" the older girl demanded. She brushed back her long, straight brown hair with her fingernails and glared at her little brother, who was lying in his bottom bunk bed.

"She's out on a date with that - that guy!" the younger boy blurted out.

"Can't you read yet on your own?"

The younger boy frowned. "Yes, but I like having Mummy read me bedtime stories." The older girl sighed. Her brother was the biggest spoiled brat on the planet. And when he was sick, like now, it only made things worse. He was even more spoiled when sick.

"Alright, fine - you win. But if I end up missing the new episode of Coupling tonight on TV, you're gonna pay," the girl finally said, giving in, like she always did.

The boy snorted. "I still can't believe you like watching that bloody show!"

"It's better than the bloody crap you like to watch - all those kiddie cartoons?"

"They're wicked!" the boy retorted back.

"Look, you'd just better not make fun of the show I like to watch or I'm not gonna read you a stupid story," said the sister.

"Fine," snapped the boy. "Just read me a bloody story!"

The older sister rummaged around in her brother's messy bookcase, looking for a short, quick book she could read to him. She only had an hour before Coupling aired.

The girl sighed. "Where are your Harry Potter books?" she demanded, when she couldn't find anything short and quick.

"Finished them," the boy replied. "Now waiting for book six."

"Aren't there any books in here which you haven't read yet?" the girl asked.

The boy shook his head. "Finished them all," he answered.

"Then why do you want me to read you a book?" she asked.

"I didn't say a book," the boy insisted. "I said read me a story..."

"You mean make one up?" asked the girl.

The boy nodded. "Yup."

"In your dreams!"

"Fine, then I'll just tell Mummy that you were mean to me when she gets home and then you'll get in big trouble. You won't be able to go to that club you and your friends are gonna go to on Friday...with your boyfriend." He smirked at this and the girl glared at him. How she hated her nasty little brother!

The girl groaned but went over to her brother and sat on his bed. "Fine, I'll tell you a dumb story. One upon a time...the end."

"That wasn't a story!" the boy declared angrily. "It had no plot! Tell me a real story!"

The girl glanced around the boy's room. It was covered in Harry Potter merchandise. He was a huge fan - probably the biggest fan in the world. The older sister had read the books before and thought they were okay, but nothing spectacular. That's when she got an idea.

"Hey," she said. "You know how you like Harry Potter, right?"

The boy nodded.

The girl continued. "Well, I was just thinking of Harry and Cho Chang's relationship by the end of Order of the Phoenix and how Harry doesn't really seem to care about her much anymore."

"Yeah, Harry was smart - Cho was such a crybaby, crying over Cedric," the boy remarked.

"Well, what do you think of Harry and Malfoy?" the girl asked with a grin. The boy made a face.

"Ewww! Are you bloody kidding me? Harry can't be gay!"

"How do you know?" the girl demanded.

"Because he just can't!" said the boy firmly.

"Well, what if he was?" the girl asked him.

"I'd think I'd barf!" the boy declared. "Besides, I don't wanna hear a bloody love story. I'd rather go and watch Coupling."

The girl giggled. "Coupling is a show all about relationships and love," she told him.

The boy made another face. "What's with girls and love?" he demanded. The girl giggled again.

The sister sighed. "Look, do you want me to tell you a story or not? If you do, then you're gonna have to listen to a story of my choice!"

"That's so not fair!" the boy exclaimed.

"Take it or leave it."

"Humph!" said the boy, frowning. But he snuggled closer to his sister as she began to tell a tale about love at Hogwarts...and which characters end up with which.