First Date

First Date

FLOP! Ron Weasley fell out of the chair. Spinning, Harry started laughing at his best friend, until he saw what Ron had seen. Kalli stood in the doorway, in Muggle attire. Black ankle boots with an ice blue skirt that fell to milk white knees, and a black shirt tailored to every curve. Mouth hanging wide open, eyes bugged out, Harry stared openly at the girl before him.

"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed as Kalli strolled over. "When did you get gorgeous?" he asked, tilting his head and staring. Slanting her ice blue eyes, Kalli glared at him. "I mean," Ron stumbled, trying to remedy his stupidity. "You were always gorgeous, Kal! I meant when did you start dressing so hot?"

Harry groaned, even he knew Ron was digging himself deeper. "Is it Halloween?" Harry asked, attempting to lighten the atmosphere.

Rolling her eyes, Kalli Damia sat down. "I just got back from applying for a summer job," she responded. She glanced around the Leaky Cauldron, and motioned for a waiter to come over. He darted to her, staring at her jet black hair and ash white skin. "A butterbeer," she said, "and a slice of pumpkin pie. Be quick about it, too." The boy nodded and dashed away, scribbling helplessly on a pad of parchment stuck together with spellotape.

"In that?" Harry questioned, eyeing the Muggle clothes.

Pursing her lips, Kalli narrowed her eyes. "Is there something wrong with my attire, Oh Great Harry Potter?"

Instantly Harry frowned. "No," he spat, staring into her eyes. "It's just... Muggle."

"Oh," Kalli sighed, fiddling with the ends of her hair. "Well," she said as the boy appeared by her side again. "It was a Muggle job." Harry and Ron dropped their jaws, as Kalli turned and snapped, "Its about time!" The boy jumped, startled, and dashed away.

Hands clenched on the table, Harry demanded, "Why the hell would you get a Muggle job?"

Sighing, Kalli took a sip of butterbeer, and said, "Because everyone else is getting a job on Diagon Alley. So, Hermione, Willow and I decided to work somewhere else!"

"Not true!" Harry demanded. "Ron and I aren't working on Diagon Alley!"

"Yeah!" Ron chorused, "We're working here!"

A devious smile crossed Kalli face as she muttered, "Yeah, with him..."

Both young men stared at her, "Whom?" Harry asked, his breath baited.

Kalli motioned over her shoulder to a young man bent over the counter. As he turned Ron and Harry's hearts sunk in dismay. There stood Draco Malfoy. His usual demon-like smirk made him as unattractive as ever, and his gloat made him even worse.

The grin on Kalli's face was uncanny. "You want to apply at that Muggle place with us?" she asked, arching her eyebrow as she took a bite of pie. Both boys shook their heads vehemently. "All right," she continued, still smiling. "We'll be here every afternoon for lunch, we expect you two to be waiting on us."

Suddenly the door opened, and in strode Willow and Hermione, both dressed much like Kalli. Again, Ron fell from the chair. This time he covered it up by leaping to his feet and strolling over to give Hermione and Willow a hug.

"Kalli?" Harry whispered, leaning over to her. "Can we talk?"

"We are talking," she responded, rather coldly. Harry flinched. "There's nothing to talk about, Potter," she snapped. "You asked me out, then I caught you with some witch in a broom closet. Conversation over."

Frowning, Harry muttered, "We should go on Springer."

"What?" she asked, as Hermione, Willow and Ron made their way over.

"This show where Muggles whine about problems with family, then beat the crap out of each other," Harry replied, causing Hermione's eyebrow to arch.

Realization dawned in her eyes as she said, "Springer!" Both Harry and Kalli looked at her strangely. "What? We aren't playing Jeopardy?"

"Jeopar-what?" Ron asked. Harry and Willow laughed at the look of confusion on his face. "I quit! All this Muggle talk gives me a headache." More laughter surrounded him. Exasperated, Ron tossed his hands in the air to signal defeat.

A rude gloating laughter came from behind. "Giving up must run in your family, Weasley," Draco sneered.

Spinning, Ron prepared himself to say something, then found he couldn't think of anything. But Hermione jumped to his rescue. "At least Ron's got something you don't! What's this I heard about you and Parkinson?" Draco turned bright red, and glared at Hermione. "Better watch out, Malfoy. I'm one hell of an enemy, and you are walking the wrong path! I suggest you turn your holier then thou ass around and march the other way for the rainbow parade!" Glaring at her, Draco backed off.

"What about Malfoy and Parkinson?" Harry asked, leaning forward and whispering. Hermione shook her head, indicating that she wouldn't say.

Only moments later, Kalli rose to her feet so quickly that her chair shoved backwards. Then she turned abruptly on her heel and strode away. Confusion clouded the eyes of all around, except Willow. The violet eyes trained on Harry, then narrowed. "What'd you say to her?" she demanded. Harry seemed more confused. "You said something to her! Something about serendipity! What'd you say?" Willow repeated, pounding her fist on the table.

"I just said I wanted to talk to her," Harry replied, glaring at her. "You don't know if that's why she left. Maybe she had an errand to run on Diagon." Even as he said if, he knew it wasn't true. "I'll go talk to her."

Growling made Harry glance back up at her. Slowly, Willow was beginning to show signs of her Animagi, a leopard. "Make sure she doesn't catch you with another witch in another closet!" she snapped, slowly rising to her feet. Harry glared at her, his eyes narrowing. "I swear, Harry. If you make her cry, I'll kill you."

"If I make her cry, I'll kill myself," Harry responded, turning away from her.

* * *

Out on Diagon Alley, Kalli sat on a bench, silent. Her raven black hair fell into her ice blue eyes, and her ivory colored hands were shaking as Harry's robes came into view. "Can we talk?" Harry tried again, leaning over to talk to her.

Kalli refused to glance up. "No," she whispered in a voice too husky to hide.

She was crying, and he knew it. "Kal," he whispered back, allowing his hand to drift to her shoulder. Instinctively Kalli leaned toward him, revelling in the comfort. Then she realized that she needed the comfort because he had hurt her.

Instantly, she pulled away. "Give me a single reason why I should listen to anything you're saying," she replied, staring at him.

"Because you never let me explain what you saw," Harry replied, stooping down to her level.

Narrowing her eyes, Kalli snapped, "I saw you with Ophelia Skeeter in a broom closet. What is there to explain?"

"Harry, darling?" came a voice from behind. Harry's eyes widened, just as Kalli recognized the voice. Ophelia Skeeter came up behind Harry, sliding her hand daintily across Harry's shoulders. His eyes narrowed. "Would you like to go to the Café for coffee," she asked, breathing on his ear.

His eyes were but slits in his handsome face as he glared at the daughter of infamous Rita Skeeter. "No, Ophelia. Kalli and I were trying to have a conversation," he returned.

But Ophelia refused to glance to Kalli. "Whatever about? What would you want to talk to a Muggle-lover about?"

"This Muggle-lover is gonna kick your arse, Blondie!" Kalli screamed, launching herself at Ophelia. Mid jump, Harry caught her, holding her back with his arms around her waist.

Twisting, Harry held Kalli away from Ophelia as he replied, "I think you should leave. I don't want to speak to you right now."

Nose in the air, Ophelia responded, "Fine, Potter. But as soon as you tire of that Mudblood-lover, you come and find me. I'll give you what you really need." She trailed her fingernail down his cheek to his neck, then turned and flaunted away.

"Bastard," Kalli growled, storming away.

Standing in the middle of crowded Diagon Alley, Harry Potter watched Kalinda Damia vanish from sight. Swearing to himself he plopped down on the bench and stared into the masses of people. Nothing would go right for him, he was cursed in so many ways. First by Voldemort, then by Snape, now Kalli wouldn't talk to him. Talk about a walking bundle of misfortune.

* * *

Glaring into his cup of butterbeer, Harry growled a word that Ron couldn't quite hear. However, it sounded distinctly like Ophelia. Slightly surprised that his best friend would utter such a name after a day of silence and solitude, Ron nearly fell from his chair. "What's wrong with you?" he asked, staring in disbelief. "First you storm back in here like you've just been sent back from hell, then you stay completely silent for six hours, now the one word you mutter is Ophelia! What happened out there?"

Silently, Harry glared at his best friend, then down at his butterbeer. "Nothing," he muttered, angry with himself. "I should have stopped her, Ron, I should have stopped her." Lost, Ron stared at Harry, and without saying anything, motioned for another butterbeer.

"You can't get drunk off butterbeer, you know," Ron replied as a boy set the flask before him. Harry nodded in vague recognition as he gulped down half the cup. "Drinking yourself broke isn't going to make her come back, Potter," Ron said slamming his hand down on the table.

"I don't want her BACK!" Harry yelled, making everyone turn to stare at them. Tom, the bar owner, started over.

The man smiled down at them jovially, and pulled up a chair. "You and Miss Damia having a problem, Potter?" Harry shook his head angrily. "What'd you do?"

"Ophelia Skeeter cornered him and Kalli found them in a broom closet." Tom's eyebrow arched. "Nah, Ophelia was sent by her Mum to interview Harry about his win against Slytherin. But Kalli won't buy it," Ron continued, his voice softer.

Only then did Harry notice that Hermione and Willow were sitting two booths away. Great, the outburst about not wanting her back was going to screw him over. Tom and Ron talked a bit longer before Tom excused himself from the table, and made his way back over to the counter.

"Don't want her back, eh, Potter?" came a voice from behind him. Turning, Harry found a very satisfied looking Ophelia Skeeter standing behind him. "What made you think you had her to begin with?" she asked.

Suddenly, Harry's eyes flashed silver green, and he flung himself from the chair. "You saw to that, didn't you Ophelia! You and your mother couldn't just let me be happy, could you? You had to meddle in poor Harry Potter's perfect little life! As if everything I've gone through isn't enough, you had to take away the one person I could love for the rest of my life!" Ophelia backed into a girl's chair as Harry screamed, backing her towards the door. "You stay away from me, but I swear, if you go near her, you won't be able to write a word ever again!" Ophelia stumbled out the back door, and Harry turned away to finish his last swig of butterbeer.

A gaping Ron stared at him in disbelief. "What the hell was that?" he exclaimed, snapping out of his chair.

"That? Ophelia," he replied, meaning it as a joke. But Ron rolled his eyes. "I got sick of her being in my face, so I got her out of it."

But Ron was shaking his head. "I meant the girl that she bumped into..." Harry turned to look. It was Willow. She was turned around and staring at him.

"Potter!" Willow called, "That was the greatest thing I've seen since Malfoy fell off the North Tower!" Around them students snickered. "Come here, we gotta talk," Willow continued, without missing a beat. Uncertain of what was coming, Harry made his way over.

As he sat down, Willow said, "You are not to talk unless I ask you a direct question, and you didn't hear any of this from me." Harry nodded as Hermione scooted closer and took of the same sitting stance as Willow, ducked down and wide eyed. "The first day I came to Hogwarts, Kalli revealed something to me. And the only reason I'm revealing it to you is because I like you, far better then you deserve right now. Kalli told me that she had fallen for you the moment she saw you, Harry Potter or not. The way you acted toward her was something she'd never forget, and she knew at that moment that she would be with you for the rest of her life. Now you find a way to make that happen, and I had better not find out that you hurt her... Now, do you have an idea?"

Smiling, Harry nodded. Willow motioned for him to speak, and he leaned forward in a hurried whisper.

* *

"Why would Willow have me meet her here?" Kalli muttered, walking into the darkened patio of the coffee shop on Diagon Alley. No one else sat in the restaurant, which was bizarre, this was a favorite place of young lovers.

A voice from behind startled her out of her wits, "Miss Damia?" She jumped a mile and spun around. A young man stood behind her, a white linen towel slung over his arm. "You're table is right over here," he continued.

"The girl that was to meet me, is she here yet?" Kalli asked, getting slightly nervous.

The man shook his head, "Miss Lupin called ahead and said she would be detained." Kalli nodded and sat down. "May I get you a drink while you wait?" he asked.

Unsure of what was going on, Kalli nodded, "Cafe au lait," she re[lied, "Chilled." The man nodded and motioned to a waiter off to the side.

"Always the same thing, Kal," said a familiar voice that she had least expected to hear. "Cafe au lait, chilled with two sugars and a bit of chocolate."

Spinning, she stared up at him, his green eyes enchanting, his hair as dishevelled as ever. "What are you doing here, Harry?" she asked, holding her breath.

A slight smile came over his face and he reached down to brush his hand across her pale cheek. "You don't need two sugars and a bit of chocolate, Kal. You're already sweet enough." Already the girl felt her heart melting from the icy touch of jealousy. Could he have spoken to Ophelia like this?

"I don't get you," she said, glaring up at him, although her heart couldn't hate him as she thought it could. "Why would you want me, branded for life, child of darkness, over Ophelia?"

Sighing, Harry plopped himself down in the chair next to her and replied, "I never wanted Ophelia, Kal. She's just like her mother, rude, pushy and dishonest. But you, you are this sweet, enchanting, beautiful woman that I fell in love with the moment I saw. I never wanted anything else but to be with you, night and day, for the rest of my life. I only wanted you to see that." Kalli looked down, unsure of whether to cry or laugh. But Harry continued, "Kalli, you were the first person who didn't stare at my scar, didn't make me feel like a caged animal in an observation tank. You introduced yourself first, never referring to me as the boy who lived. But most of all you handed me something no one else has handed me. A reason to get up. I finally had someone that understood how I felt about them."

"Harry, I..." she trailed off.

"This was supposed to be our first date. Will helped me out a bit, I guess she thought we'd be good together. Anyway, I guess I'll be going," Harry finished, moving from the table.

"Wait!" Kalli cried, standing as well "You never wanted Ophelia?" Kalli asked, switching feet periodically. Harry shook his head. "Then why are you walking away?" Kalli asked, smiling at him.

A smile dawned across his lips and he swept her up into a tight embrace. Looking deep into her eyes, Harry whispered, "Kalli? Can I kiss you?" A soft smile answered him, and he brought her close to him, enjoying her soft warm body. Suddenly cheers erupted from the shadows, and they both turned to see Willow, Hermione and Ron standing at the far end of the patio. Sighing, Kalli slipped herself from Harry's arms, but kept her hand locked with his.

"Never any privacy," she muttered, smiling up at him. He shook his head, but squeezed her hand. "At least not at the moment."