Impressionable Youth

"Aunt Ginny! Aunt Ginny!"

Charlie Potter dove out of the sliding door of the van and raced across the Malfoy's lawn, launching herself full-throttle into Ginny's arms, who, at the moment, was squatting down, and she fell over with the impact.

"Oof!" Ginny said before laughing, landing on her backside in the grass with Charlie's arms clutching her around the neck in a fearsome Potter hug. "Charlie! My goodness, someone's happy to be here."

Charlie pulled back and Ginny climbed to her feet. "And what a pretty dress you have on, Miss Potter. It makes you look like a grown-up."

Charlie beamed up at her favorite aunt as Hermione started towards them from the van. "Mummy says it makes me look like her. Didn't you, Mum?" she asked her mother, who was standing next to the tiniest Potter.

"I sure did, sweetheart," Hermione said, smiling at her. Charlie grinned a big, wide, cheeky grin that made her nose scrunch. Hermione could feel her heart melting into goosh at the sight of her daughter.

She was about three feet tall with bushy brown hair that fell to her mid-upper-arm. She had the Granger nose, pert and round, with her mother's exact features. The only feature she was missing of her mother's (whom thanked God every single time she looked at her offspring) was her eyes. Instead of a deep, honey-hazel shade, she had inherited her father's startling green eyes that you could simply drown in.

"What's in the bag?" Ginny said excitedly to the Potterlet, bending down and grinning. Charlie, who had an adult sense of mind, put both of her small hands on either side of Ginny's face and looked at her solemnly, shaking her head.

"Sorry, Aunty Ginny," she said in a soft, sad voice. "You'll have to wait until after dinner. I brought games and stuff. We can't play them right now."

Ginny thrust her lower lip out and nodded in mock sadness to humor Charlie. "Oh, I see. Well, it'll have to be a surprise then." She grinned and kissed Charlie smoochily on the cheek. "Now run along to the back. Xavier's out there waiting for you. On the swing set."

Charlie nodded and scurried to the door, already shrugging hurriedly out of her backpack.

Ginny stood straight. "How you ever got so lucky, I'll never know," she said to Hermione, watching through the storm door as Charlie pounded inside and disappeared. Hermione shrugged.

"At least we're on the same page," she said. Ginny turned to her and smiled, holding out her arms, and Hermione gave her an enormous hug. "How are you, love?"

"I'm fine. Yourself?"

Ginny slumped her shoulders. "Completely stressed. Draco's been having some difficulties with his employees at work."

"What's the problem?"

"Just jerks. They make his whole day a giant, throbbing welt of misery. Or at least that's how he phrases it."

"That's too bad. Tell him he's in my prayers, won't you?"

"And that your heart simply bleeds for him. Yes, I think I'll remember."

They laughed and Ginny started to walk Hermione back to the car. "He's such an infant sometimes," she said. "He's so used to having things done for him and then the second they don't oblige, hell breaks loose."

"Well, how's Xavier?"

Xavier Malfoy was Ginny and Draco's only child. He had strawberry-blonde hair, which, Hermione often mused, was a perfect mixture of the two different family hair colors. He was about three heads higher than Charlie, rather tall for a seven-year-old, with his father's icy eyes and his mother's grin. He was smart as a whip and could often be a pain in the rear, but he had his moments.

"He's doing alright," Ginny said hesitantly. "But I'm afraid he's landed himself with the Malfoy tongue, the headache he is."

Hermione's jaw dropped. "You mean . . . ?"

"Of course. Draco comes home cursing left and right about work and Xavier spits it right out again. I've had it up to my eyeballs telling him to stop it. I'm ready to smack his arse."

"Ooh, I'll help," Hermione joked. But then she said, "I hope he doesn't start mouthing off in front of Charlie. The girl can recite television commercials to the last syllable and God knows she'll repeat something if it has a nice little ring."

"His father told him that if Charlie tells me anything bad, he's up in his room the rest of the weekend and he and I will take Charlie off to the match by ourselves on Sunday. He loves his Quidditch. He'll be good."

* * *

Charlie broke into a sprint as she stepped out into the backyard, her hair flying behind her. The swings were right ahead, and she could see Xavier's blonde head as she ran towards him. Their back yard was a long, flat lawn stretching over to a small hill that sloped down into a swamp. Uncle Draco sometimes took her down there so that they could play on the logs and on the bridge that went over the creek down there. But it was really muddy, and her Daddy told her she shouldn't go down there by herself. Xavier usually bragged that he went down there all by himself, but she didn't care.

He was standing on the seat of the swing, his arms coiled around the chain, and he sneered at her. "Oh," he said, emphasizing dramatically. "It's you."

"You better not be mean to me again, Xavier," Charlie said, her brow furrowing with anger. "I'll tell your mummy, I will."

Xavier shrugged. "I won't," he said, also pulling a mean face as he glared at her. And then he brightened. "Hey, bet you can't do this!"

He made a loud hocking sound and spat about five feet. It landed with a sickening fwip in the grass and he grinned at his guest. "Ha, ha. Beat that, Charlie."

Charlie stared at the spit's landing spot and shrugged. "Sure I can."

Xavier frowned. "No you can't. You're a girl. Don't lie."

Charlie nodded. "I can. I promise. Ready?" She also reared back, but the hocking sound she made was five times louder than Xavier's, and when she spat, it rocketed about eight feet, way past Xavier's spit. She grinned cheekily again, and Xavier's face fell.

"How'd you do that?" he asked her as she made her way to the swings and sat down.

She shrugged again, kicking the swing into motion. "My Daddy. He's a good spitter. He just doesn't want me to do it in front of my Mummy. He said she'll hex him into . . . oblivion? Some funny word like that."

She was beginning to swing higher and higher, her stocking-clad legs kicking and tucking. Xavier watched her. "Oh . . . wish my dad did that. He's at work all the time."

Charlie didn't reply as she threw her head back and giggled as the wind blew through her hair. She started whooping loudly and Xavier rolled his eyes. "Come on, Charlie. It's not that fun."

"Yes it is!" she yelled as she swung so high she was almost upside down. "I feel like I'm flying!"

Xavier crossed his arms over his chest. He was wearing his jeans and a midnight green shirt. "Well, I can really fly. On my broomstick."

"So?" Charlie squealed, giggling more.

Xavier cast quickly around for something else to say. "Well . . . well . . ." He kept thinking until he sighed and flopped down in the grass. "Charlie, don't you ever get bored of having fun?"

"Why?" Charlie called, her hair flying around over her head. "Aren't you having fun? I thought that was why I came. So we could have fun."

"No. You're having fun. On your own. I'm just sitting here being bored."

Charlie frowned. Letting her legs hang limp, she slowed the swing down a bit and then she let go of the chains, soaring high and landing hard on her feet. She then fell forward onto her knees with a snort of giggles.

Standing up, she brushed the dirt off her dress and turned around with a whirl. "Well, we could always play a game," she said dreamily as she spun in dizzy circles, arms outstretched and her dress lifting with the air.

"What type of game?" Xavier said.

Charlie was still spinning and she started giggling again, a high, squeaky giggle that made her father want to spoil her rotten. She gave one forceful spin and flopped down on the grass behind her, still laughing.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed, reaching her arms up lazily. "Everything's spinning round and round like a . . . like a merry-go-round! Try it, Xavier!"

Xavier took a step back and shook his head. "No. Only girls play spinning games."

Charlie laughed, and was seemingly ignoring him until she rolled onto her stomach and gazed at him. "Then why aren't you playing?" she said before peeling into loud squeals of laughter.

It took a few seconds for what she had said to click, and he scrunched his face angrily. "I am not a girl!"

"Yes you are!" Charlie said, clutching her stomach and laughing harder than ever.

"No, I am not!"

"You act like a girl. And your hair is pretty, like a girl. Girl, girl, girl. Xavier's a girl!"

Xavier was revolted. "My hair's not pretty, Charlie. It's cool. I like my hair."

Charlie sighed and climbed to her feet. "So do I, Xavier," she said gently, folding her hands down at her waist cutely. "And I'm a girl. So, if a girl likes your hair, it's girly. You must be a girl, then." She grinned evilly and ran as Xavier lunged at her. He was breathing heavily as he watched her frolicking around in circles, singing, "Xavier is a gi-irl! Xavier is a gi-irl!"

"I'm telling!" he said fiercely, spit flying from his mouth.

Charlie stopped dead and whipped around, a now fearful expression on her face. "No! Don't!"

Xavier nodded. "Yup! I will!" And he turned around and began marching moodily back towards the house.

Charlie bit her lip and she bounced tensely on the spot before rushing forward and jumping in front of him, looking imploringly up into his face. "Please! Don't tell on me! I was only kidding! You're not a girl!" she cried desperately.

Xavier glared, and then sidestepped her, continuing to head for the house. Charlie's hands flew to her cheeks in fright. "No! Please!" Tears started to fall down her face and she grabbed Xavier's arm. "You can't tell on me! Don't! I only just got here! My mummy will take me home if she thinks I was bad!"

"You were bad."

Charlie gritted her teeth in frustration and stood in front of him, bringing him to a halt again. "I only called you a girl because you called me a girl! If I'm going to get in trouble then so are you!"

Xavier stared down at his cousin for a second, and then, looking at her tears and how her face got really red under her bushy hair, he felt bad for her. She seemed really tiny and helpless. He shrugged. "Okay."

Charlie stopped crying, her expression one of confusion. "That's it? Just like that?"

Xavier shrugged again. "Yeah. Why?"

Charlie grinned up at him, wiping her cheeks. "That was quick."

"Well, you look sad when you cry."

"Because I am sad when I cry."

"I know that," he snapped and turned back around heading to the swing. Charlie beamed and came up behind him. She spun him around, wrapped him in a crushing hug, and planted a big, sloppy kiss on his cheek.

"I love you Xavier!" she squealed.

"Yuck! Gerroff me!" he growled and shoved her off, storming back over to the swings. Charlie bit her lip happily and followed.

"So," Xavier said, sitting on the swing, and watching Charlie hoist herself up on the one next to him. "What do you wanna do?"

"Swing!" Charlie said, and she had started to kick when Xavier gave an exasperated sigh and grabbed her chain, yanking her to a stop.

"No!" he said, annoyed. "No more swinging. Let's play a game."

Charlie frowned. "No. I don't feel like playing games. I feel like doing something by myself."

"That's boring. I don't want to swing. Don't you want to . . . play something? Like hide and seek or tag or something fun like that?"

"No," Charlie said, swinging.

"What about flying? I can go get my brooms and we can fly around or play toss with the Quaffle."

"My mummy doesn't want me flying. Daddy doesn't care, but Mummy is afraid I'll fall."

"Then, do you want to just talk?"

Charlie shrugged. "Sure. You talk, I'll swing." And then she paused before squealing with delirious giggles. "I guess you'll be talking to yourself then!"

Xavier scowled. "Fine. I'll ask you questions and you have to answer them. I'm smart like that, you know."

"Fine! Ask away."

Xavier thought, and then asked. "What's the best Quidditch Team in the league?"

"Puddlemere United!" she called.

Xavier's mouth fell open. How did she know that? "Okay, then, where does my dad work?"

"Malfoy's Top Quidditch Gear."

"How did you know that?" he worded aloud.

"Daddy told me. Duh," she giggled, and then let go again, sailing through the air and landing with a whooping cheer on her feet. She flung her arms out to break fall, but after only a bit of wobbling, she managed to stay on her feet.

"Hey! I did it!" She celebrated with a few cartwheels, her dress flying around over her head.

Xavier took the opportunity to think hard about a question when his mind suddenly shouted one at him. "Okay then, smarty-pants. Where do babies come from?"

The effect was instantaneous. Charlie stopped mid-cartwheel and fell with a plop on her bottom. Her face was flushed from such energy. "What?"

"You heard me, Potter-pants. Where do babies come from?"

Charlie bit her lip and thought. "Um . . . my Mummy's tummy?"

Xavier burst into gales of laughter and Charlie frowned. "What's so funny? My Mummy says . . ."

"Your Mummy says you just came out of nowhere and appeared magically into her tummy. Yeah, my parents told me the same thing. It's not true."

"Yes it is!" Charlie said angrily, climbing to her feet. "My Mummy's not a liar! Maybe I should tell on you!"

"If you're Mummy's not a liar, then why did she lie?"

Charlie's lip was trembling. She turned around and crossed her arms over her chest so she couldn't see him. "Fine. Tell me where babies come from."

"Well, first, your parents get naked --"

"Naked?" Charlie exclaimed, whipping back around. "Nuh uh, you're lying!"

"No I'm not."

"But that's silly. Who goes around naked?"

"They don't walk around naked, you dolt. They just take their clothes off in their bedroom."

"Shut up," Charlie said in a shaky voice. "I don't want to listen."

Xavier grinned. "And then they get into bed . . ."

"SHUT UP!"

"And they kiss and kiss and they don't even stop for air . . ."

"Xavier, if you don't stop talking, I swear . . ."

Xavier grinned. "It's so gross, too. They make noises and yell and stuff. And every parent does it. Even your parents. And your Mummy."

Charlie felt tears fall down her cheeks. Mummy wouldn't do that. She would never, ever do something like that . . . would she?

Xavier started laughing really loud. "Not so perfect now, is she? Ha, ha!"

Charlie felt a spark go off in her stomach, and before she could think of what would happen, she stomped towards Xavier, who was still laughing, and grabbed his collar. He stopped laughing, and his face contorted with fear. Charlie's chest was heaving and her face was bright red, damp with tears.

"Don't you say that about my Mummy!" she yelled. And with every ounce of her strength, she shoved him. He stumbled down the slope of the lawn and with an SQUISH, he took a tumble that sent him airborne and he landed face-first into a giant mud puddle at the base of the hill.

She stood at the top of the hill, the wind whipping her dress around, and she stared down at her cousin. Xavier slowly pulled himself up and looked up at her. He was gritting his teeth. "I'm telling my mum on you!"

He climbed unsteadily to his feet and stumbled as fast as he could up the hill, and he stood in front of Charlie. She giggled at his appearance. Mud was dripping down his face, which was already covered in it. His hair was drenched with sludge, and his whole front was positively disgusting. He was crying.

"You're in so much trouble!" he said, walking past her towards his house.

"Fine," Charlie said indifferently. "But if you tell because I pushed you, then I'll tell why I pushed you."

Xavier stopped. Charlie waited, and he turned around. "You wouldn't."

"Yes, I would."

"But you pushed me! I didn't touch you."

"Oh, but I'm sure your Mummy wouldn't care about that. Not if I tell her you were watching her and your dad."

Xavier's mouth fell open again. He spat some mud out of his mouth and wiped some off his eyes, and then he walked towards her. "Well . . . fine. I won't tell that you pushed me . . . only if you promise you won't tell on me for what I said. I don't want to get in trouble!"

Charlie wiped her eyes also and sniffed. "F-fine. But someday I will tell on you, you jerk. My Mummy would never do something like that."

"Don't be so sure," Xavier said, also sniffling. "How on earth do you think you got here?"

Charlie watched her cousin walk back towards the house. "I thought you weren't telling."

"I'm not. I'll say I tripped while we were playing."

Charlie watched him go in and she realized just how dark it had gotten out. She sat down in the grass and cried.