Marcus Flint looked at his parents in disbelief, "We're moving?"

Mrs. Flint sighed with exasperation as she took a seat at the kitchen table, propping her head in her hands, "Yes, Marcus!"

Marcus stuttered, "B-but why?"

His mother merely shook her head which was still in her hands as his father explained the situation to him, "Lucius has taken everything - our money, our home, everything. He's given us ten days to leave with everything we have or else he'll turn us in to him."

Marcus looked on with disbelief, "What? But Draco and I are friends, Lucius would never do that!"

The only thing his parents could do was look at him with sullen eyes and he knew they were telling the truth. The Malfoys had betrayed them and wanted them to flee the wizarding world. Forever.

At first, Marcus was reluctant and whenever his mother pushed him to pack he would snarl, "I'm staying. I'm not moving."

He would lead his mother to tears as she would scream, "Then you will die!"

Finally, he gave up and angrily threw everything he held dear to him in boxes and labeled them as 'Fragile' and 'Marcus's Belongings'. He tried to spend as much time as possible just wandering around his childhood home and the neighborhood. He had no one to miss or to say goodbye to. Besides Draco he really didn't have any other friends. Being a Slytherin was a disadvantage after all.

Moving day came and Marcus looked up at his house with a grave expression. His mother patted him on the back and whispered, "It's okay to cry, honey."

In response he walked up to the front steps and spit on it. He retorted angrily to his mother, "That's what I think of this house. It's a piece of shit."

-

Two flights and a taxi ride later, Marcus exited the cab and looked at his new 'home.' He nodded with contentment as he took everything in.

The house was two stories with a large porch in the front along with a swing that could hold more than two people. The front lawn was average; neatly cut grass, a gnome figurine here or there, etc. The neighborhood was quiet and there was no one to be seen as all the other houses were replicas of his; all in perfect alignment.

He frowned, it was too home-y for his taste but it would have to do.

His mother smiled, trying to lighten the mood, "Well let's go see our new house, shall we?"

She took out a golden key and turned it in the key hole, opening the door. The small family just stood there for a moment, not daring to believe this was actually real. Finally, Marcus pushed past his parents and walked into the house.

On the first floor was a dining room attached to a family room, a kitchen and a den which held a fireplace which was currently blazing. His father asked him, "What do you think?"

Marcus shrugged, "It's okay." With that, he raced up the stairs quickly, taking two to three steps at a time.

Upstairs was a bathroom, the master bedroom and another bedroom which would soon be called his room. It was a fairly nice sized room with his old bed set already positioned in the corner, his silver and green Slytherin bed sheets hanging over the edge.

His eyes darkened as he saw the sheets and contemplated ripping them up but he realized his family's income was limited. The burning of the Slytherin things would have to wait.

He couldn't bare to look at the room anymore with its plain bright white walls and the lonely bed just lying there with its Slytherin colors as if crying to him, 'Change me! Get these sheets off of me!'

Calling to his parents, "I'm walking around," he raced outside and took a deep breath as the cold New York air hit him.

-

He shoved his hands in his pockets and began walking around, angrily glaring down at the muggle jeans his mother had brought for him. Now that he was living in a nonmagical area, he had to turn in his wand and change all his robes for actual clothes. His mother explained that he was to tell no one of being a wizard because he technically no longer was one.

He would go to a muggle high school, being what was called a junior and he would even have to get a job.

Marcus shuddered at the mere thought. A job. What kind of nonsense was that at his age?

He looked up as he saw someone walking this way and he cocked his head to the side, taking her in.

She had dark dark brown hair, almost black, with bright red highlights through her hair which went down to just about her shoulders. Her hair was straightened and she had brilliant lively bluee eyes. She had on a baby doll red number that emphasized her hour glass figure accompanied by jeans which were much like the color of his own.

Marcus noticed that she too was sizing him up and she smiled at him. She held in her hand a bunch of notebooks and seemed to be struggling with them.

He offered, "Excuse me, but you look like you could use some help."

She smiled gratefully, "You wouldn't mind?"

Marcus smiled back, "Of course not, here let me." With that, he took her rather large binder and notebook from her, allowing her hands to be free. He didn't struggle under the extra weight due to his years of being on the Slytherin Quiddich team.

She offered, "My name's Nicole but most people call me Red. And you are?"

He responded to 'Red', "I'm Marcus and most people call me . . . well, they call me Marcus."

Nicole giggled, "So, Marcus, did you just move here?"

Marcus bit his lip, "Is it that obvious?"

She smiled, "No, don't worry. I just haven't seen you around and I saw you come out of the house that was just put up for sale last week."

He nodded, "It was a rather quick move. You live around here?"

Nicole confessed, "I actually live right next door."

His smile widened, "Really? Well then, we'll have to hang out sometime then, won't we, Nicole? Or do you want me to call you Red?"

She shrugged, "Personally I prefer Nicole."

Marcus nodded, "Nicole it is then. So, Nicole, you wouldn't happen to go to Seaview High School now, would you?" (A/N made up school)

Nicole raised an eyebrow, "Yes, I do. I'm actually a junior there - "

"Perfect."

She looked at him oddly, "What's perfect?"

He blushed, "Well I'm just starting there once the summer is over, I believe today was the last day?"

She nodded as he continued, "Yes, well I'm going to be a junior too."

Nicole smiled, "No kidding. Well that'd be fun. So, where are you from?"

He mumbled, "London."

She repeated, "Where?"

"London."

Her jaw dropped, "London? As in the London in England?"

Marcus rolled his eyes, "No the London in China town."

She gave him a skeptical look, "Not funny."

He shrugged, "Yes, so anyway, I'm from London."

Nicole smiled, "That's actually pretty cool, I'm from Brooklyn actually."

Marcus looked confused, "Where's that?"

She shook her head, "Don't worry about it. So, listen, I have to head home now and change my clothes but would you like me to show you around the area tonight?"

He smiled genuinely, "Yeah, sure! That'd be great actually."

Nicole smirked, "Cool I'll just ring your doorbell at five."

He nodded, "Sure thing, neighbor."

She laughed and took her books from him as she raced up the stairs and in her house, only looking back once and to shake her head and laugh.

-

He repeated to himself, "Sure thing, neighbor," to himself and mentally slapped himself in the head.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid."

His mother interupted him and smiled brightly, "Marcus, sweetie, who was that girl I saw you with?"

Marcus shrugged, "Our neighbor, Nicole."

Mrs. Flint clapped her hands in delight, "Isn't that wonderful, dear? You're already making new friends! When are you going to see her again?"

He considered not responding but he didn't want to get in trouble for having an attitude again.

"Tonight actually, she's going to show me around town."

"Oh boy, this is good news! I'll wash your dress pants for you, sweetie, so you can wear them on your date tonight!"

Marcus groaned, "Mum! It's not a date, she's just being a good neighbor and showing me around. I'll wear this."

She made a gagging sound, "You will do no such thing!"

He settled, "I'll change my clothes and that's it."

Mrs. Flint agreed, "Fine."

She cooed to herself, "My little Marcus is growing up."

-

Later that night at promptly five o'clock the doorbell rang and Marcus was worried his mother would die of joy.

She straightened out her sundress and opened the door with a huge smile plastered across her face. Her smile only widened as she saw the girl, "Hello there, I'm Mrs. Flint! You must be Nicole! I've heard so much about you."

Marcus slapped his head and muttered, "Great, now she knows I talked about her."

Before he knew it, his mother was ushering the poor girl into the kitchen and was looking for her camera.

Marcus cleared his throat, "Mum, we should get going, right Nicole?" His breath caught in his throat and he had to try very hard not to drool. He felt too dressy for the occasion.

He had on a dark green silk shirt that his mother had ironed and he had on a pair of dark jeans with black sneakers. Nicole was dressed in a brilliant maroon strapless top that made her hair color 'pop'. It reached down to her midthighs and went over the same pair of jeans she sported earlier. Her hair was up in a high ponytail, her sidebangs framing her face. She had gold dangly loops in her ears that had another loop through them and another one through that.

Once they escaped the claws of his mother, Marcus cleared his throat, "I'm really sorry about that."

Nicole shook her head and waved her hand, as if dismissing it, "No worries, my mom was kind of mad at me for not letting you ring my bell."

He questioned playfully, "So you told her about me?"

She blushed, "Maybe. So, I thought we'd hit the beach."

His jaw dropped and he looked at her in horror, "The beach? I hate water."

Nicole smiled, "Don't worry, hun. We're not going in - my earrings are not waterproof!"

Marcus chuckled, "Alright, to the beach it is then."

He was very shocked at how close the beach actually was to their houses - right around the block technically. She announced, "Take off your shoes."

He gave her a look, "What?"

She repeated, "Take off your shoes."

His expression didn't change so she added, "Pretty please with sugar on top?"

Marcus sighed, "Alright," as he removed his shoes and placed them next to her ballerina styled shoes. He commented, "Lovely shoes."

She rubbed her feet automatically, "Thanks, they practically kill my feet."

He questioned, "Then why wear them?"

Nicole shrugged, "They're not comfortable but they're in style."

He nodded knowingly, "Ahh, style over comfort, I see."

She nodded along with him, "Indeed. Sometimes you just need to put style ahead of comfort."

-

As they walked barefoot together along the deserted beach, Marcus noted that her hand bumped into his several times.

One.

His breath caught in his throat.

Two.

Maybe they were too close?

Three.

What the hell was going on?

Four.

Maybe she's doing it on purpose.

Five.

She glared at him out of the corner of his eye and he finally realized what she wanted him to do.

He finally grabbed her hand once the bumping stopped, seeing a frown across her pretty features. She looked startled when his hand intertwined with hers and he laced their fingers together, linking them.

Nicole blushed and he smiled to himself.

Together they walked along the beach, watching the sunset, neither of them knowing whether it was just a friendly flirting or the start of a relationship.

-

Well that's that. I'll update later. I'm thinking only like five chapters for this. Maybe not as long as this one, maybe longer. Depends on my mood and if I have writer's block. It's just going to be the story of a summer fling that might, just might turn into something more. Review please!