may 2nd, 1988

The first time they meet underneath the rain, he doesn't know who she is and she doesn't recognize him. They are, in essence, nothing to each other except for a girl and a boy.

Seamus skips the stone in the puddles, causing the loud splashes to soak his runners. His umbrella was tossed to the side, and he was standing on the pavement, with rocks from his driveway in his hand.

He tossed another one, watching as it made a perfect arc and landed in the pothole on the street.

"Seamus for the win!" The ten-year-old exclaimed. Down in London at his aunt's house, he'd been bored stupid. All she did was read him her favorite Muggle novels, which were always long and boring. Finally, she had relented and let him play in the rain, as long as he promised not to get wet or heaven help him.

Oops. His feet were really, really cold, but he was having way too much fun in the rain to go inside!

He didn't see anything until a pair of bright pink Wellingtons were standing right in the puddle.

"Hey!" Seamus called. What did she think she was doing, standing in his puddle? That was his! He was throwing rocks in it! "Move!"

The girl, who had long blonde hair and a matching pink rainsuit, frowned at him. "Why? This isn't your puddle."

"Actually," countered Seamus, glaring at the very pink girl. "It is! I was here first, little girl!" He wasn't sure if he really was older than her, but he could guess, right?

The girl huffed and crossed her arms, kicking all of the water out of the pothole, effectively diminishing his puddle. "I'm not a little girl! I'm eight, idiot!"

He was ten, too! Unable to find anything else to say, he just frowned. "Idiot," he mirrored back at her.

"You're not supposed to call girls names! Mama says it's disrespectful!" The girl said, with her chin up high.

That wasn't fair, Seamus knew it! "But you called me a name, too!"

"Because I," said the girl, fixing her pink rain-hat, "am telling the truth!"

Seamus huffed and stomped away. He could find another puddle to throw rocks in, without a little girl wearing a pink rainsuit to bother him. Why did girls always have to be such bothers?

A six-part linear drabble collection for the lovely, lovely Emma (AStitchedUpHeart). Enjoy!