A Telephone Box

William parked in front of the house, peering over the wheel-drive.

''Strange. Your mom isn't lurking behind the living room curtains today.''

Katherine sighed, well aware how over-bearing her family could sometimes be. Well, most of the times actually. It was only natural though, she thought, after all she was their only daughter. The attention felt satisfactory in the begging of childhood, competing against Dudley for it. Katherine pried on it with selfishness and indulgence of a spoiled child.

Nevertheless, the older she got, the realization of the truth was more troubling.

The lavishing protective attention turned to gross expectations and thirst for control and dominance. Control over her life, her choices, all down to the smallest details of her clothes. It was a constant struggle before she moved away to school, gained their trust and favor by excelling in subjects. It was fortunate her school was miles away and the only time she had to endure another trial was during holidays. She would come home just as she started to miss them; and leave just as she got full of them.

''You know how parents are, Mother gets really protective of me.''

''I don't think so, Kat'' William mocked, bemused. He fingered collar of his pink polo shirt, cocking his head. ''I think she's more afraid we're not embarrassing her by driving around in tin can. Or god forbid, by deflowering you in the middle of the day for all the world to see. Oh, what will neighbors say? ''

She knew he was right, but it was still her family. ''Shut up. I'd be deflowering you, Miss Spandex. I'll see you around.''

''Too bad I don't play for your team, Miss Toned Muscles'' William winked and rolled of the curb. They were childhood friends, there was familiarity with him and sense of safety - no matter how false that safety actually was. Excluding school, she had no any other kind of friends. She secretly cursed him as he honked, knowing he'd done it on purpose. The sound boomed across the quiet street. Her family must have heard it, no doubt. Not a fly missed them. Daddy would lecture her endlessly how inappropriate that was and demand exclusive apology letter from him and all his living relatives. Mum would just shake her head and mutter how distasteful it is to honk at young ladies, deeming it provocative behavior.

Dudley would be too busy whining about the diet.

She walked into the house and across the hall, unusually loud noise reaching her ears. Sobs and strained voices she couldn't recognize disputed in the living room. Something crunched beneath her foot. It was a toffee.

Oh, Duddlers, she thought. His diet didn't even last a week. Truth be told, she didn't think he was cunning enough to smuggle candy.

As she entered the living room, mom's favorite vase flew beside her head and crashed at the wall. The water left a nasty stain. Her family was crouched behind the sofa, gripping something long and purple. It looked utterly disgusting. They cowered in fear, her mother trembling from head to toe. A man she never saw before stood in the middle of room, frowning and shaking his head. He held a wand in his hand and Kat froze for a second.

She took a careful step inside the living room and noticed her cousin Harry stepping into the blown chimney. Who the hell managed to blow a chimney? She watched him, slightly annoyed look on his face, as he said something to no one in particular and disappeared in blast of green fire. She blinked her eyes, staring at the spot he just occupied. Kat didn't know where he went, but wand he carried always with him - even went he went to the loo - was casually lying in the dust of bricks. Silently, she picked it up and swallowed loudly. It looked like someone dropped a bomb in the house. In her house.

Katharine seethed, absolutely livid. Where did Harry go?! He disappeared, abandoning her family to the hands of this stranger who stood in the middle of the room, bickering with her own father. Harry and Katherine didn't have any kind of relationship, although they were first cousins and lived together. Ever since she was a kid, majority of her life was spent abroad in private schools, far away from home. Somehow, she knew her parents wanted to keep her away. Her guts told her it must have been because of that boy.

''Stop it'' she screamed, silencing everyone - except Dudley and his whimpers. The purple things seemed to be his tongue, she observed infuriated. The man, slightly confused and aghast look on his face, sharply turned around towards her in surprise.

''I called the police, just so you know'' she roared, her eyes ever so often darting towards her family. ''They'll be here any second, you psychopath! You'll pay for what you've done.''

''I'm sorry young lady-'' he began to stutter as Kat approached him with measured steps, throwing small glances towards wand in his hand.

''Don't talk to her you freak!'' her dad interrupted. Vein throbbed on his head, making him look like he was about to explode. Man's thin lipped. His ginger hair matched the color of his face. He angrily bowed to leave, but not before Katherine grabbed his sleeve, stubborn in keeping him there until authorities came.

Suddenly - thick, swirling and screaming darkness surrounded her. It forced it's way into her ears, and she squeezed her eyes shut in vivid discomfort. Pressure seemed to crush her head flat. Just as she felt the sleeve of this man slip away, her foot slammed on hard ground. Warm smell of tea and cinnamon filled her nostrils.

''That wasn't funny Fred!'' man bellowed, his face turning redder and redder, not seeming to notice her. ''What on earth did you give that Muggle boy?''

''Arthur!'' a short, plump woman cried - dropping the plate of chocolate cookies on the floor. The china shattered, pieces scattering all over the floor. Her eyes widened in fright at the sight of Katherine.

Ten pair of eyes stared at her.

''Bloody hell...'' one of the red haired boys whispered.

''I'm going to be sick'' Katherine murmured, feeling her neck and cheek unpleasantly tingling. Surge of adrenaline dropped and she felt like fainting. Nobody moved a muscle, too shocked to move or speak. Her hand shot to her throat and she was about to collapse when small pair of arms caught her.

''Can we get some help here'' girl that held her grunted, shuffling under weight of Katherine. Her bushy hair tickled Kat's temple and she blinked her eyes, looking around in daze. Only then did everyone seem to unpause, bustling around and loudly talking at the same time. One of the ginger boys - sodding hell, there were so many of them - held her other shoulder and she felt the weight of couch under herself. Katherine leaned forward, head resting between her knees.

''Ginny, fetch her a glass of water'' that woman ordered to small ginger girl. What was this? A ginger support group of England? ''Pour just the tinniest drop of brandy-''

''Merlin's beard, she apparated along with me! The register... It must have caught that!'' Arthur moaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. ''I must get to the Ministry right away. I must delete the record of this at once!''

''Surely, Arthur'' his wife clipped, waving her wand slightly and Katherine watched as shattered pieces on the floor trembled, gathering into one pile and forming a shape of the plate, cracks forming and disappearing. The dish looked new and shiny - new set of cookies appearing on it. ''Surely it can wait-''

''Unfortunately not, Molly dear. Nobody will be there tonight and we can successfully delete the accident. I can't believe I didn't even see her'' he muttered, grabbing a shabby cloak and putting it over his slumped shoulders. ''Percy, you're coming with me, immediately. I need you to help me.''

''But dad, that's against the rules. What will Mr. Crouch say if-''

''For heaven's sake you and your Mr. Crouch, I said immediately!''

The small ginger girl was back, almost bumping into Percy who stormed toward his bedroom to dress up. She threw him dirty look and handed Kat a glass of water. Katherine gulped greedily, coughing as the tangy taste assaulted her throat.

''Easy, easy'' the girl with bushy hair cooed, putting her hand on her shoulder and flashing Harry an anxious look. Katherine flinched from the hand, rubbing her own temples to soothe the headache. Despite it, she could feel her energy start to come back and her body recover.

''Molly, I don't know if I'll make it'' she heard the man who invaded her home say. ''You will have to take them in the morning, in case - in case I get held up.'' Twins groaned and his wife looked down in concern as unsaid admonition hung in air. He looked at Katherine and shook his head. ''I must get you back to your family too.''

''I'm terribly sorry'' he murmured looking at her with worried eyes, before he disappeared along with, judging by the similar facial features and same hair, his son.

''Here'' his wife approached her gently, handing her a cookie. ''It will do you good to eat something before we can talk.''

''I don't want a blasted cookie'' Katherine spat, flinging the biscuit on the floor and searching the room with eyes, until her glare found Harry. ''You.''

She got up, wobbled and a pair of hands tried to get her back on the couch. She flung them away, irritated and still bewildered, and reached in her knee boots to retrieve Harry's wand. She raised the item in air with ''You left this, you sloppy, ungrateful tool-''

Suddenly, everyone gasped and the girl who helped her earlier, the one with brown bushy hair and rather large front teeth, shot out in front of Katherine, holding her own - but very different - wand in hand, aiming at Kat's chest. ''I would suggest lowering your wand before you do something you'd regret'' she demanded with wide and alert eyes, as everyone around her held their breaths. The silence was tense and suffocating.

Katherine's eyes darted from one face to another as if calculating, thinking, weighting.

''No'' Molly exclaimed, the gentle and caring voice turning stern and irked. ''None of this dueling nonsense in my house! Expelliarmus!'' she shrieked - twice - and the wand flew out of Kat's and Hermione's hands. ''There won't be any fighting or bad-mouthing! We will have pleasant dinner now and you will help me prepare it - all of you'' she accented while looking at Kat ''and then we'll consider where to go from there, after our bellies are full and satisfied. But for now, how about you tell us your name, girl?''

Katherine's mouth were wide open as she looked at the casual signs of magic - of mythical, impossible things - and she caught Harry's eyes. Everything - her parents' persistence to keep her away from him, to keep him alone and isolated - it all fit into one big puzzle.

''Mrs. Weasley'' her cousin finally spoke - but very slowly, very carefully - stepping between them and inhaling deeply - as if preparing for severe manual task. He pushed glasses up his nose, ''This is my cousin, Katherine Dursley. She's er - not like us.''

''Not like you?'' Katherine spat venomously, shooting daggers at him. ''You're actually right! I don't go around, blasting other people's homes, you savages!''

''She's a sister of that back there?'' one of the twins blurted, bursting into a fit of disbelieving laughter. Kat's fists curled. Referring to her brother as that infuriated her. Nobody get to pick on her family, except herself.

''A muggle?'' Ron asked baffled, picking up one of the cookies and munching on it with open mouth. Hermione rolled her eyes at him. ''I didn't know you had another cousin, Harry.''

''Wait, I'm a what?'' she snapped, her Dursley temper flaring. ''What did you call me?''

''It's a name for non-wizard people.'' Hermione explained, shaking her head. ''Oh, I apologize for going at you just earlier. I thought you wanted to harm Harry!''

''Hermione!'' her cousin warned.

''This is all-'' Katherine stammered, looking around the small patched-up room for a sign of someone sane, anyone really. But no matter how ludicrous all sounded, it all made sense - her parent's behavior, Dudley's fear.

''Mrs. Weasley, you must get her back home'' Harry said in serious tone. ''Please.''

The idea of having her around was bad. It was like asking for troubles. Uncle Vernon was bound to throw him out on the street if a hair fell of her head. Nobody dared to argue him. It was his cousin after all. Everyone knew how Dursleys treated him.

''She can't go with Floo powder'' Mrs. Weasley reasoned frowning. ''And she couldn't possibly handle any apparition soon. We'll have to wait and see if Arthur can arrange a ministry car to take her back.''

Suddenly, whole room went mute. Nobody wanted to babysit this Muggle girl. Harry pressed the bridge of his nose. His holidays were already ruined.

''I'll do it'' he said. ''She is my cousin. I'm responsible for her.''

''No!'' Ron finally spoke. ''You can't miss your first Cup! What if Krum gets a serious injury and you never see him play?''

''She can come with us'' one of the older boys shrugged, twisting earring bemusedly. ''How bad can it get?''

''Bill, it's really not the best time to be making jokes'' his mother gravely said. ''The area is full of Muggle charms. She can't even see the stadium.''

''Oh Golly, if only we had someone, anyone, who worked at the ministry and knew every single counterspell.''

Mrs. Weasley seemed to ponder this for a second, but waved her hand dismissively. ''Absolutely not. We'll wait for your father to return first, but I'm not in favor of it. She can stay with me here while you're there.''

Katherine was silent all along and quietly worked over their words. ''She will no such thing, Mrs Weasel.''

''It's Weasley'' Harry and Ron said in union, but she threw them an icy glance.

''I don't care about your names in the slightest. I don't know you and I don't trust you. What I want is a phone so I can ring my parents to let them know I'm alright, for now, and I want to go home. You've ruined my living room, created a chaos within my family and abducted me. Do you think I'd be feeling over-joyed to spend another suffering second here?!''

Molly knotted her brows, putting her hand around her daughter's shoulder, smoothing straight flaming hair.

''What a flare for dramatics'' one of the twins muttered to the other one who nodded in confirmation with raised eyebrows. ''Typical Harry, no wonder they're related.''

''Yes... yes of'course!'' Ron beamed in the midst of heavy silence. Everyone turned to look at him. He looked proud of himself, as if he waited all of his life to answer this question. ''Of'course we have the telephone. Whole box of it, actually.'' Hermione rolled her eyes at him.

It was a telephone box. A red telephone box in the middle of the field.

''What the hell?''

She stepped in warily, looking around the familiar small room - looking for signs of a trap or some trick. It seemed like an ordinary telephone box, one of those you see rowed at London's streets. She took a deep breath and dialed a number at Private Drive. Nobody answered. She rang three more times - just to be certain. After that failed mission, she called her aunt and Marge explained they were at the hospital, due to some freak accident with Duddlers. Apparently, his tongue was the length of a giraffe's neck.

''Well?'' Harry asked after she got off the phone. Behind him, the ginger family was setting up the table with magic. She stared at them, her upper lip slightly curving.

''They're at the hospital'' she muttered, crossing her hands. ''Thanks to your lunatic friends.''

Her cousin swallowed, looking away and clenching his jaw. ''When are you to go home?''

''Are you stupid?'' she burst, glaring at him. The ginger family paused the errand, looking at them curiously. ''Or just deaf? They're at the hospital. And probably will be for few days until my brother's tongue gets better and he doesn't die in the meantime. Home is empty and in ruins. I can't go back there until it's fixed.''

''What about your aunt?''

She pressed her lips together, haughtily looking at him down her nose - though he was taller than her. ''She's busy. She won't be able to take me on such short notice.''

''Meaning she won't take you'' he added with satisfied smirk. ''Her hideous bulldogs are much more endearing to her than you.''

''Dinner time'' Mrs Weasley called out, waving at them. ''Wash your hands first, Ron!''

''Just shut up'' Kat whispered to her cousin, roughly pushing her shoulder against his as she passed him.