a/n: Hiya! This is my first HP fanfic, so please tell me through reviews what you think of it! criticism is appreciated, but please be kind!

Chapter One: Owls and Ice Cream

My owl for Hogwarts had come that morning and now I walked down Diagon Alley, scanning the list as I went. The morning had come wrapped in chill, nipping at noses and fingers, unnatural for this time of year. I glanced up and down the street before crossing, being careful to go unseen by anyone, it was one of those days that I simply wanted to spend alone, without the sound of...

"Sunny!" I heard a male voice shout out loudly and I internally grimaced. Turning around I glanced the crowd quickly and was about to keep walking when someone tackled me into a bear hug.

"Hey Lily," I said with a small smile, rumpling her hair a bit, she released me and stood back for a moment, putting her hands on her hips.

"Were you avoiding us?" she said with a pout. I sighed and glanced over her head, this was her third year at Hogwarts but she was still just as excited about everything magical as she had been when she was 11, off in the distance I spotted three bobbing heads of black followed by one of fiery red, like Lily's, it had to be the Potter family.

With a sigh I let her lead me through the crowd towards her family, staring longingly over my shoulder at the ice cream parlor with a solitary table. Just this morning I had gotten off of the phone with my older sister, Kelly. She was never accepted into Hogwarts, but never took that personally. However, she did have a rather horrible problem with choosing heartbreakers for boyfriends and we had just finished up a rather lengthy phone call where she sobbed for hours about her latest breakup and "oh, whatever have I done wrong?". Not that I didn't love my sister, I did, really. Just, once you go through a sob ridden breakup phone call every two weeks since you turned eight, well, it really does start to wear down on you.

"Summer!" Albus called out, finally catching sight of my blonde head being dragged through the crowd by his little sister. James lifted his gaze from the ground to stare at me before rolling his eyes and going back to studying his shoes.

James and I had never gotten along very well, he was never particularly mean-spirited, or even rude. In fact, he was actually pretty sweet and charming. But he went through a new girlfriend every week, sometimes even more than that, and he was hardly the type to settle down. Also, I wasn't very fond of how he found his way into detention more often than not. He also happened to be a very cocky prat, with good looks that he wasn't afraid to use to get what he wanted.

I was enveloped in yet another hug and, rolling my eyes, I returned it. Albus held me away from him and grinned.

"I think you've grown at least an inch since we last saw each other," Albus said, grinning as I tried to smack him in the head. He commonly remarked that if I didn't stop growing then I would pass up him by seventh year.

Let me tell you right now, it sucks being tall. There are hardly any guys taller than you and if you happen to find one then they're either an arse and completely unpleasant, a player, dating a midget, or all of the above. Albus and James were both still taller than me but they were among the last guys left at Hogwarts.

Mr. Potter gave me a small smile while Mrs. Potter scowled at her son.

"Stop teasing the poor girl!" she exclaimed, sounding a lot like her own mother. Albus snickered lightly and grabbed my arm, pulling me excitedly towards the ice cream parlor I had been previously headed towards.

"Ice cream anyone? I'm starving!" he complained.

"You're always starving, Al!" James muttered, shaking his head.

"Speak for yourself," Albus shot back, ordering from the counter. He turned to me with a questioning gaze and I shook my head. He rolled his eyes at me and ordered a double scoop of chocolate something-or-other.

"Come on, you don't need to buy me anything," I said, but Albus just smirked at me. I threw my hands up and walked over the table they had chosen.

"Is he always that stubborn?" I asked, half-angry, half-amused to Mrs. Potter. She laughed, smiling at me and patting my hand. The Potter family had always been kind, ready and willing to take in their kid's friends at a moments notice, no questions asked.

My sister's problems momentarily forgotten I sat with the Potter's and enjoyed the warm afternoon air and the playful banter between us, bar James and I of course. A little while later I happened to glance at my watch and jump in surprise, nearly three hours had passed!

"Oh! Whoops! Al, I was supposed to be back hours ago! Thank you so much for everything," I smiled at Mr. and Mrs. Potter.

"It was nothing," they said, grinning. Albus stood and gave me a quick hug, followed quickly by Lily, I turned but then stopped and looked back at Albus.

"And if you see Rose soon then please, do tell her to answer my owl soon, she hasn't replied for nearly two weeks!" Albus laughed lightly and nodded, with a quick wave I slipped into the nearest fireplace and dropped the bit of floo powder I kept in a little flask with me into it.

When I stepped out of the fireplace at my home Kelly wrapped me into a hug. Shrieking in my ear some nonsense about missing me, and me being late, and maybe a bit about a wizard kidnapping me.

"Kelly," I said when she didn't stop, "Kelly!" still she kept on with her rant about how she couldn't believe I didn't call and that was really quite irresponsible.

"KELLY!" I shouted into her ear, her mouth opened, ready to spew her next stage of the rant and then she closed it, looking sheepish. "I'm sorry, I was with the Potters and I lost track of time, honestly, I can get around so quickly now that I didn't even think to call." Kelly lips immediately went up into a devilish grin.

"Were you with James," she said, drawing out his name unnecessarily until my fair skin blushed a very deep shade of red.

"Sod off Kelly, you know we aren't like that," I said, somewhat exasperated. She stuck out her tongue at me and chuckled.

"All the same, I want to meet him!" she said with a smirk, and turned towards the door.

"Kelly," I said warningly, watching as she walked through the door and started talking to mom, dad was still at work, which was normal on, well, every day. He was a police officer, head of his department, and he was often called out to catch criminals. Mom had worry lines beyond her years from all the times that he had stayed out all night without sending her word.

From in the living room I heard only murmurings of voices until mom called out to me. Wary, I walked into the kitchen, sending Kelly a look, whatever mom was about to say was all her doing.

"Kelly was just telling me about your wonderful friends from school. It's a shame that they've never come over before!" she exclaimed, stirring a pan of spaghetti. "Why don't you owl them and invite them over? I'd love to meet them!"

"But mom..." I muttered, shooting Kelly a death glare. Mom sent me a stern look.

"I'm your mother, I believe that I deserve to know who my little girl is making friends with," her tone held a note of finality to it and with another glare at Kelly I shuffled off to my room upstairs.

Dear Albus,

My mom was wondering if you would like to come over for dinner in a few days? Hopefully Rose will be here too. Kelly went around with her loud mouth and now my mom's gotten it into her head that all respecting mothers know who their kid's friends are. Mom says it'll be on this Friday at six. Anyways, I hope you can make it. Oh, and she says to invite James too.

Love,
Summer

I sent an almost identical letter to Rose and sent them out on my owl Cymatilis, which was a latin word for blue. Mom had named her after we watched the snowy owl fly around at night, her feathers had been as blue as water under the moonlight.

Not too short afterwards Cymatilis flew back in the window and nibbled on my finger until I tossed her a piece of toast and took the reply letters off of her leg.

Dear Summer,

Rose happened to be here, we'll all be there. Tell your mom hi from us and that we can't wait to meet her either, you've spoken so highly of her. I remember Kelly, and I'm sure that she just wants to make sure you're safe.

Love,
Al, Rose, and James