Adelaide (HP Book 1)

2. The Zoo

It was the early hours of the morning when their aunt came rapping on their door.

"Up!" Her shrill voice seemed to shriek. "Get up! Now!"

While Harry woke up with a start, for he had still been in a deep sleep, Adelaide only sighed from her place where she had curled up next to her brother. She had been up for over an hour but hadn't been able to bring herself to move away from Harry's warmth. 

"Up!" their aunt screeched one more time before they heard her make her way towards the kitchen, and they faintly heard the sound of the frying pan being placed on the stove. 

Harry and Adelaide shared a weary look as they still didn't move. It was only when their aunt appeared back outside their door once more that they finally began to sit up. 

"Are you up yet?" she questioned sternly.

"Almost, ma'am," Adelaide said as politely as she could.

"Well, get a move on," Petunia demanded. "I want you to look after the bacon. Your brother can do the toast. And don't either of you dare let anything burn, I want everything perfect on Dudley's birthday." 

Adelaide slapped a hand over Harry's mouth in alarm when he let out a groan. 

Clearly, he had forgotten exactly what day it was. 

"What did you say?" their aunt snapped. 

"Nothing, ma'am," the red headed girl replied hurriedly, giving Harry a warning glance at the same time. 

The boy, in his defense, gave her an apologetic look before he got out of bed and started to look for a pair of socks for each of them. Adelaide shook her head fondly at the boy, grabbing some clothes for the both of them. 

Despite having been with the Dursleys for nearly ten years, he still had the habit of speaking his mind. This, in turn, led Adelaide to getting into the habit of covering for him with polite and sugary words that would keep them from having to go another week without a meal. It wasn't the most ideal dynamic, but they made it work. 

With the pair having been dressed as quickly as they could, they made their way down the hall and into the kitchen, where the first sight they were greeted with was a table practically hidden beneath all of the birthday presents that Vernon and Petunia Dursley had bought for their son. From what they could tell, Dudley had gotten a new computer and second television he'd been wanting along with a racing bike. Honestly, neither Harry or Adelaide were quite sure why Dudley wanted a racing bike other than to say that he had one. After all, the boy was on the larger and rounder side, and he didn't particularly care for exercise — excluding using Adelaide and Harry as punching bags of course. 

Though, he always had to catch them first if he, as well as his friends, really did want to use them as punching bags.

More often than not, Adelaide was the one to be caught. This was not because she wasn't fast enough. On the contrary, she was probably even faster than Harry on her good days. However, she was quick to note that whenever her and her twin would run for too long, Dudley would simply go complaining to his parents and get them in trouble. 

And so began the young girl taking the brunt of all of Dudley's bullying. 

Not that Harry knew. 

Adelaide had begun suggesting to Harry early on that they split up whenever the bullies were after them in order to confuse them, and she always promised that she'd be careful whenever he looked worried. So Harry took her at her word, none the wiser that she had only suggested the plan to protect him and not herself.