Seven
My mum had told me I wasn’t allowed onto the ledge, that it was too dangerous. But when dad found me there this afternoon, he just winked and told me not to fall off.
I decided that it was my new favorite spot. And it was all mine.
Of course the rough shingles weren’t comfortable, and it was easy to fall down into the other ledge that jutted out from Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny’s house, and I was too scared to look down at the ground. But when I laid on my back, with my feet settled on the ledge in front of me, I could get the perfect view of the sky to watch the clouds.
I hadn’t wanted to move, I loved our house at the beach. I could wake up every morning and run into the cool waves, and my best friend Hannah was a short walk down the path.
But mum said this new house would be better for us as a family, especially with my baby brother on the way. It was closer to dad’s work, and I could have my own room and didn’t have to share with Dominique. I liked that. I wondered who would help Miss Longbottom feed the seagulls.
A giant cloud passed overhead, hiding the sun from me, when I heard the opposite window open. It scared me; I was ready to explain myself to Aunt Ginny or Uncle Harry, but instead I was met with Teddy’s silly grin.
Teddy was Uncle Harry’s Godson. Mum had told me once that he lived with his grandmother because his parents were dead. I had always thought it would have been cool to live with Granny Molly, but I was glad I had my mom and dad.
“What are you doing here?” He stepped out gingerly onto the ledge, as if he had done it before. Of course this spot couldn’t be just mine. Not when it was practically connected to another house.
“This is my room, when I come visit the Potters.” He pointed behind him, sliding down so he was across from me. His feet settled next to mine on top of the centimeters large gap between the houses. I had to be careful, my shoe could fall off and slip down there.
This was supposed to be my room and my ledge. It was my new secret spot.
“When do you visit?”
“I come every other weekend about.” He shrugged, placing his hands behind his head as he gazed at the clouds. I knew in that instant I would hate the weekends he came. He would take my spot from me.
“So that means this will mostly be my spot. You can only use it with my permission,” I tested.
“I had it first. I lived here first.”
“You don’t live here all the time. I do.”
He shrugged again, his eyes still settled on the clouds.
His finger pointed right above him. “That cloud looks like a dog in a jumper.”
I looked up too, a bit mad that he was right. It did.
Maybe he wouldn’t be too bad; besides I decided I needed some company, too. Dom and James were too young sometimes, and I didn’t like playing with babies.
“Okay, you can use the ledge when you visit.”
“Okay, I can show you the stars if you want. They’re really pretty from here but hard to see sometimes.”
I nodded, liking that very much. “Don’t tell my mum and dad though, I’m not supposed to be out here.”
Teddy looked up at me and smiled. “Don’t tell Harry and Ginny, I’m not either.”
And suddenly it was okay that we had to share this spot, that it was our secret together. Maybe moving wasn’t so bad, and maybe sharing my secrets wasn’t the worst thing on the planet.