Calysta and Harry had a rather rough last month with the Dursleys. Although they weren't forced to do chores, or ordered to stay out of the way, life at Number Four had become rather depressing for the pair of them.

It had improved in the sense that the Dursleys let them do as they pleased, so long as they didn't interfere with them. On the contrary, both parties were ignoring each other. The Dursleys ignored the twins, and the twins ignored the Dursleys.

Calysta had used a few of her gold to get muggle money, and her jaw dropped when she realized it was technically real gold. Which means she and Harry were billionaires in the muggle world. Using her muggle money to buy paint, and a bit of extra furniture, she succeeded into making the cold, dusty attic into someplace much more homely.

She'd spent about two weeks on refurbishing the bare, brown, wooden attic into a place she could call home. The attic had a triangular roof, one side was wooden. the other was glass, which made it like some sort of window-sunroof, causing light to illuminate the whole room. It was very bright and airy, once she was done with it.

Painting the wooden planks above her white, (she stood on a stool and lined the floor with newspaper to do this) and the walls too (it was very difficult seeing as she was only eleven), she spent a night in Harry's room while the paint dried.

Then, she added a pair of beige curtains to cover the large window, and a bed in the corner. Buying a carpet for the room, and placing fairy-lights all over as decoration , she'd succeeded into making it homely.

Of course, she'd added a small shelf too, where she put all the books she owned, as well as her new magical books. Harry had a calendar in his room, where he crossed out the days as they went by, counting down to September the First, the day they would leave for Hogwarts.

Calysta had named her stormy gray owl Tempest, which meant storm in Latin, as its eyes reminded her of a storm, and Harry had named his Hedwig.

She invested herself into reading her new school books, wanting to learn all about magic before she went to Hogwarts, in fear that she didn't want to be left behind. Currently sprawled all over her carpet, she learnt that Hogwarts was located in Scotland, and she learnt more about the four Houses that the blonde prat in Madam Malkin's had mentioned. She felt she'd belong most in Ravenclaw, or Gryffindor, according to what she'd read. 

So far, the past two weeks had been the best weeks she'd ever had at Privet Drive. Her and Harry used to go for walks, and read their school books together. She even tried to do a few simple spells, and after much trial and error, she'd finally succeeded.

Nothing could go wrong, she felt.

Two weeks to their departure to Hogwarts, Calysta sat at the breakfast table with Harry, a book in her hand, while Harry was reading the back of the cereal box. She had milk dribbling down the side of her lip, but couldn't care less, as the tales of Newt Scamander proved to be more fascinating.

Aunt Petunia was in the kitchen, and she was baking some sort of pie, when the phone in the hall rang. Since Uncle Vernon was at work, Aunt Petunia told Calysta to stir the mixture, while she went to pick up the phone.

She could catch only snippets of the conversation.

"....oh, how nice to hear from you, Margaret..."

 Thinking it was just another of Aunt Petunia's friends, Calysta zoned out as she stirred the mixture, adding the blueberries, as Aunt Petunia had instructed.

Until...

".... yes, ever since Lily's wedding.."

That made her ears prick upward. In her whole life, Calysta had barely heard her mother's name leave Aunt Petunia's lips. This was a conversation worth listening to. Trying her best to eavesdrop (but failing miserably, the phone was all the way in the living room...), she couldn't get any more out of the question, as Aunt Petunia had lowered her voice.

It was a rather long phone call. Fifteen minutes later, a flushed Aunt Petunia emerged back into the kitchen, placing the pie in the dish and into the oven.

After Calysta had finished her breakfast, she washed her bowl and wiped her mouth, whispering about what she overheard in Harry's ear. Both of them turned to go back up the stairs, when Aunt Petunia had cleared her throat.

"I need to have a word with you," she said quietly. "If you don't mind."

Cal opened her mouth to speak, eventually nodding, as Aunt Petunia directed the twins back to the breakfast table, calling Dudley downstairs from his room, where he was watching television.

The three sat on the table, while Aunt Petunia spoke.

"I received a phone call from my cousin Edward's wife, Margaret," she told them. "Now, they live all the way in America, and they've come to England, and will be visiting us tomorrow," she told them.

"Your Aunt Edward and Aunt Margaret. They have a son about your age, and I don't want any funny business," she told, directing the last two words whilst looking at Harry and Calysta. "That meant no magic!" she snapped. 

Calysta nodded, and Harry swallowed. "Yes, Aunt Petunia," they said obediently.

Although Calysta had a rather constant habit of creating chaos when any sort of visitors arrived, she swore to herself that this time, she wouldn't.

Even Harry found that hard to believe, seeing as her reputation proved her to be quite troublesome. She usually did those small, little things that she found amusing. 

Like the time when Aunt Petunia's friend Yvonne came over, Calysta had caught a mouse and set it loose, causing both women to drop their cups of tea and scream.

Or when Aunt Marge visited for the week, Calysta had managed to sneak into her guest room and slip earwigs into her suitcase. It was rather a disgusting ordeal.

But not this time.

"Why?" Harry had asked. "You hate when visitors come over.."

"I know Harry," Calysta persisted. "This time I won't, because it's mum's side of the family," she explained. 

Harry suddenly understood. "You don't think..."

Calysta closed her room door, putting her book down as she lowered her voice to a whisper. "I heard a bit of the phone call," she whispered. "Aunt Petunia mentioned something about 'ever since Lily's wedding,'" she quoted. "Which means that Aunt Margaret and Uncle Edward knew our parents," she said excitedly.

"Oh Cal," said Harry with a smile, shaking his head.

"We can maybe find something more about them..." she continued. 

"Well, if Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon don't tell us to stay away from them," he muttered. "Like all the other guests."

"That's why I'm going to be on my best behavior," she declared. 

Harry snorted. "Good luck with that," he said sarcastically, knowing how hard it was for her twin not to do anything.

"I mean it!" she defended herself. 

"How much do you want to bet that you'll cause some sort of accidental havoc?" Harry asked casually.

Calysta merely scowled. 

"You do realize now that I learnt magic, I can set you on fire too?" she asked innocently widening her doe eyes.

There was nothing innocent about those eyes, Harry knew. In fact, they only meant more trouble.

"Yes, I know, Cal," he remarked, just as casual as she asked that question. "But you wouldn't dare, because this meeting with Uncle Edward and Aunt Margaret means too much to you for you to actually risk it."

She flopped back onto her bed, groaning as she covered her face with her hands. "Oh why did I make such a hard promise?" she moaned.

The next morning, the brunette spent tidying up her room as best as she could, hiding her magical belongings hastily underneath her bed, before helping Harry tidy his room up too. While Harry mowed the lawn, Aunt Petunia requested Calysta to help her in the kitchen, preparing dinner.

She'd decided on a menu of barbecuing outside in the backyard, Uncle Vernon setting up the grill in the gazebo, while Dudley was flumped over on the couch in the living room, on his seventh chocolate bar as his five chins wobbled while he chewed, his eyes glued to the television screen.

While Aunt Petunia was marinating the steaks, the brunette was chopping up salad, careful not to cut her fingers. After setting the table outside, she was thoroughly exhausted, but continued helping Aunt Petunia until she was told to get dressed. 

Wearing a pair of her best jeans, and a yellow and white striped t-shirt, she brushed her brown hair down, and went downstairs to Harry's room. After he'd gotten dressed (into Dudley's old clothes), the pair went downstairs together. For once, they weren't locked up when guests had arrived. Running from place to place and doing last minute preparations, Dudley came waddling down the stairs, causing Calysta to stifle her laughter.

Dudley had emerged, wearing a full black suit, with a white shirt and bowtie, making him look like an overstuffed penguin. However, she forced a charming smile onto her face.

 "You look nice," she said, in false niceties, something that was very difficult to do, since she was so used to being sarcastic. 

You see, she was so very determined to be on her best behavior, even if that meant exaggerating it a little bit, just so she could get into Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon's good books.

Dudley didn't say thank you, being the spoiled brat he was. Of course, he still had a hidden pig's tail on his bottom, and it was covered up by his trousers. Instead, he merely grunted in response to her compliment.

At her remark, Aunt Petunia beamed. "Oh, doesn't my Duddykins look wonderful?"  she praised, smoothening her son's hair. 

"Mhmm," Calysta nodded, fighting off her grin as she agreed, keeping her mouth deadly shut.

"Can't you tame your hair?" she asked Harry, exasperated as she glanced at the mass of black hair on his head. 

The boy only shook his head. "I tried," he responded. "Honestly."

Aunt Petunia looked at Calysta for proof, and she nodded enthusiastically. Truth be told, Harry hadn't brushed his hair at all, knowing that it would be hopeless.

As if on cue, the doorbell suddenly rang, and Aunt Petunia went to open it, a smile plastered on her horse-like face. "Oh, Edward," she exclaimed, shaking his hand. "Margaret," she greeted fondly, kissing the cheeks of the woman. "And oh, who is this young lad?" she asked, beaming.

Calysta watched as the visitors came through. The man was tall and owned a fine mass of red hair and a mustache, his eyes the same emerald shade as Harry's.

Mum's eyes, Calysta thought, excitement flooding through her.

The woman was dirty blonde, and she was tall, and quite beautiful, in Calysta's opinion. She had a long neck adorned with a string of pearls, and her eyes were a shade of soft brown.

They were followed by a boy, who was standing behind both his parents. Calysta could only catch a glimpse of him.

Uncle Vernon greeted them too, having met them only twice in his life, while Aunt Petunia introduced them to Dudley.

Dudley took one glance at them, greeted them, before heading back to the living room, where he continued to watch television.

After she motioned Calysta and Harry to step forward, she made the introductions. "Edward, these are Lily and James' children," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "That's Harry, and that's Calysta."

Calysta looked into the man's smiling face as she shook his hand, and decided she liked him. Margaret kissed both her cheeks. 

"Pleasure to meet you," she said genuinely.

"And you too," replied Edward. He had a British accent, laced with a hint of an American accent. "This is my boy, Jeffery," he told Harry and Calysta, pushing his son forward.

The moment Calysta saw her cousin's face, she smiled. He had his mother's blonde hair, but eyes identical to his father's, and Harry's. He was taller than Harry, and quite well built, but had a warm grin.

Calysta could recognize that grin all too well. It was the grin she made right before she did something mischievous.

"Calysta," she put her hand forward, out for him to shake. "Call me Cal."

"Jeff," the boy replied, shaking her hand, and holding it out to Harry, who took it.

 Jeff observed Harry, his eyes flickering over to where the scar was. Harry brushed his bangs down nervously, and Calysta shook her head, causing her hair to cover her scar as well.

While the adults caught up in small talk, Aunt Petunia told Calysta to entertain Jeff, since Dudley wanted to watch his television, which she pretended to be very upset about, but was secretly thrilled.

After beckoning Harry and Jeff forward, she led them upstairs, into Harry's room, wearing an identically matching grin to her newly-introduced cousin.

Harry stared out of the window awkwardly, while Calysta stared at Jeff, trying to figure out how to entertain him. 

"Who's that fat boy?" Jeff questioned bluntly, sitting on Harry's bed.

At this, Calysta giggled, and Harry smiled. 

"Our cousin," muttered Harry. "Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia's son."

"I see," Jeff replied. "You live with him?" he asked, his expression contorting into one of disgust.

"Unfortunately," Calysta replied. "Our parents are dead, you see," she explained.

Jeff nodded. "Yes, my dad's told me about your mum. They used to get along well," he continued. "Until she passed away in a car crash.."

Calysta opened her mouth to speak, and tell Jeff exactly how her parents died, but was nudged by Harry.

"Yeah, and we've been living here since," she said instead. 

"When are you going off to school?" he questioned. "You should be going to seventh grade, right?"

Calysta nodded, feeling rather awkward talking about this topic. 

"What about you?" she asked. "Americans have a different system to here, right?"

"Yep," he nodded. "I'm the same age as you are, but I'll actually be doing my schooling here, in Britain," he explained. "That's why we came here in the first place."

"Oh, that's nice," Calysta responded. "I hope we can see each other again..." she trailed off.

"What school will you be going to?" Jeff asked Harry, who was staring out of the window. 

Harry, caught off-guard by the sudden question, locked eyes with Calysta, as the two had a mental debate on what to tell their cousin.

"Erm, it's a school in Scotland," replied Calysta hastily. "A mixed boarding school."

"Really?" Jeff questioned, his green eyes sparkling. "I'm going to school in Scotland too!" he exclaimed. "It starts on September the first," he said enthusiastically. "I'm really excited."

"That's nice," Harry said dryly. "Maybe we could meet up.."

"I hope so," said Jeff, his lips curving into the mischievous grin he wore earlier. Calysta had a matching grin, as they met eyes.

Calysta was thinking she could escape Hogwarts to meet up with him. Little did she know, Jeff was plotting ways to sneak out of his new school to meet up with her.

It was right after Aunt Petunia summoned them for dinner, when an even that changed everything occurred. Harry was the first to leave for downstairs, while Calysta and Jeff sat on Harry's bed, plotting ways to prank Dudley, when Jeff's eye caught something peeking out of Harry's bedside drawer.

A bit of parchment and green ink was hanging off the edge of the drawer, and Jeff's eyes found it. Furrowing his brows in curiosity, he nipped the letter before Calysta could stop him. 

"Hey, that's private!" she responded, hoping Jeff wouldn't read it. It looked like Harry had left his Hogwarts acceptance letter in his bedside drawer, and not closed it properly.

But Jeff merely stared at the letter, his smile getting wider and wider by the minute, his ears blocking out Calysta's protests and excuses that the letter was a joke. Because he didn't believe her.

Stashing the letter away, he looked up at Calysta, from where she stood, as he was still sitting on the bed.

"I'm going to Hogwarts too!" he said proudly.

Calysta's jaw dropped.

{ yes, i know this part isn't canon, but the whole point of fanfictions is to make things NOT canon, canon. it's complicated to explain, but J.K Rowling already made canon, why would we follow the same plot? i figured having an Evans cousin would spice things up and make it interesting. let me know how y'all find it, by commenting, and sharing this story. }