Chapter Text
The first thing Cami wanted to do as Harry’s friend was to tell a teacher about Dudley’s bullying. But Harry stopped her, telling her that it was only a push and nothing really happened. Camila didn’t seem convinced, but she dropped it for now.
“If it happens again, Harry, I'm telling someone. I’m not gonna let someone hurt my best friend just because they can.” She responded.
They sat together for the rest of class, telling each other more about themselves.
“ I live on Privet Drive, right next to the playground, but I used to live in Spain." explained Camila.
Harry could not believe his ears, his first friend lived on the same street as him! He had the sudden idea of having a playdate, like how Dudley has with his friends, but with Camila and immediately told her.
“Oh my goodness, yes Harry! I’m pretty sure my mamá will let us if we ask her!”
When she said this Harry could tell the slight accent Camila had when said certain words like Mamá. He asked her about it.
“Did you say you lived in Spain? Where's that?”
Camilia lit up, happy to explain “ Oh, well it's by France and Portugal! And yeah, my grandma and mom moved there from Ecuador, a small country in South America when she was a teenager. Then she met my papá," she threw her hands up, "and the rest is history!”
“That’s brilliant! I live with my aunt and uncle, though they don’t seem to like me very much.”
Cami’s face looked funny while Harry said that but he didn’t pay too much into it. It was the truth and the way things were. No point in trying to change it, he learned that early on.
The school day continued as it always had but now it carried on with a new meaning. Harry wasn’t alone anymore.
He had someone to talk to in between class and someone to partner up with immediately. No one was disgusted to be in the same group as Harry Potter, Dudley’s weird freakish cousin.
But Camila, without fail, turned to him with a beaming smile on her face, like Harry was not a burden. Which was, to him, quite frankly baffling.
The only thing he's ever known is being a burden.
And he sure as hell wasn’t about to let anyone ruin this life altering experience.
—————
Harry met Cami’s family way too soon, if you asked him. And wasn’t the best first impression either.
They’d been hanging out all week and walking home together everyday. He assumed it’d be the same today but he was wrong.
He saw Cami standing next to two other kids. A boy and a girl. They were laughing about something she said but she wasn’t laughing with them. She seemed embarrassed.
He was immediately on guard. He wasn’t about to let Camila get bullied like he was.
He built up his courage, tried to look confident and walked up.
“Hey! Stop laughing at her! It’s not nice” His voice did not have the threatening tone he wanted. It sounded more like a baby lion trying to roar. The type that people awed and cooed at.
He felt his cheeks heat up but Cami, despite being the one laughed at spoke up.
“Yeah, exactly Alejandra. It's not nice, you're not supposed to tease your sister especially with what you’re implying is completely crazy and made up!"
Harry stopped at that. Sister? Family? Maybe possibly brother? Teased about what?
Now that he looked at the three of them, they all had the same freckles and face though Alejandra had green eyes instead of the brown eyes Camila and the boy had.
The brother with a smirk then spoke up, “You know it's a joke Cami.”
“Do I know that? Maybe but still it's not very nice because we’re just friends. Anyways, Harry, meet my older brother, Luis, and my sister, Alejandra. We gotta walk home with them today.” She started walking towards Privet drive like she wanted to get away from the conversation.
Harry was still on edge not knowing what was happening. He said a quick “Hi, I’m Harry” and ran to catch up with Camila.
The four of them walked in silence mostly until the question about how their day went. That's what got the ball rolling.
Luis explained the game his class got to play during P.E. Harry thinks it’s basically capture the flag but the flags were called ‘pigs’ instead of ‘flags’. But he kept this to himself as Luis told them about a daring rescue mission to save his friends.
“I was running so fast then I saw someone catching up so I went like this,” he made a juking movement, “and BAM I made it to the jail cell!”
Then Alejandra told them about her art collage made from magazine clippings. “All of the pictures were of different ladies with beautiful dresses and clothes. Mrs. Quinn said it looked amazing and gave me a 100.” She said with a proud smile and everyone congratulated her, even Cami who seemed to put her grudge aside for now.
By the time they reached the street, they had talked about which teacher was the coolest and which ones were the most strict, and what they had to do for homework.
Harry loved it. It made him feel like he was part of the Velasco Family and not the weird boy the Dursley’s took in.
“Well Harry, it seems we have to part now. I’ll see you some other time, you seem like a cool dude.” Luis gave him a high five as he talked.
Cami perked up at that. “Oh yes, once we finish our homework Harry I’ll go to your house and see if we can play!”
He was ecstatic, he was invited to play! He agreed, said bye to everyone else and rushed home to get his homework and chores done.