The Sawyer Household.

Neighborhood Boy #2 appeared. "Why is that kid painting your fence for you?" he asked.

"It's not every day a boy gets to paint a fence," Nicolas responded, taking a bite out of the apple. "So I let him do it for me, and he gave me his apple."

"Huh, you're right..." Neighborhood Boy #2 looked thoughtful for a minute. "Hey, I'll give you this peach if you let me paint?"

Nicolas looked thoughtful. "Alright, after that guy's done his part, you can."

"Alright,"

And, the crowd of Neighborhood Boys began to grow.

And Nicolas's collection of Neighborhood Boys' Items began to grow. <3

Soon, the fence was all painted, complete with two coats of the paint.

"Thank you letting us paint your fence, Nicolas!" said Neighborhood Boy #6.

Nicolas smiled at them. "I think it's good now. You guys did a great job."

"Thank you, bye! ^_^" and Neighborhood Boys #1-10 left.

Nicolas went inside, abandoning the empty can of paint and brush, and sat at the kitchen table, as it was now around lunchtime. Kathy was already sitting there, trying to solve a Rubik's cube. "Why were there a bunch of little kids out there?" she asked without looking up. "I saw 'em through the window."

"I got them to paint the fence for me," Nicolas replied casually, leaning back in his seat.

"Don't you have any friends to visit?" Kathy asked after the lunch, and the parents were out of the room.

"Well, there's Max, but I dunno if he'd enjoy my company that well," Nicolas told her, putting the dishes in the sink. "What about you, do you have any friends to visit?"

"I've got some, but I dunno where they are at the moment." Kathy continued working her Rubik's cube.

And lo, an owl flew in the window. Nicolas quickly took the letter and read it. It was only two words from Max. "Speaking of him, he needs my help. Tell mom and dad where I'm going. Bye."

Without another word or waiting for a response, Nicolas left.

And Nicolas was back. Kathy hadn't moved from the table. Nick sat down and hit his head on it.

"Nicolas, are you having teenage angst? 'u'" his mother asked from the living room.

"No." Nicolas responded dully.

"Boyfriend problems? 'u'"

"That's for Kathy, not me!"

"... Boyfriend problems? 'u'"

"If you mean a friend who's a boy, I guess so."

Mrs. Sawyer sat down at the table with Nicolas. "Kathy, go away. There is a need of a mother-son talk. 'u'"

"Mom..." Nicolas leaned back in his chair.

"Kathy. Go away. 'u'"

"Mom, she's not paying attention. And I don't need this talk that you have in mind. It's just... angst. =|"

"You said it wasn't angst. '^'"

"I lied. I'm going to bed. Night."

Before he was halfway up the stairs, his mom asked, "Hey Nicky, before you go to sleep, can you tell me what all the neighborhood boys were doing outside earlier standing around the fence? 'u'"

Max had sent another note to Nicolas. It said:

"Please save me, I'm not kidding. T_T
- Max"

Oh, why didn't you say so?" And Max had enclosed a little bag of floo power.

Nicolas smiled at the paper, crumpled it up, and threw it in his trashcan. Well, now he was awake. He couldn't get back to sleep. Maybe later today, when it's actually daylight, I'll send a letter to Rachel. he thought.

Nicolas was asleep now, his arm hanging off the side of his bed. This time, he didn't wake up when the owl arrived.

When Nicolas woke up, the owl was biting his hand. He grabbed the letter, and threw it in the trash. Max probably sent that a long time ago. Shooing the owl away, Nicolas changed into some regular clothes and went downstairs for breakfast.

Kathrine was getting the mail. And, there were the two Hogwarts letters, and a letter from Andrea. She gave Nicolas his Hogwarts letter, and the siblings both opened their letters. After a quick once-over, Kathrine opened the one from Andrea.

Kathrine looked up from her letter at her brother with a p_q face (turn the p and q horizontal or something).

"What?" Nicolas asked.

"So... many... exclamation marks..." Kathrine trailed off. "Mum, dad, when are we going to Diagon Alley?"

"Later this afternoon, maybe around two?" Mrs. Sawyer replied.

"Alright. I'll be right back," Kathrine excused herself, and left her Hogwarts letter on the table. She went upstairs, wrote a reply, and sent the letter off to Andrea.