Clockwise Cirles

AlwaysPadfoot

AN: For the Long Haul III Competition.

Story Warnings: AU. Physical/Mental Abuse. Torture. Swearing. (The darker stuff will be in the first few chapters.)

Family Tragedy

"Watch where you're going, Abbott. You just slammed into me."

I turned around to Zach and smirked, before dropping into a mocking bow.

"Oh please forgive me." I retorted in the most bitingly sarcastic tone I could muster. I barely registered the intense dislike on Zacharias Smith's face before Susan pulled me away with a roll of her eyes and Zach shoved past us, quickening his pace towards Greenhouse four. We laughed; he was in a particularly bad mood today.

"You would think he might have enjoyed being butt naked in the Common Room," I grinned widely after him.

"I must admit - it was worth it," Susan mused.

"Who knew that Zach would be quite... big."

"HANNAH!" Susan blushed furiously, looking over her shoulder to see if anyone had heard whilst I started laughing once more. Even though her cheeks had turned red I still saw a minuscule smirk flit across her face for just a second.

Susan and I had once been enemies and still to this day we were practically polar opposites. Justin and Ernie couldn't seem to understand why we were friends and to be totally honest I wasn't really sure either. I'd always got along with the boys, but that was arguably more in my nature and I'd always been more independent; it was how I'd been raised that made me so.

When I had first joined Hogwarts I drifted to Justin and Ernie rather than the other girls and Susan. I must admit despite becoming best friends with the lads, first year was hard. I didn't get on at all with the girls, I got into several arguments and fights. I was loathed by my dorm mates, particularly Megan Jones, and Susan and I kept our distance.

However, it was second year when anything changed. It was just before Christmas, Justin had been petrified and Megan would not stop going on about, A, how at least it wasn't someone important who had been hurt and, B, how everyone but me was returning home for the Christmas Holidays.

At the time Mum was abroad in South Africa and Dad had a group of students who were approaching some very important tests so consequently neither of them were going to be around.

I lost it.

One thing led to another; Susan got herself involved and we found ourselves in detention for two weeks straight.

Since then we'd been pretty much inseparable despite being each other's opposites, which Ernie and Justin just loved to point out, and even to this very day I have no idea quite how it happened. She stuck up for me when there was no one else around to do so and I admired her and the friendship we shared.

We eventually reached to comforting warmth of Greenhouse four; Professor Sprout hurried us inside before we could let any more heat out. The weird thing about the Greenhouses was that they were always, without a doubt, bloody boiling, no matter what the weather was like outside. Considering that today it was cold and raining, we began shedding our coats and robes so we didn't boil to death.

Once our small class had settled, Sprout started immediately to talk about the magical properties of Dittany. After a short while I heard a hushed whisper from behind me.

"Hey Hannah, could I borrow a spare quill?"

It was Neville Longbottom who had spoke; Susan and I had become somewhat acquainted with Neville. After all, we were all in the same NEWT Herbology class and it was only small so we all - no matter what house - seemed to getting on at least cordially.

"Sure, one moment."

I rummaged around my bag for a little while before I found my spare quill and handed it to him.

"Thank you."

He smiled at me before beginning to make notes. The lesson dragged on for a while before we split off into pairs to massacre the Dittany plants and collect the roots and flowers.

"I'm not sure I'm having fun collecting Snape's ingredients for his potions cupboard," Susan sighed as we pruned our own pot of Dittany together.

"Personally I'm just glad that this is the first plant this year Sprout has given us that hasn't tried to eat or poison me." Although I didn't look up I could sense her grin so naturally I smiled too.

"Remember Devils Snare?"

"How could I forget?" I smirked, "I'll never let Ernie forget that."

In our second year the devils snare in Greenhouse Two looped around Ernie's belt loops; let's just say he was highly fond of wearing neon coloured boxer shorts. The jokes were still not completely gone because really, who could resist not making jokes about how we could have spotted him from the astronomy tower.

Luckily neither Ernie or Justin took NEWT Herbology so it was much more fun taking the piss when he wasn't around; he got grumpy quickly.

Right now the boys were in NEWT Muggle Studies; now Ernie I could understand but why the hell Justin took Muggle Studies was beyond me. He was a Muggleborn!

We quietly continued with our work and about twenty minutes before the end of the lesson Professor McGonagall entered the Greenhouse and immediately went over to confer with Sprout. I nudged Susan, who eyed the Deputy Headmistress skeptically. I would be lying if I said they got on but of course, Susan wasn't taking NEWT Transfiguration so it didn't matter any longer.

"Hannah."

It was Professor Sprout's voice that almost made me jump and almost knock the collected Dittany roots all over the floor. Susan and I shared a look before I hurried over to the two Heads of Houses.

"Yes Professors?" I smiled at them politely wondering what on earth they could possibly want to speak to me about.

"Miss Abbott, please, if you would accompany me to my office." It was McGonagall who spoke this time; when I looked up at her I noticed she seemed distracted but I tried to ignore her odd and rather out of character expression. "Collect your stuff; you will not be returning to the lesson."

It was around about then when I started internally freaking out and the smile I had been wearing just moments before had disappeared too quickly. I returned to Susan to collect my things.

"What's going on?"

I shrugged as I slid things into my bag, "Didn't say; it'll be okay though. I'm sure it will."

"It'll be fine, perhaps it's a Prefect or Quidditch thing."

I looked around; Terry Boot and Neville were the only other people who had clocked what was going on and they both offered a sad smile as I met their gaze. A sickening feeling settled in my stomach. It was obvious the worst that I was thinking is exactly what they were thinking too. I turned back to Susan, "Whatever this is, I promise I will tell you straight away, no matter how bad it is."

"Han-" she began.

"I'm serious, if I end up going home or anything like that," I took a breath, "I will tell you."

Before she could answer, I turned and crossed the greenhouse to leave with McGonagall. Apprehensively I walked alongside her in silence for a few moments before I finally plucked up the courage to say something, "Professor, what's happened?"

"Your father is in my office demanding that he takes you home immediately," McGonagall responded.

"Why?"

"I don't believe that it is my place to say."

It certainly seemed out of place for one of my parents to come to Hogwarts demanding to take me home. When my Grandfather died last year, my parents had written me a letter to tell me and Professor McGonagall had apparated me to and from the funeral. My Mum didn't even come and my Dad only made a brief appearance, in which he didn't even notice I was there.

Personally I found it shocking that every summer when I came back home my younger brother, Jack, had been fed and sent to school everyday since my older brother, Daniel, never helped either. As soon as he'd finished Hogwarts last year, he'd left, and frankly, I was so glad he had.

Last year he'd changed. We'd always fought, he'd always pretended he didn't like me, and I always pretended that he was being serious about hating me. What I didn't expect was that he had actually hated me, and worse than that, I didn't expect him to prove it to me. It all started early last year, when I was on one of my first patrols of the year and he'd found me as I headed back to the Hufflepuff Common Room. He'd threatened me, hit me and left. It got weirder after that, sometime when he got me alone he simply talked about how much he hated me and how jealous he was. Then sometimes he'd be much angrier, he'd hit and kick out, and afterwards he'd hold on to me uncomfortably tight, tell me how much he didn't regret it in a soft yet dangerous voice, and he'd heal all the damage he'd inflicted.

I think it was safe to say I was relieved when he didn't come home when he finished his seventh year that year.

We seemed to have reached McGonagall's office a lot faster than I anticipated and just like she said my father was stood looking somewhat anxious by the Professor's fireplace. Already I felt like something was wrong. My dad looked genuinely upset and scared.

"Dad?" I asked hesitantly, "Daddy?"

I wanted desperately to ask what had happened and for him to answer straight away because I knew that something awful had happened. Suddenly his eyes focused on me like he'd only just noticed my presence and he beckoned me towards him. I didn't hesitate to cross the office towards him, throwing my arms around his chest as tears slipped down my cheeks. What if it was Mum? What if it was Jack?

"We're going home," he whispered. I froze as he hugged me back and looked up into the whites of his eyes. This was too out of character for him and even though he was my dad, this was too weird. Then it clicked. My eyes widened, he was under the imperius curse and that was not good.

"Pr-" I began, but I was cut off by a sudden grip on my arm and my Dad speaking over me.

"You shall hear from us forthwith, Professor," he said, pulling me slightly towards the fireplace as he spoke, "Let's go, Hannah."

I forced my feet to move, torn between shouting to McGonagall and elbowing my Dad in the stomach to get away. My fear kept me from doing either of them so I shakily followed him into Professor McGonagall's fireplace and climbed in after him. I let my mind tell me I was imagining it, that something bad had happened and that was why my Dad was acting more concerned than he usually would.

All of a sudden there was a whoosh as the Floo activated and the Deputy's office disappeared and a green flurry spun around us. My stomach clenched in fear and anticipation of what was happening, or what was about to happen. I had to be wrong, I had to be wrong. I was making everything worse in my head because You-Know-Who was back. We were going to get home safe and sound, perhaps a broken family, but safe at home. Everything was going to be absolutely fine.

Suddenly I stumbled forward, falling to my hands and knees on the floor of our living room. I heard a commotion around me and I looked up to see a cloaked figure with his wand point directly at my Dad.

"Avada Kedavra."

"No," the word barely left my mouth in time and would never have been heard as my Dad crumpled to the floor beside me. My body completely froze in shock and the heavy footsteps of somebody approached me. They stopped right beside me and suddenly something heavy connected with my stomach, knocking me onto my back. I was left breathless, my eyes blurry with tears as I gulped for air, coughing and spluttering on the floor.

The figure crouched over me grabbing hold of my chin roughly. My eyes finally focused properly before they widened in shock.

"Little sister, long time no see," he smirked

"Dan," I breathed. His smirk twisted into a sneer and my older brother lifted his fist. It collided with my cheek and suddenly my vision darkened.

This was not going to end well.