** Hello!! I am Lin, or Lindsey. O_o I preferred to be called Lin though. :D I am Christy's bestest friend, and she is mine, ya. She is the author of the "Unknowns and the Marauders" or however you spell it. X_X also author of her latest, "New Beginnings" This Idea of making my own fic was long since been on my mind… So after a while of thinking about it in school, I have decided to make it. I'm afraid it isn't the best fic… But At least I'm trying. This is the first chapter… Please enjoy! And Harry Potter is created by the great and fabulous J.K. Rowling!! *cheers* and Starburst candy is made by M & M Mars… I DID NOT make any of these. So, I hope you enjoy… and I will definitely type more. ^^ love love love love love! And I lurve Remus! Woo! :D
Chapter I
Rainy Afternoon
The rain poured heavily down on the gloomy Thursday afternoon in London. Alice Rhodes sighed and pulled her red raincoat closer to her. She didn't want to go home… but where else was there to go? School was out and home was anything but welcoming. Her mother had left the family when she was barely 5, and her dad was an alcoholic… his girlfriend was a slut and anything but kind to her. Alice scrunched her face in displeasure at the thought of that cheap plastic Barbie doll her father was dating. Well, actually they had been together for more than 5 years, and Alice hated it. She never had a peaceful, happy home for as long as she could remember. Her dad hated her, only cared about the next time he had his beer, and his girlfriend. Alice thought of the only safe haven she always turned to; her books. She loved to read, and since there was nothing else to do at the house, for all the cable was gone or her father sat watching it, his girlfriend all over him. She grimaced once again at the thought of that stupid whore. Her name was like a bad cuss word, 'Candy Mitchell'. She was her mother's best friend, but when her mother had found out Candy and her husband had been seeing each other, she left. After that, Alice had lost her innocent childhood happiness… Her most precious mother had left her, and never contacted her again. Later after that, Candy and her father, Phillip, had separated… then they dated again after a few years. Now, Alice, being 14, was a very depressed teen. She had forgotten how to be happy, but had developed an excellent talent of whipping on a fake smile and acting like nothing was wrong. She did have friends of course… though none of them had ever been at her house, and never knew of her personal life. She could never tell them, they'd never understand. Poor Alice had no one to turn to… but her books. She treasured her books. She had tons of them; her room was her personal library. Her favorite at the moment had been Harry Potter. She sighed at the thought of the books… wow… if only that would happen in real life! Alice always fantasized about being a witch and going to Hogwarts… but she knew it'd never happen.
Alice shoved her pale, long fingered hands into her pockets, and climbed up the small staircase to her doorway. She didn't go in at once, but stood lingering outside. She heard voices, yes, once again Candy and Phil (she didn't call her father 'dad', just Phil) were fighting again. Her dad would be in a bad mood, probably hit her, drunk and acting like a mad man, Candy would probably be a wreck. Her plastic face would have mascara runs all down her powdered cheeks… Alice took a deep breath and walked inside, as she had pictured, it was like that. She glared at both of them, but neither paid any attention to her. She took off her raincoat, and hung it on the coat rack. She walked up the narrow staircase, hoping that they'd still not notice her, and then slammed her door once she came into her room, a few pictures fell off. 'Stupid pictures…' she sighed and threw them on a table, then flopped on her bed and kicked off her wet Chucks and stared at the ceiling. She could still hear them shouting and screaming at each other… Lord would it ever stop!? After a few minutes, she got up and stalked to her stereo and turned it up load enough to drown the voices out. Ah, that's better… She bobbed her head slightly to the beat, and then walked into the bathroom to clean her face. She walked into the very familiar small yellow stripped bathroom with white tile floors and counter. Her mother, long, long ago had modeled this. She sighed and turned to the mirror to look at herself. She wasn't that bad looking she thought with a slight cocky grin. Her pale skin had freckles on her nose and sprinkled across her cheeks. Her bright green eyes seemed cloudy, they revealed too much. Her hair was very long and straight, and amber colored. It wasn't fully red, which she regretted, but lighter, blonder. Her figure was tall and lanky, but well built. She raised her eyebrows up and down, made a funny face, and then looked at her fish bowl. Larry her beta fish swam around in circles, his gray-blue tail flickered and shimmered in the light, flaked with red specks. Alice dropped a few fish flake food in there, watched him eat it up, and then smiled at him. This was her only pet. She loved it.
Alice turned from the bathroom and back into her cluttered room. She saw that her alarm clock read 7:34 PM and sighed. Once again Candy didn't fix dinner. Alice grabbed some candy, her Harry Potter book, and flopped onto the bed. She began to read while eating Starburst © Fruit and Crème… After what seemed like forever, she fell asleep, book in lap and all. It felt great to sleep, her tired body aching from walking 3 miles from school. It felt so good… THWACK! I loud crash into her room startled her and she jumped with fright and was wide awake. What on earth could have done that?? She squinted her eyes and noticed her window had been opened! It would take a while for her eyes to adjust, but she didn't care. She stood up, groping around to make sure she didn't knock into anything. She looked out the window, saw nothing. She sighed in relief, but then suddenly she felt sharp claws on her shoulder, she wanted to scream but her throat muscles felt closed. She felt an envelope dropped into her hands, and snatched at her shoulder; it was an owl. She felt is feathery wing and saw its yellow eyes just before it flew off into the starry dark night.
