Title: Storybook Story
Author: rawritsraye09
Rating: We'll see how it pans out. But right now, PG-ish
Disclaimer: I own anyone you don't recognize. Everyone/everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling. I'm not making money of of this either.
Summary: AU. Dumbledore defeated Voldemort, Harry's parents never died and Hermione isn't an only child.
Charisma always had strange things happen around her. Or rather, they happened because of her, as the pretty lady told her parents. Charisma, as it seemed, was a witch. She sat there at the kitchen table with her parents and the strange lady, while she knew her younger sister Hermione was listening from the grate in the hall.
"Charisma, you don't have to go if you don't want to. You have the right to refuse." The lady patted her hand and turned back to talk to her parents. The woman had placed a large envelope in front of her, and Charisma picked it up. It was thick and made of some kind of parchment paper. The writing on the front was written in large, loopy script and in green ink. The words written shocked her.
'Miss Charisma Elaine Granger
The Bedroom facing the South
52 Broadwick Street
Westminster,
London'
The envelope, as the lady explained, contained her letter from Hogwarts, her train ticket and a list of school supplies she would need. Charisma's head felt slightly fuzzy. Looking up from the cream-coloured square in her hands, she stared at her parents.
"May i be excused, please?" Her mother nodded.
"Of course sweetheart."
The girl walked out of the room, still clutching the envelope. A flash of movement caught her attention from the stairs. She spied her sister's brown hair, much like her own, though only bushier. Hermione Jane was only two years younger than herself, but she often acted much older. Charisma walked up a few steps and sat down next to her sister.
"How much of that did you hear?" She asked, placing the envelope in her lap. Hermione stared at it for a second.
"Are you really going away?" Her voice was soft, like she might cry.
"I don't know Mia." She said with a sigh, "I haven't decided yet." She snaked an arm around her sisters shoulders.
"I still have to talk to Mum and Daddy.
"Besides," She said, "I also have to think about you. Who is going to be around to protect you from all those monsters?" She poked the younger girl in the side with a laugh. Hermione giggled, but quickly became serious again.
"But Rissy, you must go!" Her words shocked her sister.
"So, you want me to go?" Charisma pretended to sound hurt. Teasing Hermione had always been fun for her. The younger girls eyes widened, afraid she had hurt her sisters feelings.
"Oh, I'll miss you! I'll miss you loads!" She said, wringing her hands. "But this school is for special people. Only a few people get in from our....world." The last few words were spoken unsurely. The older of the two knew her sister had listened to every word that was spoken, and took them to heart.
"And Rissy, you get to go! You get to go and learn about magic, just like we use to pretend!" Hermione was waving her hands in front of them, like she always did when she was talking passionately. The door to the kitchen opened, and the sisters fell silent. The strange lady walked out of the kitchen and headed for the door, followed by their parents. Turning, the woman smiled and winked at the girls before walking out, pulling the door shut behind her.
Margaret Granger shared a strained smile with her husband. With a flick of her wrist, she motioned for her daughters to follow her. Holding hands, the two followed their mother, with their father trailing behind them. The family settled into the library, where they all felt comfortable.
"Chari, hunny, have you opened the letter yet?" Elliot asked his oldest daughter. The girl shook her head.
"Well, it explains that your name has been written down for this school ever since you were born...."
The talk to both daughters continued like this for a couple of hours, just until dinner. Margaret shushed any attempts of the topic during dinner for a good while, and the girls eventually stopped asking. They instead turned to topics that they knew, like how the girls grandparents were taking a cruise to the United States for most of the summer holidays. Picking at her green beans, Hermione looked up at her parents.
"Mummy? Does Charisma have to decide to go to school now?"
The two adults shared startled looks between them before turning back to the children. It was a valid question that needed an answer right away. Elliot cleared his throat.
"Well, Professor Marsh, she's a teacher at the school, will be back in the morning. The first of September isn't that far away, and if Charisma decides to go, we need to go shopping to get her school supplies." He said calmly, though he stared solely at his oldest child.
Charisma stared down at her potatoes, eyes widened slightly. She had less than twenty-four hours to make a decision that would surely change her life. Nodding slightly, she speared a couple of green beans with her fork and popped them into her mouth. She would have her decision made in the morning, she just didn't know what that would be.
After baths were done, Hermione shuffled into the room the two shared and climbed into bed. She was anxious for her sisters decision, but she was tired. And sleep was more important to a nine year old.
The oldest Granger girl crept down the stairs and into the library. Margaret and Elliot looked like they expected to see her, and she sat between them on the comfy leather couch. The unopened Hogwarts letter lay underneath her pillow upstairs. She wasn't going to open it until she got some answers from her parents.
"Do you want me to go?" She looked between them.
"Sweetheart, no matter what you decide, we will always love you." Margaret kissed the top of her daughters head.
"Mum, that doesn't answer my question!" Charisma flopped her head down into her hands, and her parents laughed.
"Chari, you know what we've always said. If you think it's right for you, then do it." Elliot said, "Personally, i don't like that you will be gone for most of the year for seven years, but if it broadens your range of knowledge, then you go right ahead."
The girl nodded and kissed her father on the cheek. Giving her mother a similar kiss, she slowly walked back up to bed, thinking about what her father said the entire time. The lights were off in her and Hermione's room. Quietly, she climbed into her own bed. The envelope crinkled as she settled her head on her pillow.
Reaching into her bedside table, Charisma pulled out the small torch she kept in there. A quick glance to her sisters bed, and the older girl pulled her duvet up around her head. Flicking the switch, light flooded the small 'cave' she made. With a sigh, she pulled the the letter from under her pillow. The red seal in the back was easy to break, and as she did so a small smile came to her face.
She was a witch. A real life, magical witch.
Okay. a few clarifications:
Mia is pronounced MY-A, not ME-A.
Chari is pronounced CAR-RI, not CARRIE.
I chose Charisma as a name, because Hermione's name is Greek, so i thought it would be a pattern for the two to have Greek first names and English middle names.
Kay. well, i know this is short. But its just starting out. Hopefully the second chapter is longer.
I look forward to reviews! Criticism is always welcome, and i hope you can help me improve!