Chapter one: Help Me, Save Me

Iris sat in the corner of her bed by the window looking out. She tried to shut out the voices of her parents yelling again. Her father was drunk yet again and he had taken out his drunken anger on her as her mother trying helplessly to stop him from beating her. She had her knees pulled up to her chest with her arms folded over them, her head leaning against the wall. She ran a hand up her tattooed arm sighing deeply when she heard her mother crying from downstairs. 'God I love my mum.' She thought as she reflected on all the times her mum had tried to protect her from the man she was forced to call 'sir' just because he had a dick. A light drizzle started and she saw her friends start down her street towards her house. She slid off her bed not flinching when she hit a dark bruise against the wall or bed. She was almost immune to pain since her father beat her so much when he was drunk. Sometimes he would beat both her mum and her at the same time for hours.

She pulled a sign out from under her bed and placed it in the window. Her friends always looked up at her window when they passed her house, no matter where they went they always had to pass her house to get there. Her street was the short cut into town and the only fastest way one could get into town. She fingered her black feather necklace as her friends reached her house and stopped, looking up at her window. The sign read 'I must escape, help me'. Her windows had bars on them so that she couldn't run away. Malcolm and Duncan climbed up the vines that grew up her side of the house and got the bars off and Iris opened the window and climbed out. When they touched ground they ran down the street quickly so as not to be seen by her father if he looked out the window. She was now clever enough to lock her door and blast a few CDs so he wouldn't suspect. Iris looked skyward and let the light rain splash over her face.

"I guess it doesn't look as bad as last time." Her best friend Erin said reaching a hand out to examine a dark bruise n her jaw line. Iris shook her hand away and embraced her with a hug.

"I am sooooo lucky to have friends like you guys." She said sad, angry tears coming to her eyes. This single hug turned into a large group hug of her six friends, not including her. "I love you guys." She said after a few moments of hugging. Her friends consisted of three guys, Malcolm Fenton, Duncan Dion, and Seton Curio. And four girls (including Iris) Erin Nym, Pairs Fenton (Malcolm's sister), Robin Lennox, and of course Iris Tybalt.

"Aww, we love you too Ice." Seton said when they released each other from the hug. Iris smiled with ecstasy and they continued walking into town.

"I miss school." She said randomly. Her friends looked over at her curiously. "You know what I mean!" She said laughing at their expressions. They laughed as well, but it was a nervous laugh. Continuing on their way down the street they went into the movie theater.

~*~*~

Iris climbed back through her window and waved to her friends as they walked away. She was lucky she got bak just as her CDs ended. There was a pounding on the door and her eyes grew wide in fear. 'how long has he been knocking on the door?' She thought moving quickly to the door unlocking it and opening it slowly.

"Where in Pete's name have you been young lady!" her father yelled. She coward away from him afraid to speak or he might beat her.

"I-I fell asleep s-sir. I f-fell asleep l-listening to my C-CDs." She stammered waiting for his reaction. He eyed her for a few minutes and it seemed like an eternity.

"You lying." He said finally. Iris' eyes grew wide when he said this.

"Don't you dare touch her John or I swear on my mother's grave that I will hex you into the next millennium." Her mum said from behind him her wand pointed at his heart from behind.

"You don't guts to do that though, Viola, you never have." He said turning and looking at her. Viola Tybalt was a determined woman and she was not about to let her cruel husband John Siward hurt their daughter again (she kept her last name and changed Iris' to her maiden name).

"Would you like to test that theory? I sure have been waiting to do this for a long time, John, 20 long years I've been waitin'. I gave you a child, but no you wanted a son so you beat me out of ever havin' anymore children! So yes I do have the guts to do this." Viola almost shouted shaking with anger. John stared at his wife for a while without speaking. In one quick movement he had her wand out of her hand and into his pocket.

"I was always to quick for you." He said; he seemed to be in deep thought for a moment before he slapped her across the face then back handed her on the other cheek. The force of the blows knocked Viola to the ground.

"MUM!" Iris cried rushing forward to get to her mother's side to help her. Her father reached out a hand and grabbed her arm tightly with a vice like grip.

"Oh no you don't, you help her and you'll whish you were dead by the time I'll be done with you." He said angrily at her.

"I already whished I was." Iris spat breaking free of his grip and rushing to her mum. Her father seethed with anger at her defiance. He took two angry strides and kicked Iris hard in the side. She gritted her teeth and fell away from her mother allowing her father access to beat her mum even more. An hour later the beating stopped and Iris fell into her room and slouched into a corner putting her head phones on letting herself fall into her own world until darkness surrounded her.

Iris woke to someone shaking her awake. She opened her eyes and saw her mother crouched in front of her. She pulled her head phones off her head and looked to her digital clock on her bedside table across the room. The clock read 2:50 AM. She turned her attention back to her mother confusion showing on her bruised face.

"What's going on?" she whispered to her mum.

"Come; grab your books, cloths and anything else you'll need. We're leaving this place." Viola said in a hurried whisper looking towards to door that stood ajar. Iris nodded and stood up quietly.

"What about your wand? You'll need that won't you?" Iris asked her mum before she left the room.

"It's ok, I owled the ministry and told them to cut all magic that would be in that wand. I'll get a new one in Diagon Ally." Viola answered placing a gentle hand on her daughters shoulder.

"Diagon Ally? In England? London England? So you're saying that I'm going to be going to Hogwarts? But what about my friends?" Iris ranted worried eyes wide.

"Shh... Its ok, you can owl them when we get to our new home. Relax every thing will be alright now, you'll see. Now get packing and meet me by the door in a half hour." Her mother cut in soothingly looking Iris in the eye before leaving and closing the door softly. She stood there for a few moments before she grabbed some duffle bags from her closet and starting to pack.

She met her mum by the door and they snuck out of the house with their belongings without a sound. Iris signaled the Night Bus since her mum didn't have her wand to do it instead. The bus came and they got on.

"London, England please, Robert." Viola tells the driver when they get on with their luggage. Iris looked out the window which was next to the bed that she chose. She watched her house with its darkened windows and sleepy stillness. She pulled her head phones out when her mum came and sat on the bed next to Iris' and lying down closing her eyes for the first peaceful sleep that she had in a few years. Iris smiled lovingly at her mum before putting her head phones on her ears and pressing play. Nowhere Kids by Smile Empty Soul blasted through her ears as she watched the landscape of her home in Ireland flashed passed her as the bus made its way to London. A new place, a strange place, full of muggles, witches, and wizards. A silent tear fell down her newly bruised cheek; she didn't bother to wipe it away she just let it fall. She closed her eyes when she felt more tears coming and she let them come. She hadn't cried in years because it would just make him beat her harder. She felt alone in this world. There was no one, no one to run to, no one's shoulder to cry on. She changed the CD to Linkin Park's 'Meteroa'. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the window slipping back into her own world with her music before letting darkness fold its blanket over her. She fell asleep during her song: Hit the Floor.

~*~*~

She was shaken awake yet again by her mum smiling gently at her.

"We're here." She said softly. "Grab your things." With that her mother grabbed her own things before moving to the front of the bus to pay the driver. Iris grabbed her bags and followed her mum off of the bus.

"Tomorrow you'll get your things for school in Diagon Ally. Hogwarts has already sent me the supplies list you'll need for school." Viola explained walking up the drive of a beautifully landscaped house. The house was of its natural wood with black accents on the windows. There was a black flagstone path that led from the drive way up to the black door.

"Twelve Privet Drive." She mother told her as they reached the door. "Welcome to our new home." Iris smiled as they entered the dark house it had a homely smell, one that she had whished to smell since she could remember. Viola flicked on the lights and her smile broadened She walked farther into the small entrance hall painted a warm shade of sky blue. She walked up the lovely wooden stairs and entered a sitting room that was painted her mothers favorite color. Forest Green. There was a black velvet couch sitting in front of a fire place with a T.V. above it. She didn't take in much of the room because she was very tired. She moved down the hall and smiled when she saw one of the doors. Her posters that were on her old room's door were there as if they had been there since forever. She opened the door and stepped in to see all her posters all over with all her little knickknacks where they should be.

"So this is where all my things went." Iris said laughing looking accusingly at her mother. "What time is it?" Her mother looked at her wrist watch and it read 5:59.

"5:59, want to see the last on the sunset?" Viola asked walking out of the room and heading towards the door.

"No, I'm too tired. I'm goanna get some sleep wake me around one or so ok?" She told her mum as she left closing the door. She clasped on her bed fully clothed. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

Iris woke and sunlight was pouring into her room. She looked at her clock and it read 3:00. She frowned and got up slowly making her way into the kitchen where her mum was sitting reading the Daily Profit.

"Why didn't you wake me?" Iris asked opening the fridge and pulling out a bottle of O.J.

"I tried but I couldn't get you up. And I even tried putting on your loudest CD. But no I couldn't get you up." Her mum said laughing. Iris smiled.

"Well, I'll change and we'll then head out to Diagon Ally then." She said after gulping down her drink. She left the room and her mother soon followed.

Iris stood in her room looking out the window. Her window looked out over the street so she could see everything that went on out there. She saw a boy with messy black hair walking down the street. The boy looked up and their eyes met. Her cold grey against his warming bright green.

"Wonder who he is."