A/N: Bienvenue! Empfang! Bienvenida! Het welkom! Benvenuto! Mottakelse! Boas-vindas! ...welcome. This is our fanfic, presented to you by none other than myself and Darcy (True Roswellian). We would like to thank Robert Pattinson for being oh-so-hot and J.K. Rowling for writing the fantabulous Harry Potter series. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: We do not own any of the Harry Potter characters, though I wish we did, but we do own the characters we created. The opinions expressed are that of the author.
If you feel embarrassed, then I'll be your pride;
If you need direction, then I'll be the guide;
For all time...
-Deathcab for Cutie; Passenger Seat
Strange and Beautiful
Chapter one
"...and if that mockingbird won't sing, momma's gonna buy you a diamond ring..."
June Mykal slowly rocked her newborn baby girl back and forth in her arms as she sang to her softly. The baby blinked at her in shock when June discontinued singing to take a moment to admire her new bundle of joy. June gently tickled the baby's stomach, making her laugh.
"You need a name, my sweet," June said. "Something perfect, just like you."
The baby let out a soft squeal of joy as June continued to tickle her. A broad smile took over June's glowing face; the face of a mother.
"Erin," she said softly. "Your name will be Erin."
The baby smiled at her, almost in approval.
"I love it too."
Erin's eyes went wide for a moment in a bit of shock. She let out a quiet hiccough before spitting up all over her mother's hospital shirt.
"What an encouraging start," June said - sarcastically - before paging one of the nurses for paper towels.
- - -
"Why can't daddy come to the zoo with us?"
"Daddy was very bad. He missed his bedtime last night."
June tightened her grip on the steering wheel with this sentence and 5-year-old Erin swore she saw a twitch under her eye.
"Bad daddy!" Erin said. "Bad daddy, bad daddy, bad daddy!"
June nodded slowly and neurotically, turning up the radio to drown out the whispers uttered under her breath.
"Bad daddy, bad daddy, bad daddy!"
Erin pressed the button to roll down her window. She then stuck her head out the window so that the heavy wind from the car flying down the main highway beat on her face.
"STOP IT!" June screeched, grabbing the collar of Erin's shirt and shoving her back into the seat. "DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN!"
Erin stared at her mother, shock on her small face. Her mother very rarely raised her voice, never mind yelling at her. Erin slowly slunk down in her seat, trying to avoid her mother.
June began to shake slightly out of anger. Her face was turning a shade of puce that was unseen before. The window on her right began to shake in it's place. Erin barely had time to point at it with one of her stubby fingers before it shattered into tiny pieces, the shards of glass scattering all over the car.
"Mommy!" Erin wailed before breaking out into tears.
June pulled the car over onto the side of the road before checking over Erin for any incisions.
"Are you ok?" she said, running her hands over Erin's face, feeling for glass.
Erin nodded slowly. "I'm just scared."
"I'm sorry," June said, throwing her arms around Erin. "I'm just a little frustrated with daddy right now, ok?"
"It's ok," Erin said. "I love you, mommy."
- - -
Dear Diary,
I HATE MY MUM!
She ruined my eleventh birthday!
I HATE HER SO MUCH!
So here's the low-down on what happened.
So I'm sitting in my room, playing The Clash on my guitar after my surf lessons with Hot Jeff. She gives me a shout.
"Erin!" she shouts. "You've got mail!"
So I roll my eyes and walk downstairs. Who sends me mail? I can use the tellie to reach any of my school friends.
"What, mum?"
"You have mail!" she said, in this super annoying voice as she practically bounced up and down.
I pulled the letter from her hand. It had no return address, no stamps, just my name and address in irritatingly perfect writing.
"What the bloody hell is this?" I asked.
"Don't swear," she said, pathetically. "Just open it."
I rolled my eyes and ripped open the envelope and a letter fell out and onto the ground. I picked it up and began reading.
'HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Ms Mykal,
We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress'
"Stupid birthday joke," I said, throwing the paper on the ground before stomping upstairs.
"It's not," she said. "I'm a stupid freaky deaky witch, your grandmother was a stuipd freaky deaky witch, your great-grandmother was a stupid freaky deaky witch. I haven't told you about it yet because for years I was afraid you weren't a freak just like us."
Ok, so that's not exactly how she said it, but you get the idea.
"Stop screwing around," I snapped. "I'm not a freak of nature, and if I am, I don't want to celebrate it, thanks. I'm going to St. Brutus's, just like dad wants, and that's final!"
I stomped upstairs and here I am, writing in my diary, more confused than I think I've ever been.
I would want to go to Hogwarts much more than I would want to go to St. Brutus's...I heard they use the cane there! But I don't want to be seen as weird by all my friends. Being a witch is being a freak of nature.
But, this still means that I can perform sweet magical spells.
That will impress Hot Jeff!
Or I could make a sweet love potion, and get Hot Jeff.
But if I go to Hogwarts, I'll be there all year, and never get to see Hot Jeff.
Oh, Hot Jeff.
With your dark wavy hair that looks so hot when wet, and your blue eyes. Your perfectly muscular body that you show off in my surfing lessons.
Oh, Hot Jeff...
Dad's home! I have to go, he hates it when I don't say hello to him right away.
-Erin 3
- - -
"Oh, great. She's a bloody freak like you?"
Erin stood outside the kitchen with her ear pressed to the door, listening intently to her parents' argument.
"Mike, will you stop it? I am not a freak! If I'm so much of a freak, why did you marry me?" June snapped.
"BECAUSE YOU LIED TO ME!"
Erin retaliated from the door and cringed when she heard her father hit her mother.
"Were you out drinking again?" June asked softly.
"Why do you care? You never cared before!"
"I've always cared," June pleaded. "And I always will care just please, stop drinking, get help, please!"
"I don't need your goddamn help! You stupid idiot, you're wrong!"
Erin gasped when she heard her mom let out a squeal as her father hit her once again.
"Stop it," her mother said softly as she began to cry. "Please...please..."
"You're worthless," Mike said. "Worthless and hopeless."
Erin heard footsteps approaching the door. She knew she wouldn't have time to run upstairs...
The door swung open and she stood in the crevice between the door and the wall, holding her breath in. She didn't move a muscle as she heard her dad stumble up the stairs and slam the door to the bedroom, the smell of alcohol trailing him.
"Mum?" she said softly. She heard weeping emit from the kitchen. Erin slipped out from behind the door and ran into the kitchen, kneeling beside her mother, who was lying on the ground. She was beaten badly, Erin could tell; she had a large, puffy black eye, a large black-and-blue bruise on her cheek and a cut on her chin that was bleeding profusely.
"Are you ok?"
Her mother shook her head slowly. Erin wrapped her arms around her mother's shoulders and pulled her up into a sitting position.
"I'm sorry," Erin said softly.
"For what?" June whispered.
"Calling you a freak. You're not. You're my mom and I'll be glad to go to Hogwarts. I'm proud to be a witch."
June smiled up at Erin.
"You may break the rules a lot, but you're not such a bad kid after all," she said.
"You may be annoying, but you're not such a bad mum after all, either."
- - -
A/N: DA END, HOMIES! I know, you're all like "Where's Cedric?" while, he's coming, in all his hot glory. Soon enough. Be patient. Much love; Danni et Darcy.