I guess this whole thing started when I was born. My parents didn't really notice anything wrong until about a week after I was born when my normally blue eyes switched to a warm brown color to symbolize my hunger (which I later learned).
My parents, being muggles, had a major freak out session and tried to take me to a doctor to have me tested. Unfortunately for them, no doctors took them seriously- I mean, who would? "My baby's eyes change colors according to how she feels! Help me!" Would you believe them either?
Anyway, their complaints got the attention of the Wizarding World and Minerva McGonagall herself came and explained things to them. She also told them that my older sister, Lillian, was also a witch. Naturally, my parents had a major freak out and tried to give us to McGonagall, but they eventually got over themselves (not really) and that's pretty much how this whole thing started. McGonagall informed them that she would come back once I was five and start giving me lessons on how to keep my eyes from switching colors.
The Waterrose's suddenly had a huge secret thrust upon them and two 'devil' children to care for. You can imagine why my upbringing wasn't the best experience. My parents had three more kids after that, trying to produce some normal children. They had Dustin, Lillian's twin brother, but apparently he was demon spawn too since he was in the womb with the monster, Lillian.
When my Hogwarts letter came, it was such a relief. I mean, I knew it was coming but I couldn't wait to get away from my abusive parents. (Oh, did I not mention that part?) My sister had already been there for three years and she loved it. McGonagall came to take us school shopping, as she did every year even though she was retired.
I remember skipping down the street of Diagon Ally, holding Lillian's hand as I took everything in. It took all of my power to keep my eyes from switching to a bright yellow, showing my excitement and curiosity. I still remembered McGonagall warning me that mine was an unheard of talent, especially for a muggleborn, and if someone were to figure it out it would have catastrophic results.
We went to Ollivander's, where an ancient man gave me a pretty white wand, Flourish and Blotts, where we got a million new books for both Lillian and I, and then we met up with Lillian's best friends, Katrina "Kat" MacMillan for ice cream.
When the day finally came that we were to go to Hogwarts, I barely dodged a beer bottle that was thrown at me and Lillian and I sat outside in silence, waiting anxiously for McGonagall to save us from this hell. Lillian's face was decorated with bruises and my wrist was broken, my face cut, and my arms were sporting bruises. "What happened to you dears?" a lady with flaming red hair asked, stopping in front of our house.
"I fell down the stairs," I lied, clutching my trunk.
"I walked into my doorway," Lillian said in a monotone voice.
"Ah," the woman said, raising an eyebrow. "Well, my name in Ginny Potter. Minerva sent me here to collect you. She's gotten sick and can't take you to Hogwarts this year, but she wanted me to assure you that she'll visit on Christmas."
Lillian and I nodded as Ginny levitated our trunks into a car that I hadn't noticed before. We piled into the already full car. My head dizzied with names and I closed my eyes to keep from revealing my secret. When we finally got to the train station and the kids piled on the train, I found an empty compartment and just stared out the window, relieved that, maybe, I could finally find a home somewhere.
The sorting wasn't that bad. The only bad thing was that I had to go last. But, ever since getting to Hogwarts, it had been easier for me to control my emotions and keep my eyes the light blue calm. The hat was placed on my head by, who else, Ginny Potter taking over McGonagall's job.
I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard the hat speak in my head. Ah. You have a secret that you're guarding and immense power, yet you are not kind enough to be a Hufflepuff and not clever enough to be a Ravenclaw. I know... "Slytherin!" I walked over to the Slytherin table and I felt my eyes quickly flash green with happiness. I met eyes with a cute redhead from across the table looking at me with a curious look in his eyes. Oh, bollocks. I think he saw my eyes. But he didn't look my way the rest of the night, so I hoped that I was safe for the moment.
My roommates were nice enough, but I took a special liking to Genie Conners, a cute girl with short brown hair and matching eyes. She talked a mile a minute and quickly became my best friend.
She's also the reason that my life went to hell.
You see, it was the week before school was to end and Genie and I were sitting near a tree close to the Black Lake. "Wanna know a secret?" Genie asked, blowing a piece of hair out of her face. I nodded eagerly. "My daddy isn't my real daddy. Mommy cheated on him and got pregnant by someone else. So I'm not a Pureblood. I'm actually a halfblood."
"Oh. Want me to tell you a secret? My eyes change colors according to how I feel. Here, I'll show you." I relaxed and my eyes turned a green color.
Genie shrieked and I jerked back in surprise. "My mommy warned me about your kind! You monster!" I tried to reach out a hand to touch her but she shuffled back. "Genie, wait!" I tried to concentrate, but tears blurred my vision. Was there something wrong with me?
McGonagall fixed the issue by obliviating her and everyone that she had told, but I had broken. I thought that I had found a place that I could call home, where I wasn't scared to be a witch. But I was still a freak.
I detached myself from everyone and everything, and it became easy for me to control my eyes.
Until Hugo Weasley came along and broke down my barriers.
I didn't officially meet Hugo until my Second Year at Hogwarts, and it wasn't even a real introduction.
We were both trying out for Quidditch, a sport that I had quickly taking a liking to, for the Beater position. He basically shot me glares the entire time and, unfortunately, Lydia Zabini, the Quidditch captain at the time, decided to pair us together.
I'm just gonna say this outright, we were a terrible pair. My eyes flashed red with annoyance every few moments and I had to pray that everyone thought that it was just a trick of the light. But while we worked terribly together, we were amazing individually, granting both of us a spot on the Slytherin Quidditch team with me being the only girl besides for Lydia.
Lydia gave us the standard "welcome to the team" speech and I was just about to run out when Lydia barked, "Weasley, Waterrose. Work out whatever you've got goin' on. I'm not gonna deal with your crap."
Hugo's eyes were blazing and I tried to keep mine calm, knowing that if they swapped colors now, it couldn't be mistaken for a trick of the light. I tugged on my robes, making sure that all of my scars were covered, before extending a hand to him. "Hi, I'm Grace Waterrose."
He scoffed and began the walk towards the castle. Rude. I chased after him. "Okay, so you obviously don't like me, but the least you could do is give me a proper introduction!"
He continued to walk at a hurried pace, but responded, "What, like this? I'm Hugo Weasley, Third Year, Slytherin, obviously."
"Yeah-"
"And you're Grace Waterrose, Second Year, the girl who sits with her friends but detaches herself from them, always twiddling around with that little black book of yours and a muggle pencil. Am I right?"
"What are you, a stalker?" I demanded, closing my eyes to get them to return to their calm blue color.
"No, just observant," he shot back, opening the door to the Great Hall and, with a mocking sweep of the arm, saying, "After you, your mysteriousness."
"Look, I know that you hate me, but can't we try to get along? I mean, we're going to have to work together, so we might as well try!"
He turned toward me and said, in a low voice, "You're just a weak little girl who can never be a real Beater! I mean, you're a girl, for Merlin's sake!"
"Oh, screw you, Weasley," I spat out, becoming aware that nearly the entire room was watching our exchange. "I can beat circles around you, and you know it!"
"Don't you 'Weasley' me, Waterrose!" And at that I just lost it. I felt my eyes turn a bright red in anger and, with a hand covering my face, I marched out of the Great Hall and found a nice broom cupboard to try and get my eyes back to normal.
"Grace!" I heard a voice call out. I groaned quietly as I felt my eyes turn silver with anxiety. "Oh, screw this. 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.'" The door to my broom cupboard was flung open and the person stepped into the closet, closing the door behind them while stuffing a piece of parchment in their back pocket.
"I was looking all over for you," Hugo said, exasperated.
"Maybe I didn't want to be found."
"Obviously. Anyway, I wanted to talk about how your eyes change colors," he continued bluntly.
I choked on air, feeling my eyes switch colors in a flurry of emotions. "How- what-"
"No need to lose your cool, Waterrose. I know I'm attractive and all, but I thought that you had more self respect than that." He grinned at me and, unlike I expected, it didn't come out cocky. He was just smiling at me, and while I hate to admit it, I may have smiled back. "Sooooo. Your eyes?"
"They change colors," I said.
"I know that, obviously. You did a very good job at hiding it, though. I don't think anyone else notices."
"And we're going to keep it that way," I shot back icily.
He held up his hands in mock surrender. "No need to get defensive, I won't tell anyone. Like I said, the only reason I figured it out is because I'm observant. But why do they switch colors?"
"I don't have to tell you anything," I said, crossing my arms.
"No, you don't," he agreed. "I just figured that it would be nice to have someone to talk to."
"You don't even like me, why do you care?"
"I don't know, Grace."
"Pick one."
"What?" He looked confused.
"Call me 'Grace' or 'Waterrose'. Quit switching them up."
He smirked at me. "Fine, Waterrose."
"Fine, Weasley," I retorted.
"Fine. But for the sake of the team, let's try to get along. You're really not half-bad. I'm just annoyed because it took me three years to get on the team and you come in and sweep them away."
"Awe, is little Hugo Weasley jealous?" I teased.
"Maybe," he admitted. "I gotta go, but if you ever wanna talk, you know where to find me."
"In a random broom cupboard?"
He laughed, and I felt my eyes turn pink with embarrassment. But in a good way. "Nah. I'll see you around."
"Emotions," I told him as he turned to go. "They change according to my emotions."
"Good to know." And he left.
Hugo and I worked as a team from then on. We weren't friends- far from it- and we fought frequently, but he knew my deepest secret and kept it, so we did have something. I never did end up having a heart-to-heart with Hugo that year- that didn't happen until my Fourth Year, his Fifth. And that, my friends, is where our story really begins.