Chapter One

It was nearly two years ago, that Daniel Watson's life had changed forever. It was the day that his daughter was born and she was everything to him. She was smart and healthy, a beautiful child with her dark, smoky blue eyes. It was also the day that he had lost the love of his life. His wife had died during child birth and it was still almost unbearable for Daniel to think about her. It was hard to look at his own child sometimes. She was a very happy, even-tempered child. She rarely cried. Truth be told, she looked a lot like both her father and her mother, but the only features that Daniel saw were the ones that she shared with his late wife.

He had named her Breeana. Breeana Gabrielle Watson, her middle name for the mother she would never know – a woman named Gabrielle Prince. She didn't cry much when she was born, just looked around. She was determined. She crawled and walked early, determined to get what she wanted on her own. She didn't speak a lot yet, but there were a few words that she seemed to understand. She spent a lot of time quietly listening to the conversations and observing the adults around her. She was constantly getting into things. The family's house elf, Aggy, was put I charge of keeping a close eye on the little girl at all times.

Coming home as a first time father would be terrifying enough, but Daniel was coming home as a widower as well and he was scared out of his mind. Even with Aggy there to help him, he spent months in a sleep deprived state of constant worry. For a man like Daniel Watson, that fear and anxiety was a strange thing indeed. It was a while before he figured out how to manage his feelings and relax a bit more. He'd take quite a long leave of absence from work, with the understanding that he would be given more than enough funds to take care of himself and his household, but that he would have to pay back that debt in the future. Today was the day he was scheduled to return. And it was going to be with Breeana in tow.

When Daniel woke that morning, he dressed in a pair of fine black robes. He wanted to look well dressed and professional. He used his wand to trim his hair and his beard and it was around that time that Breeana burst into the room. She was still in her pink nightgown, but she didn't look sleepy at all. She was all smiles. She ran awkwardly over to her father and tugged on his robes.

"Up," she said, stretching her little arms up and smiling at him.

Daniel smiled a little, despite the uneasiness he felt, and stooped to pick his little girl up. He smoothed back her messy hair and kissed her forehead softly. "How did you sleep, sweetheart?" he asked her.

She reached out to touch his cheeks with the palms of both her hands. "Whiskers," she said, giggling. She kissed his nose. "Scratchy."

Daniel laughed softly and set Breanna down. "Go and find Aggy, Miss Watson," he said. "You're coming with me to work today. You can meet Daddy's boss. I need you to help Daddy with a little problem that he has. Can you help me, sweetheart?"

Breeana pursed her lips and cocked her head slightly to the side, as if she were thinking. The corners of her eyes crinkled, slightly, in thought. Her hair, which fell just past her little shoulder in soft, messy curls, framed her little face. The curls bounced when she finally smiled and nodded her head.

"Good," said Daniel. "No go and find Aggy, my sweet."

With a tired sigh, he watched his little girl run from the room. He heard her running down the stairs as fast as she could, calling Aggy's name. There was a thud when she jumped down the last two steps, just like she always did. She giggled to herself and ran into the kitchen. Aggy lived in a small, but nice, room behind the pantry that opened up on the other side into her garden out back. Daniel could imagine Breeana crawling through the pantry to knock on Aggy's door. He wasn't sure what would come of today and he was completely torn between three things: the still ever present heartache over the loss of his wife, the love he had for his daughter, and what sometimes felt like overwhelming, all-consuming loyalty for his boss.

It was less than an hour later that Daniel stood before his boss, a man he called Mister Tom, holding his little girl's hand tightly in his own. Breeana's messy curls had been washed and braided into two French braids. It was tied with a dark green silk ribbon. She was wearing a little black dress that fell to her knees. Her legs were covered with white wool tights to keep the October chill at bay, and a pair of pink and white saddle shoes.

"Has it been so long?" asked the other man, surveying the little girl quietly.

"Excuse me?" asked Daniel.

"She's just grown since I saw her last," his boss commented, his voice quiet. He looked somewhere near Daniel's age, but his skin had grown more pale since Daniel last saw him. Something about his seemed different. He smiled down at the little girl and then knelt in front of her. He stroked her cheek softly and Breeana giggled a little bit. "Is she talking yet?" he asked, looking up at Daniel.

"Only a few words," said Daniel. "More and more every day."

"Well, what a clever girl you are," Mister Tom said.

Breeana smiled.

"My name is Mister Tom," he said to her.

"Can you tell Mister Tom thank you, Breeana?" Daniel asked his daughter. "He's done a lot for our family. He made it possible for me to spend so much time with you."

Breeana looked at her father for a few moments before turning her eyes on the second man and saying, "Thank you," in her tiny voice.

Mister Tom smiled. "She's smart, isn't she?" he said, straightening up.

"Thank you, Sir," said Daniel.

"Miss Watson, do you know why you're here today?" asked Mister Tom.

Breeana paused again and then pointed up at her father. "Daddy," she said.

"Precisely," said Mister Tom. "You are here because of your father. You see, your father made a promise to me years ago. It was before your father met your mother. I think that was the biggest mistake, really. Choosing Gabrielle, that is. When she tried to betray us…well, the Imperius Curse was necessary. Her passing, although unfortunate, was a convenient twist of fate in the end. Wouldn't you agree, Watson?"

"It has been…difficult, my lord," Daniel admitted. "But yes. I supposed it was convenient, in the end."

"Did you know she has a cousin?" asked Mister Tom, casually. "Gabrielle's older sister had a child. A half blood."

"I see," said Daniel. "No, I was not aware. I admit, I have fallen out of contact with Gabrielle's family, actually."

"You've fallen out of contact with everyone, Daniel," said Mister Tom, with a smile. "Anyway. I was only curious if you knew. Bring Breeana over here. Have her sit on my desk."

"Yes, Sir," said Daniel. He picked up Breeana and walked over to the desk. He sat her down on top of it. For a moment, her little fists grasped the front of his robes tightly. She seemed like she was getting bored and uncomfortable. After a few reassuring words, Breeana was coaxed into letting go and she scooted back so that she wasn't sitting right on the edge of the desk. She looked up at both men.

"May I see your daughter's arm, Watson?" asked Mister Tom, with a serious look on his face. His eyes did not leave the toddler's for one moment.

"Of course, my lord," said Daniel. He took Breeana's arm, gently in his hands and rolled up her sleeve to expose her left forearm.

"You may leave, Watson," said Mister Tom.

"Sir?" asked Daniel, alarm in his voice.

"You remember how this process works, I trust?" asked Mister Tom. "You made me a promise a long time ago, Watson. I've come to collect. It's time to pay up. Trust me, I will take very good care of little Breeana. Now leave."

Reluctantly, Daniel nodded slowly and left the room. As soon as the doors were closed behind him, he walked quickly out of the dark house and he apparated immediately. If anyone ever asked, including his little girl, he would say that she didn't cry. He would say that she didn't scream. He would say that she wasn't scared for even a moment. But he could not force himself to wait around and see if that were true.