Her Beginning at Wools
A Short Prologue
Wool's Orphanage had always been grey. It was the best the matron could manage. Grey linnens were cheaper, grey clothes cheaper too, and it wouldn't be fair to give some of the children colourful things when not all of them could have it. Then there was the fact that time sucked the colour out of everying, dust settled over things and made them grey, and everythign here was old - even the new things were old. The staff was limited, Mrs Ackerman the cook, Miss Murdock the nurse, Mr. Lancar the teacher and Mrs Cole, who took care of all the business, they were all parents and cleaners and laundry staff too.
Mrs Cole had never seen anything like this before. They were the well dressed aristocratic sort, snobs, was the proper term, turning their nose up at the establishment. But she turned her nose up at them, they were paying her to take in their little daughter. Only four years old, happy and healthy born to wealthy parents who were married and already had a child, had two in fact, one older and one younger. There was no discernible reason for them to give away the baby.
"Mr. Black," Mrs Cole started. "We do the best we can for the children - but that's no substitute for their parents, the money you're offering for us to take her is proof enough she would do better in your house-"
"You've already accepted the offer, she's in your hands now, how dare you question us?" Mr. Black's wife hissed, a little hysterical. "Sign the papers," she demanded and Mrs Cole did just that albeit confused. There was a large stack of paper notes put on the desk between them and the Blacks left.
"What is the girls name?" Mrs Cole sang out, figuring her parents could at least give her that. Only they left without so much as a good day, though Mrs Cole would swear she'd heard that nasty snob of a woman call her a 'filthy muggle', Mrs Cole had a few choice names for that woman too, thank-you very much.
The girl in question was sitting in the hall, watching her parents leave with an expression that did not look natural on her young face. Two seats down the hall was Tom, again. In trouble for one thing or another. Mrs Cole frowned at him briefly before turning her attention to their newest orphan.
"Do you have a name my dear?" She asks kindly. The girl shook her head.
"I'm not allowed," she answered, which even caused Tom to frown.
"Why not?" Mrs Cole asks her and she shakes her head again.
"They told me I needed a new name."
"Would you like to pick a new name?" Mrs Cole asks and she shakes her head again.
"Leave it for my new parents." The new girl says and Mrs Cole shuffles uncomfortably. It was rare any of their children ever got to go to a new family, and at four years old, this little one was too old - though Tom had been here since he was a newborn and no one ever took him, as well.
"Well we all need something to call you in the mean time, would you like to use your old name?" Mrs Cole asks the girl and she shakes her head again.
"Then I'm going to call you Victoria, like the King's grandmother. Victoria Smith. How does that sound?" Mrs Cole was relieved to see the girl smile at her suggestion.
"I do like that name," she admitted and Mrs Cole nodded.
"Good, then that's what we'll call you." Mrs Cole called Mr. Lancar to show Victoria around her new home while she turned to Tom, he was always being sent to her but never really did anything. Or at least could never be punished for the odd things that always seemed to happen around him, Miss Murdock said there was a poltergiest haunting him. She held open the door to her little office and Tom entered. Mrs Cole swept the Blacks money into the top drawer of her desk and neatly penned Victoria's name onto her paperwork while she listened to Tom explain what had happened this time.
Disclaimer: All recognisable characters, concepts and settings belong to J. . This is for entertainment purposes only, no monetary profit is being made from this work.