DISCLAIMER – I own nothing but my imagination

PROLOGUE

It was Marianne's eight birthday and she couldn't understand her parents grim expressions. Wishing to ease the tension, she began opening her presents.

Ripping open pink wrapping paper, she saw a big packet of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans and Cauldron Cakes from her little brother and sister, Brian and Megan.

"Thank-you!" Marianne, always the polite one, hugged the three-year old twins.

She turned to a large, rather bulky package that she saw was from her parents, feeling excited she slowly opened the presents – her parents always gave her the best presents.

It was a bag. A very pretty bag with broomsticks and snitches (Marianne was a big Quiddich supporter) scattered on it. But no matter how pretty it was…Marianne felt slightly disappointed. She usually got much more exciting presents than this.

Perhaps her mother sensed her disappointment as she said kindly, "There's some stuff in the bag too, Mari."

"Spent a great deal on it, too…" Marianne heard her dad mutter behind her.

"Not today," her mother hissed at him. Marianne felt grateful for her mother for saying this, they had fought for months before today, she had no idea what of but had picked up some words that they shouted at each other; "Too young…just a kid." And "she's our child, how can you be so cruel." Marianne figured they were talking about the fact that they were going to send Megan to St. Mungo's for a while, because her teeth hadn't grown yet. But even after Megan went and had came back, they continued to fight, and Marianne had picked up a pattern in their fights, their mother always seemed to be wanting something and their father always refused saying, "do you want me to lose my job?" Her father worked in the Ministry and was a favourite for Minister for Magic.

"C'mon, honey – are you ok?" her mother touched her on the shoulder gently.

She smiled at her mum who she had been always closest to, after her gran of course. She shook her head of the bad thought's that filled her mind and followed what her mother had said, "Not today."

Opening the bag, she took out a purse which jingled and she happily guessed there was money in there. Already, her present was looking up. Under the purse was a notebook with brightly coloured quills. She stroked the feather softly.

She put the quill down and dug further into the bag. The rest were clothes, she took a top and jeans out and frowned at them - they were muggle clothes.

Looking up at her mum, her wide brown eyes, so like the rest of the family's, were confused.

Her dad, however, answered her unasked question. "We were thinking we would spend some time with Aunt Sarah over the summer, and you know she lives in a Muggle neighbourhood so we have to fit in."

Marianne stared at him, astonished. Her mum was a muggle-born and Sarah was her only living relative, she was also a muggle. Her parents never mentioned her, and now they suddenly had the desire to visit her?

Just as she was about to ask why, Megan distracted their parents. Megan and Brian were always doing this, always turning each other's hair different colours, or making the railings of the cot disappear, once when Brian stole Megan's ice-cream, she got mad and plunged the bright kitchen into complete darkness. Brian has had to sleep with a night-light ever since.

This time, Megan had turned her toy-broomstick into a giant ladybird.

Her mum swooped down and gave Megan a huge hug, as if congratulating the toddler on her accidental-magic. Her father muttered a quick counter-curse but beamed all the same at his youngest daughter, a smile Mari had never seen him bestow on her. And she had a reason why. She had labelled that smile 'the magic smile', simply because he only smiled like that when the twins did accidental-magic. But, as far as Marianne knew, she had never performed accidental-magic. It was supposed to show at the age of seven, and Mari, now at her eight birthday, figured she was a late developer. The horrifying thought that she might be a squib had never once crossed her mind. After all, how could a squib be born to the famous, soon-to-be Minister of Magic, Albert Dottington?

So, enviously enduring her mother's cooing compliments to Megan, she opened, unnoticed her final present. It was from her only grandparent she had left - her beloved Gran. She was the mother of Martin, but they didn't see eye-to-eye, Martin was all for 'Magic is Might', something he quoted quite often at home and her Gran was very kind to all her Muggle neighbours, and seemed very fond of their oblivious ways.

Mari opened the red wrapping paper, and gasped happily when she saw what she had got her. Her very own 'Tales of the Beedle Bard'! She flicked through it, and recognised some of her favourite stories, 'Babbity Rabbity and her Cackling Stump' and 'The Wizard and the Hopping Pot," a story that her father refused to tell her, and that her Gran told to her often.

She lovingly put the book in the pocket of her robes, and picked up curiously the next present. It was a mirror, with jewels all around it, a note was sticking out from the bottom;

"So you can always see your beautiful self,

And the person who loves you the most."

She smiled at the note, her Gran often said confusing things like this.

"Oh, you opened the one from mother," Her dad sounded slightly sneering as he said mother. "So what did she give you this time? A fake wand? A book of 'Quotes from the Greatest Wizards and Witches of this Century'? Don't tell me she got you another toad, I told you I wouldn't get you a new one since the last one died…"

"No," Mari said somewhat defiantly, defending her grandmother. "She got me this beautiful mirror." She was going to mention the book, but her father disapproved of fairytales so she decided to keep it in her pocket.

"Oh, Mari, that's exquisite!" Her mother exclaimed, and Mari knew she was trying to cover up the sneering manner of her husband.

Her dad grunted, and walked into the next room, the twins trotting after him. Mari didn't mind, she liked it more when it was just her and her mother.

After a scrumptious breakfast, her father announced that he, Mari's mother and Mari were going out. The twins would be left with Gran.

This was a complete surprise to Mari and she squealed happily, perhaps they would go to Diagon Alley? Or the Unicorn stables? Endless thought's filled her mind, she turned to beam at her mother but she was staring in shock at her husband, like she was seeing him for the first time.

Mari frowned at her, and then glanced at her father. He was looking anywhere but as his wife, eventually he looked up at her and muttered, "It's now or never."

"How about never?" Her mother said in a low voice that sent shivers down Mari's spine – it contained anguish mixed with anger. Mari shuddered what could be happening that makes her mother sound like that?

"We've been over this before, Laura – we have to let go some time." Her father muttered back, and Marianne knew she shouldn't be listening to this conversation so she hopped of her chair and made for the door, when her mother asked a question that made her stop in her tracks;

"But on her birthday? How can anyone be so cruel?" Her voice was filled with heartbreak and complete disgust.

Did she hear right? Something was going to happen on her birthday? To who? And then a terrible thought came to her – was it going to happen to her?

THIS IS A LINEBREAK. LINEBREAK, I SAY! YES, YOU HEARD RIGHT, A LINEBREAK.

They were at her Aunt Sarah's, after a day filled with fun at the Unicorn Stables, where she rode her favourite unicorn – Cupid, that completely erased any of the bad thought's she had at breakfast. She didn't know exactly why they were at Aunt Sarah's house, after all she had thought they were going there during the summer, but nevertheless she was having a fun time – Sarah had given her Hot Chocolate and biscuits and she had petted her golden retriever called Sandy.

Her mother and her sister were chatting easily, but her father just sat there, fidgeting now and then, staring bewildered at the black box, that Sarah explained was a telly-vision. When Mari had nearly fallen asleep, Sarah insisted that they all stay the night at her house. Mari thought her dad would have refused but to her surprised, he agreed warmly, Mari noticed a shadow passing over her mum's face, she probably missed the twins who were still at Gran's.

As her parents went up to the spare bedroom and Mari snuggled down in the couch, she remembered how odd her gran had acted when she saw her this morning. She had hugged her tight and was nearly crying when she whispered words into Mari's ear,

"Never be angry at who you are, you are unique and we love you,

But sometimes selfishness overshadows love,

So when there's a time when you're wondering what happened to us," She whispered even more quietly now, and Mari had to lean in to hear,

"Remember the mirror…"

This had doubled Mari's nerves but being an eight year old girl, unicorns quickly banished all worries, but now that she was snuggled, warm in her Aunt's house, she wondered it over again.

She fell into a fitful sleep, rain splattering against the windows, where she woke in the middle of the night by a car engine right outside the sitting room window. Wondering who would be up at this time at night, she peaked out through the window.

The lights came on of the car her father had borrowed from the Ministry for the day, she was about to shout out that somebody was stealing the car, but then she noticed her new bag in the corner of the room. She hadn't even brought it with her.

Something made her hurtle out through the door, into the dark night, staring at the Ministry car, pulling out of the drive. It pulled onto the road and for a second the street lights flashed upon the man driving the car, her father.

Perhaps he sensed her watching as he glanced back to the house, he saw her, his lips parted a bit but then a shadow passed across his face and he was plunged back into the darkness of the night. But Mari could swear she saw a tear on his face.

She watched the headlights on the back of the car go, until they were just pinpricks in the distance, then until they were swallowed up by the darkness.

And yet Marianne stood on her Aunt Sarah's doorstep, on the night of her birthday. Alone, rain splattering against her numb body and staring deep into the darkness, seeing nothing.

And at two o'clock in the morning, two hours after her eight birthday officially ended, her heart left her forever. Just like her family did.

Ok, that was the prologue, I just had to introduce her family and why she will be living with her aunt…hope you like it! Review please