Here is Chapter 4. Thank you for the favorites/alerts. I was starting to think I was just writing for myself, which I don't really mind because I enjoy writing, but it's nice to know there are others reading this. So here's the plan: updates will happen on dates that are multiples of five, and I can promise updates to be on time at least through the end of July.

As usual, the disclaimer still applies. Enjoy!

Chapter 4: Growing Up Fatherless

Nagini skipped happily along beside Will as he led her out of the park and down the street. One hand clung to Will while the other gripped the silver locket her father had given her as a birthday present. She wore her locket everywhere; she didn't even take it off to sleep. It was a connection to her father; it helped her feel close to him even when he wasn't there.

Will Morrison looked down at the little girl clutching his hand. She was very trusting, he thought, but then again why wouldn't she be? She was only one-year old for Merlin's sake! His thoughts drifted to his own son, Peter, who was only a few years older than Nagini. His chest tightened at the thought of his family. They must have thought the worst when he never returned home. Oh Merlin, he hoped they were still alright.

As worry for his family filled him, Will quickened his pace, half-dragging Nagini along beside him. He wanted to be with his family, but he couldn't leave this little girl by herself in London. He figured he would bring her somewhere where the Muggle authorities could take care of her. An orphanage would be the best place. She would have a safe place to stay while the police searched for her parents.

At the end of the street, Will saw two-story brick building. It was surrounded by a tall wall right up against the sidewalk. The only break in the wall was a wrought-iron gate. On the gate a sign hung, reading Ferestael Orphanage. Will made directly for the gate, pulling Nagini along with him. At the gate he stopped. It was locked. He stared at it for a moment before discreetly pulling out his wand. "Alohomora," he murmured, hoping that no one saw or heard the spell. He gently pushed the gate open and led Nagini inside.

"Where we?" she asked.

"Don't worry," he replied soothingly. "I'm going to take care of you."

Nagini stared around in confusion. She didn't know where she was, and Will wasn't making any sense. She gripped her locket even tighter as she stared at the building in front of them. They walked up a short flight of steps and stopped in front of the door. Will rapped loudly on the wood with his knuckles, and a moment later they heard the sound of footsteps.

The door was opened by a woman in her thirties. Working at the orphanage had clearly taken its toll, for there were gray streaks in her dark brown hair, and her light brown eyes had a tired look about them. "What are you doing making a racket at this time of—" she began but fell short when she caught sight of who was standing in front of her. She looked between Will and Nagini, and Will took this as an opportunity to speak up.

"I need to speak to the matron. Is she free?"

"Yes," said the woman slowly still looking between the pair of them. "Right this way," she added, opening the door wider to let them through. She led them down a hallway where the only light came from a few flickering candles, and Nagini shrank closer to Will. While she wasn't scared of the dark, she didn't know where she was, and Will was acting strangely. He wouldn't talk to her like he usually did, and he didn't even look at her.

The woman leading them stopped in front of a door at the end of the hall, knocked once, and then opened the door. "Mrs. Cox? There's a man here who wants to speak with you. He has a little girl with him."

"Well, let them in," said a voice from inside the room. "And I'll see what this is all about." The woman nodded and gestured for the two of them to enter the room. They stepped passed her into a well-lit room, and she shut the door behind them. Nagini half-hid behind Will, and he looked down at the little girl looking around fearfully.

"Who are you?" asked the same voice. Will and Nagini both looked up. A woman, Mrs. Cox, sat behind a desk, facing them. She had dark brown hair, pulled up into a bun. Her black eyes stared across at them. She was not a woman you'd want to cross, thought Will. She waited impatiently for the answer. "Well?" she asked.

Will led Nagini over to the desk and set her down in one of the two chairs facing the matron. He sat down in the other. "My name is Will Morrison," he began. "And well, I found this girl in the park. She was all alone. She appeared to be abandoned, but she claims that her father is coming back in a few days. I couldn't leave her in the park by herself at night in the middle of London, so I brought her here. I figured she would be able to stay here with the other children while the police search for her father."

Mrs. Cox had listened impassively while Will spoke, but now she turned to Nagini. "What is your name, girl?"

"Nagini," she replied quietly.

"Were you in the park?" A nod. "What were you doing?"

"Playing."

Mrs. Cox then turned to Will. "You say you found her alone?" This time he nodded. "What were you doing in the park, if I might ask?"

Will's mind raced. "I was walking home from work," he lied. Mrs. Cox stared at him for a second before turning back to Nagini.

"Where were your parents, Nagini?"

"I don't know," said Nagini.

"What do you mean you don't know?" asked Mrs. Cox gently.

"Daddy's gone. He coming back soon. He promised."

"He promised?" Nagini nodded.

"Well, what about your mother?" Mrs. Cox continued.

"No mummy," said Nagini shaking her head.

"So you were in the park alone?"

Nagini continued shaking her head. "Will play wi' me."

"I believe," Will interrupted, "that her father left her in the park and lied to her. I believe he told her that he would be coming back soon and that I was going to play with her, but I swear I've never seen this girl in my life!"

Mrs. Cox listened impassively to Will, and Nagini looked back and forth between the two of them, not following the conversation. After a moment, Mrs. Cox called, "Martha!"

The door opened almost immediately. "Yes, Mrs. Cox?" asked the woman who had brought them to the office.

"Get on the phone, and call the police. Tell them to send a couple officers over to take a report on child abandonment."

"Yes, Mrs. Cox. Right away." Martha left, and Mrs. Cox turned back to Will and Nagini.

"I find myself believing your story, Mr. Morrison," said Mrs. Cox. "After all if you were trying to abandon the girl, why would you bring her to the orphanage with this story?"

"Exactly," nodded Will.

"But," continued Mrs. Cox, "I'm afraid you'll need to stay here a bit longer. I'm sure the police would like to ask you a few questions to help track down this girl's parents."

"Of course," replied Will. "That's no problem at all." Inside, his heart was sinking. Hopefully, this wouldn't take too long. He really did need to get home.

Mrs. Cox then turned to Nagini. "Don't worry, Nagini. We'll find your father. I'm sure he was coming back for you in the park. It's just you can't stay there at night. It's not safe. But we'll find him. Don't worry."

Nagini stared back at Mrs. Cox with wide green eyes. "Daddy's coming back," she told her. "He promised."

"I know, dear. I'm sure he is."

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. The investigation had started off full-force but was slowing down until it reached a standstill. The police had taken down a description of Nagini and had placed Missing Child posters with her picture and contact information throughout the city. They had taken her locket from her, and Nagini had screamed and cried.

"No, no, no!" She screamed. "My locket! I wan' my locket!" The locket was her last connection to her father. She had been completely abandoned. Her father had left though he had promised to return. Will had left her at the orphanage without a backwards glance. Her father hadn't come back yet, and they were taking her locket away from her.

"Shh, shh," murmured Mrs. Cox. "You'll get it back. I promise. The police need it, though, to help them find your father."

"No," sobbed Nagini. "He coming back. He promised."

"I know, I know," whispered Mrs. Cox, holding Nagini in her arms and rocking her back and forth.

But the locket hadn't helped them. The police took it to all the jewelers in the city, and not one of them recognized it or could give any helpful advice. The police kept it, though; if someone came forward claiming to be Nagini's father, they would use the locket as a test to prove the man's identity.

But the weeks turned into months, and no one came forward. Then one day, Martha brought Nagini into Mrs. Cox's office. Mrs. Cox was waiting for her with three policemen.

"Unfortunately, we do have to close the investigation," one of the men was saying. "It seems like her father does not want to be found. And quite frankly, if the man abandons her, she shouldn't be living with him anyway. She'll be better off here."

They all looked up at the sound of the opening door and stopped talking.

"Thank you, Martha," Mrs. Cox said quietly. Martha nodded and set Nagini down in a chair facing the matron's desk. After Martha had left, closing the door behind her, Mrs. Cox turned to Nagini. "Nagini, I'm sorry, but we can't find your father. You're going to stay here with me and Martha and the rest of the children. Maybe your father will come for you one day, but I can't promise anything."

Nagini stared up at Mrs. Cox with wide green eyes, not understanding.

"Do you have the paperwork ready?" asked one of the officers.

Mrs. Cox nodded, and handed it to him. He looked it over than handed it back to her. "Everything seems to be in order. I still need to sign it to officially end the search for her father. I'll need your signature as well." Mrs. Cox signed where he indicated, and then the officer signed the form under her name.

Then he waved at one of the other officers who walked over to Nagini. He knelt down before her. "I'm sorry, little girl," he said, reaching into his pocket, "but I have something for you that I hope will make you feel better." He pulled out her locket and handed it to her.

Nagini snatched it out of his hand and clutched it to her chest. Ducking her head, she smiled. She had her locket back. Her father wasn't really gone, not yet. He promised he would be back, and he had never lied to her. And now, she had her locket back to prove it.

The officer ruffled her hair before getting up. "Good luck," he said, rejoining the others.

Mrs. Cox then pulled out another form. "Before you leave, officers, I'll need you to sign this to formally make her a ward and put her in the system." They nodded and waited silently as Mrs. Cox began filling out the form. She gestured for them to sign at the bottom, and as they did, she said, "Come here, Nagini."

Nagini hopped off her chair, placed the locket around her neck, and walked around the desk. Mrs. Cox took one of her hands, stuck a finger on an inkpad, and then pressed it onto the lower left-hand corner of the form. Nagini gripped her locket with one fist as Mrs. Cox then cleaned off her ink-stained finger.

"There you go, Nagini," she said with a small smile. "You are no longer Nagini No-name but Nagini Ferestael. Welcome to the orphanage."

That night Nagini lay in her bed in a room full of other girls that she didn't know. She had slept there for the past few months, but tonight was different because now she was staying. Martha had told her so when she brought her upstairs. "Sleep well, Nagini. Make friends with the other girls because you're going to be here a long time."

A long time, thought Nagini. They didn't think her father would come back for her. They had given up on him, but she hadn't. Even though it had been much longer than he said it would be, Nagini knew he would still come back. He had promised, and he never lied to her.

Nagini gripped her locket and cried into her pillow. She missed him; she felt so alone. She didn't know any of the other girls, and they all did their best to ignore her. Her sobs grew louder, and one of the other girls cried, "Shut up, newbie. The rest of us want to sleep."

Nagini buried her head in her pillow and continued to cry, albeit silently. Where was her father, she wondered. Why did he leave her? Why did he let her stay in this place where she didn't know anyone and where no one liked her?

Slowly, she drifted to sleep, still gripping her locket in one hand.

What do you think? Poor little Nagini, right? Ironic how she ends up in an orphanage just like her father, isn't it? Tell me all your thoughts by pressing that lovely blue button below :) ~Kasyntra