JKR owns the people and places, I own Karista and the dream.
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Chapter 27: Estranged Fathers who deserve to be burned
Nearly a month after the Quidditch match, Petrey fluttered into her room before she headed down to dinner. He looked unusually grave as he plopped the letter on Karista's bed.
Dear Karista
I hope that you are doing well, and while I'm at it, you might want to sit down. I realize that you do not like my relationship with Della Witter, as she his both a colleague and respected person at the New York City Hall offices. However, it is my duty to inform you that Della and I will be getting married, therefore, you will have to find other living arrangements, as Della already has five children. I have complete confidence that you can get a place to stay with your 'friends'. As for now, no summer arrangements can be made for we will be touring the US and as well as some European countries with her children for a honeymoon. You will, of course, still be supported financially. If no arrangements can be made, write me. I can fix that.
Regards,
Your father.
Karista held the note in her hand, as if it was ready to explode. A look of shock, confusion and anger spread across her face, mingling with an unbridled fury. Oh how she wanted to retaliate, and seek revenge against her father for how he treated her mother in the last seconds of her life. Now, it seemed that all her hopes of going back to New York were gone, including Softball. She laid herself back on her bed, and began doing something she resolved to try and never do again; cry.
It had been like this ever since she could remember. Her father noticing her to be not more than a fleck of dust on his perfect suits and leather, infecting his home and personal life. She couldn't stand it. She just can't believe that her mother, as kind and gentle as everyone said she was, could marry such an asshole. Although, if rumors were true, he became like this after Anna had died.
"Why me?" She sobbed into the sunset in the poster above her head. "Why can't anything go right?"
***
"If it serves my mind correctly, Karista probably received a letter of this sort before dinner, hence why she wasn't there," Dumbledore murmured, a sense of viciousness in his voice after reading the letter to the staff. It was much like the one Karista had received from her father, except it was addressed to Dumbledore. The staff sat shocked, not knowing whether to go to New York themselves and kill the offender, or run up and embrace Karista.
"Someone has to be really brave to live with a piece of…" Snape began, quickly lowering his voice. Lupin and Sirius were cracking their knuckles maliciously in the corner.
"Tell us where he lives," Sirius seethed, glancing at Lupin, who was all to eager too help.
"We'll go and dungbomb his house…maybe even burn it down," Lupin muttered angrily.
"Why would someone write something like that to a child?" Sprout asked, her eyes showing a great remorse.
"Well, I have a feeling that we should talk to Karista," Sirius said, calming down considerably. "Possibility is, if she is anything at all like Harry, that she is huddled up in her bed, seething with anger right about now.
Dumbledore seemed to agree with this, and turned to McGonagall.
"Please run up to Gryffindor tower and fetch Miss Flannigan," Dumbledore said, trying not to sound too dangerous. McGonagall nodded and left the room.
***
"Maybe if I just jumped out this window…and leave my wand behind, then maybe he will appreciate me," Karista sobbed, standing near the window. She leaned over and cracked it open enough to feel a slightly warm breeze creep through. "No…no I can't do it…where would Petrey go? What would Harry, Ron and Hermione do?"
She sat down in the bench seat, the note still clutched tightly in her hand. Everyone was at dinner, and she was nearly positive that they noticed she wasn't there and were probably worried about her.
"oh well, they'd be the only few," Karista murmured, watching as a few owls took flight into the sun off in the distance. A knock on the door startled her. "C-come in."
McGonagall slowly opened the door and crept in, shutting the door behind her.
"Karista, I am really sorry," she mumbled crossing the room.
"About what?" Karista asked, shocked. It was one thing if she could read minds, another thing if her father had sent a letter to the staff telling them.
"Your father…he sent us an owl," she murmured. Karista was enraged. He sent Dumbledore and the staff an identical letter? He embarrassed her in front of the whole school. That was probably his mission in life.
"HE SENT YOU A-A LETTER? HOW DARE HE!" Karista shrieked, nearly ripping the letter to shreds. McGonagall was beside herself with sadness. She slowly backed away from Karista, until she noticed Karista stand up and stick her foot out the window.
"NO! DON'T! HE'S NOT WORTH IT!" McGonagall cried, grabbing a hold on Karista's robes and jerking her inside, where she tumbled noisily to the floor. Karista began crying hard. Not because of the fall, but because of her father, her mother, the Della-bitch that was ruining her life.
"come with me, Miss Flannigan," McGonagall whimpered quietly. She helped Karista up and led her out the door.
***
"Well Sirius, you were close," McGonagall said quietly, yet the anger could be heard building up in her tone. "She tried to jump out of the window."
"WHAT?" Sirius yelped, hardly believing McGonagall's words. The teachers turned and looked, shocked, at the pale faced, red eyed normally striking blonde standing in the door way, looking as if someone had cut out her heart and fed it to an animal.
"I'm leaving," Karista muttered, turning to go. Lupin grabbed her robes and pulled her back inside, without a struggle.
"Why would you do that?" Dumbledore asked, walking over to her.
"Because…" Karista started, yet never finished.
"Because?" Flitwick squeaked in the corner.
"It isn't worth it. I can't play softball anymore, see my friends, go clubbing," Karista yelped as she curled up on the floor and began crying silently. She was trembling violently when Dumbledore spoke up.
"Someone fetch Harry," he murmured, bending down to brush the hair out of her face. Sirius ran from the office and when he returned five minutes later, he was following a bright faced and out of breath Harry.
"What's wro-," Harry began, yet he dropped to the floor once he saw Karista, and held her.
"It's not fair!" Wailed Karista, the note dropping from her hands and fluttering to the ground. Her head was buried in Harry's shoulder, his hands caressing her back slowly, trying to calm her down.
"It's okay…you will be all right. Everyone here loves you," Harry murmured in her ear. "You have Ron, and Hermione, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Fred, George, Sirius, Lupin, the whole Gryffindor house…even in a strange way, Draco…and me," Harry added, as an afterthought. This made Karista chuckle slightly into his shoulder. "And I'll never let anything happen to you."
Karista looked up into his eyes, and instantly all of her sadness melted away. She could feel Harry's heartbeat, and that was all the reassurance she needed.
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Chapter 27: Estranged Fathers who deserve to be burned
Nearly a month after the Quidditch match, Petrey fluttered into her room before she headed down to dinner. He looked unusually grave as he plopped the letter on Karista's bed.
Dear Karista
I hope that you are doing well, and while I'm at it, you might want to sit down. I realize that you do not like my relationship with Della Witter, as she his both a colleague and respected person at the New York City Hall offices. However, it is my duty to inform you that Della and I will be getting married, therefore, you will have to find other living arrangements, as Della already has five children. I have complete confidence that you can get a place to stay with your 'friends'. As for now, no summer arrangements can be made for we will be touring the US and as well as some European countries with her children for a honeymoon. You will, of course, still be supported financially. If no arrangements can be made, write me. I can fix that.
Regards,
Your father.
Karista held the note in her hand, as if it was ready to explode. A look of shock, confusion and anger spread across her face, mingling with an unbridled fury. Oh how she wanted to retaliate, and seek revenge against her father for how he treated her mother in the last seconds of her life. Now, it seemed that all her hopes of going back to New York were gone, including Softball. She laid herself back on her bed, and began doing something she resolved to try and never do again; cry.
It had been like this ever since she could remember. Her father noticing her to be not more than a fleck of dust on his perfect suits and leather, infecting his home and personal life. She couldn't stand it. She just can't believe that her mother, as kind and gentle as everyone said she was, could marry such an asshole. Although, if rumors were true, he became like this after Anna had died.
"Why me?" She sobbed into the sunset in the poster above her head. "Why can't anything go right?"
***
"If it serves my mind correctly, Karista probably received a letter of this sort before dinner, hence why she wasn't there," Dumbledore murmured, a sense of viciousness in his voice after reading the letter to the staff. It was much like the one Karista had received from her father, except it was addressed to Dumbledore. The staff sat shocked, not knowing whether to go to New York themselves and kill the offender, or run up and embrace Karista.
"Someone has to be really brave to live with a piece of…" Snape began, quickly lowering his voice. Lupin and Sirius were cracking their knuckles maliciously in the corner.
"Tell us where he lives," Sirius seethed, glancing at Lupin, who was all to eager too help.
"We'll go and dungbomb his house…maybe even burn it down," Lupin muttered angrily.
"Why would someone write something like that to a child?" Sprout asked, her eyes showing a great remorse.
"Well, I have a feeling that we should talk to Karista," Sirius said, calming down considerably. "Possibility is, if she is anything at all like Harry, that she is huddled up in her bed, seething with anger right about now.
Dumbledore seemed to agree with this, and turned to McGonagall.
"Please run up to Gryffindor tower and fetch Miss Flannigan," Dumbledore said, trying not to sound too dangerous. McGonagall nodded and left the room.
***
"Maybe if I just jumped out this window…and leave my wand behind, then maybe he will appreciate me," Karista sobbed, standing near the window. She leaned over and cracked it open enough to feel a slightly warm breeze creep through. "No…no I can't do it…where would Petrey go? What would Harry, Ron and Hermione do?"
She sat down in the bench seat, the note still clutched tightly in her hand. Everyone was at dinner, and she was nearly positive that they noticed she wasn't there and were probably worried about her.
"oh well, they'd be the only few," Karista murmured, watching as a few owls took flight into the sun off in the distance. A knock on the door startled her. "C-come in."
McGonagall slowly opened the door and crept in, shutting the door behind her.
"Karista, I am really sorry," she mumbled crossing the room.
"About what?" Karista asked, shocked. It was one thing if she could read minds, another thing if her father had sent a letter to the staff telling them.
"Your father…he sent us an owl," she murmured. Karista was enraged. He sent Dumbledore and the staff an identical letter? He embarrassed her in front of the whole school. That was probably his mission in life.
"HE SENT YOU A-A LETTER? HOW DARE HE!" Karista shrieked, nearly ripping the letter to shreds. McGonagall was beside herself with sadness. She slowly backed away from Karista, until she noticed Karista stand up and stick her foot out the window.
"NO! DON'T! HE'S NOT WORTH IT!" McGonagall cried, grabbing a hold on Karista's robes and jerking her inside, where she tumbled noisily to the floor. Karista began crying hard. Not because of the fall, but because of her father, her mother, the Della-bitch that was ruining her life.
"come with me, Miss Flannigan," McGonagall whimpered quietly. She helped Karista up and led her out the door.
***
"Well Sirius, you were close," McGonagall said quietly, yet the anger could be heard building up in her tone. "She tried to jump out of the window."
"WHAT?" Sirius yelped, hardly believing McGonagall's words. The teachers turned and looked, shocked, at the pale faced, red eyed normally striking blonde standing in the door way, looking as if someone had cut out her heart and fed it to an animal.
"I'm leaving," Karista muttered, turning to go. Lupin grabbed her robes and pulled her back inside, without a struggle.
"Why would you do that?" Dumbledore asked, walking over to her.
"Because…" Karista started, yet never finished.
"Because?" Flitwick squeaked in the corner.
"It isn't worth it. I can't play softball anymore, see my friends, go clubbing," Karista yelped as she curled up on the floor and began crying silently. She was trembling violently when Dumbledore spoke up.
"Someone fetch Harry," he murmured, bending down to brush the hair out of her face. Sirius ran from the office and when he returned five minutes later, he was following a bright faced and out of breath Harry.
"What's wro-," Harry began, yet he dropped to the floor once he saw Karista, and held her.
"It's not fair!" Wailed Karista, the note dropping from her hands and fluttering to the ground. Her head was buried in Harry's shoulder, his hands caressing her back slowly, trying to calm her down.
"It's okay…you will be all right. Everyone here loves you," Harry murmured in her ear. "You have Ron, and Hermione, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Fred, George, Sirius, Lupin, the whole Gryffindor house…even in a strange way, Draco…and me," Harry added, as an afterthought. This made Karista chuckle slightly into his shoulder. "And I'll never let anything happen to you."
Karista looked up into his eyes, and instantly all of her sadness melted away. She could feel Harry's heartbeat, and that was all the reassurance she needed.