Eloise
Rating: PG-13
Author: Vanilla Twist
Disclaimer: NOT MINE!! (to see what does belong to me, look for what the bird left on the rock) Oh Well, I can always wish I was Joann Rowling right?
Chapter Two – The Worst Christmas
Christmas Eve, 1987
Eloise watched as snowflakes the size of golden snitches fell from the sky. She sat alone in her room staring blankly out of the small window her father made for her when she was much younger. She simply sat beside the window, watching the snow, and daydreaming about the Christmas Gifts she'd open in the morning. She was a perfectly happy little girl of seven, who had sparkling eyes and a sweet smile. Her long sandy-colored hair was braided into a neat plait and her emerald party dress SWOOSHED like her mother's when she spun in circles.
Loud voices came from downstairs, and little Eloise sighed. Her Momma was shouting again. That's all Colleen ever did anymore, shout and cry. There would be a new baby soon, but her Momma didn't care. Her Momma didn't care about anyone anymore, only about inheritance (whatever that was) and what the aunts thought.
"I HATE YOU!" Came Colleen's angry voice from downstairs. "I HATE YOU SO MUCH! ALL THAT YOU'VE EVER DONE IS RUIN ME! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY CALL ME?"
"Colleen." Shane's soothing voice drifted upstairs. "Calm down, please. The baby…"
"ISN'T YOURS!" Colleen shrieked.
Eloise shifted in her seat, the uncomfortable silence from her parents was broken by the resounding "CRACK" of Shane Midgen's fist colliding with his wife's jaw. Then again there was silence as though someone hit the mute button.
Eloise shivered and promptly slammed her window shut. The sound seemed to reawaken her parents downstairs. Colleen's sobs came, gut wrenching and fearful and the door slammed, indicating Shane had left. Eloise began checked the clock on her bedside table and saw it was nearly supper. She took a deep breath and began the trek down the stairs.
Colleen looked up as her daughter passed by the couch where she lay, let out a sniffle and beckoned her over.
"Sweet Eloise." Colleen began, voice like tired honey and laced with tears. "Could you do Momma a favor?"
The child nodded, eyes not leaving the angry red spot below her mother's eye, swelling larger by the moment.
"Please fetch me my wand, and an ice pack baby." Colleen winced, as though each word brought her more pain. "Then behind my mirror in the closet there's a suitcase, please take it to the door."
The girl nodded again, eyes fearful as her mother's breathing became more irregular.
"Momma are you okay?" She whispered. "You look sick. Is your baby coming?"
"No Ely, I'm fine." She replied weakly. "Don't let Daddy see the suitcase okay baby? It's important that Daddy doesn't know. He'll be angry. Your daddy is a bad man when he becomes angry."
Eloise nodded and did as her mother asked, and was just taking the suitcase from the bedroom when her father saw her.
"Eloise what are you doing?" He asked softly, resting a large hand on her shoulder. She flinched. He quickly drew back his hand.
"I see you've been talking to your mother." He said, voice flat. "She's trying to run again is she El? Well I'm sick of her bull. Go on up to bed, I'll deal with her."
"How will you deal with me precisely?" Colleen asked from the doorway. "I'm leaving Shane. I can't live here anymore. I tried to live with your kind, but it doesn't work. I'm going back with Mother."
Eloise turned away. Dropping the suitcase, she ran past Shane and into her mother's arms.
"Back to your boyfriend more likely." Shane's breath reeked of whiskey. "Go be his tramp. I don't care. Leave, but you leave my daughter here."
"Daddy, don't be cross." Eloise pleaded from Colleen's arms. "Just kiss and make up again."
"It's too late for that." Shane barked raising his wand. "Give me my daughter Colleen."
"NO!" Colleen sobbed as she held Eloise to her. "Shane PLEASE!"
He aimed his wand at Eloise and she covered her face in fear.
"Daddy NO!" She screamed.
"Accio Eloise!" His deep voice boomed.
Colleen sobbed.
"Stop it Wench!" He screamed in his drunken rage. "Crucio!"
Colleen crumbled to the ground in pain. Then she rose, wand in hand.
"Expelliarmus!" She shrieked through her sobs, seconds after Shane had yelled, "Stupefy!" The two spells met in midair and bounced off each other, one hitting the clock on the wall (which burst into flame.) the other hitting Eloise square in the face. She screamed and fell back, stunned.
(A/N – sorry to interrupt, but… ok, this is a story about Eloise Midgen, seen through her eyes (but told in the third person). It's my attempt at mixing my writing style with J.K. Rowling's. Okay?)
Christmas Day, 1987
"Enervate." A grim faced man dressed in lime robes bearing an emblem of a wand and bone crossed awaked Eloise.
"We have a live one here!" He hollered back. Eloise shook her head and looked around.
"Momma?" She asked. "Where's my Momma?"
The wizard ignored her question, and picked her up. He carried her outside the cottage to a kind faced woman, also wearing the lime robes.
"Deal with her Poppy." He said gruffly. "I must tend the deceased."
"Her parents?" The woman gasped.
Eloise couldn't see the man's face, but from the look of pity on the woman's face, she knew her parents were indeed deceased, whatever that meant.
"When will Momma be back from Deceased?" Eloise asked the woman after the man had left.
The woman smiled slightly, "What's your name dear?" She asked ignoring the question.
"Eloise Charlotte Midgen. Did Daddy go to Deceased too?" She asked.
"Hello Eloise Charlotte Midgen, my name is Poppy Pomphrey. How old are you?" She asked, violet clip bored in hand.
"I'm seven. How old are you?" She asked curiously. "And when are Momma and Daddy coming back?"
"Eloise, dear, Your Mother and father will not come back." She said, slightly impatiently. "They are deceased."
"Excuse me for being rude." Eloise said earnestly. "But I'd like to know where Deceased is so that I can find them."
"Deceased is not a place. Rather it is a state of…" Poppy began again.
"So its in America then?" She piped up happily. Momma always talked about The States. When can I go meet them?"
"Eloise, your parents are not of this world any longer." Poppy sniffed. "You will not meet them and they CANNOT come back."
"I don't understand." Eloise mumbled, fear in her eyes. "I'm all alone."
"Not all alone. You do have surviving relatives, correct?"
Eloise nodded though she wasn't exactly sure what the witch meant by "surviving relatives". All she wanted to do was to wake up and find that it was all a dream. She'd bound down the stairs to the tall fur tree her father had decorated for her and sees the lovely gifts from Saint Nicholas and her parents. She even would have been happy to see the Aunts tonight at the Christmas Ball the Spruce Family held. She'd twirl with her father in the newly pressed emerald dress Momma sewed for her. Then she'd smile sweetly at her grandmother who would give her chocolate lacquers for good behavior.
She didn't know or care how long she had been asleep, but when she woke next it was dark outside and she was being carried. She squeezed her eyes shut trying to pretend the arms holding her were her father's.
"My Little Princess." He'd whisper before pulling the covers to her chin and kissing her forehead. "My Eloise."
But she knew it wasn't Shane Midgen, He would carry her carefully in fear of hurting her. She squirmed uncomfortably.
"Awake, are you?" The man asked gruffly.
"Where are we going?" She asked him. He chuckled.
"Yeh never stop asking questions do yeh?" He smiled. "We're going to get the next portkey to your new place to live."
"Where would that be?" she asked.
"Spruce Garden's Estate. Your to live with yer 'aunts."
Author's Note -
Hey! Thanks for reading. Seems a bit darker huh? Any who I'm changing the rating from PG to PG-13 (big whoop right?) and I'm still in dire need of feedback!
I think I'll thank my reviewer!
OtterMoon – Thanks soooo much for reviewing!! I'm glad you like it and I really want to update more soon, too.
Don't be shy! Read AND review!!!!!
(This applies to you too sister dear!)
Love and plotful fluff!
~Vanilla Twist
