December
Nine-year old Melissa Lune-Hawkins sighed, staring out the window of her sixth grade class (in the Bobbins Academy for Wizarding Children). She was the daughter of Selene Lune, and someone else. She knew it wasn't her step-father Arius Hawkins, but she wished she was. Maybe then he would love her as much as his own sons Morticus (17), and Anthony (13).
*Mom won't tell me who my real dad is,* she thought bitterly, *and everybody are always whispering about how my father is a criminal. He must be a Muggle in prison somewhere.* Strange, the only she had ever heard about her father was that she had received her blue eyes from him. No wonder she was so scorned by all the other children, all pure-bloods! She was half-and-half, and they were despised just as much as those Muggle-born.
This is
my December
This is my time of the year
This is my December
This is all so clear
Hilda Merriwakies, the sixth grade teacher, took an uneasy
glance at the petite form of her youngest pupil, staring out the window at the
falling December snow. From the moment she had seen her, Hilda had known
there was something different about her. And she was right. Not too
soon afterward, word got out among the teachers; the daughter of Sirius Black –
the great murderer of 1981, Voldemort's second-hand man – had come to
Bobbins. But it wasn't just that that made her different. At first
she had been a happy child, smart, unusually bright, so bright that she had
skipped a year. But by fourth grade, she changed. No longer was she
cheery and talkative, but sullen and quiet. Years of the other children
making fun of her and ignoring her had taken its toll.
Just wish that I didn't feel like there was something I missed
Just wish that I didn't feel like there was something I missed
They had made her an outcast, and she didn't even know why. Could it be that she had no idea who her father was?
Then, in fifth grade, she met Neville Longbottom, an outsider like herself. He had been cast out because of his poor school performance, his unconfidence. One day at recess (according to the teacher standing watch) the boys started to make fun of him, then began to beat him up. Melissa, standing nearby, snapped. She ran over to them, yelling at them.
"STOP IT!!!" They ignored her as always. Silent,
she pointed at them. At first nothing happened, then the ground shook
slightly. They rose off the ground, hanging in mid-air twenty feet off
the ground. She took one look at them, a look at Neville, grabbed his had
and ran. It took an hour for the staff to get the boys down.
Melissa was given a week's worth of detention. A fragile bond of
friendship was forged between the two, and they remained steadfast companions
until their acceptance into Hogwarts.
This is my December
This is my snow covered home
This is my December
This is me alone
Now more than ever the children avoided her. Sadly,
Neville and Melissa were in different classes. But they stood up for each
other at recess. The boys left Neville alone only because they knew if
they did anything to him, they would suffer her wrath.
(And I)
Just wish that I didn't feel, like there was something I missed
(And I)
Take back all the things I said to make you feel like that
(And I)
Just wish that I didn't feel, like there was something I missed
(And I)
Take back all the things that I said to you
Strangely, Draco Malfoy grudgingly accepted her power, and a rivalry grew. Both were smart, and they tried their best to outdo each other in class and feats of athleticism. Naturally, being a boy, Draco was better at sports. But Melissa was still better at academics, and so they pushed each other farther and farther.
And I'd give it all away
Just to have somewhere to go to
Give it all away
To have someone to come home to
*At least I have Neville,* Melissa thought, *At least I have
my family.* What would she do without them? When she got home, she
would tell them about her day. At night she would discuss the injustices
of the world with Anthony, and he would hold her as she cried. Around
them she could be herself.
This is my December
These are my snow covered trees
This is me pretending
This is all I need
The Hawkins' tried to pretend everything was okay. They always told her that tomorrow would never stop coming, that even though life was hard, it would go on. And someday it would be better.
(And I)
Just wish that I didn't feel, like there was something I missed
(And I)
Take back all the things I said to make you feel like that
(And I)
Just wish that I didn't feel, like there was something I missed
(And I)
Take back all the things that I said to you
Having adopted the daughter of Sirius Black had been hard on Arius. He had once been a respectable man of high social standing. His ambitions – becoming head of the department of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts - were no longer fully possible because of her.
And
I'd give it all away
Just to have somewhere to go to
Give it all away
To have someone to come home to
He tried not to take it out on her, but sometimes it was
hard not to. He was strict on her, sometimes a little too strict, whereas
he was more easygoing on Anthony and Morticus. It seemed that he favored
them, but it wasn't true; he loved her as if she were his own. He wished
that the world wouldn't be so cruel to her, so then maybe she could be
happy. Over the years he had watched her as she grew up too fast.
This is my December
This is my time of the year
This is my December
This is all so clear
Hilda wondered that if Melissa ever became a monster like her father, would it be their fault? Maybe they could have done something different. After all, they had changed this young girl with hair the color of red wine from a child of this world to something otherworldly. But it was too late. In another year the child would be going to Hogwarts, and coming into her own as a member of the wizarding community, but still an outsider. It was cruel, how she had done nothing wrong except exist.
*My God!* Hilda realized, *She'll be in the same year as Harry Potter!* What would happen? Surely nothing good could come of their meeting.
Give it all away
Just to have somewhere to go to
Give it all away
To have someone to come home to
To have someone to come home to
Only the future could tell.
So, what do you think? What should I do with Melissa? I'll take any reasonable suggestions. No flames please! But if you are going to flame me, at least tell me what I can do better. Thanks,
Author of Doom: Storm