Kay stared at the screen before her, taking in the empty space with bemused eyes. Playing idly with a spring of ringletly hair, she allowed her fingers to hover aimlessly over the buttons for a moment, then began to type, slowly at first, then gradually getting quicker and quicker, her hands flying deftly over the keyboard until they transformed into blurs. However, as soon as she started, she was forced to stop, as a lean, willowy woman at the door poked her head in, laughing lightly at her.
Kay stopped and scowled at her mum, subtly turning the computer screen so the writing on it was hidden. Her mother, however, didn't miss a beat, and only stepped into the room. She had long since grown used to her daughters immense privacy issues, and had also long since accepted them. She only smiled as Kay frowned at her, and leant against the wall.
"What d'you want, Mum?" snapped Kay in a voice of long-suffering, but it didn't really have an effect on Hermione. Looking at her there, Kay could see why lots of people thought they looked alike, but she could never understand why they thought they were similar. Hermione's hair seemed to form some kind of explosion, frizzy curls sticking out at all angles, whereas Kay's hair, although curly, formed more smooth, controlled ringlets that tumbled down her back. Hermione had dark brown eyes that much resembled those of a puppy-dogs, but Kay had stormy, grey blue eyes that glared at you fiercely. She was always very defensive and snappy at anyone and everything, and seemed to never of inherited her mum's easy going nature. In the cold light of day, the two were nothing alike.
"Just wanted to check that I still have a daughter, hon" sighed her mum wearily, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Well, you've checked, so can you go now?" Kay snapped, and turned back to her computer. "I've got things to do." Her mum turned and left without a word, but Kay didn't continue typing. She sat there, reading and re-reading what she'd written so far over and over, a mere three lines. Then she sighed exasperatedly and deleted it all. There was no point in keeping it. No-one could understand.
Meanwhile downstairs in the kitchen, her mum had started to cry into her boyfriends shoulder, Kay's step-dad.
"I tried to talk to her" she was whispering into the strong arms of Ron, who seemed to be fighting back the tears as well "But she- she's so defensive! Won't let anyone get near her! She re-reminds me of- him!"
Ron swallowed two or three times before asking in a tremulous voice "Who, 'Mione? Who this time?"
Hermione's face screwed up, holding her breath, then she let it out hoarsely and breathed "I can't remember. I can't remember his name! I can barely remember what he looks like, Merlin help me! I can't remember the name of my little girls father!" Then sobs were crawling out of her mouth and she cried wretchedly, biting her knuckles in desperation, allowing the tears to trek their short life down her cheeks before plopping into her lap and clenched fists. She cried tears of anger, guilt, and self pity, her normally happy eyes squeezed closed. Ron gently took her hand from her mouth, but she strained against him. She needed the pain, help her, she needed the pain to remind her she wasn't all but an empty shell, feeling nothing but misery. Before Ron had come into her life, she had always felt she was stuck in a dark pit, dead end in a maze that simply revolved in a circle, no way out, no way in. All she had had was Kay, who seemed to be in another maze of her own, a maze that revolved differently from everyone else's. Then, out of the blue, Ron had appeared, wonderful, life saving Ron. He had taken her hand and guided her into sense of direction, one of almost peace. He was still there now, clutching her hand, promising he would never leave her. But what kept drawing her back to her dark hole was Kay.
"Hermione? Please don't cry. You'll make me cry!" Ron's sweet, dopey face came into her line of vision, and she smiled weakly. From somewhere in the depths of her memory she recalled a hard, muscled chest, and strong arms encircling her, drawing her closer, further, deeper... Flash. She was looking into a pair of proud grey eyes across the room, her knees were weakening just seeing them... Flash. A gentle, masculine voice was murmuring words of love and happiness into her ear, the feeling of someone rubbing her arms was shooting tingles up her spine... Flash. She was holding baby Kay in her arms, screaming at someone to come back, nurses were staring and whispering but she couldn't care less, tears were flooding down her cheeks as she watched an anonymous shadow slip out through the door, and no matter how hard she screamed she knew he wasn't coming back... Flash. She was looking back into Ron's distressed blue eyes now, back to reality. He was shaking her gently, pleading her to talk to him, but his voice sounded muffled and far away. She looked at him and knew she loved him, but somewhere in her heart a voice was telling her she had once loved someone more than him, with a love that burned with all the passion in her soul. He must never know this. It would kill him.
"I'm ok, babe," she whispered throatily, though she knew she was anything but. It didn't matter. As long as she could pretend, it was ok.
Upstairs, still at the computer Kay buried her face in her hands, yet her strong ocean eyes remained dry. She was a whole lot stronger than her mother, she knew, and had always considered crying a weakness, perhaps because Hermione did it such a lot. She also knew a lot of things she wasn't supposed to know. She knew Ron wasn't her real father. Merlin, even if she hadn't found her birth certificate when she was nine she would of known that. She only had to take one look in the mirror to know she wasn't a Weasley. Then she knew she was a witch. A pretty damn powerful one at that too, but she had to conceal her powers from her mother carefully, because she would be shocked and appalled to find out what her precious little girl could do. She didn't need a wand. She scorned them, pathetic pieces of wood to be waved around stupidly in the air like some kind of toy! Her eleven year old mind told her that this wasn't natural, that most witches had wands as a necessity, not a toy, but then an older, deeper part of herself told her not to worry. She was different. Always had been, always would be. It was the way she was.
Swinging her legs over the back of her chair, she stood up, and regarded herself in the mirror. It made her skin crawl when people remarked she looked 'Just like Hermione', even though she could see the resemblance. At first glance, she could be her mothers twin. At a second glance they looked slightly different. At third they could be strangers.
She crossed the room, heading for the window, and stared out over the rooftops. It was a pretty suburban area where she lived, but so ordinary. So pathetically muggle. Looking over into her neighbours garden, she watched as their little girl, Helen, raced round with their dog Bertie, shrieking in her horrible high pitched childish tone, the sound cutting through the peaceful autumn air. It made Kay shudder in disgust to think that one day after Ron and her mums baby was born, she might have a brother or a sister like that. Yeuch. No thanks, she murmured, smiling a little as Helen tripped over the dogs paw and now lay howling on the grass, her fat little legs waving in the air like branches in the wind.
She could picture Hermione's face if she told her she knew she was pregnant. Oh, Kay knew, and she had known for a long time. She had known before Hermione herself had been 100% sure, since the very first time she had thrown up in the morning. She had spotted the plump little bulge forming on her mums stomach, and knew that Hermione would have to come to tell her soon. Sometimes it made Kay's mind buzz by knowing all these things, sometimes it gave her a faint sense of pride.
She drew away from the window, and bent before her snakes tank, gazing in at those glistening golden coils with reverence and respect shining in her eyes. Sensing her, the snake drew up its sharp, angular head and poked out its forked tongue, testing the air for food. Clever, black eyes regarded her for a moment, then sunk back down into its leaves, drawing itself into a submissive pose, flickering its tongue wickedly at her. She pointed her own tongue back out at her, hissing faintly as she did. An exchange of greetings, though sometimes she wished she knew what her snake was really saying. But her instincts told her this was a power she could never learn, and she accepted it.
A sudden clatter of talons on the windowsill made her look up sharply. She let out a faint low hiss as a magnificent eagle owl flapped its wings at her, craving attention, then stuck out its leg. She could see from here the paper tied round it, and she crossed over to it, deft fingers unravelling it. The moment it was released of its burden, the owl turned and glided away, obviously anxious to escape the snakes penetrating gaze, and Kay looked at the envelope in her hand. She raised her eyebrows in surprise at the address.
Miss Kay Granger. 8 Pursley Gardens. Little Whinging. Smallest Bedroom. Snake Tank.
She glanced up at Sarwin, which was what she usually called her snake, and looked back at envelope. Should she get her mother, she wondered, or Ron? No. That was not a good idea. This she could handle herself. Taking a deep breath she slit the seal on the other side and slid out the contents, biting her lip slightly. She shook open the letter impatiently, then relaxed at what she read. No surprise. Her Hogwarts letter. She'd been expecting it for a while, but what was she going to tell Hermione? Hermione, who didn't know that she already knew she was a witch? Deciding to take the bull by its horns at once, she whipped round and jogged down the stairs, keeping the letter with her.
She halted at the closed kitchen door, biting her lip again. She knew what a closed door meant. Her mother was crying. No point in closing the door really. She tried to push it open, but it refused to give way, and she ground her teeth in rage. Why were they pushing her out? She was still a part of her mothers life! Clenching the parchment in a ball she shouted out "Mother, OPEN THIS DOOR!"
It flew open immediately, but it wasn't Hermione, it was Ron. She looked up at him in distaste. She didn't know why Hermione used to tell her he was her Daddy, it was as clear as clear could be he didn't want her around.
He looked at her in obvious annoyance "Mum's a bit upset," he told her in a low voice "I don't think she'll appreciate being yelled at!"
Kay glared at him. God, he was so frustrating! Not even bothering with a reply, she shoved roughly past him, ducking under his arms, and ran nimbly towards her soggy wreck of a mum.
"K-Kay" her Mum attempted a weak smile, but failed miserably "Wh-what's up?"
Kay looked at her in distress. No matter how many times she was snappy and defensive around Hermione, she really couldn't stand to see her cry, and she stood by her side, silently giving her the letter, and she took it with an almost limp hand. She only had to read the first line to smile and hug her daughter, telling her she was so glad she was a witch, and she knew it would be a shock but not to worry, she would love it at Hogwarts once she settled in.
Kay let it all wash over her, her mind going into overdrive. Suddenly she realised just what it meant, being accepted to Hogwarts, leaving home, leaving Hermione. Then she looked round her and smiled. She wouldn't miss this place one bit. This was her dream, to go somewhere and be her own person, away from her suffocating mother, away from nosy and unbearable Ron. She hugged her mother back for the first time in months, and couldn't help but grin.
This was going to be quite a year.
000oooooo0000000oooooo00000000
Well, that was unexpected! I'd love a review, really I would, I only need one person to tell me its ok and I'll write another chapter! Or maybe I'll write one anyway. Whatever. Please review! Muffins to you if you do!
Kay stopped and scowled at her mum, subtly turning the computer screen so the writing on it was hidden. Her mother, however, didn't miss a beat, and only stepped into the room. She had long since grown used to her daughters immense privacy issues, and had also long since accepted them. She only smiled as Kay frowned at her, and leant against the wall.
"What d'you want, Mum?" snapped Kay in a voice of long-suffering, but it didn't really have an effect on Hermione. Looking at her there, Kay could see why lots of people thought they looked alike, but she could never understand why they thought they were similar. Hermione's hair seemed to form some kind of explosion, frizzy curls sticking out at all angles, whereas Kay's hair, although curly, formed more smooth, controlled ringlets that tumbled down her back. Hermione had dark brown eyes that much resembled those of a puppy-dogs, but Kay had stormy, grey blue eyes that glared at you fiercely. She was always very defensive and snappy at anyone and everything, and seemed to never of inherited her mum's easy going nature. In the cold light of day, the two were nothing alike.
"Just wanted to check that I still have a daughter, hon" sighed her mum wearily, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Well, you've checked, so can you go now?" Kay snapped, and turned back to her computer. "I've got things to do." Her mum turned and left without a word, but Kay didn't continue typing. She sat there, reading and re-reading what she'd written so far over and over, a mere three lines. Then she sighed exasperatedly and deleted it all. There was no point in keeping it. No-one could understand.
Meanwhile downstairs in the kitchen, her mum had started to cry into her boyfriends shoulder, Kay's step-dad.
"I tried to talk to her" she was whispering into the strong arms of Ron, who seemed to be fighting back the tears as well "But she- she's so defensive! Won't let anyone get near her! She re-reminds me of- him!"
Ron swallowed two or three times before asking in a tremulous voice "Who, 'Mione? Who this time?"
Hermione's face screwed up, holding her breath, then she let it out hoarsely and breathed "I can't remember. I can't remember his name! I can barely remember what he looks like, Merlin help me! I can't remember the name of my little girls father!" Then sobs were crawling out of her mouth and she cried wretchedly, biting her knuckles in desperation, allowing the tears to trek their short life down her cheeks before plopping into her lap and clenched fists. She cried tears of anger, guilt, and self pity, her normally happy eyes squeezed closed. Ron gently took her hand from her mouth, but she strained against him. She needed the pain, help her, she needed the pain to remind her she wasn't all but an empty shell, feeling nothing but misery. Before Ron had come into her life, she had always felt she was stuck in a dark pit, dead end in a maze that simply revolved in a circle, no way out, no way in. All she had had was Kay, who seemed to be in another maze of her own, a maze that revolved differently from everyone else's. Then, out of the blue, Ron had appeared, wonderful, life saving Ron. He had taken her hand and guided her into sense of direction, one of almost peace. He was still there now, clutching her hand, promising he would never leave her. But what kept drawing her back to her dark hole was Kay.
"Hermione? Please don't cry. You'll make me cry!" Ron's sweet, dopey face came into her line of vision, and she smiled weakly. From somewhere in the depths of her memory she recalled a hard, muscled chest, and strong arms encircling her, drawing her closer, further, deeper... Flash. She was looking into a pair of proud grey eyes across the room, her knees were weakening just seeing them... Flash. A gentle, masculine voice was murmuring words of love and happiness into her ear, the feeling of someone rubbing her arms was shooting tingles up her spine... Flash. She was holding baby Kay in her arms, screaming at someone to come back, nurses were staring and whispering but she couldn't care less, tears were flooding down her cheeks as she watched an anonymous shadow slip out through the door, and no matter how hard she screamed she knew he wasn't coming back... Flash. She was looking back into Ron's distressed blue eyes now, back to reality. He was shaking her gently, pleading her to talk to him, but his voice sounded muffled and far away. She looked at him and knew she loved him, but somewhere in her heart a voice was telling her she had once loved someone more than him, with a love that burned with all the passion in her soul. He must never know this. It would kill him.
"I'm ok, babe," she whispered throatily, though she knew she was anything but. It didn't matter. As long as she could pretend, it was ok.
Upstairs, still at the computer Kay buried her face in her hands, yet her strong ocean eyes remained dry. She was a whole lot stronger than her mother, she knew, and had always considered crying a weakness, perhaps because Hermione did it such a lot. She also knew a lot of things she wasn't supposed to know. She knew Ron wasn't her real father. Merlin, even if she hadn't found her birth certificate when she was nine she would of known that. She only had to take one look in the mirror to know she wasn't a Weasley. Then she knew she was a witch. A pretty damn powerful one at that too, but she had to conceal her powers from her mother carefully, because she would be shocked and appalled to find out what her precious little girl could do. She didn't need a wand. She scorned them, pathetic pieces of wood to be waved around stupidly in the air like some kind of toy! Her eleven year old mind told her that this wasn't natural, that most witches had wands as a necessity, not a toy, but then an older, deeper part of herself told her not to worry. She was different. Always had been, always would be. It was the way she was.
Swinging her legs over the back of her chair, she stood up, and regarded herself in the mirror. It made her skin crawl when people remarked she looked 'Just like Hermione', even though she could see the resemblance. At first glance, she could be her mothers twin. At a second glance they looked slightly different. At third they could be strangers.
She crossed the room, heading for the window, and stared out over the rooftops. It was a pretty suburban area where she lived, but so ordinary. So pathetically muggle. Looking over into her neighbours garden, she watched as their little girl, Helen, raced round with their dog Bertie, shrieking in her horrible high pitched childish tone, the sound cutting through the peaceful autumn air. It made Kay shudder in disgust to think that one day after Ron and her mums baby was born, she might have a brother or a sister like that. Yeuch. No thanks, she murmured, smiling a little as Helen tripped over the dogs paw and now lay howling on the grass, her fat little legs waving in the air like branches in the wind.
She could picture Hermione's face if she told her she knew she was pregnant. Oh, Kay knew, and she had known for a long time. She had known before Hermione herself had been 100% sure, since the very first time she had thrown up in the morning. She had spotted the plump little bulge forming on her mums stomach, and knew that Hermione would have to come to tell her soon. Sometimes it made Kay's mind buzz by knowing all these things, sometimes it gave her a faint sense of pride.
She drew away from the window, and bent before her snakes tank, gazing in at those glistening golden coils with reverence and respect shining in her eyes. Sensing her, the snake drew up its sharp, angular head and poked out its forked tongue, testing the air for food. Clever, black eyes regarded her for a moment, then sunk back down into its leaves, drawing itself into a submissive pose, flickering its tongue wickedly at her. She pointed her own tongue back out at her, hissing faintly as she did. An exchange of greetings, though sometimes she wished she knew what her snake was really saying. But her instincts told her this was a power she could never learn, and she accepted it.
A sudden clatter of talons on the windowsill made her look up sharply. She let out a faint low hiss as a magnificent eagle owl flapped its wings at her, craving attention, then stuck out its leg. She could see from here the paper tied round it, and she crossed over to it, deft fingers unravelling it. The moment it was released of its burden, the owl turned and glided away, obviously anxious to escape the snakes penetrating gaze, and Kay looked at the envelope in her hand. She raised her eyebrows in surprise at the address.
Miss Kay Granger. 8 Pursley Gardens. Little Whinging. Smallest Bedroom. Snake Tank.
She glanced up at Sarwin, which was what she usually called her snake, and looked back at envelope. Should she get her mother, she wondered, or Ron? No. That was not a good idea. This she could handle herself. Taking a deep breath she slit the seal on the other side and slid out the contents, biting her lip slightly. She shook open the letter impatiently, then relaxed at what she read. No surprise. Her Hogwarts letter. She'd been expecting it for a while, but what was she going to tell Hermione? Hermione, who didn't know that she already knew she was a witch? Deciding to take the bull by its horns at once, she whipped round and jogged down the stairs, keeping the letter with her.
She halted at the closed kitchen door, biting her lip again. She knew what a closed door meant. Her mother was crying. No point in closing the door really. She tried to push it open, but it refused to give way, and she ground her teeth in rage. Why were they pushing her out? She was still a part of her mothers life! Clenching the parchment in a ball she shouted out "Mother, OPEN THIS DOOR!"
It flew open immediately, but it wasn't Hermione, it was Ron. She looked up at him in distaste. She didn't know why Hermione used to tell her he was her Daddy, it was as clear as clear could be he didn't want her around.
He looked at her in obvious annoyance "Mum's a bit upset," he told her in a low voice "I don't think she'll appreciate being yelled at!"
Kay glared at him. God, he was so frustrating! Not even bothering with a reply, she shoved roughly past him, ducking under his arms, and ran nimbly towards her soggy wreck of a mum.
"K-Kay" her Mum attempted a weak smile, but failed miserably "Wh-what's up?"
Kay looked at her in distress. No matter how many times she was snappy and defensive around Hermione, she really couldn't stand to see her cry, and she stood by her side, silently giving her the letter, and she took it with an almost limp hand. She only had to read the first line to smile and hug her daughter, telling her she was so glad she was a witch, and she knew it would be a shock but not to worry, she would love it at Hogwarts once she settled in.
Kay let it all wash over her, her mind going into overdrive. Suddenly she realised just what it meant, being accepted to Hogwarts, leaving home, leaving Hermione. Then she looked round her and smiled. She wouldn't miss this place one bit. This was her dream, to go somewhere and be her own person, away from her suffocating mother, away from nosy and unbearable Ron. She hugged her mother back for the first time in months, and couldn't help but grin.
This was going to be quite a year.
000oooooo0000000oooooo00000000
Well, that was unexpected! I'd love a review, really I would, I only need one person to tell me its ok and I'll write another chapter! Or maybe I'll write one anyway. Whatever. Please review! Muffins to you if you do!