Forbidden
A/N: This story will begin with the first two chapters written in first person. The first in the point of view of Holly, my original character, and the second in the point of view of Draco. After that, the chapters shall be written in third person, like the actual Harry Potter books.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or ideas. The only part I own is my character, Holly Willow/Black and the story line to this. I would like to thank all my role-playing buddies for letting me feature their characters, Lily, Wyatt, Adrianna, Tyler, Dani, Willow and Opal, in this story.
Finally, I would like to thank my wonderful betas, Cassie and Adrianna. Cassie is not only a wonderful beta but also a wonderful friend and Adrianna is a wonderful beta and a wonderful role-playing friend. : P She actually owns Adrianna Curro, so thanks to her for letting me use her character in my story.
-x-
If I were to describe my life in three words, they would be loss, grief and misery, with the occasional flame of hope or glimpse of happiness. People have often described me of 'living in a fairy tale world' but they do not see what I see nor do they bear the sadness and guilt that I bear and I think that perhaps if they were to have my life for just an hour, they would regret ever saying that. After all, I am not ignorant to the world around me… I know what is happening… about the war that has already divided the wizarding world… about the fact that you cannot have happiness with out the pain of sadness… no, instead, I choose to pretend that it is not happening or at least that it is happening to someone else and not to me.
My life began fairly normal. I was born into a loving family, where everyone cared and helped everyone else and although I often wondered about the absence of my father, I never really let it bother me… and why should it? I had a mother and two older sisters, who had more than enough love and adoration to give me. The years seemed to fly by; I learnt to walk and talk and eventually write my own name, though I often got the 'y' back to front, but the sense of self-pride was still there. Then the whirlwind of happiness, love and joy that was my life just seemed to vanish, snatched away from me forever and without an explanation or reason to comfort me. I was only four. No child should ever have to endure the pain of losing a loved one but having to lose three loved ones and at such a young age is three times the pain and three more empty spaces that won't ever be filled in the heart.
It was then that I was sent to live with my aunt and uncle. Although I had a very close relationship with my twin cousins, I never did seem to bond with my Auntie Susan. Uncle Bob was not around much so I did not really know him enough to judge him, though I doubt he would have been any different from Aunt Susan, who spent day and night nagging me for one thing or another. So you can imagine the relief I felt when I received my Hogwarts letter and could finally get away from the hell that I had been forced to call 'home.'
I have now been at Hogwarts for six years and I am proud to say that I am a Gryffindor at Heart. Like a typical Gryffindor, I consider all Slytherins worthless, cruel and cold-hearted and I refuse to give them the time of day, except when in a rather heated argument. When I first started at Hogwarts, I would not exactly have categorized myself as 'popular'… more rather as lonely. For two years the only friends I had were my cousins until in a sudden turn of fortune, a new girl arrived at Hogwarts. Now unlike the other students I saw at the Sorting Ceremony, she was not eleven years old but instead thirteen like me. She was also sorted into Gryffindor and I learned that 'she' was actually Lily Phelps and my newfound best friend. I found that unlike with other people, I could truly relate to Lily, for she had been through almost as much as I had and was no stranger to death or heartbreak. I opened up to her as I had to no other and I suddenly discovered a new side of my personality. The kind and caring Holly who I'd never had the fortune of meeting before… suddenly I had a bunch of friends, who seemed to prefer my new personality to the old one… I had two new best friends as well as Lily, Wyatt O'Riley and Opal Elliott, and even a few other friends, like Tyler Abelli, Willow Starlight, Adrianna Curro and Dani Halliwell.
It finally looked like my life was turning around and like a fool I dared to hope that things could only get better for myself and that my past truly was a thing of the past. Then it happened. It was late December and I remember sitting all alone in the common room. My friends were all at Hogsmeade and my cousins had decided to go home for the weekend so they could celebrate Auntie Susan's birthday. Naturally, I had not been invited to this wondrous celebration, not that I actually minded, but having lost my Hogsmeade permission slip the week before, I felt downhearted and rotten. I was drowning in my own self-pity, when my owl, Starling, arrived with a letter.
One look at the seal on the back of the envelope told me that it was from the Ministry of Magic and my heart just seemed to stop beating. With trembling fingers, I unfolded the letter, already knowing what it meant. My family were gone… again. All of them. My dearest cousins, who I'd learnt to not only love but also think of as my closest friends, Paige and Rela-Rose, Uncle Bob and even Auntie Susan. Gone. Never to return. Apparently, the fire had been accidental, set off by one of Uncle Bob's cigars but I knew the truth. The Death Eaters had set fire to my home with every intention of murdering the only remaining family I had left… just like they'd murdered my mother and sisters all those years ago… hadn't they done enough already? They had already ruined my life once and now they were doing it again. I did not know how but I would make them pay… some day… they would regret ever crossing Holly Black…
That is how we arrive at the present day. That is how I found myself standing at the doorstep of Malfoy Manor, the home of Draco Malfoy, prince of Slytherin and one of my worst enemies. Malfoy Manor – my new home.
-x-