Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, I'd be rich. If I were rich I'd have genius scientist build a time machine, travel back in time and force Monty Python to make twice the amount of shows they did, because there can never be too much Monty Python (which I don't own either). Then I'd have them do a top secret, special ending to Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and I would be the only one to know. Since, none of this has happened, it appears as though I don't own Harry Potter. 

Author's Notes: Thanks so much to my reviewers. If you do read, please review, input is always great, and it's always exciting to get an email notifying me of a new review! Thanks!

Chapter Five

Departure and Arrival

Amara woke the next day in incredible pain, but mostly she was just in shock. The night before had been different from any other night she'd ever had in her memory. Something had changed, a power had shifted, and her fear of Damien went without saying, but was now as just as great as the one Roy inspired in her.

A memory flashed before her mind.

"Please," she whispered, tears in her eyes, the pain was too much, she begged him to stop.

"Damien, maybe we should stop, she looks like she's learned her lesson," Chad said from beyond her vision.

She'd never heard anyone stand up for her, and more tears fell from her face. It would have been a defining moment, if she wasn't in so much pain and could appreciate it. She knew how horrible she must look for him to say that.

Damien looked outraged, his face turned to look at his brother's. "You think she's had enough!" he screamed.

Chad's footstep back could be heard by Amara, as Damien stepped over her to face Chad. Amara couldn't will herself to turn and look. She heard a sickening crack and then a thump.

"What the hell!" Chad asked confused.

"Don't disagree with me, brother, or you're just as bad as she is, got it?" Damien said, more calmly.

"What the fuck is up with you man?" Chad asked in response.

The next few seconds Amara heard them fighting, kicking, hitting, screaming at each other. Then she heard a loud quick crack, and a strangled cry.

"Got it?" Damien asked coldly.

"Yes," Chad said quietly.

Damien walked back over to Amara, whose eyes were wide open in fear and confusion. She couldn't believe what she'd just heard, what she knew had just happened. He beat his brother. He beat his brother, repeated over and over in her head. Fear escalated then, not even Roy had laid a hand on his sons, but Damien was not only ready, but willing to cross that line.

"Up," Damien said.

In too much shock to say something, she stood up. Her vision was a little clearer after the break and the shock, and Chad came up beside her. She turned to look at him, horror on her face. She saw that his nose was bleeding and broken, and his shirt was torn where Damien had taken the whip to his chest.

"Sorry," was all Amara could choke out.

She couldn't figure out all the emotions and thoughts coming from her. If you'd asked her the day before, she would have been perfectly fine with Chad being beaten to a bloody pulp. Hell, he deserved it, didn't he? But there was something about seeing it that told her it wasn't ok, and he had stood up for her. Confusion and fear overwhelmed her.

Amara looked at herself, she realized that her wounds couldn't have waited until morning, and Amber had already attended to them. Her chest and back were bandaged again, and she was wearing different clothes than she had been from the night before.

As the pain in her back subsided, or as much as it would, Amara tried the door. It was unlocked, so she knew that she was allowed out. Roy wasn't back yet, so there was no one to test her for the fun of it, and she made her way upstairs. When she got up there, she could smell breakfast already being made, which, of course, was her chore. She had overslept. She knew she'd be berated for it later, but right now, she couldn't manage to care.

"Sit," said Amber promptly, hearing the door shut behind Amara.

Amara went to the table and noticed Damien already sitting down. She sat across from him, not wanting to exist in the same world as him. It was difficult to say the least. She was used to having nights with Roy then sitting and eating with him, but this was completely different. She realized she was staring when he smiled, that insane glint in his eye. He must have slept like a baby. She thought. Bastard.

"Good morning Amara," he said, his voice back to it's usual low, calm tones.

"Good morning, sir," she said so quietly that he barely heard her.

"No need for such formalities now, girl, later," Damien said.

She knew this would be another means of toying with her. She'd never be sure she said the right thing. "Ok."

"Going to see your friend?" Damien asked, Amber serving them breakfast, her eyes going wide in surprise that Amara had any such thing.

"No," she said a little to quickly and loudly.

He smirked, obviously pleased with himself. She felt disgusted, she belonged to him as well now. She was Roy and Damien's obedient little puppy. She felt sick, but was too hungry to care as she ate the food slowly, wishing to inhale it all at once.

"So, honey, are you planning to go camping with your friends?" Amber asked sweetly. It made Amara sick.

"Yes," Damien said.

"Do you have your stuff packed?" Amber asked.

"Yes, mom," Damien said.

"Good, then we can leave right away," Amber said.

Amara knew it wasn't her place to ask what they were talking about. She missed a lot when she had to recover often, but Damien going away, no matter for how short an amount of time, had to be a good thing. Damien looked at her.

"Is Amara coming?" he asked.

Please no. She didn't want to spend more time with him than she had to. "Why?" Amber asked, suspiciously.

"Just thought my sister would like to see me off is all," Damien said.

"I suppose that could be arranged, go get yourself cleaned up girl, I'll worry about the dishes," Amber said. Amara nodded obediently.

Amara made her way up the stairs, and into the bathroom. After taking a shower, she covered up the bruises again, an all too familiar process. She left the bathroom to come face to face with Chad.

It was an awkward silence at best. Amara noticed his nose was bruised and swollen, and his breathing was a little awkward. It was awhile before either of them could look the other in the eye. She saw pain there, and something else that was hard for her to put her thumb on. Realization, that's what it was, he finally saw what they did to her. He realized it hurt, that it was wrong. His posture was slumped and he looked miserable.

"Um, hi," Amara finally broke the unbearable silence.

"Hello, Amara," he said.

Silence again. "Are you ok?" Amara asked.

He softly and sadly half-smiled. "I should be asking that of you."

Once again there was silence. "I'm ok, it could've been worse."

There was more pain in his eyes, and Amara couldn't take it any longer.

"I'm sorry," they said simultaneously.

"For everything," Chad continued. "I didn't know…I didn't see…I didn't realize…I was a prat."

"Yeah, you were," Amara smiled. Chad had never really beat her that hard, but it wasn't as though he hadn't caused her any pain, either. "Thank you, for last night."

He snorted. "I didn't do anything, I just stood there, I'm sorry."

Then he did something unexpected, he hugged her. It was the first hug Amara had experienced. She was shocked and overwhelmed at the same time. He held her softly, trying not to cause her back to flame up.

"I should have done something," Chad said.

"You couldn't," Amara said, her voice caught up.

This was a different Chad, one she hoped would stay. She hoped he wasn't like his brother and father, just messing with her. She wasn't sure she could handle that after what had happened.

"I don't mean last night, I mean all the times. I should have said something, or at least not been them. I should have stopped the school bullies, that's something I could've done, at least. I'm sorry," Chad said.

I'm sorry, repeated in her head, it was the first time she'd ever heard someone say that to her seriously, she smiled despite herself.

"Well, Damien…uh, wants me to see him off, I'll see you later," Amara said, still stunned at the events that had just taken place.

"Bye," he said.

Amara made her way downstairs, and back down to Damien who was smiling his evil smile at her. There were full and heavy bags on the floor.

"Amara, get over and carry these bags to the car," her 'mother's' curt voice cut through the silence, as she made her way into the room, and opened the door.

Struggling to lift the bags (either of which could be said was at least her size), she made her way to the door that Amber had already left from. Damien grabbed the door, smiling his predator-like smile. "Let me get this for you."

Amara didn't trust Damien behind her, but she had no choice, and went out the door.

"I'll be back soon, Chad," Damien called. "Don't forget what I told you!" He then followed Amara out, shutting the door behind him.

Damien sat beside Amara in the backseat of the car after she had loaded the bags in the trunk. His smile and casual glances at her, unnerving her. She tried to not let him get to her, but it was becoming increasingly difficult.

In the car, Amber confirmed with Damien all the arrangements. Damien and Greg, as well as Greg's father, were to take the train to meet up with Greg's uncle and cousin for a two week camping trip. Everything was set. Amara would be relieved when Damien left. A whole two weeks free of Damien! And Roy had been called away again for another week!

When they reached the train station, Damien unloaded his bags (for appearance reasons), and hugged Amber. He gave Amara a one armed hug, as he held one of his bags, and said, "Now, be a good girl, I'll be back in two weeks!"

Needless to say, Amara was relieved to see him get on the train and leave. She was surprised that there was no real secret cruelty that had been sprung on her during the trip.

The next week went all too quickly. Amara, despite what Damien had taught her, secretly met with Harry in the afternoon after they had finished their chores, with Chad's help. Harry and Amara escaped Dudley's gang so often, that it became a sort of game to tick them off and then irritate them further by escaping their clutches. It was, in short, the best week of Amara's life.

Of course, Roy came back after that, and she could no longer see Harry as much. Roy's cruelty was ever present, occurring every other night or so, but not the dangerous point it had been right after the move. They couldn't risk that, and he was fairly happy, his business trip being successful.

But then Harry disappeared, his whole family had gone, and Damien came back, and things were back to normal. Amara spent most of her spare time checking out the window to see if they ever came back.

On a rainy afternoon, Amara sat at the front window, peering out it. Amber was sleeping, Damien and Chad were at Rick's house, and there was still a half hour till Roy got off work. That was the one good thing about Roy's job, despite often moving from place to place, Roy was most often found at work, often working late into the evening. Today, he was due home on time, or he would have called Amber a half hour ago, and there had been no call.

As Amara sat calmly, enjoying the pitter patter of rain, and wondering where Harry had gotten off to, as well as hoping he was ok, a stranger's car appeared and parked in the Dursley's empty drive. Peering closer, Amara debated with herself whether she should allow her curiosity to get the better of her, and for her to go across and greet the stranger, and ask for news of Harry, or whether she should stay put. After all, they may be a friend of the Dursleys, and not care for Harry at all. Or it could be a burglar…though, perhaps, not a very good one, to park and scout the house that way. If Roy came home and caught her or Amber woke up, she would be punished for being nosy, and then her clothes would get wet, and they'd know…

No, Amara thought, it would be better for her to just peer out. She watched the stranger, and imagined the sound of the car shutting off, the click of it opening, and the firm sound of it shutting. The stranger was wearing a tan overcoat, and holding a tan umbrella. It appeared as though it were a woman, though the overcoat was not a very distinguishing feature, the long, dark brown hair of a woman flowed down her back.

She appeared lost, as she looked back and forth from a piece of paper in her hand to 4 Privet Drive. Turning, she looked directly at Amara's house, her face looking as though she were thinking. Seeming to decide it was the right move, she moved certainly toward 5 Privet Drive, sticking the letter back into one of the many hidden coat pockets.

Amara pried herself from the mirror and walked away, just in case she was seen. It was probably someone from Roy's office, and she certainly didn't want it to appear that she was doing anything she shouldn't be, after all, the slightest mention could spell disaster for her. She heard a firm knock on the door, and Amara went to answer it.

Opening the door, Amara was greeted with the site of a woman, whom she considered to be quite good looking. She also looked kind, but also important. She made Amara want to smile, as the woman smiled and asked, "May I come in?"

Wondering whether, if the worse could come, if it was better for her to leave the stranger outside, so as to not appear to be allowing stranger's entrance, or to invite them in, looking bad at leaving guests in the rain, she allowed her in. It was raining, and either way, Amara could get in trouble.The stranger closed her umbrella and propped it on the wall so that the wet part rested out of the way on the few stone tiles before the door.

"Thank you, I'm Amanda Webb, Miss Webb, is this the Andrews residence?" she asked.

Amara moved around her to shut the door, and then replied, "Yes."

"Are you Amara?"

Amara's heart sped up. She didn't know what an official looking woman such as the woman in front of her could mean. Of course, she looked nice enough, but she was coming here to ask for her. Was it possible someone had found out about Roy? If so, was she to be punished for allowing her in? Amara tried to get her head thinking straight before replying quietly, "Yeah, that's me."

"Well, I have some very important things to discuss with you and your family," Miss Webb said.

"Hello?" said Amber, from the background, as though on key. "I'm Amara's mother, is there something wrong?"

"Oh, well, no, nothing wrong at all, but I have some very, what may be, shocking news, and I would like to discuss it with you and Amara, is your husband home?" Miss Webb said.

"He should be home any minute," Amber said. "Would you like to sit down?" Amber indicated to the a set of couches facing one another.

"Yes, thank you," Miss Webb said, taking the couch furthest from the door, as Amber sat down on the left side of the other, motioning for Amara to sit beside her, in the middle.

At that moment, the door opened, and Roy entered, shutting his umbrella and putting it beside where Amanda had put hers.

"You must be Mr. Andrews," Miss Webb said standing, as Roy seemed to look at her curiously, making his way over the couch.

"Yes, I am," he said, taking Miss Webb's offered hand.

"Is Amara in any trouble?" he asked.

"No, but perhaps you'd like to sit," said Miss Webb and they sat together. "I am here to give you some news, this may be shocking, so are you ready to hear it?"

They took a moment before nodding. Amara could feel herself getting warm. She was very worried about what all this was about, but it didn't appear as though Roy or Amber were in any trouble with Miss Webb, so that could only mean Amara had done something wrong. She felt very self conscious and nervous sitting next to Roy.

"Well, it appears as though Amara is a witch."

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Author's Notes: I've finally ended the slow progression toward the inevitable! Please tell me if you liked the first four chapters (as to whether they were to long and boring). It's finally starting. I was feeling bad for Amara (doesn't everybody?) and it reflected in the writing, bringing an aspect (Chad) into it long before I thought I would, and in a different way, but I like it, once again. Excuse any plot lines that seem off in this chapter or grammar mistakes, seeing as I finished the read through of this late at night and on sleeping pills. Thanks for reading. Please review, you know you want to!