Then there are the times that people turn their noses at me. They think that just because I'm the offspring of Harry Potter's failed marriage that I'm some sort of blemish that should be hidden. So because my father couldn't keep it in his pants, I'm supposed to suffer? What kind of bull crap is that? That's exactly why I hate Magical Society. Divorce is like taboo or something. Even those old magic families with arranged marriages rather suffer through a loveless and sometimes abusive relationship than be known as the person who got divorced. Whatever!
Then there's Ginny. After she married my father she was automatically the socialite. As Mrs. Harry Potter, she had endless "friends," parties, and shopping sprees. Of course, there were the whispers because my father never actually married Ginny until after she gave birth to James when I was six. My little brother. I guess he wanted to make sure the child was his before he got tied down again. Especially to someone like her.
Once, I remember, when my father was talking to his best friend Hermione. Ron, his other friend, was looking in on the new baby, and it was my weekend to be at the Manor, which I'll explain in a second. Anyway, they seemed to be reminiscing. He said something about how my mother never nagged him to be anywhere to do anything except spend time with me. Apparently Ginny nags about everything. She wants to remodel the house because my mother had designed it. She wants my mother's portrait removed from the wall of Potter Matriarch. She wants my room further down the hall than James. She wants him to take her here and take her there. Hermione had said at the time, "you dug your grave Harry, it's time to lie in it." I couldn't agree more. Being stuck with Ginny, I thought at the time, was a suitable punishment for breaking my mother's heart.
As I mentioned earlier, it was my weekend to be at the Manor. Mum did serve my father with divorce papers. She wanted sole custody of me and nothing else. My father, not to be outdone of course, wanted partial custody of me and wanted to pay child support and alimony for a half the time they were married. The judge granted Harry his wish. Every other weekend I would spend with him, and he was to pay Mama alimony for three years. She didn't complain much, but she hated the fact that he had power over her. "Whenever he pays for anything, it's because he wants to be in control," she'd always remind me. "Never become dependant on a man. Never."
"Stay still!" Katia snapped at her six year old daughter.
It was another weekend that she had to bring her daughter to her ex-husband's house. Maleah had learned to just comply with her mother during those times because she became very aggravated at the slightest thing. They lived in a comfortable three-bedroom apartment in London near all the shops which both mother and daughter loved visiting.
Katia pulled on Maleah's thick, curly, raven hair. The girl had the perfect mixture of both her mother and father. Both Katia and Harry had raven black hair. Katia's thick and curly, and Harry's thick and messy. Maleah had thick curly hair that was terrible to manage. Katia had dark skin, a mixture of her African, Colombian, and slight Russian background. Harry's skin was pale, just like an Englishman. Maleah inherited light brown skin. Harry's eyes were green and Katia's were light brown. Maleah had hazel eyes with a hint of green. She also inherited the thin frame of her father, but would probably become just as curvaceous as her mother. Her face was like her mother's, with thick pouty Angelina Jolie type lips and high cheekbones, but the nose was all Harry's.
"Mummy?"
"Hmm?" Katia murmured as she pulled Maleah's hair into two braids.
"I don't want to go to Daddy's house."
"Why not?"
"Ginny is mean to me. She never wants me to go near James," Maleah said in a small voice.
Katia turned her daughter in order to look her in the eye. "You are a first born Potter. James is only your half-brother, and that sounds terrible, but it's true. Ginny can go screw herself because you are as much a Potter as James is. More so, because your father and I were married when we had you. Got it?"
Maleah nodded.
"Good," Katia said snippily. "Besides, Ginny is not anyone important. That home is just as much yours as it is hers."
Katia was calm on the outside, but on the inside she was seething. How dare that little bitch demand anything of her daughter? And Harry! How could he just stand by and let that happen? She bit back a wave of nausea as she placed little barrettes at the tip of Maleah's hair.
"Go get your bags," Katia told her daughter once she was done. Maleah ran off to do what she was told, but Katia sat down and kept her head in between her knees. She took a deep breath and let it out once the nausea wave passed over.
She stood shakily and led her daughter out to her car. After buckling Maleah in she got behind the wheel and passed her daughter her Mara sunglasses before putting on her own Chanel. "Ready?"
"Always," Maleah said before giggling.
Katia shook her head and just turned on The Veronicas CD on her car before pulling out of the apartment complex. "Now if Ginny says anything mean to you what do you do?" Katia asked her daughter while she was on the road. The drive from the apartment to the Manor was only a half an hour.
"Go steal someone else's husband and leave me the hell alone!" Maleah announced in a strong voice.
"Good girl. And if Daddy doesn't want to play with you?" Katia asked.
"I wish that judge never let me stay with you!"
The mother and daughter laughed in barrels for the rest of the ride. Katia wasn't fazed when she parked in front of the Manor's door. It was nothing new. She took Maleah out of the back and carried her bag to the door.
She rang the bell and smoothed Maleah's hair with her free hand. "Miss Katia, my goodness!" the housekeeper, a middle-aged Texan opened the door. Katia had hired the lady when she married Harry. A little taste of her African culture, just Americanized. Harry had loved the old lady too, and couldn't bring himself to let her go after he and Katia divorced.
"Miss Tonya!" Katia exclaimed before kissing the lady's cheek. "It is good to see you! You look great!"
"Oh me, shucks girl, you look just wonderful. Healthy with some meat on your bones," Tonya said before ushering the two in the house. She looked at Maleah. "And Leah, girl, you look so pretty! You're going to be a heartbreaker. Where's my kiss?"
Maleah dutifully kissed Tonya's cheek and smiled shyly. At that moment Ginny swept into the foyer. She threw a cold smile at Katia before looking down at Maleah. "Miss Tonya, please return to your post."
Tonya rolled her eyes. She turned to Katia. "Well, I'll be seeing you. Don't be a stranger," Tonya said hurling a glance at Ginny.
Katia only watched Ginny watching her daughter. "Where's Harry?"
Ginny looked at Katia. "Meeting. He'll be back later."
Katia nodded. "Come, Leah, let's go put your things upstairs."
She grabbed Maleah's hand and walked past Ginny without a word. Katia smiled at the portrait of Lily and James on her way up the stairs. The two smiled back warmly. James winked at Maleah causing her to giggle.
"Don't your dare try to appease Ginny," Katia told her daughter as she unpacked her daughter's favorite blanket and pillow. "You just do what you want."
She hung the new dress she'd bought for her daughter in her daughter's already full closet and placed her Mara the Charmstress play set near the window. She kneeled before her daughter. "Who loves you?"
"Mummy does," Maleah answered.
"You never forget it," Katia whispered. "Okay, let's go." She took her daughter downstairs into the sitting room where she found Ginny sitting with Hermione Granger and her brother Ron. Katia smiled at the two. Hermione smiled back and Ron grinned awkwardly. Katia supposed it was because this was the first time she'd seen either of them since Harry's second marriage.
"I'm leaving," she told Maleah. "Besos." She kneeled down and Maleah showered kisses all over her mother's face. "Bye," she told the people in the sitting room and left.
Maleah stood in front of them all feeling awkward. "Come, Maleah," Hermione smiled. Maleah ran into Hermione's lap and kissed her check. "You look so pretty. I love your braids."
"Mummy did them for me," Maleah said quietly.
"They're so cute," Hermione smiled. "We're going to-."
"Anyway," Ginny interrupted loudly. "As I was saying…"
Like I said, Ginny will be redeemed. Thank you all for the reviews and I'm glad you like it. Although, meanly, I'm putting this out: I got a review that said, and I quote, "I HATE THIS STORY! BURN IN HELL YOU FUCKING WHORE!" Gee, nice huh? Anyway, my friends say that I can be mean so I decided to be mean and put this out. Next chapter coming soon.