Chapter Two
A/N: Thanks to my magical Guest reviewer, helen. This is for you.
Minerva's mouth was still wide open as she looked at the girl, who herself was gazing towards the cobbles of the courtyard. Finally, the silence was so tense that Minerva felt forced to break it, finding a conversation point in the crash coming from her unsupervised classroom.
"Albus, could you go and keep an eye on my fifth-years please? I have no idea what they're doing in there but I'm certain it's not what I've asked them to do." she asked, her voice so forced that it sounded as if she may have lost it in the moment.
"Of course, Minerva. You talk with young Merida for as long as you want." replied Dumbledore, heading straight for the Transfiguration classroom. Once they were alone, the silence fell once more between the two. This time, it was Merida that broke it.
"I'm sorry, Mum." she whispered.
"No, it's alright, darling. I was just a little shocked when I saw you here, that's all. You're meant to be at Beauxbattons, it's term-time." returned Minerva.
"I hate it there, Mum, you know I do. Why can't I go to school here?" moaned Merida, her eyes pleading with her mother.
"You can't go to school here, Merida. It'll introduce prejudice and to be honest, Hogwarts isn't exactly the safest place in the world right now."
"But how can it not be? You've got Dumbledore! He's the only person in the entire world that You-Know-Who is scared of. And I hardly ever see you any more. This way, I get to stay with my family."
"Well, what about Vevina? She's in Beauxbattons, isn't she?"
"She's four years older than me, Mum, she's just graduated. I've got no one else left, except Uncle Malcolm and Granny and she doesn't like me doing magic, so my grades slip over the holidays. I don't understand why she does it, she's a Pureblood. She's been doing magic her whole life."
"Just because she's a Pureblood doesn't mean that she has always been able to do magic. My mother had to lock away her wand while she was married, so she still frowns upon using magic in her house." explained Minerva, patting her young daughter on the back gently.
"Then why can't I stay with you?" she repeated, looking her mother in the eye, attempting to make her crack first. Minerva still refused to back down.
"Merida, you don't have a place at Hogwarts, you know that. You can't come here."
"But I do, Mum! I do have a place here! The professor told me that you skipped my name on the list when you sent out the letters, then sent me to Beauxbattons with Vevi instead! He kept my place, Mum. I can stay, he said so!" she finished, gasping for breath a little after her outburst. Minerva looked to be at a loss for words, staring at her daughter. Suddenly, her maternal instincts hit her and she saw the tears glistening in the young girl's eyes, so similar to her own.
"Oh, darling. If you promise me that you will behave and that you will not let me down-"
"I won't, Mum, I promise!" she cried.
"Then you can stay here with me. But I'll expect you to pull your weight in class, and you won't have my name while in class."
"Then what will my name actually be?" asked Merida, as the pair began to walk arm in arm towards the castle.
"Your father's?" Minerva suggested, looking towards her daughter's face to guage her response. It wasn't good.
"Mum, no offence, but being a feminist wasn't the only reason you didn't take Dad's name and it wasn't the only reason you didn't give it to me either!" the younger pointed out.
"Fair point. What about your grandmother's maiden name?"
"Merida Ross. I like it."
"Yes and it might keep the Slytherins off your back a little, considering that she is a Pureblood."
"And a Blood Traitor. To them, anyway."
"Well, it'll do for now. Come on, darling." she beckoned, leading her daughter towards her office. This could be a long year.
A/N: Wanted to get the next one up soon, they'll be a bit longer once I've finished setting it up. Tell me what you think, I beg you!