Daddy Issues, The Neighbourhood

I know that you got Daddy issues, and I do too.

- - - - - - - -

A little while has gone by, we've had the Easter holiday and now we're back and well into May. I've focussed a lot of my time on quidditch, I'm starting to get really good according to the boys on the team. Ever since I won the game for us against Ravenclaw they've actually been helping me train for our last game of the year against Hufflepuff.

I'm studying the history of quidditch in the common room with a blanket and book in my lap. I hear creaking and find Draco sneaking out, immediately I get up and follow with him. He claims to have seen Harry, Ron and Hermione sneak out of the castle so we must follow to get them in trouble.

"Don't you think we'll be in trouble too if we're caught with them?" I suggest. He subsequently turns down this idea and keeps marching towards Hagrid's hut where they are. 

We're now peaking in the window and we catch sight of Hagrid's beard on fire. He notices us and all heads turn to the small window, Draco abruptly pulls me away from the window and drags me the whole way to McGonagall's office. 

She sits all five of us in her office and talks to us about curfews and how important they are, telling us she's disappointed. Draco scoffs beside me, mocking the others for getting in trouble, that is until McGonagall gives us all a detention.

"Warned you." I sing to Draco, half asleep.

Filch escorts us to Hagrid's hut where we meet Hagrid who tells us detention entails a walk around the forbidden forest.

"Right, let's go." He nods, a huge weapon in his large hands.

I trail behind everyone a little, still half asleep and wishing Draco weren't so stupid and that I was in bed where I should be.

Not only is the forest terrifyingly eery but I could swear every now and then I hear people talking, familiar voices that I can't place.

"Quicker than falling asleep" I hear a voice whisper. It sounds so familiar yet so distant to me.

"Bron.. It's just me." A completely different voice whispers. Chills run to my spine. A fearful chill that makes me feel cold. A sense of dread.

Everyone comes to a stop by a fallen tree, Hagrid fingers some liquid on the ground and confirms that it is unicorn blood. It's rather shiny and a silver colour.

He informs us we're here to find it. Hermione, Ron and Hagrid go one way whilst Harry, Draco and I go the other with the dog Fang.

I take a liking for the whimpering dog that feels just as scared as I do.

"Wait till my father hears about this. This is servant's stuff." Draco whines, holding his lamp high.

"If I didn't know better Draco, i'd say you were scared." Harry fires, making me grin a little at my friend's disgusted reaction.

"I'm not scared, Potter." Draco spits.

We hear a loud howl and all freeze on the spot. "Did you hear that?" I speak up, a slight shake in my voice.

"Come on Fang!" Draco orders sharply, walking ahead. As he walks ahead I hear him murmur 'scared!?' with disbelief.

The fog consumes the forest and its inhabitants. Fang walks before us with his head low. We hear him let out a low grumble and stop when he sees something.

"What is it Fang?" I ask him carefully as we approach him and look up towards the things he is watching.

A dead unicorn. Only theres a hooded figure perched beside it ferociously drinking its blood.

Harry reaches a hand up towards the scar on his forehead with a wince and I find myself doing the same to my wrist. I am very well aware of a scar hidden on my left wrist that I try to keep out of sight from everyone. The only person who knows about it is my Uncle Moony.

The figure looks up and Draco begins screaming snd running far away with Fang following.

The hooded figure starts floating towards us in a way i've never seen anyone or anything move. I still can't see its face but that is most certainly not on my priority list as it starts walking towards us.

Harry stumbles backwards and trips on a tree. I'm careful not to do the thing as I walk backwards, keeping my eyes on the cloaked creature. 

But I trip on a tree root and plop down on the ground beside Harry. 

It's about to get us when we're finally saved by hooves clopping towards us. The creature escapes into the fog and flies away into the sky when a centaur threatens it.

"Harry Potter, Bronwyn Black. You must leave. You are known to many creatures here. The forest is not safe at this time. Especially for you Harry." The centaur speaks intensely.

"What was that thing you saved us from?" Harry asks him with confusion. "A monstrous creature. It is a terrible crime to slay a unicorn. Drinking the blood of a unicorn will keep you alive even if you are an inch from death. But at a terrible price. For you have slain something so pure.. that from the moment the blood touches your lips, you will have a half-life. A cursed life." He explains

"But who would choose such a life?" I ask. "Can you think of no one?" The centaur puts the thought in our mind.

It suddenly clicks and Harry and I share a brief but intense glance. "Do you mean to say that thing that killed the unicorn.. that was drink its blood.. that was Voldemort?" Harry vocalises our shared thoughts.

The centaur lowers its head to our level. "Do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?" He asks directly to Harry. "The philosophers stone." Harry says simply.

My eyes widen and I look towards him in shock and disbelief. 

"Hello there, Firenze. See you've met our young Mr Potter and Miss Lupin. You alright there kids?" Hagrid stands with the others holding his weapon, we both nod and turn back towards Firenze who says his goodbyes.

"Harry Potter and Bronwyn Black, this is where I leave you. You're safe now. Good luck." He bids in a whisper just for us to hear as he trots off.

How does he know my name? Harry seems too shocked to have even noticed or comprehended what he called me.

Hagrid leads us all out of the forest and as I trail behind everyone else alone I take a moment to look at my scar, the one that was burning moments before.

It's a rather ugly scar. A poorly drawn skull and snake twisted into a sort of 8 shape. Its the dark mark, only its not real.

"Alright Bron Bron?" My Mother asked, tilting her head condescendingly as she assessed my baby face lying on the changing table fresh out the bath.

It was the night before she was taken to Azkaban – though neither of us obviously knew this. 

She took out her wand and waved it around before me, mesmerising my big baby eyes. "Yes.. look at the pretty wand." She whispered down at me.

Her wand was special. When she took the snake head off the base a sharp knife was revealed. She gave me the snake head and let me play with it as a distraction.

"Listen to me my child. The dark lord will return. And when he does he will need your help. You must join us now and we can live together obeying his demands." My Mother tells me sharply, running the blunt side of the knife across my chubby cheeks.

I didn't understand much because I was only a year old. But that didn't stop her.

She took the blade and started carving out her best interpretation of the dark mark. Blood was spilling from my arm and I was screaming and crying. 

"Shut up my dear." She yelps angrily.

My Father wasn't home at the time, he was out visiting his dear friend Remus. 

My Mother finished the job and hushed me. She lifted me up and cleaned the blood off my arm as if it was never there, and when my thin skin heeled into a scar she covered my wrists for the night. 

When she finally went to Azkaban the following night my Father found the scar and broke down crying – that part of the memory is one I hid in my mind along with any love I ever felt for my Father. 

The scar is the same as always. Horrific.

☾♥

We make it to the end of year exams and I find myself walking out happier than I went in. I feel confident that I passed if not passed with flying colours.

I can see Harry Potter ahead of me walking with his friends. I do feel rather jealous if I'm honest. On that train I got on well with the two boys, maybe if I hadn't been placed in Slytherin I would've replaced Hermione as the girl in their trio. I blame my Mother. I blame my Father. Because the second I was born into the families I was, my fate was decided. 

I see Harry reach a hand up to his forehead and suddenly I feel a pang in my wrist, the scar burns again. Last time it was because Voldemort was near, what could be causing this?

I notice Harry march towards the hairy giant sitting by his hut playing the flute.

I consider things for a moment and before I can stop myself i'm running after them. Maybe if I can convince them to confide in me i'll become a part of their group. I know they're up to something after all.

As i'm running after them out the courtyard I don't even noticed where i'm running until i'm running straight into two taller bodies. 

I grunt when I hit the ground, looking up and being met with red hair.

"You really need to start looking where you're going." Fred or George Weasley huffs. 

"Not going to help me up, Gentlemen?" I huff as I pull myself to my feet.

"Excuse me." I say briefly, shoving past them towards the trio at the hut. Both twins stop me with a hand each and place me back in front of them.

"Where'd you think you're going?" One of them asks. "Why should that be any of your business?" I fold my arms angrily. 

"You ran into us. You're not going to apologise?" The Weasley on the right questions teasingly.

"Nope. See ya." I smile and wriggle between them, popping out the courtyard and onto the grass. But the trio is already running inside the castle and far beyond me. I've missed my chance.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

———

A/N:

Hey, guys. I just wanted to let you know before you continue with this book a little plot line. Pretty much, to put it simply Harry and Bronwyn share each other's pain. The connection will be explored further on but to stop confusion I figured I would just tell you because the two only actually discover this at the end of book four so it'll be a pretty long wait before they actually notice it and explain it. It is actually insane to think that Act 1 is almost done, just two more chapters after this until Act 2 starts..