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Lady Mouldywart · 09-08-2011, 09:13 AM

Here's chapter 1, folks! Thanks to everyone who read, and LillyJames for commenting

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Chapter 1 - Leaving

A set of curious, twinkling black eyes stared back out of a hand mirror.

Amarantha lay on her back on her bunk bed in the room she shared with another girl called Dita Williams, observing herself in the mirror held in her hands. Somehow, she pondered, the only thing she really liked about her appearance were her eyes. She didn’t look too unordinary, but her eyes stood out. They were the dark shade of obsidian, and the pupils were barely visible. It unnerved people sometimes.

She was quite alone; the sounds of the children talking and playing around the orphanage were the only thing disturbing her right now. A loud bang issued from downstairs followed by someone shouting and Amarantha suspected it was Tim setting something alight again.

The couple would soon arrive to take her now. It was near noon and that was when they’d promised to come. Amarantha had met her adoptive parents once before; they were a middle-aged witch and wizard who looked quite strict but not unkind, though the man had had a permanent annoyed look on his face. They’d worn dark blue robes and had introduced themselves as Mr and Mrs Burke.

Amarantha slowly got to her feet and put the mirror in her small trunk at the end of her bed. She had packed everything she owned: a few clothes, an alarm clock with twelve hands which she was very fond of, her collection of Chocolate Frog Cards, a tattered old version of Tales of Beedle the Bard and a few other books, and a bright orange quill which Dita had given her for her eleventh birthday. She would miss the orphanage; it had certainly felt like home to her. She knew she’d been barely over three years old when the orphanage had become her home, but she couldn’t remember ever feeling like that anywhere else. She supposed her parents had died before she could remember them. She only had a vague memory of them.

All the Matron had ever told her was that the woman who’d brought her here had said her name was to be Amara Black. From now on, though, she could consider herself a Burke.

‘Amara, Matron says to come down quick, they’re here,’ someone said behind her, making her jump.

‘Oh, ok, Tim, tell her I’m coming,’ she said, and the little boy of around six hurried off, his long mane of curly hair bouncing behind him. Amara closed the trunk and carried it downstairs, where the Matron and Mr and Mrs Burke were waiting for her at the foot of the stairs.

‘There you are, come along now,’ the Matron greeted her, gesturing her to the entrance hall. When they were near the door, she looked down at Amara. ‘Isn’t this wonderful, Amara? Not many of the children here get to have parents, and this is finally your turn!’ She smiled briskly.

‘Amara!’ A girl came hurrying towards them, her braided hair flapping behind her. She looked cautiously at the grown-ups and then said, ‘We’ll see each other soon, right? You’re starting Hogwarts this year!’ She gave her a swift hug. ‘Write lots, OK?’

‘I’ll write as much as I can,’ Amara smiled.

‘Well,’ spoke Mrs Burke, ‘we’d best be moving on, right?’ She turned to the Matron. ‘Thank you for your assistance, Miss Piggons.’ She opened the door and took one step outside.

‘See you, then,’ said Amara. ‘Goodbye, Matron.’

And just like that, she was gone from St Nicholas’s as suddenly as she’d come.

Vaguely, Amarantha could remember something of the day she’d first set foot at the orphanage. A woman had brought her here, when she herself hadn’t been more than three years old. She remembered walking down that same street she was walking up now, but she couldn’t remember anything else – who the woman was, or how she looked. Could she have been a relative, or possibly her own mother, who hadn’t wanted her anymore? The same question had bugged her ever since she could remember, but now it didn’t matter, she wasn’t an orphan anymore, she was walking towards the Burkes’ clean, polished car, shining in the August sun, and she needn’t worry about that right now.

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A little shorter this time...next chapter will be longer though! Don't forget to comment

09-08-2011, 09:13 AM	#5 (permalink)
Lady Mouldywart Gnome Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 276 First Year	Here's chapter 1, folks! Thanks to everyone who read, and LillyJames for commenting ----- Chapter 1 - Leaving A set of curious, twinkling black eyes stared back out of a hand mirror. Amarantha lay on her back on her bunk bed in the room she shared with another girl called Dita Williams, observing herself in the mirror held in her hands. Somehow, she pondered, the only thing she really liked about her appearance were her eyes. She didn’t look too unordinary, but her eyes stood out. They were the dark shade of obsidian, and the pupils were barely visible. It unnerved people sometimes. She was quite alone; the sounds of the children talking and playing around the orphanage were the only thing disturbing her right now. A loud bang issued from downstairs followed by someone shouting and Amarantha suspected it was Tim setting something alight again. The couple would soon arrive to take her now. It was near noon and that was when they’d promised to come. Amarantha had met her adoptive parents once before; they were a middle-aged witch and wizard who looked quite strict but not unkind, though the man had had a permanent annoyed look on his face. They’d worn dark blue robes and had introduced themselves as Mr and Mrs Burke. Amarantha slowly got to her feet and put the mirror in her small trunk at the end of her bed. She had packed everything she owned: a few clothes, an alarm clock with twelve hands which she was very fond of, her collection of Chocolate Frog Cards, a tattered old version of Tales of Beedle the Bard and a few other books, and a bright orange quill which Dita had given her for her eleventh birthday. She would miss the orphanage; it had certainly felt like home to her. She knew she’d been barely over three years old when the orphanage had become her home, but she couldn’t remember ever feeling like that anywhere else. She supposed her parents had died before she could remember them. She only had a vague memory of them. All the Matron had ever told her was that the woman who’d brought her here had said her name was to be Amara Black. From now on, though, she could consider herself a Burke. ‘Amara, Matron says to come down quick, they’re here,’ someone said behind her, making her jump. ‘Oh, ok, Tim, tell her I’m coming,’ she said, and the little boy of around six hurried off, his long mane of curly hair bouncing behind him. Amara closed the trunk and carried it downstairs, where the Matron and Mr and Mrs Burke were waiting for her at the foot of the stairs. ‘There you are, come along now,’ the Matron greeted her, gesturing her to the entrance hall. When they were near the door, she looked down at Amara. ‘Isn’t this wonderful, Amara? Not many of the children here get to have parents, and this is finally your turn!’ She smiled briskly. ‘Amara!’ A girl came hurrying towards them, her braided hair flapping behind her. She looked cautiously at the grown-ups and then said, ‘We’ll see each other soon, right? You’re starting Hogwarts this year!’ She gave her a swift hug. ‘Write lots, OK?’ ‘I’ll write as much as I can,’ Amara smiled. ‘Well,’ spoke Mrs Burke, ‘we’d best be moving on, right?’ She turned to the Matron. ‘Thank you for your assistance, Miss Piggons.’ She opened the door and took one step outside. ‘See you, then,’ said Amara. ‘Goodbye, Matron.’ And just like that, she was gone from St Nicholas’s as suddenly as she’d come. Vaguely, Amarantha could remember something of the day she’d first set foot at the orphanage. A woman had brought her here, when she herself hadn’t been more than three years old. She remembered walking down that same street she was walking up now, but she couldn’t remember anything else – who the woman was, or how she looked. Could she have been a relative, or possibly her own mother, who hadn’t wanted her anymore? The same question had bugged her ever since she could remember, but now it didn’t matter, she wasn’t an orphan anymore, she was walking towards the Burkes’ clean, polished car, shining in the August sun, and she needn’t worry about that right now. ----- A little shorter this time...next chapter will be longer though! Don't forget to comment Last edited by Lady Mouldywart; 09-19-2011 at 10:20 PM.