The Four Houses

Alec

February 23, 1982

It was a cold night. Nearly nine. Alec's step-father had gotten back from his run to the pub and now lay, half-asleep, on the couch while the TV played in the background. His mother, or to be mother, was the only muggle and was having a baby. Pregnant, as most people would call it. She wished that her time at school would have taught her something, anything, about what she was experiencing but she did not know what to do. She could call to her husband but would risk enraging him. The last thing she needed was a drunk, enraged lunatic and a baby falling out of her vagina. Grunting, sweat layering her brow, she forced herself out of the bed and somehow reached the phone in time. 

"It's happening," she whispered.

"Now?" Her friend responded. A whimper was heard in response. "Alecsia isn't here deary, she left a while ago."

"Where is that bitch when you need her?" She almost broke down sobbing, unable to keep the phone securely to her ear. "Just come. Quick." She hung up before her friend could protest. Her friend was also pregnant. Scarily as pregnant as she was. And Alecsia, her sometimes friend, was also pregnant just not as bloated. She tripped over beer bottles and cigarettes' boxes, desperately wanting a smoke. She hesitated, maybe the baby could wait for another three minutes so she could get her fix. But soon the pain was unbearable causing her to run and sit in the bathtub. Nearly five minutes later, her friend came. She was equally as ill-mannered and ill-equipped for the situation as the one giving birth, but they had been together since first year and they weren't going to stop now.  

"You look like shit." The friend said, lighting a cigarette and letting the smoke fly for a moment before inhaling. Pain flared in the other women's system as she looked at the cigarette with longing.

"Give me a hit, ey?" The friend merely shook her head mockingly. Her husband's snores were heard from the couch. Her friend glanced at the TV room before scoffing.

"You sure know how to pick 'em." 

"Fuck off-," She bit back a scream. The baby was coming. She didn't want it. The thing inside of her. She didn't want to bring up the piece of shit. Her hands gripped the bathtub in inexpressible pain. It was like nothing she had ever felt before and her parents had kept her over a heated oven for nearly an hour when she was thirteen. She had severe burns that went untreated all over her chest and stomach. Pleasant memories.  She started sobbing, the first emotion she had showed since graduation which was nearly three years ago. Her friend cradled her head, still inhaling the cigarette.

"I don't want the little shit." She wailed, wanting nothing more then to sew her vagina closed and have someone stab the fetus through her stomach. Her friend chuckled, not phased in the slightest at her concerns and let her squeeze her hand. 

"It's coming out, prepare yourself." And so she did. The baby finally came out later than expected. Ten-thirty. He was extremely thin for his age, poor chap. His mother took one look at him and realized it looked like a mistake she made forty weeks ago. He was a mistake. The two stared at each other. Innocence met hardship. Unhurt the broken. His mother's eyes darkened into disgust. She signaled to her friend.

"Give me a smoke." So she did. So the new mother smoked. The new mother smoked one, then two, then three. Then a whole pack. Then another pack. Until there were no more cigarettes to smoke and her lungs seemed to be filled with cancer. "Alec." She coughed.

"Why?" Asked her friend.

"He deserves to have at least one nice thing, right?" And that was how the first friend came into existence. The one of four friends that would change everything.