The Untold Tragedy Of Morana Black

Chapter Nine

(Mentions of rape and abuse.)

Chapter Eight: The Magical World

Golden rays of sunlight shone down on the sleeping figure of Morana Potter, waves splashing peacefully against the jagged rocks of the small island. The distant sound of squawking seagulls and soft blowing winds gradually pulled Morana from her slumber.  

Her eyes fluttered open, blinking away the sudden stars that danced across her vision as the sunlight blinded her. A quiet moan tumbled from her lips; her body was painfully stiff, huddled against the side of the hut with her knees folded into her chest and her hands wedged between her thighs for warmth. 

"You slept outside? IN A STORM?!" Walburga panicked, her voice raising into a high-pitched screech. Her hands fluttered about as she tried to decide what to do with herself. "You could've been swept into the ocean or struck by lightning or- 

"Calm down," Orion soothed his hysterical wife, smoothing a hand over her back. "She's safe and alive."

"Do we have sharks in England?!" Regulus asked fearfully, setting Walburga off on a long-winded rant about how dangerous it was for Morana to sleep outside on a rock in the middle of a storm and how someone should have taken her inside. 

Morana glanced at Tom, motioning to Walburga as if to say, 'See what I have to deal with.' She pouted when he chuckled and offered her an affectionate smile of amusement, not at all sympathetic.

Morana almost didn't recognize her surroundings - a shock of panic ripped through her chest at the thought of being kidnapped. But she relaxed when memories flooded her mind and suddenly remembered why she was sleeping in the middle of the ocean.

"Shit, Harry!" Morana hissed under her breath, scrambling onto her feet. Her body ached in protest as she dashed across the uneven rocks that threatened to snap her dainty ankles. 

"Oh, fuck," Irene whispered, holding her face in her hands like she would hear the sound of snapping bones echoing from the book, "be careful with your ankles, baby!" She hated the sound of breaking bones - it made her stomach flop with nausea.

"Can we just admire that her first thought was her brother?" Marlene said to those around her, admiring how protective young Morana was over Harry. "I'm pretty sure my first thoughts in the morning are - I need a piss, where's the food, and I'm gonna go back to bed."

She reached the front door and stepped inside the hut, exhaling in relief when she spotted her brother asleep on the floor, buried beneath Hagrid's furry coat. Hagrid slept on the collapsed sofa, snoring loud enough that Morana swore she felt the floor vibrate.

Her eyes flitted around the room, searching for the Dursleys. 

Morana supposed they were in the other room, recalling Vernon bellowing about something last night. She hadn't caught what all the commotion was about because she had fallen asleep soon after.  

Stretching her arms above her head, Morana yawned, cracked her back, and massaged her stiff shoulder. 'I won't be sleeping on a rock in the middle of the ocean again,' Morana smiled humorlessly at the thought.

"Well, at least you learned a lesson," Walburga said, calming down.

"Yeah, that sleeping on a rock in the middle of the ocean is painful," Morana nodded, deciding to tease her Gran a little more, hiding her cheeky smile in her cup of tea while her family chuckled.