(1) The Other Potter (D. Malfoy)

Chapter One

The Gilbert family has breakfast every morning together, but there is something special about birthday breakfasts. A brighter atmosphere. Everyone is happier somehow. The food tastes better. And Daisy can't stop smiling as she looks around her family as they talk and eat and are just generally warm with one another. Determined to keep it. That's the only way she can describe the feeling that she feels when she looks around her family. That she would do everything and anything to keep her family. To keep that bond and relationship that she has with them. They are close as a family. And whilst she, Elena and Jeremy do have moments of argument, it never lasts long. Her family means everything to her because she knows what it cost to get them. She has no doubt Lily and James would have been amazing parents, they literally died to protect their children, but they are not the parents that Daisy got. She got Grayson and Magnolia. She was gifted this family after a tragedy and she will do anything to keep it. She won't let James and Lily's death be in vain. Not if she can help it. 

And yes, she knows about Lily and she knows about James and she knows about what happened to them. Unlike with Elena, they told Daisy the truth about her birth, Daisy's reaction is actually why they change their minds on telling Elena. Daisy was devastated by what happened to Lily and James. That Harry is so far away from her. She didn't eat for three days. Cried and slept until she made herself sick. Magnolia and Grayson felt bad enough putting one of their daughters through that, they decided not to put Elena through it too. They have left her in blissful ignorance for now. Till she is older. 

Daisy's hand moves to settle on the gift box next to her plate of scrambled eggs. They've already done gifts. A pair of blue earrings. A turquoise geode. And a framed photo of the whole family. The last one threw Daisy a little. She doesn't hate it, but it wouldn't have been a top pick for her. It's a sweet gift but they did the whole photo thing at New Year. It raises a few warnings in her head and her spine. Like they are trying to tell her something before they have told her something. It is early still and all she cared about was her birthday. But it does hit her. The stories that Magnolia has told her, year after year, about the school for witches, about magic, about what is awaiting for Daisy. There have been other clues. The wooden trunk that was brought up out of the basement. The talks of late summer trips. Magnolia has been talking more about her school days than ever before. Daisy was just so caught up in the stories to think about the deeper meaning behind it. Magnolia touches her cheek, can see that Daisy has figured it out. That this is the year. That in just a few short months she'll be leaving for school. Spending more time away from her family than ever. Away from her friends. Magnolia then pulls a letter from under her napkin and slides it across the table to Daisy.

"Do you remember last week when we had a guest....?" Magnolia asks, Daisy nods. There was a stranger in the house. An older woman dressed in deep greens. She was mysterious and rather stern looking. Daisy, Elena and Jeremy had been sent out into the garden with Zinnia whilst their parents talked with the woman. "That was Professor McGonagall" Magnolia continues as she motions for Daisy to open the letter. Daisy turns the cream envelope around to find a red wax seal pressed into it. She draws her finger over it. "She's a teacher at Hogwarts...She came to talk about you, Daisy, about your....attendance at the school"

"When will I get magic like Daisy?" Jeremy asks. Grayson looks across at his wife. Because neither of them can say that he won't. Magic can appear in any child and can appear at any time. Magnolia gives Grayson a look and nods for him to take Jeremy aside to talk to him. They've already gone through this with Elena after an incident last year when Daisy managed to siphon magic from Magnolia and ran around with bright blue hair for two hours. Grayson stands and takes Jeremy with him as they leave the dining room and head into the kitchen. Daisy draws her finger under the seal and opens the letter. There is excitement and nerves bubbling in her blood. She knows she is not a conventional witch like Magnolia and Lily. Her magic is different. She's nervous in case this isn't an invitation, that this might be a letter saying she is not the right type of witch for them. Daisy takes the sheets of parchment from inside and opens it up.

"Read it out loud" Elena begs, because she wants to hear as much as Daisy wants to read. Magnolia touches Elena's arm. Daisy takes a deep breath and then starts reading from the letter.

"Dear Miss Potter" Daisy wrinkles her nose at the use of her real name. She's just gotten so used to being Daisy Gilbert over the years that it still pauses her when she hears her real name. "We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all the necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July" It's actually going to happen. Daisy is going to have to leave her home and her family to go to school all the way across the world. It's so far away from her family. "How did you do it?" Daisy asks Magnolia who frowns a little. "When you left and came here....how did you do it?"

"It was hard" Magnolia assures her softly. "I missed my family, I missed....." She smiles sadly at Daisy. "Lily...I missed her so much, but I was excited too. I had just left school, I had all this knowledge and magic and all I wanted to do was use it...." Daisy smiles a little. "It's okay if you are afraid, Daisy" Magnolia tells her. "It's a big change and it will take some time to get used to being there and away from us...." Elena suddenly bursts into tears. "Oh, no, honey" Magnolia turns to her. "It's okay...." Daisy's eyes sadden as she thinks about leaving Elena, and she can understand why she is so upset about this. They have their own friends but there is something about their sister bond that is so important to them. It is going to be hard on Daisy to leave, but Elena is going to find it hard to stay. To have that support and friendship taken from her. Daisy slips off her seat and moves around the table.

"Elena" Daisy coos as she hugs her, Elena hiccups as she cries. It was always going to be hard on them, not just on Daisy but for Elena and Jeremy as well. Jeremy might just be young enough to easily get used to it, but Elena will struggle with the loneliness that will come from Daisy going away. Elena clutches back to Daisy, her eyes jammed shut as she tries not to think about losing her sister.