"Where then?"
"Not on this Earth."
Hattie Black is the daughter of Sirius Black. Growing up she never had a set home, her parents weren't together and that meant she had to change between houses all of the time. Even during school holidays when she...
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Sleep didn't come easily for Charlie. He was too worried about Hattie to even get a wink of it. Checking she was still sleeping, that's his was comfortable, that she wasn't crying, or cold. That was how his night went. That and procrastinating the whole situation.
She is fourteen for crying out loud, fifteen next week and she feels like this. That life is not an option for her anymore. No one, of any age should have to believe that but at such a young age it seemed much worse.
At one point his curiosity got the better of him and he carefully tugged up the sleeves of his sweater and her hoodie and got his answer. The red lines, some scabbed and brown, but many red. All painting her arms like strokes of a brush. Some short some long, some faded, some new, some deep some not so deep.
Bringing his hand to his mouth, Charlie gasped. No wonder she stayed quiet when the adults were discussing self-harm. He ran a finger softly over the scars and could feel where the skin had risen, only slightly, but it had. He pulled down the sleeves and held onto the girl tightly again, he didn't want to let her go, afraid that if he did she would disappear, literally.
"I wish I could understand," He whispered his lips close to her ear, "I wish I could have prevented this, Hattie."
The hours ticked by rather slowly and eventually he fell asleep.
Molly was the first to awake and venture down stairs that morning. She discovered Hattie and Charlie asleep, adjusting the blanket so that it covered them better. The mother didn't even question why the pair were there when she knew Hattie had gone up to bed that night, instead; she started to cook breakfast leaving them to sleep longer.
It wasn't long until the smell off food cooking woke the rest of the house up and despite the noise, Charlie and Hattie didn't wake up. They shared that in common. The could sleep for England and put them together they could sleep for the whole of Europe.
Nobody seemed to notice the pair in the living room as they made their way to the kitchen. It wast until Bill mentioned the pair to being there that they realised their absence. "Are they still asleep?" Bill asked his mother who nodded. "I'll go wake them."
The sight was rather beautiful. Charlie looked so protective over Hattie in his sleep, his arms holding onto her and his face scrunched up. Hattie was clinging to the man, her cheek pressed to his chest, right above his heart the blanket covering her whole body, her eyes and above being the only part of her visible.
Bill lightly shook Charlie, the man grumbling and swatting in his hands away. "Char, breakfast." Bill said and his brother's eyes shot open.
"Is that hash browns?" He sniffed the air.
"Yeah, it is." Stated Bill, "Wake Hattie and come and get some otherwise I'll eat both of your guys' food."
Leaving Charlie and Hattie alone, Bill returned to the kitchen. Charlie shuffled up on the sofa into a siting position causing Hattie to stir and yawn. "Hattie, breakfast." He said quietly. "I know you won't want it, but have a little bit."
The girl's eyes fluttered open and she yawned again, rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?"
"About nine." Charlie informed her, glancing down at his watch.
She sighed resting her head ball on his chest and snuggling down again, "wake me later."
Charlie shook his head, "not happening. C'mon." Hattie grumbled and crawled off of him, pressing her feet onto the floor, and stretching as Charlie stood up, his body aching from the terrible sleeping position.
He led the way into the kitchen, stealing a seat, Hattie sitting beside him and staring at her plate. Her eyes darted to Charlie who nodded and with one hand he patted her knee in comfort. With a shaking hand, she lifted her fork and scooped up some baked beans on it, slowly placing it into her mouth. Charlie kept his hand on her knee, his thumb making circles on it to try and soothe her as she struggled it eat.
Charlie ate his food quite quickly and without saying anything, he sneakily snatched some of Hattie's breakfast from her plate and put it onto his to make it look like she had eaten hers more.
It pained him to see her forcing herself to eat the smallest of mouthfuls, her hand shaking and her eyes welling with tears. She placed her fork down and shook her head slightly, barely noticeable to anyone but Charlie.
"One more." Charlie mumbled. "Please." He added.
Hattie used her finger and drew out each letter to the words, 'I can't' on his leg. He squeezed her knee gently, nodding at her as she met his gaze.
Sucking in a breath, she did so, a chunk of hash brown being forced down and she was finished.
"It's not like you, Charlie, to leave any food." Commented James jestingly pointing at the food that he had actually taken from Hattie's plate.
"I'm just a bit full up!" Charlie patted his stomach, chuckling dryly.
Ron instantly leaned over and took some of the left over food and ate it, the twins also doing so. "Excuse me." Said Hattie, standing up and leaving the room.
Charlie also excused himself a few moments afterwards when others began to move and followed Hattie only to hear her throwing up. He knocked on the door, and was pretty sure he probably scared the hell out of her. "Hattie, it's me. Let me in." He said.
He heard the water that had started to run, stop and the lock slide open. He eyed her toothbrush in the edge of the sink. The air freshener in her hand which hadn't been used yet as the smell of vomit hit his senses.
Charlie looked at the girl and her bottom lip began to tremble. "I couldn't help it." She cried.
He held his arms open to her and she fell into them, the air freshener slipping from her fingers and clashing onto the tiles.
