The Half-Blood Princess

Chapter 19- Runaway

Sabrina was eating breakfast at home, when the owl carrying her OWL results arrived, a week later.
She immediately dropped her spoon and headed to the window, to let the owl in.
"I don't want any bloody owls in my house" shouted Tobias.
Sabrina ignored her father and took the envelope from the owl, allowing it to fly away.
She wished that her brother could be there as she opened it, like she had been for him the year before. But he had spent the night at one of his friends homes, practising dark magic.
Ever since turning 17, he had barely spent any time at home, but since Sabrina was at Grimmauld Place a lot, she normally didn't care that he wasn't there.

"What's that letter about?" Questioned Tobias.
"It's my school results" answered Sabrina, who was still too afraid to open the envelope.
"School results via an owl, I've never heard of such a stupid thing. Why can't you people do things properly?" Quizzed Tobias.
He had been passed out drunk when Severus's results had arrived, so he had missed the experience, which everyone agreed was definitely a good thing.
"Owl post is normal for people with magic, it's just you Muggles that use postmen and stamps" snapped Sabrina.
"Sabrina" warned Eileen, who was worried about Tobias losing his temper.

Sabrina sighed and turned her attention back to the letter in her hands.
In one swift motion she tore off the envelope and began reading the letter.
"Well?" Asked Eileen.
"I got an Outstanding in almost all of my subjects. But I only got Exceeds Expectations in Ancient Runes and History of Magic" revealed Sabrina.
"That is still very good"
"Not as good at Severus. He got Outstandings in all of his subjects"
"Well, I still think it is impressive to do that good. You did better than me, that's for sure".

"Why don't you people have normal grades? What's wrong with A, B, C etc?" Questioned Tobias.
"We are still people. And not everyone in the world uses the same grading system" reminded Sabrina.
"Don't get smart with me"
"I'm not. I was just answering your question. Why ask a question, if you don't want it answered?".
Tobias got out of his chair and made his way towards her.
"You think you're so big and clever, don't you" he said quietly.
"Well, I'm certainly cleverer than you, because I don't think you'd be able to do as well as I just did" admitted Sabrina.

Tobias raised his fist, and hit Sabrina across the face.
Before he could strike again, Sabrina removed her wand from her pocket and pointed it at him.
She had started carrying her wand around with her at home, because she no longer trusted her father, and now she saw that she was right to have it on her.
"You wouldn't dare" spat Tobias, as he started at Sabrina's wand.
"You wanna bet?" Replied Sabrina.
"I know that you aren't allowed to use that out of school yet"
"Even underage witches are allowed to use magic outside of school, if it's in self defense. And no one can deny that I'm acting in self defense right now".

"Even if it's not illegal, I know that you still wouldn't risk doing anything with it" admitted Tobias.
"You know nothing about me" snapped Sabrina.
"I don't? Well, go on then, cast a spell. Abracadabra your way out of this, witch" mocked Tobias.
Sabrina's wand hand trembled, as she was unsure of what to do.
"I knew it. You're too cowardly to do anything" continued Tobias.
"No, I'm not. I'm just trying to think of the right spell to use on a filthy Muggle like you, as there's so many to choose from" lied Sabrina.

Tobias slapped Sabrina across the face, before grabbing hold of her hair and pushing her against the wall.
"Pertrificus Totalus" yelled Sabrina.
Her spell hit her father, causing him to go rigid and drop to the floor.
She then waved her wand packing all her belongs and summoning them into the room.
Ebony meowed in protest as Sabrina picked her up off the counter and placed her inside her cage.

Once all her belongings were with her, Ebony took one last look back at her mother.
"This is your last chance mum. It's me or him. You can leave here with me, right now, or stay with him. You can't have us both, so which one are you choosing?" Asked Sabrina, even though she knew the answer.
"You're going to get expelled now" Eileen said quietly.
"No I won't. The Ministry can't trace who did the magic, only where it was performed, and since we live in the same house, it could've been you who performed the spell. Besides, anyone can break the rules once, they wouldn't expell me for doing magic once" replied Sabrina.

"Where are you going to go?" Questioned Eileen.
"I don't care. Anywhere is better than here" snapped Sabrina.
"It's not safe for you out on the streets"
"Like you care. You're not exactly in the run for best mum of the year award... Not that it's any concern of yours, but I'm going to move in with my boyfriend's family, who care about me more than you, and who I know will accept me into their lives"
"But you're only 15, you're too young to move out"
"I'm 16 in a few weeks time. But my age doesn't concern me. I've been looking after myself since I was a small child, since you failed to do so"
"Yes. I suppose you have".

"So, is this it? Are you really choosing that useless piece of crap, over your own daughter?" Questioned Sabrina.
"He is my husband" answered Eileen quietly.
"I see. Well, I won't be coming back here anymore. Even if Regulus's parents don't want me, I will find somewhere else to live. Because under no circumstances am I coming back to live in this hell hole... Goodbye mum. If I cared enough, I would beg you to leave with me, so that he can't hurt you any more either. But I don't care enough, so goodbye. Have a nice life".

Sabrina then marched out the door, pulling her belongings behind her.
She didn't bother to remove the spell off her father, since she wanted him to suffer, and she knew that her mother could remove the spell with her own magic, when she was ready.
Once at the end of the street, Sabrina stuck out her wand, and summoned the Knight Bus, so that it could transport her to 12 Grimmauld Place, since she had not learned to apparate yet.
She wasn't worried about being caught using magic, because she knew that she could explain her way out of trouble, and she did not fear the Ministry, like most people did.