Astoria Black-Lupin

Chapter One

"Stop! Please" I said tears in my eyes, my Mother burning my already ruined skin as she poured boiling water over me to wake me up.

"I'm so sick of you! You're just like your father, I never want to see you again, Get out!" she screamed.

*********

And that's how I've ended up here. I'm Astoria Black-Lupin, I'm 9 years old and I'm cursed with being a Werewolf.

I don't know where I am right now other than that the address my Mother gave me after she told me to get out is supposed to lead to my fathers' house.

I must've been running/walking for around half an hour by now because when  I reach the street labelled Navy Street I'm long out of breath.

Checking that I haven't dropped the letter I ring the doorbell of number 15. Tears are falling down my cheeks as my head floods with thoughts.

What if he doesn't want me? What if he doesn't even answer? What if this is one of Mother's Games?

I put my thoughts to a pause when I notice a tall man now stood in front of me, his sandy hair covering a large scar traced across his forehead.

He kneels to my height as he takes in my appearance. Burns, bruises, scars and cuts all over me that are hardly covered by the ruined leggings and ripped shirt I'm wearing.

"Hey, Are you okay? Are you lost?" He asks me softly.

"Oh. . .u-uh no, here," I say stuttering over my words almost completing forgetting what I was doing in the first place.

I hand over the letter and a mix of emotions cross his face as he reads the parchment.

He puts the letter in his pocket and tells me to come in. I oblige, still trembling in fear and shivering from the cold despite the fact I have been running/walking for the past thirty minutes.

He takes notice of this and tells me to sit down on the sofa as he places a blanket over me.

"I'm so sorry Astoria, I swear if I knew I would've taken you in. I got a letter saying she had you but that you'd not survived," he says sadly.

"I-it's fine. Are you going to take me back? Please don't! I'll do anything!" I tell him, tears threatening to fall.

"No of course not. Wait what's wrong why don't you want to go to Grace?" He questions, referring to my mother. Her full name is Grace Hope Lee. The only reason I am named Astoria Black-Lupin is because when I was born as a werewolf she decided I didn't deserve her surname.

"S-she says I'm a monster. She keeps me chained in the basement and h-hits me" I said struggling to explain through my sobbing.

My Father makes his way over to me and rubs my back. "Hey, you're okay now. I promise you will never have to go back there" He whispered. "Why don't we get you cleaned up? Then I'll show you to your bedroom and get you some clean clothes."

"Thank you," I said following him quietly.

*********

Now I'm cleaned up I start preparing dinner for him. I'm so used to doing it for my mother that its just part of my daily routine.

The pasta is heating and I accidentally burn my hand on the pot. He must've heard because he comes worriedly into the kitchen seconds later.

"You don't need to make dinner," he says, checking on the pasta.

"Sorry sir," I tell him quietly, looking down.

"Remember, you don't need to call me sir Tori, and let's get that bandaged up," He tells me gently and leads me towards where he keeps the first aid box.

*********

Once he has bandaged the burn up we sit down and have dinner which I thank him for many times. It is by far the biggest meal I've ever eaten.

He then takes me to my bedroom and tucks me in before saying goodnight and leaving me to fall asleep.

*********
Tw: Abuse

It was a full moon and I had just turned 6 years old. My mother had come down to the basement and used thick metal chains to hold me down as I transformed.

I whimpered and cried repeatedly as she continuously whipped me. I would howl for help but 1-people will think I'm a freak, 2-I gave up on that a long time ago, and 3-I don't have enough energy.

I feel myself losing consciousness and everything goes black

*********

My body shoots upright. Tears are streaming down my face and my body is covered in sweat.

"Hey, it's okay it was just a dream," my father says while rubbing my back gently.

I lean my head into his shoulder and all you can hear is my sobs, muffled by his jumper until I calm down a bit. I explain what happened and next to him I fall asleep peacefully for the first time in years.