I don't want to do anything. School is just lessons. I don't do any more pranks. It's just wake up, classes, eat, then as soon as possible go to the ledge. My escape. The ledge is literally a ledge on the edge of a cliff. Hence the name. From there you can see for miles, just the sky, the sun and a view. Sitting on the edge of falling, nothing but mist and vapour below me. Clouds always seemed to hypnotise me, especially when I was younger. Isn't it strange how every day the clouds are a slightly different colour, a different shape? Now I sort of sound like a weirdo... Anyway... Right now, the white mist beneath me lies under a cloudless blue summer's sky. Ma used to love the sky. Taught me the names of stars when I couldn't get to sleep. She said the sky was so big, it was almost impossible.
"Eb, you alright?" Larry sits next to me. "That's a stupid question..."
"Yeah... I... I don't know... I just..." I sigh. I have never felt like this before. Ever.
It's quite scary that I can feel so... like this. Empty. Yet full of emotion. Still. Yet unable to stop my mind from racing. Sad. Yet unable to put it into words. I tug my black denim jacket around me. I can feel something rolling down my cheek, warm.
"I know..." He doesn't force me to look at him, just hands me a tissue and puts an arm around me. I know he knows. Better than anyone else. We don't need to talk. We just sit quietly, staring at the silvery mist beneath us.
*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*
Days pass, I sit in my black dress at the funeral. Unable to take it in. Still clutching the silver feather around my neck that I knew my mother is wearing in the black box in front of me.
Strangers come to apologise to me. I nod and accept even though none of them can do anything to help or bring her back.
I don't cry. I have run out of tears to cry, and Ma told me not to. I can't smile. But I don't cry.
*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*
The next day, a man in a suit comes in to read the will. I don't have any relatives left, Ma's side all died ages ago. So I just sit down at the end of the table and listen to what he says. It's a simple will. Money is all left to me, Ma didn't fully own the house, a few things go to different friends and then... Then there was the letter.
The letter was her last wishes for me, all neatly written out on a piece of paper.
It seemed strange. She should have been able to tell me this. It shouldn't be happening now. But she ran out of time. This is everything she never had time to tell me.
Dear Ebony,
If you are reading this then something has happened to me. Hopefully you are much older than you are as I am writing this, with a good education behind you, maybe you have a partner and perhaps I have some grandchildren. But maybe I didn't get to see all that.
I am sorry if I didn't have time to tell you this, but I need to tell you about your father. There is a lot to explain.
You know that you were born in London and later we moved over here, so I could be closer to my family. You also know that your father left when you were three. We met in Britain, he belonged to a rich, pureblood family there. I met him about a year before you were born. We loved each other very much, but when I found out I was pregnant with you, everything started to change. I told him and he was shocked, it had all happened very quickly and we didn't expect to have you. He decided he didn't care but he knew his family would. He hadn't even told them we were together, and the fact he was now going to have a child, especially from someone like me - you know what I mean - he knew that they would hate the very thought of it. His family disowned him because of our relationship and because of your birth.
He didn't know what to do so he sent us here, along with money and he stayed with us for a few years, even taking you to London a couple of times. He sent letters when he wasn't here. Then, when you were three, as you know, he left for britain and didn't come back. I didn't get any more letters. Maybe he's still there, I don't know. But he is now your guardian.
Ebony, I love you so much and you have so much to give. If you are still at school, then you could go to that school in Britain, Hogwarts, if you wanted. The letter is still in my mirror draw. I know that the teachers at Uagadou will do what is best. Go and finish school. If possible, find your family and your Father. There is an address at the bottom of the page that he gave me. The house has a lot of protective charms on the place but because it was written by him, you should be able to get in. We told his family that you were born but he gave them a different name, he didn't particularly want them to find out where and who you are. So that if you ever returned, you wouldn't have to deal with whatever they thought of you. I think that they may have to take you in though, if they are your closest family.
You are so brave and clever and wonderful. I am sorry for leaving you, but do what you need to, go and fly.
Ma, Dove Warren.
Then at the bottom there was a note clipped on. It was in different, scrawly handwriting and read;
12 Grimmauld Place,
Borough of Islington,
London
United Kingdom.
Signed: Alphard Black
YOU ARE READING
The Black Winged Marauder
Fiksi Penggemar"It isn't my choice though, it's yours." When he says it like that, it suddenly becomes very clear. "I'll miss you." "Just make sure you write, don't forget all about me." "I won't forget you, I promise. But I need to do this." *•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*...
