Melanie Rosen: Year 4 (A Harry Potter Fanfic)

Chapter 1 Mrs. Lane?

A/N: Hello all! Welcome to Melanie's forth year. Now that the mystery is solved this year will focus on changes in Melanie's personal life and we'll finally get to see some romance.

Notice I changed the rating to PG13 rather than PG. There will be a little bit of gore towards the end. Just wanted to give you a heads up. The rest of this series will likely be PG13 as well.

And as always, here's the list of characters I created: Melanie Rosen, Lenora Lane, Morgan Brody, Rebecca Chamberson, Richard Chamberson, Livia Rosen, Theodin Rosen, Madeline Brody, Andre Riddle, Darlene Riddle, Coraline Saunders, Hera Saunders, Mars Lane, Felicity Bohnoman, Tinker, Charles Riddle, Berenike Riddle, Picus Lane

Everyone else belongs to JKR

Chapter 1

Mrs. Lane?

    I sat on the sofa, my legs stretched over the arm, browsing through a family album Aunt Becky let me borrow. It was just an ordinary hot day in July on Little Whinging. I had the TV on but just for noise.

    The photo album contained pictures of my birth parents, which I only learned of at the end of last year.  They were kept secret from me because my father, Andre Riddle, was the son of none other than Voldemort himself. When I was a baby I was kidnapped by Death Eaters and my father challenged Voldemort one on one while my mother, Darlene, escaped with me. After the death of her husband, my mother ended her life by jumping off a cliff. This part of the story always puzzled me. I know it must be unbearable to lose your loved one but it was not as though Andre was the only family she had. It almost seemed as though there was more detail to this situation my aunt left out when she told me the story but I could not imagine what that could be. Maybe its just that I have no idea what its like to be in love with someone.

    After I was rescued from Voldemort my Aunt Becky took me in, but Uncle Richard said it was too risky for me to stay with them. That's why I was sent here to live here with the people I now call Mum and Dad. My mum was born a squib and concealed from the wizarding world so Voldemort likely did not know of her existence.

    "Melanie!" Mum hollered from the kitchen. "How many times do I have to tell you not to drink directly out of the milk carton?"

    "Yeah, okay Mum," I murmured not even taking my eyes off the photo album.

    "And there's mud on the ground by your shoes," she nagged on. "How did you even manage to get your shoes muddy? It hasn't rained here in a month!"

    "At least I took my shoes off at the door," I answered back in a groan. "Isn't that what you wanted me to do in the first place?"

    "I swear, sometimes if feels like I have a teenage boy living here," Mum grumbled, as I heard her start to scrub the floor.

    I rolled my eyes but still let out a soft chuckle. I thought of when I first found out I was really adopted, the shock I felt. Now, when I think back on it, I'm amazed I did not figure it out sooner. My mother, Livia Rosen... I love her dearly, but I honestly could not think of a person on this planet I have less in common with. She has just always been so neat and proper, not to mention the definition of lady-like. Mum's attire ninety percent of the time was semi-formal with dressed or knee-length tight shirts. I, on the other hand, did not bother to be neat and tidy in the slightest. This was likely because all my life I had only guy friends. Lenora Lane was the first girl I happened to make friends with right before my first year at Hogwarts. When outside of school, I mostly wore baggy sweat clothes or worn jeans. I barely brushed my thick wavy hair and I was almost fourteen and I never even touched make-up.

    Mum then walked in the family room and eyed my book. "Melanie, please put that away. We have a guest coming over and most people aren't accustomed to seeing moving photographs."

    "Who's coming over?" I asked, closing the photo album.

    "One of your dad's clients," Mum answered. "I think her name is Felicity Bohnoman. She had a meeting with him yesterday and forgot her paperwork so he brought it home and she's stopping by here to pick to pick it up."

    This kind of struck me as odd but I suppose since Dad flew out for a business trip this morning there was no other way. I sighed and set the book on the table as the doorbell rang.

    "That's probably her," Mum said as she glanced at the table. "Take that book upstairs. I don't want her to accidently see it."

    I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Why would she go through a family album of a family she doesn't even know?"

    "Just do what I say, Melanie," Mum answered back, impatiently.

    "Fine." I picked up the photo album and trotted upstairs. 

    Just as I reached my room, I heard Mum answer the door followed by pleasant greetings.

    "Would you like to stay for a cup of tea?" Mum asked.

    "Oh thank you," Ms. Bohnoman said, "but I really should be going. I've got another client coming in at 2:00."

    I recalled Dad mentioning yesterday his most recent client was a therapist. It seemed the majority were. For some reason therapists had the tendency to find themselves with a lawsuit quite often around here.

    As I walked downstairs, I caught a better look at Ms. Bohnoman's face. She wore a soft sweet expression, her cheeks lightly dusted with freckles. Her hair was a light auburn and slightly wavy. Something about her seemed familiar but I could not think of what.

    I decided to shrug it off and go into the kitchen for a snack. I popped open a bag of potato chips and ate a few before putting it away and then took a sip of milk. This time I remembered to close carton the milk back up so hopefully my mother would not notice.

    "Well, it was nice talking to you," I heard Mum say to Ms. Bohnoman. "Here's your paper work... and, oh this sheet here says Felicity Lane."

    Lane? I wondered instantly thinking of how I know that last name. It probably did not mean anything, just coincidence. After all, Lane was a pretty common name.

    "Oh dear," Ms. Bohnoman said. "I guess some of my records need to be updated. That's from when I was married, nearly fourteen years ago."

    "I see," Mum said. "I guess you chose to keep your maiden name instead."

    "Yes," Ms. Bohnoman confirmed. "I'd rather put that part of my life behind me. I was young and foolish back then." She let out a nervous laugh and added, "I mean, looking back on it, when you marry a guy that named after the Roman God of War, that's asking for trouble."

    As both woman giggled, I let out a gasp. Lane may be a common name but how many Mars Lanes could there be. Not to mention, Ms. Bohnoman said she was married fourteen years ago. I peered out of the kitchen to get one last glimpse of this woman, the woman I believed just may be Lenora's mother.