CHAPTER ONE:
HOME

☍︎︎

RETURNING HOME SEVEN DAYS AFTER HER BIRTHDAY TO DISCOVER HER ROOM HAD BECOME A STORAGE ROOM DIDN'T SUGGEST IT WOULD BE A GOOD SUMMER.

Daisy didn't expect a welcome wagon by any means, but had feeble hopes she'd get a birthday present. However, upon following Harry into the house after the Dursley's picked them up from King's Cross, she discovered this was not the case.

Her father barely grunted upon seeing her and her mother refused to look at her as she packed her trunk into the back of the car. She was, once again, a disappointment.

At least, she thought foolishly, she'd have her big bed to swallow her whole for the summer. She could stare out the windows and sketch in her "homemade sketchbook" Theo had surprised her with for her birthday.

(It contained about thirteen empty parchment papers slapped together front and back and bound with a dark leather cover. It was messy and the pages were thrown together sloppily, not to mention she could only use a very dark pen in light strokes to draw anything at all — but she loved it dearly.)

Unfortunately, the notion of a peaceful summer was far too much to ask as a witch in a family that hated magic. Her bedroom was cluttered with storage and books and Dudley's old video game consoles and an old television.

"Mum?" Daisy turned, hands clamming up with sweat as anxiety slipped through her bones.

They'd already taken hers and Harry's school trunks and supplies — including Theo's homemade sketchbook, which, her father tore from her hands with a scowl — and tossed them into Harry's old cupboard.

Daisy shifted on her feet nervously, unable to look her mother in the eye. Surely she'd stare at her with utter disappointment. After the year she'd had, Daisy didn't think she could face that.

"Yes?" Her mother asked coldly.

"Em — well, I was just wondering—"

"—Daisy Dursley, spit it out, we never taught you to stutter."

"Sorry, Mum," she swallowed, "I was just wondering where my room's gone? It's fine to use it for storage when I'm away, but my bed isn't there anymore and neither are my clothes or—"

"—You'll be sleeping with the boy," she spay the words out like poison, sinking them into Daisy's skin, "You chose to be like him. You can live with him."

Daisy stood quietly for a moment as her mother turned, without so much as a goodbye, walking down the hall and retested downstairs. Daisy clenched her hands into fists anxiously, nerves building into her stomach.

She didn't have her own room at Hogwarts, instead, intermixed with Slytherin girls who paid her no mind or harassed her until she fell asleep. She was nothing but vermin in her dormitory, a rat sleeping in a mansion. And now, at her parent's home, she was treated just the same.

An unwanted child — just like her cousin. She didn't even deserve her own room.

Daisy's feet led her to Harry's room before her thoughts caught up and she opened the door awkwardly, staring at him with wide eyes.

He sat on his bed with a thin, pitying smile.

"I guess we're roommates now," she shrugged, trying not to let the tears fall from her eyes. She hasn't even realized she'd started crying.

"That's okay, I'm not too bad. We have Hedwig, too." Harry pointed to his snowy bird in her cage, who chittered indignantly.

"Yeah," Daisy muttered, looking anywhere but at him. Embarrassment flooded her suddenly. She used to be the favorite, the star daughter with good grades and a bright future.

Now, she was bunking with her disappointing cousin — who had friends and the support and adoration of the entire school — how far she'd fallen. There were no paintings of her artwork hung up on any of the walls, let alone Harry's. There were no fairy lights or colorful dressers. There was a twin sized bed opposite his own, with a small table and Hedwig's cage in between them.

A tall wardrobe stood opposite the window, but there were no floral rugs or loose fitting sweaters. Her clothes sat in a hamper at the edge of the bed sadly, not nearly filling the brim. Her heart dropped, spotting a few recognizable items. Those were the clothes she'd brought with her to Hogwarts -- had they sold the rest?

Surely, they were in the other room. They wouldn't leave her with such a small amount of clothing, right? She turned, lip shaking and breath quickening, reaching for the door of her old room.

Her hand found the cool metal easily and she turned the handle, only for it to jiggle and remain closed. Who'd locked the door? It was open only minutes before. She hadn't heard anyone come upstairs. Why couldn't she have her old clothes back?

Tears fell down Daisy's cheeks and she wiped them away furiously, trying not to cry. She couldn't cry anymore -- Hogwarts taught her that. She'd cried enough last summer after learning of her magic, and after being sorted into a house where everyone hated her.

And now, after everything? After the three-headed dog and the spoilt potions classes and mean housemates -- not having enough clothes was making her burst into tears? She took a breath, steadying herself. No. She would not cry today. She would not cry for such frivolous things, such as clothing or the love of her family.

She'd managed a whole year without them caring about her, and Harry had managed his entire life. She could do without them.

Turning, Daisy walked back into Harry's room and shut the door behind her.

"What do you normally do all day?"

☍︎︎

Weeks passed in a dull affair. Daisy's father came and went day in and day out, always talking about new customers and potential clients. Her brother spent most of the day outside the house, with friends or tormenting smaller children at the park. Her mother watched television and spied on the neighbors.

Summers prior, Daisy used to spend her days painting or reading. Now, she was helping Harry cook and clean, feeling like a real life Cinderella. She made Harry laugh in her comparison, pointing out that they were both Cinderella now. Only, her fairy godmother was Professor McGonagall and his was Hagrid. They proceeded to do terrible impressions of the adults, singing in "their voices" the "Bippity-Boppity-Boo" song.

On the bright side, spending so much time with Harry made them much closer. Even more so than the year before. Previously, they'd only bonded over the excitement of a magic school and the acceptance they both felt in being abnormal.

Now, they turned to each other when lonely or upset -- Daisy was beginning to like him more than her own brother. Guilt followed that thought every time it entered her mind. It wasn't Dudley's fault that he didn't love her. It was her parents, right? But then again, she reminded herself, Dudley hadn't said a word to her all summer. She felt like a ghost, only seen and heard by Harry.

Her parents had said more to Harry than to her. And when they needed Daisy for something, they would ask Harry to ask her or tell Harry to tell her. It was getting old.

"I miss bread pudding," Daisy said quietly to Harry as they prepared breakfast for the family. This had become a recent conversation, both bringing up things they missed most about Hogwarts. Things they were most looking forward to. Harry's first answer was Ron and her first answer was Theo, but both of them laughed at her sarcastically bringing up Snape.

Neither of them missed him very much. They almost preferred Daisy's family to his tirades and blatant favoritism.

Harry looked at her incredulously. "Bread pudding? Hardly," he shook his head, flipping over the sizzling bacon in the pan. "I miss pumpkin juice more."

Daisy snorted, buttering two slices of toast. "Pumpkin juice?" She laughed quietly, trying not to draw attention from upstairs. "You miss pumpkin juice? No one misses pumpkin juice!"

"Hermione loves pumpkin juice," Harry argued, as though proving a point. "So I'm sure she misses it."

"Okay, well, everyone who isn't the boy-who-lived or the know-it-all-best-friend would know that pumpkin juice tastes like spoiled water and they would disagree."

Harry laughed. "She'd hate you calling her that."

"You should tell her I did in your next letter. I'd love to know what she says."

Harry grew sadder then, his laugh falling from his face and he focused more intently to the bacon. Her words hung in the air like a dark cloud, overtaking his face with sadness.

"She hasn't written back at all."

Daisy blinked, surprise on her face. "At all? Why not?"

An irritated expression flashed his features. "I don't know, I can't exactly ask her. Ron hasn't either."

Daisy frowned, not expecting his words. Ron and Hermione not write to Harry? Surely their post had gotten lost or an owl delivered to the wrong address. Or maybe her parents stopped the owls somehow.

But deep down Daisy knew that couldn't be the case. Theo and Blaise had written to her all summer. A surge of happiness flooded her, but she pushed it away a moment later. She couldn't be happy that Harry's friends had written to her and his hadn't. What sort of friend did that make her?

"I'm sure it's a mistake. Or they've forgotten somehow."

"Yeah," Harry agreed bitterly. "I'm sure that's it."

Before either of them could say anything else, her father's footsteps were heard thundering down the steps and into the foyer. She and Harry exchanged a hurried look, plating the breakfast quickly and setting the dishes onto the table.

Her heart dropped as her father entered the room, yawning tremendously before taking a seat in her old chair. She and Harry stood in the kitchen, waiting to be dismissed.

She remembered her first day of summer -- when they expected her to perform the chores with ease. Harry'd helped her, teaching her how to cook and stand quiet as a mouse while they ate. He helped her clean the kitchen and bathrooms -- and Dudley's room once when he was sick and vomited all over the carpet -- with ease. She couldn't have lasted the summer without him, that much was clear.

It also gave her a newfound respect for her cousin. He'd done all of this with little help from her mother over the years, never complaining, just taking it. She'd cried herself to sleep nearly the entire first week of summer and yet, she'd never seen him so much as tear up in the presence of her family.

Dudley and Petunia made their way downstairs a few minutes later and sat on opposite ends of the table. Daisy hurriedly turned on the tv so as to appease her brother before he could throw a tantrum and make his food go flying. Harry taught her that trick a few weeks ago. Like a baby -- Dudley would get distracted enough and eat all his food, then they'd only have to clean a messy plate rather than the food, carpet, table, and anything else her mother deemed dirty.

"Third time this week," Vernon glared at Harry. "Your owl's woken me for the third time this week. If you can't control that owl, it'll have to go!"

Daisy frowned, wanting to stick up for Harry and Hedwig, but the words fell short.

"She's bored," he said. "She's used to flying around outside. If I could just let her out atnight--"

"Do I look stupid?" snarled Daisy's father, a bit of fried egg dribbling down from his mustache. "I know what'll happen if that owl's let out."

Daisy nearly rolled her eyes. The insurmountable paranoia her family felt about the wizarding world was getting annoying. Hogwarts wasn't out to get them -- and neither were any of the professors. They were perfectly safe and an owl flying and hooting in the middle of the night wouldn't stop that.

Dudley burped loudly, looking over at his sister with a toothy grin. "More bacon, girl," he laughed to himself. Daisy fought the pang of sadness that jabbed her heart at his words. If they addressed her at all, they'd taken to calling her 'girl' similar to calling Harry 'boy.' It was as though she'd never been Dudley's sister at all.

"There's more in the frying pan, sweetums," Petunia smiled, looking at Dudley with a wistful expression. "We must build you up while we've got the chance...I don't like the sound of that school food..."

Not that they cared much for Daisy's food choices. Then again, she was sure no matter which school they chose for Dudley, the food options wouldn't equate to Hogwarts. Perhaps eating less over the summer would balance out how much she gorged during the school year.

"Nonsense, Petunia," her father argued lightly, bringing Daisy back to the scene before her. "I never went hungry when I was at Smeltings. Dudley gets enough, don't you son?"

Daisy wondered if her father ever got hungry. Returning back from school, she'd realized how large he was and how much he ate. Well, he and Dudley. She didn't want to look like that. Harry made fun of them because of how large they were. Dudley's bottom hung over the sides of the chair and Vernon was so large he balanced the plate on his stomach.

It was similar to Neville Longbottom, bless the boy, everyone made fun of his size. She didn't exactly see anything wrong with it -- but if everyone else did, surely she couldn't let herself get that large?

Dudley grinned at Harry nastily. "Pass the frying pan."

"You forgot the magic word," Harry snarked.

Daisy rolled her eyes, giving him an irritated look. They were having a decent morning, but of course--

Dudley fell off his chair in surprise, a loud clash ringing through the kitchen, and Petunia gave a small scream, clapping her hands to her mouth. Daisy took a step back as her father stood, plate toppling to the ground. The table bounced an inch or so as his stomach brushed against it.

"I meant please," Harry said quickly, holding his hands up. "I meant--"

"WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU?" Vernon thundered, spit flying from his mouth and to the corners of the table. Daisy's nose crinkled in dislike. How disgusting. "ABOUT SAYING THE 'M' WORD IN OUR HOUSE?"

Daisy wanted to speak up and explain a very different 'm' word that had a much worser meaning, but didn't. After all, they didn't care about her eating habits -- why should they care about threats from students at a school they originally refused to send her to?

"But, I--"

"--HOW DARE YOU THREATEN DUDLEY?"

Daisy jumped as his fist collided with the table angrily, color draining from her face. She'd only seen him toss Harry around a few times, and only a handful of small beatings -- but she'd never been on the receiving end. She hoped never to be - but with the state of her life, she couldn't be sure how safe she really was.

"I WARNED YOU! I WILL NOT TOLERATE MENTION OF YOUR ABNORMALITY UNDERTHIS ROOF!"

Fear flickered across Harry's face and Daisy looked away, focusing instead on her mother, who was using all the strength in her thin frame to help him off the floor. She took a step forward instinctively, wanting to help her twin up, but her father's gaze honed in on her.

"YOU! DON'T GO NEAR MY SON! STAY RIGHT THERE, YOU FREAK!"

Daisy stopped, refusing to look at her father, knowing, knowing tears would fall from her eyes helplessly if she did. She couldn't stand looking at the disappointment and disgust on his face and instead resolved to staring at a small crack in the chair where Dudley had been sitting.

"All right," Harry spoke up instead, stepping forward, blocking Daisy from her father's wrath. "All right, I'm sorry."

Daisy felt grateful for her cousin then, more grateful than she'd ever felt. It was second nature to him; standing up to her family and rolling his eyes and responding in snark. But all of those things terrified her -- the crippling disappointment that overtook their faces petrified her.

Vernon cleared his throat, seemingly calming down as he settled into his chair again. Petunia managed to help Dudley enough to settle him into his own chair and she took a seat once more. Daisy took a small step forward, still hiding herself behind Harry, but reached her hand out and grabbed his in her own. She squeezed in thanks and he squeezed back gently, turning his head a fraction to look at her. They shared a small smile.

"Now, as we all know, today is a very important day," Vernon spoke up, seemingly ignoring the entire interaction. "This could well be the day I make the biggest deal of my career."

Daisy looked down, rolling her eyes. At one point, Daisy would have loved nothing more than to be shown off to her father's coworkers in a bright yellow dress. But now? Daisy welcomed the silence that would come with she and Harry away from her parents. Perhaps a night off without chores or cooking would do them some good...

Her father was having a dinner party tonight. One of the richest employers in town was coming with his wife to meet Vernon and Petunia, and their only child, Dudley, to potentially buy an order from Vernon.

"I think we should all run through the schedule one more time," Vernon said loudly. Harry coughed from next to her and a quick glanced showed he was trying not to laugh. She fought her own smile. It all had gotten to be quite ridiculous. "We should all be in position at eight o'clock. Petunia, you will be--?"

"In the lounge," she answered with a smile. "Waiting to welcome them graciously into our home."

"Good, good. And Dudley?"

"I'll be waiting to open the door." Dudley put on a foul, simpering smile that reminded Daisy briefly of Draco Malfoy. For a moment, she missed even his arrogant sneer and taunting remarks. Then, the feeling disappeared. Perhaps summer wasn't so bad.  "May I takeyour coats, Mr. and Mrs. Mason?"

"They'll love him," Petunia remarked excitedly, reaching over and squeezing one of Dudley's cheeks. Daisy looked down again, suddenly feeling even more out of place than before.

"Excellent, Dudley," Vernon gave him a proud smile, but it dropped a moment later. He glared at Daisy and Harry. "And you two?"

"We'll be in our bedroom making absolutely no noise and pretending we're not there," they spoke together tonelessly. Daisy's heart panged as she remembered speaking together with Dudley. They used to be so in sync and now...

"Exactly," Vernon sneered. ""I will lead them into the lounge, introduce you,Petunia, and pour them drinks. At eight-fifteen--"

"I'll announce dinner," Petunia finished.

"And, Dudley, you'll say?"

"May I take you to the dining room, Mrs. Mason?"

"My perfect little gentleman!"

"And you?" Vernon glared at them again.

"We'll be in our bedroom making absolutely no noise and pretending we're not there," they responded again in the same way as before. They'd rehearsed this countless times already and it hadn't hurt Daisy any less.

Harry seemed to notice and squeezed her hand again. She squeezed back, thankful to have him with her. At least she wasn't completely in being unloved.

"Precisely. Now, we should aim to get in a few good compliments at dinner. Petunia, any ideas?"

"Vernon tells me you're a wonderful golfer, Mr. Mason... Do tell me where you bought your dress, Mrs. Mason..."

"Perfect, Dudley?"

Daisy's hand tightened on Harry's and he squeezed back just as fiercely. She wondered if he ever felt hopeful they'd show love for him. It had been years since they'd been kind to him; Daisy could only remember his sixth birthday when Petunia found a cake slice on sale and brought it home for him. He was so happy he nearly cried. That was the first year Daisy stopped being jealous of him.

"How about -- we had to write about a hero at school, Mr. Mason, and I wrote about you."

Daisy raised her eyebrows at the words coming from her brother's lips. That was the best they were going with? Now, she was really reminded of Draco Malfoy. She wondered if he and his family had expensive dinners like this. Had Draco ever said anything that stupid to the Minister of Magic? Did he feel loved by his father? He sure seemed to boast about how much his dad loved him -- or rather, how much his dad did for him.

Petunia burst into tears at Dudley's comment and Daisy watched her family with furrowed eyebrows. How could she be related to them? She'd never really wondered before -- but watching, now, as they prepped down to the minute a meal her father would be having with a client...Daisy truly wondered how she could be their daughter.

Harry peeked over at her face and coughed again, arm shaking against hers. He was laughing. She covered her own face, trying not to laugh. Her stomach nearly swelled up with unreleased air and she felt herself hiccup -- which, of course, only made Harry laugh harder. She released his hand, holding both over her face, trying to stop herself from bursting into laughter in the middle of the kitchen.

"And you two?" Vernon peered at them with suspicion. Daisy straightened, taking a deep breath.

"We'll be in our room making absolutely no noise and pretending we don't exist," she said easily, Harry still chortling quietly with laughter.

"Too right you will," Vernon said forcefully. "With a daughter like you -- we don't  need the embarrassment. As far as they, and everyone else is concerned, you're Harry's sister."

Harry stopped laughing, watching Vernon with curious eyes.

"What?" Daisy asked, eyes darting between her parents. She knew they were physically her parents, they always would be, but were they truly disowning her? What had they told everyone in the year she'd been gone?

"We raised you as a daughter because we always wanted one," Petunia spoke up bitterly. "But when you turned out to be too much trouble, like you're ungrateful brother," she glared at Harry, "we sent you to an all-girls school. As far as everyone's concerned, you're no longer our daughter."

Daisy stepped back, blinking in dismay and shock. Her eyes caught Dudley's face, which seemed saddened for a moment, but their eyes met and he hardened.

"O-oh," Daisy said gently, realizing they wanted a response. "I understand."

"Good," Vernon clapped his hands together, smiling over at his wife and son. "Now, I'm headed off into town to pick up dinner jackets for Dudley and me. You two," he pointed angrily at Daisy and Harry, "stay out of your aunt's way while she cleans."

Daisy's heart dropped hearing the word 'aunt,' reality hitting her like a train. In the wizarding world, she was the Muggleborn cousin of the boy-who-lived, but in the muggle world, she was the 'sister' of the arrogant and intolerable young man that ruined her parents lives.

Unable to take the emotions, Daisy rushed from the room, fleeing upstairs and into the small, rickety twin bed across from Harry's. She buried herself in the blankets and begged the world to stop her day from continuing. To take it all back. She'd give up Hogwarts to still have the last name Dursley. To still have parents that loved her.

The door opened and closed a moment later and Daisy wished, for the smallest of moments, that she was Harry's sister. At least she'd have parents that loved her so much they died for her. Instead, she had parents that gave her up because she was different.

Someone shook her back gently and hope filled her. She moved to sit up, wishing it was her mother, telling her she loved her and would always love her -- and that she would always be their daughter. It was just a ruse, she'd say. Part of the dinner party.

But it was only Harry.

Daisy cried harder, hearing the front door close with a heavy thud downstairs. Her father had gone to pick out the jackets and her mother and brother would continue life without her in it.

Harry put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him. She leaned her head on his thin, scrawny shoulder and cried into his arms.

"I'd be lucky to have a sister like you," he said gently, squeezing her tightly. "Best birthday present ever."

☍︎