One Day I'll Fly Away(Mad)

As the sun began to set, J. J. sat on a bench in the park not that far away from her home, just sitting there and staring. After all that she hadn't gotten that far away from home at all.

It seemed that after all that yelling and running, she had nothing left to propel her farther than where she was. So she had just pulled into the park - a place she use to love - and sat. She sat, and she thought.

She had spoken, used her voice... she was scared to try it again. What if it had only been for the moment? What if it did not come back again.

The young girl shivered as the heat began to leave with the light. She couldn't go back home. Not yet... she was sure she'd go sometime - if only to see Zach - but... not now. But she could not sleep outside could she.

She bit her lip... she had no where else to-

She stopped and felt for a small object she had kept on a chain around her neck. It looked like any ordinary trinket... but that was the wonder of magic now wasn't it?

It was any trinket... it was a portkey.

Bitting her lip again, she slowly undid the chain, careful not to touch the part that was a portkey. She couldn't... well that was the point wasn't it?

Before she could change her mind, she grabbed the object, holding it firmly in her hands and waited for it to take her where she needed to go.

J. J. stumbled upon her landing in her new place. She looked at the house in front of her and the portkey in her hand. Not as bad as Apparating, she decided, but not entirely pleasent either.

Sighing she looked up at the house. She was here now.... no going back. She wondered if her family would start to worry, but pushed that thought aside for the moment.

Squaring her shoulder she cleared her throat nervously and walked up to the door.

She hesitated just a moment before knocking.

"Hello?" she called her voice straining just slightly but otherwise working fine. She knocked again. "Miss Mad?"

The door opened, only the one answering was probably much shorter than was expected. Granted, house elves were admittedly rather short. This one was attired in crisply ironed navy-colored trousers and a tan collared shirt; a uniform, of sorts. Large blue eyes gazed up at the girl.

"And what may Kirrin do for Young Miss, today?" the elf asked politely.

"I shall see to the visitor, Kirrin. Thank you," Mad spoke as she entered the hallway from a room farther in the house. Her own gaze swept to the doorway. "J.J.? What brings you here, child? Are you quite alright?" A touch of something had entered the woman's tone, even as her eyes studied the girl intently for any sign of injury.

"Come in," she instructed, ushering the girl through the door and closing it behind her. "Kirrin, tea if you would, in the sitting room."

J. J. blinked at the creature that opened the door. It was a house elf of course, and she had seen house elves, and school, and Karma's, so she didn't know why she was so stunned by the creature's presence now.

"Oh well I-" she began to stutter before she heard her mentors voice and let her bumbling verson of what she wanted die on her lips.

She ducked her head slightly as she was ushered inside.

"I'm fine," she murmured, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I just... I did not wish to go home, and I didn't, I coulnd't think of anywhere else to go."

Mad immediately noted the girl's use of her voice but decided not to make an issue of it. Instead, she put a hand on the side of the girl's head, gently stroking her hair.

"You are always welcome here. I would not have given you the portkey, otherwise. Furthermore, it was never my intention to let you remain with those muggles all summer," she stated. The woman gently steered J.J. into the sitting room, indicating that she should take a seat in one of the chairs near the fireplace.

Kirrin popped into the room with a tea tray, setting it down on the coffee table. He poured the tea, then extended one of the cups on a saucer to J.J. before politely offering her a selection of biscuits from a plate.

"Just tea for myself, Kirrin," Mad told him.

"Of course, Mistress. Is there anything else Kirrin can do for yourself or Young Miss?"

"If you could please make certain the room is ready, that'll be all."

The elf bowed lowly, then popped out of the room, once more.

"Do you wish to tell me what has upset you so?" Mad asked the girl, taking a sip of her tea.

J. J. gave a little small and a nod as she was directed towards a room that from the furniture clearly seemed to make it a sitting room of sorts.

The young girl took the tea cup from the house elf murmurming a soft thank you, and hesitated for a moment before taking a biscuit from the plate and nibbling on it slowly as the house elf went around with the rest of his work.

"Its silly really," she said softly, shaking her head and for nothing better to stall with she took a sip of her tea. "I just... I just couldn't - sometimes it all just makes me so mad."

Her hand began to shake while she held the cup, so she set it down and took a deep breath.

"It just all seems so-so-" she clenched her jaw and bit back the odd rage that had faught through her before. She thought she had been done with that, but it seemed it was still there, hiding and waiting.

"Anger is not always a bad thing, J.J.," stated Mad, setting her own cup calmly aside. "Anger can move a person to action, prove itself a fuel to accomplish more and greater. Am I correct in assuming that it was anger that allowed you to rediscover your voice?

"There is no shame is being angry. It is what you do with that anger that matters in the end." Her dark gaze studied the girl a moment. "So, what is it that makes you so angry? That seems so... whatever it is that has you sputtering?"

J. J. slowly pulled her feet up under her as she sat and listened. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she nodded her head.

"Yes... I supposed it was." She recalled the burning feeling that had surged through her before she just began to yell at her sister. There had been no transistion moment, just talking.

It was odd; her voice appeared to have come back as swiftly as it had dissappeared.

"Its just," she bit her lip as she tried to find the words to describe what was making her so upset. It hadn't been Abby... not really. Of course her sister had not helped, but she wasn't the cause. "Everythings just so... unfair. I mean... what did I ever do? I don't think I did anything to-to-to," she clenched her jaw again and shook her head. "They didn't even care about who they took. They were just bored. They ruined my life - they didn't even leave Cecile a life to ruin - and why? Because they were bored!"

She focused on a spot on the floor blindly as she spat out the last word bitterly.

Mad nodded seriously. "You happen to have a very valid reason to be angry," she stated, matter-of-fact. "I know that it is not consolation that it should be, but they will be punished. You have my word on that, J.J. They shall get away with what they did to you and your friend."

J. J. nodded her head slowly. Picking up her tea once more and sipping on it thoughtfully. She supposed that did make it seem a little better. At least something was being done... at least they weren't going to get away with it - they wouldn't be able to do it to someone else.

But it wasn't the same as if it hadn't happened. And JJ was wondering if the only way for this little ball of anger to go away would be for just that - someone go back in time and keep it from happening.

As had quickly become a nervous habit, as began to spin her ring around her finger.

"Thank you Ms. Mad," she said softly. "For... well everything. And I'm sorry for just showing up like this."

She was begining to realize how rash this had all been. She didn't even have a change of clothes. All she had was herself. Did she even remember to grab her wand before she stormed out?

"You are quite welcome, child, and there is no need to apologize." Mad finished her tea, then set the cup aside, once more. She rose from her chair.

"Would you like to see your room?" the woman inquired.

J. J. smiled slightly and inclide her head.

Tipping back the rest of the tea and nodded her head. "Yes please, I think I'd like that very much."

Setting the glass aside she got up from her seat.