Forsaking Fate

Rosaline and the Monster

Chapter 2

Time passed and soon spring turned to summer before spring once again returned. Destiny proved to be an easy child. She rarely cried and was content with what she had. Remarkably, the little girl progressed faster than most children; by the time that most were getting the hang of crawling, Destiny had begun to walk. Though very proud, the Blacks' were slightly worried. It was obvious that Destiny was going to end up being a very special child; if things kept up the way they were going, the child would find it immensely difficult to fit in.

Shortly after Destiny's first birthday, the little girl performed another amazing feat: she began to speak. This in itself was impressive but not impossible. The impossible came in the word that was spoken.

On June 15, 1983, the Blacks and Potters met, ready to go picnicking and spend the day outdoors. After sitting down to lunch, Lily began to try and force Harry to eat.

"I don't understand it!" Lily exclaimed. "He never wants to eat when I'm ready to feed him, only when there is no food even remotely close by!"

Chuckling, Sirius replied, "Destiny will eat anything you put in front of her but will never cry to let us know when she's hungry."

As the conversation continued, the children were set in a muggle play pen so as not to attract unwanted attention from the non-magical world.

"The attacks have been becoming more brutal by the day," James said, sighing in frustration. "If something is not done soon, Voldemort could very well take over the entire world in a decade or two."

"We'll stop him," Julia replied forcefully, determination clearly written on her face.

"Of course we will," Lily replied before muttering to herself, "Let's just hope it doesn't kill us all in the process."

Grinning, Sirius elbowed Lily gently. "Getting a little pessimistic on us, aren't you?"

Grinning sheepishly, she ducked her head. "Sorry."

Clearing his throat, James lowered his voice as a group of muggles came and spread out their picnic blanket near theirs. "Speaking of You-Know-Who-"

"Voldemort."

Freezing, James looked over at Julia. "Did you say something?"

"No," she replied. "I thought it was just me hearing things. Lily-" Seeing her friend staring right past her, she turned her head and followed her gaze. Destiny was standing at the edge of the playpen, hands pressed flat against the netting.

Crawling over to where the children were, Lily asked Destiny if she had said something. Smiling widely, the baby showed off a few small, pearly white teeth.

Swallowing, Sirius said, "You-Know-Who."

Immediately, Destiny smiled and said in a small voice that resembled the soft ringing of wind chimes, "Voldemort!"

Destiny just giggled as all of the grownups mouths dropped open.

"Um, Padfoot," James asked, "when did your daughter start speaking?"

"Just now," Sirius replied faintly.

"Voldemort?" Julia suddenly snapped. "Our daughter's first word is VOLDEMORT?"

"Well," Lily replied, trying to comfort the distraught woman, "at least it's a big word. I mean, Harry's first word was up. It's... big..."

"My daughter's first word was the name of a psycho mass murderer," Julia snapped. "You're not going to be able to make me feel better."

Clearing his throat, Sirius hurried to his feet. "Well, I do believe it's time for us to be going." Grabbing his daughter, he took his wife's hand and pulled her to her feet. "Thanks for lunch. Um... bye."

Watching his friends' abrupt departure, James shook his head in disbelief. "That is one strange little girl."

*****

On November 4, 1983, Julia Black gave birth to her second child after a smooth and easy pregnancy. Born in the dead of night, the little girl had large hazel eyes, little black tufts of hair and a good pair of lungs that were used loudly as she came into the world screaming. The Blacks were more than a little relieved to find their new daughter appeared to be normal with no sign of any differences.

Rosaline was the name given to the little girl. Rosaline, fair rose, the name given to those who were destined to be heartbreakers. From the very beginning the name suited her well. With lips as red as a rose, the infant enchanted all who met her. All but one.

"Sweetie, don't you want to see your little sister?" Julia asked, trying to show the infant to her eldest daughter.

"No!"

From the moment she had stepped through the door with the infant, Destiny had been doing her best to stay away from the other girl.

"Is she still trying to hide?" Sirius asked, coming into the living room and standing next to his wife.

"Yes. It's the strangest thing..."

"Maybe she's jealous."

"Maybe..."

Walking over to the couch that Destiny was hiding behind, Sirius crawled around and sat beside her.

"What's the matter, honey?"

Looking up from where she had been resting her head on her knees, she gave him a blank look clearly not understanding what was being said.

Sighing, Sirius reached out and picked up the small child. It was easy to forget how young she was until she showed her age through ignorance. Carrying Destiny around the chair, he made his way to the door. As they passed Rosaline, Destiny began to struggle to get away. Hurrying past, Sirius set the little girl on a chair and handed her a cookie.

"I know you can't understand me but I'm going to say this anyway. Rosaline is not going to replace you. You'll always be my baby."

Staring up at him through wide innocent eyes, she smiled before climbing down from her chair and picking up a toy from the floor.

"Well?" Julia asked later when the kids were in bed.

"She's just jealous. She'll be fine."

*****

Winter came and soon summer returned with green leaves and bright flowers. As the months had passed, Destiny had finally stopped running from the other girl. Instead, she now sat and watched her sister without blinking.

After the children had been put down to sleep in the nursery for the night, Sirius and Julia made their way to bed. Not much later, Julia, unable to sleep, slipped silently out of bed and made her way to their room. Opening the door, her eyes landed on the two shapes by Rosaline's crib.

'Two?' Julia thought, whispering the spell to light the candles in the room. With a gasp of shock and a shiver that shook her to her very bones, she realized what was happening. In less than a second, she had screamed for her husband as she darted across the room. Grabbing Destiny by the scruff of her nightgown, she hauled the little girl away from the crib and snatched the pillow off of Rosaline's face. Relieved to hear the babies terrified shrieks, she turned to the other girl.

"What do you think you were doing?" Julia screamed at the child, giving her a rough shake.

"What is going on in here?" Sirius shouted over all of the noise. Seeing his wife's harsh treatment of their daughter, he pulled the little girl away and cuddled the curly haired child to his chest.

"I came in here and found Destiny holding a pillow over Rosaline's face!" Julia gasped out hysterically, tears running down her face.

"What?" Sirius gasped, looking down at the little girl who was clinging innocently to his neck. "Why would she-"

"I don't know!" his wife cried in return. "Oh Sirius, what are we going to do?"

"We... We'll put her in her own room."

"What if she tries again?"

"What do you want to do," Sirius snapped, "put a two year old in Azkaban?"

"I just never thought a two year old was capable of that kind of hatred..."

"We'll keep an eye on her; try to teach her to be more like a normal child." Looking at his wife helplessly, he whispered, "What else can we do?"

*****

Life continued in the Black household with the only change being how close an eye they kept on their daughters. Immediately after the nursery incident, Sirius and Julia decorated the guest room in pink flowers and moved Destiny in. At night, wards were put up to allow people into the room, but would keep her from leaving.

Strangely, immediately after that night, Destiny stopped showing any dislike for the other girl. She left stuffed animals on the carpet for Rosaline to play with, tried to carry her around, and acted as if nothing had ever happened.

"I just don't get it," Sirius mumbled one afternoon as he watched his children play together.

All in all, Julia and Sirius were enjoying the change. Unfortunately, the peace was not to last.

As Destiny's third birthday came and went, the little girl began to have horrible nightmares. Every night she would wake her parents with loud, terrified shrieks that left the adults shaken. At first it was just at night when Destiny had been asleep for several hours, but soon the child began to insist they weren't dreams.

"Destiny," Sirius sighed tiredly, "there is nothing in your room."

"Monster," she insisted.

"Look, I'll make it go away." Turning on the lights, Sirius looked under the bed, in the closet and made sure the windows were locked. "See? No monster." Seeing that she wasn't convinced, he asked her if she saw any monsters.

Shaking her head, Destiny climbed into her bed and promptly pulled the covers over her head.

Before long, the checking under the bed no longer worked.

One night, as Sirius completed his nightly room checking ritual, he waited for Destiny to climb into bed. Seeing that she wasn't going to budge, he remembered he hadn't finished the ritual. Sighing, he asked if she saw any monsters.

"Yes," she whispered.

"Where?" Sirius asked, exasperated.

"On the bed."

"Honey, there is nothing under your bed."

"No, ON my bed."

Looking behind him, he saw only the pink and white frilly comforter and the stuffed pig named 'Oink' that always sat there.

"I don't see anything." Not receiving a response from the terrified child, he asked what the monster looked like.

"Brown, bloody hair, bloody face and clothes and SHE'S COMING CLOSER!"

Screaming in terror, Destiny ran out of the room and darted into the kitchen, jumping into her mothers arms.

"What in the world?" Julia asked, amazed.

Confused, she hugged her daughter close. It was Sirius job to put Destiny to bed; she refused to go to sleep if it were anyone else.

Coming into the spacious kitchen, Sirius shrugged at her expression.

"Des saw her monster again."

"Well, did you turn on the lights?"

"Julia, the lights were on. The kid is seeing things."

Sighing, Julia stood up and carried the child to her and Sirius room knowing the girl was not going to sleep in her own room that night or any night soon. Laying her on the bed, both parents stayed until she was fast asleep.

Over the next two weeks the 'monster attacks' gradually grew worse. One day, when the Potters and Remus came to visit, the attacks changed.

Sitting on the couches, the adults were talking and goofing around when it happened. From the upstairs room, a loud shriek shook the walls. Jumping to their feet, the Potters and Remus dashed upstairs to where Destiny and Harry were playing. Glancing at each other, the Blacks followed at a slower pace.

In the room at the end of the hall, the adults found Destiny backed up against the wall, cowering away from something only she could see. Whimpering softly, the small girl put her hands over her eyes. Walking over to her, Lily knelt down.

"What's the matter, honey?"

"Monster!"

"Monster?"

Turning at the sigh from behind her, Lily listened as Julia explained about the nightly monster ritual.

"It's so strange though," Julia concluded. "She's never had an attack in the daylight. I-"

Interrupted by a sudden scream, they watched as the girl dove under her bed and rolled out on the other side. Gasping in surprise, they could only watch in shock as Destiny raised her hand and shouted, "Go!" Immediately a gust of wind flowed through the room. In horror, they watched as a person flickered in and out of existence before a loud crash shook the house and a person size hole appeared in the wall.

"What- was- THAT?" James whispered haltingly.

"Destiny's monster... Oh my God, it was real!" Turning to her husband, Julia hissed in terror, "We've been leaving our daughter in here with a real monster!"

"What the bloody hell was it?" Sirius snapped, grabbing his daughter and cradling her against his chest.

"A ghost," Remus replied calmly.

"A what?" James asked. "I thought ghosts were visible."

"They are. Ghosts are souls that have unfinished business that can never be completed. What we saw was a spirit. They either have business that has to be finished and can still be, or they have simply chosen not to leave."

"What is a SPIRIT doing in my home?" Sirius snapped.

"It's probably just looking for someone to complete its business. Destiny," Remus asked in the way you would talk to a small child, "is this the same monster or a different one from the others?"

Looking up at him through large, slightly tilted topaz eyes, she replied softly, "New one."

Staring at the little girl before them, Lily whispered, "Oh Merlin, I think she might be a Necromancer."

*****

After that horrible night, everything changed. Suddenly and without warning, the Blacks' lives were thrown into chaos. With the announcement that Destiny may be a Necromancer, wards were put up to keep anything not alive out. Every time the Blacks went out, because they couldn't remain in the wards forever, they watched to see if the child exhibited any strange behaviors. They were not disappointed.

On an outing to Diagon Alley, Destiny was standing by her mother in a clothing store when she began to speak to empty air.

"Hello, who are you? I'm Destiny and this is my mummy-"

The conversation was brought to an abrupt end as Julia quickly dragged her away.

It wasn't until Destiny's fourth birthday though, that all suspicions were confirmed without a shadow of a doubt.

As the guest began to arrive, or only the Potters and Remus did due to the fact that Destiny had a tendency to start fights with other children, Julia welcomed them into the house. It was colorfully decorated in streamers, balloons, and bubbles that floated everywhere.

"Happy birthday, Dessy!" Harry exclaimed, shoving a colorful box into her hands.

"Hi, Harry! Want to see my pet rocks?"

"Sure!"

Running upstairs, the children left the adults to talk.

"How are you two holding up?" Lily asked sympathetically.

"We're doing alright," Sirius replied. "We're trying to keep her actual use of her powers to a minimum and it seems to be working. She has begun to talk more and acts more live a living person than an inanimate object."

"Mummy, Daddy, look what Dessy can do!"

Turning their attention to the birthday girl, they waited.

Glancing warily at her parents, Destiny finally scrunched up her face with her eyes shut tight and concentrated. After several seconds, a face coated in blood and gore flickered into view before vanishing.

"Destiny Black," Julia snapped, "you stop that right now!"

"No!" Remus shouted. "Destiny, do that again and make sure the person doesn't go away."

"Remus," Julia ground out through gritted teeth, "we're trying to stop it, not encourage it."

"You cannot ground out what she is! Just be thankful for it and move on. Besides, I know that woman."

"You knew her?" James asked.

"You did too. It's Katherine."

"Oh, Remus, I know you miss you wife," Lily replied, pity clear in her voice, "but what are the odds?"

"It was her," he replied stubbornly. "I'll show you when Destiny does it again. Go on, honey."

Looking to her parents for permission, she closed her eyes and began again. Flickering into view, it was indeed a transparent Katherine that appeared. Smiling softly, the spirit suddenly vanished as Destiny passed out from exhaustion. Startled, the adults looked over to where Destiny was sprawled on the carpet.

Stunned, nobody moved until Harry asked curiously, "Is Dessy dead?"

"Of course not," Lily replied as the others crowded around the girl. "She's just taking a nap."

"Oh, okay."

*****

Late, on a cold October night in 1986, Destiny snuck quietly out of her room and slipped out of the house. Walking silently through the night, she melted from one shadow to another, never allowing the light to touch her. Reaching her destination, Destiny slipped through the bars of the fence and continued walking. Moving through the grass rather than taking the paved walkway, she weaved expertly through the grave stones, never giving them a second glance. Stopping next to a small, plainly carved stone, Destiny sat down and leaned back against it.

"You're late."

As the voice floated from the seemingly empty darkness, the small girl hopped to her feet and smiled brightly, not looking sorry in the least.

"Sorry, my mummy and daddy took forever to go to sleep and then I had to break through the wards and locking spells."

"Just sit down."

Plopping back down, she looked up at the man before her. With pure white hair that fell to the bottom of his ears and bottomless charcoal eyes, Stanton was every bit the emotionless, unfeeling vampire from stories. Having lived during the Crusade of Kings, the man had a dangerous air about him that showed he was more than capable of defending, or attacking, when needed. Born in 1169 as an unknown illegitimate son of King Richard I of England, Stanton had been raised in the country side by his Noble-born mother and held himself with the arrogance of the high born. Though he held no claim to the thrown, being illegitimately born was not what caused him to be hidden away. From a very early age, Stanton began to show powers of the dark arts. By the time that the world began to realize that he held the powers of the Necromancer, his 21^st birthday had come and Stanton was fighting in King Richard's army against the Muslims. Fighting for his life, Stanton chose the life of the vampire over the horrible end of the Necromancer.

"Well now," a woman's voice spoke from the darkness, "what have we here?"

"Alexia de Winter reincarnated," Stanton answered lazily, leaning against a nearby headstone.

"Does she remember anything from her previous lives?"

"No," Destiny replied.

"Nothing about Necromancy?" Shaking her head, Destiny waited for her to continue. Sighing, Constance ran her hand through her white hair that was streaked with red.

Constance Meara was the Necromancer that ruled before Stanton. Born a stable keepers daughter, Constance grew up poor and begging for food when the money was slow. Already having lived two previous lives, the woman knew what was to become of her on her twenty second birthday, that this may very well be her last. Indeed she was right. On her twentieth birthday, Constance chose vampirism over death and pain, before the curse of the Necromancer could take hold of her completely.

"We'll start from the beginning then. Necromancy is the ability to see the dead, talk to the dead, and make the dead visible to the living. With these powers, you will be one of the most powerful creatures in the world. You will also become the most hunted. Since Necromancy can go very wrong, it is considered the darkest Dark Art and if found performing any such magic, you will be executed without a chance to plea your case. Luckily though, it is a relatively forgotten magic and hasn't been used in 300 years so you will be able to get away with more. The first rule you need to learn though is to NEVER let the public know what you are. If they find out, no matter how forgotten, you will die screaming."

Making sure Destiny was properly wide eyed, Constance continued.

"The Necromancer has many other abilities, but you will have to find most of them out on your own. Everyone has a different power level so talents differ."

"The most important part of being a Necromancer is this: protecting your people. You, Destiny, are the Queen of the Dark Creatures. All non-humans will live or die by your commands. Right now, we rule ourselves, but when you take control, we will be a group instead of a scattered bunch of people. You will be in charge of choosing our fate."

"Okay," Destiny murmured. Tilting her head to the side innocently, she asked, "How do you know all of this?"

"Stanton and I were both Necromancers," Constance replied.

Excitedly, Destiny bounced up and down where she sat. "So, you're both just like me?"

Wistfully, Constance said, "Once we were, but not anymore."

"Why?" Destiny asked sadly.

"Because," Stanton replied, speaking for the first time since the lesson began, "there can only be one Necromancer at a time. As their twenty-second birthday approaches, they begin to fade. There are only two outcomes that we know of. One is that they will fade away, which is the natural death or they can chose to become a vampire. If they chose vampirism, they shall live forever but will never be reborn if they are killed. If they allow themselves to fade, they will die and reincarnate. In your last life as Alexia de Winter, you chose the second choice. Constance and I chose the first one and lost all of our powers."

"I'm sorry," Destiny whispered her eyes wide with childlike horror. Worriedly, she finally said, "None of this is going to make the monsters go away though."

Giving an exasperated sigh, Stanton turned to Constance in annoyance. "I told you she was still too young."

With a level look, Constance replied coolly, "She understands what is being said even if the body she wears is unable to communicate it. Telling her what she needs to know will make her better equipped to handle what is to come. With the Dark Lord on the rise, she's going to need to be an asset to the side she joins or she will be killed."

Cutting in, Destiny exclaimed, "What about the monsters?"

"Your monsters are just ghosts. If you help them, they will go away. If you run from them though, they will follow you and their numbers will grow even larger as more come."

"So," Destiny asked uneasily, "I have to talk to them?"

"Yes."

"Oh." Looking at the ground, the little girl mumbled, "But they're icky."

*****

Later that night, as Destiny came quietly into the house and snuck back up to her room, she froze at the sight of the very familiar face of the monster sitting on the couch in the living room. From where she stood, the monster didn't look very scary. In fact, she looked like a normal person who had been hurt. Gathering up her courage, she approached.

"Hello?" she called out tentively.

Spinning around in surprise, the monster looked startled at being addressed by her. Now that she was close enough to be seen clearly, Destiny could tell that the monster was not only a human, it was also a girl. With large brown eyes and shoulder length hair that was matted with blood, Destiny could tell very easily.

Hesitantly, Destiny said, "I'm sorry I screamed and ran from you. You just scare me."

"I'm very sorry," a faint voice replied.

"My name is Destiny and I'm this many," she announced, holding up four fingers.

Smiling softly, the friendly monster said, "It's nice to meet you Destiny. I am Katherine Carrillo Lupin, Remus Lupin wife."