Learning to Love

Learning to Love

Chapter 1

"Brat, never insult me again," came the voice of Ivan Portland, as he smacked the nine-year-old girl across the room.

The brute force of Ivan was enough to send Keli Portland flying across her bedroom, smashing her back and head into the wardrobe. Keli knew not to cry out; if she did she'd only end up hurt even worse. The little girl had always been abused and beaten by this man. Once he even raped her. She knew Ivan wasn't her real dad; her real dad had been murdered shortly after her third birthday.

A few months after Keli turned three, her mum Stephanie had re-married to Ivan Portland. At first Keli and Ivan got on great, like a house on fire, until a couple of months later. Ivan had been drinking and had gotten into a fight with someone at the pub. Keli had asked about it and he dismissed her, saying he was her father and what he did was none of her business. Keli's retort of 'You aren't my daddy, my daddy would never drink or get into a fight and you aren't even like him' had earned her the first beating.

The three-year-old girl had been petrified of telling her mum in case she didn't believe her. She had spent most of the following day in her bedroom, but was forced out by Ivan ordering her to come down for dinner. Her mum had seen the purple and blue bruise on her face just under her right eye, and after asking what it was Ivan had replied on her behalf.

"Silly little girl was running and wasn't looking where she was going, so she ran straight into a lamppost."

Ivan strode across the room, taking his wand out, raised it and had pointed it at Keli's stomach. Keli had found Ivan using his wand to wipe her mum's memory of all the beatings that her daughter was receiving. She had asked him about it and he had cursed her with the most sordid of things, he had said that her bones would be on fire, and soon enough she would be insane and then he wouldn't have to look at her ugly face.

Ivan was a disgraced wizard, and was the top dog in the Improper use of Magic office at the Ministry until they had sent Aurors in to his house and found a load of dark artefacts that would seriously compromise his position. The ministry held a trial for him but he was cleared of all charges, as long as he stayed in the muggle community.

He had held Keli under the Crucio curse a couple of times, and each time the girl had passed out after being brought out from the curse.

"Ever insult me again, brat, and I'll kill you. Crucio," Ivan cursed her, and held her under the curse for five minutes before she passed out into the blissful unconscious blackness.

***

Keli woke the next morning, aching and sore. Her bones seemed to still be on fire. Opening her eyes, Keli saw she was lying on the floor next to her wardrobe. Sitting up slowly, memories of the previous night came flooding back to her, I didn't insult him, I didn't. Ow! It hurts to move, please let the pain go away, thought Keli as the over flow of emotion hit her and the tears flowed from her eyes.

STOMP! STOMP! STOMP! STOMP! Keli's head shot up; she knew that set of footsteps was Ivan's. Panic gripped Keli as the footsteps came closer and closer. A minute later her amber eyes were filled with fear as her bedroom door opened and Ivan stood there with a can of 'Carling' larger in one hand and a piece of rope in the other. Ivan was swaying slightly, giving away the fact that he was drunk.

"Take off your t-shirt and lie face down," ordered Ivan. Keli looked apprehensive as she took off her t-shirt, and was hesitant to lie down. "I said lie down bitch!" spat Ivan, grabbing her hair and pushing her down.

Keli silently cried as Ivan lashed her back with the rope, whipping her vertically and horizontally. Each lash drew blood, and each time he stopped she hoped she would pass out. Please let it be over, though Keli as her tears soaked the fur rug.

Just as Ivan was about to start again, there was a crashing sound followed by a scream, and Ivan placed the rope and can on the side before stomping out of the room. Keli was just pulling on her t-shirt again, trying to avoid it rubbing on the open wounds, when she heard two screams. One was her mother's and the other was Ivan's. Hoisting herself up, Keli cautiously and unsteadily walked to the top of the stairs. What she saw shocked her.

There were five people clad in black hooded robes, one with a wand pointed at Ivan, who was lying on the floor not blinking, a silent scream etched on his face. There was another person also with his wand out and the same emotion showed on her mother's face. It was then that Keli realised that they were dead; sobs racked her whole body as she saw her mum dead. Mum? Please get up, get up mum please, willed Keli mentally but nothing happened, her mum carried on looking horrified and was still dead.

"Avery, look around the house, the brat's got to be somewhere. Once you find her, kill her," Keli heard someone say from downstairs.

Avery nodded and started up the stairs; Keli gasped and ran silently back to her room. What am I going to do? I've got to go but where? thought Keli frantically, I know - I know, I'll run away to somewhere where no one can find me.

With that thought firmly set in mind, she grabbed her pendant and started towards the door, but before she could walk out of the door the one she had heard being called Avery came into the bedroom with his wand out, smiling maliciously.

"Well my dear, I found you easily," Avery smirked.

"You can't hurt me," stated Keli nervously.

Avery smiled wider as he asked, "You think not? Crucio."

Keli was once again put under the curse. Her whole body was on fire as the intensity grew and grew, until she fell to her knees and the curse was lifted.

"Now get up, and then I'll kill you," Avery said bluntly.

"I... don't want... to be... killed," gasped Keli, trembling.

"No, nobody ever does," Avery replied. "But once you're dead you can be with your family, muggle. Avada Kedav-"

But before he could finish the curse Keli felt a sudden burst of adrenaline and strength. She pushed herself off of the floor and ran at Avery, knocking him over, before running out of the bedroom. Tearing down the stairs she knocked over two more people and then practically flew out the front door and off down the street.

***

Keli had been running all afternoon, and into the early evening. The Death Eaters had stopped chasing her about two hours before, and now her back was extremely painful and her t-shirt was stuck to her body with a combination of sweat and dried blood. Her limbs were aching and felt as though they had lead in them. Keli was also extremely hungry, thirsty and tired.

When she arrived at a small quiet village around about half past twelve at night, all the houses had their curtains closed or no lights on. She stopped outside number 13 - it looked abandoned as there was ivy growing up the cracked walls. It was also set a little way back from the other houses. Maybe I can get in this place, thought Keli as she remembered she couldn't go home.

Going around the back of the house, she came across an enormous and well-kept garden - so large it was as if it was a meadow rather than a garden - with some sort of other out house at the end of it. Keli looked up to the main house, and seeing some rubbish bins that looked full she thought, maybe there might be some food in there, as her stomach gave a loud grumble.

Beginning to walk again, she only got halfway across the garden when she tripped and fell onto her face. Trying to get up she felt all her strength leave her, and on her second attempt she could only manage to get on to her knees and crawl before collapsing as pain raced through her body. As she lay there, Keli felt the blackness consume her and she fell into its blissful arms, all her aches, pains and worries forgotten.