Full Summary: Victoria Black has grown up believing for thirteen years, that she and her mother were the only ones in the world. Living in the United States, the two of them managed to lived a decent life. When tragedy struck, she’s forced to leave her old life. Now in a new country, she’ll have to start anew. New school, new friends and a possibly a run into her convicted father. This is her story as she lives through the most important and dark times of the wizarding world.

Author’s Note: Here’s the sequel to my one-shot “A Single Touch” It is not necessary to know (read) that one, as this story will have it’s own plotline. This story will have certain AU elements, and I promise not to distort the characters you all know. If you are familiar with my stories, then you will know that I always try to keep everything as realistic as possible. This story is no exception.

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Life's a journey, not a destination.

- Aerosmith "Amazing"

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Chapter One
Family

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It was the beginning of a summer storm.

The drops that came spiraling down clashed against the solid earth, forming little explosions that splattered against it. The ground no longer dry, but a sponge soaked in what the sky drop forth. A strong wind stirred the tree branches from afar, shaking the clinging leaves; the air slowly wafted in the scent of rain that only nature could produce.

Raindrops continued falling before Victoria’s eyes, the strong wind caressing her face; her hair stirred behind its strands free of the binding she had slipped off earlier. Her slender, willowy figure stood waiting beneath an awning that protected her from the elements. With medium brown, shoulder length hair, it complimented her golden-beige complexion. Her amber colored eyes moved away from the green scenery before her as she looked down at the paved street. There, a stream of water was making its way down the middle; the water no longer as clear as it had fallen. Mixed with dirt and grime that it accumulated, it made its way down a road she had never ventured on before.

Then again, the land she now stood on was as foreign as the station she waited on.

The temperature had dropped since she first stepped away from the horde she arrived with. As everyone was together on long distance trip,the weather had remained a cool temperature. Now she was wearing a sky blue hoody she had pulled out from her backpack after the group had been transported to England. If it were on for under different circumstances, she would have looked forward to such trip; England was a country she had only heard and read about, but never stepped on. Not only would visiting the country have been awesome, but the trip to get there was an adventure itself.

All wizarding folk knew and used any of the following transportation: flying on broomstick, apparating, port keys and the floo networks - all were available for those short distances or within a country. It was a very different style for those who traveled on long distances. The transportation itself was known as a group apparation, somewhat like a single person who apparates, only this includeed more than ten people. Unlike the solo travel where you can literally disappear wherever you’re at, a group apparation needed to apparate from a station and within circular module that was only available within such a building. Unlike its counterpart, the travel took longer as the large mass moved through thin air. While traveling, each person was able to see one another as if they were inside some large bubble.

It had taken five minutes to get from one continent to another, and while they had left the country early in the morning, it was already early in the evening when they finally stepped into England’s International Wizarding Station. The station, like the one she had left, was crowded.

She had brought with her a backpack and a small suitcase, the only bags she was allowed to bring with her. So stated by the "caregiver" (Mrs. Peabody) who was sent over to sort the unfinished business her mother had left. ‘Everything you’ll need will be provided at your new home.’ Peabody had stated. Not only were nearly all her personal effects sold, but everything else that her mother had worked for - house and all. So the only things she had brought with her were the clothes on her back, and those important objects she couldn’t part with. Most of all, there was a medium sized box her mother had left for her, a box that was given to her days after her death. A box she has yet to open.

This arrangement, Mrs. Peabody, everything to get her to England was arranged by a person she had only heard about. It was unfortunate that this was the only way she could finally meet her grandmother. The only relative she had in the world.

It was a comfort in a strange and awkward way. It was only numbing when she received the first letter from her.

She had never met the woman. Her mother had only spoken about her, had shown her a picture or two of her own parents and nothing more. When Victoria was younger, her mother had told her her own tales while growing up. As she herself grew up, those stories stopped. Back then there was nothing odd about it, but after the recent events in the last couple of days she realized that something was amiss. For some unexplained reason, her mother ceased to acknowledge her own parents.

She had received the first letter from her grandmother a day after her mother passed away. It should been of some comfort, but as it was the first contact she had made with her, the experience was only numbing. The letter itself -was two parchments- informed her how she had heard of the news and as her only living relative, this was the time to come together. It would be the first time in thirteen years.

It was unbelievable at first, as she had believed her mother would have lived to a ripe old age. The death of her had made her realized that she was truly an orphan. She had no cousins or aunts, none from her mother’s side or that of her father. Her father had died when she was only one, so there was not much about him that she personally knew about. There were the stories of course, which was enough to give her an image of who her father could have looked like. There were pictures of him, but unfortunately those where destroyed in an accidental fire, her mother had said. The only thing she had of him was a golden necklace with a crystal pendant. Carved in monogram near the bottom of it were the first initials of her mothers name and father. M & S. It was a necklace she now carried in her own jewelry box.

Of course Victoria had no say in the matter, as she was only thirteen and her next birthday wouldn’t beuntil October, three months from now. Since receiving the letter, her grandmotherhad kept her in the loop of the goings on. It was through her that she knew Mrs. Peabody was coming over, who was sent to sort out the necessary and to look over her transfer to England. It would have been preferable to have stayed behind in the place she knew than move to a country she only heard about.

Yet there she was, already standing on England’s soil.

While the weather was getting noticeably colder, she had opted to stay out in the open air. Crossing her arms, she began casually looking at the people who where coming and going. As people where not allowed to apparate from within, those who where in a hurry instantly apparated into thin air before both of their feet touched the outside grounds. Though it was normal for stations to be crowded, this day and those following it, would be bombarded with world travelers.

She had caught the sight of the advertisement for the Quidditch World Cup when she first stepped away from the crowd, but she had long since known about it. Every person who was a Quidditch fan knew of the tournament that would be taking place in England, and everyone knew that not all where fortunate enough to travel. As before, if it weren’t for the situation she was in, she would have also been thrilled about the event. Now such feelings seemedforeign to her.

It was in mid-July when it happened.

She was at a friend’s birthday party when she received a letter from the hospital, dropped into her piece of cake by some owl she had never seen. What was inside was the beginning of the end; her life had taken a drastic turn since then. With her mother’s death, a new and uncharted part of her life was about to take place. Days later, she received the most unexpected letter – from her grandmother.

Mrs. Peabody came into the scene days later to deal, as she had clearly stated with ‘adult matters no child should go through.‘ If it weren’t for her English accent, she would have been insulted by the statement. Two weeks later, after her mother’s burial, the house and whatever "business" there was had been dealt with by her grandmother through Mrs. Peabody. After purchasing an international ticket for her, Peabody left a day early and would meet Victoria at the station the following day.

Obviously Peabody was nowhere to be seen, as it was already twenty minutes since she arrived from the States. Pulling down her sleeve to cover up the last purchase she made with her mother, she hugged herself again. It was already nearing seven pm, and while the world around her was slowing down, she still had plenty of energy left. She had a feeling she wasn’t going to be sleeping for awhile.

X….x….X

"You can wait right here for Mrs. Avery - I mean your grandmother." Peabody said as she adjusted her coat before she stepped into the hall.

Sure, I’ll wait for my grandmother in her own home, Victoria thought, as she placed her bags down by her feet. Pulling her hood off her head, she slowly took in the surrounding foyer. She had grown up in an average two bedroom home, spacious enough for the two of them. Now here she was, a house much larger than the one she had left; double floored and surely with more bedrooms than needed, this was not just any house but something far from where she stood, she noticed a full length mirror; it was apparent -to her at least- that it was placed there for a guest to have a chance to look themselves over before they where presented. To whom, besides the woman who lived in the house, she didn’t know, but then Victoria caught herself doing just that.

Placing her hands within the pockets of her dark blue jeans, she awkwardly stood against a sophisticated background. Her hair, nearly shoulder length as it passed her shoulders by inches, was in disarray thanks to the strong winds and the hoody she had been wearing. A month ago she would have not looked like she did now, not as tomboyish. Now that she looked back, she couldn’t help but let out a scoff. Everything was brought into perspective, her superficiallife had been ripped by reality. That life she had lived seemed as if it had belonged to someone else: a happy-go-lucky girl who, literally, had it all but riches.

The girl she saw in the mirror was just the opposite - mostly from inside at least.

She no longer felt the need to tell those "close" friends where she was going, nor needed a reason to tell her then-boyfriend why she broke up with him through a very simple letter - three sentences to be exact. The clothes she was once happy to show off no longer appealed to her; she had dropped them off in a location for needy wizards and witches, and purchased new clothing that in her opinion where not as eye-catching. She had planned that if she was to live in a new place, she did not want to call much attention to herself.

The death of a person can do that.

With a clearing of a throat, she looked away from the mirror toward the noise. Standing besides Mrs. Peabody, was a tall, regal -if not elderly- looking woman. Her clothing, while common back in the States, was eye-catching, not for its colors, but for its simplicity. Knowing who she was, the dress she wore was surely not a common thing to buy. Her peppered hair, mostly dark, was pulled into a high bun; her facial features were sharp, but appealing even so. Noticing that she had caught Victoria’s attention, she turned to the other woman.

"You may leave; we’ll speak more of it tomorrow." She had spoken.

Peabody nodded, adjusting her coat again, andwalked past Victoria and out of mansion. Now it was finally the two them.

"I will have to admit that while writing to you is fairly easy to do, I seem to not be able to come up with anything but the obvious."

"It’s sad to know that it took my mother’s death to finally have a chance to meet a living relative." She had said, dropping her arms to her sides. She wasn’t exactly sure what to say, but she believed what was said would suffice to explain how she felt.

With a slight nod, her grandmother clasped her hands . "I don’t expect you to understand, but hopefully you will look past this error and see me as your grandmother."

A stranger but with a family title, she thought as she just stood there. Feeling scrutinized, Victoria looked away.

"I can see it in you; you carry the blood of both families and with it the attitude as well." She said, and that caught Victoria’s attention. Instead of seeing a look of distaste, she believed she saw her smiling instead. "You are blessed to hold the characteristics that separate you from the common witch. You are genuinely a Pureblood. Hopefully you knew that."

As before, if this were to have happened under different circumstances, she would have been pleased. All she could muster now was, a simple thank you.

"I’m sure you’ll miss living in the U.S. but I assure you you’ll feel right at home here."

Victoria merely nodded.

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A/N: …and there’s the first chapter. There’s not much dialogue, as I wanted to introduce the main character.

So let me know what you thought of this chapter, whether you like it or not… Speak out!