Chapter 1- Learn To Fly

Disclaimer: I do not own any of JK Rowling's characters...I only own Charolette and her family.

(Learn to Fly is a song by the Foo Fighters)

'And its 6:30 am here on this busy Monday morning in beautiful New York City! Today is the 23rd of August and...'

Charolette awoke to the radio announcer and fumbled with the radio till she found the switch to shut it off.

Most days began like this: waking up to the radio announcer's heavy New York accent blasting in her ears, mindless shuffling out of bed and searching blindly for the bathroom so she could put in her contacts, and then going to a job she despised more then the traffic she had to face to get to it.

But to Charolette, it was all she knew as life.

She stepped into the shower, indulging in this moment of peace under the steaming water.

This was her time to think. Her time to enjoy life and relax when the world outside is bustling about.

Charolette had been part of New York City since she was born. She grew up in a wealthy household and her parents were a very respected witch and wizard.

Her parents also prized pure-bloods, and they did nothing but pressure their two daughters to marry a rich wizard to carry on the wealth in their family.

Charolette had grown up with money, glory, and respect. But all she really wanted was a family of her own and a nice home in the country where she could live out her life. She had also always wanted to fall in love.

But all that wishing and wanting got her here. And she wasn't happy. So she gave up on wishing and spent her life never looking forward to anything except seeing her only daughter's shining face in the morning.

"Goodmorning baby," Charolette said as she walked out into the kitchen in her bathrobes, her dark brown black hair still wet.

"Mornin' mom."

Emma was a young girl of 11 and had shoulder length light brown hair. She was on summer break from public muggle school, and enjoying herself thoroughly at the apartment alone during the day.

Emma was a witch, just like her mother. But she was only half blood, for her father was a muggle and had no idea Charolette was a witch.

Months before Emma was born, Charolette's boyfriend had left her to move to Chicago, stating that he couldn't commit and that he had never loved her to begin with.

This, of course, is the reason Charolette refuses to trust men.

Charolette rushed through breakfast, spilling fruity pebbles on the table on accident while she forced the cereal down her throat. She got dressed and ran out into the kitchen to say goodbye before leaving for the day.

"Be good, I'll be back around 6 like always, love you bye," Charolette kissed Emma on the cheek and ran out the door, her jacket clutched tightly in one arm and her purse in the other.

Of course, a Monday morning in New York City isn't something that would make you want to live there. Especially if it is during rush hour.

This Monday morning was no exception.

Charolette ran down the stairs to catch the train, almost toppling over the crowds of people swarming around the area. She found a spot and sat down, already rubbing her temples and feeling a headache coming on.

She looked around. A dirty looking, homeless no doubt, man sat a few seats down from her, snoring loudly. A dozen people stood around her, clutching the bars that stood from the ground to the ceiling for support as the train sped off.

When Charolette arrived at work, she was greeted with a bunch of paperwork and a million people rushing to tell her of calls she missed over the weekend.

Because, as she always used to tell herself, the New York Times was a busy place.

"Yes yes that's nice," she said irritably as she slammed the door shut to her office. She walked to her desk and fell into the chair, exhausted.

"Ugh goddamnit..." she muttered as she heard a knocking at her door. "What is it?"

A small woman walked in carrying a basket of flowers.

"These were sent for a Ms. Charolette Graye?"

Charolette eyed the basket and then the woman, asking who they were from.

"Oh, I don't know, they showed up this morning by your box...the other ladies were starting to mess with them so I thought I'd bring them to you...is that alright?" the young woman said cautiously.

"Yes yes, thank you..."

The woman smiled and set the basket on Charolette's desk, then walked out the door.

When the woman had left, Charolette brought the basket closer to her and picked out a large card.

The cover where the address should be said Charolette Graye - From your lil' sis

Surprised at getting a letter from her sister, who was now living in Wales, Charolette opened the letter. She gasped when she saw what was written inside.

Dear Charolette,

I have GREAT news! I wrote to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

and they accepted Emma! The new semester starts on September the 1st, and I hope you'll come stay with me while Emma is off at school! I really miss you, Wales is absoultely gorgeous

right now, please come!!

Your Sis, Maggie

Shocked, Charolette smiled for the first time that day and picked up the phone and dialed home.

"Emma, you'll never guess what just happened!"

"Um...you got fired?"

"No! Aunt Maggie got you accepted at Hogwart's school!!"

"What's that?"

"Oh please Emma! You remember Hogwarts...remember how your a W.I.T.C.H?"

"Ohhhhh...wow! thats awesome!"

"In fact, I'm going to buy us tickets out of here right now, and we'll leave when I get home which will be in a few hours okay?"

"Wow...um okay!! see ya later then I guess....haha."

Charolette couldn't believe her luck. She finally had an excuse to leave this city and live out in the English countryside with her sister.

And, her daughter was accepted at the school Charolette had always wanted to go to, but her parents forced her to a private school in New York. Those were just TWO of the benefits.

She went on the internet and found two tickets on a one way flight to London that was to arrive from Florida that evening. Getting her credit card, she quickly booked the tickets and then flipped through her phone book for her sisters number.

~*~

When Charolette got home, Emma was waving the Hogwarts letter in her face and explaining how a big white owl came in through the window and dropped it in her lap.

Charolette merely hugged her daughter and urged her to hurry packing. She had quit her job on the spot, and told her boss she was moving to Wales.

He was a bit ruffled, but let her go eventually when she pleaded with him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

~*~

Charolette and Emma walked up to the luggage area of the airport with two large suitcases full of clothes and each with a small carry-on bag with essentials.

Emma didn't have a wand yet, but Charolette kept hers at close hand.

They arrived at the waiting area for the plane and Charolette was already frustrated about the enormous crowds of people in her way.

She went over and bought some pizza for her and Emma to eat before the long plane ride, and balanced her purse on the tips of her fingers while she held the pizza and drinks.

As she was walking over to where Emma was about to sit down, her purse fell off her fingers and landed right in front of the feet of a man who was sitting alone.

Charolette cursed and gave the pizza to Emma, and bent down to pick up the contents of her purse when she hit her head on something.

She looked up and it was the man who had been sitting down when the purse dropped at his feet. Charolette looked at him for a second, forgetting where she was.

The man had long, alittle over shoulder length, black hair that he had tied back in a ponytail and dark steel blue eyes.

"I'm so sorry," Charolette stammered after the long pause.

"No, it's quite alright..." the man said as he stood up, holding Charolette's wand. "Hmm..."

"Oh, god, ya you wouldn't understa..."

"Cederwood, unicorn tail, 11 inches, nice wand," the man interupted.

Charolette breathed out a sigh of relief.

"You have a very keen sense for wands, Mr...?"

"Blackwood...Sirius Blackwood." the man said, giving a little bow. He smiled and laughed happily and Charolette took his hand.

"I'm Charolette Graye, it's nice to meet you...not much else here but muggles, god they are annoying sometimes...so naive."

Sirius motioned for Charolette to sit down next to him.

"So why are you two going to London?" Sirius asked, smiling and winking at Emma.

"I got accepted at Hogwarts!!" Emma boasted proudly.

"Wow..." Sirius said, raising his eyebrows at her and turning to Charolette. "You must have a very smart sister there eh?"

Charolette smiled and averted her gaze from his eyes to her hands, which were playing around with the seam of her jacket.

"Actually, she's my...daughter..." Charolette said, not looking at his face.

"Ahh, very cool," Sirius said, noticing that she really didn't want to talk about it. "I'm actually going to Hogwarts as well, not to learn of course, I went there awhile back, but to talk to the headmaster about something."

Sirius gazed off at the doors leading to the entrance of the plane, and noticed that people were starting to board.

"Oh look, they're boarding, better get going now eh?" Sirius said and smiled at Charolette and Emma, leading them up to the doors.

When they were on the plane, Charolette, Sirius and Emma were sitting together in a 3 seat row in the center.

They fell into simple conversation all the way to London. When they got off the plane, they said goodbye and went their seperate ways.