Second Glances, Second Chances

"Faith," Khaat smiled. "It doesn't take a seer to know that your life isn't going the way you want it. I don't mean to make you uncomfortable. And I'm not asking for your story. I don't need to know it. Not unless you want to share it. That's not what this is about. Honest.

"But one of the things I learned from Harry when we were in Gryffindor together years ago was how separate the wizarding world can be for some of us--and how separate it really does need to be for some of us. But Brian and I know what its like to be without. We still remember. And part of what makes us feel like our lies have purpose is to be able to give to others.

"You probably don't know that I've been the guardian for at least 8 wizarding kids. And they've never gone without anything they needed. They didn't always give anything they wanted, but they did have what they needed. I enjoy doing that. And I intend to keep doing it. If not you, then surely someone else. But, why not you? I have so much. You're right. I have too much. Too much to not share it with someone who would appreciate it.

"And besides, my jam packed closet at my house is at least this size of this room. These clothes have been here a year, and I haven't missed them. I don't need them. Most likely, I'll just either put them in storage and never wear them or give them away. And since I would have given them away anyway, why not you?

Faith stared at the floor, listening to Khaat. "My life is fine.. I live with my dad.. and so what if he has to take the money I make sometimes.. because he has bills to pay.. and.. and he doesn't want me to seem like a charity case.. which is why he doesn't like me getting things from other people." She said explaining it away. "My father loves me Mrs. Lupin... he's just a bit tough sometimes." She said shaking her head. Khaat continued to speak however, and Faith found herself standing up, looking into the boxes of clothing.

"You mean it.. about being able to send it to you.. during the summer.. so my father wouldn't be upset?" She asked, running her hand over the sheer fabric of a beautiful blouse. Faith stared at the things and then her hand went up to her mouth and she started to chew on her fingernail, staring at the clothing. "I wish I could take you up on your offer to help with your children.." she whispered, her eyes glued to the clothes, not daring to look at Khaat. "And.. and the Gringotts account?" Her voice was soft, and she sounded to be near tears, as she looked down at the clothes, suddenly her hand went to the cigarette burn, and she put her finger through the hole, and touched the scar behind it.

"I hadn't even though of this before... I saw how pretty it was in here..." She said, staring blankly at the clothes before turning around to face Khaat. "Mrs. Lupin.. if you ever need me for something like.. on a Hogsmeade weekend.. or.. or.. well I'll be in 6th year next year, and I can internship or something.. anything ya know? I can help.."

"I meant every word," Khaat smiled. "I'll send you a trunk. If you have next weekend off, I'll pick you up at the gates of the school grounds and we'll go to Gringotts. It will be your account. No one elses. And no one will be able to get into it or out of it but you. And--if we, technically, hire you as a babysitter, you won't have issue with your headmistress on getting off school grounds on the weekends or even for some evening time during the week so long as your grades don't suffer. The school is very accustomed to working with me to help students. Its old territory for us. I dont see a problem. One of us can pick you and and bring you to the house--if you think you can deal with 2 two year olds and three one year olds. It gets a little bananas at times."

"I hope you don't mind having a room of your own at my house," Khaat said with a grin. "But it is a very active house. The place itself is unplottable but we have friends and family coming and going at all hours of the day and night. You'll get used to it." She handed her the green bag. "Now--take all the clothes you want. I'd rather you have them than someone else."

Faith couldn't believe what she was hearing. Clothes.. a bank account, a job, it was all coming upon her so fast, that she could do little else but stare at Khaat in amazement. The house was beautiful, the family was wonderful, and even though the only reason she was here, was because she looked like someone else.. she was still here.. standing in the bedroom, staring at Khaat Lupin who was offering her an ability to raise enough money to move out of her home.. to get away from her father. To get away from the scars and the bruises.. and the other things.

Faith slowly took the bag from Khaat, her eyes wide, as she set it on the bed next to the boxes, and carefully started to examine more closely what was in them. She pulled out jeans, and shirts, shorts, and dresses. She had to try on a few because they looked like they were JUST small enough, but it always fit. Finally, Faith stood there with the green bag packed with quite a few items. "Thank you Mrs. Lupin.. it's.. it's very kind of you.. to do all of this."

"Call me Khaat," Khaat said. "We all go on a first name basis. But dont expect me to call you Fate Candy Lady." She laughed. "I really am glad you were there for her tonight. I can't imagine anything more frightening than anything happening to one of my kids. And she likes you. Not because you looked like Chase. Abbey didn't see you as Chase. She saw you as you are. If she says she saw Remus in her sleep, then I believe her.

"My mother and I are seers. Abbey sometimes has some accidental baby magic stuff already happening. It would not be totally unheard of for her to be having some sort of seers powers on a occassional basis. Besides, I've seen Remus from across the veil myself. And if she says she saw him, then I have every reason to believe her. If he says he's seen Chase, then its his way of saying she's, well, happy and well and that all is well with her. If it were not, he'd have said so. And, much as I'd have liked her to live a long time, I've learned it just doesnt always happen. Its not the length of our lives that matter. Its how we live that counts. And how we love. Length can be either a luxury or a curse. And as long as Chase is happy, Brian and I are good with that--no matter which side of the veil that's on."

She knew she was going to have to find Chase and put her to rest in a way that gave healing to all those who loved her. But more importantly--she wanted to know how Chase had died. And if anyone had hurt her or was responsible for her death, then Khaat already knew. Her course was clear. She would kill them. No matter who it was.

Khaat's momentary dark thoughts were rushed out of her head by the sound of three barking dogs. Otto, Faline, and--a puppy. "Oh no," Khaat laughed. "Her daddy let her go back to play with Otto, didn't he?" she was going to get up to go check on Abbey when two footstools followed by a little yellow labrador puppy came dashing through the room all tugging on one of Michael's black socks.

"Hey," Khaat picked up the yellow lab puppy. "You do not eat socks. Otto eats socks. You eat pink cake. Remember? Pink cake." The puppy squiggled and squirmed in her arms. "Don't sass me, young lady..."

"Khaat?" she heard Brian coming upstairs and stopped at the doorway. "Have you seen...Oh. You have. Good. Is she stuck?"

"Is she stuck?" Khaat echoed. "She's two. Of course she's stuck."

"Hold onto her. I'll change her back," Brian laughed. He laid his hand on the puppy's head and it transformed back to Abbey. Brian took her from Khaat.

"I promised her a second slice of cake," Khaat said.

"Oh good. So one of us can be up with her sugar buzz all night," he sighed, taking her back downstairs.

"Abbey's father, my first husband, was an animagus," Khaat sighed. "So if you see that little dog running around, grab it? She doesn't understand the whole dog bit. She just knows it sometimes seems to happen all by itself right now. You sure you want to get mixed up with this weird family I've got?"

Faith was slightly surprised with all the information she was getting. Khaat had said earlier she had gone to school with Harry, Harry Potter, Gryffindor. She didn't like Gryffindors much at all, in fact she hadn't liked a single one she had met, but if Khaat had hung out with Harry Potter in school, that meant she had probably been a Gryffindor, and she wasn't half bad. She talked about Remus a lot too, Remus was a Gryffindor. Faith sighed, a Ravenclaw thrown among the popular kids, she felt all sorts out of place.

This Chase girl must have been special, but the way Khaat acted... Faith wouldn't have cared if they were happy beyond the veil.. if they weren't alive, that was sad right? But Khaat thought of it differently, but at least they had some sort of closure, Chase was happy.. dead, but happy, a strange thought to the critical mind of the Ravenclaw.

Suddenly there was yapping, and Faith looked delighted as a small Labrador puppy came into the room, fighting over a sock with the footstools. Faith watched happily as the puppy was transformed back into a little giggling girl again, and they left. Eyes shining, Faith looked at Khaat happily. "It's so wonderful.. so much magic, everywhere.." She said softly, looking excited. "And I get to see it all? What happens if I do catch her and she's stuck as a puppy? I mean like.. I don't know how to do what he just did.. turn her back.." She said frowning. "Do I like.. pen her up.. or.." Faith was thinking to hard about what she had signed up to do, but Faith never took a job lightly. If she was going to get all of these wonderful things, she had to do her absolute best.

"Just tell me when you need me Mrs. Lup- Khaat.." She said and smiled slightly, relaxing her shoulders. That would take some getting used to.

"If she turns all puppy, just dont' let her eat the cat kibbles. They upset her stomach," Khaat laughed. "The reason you can't turn her back is that Brian and I are healers. It's a healing thing. If you end up with any of those abilities, we can certainly teach you to do that, but otherwise, just keep her from hurting herself. She'll eventually learn how to deal with it. At this point, its more spontaneous. Most often caused by extreme happiness, at least that's what we've seen so far. But it certainly isn't cause for alarm. And, the other thought I have is that we may eventually be able to teach you that charm to turn her back. Its not necessarily that hard, but it does take some practice."

Khaat saw the amazement in Faith's eyes at all the magic. "Just so you know, Michael's house is probably one of the most unconventional places you'll ever see. Our house isn't quite as odd as this one. Michael is a bit quirky himself, so he just rolls with it. The only time that seems to hit our house is when shomeone's magic goes on the fritz.

"And as for when I could use you? Anytime you are free enough to come," Khaat smiled. "With five kids in diapers, there is always something going on. The other two year old thinks her job in life is to have temper tantrums and thrown anything and everything she can pick up. We are working to get her through that business. But I think tonight Abbey enjoys not being broadsided by toys and food."

Faith nodded with what she said about her turning into a puppy, before looking down at the bag she had filled up. New clothes.. HER new clothes.. a new trunk.. a job.. Faith's eyes were bright with excitement as she listened to what Khaat had to say about the charm, and that she might learn it eventually. Faith had never had any problems with learning spells, and even though she wasn't really supposed to, she had already gone to work learning how to use nonverbal spells, when practicing for class or whatnot.

"Any house where there is magic is amazing Mrs..- Khaat.." She said slowly, her eyes roaming over the room. She didn't elaborate, but it was obvious by her statement that her parents weren't wizards, or at the very least, didn't allow magic in the house. "Do I need to talk to my teachers.. or.. can you do that?" she asked, looking up at Khaat, and then a thought went through her head. "I don't mean to sound.. rude, but how much would I make.. doing this? Just so I can think of some things I need.." She said, and looked ashamed, her eyes darting to the floor and back up. There were quite a few things in life she was lacking, things some deemed necessary, things she didn't have the money to buy, and so went with items that should have long been thrown out. Her shoes being one of them. She usually wore flip flops or heels, heels only if she could afford them, but right now, she was wearing trainers, trainers that were littered with holes, and you could even see her sock sticking out, she examined her shoes, her face going red.

"More than enough," Khaat smiled. "Believe me. And besides that, your room and board and necessities are included. The money you make would be yours for spending money. " She accio'd Brian's wallet and drew out a handful of galleons and handed them to her.

"Consider it an advance. Its supposed to storm this week. Get yourself some shoes so your feet don't get wet. That should get you some trainers, some dress shoes, and some school shoes, and maybe a pair just for fun. Now--how are you on school supplies? Got enough to finish the year with? What about a quick quotes quill? They cut down that note taking in half. And how about your uniforms? What sort of shape are they in? My mother is one of the owners at Madam Malkins, and I have a charge there. We can make sure that you look as sharp as any of the other students. And, if you need a jacket or a hoodie, let's get it. Have I forgotten anything? Let's get a good list now."

Faith nodded, smiling. Money for her to keep, to use.. to be able to do with as she pleased, not having to give it to her father, or let him even know she was earning any, because it would all go straight into Gringotts, she would get what she NEEDED, and save the rest, she had to be able to get out of that house when she turned 17, once she was graduated, she'd be able to move, and probably afford an apartment or something, get a real job at the Ministry, or get a job in Diagon Alley, and save up for her own store!

When Khaat pulled out a bunch of coins from a wallet, Faith's jaw dropped as they were dropped into her hands. There was more money there than she could even begin to imagine using. Khaat started to list off things she needed to buy, as well as things she needed to think about replacing. Her shoes for one.. and a bunch of other shoes, and robes, and jackets, and everything else under the planet. Khaat spoke, but Faith just stared numbly at the coins in her hand, startled, and amazed, and absolutely thrilled.

"Yeah.. I'll.. I'll um.. get some trainers.." She said slowly, her words slow, as though she were in too much shock to get them out at the right speed. "I erm.. I've been running low on parchment.. lately.. and erm.. my quills are all mostly broken and old.." She said, half stammering, her eyes still glued on the coins, she didn't have anywhere to put them, as she didn't even have her own wallet, things like that meant you had money, and she didn't, she had nothing of her own except the few tattered clothes, and some worn out, second hand school stuff in her trunk, as well as her journals, but she had splurged on those, and would often end up using bits of parchment she found in classes that didn't have anything written on them, and had bound the books herself.