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Chapter 3 — Fire in the Dark
"Zooky-"
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Everyday, Damian met up with Y/n at the park. It was mostly Y/n talking, sometimes, Damian would be willing enough to play tag, but Damian would always hold back, not that Y/n knew.
Damian had already been to her house (the family switching their house dial to muggle setting, it was very helpful), meeting her Lola and Lolo. It was so confusing seeing the very in love grandparents being so friendly with him. It wasn't because they wanted something from him, no, he knew that. It was because he was Y/n's friend. How weird.
He never saw Y/n's parents, nor did she talk about them so he never brought it up. Soon, his other brothers and father found out about Y/n's existence, Alfred and Dick already knowing.
They wanted to meet her but Damian never let it happen. He didn't want his family messing up whatever friendship he had with Y/n.
It wasn't long before Y/n was aware of the existence of Batman and Robin. She read articles and stories about them. She was intrigued.
Y/n discussed them with Damian, who's pride and ego raised (unknowingly to Y/n) as Y/n complimented the vigilante team.
Damian walked around the city with Y/n, him expertly avoiding paparazzi, using that as an excuse to hold her hand. Y/n had managed to get them free ice cream after she had talked with the lady behind the counter.
As they walked, Damian looked at her, recalling the interaction with the lady. "How'd you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Get us free ice cream? You spoke to her weird."
"Well, I just noticed that she seemed to adore cute children after watching her interaction with the kids in front of us. I'm pretty sure she thought we were on a date. Little kids on dates are adorable and if the girl takes charge it interprets them as like- in very much puppy love, which was probably why she gave us free ice cream."
Damian couldn't understand a single thing she said and just nodded absentmindedly. "Women are way more complicated than the economy."
"Hey!"
"Don't take it as an insult. You aren't a woman."
"Damian!" Y/n couldn't help the smile on her face as they playfully bickered, watching a small smile grow on his face as well.
Damian unexpectedly looked around, spotting someone before taking Y/n's wrist and started to run.
"D-Damian what-"
"I saw a classmate of mine. She just won't leave me alone. Keeps spying on me whenever I'm out or during school."
After running to the park after taking many detours, Damian deemed them safe.
"Why would she be spying on you? There's nothing to see!"
"What-"
"She obviously is in love with squirrels."
"Y/n what are you talking about-"
"She's spying on a very tall, grown squirrel that's my best friend-"
"Y/n!"
"I'm kidding- hey wait a moment-!"
Damian chased her, attacking her with tickles as she tried to escape his wrath. They ended up lying down next to each other on a grassy hill looking up at the sky that was actually clear for once with some clouds in sight.
They breathed in the fresh air, embracing the calmness given to them.
"I really like flying." Y/n stated as she reached a hand out towards the sky. She watched a cloud move and collide with another.
"Y/n, you can't fly." Damian deadpanned, making Y/n remember that he didn't know her secret. She quickly thought of something to cover up her comment.
"R-right. But I like the thought of it. Imagine just, being in the air, wind flowing through your hair. Just the feeling of being free."
They laid in silence as Damian thought it over. "Yeah, I think I'd like that too."
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After another day of hanging out, Damian dropped Y/n off at her manor, waving goodbye to Damian and Alfred driving the car before entering the house.
Heading to her room, she received some letters from her friends, Y/n quickly writing replies that were long, knowing that her magical barn owl
Oaklyn would be tired doing multiple oversea flights.
"Y/n come here for a moment! In the living room!" Came the amplified voice of her Lolo.
Rushing to the living room, her Lolo gave her some galleons. "Think you could go to Cantervern and get the second book to The Wizard Granthump? I'd go myself but-"
"It's alright, I've been wanting to go back to Cantervern for a while now. Ran out of Chocolate Frogs. Where's Lola?"
"She's working on a potion. Not sure which one. Best not to disturb her for now, if she looses focus she might blow something up. Thanks again Y/n."
"No problem. Love you Lolo!" Y/n yelled as she ran out the door. Entering back at Cantervern she bought more chocolate frogs and her Lolo's book. She looked around Cantervern, seeing a new model of a broom at The Thunder Broom. Looking through the glass, she admired the broom on display.
Y/n imagined one day telling Damian her secret and taking him with her on her broom, flying high into the sky.
He would enjoy it so much.
Maybe when she told him she'd be able to share everything that she had to hold back instead of changing it into something muggle related.
Maybe Damian would enjoy Quidditch, or Wizard Chess, he was really good at muggle chess.
Suddenly, Zooky appeared in front of her, snapping Y/n out of her daydream. "Miss Y/n must not go back home!"
"What? What's wrong Zooky?"
"There was a terrible accident. Very terrible. Zooky managed to save some items and brought them back to the other manor just as Mistress requested." Zooky spoke quickly in a frantic tone.
"Zooky bring me there, a few blocks away, away from muggle sight." Zooky nodded, taking Y/n's hand and apparating. Y/n immediately saw the fire in the distance and panic arose in her.
"Zooky-" Y/n paused, but Zooky knew what she was going to ask.
"Your belongings and your grandparents belongings are back in the other manor. Your grandparents tried to stop the fire- they- they did not w-want Zooky to s-stop them. Zooky is s-so sorry Miss Y/n."
Tears flew down both their faces and Y/n cleared her mind. She needed to see for herself. Placing the book and chocolate frogs in Zooky arms, she told him to return to the other manor and to take care of the manor until she called him. He nodded and apparated away.
Y/n ran towards her burning home, knowing that her Lola must have made a mistake in her potion. But even that seemed improbable. Her grandma was a fantastic witch. Potions wasn't something she usually messed up in.
Getting closer, she could see the dark mark blended into the fire before fading away.
Why? Y/n asked herself. Why now? Why them? What did they want? Wasn't Voldemort still hiding? Maybe some death eaters were being cocky.
Y/n stood far enough from the fire but close enough to feel it's heat. Tears kept pouring down her face as she looked on. A paper flew into her hands.
You set my world on fire, I set yours.- F. Kakidens
Y/n clenched the paper as she read her parents' enemy, their betrayer. The one who had once been her godfather. The one who was blinded by revenge and hatred after a mistake they didn't do.
Feraghan Kakidens.
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Bruce and Damian arrived on scene, mainly because Damian begged his father when he heard the news and he didn't want Damian doing anything reckless like jumping into the fire to save his friend. The firetruck was already there, trying to calm the roaring fire. Bruce and Damian saw the girl in a blanket for shock watching the fire. Tears were flowing down her face and they didn't seem to stop.
Bruce looked at Damian and nodded at him. Damian sprinted towards her friend.
"Y/n!"
She turned around and saw Damian but didn't make an movements. Damian saw her try and force a small smile on her lips but it was trembling. Damian got closer and as he did, Y/n tackled him in a hug, silently crying. Damian froze, not really knowing what to do before stiffly wrapping his arms around his grieving friend.
Bruce approached the two 14 year old children. He watched with Damian as Y/n answered questions with a shaky voice to an officer.
"Do you know who was in the building?"
"M-my grandparents.. a-and-" a cry choked Y/n as she tried to control her breathing. The officer continued questioning.
"I-I don't know h-how the fire started. I-I was out sh-shopping-"
"Do you have any other guardians? Family members? Your parents?"
Y/n opened her mouth before closing it, shaking her head. The officer nodded, going to discuss with his co-workers about the information he gathered.
Damian looked at his father, a silent question in his eyes that he knew that his father understood. His father looked at him, then the crying girl staring at the flames before sighing and going towards the officers to discuss where Y/n was going to stay.
Wow, only 3 chapters and people are already dead. That's sad. It's not like I knew that was going to happen nor did I plan it. Nope. Not at all.
I used some prompts from this tumblr post: https://sleepyowlwrites.tumblr.com/post/659992354727591936/writing-prompts-things-my-college-class-said
Signed,
S. Skyalent