You know the look on your parent's faces when they are about to spring something on you? Like, I don't know, moving to a completely different country right before your last year of school at one of the best wizard academies you could ever have hoped to go to?
Yeah, that was me two months ago. Imagine that, I come home from a exceptional night in North Carolina, USA with all my best pals and my parents are sitting at the kitchen table giving me that look that I just mentioned.
"Dante, we have something to tell you," Mother says. Then her and Father go on and on about how they have a great "opportunity" awaiting them in England. That I would love it there and that there is an even better academy. Oh, I could always come visit my friends and family back home. They would make sure this was an "easy" transition for me.
Let's think about it. I was born and raised in the southern United States. All my family and all my friends live in the South. I had never known anything other than the back forty and the grassy sand dunes. I'm a child of sunshine, country music, and pick up trucks. My days are spent going to the beach and learning all kinds of fun magic at Beauregard's Academy for Witches and Wizards, in Georgia. Did my parents think that I was going to just be like "Oh, this is going to be the best thing ever!"
No. Not in the slightest.
Clearly, I am not going to think moving to England is the best thing to ever happen to me. In fact, I would think it was the worst.
A month later I was leaving my friends and family and home, picking up my life and failing at putting it back together in England. There are no beaches there. Just hills, European cars, and rain. If I was a little more emotionally unstable I would've blown my head off within the first week. Within the last few weeks, I had convinced myself that England was the bane of my existence.
And now here I sit, alone, on a bright red train on my way to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
I glared at my parents as they waved goodbye to me, tears in their eyes. Their little witch was just a short year away from being done with school and starting a brand new life. Ha, now that I was thrilled for. I'd be going home, and leave them here to work for their little Ministry. If they were lucky I would've forgiven them by that time. Never in my life had I felt so betrayed. They think I'm oblivious but I'm not. After the move I stumbled upon the file that held every bit of information on this big opportunity with the Ministry of Magic. They had been planning it for months, and the signs were all there and yet they kept it from me. Not oblivious, I just didn't quite want to believe that they would do something like this to me.
"Excuse me."
I turned my head swiftly away from the window and in the doorway of compartment was a rather frizzy haired girl smiling at me. "Mind if we sit with you?" She asked, and for a second I thought she might have some sort of split personality disorder because I didn't see anyone with her, until a red haired boy and another one with glasses came into view.
"Not at all," I moved my bag from the seat next to me and they sat down.
"I'm Hermoine," the girl stuck her hand out to me, "Hermoine Granger."
"Dante Saint-Evans," I shook her hand and turned to the guys, "Who are ya'll?"
"Ron Weasley," the red head nodded at me.
"Harry Potter."
"Nice to meet you," I gave them my best smile, even though I didn't feel like smiling.
"Where are you from?" Ron inquired, and in a somewhat skeptical voice. Honestly I didn't blame him, my accent kind of threw people off here. It seems most of them had never heard a southern accent in real life.
"The States. North Carolina to be exact, if you've ever heard of it." I explained, "I just moved here."
"Welcome to England," Hermoine didn't seem to catch on to my hostility toward living here.
"Thanks," I looked back out the window. "Does it ever stop raining?"
Harry laughed, "Yes, actually, it does. Believe it or not." He stared at me, with pretty green eyes, a slight blush rising in his pale cheeks. "Are you excited about coming to Hogwarts?"
"I don't know much about it," I confessed, "Just that its in a castle and there are houses you get sorted into. Is there anything else I should know?"
They all looked at each other. "You'll might want to stick with us," Hermoine's eyes said it all. These three probably knew the ropes better than anyone else I would find here. They looked like they might even be trouble makers. I liked them already. At my old school, The Academy as we all called it, my friends and I were just like them.
"If ya'll will have me, I'd be happy to," This time I smiled for real, knowing that now I had at least someone to stick with that seemed to be compatible with me. One thing I hated more than moving, was being a loner.
"How'd you sleep?" Hermoine asked as I rolled over on to my stomach and moaned, signaling to her that I was awake and would stop ignoring my alarm clock which was ribbeting like a frog.
"Like a catfish at the bottom of a lake," I muttered before sitting up, trying my best to smooth my tangles of black hair. "What's on the agenda today?"
"Class, of course," Hermoine looked at me like I was growing a second head. She was already dressed and ready to go, just packing up her school bag. The frizz that was her hair yesterday was much smoother today, and she actually looked better in her school robes than street clothes. Why did this not surprise me? "What did you think we would be doing?"
"I don't know," I began rummaging through my dresser to get my robes. "At The Academy we had a few days to get acclimated again before classes started."
"Guess we do things differently," She shrugged, "I'll meet you in the common room."
"Alright," I went to the bathroom and began my morning routine. I'm one for routine, that was one thing that was drilled into our minds at The Academy. Every day was structured the same, and I liked it that way after the past six years. I showered quickly and left my hair wet, so that it would set itself into its normal waves. Brushed the teeth, put on the make up, then the clothes. Oh, I loved being able to still do this, something from my old life. Other than my accent and a few trinkets, there wasn't a lot else. Its not like I could bottle Carolina Blue skies or anything.
When I was done, I ran down to the common room where Hermoine was waiting with the boys. Last night at the feast when I got sorted into Griffindor, I knew they had truly accepted me. Before it was a little touch and go, but now I was officially one of them.
"Good morning," Harry beamed at me.
"Hey," I replied, shouldering my bag. "I'm starving. When's breakfast?"
"Right now," Hermoine giggled, "I can already tell you're going to be as bad as Ron." I had learned that Ron was notorious for stuffing his face, and of course, being a southern girl, I liked my food. Put a plate of sausage gravy and fried chicken in front of me and by the time you turn around there won't be a morsel left. I'm not some skinny little model with a God complex and only eats crackers.
They led me through the winding staircases of the castle, and I tried very hard to recognize where I was by landmarks. Statues and pictures were everywhere, and I made mental notes of each thing. That way later, hopefully, I wouldn't get hopelessly lost.
The Great Hall was already packed with people, sitting at their respective house tables. Personally, that seemed like segregation. Not to constantly compare, but at The Academy, we were encouraged to intermingle with everyone. Maybe that happened later in the day here. I wasn't certain.
We sat down at our table and everyone began filling their plates. I, on the other hand, stared at the food in front of me and became sick. Very, very home sick.
"Are you alright?" Ron looked at me closely. "Looks like you're going to cry."
"I just," I took a deep breath, "I just really wish that there were some grits."
Ron snorted, and Hermoine elbowed him in the ribs before whispering, "Can't you see she misses home, you nitwit."
"Sorry," Ron mumbled, before he began his usual shoveling of food into his face.
"Will you be ok?" Hermoine gave me a sympathetic look.
"Sure," I grabbed a few pieces of bacon and realized that I was missing something. Standing up, I told the crew that I needed to go back to the dorm. I didn't let them ask to come with, since I might not know the way. For this, I would rather be alone.
Although, in hindsight, I probably should've let one them come with me. It felt like hours before I sat down on a random flight of stairs and waited for someone to pass by that might know the way to Griffindor. Preferably a fellow Griffindor, but I would take anyone at that point. I was probably missing classes, and on the first day too. That wouldn't look good on whatever record they kept here. But if they had my Academy record they'd know I am an exceptional student. So, I didn't let that worry me too much. For the time being, I let my mind wander.
Right now, my friends back home would be on the ferry to the Academy, watching the dolphins jump in the bay and sunning themselves on the upper decks. They'd reach the island, and then their last year would begin. I hoped for an owl or two from them soon, but would understand if they didn't want to send their owls all the way across the Atlantic.
"Shouldn't you be in class?" A voice in a dark corner about twenty feet away from me called.
"Should you be hiding in the shadows?" I countered, standing up. Out of habit, I put my hand on my hip, where I kept my wand. Everyone else here had special pockets for theirs, but I kept my Academy issued wand holster. It sort of felt like wearing a gun, but more lethal and fun.
"You sort of have a point there," a boy stepped out and I was automatically floored. He was tall, towering over me. That's hard to do, I'm 5'9". Light blonde hair fell slightly over his forehead, which was pale like the rest of him. His eyes were grey, like a late winter storm over the Atlantic, and incredibly entrancing, yet also familiar. How had I seen such eyes before? I searched my memories as I surveyed him a little longer. The only bad thing I would say about him was that he stood proudly, and had a rather cocky grin on his beautiful face. I'm not one for over confident guys, but that's just me.
"I tend to make good points," I said, after a second or two of pulling myself together. "Who are you?"
"Draco Malfoy," He came closer, strutting a bit. "I'm surprised you don't recognize me."
My jaw dropped. "No, it can't be."
"Yes, Dante," Draco chuckled, "I'm surprised that you forgot about me."
"I didn't forget you," My heart skipped a beat. He had remembered me. After all these years of not seeing each other, he was still able to identify me. "You've just grown up so much."
"So have you," he looked me up and down, "You're beautiful."
Heat rose in the back of my neck, but lucky for me my tan skin hid the flush of my cheeks. That was my one saving grace, my face on the other hand totally gave me away.
"What are you doing at Hogwarts?" Draco sat down where I had been, and I joined him, still riding the high of him calling me beautiful. "Last I heard you were still at Beauregard and absolutely loving it. I didn't think you would leave there."
"My parents found jobs here with the Ministry of Magic." I explained, "They didn't really want me to be that far away from them so I made the move. Trust me, I didn't want to leave."
"I understand," Draco's face changed into a look of disgust, "I wouldn't want to leave your amazing home to come to this dump either."
"It's not that bad," I looked around at the old stone. It was actually quite lovely here, despite the rain, cold, and vastness.
"You'll see in time," he looked over at me, "What are you doing tonight?"
"I have plans with this boy," I smirked, "He's actually really cool. His name's Draco, you might know him."
"You haven't changed at all," Draco laughed, filling the empty hallway with the sound of it. "I'll meet you outside the Great Hall after dinner, then? I would love to catch up."
"Sure thing," I nodded, "Before you go, could you tell me how to get back to Griffindor?"
"You're still not so good with directions," he stood, "Take these stairs, then its two rights and a left. Do you need the password too?"
"I'm not that dependent, Draco," I started up the stairs, "I'll see you later."
"Counting the minutes," he winked at me and disappeared down the opposite stairwell.
When I finally found what I had been searching for, Hermoine burst into our dorm room.
"Where have you been?" She practically screamed at me.
I sighed, and slipped my ring on my finger. "I got lost. I should've had you come back with me, so don't say I told you so. Mind catching me up on what I've missed in class?" Her and I had all the same classes. Lucky us.
"Sure," she looked at my hand, "That's what you forgot? A ring?"
"It was my grandmother's," I looked down at the simple gold band and three small diamonds, "Given to her in 1941 by my grandfather. It's my last piece of them both."
"Wow," Hermoine gazed at it, "Beautiful."
"Thank you," I linked arms with her, "Now lets go to the common room and you can tell me what I missed."
"You are becoming my new favorite person, you know that," she exclaimed, "Finally someone that worries about their studies as much as me. You have no idea the lack of studying that goes on with Harry and Ron. It is a hassle to even get them to open a book."
"That truly does not surprise me."
We had the next hour for a free period before lunch, and I could already feel my nerves getting to me about tonight. Even with Hermoine's constant chatter of class work, I couldn't stop thinking that I would be hanging out with Draco Malfoy for the first time in seven years in a few short hours. I couldn't wait.
"Are you listening?" Hermoine raised an eyebrow during her lecture on our Advanced Charms class.
"We are to read chapters one through four tonight for homework and should expect to be tested on our skills within the next three days." I repeated, grinning at her. "I can multi-task like a champ."
"What's on your mind?" she leaned close, making our conversation a little more private. There were other people in the room, and I guess she sensed that I was about to indulge something.
"I have a date tonight, sort of," I whispered, not able to withhold my excitement.
"With who?" Hermoine gasped excitedly, "It's Harry isn't it? I knew he fancied you."
"Oh," I bit my lip. "No, it's not Harry. His name is Draco Malfoy, do you know him?"
Her face fell, my guess at the thought of it not being Harry I was seeing tonight, "Yes, I know him very well."
"Great!" I clapped my hands together, "Then you know all about how great of a guy he is. Hermoine, I'm so excited."
"Dante," Hermoine pulled me back down into our private conversation, "He is not a great guy. Draco Malfoy is one of the most vile creatures to ever slither across this Earth."
"What?" I stared at her, wondering if I had hallucinated what she said. That sounds weird, but there was no way that she could've just called Draco vile.
"He is an awful person," Hermoine's body shook with rage. "He's the worst of all the Slytherins, and that's saying something."
"No," I shook my head, refusing to believe her. "I've know him. I met him seven years ago when his family spent a summer in Hilton Head. My parents own a house there and we spend our summers there. Him and I became best friends. Draco was nothing but sweet and amazing. We were inseparable for two whole months." I blushed a little thinking about it, "We were sort of childhood sweethearts."
"Listen," Hermoine looked back over her shoulder, "Draco must have changed, because he has done some horrible things here."
"Like what?" I crossed my arms over my chest. Her definition of horrible might be completely different from mine. Like if he cheated on tests and was a little rude to others, that was understandable, and also fixable. Or maybe he had done something personally to her. If that was the case I could get him to apologize in time. She wouldn't stop being friends with me because I date Draco.
"Dante," she whispered, "Last year, Draco was involved in a plot to kill our headmaster, which succeeded. A man is dead because of him. Draco Malfoy is a Deatheater a follower of the dark wizard Voldemort." She placed a hand softly on my shoulder, like it would comfort me. "Draco is a killer."
Now that, I counted as horrible.