"Vanessa! We're going to be late!" Daphne Greengrass stared at her sister in disbelief. Vanessa was still just sitting there. Daphne flicked her wand and Vanessa's book snapped closed on its own accord, and only then did her sister look up.
"Daphne!" Vanessa whined up at her. Daphne rolled her eyes and tugged her younger sister up by the elbow and towards the fireplace where their things were waiting. "The train leaves in thirty minutes! You shouldn't be reading."
"Wit beyond measure is man's greates-"
"I don't care! If we're late for the train then you'll miss your classes!" Daphne told her. This time it was Vanessa's turn to roll her eyes.
"Daphne, the train leaves in thirty minutes," Daphne nodded so she went on, "We floo to the train station, and get on the train, and then we're off. We don't need thirty minutes, we barely need five."
Daphne and Vanessa had conflicting personalities, which had placed them in different Hogwarts houses, despite how close they were. Daphne was in Slytherin, and in the same year as Blaise Zabini, her boyfriend. Vanessa had broken a family tradition and was placed in Ravenclaw, much to her sister's shock. Vanessa was a scheming little witch ever since she was four, and Daphne couldn't understand how a opportunistic prankster like her sister could have ever been placed in anything other then Slytherin.
Daphne was a somewhat beauty obsessed witch. She had long bone straight red hair with side swept bangs and fair skin with brownish hazel eyes. Unlike most Slytherins she had an insecure streak and relied on others opinions more than she should have.
Vanessa however was upfront and spontaneous. She had no regard for beauty but instead loved studying magical concepts. The Greengrass natural beauty however was not lost on her. Wavy strawberry blond hair fell a little past her shoulders and aquamarine eyes accented her ivory skin.
Daphne tugged her luggage into the green flames and flooed to the train station. Vanessa did nothing. For a minute she contemplated following and then remembered that she had planned to pack her books that morning. She sedately walked back over to the marble staircase and scurried up to her room.
'Concepts of Dueling Deceptions', 'Reflecting the Dark Arts', and 'A Foreign Guide to Creating Abstract Potions' Vanessa read the titles as she stacked them next to her bookcase.
"Reducio" Vanessa thought as she flicked her wand and the books shrunk until she could fit them into her purse.
Finally she headed back down stairs and wrote a note to her parents, saying that she'd write regularly. They had needed to work that day, and thought that the girls could find their way onto the express on their own.
Vanessa cast a time charm, tempus, to find that she had about ten minutes.
"Mau!" Vanessa called for her cat, and watched in amusement as it streaked around the corner only to slightly miss a table, accidentally caught her claws on the oriental rug and twisted to a stop at her feet. Vanessa smiled as the little cat squirmed to give her owner a questioning glance.
"Sorry about this Mau, but I'll have to protect society from you" Vanessa waved her wand and the cat was stuck inside a small crate, "I'll let you out on the train."
After picking it up, she danced over to the fireplace grabbed her suitcase and whispered 'Platform 9 and 3/4' only to spot the book she was reading earlier still laying on the couch. Without thinking she flicked her wand at it and to her surprise it appeared in her arms right as the fireplace started to spin.
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Sighing in relief she stepped out of the fire and gathered her trunk and cat before taking off towards the falsely solid wall that acted as a barrier between muggles and the magical world. She glanced over at the clock only to realize that the train would leave in less than three minutes. She dashed through the wall hoping that that wasn't too conspicuous, and pushed her way through the crowd of parents that were saying farewell to their little ones. She reached the train just as it began to move, and thankfully someone from inside opened the door and grabbed her trunk as she scampered inside.
"Your sister thought you weren't going to make it." Vanessa turned around and spotted the familiar face of Draco Malfoy. She gave him a brief hug and thanked him for helping her inside.
"Its no big deal. Earned me a few galleons actually." he grinned, and Vanessa rolled her eyes.
"Should of known you'd make a bet with my sister. Of course, wouldn't helping me be cheating?" Vanessa asked, knowing the answer.
"Since when have I played fair?"
Vanessa brushed by him and began to look for a compartment.
"They're all full, you might want to sit with your sister. Damn first years." She laughed and picked out her sister's loud voice and followed it to the compartment. She slid open the door, and leaned against the side while sticking her head in.
"Mind if I sit with you sis?"
Daphne regarded her sister for a moment before smiling.
"Of course! You need a little more Slytherin influence anyway."
Draco followed Vanessa inside and sat down while she secured her trunk on one of the upper shelves. She sat down next to Draco straight across from her sister and Blaise.
"So Draco, I heard that you managed to secure a job at the ministry, congratulations." Daphne praised, then she spotted the head boy badge pinned to his tailored robes, "And you made head boy!"
"Yes, my father was ecstatic. I'm also junior assistant to the Head of International Magical Cooperation. I won't start until after I graduate however."
There was a small silence before Daphne turned and began discussing career choice with her boyfriend. Suddenly a loud caterwauling came from directly over Draco's head. He jumped a foot in the air and Vanessa flinched violently in surprise before laughing at the look in Draco's shocked face.
"Its just Mau, I told him I'd let him out in the train. Do you mind?" Vanessa explained, and Draco looked somewhat reluctant before shrugging. She twisted in her seat and aimed her wand at the upper compartment before flicking it to make the crate disappear. Mau tensed before sticking his head out to look down at the Slytherins and solitary Ravenclaw. Slowly he stretched backward with a yawn before shifting his weight forward to fall into a petite heap in Vanessa's lap. Draco laughed, and the compartment door was slid open once again.
"Vanessa!" Mandy Brocklehurst and Lisa Turpin stood outside the door, already dressed in their Ravenclaw uniforms.
"Mandy, Liss!" Vanessa hopped up to hug her friends before asking how their summer's were. Both girls launched into short summaries before asking why she was sitting with a bunch of Slytherins.
"Oh, Daphne's my sister, Blaise is her boyfriend and I've known Draco for years." At this Draco grinned, and both girls looked stunned.
"Right, well, we've got a compartment to ourselves, come sit with us." Mandy said before waving goodbye to the rest and heading back into the hall. Vanessa gathered her things and clicked her tongue at her cat, who perked up from Draco's lap.
"Bye Sis, Draco." Vanessa nodded at Blaise before following Lisa towards their compartment.
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Terry, Michael and Anthony looked up while the three of them climbed in and then resumed their passionate discussion on the upcoming quidditch matches. Terry and Michael were newly appointed Chasers and Anthony had become Keeper the year before. Roger Davis was the remaining Chaser as well as the captain. Marcus Belby and Eddie Carmichael played as beaters. Vanessa thought for a moment, questioning whether or not the Seeker had graduated the year before.
"Guys, whose the Seeker this year?" Vanessa interrupted their discussion to ask.
"Thank god, I was afraid she had lost interest in Quidditch over break." Terry let out a sigh of relief before turning to Michael, "Cho's resigned since last year, do you think Davis will hold try outs?"
"Most likely, of course anyone would be better than Cho. She didn't even pay attention last year." Michael answered, "You think you want to try out 'Nessa?" The pair of girls and the rest of the guys looked up to listen to her answer. She thought about it a moment. I'd hate it if we finished last like last year. Losing even to Hufflepuff...
"You should Vanessa. I've seen you fly. You're damn fast." Terry thought out loud, and Vanessa turned abruptly to him.
"You've never seen me fly."
Terry looked sheepish for a moment before responding, trying to avoid her eyes.
"You fly in the morning. Right off the veranda."
"Terry!" She glared at him for a moment, and he bit his lip. Her face turned red.
"I've seen you too." Lisa cut in, "You're pretty good, and it wouldn't hurt to try out."
"I'll do it with you Vanessa! We can all three try out, it'll be fun!" Mandy said. Everyone laughed, Mandy the hardest. She could barely stay on a broom.
"Alright." Vanessa smiled. She had even received a new broom over the summer. The Black Falcon. It might not have been as flashy as other brooms, but it specialized in high speed turns and dives. It would probably serve her well.
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A/N: Tell me what you thought was funny, and what you thought was boring, and if you don't review, I'll smother you in honey, paint you blue, strap you to a snowboard, and push you down the half pipe in the middle of x games. twitch
-SM