I'm Nash, no it isn't short for Nastisha or anything, I am named after a star. I don't recognize which one because I am terrible at Astronomy. Everyone in the Black family is named after a star or constellation, so my mum - even though she isn't a Black anymore - carried on the tradition. I quite like my name. More or less people in our family have the oddest names ever, like my brother - it's Draco, I call him Dragon sometimes to annoy him, who wouldn't take advantage of something like that?
Of course, some people weren't named after stars like my Aunt Bella, I don't remember her as she was imprisoned in Azkaban when I was two. All I know is that she used to spoil us rotten, she bought us brooms for when we were older, of course Father replaced them as they were very old but I wish I could see my family. I don't get to see my other Aunt Andy because she is a 'blood-traitor', but Uncle Ted and our cousin Nymphadora are really nice so I wish we could.
Father and Draco are always practicing spells and Draco always seems to get hurt, but it means that I am very good at wandless healing spells. Our house-elves taught me some spells, but I don't own a wand yet, not until I'm 11, Draco and I will turn 11 tomorrow and I'm so excited!
Father wanted us to go to Durmstrang, but Mother says that it is too far away so we're going to Hogwarts. As we are from the Malfoy and Black family it is a given that we will have to be in Slytherin, another reason we never see Aunt Andy is that her daughter was in Hufflepuff.
I don't know much about Hogwarts and what I do know is what I over hear when Father is ranting about Mudbloods and Dumbledore.
No one is meant to go to sleep on their birthday and I planned to keep that tradition. I laid there in my room staring at the green walls and and specks of light reflecting off the silver paint that decorated most of the furniture in my room.
I was laying upside down on the bed with my white hair falling off the bed, my hair is really long, it goes down to my hips. I like it but it is sort of boring, plain white and straight.
I smiled at my headboard near my feet, when Draco and I were seven we scratched our names into it, our parents don't know as the numerous pillows normally cover it up I could just make then out as I had pushed the pillows off the side of the bed earlier.
I climbed out of bed and put my feet into my black slippers and quietly made my way out of the door, I closed it quietly and tip-toed to the end of the corridor. I opened the door and I saw Draco from the light in the corridor, his room is always pitch black so I walked over to him after shutting the door and walked into his bed which resulted in me stubbing my toe. I clapped a hand over my toe and hopped on my right foot while holding my other one as I tried to stop my self from cursing.
I heard a snigger.
"Draco?" I said through gritted teeth.
"Nash?" He replied. I went over to where his voice came from and lay down on the bed next to him.
"Are you excited about Hogwarts?" I asked.
My eyes adjusted to the darkness and he nodded.
"But I want to get a wand more than anything." He said.
"Yeah, and a cat." I said. We had decided last year that Draco would get an owl and I would get a cat. He wanted something practical and I wanted something to hold when I was scared. I got scared a lot when Father shouted, when Mother cried, when Draco was punished.
We sat there comforted by the company in the dark and silence. After about half an hour of thinking to ourselves I said "Draco, we will always be there for each other, right?"
"Yep, from the womb 'till the tomb." He said holding out his pinkie.
I wrapped my pinkie finger round his "I will always be your best friend, twin and little sister, and you will always be my best friend, twin and big brother." I whispered and stared into his grey eyes as he did the same.
"Forever." He said.
We laid there as time went on, as the sun rose I went beck to my room and changed into a green and black stripey top, some jeans and my big black boots that went up to my knees. I always wore these shoes, when I grew too big for my last pair I got exactly the same style. Mother chooses what I wear at formal events but other wise I wear whatever, most of my clothes consist of green, black and silver.
I saw on my bed and waited for one of the house-elves to come and fetch me for breakfast. One popped into my room and said "Miss Malfoy's Birthday breakfast is ready, Penny has been told to bring Miss Malfoy downstairs to eat." I smiled at the elf and walked downstairs with the frail creature.
Mother came up to me "My little girl is growing up, 11 already! Draco is sitting at the breakfast table waiting, come on dear." She said and hugged me quickly.
We all sat down and father said "I have arranged a gathering for you and your friends, so your Mother will choose your clothes and you must be ready by 11 o'clock."
By 'your friends' he meant pure-bloods he knew with children the same age as us.
Another house-elf approached the table and put a pile of letters next to my Father.
He put them into four piles, for each of us and charmed them to go to each family member.
I hurried through my pile and pulled out my Hogwarts letter.
I teared open the envelope and read:
'HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Miss Malfoy,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress'
I put it to the side and snatched up the second page and then read:
'HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)
by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic
by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory
by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration
by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions
by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection
by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS
ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK
Yours sincerely,
Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus
Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions'
I grinned at Draco and my parents, then I handed Mother the letter.
She skimmed the two sheets of parchment and said "We can go to Diagon Alley during the week and buy all this." She said returning the smile to me.
Then I read through the other letters to find birthday wishes from pureblood families like the Zabinis, Notts, Greengrasses, Parkinsons, Crabbes, Goyles, Davises, Bulstrodes, I also got some from Aunt Andy and the Minister of Magic, who is a good friend of Fathers.
"I expect that you will fill the evening replying to these letters and getting ready for your party." Father said as he saw we had finished.
Breakfast was brought in and I finished everything on my plate and headed to our library, something else I was looking forward to was that Hogwarts' library is meant to be HUGE. I love reading but I went to my desk and took a stack of parchment and began to write many thanks for the birthday wishes. My hand ached and Draco and I gave the family owl - Pine - the letters to send.
Draco groaned as he realised that we would have to talk to other pureblood children, we had known them all forever but neither of us really liked all of them. Crabbe and Goyle are just annoying, as is Bulstrode and Parkinson. Draco liked Zabini and Nott, I liked Davis and both of us didn't mind the Greengrasses, well we didn't mind Daphne, the oldest, but Astoria who was our age was just like Pansy.
"Hey, you'd still rather hang out with them than some Mudbloods." I laughed.
He nodded agreeing and we slowly trod up the stairs, Mother was still finishing my outfit when I came in. She loved choosing my clothes as I was... an early developer... she spent hours shopping for me and buying nearly every outfit in a shop.
She had picked out a green dress with a black bow around the middle accompanied by a black blazer and pumps. Mother had gotten my ears pierced years ago so she gave me some thin silver hooped earrings and bracelet. My black velvet ribbon lay on the bed that I tied around my neck, a small diamond hung from it.
I changed slowly and my Mother had told a house-elf to help me finish up. The elf obviously had specific orders has it painted my nails with every other one being green and the rest black. She charmed my hair into a fish tail plait and put some glitter around my eyes.
I was used to being made up by now and just sat there until it was done. I walked to the stairs and sat there waiting for my brother he always took longer for the fact that he used so much hair gel.
He was in dress robes and we went downstairs together. We walked outside and sat down on a bench, a peacock approached and I stroked it's smooth feathers and rested my head on Draco's shoulder.
Our parents always acted like nothing was wrong when guests arrived, we were always on our best behaviour, we smiled, laughed, chatted. We acted like a perfect family.
Father never punished us in front of guests, we were the 'perfect' children.
We heard 11 o'clock strike from the grandfather clock and I squeezed Draco's hand and we walked in.
Theo and Blaise arrived first and Draco left me to go off with them. Vincent and Greg came next and I didn't point them in the direction of my twin as I knew how annoying they were.
Pansy and the Greengrasses arrived, Daphne talked with me while her younger sister Astoria chatted with Pansy. Tracy arrived and Daphne and her talked while I greeted Millicent who joined Vincent and Greg at the table filled with food. Tracy and Daphne are my actual friends, Pansy whines too much, as does Astoria.
Tracy, Daphne and I talked about going to Diagon Alley to shop together but I declined the offer as Draco and I do everything together. Pansy and Astoria came over and complimented me on my outfit, I returned the favour even though Pansy was wearing a neon pink dress that looked horrible.
Draco, Blaise and Theo appeared so Pansy rushed over to dote on my twin.
"I hope you didn't mean that Nash." Tracy said.
"Of course not, who would like neon pink!" Daphne cried.
I nodded in disgust it really isn't a colour that suits Pansy at all.
Blaise and Theo came over to us trying to stop laughing.
"What on earth is Pansy wearing?" Blaise laughed.
"I don't know how Draco hasn't hexed her yet, her voice is so high pitched!" Theo said.
"Theo! No need to be rude!" Tracy said slapping him on the arm.
"Yeah, try and act like she's okay." I said.
Vince and Greg had spotted Draco and went over to him so Millicent and Pansy were now talking, loudly.
"All I'm saying Milli is that you would look much nicer in a girlier outfit." Pansy screeched.
"Says the girl in a dress that is the same colour as a baboon's rear side." Millicent said voicing our opinions.
Pansy gasped, as did we, she ran off crying and I sighed and went after her.
I heard sobbing behind a curtain in the Library. "Pansy... Pansy come out..." I said.
"N-No," she sobbed.
"Pansy you look fine, it's just a bit... eccentric, Millicent doesn't like to wear dresses, and she looks fine in a top and skirt. Millicent's not a girly girl like you but just because she has a different style doesn't mean that she would look better in something you like... and you look great but not everyone likes something that... bright on the eye. If we did then you wouldn't be unique." Her sobbing had gotten quieter and stopped.
"Let's go back in, I would love some pumpkin pasty." I said truthfully.
Pansy came out and smiled "Thanks Nash." We walked back into the hall and I grabbed a pasty as Millicent apologized.
Astoria came to chat with Pansy and Millicent joined Vince and Greg. Draco was reunited with Blaise and Theo, as was I with Daphne and Tracy. All went well as we ate and talked, I danced with everyone when the music turned on, eventually everyone left and Draco and I could go to bed as house-elves cleared the room of any evidence of a party.