Chapter 1: Introductions if you please.
A/N: I've tried to double space it, and it won't let me. Works fine in Docx format though. So I apologise, but I honestly have tried. Anyway, hope you enjoy. More chapters to come.
Before he'd even arrived at the station, students were abuzz with news. Something big was happening. Huge even. Draco sighed and bid his parents farewell, leaving his trunk to the guards, who always dragged the heavy item aboard the train. He hadn't glimpsed Blaise or Pansy as of yet, but Potter... well, he was early for once, as was the Mudblood Granger. Their red-head dopey friend was being molly coddled as always. Determined to ignore them, Draco stepped aboard the Hogwarts Express. Since there weren't many students inside the train as of yet, Draco quickly chose the closest, and cleanest compartment to sit in. After all, it wouldn't exactly be Malfoy to just pick any old carriage.
"You know, it's far too easy to slip past students..."
Easy? Who would want to sneak on the train anyway? Curious, Draco turned his head slightly, catching a glimpse of a platinum blond head of hair moving past the door. Laughter filled the hall briefly, along with a playful shout of 'Don't be so vindictive!' Who was this person anyway?
"Aw, well let's try this one."
Before Draco could even voice a protest the door to his compartment opened, revealing the people who had been speaking in the corridor. There were three men, one woman, all of whom looked possibly 16, maybe 17 if they were lucky. The shortest of them was only 5'5", maybe 5'6" in height, and happened to be the platinum blond he'd spied walking past. By the looks of things however, his hair was only dyed platinum blond, seeing as his eyebrows were deep, ebony black, same with his eye lashes. Long eyelashes, Draco noted; framing storm grey eyes much like his own. The two men on either side were taller, easily by a foot, slightly less. The one on the right had flame red hair, reminding Draco strongly of the Weasley's, but slightly more tolerable. That one had sapphire blue eyes, slightly tanned skin compared to his shorter friend. On the left, he had brown hair that curled slightly, brown eyes to match. He was shorter than his red-head friend, but still much taller than the faux-blond. The last of them was the woman. She was around the blond's height, blue eyes and brown, wavy hair.
He hadn't seen any of them before. Draco kept his mask in place, having only taken a moment or two to register their entrance. Calmly he regarded them before he raised one delicate eyebrow. They were older than him sure, but he guessed by only a couple of years at most. Still, it wasn't exactly polite of them to intrude like they did.
"Do you mind?" he inquired, Malfoy sneer coming to light before he could prevent it. Just who did they think they were anyway?
Surprisingly, it was the blond who decided to speak. A smirk, scarily Slytherin in the way he perfected it, graced his fair features before he leaned lazily in the doorway. He opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped by a small crowd of voices down the hall. Two sets of grey eyes turned towards the sound, Blaise and Pansy by the sounds of it. Before Draco could really object however, the blond had waved his friends off and stepped inside the compartment.
"Just what do you think you're-" Draco failed to finish his sentence as the blond locked the door and moved over to him.
"Please, like I'm going to deal with those morons before getting a chance to talk," he stated, taking a seat across from Draco.
In all honesty, Draco didn't know what was worse. He was fine with this kid standing in the doorway, but relaxing in the seat across from him, one leg delicately crossed over the other like he belonged there? That pushed all sorts of boundaries. For all Draco knew, he was out to kill him. However the boy merely grinned, then brushed his bangs away from his cheek slightly. Unintentionally, Draco mimicked his pose. The one difference being Draco's interlaced fingers resting on his knee.
"Talk? Why would I want to talk to someone who just came barging in here?"
"Call it curiosity?" his smirk still bordered on Slytherin-ish, but now Draco could also see a hint of humour. Was... was he teasing him?
"What's your name anyway?" Draco wasn't in the mood to talk, besides, he could hear Blaise and Pansy outside. That nearly always lead to trouble, especially since he could hear this guy's three friends talking to them calmly.
"Orion, but that isn't important. I just... I wanna know something," the mask dropped, Draco could see his uncertainty, his slight fear, but as he looked back up, it vanished. Grey eyes were filled with a determined fire, "what's your name?"
"My-"
"Name, yes. I know you're a Malfoy, but which Malfoy I'm uncertain of. I need to know... please," the question was... alarming to say the least. If he was as old as he looked, then surely he should know his name...
"...Draco."
The reaction however, was completely unexpected. Orion paled, looking sick to his stomach. For a moment, Draco hoped he wouldn't throw up on his shoes, so moved back a little. The faux-blond then laughed. He laughed! Draco knew from the tone that it was cold, empty and nearing hysteria. How could know his name cause such a reaction?
"...Lucius is going to murder me when he finds me..." he whispered, unaware that Draco had heard him.
"What has my father got to do with this?"
Further laughter, which of course unnerved Draco. He didn't like this... he felt trapped, but what could he do apart from yell at the boy to leave? As he opened his mouth to do so Orion waved a hand dismissively. Calmer grey eyes watched him for a moment, and then he smiled. Kindly, warmly, so unlike before... he smiled. He almost seemed, happy.
"I know this makes no sense now, but I want to thank you. When you're older you will understand, and probably whack me next you see me. But... thank you. Now I'm going to go, and hope to high heaven that Lucius doesn't find me here, and that I can get home soon."
With that, Orion calmly stood, saluted the Slytherin and exited the compartment as though nothing at all had happened. Draco shook his head in a hope to dispel the confusion. Time to add another loony to the list. With a heavy sigh, Draco sunk into the plush chair slightly. Relief flooded him when Blaise and Pansy entered the compartment a short while later. Normalcy at last. Hopefully... Draco mused, ignoring his two friends after a brief 'hello' in favour for the view as they pulled away from the station, I won't see him again.
