Chapter 1
"And congratulations to all you 7th years!" An old man named Dumbledore called out as everyone ate their last meal of the year. People were of course very excited about the coming summer, especially the 7th years who sat near the end of the table. Well most of them did, somewhere in the mix sat a girl was just barely 18. She had long dirt blonde hair and dark blue eyes which sometimes looked reflected grey. She looked down at the table to a group of boys and girls. They all were the same age as her, this being her last day here at Hogwarts. She knew she was going to spend it along without any friends. Well she did have Leno, but that was a cat and couldn't really make up for her lack of human interaction.
"Happy End of the year Liz." She sighed. Just then she heard loud laughing coming from the group. She looked back at them; she already knew who it was. Bill Weasley stood in the middle of the group as they got up and left to go to the common room. Liz silently got up and followed them.
She watched them, well Bill mostly, as they walked towards a painting of a large woman. They stopped in front of the painting while one of the guys said the password. Liz had just walked up to them and waited for the group to start going inside. One of the girls, Heather Baker, turned around and looked at her. She didn't smile, but she didn't glare either. She seemed friendly enough, but she didn't want to talk to Elizabeth Marks. No one ever did. Just then Bill turned and looked at her too, but instead he smiled. Liz, who had liked him since their third year was so shocked. She stupidly smiled and they all walked into the common room.
The girls and boys had sat down already mostly around the fire. They were going celebrate their last night here. Liz, who knew she wasn't welcome, started up the stairs. Just then a voice called back to her, "Liz, aren't you going to stay for the party?" She turned around to see Heather. She looked over at the kids from her year and saw Bill talking to a very pretty girl named Carrie.
Liz smiled, "Thanks. But I need to pack. I might come down later." She was very grateful that someone even remembered her name, but then she knew she wouldn't have a good time anyway.
Heather shrugged, "Okay. Well come down if you get bored." Liz nodded and went upstairs. Her stuff had been packed for days, the same as the other girls. She just didn't want to stay. She flopped down on her bed and pulled out a book.
After what seemed to be an hour or two Liz realized that people were still down there having their party. She sighed as Leno just up next to her. "What do you think Leno? Should I go down there and spend my last day here at Hogwarts with the people that I haven't spoke to in just about all of my seven years here, or should I spend it here with you?" Leno mewed and jumped off her bed. "Well I guess you don't want to spend it with me." She smiled. She got up and took a deep breath. She changed her clothes to a pair of black pants, a green shirt with lace at the top and black shoes that made her look taller, which she needed. She didn't look that bad, she thought as looked in the mirror. Of course her school robes were on over the top, but she still looked alright. She walked down the stairs as quietly as possible; she didn't want to be noticed. Too late.
"Liz! Lizzy Marks!" Someone yelled. She smiled meekly as she came down into the bunch of people. It had been Heather who had called her name. "Lizzy, you know you look great." She said as she smiled stupidly. Liz looked scared, Heather was acting crazy.
"Uh, thanks Heather." She said shyly.
Heather grabbed her by the shoulders, "You know you never really met everyone else. Let me introduce you." Liz laughed slightly as Heather put her arm over Liz's shoulders and brought her over to all over to her friends.
That night Liz spent hiding in the group that was way too happy. They sang songs loudly, and talked about what they were going to do now that school was over. That was the first time Liz had ever been with these people outside of class and meals. They seemed so different from her, but yet they weren't that bad. Maybe she had been the one pushing them away instead of them not liking her as she had always thought. Too bad for Liz that was the last day she had with them.
At the train station as they all started to get on the train to leave Hogwarts Liz watched the group she had been with last night gather in different train compartments. Liz walked past them and of course sat in her own empty compartment like she always did.
Bill looked up from talking at the girl who walked past their compartment. She looked in for a quick second and just continued. Wasn't that Elizabeth Marks? The girl who had never talked until last night, and still that wasn't much. He felt somewhat bad for her. He got up and walked out of the compartment towards the compartment next to his. There she sat all along reading her book, a black and white cat curled up in her lap. She looked up, her expression looked almost scared. He laughed and waved. She slowly lifted her hand a waved, but it almost seemed as though she didn't know how anymore.
He opened the door, "Hey." Liz was so scarred she didn't say anything. "Liz, right?" She nodded stupidly in reply. "So, why are you in here by yourself?" He said sitting down opposite from her.
Liz gave him a sudden look that seemed to say 'are you stupid?' He laughed. "People don't like me. I don't like them. As simple as that." She said coldly, looking back at her book.
"Oh." He said quietly as he got up and left. Liz mentally hit herself. The first time since perhaps her third year here that he had talked to her and she ruined it.
"See you later." Bill Weasley said as he waved to his co-worker and started towards the door of Gringotts Bank where he worked. He walked into a group of people exiting the building when out of the corner of his eye he spotted a girl with purple hair that was up in two ponytails. She was reading something that was in her hand and completely going the opposite direction as the people in the crowd. He stepped out of the crowd towards the direction the girl was going. She only looked up slightly when she almost walked into something or someone. She was wearing a short black skirt, tall black stocking that came about mid-thigh and tall black boots that came to her knees. She also wore a blue jacket, but Bill only could see her from behind. She was going towards another exit, one most people don't notice or see. He smiled; she seemed smart not getting into that crowd.
As soon as he got out the door he thought she was gone until he noticed the purple hair walk from out of the crowd and into a small shack looking place. He shrugged and followed her to the shack. As soon as he got in he looked around. It was a book store. He wondered why he had never noticed it before now. It had all sorts of odd books that most people would have a hard time getting a hold of. There was music playing loudly every where he went as he walked around the store. He found he actually like the music; he found this place really cool.
He had almost forgotten about the girl when he heard her yell, "Manaria! Stop slacking and get out here. I just got back from the bank." He saw her walk out from behind the counter. Her jacket was gone; she had on a black tank top and a black collar. And chains dangled around her skirt and boots. He smiled at her appearance, and his mum worried about him. He only had long hair and an earring. This girl looked crazy, but in a good way.
A girl with short jet black hair and a piercing on her nose, ears, eyebrow, and lip came out from behind the counter as well. "I wasn't slacking; I was doing some very important business." She said in her defense to the girl with the purple hair.
"And what is that?" She said turning around to the girl. Bill noticed half of her skirt was longer than the other half. And that the girl had a nose ring.
"Uh... so what did you do at the bank?" The girl, Manaria, changed the subject with a smile.
"Not much." She sighed and walked out of Bill's view from within the book shelves. He picked a random book and walked up to the counter. The girl with black hair and studs and rings all over smiled at him and climbed up a ladder to put some books away. The girl he had followed was standing behind the counter putting something way when he walked up. She didn't look at him; even while she took the book he had and put a book mark inside.
He decided to try to talk to her as he paid, "Uh, nice place you got here." He said looking around, only the girl with black hair looked at him. She smiled and laughed as she spun back around in her red boots and skirt. "I'm..." he started to give his name as she spoke.
"Bill Weasley. I know." She said looking up at him and handing him his book. He smiled and looked at her; there was something familiar about her.
"I'm sorry; do I know you from somewhere?" But she had walked into the back room.
"Bill Weasley, head boy at Hogwarts." The girl in the red skirt said as she climbed down the ladder and walked towards him. She had on a black tank top similar to the other girls, and red gloves.
"Uh yes." He said confused.
"And you have no idea who we are, do you?" He looked at her even more confused, "Well I wouldn't expect you to know me. I mean after all I was a year younger and in Ravenclaw. But you would think you would remember someone in your own year in house. Then again, Liz sure has changed a lot." She said pulling at her gloves and looking towards the direction that she left in.
Liz? That name seemed so familiar. Who was Liz, but then a face suddenly flashed. A girl with blonde hair who never really spoke, that was her, but it couldn't be her. That girl who did everything by the rules could not be this girl. But then, look at him, he though. "Elizabeth Marks?" He said quietly.
"Bingo." Manaria said. "Oh, and I'm Manaria Hefel. Most people just call me Mana." She held out her hand. He shook her hand and just then Liz came back out.
"Wow Liz you've changed a lot." He said looking impressed.
Liz glared at Manaria for a second and then smiled. "Is that a good thing?" She said raising an eyebrow.
"Uh, yeah." He nodded. She smirked and started to put a few books away. "So this is what you've been doing since Hogwarts."
With a flick of her wand four more books flew from a box on the counter and into her arms. She glared at him for a minute, "More or less." She put the books away and walked out of the room and into the back of the shop away from both Mana and Bill.
They both watched her leave and then Mana looked at him with a look of pity. "You might want to leave now." She said quietly and followed Liz into the back.
Bill looked confused, had he said something wrong? Liz didn't seem at all happy to see him during any of it. He found himself in the doorway of the store, he looked back one more time and left.
Author's Note: What do you think? Should I continue? What should happen? Let me know.
