Author's Note: The world of Harry Potter and all the characters you recognize from J. K. Rowling's books are owned by J K Rowling, not me. I am only saying this once. ...oh yeah, and please review! I want to hear some feedback! Constructive criticism would be good, but please don't be intentionally mean. Enjoy! And in case you're wondering, 'Aero' is short for 'Aeronissa'. Cheers ;).
The Only Exception
"Who's that?"
Helen followed his gaze to the dark-haired girl holding a small blonde boy's hand.
She shrugged, "That's Aero Lestrange."
He whistled, impressed. "So that's the hell-spawn of Bellatrix? Which would make him-" he nodded at the small boy, "-Draco Malfoy, right?"
She watched as Aero grinned at Draco. He wrapped his arms around her waist for one brief instant before he was gone, into a carriage with someone he evidently knew.
Aero glanced over her shoulder.
"Mind if I sit here?" she asked easily.
"Not on your life, Slytherin," he hissed.
Helen gasped, shocked. "Cain!" she exclaimed.
Aero shrugged, and smiled lazily. "Nice to meet you, I guess..." she said before turning away.
"Wait!"
Aero turned. "Yeah?"
She blushed furiously. "You can- I mean, if you want to sit, that's f- fine."
Aero grinned and sat down, crossing her legs. "As to be expected from a Hufflepuff," she said, nodding.
Cain glared at her and she laughed. "-and a Gryffindor."
"So, out to torture some Mud bloods, LeStrange?" Cain growled.
Aero frowned. "I prefer not to use that term, actually. And no, but I'd murder a Chocolate Frog," she smiled lazily.
Cain frowned and leaned back in his seat, sulking. "You Slytherins are all the same," he muttered.
Aero frowned dangerously. "How so?"
"You're all sneaky and slimy and manipulative-"
"-because Gryffindors are angels, right?"
"Well, at least we don't kill Muggles and Mud bloods and act like it's a good thing!"
Aero looked at him, silent for a moment. She stood up swiftly. "It appears I'm not welcome," she said coldly, before turning and leaving.
Cain saw the blonde boy give him a dirty look.
Damn Slytherins!
He saw Helen give him a frustrated glance as she stood up and went to catch the Slytherin girl.
"Oh come on, you can't be on HER side!" he yelled after her.
Another dirty look from the blonde boy- Draco. Cain glared right back.
"SLYTHERIN!"
Aero wolf whistled as her cousin, the oh-so-proper Draco was led to sit next to her. She gave him a hug, taking advantage of the fact that he was too happy and relieved to pretend to be embarrassed.
"Potter, Harry," McGonagall's voice showed no sign that she knew the name.
Everyone knew that name. A tense wait, to see what house the Boy Who Lived was in.
Aero wasn't at all surprised when the hat shouted
"GRYFFINDOR!"
She got up quietly, ignoring the curious looks she was getting from her fellow Slytherins.
She made her way to the Gryffindor table, winking at Helen, the Hufflepuff from the train, as she passed that table.
She could feel eyes -suspicious eyes- on her as she stood behind Harry Potter. He noticed she was there when a freckled boy with flaming red hair -a Weasley for sure- poked him.
His small white face looked at her, and she saw his eyes flicker as he took in the Slytherin emblem on her robes.
"C-can I help you?" he said. She had to give him credit for being polite.
She smiled at him. "I just wanted to say," she started, ignoring the looks she was getting from the Gryffindors, "that despite what you might hear or see, not all Slytherins are sadistic, evil beings, and not all Slytherins hate you."
He blinked, and his forehead crinkled. She marvelled at how young he was. It was strange to think she'd been a first year once, too. She tried to block it out, mostly.
"Why are you telling me this?" he asked quietly.
She stood to her full height and gave him a wild grin.
"Because if I didn't, you wouldn't know. It was nice to meet you, Mr Potter." She had to hide a smile when he blushed slightly at being addressed so formally by a third year.
She turned and went back to the Slytherin table.
Dari du Laine looked at her uncertainly. "You talking to Potter?" he asked.
She shrugged and bit into a red, red apple, before rubbing Draco's head proudly and continuing to enjoy the feast.
After Transfiguration she was cornered by Fred and George Weasley.
"What can I do for you?" she asked easily.
They glanced at each other nervously. She bit the side of her mouth to stop herself from laughing. They looked so odd, like mirror images facing each other for the first time.
"We'd just like it if you kept away from Potter," George stated.
She frowned. "Did I upset him?" No. She hadn't.
The twins shared another glance. "Well, no, but..."
"You don't want me around him because I'm a Slytherin," Aero frowned. She was disappointed. She'd thought the twins would be more tolerant than this. Especially after...
Fred stepped back. "He's young...Aero. He just...just doesn't need any more stress than he's under now."
"Like I didn't need stress?"
Fred flinched. He saw the look on Aero's face, and it didn't help. "We never meant to-"
"Gryffindors don't mean to do anything," Aero said expressionlessly, "But sometimes you guys just don't know when to stop, anyway. It was nice speaking with you, but I have to go or I'll be late for Potions. Goodbye."
He watched her retreating back guiltily. George slapped him on the back. "Let it go, mate," he advised. "She's just a Slytherin. And blimey, it was ages ago. She should just drop it."
Fred bit his tongue. He knew she was right to not drop it. Hell, he wouldn't have just 'dropped it.'
She was late for potions. Snape gave her a reprimanding look and partnered her with Dari. He frowned at her expression. "Those Gryffindors are such-"
"It doesn't matter, Dari," Aero said quietly. Dari clenched his jaw. "Those Weasley blood traitors-"
"I said it doesn't matter!" she hissed.
Dari looked at her doubtfully, dropping an ounce of snakeskin into the cauldron. "Sorry," he said quietly, "It's just- they stink for what they did."
Aero refused to look at him as she looked at her textbook.
And Dari hated the Gryffindors with every fibre of his being.
She was in the library when she was tapped on the shoulder. She turned and saw Helen's pretty, shy face looking at her.
"Can I sit here?" she asked.
Aero nodded, pleased. Helen looked at her, puzzled.
"You're really nice, for a Slytherin," she said.
Aero grinned from ear to ear. She opened a textbook on Herbology and got on with studying.
"Aero?"
She looked up. "Yeah?"
"Are you happy- I mean, are you proud of being a Slytherin?" Helen asked nervously.
Aero would have been offended if she hadn't known that Helen always meant well. She nodded.
"We have a bad reputation, but I don't care. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."
Helen's face fell slightly, and a bitter taste came to Aero's mouth. Of course, Helen meant well. But she had wanted a different answer. Something less positive. She felt her stomach sink.
Helen looked at her, surprised, when she stood up quickly and left.
Aero ignored Helen calling her name, and felt slightly pleased when Madame Pince told her to be quiet.
And again, Aero wondered why everyone was so prejudiced. She had tried so hard, so hard to make everyone see that she wasn't evil. But they just looked at her and saw her mother.
Bellatrix LeStrange, who was in Azkaban.
"Ms LeStrange?"
Aero's head snapped up as McGonagall called her name.
"Yes?"
"The Headmaster wants a word. The password is 'lemon sherbet'. He wants to speak with you immediately."
Aero bobbed her head and set off towards the headmaster's study.
"Lemon sherbet."
When she entered Dumbledore was gazing at his phoenix. He looked up when she came in.
"Ah, Ms LeStrange," he said warmly.
She smiled and bowed. "Headmaster. What did you want to speak to me about?"
Dumbledore made a steeple with his fingers, his eyes twinkling under his half-moon spectacles.
"I am aware that you are one of our more tolerant Slytherins, Ms LeStrange, and I heard of your rather daring display at the Housing ceremony, with Mr Potter."
She nodded. "And?"
"I would like for you to continue watching him. At his age he is quite impressionable. It would be good to have him be open to the student body- all of the student body."
Aero frowned. "Of course I will, sir. But why is this necessary? He is friends with the Mud blood Granger girl. She seems to have sense."
Dumbledore frowned. Aero winced. "I mean-"
"It's quite alright, Ms LeStrange. Old habits die hard, as they say."
She frowned. "I didn't mean to call her that, sir. Please know that."
A small smile appeared on Dumbledores old, wrinkled face. "I'm sure you didn't," he said soothingly. He stood up. "That is all, thank you. Care for a liquorice all-sort?"
Aero shook her head and allowed herself to grin.
After she left, Dumbledore shook his head wearily, but smiled again. He remembered when the LeStrange child had first come to him -in tears, shattered inside, confused and sore- and felt relieved that she had turned out to be such a strong, dependable girl. She could have been twisted beyond repair.
He'd given the Weasley twins quite a hard time about that.
Fred was almost asleep when Aero finally returned to the Slytherin dormitories. She froze when she saw him.
"Wait!" Fred called. She turned unwillingly.
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry for what happened, Aero. You know that, right?"
She turned and was through the passageway into the Slytherin dormitories before he could say anything else.
Dari looked at her, and gave her a hug. He'd heard the Weasley blood traitor.
You're a bit late, hethoughtattheidiot, No. You're way too late.
He let Aero go when she gave a small laugh and squeezed him for a second.
The common room was almost empty. Aero sat beside a fourth year, Sykran Myre, who was waving his hands around enthusiastically.
"-and then we'll -oh, hey, Aero- pummel those pathetic wimps, yeah? Who's with me?"
Aero laughed. "Do you ever stop talking about Quidditch?"
He sniffed at her. "No."
"Who are you talking to?" she asked. Sykran shrugged, and smiled. "Just practicing a pep talk."
Aero nodded. "Right."
"We're going to murder those Hufflepuff toads!" he exclaimed.
The next day she was approached by non other than Harry Potter.
She grinned at him. He smiled back shyly. "Can I ask you something?"
"Depends on the question."
He hesitated, his round glasses making his eyes huge.
"Why don't Fred and George like talking about you?"
She bent down until they were face to face.
Should she tell him? Aero decided to, yes. No reason not to. He'd find out eventually.
"When I was a first year, like you," she said quietly, "A lot of people didn't like me because of who my parents were. They thought I was bad. Really bad. And Fred and George, well, they were nice to me. They got my trust, and I liked them. I thought they were my friends."
Harry frowned. "But that's okay, isn't it?"
She smiled bitterly. "They were faking it, Harry. They waited until they knew I'd trust them with anything. They asked if they could see my wand."
Harry leaned closer, fascinated. "And then?"
"They snapped it, Harry. They broke my wand in front of me and then they laughed and called me- bad things. They pretended to be my friends, and then they betrayed me. They snapped my wand."
Harry's eyes were like saucers. "Because you're a Slytherin?"
Aero smiled sadly. "And a LeStrange. Their jokes weren't always nice, Harry. I'm just glad Dumbledore set them straight before they could do something worse to someone else. Like Draco."
She saw him look torn, and shook her head. "They're good now, Harry. You can trust them, okay? Just, talking about each other isn't comfortable."
She turned around, but he tugged at her robes.
"So why are you so nice?"
She shrugged. "Just the way things turned out."
She grinned at him lazily.
"Hey, Draco!" she said. He rolled his eyes, but smiled quickly. She laughed and turned to Dari, who was frowning at his porridge.
"Something wrong?" she asked drolly. He looked at her and shook his head.
"Fred's staring at you again," he said quietly, before turning to one of his friends.
Aero looked up and met Fred's blue eyes squarely. He bit his lip. Aero looked away as Sylvia Horace grabbed her attention.
Aero hated that those eyes didn't look away for the whole of breakfast time.
It was slightly rainy in the stands but Aero cheered her team on, regardless. She was sporting the green and silver scarf of her house and was grinning from ear to ear.
"-and that's another ten points to Slytherin, not that you deserve it or anything, as Alicia Keyes makes an excellent pass and Morgan Gaunting has got her with a Bludger, I'm sure I can disqualify her for that- ow, sorry, McGonagall!- and the fantastic not really captain of the Slytherins-"
Aero frowned at Lee Jordan's commentary. It was a bad idea to have him as commentator. She ran a hand through her hair and shook her head quickly.
She grinned fiercely when Sykran Myre whooshed past her and winked.
Aero was heading to the Library when she saw Draco. He was standing over someone.
Harry.
She walked between them quickly. "What is going on here?" she asked severely.
Draco smiled at her and gave Harry a dirty look. "I was just helping Potter with his books."
Aero grinned at him. "That's good. You two hurry up or you'll be late, okay? Harry, aren't you going the same direction as me?"
She took him firmly by the shoulders and gave Draco a loving glance before marching away.
She let Harry go quickly and told him to scram. He did, and just before he disappeared from view she saw Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger on either side of him.
"You're helping him?"
She turned to Fred, and smiled easily.
"I know, I know, I should stay away, but he was going to be late."
"Because of Malfoy."
Aero flinched. "He has a first name, Weasley."
He stepped closer. "So do I."
"What do you think you're doing, Weasley?" Aero turned to see Draco standing with his hands on his hips, glaring at Fred.
"He was being a Gryffindor," Aero sighed. She gave Draco a weak smile. "I can handle it, silly. Go! Professor Snape is probably waiting for you!"
With one last disgusted glare at Fred, Draco turned haughtily and walked away.
"How can you love that Pure blood worshipper?" Fred asked.
She glared at him. Snapped. "Okay, firstly, you aren't allowed to speak to me." She spat each word out like venom. "Secondly, he's family, you blood traitor. You think you're such a saint!" she hissed, "Just because your brother hangs out with a filthy Mud blood! And hey, look at that sense of humour! Yeah, you have a right to judge, you conniving weasel! And Pure blood worshipper? Are you forgetting your bloodline, blood traitor? How APPROPRIATE!"
Aero stopped to breath. Her hands flew to her mouth. "I-" she stopped. He wasn't worth apologising to. She felt tears prick her eyes.
Fred reached out with his hand, and touched her shoulder. "Aero..."
She stepped back. And turned. "It's okay, Weasley," she said coldly, "You made your position clear in first year."
And then she was running, running, running.
The Slytherins were having a party to celebrate their triumph over Hufflepuff. Someone had sneaked in a keg of illegal fire whiskey, which the prefects had conveniently failed to notice.
Aero bumped into someone and looked down. It was a first year boy, looking at her drearily.
"Oh, hi Aero!" She saw Draco weaving his way towards her. He put a hand on the oh so expressionless boy's arm.
"This is Crabbe," he said, "My friend. And that's Goyle," he added, nodding at a stoically built dwarfish boy who was trying to get some fire whiskey off a sixth year.
Good luck, Aerothoughtsilently, 'cause buddy, you sure need it.
She looked at Draco's expectant face and smiled at Crabbe politely.
"Nice to meet you! How are you finding Hogwarts?"
Crabbe seemed confused by the direct question. "Yeah..?" he hap hazarded.
She nodded and winked. "Have a good year. If you'll excuse me..."
She turned and was greeted by Mara.
"Mara! I thought you weren't coming back!" Aero grinned savagely.
Mara was Aero's best friend. She was small, with large thoughtful eyes and clipped black hair. She shrugged. "I was at Mungo's for a while."
Aero frowns. "Are you okay?"
Mara nods, and laughs. "I see Draco continues with his hero worship of you."
Aero rolled her eyes. "If I didn't know better I'd say you had a thing for him..."
Mara shook her head. "No...no offence, but I don't date younger men."
Aero chatted to Mara for a while. In a sense, the Slytherin dungeon was the only place she could relax properly. It was where there was no danger of being called a Death Eater or You Know Who's accomplice.
Or worse.
After Mara had gone off with Sykran, Aero needed to breath. It was getting stuffy.
She headed out of the dorms and into the hall.
"It's past curfew," a voice said.
She looked in the general direction of where it had come from. "I am aware."
"Do you really want detention?"
Aero shrugged lazily and glared at the dark shape.
Fred looked at her. "I heard a Prefect a couple of minutes ago."
She snorted. "And why would this faze one of the hilarious Weasley twins?"
Fred frowned. "It doesn't, actually. But seeing as you don't know all of Hogwarts' dirty little secrets..."
Aero laughed bitterly. "What, saint Fred knows about the tunnel behind the statue of Gertrude the Good?"
Fred blinked. "You know about that?"
Aero stared down the dark corridor. "Good hiding place," she stated blankly.
Fred stepped towards her gingerly. "Aero?"
"Hmm?"
"Are you ever going to forgive me?"
Aero regarded him, head tilted to the side, eyes slits on her shadowed face.
She paused.
"My mother is Bellatrix LeStrange. You know that that's the first thing people ever say about me? They look at me, they see her. I've never even seen her, Weasley. She's been in Azkaban as long as I've been alive. I live with Lucius Malfoy," Aero leaned against the wall thoughtfully.
"Draco is one of the most important people in my life. People think is because we're Death Eaters. Ha... Right. It's not." She looked up.
"You all treat us like dirt," she said expressionlessly.
Fred leaned forward. "Who?"
Aero laughed slightly. "Open your eyes, Weasley. Anyone who isn't a Slytherin. Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws...it doesn't matter, really, does it? It just matters whether you're in Slytherin or not."
Fred frowned. "How does that answer my question?"
Aero looked at him. "People hate me, Fred. People who don't even know me. And sure, you seem to mean it when you say you're sorry, but I'm not stupid. You think that you want to be my friend. You think you want me to forgive you. In theory. In practise? You're just a Gryffindor with an annoying conscience. You might not know you hate me now, but-"
"I don't hate you!" Fred shouted.
Aero smiled sadly. "You can't help it," she said quietly, "Hating me is like second nature to anyone not in Slytherin, don't you understand that? You know that Longbottom boy? Neville? He can't even look at me. My mom tortured his parents to insanity, okay? You have to hate me!"
Fred was shocked to see tears streaming down her face. She only seemed to realise as he stared and she wiped her cheeks angrily with the back of her hand.
He held out his hand. "How about this: you try to forgive me, and I try not to 'hate' you?"
Aero stared at his hand. The two gazed at each other in the dark corridor.
She shook his hand, trying not to cry.
Without warning he pulled her into a bear hug. She stood very still. Remembering.
He pulled back and gave her a Weasley wink. She hadn't seen one of those for a long time. She tried to smile back.
And failed miserably.
Fred laughed. "Work on it," he said teasingly.
She managed a grin.
Fin
