Summary: Hogwarts AU. Beca and Chloe have disliked each other since the first year at Hogwarts. Beca's sly, scheming Slytherin and Chloe's a pampered, sheltered Gryffindor. When they're partnered together in one of their classes, will they learn how to put their differences aside? Bechloe, Beca/Chloe.
A/N: Thanks for all the voting guys, it's really helped me to decide on the houses! I knew Beca would be a Slytherin one-hundred percent, but with Chloe it was neck-and-neck with Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. I think Gryffindor was the winner, I'm not particularly good at counting!
I'm also allowing in some suggestions for different aspects I could input into the story. I've already dealt with the storyline itself and the characters as a whole, but I'm also accepting some ideas in reviews or private massaging in which I can 'slot' in. Little things, such as pets a character could own or a character's favorite wizarding store or sweet.
The updates for this will be less frequent than 'Falling for the Enemy', just to earn you in advance, as it's quite difficult to juggle between two stories simultaneously. There'll probably be one update per week, two if I can be bothered. Anyways, enjoy the first chapter, and tell me what you think!
Of Chocolate Frogs and Butterbeer
Chapter One
Beca Mitchell had never been one for shopping.
The entire concept of exchanging hard-earned Knuts, Galleons and Sickles for material objects irked the half-blooded fifteen year-old. Being one of the poorest Slytherins attending Hogwarts was difficult; she'd receive barely a Galleon each month from her grandparents, her father and step-mother never bothering in the slightest (despite Warren Mitchell working as top Auror, earning a lot of money). She'd had the same second-hand robe and speolbooks since she was eleven years-old, almost always 'borrowing' them from a seventh year who was set to graduate with their N.E.W.T.s results. Her wand, one of the most simplistic and inexpensive on the shelves at Ollivanders, had thankfully took a shine to the young witch. Either way, Beca hadn't cared. She'd work in the Muggle, normal world following her graduation from Hogwarts, trying her hardest to become a top music producer. After all, she had zero interest in pursuing a 'wizarding' career.
So why in the name of Salazar Slytherin was she wandering around Diagon Alley, just a day before the new school year begun? She resented the dusty, dirty stores ran by queer shopkeepers, overpricing each and every item. Broomsticks were ridiculously expensive, especially the famous Nimbus 2001 and Firebolt Supreme, both showcased in the window of Quality Qudditch Supplies and Broomstix. Being assistant captain (and future captain) of the Slytherin Qudditch team, Beca wanted nothing more than to own one of the fastest brooms on the market. She couldn't even afford a second hand broom let alone a brand new one, having no choice but to use one owned by Hogwarts.
Beca trodded carefully along the cobblestoned shopping area, instantly recognizing fellow school 'friends' from each year group. Tiny first years gasped in awe at the tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, the occasional toad or cat escaping from the next-door Magical Menagerie. Ollivanders stood in all its glory, peeling gold letters reading: Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. As ever, the tiny shop was jam-packed with customers, again mostly populated by first years purchasing their beginner's wand. And, of course, the occasional materialistic older student, of whom vowed to receive a brand-new wand before each year begun. Beca could name several of these witches and wizards, most of them being in her year.
Being the alternative young woman she was, Beca wasn't afraid to showcase her half-Muggle heritage; with Beats by Dre headphones coiled around her neck, at least eight piercings in each ear and thick, black mascara coating her eyelashes, the witch felt all eyes on her. Shoppers ceased in their tracks and stared, most clad in perfectly ordinary wizarding attire. If it wasn't for the ten-inch wand clutched in her grasp, anyone would've considered Beca to be a Muggle stumbling across Diagon Alley by mistake, accidentally strolling through the Leaky Cauldron on Charing Cross Road.
"Is that…a Muggle's earmuff? It's autumn, isn't it? What insane person would wear those?" One wizard eagerly whispered to a fellow witch, who simply shrugged.
"They're called earphones, gramps," Beca mocked, glaring daggers at the older man, "Get with the picture, dude. I'm a half-blood, I own all these 'strange, whimsical little Muggle things' that my mom's got. Ooh, electricity; frightening, isn't it?" Neither the witch or wizard replied, appearing quite bewildered at the witch's sudden outburst.
Leaving it on that note, Beca continued walking through Diagon Alley, scrutinizing smug Gryffindors, bookish Ravenclaws and spineless Huflepuffs, almost all of them proudly wearing their respective Hogwarts House scarves. She noticed the occasional Slytherin and waved at them politely, those being the only people in Hogwarts she'd manage to get along with quite well. After all, she was forced to share dormitory and common room with them, and she'd prefer not to create much tension. On the other hand, a cocky Slytherin named Bumper Allen practically craved drama and tension, even within his own House; it was entertainment for him.
"Hey, Becaw!"
Great, Beca thought through gritted teeth, plastering an obviously forced smile upon her lips; Jesse Swanson was a complete buffoon, mercilessly bullied throughout the first three years at Hogwarts for being a 'Mudblood'. Only, he'd brought it upon himself, bragging that the best witches and wizards - such as the current Head of the Auror office - were initially Muggles. Since then, however, the reckless Gryffindor had learned his lesson, and had managed to keep his mouth zipped up tight from the beginning of the fourth year. Well, as much as he'd cope with. Jesse still managed to talk, and talk, and talk the entire way each year on the Hogwarts Express, driving Beca to the point of insanity.
Well, she did dislike all Gryffindors with a firery passion more than anybody else. She could just about tolerate Hufflepuffs, but Ravenclaws also tempted Beca into tearing her own hair out and using the spell Avada Kedavra, even if she would kill the person and be sentenced for life in Azkaban; it was so worth seeing them suffer at the hands of an Unforgivable Curse.
"Hi…Jesse," Beca cringed; in fact, she'd wanted to cast Avada Kedavra there and then on the hyperactive, overly clingy teenager. Or maybe something a little more…subtle, such as Wingardium Leviosa, "Did you…have a good summer?"
"Well, most of time I was watching the Qudditch World Cup with my parents. I'm still trying to ease them into the wizarding world as much as possible, and thankfully I think they're finally getting used to it. It's good, y'know? My dad's quite fond of Qudditch now, reminds him of a rough Football or Soccer match. We were totally conflicted on whether to support America or Eng-"
"Jesse, please," Beca intervened, silencing her friend, "For the love of God, shut up. I've got a banging headache here. And I'm trying to conserve my energy for the trip tomorrow, those train rides drive me nuts. First years squealing, seventh year prefects sticking their noses inside every cabin, everybody else just being…irritating. Sometimes it's just tempting to get a little Floo Powder and travel to school that way. Or via broomstick, whatever's floating my boat. But seriously, I hate the Hogwarts Express."
"Okay, okay," Jesse chuckled at his friend's demeanour, used to the brunette's extreme mood swings and miserable personality, "I get it, the train's awful. But it carries your suitcases and everything. You get a direct route to Hogwarts with minimal effort required."
"Yeah, I guess."
"Have you bought The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Five?" Beca only shook her head in response, wanting to create the most minimal conversation. However, this only prompted Jesse to continue, "We'll need it for Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts. It's being sold at the Flourish and Blotts bookstore for one Galleon," Jesse pointed towards a compact store in the North Side, many books showcased outside in large tray, "I bought my copy last month, got it delivered via owl. Over the summer holidays I've been getting ahead of everybody else, studying a couple of spells in advance and whatnot. Want to see once we're at Hogwarts-"
"Dude, what did I tell you before?" The brunette groaned aloud, growing tiresome and weary of Jesse's consistent rambling. She intervened just before the talkative Gryffindor could ask another rhetorical question.
"To shut up…" Jesse sounded a little deflated.
"Exactly!"
"Right…" The Muggle-born wizard hesitantly scratched the back of his neck, "Hey, I just remembered reading something in The Daily Prophet. Apparently, the Minister of Magic called for an 'urgent' meeting with the Division for Magical Education to increase the difficulty of O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s, as well as to increase the accuracy in Anti-Cheating spells," Beca let out a loud groan at this; she'd been plotting how to cheat in her O.W.L.s since the first day of the second year, "Of course, he's probably doing the opposite for his 'beloved little princess', Pureblooded Aubrey Posen."
"Posen's such a spoilt brat," Beca agreed, nodding her head. Although she'd never admit it aloud, she was quite envious of the wealthiest students at her school. They had everything they could ever want, and Beca had barely a Galleon to her name, "'Don't you know who my daddy is'? I swear, she says that every time during the Sorting Hat ceremony. It's tired and worn about, we're all perfectly aware as to 'who her daddy is'. He's a useless Minister as well, always preoccupied with pampering his 'beautiful' kid instead of running the Ministry of Magic. I bet she'll become a Prefect and the Head Girl, the professors are totally fixing it with the Minister already. She's already captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team even though they're useless cos' she's too controlling. To be honest, her and Chloe Beale think they're all that because they're Purebloods. Not to mention they're disgustingly rich. But, believe it or not, I don't hate Beale; I just don't like her. Well...I dont like a lot of people, you know that, but her especially. Not to the point of hatred though, she's done nothing to me. But her attitude irritates me; she's super ignorant and sheltered, barely knows what Dementors are. Can't even cast Expecto Patronum and we learn that in the third year. For a Gryffindor, she's pretty stupid, all she knows is money. No offense Jesse, some Gryffindors are...alright," Jesse chuckled half-heartedly at this; Beca's dislike of the other three houses wasn't unknown at Hogwarts, "To be honest, I dont think she likes me either. It's pretty damn obvious."
"I actually prefer Beale to Posen," Jesse admitted, shrugging, "If the average person can even have a preference over them two, that is. They're both spoilt princesses, getting everything they want and more. But I know Beale's ten times better than Posen will ever be, and that's the truth. Posen still calls me a 'Mudblood'," He narrowed his eyes, reflecting back to last time he'd been insulted in that way during a trip to Hogsmeade in the summer holidays, "At least Beale quit it in the second year, Dumbledore overheard her bullying some Muggle-born first year and he asked for 'a word in his office'; she looked like she was gonna shit her pants, I swear. Since then, she's kept her big gob shut. But Posen's different, Beale's just a rich kid whilst Posen's a rich kid whose dad's the Minister of bloody Magic. Bet she uses it to her advantage. Dumbledore wouldn't dare to tell her off, and she knows that. Everybody knows that. She uses her so-called 'status' to her advantage. Sometimes I think Posen's distantly related to Dolores Umbridge, they're so alike it's scary."
Beca laughed aloud and nodded; as long as they shared a mutal dislike for Chloe Beale and Aubrey Posen, she'd manage to contend with the babbling, loquacious Gryffindor. This year should be interesting, she thought as Jesse towed her into Sugarplum's Sweets Shop, stocking up on wizarding confectionery for the upcoming train journey.