Chapter I
"Who would name their kid Bailey?" Draco Malfoy mumbled from across the cabin. I ignored it and stared out the window of the quick moving train. I watched a reflection of him make a face at me and one of his cronies laughed.
I wanted to hit him, hurt him somehow. I felt the intense urge to shove my wand down his throat and cast an inflation spell so he'd explode all over that cackling crony of his. I forced down the destructive impulse and pushed my wand out of my own reach in my robes.
I felt so plain next to all those shades of green. I'd joined up late for this damned school, yay homeschooling (sarcasm). So I still needed to be sorted. I rolled my hands over and over.
Mom was a Slytherin, Dad was a Slytherin, I was a shoe in, I knew that, but I wanted desperately to fight against fate.
The ride was too long and hellishly irksome. I appreciated having my mother's sense of humor briefly as I imagined Draco crying after he pushed me over my limit.
I eventually drew small designs in the thin layer of filth on the window to amuse myself. And finally the train slowed, but my as luck would have it a magical intercom flickered to life.
"Please remain seated, we have a slight stutter in the engine, and it'll be fixed soon, we are NOT, I repeat NOT in hogsmeade yet." I groaned.
"What? Can't stand being around us anymore?" Malfoy hissed. My brain clicked off and I rose to my feet. My eyes darkened and I snatched my wand from the folds of my robe.
"You want trouble Malfoy? Hmm? You think you can test me?" I hissed between my teeth, I shifted my wand between my fingers, hearing the reassuring 'tink' of the deep green serpent ring against it.
He rose too. "Are you threatening me?" he growled, his eyes hooded as if I should have been scared of him. "Do you know who I am!?" he snapped.
"I know better than you do you fowl little worm." I stepped closer to him glowering at him. I had my father's height so I was even with his eyes. "Bet you don't know who I am though," I hissed. He opened his mouth to make some smart comment, but the train lurched and he fell hard on the floor. I slipped a little on my high heeled boots but caught myself before I landed on one of his wide friends laps.
Common sense snapped back into place and I returned to my seat.
"Thank you for your patience, we will arrive within the next few minutes," The voice assured us and I smiled.
"You're lucky," he hissed. I ignored him, stuffing my wand back into my cloak.
Finally we stopped officially and I watched the rest of them leave and I followed. I was pushed in all directions in the isle and was tripped by a Slytherin. I yelped and as I hurtled toward the ground felt a thick tug which pulled me back to my feet. I shifted to see who had pulled me back and I saw a rather gawky looking Gryffindor boy.
He smiled and blushed at my shocked expression. I felt another nudge and stumbled into an empty cabin. He stood in the doorway and gave me an 'are you alright?' look.
"I think we should wait it out," I mused watching the rush of people walking past.
"Good idea," he replied quietly. I moved toward him, offered him my hand and introduced myself.
"Baily," I mused with a smile.
"Neville," he responded and shook my hand.
We were quiet for some time, I studied Neville. Somehow I felt guilty standing there with him. It didn't occur to me until later just why.
The flow of people abated and we walked out and we had to go separate ways, I had to ride with the first years because I needed to be sorted. He shrugged.
"Good luck," he mused and walked off toward the carriages.
"First years!! First years this way!" yelled a mountain of a man from my left and despite it being the wrong title I walked over.
"You looka bit tall fer a First year," he mused at me.
"Still have to be sorted," I replied. His warm smile mad me return it. He nodded.
"Alright, that's it? C'mon then," he mused and moved toward a row little boats, he took his own and the first years and I moved into the rest. I ended up in a boat with three others.
They didn't talk to me so I watched the shadows in the water and then gazed in awe at the castle. My manor wasn't anything like this.
We arrived and were herded into a room and we all stood quietly. Time passed and I didn't pay much attention to how much.
Finally, we entered the Great Hall and I saw Neville smile as our eyes met and I forced back the pale grey color my blush seemed to be.
A tall elegant older witch began through the list. I dreaded the closeness of L. "Lars, Michael Sean." A short round boy scampered up and the hat nestled comfortably on his head and then finally called "Hufflepuff!" I sighed as the woman's eyes fell upon the paper again and her face turned the same shade as the parchment. She looked up and met my eyes or, my mother's eyes and without much breath she whispered "LeStrange, Baily Riddle?" I felt my stomach drop to the floor as everyone within ear shot squirmed and stared at me as I moved through the crowd which split with fear as I moved.
I glanced out at the tables as I placed myself on the weak stool.
"Wait, who is she?" Someone yelled, they hadn't all heard. I groaned inwardly as the professor repeated my full name in order as I waited. "Baily Riddle Lestrange."
I saw Neville's face distort and then vanish as he looked away. Everyone gaped at me. The Professor moved to hold the hat over my head. She lowered it and I heard it make the most disgusting sound.
It shrieked, and curved away before it even touched me. "Slytherin Slytherin Slytherin!" It yowled and the teacher pulled it away. I felt the thick green garments way me down as I made a walk of shame to the table. Several people smiled and thumped me on the back, the rest were entirely silent. The whole place was a crypt. I wanted to cry, but I bit back the tears. Damned thing never gave me a chance, I thought.
The rest of the evening went by just fine, houses cheered for their new arrivals. I clapped along, but didn't cheer, I really didn't belong here.
As far as anyone here was concerned, I belonged in Azkaban with my mother's remaining cohorts.
I walked down the hall and I saw the herbology teacher stop Neville. "Mr. Longbottom, how was your summer?"
Longbottom, where did I know that from? Longbottom? Oh god no… I stared at him and there was that face, he could have been his parents meshed together. No no no! My mind shrieked and I felt the feast threaten to come up again. The number of times my mother had stuffed my face into a pensiville to relive his parents insanity. I felt tears rim my eyes and as the teacher left his eyes fell upon me and I knew he saw them. Bellatrix and Voldemort, I must have been their living image, a constant reminder for him. We stood there for the longest time, staring across the hall at each other.
"I-"
"I-"
We both moved to talk at the same time but both fell silent. I don't know why I did it, but I couldn't help myself, I ran up to him, wrapped my arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, I 'm so so so so sorry, I know you must hate me I just- I'm sorry," I wept. Much to my surprise he hands came down gently and rubbed my back.
"Shhhhh," he whispered patiently into my ear. "It's okay, shhhh, it's okay," he repeated it over and over into my ear. I could feel him still tense, but he was so comforting I couldn't bring myself to pull out of his arms. I finally stopped blubbering but stood hugging him for just a little while longer.
We finally pulled apart, and we didn't speak. He smiled and I returned it.
"Thanks," I murmured, and then magically cleaned my face. He just nodded.
"Lestrange!" Damn. I flinched as the name hit the air and Draco put his hand on my shoulder. "Longbottom givin' you a hard time? Oh, but you guys know how to deal with longbottoms, huh?" Draco mused. And he gave my shoulder a squeeze and I could sense him smirking at Neville. I opened my mouth to tell him off, but Neville beat me to it.
"Shut up Malfoy," he hissed and glowered at him. I smiled, Neville was a full five inches taller than Draco and as he moved to stand closer I felt Draco shrink just a bit.
"Make me," Draco growled and I felt him inch a bit behind me. Neville rolled his eyes and turned, walking away.
Draco's wand went into action and he aimed a curse at Neville's back.
"Stupify!" I snapped my wand pressed into Draco's abdomen he flailed weakly before stumbling and landing on his back on the floor. Neville spun back around and gaped at the scene. I'd moved so my healed boot sat on Draco's throat.
"His back was turned! You coward! You'd have cursed him without him looking at you!?" I yelled at him and Neville saw where it was going, he grabbed me from behind, around my arms and hooking his hands in front of me, he pulled me back, removing my weight from Draco's throat. I squirmed and yelled some obscene words at Draco.
A Slytherin removed my spell from Draco who sat up and gaped up at me. With my legs half flailing trying to plant a toe or heal on his perfect face, I must have looked just like Bellatrix, accept different, I had Tom's eyes and intentions. Draco forced himself to his feet and looked nervously at Neville. I saw him silently begging him not to let me go until he was out of wand reach. I stopped flailing.
"Let me go Neville," I whispered, my hair falling across my face.
"No-"
"Take my wand, I won't curse him, we're making a scene." He nodded and let me go, I dropped my wand on the floor and in one swift move my fist crashed into Draco's perfect nose. SNAP! I couldn't help but laugh as he shrieked and fell to the ground writhing again. Next thing I knew Neville was wrapped around me again, holding me back again, I saw my wand in hand and I could feel his ribs quiver as he restrained his laughter. Blood spurted all over the floor and Draco screamed every time he moved.
"PROFFESSOR!" someone yelled in warning, but it was too late, Rubius Hagrid was tall enough to see us all. He stormed through the crowd, Lifted Draco in one cradling arm and nodded for Neville to follow him, keeping a restraint on me. He nodded.
"I'm sorry for this," he whispered into my ear. Next thing I knew I had been thrown like a bag of potatoes over Neville's shoulder, and he was walking down the hall after Hagrid.
"Is this really necessary?" I whined, I felt the binding charms on my wrists and squirmed.
"Yeah, sorry," he mused. Damned prefect. I sighed and gave up, I watched the crowd staring after us and lowered my eyes.
Neville was… fit. His pants looked a bit tight, he was well built and I wanted intensely to give his well formed bum a squeeze. Common sense came back. WHAT WAS I THINKING!?
I shook my head, and tried to focus on the floor, but my eyes moved back up and I watched in approval as his bum and legs worked effortlessly. Who was I kidding? I knew exactly what I was thinking. I wanted Neville Longbottom, I wanted him bad.