Hello. ^_^ So this is my first piece on Dominique Weasley, as a part of my ever elaborate headcanon on the HP next generation. Don't have much to say, except I want to thank the wonderful Shanii21 for her AWESOME beta skills, and for just being a great friend. :)
Enjoy!
"SLYTHERIN!" bellowed the ratty, old hat to the entire Great Hall.
The room burst into cheers, mostly from the green and silver themed table to the far right, and excited whispers. No one seemed to know quite what to think as the last 1st year to be sorted placed the hat on its stool and walked briskly towards her assigned table. On her way the young girl kept her head down but did glance over at four people seated at three different tables. Sadly, none of them would be sitting with her and though they appeared to be smiling, their emotions were as conflicted as her own.
Though she was greeted amicably by the members of her new house and the food was out, the young girl could still hear a few whispers from around the hall and they were all whispering the same thing:
"That Weasley's a Slytherin."
"Look at her, she's spaced out again… Do you think she'd notice if I dropped a frog on her head?"
Dominique snapped out of her revere to glare at the Ravenclaw boy with light brown skin and wild, curly brown hair sitting opposite her in the compartment. "Ha ha. Try and see what I'll do to you."
Her cousin rolled his eyes and put his hands on his chest as if stricken. "Oh no! Dom is going to stare at me with her piercing grey eyes, whatever shall I do?"
The grey-eyed one stuck her tongue out and they both ended up in a silly fit of giggles. The boy tossed her a chocolate frog as he started on his own. "Seriously, Dominique. You've been doing that all day. Aren't you excited to go home?"
"I am, Freddie, I really am. It's just… you know…" she trailed off nervously.
Fred Weasley gave another of his signature eye rolls. "You're still on about that? It's been a year, Dom! I think it's time to let it go."
All Dominique could do was scrunch up her nose at him. He was right, of course. Fred usually was which was something she both appreciated and despised. "I'll stop worrying the moment you stop being annoying."
"I'm not being annoying. It's called being witty and sarcastic."
"Which, oddly enough, still ends up being extremely annoying. Fancy that," said the bespectacled redhead wryly in the corner, supposedly engrossed in her Daily Prophet. Of course, Molly would be the only 2nd year to actually read the Daily Prophet on a daily basis.
"Funny how that works!" Fred mimicked in a baby voice with bits of chocolate frog in his teeth. As witty as he was, Fred was still 12 years old.
Molly didn't so much as spare him a glance as she flipped the page. "Dominique, you were sorted into Slytherin nine months ago. Granted, you are the first Slytherin in our family since, well, ever, but no one is going to smite you or burn you off the family tree for it."
Dominique leaned back and crossed her arms stubbornly. What her cousins were saying was right. After her sorting, everyone had been a little weird about it, granted, but, they all eventually got over it. She had received congratulation letters from everyone in the family, though Uncle George and Uncle Ron's jokes about disownment were a little too soon at the time. Her parents' letters were perfectly loving and accepting and she couldn't find any hidden messages of disappointment between the lines. She still didn't come home for Christmas that year and there was no way she could hide from them anymore now that the school year was over and they were all off to King's Cross to see everyone. The idea of seeing her smiling family with open arms was making her extremely queasy.
"I'm just saying, Teddy, you really shouldn't try and keep secrets from me. You know I always find out. It's inevitable." From behind the compartment door a pair of familiar voices approached them. As usual the pair were having one of their ongoing 'discussions'. A curvy teenage girl with strawberry blonde hair in Gryffindor robes thrust open the door with a broad smile. "Hello, my lovelies!"
"Hey Victoire," replied Molly, Freddie and Dominique, trying to hold back their amused smiles.
"Could you please just let it go?" Behind her stood a tall, lanky boy with a ponytail of mousy, brown hair just a few years her senior. He was clearly exasperated from the conversation and happy for the distraction. "Hey Weasleys."
"What's Victorie grilling you about now, Teddy? Leaving her out of the loop?" teased Fred.
"Oh, forget him," said Victoire with a wave of her hand, "Theodore here was trying to keep his new girlfriend a secret and you know how I despise secrets… when they're being kept from me, that is."
"Well forget about Teddy's 'secret' relationship with Abigail Deeds and focus on your little sister before she jumps out of the window like Freddie's chocolate frog," said Molly.
They all looked up in time just to see the tasty brown creature leap from the sill and out of the train. "Ah man," moaned Fred, "That was my last one!"
The eldest of the Weasley cousins plopped next to her only sister and smothered her in a hug. "Ma cherie, you can't still be bothered about this sorting thing? It'll be fine! Now, about a certain Ms. Deeds…"
The rest of the train ride was spent interrogating Teddy and finishing the rest of Fred's sugary stash. As Platform 9 ¾ came into view, Dominique's butterflies had turned into blast-ended skrewts. Once the train pulled to a stop her cousins rushed out, ever so energetic to get out when she very badly wanted to sink into her compartment seat and never leave.
Victoire gave her little sister one last squeeze and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Trust me, Dom. You have nothing to worry about." She smiled and hopped off the train with everyone else.
The young Slytherin sucked in her last breath and though every fiber of her being told her to stay on the train, she followed suit onto the bustling platform of 9 ¾, the sun shining.
Whenever looking out for her family Dom had learnt to keep her eyes open for a cluster of flaming red hair. Strangely, she couldn't find it. Dominique put her hand over her eyes and scanned the crowd. She noticed an abnormally large group of family that seemed promising. She headed towards them but as her vision of them became clearer, the more confused she became.
A little boy in the group turned towards her and gave a huge, toothy grin. "Look who's here!" he exclaimed. Now this little boy sounded like her little brother Louis, even smiled like him, and yet… it was then that Dominique noticed that the people around the little boy reminded her so much of her family, uncles and aunts and cousins and all, as they smiled at her from ear to ear. The only thing wrong was the fact that they didn't look like her family. Sure, they were the right ages, the right heights, the right features, but this family had shining, platinum blond hair, pale skin and striking grey eyes and to top it all off, dressed head to toe in Slytherin robes. Every last one of them looked like her doppelgänger.
"Welcome home, Dominique!" they cheered. Dominique was still staring at them, mouth agape and eyes wide.
"Well, welcome to the platform, anyway," said Freddie with a bright blond afro, "I think we're starting to scare people."
Her parents, brother and sister were closest, arguably sporting the widest grins. Victoire had on her 'told you I could keep a secret' look. Her father smiled warmly at her, "Hey, angel. Surprise!"
It took a while for Dominique to regain her ability to blink and move her jaw. "Wha- What Merlin's name are you all doing?" she laughed, still not comprehending the sight before her.
"We just wanted to let you know that we're all happy that you're in Slytherin," said Uncle Harry who looked absolutely hilarious as a blond though Aunt Ginny appeared to enjoying her glamorous locks, unable to resist the urge to flip it dramatically over her shoulder. She was probably imitating Dominique's mother.
"And that we love you, no matter what house you're in," added Aunt Hermione, nudging Uncle Ron's blossoming gut. He chuckled nervously and offered an apologetic smile.
Dominique allowed herself to tear up a little, but erupted into another fit of giggles. "It's okay, and thank you everyone. This is… this is amazing. You guys look amazing!" Sometimes she forgot how much she loved her family and, more importantly, how much they loved her.
"Zey look almost as amazing as 've do!" laughed her mother who looked like her usual gorgeous self. "I've mizzed you so much, ma cherie!" she half sobbed, half laughed. "Don you dare miz Christmas again!"
"I think I might actually keep this look," said Teddy, flipping his ponytail as everyone laughed. Dominique couldn't stand it anymore and barreled towards them, quickly enveloping herself in a platinum blond mass.
"Alright, as much as I love family bonding I believe it is time for us to head to the Burrow so I can return to being a redhead," said young Molly, clearing her throat as she broke up the huddle, "This hair is going to make people stop appreciating me for my mind."
"Molly, no one appreciates your mind," said Fred, "Maybe if you used it less…"
"Wow, one year in Ravenclaw and he's already a smart aleck," grinned Uncle George, clearly proud of his son. "Maybe Ravenclaw wasn't a bad choice for you after all."
"Hey, I was the first Ravenclaw in our family! Where's my family gesture of love and acceptance? I'm feeling rather neglected."
"You vant me to 'ave an afro?" Fleur gasped, "I don' zink so!"
"Honestly son, we just don't love you as much," said Aunt Angelina as she planted an embarrassing kiss on his cheek, much to his dismay.
With that, the gorgeous platinum-blond family went on their way to the Burrow, receiving curious looks from all they passed, and loving every second of it.
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed and I'd love to hear what you think. You know what to do!