Near Miss
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter characters do NOT belong to me, J.K. Rowling is their proud owner, I do NOT make money from my fics…if I did I'd be famous and own a flat in London however because I do NOT own a flat in London I cannot be famous or even rich enough to afford the bills.
This is set in an alternate universe/ time line it takes place at Hogwarts and all I added was a new character
Now I'll stop yabbering and start.
Near Miss
Don't leave me alone, its so sad and lonely
It's in the night, it's the midnight flight
Its so sad and lonely, Don't leave me alone
Don't let me be, let them see that what we've
Got, aint just simplicity
By ~Rowan~
Draco looked out the window of his father's town car, and sighed, bother with it all, why was it JUST when he thought things couldn't get more boring he was being shipped off to watch his father in front of the Ministry. He glared out the window. "Five days till school starts…again." He sneered disgusted as they pulled through Diagon Alley and up in front of a large slate gray building. His door was opened by a house elf…Gurdy he couldn't be sure and was assisted from the back of the car his father right behind him. "Well, son this ought to be a lesson for you ever since "He who must not be named" came back the Ministry's been in uproar...probably need your old man's help" Lucius grinned a disgustingly vile sort of thing, and led Draco up the stairs and into a quiet white room and up to a desk. A tall brunette sat behind the desk, clicking away at something or other, and looked up to smile at Draco and his father, her eyes implicating accusable thoughts, Draco sneered again, something he was growing accustomed to doing. "Yes well mister Malfoy the board will see you right now….but I'm afraid your son will have to wait…out here." She smiled at Draco again and imitated a wolf licking their chops at a particularly tasty morsel of food.
Draco sat on a chair waiting for what seemed like ages, the quiet was annoying, the woman behind the desk was unnerving and his bum was falling asleep.
~Fast forward, day before school starts~
Harry growled deep in his throat at the look Malfoy was giving him, he was never going to get used to the ass, Hermione just smiled and pushed Harry and Ron out of the book shop and down the street, they'd gotten their books time to head to the Leaky Cauldron, they were staying there the night. They entered the door and Tom immediately showed them to their rooms. Draco entered the same door maybe ten minutes later talking with Crabbe and Goyle." It's amazing it really is I heard Hogwarts is getting a new student...apparently he's from America or something… from what father told me he's in school back at his home and wont be here for another month…shame really I was looking forward to someone new eh?" He smirked as Tom gave them the room keys and they hurried up the stairs. Crabbe was waving his hands about him oddly flustered. "But what if the new student is put in Gryffindor what'll you do then?" Draco unlocked the room door and walked in, the house elf behind the boys had already brought their things up. "I'll do what I did to Potter…make his life a living hell…or maybe I'll be nice to him…you never really know do you?"
~Fast Forward- Colorado Springs America~
Nicole sat in the seat squirming uncomfortably, and staring out the window at the clouds passing under the plane, why her parents wouldn't let her apparate she would never be sure, she was rather good at it she'd learned when she was 14...laws in America…teenagers were getting in to many accidents…she grinned and continued reading.
She didn't remember falling asleep but apparently she had because she was being shaken awake by one of the stuirdeses, she jumped upset and gathered her few belongings, she was being picked up and brought to her new school, what was it...Hogwarts…odd name…and HogsMeade…the strange little town she'd been taught about, none of this however helped her anxiety, it was a coed school...not the all girls school she'd gone to the last two years. It was a long ride up to the school, and even longer walk, damn it all to hell she thought, if you put enchantments on a building make sure there not so thick you cant have a decent car working up near it. Her driver smiled and pulled away as she walked up the giant steps in front of the school, one of the teachers was there she was smiling and she held out a hand in welcome. "Miss. Rowan I presume? It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, I'll show you to your dormitory you can get settled in and go to the town with the rest of the students tomorrow to make your friends." "Well thanks professor its nice to meet you to. Though I dun think it's gunna be that much fun here...everything looks so dark and foreboding." Nicole grinned at the teacher and was helped up to her dormitory, Gryffindor…nice name.
She went straight to bed when she reached her bed in the fifth year dormitory, she slept like a rock with the curtains drawn, the girls Hermione, Lavender and the rest of them, none thought to much about it, that particular room had always had a spare empty bed, one less students to fill it. Nicole was awakened by squeals and screams and laughter, and sat bolt upright in her bed. "Harry, Ron get out of here...your NOT supposed to be in here!" One of the girls continued laughing and there was a loud WHUMP like someone getting hit really hard with a pillow. "Bloody Hell Hermione you didn't have to throw so hard!" A voice from one the intruders…a boy, Nicole pushed her head out from behind the curtains and looked at them all. "Is this a daily ritual cuz I might havta buy earplugs if it is?" She raised an eyebrow in question at the shocked and surprised expressions on their faces, one of the girls stepped forward she had long brown hair…not really bushy and not really curly kind of…in between. She was pretty none-the-less. "Who're you…what are you doing here?" The girl was rather curious, so Nicole stepped out off the bed in in mid thigh nightgown, and despite gasps from three of the girls, grinned and held out her hand. "I'm Nicole I just transferred here from the States….The springs to be more precise…don't tell me your head of house didn't tell you I was coming yesterday…?" Nicole stretched pulling the nightgown even higher up her legs and flopped down on the edge of her bed to blink at the girls. The brown haired one grinned and nodded. "Hello Nicole…I'm Hermione, and the two morons who aren't supposed to be in here are Harry...he's the one with black hair and the other one is Ron…"Hermione laughed as both of the boys came rushing forward, Nicole obviously wasn't quite used to her surrounding because the look she gave them was something a viper might have given it's next meal...maybe. "Well it was nice meeting all of you…but I'm rather anxious to get to HogsMeade I've never seen it before and I'm really excited." Nicole rushed the words and hopped back inside the curtain drawn bed, she must've had a bag up there because there was a loud zipping a pause and another zip, followed by a muffled oops. Nicole reemerged in a white blouse and gray skirt, ninety five percent of the school uniform and pulled her boots onto socked feet, before grabbing cloak and heading out of the dormitory.
~Fast Forward- carriage loading~
Nicole had gotten down to the transportation after a piece of toast, she knew how not to be noticed, stay in the shadows and call food, floating food wouldn't be to obvious, there was floating food everywhere, she didn't realize however that there was a pair of slate gray eyes watching her anyways. "I don't know Crabbe I was positive the new student was male…but I cant be sure if he wont come out in the open." Draco watched as the person slipped from the shadows by the doors and out them, making not a sound. Draco stood and motioned for Crabbe and Goyle to follow him. "Well, if he wont come to us, we'll just have to go to him." So with quiet agreements the three left the great hall.
Harry Hermione and Ron watched as Malfoy and his goon's left the hall following someone, no doubt it was Nicole, Harry had seen the look on Ron's face when he'd seen the girl, she was pretty but she had a look about her that she could knock a full grown 12 foot mountain troll on his ass without performing a spell, curious as to why she was in Gryffindor.
Nicole thankful for leaving before anyone else, managed the best from what she could tell of the lot of carriages, it didn't smell and it was solid black outside and inside, she relaxed on the bench, it was pretty comfortable and she closed her eyes briefly. She nearly screamed when the door was open and the entire carriage shaken, her cobalt blue eyes burst open and she stared, three boys had just come into the carriage, not that she cared but they could've warned her. The third one, the blonde one sitting next to her smirked, and raised an eyebrow at her. "Sorry…the boys tend to eat to much so they shake pretty much everything that moves…'cept the stairs…but they're stone so…" The boy shrugged, and the two Nicole assumed he was referring to followed suit smirked and chuckling lightly. Nicole just eyed them quizzically. " Oh really…and what pray tell are you doing here….hmm….I've never seen you before and I'm sure your not lost." Nicole turned to the blonde assessing him on some astral level. He smirked again and held out his hand slate gray eyes impenetrable to any and probably all thoughts. Nicole didn't take the offered hand but gave him a simple finger wave.
"I'm Nicole…I just transferred here yesterday from the states…um…who're you?" She bit her lower lip in question.
"Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, pleasure to meet such a lovely lady from did you say the states…as in America?" He seemed a little excited.
"I thought for sure the transfer student was male though."
"Well he is…was, actually my brother would've started his seventh year here but he got married and accepted into college, I was sent the letter a few weeks afterward. Draco at's a very nice name." She licked her lips and gripped the seat as the carriage jilted to the side. Apparently they'd started moving, Draco just grinned. "Not used to carriage rides I guess…your people do seem to have a lot of use for useless junk…but that's not the point, thanks you have quite a nice name yourself….I've never met an American girl before somehow I thought they'd be…well like the girls here only without any accent." Nicole laughed and shook her head.
"No you'd be surprised how different they are really some girls you don't want to meet…I was lucky I was in a private school nearly my whole middle school and high school life…cant tell you how relieved I was to find out I had a chance to go to a coed school...but that would be none of a strangers business now would it?"
She grinned again at the dumbfounded expression on the blonde's face, before being knocked into him, and flung at the door, must've hit a rock.
"Damn that hurt!" She was vaguely aware of a weight on her that shouldn't be there and opened her eyes to see slate gray ones peering down at her.
"Must've hit something…sorry."
Nicole blinked and attempted to hide her cherry red face, either anger or embarrassment. Draco got off of her quickly and pulled her back on the bench.
It was silent the rest of the trip to HogsMeade, when they arrived Draco quickly vacated the carriage, Crabbe and Goyle still chuckling about the accident.
It had been maybe an hour since Nicole had gotten there she was bored and tired of walking around, she'd just walked up to see the shrieking shack and it wasn't all it was said to be…it looked like an old condemned building of sorts, she flopped down on a bench and wrapped her arms tight around her shoulders pulling her jacket tighter. She wasn't even paying attention so it came as a surprise when there was a shout of anger and two people came to the top of the hill, it was still to far to recognize them, but one was blonde and the other a red head. She realized one of them was the Draco boy she'd met earlier and the other was a girl…maybe thirteen and they were arguing.
"God Damnit Ginny I don't like you like that, so leave me alone!"
"But Draco...I..I LOVE YOU!!!" The red headed girl kissed him hard on the mouth and ran off giggling hysterically, Draco looked like he might die of shock, Nicole resisting the urge to laugh walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, he just about jumped a mile. "Jesus don't do that I thought you were her…" He was using Nicole as a balance his head resting on her shoulder. "But its not her…its you thank god!"
"Um…uh…ok…."
Draco turned glaring at the direction in which the girl headed and started walking after her, Nicole followed making useless attempts to keep him from beating the living daylights out of the girl, she entered a tavern, Nicole managed to grab his arm just as he reached the door and breathless said. "I…I wouldn't follow her…….she might…try to kiss you…again."
"Um…you have a point…maybe I shouldn't follow her in…"
He shuddered and sat down, pulling Nicole down next to him.
"Sit."
"Um…k."
There wasn't much she could've done as she was pulled down next to him, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
" So what did you do back in the states?"
Nicole shook her head grinning.
"My school there was for girls, so we played soccer, the witch academy I went to wasn't the best and I was gunna be expelled for turning one of the prefects into a pig, it wasn't really my fault either, I was practicing a spell and she got in the way."
She giggled and looked to his grinning face.
"You turned her into a pig? Remind me never to get on your bad side please."
Nicole smacked him on the arm.
"That's not very nice!"
"Yeah so…what's your point, have you ever had a butter beer?"
He stood and pulled her up with him.
"No I haven't...why? What do they taste like Draco?"
"You've never had a butter beer? You kidding right? I thought everyone's had a butter beer
before…you have to try one Ill buy it come on."
He then dragged her into the tavern and to the bar sitting her on one stool and taking the one next to her.
"Madame Rosemerta two butter beers please…and tell my father over there to stop glaring at me." Draco turned back to Nicole and grinned.
"People these days eh? So tell me…what house are you in…I'm in Slytherin my whole families been in Slytherin and I guess my kids will be to."
Nicole blinked at him and bit her lower lip, just as the drinks arrived.
"I'm afraid if I tell you what house I'm in you'll freak out and not like me anymore."
"Why do you say that?"
"Well cuz I'm in Gryffindor and it sounds as though your not fond of them…I don't like hedgehogs…I'm a little biased when it comes to snakes and when I was eight I had a really nasty run in with a few birds…never really liked them anyways and all my life I've loved cats….so I guess that's why I was placed in Gryffindor. We can still be friends though right?"
Draco looked impassive for a minute Her a lion, she doesn't act like it… a raven claw maybe…but a lion!?!
"Yeah we can still be friends…I suppose noone would mind overly much if a lion and a serpent were friends…things happen."
Just in that minute that same red headed girl walked over to them and tapped on Draco's shoulder, when he turned he glared at her.
"What do you want you little git?"
She smacked him, hard across the face, when she pulled her hand back there was a red imprint etched across his cheek.
"YOU BASTARD I LOVE YOU DRACO MALFOY I ALWAYS WILL I THOUGHT WHAT WE SHARED WAS SPECIAL BUT NOW I SEE YOUR NOTHING BUT AN INGRATEFUL LITTLE PRAT AND I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!"
Draco looked like he'd had a brain aneurysm or come close to one the look he shot her had Nicole scooting away.
"And WHAT did we share Weasley I gave you a piece of candy…that was it I thought I could TRY to be nice to you but I suppose school girl crushes don't stand for being nice do they?"
Then he turned a shade darker than salmon, his eyes wide, the same as Ginny's as she realized what she'd just screamed in front of thirty people, she turned and ran from the building. Nicole started giggling and Draco turned to her a dumbstruck, pissed off look gathering the features on his face.
"What do you find so amusing hmmm?"
"Just the way her eyes started to bulge out of her head when she realized what she'd said. It was hilarious…hehehe."
Draco started to shake, a grin splitting his face, he was shaking with silent laughter.
"Your right…just imagine if all the Weasley's had been here we could've tossed a salad!"
"Um…I don't fully understand that…but OK…"
"Never mind… come on drink up you'll love it."
Nicole turned and opened her bottle gave it a wary look as if expecting it to start screaming and bite her nose.
Hey in this day and age it was entirely possible. Draco smirked and just started to drink it. As if things couldn't have gotten worse though the girl….Ginny was it? Came back in, this time it looked as though she had her older brother and his friend. Wasn't that Ron and Harry? Nicole tried the stuff in the bottle….tasted like cream soda....only with a little more zip to it.
By this time Ron, Harry and Ginny had walked up to the bar, Ginny standing a few feet behind the two glowering boys. Nicole's eye started to twitch, oh god, she turned to an equally glaring Draco. They were having a silent pissing contest. Yeash! Ron's hand balled up in a fist and Harry moved to stop him, and all hell broke loose. It was hard to keep from getting in the middle Ginny kept taking steps back to avoid being tackled, various students probably wound up with a black eye or bloody nose. It wasn't until a tall blonde haired man pounded the floor with a decorative falcon tipped cane. All three boys stopped brawling.
"Well….you all should be ashamed of yourselves fighting like this in public save it for when there aren't people around to get hurt."
The man sneered and placed a firm hand on Draco's shoulder turning to lead him off.
"Come son, I must speak with you….you two boys best apologize to the barkeep and leave."
Harry scowled.
"I'll leave when I damn well want to Mr. Malfoy."
Ron nodded his jaw clamped tightly shut. Both Malfoy's left into a back room, Madam Rosemerta set about cleaning up Harry and Ron. It took a total of ten minutes for the boys to be "cleaned up" Madam Rosemerta muttering about them being so ornery and rude with "ladies" present. When she walked back behind the counter both Harry and Ron turned on Nicole, scowling. Harry spoke first. "What are you, insane? He's a damn Slytherin, Gryffindor's wouldn't be caught dead in one of thems presence."
Nicole rolled her eyes and Ron spoke up.
"Well? Spill it…did he pay you….was he blackmailing you..WHY? The bloody hell were you talking to that prat?"
She sighed rolling her eyes upward again.
"Though your concern is heart felt and your grammar absolutely horrible Harry……no he's not blackmailing me nor is he paying me, I like him he's a nice guy once you get to know him…he has his moments where he's moody but otherwise, it's absolutely none of your concern."
Both gawked at her as if she was insane.
"WHAT!" Unison…ye gads this was worse than she thought. What was so bad about her liking him, he wasn't a psychopathic murderer or anything.
"Really I don't see why your so darn upset, jeese you act like you've never heard it before."
Nothing else was said Draco appeared behind them and any further conversation was cut off.
So ended Her "first" day at her new school. Fun huh?