It was Meghans fourth year at Hogwarts, she was completely invisible to most, as she crossed the barrier to platform 9 and 3/4. She sighed, she knew she should be happy to be going back to Hogwarts but she just couldn't. She was a witch, who had no connections, muggle-born, mudblood, whatever you wanted to call her. She was meaningless to the wizarding world. She would go to Hogwarts only to be a magical dentist or some sad thing like that. She was so sure of it too. She dragged her trunk behind her and a cat meowed loudly, in a whining tone, that she knew meant the cat was displeased with her cage. "Shhh, can't you be happy about anything?" She asked the cat in an exasperated tone.
When her friend from Hufflepuff house spoke up, "Who are you talking to Meghan?"
Meghan jumped as she saw her Hufflepuff friend Mina, she had blonde-red hair and freckles all across her nose. She looked as if her eyes were full of secrets just wishing to be released from her mouth. Meghan didn't doubt it either, she knew never to tell Mina anything that was meant to be quiet, no matter how much she needed to get it off her chest. She managed to stammer out a response while looking over Mina's shoulder at the train, "I was just hoping that I would be able to find an empty compartment before everyone else got them all.."
Mina looked over her half-friend Meghan and shook her head in disappointment as she walked past her slowly. "Well I saved you a seat in MY compartment, but if you don't want to sit with me, I guess I can understand.." Her face simpered slightly as she examined Meghan's dyed black hair with the brown roots showing. The unmanageable spiral curls seemed exceptionally frizzy in the naturally rainy atmosphere as well. She continued to walk as Meghan scampered up behind her.
"No, I'd actually love to sit with you, i-if ye'll still 'ave me?" Meghan asked hesitantly, a slight accent showing and then disappearing with her unease at lying so placidly.
Mina let her face dissolve into a smile and nodded friendly, "Of course Meghan! I have so much to tell you about my Summer! Come, let's go and maybe you'll have time to tell me about yours too." She laughed as if this was a joke, but Meghan slightly expected otherwise as they seated themselves in a compartment.
Mina was going on and on about her summer in Wales or some place like that as Meghan only gave her about ten percent of her attention. Managing to succesfully look interested and feel displeased at the same time. When someone opened the compartment, a ravenclaw boy with a stunning, yet intimidating face. He was already in his uniform, and smiled at Mina jovially. Mina returned the smile, "Oh, Meghan, this is the absolutely amazing boy I met when I was in Newport over the holiday, Owen, we're sort of dating I suppose."
Meghan tried not to look at the boy with distaste as she held out a hand meant to be shook in cordiality, or something of the sort. As he held it briefly and sat beside Mina. Meghan resented the boy already, sure that the only way he put up with Mina was for some sort of payment in snogging or favors of the sort. "It's a pleasure Owen, I'm sure Mina and you had a devilishly good time on holiday." She finally said as everyone seemed to be staring at her for some sort of approval.
She secretly continued to resent his auburn hair, and distant hazel eyes, his tanned skin, well-defined muscle clad body that seemed to be accentuated somehow by the simple hogwarts uniform. Oh, how the resent seemed to come to her in waves.
Mina leaned over and giggled in her ear, "Oh, you're so green, I hope you can get over your jealousy long enough to let me help you find one of his friends." She continued to giggle as Owen looked out the window at the passing scenery.
Meghan smiled at Mina and nodded, secretly coveting Owen as they both became entangled in each others lips and arms. 'What a great start to the year..' she thought to herself as the train sped through the countryside and she slumped against the wall over the compartment. She excused herself silently while she decided to look for the treat trolley or some sort of distraction. She walked through the long train slowly, trying to keep balance and dignity with her as she went. She met a Slytherin she had once talked with and asked if he would mind her company in his compartment.
He simply raised his eyebrows in question at her and asked, "And why would I want your company, in my cabin with the rest of me mates? You're a nice gel, but really, yer not my type." He said while excusing himself back into his cabins as she briefly heard uproars of loud talking.
She sighed and finally found her actual friend, although quiet, was extremely pleasant. Her name was Rena, and she had long brown hair with all sorts of unamanageable kinks and curls that couldn't even be magicked out. She was kind and quiet, and exceptionally brialliant in all ways. She ignored boys but they still gave her attention, she was everything she wished she could be most days. She remained reserved and recieved respect and dignity for being just the right amount of everything, somehow.
"Rena! I thought I'd never find you among all this mess..of people." She breathed deeply in relief as she watched Rena lift her head from a book within her compartment. The door had been left wide open and she looked up at Meghan from where she was sitting.
Rena's face slowly spread into a smile and it finally reached her eyes after she realized it was Meghan. She noticed several changes over the summer for her friend, maybe even a spell or two working some kind of magic that was hard to understand. "Oh Meghan, you look so healthy, I am glad for you. I almost didn't recognize you though, did you do something with your...self?"
Meghan smiled sheepighly and sighed, "Well I used muggle dye to dye my hair black but it seems to be growing out faster thanhing out. Uh, my hair was permed to try and hide my roots but it didn't turn out as gorgeous as yours though, I'll honestly add. As well as a few witch-doctors I went to who tried to charm me into being more beautiful, out-going, and poised or something along those lines."
Rena laughed softly and hugged her friend, "Welcome back to Hogwarts, I've missed you terribly over the summer."
Meghan hugged back and they retreated into the compartment and shared their summers. The good, the tolerable, but mostly everything, from start to finish for both of them.
They entered the castle after a time and parted their ways, Rena was off to Gryffindor while Meghan took her seat at the Slytherin table. She was seated near the middle of the table on the side opposite of the notorious 5th year, Draco Malfoy. She tried not to panic as his eyes swept over her mercilessly.
Draco's lips turned into a sly grin, "You seem to be filling out nicely Meghan, not bad for a fourth year.."
Meghan's heavily kohled eyes darted shyly over Draco's almost flawless face and she tried to supress a whimper of uncomfort. "Umm, I suppose if you think so Draco, thank you, I presume?" She said with a questioning tone as he slowly dismissed her presence with another mercilessly look over her body.
Meghan turned to her left and saw another housemate of hers, Pansy Parkinson. She stifled a pathetic sigh as she seemed to be all but glaring.
"Don't think you can steal him from me, fourth year, I have been with Draco longer than you could ever dream. Really, what makes you think you could fill out over one summer and replace me?" Pansy ranted right into her paling face.
Meghan was mortified for herself and managed to please Pansy with some self-degrading words, "Don't worry about ME Pansy, I am no where near your status of beauty. In Draco's eyes I am sure I am merely a fraction of your apparent luster." She offered selflessly as Draco seemed to watch without her realising.
"Oh Pansy, look, she wants to make friends. Why don't you stop snarling and play nice you old gel." He snickered boldly as Pansy's eyes flashed. Draco continued his conversation with Crabbe, or was it Goyle? She wasn't sure.
Pansy discreetly pointed her wand at Meghan and glared. You do not mock me, in front of Malfoy. Never, ever, again. Understand?"
Meghan nodded desperately as she willed the wand to conceal istelf once again. Her skin quivered with fright, not sure what Pansy would do in a state of false jealousy.
When dinner was over they all followed the Prefects noisily into the Slythering common room. She took a chair near the fireplace as she attempted to unwind after what took place at dinner. She wasn't overly fond of Pansy but she did know that any attention from Draco Malfoy was good attention to her. Unless it was attention from maybe that boy she had had feelings for for since her first year it seemed. He was a 6th year, so he was already in his third year when she began Hogwarts.
She had heard him talk and heard about him, he had dated her friend Rena briefly. Then dumped her for another girl that she supposed he found more satisfactory. Rena said she would never try another boy again because he had left such an impression on her. She said he could match her in wit and intelligence and she had trouble not fawning over him like the young school girl she was. Rena's words woved a faerie tale for her that would ocmpare to no other. She knew she would have to date Vincent Davidson, sometime before her life was over or her life would never begin it seemed. He was a stunning Ravenclaw with blonde hair and green as the summer grass eyes. They seemed to be sharp yet caress as he watched everything with amazing detail. She had talked to him on occasion at various sporting events when he was with Rena last year. His smile simply melted her as he seemed to understand her every word she spoke down to the syllables of sound they had derived from.
She was finally awaken from her reverie as she was approached by Draco Malfoy. Again seemingly, with a look in his eyes she couldn't place. She knew this attention had to come to an end before she got her hopes up for the flawless faced slytherin. "Dra- I mean Malfoy, I just want you to know, I'm a muggle-born witch."
Draco laughed and sat down in a chair across from her, leaning forward as if to enhance some sort of privacy for them. "Dear Meghan, I do believe you are far from a mud-blood. According to my wheedling you are actually the daughter of a squib who happens to have passed a great deal of magic into you. Me being a pureblood as well, can almost feel it coming off of your skin some days. You're parents we're going to name you Mafalda, but I think Meghan is a much better name." He grinned slyly as he regaled her with this hard to believe story.
"Draco Malfoy. You are such a liar. There has to be better girls than me who would believe your lies and actually enjoy them. I do not appreciate them in the least. Now if you'll excuse me, I will continue being the mud-blood Slytherin if you don't mind!" By now she seemed to be holding back unexplainable tears as she was overwhelmed with all these confusing feelings.
She didn't understand why life had to be so hard sometimes, all she wanted was a boy who liked her for who she was. Thanks to Mina she was convinced that if you had a boyfriend everything was perfect. Like the way it was with Vincent and Rena. She ran into her room, not realising she left behind a bewildered Draco and a sniggering Pansy behind. She slumped onto her four-poster bed and sobbed quietly.
When she awoke it was nearly morning, almost time for breakfast. She had slept through the whole night with dream after dream of her parents she never knew. Her father who smiled knowingly when she got her letter from Hogwarts with her mother sobbing silently beside him as if it was a death sentence. When she had sent her first owl to her father he had been surprised and somewhat displeased at her entrance into Slytherin. Saying she essentially did not belong, but she would make herself fit like an improperly cut jigsaw piece.