AN: Hey guys :) I don't really have much to say except that this is my first fanfiction so please don't eat me. I know I still have things to learn. But thank you for choosing to read this! :D
This story begins in the middle of winter fifteen years ago in the Weasley's home. Within the house a woman in her late twenties with a bulging stomach was laying on a bed squeezing her husband's hand while screaming in pain. Molly Weasley stood at the other end with her arms outstretched and joining the woman's husband in encouraging as much as possible. "Harper, just a few more pushes! Come on, you can do it!" Mrs. Weasley would yell every few minutes while Harper's husband held Harper's hand and did her breathing with her. About an hour later, a newborn girl was placed in Harper's arms. The girl didn't fuss or scream, instead she looked blankly up at her two parents with turquoise eyes. "Molly, she's not making a noise. Is she okay? What's wrong?" The new mother began to panic and held her daughter closer to her chest, which made the child emit a sound of protest. Mrs. Weasley picked the girl and looked at her for a few moments while the girl pulled at a piece of her red hair and emitted a few sounds of amusement.
"She's fine Harper," Mrs. Weasley said as she handed the girl back over, "Now what do you and Felix want to name her?" The young couple looked down at their daughter who looked back up at them again. "Phoenix." Harper said while playing with the red fuzz that on top of Phoenix's head. "Phoenix? You want to name her after your first dragon?" Mrs. Weasley looked confused, but she shook her head and walked away mumbling to herself about not questioning the odd couple that sat in that room. Harper and Felix spent the rest of the evening gushing over their newborn and telling her that her name would forever be Phoenix Spectra Remington.
Phoenix grew into a delightful young girl who shared her father's passion for potions and her mother's love of dragons. Never having any siblings, she adored the time her family spent with the Weasleys. She spent her first eleven years only having one friend, Ron Weasley. As children they would run around the Weasley property playing games and pretending that they were powerful wizards who were saving the world. The two were even together when they received their acceptance letters into Hogwarts. On the train she had been sitting with Ron when he met Harry and Hermione and had become as close with them as she was with Ron. Phoenix had even stolen some of Harry's spotlight by being the girl who stumped the sorting hat. Yes, you read it right. The sorting hat had sent Phoenix back into the crowd because it couldn't decide where to send her. She was finally sorted into the Hufflepuff when every other student had gone. She had played a part in the adventure for the Sorcerer's Stone as well as the Chamber of Secrets and meeting Harry's godfather, Sirius Black.
Though Phoenix couldn't say much about what happened the first four years of Hogwarts, it all went by so quickly with flashes of Harry's triumphs and points being awarded, and her being unknowingly pushed to the side. It was hard for her to explain how she fit into the small group of people she considered her only friends. Ron was the courage, Hermione the brains, Harry the heart. What was she? The blood or something? Through it all she kept a positive attitude and knew that somewhere, someway, she'd find a place to fit in. And without her knowing, her fourth year would prove to her right.
The traveling Weasleys and company were tiredly making their way towards the Quidditch World Cup as a shadow fell over them. "What in the…" Mr. Weasley started before he looked up to see a fair sized, almost sky colored dragon hovering just above the party. As soon as he recognized the passengers on board Mr. Weasley cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled, "HELLO REMINGTON FAMILY!" The faint outline of three arms waving could be seen in response. After the walking party made their way to their tent and started setting up, the overcast of the dragon once again reappeared. Slowly the dragon made its decent onto a bare space of grass close to the Weasley camp. A man in his late thirties descended first and then extended his hand to help down a woman who was also in her late thirties off. The man turned around again to extend his hand but found the third person missing. A confused look crossed his face before he heard a thud hit the ground on the other side of the dragon followed by a string of choice words. A few moments later, Phoenix made her way back around to join her parents.
"Hello Weasley family!" Mr. Remington exclaimed as he grabbed Mr. Weasley's hand to shake, "Good to see you! We'll have you know that we're rooting for Ireland!" The two men started talking and laughing about life and work. Mrs. Remington had made herself busy chatting about something to Ginny and Hermione, who thought of Mrs. Remington as a role model and formed a habit of staring at her. Ron and Harry directed their attention towards Phoenix. "Well hello to my other little sister!" Ron teased as he put her in a headlock and proceeded to give the girl a noogie. "RON! If you mess up my hair… I swear to god I will annihilate you!" Phoenix responded and kicked Ron's shin with her steel-toed military boots. Ron in turned gasped in pain and went down. The fire headed girl grinned evilly and jumped on top of Ron. "Don't even think about trying to mess up this masterpiece." She grinned and smoothed down the fire on her head. "I'll think about it if you don't get off me!" Ron yelled back and bucked the girl off so she fell back on her rear for the second time. Harry stood and laughed at the scene in front of him. Phoenix had at first been extremely quiet and awkward, but grew more social as she became better friends with Harry and Hermione. All went well at the Quidditch World Cup until the Death Eaters made their way. In the confusion, Harry and Ron happened to catch a glimpse of Phoenix just standing there mumbling something. She didn't run or try to hide, instead she looked somewhere in between angry and worried. Though the girl's behavior was pushed out of their minds as they fled into the woods. That was the last they saw of Phoenix until the start of Hogwarts.
"Excuse me, Professor Snape but Harry Potter's presence is requested." Snape turned viciously around to the student who dared to interrupt his class. He tried to argue to make the boy stay, but gave up and let Harry leave. Snape stood with his arms crossed and a sneer on his face until the door to the classroom closed, he then turned around and continued the lesson. "Now, what is most important about this potion is the temperature of the liquid in the cauldron. What temperature must it be at through the entire process?" Most of the class was hesitant to raise their hands, though really Snape couldn't blame them. Were they mostly all imbeciles, yes. But imbeciles still needed to learn. The usual suspect, Hermione Granger, was just about waving her hand wildly in the air. Snape continued to stare at the rest of the class due to his hatred for calling on the girl. She was incredibly intelligent, but she was absolutely annoying. Finally, another brave hand rose. Snape smirked as he called on the student, "Miss Remington." Without missing a beat Phoenix replied, "394 degrees." Snape's smirk widened as he saw Hermione huff and cross her arms. "Very good Miss Remington. Remember, if the potion does not stay at 394 degrees then you will face some of the worse pain of your life." Snape continued on. As he lectured, he'd occasionally make eye contact with Phoenix. He would never admit it, but he was fond of her. Phoenix was smart, humble, and never capitalized on who her parents were. These were all qualities about her that he found surprising when he looked at the three people she was with the most. The lecture continued all the way to the end of class when the students were assigned to write a paper of the symptoms they would experience if they screwed up what they learned that day. Snape turned around and began erasing the scribbles on the board.
Snape didn't hear the soft click of military boots on the dungeon floor behind him. "Professor?" Snape turned to the owner of the soft, nervous voice that just spoke. "Yes Miss Remington?" Snape crossed his arms and sucked all emotion out of his face to hold his reputation of intimidation. "Uh, I would like to turn in the homework early, sir." Phoenix replied while handing over her homework and avoiding eye contact. Snape raised an eyebrow and snatched the paper, "And how did you know that I would be assigning this homework?"
Phoenix made eye contact with Snape now. "I used what Professor Trelawney has taught us and used the stars to help predict what homework will be assigned. Please don't ask me to explain. It's quite complicated." Snape smirked and pat Phoenix on the head, which confused her.
"You're quite a student Miss Remington," Snape turned around and walked to his desk, "Remind me to call you in as a substitute if I ever fall ill. Your classmates may enjoy your teaching over mine." He went on as he pulled out assorted vials. Phoenix merely nodded and started to make her way out. "Miss Remington, I wasn't done talking to you." Phoenix stopped mid-step and turned right back around. "I was going to ask you if you wanted to help me in my demonstration tomorrow of this. I feel as though it's unnecessary to test your knowledge on this potion." Snape saw the girl's eyes light up at a chance to stand out amongst the rest of the students.
The next day Phoenix almost laughed at the looks of hatred Slytherins' faces as she walked to the front of the class to assist Snape. Occasionally she would catch eyes with Ron or Harry, both of which she knew didn't trust Snape much, somewhat glaring at their professor. Phoenix held true to her professor's projections and held up a vial of orange liquid. "Now, this is how you make an instant fire potion," Snape said as he took the vial and held it up, "Miss Remington has seemed to prove that she has quite the understanding over most of you. So if you wish to stand up here as an assistant perhaps you should put in more work." Snape's last words were aimed mostly at Harry and Ron, both of whom were mixing a yellow-ish potion.
As class was dismissed Phoenix took her time packing up. Once again she approached her professor, though she walked with a little more confidence. "Professor?" She asked as she stood in front of his desk. Slowly the chair he sat in turned around, "Yes Miss Remington?"
Phoenix made eye contact with her professor, "I appreciated what you did for me today. I never quite have a time to shine." Snape nodded and tried to hide his frown. The truth was that he felt sympathy for this girl. He too had walked around Hogwarts with a friend who had bigger and better things to do. He too was alone most of the time. And he too, had hardly ever had a chance to shine. "Miss Remington, it's Friday evening. Why aren't you running off to be with your piers?" Snape knew why and he felt terrible for making his lonely student say it. "I don't really have any friends, Professor. I mean I'll always be friends with Ron. But he's been trying to show up Harry lately. And I really don't feel like getting published alongside Harry and Hermione. They all do their own thing anyway." Phoenix found a small crack in the dungeon floor to concentrate on while she spoke.
"Miss Remington, why don't come take a seat and help me grade your class. I'm sure this isn't your idea of fun, but believe it or not I could use some company." Phoenix immediately moved her eyes back to her professor and stared at him, sure that she had heard him wrong. "I promise I won't bite." He smirked as he held out a quill to her. Phoenix took it and walked slowly behind the desk to sit next to her professor. Why he was being anything by cynical and rude she didn't know, but she wasn't about to pass up a chance to be amongst other people.