DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter. (I forgot to do this the first time and had to figure out how to go back and fix it.)
Anyway, my first story--be nice!
"Listen, we'll see you in a few minutes okay---the prefect meeting shouldn't last very long---you'll be alright won't you?"
"Save us seats alright?" Hermione did her best not to look concerned as she and Ron turned to walk away.
"Sure." Harry sat silently in the train car and stared out the window. He debated not saving them seats. After all, people who were close to him were killed. That's what being with him did to people.
Several students passed by the compartment, glanced in, and quickly walked by. That's what his presence did to people now. They were afraid of him. Why? He wondered. Because they were afraid of upsetting him or because they were afraid of death? Or perhaps a combination of the two.
"Excuse me, would you mind terribly if I sat in here with you?" Harry glanced up and felt his breath catch in his throat. The lovely voice belonged to an even lovelier girl. Her glossy black hair fell in elegant ringlets on her narrow shoulders and her short yellow dress generously showed off her tiny waste and beautiful legs.
"Um...yeah!" He managed to sputter.
"Thanks a million!" She laughed, trying to lighten the mood, but he couldn't help noticing that her dark eyes held tremendous sorrow...not unlike his own.
She flung herself onto the seat across from Harry, all precedent of gentility gone. She folded her legs up under her and smiled at him, "I checked nearly all of the compartments and I must tell you, I was beginning to think I would never find an empty one!...um...of course, this was obviously my first choice...because you seem charming ...and I would have preferred your company over anyone else's in the world but---"
"Do I know you?" He interrupted, realizing suddenly that this girl seemed much too old to be a first year, but he'd certainly never seen her before.
"No!" She frowned slightly, "Unless of course it's a one sided acquaintance!"
"I don't mean that...although you do look slightly familiar---I mean, what year are you?"
"I'm going into my sixth year." She calmly replied, as though it were the simplest thing in the world.
"But I'm in my sixth ?" She raised her eyebrows in confusion.
" Shouldn't I know you? What house are you in---I've never even seen you!" He was dying to know more about this girl...which was strange, because nothing had excited him in months. Not since Sirius...but he didn't think about that.
"Oh! I'm sorry! I forgot! You see, I'm transferring in!"
"Can you do that?" In his five years at Hogwarts no one had ever 'transferred in.'
"Well, technically no." She shrugged, "But I was expelled from Durmstrang for...asinine reasons...so my dad pulled some strings and...well...let's just say it's awfully helpful when your godfather is the headmaster."
"Professor Dumbledore is your godfather?" Harry could not figure this girl out.
"Yeah...but I'm not sure I was supposed to tell you that." She furrowed her brow, apparently trying very hard to figure out exactly what she should or should not say.
"You're crazy." He muttered, half to himself.
"Well, you know what they say!" She suddenly became engrossed in a book she was holding.
"What do they say?"
"Excuse me?" She glanced at him as though she'd quite forgotten he was there.
"What---never mind."
"Sorry...I'm a little...well...I've got a lot on my mind." She blushed.
"Believe me, I understand." He whispered.
"You have very sad eyes." She murmured quietly.
"You should say that to a mirror."
"Yeah well..." She glanced down at her feet and briefly looked as though she were fighting back tears, "Oh! I'm Gwen by the way!" She quickly shook his hand.
"I'm Harry."
"Wonderful to meet you Harry."
"So what happened?" He stared seriously at her, throwing aside all sense of decorum.
"What do you mean?"
"Why are your eyes so sad?"
"Well, you certainly don't beat around the bush," she laughed nervously.
"Sorry." He wasn't.
"My mom died a few weeks ago..." She blinked rapidly, "and my dad and I...aren't that close. It's kind of like I lost all my family." She hastily rubbed her eyes, "What about you? Fair's fair, you have to tell me."
"My godfather died...because of me...and my parents died when I was a baby so he was really all the family I had." He stared obstinately at the floor.
"So I guess we're kind of in the same boat huh?" She laughed, a sorrowful laugh.
"I guess so..." He struggled to think of something to break the silence, "So, what do you want to do when you grow up?" He immediately cursed himself. What kind of a stupid question was that?
"If I could do anything in the world I'd be a dancer," She gave him an embarrassed look, "A ballerina...but the odds of that happening are slim to none."
"Why? Are you any good?"
"I'm not bad," she replied modestly, "but my dad isn't so keen on the idea of having a ballerina for a daughter---I think he's always had high hopes of spawning the next Minister of Magic. Dancer would definitely fall short of his expectations."
"So?" Harry shrugged, "It's your life, not his."
"Yeah..." She bit her lip, "So, what about you?"
"I want to be an Auror."
"Oh my God are you serious?" She sat up excitedly.
"Yeah, why?"
"That would be the coolest job ever! You would be so good at it!" She beamed at him.
"You don't even know me!"
"Well, you have an aura---the aura of an auror!" She laughed at her own joke. She felt very suddenly happy in the presence of this green eyed boy...which was strange because it'd been a long time since anything but melancholy graced her existence.
"Harry you'll never believe what happened at the meeting, Pansy was just--" Hermione froze at the door, "Who are you?"
"Um...this is Gwen---she's a transfer student, from Durmstrang." Harry quickly explained.
"Nice to meet you." Ron's mouth didn't close. He appeared to be out of breath. Hermione glared at him and then found a new attack.
"Durmstrang huh? Do you know Victor Krum? We're very close." She gave Ron a meaningful look.
"Vicky?" Gwen suddenly looked frightened and she pulled her almost too-skinny arms closer to her and rubbed an invisible bruise, "Yeah...um...listen, I don't know you that well and I don't know what your relationship with Vicky is but...he's not really a very nice guy. You should be careful."
"Excuse me, but you don't know me or Vic so, if you could mind your own business that'd be great." Hermione was immediately on the defensive.
"Look, I may not know you, but I dated Vicky for two years and believe me, you don't want to get mixed up in that!" She glared at the bushy haired girl.
"Get mixed up in what?" Ron eagerly snapped out of his daze.
"Gwen! There you are---I was beginning to think you missed the train and that was impossible because I put you on myself!" Everyone but Gwen glared at the blond boy that entered the room.
"Draco!" The raven haired beauty beamed up at him, "Come in! Meet my new friends."
"Thanks but," He grimaced, "I don't think I'm welcome."
"What do you mean of course you're..." Her voice trailed off when she saw the loathing painted on the faces of the three, "Why do you have to be so hateful?"
"Excuse me?" Draco raised his eyebrows, "How is this my fault?"
"You're a nice enough guy, but you have to go be a jerk to everyone you know so they all hate you and I feel like a bad guy for being friends with you and for being friends with people who don't like you." She started rambling, "And these people are so nice but they obviously don't like you and---"
"Gwen, Gwen, Gwen!" He murmured soothingly, gently taking her by the wrists, "Listen, I don't care who you're friends with," He gave them a dirty look, "Although I think you can do better than this." She opened her mouth to interrupt him, "But do you remember the discussion we had yesterday about who you should and should not be friends with?"
"Draco," She groaned, "that was a very long and boring talk, surely you realize I tuned you out after five minutes."
"Right..." he rolled his eyes, "Anyway, while I don't have a big problem with you being friends with these three, your dad will. And I mean a BIG problem."
"Why?" She sighed.
"First of all...um...Harry, what house are you in?" Draco asked innocently.
"Gryffindor." He growled, growing tired of this game. Draco was too close to this beautiful stranger who was so sweet and sad...and so unlike Malfoy.
"Oh..." Her face fell, "But maybe that won't be so bad! I mean---"
"You're right." Draco smiled, "He could probably get over the whole Gryffindor thing. Honestly, I'd bet ten galleons that you'll be put into Gryffindor, so he'll have to adjust...but there's more."
"More?" She whispered weakly.
"Yes...um...Harry?"
"What?" He snapped.
"What's your dad's name?"
"Nobody invited you in here Malfoy---take Barbie here and get out!" Hermione glared at him.
"Barbie? I'm not even blond!"
"Who the hell asked you Mudblood?" Draco scowled.
"Draco!" Gwen pulled away from him, "That was uncalled for!"
"Sorry Hermione." He quickly apologized--and it almost sounded sincere.
"Why do you want to know my dad's name? Don't you know his name?"
"Because it's necessary for Gwen to understand." Draco replied with surprising patience.
"James Potter."
"Oh..." Gwen bit her lip and her dark eyes dropped their gaze.
"Gwen don't cry!" The look on Draco's face immediately softened.
"I'm not crying." She stared bitterly at the ground.
"Listen sweetie---"
"Well Harry, I think you're wonderful---I really do! I think I could have really liked you a lot." She sighed wistfully and kissed him on the cheek, causing his heart to skip a beat, "It's too bad we can't be friends."
"Why can't we?" The words were out of his mouth before he realized it.
"I can't do that to you---even if you still wanted to be my friend...and you wouldn't---your life would be hellish."
"Can't I make that decision?" Harry tried to smile, "What's wrong?"
"My dad is...um...Severus Snape."