Chapter One
Albus Dumbledore stood for the end of term speech. Finally, the summer holidays were bestowed upon the students of Hogwarts once more. Emilia Walker watched in admiration at her idol as he looked at everyone through his half-moon spectacles. He was truly a legend. She clapped loudly before turning to the appetizing food appearing on her table.
Emilia sat at the end of her table as usual. She could feel the serpent glare at her through its stony eyes. She knew she did not belong in this house, no wonder she did not have any friends. She was a bloody muggle-born. She stared at the other students on her table as they were chattering loudly, still giving her looks. Pansy Parkinson, in particular, was having some sort of stare-down with her. Gathering up some nerve, she watched her make her way towards her.
"Hey Walker, I heard you were going back to those filthy excuses for parents, pity, they must be as bad as you!"
Emilia stood up abruptly, ignoring the food on her plate that splattered slightly on the table. "Watch your mouth, Parkinson, before I hex you into oblivion."
Pansy laughed so loud; the noise in the Great Hall began to die down. Emilia looked around as she saw the students paying close attention to them. "What is your problem? I've had it with this tormenting! Five years and you can't have enough? Don't you know what is at stake here and you still have the decency to think about blood status!"
The Slytherin table commenced their murmurs. They knew what Emilia was talking about. She was talking about the rise of the Dark Lord. The tension began to rise but the other houses began making noise again. Emilia sighed in exasperation as she gathered her things and left the Great Hall.
He walked as fast as he could specifically because of the emptiness in his growling belly. He was starving. But he knew that Severus Snape had something to say.
Draco Malfoy knocked on the potions professor's office door and entered without waiting for a complete response.
"Sir, you wanted to see me?"
"Yes, Draco, please have a seat. I won't waste much of your time as I am aware of your mounting appetite," Snape explained, barely acknowledging the pale boy as he took a seat opposite him. Snape looked up and took time to notice the bags under Draco's eyes and the dark outfit he was wearing.
"You look worn out," Snape muttered.
"Well, of course, considering the fact that you put me in Occlumency training all semester after my parents disowned me but other than that, I'm fine."
Snape nodded and pulled out a potion. "Take this, it will calm you." Draco obeyed and drank down the potion, immediately relaxing his mind before waiting for Snape to continue.
"I'm sure you didn't call me here to talk about my welfare."
"No, Draco. I called you here to tell you that this summer is going to be different at Spinner's end. Dumbledore has given me a task to complete and you are going to help me." Draco perked up at the last part.
"What's this about?"
"A student at Hogwarts has been living a lie for fifteen years. Even that student is unaware of this lie."
"A lie, you say?"
"Don't get too excited, Draco. This student has been under a glamour charm but Dumbledore has asked me to, how do you say it, tell the truth and this summer is where you pay the student a visit and bring them to Spinner's end." Draco smirked. "She was being protected from the Dark Lord and now, Mr. Potter has to find out as well. Don't ask any more questions; I've detained you more than enough." This was the cue to leave.
Draco stood up and nodded before heading off to the Great Hall. Hunger overwhelmed him but as soon as he was at the threshold of the entrance, two certain housemates caught his eye – Parkinson and Walker. "…And you still have the decency to think about blood status!" Emilia exclaimed. Draco watched as she gathered her things and shoved past him without even a hello.
"Mate, did you see that? Walker isn't as tongue-tied as she seems," Blaise Zabini explained.
He noticed Draco slowly making his way to the table, casting a glare at Pansy.
"Can't you give that girl a break? She's been tormented for five years," Draco muttered. Blaise raised an eyebrow then shrugged it off before resuming eating.
Draco sighed and stormed out of the Great Hall, looking for Emilia in hopes to apologize on the house's behalf. He walked around and finally decided to check the Astronomy tower. His suggestion was right as he saw her leaning on her arms as she looked out into the night sky. Her auburn hair cascaded down her back in a swift way as he slowly made his way towards her.
"Uh…Walker?" she froze.
"Go away; I'm in no mood for another bloody argument." Feisty one, he thought.
"Look, Walker, I just wanted to apologize on behalf of my friends. They're still getting used to the ignorance of blood status." She sighed and turned around.
"Whoa, Malfoy, you didn't have to, it would ruin your reputation if anyone saw you here with me, eh?" she said harshly. He raised his eyebrows.
"You…"
"I mean, I'm just a good-for-nothing mudblood who does not belong in this world, especially in Slytherin of all houses, right?" She glared at him before a smirk began forming on her lips. "You know, for a minute there, I felt like committing suicide, but my sharp mind got the better of me."
"Look, I know what you've went through…"
"No you don't! You don't know shit, Malfoy! You can't just come up here and apologize as if it makes everything go away! It doesn't! I wouldn't expect you of all people to understand how I feel! Don't you see? Everybody hates me!"
Draco stared at her for a long moment. After that outburst, he was expecting her to break down and cry but she stood on guard, like a soldier with no twitch of an eye whatsoever. No wonder she was in Slytherin. She knows how to hide her feelings. Draco admired her fearless behavior. "Calm down, Walker, you have no idea what I've been through; I was just trying to help! I'm a changed person! Or maybe you just don't need any friend, even if it were someone like me."
"Yeah, like you would want to be my friend."
"I would, I don't care about blood status anymore." Emilia eyed him suspiciously and fell down to the floor, leaning on her knees. "Can we start over?" he sat beside her hesitantly. Then he turned to her and extended his hand. "I'm Draco Malfoy."
She stared for a while at his outstretched hand, thinking whether he was trying to prank her but thought better. If it were the old Malfoy, he would have pretended to wipe dirt off of him if she merely touched him. "I'm Emilia Walker," she accepted his hand into hers. He smiled slightly at the tiny hand engulfed in his. Draco never really noticed Emilia before but it was his chance to reverse his ways and he took it. Being friends with her would change his outtake on muggle-borns.
Draco stood up and pulled Emilia up with him. "Well, I better get back, I understand if you don't want to go to the Great Hall right now." She nodded in agreement.
"I'll see you later, then," she said, smiling and descending the tower. Draco followed and they parted ways as he was heading back to the Great Hall. He was still starving.
Emilia was heading back to the Slytherin common room. She was still trying to process what just happened in the Astronomy tower. Was Draco really her friend? She unconsciously became lost in her thoughts that she bumped into someone squarely in the chest.
"Oh, urm, sorry," Emilia muttered and walked past them without looking at their faces.
"Hold on, you're the girl who fought with Parkinson earlier," it was the voice of none other than Granger. Emilia nodded and turned around to see the Golden trio. "You're in Slytherin," she added.
"Granger, what do you want from me? I'm really in a bad mood," Emilia mumbled.
"I'm sorry, I can see why, you had a fit with her, but I would like to say that it was bloody great, you stood up for…" Potter's voice trailed off.
"Muggle-borns…yes, of course, I did, I am a muggle-born. I stand up for what I believe is true," Emilia explained.
"I never really noticed you, Walker, I had no idea you were a muggle-born and you're in Slytherin. Pretty odd if you ask me," Grange said. Emilia nodded.
"Yes, quite odd," she locked her eyes on Potter's green ones. As soon as she did so, he closed his eyes and scrunched up his face as if he were in pain. He placed his hand on his forehead and walked away quickly. Emilia looked at Granger and Weasley as they were staring at her confused. "What – ouch!" she exclaimed, feeling a tingling sensation on her left arm. The tingly feeling increased to a burn and Emilia grasped her left arm with her right hand.
"Are you okay?" Weasley asked.
"I'm fine, it was nice meeting you but I have to go now," she replied and ran off, still clutching her left arm tightly.
The Hogwarts express halted as the students arrived on platform 9 ¾. Everyone said their goodbyes before arriving on platform 9 of King's Cross station. Emilia was greeted by her parents as they embraced her in a tight hug. "Oh, Emilia, we've missed you so much!" Linda Walker exclaimed. Emilia smiled half-heartedly and looked around the station. She spotted Granger making her way to her parents. They smiled at each other for a brief moment before turning to their respective families.
"So, what are our plans this summer?" Emilia asked hopefully dragging her trunk to the car behind her parents.
"Sorry, Em, we were so busy we didn't plan anything, you can see friends this holiday," Martin Walker replied. Emilia sighed and nodded. Do I have a choice?
The ride home was uneventful and so was unpacking her things. Emilia fell back on her bed and stared at the ceiling. Two agonizing months, she thought. As she began to drift off, her eyes wandered towards the window and she noticed two flying objects approaching her in the distance. She sat up and rubbed her eyes but the objects were still approaching.
As the objects came closer, she noticed that they were two brooms carrying two people on one and one person on the other. Emilia gasped and pulled open the windows, hoping no one saw them. Bloody Hell, she thought.
"Hey, Walker," Potter whispered.
"Merlin's beard, what are you doing here?"
"Well, we were just off to Diagon alley, but judging by your tone of voice, I don't think we should've come to ask if you would accompany us," Weasley explained. Emilia chuckled.
"That's very nice of you to come, hang on, let me get my broom," Emilia went back into her room, opened her trunk and pulled out her broomstick.
The four of them flew off to Diagon alley, Hermione clutching tightly onto Ron for dear life but the rest enjoying the wind blowing on their faces. Neither said a word until they were safely on the ground and walking. Diagon alley was filled with people on that particular afternoon.
"So, how's Slytherin house?" Hermione asked.
"Well, let me think; it's horrible if you ask me, being called a mudblood and all. I'm a bit of a loner actually," Emilia answered.
"You have no friends?" Ron said incredulously. Emilia thought of Draco but still shook her head. "That must bloody suck."
"We're your friends," Potter – Harry stated. Emilia looked at the three and smiled.
"I'm a Slytherin. You guys are Gryffindors."
"Who cares, Emilia?" Hermione asked. Emilia shrugged.
"Then, sure, we're friend–"
"Wow, Walker, stooping this low to get friends? Why am I not surprised?" Emilia turned to be greeted with cold black eyes up front and grey ones she never noticed before.