A small girl stood with a group of eleven year olds waiting to be sorted into their houses at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. When her name was called, she silently walked up to the stool and sat with the hat on her head. The entire hall sat silently waiting for the word to spill from the hat of where this girl would be for the next seven years. As the minutes passed, many began to worry. It had never taken this long for a student to be placed. Finally the hat yelled out the word that many had been waiting for: SLYTHERIN!
"Move." The one word slipped from between red lips. Even though the girl was only twelve she was already beautiful. Her pale skin contrasted with her dark hair that fell in curls around her face. Her blue eyes were framed by thick lashes and her lips were full. At the moment she was glaring at a group of four boys that were blocking her path. She was clasping the hand of a smaller boy who was the opposite of her in almost every way. The little boy was blonde with brown eyes and while he was still pale he wasn't as pale as the girl.
One of the boys in the group sneered at her and her green robes. "Why should we Strauss?" One of the boys in the group, however, was looking at her wishing things could be different. Wishing that she didn't come from one of the oldest pureblood families in the country. Wishing that he wasn't what he was. Wishing she didn't wear the green on her robes.
"Black get out of my way." This sentence came out as more of growl. When none of the boys moved, the girl muttered a spell that caused the boys of fly to the walls. With her head held high the girl walked by pulling the boy along with her. "See Matthew, some people just don't have manners."
After brushing themselves off the four boys walked into their compartment on the train. The boy that had spoken in the hall, Sirius Black, flopped onto one of the seats and groaned. "Fuck Evelyn Strauss. Who does she think she is?"
"She was just trying to get through." Remus Lupin, a sandy blonde haired boy with hazel eyes, mumbled.
"She could have gotten around us. Why do you always defend her Moony?" Sirius looked at his friend with an eyebrow raised. Remus shrugged.
"I think you pick on her and she doesn't always deserve it." Remus whispered. The other two boys in the compartment, James Potter and Peter Petergriew, were watching the discussion like it was a ping-pong game.
"Doesn't deserve it? Do you know who her family is? They're pureblood fanatics. Think they're better just because of their blood. Wouldn't be surprised if they were bloody death eaters. And she's in Slytherin so she's just like them."
"How do you know? She could be different from them. You're different from your family."
"Yea well I haven't seen her do anything different from her family. Her brother she was tagging along will probably be just like her." With that Sirius ended the conversation on Evelyn Strauss. The boys spent the remainder of the train ride playing games and discussing pranks they would pull that year.
"Remember I love you no matter what." Evelyn hugged her brother before pushing him off towards the boats that the first years rode. Turning she found a carriage with some of the other students from her house. She didn't speak on the ride up; she wasn't very fond of any of the classmates she was forced to live with. She spent most of her time silent while she was at school. She followed her housemates and sat at the Slytherin table waiting for the sorting ceremony to begin. She was more excited for this day than she had been for her own sorting. She had known where she would end up, it was inevitable. But her little brother was different. HE would be the one to get out of their crazy family. HE would be the one shining thing in her life.
Soon the first years filed into the room. Evelyn watched as Matthew crossed the hall and waited for his name to be called. She was practically bouncing out of her seat when his name was finally called. The sorting hat was barely on his head before it yelled out "GRYFINDOR!" The hall was quiet as he walked to the table, except for Evelyn. Evelyn had jumped out of her seat and was cheering as her brother walked to a better life.
"Behave yourself this year young lady. We don't want any more…..embarrassments this year do we?" My mother said sparing my brother a glare when she said embarrassment. I wanted to roll my eyes but I didn't. I just briefly nodded my head. Holding my head high I swiftly left my mother and boarded the train. This year I was going to be a sixth year and a prefect. My parents were thrilled. Well, thrilled in their way. My brother followed behind me without as much as a glance at our mother. Once the train started moving, we found a compartment together. I slumped into a seat and rolled my shoulders.
"Being stuck up really puts knots in your shoulders." I said smiling for the first time since we left school last year. Matthew laughed as he lounged in the seat across from me.
"I'm glad you can pull your head out of your ass now." He smiled and putting his hands behind his head, leaned back against the window. I smacked him on the arm before pulling out my book to read. Before long though, an annoyance walked into our peaceful compartment.
"Sup Matt! Strauss." Sirius Black barely looked at me before slinging his arm around Matthew and doing some weird guy welcome thing. I rolled my eyes as the rest of the Marauders filled up the compartment.
"How was your summer?" James asked. I tried to tune out the rest of their discussion. However, like usual, it didn't work. With a sigh I gathered my things and headed for the door.
"E where are you going?" Matthew asked. I looked at him and rolled my eyes.
"As much as I would love to sit here with you and your little blood traitor friends I have better things to do with my time." I then turned and walked down to the prefects compartment. I had a meeting here later anyway so I might as well sit here and read.
"God Matt your sister is a bitch with a capital b." Sirius said glaring at the door where Evelyn had just stood.
"Don't talk about my sister." Matt growled out.
"I really don't know how you deal with her though. I thought Regulus was bad." Sirius said.
"I said drop it Sirius." Matt said.
"He's right though Matt. We've been in classes with her for six years and I don't think I've ever seen her smile." James said trying to put a serious thinking face on.
"You guys don't know her." Matt whispered.
"Don't know her? I don't need to know her. She's a blood purist and she has a stick up her ass. That's all I need to know." Sirius said putting his feet up on the seat across from him.
"My sister has put up with more shit and has done more for me than anyone else in the world. So say one more thing about her and I will make sure it's the last thing you say." Matt said holding his wand out ready to fight. James and Sirius held up their hands giving up.
"Calm down man. Sorry." Sirius grinned. "Even if she is evil at least she's hot." Matt punched him in the arm. No one noticed Remus's hands clench into fists.
"Hey Remus you got made prefect? So did Evelyn." Matt said smiling noticing the badge on Remus's robes. Remus felt his heart stop.
"Uh….yea. Actually I have to go to the meeting now." Remus almost sprinted out of the compartment to head to the prefect compartment.
"Hello Evelyn." I looked up from my book to see the other Slytherin prefect enter the compartment. His name is Anthony Dunn and he would be attractive if he wasn't so…..how do I say this nicely? Terrible. He's mediocre in class and he's awful to talk to. He thinks he's a gift to women.
"Hello Anthony." I said trying to return to reading my book. No such luck.
"You're looking lovely as ever. Have a nice summer?" Anthony sat as close as he could without actually touching me. I forced a grin onto my face.
"As nice of a summer as you can have when you have a blood traitor for a brother and have to share a house with him." Anthony smiled at me and put his hand on my knee.
"I'm sorry you have to put up with that." He squeezed my knee and I grimaced. "I'm excited for this chance to work together. Now we can get closer." He moved closer. My heartbeat was starting to pick up. I didn't like how close he was getting or the look in his eyes. But just when I thought I was going to have to reach for my wand, the door opened and in walked Remus Lupin.
"What do you want Lupin?" Anthony said glaring at the intruder. I slid away from him trying to steady my heart.
"The meeting is going to start soon." Was Lupin's quiet reply. He walked in and sat across from me. Anthony once again slid up to me and this time he put his arm around my shoulders. I rolled my eyes behind my book. Soon the rest of the prefects filed in and the meeting started. We talked about the rules and how patrols would work. Then before the meeting was called to an end the Head Boy and Girl read off the list of partners.
"This is the person you'll be patrolling with this year. Unless a change needs to be made for a serious reason, these are permanent so don't try to switch." The Head Boy said giving us all stern looks. "We'll be patrolling together." He said pointing to himself and the Head Girl. "Then Dunn will be with Flowers." The Ravenclaw girl prefect groaned at her luck. "Evans is with Jordan." The Gryffindor girl prefect and the Hufflepuff boy smiled at each other. "Rivers and Phillips." The Hufflepuff girl and the Ravenclaw boy nodded at each other. "And finally Lupin and Strauss." I looked over at Remus. He looked like he was having trouble breathing. I gave him a weird look but then shook my head. It was probably nothing.
I couldn't believe my luck. Evelyn Strauss was going to be my patrolling partner for the whole year. I know my friends have never liked her, but I see things they don't see. I've seen her stop to help a scared first year lost in the dungeons. I've seen her help her brother with something he doesn't understand on homework. And I remember her cheering for him when he was sorted into Gryffindor. I knew she was different.
I was thinking about all of this as I was walking back to the compartment when I felt someone tap on my shoulder. I spun around and came face to face with my crush. Evelyn stood there, her curls falling perfectly around her shoulders. I must have stood there with a goofy look on my face because she coughed and shuffled her feet before I snapped out of it and cleared my throat.
"Yes Strauss?" I stammered out.
"Look I wanted to thank you for coming in when you did. I know you didn't mean to but you kind of saved me from Dunn. And I wanted you to know, I know you probably think I'm horrible but I'll try to be nice since your friends with my brother." She gave me a half smile and held her hand out. I shook her hand and pulled it away quickly from the electricity that flowed through my body. She must have felt it too, because her cheeks seemed to redden.
"But….uh….don't think I like you blood traitor. We're not friends." A glare returned to her face and she swiftly turned and went back to the compartment. A small smile tugged at my lips. This was going to be an interesting year.