Note – Sooo first chapter I guess. I hope you like it! I'm sorry it's a bit short but I was incredibly excited to put it up and see what you guys think. Generally I'm planning on longer chapters. Anyways I hope you enjoy!

-Chapter One-

-Wayfaring Stranger-

The rush of fresh, cool air could not have been more welcoming to Elissa Deroisiers as she stepped down onto the hard pavement of the Hogsmeade station. A smile hung on the corner of her lips as she looked over the flurry of people that swarmed onto the platform. There it was, Hogwarts.

"Home at last," She said under her breath. The summer had been far too long.

"Move it!" Someone huffed behind her and she was pushed forward as someone squeezed past her.

"Sorry!" Her cheeks dusted with a soft pink. Of course, she had stood there way too long but then Elissa turned to see Cormac Mclaggen shoot her a cheeky wink. She rolled her eyes as he laughed. "Nice to see you Liss!"
She shook her head grinning as he was sucked unwillingly into the mass of chatting students and the electric buzz of excitement that shocked the station's air – just like every year.

Shrugging her extra backpack she'd carried on board with her, full of bits and bobs she'd brought back from her mum's in France for the guys, Elissa marched forward into the mass of people. Somewhere to her right she heard the wonderfully familiar voice of Hagrid summoning the first years. Yes. It was much better to be at Hogwarts. It had been one of the hardest summers she'd ever had to live through, obliviate had been the spell hanging about her mind until she'd apparated to King's Cross but now something in her buzzed. Her sixth year at Hogwarts was going to be something special, she could feel it.

"Elissa!"

Elissa paused in her tracks to the carriages, and a grin grew across her face as she recognised the Dublin accent. How could she not? She barely had time to turn as she was met full force by a bone-crushing bear-hug. "Jesus you've gotten smaller mon petit ami."

"Séamus!" She squealed, sure she heard a rib snap. She clutched her rib area as he let her down, and cocked an eyebrow at him.

The boy ...or man by the measure he'd grown….boy-man only laughed at her over-exaggerated pain.

Elissa hit him playfully on the shoulder which only made him laugh harder. Yes, definitely still a boy, She thought as she rolled her eyes. He took her bag despite her arguing – "Yeah, yeah I know womans rights blah blah but here I thought you were injured. Besides I think this blue matches my eyes don't you?"

He bat his eyelashes and Elissa was just short of snorting she laughed so hard. He was such a creep. He swung an arm around her shoulder and she grinned realising how much she'd missed her best friend. They started to follow the crowd toward the thestral pulled carriages. She watched the nearing horse-creatures with an unearthly interest. She vaguely remembered last year's walk to the carriage – she'd been with Luna Lovegood up until she'd climbed in an already full one – you had to be quick with the carriages- Elissa had muttered something stupid about them being beautiful and to her shock Luna had agreed. She wasn't too sure who else could see them as far as she knew it was just Luna, Harry Potter and her. Something in her stomach churned; she was sure a lot more people could see them this year.

"So how've you been?" Séamus said as he stuck his other hand in his pocket, all jokes aside now. "Da took forever to send the letters, muggle post is so bleeding slow."
Elissa's face dropped and she nodded, by Godric Gryffindor she'd never known anything slower than muggle post, especially between Ireland and France.
"Liss?" He asked when she didn't reply.

"Not good," She sighed and crossed her arms across her chest. She really didn't want to talk about it. Not when she'd just escaped everything. The thoughts of her suckish life returned and she pursed her lips trying not to show the upset she felt.

"Home?" He whispered.

Elissa nodded, avoiding his gaze and staring instead at the hundreds of feet that trudged up the hill before them.
He too sighed then squeezed her shoulder. "Ah well," He said and flashed her a light-hearted smile, "Pain in the arse is what parents are."

She nodded unable to ignore the looks they were getting. The truth was Séamus and Elissa had been best friends since first year, but it felt like everyone was just hovering about waiting for them to kiss already. Elissa rolled her eyes, clearly they had forgotten Dean in this equation. Was Elissa the only one who wanted Dean and Séamus together? Plus the topic of their bromance always proved a fool-proof way to annoy the Irish boy. Anyway Séamus was a brother to her, that'd just be weird.

They walked in a comfortable silence, but Elissa could feel the thousands of questions and words lining up behind her lips. After all they had not seen each other all summer. Even though she did have a drawer stuffed with letters from him and her other best friend Neville Longbottom, really they were like each other's own personal fan base, one could never fill a page with a summer's worth of gossip and talk.

"Jeez it's dark," Séamus said after a moment, "Can't they attach lights to the horses or something?"
"Why not the carriages? And they're thestrals not horses, you're not on the farm anymore-"
"Oi, listen here monsieur croissant, I don't live on a farm as you know."
Elissa shook her head and sniggered. He was so easily riled up. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her robe, searching for her wand. Empty.

"Merde!" She groaned and slapped her head. She stopped, pulling Séamus back.

He raised an eyebrow, his blue eyes questioning.

"Err so I left my wand on the seat, damn it I was late to the station and got a crappy compartment at the back. I kind of just chucked my stuff down," Elissa ran her hand down over her face in frustration. She'd have to go back and as a result she'd be late for the feast. Fantastic.

"Eejit, are you sure it's not in the bag?" He said and made to open her bag.

"No!" She said, a bit too loud and snatched her bag off of him.

Séamus stared at her, his expression a little hurt, a little worried. "Right we'll go back to the train then."
Her curtain of midnight black hair shook with her head, "Sorry. No go on, you go get us seats at the table before the first years take up the whole thing and we're left eating in the toilets."

He hesitated, tugging at the top of his robes. "Elissa you shouldn't go on your own…I mean it's dark and y'know, Hogsmeade isn't exactly safe at night."

She slung her bag over her shoulders, her mind focused on the fact her wand, well her dad's wand was potentially about to be lost forever on the train and she would not let that happen. She winked and punched him lightly, her green eyes flashing in the light, "Catch up with Dean and Neville, see you in a minute right?"

He nodded, clearly not happy about it, which she didn't get. Neville had told her stuff about killings and strange things happening, bridges in London collapsing – he'd said it was death eaters, but when she'd asked Séamus if he'd heard anything about it he'd knocked it off as stupid theories, mad men trying to stir things up. Another thing she'd hated about her summer; being stuck in the back end of nowhere in France with no communication with the wizarding world never mind the muggle world had left her feeling communicatively disabled. Either way she had a lot to catch up on. Elissa shot Séamus a last smile before charging back the way they'd come, swerving and diving out of people's way. How long had she until the train left? It was something she'd never actually considered in all her six years at Hogwarts. As the people dwindled to none she began to hear her heart drum it beat so hard. Dad's wand, she kept thinking. She could not miss the train.

Elissa cried, slipping in a patch of mud but she managed to catch her balance at the last minute. She should have stopped running after that, fast movements in pumps were never a good idea. The trees cleared and she could see the train, lights off below in the station. Elissa knew she was on a one way ticket to falling and really hurting herself yet she kept going. She shot past two giggling girls – bloody Pansy Parkinson and some other Slytherin who shouted something Elissa assumed was an insult as she narrowly avoided knocking them over.

"Hey Elissa heard about your dear daddy, he deserves it!" The two girls snickered, then she heard Pansy call out again; "Running home are we? Too ashamed to face your perfect Gryffindor's?"

"Sod off!" She shouted back, then grit her teeth as the girls cackled. Elissa forced herself to march on towards the train instead of after them. How could she hex them if she didn't have a wand? Her cheeks burned and she bit her lip, the pain that she'd become accustomed to tugged at her heart.

Elissa had, unknowingly to herself, slowed down in her rage and mortification. She forced herself to pick up the pace, the icy air cutting her throat making it hurt to breathe. Perhaps she'd ran unnecessarily fast at first.
She glanced behind as she made it back onto the now empty platform, the two girls had moved into the shadows of the tree canopy.

Thump! Elissa was knocked off her feet, her head smacking off the pavement.

Someone cursed, the noise ringing in her head. It felt like she was being thrown around in her head. Elissa opened her eyes, the platform spinning and blurry.

Fine, black, male shoes started past her but the sound stopped. Elissa tried to listen to what was going on – what had even just happened? Her head throbbed.

The feet retreated to standing in front of her and she turned her head around. Her insides froze as she spotted the white blonde hair. Everything returned to focus as he muttered something and the pain in her head subsided.

Then he grabbed her hand and pulled Elissa up to her feet. He eyed her for a minute, doing a check over like Madame Pomfrey would when Elissa tried to skip class by faking sick. She winced as the grey orbs that were his eyes met her gaze and the corner of his mouth twitched.
She opened her mouth, ready to ask him but he removed his hand from hers and glancing quickly at the train behind them, drilled forward towards the castle without a word.

Elissa stared after him, moving her hand to her head which had pounded moments after she had run right into him. Idiot, she thought to herself. She had needed to talk to him and now she'd bloody ruined it. How would she talk to him now? Elissa had never given him a reason to hate her other than being a Gryffindor and to be honest, she'd never been overly fond of Malfoy either but the situation with his dad…the situation with her dad. He'd know. He'd know everything she wasn't allowed know.
She watched helplessly as he disappeared along with the path into the trees. She furrowed her brow, he seemed as if he was trying to put space between the train and himself. Had he done something wrong? And since when had he ever healed a Gryffindor? Granted a tainted one as far as Gryffindor's go but she'd ran into him – it was a perfect excuse for the Slytherin to take out his house hate on her, hex her or something?

Elissa shook her unhurt head and climbed onto the train, making a bee-line for the compartment she'd been in. This really wasn't the good start she'd planned on.

Note – Yeah so please let me know what you think! I will pay you in internet love and eternal adoration if you review your thoughts! Feedback is my bitch :D

I have lots of pain and fun planned for this fanfic so hope you like it and stick with it xxxx