I don't own Harry Potter, just the OCs you see dotted throughout the story!
Chapter 1- Friends Are Made
Girlish laughter rang through the Nightshade household as 11 year old Ruby Nightshade ran downstairs with her older twin brothers following behind her. Ruby's jet black hair was already falling out of the plait her mother had done for her that morning and her blue eyes were alight with mischief as she jumped on the banister and slid down to the bottom of the stairs.
"Hurry up Marcus, Sebastien!" Ruby called up to her brothers who were following her down the stairs.
"We aren't going to miss the train Ruby," Marcus told her as he and his twin took a slower pace behind her.
"Yeah relax a bit, Hogwarts isn't that great I don't know why you are so excited about it!" Sebastien joked running a hand through his spikey black hair.
Ruby looked at her brothers, mouth agape "You are joking right, I've been waiting to go to Hogwarts since you and Mar went 3 years ago!"
"Relax little sister, we know you sat up all night on your 11th birthday waiting for your letter to arrive," Sebastien laughed.
"Yeah and Mum wasn't very impressed when you fell asleep at breakfast to then miss said owl!" Marcus adding in with his own laughter.
"Marcus, Sebastien stop teasing your sister," their mum told them on her way out of the family dining room.
Connie Nightshade was like her youngest daughter in many ways. They had the same black curly hair when loose and shared the same expressive blue eyes. However, the Nightshade matriarch was much calmer than her youngest daughter who could often be found climbing trees or playing Quidditch in the gardens of their family home.
"Now, now dear the boys were only having a laugh," Apollo Nightshade admonished jokingly "Now where is Emerald we don't want to be late!"
Ruby pulled a face, her and her oldest sibling had never really gotten along much. While Ruby was very much a tom boy who liked to rough house with her brothers and play pranks, Emerald Nightshade was the complete opposite. She had inherited her mother's quite nature but much to Ruby's dismay her sister has also picked up the pureblood snobbery from her father's side of the family. Now her father Apollo had almost been disowned from the Nightshade family due to him marrying Connie who was a half-blood not a pure blood, this in turn made it difficult for the four siblings to get on with their other family members. Emerald had changed her mannerisms as a child to fit into the pureblood society and therefore when Ruby went against all pureblood ideals and behaviours Emerald had decided her sister wasn't the kind of person she wanted to be seen with.
"I'm here father," Emerald announced from atop of the stairs. She was already wearing her Slytherin robes with her new prefect badge pinned to her black and green robes. Her blonde hair was tied her up in a neat bun and her green eyes were already glaring at her younger siblings.
"Very good, now have we got everything and everyone here we can set off," their father announced jovially.
Ruby took hold of her trunk in one hand and grabbed onto her mother's arm tightly with the other. She took one last look at her home trying to memorise every detail she could, the big oak front door, the spiral staircase that she always slid down wen running from her brothers and then the many family portraits that hung throughout the front hallway. Her mother moved to grab a tighter hold of her youngest daughter before reaching over to grab Emerald tightly as well before the Nightshade family apparated out of their family home with a pop.
The family reappeared on a train platform that to muggles would appear very strange indeed. Children and teenagers running around greeting each other in robes, owls hooting from inside massive cages, cats hissing at people, the odd toad hopping around with their owners chasing after them and then the strangest thing of all were the families either running through a brick wall or appearing out of thin air. Ruby however wasn't fazed in the slightest she had been with her parents each year to drop off her siblings, but this year was different, this was the year she herself would be riding on the train for the first time! The Hogwarts Express was already being filled with students and Ruby's father was already ushering her twin brothers towards one of the train's doors her sister quickly following behind them. Ruby looked up at her mother nervously.
"Mum," she said in a shaky voice.
"Yes, darling what is it?" Connie asked quickly noticing her child's distressed look.
"I know most of our family are in Slytherin and Ravenclaw, but what if I don't get in either?" Ruby whispered.
"Both your Father and I will love you regardless of what house you get in," her Mother reassured her "Now hurry up and go find a compartment you don't want to sit with your brothers now do you?"
Ruby laughed hugging her Mother tightly before running off after her siblings and Father dragging her trunk behind her. Connie laughed shaking her head at her daughter before following her daughter through the growing crowd of people on the platform. When Connie caught up with her family it was to see that her oldest daughter was already hugging her husband goodbye.
"Father I must go, I said I would meet my…friends before I head off to the prefects compartment," Emerald was telling him.
"You aren't going before I get hug," Connie said grabbing hold of Emerald and hugging her tightly.
"Just let her go Mom she obviously doesn't want to be seen with us," Marcus sneered glaring at his older sister. Ruby and Sebastien nodding along with their brother's statement.
"Now, now Marcus she is your sister. And Emerald I need you to keep an eye…" Apollo started to say before realising that his oldest child had already walked off. Apollo shook his head sadly "What are we going to do with that girl?"
Ruby was about to answer when the train let out a warning whistle. The twins gave their mother one last hug and a kiss on the cheek before jumping on the train. Ruby was grabbed by both her parents and given the biggest hug she had ever received.
"Now you behave and no pranking," Apollo said winking at her. Ruby grinned widely at the pair and jumped on the train shutting the doors behind her. Just as she closed the doors the train started to pull out of the station.
"Have a good term you three, we love you!" their mother cried waving at them widely tears slowly running down her face. The train gathered speed quickly and finally the Nightshade children couldn't see their parents any longer.
"Right little sister we are off to find David and Sam we will see you later," Sebastien announced before the twins wondered off in search of their other Ravenclaw friends.
Ruby sighed heavily and grabbed her trunk tightly in one hand before making her way down the train in search for a compartment. She walked down the train for a good 5 minutes before she found a reasonably empty compartment that was only housing two boys who looked around her own age. She slid the door open and cleared her throat making her presence known.
"Erm, do you mind if I sit in here everywhere else is already quite full?" she asked nervously.
"Yeah go right ahead there's plenty of room," one boy with messy black hair, hazel eyes and glasses said smiling widely at her "I'm James Potter by the way who might you be?"
Ruby smiled slightly back at James "I'm Ruby Nightshade it's nice to meet you, and who is your friend?" she asked looking at the other blacked haired boy who had grey eyes.
"I'm Sirius Black, I thought I recognised you from somewhere you and your family always go to the Malfoy's Christmas balls and other events," Sirius stated.
Ruby wrinkled her nose moving to the luggage rack to put her trunk away "Yeah sadly we do, my grandmother was a Malfoy before she married my grandfather,"
"Well so far you don't sound like the other Nightshades in your family so I think we will get on just fine," Sirius said winking cheekily at her.
"And you don't seem as psychotic as the other Blacks I know so that's ok," Ruby laughed.
The two boys laughed with her and it wasn't long before they all started talking about Quidditch.
"Oh come off it James, the Holyhead Harpies are a much better team and when I join them as I chaser there will be no stopping them," Ruby argued
"But Puddlemore United have won more trophies than the Harpies and Cannons put together," James argued back.
Before Sirius could put across his point the door of their compartment opened again this time to reveal a red headed girl and a hooked nose greasy haired boy.
"Do you mind we sit in here, some of the older students weren't being very nice to us both," the red headed girl inquired "I'm Lily Evans by the way and this is my friend Severus Snape."
"Yeah that's fine with me," James replied dreamily.
Ruby looked across at her new friend and almost burst into laughter at the look on James face. She nudged Sirius with her elbow and nodded her head at James. Unlike Ruby who controlled her laughter Sirius didn't. The sound of his friend laughter soon shook James out of his love induced trance. Lily and Snape were giving the three 11 year olds strange looks and when Lily inquired as to what was the matter Ruby waved her off.
"It really doesn't matter, I'm Ruby by the way and this is Sirius, the spaced out boy is James but ignore him I think he might have slight brain damage!" Ruby said.
"I do not have brain damage!" James shouted in protest.
"Well I can at least say you won't be in Ravenclaw James," Ruby laughed "My brother and mom are way smarter than you,"
"Well I'm bound to be in Slytherin like the rest of my family," Sirius said sadly.
"Well you seem pretty un Slytherin like to me," James stated forcefully "You aren't that bad!"
"And what house do you want to be in?" Sirius asked with a slight smile.
"Gryffindor of course, where the brave dwell at heart, just like my dad," James answered proudly sticking out his chest.
From the corner of the room Snape snorted at James statement. Ruby, Sirius and James were quick to turn and glare at the hooked nose boy.
"Did you have something to say Snape," Ruby sneered
"Why would anyone want to be brawny when they could have brains," Snape sneered back at her.
"Of which you have neither," Sirius laughed with Ruby snorting in agreement.
Lily huffed at the three friends before grabbing Snape's hand and pulling him up "Come on Severus let's find another Compartment," and with that the pair stormed out of the compartment.
"I will see you soon Lily Flower!" James shouted after the pair.
Ruby and Sirius yet again burst into laughter. "I have a feeling this is the start of a beautiful friendship!" Ruby announced smiling brightly at the two boys.
The rest of their journey continued uneventfully with the only excitement taking part when the trolley came around and the group brought a few of everything to share between them all. Ruby and James talked about their families with Ruby going into detail about the pranks she had pulled on her older sister with her brother's help. Sirius mentioned his younger brother briefly while James talked about all the things he had done with his parents as he was an only child. The journey passed quickly for the new group of friends and it wasn't long before they were changing into their new uniforms and were pulling into Hogsmede station.
"Well boys heres to our first year!" Ruby said as they climbed off the train.
Well here's my new story! I hope you like it so far I feel so much better about this one already! Does anyone have any ideas about what house Ruby is going to be in? Think it's pretty obvious to be honest! I have an idea about where I want to go with this story and I will begin to write the next chapter as soon as possible! Thanks for reading
Kelly xxx