A/N: Alright so I took this idea from another story and I'm making it my own. There's gonna be different things I'm sure of it. Our stories have already started out much different. Hopefully you guys like this. :)
Disclaimer: I only own the plot. And some characters you may not recognize :)
Chapter One
The Train
Cassie looked at the window, watching the rolling hills of Scotland float by. She subconsciously brought her hand up to touch her hair, softly touching the French braid that held her hair together. Things were going by too fast, just last year she had turned 5 and was barely half her older brother's size. But now she was 11, going off to Hogwarts, and growing up more quickly than she could ever have imagined. She took a deep breath and silently let it all flow out of her. It was so beautiful in Scotland. Her parents almost bought a home in Scotland, but decided France or Italy would probably be a better choice. They knew their kids would be living in Scotland at Hogwarts, and would probably want different scenery when they came home or went on vacation even. Cassie started to think about what life at Hogwarts would be like. She had never seen the castle before, she only knew what it was like from what her older brother had said about it. She started imagining what things would look like, what house she got sorted into, who her friends would be, and was lost deep in her own thoughts. She didn't hear the compartment door open and was accompanied by another girl for awhile before she noticed.
Cassie looked over at the girl and nearly jumped out of her skin. "HOLY CRAP!" She screamed. The girl seemed unperturbed, if anything, she seemed amused at Cassie's reaction to her apparently sudden appearance. "Where the hell did you come from!" Cassie gasped clutching her chest and breathing heavily. The other girl grinned even more and waited until Cassie was a little bit more calm to start talking.
"My name's Victoria. I came in a few minutes ago and you were staring out the window." She said simply. She didn't say why she came in, she just came in, and sat down. Cassie looked at her oddly, but knew there was no point in figuring out witches. They were all crazy in their own way.
"I'm Cassie. You're a first year here right?" Cassie asked hoping that she didn't sit in the Seventh Years compartment. Her brother said that some people were extremely territorial. Victoria shook her head, but smiled. For a moment Cassie thought she was about to get kicked out of the compartment.
"I'm a second year. But I hate my year. They're all idiots. Did you hear they're bringing back the Triwizard Tournament this year?" Victoria asked. I was a little confused and she registered the confusion on my face. "Are you muggle born?" She asked me, her voice a little concerned. I shook my head and told her I was pure blood. She smiled, but not the whole I-hate-mudbloods-Glad-you're-not kind of smile. "There were troubles the year before my first year here with Muggle borns. You don't know what the Triwizard Tournament is?" She asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"I know what it is, but I heard it's like extremely dangerous. And it's hard for me to believe that Dumbledore would actually allow it back at his castle. I think someone managed to coerce him to do it. Or he's got some big rule about who can and can't enter into it." Cassie said trying to remember the last time she saw the older man. Most people believed that her parents were followers of Voldemort, but Cassie begged to differ. Her parents were as wholesome as the Potters. They were pure blooded, yes, but their reputations had been smothered by her Aunt's actions. She scowled thinking about her aunt and thanked Merlin that she was in Azkaban.
"I don't know. But I think it'll be a lot of fun. What house are you hoping to get into?" Victoria asked, Cassie shrugged.
"Everyone in my family was in Slytherin. But I want to break that mold. I kind of want to be in Ravenclaw. Or Gryffindor. My parents used to care, but since Harry Potter came back, they've told me and my brother that we should break the house boundaries and get along with our classmates. Regardless of blood status and house." Cassie wasn't really sure where she wanted to go. She didn't have any rebellious feelings towards being in Slytherin, and she definitely didn't have any problem with Gryffindor.
Victoria looked at her thoughtfully. "I'm in Ravenclaw. It's alright there. I think you'd be better suited for Gryffindor. You seem smart and all, but you also seem kind and courageous, which is just what they want over there." She said before looking out the window. She seemed to recognize the scenery because she smiled and looked back at Cassie.
"Are we close to the school?" Cassie asked, looking hopefully out the window. Victoria laughed and shook her head. Cassie then noticed her hair. It was a beautiful auburn color that flowed in waves down her back. Her eyes were dark blue and her skin was bronze. Cassie thought she looked like some kind of Greek Goddess.
"No, I just always love this part of the train ride. It's always beautiful in this area." She said watching the rolling hills in the distance. Cassie saw what she meant. Everything looked so beautiful. So untouched by the harmful hands of man. Cassie stared in awe, and neither girl really noticed the door opening.
"What are you two staring at?" Cassie jumped and spun around to face the new comer. It was another girl, a tall red headed girl. She seemed to smile, but had this dangerousness about her. Cassie wasn't scared of her, but she was weary of the wand in her pocket.
"The scenery. Nice to see you, Gin. Cassie, this is Ginny, she's one of my good friends. Ginny, this is Cassie." Victoria said pointing at the appropriate persons. Cassie and Ginny exchanged hellos and Cassie went back to looking out the window. There was something mesmerizing about the landscape. "She's a first year. And I think we might be able to break her family of their all Slytherin streak with this one!" Victoria said laughing. Ginny sat down next to her friend and watched the scenery like the other two.
"Good, there's too many pure bloods in Slytherin anyway. Of course, we can't choose your house for you, you know that right?" Ginny asked looking at Cassie. She nodded and smiled.
"I don't want to be in Slytherin. My older brother is there and it'll keep him on his toes if I'm in another house." She said smiling and laughing. Cassie looked back out the window as the girls started talking about some professor or another.
"Did she ever tell you her last name?" Ginny asked, weary of whatever Slytherin she might possibly be related to. Though by the looks of her it wasn't anyone important. Plus she hadn't been all snide about Ginny being a Weasley nor had she seemed stuck up. So Ginny wasn't all that concerned.
"No. I didn't give her my last name either though." Victoria said shrugging and searching in her bags for a book. Ginny smiled at her careless friend.
"Well why don't we find out. Hey, Cassie?" Ginny said, trying to get the attention of the young girl. Ginny decided at that moment to really take in this new girl. The way she was acting, and the way Victoria seemed to be acting towards her, made it seem that this would not be the last time Ginny would see Cassie. Her hair was quite the dark brown. It was nearly black. Her skin tone was pale, but seemed to go quite well with her. Her eyes were a soft silver color, and her face had this statuesque look about it. Like it was chiseled out of marble. Ginny thought Cassie looked familiar, but she shook the feeling. Ginny had probably seen her brother around.
"Yes?" Cassie said, not looking away from the window. She was extremely curious about where they were going and what they were surrounded by. Her older brother had told her that the ride to and from Hogwarts was always a bore and although the scenery was quite lovely, watching it wouldn't suffice for the whole trip.
"What's your last name?" Ginny asked glancing over at Victoria, before turning to look at the first year. Cassie looked over at Ginny, uncertainty written on her face. But before she could open her mouth to answer, the compartment door slammed open for the third time. Standing in the door way, was none other than our favorite Ferret, Draco Malfoy. Victoria nearly swooned at the sight of him, but Ginny glared at him. He looked down at Ginny and smirked that odd little smirk of his. "Bugger off, Malfoy." Ginny nearly growled at the blonde.
"Weaselette. Must you be so cruel. Now, now, let's not use foul language in front of the first year. Corrupting them can wait til after they're sorted." Draco drawled lazily. Then he took a good look at Cassie, and nodded in acknowledgment. She nodded back, a small smile on her lips. Much to Ginny's displeasure, Draco sat down on the seat across from her.
"How are you liking things so far, Cassie?" Draco asked, talking directly to the first year he sat next to. She didn't blush or stutter or anything, which made Ginny very suspicious. She told Malfoy about everything that had happened, and was nearly acting like a young girl giddy about some shiny new object as she began to explain the scenery. Ginny nearly gagged when Malfoy chuckled, and was shocked when she saw an actual smile on his face.
"Yah, but you're probably getting bored with it, aren't you?" He said watching the window as he said it. Cassie followed his eyes and shook her head.
"It changes every moment. Every time you look out it's a different view. How's your mission to avoid Pansy going?" She asked looking back at Malfoy. This is where Ginny had to intervene. Something was going on here and it was starting to freak her out. Since when was Malfoy nice to anyone?
"Ok, hold up. What's going on here?" Ginny asked looking between the two across from her. Victoria stayed quite silent but watched with amusement at the trio of people. Malfoy looked at Ginny, his expression hard to read. He was in a state of confusion while slightly amused at her utter confusion. However, Cassie did not seem to notice anything.
"Well, I'm talking with Draco about how the train ride is going, and asking him if he's still making good on the dare I gave him." Cassie said looking straight at Ginny. She seemed unable to comprehend exactly what was going on. Malfoy looked at Ginny and started laughing. Which caused a Molly Weasley glare to head straight for him. He shut up pretty quickly.
"How do you know Malfoy?" Ginny asked in a low, dangerous voice. Cassie shrugged.
"He's my brother."
