All characters from Harry Potter belonged to J.K. Rowling. hmpf. I'm jealous.
Chapter One:Scorpions and Rabbits
"Oy, Senna, there you are! Crikey, we've been up and down all over the place!" James Potter exclaimed loudly as he strode through the portrait into the Gryffindor common room, followed closely by his brother Albus and his sister Lily, and Hugo and Rose Weasley. "Bloody wore myself out, I did."
Senna blinked her eyes a few times and smiled, as she set down her quill and stood up. "Sorry." She murmured. "Had to finish up my essay for Transfiguration." With her usual ghost of a smile, she let herself be swept up in a warm hug by James, who tugged briefly on her waist-length braid before throwing himself onto a nearby armchair.
"Well." He announced to the room in general. "I'm just about ready to hex old Scorpius Malfoy. Proud little bugger, isn't he just? Walks around stiff as a peacock, even though his old dad wouldn't be around anymore if it weren't for mine, and the rest of his bloodlines filled with Death Eaters and murdering louts." Too late, he caught himself and snapped his mouth shut, looking for all the world like a deer caught in headlights. Rose, Hugo, Lily and Albus all stared at him with identical murderous expressions on their faces, but everyone was careful not to look at Senna.
Senna bit her lip, and her eyebrows rose higher and higher on her forehead as she watched everyone examine the carpet and the walls as if they had never seen them before. Seconds ticked by, until finally she exhaled in sudden annoyance and swept past the group.
"I didn't even know him, alright?" She snapped angrily as she pushed open the portrait and climbed out. "Bloody well get over it!" She hurled over her shoulder at their shocked faces, and then scurried away.
Senna fumed silently for a number of minutes, not concentrating on where her feet were taking her. She had been treated like that for practically her entire life, enduring sideways looks and hastily polished-over conversations when visiting Harry and Ginny's home, or even Ron and Hermione's for that matter. Not to mention the fact that Hugo and Roses grandmother burst into tears and hurried from the room anytime she caught sight of Senna, or that her uncle George never said a word to her.
But there was always resentment. Resentment that her closest friends had fathers, and didn't have to live with a shroud of sadness following her wherever she went. It just wasn't fair, she told herself as she marched on. Nothing was.
Abruptly she stopped. As she surveyed the corridor before her, a ripple of chills ran over her skin. Moving as if in a dream, she reached out to run a hand over the slightly charred door in front of her, knowing that all that lay beyond were piles of ash and twisted shelves and knick-knacks, and somewhere in those ashes were the burnt remains of one foolish Slytherin boy, the son of a Death Eater.
Forcing herself to turn away from the door, she continued on a few feet to the statue that stood only a few feet away down the wall.
"Hello, Dad." She breathed as she reached out to touch the laughing face of the bust, who even as stone, still conveyed the mischievous twinkle of Fred Weasleys eyes, and the little dimple folded in the corners of his smiling mouth.
"Smooth jaw. Long neck, mischievous eyes, dimples…and the hair. She is Fred's daughter, all right…" Said Arthur Weasley to Katie Bell, who had a hand protectively on her ten-year-old daughters shoulder.
With a wistful smile, Katie had nodded. "I only wish she had got to meet him", said Katie. Arthur nodded understandingly, keeping his eyes trained on her face as she unconsciously twisted the engagement band that she had worn for almost eleven years.
Senna lowered her eyes to the small plaque under the bust of her father, which said, " Here died a Hero who dared to raise his wand against the forces of evil and sacrifice himself for the welfare of the Wizarding Community."
It was impersonal, she thought, tears rising unbidden to her eyes, which she hastily brushed away. It didn't say what really mattered, that he was a loved son and brother, and could have been a devoted husband and father. That his goal was to own and operate a joke shop with his twin.
"What are you doing out here?" Senna whipped her head to the side to see a tall blonde boy step out of the shadows. Hastily she stepped away from the sculpture and turned to him.
"I…uh…nothing. I was…just, taking a walk." She stammered, and then trailed off into awkward silence. She knew that a fiery blush was spreading across her cheeks and this fact irritated her to no end.
He smirked slightly, and after leisurely assessing her face, he strode over to the bust and turned his critical eye upon it. Senna watched his head tilt, and the arrogant expression about his features gradually faded to be replaced by confused surprise. She saw his eyes dart down to the plaque, skimming over the words there, then flick to her face. He saw the similarity immediately, Senna gathered as she bit her lip.
"Who is this?" He asked carefully, icy blue eyes searching her face as though he already knew the answer. Levelly, she lifted her chin and fixed him with her best steely glare.
"He was my father."
"Ah." The boy seemed at a loss for words, and in the space of the awkward silence that followed, she happened to notice the crest on the front of his robes.
A Slytherin.
Startled, Senna catalogued his features more carefully, taking in the platinum blonde hair, the strong nose, the light blue eyes, and the seemingly arrogant set of his face.
"You're Scorpius Malfoy, aren't you." It was a statement, not a question, as Senna drew herself up with an imperious look.
He cocked a pale brow at her tone, and returned with, "and you're a Weasley."
After the initial round of identifying each other, neither really knew what to say. Seconds ticked by.
"Our families hate each other, you know." He felt the need to point out.
"I'm aware." She said frostily, and they lapsed back into silence. Senna was just about to turn on her heel and go, when Scorpius seemed to come to a decision.
"Well, I can't say I've ever been much in the way of hating someone I don't know. It seems all in all idiotic."
"Well…err…yes, I…agree…" Senna said, blinking furiously at this change in topic. Suddenly, she felt sort of like a deer in headlights.
"I think I ought to just get to know you…so as to…give myself the opportunity to find qualities about you that I detest. Yes. And then both sides win." He said reasonably, nodding with the force of his convictions.
Senna blinked. Scorpius looked down at her with an impish twinkle in his eye, and said, "By your silence, I take it you agree."
"Well, ah…hmm…well, it sounds reasonable." She was forced to concede, a smile threatening to break her face open wide. For all the negative things she had heard about Slytherins, this one was very funny/intelligent/reasonable.
And damned cute, if she did say so herself.
And she did. Say so herself, that is. Anyways.
Scorpius suddenly swept into a deep, comic bow. "Scorpius Phinellus Malfoy, at your detestable Weasley service, madam."
Playing along, Senna sank into a graceful curtsy and bobbed her head. "Senna Charity Weasley-Bell, at your dislikable Malfoy service."
He was laughing as he rose. "There now, since that's all squared away. So, do you go on midnight strolls often?" He asked, but before she could respond, Hugo's head popped around the corner, followed by the suspicious eyes of Rose and Lily. Hardly a second later, James strode around the corner, Albus not a step behind him.
"Oh, there you are. Thought we heard you talking to someone- hang on just a bloody minute, you're talking to Malfoy?!" His hand inched towards where his wand was concealed, as Malfoy responded in kind.
"Where's your sense of familial loyalty?" Rose hissed, as Hugo tutted at her in a way that would have been funny, if it wasn't so annoying.
"James Potter, I take it." Scorpius said, back straight and eyes suddenly hooded.
"And what's it to you?" James demanded, chest puffed out.
"We're not supposed to like you." Piped up Hugo resentfully, glaring at the tall blonde boy.
"Yeah, cause our Mum says Malfoys are nothing but grimy, scum-sucking murderers." Said Lily, every bit as resentful as Hugo.
"Shut up, all of you." Hissed Senna, not catching the furious exchange of words going on behind her between Malfoy and Potter. So busy was she imparting her angry defense on her other friends, that she did not notice wands being swung into the air at the same time, and only had time to turn just as a curse went flying, landing dead-center in her chest.
In a rather theatrical poof of smoke, Senna was gone.
In her place, glaring at the six pairs of astonished eyes, was a very irritated rabbit.
Silence reigned as the stunned children tried to process what had just happened, while James stared in shock at the tip of his wand, and Rose leaned in to scoop up the small black rabbit.
Stroking its soft fur, she turned a disapproving eye on James.
"I can't believe you just turned Senna into a rabbit." She said, holding up the now furious Senna for emphasis. "McGonagalls going to kill you."
"Well." Scorpius was the first to gather himself. "Someone will just have to watch her until the library opens and we can look up an antidote for the spell."
Five children became fascinated with their shoes.
After a prolonged moment of uncomfortable silence, he methodically took Senna from Rose and tucked her protectively into his robes. Without so much as a condemning look, he turned away and strode down the hall, getting lost among the shadows as the group of friends stared after him in surprise and confusion.