AN: This is a future fic, that has to do with the kids of our
heroes/heroines/enemies. Alot of changes, couples that you might never
have been together are and angst, romance, and drama headed your way.
Please note now that I am keeping with all the teachers in the books, its
easier that way and using most of the same potions and spells that we all
know so well.
DISC: I do not own anything to do with Harry Potter, that is strictly all the JK Rowling's deal. Could you imagine me writing a fan fic if I did? No, neither can I.
Mark Of The Snake
Part 1: Back at Hogwarts
Written by: V Lynne
echoinghearts@yahoo.com
~
A young girl of the age of sixteen stood between the platforms of nine and ten of King's Cross, patiently waiting for her mother to catch up. Her hand resting on a small pushcart that had all her essential school supplies, clothes, and miscellaneous items that she'd need though the busy school year. Another year at that prestigious school of magic known to the magic world as Hogwarts. Not exactly the kind of school she wished to go to, most of the time she wished she could just be a normal teen rather than one with magic ability that surpassed her own genius mother. Growing up in New York rather than England had that effect on a kid, even if she had grown up knowing that at age eleven she would be accepted into Hogwarts, become a witch, and learn all about the world she felt rather removed from.
The breeze on the platform picked up, causing an escaped hair to blow in the wind before crossing in front of her face so that she tucked the multi- colored brown hair behind her ear. Sighing in impatience at her usually punctual mother, she glanced at her leather band wristwatch and knew she had less than ten minutes in order to be on platform 9 3/4 for the Hogwarts Express.
Hearing the sound of someone walking faster than normal, she turned to see her mother who was in a very elegant tan skirt suit with her own hair, a range of light brown to deep auburn, pulled into a nice neat bun with loose curly strands of hair framing her face. In her hand, of the otherwise perfect picture of a successful businesswoman, was a wire birdcage that hid inside a black owl with gray markings known as Mercury.
Coming to rest next to her teenage daughter, Hermione Granger gave a half- smile at the raised eyebrow of her daughter's way of saying 'How unlike my mother you are acting'.
"Are you sure you didn't forget anything?" Hermione launched into full mother-worry mode, "I managed to get Mercury just in time but if you forgot anything else it will more than likely have to wait until I get home to send to you by owl."
"Mom," the teenager quipped, "I'm sure I can buy whatever I forgot in Hogsmeade. I have enough sickles and galleons to last until you replenish my account, causing more envy and judgmental opinions headed my way by having a mother who thinks having that much money in my account is a good thing. You'd think I was a heavy spender or something the way you keep giving me money."
Hermione glanced at the almost amused tone in her daughter's tone. True maybe she did over do making sure that her daughter had enough money but it was her job, as a mother, to make sure that her daughter didn't have to worry about money problems. She'd seen enough in her life time, being around the Weasley family, that having money was not so important as family but when she couldn't be in England, near her daughter it helped to know that she wouldn't have to worry about her daughter going without.
"Alright, Roe, maybe I was going a tad overboard."
"A tad? Try over-kill, Mom."
A chuckle met the girl's comment and both females turned to see a red- haired man putting a fist to his mouth in order to hide the widening smirk on his slightly freckled face. Beside him were two children, no doubt that they were his giving that both had red hair though the elder of the two, the boy was more sorrel in color with blue eyes dancing in hidden laughter. Behind them were two identical carts full of chests and supplies, no doubt that both were headed the same way the girl was.
"Sounds like you, 'Mione." Ronald Weasley told one of his oldest and best friends.
"No one asked you, Ron." Hermione shot back, then gave a slight blush at how juvenile she was behaving.
"Nice to know that she has immature moments, too," her daughter stated, before seeing her mother's glare.
"Did you have fun this summer, Roe?" Sebastian Weasley, the middle child and only son of Ron and Lavender asked.
"New York is always a blast in the summer," Roe glanced at her mom, "Mom's going back and guess what?" Roe grinned, "I get to spend winter break with you."
Sebastian cast a look at his dad who was openly putting on an innocent face.
"Ask your mother. She and Hermione were the ones to decide it." Ron insisted at his son's hopeless expression.
"More females in the house. Bloody wonderful." Sebastian muttered under his breath that was caught by Roe and Sebastian's fourteen-year-old sister, Winfrith. Roe elbowed him in the side as they stood together, letting their parents talk.
"Hate to break up this touching reunion," Roe teased as she saw her mom and 'Uncle' Ron getting into another heated argument, "but we've got a train to catch."
Hermione paused in her discussion with Ron to hug her daughter to her, whispering in the younger and she liked to admit, prettier version of herself's ear, "Send my love."
Roe pulled back, "I will. I'll owl when I get there, just make sure that Grandma keeps an window open. Mercury hates to have to peck at the upstairs window."
Ron was hugging Winfrith and then nodded to Sebastian, knowing his son would hate to get caught hugging. As the two adults moved aside the three took turns entering the brick divide, past the mist of fog and onto the 9 3/4 platform where the conductor was already calling for everyone to get aboard. Roe stopped right in front of the platform entrance as she caught sight of the one person she detested having to spend any amount of time in the same vicinity as. Damon Malfoy, archenemy to her and her friends taking after his father in that respect. Feeling a sharp tug on her lace vest, still in normal clothes as she called them hating to say 'Muggle' clothes, Roe moved just as Sebastian passed through the barrier. Roe gave a thankful look to Winfrith, who was openly staring at the nemesis of her sibling, cousin and girl she considered her second sister.
"The Malfoy bloodline sure knows how to make a guy be the center of female attention." Winfrith admired, as her brother followed his sister and best friend's line of sight then scrawled.
"Malfoy," Sebastian spat.
"Gee, don't hold in your feelings, 'Bastian, do tell us how you feel." Roe teased, as he let his eyes rest on his outgoing friend.
"Never said I was one to hold my emotions in, Roe."
"Good, then let's get on the train before I have a sudden urge to hex him."
"If only you would let go of those verbal impulses and just do it." Sebastian commented, as they gave their carts to the loading men and climbed aboard.
"Does it look like I want to start World War III with Malfoy? Sorry but I'm making sure that this year I keep myself as far removed from Snake Charmer as possible."
Walking down the narrow train hallway, opening an empty compartment and settling inside. Leaning with her back to the window, Roe pulled out the shrunk walkman c.d player and put antidote potion on it so that it was again the size it was supposed to be, bringing the ear plugs to her ears but paused at Sebastian and Winfrith's identical expressions of astonishment.
"What?"
"You do know that bringing Muggle devices to school or even to Hogsmeade and Hogwarts is forbidden, right?"
"Don't Muggle things like that not even work at Hogwarts?"
Roe gave a mischievous smirk.
"Maybe not before but I figured how to get around that inconvenience."
"And just how are you going to do that?"
"Simple, I put a Magic Spell on it to make the whole Magic around the school recognize this as a Magic object rather than a normal..." Roe corrected herself as she saw Winfrith's face take on a confused look at Roe's lapse in calling something she considered normal exactly that normal, so she added the word that they used, "rather than a Muggle device. I refuse to go another day of not listening to music simply because we aren't supposed to."
"But they have that rule there for a reason, Roe, we aren't Muggles."
Roe rolled her eyes, seeing Sebastian unconvinced sigh, before putting the ear plugs in her ears and setting the volume on high so that everything but the music was drowned out. Resting the back of her head against the cool glass, the lavish green country side passing behind her with the two Weasley siblings sitting across from her, Roe drifted into her music but as soon as the shadow of someone coming to the sliding compartment door she murmured the invincible spell so that her c.d walkman disappeared as a deep auburn haired girl with violet eyes opened the door, already in the robes of Hogwarts entered.
"Nice to see the three of you made it," the elder girl announced, glancing at the still Muggle clothed Roe, "seems only you three had the right idea to get on board unlike Potter."
That got Roe's attention.
"James isn't on the train?"
"Wouldn't seem so or else he'd be with you three, wouldn't he?"
Sebastian gave an irritated glare at his elder sister.
"Nereida, why don't you go find someone else to bug?"
"Loved to, little brother," Nereida grinned at the automatic narrowed eyes of Sebastian at the hated saying, "but I came to tell the two of you that you better get your robes on, make sure the Prefect badges are clearly on straight and in sight when you get off."
Shutting the door after her, Roe shook her head at the bossy nature of the eldest of Ron Weasley's offspring. Nereida was as bossy, stuck-up and opinionated as a girl could get that it amazed her that she got Head Girl this year when Nereida was not a people person.
"You are a Prefect, too?"
"Sure, Winnie," Roe said, "wouldn't want your big brother to feel all alone as a Prefect in Gryffindor, now would I?"
"Aren't Prefects supposed to set good examples?" Winfrith wondered glancing at Roe's now appearing Muggle music player.
"Don't go by what I do, kiddo, it'll only cause you trouble."
"You're telling me," Sebastian added, "with her being a Prefect no rule is beyond her own interpretation of what it means."
"Hey," Roe protested, "tell me again who you had to brown-nose to in order to be Prefect, cause as I remember right you were one point off from getting a perfect mark in Potions that you begged Professor Snape to raise your score and secured your Prefect status."
Winnie coughed to hide her laugh at the reddening of Sebastian's guilty cheeks.
"Remind me never to tell you anything ever again."
"Absolutely, babe." Roe winked.
Winnie was laughing openly at that, when a loud noise outside the compartment got their attention as Sebastian pulled open the door and saw Damon Malfoy with his groupies, as Roe liked to call them, two of them Sebastian recognized as William Avery and Corin Bletchley. Malfoy was openly suggestively commenting on Juliette Abbott's new look that his provocative statements were causing his goons to smirk, as the fifth year Hufflepuff blushed having just walked into them with four other fifth years.
"You know, it isn't nice to accost people in hallways." Roe stated, coming out of the compartment with Sebastian as Winnie peaked around the door.
"How would you know, Granger? You aren't exactly the type to be subjected to being accosted." Malfoy shot back, his eyes raking over Roe's appearance before seeing the fire in Sebastian's at the blatant sexual appraisal.
"Well, thank Merlin for that. At least I will be able to sleep at night knowing that I don't have to worry about snakes," Roe's comment was pointed that no one misunderstood who she was talking about, "now if your done with your little intimidation of Juliette, whose boyfriend I think you know is a seventh year in Gryffindor and has no love for Slytherin, I'd say that maybe you should head back to whatever rock you crawled out from under."
Malfoy took a step forward, then another until he was within arms distance of Roe, a lazy cat-like gleam in his stone-gray eyes.
"Getting brave for a Mudblood's offspring, aren't you?"
Sebastian took a menacing movement forward to get between the petite Roe and tall Malfoy.
"As much as I'm love to trade insults about our parentage, I'll have to pass, wouldn't want to bring up the whole Death Eaters and cold, egotistical self-serving jackasses in your family line now would I?"
Winnie gasped at Roe's right as Malfoy only inclined his head, accepting the blow to his family before lowering his voice.
"Seems the summer in the Muggle America has made you brave, Granger, just remember that if all else fails curses work wonders on pathetic Mudbloods and their children. If you want me to I can always arrange a intervention between your Mudblood mother and some personal friends of mine."
"Touch my mother," Roe's voice was as enraged and cold as his own, "and there won't be a big enough hole for you to hide in."
"Taking a little too much after Potter, I'm thinking," Malfoy concluded pulling back and letting Sebastian and Winnie hear that before quieting his voice so that only Roe heard his next words, "what do you suppose I should tell Potter about you, Granger? Still lusting after your best friend? Sexual frustration got to you?"
"Like he'd believe anything a Malfoy would say, notarize liars, cheaters and scum of the earth."
At that, Roe could see his normally smirk, confident cat-like self-become agitated before recovering.
"But attractive, wealthy and powerful unlike petite nosy brunettes with a tendency for trouble."
"If you call being a Death Eater attractive as well as being so colorless in hair and eyes that you'd blend right in with innocent snow fall although you'd taint it by being a Malfoy. Why don't you do the world a favor and take a long walk off a short pier, wouldn't want Aurors to find out that you are one step away from being just like your miserable excuse for a wizard father, now would we?"
The motion of the train was slowing and had people coming out of the compartments that Juliette had disappeared although Malfoy's supporter Slytherin, a group of five still stood not ten feet away.
Nereida headed down the hallway, which caused Malfoy to smile an emotionless calculated tug of his lips, at Roe.
"Looking forward to putting you in your place, Granger. Be careful your foolhardy ways don't endanger Wuss Weasley and Pampered Potter."
With that he turned on the heel of his booted feet and headed back to their own compartments.
"Do I have to repeat myself? Go put your robes on!" Nereida demanded.
"Alright, alright," Sebastian pacified, "come on, Roe."
Winnie watched the retreating figures of her brother and Roe with apprehension. Knowing how much Roe and Malfoy didn't get along, the understatement of the century, she was surprised that it hadn't come to hexes right then and there. If there was one person Malfoy detested more than Roe it was James. Sometimes Winnie caught Malfoy looking at her oblivious friend with something akin to like, even respect. Everyone knew how charming this Malfoy was, always a perfect sentence to cause blushing girls and admiring looks from other guys. That he couldn't charm his way into Roe's good graces, let alone Sebastian and James's had to rake on his nerves. Roe, Bastian and James were an institution to themselves, the offspring of the three most talented Aurors to live since the Dark Times. Even though Hermione Granger was only an Auror for three years, until she was pregnant with Roe, she was still working with on the side of being an author of many books both for the world of Magic and the one of Muggles. Winnie's Uncle Harry was still a great Auror as was Winnie's own dad, though she wondered why her cousin James was not on the train. It was so not like James that she was starting to worry. Having a famous name like Potter didn't help his life, even though You-Know-Who was no longer after Harry since his demise years ago it still made the whole Potter family subjects of many articles and inquiries. Poor Aunt Ginny had enough to deal with as a member of the Ministry of Magic without the added pressures of being sought after simply because by marriage she was now a Potter. Winnie knew that Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, hated Harry as much if not more than He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, their rivalry was a legend of Hogwarts now. So that his son, Damon Malfoy, was just as hated by Roe, Bastian and James as he hated them was no surprise the surprise to Winnie was that Damon had depths she was sure not even he knew. She caught it when she was staring at another Slytherin who barely knew she was alive. Glances at the Gryffindor table an almost wistful gleam in his eye, his expression never changed of emotionless acceptance but his eyes told her the entire story of his hidden degrees. Wondering if any of her relatives or Roe would pick up on it was a waiting game cause to them he was a Malfoy. Malfoy's had no emotions, were horrible, Death Eaters with power-hunger in the blue blood that chorused through their pureblood veins. That was how they were seen as because honestly, who was going to try to get inside of their head and who would want to. It was a shame, Winnie thought, because if she thought she had the smallest chance with Damon Malfoy she would be in his head so quick but unfortunately she had a feeling the only girl that Damon had a connection to wouldn't touch him with a fifty-foot broom.
~
As Roe pulled off her long red-lace vest that was made to look like a hooded cloak with a white mid-drift tank top, hip-hugger jeans with knee high suede boots, sunglasses pushing her hair back from her face and the long length of hair put into one long braid that came to the middle of her back. Setting the red-lace aside she pulled on her robe over the rest of her clothes, smoothing the material with her palm and magically attached the Prefect badge to the robe. Seeing Sebastian struggling to get the badge perfectly aligned on the robe, Roe sighed before she heard the unmistakable sound of a snap, as the silver badge broke in two. Sebastian growled at the badge being broken in half do to his strength and impatience.
"Reparo!"
The badge was repaired and Roe took it from Sebastian's hand before using her wand to get it in place and placed the attachment spell on it. Seeing his sheepish blush, the hint of pink lighting his soft tan, Roe grinned.
"Patience is a virtue," Roe remarked, "but who ever said it was practical?"
"Funny," Sebastian sarcastically replied.
"I thought so."
The train came to a complete stop so Sebastian grabbed the slim boned wrist of Roe's left hand and headed out of the train. Hogsmeade Station was a buzz of excitement, nervousness, and greetings as the many students exited. The over-shadowing figure of the near-giant Rubeus Hagrid awaited the first year students, although he was nearly eighty he certainly didn't look it. His rough voice called out to the three, his eyes glancing over the student population and Roe could almost see his question forming of 'Where was James'. Mouthing a 'Don't Know' before he could ask, Roe turned her attention back to getting out of the station and up to Hogwarts.
Winnie, ever popular as she was sweet and kind, was surrounded by other fourth years while Sebastian and Roe went their own way to Hogwarts. The entrance of the school bringing back old feelings of reluctance, Roe walked in with Sebastian unknown to her, watching her with worry. The stone floors, arched hallways, thousands of paintings with moving characters, statues and armor displayed everywhere things that were unmistakably Hogwarts.
Reaching the Great Hall, the ceiling a display of the perfect afternoon sky of white fluffy clouds and pale blue, with the direct line of sight towards the High Table, where the faculty sat patiently. Four long empire tables furnished the student body collection, with long bench seats for easier access with the banner of each House displayed overhead. Slytherin with the Snake, Ravenclaw with the Eagle, Hufflepuff with the Badger and Gryffindor with the Lion. Walking towards Gryffindor, Sebastian answered the question he knew was buzzing in Roe's head.
"James isn't here."
Roe questioned, "Then where is he? I swear that when I get my hands on James I'm gonna..."
"Gonna what, Roe?" the husky, male voice of the person in question.
Instantly all her anger at him was gone as she turned to glance into the deep jade-green eyes, the raven hair falling into his left eye, his appearance of being confident without being cocky and physically one of the most attractive guys at school. His smile cut straight to her heart, the response he always caused, and she was enfolded in his strong arms, her head on his chest.
"Miss me, eh?" James gloated.
"Miss you? Why would I ever do that?" Roe removed herself from his warmth, as he shot a grin at Sebastian, "I think that you think entirely too high of yourself, Potter."
"Oh, really? Well, in that case," James signaled for Sebastian to follow him, "we won't bother to save you a seat at the table."
Her eyes spoke of murder as she followed them, James's teasing at an end as he sat between the now seated Roe and Sebastian with Winnie across from them.
"Are you gonna tell us just why you decided not to be like the rest of us mortals and take the Express?" Sebastian inquired.
James only gave a small smile, as Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, the man with a long white beard, kind mischievous eyes dressed in blue robes, stood to announce the entrance of the first years. As the regal Professor Minerva McGonagall entered, followed by about twenty or so first years wearing identical expressions of being uncomfortable with being the center of attention. Directly up to a stool where the Sorting Hat sat, the old wizard's hat assigned to separate every entering first year into one of the four houses. Standing aside the Sorting Hat, Prof. McGonagall called out the first name on the list.
Not really all that interested, although she cheered when Gryffindor proceeded after a named first year, James nudged her when the name of who he had been waiting so patiently and quietly to hear was announced. With a sort of pride in Prof. McGonagall's voice she called out the name of the next first year.
"Lily Potter!"
In shock, Roe and Sebastian glanced at James before watching avidly at James's baby sister, as she self-consciously sat on the stool that Sorting Hat talking, mumbling then with the conclusion met announced her house.
"Gryffindor!"
Squealing with delight, Winnie stood up then as Lily, her dark hair highlighted with the deep auburn of her Weasley mother, her green eyes bright came she instantly saw Winnie and then Roe with James and Sebastian. Roe turned in her seat to give the eleven-year-old a hug.
"Oh, Roe, it's the bestest! I knew I'd get into Gryffindor like Dad, Mom and James did and I did!"
The excited words of Lily came as no surprise to her, knowing how much natural talent Lily had and it was only natural that Lily would be in the house that was such a big part of the whole Potter-Weasley family.
Moving over so that Lily could slid in, Roe saw James smile reassuring at his little sister, who seemed so excited and apart of Gryffindor already that Roe couldn't help but wonder why she had never been like Lily. Didn't feel as if it was a big deal when she turned eleven and for the first three months so resentful of being sent to Hogwarts she actually refused to talk to anybody. Roe accepted it now, couldn't imagine not being here in Gryffindor with all her friends, being the Seeker for the Quidditch team and best friend to Sebastian and James but in her heart she would love to be able to be a normal kid.
As the ceremony of the Sorting Hat ended, Dumbledore proclaimed what he did every year.
"Congratulations to all our new first years, we hope your houses become everything you imagined them to be. As always the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds for students, as well as going out after dark unless you have special permission......."
As he drilled on, Roe tuned him out covering a yawn with her hand until he stopped and announced something that Roe had yet to hear of.
"The Yule Ball this year will be held at Beauxbatons, as a good will gesture and symbol that all the schools are united. Durmstrang will also be there and as usual only fourth years and above may attend. We will be arriving there two days before the Ball and leave the day after. If you do not have dates," Dumbledore grinned, "you may find yourself a date with one of the students from one of the other schools. But an amendment to this is that each House will start out with three hundred points, that you can only go down to two hundred in order for the House to participate. So watch your points because they will determine which houses get to attend."
As talk started, Dumbledore announced loudly so that it caught everyone's attention.
"Professor Snape will be teaching both Potions and Defense against Dark Arts, until we can find an acceptable teacher for Potions. And with that said," he paused, "Tuck In."
Food appeared but as it did Roe found herself losing her appetite. Pushing the mashed potatoes around on her plate, Sebastian cast a worried glance at James nodding to Roe, but before either boy could do anything she excused herself from the table at the protests of many Gryffindors and left the Great Hall. As she cleared the large doors, she rounded the corner and leaned against the stone cold hallway wall breathing in shallow breaths. Sensing that someone was walking towards the exit of the Great Hall, she immediately headed to the stairs to the 7th floor where the Gryffindor common room entrance was.
The pink silk dress of the portrayed Fat Lady who protects the entrance to Gryffindor sat inconveniently in the way of Roe's escape. Cursing herself for not paying attention to what the password Nereida told her earlier she was forced to make a U-turn and headed back down the hall, towards the Library. Madam Pince was still at the feast so the entire rather spacious library was blessedly empty and quiet. Grabbing out the book she shrunk into her pocket earlier, a 'Muggle' book entitled Ancient Artifacts of Greece, she sprinkled the anti potion on the book from the vial in her left pocket of her jeans and it enlarged to its normal size. Taking out her c.d. player she levitated it above the large table she was going to be reading at and set the music to play without ear plugs that way she could listen to it. Getting on the table, she closed her eyes levitating her body above the table then as she opened her eyes, gave a triumph grin and laid on her stomach, the book open also levitated in front of her and she read while listening to forbidden 'Muggle' music of an old band called Stained, while reading a book she wasn't supposed to also levitating, a Dark Art, two feet above the polished oak table. It was her favorite thing to do at Hogwarts, to levitate while reading usually in the abandoned tower in the farthest corner of Hogwarts that was prohibited. She wasn't against going along with the rules, she was just against going by rules that were stupid. Levitating didn't hurt anybody neither did reading a book about other things besides magic or listening to music with lyrics that were actually more insightful than the practical all Classical music they were forced to dance and sing to.
It had to be about an hour later when the echoing sound of footsteps on the corridor stone reached into Roe's engrossed reading so that she snapped the music off, before floating higher in the air so to be out of sight of anyone. The door opened a faint squeak of the door hinges that obviously needed oil, and then the rush of relief that flooded Roe as she recognized the dark head coming in and closing the door behind him.
"Come on, Roe, I know you're in here. Listening to that screaming music, reading a boring book and floating illegally. You know for a Prefect that's very unwise and setting a bad example for the rest of your House."
Gliding down, hugging her book and c.d. player to her she levitated above her table, staring straight into golden eyes of the only true person who understood her.
"Gee, thanks, Mr. Secrets."
A masked expression on his chiseled face that reminded her of Ares, God of War, his hair was straight with the tendency to curl if it got too long like it was now almost touching his robe at the back of his neck. His eyes saw her and a small smile, as close as he ever came to really smiling, appeared on his stoic face.
"Knew it."
"So, you know me, big freakin whoop."
"Someone spit in your food, Gryffindor? Thought that touching reunion between you and Remarkable Potter went well?"
"You know why does everyone think that me and Jamie have something going on?"
"Because you just called him Jamie, something no one else does or is allowed to do in the case of the last time Weasley tried and got decked. The way your eyes follow him when he enters a room, how he knows you almost as well as I do and the one person you couldn't imagine yourself without."
"Now that's not true," Roe let herself sit flatly on the top of the table, as he pulled out a chair and sat in it backwards with his hands crossing over the back, "you know I couldn't live without Sebastian, Winnie, Lily, Mom, and..." Roe smiled teasing, "you."
"You had me for a moment there, Roe," his tone said she had done nothing of the sort, "thought maybe you were going to say Damon."
"Malfoy? As if."
"So I heard that you and him got into it on the train."
"Couldn't guess where you heard that," Roe slid off the table muttering the spell to shrink her book and player then placing them in her pocket, "must have been that gossip Abbott."
"For someone you defended that's nice to know you think so highly of her."
"I only said that to make a point not to defend airhead gossip queens."
"Point taken."
"What are you doing in here? I thought the last thing you'd ever be expected to be found is with books."
"I was looking for you. Potter and Weasley were worried, could see it in their faces but neither can leave the table as they are Prefects," his eyes rested on the badge on her robe, "which I see didn't stop you."
"Oh, crap I forgot that I have to instruct the first years," Roe remembered, walking towards the exit, "I'll see you later, Slytherin."
As the pretty girl raced out of the Library like a herd of Blast Ended Skrewts were on her tail, the young boy of the House of Slytherin flipped the chair to it's correct position before walking to the door, leaning in the entrance as he saw her disappear around another corridor. No matter what the problems that separated them they knew each other well. Knowing each other since first year but keeping their friendship a guarded privacy, as only Potter and Weasley knew that he saw her outside of the classes they shared. The way he portrayed himself around everyone else was who he was on one level on another, when he was with her, he was on the one he found himself less and less on. He understood she was busy, hell he was just as busy but it pained him that he couldn't spend as much time with her as they had the first four years of school. Her involvement with the sport he barely tolerated was one of the things that caused alot of her time to be split into pieces. Only Potter and Weasley had her mostly to themselves, a thing he was slightly jealous of. He knew that Weasley had a crush on her, had since second year but never acted on it and while Roe and Potter got along great, Potter never saw her as anything else but his best friend. Roe knew it, he had pushed those details in her head at the end of last year but she was stubborn and it was working slowly that she would realize Potter, like his father before him, could never be in love with his best friend. Oh, he knew Potter loved her as did Weasley, but Potter could never be IN LOVE with her.
Besides, he thought to himself, he knew the type of guy that Roe needed and neither of her best friends fit the bill. She needed a guy that would hold his own against her smart-aleck remarks, be a guy to comfort her and yet be firm with her, that guy was unfortunately a guy that came from a bad influence of a family. Malfoy was perfect for Roe, as Roe was perfect for Malfoy. He had seen the looks Malfoy tossed Roe's way only to have the naive in the ways of adolescent feelings of lust and desire girl never see them. As much as he didn't like Malfoy he had to grudgingly admit that the guy was as a match for Roe more than anyone else she was likely to meet. The hostility, anger, jealousy, and old grudges that made up their relationship were only the beginning. Sometime soon Roe would have to take a good look at herself and wonder just what she wanted and he knew for bloody certain it wasn't Potter.
Now if that wasn't enough to make an older brother want to reevaluate how he thought of his younger sister, he didn't know what was but unfortunately his name was Astraeus Snape and he was the only guy that loved her that didn't have a hidden motive. He was going to make sure that Roe got what she deserved and if that meant Malfoy then so be it.
As Trey, as he was called as opposed to the hideously long Astraeus, left the quiet hallway he wished for the hundredth time his mother would have thought up better names for her twins rather than Astraeus and Ambrosia.
~
Making it to the entrance of the Gryffindor common room, out of breathe with red flushed cheeks Roe saw James and Sebastian heading up with a narrow eyed Nereida and the other girl Prefect Wynter Jordan. Breathing in a ragged breath Roe straightened her appearance as James announced the Fat Lady painting, who was beaming at the first years, before informing the group that the password was 'Cauldron Cakes' as the passageway opened and they went in but Nereida gripped Roe's upper arm to stop her from going in.
"Where did you disappear to?"
"Sorry had something urgent I had to deal with."
Roe jerked her arm out of Nereida's grip and headed inside. Pausing to explain with Wynter about the rules, before showing the first year girls their dormitory Roe caught Sebastian's eyes resting on her.
Mouthing, "I'm fine", she went up to her sixth year dormitory room crashing on her bed before realizing she had her book and player in her pocket so she dragged them out making sure she hadn't hurt her c.d. player and set it in her hope chest at the end of her canopy four-poster bed. Changing into flannel blue and green patterned shirt and pants pajamas she saw two of the other sixth years staring at her as she pulled back the bedspread.
"Ever heard of the saying 'Take a picture it'll last longer'?"
Velvet Steinmetz, a very beautiful golden blond with blue eyes and Topaz Hauser, who had deeply tanned skin with silky black hair and inquisitive hazel eyes both sat on Velvet's bed before Topaz answered Roe.
"Did you really say all those things to Malfoy?"
Raising a delicate arched eyebrow, Roe sat back on her bed, as Wynter wrapped an arm around one of the posts on Velvet's bed listening.
"Which things?"
"About his family, you know the whole," Velvet lowered her voice, "Death Eater thing."
"Sure, why not?"
The three other girls exchanged looks that stated that Roe was crazy, which she thought was funny considering that she thought any girl that found Malfoy something other than repulsive was a candidate for St. Mungo.
"You three don't have to agree with me," Roe was seeing the buzzing of the famous gossip chain already starting, "I just think that Malfoy shouldn't be based on his looks. He comes from the Death Eater family that is famous for being in league with Dark Arts, he acts like he's some sort of god about this place because he's wealthy and no one has the guts to tell him otherwise. As far as I'm concerned he's a swelled headed git who needs a couple good thrashings to get that stupid lazy smirk off his face."
"Girl, you are losing it. Malfoy may be all those things but he's hot. He's the same as James only on the other side. You've even got to admit in the looks department the boy is yummy."
"I'd rather have holes drilled in my head."
Roe gathered a blanket and Wynter asked where she was going.
"Into the common room, while you three get the famous Malfoy looks out of your system since you three obviously only see the package not what's inside."
Slamming the door after her she headed down the steps to the deserted common room, a high fire in the fireplace and collapsed with a flop in an armchair in front of the fire. Muttering under her breathe about having brainless twits as roommates, she felt a sudden pull on the back of her chair that caused her to look up at James, with Sebastian coming around and sitting in the identical matching chair.
"Have a fight with the girls?" James inquired.
"How'd you guess?"
"The blanket and the fact you're in your pajamas without a robe. Signs of a fight that had you all huffy."
"Good observation, Watson." Roe sarcastically commented, then seeing their identical confused looks gave up on why she had called Sebastian that.
"Gonna tell us what's bothering you or do we have to use a 'Rictusempra' on you?" James asked.
"Put a tickling charm on me James and I'll sneak into Snape's office and get a Truth Potion out then ask you which girls you've had crushes on for the past six years," Roe paused for effect, "in the middle of the next Quidditch game and I'll put a spell on your voice that will make the whole school hear you."
"Ouch," Sebastian winced, "gotta admit James she's got you there."
"Who would ever have thought that good old Roe would be such a rule breaker?" James mused.
"Taught first hand by you two and five Weasley cousins, I'd say I haven't done enough."
James and Sebastian grinned.
"We admit that we might have helped."
"Might of? What did the Invincible Cloak make your brain go haywire?"
"Okay, okay, we helped alot."
"So is it any wonder that I'm so good at what I do?"
"Never doubted it for a minute, Roe."
"Though your mom might have something to say about you doing that to me."
"Please my mom would say I was proving a point that you should never use a charm to divulge information you can't get out of simply talking to a person."
"Obviously she doesn't know you real well."
James saw Roe look down cast and shot a look at Sebastian.
"You gonna tell us?"
Roe pulled her knees to her chest, her body wrapped in the soft cotton blanket from her bed, resting her chin on the top of her knees.
"It's Malfoy."
James's puzzled expression gave away that he hadn't heard about the train.
"I kinda went off on him. About his father, his family, how arrogant he thinks he is and then upstairs Velvet, Topaz and Wynter decided to ask me about it. Why do they think he's such a great catch? He's a bleached blond with a serious over-inflated head syndrome."
"Well, you've got us on the whole he's attractive thing," Sebastian admitted.
"Malfoy has a way of making people see what he wants them to see, not what he doesn't."
"He's a bloody git that needs to be boiled in oil, feathered and sent to Fang as a dog toy."
At the image she created of Fang, Hagrid's boarhound, using Malfoy as a chewing toy both boys broke into laughter.
"Not bitter, are we?" James said, when he could breath again.
"Bitter? Me? Cause he uses my mom's parentage as a reason to treat me like I'm subhuman, cause she's born normal..Muggle but has more talent in her pinky than his jerk of a father has in his entire body. He thinks he's Merlin's gift to the female population of Hogwarts and that irritates me that not one girl besides me sees him as the person he is inside."
"Who knows the female brain? I have two sisters and I still can't figure it out." Sebastian spoke up.
"And one more staying this winter." Roe added as a sore point to Sebastian, who glared at her.
"You didn't tell me you were staying with Bastian."
"You didn't ask, Jamie, I can't do all the thinking for you, now can I? I'd be all exhausted thinking of excuses to get out of Divinations all day."
"Well, since you are staying with Bastian I'll just have to come around during winter break now won't I?"
Sebastian eyes pleaded with James not to joke, the idea of spending the vacation with a household full of females was a scary thought indeed.
"We better get to bed," James said after laughing at Sebastian's earnest face, "hopefully the oohing and awing over Malfoy has ended."
"One can only hope. Night, guys."
"Night, Roe."
~
Waking up feeling like she had just gone to bed, Roe dressed in her robes after showering in the private Prefect's bathroom on the 5th floor pulling her hair into a French braid, the strands of her hair a mixture of subtle shades of brown mixed with the palest shade that was a dark blonde due to the summer of spending it in the sun. The healthy tan suited her much better and her eyes, a mix of cinnamon-brown with gold flecks were defined in a way they hadn't before. Growing out of her akward phase in her fourth year had helped her self-esteem and made her prettier than alot of girls at school, not that she cared. Life was more than a bunch of meaningless looks that never helped you and faded when you grew old.
At breakfast the conversation was still on the Yule Ball that wasn't for months and as Roe went over her schedule she found herself in Potions followed by Defense Against Dark Arts back to back first thing in the morning. Winnie sat across from Roe, beside a groggy Lily who was chattering with another first year between bites of eggs.
"You okay, Roe? You look a little distraught?"
"Potions and Dark Arts first thing in the morning." Roe replied.
Winnie groaned in sympathy.
Owls were just starting to enter the room, sending greetings, the Daily Prophet, and letters to the variety of students. One landed in front of Roe, as she opened it she saw her mother's handwriting:
Roe,
Hope you are having a great first couple of days. I wanted to let you know that I'm heading back to New York early. Demand on the new book has hit its peak, it'll be out in three days and I'll send you a copy. Try to keep out of trouble, though with James and Sebastian I won't say don't get into any, as that would not be possible since they are exactly like their fathers. I will owl again soon. Send my love.
Mum
Roe smiled at the way her mom spoke, before folding the letter and putting it in her pocket of her robe her eyes searching for a pair of bronze ones, finding them she grinned at the letter he held in his hand with their mother's seal on it. Mouthing 'Potions' as her first class, she saw him give a sympathetic nod although to anyone else it didn't look like he had done any such thing. His mouth formed 'Charms' and she glared over at him before mouthing 'Not fair'. Turning her attention back to her breakfast, feeling eyes on her she saw Winnie staring over her shoulder at the exact direction of Trey.
"Hey, Win?" Roe asked, a smile hidden.
"Yeah?"
"Who you staring at?"
That seemed to snap the fourteen-year-old out of her trance.
"What?"
Not wanting to embarrass her friend she changed what she had said.
"Who do you have first?"
"Oh I thought you asked....I have Professor Sprout, Herbology."
"Lucky you. Lily?"
The eleven-year-old's head shot up at the sound of her name to meet Roe's face.
"Would you mind telling Jamie and Bastian I'll see them in class?"
"Sure, Roe! James is going to be in Potions with you, right?"
"That's what he told me when I saw him and Bastian earlier."
"Bastian, too?"
"Yeah. Always do we have the same class, the year you're in usually dictates the class the entire year is in."
"At least that way you guys aren't separated."
"I have two other classes that they don't since I flat refused to take Divinations."
"Does..eh, Trey have Potions cause," as Winnie leaned over the table to point on Roe's schedule, "Slytherin is with Gryffindor for Potions."
"He gets other classes as well since Trey didn't want to take Potions with the rest of the Slytherins, he's got more experience at it anyway with being Snape's son and all. Well, gotta go."
"Good luck."
Roe smiled and got up almost knocking into a fuming Malfoy, but stopped just in time to keep her balance.
"Just walk down the aisle like you own the whole place why don't you?" Roe called angrily.
His steps paused, students heads popped to attention that the always- entertaining confrontations between Roe and Malfoy only to be disappointed as he stocked away without a word. Unused to him not being the jerk he normally was, Roe shrugged and went to get her books for Potions.
~
The dark room used as the Potions and also now the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom was sobering to most students. Professor Snape was a no nonsense teacher who was known for taking away points, especially from Gryffindor at the top of a hat. His personal grudge against James Potter, the father of Harry Potter, was well known but he had lessened his grudge a bit in the past almost seventeen years and most suspected it was due to the scandal between him and an unnamed student that resulted in the birth of Trey, who was raised at Hogwarts and in Hogsmeade during the summer in Snape's flat. Trey was a top student but had an anti-social personality that made him unapproachable if not lusted after from a removed distance. He was hot, no denying his status as one of the top ten hunks at Hogwarts, a list that the girls in all four houses had created in first year but he had yet to date a single girl or show interest in one. For a long time most suspected him being more towards same sex but it was never confirmed. That he was in Slytherin, along with Malfoy wasn't a turn off although they were the only two Slytherins to make it to the list. A mystery hung around Trey as to who his mother was and that added mystery to the already highly mysterious secretive Snape.
As Roe entered the room, her cauldron and book in hand she noticed she was first to arrive but smiled as she saw the figure of Trey, his back turned towards her, so she sneaked up on him as he bent over whatever potion he was working on and put her hands over his eyes.
"Guess who?"
"A very attractive Ravenclaw?"
Roe rolled her eyes, removing her hands and punching his shoulder softly.
"Very cute, Trey."
"So everyone keeps writing about me, but I have yet to see 'cute' as part of me."
"Oh you know you are just the cutest little Slytherin in the whole wide world." Roe's tone like baby talk as she laughed.
Trey couldn't help the groan of disgust at her voice, turning so she could look in front of him at the potion that was turning a putrid yellow color and smelled worse.
"What is that?" Roe pointed to the potion but made sure to keep a safe distance.
"A potion to turn innocent girls like you into wanton women of the world."
"Really?" Roe looked interested but seeing his eyes light up with shock, she laughed, "you know you take everything I say way too seriously, Trey- Bear."
"I trust, Miss Granger that you are done harassing my top student?" came the snide almost freezing cold tone of Professor Snape from behind a wall that obviously was a secret passage to his private rooms. The black robes hung off him in a very thick material, with a black belt and his face was a simple expression, as to not give away anything.
"Why no, Professor Snape, you see Trey has decided to turn me into quite the wanton so I will be forced to seduce every single male into doing my bidding by the end of the day. Quite an accomplishment for a sixth year, don't you think?"
His face was as priceless as Trey's had been that she couldn't keep the serious tone in her voice any longer that she burst out laughing at his dark look towards Trey.
"Sorry about that," Roe said between breaths, "it was too good to pass up."
"I do sometimes, young lady, wonder what your mother is teaching you."
Roe watched him put a spell on the huge door so that no one could unlock it and then pulled her into a hug.
"Mom is great, she teaches me all that knowledge she learned here and she sends her love."
Snape pulled back from his daughter, his other offspring that he never in a million years thought he'd have. He was still uncomfortable about showing any outward affection but Roe was always one to give affection whole heartedly to the people she cared about that the hug didn't feel unnatural at all.
"Are you going to be spending time here this winter?"
Roe frowned, "Mom set it up that I would be spending my winter at the Weasley's."
Snape scrawled before Trey nodded.
"It's not like she has to spend every winter here with me, Father. Mum already spoke to me about it and I said it was fine."
"Since when do I need your permission to do something, Trey?"
"Always, you just didn't know it."
Her look could kill if it had been a spell but as Snape went about doing things for the upcoming class the door opened as Snape had taken off the spell as soon as he knew the second student would be coming soon.
"Aren't you gonna tell me what the potion is?"
"No."
"Miss Granger, would you please take your seat as your classmates will be arriving soon and Trey I suggest you get to Charms before I am forced to come up with an excuse to tell that dumb bell Flitwick teacher of yours."
Trey nodded, setting aside the potion to keep it out of the lessons way. Gathering his books, he walked to where Roe sat.
"You going to the Library after classes?"
"Probably if I don't have Quidditch practice. James is Captain this year and might have that whole Grind-Us-Into-The-Ground tendency."
"Tell Potter to go easy on you or I might just visit him."
"No threats to James this early please, I'm too tired to come up with nasty words of insults up to my standards."
Trey smirked that half-smile he did.
"See you around, Gryffindor."
"Be social, Slytherin."
"Not a chance on this side of Hell."
Roe chuckled under her breath only to stop as Trey seemed to be talking to someone on the other side of the door, as she got up to tease him as was little sister privilege, she found him talking to Malfoy.
"Oh, it's you."
"Don't look so thrilled to see me, Granger, and what's with you talking to Trey, think maybe one of us might date your bony self?"
"Oh please I wouldn't date a Slytherin if my life depended on it, I rather be strapped to a wooden stake and set on fire." Roe's eyes saw Trey's light up in amusement before he turned and walked towards Charms.
"Since this isn't the 1600s you'll have to forgo that but being strapped? Kinda kinky for a virgin isn't it?"
"Drop dead."
Entering the class behind her, Malfoy noticed that Snape was displaying items for a potion.
"No such luck, Granger," his voice chilly, "dying is a Mudblood thing not a Pure Blood seeing as how we aren't hunted."
"Watch your back, Malfoy, cause one of these days hunting season is going to open and Pure Bloods are going to be the first to go, especially Malfoys."
Snape's ears caught the entire exchange and as much as he'd like to fight Roe's battles for her, he knew he couldn't. No one knew that Roe was his daughter besides Dumbledore, Potter, Weasley, Hermione, Trey, and himself. Roe had even told her best friends, the younger Potter and Weasley, that Trey was just an old friend and since he wasn't evil like Malfoy they accepted it as her decision. He knew that Draco had raised Damon to be alot like him but Draco wasn't evil either and neither, much as his daughter would like to think, was Damon. Draco had more courage and self- respect to be a Death Eater and Damon had been taught that wealth was only a luxury not a privilege. Unknown to Roe and as a secret with Trey, Damon had spent every other summer working in Hogsmeade like any other kid who needed money to call their own just like Trey did. So as much as he'd like to take sides especially at that Mudblood comment directed at Hermione as well as Roe, he couldn't.
"If you two are done I suggest you take your seats and fortunately Mr. Malfoy you will be sitting next to Miss Granger this semester."
The astonish looks almost caused him to smile, almost.
As the rest of the class crawled in, each was forced to sit with people they didn't like. James was on the other side of Malfoy while Sebastian was subjected to being in the middle of Avery and Bletchley. As Snape went over what they would be covering he decided to start with a simple potion along with assigning a four foot parchment on the different uses of three plants of each individual students choice.
Roe was going over her notes on three plants she had in mind when she heard James comment on something accompanied by a biting remark by Malfoy. Lifting her bent head from over her parchment to the two handsome arguing boys, she saw that James's ink bottle was dumped all over Malfoy's two bundled parchment.
"Look what you did, Potter!"
"I said it was an accident!"
"Like I believe you! You did it on purpose!"
"Why would I want to waste my ink all over your stupid parchments?!"
"Because you knew I was almost done with the essay, class is almost over and that's why I put it away!"
"I said it was an accident what more do you want?!"
"Forget it, too bad that You-Know-Who missed killing your father because maybe then I wouldn't have to deal with you!"
Roe knew the minute that Malfoy opened his mouth at James's dad he was going to get it and she winced the moment she heard flesh fist hit flesh nose. The splatter of blood landed on the table, over turned chairs cracked on the stone floor as the two boys wrestled in the fight.
Finally as Sebastian got to James to get him away, Snape along with Avery pulled Malfoy away as Roe went about keeping herself firmly between the two, her back to Malfoy as she saw the already black eye forming in the place of James's left eye, his lower lip was cut by Malfoy's signia ring on his right middle finger and as Roe glanced over her shoulder at Malfoy whose nose was broken and was going to be showing off two identical raccoon eyes because of it, both boys equally messed up.
"I want you both to Pomfrey and then I want you back here because you two and I are going to have a talk."
As Roe saw Sebastian let go of James's arm, the concern in her face as she turned sideways to wipe at James lip with one of the white clothes that Wynter had got from the sink, was getting to Malfoy as he sat in the chair before Snape took each boy by the arm and led them to the nurse. The door wasn't even closed before whispers, accusations and the like were shouted back and forth between the Gryffindors and the Slytherins.
Sebastian saw Roe sigh before going back to gather her things right as the bell rang.
"What are you doing? Don't you have Defense against Dark Arts next?"
"Yeah but I'm going take a breather."
As Sebastian glanced at Roe leaving, he thought in his head, Oh, yeah it's great being back at Hogwarts.
~ ~ ~
To Be Continued....next chapter up soon..
December 23, 2001
Re-edited December 28, 2001 and renamed from 'Hard Times Ahead'
DISC: I do not own anything to do with Harry Potter, that is strictly all the JK Rowling's deal. Could you imagine me writing a fan fic if I did? No, neither can I.
Mark Of The Snake
Part 1: Back at Hogwarts
Written by: V Lynne
echoinghearts@yahoo.com
~
A young girl of the age of sixteen stood between the platforms of nine and ten of King's Cross, patiently waiting for her mother to catch up. Her hand resting on a small pushcart that had all her essential school supplies, clothes, and miscellaneous items that she'd need though the busy school year. Another year at that prestigious school of magic known to the magic world as Hogwarts. Not exactly the kind of school she wished to go to, most of the time she wished she could just be a normal teen rather than one with magic ability that surpassed her own genius mother. Growing up in New York rather than England had that effect on a kid, even if she had grown up knowing that at age eleven she would be accepted into Hogwarts, become a witch, and learn all about the world she felt rather removed from.
The breeze on the platform picked up, causing an escaped hair to blow in the wind before crossing in front of her face so that she tucked the multi- colored brown hair behind her ear. Sighing in impatience at her usually punctual mother, she glanced at her leather band wristwatch and knew she had less than ten minutes in order to be on platform 9 3/4 for the Hogwarts Express.
Hearing the sound of someone walking faster than normal, she turned to see her mother who was in a very elegant tan skirt suit with her own hair, a range of light brown to deep auburn, pulled into a nice neat bun with loose curly strands of hair framing her face. In her hand, of the otherwise perfect picture of a successful businesswoman, was a wire birdcage that hid inside a black owl with gray markings known as Mercury.
Coming to rest next to her teenage daughter, Hermione Granger gave a half- smile at the raised eyebrow of her daughter's way of saying 'How unlike my mother you are acting'.
"Are you sure you didn't forget anything?" Hermione launched into full mother-worry mode, "I managed to get Mercury just in time but if you forgot anything else it will more than likely have to wait until I get home to send to you by owl."
"Mom," the teenager quipped, "I'm sure I can buy whatever I forgot in Hogsmeade. I have enough sickles and galleons to last until you replenish my account, causing more envy and judgmental opinions headed my way by having a mother who thinks having that much money in my account is a good thing. You'd think I was a heavy spender or something the way you keep giving me money."
Hermione glanced at the almost amused tone in her daughter's tone. True maybe she did over do making sure that her daughter had enough money but it was her job, as a mother, to make sure that her daughter didn't have to worry about money problems. She'd seen enough in her life time, being around the Weasley family, that having money was not so important as family but when she couldn't be in England, near her daughter it helped to know that she wouldn't have to worry about her daughter going without.
"Alright, Roe, maybe I was going a tad overboard."
"A tad? Try over-kill, Mom."
A chuckle met the girl's comment and both females turned to see a red- haired man putting a fist to his mouth in order to hide the widening smirk on his slightly freckled face. Beside him were two children, no doubt that they were his giving that both had red hair though the elder of the two, the boy was more sorrel in color with blue eyes dancing in hidden laughter. Behind them were two identical carts full of chests and supplies, no doubt that both were headed the same way the girl was.
"Sounds like you, 'Mione." Ronald Weasley told one of his oldest and best friends.
"No one asked you, Ron." Hermione shot back, then gave a slight blush at how juvenile she was behaving.
"Nice to know that she has immature moments, too," her daughter stated, before seeing her mother's glare.
"Did you have fun this summer, Roe?" Sebastian Weasley, the middle child and only son of Ron and Lavender asked.
"New York is always a blast in the summer," Roe glanced at her mom, "Mom's going back and guess what?" Roe grinned, "I get to spend winter break with you."
Sebastian cast a look at his dad who was openly putting on an innocent face.
"Ask your mother. She and Hermione were the ones to decide it." Ron insisted at his son's hopeless expression.
"More females in the house. Bloody wonderful." Sebastian muttered under his breath that was caught by Roe and Sebastian's fourteen-year-old sister, Winfrith. Roe elbowed him in the side as they stood together, letting their parents talk.
"Hate to break up this touching reunion," Roe teased as she saw her mom and 'Uncle' Ron getting into another heated argument, "but we've got a train to catch."
Hermione paused in her discussion with Ron to hug her daughter to her, whispering in the younger and she liked to admit, prettier version of herself's ear, "Send my love."
Roe pulled back, "I will. I'll owl when I get there, just make sure that Grandma keeps an window open. Mercury hates to have to peck at the upstairs window."
Ron was hugging Winfrith and then nodded to Sebastian, knowing his son would hate to get caught hugging. As the two adults moved aside the three took turns entering the brick divide, past the mist of fog and onto the 9 3/4 platform where the conductor was already calling for everyone to get aboard. Roe stopped right in front of the platform entrance as she caught sight of the one person she detested having to spend any amount of time in the same vicinity as. Damon Malfoy, archenemy to her and her friends taking after his father in that respect. Feeling a sharp tug on her lace vest, still in normal clothes as she called them hating to say 'Muggle' clothes, Roe moved just as Sebastian passed through the barrier. Roe gave a thankful look to Winfrith, who was openly staring at the nemesis of her sibling, cousin and girl she considered her second sister.
"The Malfoy bloodline sure knows how to make a guy be the center of female attention." Winfrith admired, as her brother followed his sister and best friend's line of sight then scrawled.
"Malfoy," Sebastian spat.
"Gee, don't hold in your feelings, 'Bastian, do tell us how you feel." Roe teased, as he let his eyes rest on his outgoing friend.
"Never said I was one to hold my emotions in, Roe."
"Good, then let's get on the train before I have a sudden urge to hex him."
"If only you would let go of those verbal impulses and just do it." Sebastian commented, as they gave their carts to the loading men and climbed aboard.
"Does it look like I want to start World War III with Malfoy? Sorry but I'm making sure that this year I keep myself as far removed from Snake Charmer as possible."
Walking down the narrow train hallway, opening an empty compartment and settling inside. Leaning with her back to the window, Roe pulled out the shrunk walkman c.d player and put antidote potion on it so that it was again the size it was supposed to be, bringing the ear plugs to her ears but paused at Sebastian and Winfrith's identical expressions of astonishment.
"What?"
"You do know that bringing Muggle devices to school or even to Hogsmeade and Hogwarts is forbidden, right?"
"Don't Muggle things like that not even work at Hogwarts?"
Roe gave a mischievous smirk.
"Maybe not before but I figured how to get around that inconvenience."
"And just how are you going to do that?"
"Simple, I put a Magic Spell on it to make the whole Magic around the school recognize this as a Magic object rather than a normal..." Roe corrected herself as she saw Winfrith's face take on a confused look at Roe's lapse in calling something she considered normal exactly that normal, so she added the word that they used, "rather than a Muggle device. I refuse to go another day of not listening to music simply because we aren't supposed to."
"But they have that rule there for a reason, Roe, we aren't Muggles."
Roe rolled her eyes, seeing Sebastian unconvinced sigh, before putting the ear plugs in her ears and setting the volume on high so that everything but the music was drowned out. Resting the back of her head against the cool glass, the lavish green country side passing behind her with the two Weasley siblings sitting across from her, Roe drifted into her music but as soon as the shadow of someone coming to the sliding compartment door she murmured the invincible spell so that her c.d walkman disappeared as a deep auburn haired girl with violet eyes opened the door, already in the robes of Hogwarts entered.
"Nice to see the three of you made it," the elder girl announced, glancing at the still Muggle clothed Roe, "seems only you three had the right idea to get on board unlike Potter."
That got Roe's attention.
"James isn't on the train?"
"Wouldn't seem so or else he'd be with you three, wouldn't he?"
Sebastian gave an irritated glare at his elder sister.
"Nereida, why don't you go find someone else to bug?"
"Loved to, little brother," Nereida grinned at the automatic narrowed eyes of Sebastian at the hated saying, "but I came to tell the two of you that you better get your robes on, make sure the Prefect badges are clearly on straight and in sight when you get off."
Shutting the door after her, Roe shook her head at the bossy nature of the eldest of Ron Weasley's offspring. Nereida was as bossy, stuck-up and opinionated as a girl could get that it amazed her that she got Head Girl this year when Nereida was not a people person.
"You are a Prefect, too?"
"Sure, Winnie," Roe said, "wouldn't want your big brother to feel all alone as a Prefect in Gryffindor, now would I?"
"Aren't Prefects supposed to set good examples?" Winfrith wondered glancing at Roe's now appearing Muggle music player.
"Don't go by what I do, kiddo, it'll only cause you trouble."
"You're telling me," Sebastian added, "with her being a Prefect no rule is beyond her own interpretation of what it means."
"Hey," Roe protested, "tell me again who you had to brown-nose to in order to be Prefect, cause as I remember right you were one point off from getting a perfect mark in Potions that you begged Professor Snape to raise your score and secured your Prefect status."
Winnie coughed to hide her laugh at the reddening of Sebastian's guilty cheeks.
"Remind me never to tell you anything ever again."
"Absolutely, babe." Roe winked.
Winnie was laughing openly at that, when a loud noise outside the compartment got their attention as Sebastian pulled open the door and saw Damon Malfoy with his groupies, as Roe liked to call them, two of them Sebastian recognized as William Avery and Corin Bletchley. Malfoy was openly suggestively commenting on Juliette Abbott's new look that his provocative statements were causing his goons to smirk, as the fifth year Hufflepuff blushed having just walked into them with four other fifth years.
"You know, it isn't nice to accost people in hallways." Roe stated, coming out of the compartment with Sebastian as Winnie peaked around the door.
"How would you know, Granger? You aren't exactly the type to be subjected to being accosted." Malfoy shot back, his eyes raking over Roe's appearance before seeing the fire in Sebastian's at the blatant sexual appraisal.
"Well, thank Merlin for that. At least I will be able to sleep at night knowing that I don't have to worry about snakes," Roe's comment was pointed that no one misunderstood who she was talking about, "now if your done with your little intimidation of Juliette, whose boyfriend I think you know is a seventh year in Gryffindor and has no love for Slytherin, I'd say that maybe you should head back to whatever rock you crawled out from under."
Malfoy took a step forward, then another until he was within arms distance of Roe, a lazy cat-like gleam in his stone-gray eyes.
"Getting brave for a Mudblood's offspring, aren't you?"
Sebastian took a menacing movement forward to get between the petite Roe and tall Malfoy.
"As much as I'm love to trade insults about our parentage, I'll have to pass, wouldn't want to bring up the whole Death Eaters and cold, egotistical self-serving jackasses in your family line now would I?"
Winnie gasped at Roe's right as Malfoy only inclined his head, accepting the blow to his family before lowering his voice.
"Seems the summer in the Muggle America has made you brave, Granger, just remember that if all else fails curses work wonders on pathetic Mudbloods and their children. If you want me to I can always arrange a intervention between your Mudblood mother and some personal friends of mine."
"Touch my mother," Roe's voice was as enraged and cold as his own, "and there won't be a big enough hole for you to hide in."
"Taking a little too much after Potter, I'm thinking," Malfoy concluded pulling back and letting Sebastian and Winnie hear that before quieting his voice so that only Roe heard his next words, "what do you suppose I should tell Potter about you, Granger? Still lusting after your best friend? Sexual frustration got to you?"
"Like he'd believe anything a Malfoy would say, notarize liars, cheaters and scum of the earth."
At that, Roe could see his normally smirk, confident cat-like self-become agitated before recovering.
"But attractive, wealthy and powerful unlike petite nosy brunettes with a tendency for trouble."
"If you call being a Death Eater attractive as well as being so colorless in hair and eyes that you'd blend right in with innocent snow fall although you'd taint it by being a Malfoy. Why don't you do the world a favor and take a long walk off a short pier, wouldn't want Aurors to find out that you are one step away from being just like your miserable excuse for a wizard father, now would we?"
The motion of the train was slowing and had people coming out of the compartments that Juliette had disappeared although Malfoy's supporter Slytherin, a group of five still stood not ten feet away.
Nereida headed down the hallway, which caused Malfoy to smile an emotionless calculated tug of his lips, at Roe.
"Looking forward to putting you in your place, Granger. Be careful your foolhardy ways don't endanger Wuss Weasley and Pampered Potter."
With that he turned on the heel of his booted feet and headed back to their own compartments.
"Do I have to repeat myself? Go put your robes on!" Nereida demanded.
"Alright, alright," Sebastian pacified, "come on, Roe."
Winnie watched the retreating figures of her brother and Roe with apprehension. Knowing how much Roe and Malfoy didn't get along, the understatement of the century, she was surprised that it hadn't come to hexes right then and there. If there was one person Malfoy detested more than Roe it was James. Sometimes Winnie caught Malfoy looking at her oblivious friend with something akin to like, even respect. Everyone knew how charming this Malfoy was, always a perfect sentence to cause blushing girls and admiring looks from other guys. That he couldn't charm his way into Roe's good graces, let alone Sebastian and James's had to rake on his nerves. Roe, Bastian and James were an institution to themselves, the offspring of the three most talented Aurors to live since the Dark Times. Even though Hermione Granger was only an Auror for three years, until she was pregnant with Roe, she was still working with on the side of being an author of many books both for the world of Magic and the one of Muggles. Winnie's Uncle Harry was still a great Auror as was Winnie's own dad, though she wondered why her cousin James was not on the train. It was so not like James that she was starting to worry. Having a famous name like Potter didn't help his life, even though You-Know-Who was no longer after Harry since his demise years ago it still made the whole Potter family subjects of many articles and inquiries. Poor Aunt Ginny had enough to deal with as a member of the Ministry of Magic without the added pressures of being sought after simply because by marriage she was now a Potter. Winnie knew that Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, hated Harry as much if not more than He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, their rivalry was a legend of Hogwarts now. So that his son, Damon Malfoy, was just as hated by Roe, Bastian and James as he hated them was no surprise the surprise to Winnie was that Damon had depths she was sure not even he knew. She caught it when she was staring at another Slytherin who barely knew she was alive. Glances at the Gryffindor table an almost wistful gleam in his eye, his expression never changed of emotionless acceptance but his eyes told her the entire story of his hidden degrees. Wondering if any of her relatives or Roe would pick up on it was a waiting game cause to them he was a Malfoy. Malfoy's had no emotions, were horrible, Death Eaters with power-hunger in the blue blood that chorused through their pureblood veins. That was how they were seen as because honestly, who was going to try to get inside of their head and who would want to. It was a shame, Winnie thought, because if she thought she had the smallest chance with Damon Malfoy she would be in his head so quick but unfortunately she had a feeling the only girl that Damon had a connection to wouldn't touch him with a fifty-foot broom.
~
As Roe pulled off her long red-lace vest that was made to look like a hooded cloak with a white mid-drift tank top, hip-hugger jeans with knee high suede boots, sunglasses pushing her hair back from her face and the long length of hair put into one long braid that came to the middle of her back. Setting the red-lace aside she pulled on her robe over the rest of her clothes, smoothing the material with her palm and magically attached the Prefect badge to the robe. Seeing Sebastian struggling to get the badge perfectly aligned on the robe, Roe sighed before she heard the unmistakable sound of a snap, as the silver badge broke in two. Sebastian growled at the badge being broken in half do to his strength and impatience.
"Reparo!"
The badge was repaired and Roe took it from Sebastian's hand before using her wand to get it in place and placed the attachment spell on it. Seeing his sheepish blush, the hint of pink lighting his soft tan, Roe grinned.
"Patience is a virtue," Roe remarked, "but who ever said it was practical?"
"Funny," Sebastian sarcastically replied.
"I thought so."
The train came to a complete stop so Sebastian grabbed the slim boned wrist of Roe's left hand and headed out of the train. Hogsmeade Station was a buzz of excitement, nervousness, and greetings as the many students exited. The over-shadowing figure of the near-giant Rubeus Hagrid awaited the first year students, although he was nearly eighty he certainly didn't look it. His rough voice called out to the three, his eyes glancing over the student population and Roe could almost see his question forming of 'Where was James'. Mouthing a 'Don't Know' before he could ask, Roe turned her attention back to getting out of the station and up to Hogwarts.
Winnie, ever popular as she was sweet and kind, was surrounded by other fourth years while Sebastian and Roe went their own way to Hogwarts. The entrance of the school bringing back old feelings of reluctance, Roe walked in with Sebastian unknown to her, watching her with worry. The stone floors, arched hallways, thousands of paintings with moving characters, statues and armor displayed everywhere things that were unmistakably Hogwarts.
Reaching the Great Hall, the ceiling a display of the perfect afternoon sky of white fluffy clouds and pale blue, with the direct line of sight towards the High Table, where the faculty sat patiently. Four long empire tables furnished the student body collection, with long bench seats for easier access with the banner of each House displayed overhead. Slytherin with the Snake, Ravenclaw with the Eagle, Hufflepuff with the Badger and Gryffindor with the Lion. Walking towards Gryffindor, Sebastian answered the question he knew was buzzing in Roe's head.
"James isn't here."
Roe questioned, "Then where is he? I swear that when I get my hands on James I'm gonna..."
"Gonna what, Roe?" the husky, male voice of the person in question.
Instantly all her anger at him was gone as she turned to glance into the deep jade-green eyes, the raven hair falling into his left eye, his appearance of being confident without being cocky and physically one of the most attractive guys at school. His smile cut straight to her heart, the response he always caused, and she was enfolded in his strong arms, her head on his chest.
"Miss me, eh?" James gloated.
"Miss you? Why would I ever do that?" Roe removed herself from his warmth, as he shot a grin at Sebastian, "I think that you think entirely too high of yourself, Potter."
"Oh, really? Well, in that case," James signaled for Sebastian to follow him, "we won't bother to save you a seat at the table."
Her eyes spoke of murder as she followed them, James's teasing at an end as he sat between the now seated Roe and Sebastian with Winnie across from them.
"Are you gonna tell us just why you decided not to be like the rest of us mortals and take the Express?" Sebastian inquired.
James only gave a small smile, as Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, the man with a long white beard, kind mischievous eyes dressed in blue robes, stood to announce the entrance of the first years. As the regal Professor Minerva McGonagall entered, followed by about twenty or so first years wearing identical expressions of being uncomfortable with being the center of attention. Directly up to a stool where the Sorting Hat sat, the old wizard's hat assigned to separate every entering first year into one of the four houses. Standing aside the Sorting Hat, Prof. McGonagall called out the first name on the list.
Not really all that interested, although she cheered when Gryffindor proceeded after a named first year, James nudged her when the name of who he had been waiting so patiently and quietly to hear was announced. With a sort of pride in Prof. McGonagall's voice she called out the name of the next first year.
"Lily Potter!"
In shock, Roe and Sebastian glanced at James before watching avidly at James's baby sister, as she self-consciously sat on the stool that Sorting Hat talking, mumbling then with the conclusion met announced her house.
"Gryffindor!"
Squealing with delight, Winnie stood up then as Lily, her dark hair highlighted with the deep auburn of her Weasley mother, her green eyes bright came she instantly saw Winnie and then Roe with James and Sebastian. Roe turned in her seat to give the eleven-year-old a hug.
"Oh, Roe, it's the bestest! I knew I'd get into Gryffindor like Dad, Mom and James did and I did!"
The excited words of Lily came as no surprise to her, knowing how much natural talent Lily had and it was only natural that Lily would be in the house that was such a big part of the whole Potter-Weasley family.
Moving over so that Lily could slid in, Roe saw James smile reassuring at his little sister, who seemed so excited and apart of Gryffindor already that Roe couldn't help but wonder why she had never been like Lily. Didn't feel as if it was a big deal when she turned eleven and for the first three months so resentful of being sent to Hogwarts she actually refused to talk to anybody. Roe accepted it now, couldn't imagine not being here in Gryffindor with all her friends, being the Seeker for the Quidditch team and best friend to Sebastian and James but in her heart she would love to be able to be a normal kid.
As the ceremony of the Sorting Hat ended, Dumbledore proclaimed what he did every year.
"Congratulations to all our new first years, we hope your houses become everything you imagined them to be. As always the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds for students, as well as going out after dark unless you have special permission......."
As he drilled on, Roe tuned him out covering a yawn with her hand until he stopped and announced something that Roe had yet to hear of.
"The Yule Ball this year will be held at Beauxbatons, as a good will gesture and symbol that all the schools are united. Durmstrang will also be there and as usual only fourth years and above may attend. We will be arriving there two days before the Ball and leave the day after. If you do not have dates," Dumbledore grinned, "you may find yourself a date with one of the students from one of the other schools. But an amendment to this is that each House will start out with three hundred points, that you can only go down to two hundred in order for the House to participate. So watch your points because they will determine which houses get to attend."
As talk started, Dumbledore announced loudly so that it caught everyone's attention.
"Professor Snape will be teaching both Potions and Defense against Dark Arts, until we can find an acceptable teacher for Potions. And with that said," he paused, "Tuck In."
Food appeared but as it did Roe found herself losing her appetite. Pushing the mashed potatoes around on her plate, Sebastian cast a worried glance at James nodding to Roe, but before either boy could do anything she excused herself from the table at the protests of many Gryffindors and left the Great Hall. As she cleared the large doors, she rounded the corner and leaned against the stone cold hallway wall breathing in shallow breaths. Sensing that someone was walking towards the exit of the Great Hall, she immediately headed to the stairs to the 7th floor where the Gryffindor common room entrance was.
The pink silk dress of the portrayed Fat Lady who protects the entrance to Gryffindor sat inconveniently in the way of Roe's escape. Cursing herself for not paying attention to what the password Nereida told her earlier she was forced to make a U-turn and headed back down the hall, towards the Library. Madam Pince was still at the feast so the entire rather spacious library was blessedly empty and quiet. Grabbing out the book she shrunk into her pocket earlier, a 'Muggle' book entitled Ancient Artifacts of Greece, she sprinkled the anti potion on the book from the vial in her left pocket of her jeans and it enlarged to its normal size. Taking out her c.d. player she levitated it above the large table she was going to be reading at and set the music to play without ear plugs that way she could listen to it. Getting on the table, she closed her eyes levitating her body above the table then as she opened her eyes, gave a triumph grin and laid on her stomach, the book open also levitated in front of her and she read while listening to forbidden 'Muggle' music of an old band called Stained, while reading a book she wasn't supposed to also levitating, a Dark Art, two feet above the polished oak table. It was her favorite thing to do at Hogwarts, to levitate while reading usually in the abandoned tower in the farthest corner of Hogwarts that was prohibited. She wasn't against going along with the rules, she was just against going by rules that were stupid. Levitating didn't hurt anybody neither did reading a book about other things besides magic or listening to music with lyrics that were actually more insightful than the practical all Classical music they were forced to dance and sing to.
It had to be about an hour later when the echoing sound of footsteps on the corridor stone reached into Roe's engrossed reading so that she snapped the music off, before floating higher in the air so to be out of sight of anyone. The door opened a faint squeak of the door hinges that obviously needed oil, and then the rush of relief that flooded Roe as she recognized the dark head coming in and closing the door behind him.
"Come on, Roe, I know you're in here. Listening to that screaming music, reading a boring book and floating illegally. You know for a Prefect that's very unwise and setting a bad example for the rest of your House."
Gliding down, hugging her book and c.d. player to her she levitated above her table, staring straight into golden eyes of the only true person who understood her.
"Gee, thanks, Mr. Secrets."
A masked expression on his chiseled face that reminded her of Ares, God of War, his hair was straight with the tendency to curl if it got too long like it was now almost touching his robe at the back of his neck. His eyes saw her and a small smile, as close as he ever came to really smiling, appeared on his stoic face.
"Knew it."
"So, you know me, big freakin whoop."
"Someone spit in your food, Gryffindor? Thought that touching reunion between you and Remarkable Potter went well?"
"You know why does everyone think that me and Jamie have something going on?"
"Because you just called him Jamie, something no one else does or is allowed to do in the case of the last time Weasley tried and got decked. The way your eyes follow him when he enters a room, how he knows you almost as well as I do and the one person you couldn't imagine yourself without."
"Now that's not true," Roe let herself sit flatly on the top of the table, as he pulled out a chair and sat in it backwards with his hands crossing over the back, "you know I couldn't live without Sebastian, Winnie, Lily, Mom, and..." Roe smiled teasing, "you."
"You had me for a moment there, Roe," his tone said she had done nothing of the sort, "thought maybe you were going to say Damon."
"Malfoy? As if."
"So I heard that you and him got into it on the train."
"Couldn't guess where you heard that," Roe slid off the table muttering the spell to shrink her book and player then placing them in her pocket, "must have been that gossip Abbott."
"For someone you defended that's nice to know you think so highly of her."
"I only said that to make a point not to defend airhead gossip queens."
"Point taken."
"What are you doing in here? I thought the last thing you'd ever be expected to be found is with books."
"I was looking for you. Potter and Weasley were worried, could see it in their faces but neither can leave the table as they are Prefects," his eyes rested on the badge on her robe, "which I see didn't stop you."
"Oh, crap I forgot that I have to instruct the first years," Roe remembered, walking towards the exit, "I'll see you later, Slytherin."
As the pretty girl raced out of the Library like a herd of Blast Ended Skrewts were on her tail, the young boy of the House of Slytherin flipped the chair to it's correct position before walking to the door, leaning in the entrance as he saw her disappear around another corridor. No matter what the problems that separated them they knew each other well. Knowing each other since first year but keeping their friendship a guarded privacy, as only Potter and Weasley knew that he saw her outside of the classes they shared. The way he portrayed himself around everyone else was who he was on one level on another, when he was with her, he was on the one he found himself less and less on. He understood she was busy, hell he was just as busy but it pained him that he couldn't spend as much time with her as they had the first four years of school. Her involvement with the sport he barely tolerated was one of the things that caused alot of her time to be split into pieces. Only Potter and Weasley had her mostly to themselves, a thing he was slightly jealous of. He knew that Weasley had a crush on her, had since second year but never acted on it and while Roe and Potter got along great, Potter never saw her as anything else but his best friend. Roe knew it, he had pushed those details in her head at the end of last year but she was stubborn and it was working slowly that she would realize Potter, like his father before him, could never be in love with his best friend. Oh, he knew Potter loved her as did Weasley, but Potter could never be IN LOVE with her.
Besides, he thought to himself, he knew the type of guy that Roe needed and neither of her best friends fit the bill. She needed a guy that would hold his own against her smart-aleck remarks, be a guy to comfort her and yet be firm with her, that guy was unfortunately a guy that came from a bad influence of a family. Malfoy was perfect for Roe, as Roe was perfect for Malfoy. He had seen the looks Malfoy tossed Roe's way only to have the naive in the ways of adolescent feelings of lust and desire girl never see them. As much as he didn't like Malfoy he had to grudgingly admit that the guy was as a match for Roe more than anyone else she was likely to meet. The hostility, anger, jealousy, and old grudges that made up their relationship were only the beginning. Sometime soon Roe would have to take a good look at herself and wonder just what she wanted and he knew for bloody certain it wasn't Potter.
Now if that wasn't enough to make an older brother want to reevaluate how he thought of his younger sister, he didn't know what was but unfortunately his name was Astraeus Snape and he was the only guy that loved her that didn't have a hidden motive. He was going to make sure that Roe got what she deserved and if that meant Malfoy then so be it.
As Trey, as he was called as opposed to the hideously long Astraeus, left the quiet hallway he wished for the hundredth time his mother would have thought up better names for her twins rather than Astraeus and Ambrosia.
~
Making it to the entrance of the Gryffindor common room, out of breathe with red flushed cheeks Roe saw James and Sebastian heading up with a narrow eyed Nereida and the other girl Prefect Wynter Jordan. Breathing in a ragged breath Roe straightened her appearance as James announced the Fat Lady painting, who was beaming at the first years, before informing the group that the password was 'Cauldron Cakes' as the passageway opened and they went in but Nereida gripped Roe's upper arm to stop her from going in.
"Where did you disappear to?"
"Sorry had something urgent I had to deal with."
Roe jerked her arm out of Nereida's grip and headed inside. Pausing to explain with Wynter about the rules, before showing the first year girls their dormitory Roe caught Sebastian's eyes resting on her.
Mouthing, "I'm fine", she went up to her sixth year dormitory room crashing on her bed before realizing she had her book and player in her pocket so she dragged them out making sure she hadn't hurt her c.d. player and set it in her hope chest at the end of her canopy four-poster bed. Changing into flannel blue and green patterned shirt and pants pajamas she saw two of the other sixth years staring at her as she pulled back the bedspread.
"Ever heard of the saying 'Take a picture it'll last longer'?"
Velvet Steinmetz, a very beautiful golden blond with blue eyes and Topaz Hauser, who had deeply tanned skin with silky black hair and inquisitive hazel eyes both sat on Velvet's bed before Topaz answered Roe.
"Did you really say all those things to Malfoy?"
Raising a delicate arched eyebrow, Roe sat back on her bed, as Wynter wrapped an arm around one of the posts on Velvet's bed listening.
"Which things?"
"About his family, you know the whole," Velvet lowered her voice, "Death Eater thing."
"Sure, why not?"
The three other girls exchanged looks that stated that Roe was crazy, which she thought was funny considering that she thought any girl that found Malfoy something other than repulsive was a candidate for St. Mungo.
"You three don't have to agree with me," Roe was seeing the buzzing of the famous gossip chain already starting, "I just think that Malfoy shouldn't be based on his looks. He comes from the Death Eater family that is famous for being in league with Dark Arts, he acts like he's some sort of god about this place because he's wealthy and no one has the guts to tell him otherwise. As far as I'm concerned he's a swelled headed git who needs a couple good thrashings to get that stupid lazy smirk off his face."
"Girl, you are losing it. Malfoy may be all those things but he's hot. He's the same as James only on the other side. You've even got to admit in the looks department the boy is yummy."
"I'd rather have holes drilled in my head."
Roe gathered a blanket and Wynter asked where she was going.
"Into the common room, while you three get the famous Malfoy looks out of your system since you three obviously only see the package not what's inside."
Slamming the door after her she headed down the steps to the deserted common room, a high fire in the fireplace and collapsed with a flop in an armchair in front of the fire. Muttering under her breathe about having brainless twits as roommates, she felt a sudden pull on the back of her chair that caused her to look up at James, with Sebastian coming around and sitting in the identical matching chair.
"Have a fight with the girls?" James inquired.
"How'd you guess?"
"The blanket and the fact you're in your pajamas without a robe. Signs of a fight that had you all huffy."
"Good observation, Watson." Roe sarcastically commented, then seeing their identical confused looks gave up on why she had called Sebastian that.
"Gonna tell us what's bothering you or do we have to use a 'Rictusempra' on you?" James asked.
"Put a tickling charm on me James and I'll sneak into Snape's office and get a Truth Potion out then ask you which girls you've had crushes on for the past six years," Roe paused for effect, "in the middle of the next Quidditch game and I'll put a spell on your voice that will make the whole school hear you."
"Ouch," Sebastian winced, "gotta admit James she's got you there."
"Who would ever have thought that good old Roe would be such a rule breaker?" James mused.
"Taught first hand by you two and five Weasley cousins, I'd say I haven't done enough."
James and Sebastian grinned.
"We admit that we might have helped."
"Might of? What did the Invincible Cloak make your brain go haywire?"
"Okay, okay, we helped alot."
"So is it any wonder that I'm so good at what I do?"
"Never doubted it for a minute, Roe."
"Though your mom might have something to say about you doing that to me."
"Please my mom would say I was proving a point that you should never use a charm to divulge information you can't get out of simply talking to a person."
"Obviously she doesn't know you real well."
James saw Roe look down cast and shot a look at Sebastian.
"You gonna tell us?"
Roe pulled her knees to her chest, her body wrapped in the soft cotton blanket from her bed, resting her chin on the top of her knees.
"It's Malfoy."
James's puzzled expression gave away that he hadn't heard about the train.
"I kinda went off on him. About his father, his family, how arrogant he thinks he is and then upstairs Velvet, Topaz and Wynter decided to ask me about it. Why do they think he's such a great catch? He's a bleached blond with a serious over-inflated head syndrome."
"Well, you've got us on the whole he's attractive thing," Sebastian admitted.
"Malfoy has a way of making people see what he wants them to see, not what he doesn't."
"He's a bloody git that needs to be boiled in oil, feathered and sent to Fang as a dog toy."
At the image she created of Fang, Hagrid's boarhound, using Malfoy as a chewing toy both boys broke into laughter.
"Not bitter, are we?" James said, when he could breath again.
"Bitter? Me? Cause he uses my mom's parentage as a reason to treat me like I'm subhuman, cause she's born normal..Muggle but has more talent in her pinky than his jerk of a father has in his entire body. He thinks he's Merlin's gift to the female population of Hogwarts and that irritates me that not one girl besides me sees him as the person he is inside."
"Who knows the female brain? I have two sisters and I still can't figure it out." Sebastian spoke up.
"And one more staying this winter." Roe added as a sore point to Sebastian, who glared at her.
"You didn't tell me you were staying with Bastian."
"You didn't ask, Jamie, I can't do all the thinking for you, now can I? I'd be all exhausted thinking of excuses to get out of Divinations all day."
"Well, since you are staying with Bastian I'll just have to come around during winter break now won't I?"
Sebastian eyes pleaded with James not to joke, the idea of spending the vacation with a household full of females was a scary thought indeed.
"We better get to bed," James said after laughing at Sebastian's earnest face, "hopefully the oohing and awing over Malfoy has ended."
"One can only hope. Night, guys."
"Night, Roe."
~
Waking up feeling like she had just gone to bed, Roe dressed in her robes after showering in the private Prefect's bathroom on the 5th floor pulling her hair into a French braid, the strands of her hair a mixture of subtle shades of brown mixed with the palest shade that was a dark blonde due to the summer of spending it in the sun. The healthy tan suited her much better and her eyes, a mix of cinnamon-brown with gold flecks were defined in a way they hadn't before. Growing out of her akward phase in her fourth year had helped her self-esteem and made her prettier than alot of girls at school, not that she cared. Life was more than a bunch of meaningless looks that never helped you and faded when you grew old.
At breakfast the conversation was still on the Yule Ball that wasn't for months and as Roe went over her schedule she found herself in Potions followed by Defense Against Dark Arts back to back first thing in the morning. Winnie sat across from Roe, beside a groggy Lily who was chattering with another first year between bites of eggs.
"You okay, Roe? You look a little distraught?"
"Potions and Dark Arts first thing in the morning." Roe replied.
Winnie groaned in sympathy.
Owls were just starting to enter the room, sending greetings, the Daily Prophet, and letters to the variety of students. One landed in front of Roe, as she opened it she saw her mother's handwriting:
Roe,
Hope you are having a great first couple of days. I wanted to let you know that I'm heading back to New York early. Demand on the new book has hit its peak, it'll be out in three days and I'll send you a copy. Try to keep out of trouble, though with James and Sebastian I won't say don't get into any, as that would not be possible since they are exactly like their fathers. I will owl again soon. Send my love.
Mum
Roe smiled at the way her mom spoke, before folding the letter and putting it in her pocket of her robe her eyes searching for a pair of bronze ones, finding them she grinned at the letter he held in his hand with their mother's seal on it. Mouthing 'Potions' as her first class, she saw him give a sympathetic nod although to anyone else it didn't look like he had done any such thing. His mouth formed 'Charms' and she glared over at him before mouthing 'Not fair'. Turning her attention back to her breakfast, feeling eyes on her she saw Winnie staring over her shoulder at the exact direction of Trey.
"Hey, Win?" Roe asked, a smile hidden.
"Yeah?"
"Who you staring at?"
That seemed to snap the fourteen-year-old out of her trance.
"What?"
Not wanting to embarrass her friend she changed what she had said.
"Who do you have first?"
"Oh I thought you asked....I have Professor Sprout, Herbology."
"Lucky you. Lily?"
The eleven-year-old's head shot up at the sound of her name to meet Roe's face.
"Would you mind telling Jamie and Bastian I'll see them in class?"
"Sure, Roe! James is going to be in Potions with you, right?"
"That's what he told me when I saw him and Bastian earlier."
"Bastian, too?"
"Yeah. Always do we have the same class, the year you're in usually dictates the class the entire year is in."
"At least that way you guys aren't separated."
"I have two other classes that they don't since I flat refused to take Divinations."
"Does..eh, Trey have Potions cause," as Winnie leaned over the table to point on Roe's schedule, "Slytherin is with Gryffindor for Potions."
"He gets other classes as well since Trey didn't want to take Potions with the rest of the Slytherins, he's got more experience at it anyway with being Snape's son and all. Well, gotta go."
"Good luck."
Roe smiled and got up almost knocking into a fuming Malfoy, but stopped just in time to keep her balance.
"Just walk down the aisle like you own the whole place why don't you?" Roe called angrily.
His steps paused, students heads popped to attention that the always- entertaining confrontations between Roe and Malfoy only to be disappointed as he stocked away without a word. Unused to him not being the jerk he normally was, Roe shrugged and went to get her books for Potions.
~
The dark room used as the Potions and also now the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom was sobering to most students. Professor Snape was a no nonsense teacher who was known for taking away points, especially from Gryffindor at the top of a hat. His personal grudge against James Potter, the father of Harry Potter, was well known but he had lessened his grudge a bit in the past almost seventeen years and most suspected it was due to the scandal between him and an unnamed student that resulted in the birth of Trey, who was raised at Hogwarts and in Hogsmeade during the summer in Snape's flat. Trey was a top student but had an anti-social personality that made him unapproachable if not lusted after from a removed distance. He was hot, no denying his status as one of the top ten hunks at Hogwarts, a list that the girls in all four houses had created in first year but he had yet to date a single girl or show interest in one. For a long time most suspected him being more towards same sex but it was never confirmed. That he was in Slytherin, along with Malfoy wasn't a turn off although they were the only two Slytherins to make it to the list. A mystery hung around Trey as to who his mother was and that added mystery to the already highly mysterious secretive Snape.
As Roe entered the room, her cauldron and book in hand she noticed she was first to arrive but smiled as she saw the figure of Trey, his back turned towards her, so she sneaked up on him as he bent over whatever potion he was working on and put her hands over his eyes.
"Guess who?"
"A very attractive Ravenclaw?"
Roe rolled her eyes, removing her hands and punching his shoulder softly.
"Very cute, Trey."
"So everyone keeps writing about me, but I have yet to see 'cute' as part of me."
"Oh you know you are just the cutest little Slytherin in the whole wide world." Roe's tone like baby talk as she laughed.
Trey couldn't help the groan of disgust at her voice, turning so she could look in front of him at the potion that was turning a putrid yellow color and smelled worse.
"What is that?" Roe pointed to the potion but made sure to keep a safe distance.
"A potion to turn innocent girls like you into wanton women of the world."
"Really?" Roe looked interested but seeing his eyes light up with shock, she laughed, "you know you take everything I say way too seriously, Trey- Bear."
"I trust, Miss Granger that you are done harassing my top student?" came the snide almost freezing cold tone of Professor Snape from behind a wall that obviously was a secret passage to his private rooms. The black robes hung off him in a very thick material, with a black belt and his face was a simple expression, as to not give away anything.
"Why no, Professor Snape, you see Trey has decided to turn me into quite the wanton so I will be forced to seduce every single male into doing my bidding by the end of the day. Quite an accomplishment for a sixth year, don't you think?"
His face was as priceless as Trey's had been that she couldn't keep the serious tone in her voice any longer that she burst out laughing at his dark look towards Trey.
"Sorry about that," Roe said between breaths, "it was too good to pass up."
"I do sometimes, young lady, wonder what your mother is teaching you."
Roe watched him put a spell on the huge door so that no one could unlock it and then pulled her into a hug.
"Mom is great, she teaches me all that knowledge she learned here and she sends her love."
Snape pulled back from his daughter, his other offspring that he never in a million years thought he'd have. He was still uncomfortable about showing any outward affection but Roe was always one to give affection whole heartedly to the people she cared about that the hug didn't feel unnatural at all.
"Are you going to be spending time here this winter?"
Roe frowned, "Mom set it up that I would be spending my winter at the Weasley's."
Snape scrawled before Trey nodded.
"It's not like she has to spend every winter here with me, Father. Mum already spoke to me about it and I said it was fine."
"Since when do I need your permission to do something, Trey?"
"Always, you just didn't know it."
Her look could kill if it had been a spell but as Snape went about doing things for the upcoming class the door opened as Snape had taken off the spell as soon as he knew the second student would be coming soon.
"Aren't you gonna tell me what the potion is?"
"No."
"Miss Granger, would you please take your seat as your classmates will be arriving soon and Trey I suggest you get to Charms before I am forced to come up with an excuse to tell that dumb bell Flitwick teacher of yours."
Trey nodded, setting aside the potion to keep it out of the lessons way. Gathering his books, he walked to where Roe sat.
"You going to the Library after classes?"
"Probably if I don't have Quidditch practice. James is Captain this year and might have that whole Grind-Us-Into-The-Ground tendency."
"Tell Potter to go easy on you or I might just visit him."
"No threats to James this early please, I'm too tired to come up with nasty words of insults up to my standards."
Trey smirked that half-smile he did.
"See you around, Gryffindor."
"Be social, Slytherin."
"Not a chance on this side of Hell."
Roe chuckled under her breath only to stop as Trey seemed to be talking to someone on the other side of the door, as she got up to tease him as was little sister privilege, she found him talking to Malfoy.
"Oh, it's you."
"Don't look so thrilled to see me, Granger, and what's with you talking to Trey, think maybe one of us might date your bony self?"
"Oh please I wouldn't date a Slytherin if my life depended on it, I rather be strapped to a wooden stake and set on fire." Roe's eyes saw Trey's light up in amusement before he turned and walked towards Charms.
"Since this isn't the 1600s you'll have to forgo that but being strapped? Kinda kinky for a virgin isn't it?"
"Drop dead."
Entering the class behind her, Malfoy noticed that Snape was displaying items for a potion.
"No such luck, Granger," his voice chilly, "dying is a Mudblood thing not a Pure Blood seeing as how we aren't hunted."
"Watch your back, Malfoy, cause one of these days hunting season is going to open and Pure Bloods are going to be the first to go, especially Malfoys."
Snape's ears caught the entire exchange and as much as he'd like to fight Roe's battles for her, he knew he couldn't. No one knew that Roe was his daughter besides Dumbledore, Potter, Weasley, Hermione, Trey, and himself. Roe had even told her best friends, the younger Potter and Weasley, that Trey was just an old friend and since he wasn't evil like Malfoy they accepted it as her decision. He knew that Draco had raised Damon to be alot like him but Draco wasn't evil either and neither, much as his daughter would like to think, was Damon. Draco had more courage and self- respect to be a Death Eater and Damon had been taught that wealth was only a luxury not a privilege. Unknown to Roe and as a secret with Trey, Damon had spent every other summer working in Hogsmeade like any other kid who needed money to call their own just like Trey did. So as much as he'd like to take sides especially at that Mudblood comment directed at Hermione as well as Roe, he couldn't.
"If you two are done I suggest you take your seats and fortunately Mr. Malfoy you will be sitting next to Miss Granger this semester."
The astonish looks almost caused him to smile, almost.
As the rest of the class crawled in, each was forced to sit with people they didn't like. James was on the other side of Malfoy while Sebastian was subjected to being in the middle of Avery and Bletchley. As Snape went over what they would be covering he decided to start with a simple potion along with assigning a four foot parchment on the different uses of three plants of each individual students choice.
Roe was going over her notes on three plants she had in mind when she heard James comment on something accompanied by a biting remark by Malfoy. Lifting her bent head from over her parchment to the two handsome arguing boys, she saw that James's ink bottle was dumped all over Malfoy's two bundled parchment.
"Look what you did, Potter!"
"I said it was an accident!"
"Like I believe you! You did it on purpose!"
"Why would I want to waste my ink all over your stupid parchments?!"
"Because you knew I was almost done with the essay, class is almost over and that's why I put it away!"
"I said it was an accident what more do you want?!"
"Forget it, too bad that You-Know-Who missed killing your father because maybe then I wouldn't have to deal with you!"
Roe knew the minute that Malfoy opened his mouth at James's dad he was going to get it and she winced the moment she heard flesh fist hit flesh nose. The splatter of blood landed on the table, over turned chairs cracked on the stone floor as the two boys wrestled in the fight.
Finally as Sebastian got to James to get him away, Snape along with Avery pulled Malfoy away as Roe went about keeping herself firmly between the two, her back to Malfoy as she saw the already black eye forming in the place of James's left eye, his lower lip was cut by Malfoy's signia ring on his right middle finger and as Roe glanced over her shoulder at Malfoy whose nose was broken and was going to be showing off two identical raccoon eyes because of it, both boys equally messed up.
"I want you both to Pomfrey and then I want you back here because you two and I are going to have a talk."
As Roe saw Sebastian let go of James's arm, the concern in her face as she turned sideways to wipe at James lip with one of the white clothes that Wynter had got from the sink, was getting to Malfoy as he sat in the chair before Snape took each boy by the arm and led them to the nurse. The door wasn't even closed before whispers, accusations and the like were shouted back and forth between the Gryffindors and the Slytherins.
Sebastian saw Roe sigh before going back to gather her things right as the bell rang.
"What are you doing? Don't you have Defense against Dark Arts next?"
"Yeah but I'm going take a breather."
As Sebastian glanced at Roe leaving, he thought in his head, Oh, yeah it's great being back at Hogwarts.
~ ~ ~
To Be Continued....next chapter up soon..
December 23, 2001
Re-edited December 28, 2001 and renamed from 'Hard Times Ahead'