So! This was supposed to be a collection of 7 rumbelle drabbles on their seven school years in Hogwarts. The drabbles got a tad bigger, so I'll post this fic in seven different chapters! I really hope you all liked it, cuz I had a really fun time writing it. It was my first long work, and I am proud of it! (which is rather rare for me, I'm sad to say...).
I'll posting this on tumblr as well, so if anyone has any prompts or questions, feel free to stop by!
Well, without further ado, enjoy!
FIRST YEAR – WHO IS THAT GUY?
Belle French was nervous as she walked through King Cross station with her father in tow. It was the 1st of September. The day had finally arrived. After spending so much time thinking about the magical school, it was time to go to Hogwarts. Belle was scared about it all though. She didn't really know what to expect. Books could only take you so far.
Her father, Moe, was a muggle. Her mother, a witch. They met when her mom went to Sidney in a mission for the Australian Ministry. She had been an 'auror', which was like the wizard police, according to her father. It was in a similar mission that she was killed when Belle was barely 3 years old. Her father had been devastated and could not stand being in Australia anymore. "Too many memories", he told her whenever she asked. Seeing the hurt in his eyes, Belle never said a thing about against leaving the country, not even after she grew up. They moved to England then, not one year after her mum's death.
Having left everything they had in Australia, her father had to work really hard to be able to maintain the living style they had before. For that reason, since she was four years old, Belle resigned herself to their little street, Spinner's End. It was a closed off neighbourhood, where most people kept to themselves. With no children around, Belle didn't have anyone to talk to. Being afraid that something might happen to her, Moe asked her not to leave the house. Their neighbours were old-fashioned people, so even if her father had spent much time at home, they wouldn't have wanted to come and stop for "tea".
Belle had learned not to care about what other people said or thought. Or about her loneliness. Her father never hid from her what her mother was, and, in spite of the hurt he still felt, gave his daughter all of her mom's books. And Belle spent most of her time reading them, devouring them would be the more apt word. Just like her mum, Belle adored books; getting to know about different things was her favourite past time. Her father was always supportive of her reading habit. Although he could not buy more wizardry books (didn't know where to look for them, really), he would buy her as many novels as she wanted. To space herself out then, Belle intercalated her novels with her mother's books (the latter being often too hard for her to completely understand anyways, but she did try).
Moe knew that Belle would be a witch. When she had first done an accidental spell, she was but 6 years old. She really wanted the colourful book on the top shelf, but her father was doing something in the other room of the house and couldn't come to aid her right away. Two seconds later, all of the books of the shelf were floating around a wide-eyed Belle. Her father had come downstairs running when he hear her gasp. The girl would never forget the look on his face that day. A mixture of love, pride, and hurt. He rushed forward and hugged her tightly saying, "You'll be as formidable witch as your mother was, sweetie." and then he proceeded to cry his eyes out, while Belle hugged him back.
"Here we are sweetie." Her father's voice and hand on her shoulder made her come back to the present. Holding the trolley with her school things tightly, Belle looked up at the wall in front of her. The numbers 9, and 10 on each side of it. "This is it. The Lucases will meet you, er, inside, right?" Belle just nodded her head.
Belle had gotten her letter when she was 11, that had not scared her, her birthday was on December, and she knew she had to be of that age to start the school. It had been delivered personally by the Professor and Deputy Headmistress from Hogwarts, Minerva McGonagall. Professor McGonagall had told father and daughter all they needed to know about the school, the materials, the subjects and a bit about the Wizard community in England. When she left space open for questions, Belle was sure she surprised her new teacher with the amount she asked. The elder woman answered all of them with a gentle smile on her face, ready to reassure both of them in whatever they needed.
When Belle told the professor that she didn't really went out that much and didn't know anyone, so keeping the Wizard Law of secrecy would not be a problem, McGonagall frowned. The Deputy Headmistress then offered to try to get Belle in contact with another freshman who would be able to help her with adapting in the new school. With Belle's enthusiastic agreement and Moe's consent, McGonagall send them a letter hardly a week later with the details for a meeting with a Mrs. Lucas, and her granddaughter, Ruby Lucas.
The two girls hit it off immediately, despite their different personalities, their excitement of going to the wizardry school alone providing more than enough material for the initial conversations. They arranged to go to Diagonal Alley together to buy everything they needed. And, after Belle bought her owl, they often wrote to each other during the remaining months they had until September, seeing each other occasionally. In their last meeting, the two Lucas had gone to Moe's house for dinner and offered to meet Belle inside the platform 9 ¾ so Belle wouldn't have to wait for 11 o'clock alone.
"Well," Moe turned towards her, a tight smile on his lips, tears in his eyes. Belle offered him a more genuine smile of her own.
"It'll be alright Papa. I'll write to you every week." The petit girl approached her father and hugged him tightly. Moe's answering hug was so tight it was almost painful.
"I know sweetie. You enjoy it, you hear me?" He backed away to look at her. "I will be fine. You enjoy your time there, okay? Make lots of friends and study hard."
"I will dad, I promise." Belle hugged him again before drawing back and smiling confidently. She did not want to let on how nervous she was, for her father's sake.
"You'll make an excellent witch. Just like your mother." Both had tears on their eyes now.
"Belle!" A voice shouted come from behind them. It was Ruby and Granny (as she had asked Belle to call her).
"Ruby, hey! I thought we were meeting inside?" Belle said hugging her friend. Ruby hugged her back.
"We were, but something came up and I have to go, I am sorry to say. However, I trust Ruby to show you everything on the other side." She said warmly hugging Belle and nodding to Moe. "I'm glad I got the chance to wish you a good year, though." Granny smiled at the two girls. "You two have fun. Enjoy the year and study hard! And send me some news." After giving her granddaughter a last hug and apologizing to Moe and Belle again, Mrs. Lucas made her way hastily to the exit.
"Sorry" Ruby repeated, "Apparently someone charmed something in the kitchen that was not supposed to be charmed and well…" Granny, as they'd been told in one of their get together, owned a small restaurant in Hogsmead. "Anyway! Are you ready?" She said smiling.
Belle nodded and turned back to her father to give him a last hug. Taking a deep breath, Belle put her hands in the trolley's handle and started walking straight towards the wall, Ruby by her side giving her confidence. Her brain, however, screamed at her the closer she got to the wall and she could not stop herself form closing her eyes at the last minute before the contact. Only Ruby's chuckle after a couple of seconds made her reopen them. Belle froze on the spot. A big red locomotive was ahead of her, the sigh "Hogwarts Express" visible for all. It was beautiful.
"Welcome to Platform 9 & ¾!" Ruby said happily, Belle could only smile. "Come on! Let's get your things inside!"
After unloading her trolley with the person that was taking care of the packages and securing a cabin with their trunks inside, the two girls went back to the platform to look around the place. Belle was fascinated with everything. The place itself was (for lack of another word) magical and the diversity of people united while they waited for the clock to strike 11 was amazing. Ruby was happy to answer any questions she had. There was so much to see! From the architecture itself to the different kinds of clothing everybody was wearing. It was as if Belle had entered a different world. Though, now that she thought about it, she really had. It was a completely new and different world. Her mother's world. And Belle couldn't wait to be a part of it!
As they slowly made their way back towards the beginning of the train, Belle was happy to just enjoy the buzz of people talking, owls chirping, frogs croaking (frogs?!) and trolleys and trunks being pushed from side to side. Or she was, until something –or rather, someone - caught her attention.
"Who is that guy?" Belle asked Ruby making the girl look over in the direction of her friend's gaze. The taller girl frowned and her face darkened as she glanced over to the lonely dark haired boy that was leaning against the wall on the other side of the station. He was wearing clothes of rich fabric and his posture elegant. He was clearly someone from the high society. But why was he alone? And why such a closed face? Surely he could not be indifferent to the place he was standing on.
"I think that's the Gold boy." She says slowly and in a low voice, as if afraid she could attract his gaze "The Golds are a very ancient family of wizards and witches. Sort of like the Scottish royal family for the wizards. Both his parents have a high positions inside the ministry. Or so Granny says…" she ends thoughtfully, shifting her gaze away.
That explained the clothing and the posture. Not the expression though. Even if he was used to magic and all of this, wasn't he the least bit excited? By his height, Belle guessed he was just starting Hogwarts as well, why wouldn't he be showing more enthusiasm? Or some at all? It was very odd, and intriguing. Looking back at her friend, Belle realized that the frown had not gone away.
"What is it Ruby? Why did you lower voice?" Ruby started to back away slightly, looking uncomfortable, and from what Belle had found out about the girl so far, she didn't seem to get uncomfortable often. "And why are you acting like you're scared that someone might hear us?" Belle might not know what it was, but decided to drop her voice too.
"Listen, Belle. I know you are new to all of this in a way, but the Golds have a reputation. Granny says that they do or did er… dark stuff… and it'd be best to not get close to any of them..." Her eyes were definitely scared now and Belle took pity on her.
"Okay, okay… I won't ask any more questions… come on, let's go to our seats!" Relief showed on Ruby's face as she took Belle's arm and all but dragged her friend into the train. Just before they got all the way to the express however, Belle chanced a last look over to the Gold boy, as her friend had called him. She was intrigued by what she'd heard so far.
To her surprise, the boy was not alone anymore. Two adults were with him. Probably his parents, she thought. The man had dark brown short hair and a cool and closed face like his son (that explained it somewhat – a family trait). The woman had long hair, a lighter tone of brown though, more like her son's, but Belle could not see her expression from that angle. Moving along, she was caught off guard again. This time, by the dark brown eyes of the Gold boy staring directly at her, his gaze so intense that it knocked her off balance. Or it might have been just Ruby pulling her harder.
"Come on, Belle!" And Belle was forced into the vehicle, breaking eye contact with the boy. Something about him had caught her attention, though she could not pin point what, exactly. Belle shrugged and fell in step with her friend. She was starting a magical school, entering her mother's world, her world now, finally. It was bound to have many things drawing her attention. And if the "dangerous boy" (cuz even if Ruby hadn't said those exact words, Belle was sure she thought it) was one of them, she'd just have to be careful! But she couldn't be afraid. As her mother used to say (according to her father), if you "do the brave thing, bravery will follow".