The Girl from Durmstrang
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Harry Potter or anything related in any matter. The only thing I own is the plot of this fic and Aura. –sob- Let's see... flames are MOST welcome! -giggle- I find them deeply amusing. Please Read and Review. I'll update when I reach at least 6 reviews? Thankee's! Man... I haven't done anything in awhile... Well enjoy!
Chapter One: Memories
The platinum haired man known as Draco Malfoy sighed at the woman who lay sleeping beside him. Gently he ran his fingers through her ebony hair then along her soft, pale cheek. With a slight shiver, the now 24 year-old Draco left the comfort of his plush, silken bed and strode over to the open window. For a few minutes, he stared out across the grounds, watching the rain pound. Then quietly, he shut the window and drew the curtains closed before returning to the warmth of his bed and his wife's soft flesh. At the moment, her eyes were closed, but in his mind he would remember their vibrant color forever. As he lay his head back onto the pillows, his mind wandered back to his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To that fateful Triwizard Tournament and the Yule Ball that had brought him and his lady love together. Think he's with Pansy Parkinson? That he's thinking about the Yule Ball they had attended together in their fourth year? Think again…
Ten Years Ago:
"Bloody Hell. They're taking forever." Grumbled the 14 year-old boy named after Dragons. Draco Malfoy stood firmly in front of his two massive goons, Crabbe and Goyle as they waited outside with the rest of the students and staff of Hogwarts. The Triwizard Tournament was set to begin anew at Hogwarts this year and as the delegates from Beauxbatons had already arrived and headed inside to warm up. Now they were merely waiting for the Durmstrang students.
Even Draco had to mask his excitement at seeing the huge carriage swoop down carrying the Beauxbaton children, though he didn't bother to hide his curiosity at how the Durmstrang lot were arriving. "You know," The pale, pointed face boy proclaimed loudly. "My father wanted to send me to Durmstrang, they are much more choosy about the students they allow in. Never would a mudblood set foot into Durmstrang." He finished proudly with a particular nasty sneer towards Hermione Granger.
"Oh but Draco…" Whined the flat-faced Pansy Parkinson. "If you had gone to Durmstrang, where would Slytherin be without you?" She whimpered, hooking an arm through Draco's.
"True… I would have left a considerable gap in the talent…" Began Draco, before he was cut off by one Harry Potter.
"The only thing that would have left a gap is the size of your ego Malfoy." Snarled Harry, still reeling over the mudblood comment and Draco's looks towards Hermione.
Drawing his wand, the only thing that had stopped Draco from cursing Potter into oblivion was the steadily growing sloshing noise, gurgling up from the bottom of the lake. Looking rather furious at losing his chance, Draco turned back to watch the now bubbling water. Soon, a great whirlpool opened in the center of the lake and what appeared to be a pole with rigging shot out, followed by a very large silhouette. Draco was vaguely aware of someone yelling, proclaiming the large shadow to be a ship.
The students heard the creaking of old boards and the whip of the sails in the wind as the ship hit shore. The anchor dropped, along with the gangplank and many smaller silhouettes began to disembark. The Durmstrang lot all seemed to be rather big and bulky, but as they drew into the light, it was because of their fur coats.
Draco watched as one by one, the heavy coats were shed, revealing boys and girls around the age of 17, all dark-haired and most of them had dark eyes and pale skin. One of the girls though, was considerably smaller than the rest, for she appeared to be Draco's own age. With long, ebony toned hair, and pale skin, she fit in well with the rest of the Durmstrang lot, but what set her apart was that she had not dark brown or black eyes, but blazing emerald green orbs set under even brows. All the other students also seemed puzzled at the appearance of this young girl among so many older teens. Their puzzlement wouldn't last long, as Dumbledore was now herding them all back into the castle and into the Great Hall for the welcoming feast.
Soon enough, everyone was seated, with Beauxbatons joining the Ravenclaw table and the Durmstrang lot joining the Slytherin. Draco gave Pansy a wink, as she had offered the young girl a place with her gang of Slytherin girls. Luckily enough, the girl understood and could speak fairly decent English.
With a twinkle in his clear blue eyes, Dumbledore stood and raised his hands, waiting for the Hall to hush itself. "Welcome one and all. I do hope our Hogwarts students will gladly show our foreign guests a good time and treat them with kindness and respect. Before I go on explaining the Triwizard Tournament in further detail, there's another little announcement. As many of you may have noticed, there was one young lady that quite stood out from the rest of our friends of Durmstrang. If I could ask her to join me please?" Dumbledore beckoned to the young lady sitting beside Pansy.
The girl smiled and swept her waist-length hair off her shoulder before standing from the bench and heading up to the staff table to stand beside Dumbledore. Draco hadn't realized it, but he had been staring widely at her the entire time. Dumbledore waited until the whispers had died down once again before continuing. "I regret to inform Durmstrang, that you will be losing one of your number soon enough. Good news however for Hogwarts, we will be gaining a new transfer student." Dumbledore beamed down at the girl by his side. "Go on and introduce yourself." He muttered to her.
The ebony haired girl brushed a stray strand of hair behind an ear with her slender hands and stepped forward. "Well…" She began in a soft voice with a rich, Bulgarian accent. "My name, is Aurora Van Mihron, but I am mostly known as Aura…" The girl now known as Aura looked back at Dumbledore, then at her now former Headmaster, Igor Karkaroff. Dumbledore simply beamed at her, while Karkaroff seemed not to notice her. Aura's face fell a bit as she continued. "What else is there…?" She questioned herself. "Well, I am fourteen years old, so I'm in the Fourth year."
Professor McGonagall, who strode into the Great Hall carrying a familiar stool and raggedy old hat, cut her off. Dumbledore smiled once again as the stool was set next to Aura and McGonagall stood next to it, beckoning Aura to sit. She sat and soon the Sorting Hat was placed upon her head. Confused murmurs issued up from the student body, which were ceased by McGonagall's raised hand. "Because Miss Van Mihron is joining us at Hogwarts well into the first term, she will be sorted now into her house. I assure that the house that receives her will help in her learning of the ways of Hogwarts." With that said, Professor McGonagall watched the sorting hat on Aura's head. After several long minutes of silence, the wide mouth near the brim split open and shouted a single word.
"SLYTHERIN!"
The hall erupted in applause and cheering, most of which coming from the Slytherin table as Aura hopped off the stool and walked back to her place, receiving many hugs from Pansy Parkinson's gang and several handshakes from the Slytherin boys. Draco, however, couldn't help but smirk over at the trio. Still grinning rather smugly, Draco turned to Aura and congratulated her on making Slytherin, assuring her that she would be most welcome. Aura returned his smile with a sweet one of her own then leaned closer to him, whispering. "Is it true, well that Harry Potter attends this school?" She asked. Draco gave a disgruntled nod.
"But don't worry, the little prat and his friends won't bother you at all, Aura." He grinned, only half listening to Dumbledore's continued speech about a Goblet of Fire and ages lines. After the Headmaster sat, to much applause and murmuring of who would make the best champions, the golden plates filled to the brim with rich foods, both familiar and foreign.
Draco grinned widely at his cronies, bragging about which girls would simply kill to be escorted to the upcoming Yule Ball by him, Dumbledore having also mentioned this during his speech. At the start of the new topic, Pansy turned to Aura with an almost challenging look in her eyes. "You know, I will most likely end up attending the Ball with Draco." She said, her puggish nose in the air.
"Err, now, who is this Draco?" Aura asked curiously over a plate of steak and steaming vegetables. Her accent causing her to slightly roll the r in his name, which caught Draco's attention. Soon the boy who had congratulated her earlier introduced himself.
"Why that would be me." He spoke up from a few seats down. "Draco Malfoy, a pleasure to meet you." Draco flicked his icy gray gaze towards the Gryffindor table to see if Potter or any of his little friends were watching; they weren't. Either way, Draco held out a hand to Aura then gently kissed her fingers as she placed her slender hand in his.
"Malfoy… I think I've heard of you…" She tapped her chin with a finger. "Yes, your father, he is Lucius, is he not?" At Draco's nod, Aura continued. "A very generous man, you father…" Though Aura trailed off without stating why Lucius Malfoy was generous, as the conversation with the girls now turned to the different styles and colors of dress robes.
Soon after everyone was full with delicious food and drinks, the golden plates were wiped clean once again. Several Slytherins laughed at Aura's surprised little gasp and her exclamation that "they do not do that at home..." Her face promptly went pink around her cheeks and ears until Draco and Pansy hushed the laughers.
Once dismissed by Dumbledore, the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students filed out into the entrance hall and out into their respective transportation. Most of the students guessed that's where the foreign students would be staying. Aura however stayed behind, she hadn't even moved from her seat. She only even looked up from the table when Pansy approached her.
"Aren't you coming?" She asked.
"Coming where? I'm afraid I do not know where I am supposed to go…" She trailed off quietly, fearing more laughter from her new fellow students.
"Oh just follow me!" Pansy replied shrilly. "I'll show you how to get to the Slytherin Common room." Just as Pansy had levered Aura out of her seat, the two girls where approached by none other than Severus Snape.
"Head to the Common room Miss Parkinson." Spoke Snape in his cold, nasal voice. "I need to speak with our… newest student." Snape watched Pansy until she had disappeared from sight before turning back to Aura. "Miss Van Mihron is it?" He asked. At her nod, he continued. "I am your Head of House, Professor Snape. I also teach Potions. Since you are new to this school and lucky enough to be in my House, I will go easy on you for the first few weeks, after that though, you will be expected to perform at the same level of any other respectable Slytherin here at Hogwarts. Now follow me to the common room." With that said, Snape turned on his heel and strode out of the hall at a brisk pace, his black cloak billowing behind him as Aura trotted to keep up with his stride.
Aura soon memorized the path from the entrance hall, down into the dungeons and into the Slytherin Common Room. Roughly, Snape pushed her through the entrance and huffed off towards his office.
Timidly, Aura blinked around the sleekly designed common room. She had to admit the black furniture and marble floors were impressive as she took a seat on a plush, velvet sofa in front of the fire. She had expected most of the students to be inside their dormitories already, but poor Aura had no idea where she was supposed to stay.
Aura felt heat rise in her face once again, though it was not caused by the flames in front of her. She was alone, in a strange school, a strange country. Her family were all back in Bulgaria, she could still remember her mother's weeping eyes as she told Aura that she was being transferred to a school in another country…
Her thoughts were broken by the sound of a door creaking. Turning around, Aura spotted Pansy coming out of what appeared to be girls' dormitory. "Oh, there you are Aura." She said hastily. "Come on now, its time for bed. They've added another four-poster to our dormitory, so you get to stay with us!" Pansy squealed with excitement as she lead Aura into the circular room, now positioned with six beds. Aura spotted her trunk at the end of a newer looking bed.
"I take it that one is mine?" Was all she said before falling into bed. She was asleep within moments, having been exhausted by the trip from Durmstrang to Hogwarts. Her dreams filled with a pale boy with platinum hair and a pointed face…