~Chapter 1~
Dark clouds cast a shadow over Malfoy Manor. It was barely 10 o'clock in the morning and yet it seemed as though it were close to midnight. Torrential rains poured from the sky, trapping those inside more so than the enchanted wrought-iron gates guarding the driveway. Inside the air was thick and heavy, the atmosphere tense. The incessant commands of Mrs. Malfoy permeated from the drawing room; the high pitch of her voice cutting through the walls as though they were paper.
Upstairs Clara pretended not to hear. After 11 years she knew not to interrupt her mother when she was "instructing" the house elves. Instead, Clara leaned against her brother's doorframe and cradled her cat, Smudge, in her arms. Raising her hand, she combed through his soft ash fur and softly kissed the top of his head. He purred noticeably when she scratched him behind his ears and swished his tail against the side of her arm in appreciation.
"Is breakfast almost ready?" Lucius asked from behind his desk. He had noticed his sister's presence immediately but was too busy writing a quick letter to look up.
"I think so. Mummy always makes sure breakfast is on the table by 10 o'clock on the first day of school," Clara replied, striding over to her brother's desk. Leaning over his shoulder, she tried to catch a glimpse of the contents of his letter. "Are you writing to Narcissa?"
"No. It's not to anybody you know." Lucius folded his note and passed it to the owl perched on the lip of his windowsill. The bird quickly took flight and disappeared off into the distance amidst the pouring rain.
Turning to face Clara, he ushered her out of his room and down the large staircase. When they entered the dining room their parents were already seated and waiting for their children to join them. Lucius took his place at one end of the table, and Clara hers on the right of her father. Seconds later plates full of fruit, eggs, and other breakfast foods came floating through the air. Beginning with Mr. Malfoy, they hovered beside him long enough for him to pick up enough strips of bacon and place them on his plate. They then proceeded to his left. When everyone had selected what they wanted, the plates flew back into the kitchen.
"Are you all packed, my dear?" Abraxas Malfoy asked gently, slowly taking a sip of black coffee.
"Yes," Clara replied. She stabbed a peach slice with her silver fork and lifted it into her mouth. "Mummy helped me fit everything into my trunk last night."
"And your brother?" he asked more sternly.
Lucius informed him he'd finished up several nights ago. He was entering his fifth year and was well used to packing and unpacking his trunk.
"Good," Abraxas said, nodding his head ever so slightly. He sliced through one of the breakfast sausages on his plate and ate the pieces one by one. On the other hand, Mrs. Malfoy chose to stick to her breakfast parfait.
"You will be sure to help your sister find a spot on the train, correct?" Abraxas asked, though more in a statement than a question.
"But not with you, Lucius," Mrs. Malfoy interjected. "It is important that she makes her own friends."
"Yes," Abraxas said, agreeing with his wife. "I was told that Vincent Nott's third son would be entering Hogwarts this year. He would surely be suitable company for our Clara."
"And the Flints have a daughter who is Clara's age. They got along well at the tea last summer."
Sure we did, if you ignore the fact that I pulled her hair after she purposely spilt hot tea on my dress. Clara rolled her eyes and shoveled a spoonful of scrambled eggs into her mouth. She didn't want anyone dictating who she could and couldn't be friends with.
"Manners, Clara," Mrs. Malfoy warned, eyeing her daughter scarf down her breakfast. "You are not some rogue beast we picked up off the street." Clara willingly obeyed and resumed eating in smaller bites.
"I'll make sure she finds a comfortable seat," Lucius assured them.
"Good," his mother smiled.
The rest of breakfast continued on in the same manner. Forty-five minutes later, Mr. Malfoy gathered everyone together in the front foyer. Checking his watch, he leaned in to kiss his wife and daughter goodbye, gave his son a quick nod, and then apparated off to work. Mrs. Malfoy grabbed her two children and then did the same.
Clara barely had time to scream before being yanked off the ground. It was only for a moment, but she felt as though she were spinning and falling at a dangerously fast pace. A sense of relief came over her when she felt her feet touch down on the platform, but it was soon replaced by a strong urge to vomit up her morning's breakfast.
"Hold yourself together, sister," Lucius whispered gently in Clara's ear, noticing her complexion turning a slight shade of green. He had landed with ease on the hard cement, but Clara didn't have the same luck. "You don't want to be known as the student who threw up all over the platform, do you?"
Clara nodded and took a deep breath to steady herself. Soon the uncomfortable feelings passed and she quickly regained her bearings.
"It's almost time to go," Lucius reminded them, glancing at the time. Only ten minutes remained before the Hogwarts Express would depart and students were already beginning to climb aboard. Since the Malfoys were never ones for long drawn out goodbyes, they typically arrived with only a few minutes to spare.
"Now, remember to write to me every week," Mrs. Malfoy said, pulling her daughter in for one last hug. "And make sure to listen to your brother."
"I will, Mummy," Clara grinned, wrapping her arms tightly around her mother.
"And my dear Lucius," Mrs. Malfoy smiled, planting a firm kiss on her son's forehead. She was a lot softer on him without her husband around. "Have a good year. I'm so proud that you got made prefect."
Lucius nodded and gave his mother a hug goodbye. Then he grasped Clara by the shoulders and steered her towards the train. She managed to wave goodbye and then skipped aboard without another look back.
"How about this one?" Clara said, peeking into the compartment through the tiny glass window. Lucius slid the door ajar and briefly checked the faces inside.
Two first years immediately looked up to see who was in the doorway. "Malfoy?" Sirius questioned, wondering why the older boy was standing before him.
"Black," Lucius said. Yes, a Black should be fine. He took a moment to check out his companion and recognized him as James Potter – another pureblood. Lucius recalled seeing both boys at some wedding last year and figured they'd be suitable company for his sister. Content, he pulled Clara inside. "Do you mind if my sister sits with you?"
Sirius paused. He didn't want to. From what he knew about the Malfoys, they were all a bunch of stuck up pretentious jerks. Still, he knew his mother would throw a fit if she found out he'd been so rude. Knowing this he shook his head. "Excellent!" Clara grinned, pushing her way past Lucius to sit on the seat beside the window. Lucius handed Smudge's carrier over to her and then politely thanked Sirius and James. Afterwards he turned and left but made sure not to shut the compartment door behind him.
"So, you're Malfoy's sis–"
"Do you mind if we sit here? Everywhere else is full," a small red-haired girl asked, popping her head into the compartment.
"The more the merrier!" Clara smiled, patting the empty seat to her right. It was only when the two other kids plopped down beside her did she think to ask Sirius and James if it was okay. After all, they were the original occupants of the compartment. When neither boy said anything in protest, Clara figured they didn't mind and began to converse with the girl.
"So are you also first years?" Lily asked, fingering the cuff of her sleeve nervously.
"Yep! I'm James Potter," one boy said eagerly, cutting into their conversation. "And this here," he gestured, "is Sirius Black."
"I'm Lily Evans."
"I'm Severus Snape," Lily's friend mumbled. He was so quiet Clara had barely noticed him. He did, however, extend his hand out to the two boys sitting across from him.
Clara looked at him, her face twisting into a confused expression. "What are you doing?"
"You're supposed to shake it," Sirius said, noticing Clara's confusion. "It's a way Muggles greet each other." Without hesitating, both James and Sirius shook Severus' hand. But when he offered it to Clara she paused momentarily.
"What?" Sirius smirked. "Have something against Muggles, Malfoy?"
Clara wanted to punch Sirius for calling her out, but opted to send him a dirty look instead. "Not at all," she replied, her tone even and calm. She gripped Severus' hand and shook it with resolve. "I just wasn't sure what he was doing, that's all." With that, Severus let go and Clara retracted her hand into her lap.
"I'm Clara Malfoy, by the way," she said. "But you can just call me Clara if you want. People refer to my brother by our last name, not me." She glared at Sirius once again but smiled at the rest.
With introductions out of the way, James was quick to change the subject. "How were your summers?"
"Full of the usual, I guess," Lily started. "It took a whole summer of convincing from Sev that Hogwarts and magic really existed. At first I thought my letter was just a joke played on me by my older sister."
"Well are you glad it's all real?" Sirius asked.
"Of course!" Lily exclaimed, bouncing ever so slightly off her seat.
"And what about you?" Lily asked, turning to Clara.
"My dad took my brother and I to see the League Cup final."
The moment she mentioned Quidditch James was all ears. "How was the match?" Severus asked. "My father doesn't really like me listening to stuff related to magic." Being his best friend, Lily caught the tinge of sadness in his soft voice; the others did not.
"You missed it, Severus! Andrea Cunningham performed the perfect Bludger Backbeat," Clara screeched. She too adored Quidditch. The mention of anything related to the sport or the Pride of Portree always got her excited. "Knocked Aloysius Webb right off his broom."
"So I'm guessing the Prides won?" Sirius asked, already fully aware of the answer.
"Unfortunately," James muttered. He shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned his head against the cool glass window.
"Well better luck next time," Sirius chuckled.
After a few minutes discussing the final match between the Pride of Portree and the Chudley Cannons, the trolley witch came by. Everyone pulled out a couple coins from their pockets and purchased a few sweets and treats to share. Between the five of them they had a good variety. Sirius gnawed at a liquorice wand while Lily and Severus shared a cauldron cake. Clara nibbled at a pumpkin pasty and tried her luck with some Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. She got three tasty ones in a row and then a booger flavoured one in the end. James seemed intent on opening up all his chocolate frogs and letting them hop free around the compartment. It drew a couple of laughs until they started leaving little melted chocolate footprints on everyone's clothes.
"This was a new skirt," Lily sighed, rubbing at the chocolate with her fingers.
"It'll be okay. Besides, we'll be changing into our robes soon," Clara said.
"Oh yes," James beamed, his eyes widening with excitement. "I forgot to ask which house you guys think you'll be in?"
"Sev and I both want to be in Slytherin," Lily said. She didn't know much about the houses besides what Severus had told her, so she figured whichever one was fine so long as they were in it together.
James made a face. "Slytherin? That's the worst house out of them all!"
Clara's eyes narrowed. "My family has always been sorted into Slytherin," she said curtly. "My brother is a Slytherin prefect too."
"James, my whole family has been in Slytherin," Sirius reminded him. Knowing that, Sirius knew there was little hope he'd be sorted into any other house.
The compartment quickly grew tense. "Jeez," James said in mock surprise. "And you two seemed to be alright."
With that everyone couldn't help but crack a smile.
"Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?" Sirius asked, taking another bite out of his liquorice wand.
"Gryffindor," James announced, rising to his feet as if he was going to make a speech. He also proudly placed his hand over his chest. "Where dwell the brave at heart! Like my dad…"
Severus snickered at his flamboyant gestures.
"Got a problem with that?" James asked, glaring down at Severus.
"No. If you'd rather be brawny than brainy..."
"And since you're neither brawny nor brainy, it's a good thing you want to be in Slytherin," James said quickly, clearly annoyed by Severus' previous remark. "Good luck."
Everyone but Sirius frowned, the expressions dropping on their faces. Insulted, Lily immediately stood up and grabbed Severus by the hand. She slid open the compartment door and dragged him into the hallway. Quickly ducking her head back in to say goodbye to Clara, she then spun on her heels and left.
"Well that was disastrous," Clara huffed. "Did you have to take it so far?"
James threw both his hands in the air innocently. "He started it."
Author's note: Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this introductory chapter. I have been bouncing around with whether to write this fic or not, but decided I would since I have some time. Please review and let me know your thoughts! Also, I am looking for a beta to review my chapters. So if any of you awesome fanfictioners are up to the challenge, I'd gratefully appreciate the help.