The Way We Are
Open Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, arch enemies since the day they had met. Sorted into rival houses, the two had fought against each other for seven years. They had formed their separate groups, separate beliefs, separate lives, trying to avoid each other. Harry, brave and honorable, exemplified the characteristics of a true Gryffindor. Draco was born to privilege and cunning; a true Slytherin. After seven years battling against each other, the two were merely a year away from a lifetime part. But this story is not about Harry and Draco. It's not about Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, the other two thirds of the Golden Trio. It's not about Draco's Death Eater parents, or the relationships between any of them. This is the story about one girl who came to Hogwarts in that final year, and changed the very foundation of the school. This is a story about learning to accept the way we are.
Year seven in his education, year seventeen in his life, day one in the last year of his schooling, and Draco Malfoy was sitting and watching the giant squid. And let me tell you up front that contrary to popular belief, giant squids are not, in fact, entertaining. Had he bothered to look up, he would have seen the dozen random girls staring at him from across the courtyard, but he didn't. He didn't care. He had been with enough of them to know that they were all the same. They all said the same things, had the same names. He was bored with them. He knew full well that he could have his pick of any one he wanted, and he had.
"You gonna watch that thing all day, mate?" Blaise Zabini asked, annoyed with his friend's silence. Blaise was what any normal person would call Draco's best friend. They had known each other since childhood, and were now nearly inseparable. They were both Slytherin Prefects, spent their time away from school avoiding their parents by living with the other. Although they were hardly seen apart, the two couldn't look more different. While both were tall, Draco was smaller, with slightly pointed features and piercing blue, almost silver eyes. Blaise was threateningly big, his dark head shaved, though his brown-green eyes and the slight gap between his front teeth made him seem warm and welcoming. The two made a threatening and handsome team, and they knew it.
"If you can find me anything more interesting than this squid, you can have my attention." Draco scoffed. "But I've looked, and I guarantee you there is none."
Blaise looked around, smirking. "You sure about that, mate?"
Draco nodded, not looking up. "Positive."
"How much?"
"Five sickles."
"You'll be eating your words, mate."
Draco shrugged. He was used to Blaise trying to find him girls. It's what they did. They took pride in their ability to attract and seduce women, and often made bets on who could get to a certain girl first, or how entertaining one would be. But Draco had gone through all of the ones he wanted. Now he just wanted a challenge, and no girl at Hogwarts could give him that.
"See, my friend here and I had this bet going, and I was wondering if you could help clear something up for us." Blaise could be heard explaining.
"Sure, but be quick, I have to go meet my sister." Came the reply, slightly twinged with a french accent.
"Do you have any tattoos?" Blaise asked.
The girl laughed. "What kind of question is that? Is that how you always go after girls?"
"No, sometimes he asks about piercings." Draco responded, glancing down at her feet. Combat boots. Black, worn in, half unlaced. He was willing to bet that she did.
"Well?" Blaise pushed.
"I do," The girl grinned. "More than one, actually."
"I don't suppose you'd tell us where?"
"Not a chance." She laughed again.
"Where are you from, anyways? Not many girls about here have tattoos that they'd admit to." Draco asked, finally looking up.
"London, via France. I'm transferring from Beauxbatons."
"I didn't realize their students really liked tattoos."
"Why do you think I'm transferring?"
Draco smirked, and the girl held out her hand.
"I'm Vianne."
He took it. "Draco."
"She should be here by now!" Hermione tried peering over Ron's head to no avail. He was simply too tall. "She should've been here over an hour ago!"
"Maybe she got held up." Ron yawned.
Hermione glared at him.
"Held up? Held up, Ronald? She was supposed to get here almost two hours ago, and it doesn't take that long to walk up from Hogsmead. Ron, are you even listening to me?"
He, decidedly, was not. And neither was Harry, who had just joined them, his eyes fixed across the field. He, and every other testosterone filled being in the courtyard, had his eyes glued to the long, tan legs draped delicately over lap of Draco Malfoy.
Hermione followed his gaze, sweeping over the blonde and brown heads of the two Slytherins, finally landing on the legs of the girl in question. Clad in the uniform skirt and shirt, the girl was obviously pretty. She had very dark features, which complimented her smooth, tan skin. She was lithe and muscular, with long, dark curls, long lashed golden brown eyes, and was grinning, deep in conversation with the two boys. Hermione furrowed her brows in confusion, and began walking over towards her, ignoring the questioning words of Harry and Ron. The Slytherins looked up at her arrival; both would have began verbally insulting her had the girl not spoken first.
"Hermione!" She said, not getting up but leaning forward. "How are you? I haven't seen you in ages, and –"
"Why didn't you come find me?"
"I was on my way, but I got side tracked – "
"Oh, they're not that interesting, trust me." Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Excuse me," Draco interjected, obviously annoyed. "But how do you two know each other again?"
"Hermione's my sister. Well, half sister." Vianne explained.
"You're JOKING." Malfoy laughed, his jaw dropping.
"There's no way you two are related." Blaise got out. "For one thing, Vianne is attractive, and for another -"
"Oh, thank you, Zabini. Such quality insults. Come on, Vianne." Hermione pulled her away. Vianne smiled at the boys over her shoulder, her skirt swaying from her hips.
"Well this should be interesting." Malfoy grinned.
"So this is my dorm, I have to share it with the Head Boy, though I'm not sure who that is yet, and the Gryffindor dormitory is down the hall. You can ask the pictures sometimes if you need help, but generally they're quite useless, so you'll simply need look for the portrait of the Fat Lady, and I'll always be down the hall if you need anything, and - "
"Hermione, I'm sure I'll be fine." Vianne interrupted tiredly.
"Alright. Mum said to tell you to owl her once you're settled in, so you can use mine if you like, or use one of the school ones."
"I'll wait to owl Mum, she'll be fine." Vianne plopped down on one of the plush suede couches, kicking her boots to the floor. The Head dorm was lovely, and beautiful mix of old fashioned and modern furniture. The floors were all hard wood, the walls painted a light golden brown that glittered in the candle light. Brass and iron candelabras littered the room, candles melting onto the fireplace. There was a long couch, a loveseat, and another two armchairs, all in a dark neutral grey. The common room gave way to a kitchenette, with hard wood and stained glass cabinets, granite counter tops, and wooden looking appliances. One bathroom joined the two bedrooms, an white marble room with a large tub and shower. The two Head's rooms were completely white. At the beginning of each year, the Head Boy and Girl are given completely blank rooms, to do with whatever they want. Usually, the rooms are a reflection of their individual houses, but there were no restrictions.
Hermione was already set to work on hers, painting the walls a light yellow, with red and golden curtains and bedspread, dark wood furniture, and several bookcases. She was proud of being in Gryffindor, and wanted to be able to remember her friends and past.
Vianne was half asleep on the couch when the portrait door opened suddenly, and in stepped Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy, followed by Pansy Parkinson.
"My, my, look what the cat dragged in." Pansy said obnoxiously. Her voice was a slightly higher than the average squeak, the kind that implies empty headedness and a rich father.
"Bitch, you ruined my nap." Vianne rolled over, the back of her shirt riding up to reveal her lower back. Blaise took quick notice of the end of a scar that went up her back.
"Watch your language." Malfoy said. "I suppose Granger's Head Girl?" Vianne nodded against the back of the couch. "Ah well. Knew I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up."
"Vianne, do you know where I put my -" Hermione distractedly strode out of her room and down the stairs, stopping midway down. She stared at Malfoy, her jaw dropping. "No. There's no way."
"Of course there is, Granger, we've been the top two in our class for the past six years, did you expect any different?"
"Well, I had hoped -"
"No, that would be too good to be true. Just stay out of my way, mudblood, I don't think I'll be able to stand seeing your bucktooth face that early in the morning... Might become ill..."
Pansy snorted.
"Fine, just put a silencing charm on your room at night, I don't want to hear her-" Hermione jerked her head towards Pansy, who blushed. " - Every night."
Hermione and Draco, followed closely by Pansy, walked to their respective rooms, shutting the doors behind them.
Blaise sat down on the couch next to Vianne.
"Are they always like this?" She asked, rolling to face him.
"Worse." He grimaced. "You get used to it; they've been going at it since the day they met. I'd say he means well, but..."
"Oh, then this'll be fun... remind me not to hang out here anymore."
"I don't know, maybe they'll learn to tolerate each other?"
"I doubt it. You may not know this, but Hermione can and will hold a grudge."
"So can Malfoy."
She rolled over onto her stomach, stretching.
"What happened to your back?"
She froze, so suddenly that he almost didn't notice.
"What do you mean?"
"You have a scar on your back."
"Oh, I fell down the stairs in front of my once when I was a kid. Landed on a rock. Not a big deal."
Blaise opened his mouth to answer, only to be interrupted by Malfoy and Pansy coming back down the stairs, arguing over something.
"I think that's my cue to leave," Blaise said quietly. "Let me know if you need anything, I'm sure it's frustrating to be around Granger all the time."
"Thanks, I will." Vianne smiled. "You're more human than she said you were."
"Yeah, we tend to be."
