Edmee Jones hated hospitals. The amount of disdain she harbored for a medical building at just the age of five admittedly scared her parents a bit, but they simply chalked it up to her being a rather disconsolate child even as a baby.
They never considered their daughter was intelligent enough to notice that her mother was dying and that she had accepted her mother was dying rather soon.
The young girl had linked the growing frequent of their trips to the hospital with her mother deteriorating illness by the age of three. And the crying, the almost constant heartbreaking wails that came from her mother's shriveled purple lips and racked her entire fragile frame. A sight that would haunt Edmee's dreams for years to come.
So, Edmee was well prepared when one of the maids burst into her room one early morning with a sunflower-colored summer jumper. Despite not wanting to, Edmee allowed the maid to dress her in the rather ugly garment and braid her golden locks because she knew her mother would adore it.
Today was the day her mother was going to die, after all, Edmee would do anything she could to make the day pass as quickly and painless for her mother as possible. Even if it meant wearing the clothes she hated, brushing the long hair she wished to cut off, and plastering one of her usual faking/ but convincing enough smile onto her lips.
"You are such a beautiful little girl." One of the maids gushed loudly, helping the said girl into a fur-lined pink coat that Edmee secretly dreamed of burning in a fireplace.
Edmee was tempted to call the maid a big fat liar, even her father thought Edmee was a rather homely looking child and doubted would marry because of it. Not that the young Jones minded, she rather liked her cold golden eyes that made people feel uncomfortable and enjoyed counting the hundreds of brown freckles that covered her slim pale face.
The maid would be fired the next day, Edmee had to stop herself from snickering when she realized maid hadn't only been a horrible liar but also a pitiful thief.
Yet, today Edmee was rushed to the hospital before the sun even began to rise. The family driver drove badly, which was rather unusual, running lights and signs to get her to the hospital as quickly as possible. Once in the dreaded building, an army or frantic nurses pushed her into a brightly light room with her gray mother.
"Edmee," her mother whispered hoarsely. "I'm glad you were able to make it in time, I had planned to die in the middle of the night so you would have to come but it seems Death had other plans for the two of us. Would you like to come lay with me?"
She didn't want to, Edmee would have much rather been lying in her own bed at home than here. It wasn't her place to say that. So silently, using one of the white chairs at the bedside, the girl climbed into the tiny bed next to her mother. It was uncomfortable, laying next to her mother because of how bony the women become. She stayed silent about it.
"You look awful in that dress." The mother said simply. "You should have told the maid who dressed you in it to fuck off. Don't let them dress you in anything after today, dress in whatever you like. It won't matter in the long wrong anyways, what you've worn doesn't really cross your mind when you're dying."
Edmee didn't stop herself from giggling at her mother's words.
"You wanted to cut your hair, right." Her mother said, minutes after Edmee's giggles had turned into silence. "You should cut it if you want to, doesn't go very well with your eyes, to be honest. When you're old enough, maybe before you go to school, dye it a fun color. It will make you more interesting and help you make some equally as interesting friends. I don't think you will be as dull as your father seems to think."
Silence filled the room again.
5 minutes passed…
10 minutes passed…
15 minutes passed…
Suddenly, Edmee's mother sighed deeply as she wrapping her bony arms around her daughter's little frame. Whispering as softly as she could into the girl's ear, "It's time for me to go with them. I love you."
"I love you too, Mommy."
It was the first, and Edmee hoped the last time she'd use that word.
Edmee didn't cry when her mother's chest stopped rising and falling, she actually wouldn't have the mind to cry about it for another eleven years. All the girl could do, was watch a handsome young man in black robes take a younger version of her mother away in a wisp of gray smoke.
Later that night Edmee cut her braid off with a pair of scissors one of the butlers had left on the kitchen table by accidently, thrown that ugly pink fur lined coat and all her ugly dress into the fireplace one at a time, and searched her mother's room for pocket change that might have been left around.
September 1, 2018/King's cross station/Platform 9 ¾
"Is that a kid with purple hair?" James Sirius muttered. "Who in their right mind would want their hair purple. It's not even a house color!"
Albus Potter followed his brother's line of vision and looked at the girl with interest.
Like James had said the girl had short spiky dark purple hair, that honestly reminded the boy of the violets his Grandmother grew in her garden every spring. Not to mention the hundreds of black, brown, and red freckles that dotted her entire face. She had to have more freckles than anyone in the Weasley-Potter-Granger clan, and that in itself was an accomplishment.
She looked rather interesting, or at least more interesting than anyone Albus had met at Hogwarts so far (bar Scorpius Malfoy).
So Albus slowly wandered from where his entire family had gathered to wave off Roxanne, Louis, Mols. No one notice except for his mother, who didn't follow after him but did manage to keep a watchful eye on him from a distance. She hoped this could be a start of a friendship, not because she didn't like Scorpius Malfoy, but those two needed to learn to talk to a girl and that a sediment that even Astoria Malfoy probably agrees with.
The girl was calm, in contrast to the hectic bustle crown around her, leaning against one of the back walls of the platform reading a rather large looking book. A silver and black trunk sat sideways next to her, making the wooden box almost as large was herself. A smaller box sat at her feet but moved every few minutes.
"Hello," Albus said evenly, pulling the girl out of her reading long enough for Albus to notice her cold golden eyes. "I'm Albus Severus Potter."
Nodding the girl closed her book after she marked one of the pages by folding a corner. Albus was glad his Aunt Hermione didn't see that because if she had they'd both be listening to a rather annoying speak about taking care of one's property.
"I'm Edmee Bishop Jones." The girl introduced calmly. "So is it normal for all magic folks to have terrible names or is only us because both of our names sound absolutely dreadful to me."
Albus couldn't stop himself from barking out a laugh, a rather novel sight for his mother (and his family if they bothered paying attention to him) to see her usually solemn son laugh at something. "I hate to be the one to break it to you but it's just us, every living being my parents ever named, and my best mate Scorpius Malfoy."
Edmee couldn't help but scrunch her nose up at hearing Scorpius' name, not because of she knew anything about the Malfoy's history but just the sound of his name. "Your poor mate must get beat often."
"Oi," Scorpius muttered as he came to stand next to the two. His mother not far behind him since today was one of her rather good days and his father was busy talking a deal out with a shopkeeper. "I haven't even met you and your already making fun of me."
"It's okay Scorpius." Albus soothed softly. "Her name's Edmee, Edmee Bishop Jones."
Scorpius winced in obvious sympathy. "Good Merlin, I'm sorry."
Edmee could only shrug half-heartedly.
"You might want to find people to sit with on the train soon," The Malfoy warned. "You don't really want to be seen with our sort if you want to make friends with the right sort."
"Thanks, Malfoy, but I think I can tell the right sorts for myself."
Astoria grinned, she could tell a friendship was growing rather quickly and she was rather happy about it. In this moment, she was glad she allowed Malfoy to talk her into Scorpius' ridiculous name. It didn't only build character but gave a great opportunity to bond with other children, the children whose parents had also given them rather horrible names to be specific.
The trio talked for a solid thirty minutes, ignoring any stares they got because it's not every day you see Harry Potter's son, a girl with purple hair and cold liquid gold eyes, and Lord Voldemort's (not) possible son carrying on a conversation against a back wall.
Taking time to include Astoria, who gave her input more and more frequently as the conversation continues. Even when Astoria felt rather tired on her feet, Edmee offered to let her seat on her trunk.
It was actually fun to see the three seren (and rather unfit) kids drag Edmee's trunk over to the train to be packed in an under storage. Albus' family has simply watched the three struggle to move the trunk, only Ginny Potter eventually took pity and cast the 'feather light' charm onto the trunk.
Scorpius took care to hug his mother long, so long the train began moving before he'd boarded. He ran with the train for a short second before Albus reached to pull him in, and Edmee grabbed Albus who almost fell out while trying to pull Scorpius up.
Ginny and Astoria sat laughing at the platform for a solid five minutes.
Thank Merlin, they had finally talked to a girl.
~~Hogwart's Express
"They're still laughing at us, I can feel it." Albus declared once the three found an empty compartment to sit in. "Is this the reason people have children? To laugh at them when they almost fall off a moving train."
"You know, I don't think it's often children almost fall out of moving trains." Edmee piped in. "At least it's not from where I'm from."
"Speaking of which, who are your parents? Did they go to Hogwarts? What house were they in? What house are you in? Why have we never seen you before?" Malfoy asked in rapid fire, not noticing both Albus and Edmee roll their eyes.
"I've only a Father, his name is Pastor Richard Jones. He didn't go to Hogwarts, he didn't have magic and neither did my Mother. My Grandfather said, his grandfather came from a magical family in America though." Edmee explained.
"You're a muggle born then?" Scorpius asked hesitantly. "You didn't know you were a witch?"
"No, but I guess it should have been a giveaway when I set my father's hair on fire once." The lone girl grinned wickedly. "He hadn't been happy when his hair suddenly started smoking during a Sunday Sermon. I thought it was rather funny."
"You set your father's hair on fire?" Albus squeaked slightly.
"Yes. Didn't know I could, but can't say I didn't have some fun doing it."
"I like you," Scorpius said happily. "I think she's rather interesting."
"Nothing interesting about setting your father's hair on fire."
"Speak for yourself I'd rather like to set my father's hair on fire sometimes."
The two bickered for a while, before the Trolley Witch eventually came by to see if they wanted anything from the cart. Edmee was rather shocked by the abnormal selection of wizarding candy and settled on a bag of 'Sugared Butterfly Wings' and 'Cockroach Clusters'.
"Are there real-" Pause "Is there any-" Pause "Am I about to eat actual bugs?"
"Don't worry Edmee." Albus popped in, grabbing a 'Blood Pop', 'Chocolate Frog', and 'Coldren Cup' from the cart. "Cockroaches are rather healthy for you, course they're less health dipped in chocolate but still healthy."
"Is that seriously what you think I have a problem with. You know it's not normal to eat a bug in the non-magical world, or least not in England or America."
"Calm down." Scorpius leaned in whispered quietly to the girl. "You don't have to eat them if you don't want to, I'll share my 'Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean' with you. Also, Albus is just pulling you on, he refuses to eat 'Cockroach Clusters' because he can't imagine eating bugs either."
"This is my life now, eating chocolate covered bugs?"
Let the record show, Edmee had eaten one of the 'Sugared Butterfly Wings' and was rather surprised to find she liked the sweet treat.
Let the record also show, Edmee had also eaten one of the 'Cockroach Clusters' and wasn't surprised to find out she hated the bitter garbage. Both boys howled with laughter as they watched her spit out the disgusting chocolate.
"So, what house are you in?" Albus asked.
"Don't have one, I'm a first year but I've read up on all the houses. I hope to be either a Slytherin or Hufflepuff. Can't see myself dealing with either the Ravenclaw or Gryffindor as housemates." The Jones' explained. "Though, honestly don't you think you would have noticed a schoolmate with purple hair before now?"
"Hey!" Both boys yelled.
"Calm down, so what house are you two in?"
"Slytherin." The Potter confirmed.
"So it's decided. I'll just be in Slytherin with the two of you."
The three passed the remainder of the trip taking turns eating 'Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean'. Laughing when one of them got a rather disgusting bean. The boys were almost in tears when the say Edmee disgusted face after eating a cockroach flavored bean.
~~Hogwarts~~
"You are supposed to go on the boats with all the other first years," Albus explained.
"That sounds dreadful," Edmee exclaimed. "I'm riding along with you two, and it won't be a problem as long as the two of you blend in."
"Us. You have purple hair."
"That could easily pass as black in the night if you'd shut your mouth Potter."
The sorting ceremony that night went smoothly, no one paying much attention to the purple haired girl who caused the hat to stall for a few seconds before sending her to Slytherin with her new friends.
No one, not even the Head Master had noticed Edmee step into the line late.
It was a rather ironic start to a very memorable year.
