Chapter 1:
"Girls! Get up! Get up this instant!" A sharp voice pierced the landing and echoed in our tiny room. My eyes opened and moaned. I ran my hand through my white-blond hair, my fingers refusing to catch in any snags; my hair never tangled. My glanced over at the bed next to me, where my twin sister slept. She groaned and rolled over.
"Patience, you know Mother won't be pleased if we don't get downstairs soon," I said to her. She turned over and stared at me, and then nodded. We both slipped out of bed and pulled on clothes as quickly as we could. I put on a white shirt, gray sweater vest, and black pants. Patience put on a plaid jumper with a white shirt and stockings. I pulled a comb through my hair that fell halfway down my back, and then passed it to Patience.
Our hair was the only thing people could use to tell us apart. Whereas mine was blond and not so long, Patience had hair that was like a curtain of sheer black darkness cascading down her back. It fell completely to her waist.
We jogged down several flights of stairs before racing into the drawing room, coming to a halt at the entrance. My sister and I stood at attention as if in the military, and out parents looked up.
"Where have you two been?" demanded my father. I tensed and apologized.
"I'm sorry, Father, it won't happen again." I had half a mind to talk back to him, but surely he would curse me if I dared.
"I don't think either of you shall receive supper tonight," he sneered. "Your brother is heading off to school, and this is the respect you pay him?" I groaned inwardly. Patience and I were already thin enough, we didn't need starving! And I didn't care a wit about my brother.
"Now, now Lucius, at least let them eat," said my mother. "I'll deal with them once you leave."
My father nodded and turned to my brother.
"We ought to be going now, Draco," he said. "Your things are already in the car. Off you go." He stood, picked up his cane, and strode out of the room. My brother, who was starting his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, made a point of bumping me rather hard on the shoulder as he left. Just before he reached the door, he turned.
"See you next summer, Perp," he said to me.
"It's Perpetua!" I called after him as he left. I absolutely hated it when he called me Perp. I preferred to be called Perry. The large door closed and as soon as it did, Mother turned on us.
"Go get your things," she said, the corner of her lip twitching.
We had been forbidden to tell Draco that we too were going to Hogwarts this year. We would be starting our first year. Mother had had us pack our trunks the night before, and she had already bought our things. Ten minutes later, Patience and I were tramping down the stairs, towing our trunks behind us. Just as I reached the bottom, the trunk nicked my heel, and I came stumbling forward.
I fell into my mother, and my hand clenched her wrist for support. And then I Saw.
A solid brick wall melted away and a train platform materialized in front of it. There was a train engine there, scarlet in color. It read, The Hogwarts Express.
I shuddered as everything came back into focus. I quickly let go of my mother, but she grabbed my sleeve.
"Where are your gloves?" she demanded.
"I-I forgot to put them on," I said.
"You'd better not forget while you are at school. You are to let no one know of you disorder. Either of you." Mother stared venomously at first me, and then Patience. I nodded.
Patience and I were both psychometrics. No, we're not crazy. Whenever our hands touch somebody or something, we can see things. I see the future, and Patience can see the past. It is the hardest thing to deal with. We have to avoid touching things all the time, unless we wear our gloves. Patience wore hers constantly, even while she slept. I sometimes neglected to put mine on. The future wasn't always as bleak as the past.
Growing up in the Malfoy Manor in particular was difficult for Patience. There are so many Dark Artifacts in this place that she has to be careful.
Mother left to check some things in another room, and then Patience spoke.
"You know it's downright creepy when you do that," she said, staring at me.
"Sorry," I said. Whenever I Saw, my eyes shrunk so that all that was visible was the whites of my eyes. "I'm in the habit of closing my eyes, but that one took me by surprise. But you should see yourself when you See." Patience was even weirder. Her pupils expanded so her eyes turned totally black. But Patience generally stood out from the family anyway. We all had blond hair and ice-blue eyes. The eye color and pale skin were the only things she shared. Her black hair alone wasn't normal, and she had dark eyebrows and eyelashes.
"Alright, we're ready to go," said my mother, coming back into the entrance hall. "Oh, there's one more thing you have to know.
"No one can know that you are Malfoys. We wouldn't want to embarrass the family. So, I've changed your names for while you are at school. Patience, you will be Adrienne Black, and Perpetua, you will be Paris Black. No questions. Got it?"
We both nodded, and soon we were out the door, in the car, and one our way to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.