AN: Bellatrix is still alive. Except for that, most things are cannon.

Smile at a stranger. See what happens.

- Patti Lupone

"No," the girl refused, slowly backing away towards the door, "no, I refuse to go."

"Grace," Draco Malafoy sighed, running his hands through his blond hair in frustration, "Grace, you have to."

He flicked his wand, locking the door, and conjured up a chair for his young cousin.

"Look, I know this is going to be difficult for you but-"

"Difficult?" she seethed. "Difficult? I am Bellatrix and Rudolphus Lestrange's daughter. This is going to be more than just difficult."

"I appreciate that but-"

"I don't see why I have to attend Hogwarts. I am perfectly fine with Astoria's lessons, and I managed outstandings in all my OWLS." Grace Lestrange crossed her arms and glared at her cousin.

Draco flinched as he looked into the cold, grey eyes of the sixteen year old girl, and found his aunt glaring back at him. She mirrored Bella in her looks, but her cool demeanor resembled neither her mother, who seemed to communicate only by yelling madly, nor her father, who used to speak constantly, although he rarely ever had anything intelligent to say.

"I know, but you can't pass your NEWTS without going to school, authorities won't allow it." He spoke gently, but it had no effect on her stubborness.

Grace snorted. "You're Draco Malafoy. You have money, power, authority, and you can't do anything?"

"You know it doesn't work like that. Not anymore."

"Fine." She shrugged.

Draco looked up in surprise. "You'll go?"

"No, I'm going to run away."

He sighed again. "Grace, please. Its just one year, and then you're free to do whatever you like. I promise. You'll have to leave someday. You can't stay here forever, as much as I would like you to. You're wasting your life away."

Draco visibly relaxed as she considered it. "It would be beneficial to my future," she said thoughtfully.

He nodded. "Yes, it would. You can't become an auror without attending school, as you need to practice dueling amongst your peers. The same goes for other professions."

Plenty had changed in the education system after after the war. There were less textbooks, and more focus on teamwork and action.

Draco could almost see her mind working, systematically leafing through the pros and cons.

To his surprise and relief, she nodded.

"I will go."

Grace walked stiffly between Scorpius Malafoy and her aunt Narcissa, trying her best to ignore the latter's praises of Hogwarts and reassurances that she would have the "time of her life."

"They were certainly the happiest days of my life." Narcissa smiled fondly as she remembered her carefree days with Lucius and their friends. "They would have been the happiest days of Draco's life too, if not for the war. Fortunately, the first war started two years after we left school, and so did not affect us as much. But Draco-"

"Mother." Draco silenced her with a look, "Please."

He looked around, and satisfied that there were no muggles in vicinity, then nodded at Scorpius.

"You first."

Grace watched as Scorpius Malafoy angled his trolley, and then ran swiftly through the wall, to platform nine and three quarters.

Draco turned to Grace. "Your turn."

She simply stared at the wall, wishing she had run away instead. She wasn't afraid of crashing or falling, she knew it wouldn't happen. But she was afraid of what, or rather who, awaited on the other side.

"It'll be okay," Draco said, gently nudging her towards the wall, "I promise."

Astoria gave her a reassuring smile.

She nodded. He had never broken a promise before.

She took a deep breath and ran, just as Scorpius had, into the wall.

At first, no one noticed, but as they approached the train, heads began to turn. It didn't help that Grace was with the Malafoys who were fairly deft at turning heads without her help. Silence took over. Worse, the Potters and Weasleys appeared. The whole clan, all at once.

Surprisingly, Harry Potter was the first to greet them.

"Narcissa, Draco, Astoria, Scorpius," he nodded and smiled at them in turn, before focusing on Grace. "Hello. Grace, is it?"

Grace nodded, not knowing what to make of his behavior and feeling very conscious of the fact that they had captured the attention of all eyes and ears present at platform nine and three quarters.

"What year will you be going into?" he enquired softly, giving her a look that suggested he knew exactly how lonely and- she hated to admit it- scared she felt.

"Seventh," she replied stonily.

He grinned and gestured to a tall, dark haired boy behind him. "James is also in seventh year, and so are those two," he said, pointing to two redheads, a girl and a boy, standing some distance away.

She nodded again, not knowing quite what to say.

Draco cleared his throat and looked at not only his children, but also the children staring at them in the crowd. "Perhaps you should get on the train," he said loudly.

It was like his voice had woken them from a trance. Everyone was moving towards the Hogwarts Express, whispering about the girl and her uncanny resemblance to Bellatrix Lestrange. Some knew, some were suspicious. The fact that Bella had a daughter had been carefully hidden from everyone but immediate family and a few carefully chosen friends.

They walked with the Potters and Weasleys- Draco, Narcissa, Astoria and Harry having hurried whispered conversations. Grace did not follow. She stood there, pondering the best way to escape, until Scorpius came and took her by the arm.

"C'mon," he muttered tugging on her arm.

She shook her head and pulled her arm out of his grip. "I shouldn't have come."

He watched her eyes flick urgently around the platform, trying to find an escape route.

"If you go now, they'll just bring you back." He tried to reason with her.

"I can do as I wish." She snapped

"You won't have anywhere to go." He pointed out.

She glared at Scorpius, but allowed him to lead her to the train all the same.

One year, she told herself. One year.

Grace blamed her ill luck when she found herself forced to sit in a compartment with none other than the three Weasley/Potter children Harry had pointed out. A very awkward silence ensued. The two redheads and James exchanged looks, while Grace did her best to stare out of the window, ignoring their furtive glances at her.

Finally, one of the redheads, the girl, spoke. She cleared her throat, and attempted a smile as Grace turned to look placidly at her.

"I'm Roxanne," she hesitantly held out a hand.

Grace stared at it, unsure. These people were supposed to hate her, yet they offered friendship. What did they want?

Equally hesitant, she slowly lifted her hand to meet Roxanne's larger, tanner one, and the other redhead breathed a sigh of relief.

"Grace." she replied and moved to turn away, just as they boy held up his hand.

"Fred," he announced.

She shook his hand too, and waited for the other boy, James, to stick out his hand.

She watched as Fred and Roxy silently coaxed him, until annoyed, he held his hand out.

"James."

Halfway through the journey, her companions decided to carry on speaking as though she didn't exist.

Grace listened, gathering as much information as she could, learning the names of students, teachers, and wondering about the strange situations and pranks the three of them seem to get themselves into.

When the train stopped, she didn't know whether to be glad she would be rid of them, or unhappy that she would once again be the centre of attention.

She caught sight of Scorpius as they stood waiting for the carriages, and hurried as inconspicuously as she could to his side.

"You okay?" He asked tentatively.

She nodded and then blinked as she watched a carriage appear.

"What's pulling them?"

"Threstrals," Scorpius explained, "you can only see them if you've witnessed death."

Grace couldn't help but admire the castle as she stepped inside the great hall. It was exactly how Narcissa had described it-beautiful, from inside and outside.

Her excitement diminished as she realised it was time for sorting, nervousness creeping up instead. She told herself it didn't matter, as the hat's song finished and her name was called. it was only a year, and it didn't matter, she repeated to herself, but she couldn't help but tremble as she walked up the steps.

She could feel their eyes staring at her, observing her every move, as she sat down on the stool. The hat was placed onto her head, and she jumped as she heard the hat's voice in her head.

"Ah, Grace..Lestrange is it?"

Yes.

The hat chucked. "Well, if that is the name you wish to take, so be it. Now tell me, which house?"

She shrugged, confused. What about her name?

I don't know.

"No? Well let's see. And of course it matters, of course it does. Hmm..Hufflepuff? No, no definitely not. Ravenclaw? Perhaps, yes, hmm. Ahhh, Slytherin.."

She winced, giving herself away.

"Oh? No Slytherin? Interesting..why I declared your father Slytherin almost instantly, your mother too. But no, you don't belong. No, you could never be that terrible, but that leaves Gryffindor."

She smirked, thinking how ironic it would be if she ended up in Gryffindor.

The hat chucked. "Oh more so than you think. However.."

And then, without further comment, the hat called out- "GRYFFINDOR!"

No one spoke, no one moved, no one breathed. Grace was sure they all knew exactly who she was now, and were wondering if the hat had finally gone mad. Then, someone clapped. The whole Gryffindor table burst into cheers. She quickly slid of the stool, and walked swiftly to the Gryffindor table.

Alas, her ill luck never left her. The only seat available was next to Roxanne, and opposite James. She sat on the edge, and did not look up from her plate even once, avoiding the curious gazes of her peers. The lively chatter annoyed her, and she wished she was back in her room, alone and free. She listened for a bit, but soon the words became noises, and her thoughts consumed her. She thought about the speech the headmistress had given, about wanting her students to feel, above all, happy and safe.

She smiled bitterly. Two things she never felt.

"Congratulations, though I hoped you'd be in ravenclaw with me." Scorpions said as they left the great hall.

"Me too."

Anything was better than being in a house with almost the entire Weasly/Potter clan, not to mention the others who she suspected would dislike her just as much.

"Right, Gryffindors follow me!" A prefect called out.

Scorpius nodded, "see you later."

She nodded before following the prefect up a staircase.

The room was much smaller than her own back at the manor. She was forced to share with none other than Roxanne Weasley, a brunette called Delilah Wood, and Dominique Weasley. She sauntered over to her bed and started unpacking as her roommates exchanged greetings.

"How was France?" Roxanne asked as she carelessly stuffed a pile of clothes into her wardrobe.

Dominique sighed as she carefully arranged clothes , "Same as always. I had to resort to homework."

"At least you got some work done. I spent the holidays babysitting my sisters. I swear, if my mother has another child.." Delilah stopped as she realised there was someone else in the room.

Dominique followed her gaze and raised an eyebrow. "Lestrange's kid?"

She had missed the sorting, having just flown in from Paris.

Roxanne nodded. "I don't think she's that bad. She did get sorted into Gryffindor."

Dom smirked. "wonder what her mother will think."

Grace may have been on the other side of the room, but she could very well hear every word the three of them uttered. She stopped and thought about it. What would her mother think?

Bellatrix wouldn't care. And any feelings she did have towards her daughter would be buried, now that she had betrayed her. Despite everything her mother was, Grace couldn't help but feel like she'd lost the last piece of hope she had of winning her mother's affections. Not that it really mattered, seeing as she was still locked up in Azkaban and would be, until her death.

She zoned back in to hear the three girls whispering in quiet voices, wondering if they should approach her. They didn't. She decided she didn't really care. It was only one year.

Grace pulled her curtains around her and lay down, putting a silencing spell around her, not at all eager to listen to the gossip they were now spouting.

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