ONE
"Have a good term! We'll see you at Christmas," my mum said, pulling me into a warm hug before holding me at arm's length and examining my freckle-coated face. "No misbehaving. I don't want a letter from McGonagall any more than you want detention." I smiled back at her and rolled my eyes. She says the same thing to me and my brother every year before we set off. I gave her one last fleeting hug and turned to my dad.
"I'm going to miss you," he said with a sad smile, giving me a quick hug.
As soon as I'd pulled away, Hugo ruffled my hair (ever since he grew taller than me in the summer of 3rd year, he has continuously ruffled my hair. Only when we're at home though – he knows full well I will hex him if he tries anything of the sort at school). He turned to our dad. "Hey, no worries dad, me and Al will send you a Hogwart's toilet seat!"
I gave him a stern disapproving look. "No you will not!"
He put his hands up in the air with a defeated grin. "Alrightie, Miss Prefect." I know. Miss Prefect. The oh-so-original nickname he came up with when I was given the title at the beginning of fifth year. Hugo has never really been one for rule-following, so he likes to tease me about it as much as he can. If mum ever catches him though she makes him wash up, without magic obviously.
And then reminds him that's its better to be a prefect than to be grounded for eternity, like he's going to be if he carries on teasing his sister.
Unfortunately, mum was too busy fretting about us only having one minute to get on the train to notice Hugo being his normal irritating self.
"Rose, the train's leaving in less than a minute…" she was saying in panic.
"Okay, I'm going!" I replied and picked up the handle of my trunk and started to drag it towards the train. Merlin, this thing was heavy. Mum turned to dad with an exasperated look. He was leaning up against a pillar with his arm's folded, deep in conversation with Uncle Harry. "Ronald!" I heard mum say, "Go help your daughter!" Dad rolled his eyes and winked at me. I grinned back, mouthed that I was fine, and tried to heave my trunk onto the train. Suddenly, someone came next to me and lifted up with apparent ease onto the floor of the train.
"Thanks," I said hurriedly, pushing a few stray strands of auburn hair out of my eyes, and looking up. My eyes immediately fell on the aristocratic face of one Scorpius Malfoy.
Who was, wait for it, smiling. Well, he was smiling for about a second then, before my face could register horror at that fact that Malfoy could actually smile, he had adopted his most hideous sneer.
"Oh, it's you."
"Lovely to see you too," I replied with a false cheery voice. He just carried on sneering, and then without any sort of reply pushed past me onto the train and vanished into the hordes of students that were blocking the corridors. Insufferable jerk, I thought angrily as I jumped onto the train and began to lug my huge trunk towards the compartment that Al and Tess, my other best friend, had snagged for us. Tess and I had been best friends since the train journey in the first year. I had planned all summer for me and Al to hang out on the train journey, but since he decided to drop a dungbomb on my head on August 31st I wasn't exactly in the best of moods with him, so I'd found the first compartment which had someone who looked new and vaguely friendly and plonked myself down. Luckily for me I'd found myself in the company of Tess, a muggle-born with the best sense of humour and particular skill with sarcasm. Once Al had been man enough to apologise for making me smell so much I needed to have about 50 showers, Tess and I let him hang out with us, and the rest, they say, is history.
After wandering through three carriages and peering through every single compartment door, I finally found Al and Tess who were setting up for their traditional exploding snap competition. It was the only time of year they ever played as they did tend to get quite…violent, shall we say. Particularly the losing person, who took it upon themselves to play a prank on the winning person.
Needless to say, spending your first day back at school comforting your best friend who is worried that their hair is going to stay electric blue forever is not really that great. Though I have to say, an excellent spell on Al's part.
Not that I would ever tell Tess that.
Once my trunk was safely stowed away on the luggage rack, I sat down and put my feet up on the chair in front of me to watch the exploding snap game. The view out of the window was whizzing past, and we were safely out of London before Al deemed the game to be ready. He had spent the past five minutes announcing the 'rules'. Such as, should he win, there was to be no pranking. As if Tess would abide by that rule. And, as if Al would actually win. He is pathetic.
"Don't you have the prefect meeting?" Al asked.
Crap. I had completely forgotten about that. "Oh yeah! Gotta go guys. I'll see you in a couple of hours!" I said, as I shoved my wand into my jeans pocket and sprinted out of the compartment into the corridor.
I made it to the prefect compartment just on time. The meeting had started late because the Head Boy and Girl had to sort out a couple of third years who had taken it upon themselves to have a fist fight. They already had detention, which I think is somewhat of a record.
As I walked through the door, I noticed the other Gryffindor prefect, Max Wood aka. Vision Of Perfection, had an empty chair next to it.
I smiled to myself and dropped into it, my heart hammering away.
I turned to him and gave him a friendly smile. He raised both eyebrows and continued staring out of the window at the fields of cows that were shooting past.
Max Wood is a hot topic of conversation for pretty much every single girl at Hogwarts. He is literally perfection. His face his handsomely chiseled and his flawless cheekbones are framed by several inches of wavy dark blonde hair. As if that isn't enough, he has these navy blue eyes which just scream seduction at any girl who looks in them too much. He has a tall, muscular frame, with a six pack produced from years of Quidditch, and don't get me started on his amazing biceps.
And he has every girl he could ever want.
Which pretty much means I have absolutely no chance whatsoever.
It's not like I'm ugly, I'm just not amazingly pretty and everyone knows that Wood only dates completely gorgeous girls.
If only…Who am I kidding? There is no way he would date a geeky, short girl like me.
But that doesn't mean I can't admire his perfection. Otherwise this meeting would be pretty boring. Don't get me wrong, I love being a prefect, but seriously, we have the same talk every single year.
It tends to get kind of tiresome when you've heard it once already.
"So, we'll just partner up with the prefect in the same house and year as us for the first term. We can always change after Christmas. Is that Ok with everyone?" the Head Girl said with a smile at everyone. She got a couple of nods back, and she quickly scribbled something down on a notepad.
Result! I get to do rounds with The Vision. I smiled to myself as the Head Boy stood up and adjusted his shirt, ready to leave.
"Sixth years, you're on corridor patrol first," he said to everyone. I gave him a nod and a smile back then we all filed out of the room. I waited for Max to come out and gave him a quick friendly smile. He just blinked at me and ran a tan hand through his wavy locks.
"I'll do the first half of the train, and you do the other half, ok?" he said, looking at me wearily. I nodded, a little disappointed that I wouldn't be spending any more time with him, and we walked down the corridor in silence until we parted ways.
"Bye," I said, with a friendly tone.
"Laters," he replied.
Laters – that means we'll probably see each other again, I told myself with a warm smile as I wandered down the corridor dodging the trolley lady.
Duh, Rose, you're doing patrol with him, of course you'll see him again, I reminded myself. I carried on traipsing down the corridors in trance-like state imagining the various ways that Max would ask me out until I noticed a second year prodding a first year with his wand and I launched into prefect mode.
After several hours of patrol, I finally returned to the compartment with Al and Tess. It seemed that Tess had won the exploding snap game and was regretting this as Al and Hugo, the prankster, were in hushed conversation. I think she was worried about what crazy prank Hugo would come up with.
My brother may be incapable of achieving good grades at school, but he sure has a quick mind for thinking up utterly embarrassing tricks to play on people, namely his relations, but occasionally he'll make exceptions.
This seems to be one of those times.
Poor Tess.
"Hey!" she said, looking relieved, when I came in. Al and Hugo looked up from their whispered plans quickly. Tess sent them both a death glare, which they didn't see. "How was the meeting and patrol and stuff?" she asked me as I sat down next to her and straightened my skirt.
"Pretty dull, but guess who my new patrol partner is?" I said, excited, with a grin spreading over my face from ear to ear.
"Well, you look pretty cheerful so I'm guessing its no one bad," she said with a quizzical frown.
"Obviously! It is…" I paused for dramatic effect.
"Tell girl!"
"Max Wood," I said, adopting a dreamy look.
"And that's good?" she said with a disgusted expression. I folded my arms and looked at her crossly. Tess has never seen the appeal in Max. She finds him obnoxious, and trust me I have tried to change her mind on this topic several times.
To no avail.
Tess is as stubborn as I am.
"Of course. He's like a model, Tess."
"Yeah, a model of complete jerk-ness." I glared at her. "Alright, I'll admit that he is good looking, but have you actually tried talking to him? It's like conversing with the rear end of a sheep."
"Maybe that's a bit harsh," I said with a giggle.
"No seriously, he was my Potions partner last year remember, and I honestly don't think he said anything in that year other than, 'Shall I stir it, then?'."
I thought back to the previous five years. She did have a point, not that I was going to admit that to her, he isn't really the world's best conversationalist.
"Whatever," I said, rolling my eyes in defeat.
Suddenly, Al tore his eyes away from his plans, took one look at Tess and both him and Hugo burst into fits of laughter.
How…mature.
To think I share the same gene pool as the both of them. I shivered in disgust.
Tess gave me a worried look.
"You want to go change?" I asked her. She nodded back and we quickly left the compartment before Hugo and Al wet their pants laughing at the outcome of their inevitably mean prank.
"What d'ya reckon their planning?" I asked Tess as soon as we'd changed in the train toilets. Which are gross by the way.
But it's that or changing in front of my cousins. I mean ewww.
"I dunno. No doubt it'll be embarrassing for me and hilarious for them if he's got Hugo onto it," she said miserably, straightening out the pleats on her skirt.
"I'm surprised Hugo's not in Slytherin actually, with all his sneaky traits," I wondered aloud.
"Nah. I mean he's sneaky but not evil," she replied.
By the time we had reached our compartment again Hugo had disappeared, probably to scheme some more with his creepy little friends, I thought, and Al had changed and was peering through the glass to catch a glimpse of the castle.
"We must be nearly there," he said in a frustrated tone, leaning back in his chair.
"Yeah, it's dark already," I agreed.
With a fuzz the tannoy system came to life:
"All students to be changed, we will be arriving at Hogwarts shortly."
"Finally. I am bloody starving!" Al said, rubbing his stomach dramatically. Tess rolled her eyes.
"You are going to be soooo fat when you're older, Mr Potter," she said with a grin. Al just grinned back.
"It's not like you skimp on your grub, Tess," I said laughing, and Tess punched me playfully in the arm.
"Hey, I need my nourishment. Otherwise I'll faint and you and Al will have to carry me to the Hospital Wing."
"I'm not carrying you, my arms would break," Al replied, kicking Tess' leg. She kicked his back.
"You wimp!"
At that moment, the compartment door slid slowly open, and standing in the entrance surveying the scene with a look of hilarity was Max. My heart started thumping erratically against my chest, and I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks.
I hate blushing. I swear it's a curse.
"Weasley, we need to sort out the first years," he announced, gazing down at me like I was a mildly interesting television programme. I returned his gaze marveling at his magnificent features.
I swear this guy's face was carved by the gods.
Or angels.
With a jerk that
rattled the whole carriage, the train ground to a halt. I stood up
and quickly flattened my hair.
"Ok, let's go," I said
nervously.
He gestured towards the door with a perfectly tan and manly hand.
"Ladies first."
I gave him a small smile to say thank you, and in return received a flash of his blinding white teeth.
He followed me down the corridor of the train, and we clambered off before there was the usual rush of first years eager to see the castle. I remember when I first saw it. I was truly amazed. When your sitting in those little boats and then you turn this corner, and then suddenly, you see the hugest castle you have ever set eyes on. I could totally relate to all these chattering 11 year olds that could hardly reach up to my elbow.
Which is saying something because I'm barely 5ft4.
I swear I was never that small.
"First years, head towards Hagrid please!" I announced commandingly to the new first years, pointing towards the gigantic silhouette in the darkness that was Hagrid.
"This way!" he bellowed and lead the fairly large group of 11 year olds to the edge of the lake to clamber into the boats. As I turned away to head towards the horseless carriages that took us to school I heard Hagrid say, "No pushing! Careful now, don't want to fall in, the Giant Squid'll get ya!"
Then I heard the several shocked gasps of the first years.
I giggled to myself and climbed into one of the carriages with Max to get to school.
It was only Max and I in the carriage, sitting in complete awkward silence. Thankfully, Max broke the silence.
"So, your friend Tess… she single?" I looked through the gloom at his profile.
"Yeah," I answered.
See what I mean? People like Max and people like me just don't date.
I don't blame him for falling for Tess. Out of the two of us she is definitely the prettier with her petite frame and long straight blonde hair.
Once again, the carriage fell into silence. And the whole journey I was thinking of the proximity of his foot to mine. If I moved my foot just an inch to the left it would touch his designer trainer.
I didn't move my foot though. Well, until we got to the entrance of the school obviously. We joined the throng of people making their way into the dinner hall and parted with a hurried 'Bye', before joining our separate tables: Max to the Slytherin one, and me to the Gryffindor.
I sat down in between Tess and Al who were bickering about the 'right' to prank someone, or something like that.
They argue about the strangest things.
Once the sorting began, they still continued their little fight in hushed whispers. Well, they did until I threatened them with detention if they didn't shut their fat gobs, as I could have sworn Trelawney was looking our way.
She was my least favourite teacher. As much as I love school, I despise Divination. Trelawney is just such a crazed old bat, making up rubbish that her students will die, or that they'll injure themselves battling a giant rattlesnake or something.
Tess adores her; apparently she's 'sweet'.
Although, Tess did shut up when I said Trelawney was watching so perhaps she's not sweet enough to let someone off detention for talking during the sorting.
Finally we got to the last one to be sorted, a tiny little boy with pretty cool dreadlocks – "Zabini, Orlando."
The little boy hurried to the stool and hastily shoved the hat firmly over his eyes. Just as the hat shouted 'SLYTHERIN' Tess leant over and said in my ear, "That's Leo Zabini's little brother. Leo is amazing! Way better than snobby Max."
"Leo's so shallow though." I replied. It was true. Although Max doesn't say much, what he does say can be interesting. One time we actually discussed the advantages of telephones over magic in muggle studies. He is clever, just…you know…he's just not a naturally bubbly and friendly person like, say, Tess.
I peered over at the Slytherin table where Leo was giving his brother a pat on the back. On Leo's other side was Ben Nott, who was idly staring at his fork, presumably waiting for dinner, and next to him was Malfoy.
Who was staring right over here.
My blue eyes locked with his steely grey ones for a millisecond, before I dragged them away and turned back to the table which was steadily filling with food.
I suppose I better fill you in on what Tess has dubbed 'The Malfoy Situation'. You see, contrary to popular belief, I don't actually hate him. I mean, I don't really like him that much, but that's only because he doesn't like me either.
We have mutual dislike for each other.
Maybe I should go back to beginning of the story. Malfoy and I used to be friends, as in fairly good friends. We both used to go to Defence Against the Dark Arts Club on Thursday afternoons, so we made friends and although we never used to really hang out outside the club, we were practically inseparable when we were in it.
We both quit near the end of fourth year though, due to a certain incident.
May 23rd, Fourth Year
"Hey, shall I walk to your common room with you?" Malfoy asked me, with his usual excited grin. He only usually got that excited when he'd managed to perform some amazingly advanced spell.
At DADA club, obviously.
"Sure, you better not infect the Gryffindor room with your slimy Slytherin germs," I said laughing.
"I won't, ma'am!" he replied, and we hurried off down the corridor laughing.
"Personally, I think Gryffindors are the ones with all the germs…"he said as we neared the Fat Lady.
"Well, duh, moron, you would think that you dirty Slytherin," I answered back shoving him playfully against the wall.
"Dirty Slytherin? You're the one that just shoved me!" he said laughing.
"And you're the one that deserved it!" I poked him the ribs and he squirmed.
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
A playful fight ensued involving each of us trying to poke the other in the ribs. In a well thought out tactical move, Malfoy managed to get my arms behind my back.
I squealed and tried to break loose.
"Not fair, you stupid Quidditch player. You have an advantage!" I screeched, trying to kick him. And failing.
"What's my advantage, oh courageous on?" he replied, his voice dripping in sarcasm.
"You have muscles. As a girl, who is about a foot shorter than you, I have no chance!"
"You're doing ok," he said, looking extremely comfortable as I continued to struggle to break free.
"You're using your advantage to your advantage!" I squealed, trying, once again, to kick, or knee, him in the shins.
"Isn't that the whole point?" he asked with a smirk.
"I give up, bully." I stuck my tongue out at him and stopped struggling. Trying to keep my face straight, and not laugh, I said, "I must bid thee goodnight, sir, please release me."
"No way, hose," he said with a smirk.
That was when his lips crashed down on mine.
And that was when I panicked.
I didn't even know if I liked the guy, and here I was kissing him. I quickly moved back.
"Um…I better go…my friends might be waiting for me," I said awkwardly, my heart pumping wildly against my ribs.
Malfoy looked back grimly.
"Right."
And I never saw him again. Well, technically I did, as I saw his face and stuff. But it wasn't the same Malfoy that had been my good friend at DADA club.
It was some new Malfoy, who suddenly had hundreds of girlfriends.
Who wouldn't even say hi to me in corridors.
I didn't like him one bit.
I blinked back at the memory and leant forward to put some potatoes on my plate.
"Eurgh, the hideous Malfoy is staring at you, Rose," Al said, looking over my shoulder with disdain.
"Well, I wouldn't call him hideous…" Tess replied, with a knowing smile. I glared at her. "You know…I'd stick to mean, arrogant, obnoxious…"
"Much better," I replied, and put a forkful of potato into my mouth.
"You are totally going to marry him."
I almost choked on my potato.
I have managed to almost completely avoid him for the last two years, and there is no way I'm stopping now. As soon as I'm safe out of Hogwarts I'll never have to see his albino face again.
And perhaps my friends will also stop insinuating that I will marry the guy.
He's an utter prat. And he ignores me all the time. You would never know we used to be such good friends.
Seriously, I mean, our kids would be hideous. My freckles and his hypopigmentary congenital disorder equals one revolting child.
I think even the giant squid would be better looking.
And have you seen that thing…all slimy and tentacle-y.
"Ewww!" I replied in horror and gave her a look that would kill. If only I had that happy power.
"Just saying…he's totally in love with you." She averts her attention back to scooping up her peas and I turn around quickly to look at the Slytherin table.
So…Malfoys in love with me (note the sarcasm), that's why he's currently gazing down Heather Goyle's shirt. Right…
Sometimes I worry about the sanity of my close friends.
"He is so not," I replied stabbing a potato with unnecessary force.
"He is. Whenever anyone mentions your name with him in hearing distance he suddenly spins around," Al piped up.
I rolled my eyes.
"That could just as easily be hatred. Like whenever he hears my name he wants to kill me or something."
"Oh yeah…because that's so much more plausible," Tess interjected sarcastically.
"It is. I mean in love with me?! He hasn't even spoken to me in two years!"
Al's eyes shot up
into the realms of his untidy black hair.
"Because you flat out
rejected him and no one rejects the mighty Malfoy."
An excellent
point.
But he had never dated anyone until after he started ignoring me, so that can't possibly be the reason.
Despite that, it is true. No one rejects Malfoy. He probably has more girls at his feet than Max Wood, and that is saying something.
"Whatever."
Al gave me a triumphant smirk then rubbed his hands together as the main course vanished and a variety of desserts lined every table.
"Excellent, pudding!"
As Al dished out a bit of everything onto his dessert plate, I peered down the table to catch Max looking our way. Nervously I smiled, and he smiled cautiously back.
"What are you grinning at?" Al asked between mouthfuls of trifle.
"N-nothing."
Eventually, the puddings too were devoured and everyone fell silent as McGonagall got steadily to her feet. She surveyed everyone with a stern look and cleared her throat quietly.
"Well, I'd like to wish a warm welcome to our new students. Remember to work hard and I'm sure you will enjoy yourselves. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you all.
"Professor Trelawney is resuming her position of teaching the sixth years from Professor Firenze. However, third and fourth year classes will still be taken by him."
Tess would be happy about that after all she's taking Divination this year and adores Trelawney.
"Should you wish to join your house Quidditch team there will be sign up sheets available in all of the common rooms.
"Finally, Mr Filch would like me to remind you that fighting in corridors," she took a moment to glare at the third years who were fighting on the train, "is prohibited.
"Goodnight all. First years, if you would follow your house prefects to your dormitories."
The fifth year Gryffindor prefects led the way up the marble staircase and to the common room, and the first years followed sleepily behind dragging their feet. I took up the rear with Max.
We were silent most of the way, occasionally speaking to tell a first year off for being too noisy. As we climbed the final staircase before reaching the common room, Max turned to me, his navy eyes sparkling in the light from the torches on the walls.
"You're taking Transfiguration right?"
I nodded, "yeah. Why
are you?"
"Of course, I'll guess I'll see you in lessons
tomorrow then."
He gave me one of his infamously gorgeous smiles then casually pushed through the first years to reach the Fat Lady.
"Hippogriff," he said. The fifth year gave him a grateful look, it seemed that apparently they hadn't been told what the password was.
The portrait swung open easily and the first years, after freezing in amazement for about half a minute, climbed through the portrait hole into the common room.
It looked like McGonagall had done some decorating since the last year. The carpets had been replaced as the old ones had been a little scuffed, and there were new curtains hanging elegantly from the huge windows overlooking the lake.
"Girls up here," I called to the frightened faces of the first years. They all peered up silently and then the girls walked up the staircase I was pointing up. I directed them to their room, and as I headed up another floor to my room heard them shriek in amazement, "Four posters!".
I smiled to myself a little as I went into my room and collapsed onto the edge of my bed.
"I am exhausted," Tess announced, digging in her trunk to find her pyjamas.
"Join the club," I yawned back.
"I'm going to sleep straight away tonight. I need my beauty sleep to look amazing for the morning," said Amber, one of the other three girls that Tess and I share a dorm with.
Amber's best friend, Yasmin, nodded vigorously, "Yeah, me too. I need to look fab. Have you seen Max Wood? I swear he gets hotter every time I see him!"
"He does, and guess who gets to do patrol with him," Tess said with a cheeky grin at me.
Yasmin screamed and flapped her hands widely.
"Are you serious Rose! You get to do patrol with him! Sometimes I wish I was clever, then McGonagall would have picked me to be prefect then I could have wandered the corridors at night with Wood," she said with a dreamy gaze.
"If only," Amber
said, with an equally faraway look. "He is perfection."
You
see, everyone agrees with me. It's only really Tess that thinks
he's a creep.
"He is. And I spend every Wednesday night until Christmas in his fabulous company."
Amber and Yasmin looked enviously at me.
"Lucky for some!" Yasmin said, as she clambered into her pyjamas.
I gave her a grin and she smiled back. Yasmin may be a bit out of it at times (she's your typical airhead blonde) but she is really lovely, and great to hang out with. Unlike our other room-mate, Amber's twin sister, Miranda.
She does this thing where she completely blanks me and Tess, and only talks to Amber and Yasmin.
Speak of the devil, there she was standing in the doorway with her skirt sickeningly short.
"Hey girls. I'll be out for a bit, I'm meeting up with a certain Wood," Yasmin clapped her hands and giggled excitedly with a grin. Miranda smiled back. "I know, he's amazing right? Anyway, I'll try not to wake you guys later, ok?"
Amber winked at her, "Have fun!"
Eurgh. Why is it that amazingly hot guys always date the slutty mean girls?
It's like the law of the universe.
I wished everyone a goodnight then pulled back my crimson curtains around my bed.
If only Wood would go out with me, I thought to myself.
I rolled over and tried to get to sleep but it took me longer than I
thought as Yasmin and Amber had launched into an animated discussion
about the best lipgloss.
I fell asleep once they finally decided
on watermelon flavoured lipgloss and quit talking.
