Effy-

When I was 10 I was- regrettably- scratched by a rather powerful, rather ruthless werewolf. Ending my normal, mundane life on that fateful day. On the scale 1-10 of how dangerous my werewolf form is, it's about a 13. But the ministry had prepared for this. They had potions enough to deal with a werewolf 20 times my strength and capacity. But to this day I am still the world's most dangerous werewolf. I give the Forbidden Forest a whole new meaning. (People have literally started to write it into the history books.) This brings me to the tragic mess that is my Hogwarts-high school experience. I'm just about to start my sixth year at the place and I have yet to make a single friend. People are too scared to be around me. Too afraid to be near me. I can't really blame them. Who would want to be anywhere near one of the most dangerous creatures on the earth? My dad doesn't care, he's leaves me alone whenever I come home from school; in fact most of the time he's not even there. It bothered me in first year, but after a year of people keeping a strict 10 paces away whenever possible, you get used to it. People aren't even mean to me. They're too scared that I'll come after them when I'm a werewolf. So I have no human contact what so ever.

Where are my scratches you may ask? Well luckily there on my lower back. I was running away you see and then mother…mother….she…she…well, let's just say she was a Gryffindor for a reason. I think that's, no, I know that's why dad hates me. When she…um…died, dad took all the photos of us all down. Burnt all of her clothing, along with anything that reminded of him of her, anything that smelled like her, anything she ever touched. Then he moved house. All while I was in the clinic getting tested for being a werewolf. Leaving me no chance to save anything that belonged to her. It was on my birthday as well. The day I got scratched, the day mother died, all of it. So we don't even celebrate it anymore. Dad just gets drunk, yells at me for being born and leaves to go god knows where. Come's home three days later silent and solemn. I hate that in a way that was my mother's final birthday present to me, my life. I hate it. I wish it would have eaten me. But I know mother wouldn't want that, she'd want me to go, live my life, and finish freakin' school. Oh Jesus I don't want to go to school. But dad has it marked down in the calendar and checks it every day, and it's a magical one that yells at you when a circled date is approaching. He doesn't exactly hide the fact that he wants me gone.

So here I am, alone, as usual on platform 9¾. It was only in first year that dad actually come through the gate to send me off. I start to walk down the platform towards any carriages with not a lot of people, which is none. I hear the whispers already circling around me.
"That's her, the freak.", "I bet she's killed people.", "She's so scary!"
Same as always. I hold me head high, trying to act-as always- like I can't hear them, like I'm not being hurt by their comments. When all of a sudden I bump, hard, into to someone. I immediately look up and start apologizing profusely.
"I am so, so sorry. I wasn't looking and I…" I trail off because I realise who I have just bumped into. Harry Potter. The chosen one. The savoir. I take a step back and fidget slightly. "I'm really sorry, sir." I say hiding my embarrassment as much as I can. He gives me a strange look. Then chuckles.
"It's fine." He says patting my shoulder. I stiffen and bristle at the sudden human contact. "You look really familiar, do I know you're parents?"
I chew the inside of my cheek thoughtfully. Then say, "Yes sir, my father is Blaise Zambini and my mother is…my mother was…"
"Katie Bell. I know. I'm sorry." He said finishing for me. I nod. "You're Effy I presume?"
"Yes sir." I say looking up at the famous hero, waiting for him to move away with fear, to remove himself from this convocation. But he stays.
"You must be in the same year as James?" he asked, I stand there a little shock, but quickly regaining myself nod with a sheepish smile falling on my face.
"What house?" he asks
"Gryffindor." I say, I'm actually really proud that I'm a Gryffindor. My grandparents where not thrilled, but they eventually caved. They gave up the whole Slytherin thing when dad married a Gryffindor, but they still had hoped that I would regain the family tradition. Pure bloods and all.
"I wonder why James never mentioned you." He said, looking over my shoulder at something, frowning.
"May be that I..." he cut me off again.
"James!" he yells. I dare not turn. "Come here."
I hear footsteps, as the tall figure that is James Potter comes into my line of site. He is, utterly, unimaginably good looking. With jet black hair that never seems to be tame, sticking up and out in all directions. He has the most intense green eyes I've ever seen. (Just because people avoid me doesn't mean I don't notice things.)
James looks at me then does a double take and blinks back in shock taking a slow step back. Even though I'm used to this sort of treatment, it still hurts a little.
"Dad?" he asks wearily.
"James, why didn't you tell me you went to school with Effy Zambini?" he questioned his son.
"I, I, um, I just, I don't know dad." He says defeated. But still looking at me with a weary stare. He looks at his dad whose about to open his mouth to speak, but not before James buts in. "Dad, can I have a word?"
"Yep." He says, but doesn't move.
"Alone." James says through gritted teeth, his eyes glazing over my entire body. I feel incredibly naked, despite my clothes.
"Excuse us." Mr Potter says kindly to me before glaring at his son. They walk away but I can still see them. I notice that James is a good foot or so taller than his dad. I stand there awkwardly. I fiddle with the handle of my trunk. I feel people staring at me. I check that my wand is still in my right boot. I stare down at my boots, not sure where else to look. They come back after a couple of minutes. James an even more defeated look on his face then before. Mr Potter, rather annoyed at something.
"Sorry 'bout that." Mr Potter says kindly.
"It's fine." I say to him sincerely. James's head shoots up and looks at me, a look of surprise on his face. I feel a blush spread across my cheeks.
"James help Effy with her trunk." Mr Potter says. I open my mouth in surprise, James glares at his dad.
"It's fine, really." I say quickly.
"Nonsense, James her trunk." He says to his son. James takes a deep breath. He takes the handle of my trunk, our hands touch for a fraction of a second. I stiffen again at the human contact but James doesn't notice. He turns to his dad.
"Bye dad." He says.
"Bye son, Effy lovely meeting you." Mr Potter says turning and walking down the platform and out of site.
"Come on then." James says a lot kinder then before. I look up at him and nod. But all that's running through my head is:

What just happened?

James-

I pull dad away from…from…oh god…from freaking Effy Zambini! Why! Why oh why, did dad have to be so god damn friendly? Start a conversion with anyone who has the time of day. I stop when I think that we're out of ear shot. I round on him, he's glaring.
"James, that was very rude." He says calmly, even though his eyes show how furious he is.
"Dad," I plead. "You do understand who you're talking to, right?"
"Yes." He says in that monotone he puts on when he's angry, the fire still visibly raging in his eyes.
"Effy, Effy Zambini. She's a werewolf!"' I hiss trying to see why dad is so clam about all this.
"So" Was all he said.
"Dad," I say pleading with him again. "That girl, she's the most dangerous werewolf in the world! Ever!"
Dad glares at me and when he speaks his voice is icy cold and stern, it hits me with shock like a sudden cold would. (Only this is far, far more intimidating.)
"That girl, Jesus James, Effy Zambini has been through a lot in her life and considering what I've been through, I think I know how it can feel! She lost her mother to the incident that turned her life upside-down. I knew her well, you know, she was a good friend of mine and your mothers. You're Uncle and Aunts to! She was 10 James! She wouldn't have any clue what was happening to her. And don't even get me started on her father. I only fear what her home life is like!"

Dad's never been an angry person; you see his rage in his eyes, not his voice. Only when passion is mixed with anger does he raise his voice. So when he lectures me like he just did. I feel guilty, right to my core. I, like everybody else, stayed away from Effy. Never talked to her, left her alone, glared at her when she was to close then moved to be far away from the monster. I admit, I've often wondered what she would have been like if she hadn't become a werewolf. Probably really popular, she is really pretty, incredibly so. With beautiful black hair that hangs long down her back in beautiful ringlets and curls. She has flawless light olive skin. Pale red lips that look so soft and perfect. She's quite tall and has a slender figure. But she'd filled out in all the right spots. The only oddity is her eyes, her left a dazzling electric blue eye, the other a magnificent deep forest green. Each eye has long thick black eyelashes. (So I guess I spend a lot more time looking at her then I thought I did.) No one ever brought that up. Fred mentioned it once last year. I had agreed, but nothing else had been said on the matter.

"I'm sorry." I say lowering my head.
"It's alright. Be nice to the girl, she must have it ruff at school. Huh?" He says looking over at her. I follow his gaze. She standing there, eyes fixed on her shoes, fiddling with her trunks handle. I see the many glares that are her sent her way. The way everybody is whispering to each other about her.
"Yeah, she does." I say looking back at dad. The rage in his eyes is gone, he smiles at me. I smile sheepishly back.
"Please do me a favour James," he says kindly. "Don't ignore her now, be nice even. Please, for me. Just be friendly. Maybe this year she can make a friend." Drawing his own (correct) conclusions about her social status.
I chew the inside of my cheek a little in thought.
"Fine." I sigh. Dad laughs.
"Son, I'm asking not you to move a mountain, just hang out with her a bit." Then after a moment he said. "She's a very pretty girl; I don't know why you're so pissed off."
I look at him, then at her and smirk at dad.
"Whatever you say old man." I say walking back over to where she still standing.

She looks up at us as we approach. Her eyes follow across our faces then she looks back at her hands.
"Sorry 'bout that." Dad says way to cheerily.
"It's fine." Effy says. My head snaps up in surprise. She blushes slightly at the motion. Her voice is incredible. It's soft like silk, it plays beautifully on my ears and not at all raspy and crude like I and everyone else thought it was.
"James, help Effy with her trunk." Dad says snapping me back into reality. I glare at him. I'm about to say something when Effy says.
"It's fine, really." She says captivating me once again.
"Nonsense, James her trunk." Dad says to me shoving one hand in his pants pocket. I take a breath and do what I'm told. I take the handle of her trunk, she stiffens when our hands touch but I take no notice. I turn to dad and smile at him.
"Bye dad."
"Bye son, Effy lovely meeting you." He says walking away down the platform.
I look down at her and, remembering my dad's words, say to her.
"Come on then." She nods in response.

Once on the train we realise how packed it was already. I sigh. I never really liked this train. To crowed, to many people, to stuffy, to boring, to long, to uncomfortable. And the list goes on. I look at Effy who looks about as uncomfortable as I feel. I take this into appreciation; file it away to add to the things I like about Effy Zambini.
"Well this is what we get for chatting instead of securing favourable seating arrangements." I say sarcastically to her with a smirk. She smirks up at me.
"My bad." She says.
"Well, lucky for you, you're usher is none other than James Potter." I say to her as we start to walk up the corridor. I ignored the stares and the whispers that follow us, I liked the fact that Effy seems to relax.
"Why's this?" she asked still smirking. I see that she never takes her eyes of what's straight in front of her and occasionally me.
"You'll see, just let me pull some strings." I say to her, looking at a couple of compartments until I find one that soots my needs. In said compartment are 4 girls, Gryffindor's, and what I think/hope are forth years. I look down at Effy who is looking at me with one raised eyebrow, leaning against the wall, one hand sitting on her hip. She looks incredibly sexy standing there. I give her a cheeky grin before throwing open the door to the compartment. All the girls heads turn to look up at me, once they realise who it is I see some of them blush slightly. I smirk at them.
"Vacate." I say jerking a thumb over my shoulder to emphasize the meaning. The reaction is instant all standing grabbing their trunks and busheling out of the cabin. I watch them go calling out after them. "Thanks ladies."

I look over at Effy who looks rather embarrassed. Her eyes fixed on her shoes again.
"You, you didn't need to do that." she says not meeting my eyes. I sigh.
"Don't mention it. Now come on in." I say walking in and easily placing her trunk on the rack above our heads. She sits down close to the window, she's looking up at me.
"Thank you." She says smiling, genuinely smiling, at me. I feel some heat rise in my face, but smile at her.
"Think nothing of it." I say sitting down opposite her, putting my back up against the wall and swing my legs up onto the seat. Surprise fills her face. She obviously was not expecting me to stay, or maybe she had only hoped for the company.
"You don't have to stay, if you don't want, don't feel obliged." She said looking everywhere but at me. I smirk at her.
"Too bad, you're stuck with me sweetie." I say making myself more comfortable.
"But you're trunk will." She starts.
"I'll get it later." I say cutting her off, she smiles across at me, and finally her eyes rest on mine, I feel myself smile back.

Maybe this train tripe won't be so bad after all.

Author note-
Please tell me what you think xx