The sorting and the Beginning Term feast went by in a bluhr of smiles, hugs, and reunions. Amelia squeezed herself onto the bench at the Hufflepuff Table between Amos Diggory and one of her good friends, and her dormmate, Helen Ingerson. Helen was a few pounds over curvy and drop dead georgous in a very Reuben sort of way. She was soon greated by her other close friend, Rolanda Hooch. The four friends quickly caught up on the goings on of their summer vacations. Soon, Amos, Rolanda, and Amelia were engrossed in a conversation about a new strategy that Amos had seen the Ballycastle Bats preform at their last match against Puddlemere United. Even Helen joined in, despite the fact that she was the only member of the group who didn't play quidditch.
Before they knew it, Dumbledore dismissed the students and Amelia along with the rest of the Hufflepuff House walked up to the painting of the Friar holding an apple and gave him the new password, 'Kissing unicorn'. Amelia couldn't help but giggle at the new password, aparently the new prefects had sense of humor this year. She follwed Rolanda and Helen into the cozy common room. The plush armchairs and couches in black with yellow posters and banners decorating the common room. A fire was burning brightly in the room and against the back walls, small round hallways led underground to the dormatories each of which had a round door. Reminding Amelia of the home of a hobbit. She wondered if Helga Hufflepuff had a soft spot for hobbits considering the fact that the Hufflepuff Commonroom was underground in burrows.
Amelia, Rolanda, and Helen all bid Amos good night before wandering down the tunnel deep underground to the Girl's dormatory. Amelia couldn't say that she loved the girl's dorm. She had always liked light and windows, and since she was underground, there were no windows. She walked over to her bed and jumped onto the familar soft down comforter.
"Mmmm... I think that I will unpack tomorrow." she announced to Helen and Rolanda closing her pretty eyes.
The other two girls smiled. "Yes, you must have your beauty sleep." Helen joked.
Amelia opened her eyes slowly and rolled her eyes. "Spare me. Not all of us are born with porcelin skin and lovely wavy russent hair."
"You have your own attributes." Helen stated as she collapsed onto her own bed and took out her book.
Rolanda smirked as she hung a poster of the Ballycastle Bats on the wall.
The other two girls quickly grew tired of unpacking and collapsed on their own beds. Amelia giggled "I knew that you two coudn't ignore the calling of your beds for much longer."
"Shut up Malfoy." Helen stated throwing one of her many stuffed animals at Amelia, only to miss and hit Rolanda.
"Hey!" Rolanda cried out sitting up quickly and hurling the animal back at Helen.
Soon all three girls were engrossed in an immense pillow fight throwing pillows and stuffed animals at one another while jumping from bed to bed. Eventually, all three ended up collapsing on Amelia's bed breathing hard. "It's good to be back." Amelia huffed.
Her two best friends made "Mhm" sounds of agreement.
"Seriously, I am so glad to be back." Rolanda sighed. She was a half blood from Dublin, therefore her magic use was limited during the summer vacation.
The three girls spoke of quidditch, classes, and of course boys deep into the night before Amelia let out a humongous yawn.
The other two girls giggled. "Like I said," Helen began. "Amelia needs her beauty sleep. How else do you think the Malfoys stay so luminous?"
"Good night." Amelia said crawling under her covers.
Soon the room was filled with the sound of heavy breathing as the three girls fell into deep slumbers. For once, the pain in Amelia's arm didn't bother her, and she slept peacefully.
Amelia awoke at dawn, she had always been an early riser. She quickly slipped into a pair of running shorts, a long sleeved t-shirt and her old tennis shoes. Leaving her wand behind, the young girl sliped silently through the door of her bedroom and walked almost silently out of the Hufflepuff common room and into the long corridors of the school. She let herself out the front door and let out out a sigh of bliss when she felt the sunshine on her face.
Stretching her arms above her head, and then reaching down to touch her toes, the girl stretched with the grace of a ballerina. After her muscles were loosened, Amelia began to run around the immense grounds of Hogwarts. Running had always been a passion of hers, when asked why she liked it, she would merely shrug her slender shoulders and say "I don't know, it's how I clear my head and keep myself from going insane. "
She ran past the quidditch pitch, past the greenhouses, and past Hagrid's hut. She waved to the gentle half giant as she passed. Hagrid and her had gotten to know one another early on during her time at Hogwarts, and he had gotten used to seeing her run past his hut almost every morning. She continued her run along the banks of the lake, smiling slightly when she saw the enormous tentacles of the monster that resided in the depths of the lake. She finished her run back where she started, at the main enterance of Hogwarts. However, she was surprised to find that she wasn't alone as she jogged lightly up the remaining few steps.
Standing just outside of the immense arch of the door were none other than the trouble making Marauders. She stopped and looked at the four boys curiously.
There was James Potter, Captain of the Griffindor Quidditch team, and her unoffical rival seeker. The handsome boy had messy black hair that looked as if he had just stepped off of his broom, although Amelia knew otherwise.
To James's left stood Remus Lupin. The boy looked as usual slightly sick and exhausted, his face pale with light scars scattered here and there. He would probably be handsomer than James if he didn't always look like such a wreck. Amelia wondered if he had been in some childhood accident, but she had never asked. She didn't know him that well. From the few conversations/assignments that they had had together, he seemed nice enough and very polite.
Next to Remus stood Peter Pettigrew. There was something about Peter that Amelia wasn't sure she trusted. He was shorter and heavier than the other three boys, but only slightly so. Amelia didn't know much about him at all.
On James's right stood none other than his right hand man, Sirius Black. Amelia instantly recognized him as the beautiful boy she had just met last night. He seemed to recognize her as well, because a look of recognition flashed briefly across his face. His silver eyes seemed to smile at her.
"Alright Potter?" she breathed heavily.
"Alright. How's it, Malfoy?" he inquired, his voice slightly guarded. These boys know her, but they knew the notorious Black sisters very well, not to mention the fact that Sirius hated his family. The girl flashed a dazzling smile, "It's going. Glad to be back to be honest." she replied.
"Training for the season then?" James inquired nodding to her not so put together appearance.
Amelia looked down at her self, then shook her head. "No just out for a morning run. Figured it was such a beautiful day and all." she replied.
James nodded, while Sirius, Remus and Peter watched the girl curiously.
"What about you four? Out for training then?" she asked placing her hands on her hips.
"You could say that, love." Sirius stated with a smirk and a wink.
Amelia laughed then. "Well in that case, I might have to disappear... guilty by association and all that."
"Naw, that's Remus's job." Peter stated.
Amelia's pretty pink eyes landed on Remus, "The Griffindor Prefect, has a secret love for trouble making, I must say I am shocked." she said sarcastically.
"Look who he hangs out with, love." Sirius stated smiling at her.
"As I said before, I am going to get out of here before I become either part of the prank or get in trouble for it. I'll see you guys around." Amelia felt her heart skip a beat when Sirius placed that smile on her. She brushed past Sirius softly and disappeared into the castle. She walked back to the girl's dorm and sliped through the door to find her dorm mates still asleep.
"GOOD MORNING!" She screamed happily as she walked across the room towards the bathroom, flipping on lights as she passed through and ripping open the curtains of other girl's bed.
"Damn you for being a morning person, Malfoy." Rolanda groaned yanking her pillow over her head.
"Come on you two, get your lazy selves out of bed. I have already been out for a run and everything." Amelia replied simply as she grabbed her clothes and slipped into the bathroom.
After a quick shower, drying her hair and yanking her long, curly mass of silver blond hair out of her face into a messy yet stylish bun, and dressing in her yellow and black uniform, Amelia re-emerged from the bathroom to see her roommates making their beds, and Helen waiting to get into the bathroom.
Once all three of the girls were dressed they met up with Amos and a few other dorm mates in the Great Hall. The Great Hall was abuzz with students eager to compare their schedules. Amelia waited patiently for Professor Sprout to call her name and meet with her in her office to discuss the results of her O.W.L.s
Soon it was her turn, she sat down in Professor Sprout's plesant and earthy smelling office.
"Miss Malfoy, excellent work on your OWLs, you have recieved O's and E's in every class, it is fair to say that you may take whichever courses you would like to take this term." Professor Sprout said her in her cheerful voice.
Amelia smiled slightly at her own accomplishment. "I really want to work with magical creatures. Or be an auror." Amelia stated.
Professor Sprout smiled "Very well, we will put you in care of magical creatures, defense against the dark arts, potions, astronomy, ancient runes, herbology, transfiguration, and charms."
Amelia took the piece of parchment that Professor Sprout held out for her, "Thank you." she said softly.
Professor Sprout nodded. Well go and enjoy your breakfast and have a good day in classes. Will you please send Mr. Diggory to my office?"
Amelia nodded. "No problem," before skipping out the door and back to the Great Hall. She stopped behind Amos and tapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Professor Sprout wants you to meet with her in her office about your schedule." she said to him softly.
Amos smirked and stood up before walking out the enterance. Amelia resumed sitting at her seat and couldn't help but smile to herself when she saw the four marauders walk into the Great Hall. Sirius and James were talking animatedly about something while Remus was speaking more softly to Peter. Helen noticed her smile and looked over her shoulder just as the marauders sat down.
"Please don't tell me that you are falling for one of the marauders, you know your brother would kill you." Helen stated simply.
Amelia giggled at this statement. "Trust me, I have no intention of having anything to do with those trouble makers, I just happened to have a brief chat with them on my morning run."
"You know Amelia, Sirius Black is a pretty damn good kisser. Too bad I had to knock him off his broom for dumping me." Rolanda stated before taking a bit of her eggs.
Amelia and Helen laughed at this, remembering that moment all too well on the quidditch pitch. Rolanda was a beater and Sirius was a chaser, Rolanda made sure to knock him off his broom before the first point was scored. Sirius had fallen maybe ten feet to the ground where he immediately began cursing at Rolanda calling her a vendective bitch and all sorts of sweet things. Rolanda responded simply by blowing him a kiss. Hufflepuff had won that game, because James was too distracted by his best friend cursing out a girl to see the snitch.
"I am amazing that he didn't prank you to oblivian." Helen stated between giggles.
Amelia couldn't help but nod. She knew that Sirius, despite his being disowned, still had the Black sense of pride and the idea of getting even.
She was about to state this thought before Amos appeared and told them it was time to get to classes. The three girls grabbed their bags and walked out of the greathall with him towards their first class of the new year.