Well, there goes THAT possible friendship, I sighed to myself as Hermione stuttered,
"M-malfoy?"
"Yep, that's my name," I chuckled nervously, pulling my hand back to run awkwardly through my hair.
Keep it cool Rowan. Just pretend like you're not a photocopy of her worst enemy.
"Right," Hermione said quickly, tucking her hair behind her ear as she began to look everywhere but me. "Ah, well, my friends are waiting for me-"
"Hermione!" a new voice called from a compartment a few feet away. "Did you find the snack cart? Because if you haven't paid, I changed my mind. I want three boxes of snapping wazzles and only one chocolate frog..."
Hermione gave me a nervous smile as the person who had just spoken walked up to us. I recognized him as a Weasley right away; red hair, shabby clothes, and a goofy grin. Plus, he was friends with Grang- I mean, Hermione.
"Hey, 'Mione, who's this?" Ron asked, still grinning as he looked back and forth between Hermione and I.
"Uh, Ron, this is, uh-"
"Hi, I'm Rowan Malfoy," I said, biting the bullet for Hermione. "Ron Weasley, right? Pleasure to meet you."
I stuck out my hand for Ron to shake; but, just like Hermione, when he heard my last name his grin faded and he blinked at me a few moments before asked,
"Did you just say Malfoy?"
"Sure did," I sighed, my spirits dropping just a bit lower as, once again, I pulled my hand back. Ron and Hermione exchanged an uneasy glance as I heard,
"Rowan! You're late!"
Oh, just great. My brother, the absolute winner of the worst timing awards. Go, Draco.
"Oy! Ron, where'd you get off to?" someone called.
Now I wasn't the only one looking anxious. Hermione and Ron had just begun backing up from me when Draco's hand locked onto my shoulder. I let out a sigh; this was going great.
After a heartbeat of uncomfortable silence I glanced back at my brother.
"Draco, this is Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. I take it you three know each other pretty well, seeing as how they're already trying to run away from me-"
"Enough, Rowan," Draco snapped as a third person stepped into view.
Harry Potter.
He took in the sight of Draco and I standing side by side. Though our eyes were different, there was no denying we were related. Chisled jaw, sharp nose, sleek blonde hair... Harry's eyes widened in shock, and Hermione cleared her throat to mumble,
"Harry, this is Rowan Malfoy."
"Another Malfoy at Hogwarts?" Harry snorted in disgust, narrowing his eyes. "I thought one cockroach was more than enough."
A little harsh, seeing as i literally hadn't said a word to him yet, but I understood the hostility. My brother wasn't a very loveable guy. Draco took a step forward, shoving me back behind him.
"That's my sister you're talking to, Potter. You'd better learn some manners."
"I don't need any manners to talk to a Malfoy," Harry snarled, balling his fists. I moved to pull Draco back, but he pushed me back again, taking a step forward.
"Harry, stop-" Hermione said quickly, taking his arm. Draco narrowed his eyes and said,
"I suppose I can't blame you for not having any manners, seeing as your mum got herself killed before she could teach you anything decent!"
"Quit, Draco -" I cut in quickly, trying to put out the ridiculous argument before wands were drawn.
As always, Draco ignored me. Harry was fuming; Ron stepped forward with Harry and balled his fists. Hermione and I stood off to the side, exasperation and concern on our faces.
"If you don't learn to keep your mouth shut around my sister, I'll shut it for you," Draco spat, taking another step towards Harry. I could see Harry's hand begin to reach for his wand.
As Draco reached for his, another compartment slid open and an older student leaned out; the badge on his chest read Prefect.
"Is there a problem here?" He asked, eyes lingering on my brother and I.
"Let's go, Rowan. These pricks and their little mudblood bitch aren't worth our time."
Before I could say anything, Draco spun and grabbed my arm, pulling me down the hall after him. Looking back over my shoulder, I saw Harry glowering at me as Ron wrapped an arm around Hermione. My stomach twisted.
"You just make friends left and right, don't you?" I asked sourly as Draco all but threw me into the compartment.
"This is why I can't let you go anywhere by yourself!" Draco snarled, slamming the compartment door and dropping down onto the seat; Pansy practically threw herself onto him. Resisting the urge to gag, I reluctantly sat on his other side and dropped my head against the window.
"I was doing just fine until you showed up and acted like the royal prick you are."
Draco shot me a nasty glare, then turned back to Blaise and Flint to let me wallow in my misery.
Somehow I had a feeling my father would be hearing about this.
ღ
"You're going to be sorted with the first years. Can I leave you alone for that long?" Draco asked snidely, tugging my arm to make me keep pace with him as we walked towards the carriages.
"I'm not a dog," I snapped, pulling my arm free and marching ahead of him. Instantly, Draco was at my side again, hissing,
"Then behave yourself!"
Climbing angrily into the carriage, I folded my arms defiantly over my chest and glowered out the window. The carriage had barely stopped moving before Draco was hauling me off. I stumbled to keep up with him as he marched towards a very large man with an even larger beard.
"She is to be sorted with the first years," Draco demanded, shoving me towards the crowd of little kids. I stumbled and glared at my brother as the man turned to frown down at Draco.
"An' who is she?"
"My sister, you oaf! Make sure she does as she's supposed to. If anything happens to her, our father will have your job! Do you understand me?."
"Sheesh, Draco, be a little more of an ass next time," I muttered, turning away from my brother.
"Rowan, I swear if you do anything to cause trouble -"
"Yeah, yeah, I'll behave."
"As soon as you're sorted, come sit next to me. Understood?"
"I said okay, Draco!"
Without another word, my brother spun on his heels and went to join his friends. As the rather large man began to herd the kids and myself towards the castle, I glanced up at him.
"Sorry about my brother."
The man looked down at me and gave me a smile.
"Don' worry 'bout it, Miss Malfoy."
"You can call me Rowan."
"'Ello Rowan. Names Hagrid. Nice teh meet yeh."
Nice to meet you too, Hagrid," I said, smiling back up at him.
"You don't sound like a Malfoy, that's f'sure" he said, holding the door open for our group to shuffle in. .
"I manage to control my cruel family instincts," I joked, following the kids up the stairs. Hagrid laughed and said,
"Yer a gem, you are. This is where I leave yeh, Rowan. I'll see yeh 'round."
"Bye Hagrid," I said, waiving after him just as another voice announced,
"First years, welcome to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Once through those doors, you shall wait before the stairs to be sorted into your appropriate houses. My name is Professor McGonagall, the head of Gryffindor house."
Professor McGonagall went on about the history of the school, and what to expect for sorting. I knew the gist of it, from what Draco had described after his first year, so I let my mind wander instead.
I spotted a few older kids, closer to my age, amongst the crowd. At least I wasn't the only transfer. Maybe there'd be hope yet for some friends.
"And those transferring to Hogwarts will be sorted last," she announced, clapping her hands together. "From here on, you are all students, and all will be welcomed in these halls. I hope you all will enjoy your years here at Hogwarts."
With that, Professor McGonagall opened the door, and led the way down the path towards the front of the hall, where a hat on a stool was awaiting us. Instinctively, I glanced towards the green-and-silver table, seeking out my brother.
He wasn't hard to find; there was a good ring of space around him, and only his close friends were seated beside him. His eyes were locked on me, watching my progression. I narrowed my eyes just slightly at him as I turned back towards the front so I didn't trip.
As my head swiveled back around, I spotted Hermione, Ron, and Harry, all of whom were staring at me. Hermione just looked embarrassed, but Ron and Harry looked furious. They stared at me with such hate I felt my skin begin to burn.
As our group came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the hat, the room fell silent, and McGonagall began reading names off the list. It was agonizing, standing in front of the entire student body, feeling Harry and Ron's furious eyes on my back, feeling my brothers condescending glare tearing into my body. There were only a few of the transfer students left along with me as McGonagall called,
"Rowan Malfoy."
The Great Hall went eerily quiet. Everyone's heads swiveled to me as I made my way up the steps and hopped up onto the stool. Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm myself as the sorting hat was placed on top of my head.
Ah, another Malfoy, what a surprise, the sorting hat said to me. Another in the long line of pureblood lineage.
As I squeezed my eyes shut, the hat added But wait... there's something different about you.
For the first time in a long while, I felt an emotion click in my chest; someone had called me different. Okay, granted, it was a chunk of talking fabric, but still.
You aren't like your family, are you?
Not in the slightest, I thought sadly.
Correct you are. I see great things for you, Rowan Malfoy. You will become a great witch. You will change the many lives you will touch. And so I know where you must be placed to achieve greatness…
Before I could think anything else, the sorting hat screamed out the last thing I'd wanted to hear.
"GRYFFINDOR!"