Echo woke up to the sunlight streaming through her windows. Someone had already pulled back her curtains, letting the rays highlight the floorboards. She got out of beds and dressed herself into her school robes. She looked out the window and gazed upon the lake. The water glistened againt the sunlight. A fish jumped out of the water and splashed back and headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast.
Hermione and Ron were already munching on some toast. Hermione held a copy of the Daily Prophet in her fingers.
"Anything good?" Echo said, sitting down on the opposite side of the table.
"Nothing really, just a bunch of rubbish as usual," she responded, folding the paper back up and setting it aside. She reached for another slice of toast and smothered it with orange marmalade. Echo took a few strips of bacon and a hard boiled egg for her meal.
"Where's Harry?" Echo asked.
"He'll be here soon, don't worry. I'm sure he had a long night. He always stays up extra late when coming back from holiday," Hermione and said. Echo reached for a bagel and brushed against someone else's hand in the basket.
"Oh, so sorry," Echo said at once, flustered.
"It's okay," replied Fred, handing her the bagel. "Ladies first," he smiled. The ends of Echo's hair tinged burgundy once again. She returned back to her breakfast to find herself not hungry anymore.
"Er…hair," Ron said, pointing to Echo's hair again.
"Stupid hair," she said and turned it back.
"I wonder why it keeps doing that," Ron pondered.
"Uh…probably not used to the whole change of pace now. Bursting back into the school after three years. Big change," Echo slammed her words together quickly. Ron gave her the same funny look from the night before and returned back to attacking his breakfast. To make things seem normal, Echo spread some butter across her bagel and took a bite.
"Sorry I'm late guys," Harry sat down in the empty space next to Echo. "I was waiting up for Echo, but she's already here," he said, flushing a bit.
"That's so sweet of you, Harry. I remember most of my way around the school, but if I need any help I'll let you know," she smiled. She took another bite of her bagel.
"What classes do you all have today?" Hermione said, finishing her toast. Everyone pulled out their schedules.
"Double Charms, Transfiguration, and Divination, a few free periods here and there. What about you all?" Echo said.
"Free period right after breakfast, Potions, another free period, and then Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Care of Magical Creatures," Harry said.
"Same as Harry, except I have potions after Defense Against the Dark Arts," Ron replied, still stuffing his face.
"I have-"
"Everything." Ron finished Hermione mid-sentence. Harry laughed, but Hermione didn't look so pleased.
"Well, not everything, just most," she said, letting a smile slip out.
Breakfast ended soon enough. Echo picked up her school bag and her Charms textbook. Hermione headed off to her Arithmancy class and Ron headed up to the Gryffindor tower.
"Harry, you coming?" Ron called back.
"In a minute," Harry said, catching up to Echo.
"Oh, hello Harry. Shouldn't you be heading back to the common room with Ron?" she said, adjusting her book in her arms.
"Well, don't you have Charms with the Slytherins?" Harry said, darting his green eyes across the corridor.
"Well, yeah," Echo said, looking around the hall as well.
"I can't have you roaming the halls by yourself. Especially with Malfoy on the loose. It's too much to risk," he said. His eyebrows narrowed as he continuously scanned the room. Echo laughed.
"Harry, it's alright, I promise. You can go if you want to," she said nicely.
"Well, I just have to make sure-"
"I'll be fine. My parents teach Aurors, remember? I can handle it on my own," she smiled.
"But what if I don't want to go?" Harry blurted, then flushed a bit.
"Oh, I'm sorry. You're quite welcome to walk me to class if you want to," she smiled, messing up Harry's hair a bit and giggling.
"Potter, don't you realize you're messing with my property?" said a cold voice, followed by laughter from two other boys.
"It's okay, Harry," Echo whispered. They both turned around to see a pale skinned, platinum blonde Draco Malfoy accompanied by Crabbe and Goyle.
"Since when am I you property?" Echo snapped with a jerk of her head.
"Since when did you start flirting with Potter?" Malfoy growled. Harry got in between Echo and Draco.
"Shut up Malfoy, the only thing you're good at is trying to make yourself seem high and mighty. Let's go, Echo," he grabbed hold of Echo's arm a little bit too tightly and continued on down the hall.
"Ah Potter, you can't hide her for long. You've got about five more minute till you goodbye," Malfoy said, making fake crying sounds and then snickering with his cronies.
Harry made a face and opened his mouth to talk.
"Harry, it's okay. Really, it is. I'm strong enough to kick Draco's arse. And I've got plenty more insults than he could ever come up with," Echo said, reaching the big wooden door of the Charms classroom.
"You sure?" Harry said, looking back. No Malfoy in sight.
"Swear on it. Now go back to Ron, he's probably having separation anxiety," Echo laughed. Harry laughed, too.
"If you need me-"
"I promise, Harry. There won't be a problem. Thanks for walking me to class though. It was really sweet of you," she said, before closing the door.
"Er…no problem," Harry said, flustered, and headed back to the Gryffindor tower.
Echo looked around the room for a seat. She took one near the middle and set her school bag on the ground and put her Charms book on the table. She opened up the book and flipped over the pages while the other students started to file in. Out of the peripheral vision, a white blur appeared at the doorway. She knew the second she saw it, that it was Draco. She hid her face in her Charms book, hoping that he wouldn't come over near her. Too nervous to change her appearance, Draco had sat down next to hear.
"Hello Ms. Trenton," he whispered into her ear. She could smell his breath. It smelled minty but also like something spicy. He probably had done that on purpose.
"Hello Draco," she retorted, turning the other way. He put his hand on her shoulder.
"Why? Don't want to look at me?" Draco replied. Echo change dher eyes to red.
"No, I don't," she growled at him. He looked slightly taken aback.
"The red eyes make you look evil," he said airily. "And if you think that's going to scare me, you're wrong. If anything, it makes things better," he sneered.
"Ugh, give it a rest. Or I'll sick Flitwick on you," Echo said, moving a few chairs down as the tiny wizard teacher came into the classroom.
"Welcome back! I hope you all had a very nice holiday! Now if you will, please turn to page twelve in your textbooks," Flitwick droned one. "Ahh, a new student?" Flitwick raised his eyebrows and looked down at Echo from his podium.
"No, sir, returning student," she smiled. "Evangeline Trenton." A few people started to talk.
"Ahh, very well. Welcome back Ms. Trenton," Flitwick smiled and commenced class. They learned a new Charm that helps rotate items on a table. Echo could not think of a good reason to se the Charm, but one day it might come in handy. The whole class, Draco kept trying to talk to her, but she tuned him out.
Once class was over she collected her things as fast as she could. She shoved her Charms book into her bag with such for she thought surely she had ripped some of the bottom threads. She raced to the door of the classroom and wrenched it open. How she wished she could apparate on school grounds. Her mother had taught her how to do it within the last year, even thought students weren't permitted to learn until later years. She looked both ways as if crossing a busy intersection and went back down the corridor. She had a free period now and was headed up to the Gryffindor tower. She sighed in relief that Draco hadn't followed her this far and started to walk more relaxed.
Someone grabbed her arm and covered her mouth. She bit the fingers of her captor and faced them. Draco had her pinned to an inner wall of an open classroom she was walking past.
"Get off, Malfoy," she said, jabbing him in the stomach with her wand. He flinched a little but didn't move.
"Think I'm going to let you go? Potter's not here, Ms. Trenton," he said, smirking. She could smell the same minty spice emitting from his mouth. Her eyes raged red again and the silver melted from her hair.
"Don't touch me, Draco Malfoy," she said, casting a spell with her mind and throwing him off of her. She looked down at his body on the floor.
"This is why you don't mess with me," she snarled, and walked back to the main corridor. Her eyes eased back to the swimming silver they usually were and her silver streaks reappeared. She made sure she caught the right moving staircase to the Fat Lady.
"Cinnamon Stick," she said clearly as the painting swung forward. The only people in the common room at the time were Harry and Ron playing a game of wizard chess.
"Hey Echo," Ron said looking up. A pawn took out a rook with a good smash.
"You look flustered," Harry said, also looking up from the game.
"Nahh, I'm perfectly fine," she said, faking a good smile and headed up the girls' dorms. She sat down on her four poster. It was time to add a bit of flair to her room. She changed the color of her sheets to a soft lavender and had her pillows to match. The canopy surrounding the bed was changed to a royal purple. She set a picture frame with a moving picture of her and her parents on the night table. The table polished itself and was dusted off. Everything seemed to be in order now. She took out her Charms book and set it aside with her other school books. She examined the inside of her bag to make sure she didn't really tear anything. As she fear there were several broken threads at the bottom. Echo pulled out her wand and pointed it to the bottom of her bag.
"Reparo!" she said and the threads mended themselves back together. She replaced the empty spot in her bag with her Transfiguration book and headed back down stairs. She set her back on a chair near the fire and joined Harry and Ron.
"Who's winning?" she asked, watching a knight blast a bishop. Some of the pieces fell onto the floor. Echo picked them up and put them in a pile next to the chess board.
"Thanks," Harry said, still concentrated on the game. "Ron's winning, as always." Ron smiled, still not taking his eyes off the board. Echo, with no knowledge of wizard chess, just watched the boys play until Ron uttered "Checkmate" and the game was over. The pieces fixed themselves back to normal.
"Good game, Ron," Harry said, shaking his friend's hand.
"You, too," Ron smiled.
"So, how was Charms?" Harry said.
"Charming," Echo said with a slight annoyance in her tone.
"Malfoy?" Harry said, seeming a little angry.
"Malfoy is always going to be an annoying little prat, but it's fine, I took care of business," Echo said triumphantly. Harry rose to his feet.
"Sit down, Harry. What are you going to do?" Echo said. "He's not going to change."
Harry sat back down. "I guess you're right," he said with a sigh.
"Harry, we better get our stuff ready. Class is going to start soon," Ron said, getting up and going to his bag.
"Alright, we'll see you later," Harry said to Echo, getting his things and walking out of the portrait hole with Ron.
Echo was left alone in the common room. She walked over to the window and looked out upon the Hogwarts grounds. She saw the seas of students walking down the open halls to their classes. A few owls were released out of windows with letters tied to their legs or packages hooked in their talons. She thought of her own owl, Silkwings, and how she must be flying back to the school soon. Echo had peace of mind. She put the ruckus with Draco in the back of her mind. Her breathing slowed and she closed her eyes. She was completely relaxed. She heard the portrait hole open and slam closed and people walk around the common room, but she was so at ease that she didn't let the commotion ruin her relaxation. She felt a presence next to her, and she was curious to know who it was, but the euphoria of her relaxation would not let her open her eyes. A hand brushed some hair out of her face. Her eyes shot open, and she was greeted with a smile. Her cheeks flushed immediately. The tips of her hair flared the same burgundy. She looked around the room and realized that she was alone with Fred Weaseley.