A/N I do not own Harry Potter, nor will I ever, sadly. The quotes in this chapter come once again from Philospher's Stone. Actually, if you see anything you recognise, it's not mine. That goes for all future chapters too.
Journey from 9 ¾
"Draco Malfoy, if you don't go to bed right now, We are not taking to the station tomorrow, you can make your own way there." Andromeda threatened as she heard her nephew one the stairs. He froze guiltily, before popping his round his aunt and uncles' door.
"Sorry, I can't sleep, and I wanted to check that I-"
"Bed. Now." Seeing the stern look on his aunt's face he fled, skipping rungs of his ladder to escape his aunt's wrath. He lay awake in frustration for about ten minutes, before a thought popped into his head. Aunt Andromeda had said he had to go to bed, not that he had to go sleep. Carefully, to avoid stepping on the squeaky floorboard, he crossed over to where his trunk lay. (well, Tonks' old one. At least Aunt Drom had got rid of all the graffiti.) Popping the lid open, he snuck out his birthday present from Michael, Curses and Counter-Curses, and read until his eyes grew heavy. With a guilty start when he saw his alarm clock read half past 2, he hastily turned out his light, and tried to sleep.
It worked to a certain extent, but excitement combined with nervousness made for a fitful night, and when Mal woke at five in the morning, he was too excited to even try to go back to sleep. Instead he packed and repacked everything to make sure he wasn't missing anything, and then went got dressed – Muggle clothes as Uncle Ted was driving. He was downstairs and eating breakfast by half past six, causing Uncle Ted to do a double take.
"My God, you're up early. Is something important happening today?" he teased, putting the kettle on and putting bread on to toast. Mal's face fell for a moment, before scowling at his uncle.
"Not funny." Mal told him, eyes narrowing further at Ted's hearty chuckle. Luckily, before Mal's lack of sleep caused him to say something rude, Aunt Andromeda breezed into the kitchen, looking, Mal thought, far too immaculate for before seven in the morning.
"Oh good, you're up and dressed – I don't have to chivvy you out of bed for once."
"Aunt Drom! I'm not that bad." Mal complained as his aunt smiled impishly. Her smile dropped however, as she sat down opposite her nephew. She tutted.
"Honestly, did you get any sleep last night?" she asked, rolling her eyes. "You look like a little panda, Draco." Over by the toaster, Uncle Ted jumped to his defence.
"Do you blame him, Dromeda? I remember what I was like the night before first-year. And lets not forgot Dora waking up every half hour from three until six and groaning so loud every time it was too early she woke us all up..."
Aunt Andromeda winced a little at the reminder and conceded the point. Mal hastily turned away as his uncle and aunt shared a kiss. It was nice they loved each other, but there were some things Mal never wanted to see at the breakfast table.
After a time, which seemed to be both forever and no time at all, Mal returning to his room at least five times before Aunt Andromeda lost her patience and used magic to pack the last of his things they were off to Kings Cross. Luckily, they didn't live so far from London, so they made good time. Mal couldn't imagine what it must be like for muggle-borns who lived further away. As they got out of the car, Mal couldn't help but notice that they drew a number of looks.
Archimedes probably doesn't help, he reflected, eyeing the owl that had been a late birthday present. And even in muggle clothes, Aunt Drom always looks, well like a witch.
It wasn't necessarily in a bad way, but she did tend to favour long flowing skirts and blouses with generous sleeves. Fortunately, they got to platform 9 and ¾ without any issues, and they stood for a moment, admiring the scarlet steam engine that was the Hogwarts express. Uncle Ted helped Mal get his things on the train, and then the three of them stood on the platform no one knowing what to say.
"Well, this it." Aunt Andromeda eventually said. "And you're sure you have everything?"
Mal nodded, rolling his eyes in mock exasperation.
"I saw that young man!" chided Aunt Andromeda, before drawing her nephew into a hug.
"Aunt Drom..." he groaned, before returning the embrace. Realising he wouldn't have another Aunt Andromeda hug, or an Uncle Ted hair ruffle or a Tonks play fight for another 3 and a half months, he felt his chest constrict, a sensation that had nothing to do with the arms encircling him.
"Be good." she told him, smiling despite the misty look in her eyes.
"And if you can't be good." Uncle Ted added, giving his nephew's shoulder a squeeze.
"Be Careful." He chorused, and the three of them shared a wry grin. That was it, really, and after Mal promised to write, they said goodbye and Mal got on the train.
Abruptly, the excitement was overwhelmed by lack of sleep, and so as soon as he got back to his compartment, which was still, thankfully empty, he flopped down on one of the seats, taking up most of the bench. A little while later, the compartment door slid open again. Mal cracked an eye open, and seeing it was Neville, smiled slightly before trying to go back to sleep.
"How was the rest of your summer, Mal?"
Mal grunted in response, and Neville laughed.
"Did you not sleep last night?" he asked.
"Neville..." he groaned. "What do you think?". Just then the compartment door slid open again and Mal gave up on all hope of sleeping the whole way to Hogwarts. Especially when he saw the two red topped heads that had pulled the door open.
"Ah, Master Malfoy -"
"- we thought we detected your dulcet tones..."
"Sod off and torment someone else Weasleys." he muttered, and Fred, or possibly George, Mal wasn't sure gave a gasp of mock horror.
"Why, Master Malfoy, such language!"
"From such a fine young gentleman as yourself, as well!"
"Whatever would your aunt say?"
"Enough!" Mal growled, and the twins snickered. Usually he got on with them fairly well, but today Fred and George were giving him a headache.
"Ok, ok. You spoil all our fun you know, Mal." Fred said. Mal gave him a singularly unimpressed look.
"My heart bleeds."
The twins gave a high pitched 'ooh'. Before there was a small, 'um' from behind them.
"Oh right!" George said. "Mind if – what was your name again ?" he turned to the boy behind him.
"Harry."
Mal grinned. He couldn't wait to see how long it took before the twins worked out who he was.
"Right. Mind if Harry shares with you two?"
"Fine by me." Neville said quietly, giving Harry a wary smile.
"Be my guest." Mal said sitting up, and gesturing to the now free seat.
With the help of everyone in the compartment, Harry trunk was swiftly put away in a corner of the compartment.
"Thanks, everyone." Harry said, pushing sweaty hair out his eyes. Mal smirked as he caught the mark on the other boy's forehead.
In three, two, one...
"What's that?" Fred asked suddenly, pointing to Harry's scar.
"Blimey." added George. "Are you -?"
"He is. Aren't you?"
Neville looked on, completely lost.
"What are you taking about?" he asked.
"If he's Harry Potter." The twins chorused. Neville's eyes widened, and Harry looked discomfited at all the attention. Hardly surprising, Mal thought.
"That would be me." admitted Harry. Blushing as three of the inhabitants of the compartment gawped at him. To his relief, their mother called them away. Mal couldn't blame Harry for the sheer look of relief on his face.
"So you're really Harry Potter?" Neville asked, timidly. Harry gave him a weary grin.
"Yup. S'pose you want to see the scar?" he asked, a touch cynically in Mal's opinion, but Neville shook his head.
"Not if you don't want to."
Harry looked hugely grateful at this, and then frowned, as he realised the third occupant of the compartment had been oddly quiet.
"You didn't seem very surprised." Harry commented, and Mal snorted.
"It wasn't exactly rocket science." he said, smiling at Harry's confused look. "Wizarding Britain's not exactly huge, I knew we're the same age, so there can't be that many Harrys." he paused, noting the embarrassed look on Harry's face. "And Hagrid told Tonks, who told me." he admitted, ducking his head.
"You're cousin, right?"
"Yep. She's great – couldn't get her to help me smuggle a broom in though." Mal pulled a face, and Harry laughed at the reference to their previous conversation.
"Wait, you two know each other?" Neville interjected, and Mal glanced at his friend affectionately.
"Ah, yes, I did sort of forget to mention that didn't I? Sorry Nev." he gestured towards Neville. "Harry Potter, this is Neville Longbottom. Neville, Harry." Neville rolled his eyes.
"I got that bit, thanks."
Mal raised his eyebrows. Neville was finally growing a bit of a backbone. As Harry asked Neville a little more about himself, Mal glanced out of the window. He snickered as he overheard the twins promise to send Ginny a toilet seat, then became hugely glad of Neville as he heard the twins tell Mrs Weasley about Harry. Honestly, did they really think Harry would tell them if he could remember You-Know-Who? He didn't exactly come across as the sort of person to love fame. It was a good thing Mrs Weasley set them straight otherwise they might find themselves... inconvenienced. Mal still needed to get them back for the last prank they played on him anyway.
A whistle sounded, and a moment later, the train began to move. Mrs Weasley and Ginny were still on the platform, Ginny running to try and keep up with the train. Houses flashed past the window, and Mal felt a mix of excitement and a sorrow. He didn't know exactly what was awaiting him, but it wouldn't be the same as what he'd left behind.
The door slid open again, and this time Ron came in, with a decidedly disgruntled look on his face.
"What's up with you?" Mal asked amused. Ron grimaced.
"Lee Jordan's got a tarantula. And Fred and George were all 'come and share a compartment with us, 'Ronniekins. Blech."
Mal and Neville gave Ron a sympathetic look. They were both well aware of Ron's arachnophobia – on occasion Mal had himself used it for his own amusement.
"Come in then, don't just malinger in the doorway like a lemon." Mal said, and Harry laughed. Ron just raised his eyebrows and said:
"You've been spending too much time with Tonks. And I don't think that's what malingering means, Mal." Ron sat down opposite Harry, and gave the other boy and inquisitive stare.
"Who're you then?" he asked good-naturedly, and Mal rolled his eyes. Then smirked at what he knew was to come.
"I'm Harry. Harry Potter."
Ron gaped, as Mal knew he would. He asked Harry to see his scar, and Harry obliged.
"Did I look like that when you told me?" Neville wondered. Mal held his finger and thump up, close together, and Neville blushed
"Anyway...now your gawping is over Weasley, how about normal people conversation?" Mal suggested, and Ron blushed.
"Well, I'm sorry for having a normal reaction to somebody famous. No offence Harry."
"None taken?" Harry said uncertainly. "And I think Mal doesn't count." he added, growing in confidence. "He found out after meeting me. So he could be an idiot on his own terms, and not just because of me."
"Hey!" Mal said, his jaw dropping before he gave an grudging grin. He might actually have someone worth bantering with. Ron was fun, but he tripped himself up too much to be challenge. The twins were two on one, and being sarcastic around Neville was mean, like torturing a kitten. "Touché Potter."
"So are all your families magic then?" Harry asked, curiously. Mal became a little awkward, and he could see that Neville had closed off. For once, Ron managed to be tactful enough to step in.
"Yeah. Well, we've got a second cousin who's an accountant, but no one ever really talks about him."
"You must know loads of magic." Harry said, enviously, and Mal snorted.
"I wish – we're not supposed to do magic outside of school." He added, seeing Harry's inquisitive look. "Mind you, we'd probably blow something up, practising on our own. I heard you live with Muggles, anyway – what're they like." Mal asked. Time to see if his suspicions were right.
"Horrible. Well, not all of them. My aunt uncle and cousin, are though. Wish my cousin was as cool as yours sounds."
Mal smiled at the compliment, although it was a little forced. Sometimes, he hated being right.
"Tonk is wicked!" Ron told Harry. "Better having just a cousin, instead of five brothers. I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. Plus Bill and Charlie have already left, and they were Head Boy and Quidditch captain. And I never get anything new. At least Mal's just got Tonks to live up to -"
"Which shouldn't be hard. Although imitating Professors to break curfew might have to wait a couple of years." Mal interrupted, cheerily ignoring the rude gesture Ron threw at him. Harry looked at him in amazement.
"You can do that?" he asked, impressed.
"I wouldn't recommend it. Tonks has a bit of an advantage – she's a Metamorphmagus – which means she was born with the ability to change her appearance at will."
"Cool!" Harry breathed.
"Until she uses it to trick you into thinking she's Aunt Drom, and forces you to tidy her room for stealing her chocolate." Mal said ruefully, and Ron and Nevilled chuckled.
"I'd forgotten that. Your aunt was furious though wasn't she?" Ron asked and Mal gave a wicked grin.
"Just a bit. Uncle Ted just thought it was funny, the git." Mal scowled.
"So you live with your aunt and uncle too?" Harry asked. Mal nodded, eyes wistful.
"My parent's were attacked by You-Know-Who, when I was a baby. Neither of them lived to tell about it." he said solemnly, before brightening again. "Still, I was lucky! No offence Harry but your relatives sound awful."
"They are. They used to -" Harry was interrupted, as Neville gave a dismal howl.
"I've lost Trevor!" he moaned. Ron and Mal gave him exasperated looks.
"Trevor?" Harry asked, lost.
"My toad! He was a present form my uncle Algie, for the first time I did accidental magic. I can't lose him, Gran'll be furious."
"Calm down Neville. We'll find him." Ron said, placatingly.
"He's a toad, he can't have hopped far." Mal added sliding the door open.
They didn't get far, before they came across a bushy haired girl, sitting in the corridor, reading. From the lack of crest on her robes, Mal realised she was a first year.
"Neville's lost a toad. Want to help us look?" he asked her. After all, if she was out here, she probably hadn't exactly made friend. Judging from the eagerness with which she jumped up, Mal was right.
"Oh, yes of course! I'd be quite happy to help. Perhaps if I go with Neville, was it, and you go with your friends to opposite ends of the train and meet in the middle?" this was all said incredibly quickly, and Mal blinked.
"Okay?" he did feel slightly guilty about pawning her off onto Neville, especially after she latched onto him and started rattling out sentences at the speed of the train they were on. Then he remembered that otherwise, she'd be with him, and his resolve stiffened. Collecting Harry and Ron, they moved through the train pausing at each compartment, repeating the same routine each time. Until they reached a compartment that contained a group that was a mix of Slytherin, Ravenclaw and first year students. One of the first years a stringy boy Mal thought looked vaguely familiar spoke up before they could start their usual spiel.
"Well well well," he drawled. "If it isn't Draco Malfoy, hanging out with a blood traitor."
Nott. That was his name. Firmly remembering the lessons Aunt Andromeda had given him, he switched firmly into, 'dealing with arrogant traditionalist' mode.
"Hello Nott. Have you seen a toad? We're looking for one. Neville Longbottom's lost his."
He could feel Harry giving him a wary look, and he forced himself to stay calm, especially after Nott gave him the sort of look you'd expect to give to something nasty on the bottom of a shoe.
"Didn't you hear me, Malfoy? I said, why are you hanging out with a blood traitor?" the nasal whine grated, and Mal's fingers twitched.
I am really really sorry Harry, for what I'm about to do.
"Because I wouldn't have thought that even you would call Harry Potter a blood-traitor, Nott." he said, and allowed the tiniest smirk through the mask. Mainly because Nott looked like he'd just been slapped with a wet fish. He pulled himself together depressingly quickly though, and the rest of the compartment suddenly had a very hungry air.
We need to get out of here. Preferably without alienating them.
"Yes, Harry Potter. Or did you mean Weasley, here? Personally, I don't see how my associates effect you Nott. Surely my 'lowering myself' just makes you look better in that respect?"
And you need all the help you can get.
Nott looked sceptical, before sniffing.
"You can associate with whomever you please Malfoy. But Harry, I can call you Harry, I would think twice about who you associate with. Wouldn't want to see you associating with the wrong sort, would we?" Nott attempt at friendliness was so fake that Ron snorted and Mal elbowed him in the ribs.
"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks." Harry said, cooly, before they slammed the compartment shut. Running out of earshot, they collapsed in hysterical laughter.
"Who were they?" Harry asked.
"Purebloods." Ron said curtly, and Mal elbowed him again, ignoring his grunt of complaint.
"We're purebloods, Ron. They're traditionalists."
"We're blood-traitors. As if liking a group of people means you're a traitor to magic." Ron scoffed. Harry was looking at them, a mixture of hurt and bewilderment, and Mal realised what he must be thinking.
It must be awful to think you've escaped an awful place to a much better one, and then find out ours is a messed up...
"Ignore them Harry. And Ron, but that's easy."
"Draco..." Mal smirked at Ron's growl. The three of them sat quietly for a moment, before realising they were in the middle of a corridor, and they did actually have a task to do.
"This is stupid," Mal realised. "Why don't we just ask a prefect? Ron, go ask Percy."
"What did your last slave die of?" Ron grumbled and Mal gave him a beatific look.
"I seem to remember pushing him off a moving train when he wouldn't go ask his brother for help."
Ron rolled his eyes, but went up to the Prefect's compartment, while Harry and Mal returned to theirs. They were quiet for a little while, watching fields and trees flick past, when Ron and Neville, who was clutching Trevor, came in. They were followed closely by the bush haired girl.
"Yes?" Mal asked, dryly.
"I beg your pardon?" asked the girl, indignantly.
"Can we...help you?"
"Well! I assumed because I helped you find your toad I could sit with you."
The boys held a silent conference, before coming to an agreement.
"Fine. Just, read, or whatever." Mal told her, before raising an eyebrow. No one should be that happy at being told they could sit somewhere of sufferance. The boys struck up a conversation, and it returned to magic, after Neville asked Mal what he'd done with the book Michael had got him for his birthday. Ron then shared the spell Fred and George had given him the day before, but they were disappointed when it had absolutely no effect on Scabbers. In the corner, the girl tutted.
"What." Ron asked irritably.
"Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells for practice and they've all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard – I've learnt all our set books off by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough – I'm Hermione Granger by the way, who are you? I mean Neville already introduced himself, he's not rude like some people."
The boys looked at each other in stunned disbelief.
"Ron Weasley." Ron muttered shaking his head.
"Mal." said, Mal, stonily. Hermione looked at him, unimpressed.
"That's not exactly a proper name, is it?"
"Draco Malfoy." he enunciated, glaring at the girl. Why did she care anyway? And he had been going to be nice to her. Now she was looking expectantly at Harry.
"Oh. Harry Potter."
"Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you of course, I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century. I think you were in there too, somewhere. As a footnote." she directed this last bit at Mal, who pulled a face. Harry on the other Hand, looked dazed.
"Am I?"
"Goodness, didn't you know? I'd have found out everything I could if it was me." said Hermione. "Do any of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and Gryffindor sounds by far the best. I hear Dumbledore himself was a Gryffindor."
Mal made an abortive movement, and Ron and Neville eyed him warily. Mal could get insistent about houses.
"That book you told me about was interesting, Mal." Harry said, only half answering Hermione, Mal noticed with a selfish glee. "I didn't really get why there's so much rivalry between the Houses, when their ideas are usually so different. Surely they shouldn't clash that much."
Hermione was showing lively interest in Harry's point.
"Oh you mean like how Slytherin's dark Harry-" was as far as she got before Mal lunged across the compartment. Luckily, Ron and Neville held him back before he could actually touch Hermione, although he had succeeded in terrifying her.
"That's so typical of Muggle-Borns. They come in, and of course they listen to the first thing they hear, they never bother to actually find out from Slytherins themselves!" Mal ranted 'Ooh Slytherin are all dark' 'there wasn't a witch or wizard who was in Slytherin who didn't go dark' my Aunt Andromeda is one of the bravest, kindest people I'll ever meet and she was in Slytherin. 'Ooh Gryffindor is the best House!' well they never tell anyone about the witches or wizards that when dark in Gryffindor! Or the fact that Merlin was a Slytherin! And you never hear about brave Hufflepuffs, like Tonks who's an Auror which is one of the hardest and bravest things you can be! The only reason you don't is that unlike Gryffindor, Hufflepuffs aren't show-offs and prats!" Mal took a huge, shuddering breath as he finished his tirade, and slumped back down on the seat. Across from him, Hermione's eyes started to well up.
"You are horrid!" she managed to get out, before bursting into tears.
"Oh Merlin's pants!" Mal swore. "Look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to have a go at you."
"We could have told you Mal gets touchy about that stuff, if you'd thought before speaking." Ron told her, and Mal laughed at the irony. Hermione, was at least, pulling herself together, although next to her Harry still looked pale.
"So...Slytherin have a bad reputation. But why?" Harry asked, and Mal gave an inward sigh of relief.
That was bloody stupid, exploding like that. But what with all the excitement, and no sleep, I should have probably expected it. He only had time to note that the world was going fuzzy at the edges before he drifted off.
Harry looked at Mal, expecting an answer, before raising his eyebrows. Ron looked at the blond haired boy, and gave a laugh of disbelief.
"Has he just fallen asleep?" Ron gave Mal a poke in the ribs, before laughing again. "He has...idiot."
"Don't wake him up Ron." Neville said imploringly. "You know what he's like."
After a little bickering, the four of them returning to their conversation about the houses. Ron admitted to Harry that if it weren't for knowing Mrs Tonks, he'd probably still think all Slytherins were evil, and that he was still a little uncomfortable knowing it was one Mal's houses of choice. At around half twelve, a lady came around with a trolley, and Ron and Neville introduced Harry to the wonderful world of wizarding sweets. After Hermione haughtily informed them that her parents were dentists, leaving Harry to explain to Neville and Ron what that meant, she returned to her book. Although she did seem to be more engrossed in thought than her book. Harry found out a little more about his new friends' families, Ron's brother in Romania, the fact that Neville lived with his grandmother, and the fact (that Harry was under no circumstances to share,) that Mal's parents had been followers of You-Know-Who, and that they had sacrificed themselves to save Mal. And that they had also been Slytherins, which Harry supposed explained why Mal was so touchy about the house situation. It had certainly given Harry a lot to think about.
As it began to grow dark, Hermione slipped out of the compartment, returning a few moments later to inform them they were nearly there. Harry began to change into his robes as Ron shook Mal awake.
"Rise and Shine Malfoy." a wicked grin crossed his face. "Mal...you're drooling!" he sang, and Mal shot awake, cracking his head on the lid of Harry's trunk. Rubbing his head with an air of injured pride, he shot a scornful glare at Ron.
"I don't drool Weasley."
"Sure you don't"
They carried on bickering as they got changed, and Harry glanced at Neville, the boy's round face a look of practised suffering.
"Are they always like this?" Harry asked.
"Worse, sometimes." Neville replied, exasperation clear in his voice. Harry winced.
As the train stopped, they pushed their way into the corridor and off the train, where the platform was a solid mass of people. Then a yellow light came bobbing out of the darkness, and Harry felt a rush of relief as he saw Hagrid, who was gathering the first years. A short boat ride (in which they managed to separate themselves from Hermione) and their first look at the castle later, they arrived in the grounds of Hogwarts Castle, where a beam of moonlight shone upon its great oak front door.
"Everybody still here?"
With no cries of dissent, Hagrid raised a gigantic fist, and knocked three times on the door.
A/N Oof. This chapter kicked my ass, hard. Trying to stay faithful to canon characterisation of Harry and Hermione, whilst making Mal still reminiscent of 'Malfoy, Draco Malfoy', but different enough to be his own self, and subtly changing Ron and Neville enough so that they're the same characters we know and love? SERIOUSLY hard. And I'm probably gonna get hate for writing them OOC, but oh well. Frustratingly, I was going to post it when I finished, last night/this morning but my internet died. Ho hum.