Hogwarts Express was fire engine red. Scarlett only knew what that was because Harry had said it was the color of her hair - like some Muggle truck that put out fires. Scarlett stared at it with wide eyes, before taking a piece of her French braided hair Ginny and Fleur had worked on that morning and comparing the color. The exact same shade. Scarlett could only stare at it for a moment longer, however, before she noticed all the people around her.
"There are so many more than at Diagon Alley," Scarlett murmured.
Ginny, having heard, nodding in agreement. "Three to four hundred students, and their parents."
It was more people than Scarlett had ever seen before. There were children of all ages and sizes pushing large carts. She didn't understand why they had more than one trunk with them, as everything seemed to fit in just one trunk for her, and for Harry. Hermione had a trunk and a smaller suitcase. Ginny two trunks, one having been Fred or George's, and one that was her own, full of magazines and clothing that Scarlett thought was quite revealing. Ron's trunk was an absolute mess and he had to have one of the other twins trunks just to fit his robes and school things.
She spotted a woman that looked rather severe with a large bird atop her hat, speaking to someone Scarlett couldn't see. A few people over, she spotted a few tall guys laughing loudly, passing each other galleons - or something that looked like the small golden coins. A few more steps and Molly pulled them to a stop. "Now," the woman said sternly.
"We'll load up the trunks," Harry volunteered. Him and Ron began to unload them, what looked like house-elves on the train as they put certain trunks to a small compartment room.
Molly nodded in satisfaction and turned to Ginny, kissing the girl on the forehead and smoothing down the red hair. "Now, you stay out of trouble, do you hear? No running off to the Ministry and giving your father and I a heart attack again, you hear?" Ginny rolled her eyes, but nodded. Molly then gushed over Hermione. "Keep them all in line. Make sure they do their school work and don't let them get into any trouble."
"Trouble usually finds us, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione returned easily.
"Oh," Molly sighed and gave Hermione a tight hug. She then turned to Scarlett, who fidgeted nervously. "Now, try not to get too involved with any boys. Put your studies first. And Merlin, my dear, if Malfoy even approaches you, the boys will keep you well guarded. Also, if you do get involved with any boys, be sure to remember what Ginny told you-"
"Shag whichever good ones come along, right?" Ginny returned innocently.
"No!" Molly cried. "No," she repeated to Scarlett firmly. "Now, I may not be your mother, but I don't want you to go around ... sleeping with men, alright? I've grown very fond of you and I don't want to hear that behavior going on at school." Scarlett nodded immediately, moving to assure her she wouldn't, but Molly pressed on. "And if any boy breaks your heart, I'm sure Harry or Ron will be more than happy to break him."
Scarlett giggled, "Thank you, Molly. I-I'll focus on my studies, I think. I don't plan on involving myself in anything other than that."
"Good girl," Molly decided, kissing both of Scarlett's cheeks. "Now, be sure to write me, alright? I expect a letter at least once a month."
Scarlett nodded, "Of course."
"And I'll see you this Christmas, dear. Be careful, this year. And if you need any help at all, don't be afraid to ask the teachers, especially if you don't understand something. And your Head of House will be willing to listen to any personal or educational problems, and Professor Dumbledore will also listen."
Scarlett nodded again, "I'll remember."
"Mum, we're going to be late," Ginny stated.
"Oh, of course, go on, get a compartment." Molly seemed dangerously close to being misty eyed. Scarlett didn't want to woman to cry. "Now, hurry!" She then grabbed Harry and Ron, giving them a stern talking to. Merlin, Scarlett could only imagine how she must feel, her son being best friends with Harry Potter. Once Scarlett got onto the train, she spotted her trunk and began to follow Ginny, dragging it with her to wherever their destination was.
"I'm off to find Dean," Ginny said as they stopped at an empty compartment. "I'll catch up with you guys later."
"Bye," Scarlett said nervously as she peered into the compartment.
"Here, I'll go ahead of you," Hermione spoke up from behind Scarlett. Scarlett moved out of the way. "You just levitate the trunk into the rack. You gotta go slow though, because sometimes the magic on the train thinks that magic moving too fast is dangerous and it sort of, er, backfires. I learned that the hard way my first year."
"Oh," Scarlett said faintly, waiting in the doorway, still halfway into the hall, as she watched Hermione, with her back turned to the new student. Right, slow. She could do slow.
A few people rushed by Scarlett, making her head turn in their direction as they laughed and ducked into a compartment quickly just a few feet down. She didn't know who they were, of course, but they seemed to be having fun. She turned back to watch Hermione, whose trunk was only two feet from the ground still, and nearly felt her heart bang against her ribcage as she spotted a figure standing really close beside her. Draco.
He held his finger to his lips and glanced towards Hermione, indicating he didn't want to be caught. Scarlett pressed her hand over her heart, trying to get it to restart, and nodded once. She understood. He held up his hand suddenly and Scarlett glanced down to see a plastic crate, metal bars on the front, dangling from the handle in his hands. "Yours," he murmured, so quietly she almost didn't hear it.
She glanced at Hermione, seeing the trunk only halfway up, before she leaned down and peered into the crate. A fluffy white feline was sleeping, giving a soft puff of air every few seconds. She glanced up at Draco in surprise. Severus had said her familiar was arranged, but from Draco she didn't expect. "Thank you..." She took the cage from his outstretched hand, clutchinng it firmly. "I-"
He just gave a stiff nod before walking off past her. She watched him leave, going into the next car, and then glanced down at the carrier in her hands. Strange.
"What was that all about?" Harry asked.
Scarlett jumped, nearly dropping her trunk on her toes in her alarm. "Goodness! I didn't hear you-"
"Why was Malfoy talking to you?" Harry interrupted, glancing at the cat carrier. "Did he hurt you?"
"No, he-" She paused, glancing at the carrier before back to Harry, Ron just over his shoulder. "Severus had said my familiar was taken care of..." She lifted the carrier slightly, hearing the thunk as Hermione's trunk landed into the rack above. "Draco just gave it to me."
"Draco?" Ron asked. "Why do you call him that?"
She bit her lip, "He... he told me to. Am I not supposed to?"
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Alright, then... If that's... what he wants." He cleared his throat, obviously feeling awkward. "Er, Hermione?"
The witch in question flicked her wand towards the cage, making Scarlett about speak a protest, but it died in her throat as nothing happened. "What did you do to him?"
"I'm making sure it's not an animagus," Hermione replied simply, offering no other explanation. She took a seat and Scarlett got to levitating her trunk, placing the cat carrier on another seat space. Her trunk rose a little quicker than Hermione's, and she sat down at the window, pulling the cat carrier onto her lap. Glancing out of it, she saw Molly waving furiously, as though there were flies about her face, and she spotted Remus and Tonks discreetly guarding the plump woman. Scarlett glanced about the platform, not recognizing any faces until she reached the back of the crowd. The train whistle blew and began to roll away as Scarlett made eye contact with Lucius Malfoy.
She couldn't be sure he was staring directly at her, of course, but she was pretty sure. It could have been Harry, who had instead opted to lift his trunk up without magic, or Hermione or Ron. Scarlett noticed that he was scowling, obviously displeased, and looking as though he smelled something fowl.
It wasn't her. She had woken up especially early, too excited, and had showered before following Severus to Eileen Prince's house. There, the woman had given her a diamond bracelet, telling her that it was Eileen's mothers and now Scarlett should have it. Eileen also informed Severus very sharply that he should have told her the last time his granddaughter visited, it was the girl's birthday. Severus didn't apologize. Instead, he raised an eyebrow as if she expected it of him, and sipped from the tea. Eileen had banned him from the tea room for the remainder of the visit, after that, and her and Scarlett talked about Tyler and what methods they would approach.
It was then that Scarlett showed her what the twins had given her for her birthday. The Forget-Me-Not was a device that pointed to direct descent and ascent from the person holding it. So she held it in her palm for demonstration and the single arrow split into two, one pointing directly at Eileen, and another towards the door where Severus had gone. There seemed to be no third arrow. Eileen promised the girl that she'd purchase one herself and she'd see what she found with it.
Scarlett had almost wept in happiness at that and promised to help the woman if she could in any way. Red arrows meant ascent, blue meant descent. It would be easiest if Scarlett searched herself, as there would only be one blue arrow, instead of three, but she had no idea how she would leave Hogwarts for the search. Perhaps Christmas time, maybe Easter holidays?
"Scarlett?" Harry asked as soon as she had looked away from Lucius, meeting Narcissa's eyes. The woman had a small smile on her fact, though Scarlett didn't know what that meant. It could have very well meant that someone had said something funny to the cool woman, and she had smiled in response. Scarlett doubted it had anything to do with her. She glanced towards Molly, fading in the distance, and waved a few times, before giving Harry her attention.
"Yes?"
"You gunna take the cat out or...?"
Scarlett glanced at the cat in the carrier, to find it awake now, it's gray eyes blinking up at her. Gray like a Malfoy's eyes, white fur like a Malfoy's hair. She should have expected nothing less, really. She didn't expect anything at all, however, so she opened the doors and the cat lazily strode out, licking its paw as it sat on her lap. Scarlett giggled, sliding the carrier under her seat.
"It has a collar," Hermione noted.
Scarlett noticed as well, the dark blue collar, and gently turned the silver tag in her fingers until she could read it. "Dear Scarlett - oh, my name's spelled right! - Leo. Sorry for everything, Draco." She ran her finger over the engraving and it abruptly changed so that it just said Leo instead of the message. "It changed!"
"It must have been spelled until you read it," Hermione said after a moment.
"He did say sorry," Harry said carefully. "But that doesn't explain why he was in Borgin and Burkes..."
"Mr. Malfoy would never have allowed him to give this to me," Scarlett said quietly. "Perhaps he was making a transaction-"
"It was a Death Eater initiation, I feel it," Ron stated simply. "All that dark stuff, and that cupboard. I'm telling you, he's up to no good. I don't think a Death Eater, not yet, anyway, but he's up to something for sure."
"He's a Death Eater, I'm sure of it," Harry said firmly. He glanced at Scarlett. "When you were there, was there a Mark on his arm?"
Scarlett swallowed. She didn't want to ... to betray the boy that had saved her. "No," she said quietly, hating the disappointed look in his eye. Like he knew she was lying. "He saved me, you know. Him and the Dark Lord... Mr. Malfoy was going to kill me, and Draco insisted I had some peerage that would make me useful." She ran a hand across the cat's fur. It purred in response. "I was taken to the library with Draco and he looked through the magical registry for magical persons... He found me, and I wasn't killed because of it." She gave a bright smile to them. "I owe Draco my life for that. The Dark Lord, as well, because he found me intriguing in the first place. And while the Dark Lord isn't a particularly good person, I'll always be grateful for it."
She glanced at the cat as it purred loudly to Scarlett's minstrations. She had never taken care of an animal before. She wasn't very good at taking care of things. The last time she had, it had been a cold night, barely any food, no water. The way the body was freezing to the touch and she tried her best, giving the child blankets, fending off the rats and the wind with her own body. And during the days, the elves, ever so kind, would allow the cold body to warm by the fire in the kitchens, to stay there until Scarlett's chores were over.
"Scarlett?"
"I don't have any food for him," Scarlett blurted, worriedly. "I don't even know what cats eat."
"Oh, the elves take care of that. They bring food to the Common Rooms twice a day," Hermione informed Scarlett. The red-head breathed a sigh of relief.
"Yeah, all the animals are fed by the elves, even the owls. Don't worry about it," Ron smirked. "I had a rat, right, and they don't even allow rats. But the elves fed Scabbers right up until third year."
"Why not third year?" Scarlett said confused.
"Oh, turns out he was an animagus. Peter Pettigrew, missing finger an all."
"An animagus is a witch or wizard that can turn themselves into an animal, usually the same as their patronus," Harry informed the confused sister of his. "It's not required in the Wizarding World, and most people can't. My godfather, dad, and Pettigrew became animagus their fifth year. Taught themselves and everything."
"Pettigrew is the one that turns on Harry's parents, and your mum, and had them killed by the Dark Lord."
"Oh, that's horrible," Scarlett murmured, her hand pausing on the cat's head. It wiggled on her lap, petting itself, as if to remind her how to do so. "Sorry, Leo," she murmured, resuming her minstrations. "But they must have been exceptionally brilliant in order to accomplish that their fifth year."
"Oh, yeah, takes years of training," Hermione supplied before pulling a book out of her trunk and cracking it open. Their charms book. Scarlett had finished that particuar book last night, around dinnertime. She had been writing her essays, though no one knew if they were required for her, and decided to take a little bit of reading time to finish it. She had finished all of the others. But her handwriting was still attrocious. She had only begun learning how to write the previous week, and copared to then, it was at least legible now. Fleur had been teaching her how to write in a pretty script, but even then it was hard. Harder than anything Scarlett had done before.
But she was getting better. Her grammar and spelling left something more to be desired, but she was improving, slowly. Severus had stated that he informed the teachers that she was still working on it, and they would be sympathetic to her case. But she wanted to be treated fairly, so she was going to have to work hard to fix it as soon as possible. And the more she read, the better her spelling, as her photographic memory pictured the word she was looking for.
The compartment door slid open with a thwack and Scarlett stiffened as two burly boys blocked the exit. Scarlett lowered her eyes to the ground, an arm holding Leo tightly to her, but not making it seem so.
"What are you doing here?" Ron asked, rudely.
"Oh, my, look who we found," Goyle laughed. "Little red-head, always on her knees."
Scarlett tightened her hand in the cat's fur, swallowing. She didn't look up, she refused. Crabbe spoke up, "Best fuck I've ever had. What are you doing here, girly? Finally run away?"
"No, bet someone finally paid Lucius enough money to sell her to some man to keep his bed warm. Who was it, girl? Snape?" Goyle guessed.
Scarlett felt as small as she did at the Manor, shaking her head quietly. Crabbe continued, "So not Snape. Draco? He sneak you on the train?"
"No," Scarlett answered, her voice barely audible.
"Good, then you can come with us-"
Scarlett's head snapped up, her eyes wide with fright. What? They couldn't! Ginny said you didn't do that - that men weren't like that at Hogwarts. She swallowed, finding her voice. "I'm not going anywhere with you two."
"You can come with me," Goyle smirked and she heard the double meaning in his words. Scarlett grimaced and glanced back to the ground.
"No."
"How dare you, Mudblood?" Goyle hissed, suddenly angry. She hated making people angry. Things were always worse when someone got angry. "I said-"
"She said no," Harry snapped. "That means you leave her alone."
"Oh, you have a boyfriend then? Boy Potter?" Crabbe snorted. "Should have known. Nothing else you can do but keep his bed warm, so he had to drag you along-"
She rose so suddenly she didn't even know she had done it. She could fight back now. She had a wand now, where she didn't before. It gave her a confidence she hadn't had before. She was pleased to see them back up a small step. "The reasons I'm here are none of your business, but if you must know, you should have your parents talk to their boss." They paled slightly. "Now I have to perform memory modification charms because you two... two... oafs," she hated calling people names, "can't keep it in your pants. Last I heard you were putting it in each other's pants."
She looked them over in an obvious less than pleased grimace. "How dare you speak to me like that, Mudblood-"
"You've seen my blood," Scarlett interrupted with fire. "Was it as dirty as you were led to believe?"
"Even dirtier," Goyle sneered. "Bleeding from your fat and broken body, writhing under me-"
"How's your precious little Tyler?" Crabbe smirked. "He ever return from the hospital? He ever return to you?"
Scarlett faltered. "How do you know about that?" she demanded weakly. No one but Lucius, Narcissa, Draco, and Eileen knew, that she knew of. She hadn't even told her own father, or the Weasleys... she couldn't. They'd never look at her the same again. "How?" she repeated when they snickered.
"Word travels quickly. Hard not to hear. Poor little Tyler, freezing in the night-"
"Stop it," Scarlett hissed.
"Poor little red-head, couldn't help him- couldn't fix the mistakes she made, because she was nothing better than a whore-"
She stepped back. "I-I-"
"He's looking for you," Goyle smirked. "Zabini. Been searching the train since he got word the slave was onboard." Zabini? He was attending school with them? Oh, no, he'd be so angry with her... even if he was one of the nicer visitors to the Manor.
"Blaise Zabini?" Hermione spoke up. "And just what is his business with her?"
"They don't know," Crabbe laughed, squeezing his body into the door so he was in view as well. "Typical. Always keeping secrets, aren't you, bitch?"
"Don't talk to her like that!" Harry roared suddenly. He moved Scarlett so that she was hidden partially behind him. "Leave-"
"I've grown bored. Say, red, when Potter tires of you, you'll always be able to stay on my pillow. I'll never get tired of making you scream."
The compartment door shut with their departure and Scarlett sank down, pulling her cat onto her lap quietly, numbly. How could she tell them the truth, without revealing the truth?
"Who knew you were a spitfire!" Ron broke the tense silence as Harry stared at Scarlett. "You two must get that from your mum, 'cause Harry's got the same issue. What? Don't look at me like that, mate, you do!" Scarlett gave a fake smile, giggling slightly, as she kissed the top of Leo's head gently. Country side was rolling by the windows and animals Scarlett had never seen before were appearing. She didn't want to ask what they were, but she had a good guess. Livestock, probably.
"Scarlett?"
"I don't want to talk about it," Scarlett said quietly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to call them names, or be mean to them. I've never had the chance before, you see. I don't know what happened. I didn't even remember standing up... But that's no excuse. I should apologize-"
"You're not going anywhere near them," Harry said firmly. "Merlin, Scarlett, why didn't you say something? I-I mean, I had a guess at what would happen there, but..." she didn't need to ask where there was, "I never knew it was that bad... Or maybe I refused to believe it."
"Who's Tyler?" Hermione pressed, her voice soft and her book forgotten on her lap.
"No one," Scarlett insisted. "And... it wasn't always bad. That wasn't always a punishment... I... I was given a lot of freedoms. I could travel anywhere in the Manor I wanted to, except for the library, any time of day, unless Mr. Malfoy was in the same room. Draco and Mrs. Malfoy were okay with me being in the same room, and Mrs. Malfoy usually kept me company, especially if Mr. Malfoy was out." She gave a light shrug. "Many frequented the Manor, for meetings."
"And they took interest in you."
"I was a young girl, a girl that couldn't run to the Aurors or tell on them," Scarlett admitted. "Things happened and Mr. Malfoy let them."
Harry exhaled sharply. "I'm following them. I'm thinking a hex-"
"Don't add fuel to the fire," Scarlett pleaded softly. "I don't want them to seek revenge out on me. And they'll think I cast memory charms on you, because I sort of mentioned the Dark Lord... I don't want to get in trouble for this... If word gets back to the Dark Lord of how I revealed he wanted me here, he could get angry at me, too, I think... He gets angry a lot."
"Then I'm going to check on-"
The door opened and Harry sat down abruptly, glaring at the door. Scarlett knew who it was immediately. It wasn't a face she could have forgotten, even if she tried. A small smile was touching his lips as he found her, and he leaned against the frame, crossing his arms. "I tried to get here before the baffoons, but I wasn't quick enough," Blaise said apologetically, an Italian accent rolling off his tongue. His dark skin glinted in the near noon sun as he stared at no one but her. "Can I talk to you, mio amore?"
"No, she most certainly-" Hermione started.
"Sure," Scarlett interrupted, moving the cat off her lap. Blaise's eyes followed it for a second with a smirk.
"You don't know how long that thing has been leaving whole coats of fur on my bed," Blaise told the red-headed girl. Gripping her wand, she stepped out of the compartment. Blaise shut it behind her, and Scarlett glanced back inside, worriedly. "They can't hear you, there are silencing charms on the compartments. A lot of people like to throw a pre-feast party."
"Oh," Scarlett said softly, her brow furrowing before she glanced up at him. He was a lot taller than she remembered. "If this is about what I said to Crabbe and Goyle, I'm sorry. I never meant to lose my temper-"
"They probably deserved it," Blaise interrupted cooly. He looked her over. "You look a lot better. More color, less bone, and your hair-" His hand darted out and took the long braid, inspecting it gently before he let it drop from his palm. "It's a great look for you."
"Thank you," Scarlett said, unsure of what this was about. "And you look... less glassy-eyed."
He gave a smirk to that, laughing, "I suppose I do." His face slowly morphed into a serious mask and he worried on his lip as he hesitated in continuing. "I'm sorry, you know. I-I never meant to hurt you or-"
"You didn't," Scarlett interrupted quickly. "And I know you didn't mean to. Mr. Malfoy- It wasn't your fault, Mister Zabini. I was the one that-"
"Blaise," he interrupted. "My name is Blaise. Mister Zabini is my father, who is seven step-dads to the grave."
She started to giggle but bit her lip to stop it. "Blaise. I was the one that spilled the bucket. I should have cleaned it up quicker."
"That's not your fault. Anyway, that's not why I'm trying to find you. Well, it is, partially. The other part... I heard about what happened from Malfoy."
"Has he been telling everyone?" Scarlett inquired quietly, her eyes darting back to the compartment.
"No, Crabbe and Goyle just overheard the name. They know he was taken away, but they assumed infirmary. They think he was a slave with you-"
"I can't let them find out," Scarlett said, watching the others through the window. They were staring at her, ready to attack Blaise if he pulled anything. "I can't let Professor Snape find out, either. His mother knows, Eileen. She's helping me find him and-"
"Find him? He's alive?" Blaise asked, surprised.
Scarlett nodded, tears appearing in her eyes with the sudden emotion. Someone that understood what it felt like to go through what she did, even if he didn't fully, he had a better grasp on the concept. "He is... Merlin, he really is. Eileen and I, we're looking. There's a Weasley product called Forget-Me-Not. We're using that, as our main source. But I'm going to research more ways at Hogwarts... I don't know where he is, I just know he's alive and-"
"Merlin's beard..." Blaise leaned against the compartment door, shaking his head in disbelief. "I always assumed... They all assume he's dead. Lucius and Draco-"
"He's not," Scarlett promised. "When Sever-Professor Snape did the lineage potion... his name was there. I swear to it."
"I believe you... I just... I never thought he would be... That's fantastico," Blaise said, his accent thicker as he suddenly straightened. "How can I help?"
"I need help researching, if you really want to. But you don't have to," Scarlett rushed quickly. "You don't need to. It's my fault he's gone. I couldn't-"
"It's not your fault," Blaise said fiercely. Scarlett bit her lip, her eyes dropping to the floor. "It's Lucius Malfoy's fault, all right? And I'll make sure he pays for it one day. But I want to help. Tomorrow's Saturday... On the fourth floor is the library, I'm sure Granger will show you to it... We don't have classes so you'll have the day free. I'll be there all day, but get there whenever you can." He seemed brighter, his eyes twinkling as he gazed down at her. And then he seemed to hesitate, as though the next thing he was about to say he wasn't sure of. "Can I hug you?"
Scarlett nodded, uneasy by his hesitance. Why was he hesitant? It wasn't as if she had a fear of being hugged. Though, she knew many victims in her situation would have an aversion to people, Scarlett wanted to leave her past behind her. He leaned down and wrapped his arms around her small waist, burying his face in her neck. Scarlett wrapped her own arms around his neck, taking comfort in his familiar scent and body heat. Tomatoes and baking bread. He had always smelt like that to her. "We'll get him back... I want to be there for him."
Scarlett nodded into his own neck. "The Dark Lord can't find him... He will only serve as leverage for the both of us to do things we don't want to do."
"You're right." He pulled away slowly, staring at her. "You're a fighter... Scarlett."
She didn't know how to respond to that. "I'm really not. I just want to fix things and then to get away from the war, from everything. It's cowardly, really. But I just want everything to be alright."
"It will be," Blaise nodded. "You should get back to your lions. When you find out what house you're in... well, I'm sure we'll all know... And stay away from Crabbe and Goyle. Try not to get caught alone with them. They won't hesitate to do something."
Scarlett nodded at once. "Of course."
He gave a small inclination of his head before he was striding away. Scarlett opened up the compartment door and ignored their accusing looks. She shut it behind her and sat beside a sleeping Leo. Merlin, that cat slept. But all Scarlett could think about was how Blaise didn't blame her. Merlin's beard, that was... that meant a lot to her. She had tried the best she could and it still hadn't been enough. She didn't know how to take care of anything, but Leo would be a start. If she could take care of Leo successfully, she would have a beginner's chance with Tyler.
And Tyler's father had just agreed to help search. It was just the boost she needed.
"Hermione, I'm thinking of going to the library tomorrow morning," Scarlett said suddenly, in their expectant silence. "I have a few sentences I need supporting facts on in my essay, and I would really appreciate it if you showed me where it was." A small lie was necessary to tell a safer truth in the end.
