a/n: Woohoo! Finally! Sorry it took so long to update, I had to rewrite this scene from scratch and motivation seemed impossible to grasp. I hope you love it as much as I do :)
The great red steam engine let out a loud scream as it released a hoard of billowing smoke. Serpahina had gotten separated from Daphne when her friend had hurried on as Seraphina stopped to buy some flowers from a boy at the train station. The entire summer they had been inseparable, but as soon as it mattered, she lost her guiding light. Her heart started to sink lower and lower into her chest. Where was she going to sit? Daphne's silky voice echoed in her ear 'the train will be full so stay close!'. Just as Seraphina was coming to terms with sitting in a booth full of strangers, a familiar voice came from behind her. The voice was distantly familiar, and reminded her of a very strong cup of espresso.
"Seraphina Castell? At the Hogwarts Express? Oh, this is front page stuff."
Blaise Zabini had aged even better than Draco apparently, so much so that her breath caught in her throat when she whirled around to face him.
"Cosa stai facendo qui, bella?"
Italian, she sighed; oh how she had missed speaking Italian. The language put her at ease, and she could see that Blaise felt the same as she responded in his native tongue.
"Sono pieno di sorprese" oh yes, he was very impressed "como stai, compagno?"
"Tuo Italiano e eccellente"
"Grazie, Blaise" her eyes were scanning his body unabashed now, something about the language making her more audacious. He noticed and commented. Blaise commented on most things.
"Attenta bella, or you'll get into trouble." He winked, and she rolled her eyes, though still very much entertained. "So, what in the hell are you doing here?"
"I'm actually going to school with you all, believe it or not"
Blaise's dark brows shot up. "Hogwarts? Quest'anno?" She could tell by his more casual Italian that this had caught him off guard.
"I know, I know, è una lunga storia."
"Perfecto, raccontami tutto sul treno. Dai!"
Seeing as how Seraphina didn't really have any other option, she followed him into and through the narrow walkway of the train. They spoke in Italian fervently, Seraphina quite enjoying herself until she saw who was sharing the compartment with them.
"Malfoy, mio amico, look who I found. Tell me you remember Seraphina?"
Draco's jaw tightened instantly, and Serahina's smile was not convincing at all. He rolled his eyes at her lack of composure, and she was left turning pink under the judgemental glare of Blaise Zabini.
"I see that you have… I suppose there's no use in asking what happened there." Blaise widened his eyes as he scooted into the compartment which felt now as if it were shrinking smaller and smaller on to them until they would all be squished together. It wasn't until Draco's smooth voice broke the silence that she realized what Blaise had implied.
"It's not what you think, Blaise, I'm not you."
"Are either of you going to explain?"
"Blaise, it's my-" Seraphina started, wanting to avoid catching any rumors before the year had even begun. Draco Malfoy had a different idea, apparently.
"Don't." He ordered. She was shocked at the audacity of this boy sometimes. "He isn't worth it."
At this, however, her shoulders relaxed. She felt once again that sensation she felt outside of his manor- something like companionship, safety.
"There's no point in keeping anything from me, darling, I'll find out. Whatever it is."
"You're such a creep, Zabini."
"Ouch, creep is a bit harsh I reckon."
Just before Seraphina took in a deep breath to ready herself for a long, painful train ride- a sophisticated voice rang like wedding bells over the bickering boys.
"Oh, Seraphina there you are- ew, what in the hell are you doing with these two creeps?"
Draco and Blaise simultaneously shot Daphne a pair of matching nasty looks.
"Merlin, thank fuck you're here Daphne. Ciao, Blaise" Seraphina was excited to rid herself of the unwanted attention from Blaise and constant scowls from Draco- plus that involuntary buzzing in her chest whenever she felt his blue eyes on her. Quickly she stood up, flattening her skirt against her behind as she leaned over the table to offer her Italian school mate a quick peck on the cheek. Her affections towards Blaise did not even touch Draco's unbothered demeanor today. His apathy was visible and relentless, apparently, since Seraphina had just caught him staring unabashed at her figure as she removed herself from the train booth.
"Draco" she bid farewell with a smile. To her surprise he smiled back.
"See you around, Castell."
"Seraphina," she corrected him, and walked out with her now very suspicious friend.
Daphne practically attacked her friend with questions, strong opinions, and dramatic storytelling; the former being the most common. It wasn't until Daphne touched on a particularly exciting subject that Seraphina spoke up. "Oh, and don't even get me started on the way Draco looked at you back there-"
"Oh I know! He wasn't even trying to be coy about it!" Seraphina seemed almost proud as she exclaimed this, and her friend did not agree that it was something to be proud of.
"Don't look too excited" Daphne grumbled. Seraphina just ignored her cynical friend. Daphne's newfound intellectualism was a relief to Seraphina, but the cynicism… she could have done without. The younger girl liked to keep it light, finding that there was enough darkness in the world already. She supposed that Daphne hadn't seen quite as much darkness as herself, and so being an idealist didn't seem as appealing… or necessary, in her own case.
"He is such a mystery. Did I tell you I ran into him at Flourish & Blotts?" She lowered her voice "he left me a note- on the margin of a book, no less! Sorta cute?"
"What did the note say?" Daphne asked, suddenly interested. Seraphina told the story with fervor, even going into detail about his handwriting.
"You guys better not start anything…" she warned, after hearing her friend explain the 'cute' encounter in the book store.
"Start anything? With Draco? We'll see. Something tells me he isn't going to make it easy."
"That I can agree with. He definitely isn't looking for a relationship, and for good reason!"
"Ugh, not this again. He'll be far away from all of that at Hogwarts, we're all safer here."
"Are we? You don't know how involved he could have become over the summer."
"I got a closer look than you did!" Seraphina was surprised to find herself getting defensive, suddenly protective of her experience at Malfoy Manor this summer. "And, besides, neither do you! Merlin, you're starting to sound like Paranoid Potter"
"Well, maybe he's got a point… the bloody fool."
Seraphina laughed, "Oh, I do wish your mother could hear you now."
Daphne joined her friend in laughter. They filled their time on the train with plenty more laughs, along with a horde of gossip plus enough chocolate to feed a small army of elves. Seraphina did not care much for saying mean things about other people- or not as much as Daphne- but she could not deny her excitement as her friend updated her on all the drama in the last 6 years at Hogwarts. Seraphina listened with joyful interest, interrupting occasionally to exclaim with shock or inquire further.
The engine sped for miles over marsh and moor until finally it arrived at Hogsmeade. Seraphina stayed close to her friend this time, scanning her sharp eyes over the students pouring out of the train- looking for a flash of platinum blond amongst them. Her search was soon interrupted when she caught sight of the great castle across the lake. Daphne noticed her friend's reaction, and stood next to her as Seraphina took it in. Something about the view felt ominous to her, telling, like the old stone was trying to speak to her. So much history inside one building, hundreds of years of magic and mischief collected and shared inside of it. It wasn't until they entered the building that she felt it- the overwhelming energy from hundreds of students past, their memories collected like layers of dust. She shook it off, much more concerned with the daunting task of introducing herself to a body of students that had already known each other for 5 years. The man from the Inn, Albus Dumbledore, was now standing at a podium delivering a speech that Serpahia was admittedly not paying much attention to. Instead, she had let her curiosity get the best of her again, and searched for Draco to no avail. She was standing all alone a few feet from a man named Filch who's purpose she was not sure of. The table of bright eyed chatty first years sat in front of her, and she envied them.
"Now, before we get started on the first years- we have an unusual order of business to attend to! Miss Castell…" Albus Dumbledore stretched out a hand, and the entire great hall moved their eyes over to land on Seraphina all at once. "Will be joining our 6th years as Hogwarts' very first transfer student!" He burst into vigorous applause, which only a few students along with a very large man sitting at the professor's table joined him in. "Yes, yes, all very exciting! Come up here dear and let's get you sorted."
As she sat upon an extremely small stool- made for 11 year olds she assumed- Seraphina finally caught sight of him. Draco watched her intently, making her heart skip a beat. She wondered if the hat could read her thoughts, and blushed at the idea.
"Pay attention Miss Castell!" she heard snickers though the sea of students and it made her blush harder. Then the hat lowered his voice, as if speaking only to her now "this is more important than you know. Let me ask this… do you fear that one day you will wake up and find that you have done nothing of importance?"
Her mouth fell open. "Yes," she said, stunned. "I fear nothing more."
"Excellent. Slytherin, then. Go on, child."
Not a single student reacted except Daphne, who cheered unabashed as Seraphina made her way over to the green-suited table. Her eyes passed over Draco Malfoy for a millisecond. He did not look very pleased. However he never really looked pleased, she realized, and thought nothing of it. A few other Slytherin stood up and greeted her with smiles and handshakes. Blaise, of course, kissed her hand and congratulated her in his native tongue. A few fourth years swooned at his Italian, and then offered her daggers of jealousy. After an hour or so of sorting first years, Seraphina had already felt at home with her fellow serpents.
A/N: Thanks again for reading! It means the world to me. And a review? Wowee... I would be honored :)