September 1st 1943

Nadine was sporting a new bruise on her left cheek. According to her father, she hadn't cleaned the kitchen well enough. Her mother did not even try to stop him from punching their daughter. If you looked closely you'd might be able to see the smallest of smirks on the woman's face.

Up until second year, Nadine had thought it was normal punishment, that everyone's parents hit them for not doing something properly. Leona asked her why she had a bust lip. Nadine explained, the most shocking part wasn't the fact that they hit her, it was the way Nadine said it, she said it as if it was nothing.

Walking through the train on her way to her usual compartment, someone bumped into her. "Watch where you're going, half-breed."

"Natalie." A male voice said, it was one of the slytherins that hung around tom riddle. Theon Nott was the name.

Nadine could feel her anger rising, but it didn't show. All she said was, "it's ok, really." And smiled weakly as she continued down the train, scratching her arms to let her anger out on something, it was a coping mechanism the girl had developed in her first year whenever she felt anger rising. Scabs of skin that had been clawed at were reopened and the blood ran freely on her arm. It wasn't like anyone would notice either. Her sweaters were covering her arms most of the time, and no one would expect the cheery hufflepuff to ever cause anyone harm.

Taking in a deep soothing breath, she pulls out a book from her satchel and starts reading. Her current book was The Picture of Dorian Gray. It was about a boy named Dorian who got Basil Halliward to paint his portrait, and Dorian declares that he would give his soul if he could always look young and the painting would grow old instead of him. It was her second time reading the book by Oscar Wilde. It brought a sort of comfort to her. During her time reading, the train had started moving, and outside you could see the English countryside. It looked peaceful compared to the current state of london. Thousands of people had died in bombings due to the muggle war going on, and it seemed that it would be a while longer until it stopped completely. Personally Nadine wasn't affected as much by the current state of things; Her house had charms placed all over it.

She heard the door open, not bothering looking up thinking it would be Leona. But upon hearing a scoff, she had to look up. "Oh, hello." She didn't bother sounding nice, and neither did he.

"It's you." He had a scowl on his face.

"Who else would it be, Riddle. I always sit here. Not once have I seen someone other than Leona and I in this compartment. If I may ask, what in your mind made you think someone else would be sitting here?"

"Get down from your high horse, I was only here to tell you to change into your robes." Nadine was about to say something, but was cut off. "You are not special, Winter." She smiled tightly at the boy as he left.

"I know."

The words were like a broken record stuck in her head, playing over and over again. The words she had heard all her life since she was a little girl. She wasn't special, she will never be special, not in her parents' eyes nor in her classmates' eyes. She believed them, because why shouldn't she? They have every reason to say it, and she had every reason to believe it. Nadine was broken out of thought when Leona came running into the compartment. "Where have you been?"

Leona was out of breath and her hair was all over the place. "Just with a friend." Nadine didn't believe her for a second, but let it slip anyway. "I bought chocolate frogs and sugar quills, which one?"

"What do you think?" Leona tossed her the sugar quills.

"How was summer?" Leona said while chewing a chocolate frog. She knew about Nadine's homelife to an extent.

"Well, I helped out a lot at home and my mum took me to the muggle theater." That was a lie, she snuck out to the theatre without her parents knowledge a few days before school started. And it was the best moment of her life. "How about yours?"

"Oh it was fantastic, we went to italy to visit my family, and i met this really cute boy."

A couple hours later Nadine decided on changing. On her way to the bathroom she ran into someone. "Not again." She mumbled under her breath.

"I see you have not changed into your robes yet." The all too familiar irritating voice said.

"I am on my way there now."

"If i remember correctly i told you to change two hours ago, am i wrong?"

"No, but I felt there was no need to change several hours before we were to arrive, and seeing as you," she pointed to him, "have not changed into your robes either, why should i?" She smiled and quickly left.

He scoffed, but a small smirk was playing at his lips, barely visible to the naked eye. He enjoyed it when the innocent Nadine Winter got riled up because of him, no one else was able to make her angry.