Muggles weren't something my family- or any of our friends- were used to, so walking through Kings Cross Station, surrounded by muggles, was a confusing experience. And of course, we couldn't wear normal jeans and t-shirts; we had to stand out. That was how I found myself wearing a fitted blue dress, like something someone would wear to a cocktail party, and towering gold pumps. Mum said it was important for us to dress our best if we had to wear these 'heinous muggle clothes'. Basically, she meant that we need to dress better than everyone because, according to her, we were. Dad just shrugged and told me to listen to my mum.
Men wolf whistled as I passed, and I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. I'd been taught from a young age to walk with an air of confidence. My last name was precious, and I had to act like it. Still, having men gawk at me as I passed did not appeal to me at all, but girls like Ophelia reveled in the attention they got.
"Carina, darling," Astoria greeted me when we arrived on the platform, her voice giving off a formal, sophisticated tone. She wrapped me into a hug. "You look beautiful! Don't you think so, Scorpius?" She turned to Scorpius, whose ears were turning red.
"Yeah," he mumbled, returning to his conversation with his father, Draco Malfoy, who looked exactly like him.
Draco Malfoy wasn't the same cruel man that he used to be. He'd reformed after the war, and he really couldn't care less about blood purity. However, his father did, so he married a pureblood and had a kid as he was supposed to. Now, he just had to make sure Scorpius was married off, and he'd be free of all the stress. It was that simple.
Mum and Astoria carried on with their conversation, while dad joined the guys, leaving me to stand to the side waiting to get on the scarlet train.
I noticed the crowds of people avoiding our growing group. It had taken a while, but after the war, us purebloods had recreated ourselves. Now, people feared crossing any of us, for we learned the hard way that you can't make people love you, but you can make them fear you. It was rather funny, considering many of our families weren't death eaters, and were relatively harmless.
For instance, many people were afraid to approach my family, but the Fawleys weren't anywhere near the death eater's side. I mean, my dad was a Hufflepuff for crying out loud. Mum's family wasn't quite as innocent, but they had been one of the families who'd reformed. Mostly.
Finally, the whistle shrilled, giving us a warning to get on the train. Mum and Astoria coddled over Scorpius and I as we tried to leave, tears streaming down their faces. We were both only children, so they had empty nest syndrome.
"Stay safe, Carina," mum blubbered, crushing me into a hug. "Oh, and don't forget about lunch today."
"Norma," dad said, resting a hand on her shoulder. "You've got to let Carina go, or she won't get to go at all."
She released me and rested her head on his shoulder. "Bye, dear. I love you!"
"Bye mum!" I called as the train started moving. "I love you, too!" I blew her a kiss and turned to find my compartment.
My friends and I had used the same secluded compartment, near the back, since first year, so I had no problem finding it. I slid open the door to be tackled into a hug, a swam of brown curls filling my face.
"Carina, darling, it's been too long," my best friend, Zoe Parker, said in a fake posh voice.
We'd been best friends since second year. If I'd been from a normal family, we would've been friends when we were sorted into Ravenclaw together. But Zoe was a muggleborn, and while we claimed we weren't prejudice, being friends with her kind was looked down upon.
By the time second year rolled around, most of my 'friends' from other pureblood families had made their own cliques, leaving me alone. I was really one of the few people who weren't sorted into Slytherin, but Ravenclaw was still a respectable house. At least it wasn't Gryffindor.
I spent most of my time alone because many of my classmates, such as the Wotters, shunned me because of how I grew up. I had never been rude to Zoe; it wasn't like she had a disease. She knew something was up with me, so one day she boldly walked up to me and demanded that we be friends. Being the lonely twelve-year-old I was, I accepted, telling her all of my family problems. Ever since, she'd been somewhat of a secret of mine, but she understood. For the most part.
"Zoe, baby, how I've missed you," I replied in the same tone. I held her at arm's length and examined her. "You look gorgeous, as usual."
Zoe Parker looked like a typical girl next door. Her brown hair, brown eyes, and average height didn't make her stand out in a crowd. She didn't have a body that made guys heads turn, and she certainly wasn't a model. However, she had a killer sense of humour, a bright personality, and a warm heart, which made more of an impact than looks ever could.
"Oh stop," she waved me off and resumed her seat, "we all know you're the pretty one here, Car."
Ben Smith, another of my friends, scoffed. "You guys have the same conversation every year. Yes, you both look great, but if I have to hear about it for the next eight hours, I'll throw myself off this train."
He and his best friend, Ryder Thomas, completed my small circle of friends. Ben was a lanky guy with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a loud voice. I'd befriended him shortly after Zoe. While he was smart, he preferred to goof off and tell horrible jokes that he thought were funny- no one else did. Any breathing female made him drool, but none of them returned the gesture.
Ryder, a caramel skinned boy with dark features, was the complete opposite. He was quiet and more reserved, at least with people he didn't know. The two of them together meant lots of shouting and laughter, and I absolutely adored them.
"Oh, sod off. You love us," I said, hugging the two boys before taking my seat.
"You're okay," Ryder shrugged.
"Yeah," Ben agreed with the same amount of nonchalance. "I'm not even sure why we're still friends with you, honestly."
"Because we're awesome!" Zoe declared.
"And because no other girls will talk to you two," I said, giving them an innocent smile.
Zoe cut them off as they were about to retort. "Oh, hush. I want to talk to Car. I haven't seen her all summer."
A wave of guilt crashed over me. Every year, she invited me over with the hopes that I could sneak around my parents, but I never could. We were best friends, yet I'd never met her parents, nor her mine.
"So, tell me what scandals those Burkes have been up to. I can't wait to hear all the things that went down in the Sacred Twenty-Eight Club!" she half squealed, curling up in her seat with excitement.
Zoe loved hearing any type of gossip, even if she didn't know the people. She didn't spread it around or anything, she just liked to listen to other people's stories. If someone had a fight or an affair, the better the story.
Being the great friend that I am, I filled her in on everything, and she soaked up every word. I told her about Gomez Shafiq getting caught with another woman, and Hestia Rosier throwing a martini in Dalia Flint's face because she called her a bitch- which she totally was.
"Oh, and now James Potter wants to kill me," I finished casually.
"What?" she gasped, placing a hand over her chest. "How could you not tell me about that? Start now and tell me every hot detail!"
I told her all the events from Sunday's brunch, and she gasped in all the right places ("That was such an Ophelia thing to do. She's a bitch, and she owns it! Gah! I hate her, but I want to be her best friend!"). She made me recap everything that happened with Potter three times before she mock fainted, fanning herself.
"James Potter is so bloody fit!" she cried. "You've got to get on that. I can already imagine the heated sexual tension. You'll be like the next Brad and Angelina!"
"Did you miss the part where he wanted to hex me?" I asked, but she just waved me off.
"Details, details." She leaned back in her seat and clapped her hands together. "This is so exciting!"
Ryder, Ben, and I rolled our eyes. This was just Zoe being Zoe, and we couldn't change her mind once she'd made it up.
After Zoe calmed down, the boys started a game of Exploding Snap, while she filled me in on the latest muggle gossip. I wasn't quite sure who the Kardictionaries- or whatever they were called- were, but they were quite a scandalous family. All their names started with 'K', so I couldn't keep up.
I was caught up with the lives of people I didn't know, nor cared about, so she started telling me about her summer. Apparently, she'd had a fling with a muggle in her neighbourhood. It hadn't worked out because he actually liked Sixth Doctor in Doctor Who- whatever that was.
"Please tell me you got some action this summer, Car," she sighed. "It's been forever."
"It has not," I protested, crossing my arms. She raised an eyebrow at me. "I'll have you know, I saw Tristian a few weeks ago." I clamped my hand over my mouth, but it was too late.
"You what!" she gasped, placing her hand over her chest as though the news was giving her a heart attack. "Tell me everything!"
"Er-" was my smart reply. I shifted my eyes, avoiding her curious gaze.
"Car, it's almost one. Aren't you meant to be at lunch?" Ryder asked, saving me from Zoe's interrogation.
I shot him a thankful look, which he returned with a subtle nod. "You're right," I said, standing up. "I can't be late. See you later." I rushed out of the door.
"I want to hear all about Tristian when you come back!" she called from the compartment. I shook my blonde head and sighed.
Tristian Bulstrode was Scorpius's cousin and a year older than me. He also happened to be my ex-boyfriend. The guy was a rugged looking bad boy who could charm the pants off anyone. We'd dated until the middle of last year when he decided to disown his family to 'find himself'. It was a devastating for me, and quite a scandal for The Sacred Twenty-Eight Club.
It also meant that I was not allowed to see him anymore, but for the sake of closure, I had to see him one last time over the summer.
What mummy doesn't know won't kill her.
I walked into the lunch compartment that had been reserved solely for the seventh year pureboods, and everyone else had already seated themselves. The only open seat was next to Ophelia, who was sadly the least scary person here.
"Nice of you to join us, Carina," Midnight Carrow said with fake sweetness. I returned the fake smile and sat down.
Midnight Carrow was, simply put, the scariest girl I'd ever met. She and her twin brother, Dexter, had dark hair and dark, heavy-lidded eyes. Together, they were terrors, but it was Midnight who raised fear in everyone. She had brains, beauty, and power, which she loved to use, especially against weaklings. Everyone knew to go to her if they needed something done; she had connections everywhere. Rumour had it that she'd hexed some first year muggleborn Hufflepuffs within an inch of their life last year. Of course, all of them were too scared to admit who'd done it, so she'd gotten away with it.
The rest of our group consisted of Roscoe Yaxley, a brooding dark-haired guy with a harsh temper; Damien Rosier, a once decent guy, who hated everything about Ophelia Avery. Ophelia Avery, a snooty girl, who loved everything about Damien Rosier. And there was Willow Parkinson, Ophelia's cousin, who never said much, which pleased Dexter Carrow, who was most likely going to marry her.
My year had the most purebloods in it, and it was the only one that had a Carrow, Yaxley, Avery, and Rosier. Basically, they raised hell, and I was grouped with them because of my last name. Luckily, I was also the only Ravenclaw, so sometimes people didn't realize who I was unless I was with them.
Every year, we had lunch on the train ride to school to show unity. There were drinks, served by house elves, though I had no idea how we'd pulled that off. It probably had involved a mix of threats and bribes because that was the pureblood way.
"I'm telling you," Ophelia stated with a flourish of her salad fork, "that Professor Rancourt is so prejudice against purebloods. He tried to fail me last year, but daddy wouldn't let him. Daddy also said that if he tried to do anything like that this year, then he'd have him taken care of." She batted her eyes at Damien, who rolled his eyes- which didn't deter her the slightest.
"Didn't you not turn in like thirty assignments?" I asked her and took a champagne flute from the nearest house elf. I'd been here for over an hour, but it'd felt like days.
"Yes, but he was so not understanding about it. I went through a rough time last year, Carina. You know that. I mean, my cat died! Fluffy meant the world to me!" she exclaimed. She wiped nonexistent tears from her eyes like it really pained her to talk about her deceased cat.
"Wasn't your cat named Whiskers?" Willow asked, speaking for the first time.
"Oh my gosh Willow, my cat died. Can't you have some respect for the dead?"
Willow didn't bother to join the conversation after that.
The topic moved onto politics, and they naturally shared the same views as their parents. I quietly sipped my martini, hoping they didn't drag me into the conversation. When someone was raised to believe a certain way, it was nearly impossible to change the way they thought, so it was best to leave them alone.
"Father said that if we start a war with Germany, we're going to help the Germans. He says they have the right ideas, especially over those werewolves and half breeds," Roscoe Yaxley said, smirking.
I clenched my jaw and gripped my glass harder. Mum said it wasn't ladylike to punch someone, but it was looking like a better option the more he talked.
"Yeah, my dad taught me a few spells that will take care of anyone who gets in my way," Damien Rosier agreed and shared a suspicious smirk with Dexter Carrow.
"Wow, you're so brave," Ophelia cooed, gripping his arm. His smirk was replaced with a frown again. "I hope it won't come to a fight though. It's too dangerous for you baby."
"Oh, we all know the Ministry is all talk," Midnight spat. "We aren't going to do anything, but they say these things to make people feel better. If I was in power, things would get done." She talked with a calm, smooth voice, but it had a fierce power behind it.
I spent the next hour listening to their ranting, while I stared at the clock. Three martinis later- because that's how we keep track of time here- lunch was over, and I could finally get out of this itchy outfit.
"Carina, we must do lunch soon," Ophelia told me as we were leaving. "I'll owl you, yes? Oh, I must go find where Damien has run off to. That boy loves that hiding game. Kisses." She gave me a kiss on each cheek before sauntering off to find Damien, who was most likely trying not to be found by her.
My friends were all playing a game of gobstones when I returned to the compartment. They'd already dressed in their Hogwarts robes and blue ties.
"How was lunch," Zoe asked as I collapsed onto the seat. The boys looked up with interest because they were too embarrassed to admit they loved gossip just as much as she did.
"Horrible," I groaned. "And these shoes are killing me." I pointed to the gold heels that were currently stuck to my swollen feet. I was probably going to need a crowbar to pry them off.
"Ooh, I'll take them," she volunteered. The brunette was always willing to take the fancy clothing that mum forced me into. I couldn't wear anything more than once anyway.
"Here." I pried the shoes off my feet and threw them at her, sighing in relief. "I'm going to go get changed."
"You can change in here," Ben winked. "I won't look."
"Stop being a perv," Ryder scolded his best mate. "No one wants to see Car without clothes."
"Gee, thanks, Ry."
"You know what I meant," he mumbled, flustered.
"Do you want me to go with you?" Zoe asked.
"No, I'm fine. Be back in a few," I said, walking out of the compartment holding my school uniform.
"I'll miss you!" I heard Ben call.
When I walked into the restroom, the group of second year girls scattered. They were probably scared of Midnight, ergo they were scared of me. I shrugged and got dressed, for it was something I'd grown used to.
The train's hallways were deserted as I made my way back to my compartment. I should have known that something so peaceful wouldn't last.
"Well, well," a deep voice cooed. "What do we have here?" Appearing in front of me from thin air was none other than James Potter and his cousin, and right-hand man, Fred Weasley. The two were notorious for their pranks and apparently for popping out of nowhere.
"Can you move, Potter?" I sighed. The two raven haired boys were blocking my way, and all I wanted to do was take a nap.
"Didn't mummy teach you manners?" he asked condescendingly. He wore his trademark smirk. "Say please."
"Please," I conceded politely.
"Hmm, you know, I still think her blood is too pure to pass through here. Don't you think, Fred?" Potter looked to the mocha skinned boy on his left.
"Absolutely," he nodded in agreement. "She's much too pure for us."
"Why aren't you sitting in your private compartment?" Potter asked, referring to the compartment our families had bought for us. "Or are you just doing Avery's business while she sips her martini. You're like her pet, right?"
"If I remember correctly, I was the one who helped your sister after Ophelia threw her drink on her."
"Oh wow, you're such a good person, cleaning up after your master's mess."
I drew my wand and so did he. Fred looked uncomfortable and left his wand by his side. Potter and I were in each other's faces now.
"Don't call her my Master," I growled. "And you're the one who couldn't swallow his pride long enough to check on his sister."
"Well, you're the reason she was in there in the first place!"
"I didn't throw the drink on her!"
"I didn't see you trying to stop it!"
I lowered my wand slightly. He made a good point. I knew Ophelia, and I knew she probably would've done that, but I didn't do anything, and Lily paid the price. Maybe I was just as bad as her even though I didn't actually do anything.
"Is there a problem here?" We whipped our heads around to see Scorpius and Jesse Rowle, my cousin in the year below. He and I had the same blonde hair and brown eyes, and we were often mistaken for siblings.
"What's it to you Malfoy?" Potter sneered. I noticed Fred had raised his wand and so had Scorpius and Jesse. "Oh right. Fawley here is like your bitch, right?" Jesse cried in outrage.
Scorpius pushed passed me and pointed his wand at Potter. "Say something like that again, Potter, I dare you."
Potter was unfazed. "Hmm, a Prefect attacking a poor, innocent student," he tutted, smirking. "Now that doesn't look too good."
Scorpius lowered his wand in defeat. "Let's go," he grumbled, but his best mate wasn't hearing any of it.
"I'm not a bloody Prefect," he muttered darkly, storming up to Potter with his wand drawn. I grabbed his robe collar before he did something I would regret.
"Stop, Jess," I commanded. "He's not worth it."
Potter and I glared at each other before I left with Scorpius and Jesse. We hadn't even gotten to school yet, and I already wanted to leave. We went into their empty compartment and collapsed on the seats.
"What was that about?" Scorpius asked tiredly. He loosened his Slytherin tie and yawned.
"Just a continuation of brunch," I sighed, laying down on the seat. "Potter seems to think I represent The Sacred Twenty-Eight Club."
"Yeah, well if he gives you anymore trouble, let me know. I'd like to hex that smirk off him," Jesse growled. Hexing people was his favourite pastime, and he received countless detentions a year for it.
I zoned out as they continued talking about what a prat Potter was. I couldn't leave because Jesse didn't know I was friends with Zoe. We may have been family, but he would still tell my parents because that was his duty as the heir to the family fortune.
"Do you ever feel like our lives are already planned out for us?" Scorpius asked Jesse, capturing my attention. I pretended to be asleep, but I listened closely.
"Well, yeah. That's how it's supposed to be," he answered simply. "You'll marry Carina in a few years, and she'll pop out a couple of brats. Meanwhile, I'll be shagging every pureblood broad from here to Rome, and then I'll settle down with the least annoying one."
Jesse had always had a simple, if not disturbing, outlook on life. However, I was surprised to find that Scorpius was second guessing this life, like I had been all these years.
"But don't you want to be able to choose? I'm so sick of my parents telling me how I'm supposed to live the rest of my life, you know?"
"Look, Scorp. You don't have a choice; we both know that. So, you can whine about it, or you can accept it." Jesse's nonchalance astounded me. For someone who liked to rebel, it was odd that he listened to his parents.
"Accept it? What about being happy?"
"Accept that you'll get your entire family fortune, an obedient wife, a mistress or two, and pleased parents. Happiness isn't included, but it's worth the sacrifice."
"Yeah, I guess," Scorpius mumbled.
I'd never felt more connected to someone in my life. Clearly, he held some resentment for how we live as well. I half wondered if there was a girl who'd made him change his mind, because as long as I could remember, he'd always been contempt with listening to his parents.
An hour later, we were being pulled by horseless carriages to Hogwarts. I parted ways with Scorpius and Jesse at the Great Hall doors and sat next to Ben at the Ravenclaw table.
"Where have you been?" Zoe whispered, concern lacing her voice. "I thought Midnight had killed you or something."
"Yeah, we were all worried about you, Car," Ben agreed, his voice muffled by the chocolate frog in his mouth. I wiped away the spit that had landed on me.
"Yes, I can see that," I told him. I turned to Zoe, who was waiting for me to answer her. "I got caught up with Potter. Not like that," I clarified when her face lit up. "He's still bitter about brunch, and then Scorp and Jess came, and I had to stop them from fighting."
"Ugh, I can't believe I missed all that for a game of gobstones. Everything happens when I'm not there," she pouted.
I was going to tell her she could take my place anytime, but I was cut off by Professor Longbottom, out Herbology teacher, leading in the group of new first years. Most were shaking and looking around in awe, but two stood out among the crowd.
Raven Yaxley and Mackenzie Flint were the last of us to enter Hogwarts. I didn't know much about Mackenzie, but Raven was already proving to be just like her father. She was blonde with a sweet smile, which had helped her get out of trouble when she cut Ruby Selwyn's ponytail off. No doubt, in a few years, she'd be using her innocent looks to get out of major trouble. Like killing a cat or something.
Professor Longbottom called their names one by one, but I was only focused on two.
"Mackenzie Flint."
The hall went silent out of respect/ fear as the brunette sat herself on the stool. She held her head up like we'd all been taught, and Longbottom put the Sorting Hat on her head. After a few seconds, it made its decision.
"SLYTHERIN!"
The Slytherins cheered as she walked to their table, while the rest of the hall just shrugged. It wasn't all that surprising, and we were really all waiting for those rare cases when they weren't sorted into Slytherin.
"Raven Yaxley." She was the last person to be called.
She mirrored Mackenzie's action when the Sorting Hat was placed on her head. Minutes later, a decision still hadn't been made, and I almost thought that she'd be sorted somewhere else. Maybe then she'd have a chance to change her ways. But she was a Yaxley, and the only house for a Yaxley was,
"SLYTHERIN!"
She gave a dazzling smile and took a seat at the Slytherin table next to her brother and sister, Roscoe and Ebony. No doubt, she'd be causing problems this year.
The feast started and Ryder and Ben had a competition to see who could shove the most food into their mouth. Ben was winning until he got a turkey bone stuck in his throat. His face was turning purple, while we all laughed. I decided, when he looked like he was going to pass out, to help him out. For some reason, when he could finally breath, he didn't find it as funny as us.
Dinner finished after our Headmaster, Professor Marx, gave us our back-to-school announcements. We climbed up to the Ravenclaw tower. Zoe and I bid the guys good night and opted for our warm beds, decorated in blue.
We shared the room with ten other girls, but none of them were our friends. Sure, we'd had classes together, and occasionally we'd asked each other about an assignment, but most of them came from wizarding families. Most wizarding families had taught their children things about purebloods that weren't entirely true, so most just assumed things about me.
Exhausted, I fell into bed, and fell asleep the minute my head hit the pillow. I hoped today wasn't a reflection of how the rest of the year would turn out.
A/N: I'm not Blair Waldorf, unfortunately, so any quotes I may have subconsciously used belong to the writers of Gossip Girl. I also do not own Dr. Who, and the Kardictionaries was a reference to the Kardashians, who I also am not.
Please let me know what you thought!
Xoxo
-M