***Note from SunSplash,
Hey, thanks for the reviews! In case anyone is confused, this is chapter 3, since I put the first two chapters together and they're listed as chapter one (hopethat's not too confusing) With that out of the way, I want to give a little info on the fanfic. It'll go between Allison's POV and third person POV. Acctually, eventually it'll probably turn to just Allie's POV, since I think I write better that way. (maybe I'm wrong, but that's what I think) Also I forgot to put up a disclaimer. (No characters belong to me [ damn, I want Draco ] except Allison Arden, Trent, Allie's parents, and Liz (comes into play later). The others belong to J.K. Rowling, but this plot belongs to me so please don't copy!) This is kind of cliche but, this story will be Allison/Draco (i know, i know, typical) and for all you Draco fans (like me), he'll come into play in this chapter! ::APPLAUSE FROM DRACO FANS:: ::SUNSPLASH TAKES A BOW::
Rated R for language and some adult content in later chapters.
Ok, I guess that's it for now so here's the next chapter! :-) ***
Chapter 3
Harry and Allie landed in the ashes of the Leaky Couldron's fireplace. This came as a releif to Harry since he was worrying about losing Allie. It would be bad enough for him to get lost himself, but losing someone he just met would be much worse.
Allie got up before him, "I would help you get all the soot off, but we can't do magic so.... Here, I'll get my mom and she'll do it." In the few seconds that Harry spent rising to his feet, she returned with her mother. Mrs. Arden waved her wand around and all the soot dissapeared. Harry's clothes even appeared cleaner than before, but it was hard to tell with the dim lighting.
"Harry, Allie!" Hermione was making her way to them with Ron and Ginny. "Glad to see you both pulled through. Taking two people in with Floo Powder isn't very safe." she said looking at both of them. "But you're here now so come on."
The five of them made their way through all the adults and into the small backlot of the pub. While Hermione and Ginny showed Allie the way to get the bricks to reveal the way to Diagon Alley, Harry wondered out loud to Ron. "Do you reckon that she'll be in our little 'group' now?"
Ron shrugged, "Seems as if Hermione hopes that she will be." (Both Hermione and Ginny were laughing at something with Allie.)
"Yeah, she's never really got to hang around girls in the past. She's been stuck with us, intead." Harry said guiltily. For the past 5 years he's always had Ron to understand him...but what about Hermione? She was never close to any of the other girls in their year. Somehow, Harry felt as if he and Ron had been keeping her away from that all those years.
"Well, she's got Ginny."
"Yeah, but when does she acctually talk to Ginny outside of the common room? And Ginny's got her own friends too." Harry pointed out, still feeling guilty.
Ron shrugged again and then smiled, "Have you ever noticed that most of the girls in our year are complete gits? I mean, some are pretty, but they aren't all there in the head, you know what I mean?"
"But intelligence isn't everything to a guy." Harry said in imitation of what Ron said earlier.
"Shut up, Harry."
"You did say that..."
"Yeah, so?"
"Hermione didn't like it very much, in case you couldn't tell." By now the girls had revealed the way to the alley and were walking in without waiting for Harry and Ron.
"That's only because she thinks she isn't good looking." Ron answered as he followed them, getting a bit pink in the cheeks.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry inquiered, following Ron.
"Nothing!"
"Do you fancy Hermione, Ron?"
At this Ron's cheeks got pinker and his ears started getting pink too. "Fancy her?! No way! She's one of my best friends, what do you think, I'm mad?"
"Judging by the color of your face, you're getting there." Harry replied.
"Oh shut it, Harry."
It was a good thing that they ended that conversation, because Hermione turned around and yelled at them to hurry up. Ron and Harry sped up, and followed her and Ginny (who were steering Allie to the left), into Flourish and Blotts. This year they only needed three books- Standard Book of Spells, Grade 6; Battleing Demons & Other Foul Things, (their new Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook); and Advanced Potionmaking, which looked like the most complicating textbook they'd ever read. Apart from that, they had to help Allie get all of her books, and she had to get a lot more than them. It was shocking to see someone other than Hermione reading Hogwarts, A History, but Allie did just that before buying it so she could continue reading it later. No one was in more of a shock than Hermione herself, when she stood in awe, watching Allie purchase her textbooks, and a few other books that only Hermione had read.
An hour later they were in Florence Fortescue's ice cream parlor, discussing everyone and everything to get Allie as accustomed as they could to Hogwarts, without her acctually stepping into the castle. Phrases like: "Each house has it's own ghost, you see...." and "They Sort the first years at the beginning of the start of term feast...." and "Hagrid teaches Care of Magical Creatures, Professor McGonagall teaches Transfiguration, Professor Flitwick teaches Charms, Snape teaches Potions, Professor Sinistra teaches Astronomy...." attacked Allie between bites of their sundaes.
"Your school sounds great, but I was just wondering if you play any sports...?" Allie asked in reply to all the things she had been informed of seconds before. "At school, I mean."
Harry nodded, this was a subject he could relate to. "We have House Quidditch teams."
Allie brightened at this, "Do you have any open positions?"
Harry thought for a second. "Acctually, yes we do....we'll be needing Beaters and a Chaser. I'm not sure who the Captain will be this year, but that's the person who'll decide when the tryouts will be."
"So, I'm taking it that you are on the team?"
"Yes, I'm the Seeker." not wanting to sound pompous he quickly added, "And Ron is the Keeper."
Ron laughed slightly, "Well, I'm nowhere near as good as you are, Harry."
"We play different positions, Ron, so don't say that." Harry said, slightly annoyed. Ron shouldn't put himself down, he was a great player....really he was....when the weather was good at least....and when there was a slight breeze, really he did fine, Harry tried to assure himself.
"Harry, you're the best player on the team, different postions or not, and you know it." Ron replied bluntly.
"I am not!"
"Are too."
"Am no-"
"Will you two stop it?" Hermione and Ginny said in unison, both equally annoyed.
"Well, do you think I have a chance for Chaser?" Allie asked, ignoring what Ron implyed, much to Harry's releif. He didn't want to look like he was all that, in front of her, and Ron's comments were pointing in that direction.
There was a chorus of "Definately!", "Of Course!", and "You'll get the postion too, I bet."
Allie looked surprised, but a little flushed. "You guys, don't even know how I play...what if I totally suck?"
Everyone around the table laughed. Harry chose to answer to that. "Let's just say that the younger Gryffindors lack certain qualities that are needed for our team, to say that in a nice way."
"HEY!"
"Not you, Ginny, I meant the other people who tried out last year."
"Oh, them... yeah, I agree."
"What Harry means to say," Ron broke in, seeing that Harry missed a few important adjectives in describing the other tryouts. "Is that they can't play worth a damn. They stank at it, majorly. So honestly, even if you do suck, anyone is better than them."
"Are you all serious? Or are you just being nice, because I'm new here?" Allie said,with some suspition in her voice.
Again there was a chorus of replies, all bearing the same message.
"No!"
"Honestly, they stank."
"What Ron said!"
"Alright then, I was just wondering. I mean, everyone is making such a big deal over me for some reason now. It's getting a little annoying really - no offense to you, you've helped a lot - but, it feels like they know something I don't." Allie replied, her smile now replaced with a small perplexed frown.
"Oh, beleive me, there's loads that they know, that we never will." Hermione replied, gesturing to the adults a few tables away."They're all in the Order, after all... and they seem to think that that's good reason for not telling us things we ought to know, anyway so I know what you mean. We've all learned to deal with it in the past year...their behavior kind of gets ordinary after a while." she finished and took a bite of her sundae.
Allie nodded, and got quiet. She looked at them with pure curiousity. "Look, I understand that this is none of my business but...." Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all leaned in at this comment. Allie looked uncomfortable all the sudden. "Okay, nevermind, I shouldn't get into this....sorry, I didn't mean, just forget it."
"You can ask us anything." Hermione reassured her, sensing the nature of the question Allie was about to ask. "you're bound to find out whatever it is that you want to know when you go to Hogwarts, so just ask us."
Allie seemed hesitant at first but then spilled what was on her mind. "Okay, back in the US, we've been hearing stories about what happened during the past 5 years....nobody really beleived it since it all sounded so far fetched, but lots of people started getting nervous after the your Triwizard Tournament happened....I was just wondering-although it's wrong of me to ask, and I'm sorry-" she genuinely seemed to be sorry,"but what did happen?" Allie nervously looked at everyone surrounding her, and added, "You don't have to tell me, I'll understand, you all have been through a lot already, it seems."
Harry cleared his throat nervously. Why was she nervous? She had nothing to be embarrassed about, he on the other hand had plenty to want to hide, but he couldn't. Whai if she thought he was mad too? What if she didn't beleive him? What if-
"It's alright...."Harry started before any more 'what ifs' came to mind. "I'll tell you everything that's happened during the past 5 years....if any of it sounds crazy to you, you have the right to your own opinion and you can think whatever you want but I'm telling you the truth-"
"Harry,"Allie inturrupted him,"Sorry to inturupt but that's why I wanted to ask you. I don't think you have any reasons to lie, and I'll beleive you...." she smiled lightly, "I've read the Daily Prophet and I know what you mean by telling me that I have the right to my own opinion....but just so you know, I won't think of you as a crackhead if I find anything hard to beleive."
"Thanks, Allie...I appreciate that..." Filled with a new sense of confidance because of her words, Harry took a deep breath and began to tell her and (everyone else), the events that occured to him every year, from the time he was 11.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
After Harry finished telling me about all the previous events all I could do was sit and stare at them all in turn. I know that probably wasn't an attractive thing to do, but I couldn't help but be amazed by what happened to all of them.
"Wow...that's.....that's...." I couldn't find the right words to say. I must have sounded like a mentally deranged idiot.
Harry shrugged. "Yeah, well, that's what happened..."
"I can't beleive you survived all those times." I finally managed to utter.
He shrugged again, and the conversation drifted off to Quidditch again. Although, I joined the converstation I couldn't help but get flashes of mental pictures of Harry fighting off Voldemort. I know if I were in his shoes, I probably wouldn't be here now. After a while, we decided to go and walk around Diagon Alley, before all the shops closed.
I scanned my supply list as we walked. "I still need to get dress robes...where do we go for that?" I was steered to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and started looking at all the different fabrics with Ginny and Hermione. Ron and Harry chose not to get involved in this and said that they would meet us back at the Leaky Couldron, as they went off to look at brooms. Ginny, Hermione, and I began to scan racks of fabrics for our robes.
"Glad that they're gone," Ginny muttered, "I was wondering when I would have a chance to go find Dean..." she pressed her face to the shop's window
"Dean? Who's Dean?" I asked, pulling out a deep plum colored silk to admire.
"I think that color's too dark for you..."Ginny turned around to look at me. "And Dean is my boyfriend, Ron doesn't like him very much...beats me why..."
"Because he wants you to fancy Harry again." Hermione answered simply, pulling out a blood red satin and holding that up to my face, to compare if it was my color or not.
"That one's better, I think." Ginny pointed me to nearest mirror, "But it still looks a bit....not dressy enough for you."
"You liked Harry?" I asked scanning the racks for a better color.
"Yep, but I was like, 11...that was a long time ago." Ginny answered, watching the window out of the corner of her eye. "Then I realized that he wasn't my type, so I gave up....kinda outgrew him, really."
"What's wrong with Harry?" Hermione asked suspicously, defending her friend.
"Nothing, other than the fact that he keeps on moping about Cho. And you know, she's not that pretty either, she just has really nice hair." Ginny replied idly, scanning another rack.
"Yeah, you're right, Ginny." Hermione agreed and pulled out a silvery white silk and handed it over to me. "What do you think? I think this is the best one we've seen so far."
It definately was. "Thanks, this is beautiful..." I fingered the fabric, it felt smooth and cool. I felt guilty that they were finding stuff for me and not themselves. "Now we have to find you two something."
As we looked through more racks, another question that I've been wanting to ask popped into my mind. I'd just been waiting for the right time, so it wouldn't seem too....too...well, too rude, you could say. "Are there any other cute guys at school? Other than Harry and Ron, they look nice." They seemed to brighten at this. Ah, the international gift of girltalk.
"Well....there's Ben Travton in Ravenclaw, but he's a bit of an idiot, no idea how he got into that house..." Hermione started, Ginny broke in, "And there's Dylan Fulton in Hufflepuff, but he's more of puppydog cute, than acctually handsome..."
"And there's Thomas Edgarten from Slytherin, but he's worse than Ben."
"Duh, he's a Slytherin, they're all idiots!" Ginny exclaimed.
"True, and then....well, I'd hate to admit it, since he's the biggest asshole in the world..." Hermione said slowly, choosing her words carefully.
"Bigger than Ben Trav-whatever?" I volunteered, jokingly. She and Ginny giggled along with me, but then Hermione replied.
"Oh yes, he's the biggest idiot of all...."
Ginny seemed to catch on,"You mean....Malfoy?"
Hermione nodded sheepishly, "If we're talking physical, than yeah, and you know you have to agree with me on this, Gin."
Ginny's cheeks got a little pink but she replied, "Yeah, suppose you're right, but just so you know, he's the biggest asshole, you'll ever meet. He thinks he's all high and mighty because his dad had connections with the Ministry...wonder what he's like now, with his father in Azkaban and all..." she wondered out loud gleefully.
"Wait...isn't that the same guy Harry was talking about? The one who called you a ...." I didn't want to say it, but Harry mentioned it when he was telling me about what happened his second year.
"A Mudblood, yep that's the one." Hermione said bluntly. "You'll see what he's like tomorrow, he's bound to let his presence known to us, just like he's always done in the past." she added in a slightly sarcasric tone.
"I hate when they turn out that way." I said absently, "You know, hott but without a good personality?"
They nodded in agreement.
We ended up buying Hermione some lavender robes, and Ginny some royal blue ones. "Wonder why we need dress robes this year...?" Hermione wondered out loud as we walked out of the shop and headed back to the Leaky Couldron. Ginny just shrugged, openly dissapointed because she didn't see Dean. When we got back, everyone was already there and bidding eachother goodbyes. We decided to meet at Kings Cross twenty minutes before the train left so I could get on the platform properly.
My parents and I turned to leave to go home the normal way, since we lived in a private Muggle neighborhood and everyone else was going back by Floo Powder again. Leaving the Leaky Couldron and stepping into the small alley, I couldn't help but feel a rush of curiousness about this 'Malfoy' guy.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I woke up the next morning earlier than I had planned, even earlier than the time I set for my alarm clock to wake me up at. This irritated me since I'm one of those people who if woken from their sleep, have a hard time returning to it. There was nothing I could do about the nervousness and excitement that had settled in my body since the day before, so sleep was definately useless.
I looked at the alarm clock again- 6:05 A.M. Sleepily, I lumberd downstairs and grabbed some cereal and juice from the kitchen before slumping down in front of the TV. I've learned that this was odd for wizarding families in the UK -having electricity and TVs and all that, I mean. I smiled to myself as I switched the channel to MTV and saw Justin Timberlake's face on the screen, they didn't know what they were missing.
An hour later I was fully awake and began packing my stuff, being the procrastinator I was, I hadn't done it the day before. By the time I had everything nice and neat in my trunk, it was still too early (8:10). By now my parents had awaken and were getting ready themselves. I flopped on my bed and snuggled in. If I couldn't go to sleep I could at least get some thinking done.
I thought about everything that had a happened the day before at Diagon Alley.....Ginny and Hermione......Ron and Harry.......Malfoy....Wait a sec! a voice in my head broke all my peaceful thoughts. You don't know this guy and you're already getting hung up about him! Am not. Are too. Am NOT. Are TOO.
I'm just nervous, that's all. Right, and that's why you've been wondering what this guy looks like, all through yesterday. God, I wished that nasty little voice would just fuck off.
Thank God for my mom ("ALLIE! ARE YOU READY YET?! WE'LL BE LATE IF YOU DON'T HURRY UP!") or I would have still been in my bed arguing with myself. I put on some denim flares and a baby blue sweater, and brushed my straight hair out.
"ALLISON MARIE ARDEN!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming already!" And I thought I got up too early....
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
We arrived at Kings Cross about 5 minutes late and found the Weasleys. After all the greetings were exchanged, I was told to (basically) run right into a wall and that's how I would get to the Hogwarts express. Not very comforting. So I ran into the wall, and instead of killing myself, like I thought I would, I ended up on a new platform- 9 3/4.
Hermione appeared by my side in a few minutes followed by Ron, Ginny and Harry. After saying good bye to our parents and taking care of our luggage, we got on the train. "Ron and I have to go to the Prefect compartment for a while but we'll come and find you as soon as we can." Hermione told me and the rest, before going to the front of the train and dragging an unwilling Ron behind her. "Come on, the compartments fill up pretty fast." Harry said and led me and Ginny to an empty one.
As soon as we found the compartment, Ginny made some bogus excuse to leave so she could go find Dean, and I was left with Harry. We started talking about Quidditch and then the conversation somehow went to brooms (I had a Nimbus 2001).
"You have a Firebolt?! Lucky you!" I exclaimed. "Better let me try it sometime!"
Harry grinned, "Sure, why not."
The comartment door slid open and Ginny came in with Ron, Hermione, and three other guys, I hadn't met yet.
"Hi, I'm Dean."
"I'm Seamus."
"I'm Neville." They introduced themselves, and I introduced myself to them. I told them about just moving here (no mention of the Order to anyone, were my parents instrustions, so I told them we moved here to be with family). Ginny, Ron, Harry, and Hermione must have caught on, because they didn't say anything about my lie.
"Well," Ron grinned just as gleefully as Ginny had the day before. "Malfoy isn't as cocky as he usually is."
"His dad's in jail, Ron, didn't you expect that?" Ginny said, searching for something in her pocket.
"Sort of...."
"Hopefully now he'll stop being such a git." Harry said.
"Don't count on it." Ron replied.
"Git, am I?" a drawling voice came from the compartment doorway. I looked at the owner of that voice. He was tall, (about 6'), and a few whisps of his white blond hair fell into the most amazing steel grey eyes I'd ever seen. My eyes were hazel, so sometimes, when I was mad mostly, they turned greyish-blue but they were nothing compared to his icy stare.
He turned that stare to me. "And who are you?"
Oh, so he thought he was though? Two can play that game. "If you ask nicely, I might consinder telling you." I retorted.
He smirked, "Well, I guess I'll have to wait, then."
"That's your loss."
"Oh really?" he smirked again and gave me the once-over. Asshole, first pissing me off and now checking me out in plain sight.
"Petty people aren't worth my time, so there's no need to ask your name." He just shot me a glare. Ha, take that you bastard.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" Ron asked in a bored tone.
"Just wanted to let you know," he said slowly, never taking his steel eyes off me,"that you shouldn't expect my family to give up so easily....we have other plans..."
"Fuck off, Draco." Harry snapped.
"Temper, Potter. You wouldn't want people to think you're a madman again, would you?" Draco paused,"But then again, you have always wanted more attention than you deserve."
So his name was Draco. Sexy name....makes up for his aweful lastname....but it doesn't make up for his aweful personality.
"Oh, go cry to your daddy, if you have a problem with my temper. Oh that's right you can't, because he's in Azkaban with the dementors!" Harry said coolly.
"Potter, Potter," Draco tisked mockingly, his eyes glittering. "You have to understand that not everyone starts fainting when dementors come round." and with that he shot me another glare, and walked out of the compartment.
"Told you he was an asshole." Hermione whispered.
"Yeah," I was still watching the compartment's doorway, now empty of Draco's tall frame.
****OK, I know, not alot of Draco ( too much is never ehough), but the best has yet to come! Please R&R!
SHOUT OUT TO ToOtHpIcK, lylas! :-)
Hey, thanks for the reviews! In case anyone is confused, this is chapter 3, since I put the first two chapters together and they're listed as chapter one (hopethat's not too confusing) With that out of the way, I want to give a little info on the fanfic. It'll go between Allison's POV and third person POV. Acctually, eventually it'll probably turn to just Allie's POV, since I think I write better that way. (maybe I'm wrong, but that's what I think) Also I forgot to put up a disclaimer. (No characters belong to me [ damn, I want Draco ] except Allison Arden, Trent, Allie's parents, and Liz (comes into play later). The others belong to J.K. Rowling, but this plot belongs to me so please don't copy!) This is kind of cliche but, this story will be Allison/Draco (i know, i know, typical) and for all you Draco fans (like me), he'll come into play in this chapter! ::APPLAUSE FROM DRACO FANS:: ::SUNSPLASH TAKES A BOW::
Rated R for language and some adult content in later chapters.
Ok, I guess that's it for now so here's the next chapter! :-) ***
Chapter 3
Harry and Allie landed in the ashes of the Leaky Couldron's fireplace. This came as a releif to Harry since he was worrying about losing Allie. It would be bad enough for him to get lost himself, but losing someone he just met would be much worse.
Allie got up before him, "I would help you get all the soot off, but we can't do magic so.... Here, I'll get my mom and she'll do it." In the few seconds that Harry spent rising to his feet, she returned with her mother. Mrs. Arden waved her wand around and all the soot dissapeared. Harry's clothes even appeared cleaner than before, but it was hard to tell with the dim lighting.
"Harry, Allie!" Hermione was making her way to them with Ron and Ginny. "Glad to see you both pulled through. Taking two people in with Floo Powder isn't very safe." she said looking at both of them. "But you're here now so come on."
The five of them made their way through all the adults and into the small backlot of the pub. While Hermione and Ginny showed Allie the way to get the bricks to reveal the way to Diagon Alley, Harry wondered out loud to Ron. "Do you reckon that she'll be in our little 'group' now?"
Ron shrugged, "Seems as if Hermione hopes that she will be." (Both Hermione and Ginny were laughing at something with Allie.)
"Yeah, she's never really got to hang around girls in the past. She's been stuck with us, intead." Harry said guiltily. For the past 5 years he's always had Ron to understand him...but what about Hermione? She was never close to any of the other girls in their year. Somehow, Harry felt as if he and Ron had been keeping her away from that all those years.
"Well, she's got Ginny."
"Yeah, but when does she acctually talk to Ginny outside of the common room? And Ginny's got her own friends too." Harry pointed out, still feeling guilty.
Ron shrugged again and then smiled, "Have you ever noticed that most of the girls in our year are complete gits? I mean, some are pretty, but they aren't all there in the head, you know what I mean?"
"But intelligence isn't everything to a guy." Harry said in imitation of what Ron said earlier.
"Shut up, Harry."
"You did say that..."
"Yeah, so?"
"Hermione didn't like it very much, in case you couldn't tell." By now the girls had revealed the way to the alley and were walking in without waiting for Harry and Ron.
"That's only because she thinks she isn't good looking." Ron answered as he followed them, getting a bit pink in the cheeks.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry inquiered, following Ron.
"Nothing!"
"Do you fancy Hermione, Ron?"
At this Ron's cheeks got pinker and his ears started getting pink too. "Fancy her?! No way! She's one of my best friends, what do you think, I'm mad?"
"Judging by the color of your face, you're getting there." Harry replied.
"Oh shut it, Harry."
It was a good thing that they ended that conversation, because Hermione turned around and yelled at them to hurry up. Ron and Harry sped up, and followed her and Ginny (who were steering Allie to the left), into Flourish and Blotts. This year they only needed three books- Standard Book of Spells, Grade 6; Battleing Demons & Other Foul Things, (their new Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook); and Advanced Potionmaking, which looked like the most complicating textbook they'd ever read. Apart from that, they had to help Allie get all of her books, and she had to get a lot more than them. It was shocking to see someone other than Hermione reading Hogwarts, A History, but Allie did just that before buying it so she could continue reading it later. No one was in more of a shock than Hermione herself, when she stood in awe, watching Allie purchase her textbooks, and a few other books that only Hermione had read.
An hour later they were in Florence Fortescue's ice cream parlor, discussing everyone and everything to get Allie as accustomed as they could to Hogwarts, without her acctually stepping into the castle. Phrases like: "Each house has it's own ghost, you see...." and "They Sort the first years at the beginning of the start of term feast...." and "Hagrid teaches Care of Magical Creatures, Professor McGonagall teaches Transfiguration, Professor Flitwick teaches Charms, Snape teaches Potions, Professor Sinistra teaches Astronomy...." attacked Allie between bites of their sundaes.
"Your school sounds great, but I was just wondering if you play any sports...?" Allie asked in reply to all the things she had been informed of seconds before. "At school, I mean."
Harry nodded, this was a subject he could relate to. "We have House Quidditch teams."
Allie brightened at this, "Do you have any open positions?"
Harry thought for a second. "Acctually, yes we do....we'll be needing Beaters and a Chaser. I'm not sure who the Captain will be this year, but that's the person who'll decide when the tryouts will be."
"So, I'm taking it that you are on the team?"
"Yes, I'm the Seeker." not wanting to sound pompous he quickly added, "And Ron is the Keeper."
Ron laughed slightly, "Well, I'm nowhere near as good as you are, Harry."
"We play different positions, Ron, so don't say that." Harry said, slightly annoyed. Ron shouldn't put himself down, he was a great player....really he was....when the weather was good at least....and when there was a slight breeze, really he did fine, Harry tried to assure himself.
"Harry, you're the best player on the team, different postions or not, and you know it." Ron replied bluntly.
"I am not!"
"Are too."
"Am no-"
"Will you two stop it?" Hermione and Ginny said in unison, both equally annoyed.
"Well, do you think I have a chance for Chaser?" Allie asked, ignoring what Ron implyed, much to Harry's releif. He didn't want to look like he was all that, in front of her, and Ron's comments were pointing in that direction.
There was a chorus of "Definately!", "Of Course!", and "You'll get the postion too, I bet."
Allie looked surprised, but a little flushed. "You guys, don't even know how I play...what if I totally suck?"
Everyone around the table laughed. Harry chose to answer to that. "Let's just say that the younger Gryffindors lack certain qualities that are needed for our team, to say that in a nice way."
"HEY!"
"Not you, Ginny, I meant the other people who tried out last year."
"Oh, them... yeah, I agree."
"What Harry means to say," Ron broke in, seeing that Harry missed a few important adjectives in describing the other tryouts. "Is that they can't play worth a damn. They stank at it, majorly. So honestly, even if you do suck, anyone is better than them."
"Are you all serious? Or are you just being nice, because I'm new here?" Allie said,with some suspition in her voice.
Again there was a chorus of replies, all bearing the same message.
"No!"
"Honestly, they stank."
"What Ron said!"
"Alright then, I was just wondering. I mean, everyone is making such a big deal over me for some reason now. It's getting a little annoying really - no offense to you, you've helped a lot - but, it feels like they know something I don't." Allie replied, her smile now replaced with a small perplexed frown.
"Oh, beleive me, there's loads that they know, that we never will." Hermione replied, gesturing to the adults a few tables away."They're all in the Order, after all... and they seem to think that that's good reason for not telling us things we ought to know, anyway so I know what you mean. We've all learned to deal with it in the past year...their behavior kind of gets ordinary after a while." she finished and took a bite of her sundae.
Allie nodded, and got quiet. She looked at them with pure curiousity. "Look, I understand that this is none of my business but...." Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all leaned in at this comment. Allie looked uncomfortable all the sudden. "Okay, nevermind, I shouldn't get into this....sorry, I didn't mean, just forget it."
"You can ask us anything." Hermione reassured her, sensing the nature of the question Allie was about to ask. "you're bound to find out whatever it is that you want to know when you go to Hogwarts, so just ask us."
Allie seemed hesitant at first but then spilled what was on her mind. "Okay, back in the US, we've been hearing stories about what happened during the past 5 years....nobody really beleived it since it all sounded so far fetched, but lots of people started getting nervous after the your Triwizard Tournament happened....I was just wondering-although it's wrong of me to ask, and I'm sorry-" she genuinely seemed to be sorry,"but what did happen?" Allie nervously looked at everyone surrounding her, and added, "You don't have to tell me, I'll understand, you all have been through a lot already, it seems."
Harry cleared his throat nervously. Why was she nervous? She had nothing to be embarrassed about, he on the other hand had plenty to want to hide, but he couldn't. Whai if she thought he was mad too? What if she didn't beleive him? What if-
"It's alright...."Harry started before any more 'what ifs' came to mind. "I'll tell you everything that's happened during the past 5 years....if any of it sounds crazy to you, you have the right to your own opinion and you can think whatever you want but I'm telling you the truth-"
"Harry,"Allie inturrupted him,"Sorry to inturupt but that's why I wanted to ask you. I don't think you have any reasons to lie, and I'll beleive you...." she smiled lightly, "I've read the Daily Prophet and I know what you mean by telling me that I have the right to my own opinion....but just so you know, I won't think of you as a crackhead if I find anything hard to beleive."
"Thanks, Allie...I appreciate that..." Filled with a new sense of confidance because of her words, Harry took a deep breath and began to tell her and (everyone else), the events that occured to him every year, from the time he was 11.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
After Harry finished telling me about all the previous events all I could do was sit and stare at them all in turn. I know that probably wasn't an attractive thing to do, but I couldn't help but be amazed by what happened to all of them.
"Wow...that's.....that's...." I couldn't find the right words to say. I must have sounded like a mentally deranged idiot.
Harry shrugged. "Yeah, well, that's what happened..."
"I can't beleive you survived all those times." I finally managed to utter.
He shrugged again, and the conversation drifted off to Quidditch again. Although, I joined the converstation I couldn't help but get flashes of mental pictures of Harry fighting off Voldemort. I know if I were in his shoes, I probably wouldn't be here now. After a while, we decided to go and walk around Diagon Alley, before all the shops closed.
I scanned my supply list as we walked. "I still need to get dress robes...where do we go for that?" I was steered to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and started looking at all the different fabrics with Ginny and Hermione. Ron and Harry chose not to get involved in this and said that they would meet us back at the Leaky Couldron, as they went off to look at brooms. Ginny, Hermione, and I began to scan racks of fabrics for our robes.
"Glad that they're gone," Ginny muttered, "I was wondering when I would have a chance to go find Dean..." she pressed her face to the shop's window
"Dean? Who's Dean?" I asked, pulling out a deep plum colored silk to admire.
"I think that color's too dark for you..."Ginny turned around to look at me. "And Dean is my boyfriend, Ron doesn't like him very much...beats me why..."
"Because he wants you to fancy Harry again." Hermione answered simply, pulling out a blood red satin and holding that up to my face, to compare if it was my color or not.
"That one's better, I think." Ginny pointed me to nearest mirror, "But it still looks a bit....not dressy enough for you."
"You liked Harry?" I asked scanning the racks for a better color.
"Yep, but I was like, 11...that was a long time ago." Ginny answered, watching the window out of the corner of her eye. "Then I realized that he wasn't my type, so I gave up....kinda outgrew him, really."
"What's wrong with Harry?" Hermione asked suspicously, defending her friend.
"Nothing, other than the fact that he keeps on moping about Cho. And you know, she's not that pretty either, she just has really nice hair." Ginny replied idly, scanning another rack.
"Yeah, you're right, Ginny." Hermione agreed and pulled out a silvery white silk and handed it over to me. "What do you think? I think this is the best one we've seen so far."
It definately was. "Thanks, this is beautiful..." I fingered the fabric, it felt smooth and cool. I felt guilty that they were finding stuff for me and not themselves. "Now we have to find you two something."
As we looked through more racks, another question that I've been wanting to ask popped into my mind. I'd just been waiting for the right time, so it wouldn't seem too....too...well, too rude, you could say. "Are there any other cute guys at school? Other than Harry and Ron, they look nice." They seemed to brighten at this. Ah, the international gift of girltalk.
"Well....there's Ben Travton in Ravenclaw, but he's a bit of an idiot, no idea how he got into that house..." Hermione started, Ginny broke in, "And there's Dylan Fulton in Hufflepuff, but he's more of puppydog cute, than acctually handsome..."
"And there's Thomas Edgarten from Slytherin, but he's worse than Ben."
"Duh, he's a Slytherin, they're all idiots!" Ginny exclaimed.
"True, and then....well, I'd hate to admit it, since he's the biggest asshole in the world..." Hermione said slowly, choosing her words carefully.
"Bigger than Ben Trav-whatever?" I volunteered, jokingly. She and Ginny giggled along with me, but then Hermione replied.
"Oh yes, he's the biggest idiot of all...."
Ginny seemed to catch on,"You mean....Malfoy?"
Hermione nodded sheepishly, "If we're talking physical, than yeah, and you know you have to agree with me on this, Gin."
Ginny's cheeks got a little pink but she replied, "Yeah, suppose you're right, but just so you know, he's the biggest asshole, you'll ever meet. He thinks he's all high and mighty because his dad had connections with the Ministry...wonder what he's like now, with his father in Azkaban and all..." she wondered out loud gleefully.
"Wait...isn't that the same guy Harry was talking about? The one who called you a ...." I didn't want to say it, but Harry mentioned it when he was telling me about what happened his second year.
"A Mudblood, yep that's the one." Hermione said bluntly. "You'll see what he's like tomorrow, he's bound to let his presence known to us, just like he's always done in the past." she added in a slightly sarcasric tone.
"I hate when they turn out that way." I said absently, "You know, hott but without a good personality?"
They nodded in agreement.
We ended up buying Hermione some lavender robes, and Ginny some royal blue ones. "Wonder why we need dress robes this year...?" Hermione wondered out loud as we walked out of the shop and headed back to the Leaky Couldron. Ginny just shrugged, openly dissapointed because she didn't see Dean. When we got back, everyone was already there and bidding eachother goodbyes. We decided to meet at Kings Cross twenty minutes before the train left so I could get on the platform properly.
My parents and I turned to leave to go home the normal way, since we lived in a private Muggle neighborhood and everyone else was going back by Floo Powder again. Leaving the Leaky Couldron and stepping into the small alley, I couldn't help but feel a rush of curiousness about this 'Malfoy' guy.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I woke up the next morning earlier than I had planned, even earlier than the time I set for my alarm clock to wake me up at. This irritated me since I'm one of those people who if woken from their sleep, have a hard time returning to it. There was nothing I could do about the nervousness and excitement that had settled in my body since the day before, so sleep was definately useless.
I looked at the alarm clock again- 6:05 A.M. Sleepily, I lumberd downstairs and grabbed some cereal and juice from the kitchen before slumping down in front of the TV. I've learned that this was odd for wizarding families in the UK -having electricity and TVs and all that, I mean. I smiled to myself as I switched the channel to MTV and saw Justin Timberlake's face on the screen, they didn't know what they were missing.
An hour later I was fully awake and began packing my stuff, being the procrastinator I was, I hadn't done it the day before. By the time I had everything nice and neat in my trunk, it was still too early (8:10). By now my parents had awaken and were getting ready themselves. I flopped on my bed and snuggled in. If I couldn't go to sleep I could at least get some thinking done.
I thought about everything that had a happened the day before at Diagon Alley.....Ginny and Hermione......Ron and Harry.......Malfoy....Wait a sec! a voice in my head broke all my peaceful thoughts. You don't know this guy and you're already getting hung up about him! Am not. Are too. Am NOT. Are TOO.
I'm just nervous, that's all. Right, and that's why you've been wondering what this guy looks like, all through yesterday. God, I wished that nasty little voice would just fuck off.
Thank God for my mom ("ALLIE! ARE YOU READY YET?! WE'LL BE LATE IF YOU DON'T HURRY UP!") or I would have still been in my bed arguing with myself. I put on some denim flares and a baby blue sweater, and brushed my straight hair out.
"ALLISON MARIE ARDEN!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming already!" And I thought I got up too early....
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
We arrived at Kings Cross about 5 minutes late and found the Weasleys. After all the greetings were exchanged, I was told to (basically) run right into a wall and that's how I would get to the Hogwarts express. Not very comforting. So I ran into the wall, and instead of killing myself, like I thought I would, I ended up on a new platform- 9 3/4.
Hermione appeared by my side in a few minutes followed by Ron, Ginny and Harry. After saying good bye to our parents and taking care of our luggage, we got on the train. "Ron and I have to go to the Prefect compartment for a while but we'll come and find you as soon as we can." Hermione told me and the rest, before going to the front of the train and dragging an unwilling Ron behind her. "Come on, the compartments fill up pretty fast." Harry said and led me and Ginny to an empty one.
As soon as we found the compartment, Ginny made some bogus excuse to leave so she could go find Dean, and I was left with Harry. We started talking about Quidditch and then the conversation somehow went to brooms (I had a Nimbus 2001).
"You have a Firebolt?! Lucky you!" I exclaimed. "Better let me try it sometime!"
Harry grinned, "Sure, why not."
The comartment door slid open and Ginny came in with Ron, Hermione, and three other guys, I hadn't met yet.
"Hi, I'm Dean."
"I'm Seamus."
"I'm Neville." They introduced themselves, and I introduced myself to them. I told them about just moving here (no mention of the Order to anyone, were my parents instrustions, so I told them we moved here to be with family). Ginny, Ron, Harry, and Hermione must have caught on, because they didn't say anything about my lie.
"Well," Ron grinned just as gleefully as Ginny had the day before. "Malfoy isn't as cocky as he usually is."
"His dad's in jail, Ron, didn't you expect that?" Ginny said, searching for something in her pocket.
"Sort of...."
"Hopefully now he'll stop being such a git." Harry said.
"Don't count on it." Ron replied.
"Git, am I?" a drawling voice came from the compartment doorway. I looked at the owner of that voice. He was tall, (about 6'), and a few whisps of his white blond hair fell into the most amazing steel grey eyes I'd ever seen. My eyes were hazel, so sometimes, when I was mad mostly, they turned greyish-blue but they were nothing compared to his icy stare.
He turned that stare to me. "And who are you?"
Oh, so he thought he was though? Two can play that game. "If you ask nicely, I might consinder telling you." I retorted.
He smirked, "Well, I guess I'll have to wait, then."
"That's your loss."
"Oh really?" he smirked again and gave me the once-over. Asshole, first pissing me off and now checking me out in plain sight.
"Petty people aren't worth my time, so there's no need to ask your name." He just shot me a glare. Ha, take that you bastard.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" Ron asked in a bored tone.
"Just wanted to let you know," he said slowly, never taking his steel eyes off me,"that you shouldn't expect my family to give up so easily....we have other plans..."
"Fuck off, Draco." Harry snapped.
"Temper, Potter. You wouldn't want people to think you're a madman again, would you?" Draco paused,"But then again, you have always wanted more attention than you deserve."
So his name was Draco. Sexy name....makes up for his aweful lastname....but it doesn't make up for his aweful personality.
"Oh, go cry to your daddy, if you have a problem with my temper. Oh that's right you can't, because he's in Azkaban with the dementors!" Harry said coolly.
"Potter, Potter," Draco tisked mockingly, his eyes glittering. "You have to understand that not everyone starts fainting when dementors come round." and with that he shot me another glare, and walked out of the compartment.
"Told you he was an asshole." Hermione whispered.
"Yeah," I was still watching the compartment's doorway, now empty of Draco's tall frame.
****OK, I know, not alot of Draco ( too much is never ehough), but the best has yet to come! Please R&R!
SHOUT OUT TO ToOtHpIcK, lylas! :-)