Trust is Hard to Come By
By: Nekkyoo Ema
"In spite of what has happened – I still think people are good at heart." - Anne Frank
*****
November 4th
It's been a while since I've writen in this...
Well, Draco remembers who I am now. It's nice to be friends with him again... though everyone in both our houses thinks we are completely insane. One girl, I think her name is Pansy Parkinson, seems to loath me now; just because Draco and I get along so well. You'd think that we would.
I've noticed that I've been getting closer to Hermione, Ron, and Harry. Hermione's not half-bad. She's a good friend. It's nice to have a girl to talk to that isn't all "look at me, look at me!" She doesn't care how she looks – and she loves to learn as much as she can. Though I have to say that I actually like having her as a friend... not to mention that I love being at this school. It's different from any of the other ones. People here don't judge you right away.
Oh, crickey, I still haven't owled Grandmum. Better get on that striaght away. She's going to be worried.
Riley snapped her journal shut as she heard the bathroom door open and put it under her mattress. Her hair, she realized, was still wet from her own shower. She jumped off her bed, colliding with Hermione. Both girls screamed.
"Oh my god, you scared me to death!" Hermione yelled.
Riley was clutching her chest. "I sacred you? You scared me!"
They looked at each other, then busted out laughing.
Riley walked past her friend, as she was proud to call her, and went to the bathroom to brush her hair. It was thick, so letting it air-dry made it frizz up. She pulled her brush through her hair and then separated it into two sections down the middle. She pulled the left section into a ponytail and then worked on the other side.
"Hey Riley?" Hermione called.
Riley walked out of the bathroom, still plaiting her hair into a pigtail. "Yeah?"
"I just wanted to say – I'm sorry." Hermione said.
Riley tied the pigtail in the tie. "What for?"
"For talking behind your back... and for not trusting you." Hermione said.
Riley quirked an eyebrow, "trusting me? I never gave you reason to. Or haven't you noticed?"
Hermione nodded, "yeah."
"Don't worry about it. I'm used to that kind of ... welcoming." Riley said, "I went to six different schools before this one. I know what people think about the newcomers."
Hermione's jaw dropped. "Six different schools?"
"Yeah. But I don't want to go into detail about it. It's – a touchy subject." Riley said, recalling all the Howlers she had received when she was a Beauxbatons. Stupid preppies. Those girls deserved the broken noses. Not like it couldn't be fixed in a flash. Riley thought evilly.
She finished plaiting the other section of her hair and secured it with another hair tie. "Have you ever thought of straightening your hair, Herm?"
"I did ... once. It was for the Yule Ball in fourth year. It took so long that I never bothered to do it ever again." Hermione replied.
Riley shook her head. "I don't believe it. A smart girl like you wouldn't even do research on something so simple? Hermione, Hermione, Hermione. The spell is easy. Just say: Derigo, as you point your wand at your hair. I have to go up to the Owlery to send off a letter. I'll see you in Charms." And then she was gone.
Dear Grandmother,
I got to Hogwarts alright. Everything is fine with me. I remembered your advice... I have made friends with a very nice Muggle-born girl named Hermione Granger and her two friends Ronald Weasley and, get this, Harry Potter. Why did you not tell me that he attended Hogwarts? And do not send me back an owl saying, "you never asked." You know that is unnecessary.
I have found my childhood friend once again. Draco Malfoy – remember him? Yes, poor Draco, he was adopted by the Malfoy family. It is nice to have someone to talk about the "old days" with. He is in Slytherin, and myself – be proud – I am a Gryffindor, but that does not keep us from talking.
How are things going? I hope you are well. I do not know yet if I will leave or stay for the Christmas holidays. It all depends; you remember how it was.
Lots of love,
Riley
She finished off the letter and wrote her Grandmum's name on the envelope and then rolled it up, and tied it to a large brown barn owls leg. She watched it disappear into the horizon before walking back down the stairs to the Charms classroom.
"Hey, I saved you a few pieces of toast." Harry said, as he was the one she met up with.
Riley took the pieces gratefully, "where are Ron and Hermione?"
"They are still having quite the row in the Great Hall most likely." Harry replied.
"Honestly, they fight like an old married couple." Riley said as she and Harry walked into the classroom.
"I heard that, Riley." A very pissed-off looking Hermione said as she stormed into the class behind them.
Riley gave Harry a scared look. Hermione was always at her worst after she had a row with Ron. Whatever it was that he said always got her in a bad mood.
Throughout the whole of Charms, Hermione had managed to hex Ron "accidentally" almost ten times. Riley was having a hard time containing her laughter.
Just as she was about to burst, a very winded Colin Creevey burst through the door. "Excuse me, Professor Flitwick. But a woman named Marie Evans needs to talk to Riley Evans immediately."
Riley gathered up her things, scared that she was going to be in serious trouble for some reason and followed Colin to the Great Hall.
"Grandmum – Frank! What on earth are you two doing here?" Riley said as she gave her Grandmother a hug and smiled at her Grandmum's "right hand man."
"Lady Anastasia." He said. She shuddered at her real name.
Her Grandmother smiled, "well, I received your letter and I just had to come and meet with Albus to see if everything was true."
"And I got pulled out of class because..." Riley said, gesturing with her hands.
"Riley, I am quite happy with your adjustment to Hogwarts. But I thought it was best if I told you in person how the delegations went."
"Well?" Riley prompted. She never was too patient with her Grandmother.
"Riley... as you know, you and your cousin are my only living relatives since your Grandfather died."
Riley was still waiting for a point.
"And in true fashion of keeping the family within its traditions, then delegations went quite well." She said.
"Grandmum – what's the point?"
"My dear child, you are the heiress to my kingdom—"
Riley burst in, "I'm what? With all due respect, Grandmum, but I am not the heiress to any kingdom! I'm not legally yours – or have you forgotten that? There is no way I am going to rule some kingdom. I'm sixteen years old with a cousin who doesn't even know that we are related! Why not just make him heir!"
"Because, Riley, you are two months older then he." She replied in a calm voice.
"So what? No one has to know!" Riley couldn't take much more.
"Just listen for a minute before you go storming out of here. I have not forgotten that you are not legally mine but that is all soon to change. As you're mother had given up her title as heiress to her sister – you're aunt – it meant that she was no longer part of the Royal family." Riley's grandmother paused.
"And now that you're aunt has passed on ... it makes you next in line."
"No, wait. Wouldn't it make my cousin the first in line? He is her son; I am but her niece." Riley said. "And furthermore, I should also be ineligible because I am my mothers daughter. She gave up her royal family."
"Yes, but not before your christening into the family, my dear. Just because you're mother is no longer a part of my family does not mean that you are not."
Riley searched her brain for something, anything at all to help her case. "But – But what if I don't want to be you're heiress?"
"My child, I am not saying that you have to accept right this instant. I am merely saying that when you graduate – or if I pass on – that you will have to become my heir."
"I can't believe this! You pull me out of my favorite class only to give me bad news. Then you tell me that I am older then my cousin whom should most likely be rightfully heir. And worst of all – you try to tell me that I am you heiress when you didn't even know that I was still alive until I showed up at your doorstep!" And with that she stormed from the Great Hall and up the stairs. Immediately she bumped into the last person she wanted to see.
"Lady Anastasia?" Draco said.
Riley groaned. "Please, Draco, you cannot tell anyone. And I mean that."
But Draco wasn't listening, "so when were you going to tell me who you really were?" he spat.
Riley suddenly became quite interested in her shoes. "I – I – For god's sake, Draco! I couldn't tell anyone." Annoyingly enough, tears were starting to fall from her eyes. "It was bad enough that everyone thought I was some kind of freak. How do you think they would treat me if they knew?"
Draco lifted her head up with his fingers under her chin. "Since when did you care what other people thought?"
Riley laughed through a sob. "So... now we both have something on each other."
"Will you have to leave?"
Riley shrugged and thought; He must have not heard the last part Grandmum's and my conversation.
"I have to get back to charms, I'll talk to you later." And then she climbed the rest of the stairs and walked back into her classroom.
"What was that about?" Hermione asked as they continued where they had left off.
"Nothing. Marie just wanted to make sure I wasn't lying when I said that I was getting along fine here. I have a little trouble with getting into fights and not telling her about it."
"Hey, Riley, didn't Colin say her name was Marie Evans?" Ron asked.
"So?" Riley said. She wasn't sure if she liked how this was going to turn out.
"Well, you're last name is Evans – so is hers'. You two related?"
"Yeah. She's my Grandmum. I found her about four years ago or so. I live with her during the summers." Riley said really not wanting to get on the subject.
"Why don't you live with your parents?" Harry asked innocently.
Riley inwardly flinched, "they're ... dead." So what if it was a lie? To them she didn't even exist. Why couldn't she just think that they were dead?
"Oh ... sorry." Harry said. "I know how that feels."
"That comforting." Riley said sounding meaner then she really wanted to.
Hermione shot Ron a nasty look when he opened his mouth to most likely tell Riley off. He closed it straight away.
"Y'know... that name sounds familiar." Hermione said thoughtfully.
"What name?" questioned Riley.
"Evans, Marie Evans. I think I've read it somewhere." She said as thoughtfully as before.
Ron snorted, "you read too much, Herm."
Hermione hexed him again.
"Jeez, what did you say to her in the Great Hall, Ron?" Riley asked.
Hermione leaned over and whispered in Riley's ear.
Riley gasped. "Ron! How could you say something that rude?" she exclaimed.
And for the twelfth time that day, Ron was hexed.
"I wonder if he'll ever be immune to all the hexes you put on him, Hermione." Harry said.
Later that night, Riley was all alone in the Common room. All she could think of doing was sing. It was something she did to just relieve her stress. Well, that and riding her horse for hours. She slid into a chair, her leg dangling over the armrest, her back against the other and looked through her well-worn picture book.
Making my way downtown / Walking fast / Faces passed / And I'm home bound
Staring blankly ahead / Just making my way / Making my way / Through the crowd
And I need you / And I miss you / And now I wonder...
If I could fall / Into the sky / Do you think time / Would pass me by / 'Cause you know I'd walk / A thousand miles / If I could / Just see you / Tonight
It's always times like these / When I think of you / And I wonder / If you ever / Think of me
'Cause everything's so wrong / And I don't belong / Living in your / Precious memories
'Cause I need you / And I miss you / And now I wonder...
If I could fall / Into the sky / Do you think time / Would pass me by / 'Cause you know I'd walk / A thousand miles / If I could / Just see you / Tonight
And I, I / Don't want to let you know / I, I / Drown in your memory / I, I / Don't want to let this go / I, I / Don't...
Making my way downtown / Walking fast / Faces passed / And I'm home bound
Staring blankly ahead / Just making my way / Making my way / Through the crowd
And I still need you / And I still miss you / And now I wonder...
If I could fall / Into the sky / Do you think time / Would pass us by / 'Cause you know I'd walk / A thousand miles / If I could / Just see you...
If I could fall / Into the sky / Do you think time / Would pass me by / 'Cause you know I'd walk / A thousand miles / If I could / Just see you / If I could / Just hold you / Tonight
"You're quite the talented one, aren't you?" a familiar voice said.
Riley jumped in surprise. "Sorry, did I wake you?" she said.
He shook his head. "I was still awake. I just thought I'd come see who was serenading everyone to sleep."
"Erm..." Riley said.
Harry sat down in the chair next to her. "Hey – where'd you get that picture?"
"What picture?" Riley said.
"That one," Harry said as he pointed to a picture of two teenagers laughing happily.
Riley gulped, "it's a picture of my Grandmum, Granddad and their daughters."
Harry looked slightly confused. "Oh. Okay. I just thought it looked familiar. Well, see you tomorrow, Riley."
"G'night, Harry." Riley sighed and closed the book. She got up and headed towards her own dormitory. When she had put her picture book back, she crawled under covers and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillows.
Riley woke with a start the first morning of the Christmas holidays as her covers where ripped away from her body and the cold morning air hit her body with full force.
"Cold!" she screamed and tried to get her covers again.
"C'mon, get up!" Hermione's familiar voice said.
Riley fished for her glasses on her bedside table. "What in the name of everything warm are you doing, Hermione?" she screamed.
"Just get up. Don't bother getting dressed, no one is up. It's six in the morning."
"And I should be asleep myself!" Riley grumbled as she got out of the bed and slipped on her fuzzy blue slippers.
They two girls walked downstairs to complete silence.
Something doesn't seem right... Riley thought as they descended the stairs.
"Hermione, what—" Riley was cut short as the fireplace lit up.
"I thought I should talk to you in private." Hermione said.
Riley sat down in the same chair as last night, "about what?"
"I knew that name, Marie Evans, sounded familiar so I checked through all of my old books. But I still couldn't find it. So I went down to the library."
"What are you getting at, Hermione? And let's hope it's important or I'm going to kill you for waking me up so early on the first day of Christmas vacation."
"I have a point, I promise." Hermione reassured her. "Well, I didn't get any leads in the Library either. But, when I was walking back here I passed the old list of Head Girls and Head Boys and I checked it out.
"Now, Marie Evans wasn't on the list. Most likely because she was out of school when married and I don't know her maiden name. But there was a Lily Evans on the list. That got me thinking. Lily Evans was the name of Harry's mum. I went back to the books and looked for her; she's in quite a few of the record books actually."
Riley really hated the fact that Hermione was so intent on finding out whom Marie Evans really was now.
"Well, I found out that Marie Evans is the mother of Lily, and the mother of Harry's horrid Aunt Petunia. Well, the books also told of Marie's maiden name: Daines. Now, that name I knew without reading through any of my old books." Hermione looked almost giddy now. "Marie Daines married a man by the name of Peter Evans. Also, Marie Daines – now Evans – was the heir to the throne of Vista."
"Hermione—" Riley started.
"Okay, I know, get to the point. My point is... you said that your Grandmum was Marie Evans. Well, if she is then Petunia Evans's her eldest daughter and Lily her youngest.
"Well, the history books say that Petunia gave up the crown to Lily. Thus making Lily the heir. Well, Lily married a man by the name of James Potter and then You-Know-Who killed them. In all sense that would make Harry the heir, but Petunia had a daughter two months before Harry was even born while she still held the Crowned Princess title. That daughter is you."
"Is this supposed to come as a shock to me, Hermione?" Riley asked.
Hermione looked slightly disappointed that it wasn't a shock. "Anyway, Harry has never mentioned that anyone other than Dudley lived with him at his aunt and uncles house."
"Let me solve that puzzle for you. When Voldemort killed Aunt Lily, my magic flared up. As I'm sure Harry has told you, my mum and dad hate anything out of the ordinary – so, first chance they got they sent me to a orphanage in America hoping that I would get adopted. That's where I met Draco." Riley then stopped. "Oops..."
"Draco's adopted?" Hermione asked in shock.
"As I was saying, after my little mudblood Draco got adopted by an unsuspecting Lucius and Narcissia Malfoy ... I ran away. For a while I lived on the streets, but then when I turned eleven I got a letter from Salem Academy for Witches and off I went. In my second year, I found out through deductive reasoning that I had a Grandmum and Granddad that were still alive. So I waited until the summer holidays and then went off to find them."
Hermione's mouth opened and closed like a window shutter in the wind. "I can't believe it."
"Hermione, I know we got off to a bad start, but you cannot tell anyone what I have just told you. Draco would have my head if he knew that you knew. Not to mention my Grandmum."
"But ... if Draco is a Muggle-born himself, why does he call me mudblood?" Hermione asked.
Riley sighed, "Lucius Malfoy thinks that Draco is a pure-blood. The people at the orphanage told Malfoy that he was because now, every year, Lucius sends them a hefty check. Draco had to act like a pure-blood. If Lucius knew his son was a "mudblood" Draco would be dead."
Hermione sucked in her breath. "I am beginning to think Ron was right about me reading too much..."
Riley smiled slightly; "you can never read too much. Just sometimes that knowledge can lead to trouble." She paused. "Hermione, you have to promise me that you will never tell a soul what I have told you. In all due time I will tell Harry who I really am ... but for now it's best if he is ignorant."
"I promise." Hermione said.
"You do know that promises made by Witches and Wizards are more powerful than Muggle promises?" Riley asked.
"What do you mean?"
"A promise between two people of magical ability is strong... stronger than anything else. It's kind of like two little kids doing a blood sisters type of thing." Riley said.
"Oh, I get it now." Hermione said.
Riley stood up and headed towards the stairs. "Let's get dressed and go se if my Grandmum is here still. I'm sure she would love to meet the girl who solved a very well kept secret."
Hermione smiled shyly and got up. They both took their showers before heading down the stairs once again to go to the Great Hall where hopefully Riley's Grandmum would be. And sure enough, she was.
"Grandmum... this is Hermione Granger. Through her own little investigation that started with thinking your name sounded familiar, she cracked the secret."
Once again Hermione blushed. "Pleasure to meet you, ma'am."
Marie Evans smiled warmly. "Hello, dear. I have heard much about you from Albus."
"You – you have?" Hermione stuttered.
"Yes, I always love to hear about the top students. You're quite clever to have figured out my little secret."
"Thanks. But they don't say "curiosity killed the cat" for no reason," Hermione replied. And to her shock, Marie laughed.
"Curiosity is not a bad thing. But, you are right; it can be dangerous. Why, I remember the time my husband –"
"Grandmum!" Riley said to stop her from starting one of her annoyingly long stories. "Please, don't start a story. You don't have a lot of time."
"Why not?" Marie asked.
Riley smiled, "Grandmum... you have to be back in Vista for the rest of the delegations; you've put them off long enough. Remember?"
"Oh, dear me! I do. Well, it was nice to meet you Hermione... never stop being curious." Marie said as she stood up. "I will see you at the end of the term, Riley. Have fun."
"I will, Grandmum, don't worry. Bye." Riley said as her grandmother kissed her forehead and then was off to Hogsmeade.
"She's quite nice, you know." Hermione said as the two girls sat back down at their table.
Riley nodded. "Sometimes I wish that I had known her longer. She's getting old, though she won't admit it. After Granddad died, she lost a little bit of her will to live. But I think she's holding her own quite well."
"Will you accept the crown when you graduate?" Hermione asked.
Riley shrugged, "as I told Draco, I don't know. I hardly know anything about delegating and whatnot. I just know magic."
"Hey, we were wondering where you two were." Ron said as he and Harry sat down across the table from the girls.
"Well, here we are." Hermione said nervously.
Harry's smile turned into a slight frown as he saw Draco Malfoy come and sit with his back to them, right next to Riley.
"Hey, Ri."
"What's up, Draco?" Riley said as she grabbed another bowl of cereal as Draco had taken her first bowl.
"I just met your Grandmum. Nice lady, she is. She looks familiar." Draco replied.
"Well, why wouldn't she? You have probably met her at some point in your life. You're a Malfoy – they have to keep up with the "people" ... if you know what I mean." Riley said.
"True, true."
Riley then smacked his hand. "Don't you even think about it. That's my toast. You already took my cereal."
Draco mock pouted, "fine. I know when I'm not wanted. See you at the Yule Ball."
"Oh! That reminds me..." Riley started her sentence, but never finished because of a well aimed kick to the ankle from her left side.
"What?" Draco asked.
Riley rubbed her ankle with her other foot. "Never mind." When Draco had walked over to his own table, with Riley's cereal still in his hands Riley rounded on Hermione. "What'd you do that for?"
Hermione looked at her knowingly. Riley's eyebrows went up and Hermione nodded.
"Do you get the feeling that girls have their own secret language without words?" Ron asked Harry.
Harry, who was also watching the two girl's converse silently, nodded. "Yeah."
"So, anyway," Hermione said coming out of the silent conversation. "I figured that with a Hogsmeade weekend coming up we should go look around for some dress robes."
Before Riley could answer, Dumbledore stood up to make an announcement.
"Now as all of you may know, the annual Yule Ball is coming up. And it was the unanimous decision of myself and the rest of the teachers that we should change things around a bit."
Everyone started talking at once.
"Wait until I am finished, please." Dumbledore said over the talking. "Now, the theme of this years ball is a masquerade. When I finish talking, please look under your plates for a small slip of paper. What is written on it will be what or whom you shall go to the ball as. This way no one will show up to the ball dressed as the same person or thing. You may all look under you plates now."
There was the sound of many people lifting their plates and putting them back down again.
Riley unfolded her slip of paper and read it. Anastasia... well isn't that ironic. She thought.
"Now, if I may continue." Dumbledore said to quite everyone down yet again. "Everyone is to find their partner when they show up at the Ball. You shall not know who he or she is until the clock chimes midnight. While others will know who you are, your partner will not." He stopped there. "Oh, and one more thing. Do not tell or show anyone who you are to go to the ball as."
Hermione and Riley both looked at each other, thinking the same thing. Whoops.
~~
Author's Note: Well, there you have it, the third chapter. I just know how to keep you surprised, don't I? :) I hope you liked it. Plus, I don't own the song. Vanessa Carlton does.
Thank you very much to rokjai and SamWitch for reviewing my story!