Chapter One

A Strange Girl

One early August afternoon, Ginny returned home from her shopping spree in Diagon Alley. She managed to purchase all of her

schoolbooks and run into a good friend all in the same day.

"Don't snog people in bathrooms," she muttered to herself as she flopped onto the couch, "especially when people may see

you."

Suddenly, Errol crashed into the window of the living room, causing it to shatter. He had a light pink envelope tied to his

foot with a piece of baby blue twine. He screeched as if to make clear that he was okay. Ginny proceeded to open the letter

cautiously, wondering whom she knew of that used pink envelops and blue twine. She read the letter aloud:

Dearest Ginny,

I heard about your new romance with Justinian Malfoy. Good luck and take care!

Signed,

Nikki

"Hi," said a voice that startled Ginny. She spun around to see a strange girl sitting on the windowsill. She was slender,

with long hair that was the color of dried blood on paper, and eyes the color of Pepto-Bismol. She was wearing an outfit that

would make Ginny's parents cringe. "You should really consider replacing that owl," she remarked.

"Who are you?" Ginny demanded, "What do you want?"

"I'm Nikki, full name Nicolea" the girl reached her arm out to shake hands but Ginny just furrowed her brow disapprovingly.

"Well, I just want to meet Justinian's new girlfriend. I see you got my letter."

"How do you know Justinian?" Ginny asked impatiently.

"I'm a long-time friend of his father's," Nikki explained. She then invited herself to sit in Mr. Wesley's favorite orange

armchair. "You know how furious Mr. Malfoy would be if he were to find out."

"I'm well aware, thank you very much, now please leave before somebody sees you," Ginny said sternly.

"You mean I'm not welcome here?" Nikki whimpered.

"No, you aren't," Ginny raised her voice, "please leave!" Ginny pointed towards the front door.

Just then, Mrs. Weasley came hurrying down the stairs. "Oh Ginny, I see you brought a friend," she said. She then turned to

the visitor. "What's your name dear?"

"I'm Nikki," she smiled sweetly.

"Do your parents know you're here?" Mrs. Weasley asked softly.

"Yes."

"Well then, can I fix you girls anything to eat?"

"Mom," Ginny said, "Nikki and I are kind of in the middle of something."

"Oh, ok. I'll leave you two girls alone. It was nice meeting you, Nikki." Mrs. Weasley said as she disappeared into the

kitchen.

"You too, Mrs. Weasley!" Nikki called after her. Her focus was then directed towards Ginny again. "Your mother is so nice

and at least SHE welcomes me. Since you obviously don't want me here, then I'll leave if it makes you that happy. Tell her

that I got sick and suddenly had to rush home."

And at that, a thick cloud of pink dust appeared where Nikki was standing, and she was gone. Ginny took a seat on the couch

to ponder what had just happened. She felt guilty for being so harsh to the girl but she couldn't risk having her family

find out about her relationship with Justinian. Voices tended to echo throughout the Burrow so it was easy to overhear

somebody's conversation. Ginny decided that if she ever met Nikki again, she would apologize.

"Oh, where did Nikki go?" a confused Mrs. Weasley asked, looking around the room.

"Uh...She fell very ill and um... and had to rush home. She told me to say goodbye for you." Ginny stuttered nervously.

"Oh what a shame, she was such a nice girl," Mrs. Weasley sighed.

§¨©ª

Right after she had left the Weasley house, Nikki decided to make another visit. She marched up the stoop of the Malfoy's

mansion and knocked on the door. After ten long second, nobody answered so she knocked once more, this time a bit louder.

Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy opened the door just enough so that she could poke her nose through.

"Who are you and why are you here?" Narcissa sneered.

"I'm Nikki and I'm here to see your husband," Nikki replied. Narcissa then swung the door all the way open and glared at

Nikki, her pinched face turned beet red with anger.

"What do you want to see Lucius for?" she hissed, narrowing her eyes so that they looked like tiny slits on her aging face.

"He and I were good friends long ago," Nikki said.

"Well, you two are no longer good friends. Goodbye," Narcissa snapped, about to slam the door shut.

"Madam, you're being really annoying," said Nikki, whipping her wand out of her pocket. She then used it to temporarily

stun Narcissa, who collapsed to the ground. "Geez, nobody likes to make me feel welcome anymore," Nikki grumbled to herself

as she daintily stepped over Narcissa's body. She then made her way to Lucius's office and found him sitting at his desk in

what else but a desk chair.

"Hello," she said, standing in the doorway. Lucius recognized her voice so he did not bother looking up at her.

"Go away," he grunted. Nikki crept towards him and laid her hand on his shoulder.

"You still have to make one more wish," Nikki said in almost a whisper, "I came here to remind you of that"

"I don't want to make my third wish, just leave me alone." Lucius Malfoy still did not look up from his work.

"But you have to. That's the only way I can become a human."

Lucius spun around in his desk chair, knocking Nikki off balance. "Just go away!" he shouted, "Or I will hex you! Trust

me I will!"

"You're very irritable these days," Nikki pointed out, "And if you want to hex me, then you can do so in a proper duel."

Lucius agreed and shook hands with her. They walked the six steps away from each other and the two steps towards each other.

Then, Lucius mumbled "flipendo" and casted a spell at Nikki, but she executed the disarming charm, causing the spell to

strike Lucius, and he went flying backwards. She had altered the spell to turn his hair a revolting shade of hot pink.

"You look more youthful now than you have in years," Nikki said.

"Why, thank you," Lucius answered, unaware of his new hairdo.

Narcissa had awoken and stormed into the office. "Lucius! Your hair!" she screeched. A horrified expression took over her

face.

"You like it?" Nikki said joyfully, "I was worried that it would be a bit much but it came out perfectly."

Lucius confronted his reflection in the mirror and then screamed in terror, causing the glass to shatter, "fix it!" he

demanded.

"I will if you do me a favor," Nikki said, her hands on her hip.

"Get out this instant!" Narcissa roared, "We will do you no favors!"

"Calm down, lady," Nikki said giving Narcissa a pointed expression, "I'm not trying to seduce your idiot husband!"

"What would you like me to do?" Lucius asked calmly. Narcissa opened her mouth to yell something, but her husband gestured

for her not to.

"Well," Nikki started, "I need a manicure, a pedicure, a haircut, and a new wardrobe."

"What for?" He inquired.

"Because I'm going back to Hogwarts," Nikki announced.