Chapter Eleven: Drowning in Darkness
A/N: OK, ok, I got it . . . too many new characters. And, apparently, they're like cookies. To make y'all happy, I'll slowly add non-cookie cutter people. Thanks SO much for all of your reviews! Over 17 of them! Maybe you know how good it feels to have so many reviews come to you in your e-mail box. Maybe you don't. Anyway, it feels great!
The Life of a Gryffindor is a work in progress. I've been spending math classes writing it for your enjoyment. He he. ^_^
PARAGRAPH FROM THE LIFE OF A GRYFFINDOR:
It might've been one of the worst days for Draco Malfoy. It also might've been one of the best. Today was the start of his life. Today, Draco would be going to Diagon Alley for Hogwarts. In less than week, he would be going on the Hogwarts Express. And then, Draco would go to Hogwarts and be Sorted into Slytherin . . . he would most definitely be Sorted into Slytherin. If he wasn't . . . so many horrible things would happen.
Disclaimer: Miss Independent wrote out the plot. J.K. Rowling owns all of the good crap.
* * *
The next morning, Harry woke up to a late start. He was extremely anxious to meet the new girls who had transferred. He wasn't about to go off with a first year though. That was just sad. Harry thought about what he had dreamt about the previous night. That particular night, he had only one single dream . . . well, only one dream he could remember, anyway.
Harry remembered his dream quite well. It had been playing over and over in his mind. He had been walking along one of the Hogwarts corridors, trying to get to class. And then, Weasel had approached him. He was fully surprised when Weasley him greeted with a smile and a wave. He remembered him saying "Hey Harry! Ready to go to Charms?" Since when were Harry and Ron FRIENDS? They hadn't even had a conversation without fighting since that one day on the Hogwarts Express. To his surprise and distaste, Harry had responded with "Yeah, but where's Hermione?" No . . . Harry would never care about Granger so much to call her by her first name. It was like some weird, alternate universe. Then, Granger had come up to them both, screeching about being late for class. In other words, being like same old Hermione . . . HERMIONE!? Harry called her GRANGER, not Hermione. Harry shook his head, rather confused.
Harry quickly changed into his black school robes and used a small amount of gel on his hair so that it was randomly spiked. Harry could see that all of the other beds were empty, even Draco's. 'He's probably in the Great Hall already,' Harry thought to himself, letting out a yawn.
Harry got his books and put them into his bag. He didn't have too much time today to come back to his dorm so he made sure he had put everything he needed in his bag. Harry walked out of the boys' dorm and into the Slytherin common room. Some sunlight was peaking into the large room through the windows. A few people were rushing through, trying to get out of the common room. And yet no sign of Draco or Devon or Saffron. Lillie wasn't even there.
Harry sighed and walked out of the common room. He was walking to the entrance hall, not paying attention, when he 'accidentally' bumped into the person in front of him. Harry looked up and saw a familiar head of flowing blond hair. He knew that it was Devon. Devon turned around, a sort of agitated look on her face. That look stuck until she saw Harry behind her.
"Oh, hey Harry," Devon said casually, grinning from ear-to-ear.
"Hey Devon. Going to the Great Hall?" Harry said smoothly, flashing her his gorgeous grin. Devon nodded, still smiling wide.
"That's where I'm headed. Shall we walk together then?"
"Yeah, OK," Devon said. The pair both walked through the remaining corridors and hallways and through the Entrance Hall, heading for the Great Hall. The two walked into the Great Hall. Immediately after, almost every guy in fifty feet of Devon started gawking at her. Harry shot them all his death glare and they looked away. Harry had an amused smile on his face. Harry had his hand on Devon's hip as they walked over to the Slytherin table and sat down. Draco, Saffron, Tristan, and Lillie were all already sitting down. Tristan and Saffron were deep in conversation, yet again. Lillie was talking with Megan and Draco was sitting alone. He was obviously looking around for someone.
Harry loaded his plate with sausages, bacon, buttered toast, eggs, and pancakes covered in maple syrup. He had a big appetite this particular morning. He started eating some of his toast and eggs. He was eating when he looked over at Draco, who was grinning. Apparently, he had seen the person he was search so avidly for.
Adriana Kendra walked into the Great Hall, slowly and gracefully. Although she was tired, there was no trace of it on her face. Her sapphire blue eyes were as bright as usual. There was a tinge of violet in them today. Behind her was someone who must've been a friend or something. Draco noticed the girl, who wasn't exactly the most attractive person ever, say something to Adriana. Draco watched as Adriana smiled slightly and replied back. Adriana turned her head, now facing the Slytherin table.
She saw Draco looking into her, a smirk on her face. A moment later, Adriana and her friend sat down at the Slytherin table, across from Draco. Adriana's bright sapphire eyes landed on him, a smile creeping onto her beautiful face.
"Hello, Draco," Adriana said, still smiling. Her eyes then landed on her friend. "Draco, this is Amanda Lorne. She's my closest friend. She's the one who persuaded me to come to Hogwarts in the first place."
"Hey Amanda," Draco said, his silver eyes flashing upon this stranger. "I'm Draco Malfoy, though I'm sure you already knew that."
"Yeah, I've seen you around. I've heard a lot about your family," Amanda replied, smiling. Her voice was oddly high but it was fine all the same. Draco could see her as a girl he could get easily annoyed by. Draco nodded.
"And yet, I haven't heard about you," Draco replied, a hint of mystery in his rich voice. Amanda nodded slightly. Adriana must've been feeling left out because she piped in.
"Were our class schedules passed out yet, Draco?" Adriana asked, in her sexy voice. Draco absolutely LOVED how Adriana said his name. It seemed so much better coming out of her mouth then anyone else's. Draco didn't notice Saffron glaring at Adriana though. Adriana didn't either and waited for a response.
"No, not yet. I guess they'll be passing them out soon," Draco said. He took a swig of his orange juice. He smiled at Adriana.
"Class schedules!" exclaimed Millicent Bulstrode. She had a pile of schedule papers in her hands. She handed them out by name until everyone had received one.
"OK . . ." Harry said, looking at his schedule. "I guess we have History of Magic next. Go figure." Devon let out a small giggle. Harry gave her a gorgeous grin.
"After that, I've got Arithmancy," Devon said, letting out a sigh. "I REALLY don't need that in the morning . . . what about you?" Devon asked no one in particular.
"Our first class of the day is Charms," Lillie said, turning away from Megan. Then she turned back as they continued talking.
"I have Ancient Runes after History of Magic," Adriana said, smiling. Draco had a sort of disappointed look on his face.
"I've got Care of Magical Creatures with that big oaf," Draco said, a hint of disappointment in his voice. "Then I have Charms."
Although Harry DID think that Hagrid was a big fool, he had a certain level of respect for him. After all, Hagrid WAS the person who took Harry away from the Dursleys.
"This is going to be a long day . . ." Harry drawled, shaking his head. The others nodded in agreement.
* * *
History of Magic class, of course, was one of the most boring classes at Hogwarts. Actually, it WAS the most boring class, even more boring than Arithmancy or Ancient Runes. Harry and Devon sat next to each other in that class, both nearly falling asleep. Adriana and Amanda sat next to each other. Near them were Tristan and Saffron, trying to have a conversation during the class. Oddly enough, Draco Malfoy sat alone.
"We will be having a test next Tuesday about what you have learned today," Professor Binns said, in his drone-like voice. "I'm sure you have all taken detailed notes to help you study."
"Yeah, right," Harry muttered to himself, letting out a small yawn. He was so very tired and having History of Magic class early in the morning didn't exactly help. Harry took out his class schedule, a small smile appearing on his face. Transfiguration, though it was with Professor McGonagall, would be next. It was his favorite class, along with Charms.
"See you later?"
"Yeah; after History of Magic class, I don't know how I'll ever stay awake in Arithmancy," Devon said, managing a weak smile. She started walking out, giving Harry a small wave. Harry followed her lead, walking through the corridors to the Transfiguration classroom.
Harry reached Transfiguration class a few moments later. Draco and Saffron were a few feet behind him the whole time, though he didn't realize it. They seemed to be arguing about something.
"Saffron! How could y -"
"How could I what? Make friends with someone who just happens to be a VERY attractive guy?" Saffron exclaimed, outraged. Draco's jaw dropped.
"I-I . . . that totally is be -" Draco stammered.
"Save it for later, Draco. Class is going to start." Saffron shook her head and took a seat on one of the ends in the back. Not wanting to be near Saffron, Draco took a seat in the back of the classroom as well, though it was at the other end of the row. Harry raised a well-shaped eyebrow and took a random seat in the back row.
Soon after, several students piled into the large classroom, taking any old seat. Harry took out his Transfiguration book and flipped it to a random chapter. There was some time to kill before the class actually started.
To his distaste, ten minutes before class would start, Granger and Weasel walked into Transfiguration together. They both took seats in the middle of the classroom. Harry watched as Hermione turned her head, her eyes locking with Harry's for the shortest moment. Harry looked down, continuing to read. What Harry immediately noticed when he saw her that she looked a little different, once again. Her hair wasn't frizzy as it usually was. In fact, it was looking particularly straight and shiny.
Draco was taking a piece of parchment and a quill out of his bag when he heard a high-pitched, evil voice. It was Pansy.
"Dracie! Where have you been??" Pansy exclaimed, proceeding to give Draco a very large hug. When it was obvious to let go, she just kept hanging on, squeezing him very tightly.
"In class," Draco managed to say, trying to take her arms off of his body. He felt like he was suffocating.
"Draco! Don't you love me anymore!?" Pansy yelled tearfully. People were starting to turn around and watch this spectacle.
"I never loved you, bitch!" Draco exclaimed firmly. Pansy looked at him, an outraged look on her face.
"Who the hell do you think you are? Calling me a bitch?" Pansy said. "I'm not A bitch. I'm THE bitch." Pansy then leaned in, starting to kiss Draco. She tried to choke him with her slimy tongue and saliva. Draco tried hard to push her away.
Moments later, Pansy still hadn't stopped kissing Draco. Draco would probably have to brush his teeth ten times just to get the awful stench of Pansy's spit out of his mouth.
Meanwhile, Harry was watching all of this, laughing his head off. Thank God he didn't have someone like Pansy. Thank God he didn't have a girl that was extremely obsessed with him . . . who waited on him hand and foot . . . Thank God.
"Fuck off, woman!" Draco yelled, pushing Pansy off of him. "Damn! What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Kissing you! Duh!" Pansy exclaimed as if she thought it was the most genius thing in the world. Pansy could be so annoying sometimes. Oh well.
"If I could please have your attention!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed, so that her voice could be well heard. "Welcome to a fresh year of school at Hogwarts. You might THINK that this whole year will be all fun and games."
"But let me warn you, shall I? It will most certainly NOT be. You all will be expected to work hard and do your best. And if getting half-marks is your best, do better! We will begin studying for the O.W.L.S., which you will be taking at the end of this year." O.W.L.S. was the acronym for Ordinary Wizarding Levels that every witch or wizard took in their fifth year.
"Today, you will be learning to transfigure a small mouse into a large cat." This would be the first class in which they would be doing extreme animal transformations. And yet, Harry had known how to do such things for years. Sometimes Transfiguration could be boring just because he already knew what he was supposed to be 'learning.'
Professor McGonagall took out her wand. She muttered a spell and small mice appeared on everyone's desk. Almost immediately, the mice tried to squirm away.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Harry muttered, pointing his wand the mouse. The mouse immediately froze.
"Now, take your wands and point them to your mouse. Make sure that they stay still," said Professor McGonagall.
"Then, say the spell clearly so that it will work. I'm sure that if you all do everything correctly, your mouse will be correctly transfigured into a cat." Professor McGonagall pointed her wand to the mouse on her desk.
"Felinus Incantem!" The tiny white mouse that was once on her desk turned into an oddly large cat of the same white shade.
"Now, say the incantation clearly and slowly. Make sure you pronounce the two words correctly. Felinus Incantem." All across the classroom, the students had their wands pointed at their mice and said the incantation.
Harry pointed his wand to his black mouse. He said the spell almost lazily, as if he was bored and tired.
"Felinus Incantem!" Harry said, his wand pointing to his mask. The mouse slowly turned into a large black cat and was no longer frozen. It started hissing at Harry. He shook his head, letting out a small laugh.
Harry looked over at Draco to see if he had done the spell correctly. Draco's mouse had been correctly transfigured into a cat. Weasley seemed to be having difficulty with it though. So far, his mouse purred but didn't even look like a cat. Granger was yelling at him, trying to tell him how to make it work.
Harry laughed as he watched the other students unsuccessfully transfiguring their mice. It was rather amusing, he thought.
"See, everyone! Miss Granger, Mr. Potter, and Mr. Malfoy have all done the spell correctly. Good work! Five points to Gryffindor. Ten points to Slytherin," Professor McGonagall said, writing this down. The Gryffindors scowled over at the Slytherins, who were looking extremely smug and content. Granger, though, was looking particularly proud.
At the end of the class, Saffron had managed to turn her mouse into a cat- like creature . . . which squeaked. Weasley had turned his mouse into a mouse with fangs. Some other students had turned their mice into cats, though not accurately.
"Remember! This will probably on your O.W.L.S.!" Professor McGonagall barked. The bell rang and all of the students left the classroom immediately.
Saffron and Draco were obviously now avoiding each other. Harry guessed it was because they didn't want to argue with each other anymore. Harry shrugged as he walked past the two and headed for his next class.
* * *
The first official day back at school seemed to go by rather fast, oddly enough. Harry had only two classes with Devon. In both, he sat next to her. They had interesting conversations in both of their shared classes. Soon enough, it was time for dinner in the Great Hall.
Harry entered the Great Hall with Draco beside him. Saffron and Tristan weren't too far behind them. Lillie and Megan were talking to each other, walking past Harry and Draco. The group of Slytherins, though not all together, all sat down at the Slytherin table. The long tables of the Great Hall were all covered with an assortment of delicious foods. Suckling pork, roast duck, fried chicken, roast beef . . . all sorts of meat that you could imagine, were there. There were many platters of crunchy vegetables and steamed vegetables. There was also kidney pudding, meat pies, treacle tart, and sugar and fruit pies. There were also large pitchers of ice cold pumpkin juice.
Harry and Draco both took large portions of the food, though saving room for dessert. Harry started eating his roast beef while talking to Draco. He wondered where Devon was though.
"I've spotted some extremely hot Ravenclaws in the corridors," Harry said, taking a bite of meat pie.
"Wicked. I have a feeling this is going to be an extremely eventful year," Draco said, a smirk on his face. He took a gulp of his pumpkin juice, his silver eyes looking around.
He was searching around avidly for Adriana. Where was she? Harry nodded in agreement.
"We're going to have a LOT of fun." Draco nodded. Just then, Devon walked into the Great Hall. She smiled and waved at Harry who waved back. Hopefully, she wouldn't get too attached to him . . .
"Hey Harry," Devon said when she reached the Slytherin table. She sat down next to Harry.
"Hey Dev," Harry replied, a small smile on his handsome face.
"How were your classes today? Mine were OK," Devon said, putting some food onto her plate.
"Yeah, kind of boring though," Harry said. Meanwhile, Hermione and Ron were eating and talking.
"Honestly, Ron! You'd think you'd be able to do that simple charm," Hermione said disapprovingly.
"Hermione, you that that EVERY charm is simple," Ron replied hotly, stabbing his suckling pork with his fork.
"No, I don't!" Hermione said in protest. Dean and Seamus were in conversation about the Quidditch World Cup that had happened over the summer.
"Honestly, I think Ireland should've won," Seamus said. Dean shook his head.
"It was clear that the Wasps had put together a better side than the Irish team, Seamus," Dean said, still shaking his head. Hermione shook her head. Couldn't they talk about something more enlightening like the spells they had learned that day? Hermione looked over at Ron, who was clearly distracted. He was staring over at the Slytherin table. Hermione saw a furious look on his face as he continued stabbing his food with his fork. Hermione rolled her eyes at him.
At the Slytherin table, Draco's silver eyes shot around, filled with worry. What if something bad had happened to Adriana? No, that couldn't be it. Draco ate a small chunk of his fried chicken. He was distracted with his food and the conversations of the others when he heard a small, smooth voice in his ear.
"Miss me, Draco?"
Almost immediately, Draco knew that the voice belonged to Adriana. Who else could it be? Draco turned his head around, a smile on his face.
"Of course, Adriana," Draco drawled, his voice dripping with curiosity and anxiousness. "Where've you been, then?"
"I had some . . . matters to take care of. I'm sure you can understand," Adriana replied, sitting down next to Draco. Draco nodded. Saffron eyed the two as they began to speak.
"How was your day?"
"It went well," Draco said. "Of course, I knew most of the things I was supposed to be 'taught' but nonetheless, it was an interesting day." Draco raised a well-shaped eyebrow at Adriana.
"And you?"
"It went particularly well. Though I was extremely bored. It seemed like the day would go on forever Draco nodded in agreement. He enjoyed speaking with Adriana. He enjoyed it a lot.
"I felt the same way all day. I was hoping it would be over so I could have the opportunity to speak to you again." Draco gave her a grin.
"Well, here I am, Mr. Malfoy," Adriana said, taking a small sip of her pumpkin juice. Pretty soon, Draco was close to bursting with food. Adriana seemed to be content. A mischievous smile appeared on Adriana's gorgeous face.
"I have an idea, Draco," Adriana said, not disclosing anymore information. Draco was very curious as to what Adriana's idea was.
"Yeah, Adriana?"
"You'll have to find out. Follow me, will you?" Adriana said. Adriana got up and out of her seat and proceeded to walk out of the Great Hall. Draco followed close behind, still very curious. She led him through the dim corridors. The hallways were dark, dimly lit by torches in some places.
After what seemed like a lifetime, Adriana had led Draco up to the castle rooftop. He hadn't been up there since the previous year. Out of the whole of the Hogwarts castle, the rooftop was the best place to think, to hope, to wonder . . .
Adriana walked across the rooftop. She stopped once she had reached the middle of the rooftop. She sat down and looked up at Draco, who was looking slightly confused. She gave him a look that clearly said, 'Please . . . sit down.' Draco stretched before sitting down next to Adriana on the ground. Adriana turned over to Draco, her sapphire eyes locking with his silver ones.
"I came up here last night," Adriana said, pausing for a moment. "I needed a good place to think. So many thoughts went through my head last night, Draco." Draco didn't know what to say to this so he just stayed silent, waiting for Adriana to continue speaking.
"I can't believe how different Hogwarts is from my old school. Everything from the classes to the food is different. I left a lot of people behind when I transferred to Hogwarts. Many people that I miss to this day."
"If you miss them so much, maybe . . . maybe you shouldn't have come to Hogwarts," Draco said, unsurely. Adriana smiled, shaking her head.
"It was time for a change, Draco. I needed to get away from there. I needed a fresh start. Don't get me wrong . . . I loved living there; I really did. But I knew that it was my time to leave. Does that make sense?"
"Yeah . . . I think it does," Draco replied. "Well, I'm glad you came to Hogwarts then." From the moment their eyes had first locked the previous day, Draco had known that Adriana was different from all of the other girls. She just . . . was.
"I'm glad I came here too. Otherwise, I would currently be at Durmstrang Institute," Adriana said, a weak smile on her face.
"So, tell me one thing about yourself, Draco. Anything at all, go ahead and tell me. It could be a hobby or something you really dislike. Just tell me something."
"I love to read," Draco blurted out almost immediately. Adriana smiled at him.
"Now, I'll tell you something about myself," Adriana said, a sly grin on her face. Draco had a feeling this little game would go on for awhile. "I love to write. I especially love to write poems. It's like putting your soul onto paper."
"I never thought about it like that," Draco said, truthfully. "Um, I really like to draw."
"Really? I never pictured you much as an artist. But I guessed you proved me wrong," Adriana replied. "I like to sing." Draco thought that she would have the sweetest singing voice ever.
"I used to be afraid of heights," Draco said. "That was before I ever got onto a broomstick."
"You play Quidditch?" Adriana said, smiling. "I love Quidditch." Draco grinned wide, happy that she liked one of his hobbies. And so, their little game went on. Draco learned that Adriana had two siblings, that her father had left their family, and a number of other interesting things about Adriana. In turn, Adriana knew much more about Draco.
"Would you . . . will you read me one of your poems?" Draco finally said, after they had finished talking. Adriana nodded her head. Adriana waited a moment before reciting her poem.
"The sky is clear. The sky is dark. I watch you near. I watch your mark. I see you smile. I see you there. I wait awhile. I wonder where. Drowning in darkness is what I do. I wonder why everything is oh-so wrong. I think about how I lost you. I put these words into a song. Nothing else is new." Adriana cleared her throat before continuing on.
"Drowning in darkness is what I do. It's what I did . . . when I lost you."
* * *
A/N: I know! That chapter was kind of long but so freakin' crappy! I'm SO sorry, y'all! Yes, I know that the poem Adriana wrote sucked. But who really cares? Please review. I appreciate all of them! ^_^
A/N: OK, ok, I got it . . . too many new characters. And, apparently, they're like cookies. To make y'all happy, I'll slowly add non-cookie cutter people. Thanks SO much for all of your reviews! Over 17 of them! Maybe you know how good it feels to have so many reviews come to you in your e-mail box. Maybe you don't. Anyway, it feels great!
The Life of a Gryffindor is a work in progress. I've been spending math classes writing it for your enjoyment. He he. ^_^
PARAGRAPH FROM THE LIFE OF A GRYFFINDOR:
It might've been one of the worst days for Draco Malfoy. It also might've been one of the best. Today was the start of his life. Today, Draco would be going to Diagon Alley for Hogwarts. In less than week, he would be going on the Hogwarts Express. And then, Draco would go to Hogwarts and be Sorted into Slytherin . . . he would most definitely be Sorted into Slytherin. If he wasn't . . . so many horrible things would happen.
Disclaimer: Miss Independent wrote out the plot. J.K. Rowling owns all of the good crap.
* * *
The next morning, Harry woke up to a late start. He was extremely anxious to meet the new girls who had transferred. He wasn't about to go off with a first year though. That was just sad. Harry thought about what he had dreamt about the previous night. That particular night, he had only one single dream . . . well, only one dream he could remember, anyway.
Harry remembered his dream quite well. It had been playing over and over in his mind. He had been walking along one of the Hogwarts corridors, trying to get to class. And then, Weasel had approached him. He was fully surprised when Weasley him greeted with a smile and a wave. He remembered him saying "Hey Harry! Ready to go to Charms?" Since when were Harry and Ron FRIENDS? They hadn't even had a conversation without fighting since that one day on the Hogwarts Express. To his surprise and distaste, Harry had responded with "Yeah, but where's Hermione?" No . . . Harry would never care about Granger so much to call her by her first name. It was like some weird, alternate universe. Then, Granger had come up to them both, screeching about being late for class. In other words, being like same old Hermione . . . HERMIONE!? Harry called her GRANGER, not Hermione. Harry shook his head, rather confused.
Harry quickly changed into his black school robes and used a small amount of gel on his hair so that it was randomly spiked. Harry could see that all of the other beds were empty, even Draco's. 'He's probably in the Great Hall already,' Harry thought to himself, letting out a yawn.
Harry got his books and put them into his bag. He didn't have too much time today to come back to his dorm so he made sure he had put everything he needed in his bag. Harry walked out of the boys' dorm and into the Slytherin common room. Some sunlight was peaking into the large room through the windows. A few people were rushing through, trying to get out of the common room. And yet no sign of Draco or Devon or Saffron. Lillie wasn't even there.
Harry sighed and walked out of the common room. He was walking to the entrance hall, not paying attention, when he 'accidentally' bumped into the person in front of him. Harry looked up and saw a familiar head of flowing blond hair. He knew that it was Devon. Devon turned around, a sort of agitated look on her face. That look stuck until she saw Harry behind her.
"Oh, hey Harry," Devon said casually, grinning from ear-to-ear.
"Hey Devon. Going to the Great Hall?" Harry said smoothly, flashing her his gorgeous grin. Devon nodded, still smiling wide.
"That's where I'm headed. Shall we walk together then?"
"Yeah, OK," Devon said. The pair both walked through the remaining corridors and hallways and through the Entrance Hall, heading for the Great Hall. The two walked into the Great Hall. Immediately after, almost every guy in fifty feet of Devon started gawking at her. Harry shot them all his death glare and they looked away. Harry had an amused smile on his face. Harry had his hand on Devon's hip as they walked over to the Slytherin table and sat down. Draco, Saffron, Tristan, and Lillie were all already sitting down. Tristan and Saffron were deep in conversation, yet again. Lillie was talking with Megan and Draco was sitting alone. He was obviously looking around for someone.
Harry loaded his plate with sausages, bacon, buttered toast, eggs, and pancakes covered in maple syrup. He had a big appetite this particular morning. He started eating some of his toast and eggs. He was eating when he looked over at Draco, who was grinning. Apparently, he had seen the person he was search so avidly for.
Adriana Kendra walked into the Great Hall, slowly and gracefully. Although she was tired, there was no trace of it on her face. Her sapphire blue eyes were as bright as usual. There was a tinge of violet in them today. Behind her was someone who must've been a friend or something. Draco noticed the girl, who wasn't exactly the most attractive person ever, say something to Adriana. Draco watched as Adriana smiled slightly and replied back. Adriana turned her head, now facing the Slytherin table.
She saw Draco looking into her, a smirk on her face. A moment later, Adriana and her friend sat down at the Slytherin table, across from Draco. Adriana's bright sapphire eyes landed on him, a smile creeping onto her beautiful face.
"Hello, Draco," Adriana said, still smiling. Her eyes then landed on her friend. "Draco, this is Amanda Lorne. She's my closest friend. She's the one who persuaded me to come to Hogwarts in the first place."
"Hey Amanda," Draco said, his silver eyes flashing upon this stranger. "I'm Draco Malfoy, though I'm sure you already knew that."
"Yeah, I've seen you around. I've heard a lot about your family," Amanda replied, smiling. Her voice was oddly high but it was fine all the same. Draco could see her as a girl he could get easily annoyed by. Draco nodded.
"And yet, I haven't heard about you," Draco replied, a hint of mystery in his rich voice. Amanda nodded slightly. Adriana must've been feeling left out because she piped in.
"Were our class schedules passed out yet, Draco?" Adriana asked, in her sexy voice. Draco absolutely LOVED how Adriana said his name. It seemed so much better coming out of her mouth then anyone else's. Draco didn't notice Saffron glaring at Adriana though. Adriana didn't either and waited for a response.
"No, not yet. I guess they'll be passing them out soon," Draco said. He took a swig of his orange juice. He smiled at Adriana.
"Class schedules!" exclaimed Millicent Bulstrode. She had a pile of schedule papers in her hands. She handed them out by name until everyone had received one.
"OK . . ." Harry said, looking at his schedule. "I guess we have History of Magic next. Go figure." Devon let out a small giggle. Harry gave her a gorgeous grin.
"After that, I've got Arithmancy," Devon said, letting out a sigh. "I REALLY don't need that in the morning . . . what about you?" Devon asked no one in particular.
"Our first class of the day is Charms," Lillie said, turning away from Megan. Then she turned back as they continued talking.
"I have Ancient Runes after History of Magic," Adriana said, smiling. Draco had a sort of disappointed look on his face.
"I've got Care of Magical Creatures with that big oaf," Draco said, a hint of disappointment in his voice. "Then I have Charms."
Although Harry DID think that Hagrid was a big fool, he had a certain level of respect for him. After all, Hagrid WAS the person who took Harry away from the Dursleys.
"This is going to be a long day . . ." Harry drawled, shaking his head. The others nodded in agreement.
* * *
History of Magic class, of course, was one of the most boring classes at Hogwarts. Actually, it WAS the most boring class, even more boring than Arithmancy or Ancient Runes. Harry and Devon sat next to each other in that class, both nearly falling asleep. Adriana and Amanda sat next to each other. Near them were Tristan and Saffron, trying to have a conversation during the class. Oddly enough, Draco Malfoy sat alone.
"We will be having a test next Tuesday about what you have learned today," Professor Binns said, in his drone-like voice. "I'm sure you have all taken detailed notes to help you study."
"Yeah, right," Harry muttered to himself, letting out a small yawn. He was so very tired and having History of Magic class early in the morning didn't exactly help. Harry took out his class schedule, a small smile appearing on his face. Transfiguration, though it was with Professor McGonagall, would be next. It was his favorite class, along with Charms.
"See you later?"
"Yeah; after History of Magic class, I don't know how I'll ever stay awake in Arithmancy," Devon said, managing a weak smile. She started walking out, giving Harry a small wave. Harry followed her lead, walking through the corridors to the Transfiguration classroom.
Harry reached Transfiguration class a few moments later. Draco and Saffron were a few feet behind him the whole time, though he didn't realize it. They seemed to be arguing about something.
"Saffron! How could y -"
"How could I what? Make friends with someone who just happens to be a VERY attractive guy?" Saffron exclaimed, outraged. Draco's jaw dropped.
"I-I . . . that totally is be -" Draco stammered.
"Save it for later, Draco. Class is going to start." Saffron shook her head and took a seat on one of the ends in the back. Not wanting to be near Saffron, Draco took a seat in the back of the classroom as well, though it was at the other end of the row. Harry raised a well-shaped eyebrow and took a random seat in the back row.
Soon after, several students piled into the large classroom, taking any old seat. Harry took out his Transfiguration book and flipped it to a random chapter. There was some time to kill before the class actually started.
To his distaste, ten minutes before class would start, Granger and Weasel walked into Transfiguration together. They both took seats in the middle of the classroom. Harry watched as Hermione turned her head, her eyes locking with Harry's for the shortest moment. Harry looked down, continuing to read. What Harry immediately noticed when he saw her that she looked a little different, once again. Her hair wasn't frizzy as it usually was. In fact, it was looking particularly straight and shiny.
Draco was taking a piece of parchment and a quill out of his bag when he heard a high-pitched, evil voice. It was Pansy.
"Dracie! Where have you been??" Pansy exclaimed, proceeding to give Draco a very large hug. When it was obvious to let go, she just kept hanging on, squeezing him very tightly.
"In class," Draco managed to say, trying to take her arms off of his body. He felt like he was suffocating.
"Draco! Don't you love me anymore!?" Pansy yelled tearfully. People were starting to turn around and watch this spectacle.
"I never loved you, bitch!" Draco exclaimed firmly. Pansy looked at him, an outraged look on her face.
"Who the hell do you think you are? Calling me a bitch?" Pansy said. "I'm not A bitch. I'm THE bitch." Pansy then leaned in, starting to kiss Draco. She tried to choke him with her slimy tongue and saliva. Draco tried hard to push her away.
Moments later, Pansy still hadn't stopped kissing Draco. Draco would probably have to brush his teeth ten times just to get the awful stench of Pansy's spit out of his mouth.
Meanwhile, Harry was watching all of this, laughing his head off. Thank God he didn't have someone like Pansy. Thank God he didn't have a girl that was extremely obsessed with him . . . who waited on him hand and foot . . . Thank God.
"Fuck off, woman!" Draco yelled, pushing Pansy off of him. "Damn! What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Kissing you! Duh!" Pansy exclaimed as if she thought it was the most genius thing in the world. Pansy could be so annoying sometimes. Oh well.
"If I could please have your attention!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed, so that her voice could be well heard. "Welcome to a fresh year of school at Hogwarts. You might THINK that this whole year will be all fun and games."
"But let me warn you, shall I? It will most certainly NOT be. You all will be expected to work hard and do your best. And if getting half-marks is your best, do better! We will begin studying for the O.W.L.S., which you will be taking at the end of this year." O.W.L.S. was the acronym for Ordinary Wizarding Levels that every witch or wizard took in their fifth year.
"Today, you will be learning to transfigure a small mouse into a large cat." This would be the first class in which they would be doing extreme animal transformations. And yet, Harry had known how to do such things for years. Sometimes Transfiguration could be boring just because he already knew what he was supposed to be 'learning.'
Professor McGonagall took out her wand. She muttered a spell and small mice appeared on everyone's desk. Almost immediately, the mice tried to squirm away.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Harry muttered, pointing his wand the mouse. The mouse immediately froze.
"Now, take your wands and point them to your mouse. Make sure that they stay still," said Professor McGonagall.
"Then, say the spell clearly so that it will work. I'm sure that if you all do everything correctly, your mouse will be correctly transfigured into a cat." Professor McGonagall pointed her wand to the mouse on her desk.
"Felinus Incantem!" The tiny white mouse that was once on her desk turned into an oddly large cat of the same white shade.
"Now, say the incantation clearly and slowly. Make sure you pronounce the two words correctly. Felinus Incantem." All across the classroom, the students had their wands pointed at their mice and said the incantation.
Harry pointed his wand to his black mouse. He said the spell almost lazily, as if he was bored and tired.
"Felinus Incantem!" Harry said, his wand pointing to his mask. The mouse slowly turned into a large black cat and was no longer frozen. It started hissing at Harry. He shook his head, letting out a small laugh.
Harry looked over at Draco to see if he had done the spell correctly. Draco's mouse had been correctly transfigured into a cat. Weasley seemed to be having difficulty with it though. So far, his mouse purred but didn't even look like a cat. Granger was yelling at him, trying to tell him how to make it work.
Harry laughed as he watched the other students unsuccessfully transfiguring their mice. It was rather amusing, he thought.
"See, everyone! Miss Granger, Mr. Potter, and Mr. Malfoy have all done the spell correctly. Good work! Five points to Gryffindor. Ten points to Slytherin," Professor McGonagall said, writing this down. The Gryffindors scowled over at the Slytherins, who were looking extremely smug and content. Granger, though, was looking particularly proud.
At the end of the class, Saffron had managed to turn her mouse into a cat- like creature . . . which squeaked. Weasley had turned his mouse into a mouse with fangs. Some other students had turned their mice into cats, though not accurately.
"Remember! This will probably on your O.W.L.S.!" Professor McGonagall barked. The bell rang and all of the students left the classroom immediately.
Saffron and Draco were obviously now avoiding each other. Harry guessed it was because they didn't want to argue with each other anymore. Harry shrugged as he walked past the two and headed for his next class.
* * *
The first official day back at school seemed to go by rather fast, oddly enough. Harry had only two classes with Devon. In both, he sat next to her. They had interesting conversations in both of their shared classes. Soon enough, it was time for dinner in the Great Hall.
Harry entered the Great Hall with Draco beside him. Saffron and Tristan weren't too far behind them. Lillie and Megan were talking to each other, walking past Harry and Draco. The group of Slytherins, though not all together, all sat down at the Slytherin table. The long tables of the Great Hall were all covered with an assortment of delicious foods. Suckling pork, roast duck, fried chicken, roast beef . . . all sorts of meat that you could imagine, were there. There were many platters of crunchy vegetables and steamed vegetables. There was also kidney pudding, meat pies, treacle tart, and sugar and fruit pies. There were also large pitchers of ice cold pumpkin juice.
Harry and Draco both took large portions of the food, though saving room for dessert. Harry started eating his roast beef while talking to Draco. He wondered where Devon was though.
"I've spotted some extremely hot Ravenclaws in the corridors," Harry said, taking a bite of meat pie.
"Wicked. I have a feeling this is going to be an extremely eventful year," Draco said, a smirk on his face. He took a gulp of his pumpkin juice, his silver eyes looking around.
He was searching around avidly for Adriana. Where was she? Harry nodded in agreement.
"We're going to have a LOT of fun." Draco nodded. Just then, Devon walked into the Great Hall. She smiled and waved at Harry who waved back. Hopefully, she wouldn't get too attached to him . . .
"Hey Harry," Devon said when she reached the Slytherin table. She sat down next to Harry.
"Hey Dev," Harry replied, a small smile on his handsome face.
"How were your classes today? Mine were OK," Devon said, putting some food onto her plate.
"Yeah, kind of boring though," Harry said. Meanwhile, Hermione and Ron were eating and talking.
"Honestly, Ron! You'd think you'd be able to do that simple charm," Hermione said disapprovingly.
"Hermione, you that that EVERY charm is simple," Ron replied hotly, stabbing his suckling pork with his fork.
"No, I don't!" Hermione said in protest. Dean and Seamus were in conversation about the Quidditch World Cup that had happened over the summer.
"Honestly, I think Ireland should've won," Seamus said. Dean shook his head.
"It was clear that the Wasps had put together a better side than the Irish team, Seamus," Dean said, still shaking his head. Hermione shook her head. Couldn't they talk about something more enlightening like the spells they had learned that day? Hermione looked over at Ron, who was clearly distracted. He was staring over at the Slytherin table. Hermione saw a furious look on his face as he continued stabbing his food with his fork. Hermione rolled her eyes at him.
At the Slytherin table, Draco's silver eyes shot around, filled with worry. What if something bad had happened to Adriana? No, that couldn't be it. Draco ate a small chunk of his fried chicken. He was distracted with his food and the conversations of the others when he heard a small, smooth voice in his ear.
"Miss me, Draco?"
Almost immediately, Draco knew that the voice belonged to Adriana. Who else could it be? Draco turned his head around, a smile on his face.
"Of course, Adriana," Draco drawled, his voice dripping with curiosity and anxiousness. "Where've you been, then?"
"I had some . . . matters to take care of. I'm sure you can understand," Adriana replied, sitting down next to Draco. Draco nodded. Saffron eyed the two as they began to speak.
"How was your day?"
"It went well," Draco said. "Of course, I knew most of the things I was supposed to be 'taught' but nonetheless, it was an interesting day." Draco raised a well-shaped eyebrow at Adriana.
"And you?"
"It went particularly well. Though I was extremely bored. It seemed like the day would go on forever Draco nodded in agreement. He enjoyed speaking with Adriana. He enjoyed it a lot.
"I felt the same way all day. I was hoping it would be over so I could have the opportunity to speak to you again." Draco gave her a grin.
"Well, here I am, Mr. Malfoy," Adriana said, taking a small sip of her pumpkin juice. Pretty soon, Draco was close to bursting with food. Adriana seemed to be content. A mischievous smile appeared on Adriana's gorgeous face.
"I have an idea, Draco," Adriana said, not disclosing anymore information. Draco was very curious as to what Adriana's idea was.
"Yeah, Adriana?"
"You'll have to find out. Follow me, will you?" Adriana said. Adriana got up and out of her seat and proceeded to walk out of the Great Hall. Draco followed close behind, still very curious. She led him through the dim corridors. The hallways were dark, dimly lit by torches in some places.
After what seemed like a lifetime, Adriana had led Draco up to the castle rooftop. He hadn't been up there since the previous year. Out of the whole of the Hogwarts castle, the rooftop was the best place to think, to hope, to wonder . . .
Adriana walked across the rooftop. She stopped once she had reached the middle of the rooftop. She sat down and looked up at Draco, who was looking slightly confused. She gave him a look that clearly said, 'Please . . . sit down.' Draco stretched before sitting down next to Adriana on the ground. Adriana turned over to Draco, her sapphire eyes locking with his silver ones.
"I came up here last night," Adriana said, pausing for a moment. "I needed a good place to think. So many thoughts went through my head last night, Draco." Draco didn't know what to say to this so he just stayed silent, waiting for Adriana to continue speaking.
"I can't believe how different Hogwarts is from my old school. Everything from the classes to the food is different. I left a lot of people behind when I transferred to Hogwarts. Many people that I miss to this day."
"If you miss them so much, maybe . . . maybe you shouldn't have come to Hogwarts," Draco said, unsurely. Adriana smiled, shaking her head.
"It was time for a change, Draco. I needed to get away from there. I needed a fresh start. Don't get me wrong . . . I loved living there; I really did. But I knew that it was my time to leave. Does that make sense?"
"Yeah . . . I think it does," Draco replied. "Well, I'm glad you came to Hogwarts then." From the moment their eyes had first locked the previous day, Draco had known that Adriana was different from all of the other girls. She just . . . was.
"I'm glad I came here too. Otherwise, I would currently be at Durmstrang Institute," Adriana said, a weak smile on her face.
"So, tell me one thing about yourself, Draco. Anything at all, go ahead and tell me. It could be a hobby or something you really dislike. Just tell me something."
"I love to read," Draco blurted out almost immediately. Adriana smiled at him.
"Now, I'll tell you something about myself," Adriana said, a sly grin on her face. Draco had a feeling this little game would go on for awhile. "I love to write. I especially love to write poems. It's like putting your soul onto paper."
"I never thought about it like that," Draco said, truthfully. "Um, I really like to draw."
"Really? I never pictured you much as an artist. But I guessed you proved me wrong," Adriana replied. "I like to sing." Draco thought that she would have the sweetest singing voice ever.
"I used to be afraid of heights," Draco said. "That was before I ever got onto a broomstick."
"You play Quidditch?" Adriana said, smiling. "I love Quidditch." Draco grinned wide, happy that she liked one of his hobbies. And so, their little game went on. Draco learned that Adriana had two siblings, that her father had left their family, and a number of other interesting things about Adriana. In turn, Adriana knew much more about Draco.
"Would you . . . will you read me one of your poems?" Draco finally said, after they had finished talking. Adriana nodded her head. Adriana waited a moment before reciting her poem.
"The sky is clear. The sky is dark. I watch you near. I watch your mark. I see you smile. I see you there. I wait awhile. I wonder where. Drowning in darkness is what I do. I wonder why everything is oh-so wrong. I think about how I lost you. I put these words into a song. Nothing else is new." Adriana cleared her throat before continuing on.
"Drowning in darkness is what I do. It's what I did . . . when I lost you."
* * *
A/N: I know! That chapter was kind of long but so freakin' crappy! I'm SO sorry, y'all! Yes, I know that the poem Adriana wrote sucked. But who really cares? Please review. I appreciate all of them! ^_^