Disclaimer: I do not own Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Draco, Blaise, or any other characters except the original characters!
Chapter One: Back at Hogwarts
Ginny Weasley smiled at the crimson and black Hogwarts Express. She couldn't wait for her sixth year at Hogwarts! Her chocolate brown eyes warmed as she thought of her new boyfriend Seamus Finnigan. Her usual untidy red hair was a waterfall of flaming red curls. A few of her freckles had disappeared over the summer, and she had formed curves in just the right places. She now looked more attractive than ever. With a bright smile planted on her shining face, she looked stunning. But her temper was as fiery as ever.
"Oy, Gin!" a voice called.
Ginny whirled around to see her best friend and sister-in-law Katrina Sokoli. Trina was a tall girl with creamy white skin and ink-black curls as soft and smooth as silk. She had brilliant blue violet eyes and freckles sprinkled across her rosy cheeks. Katrina had smooth, soft, slight curves and a slim figure. She was grinning from ear to ear.
"Trina!" Ginny cried, and ran over to give her a hug.
"I missed you, Gin," Trina said joyously. "You don't know how it feels to live with six stupid brothers and one snobby sister for more than a month!"
"At least you have a sister," Ginny said jealously. "And it's worse living with Fred, George, and Ron. Your brothers are well-behaved, at least."
Trina snorted. "Well-behaved? You call those gorillas well-behaved? Ha! You only call them well-behaved because you had a crush on Kevin last summer."
Ginny grew pink and tried to change the subject. "Uh...oh, look! The train's about to leave!" Trina turned and raced toward the Hogwarts Express with her trunk. Ginny ran after her.
"That wasn't very fair, Katrina Catherine Caroline Sokoli," Ginny said with a huge grin on her face.
"But you wouldn't hurry up, Ginevra Molly Oceania Weasley," Trina replied, and then started to whine. "You know how much I hate the name Caroline."
Ginny laughed, then ran to find an empty compartment.
"Hey! Wait up!" Trina called, and started skittering after her. She stepped into the compartment.
"Hey, Gryffs, this is our compartment," a cool, silky voice behind them drawled.
Ginny and Trina turned to see Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, and Blaise Zabini, the troublesome trio of Slytherin. Draco had his fair white blonde hair slicked back as usual. His cold gray eyes had an icy fringe around them. Pansy had velvety golden curls and dull blue eyes. She had a nasty smirk on her face, like always. Blaise had dark, neat black hair and blue eyes that glimmered mysteriously. They were not unlike Trina's brilliant blue violet eyes. It was Draco who had spoken.
"Does it even matter, Malfoy?" Ginny asked exasperatedly. "You can go somewhere else like a good little boy. Oh, and take your little friends along with you."
"Nice try, Weaslette," Draco said with a smirk. "But you're not going to get rid of us that easily. We're Slytherins, and Slytherins always get what they want. We want this compartment."
"We've been sitting here since our first year, unlike you Gryffs," Pansy sneered. "Go sit with your friends Scarhead, Weasel, and Mudblood. Or that excuse-of-a-wizard Finnigan. I've heard that he's looking for you, Ginevra."
Ginny's jaw tightened. "Trina and I just need to have a talk in an empty compartment, Parkinson."
"We do?" Trina asked. Ginny glared at her. "I mean, uh, we do."
Before Blaise could comment, a tall man with jet-black hair and blue violet eyes pulled the two Gryffindor girls out of the compartment. Trina looked surprised, and Ginny looked both afraid and shocked.
"Lief!" they cried at the same time.
"Kat, Ginny," Lief growled. "What are you doing with these...these...foul, disgusting Slytherins? Haven't I told you to stay away from them?"
"No," Trina replied. Lief growled menacingly.
"What she means is, they stole our compartment," Ginny said, sending a deadly look at her friend. "Sorry, Lief."
"Oh," Lief relaxed. He threw a glare at his sister and the Slytherins, but that was all. "From now on, shove off my sisters," he said to Draco, Pansy, and Blaise.
Lief started to back off, but Trina stopped him by asking, "Whatcha doin' on the train, Lief?"
The man smiled. "That's for me to know, and for you to find out, little sis." He left with a smile on his face.
Ginny shrugged. "Ah, well."
They sat in the compartment, forgetting about the Slytherins sitting there.
"I thought your brother was supposed to be gentle," Ginny said to Trina.
Trina snorted in an unladylike manner. "Lief? Gentle? Those two words don't belong in the same sentence, Ginny. And besides, he hates Slytherins." She smiled.
"Doesn't everybody?" Ginny asked with a laugh.
"Hey!" Draco said, looking offended. "We're right here, you know, Weasley. Sokoli, you were the one who caused her to say it, anyway."
"No, I didn't!" Trina argued.
"Yes, you did," Blaise said, speaking up for the first time on the Hogwarts Express.
Trina finally noticed him sitting in the corner. "When did he get so tall?" she wondered out loud. Pansy, Draco, and Ginny burst out laughing. Blaise turned pink in the ears. Trina blushed. At the same time, Seamus Finnigan came in.
"Hey, Gin," he said in his thick Irish accent. "I was looking all over for y----WHAT? SLYTHERINS? YOU'RE SITTING WITH SLYTHERINS!"
"What's the surprise, Finnigan?" Draco drawled.
"Ginny! You're coming with me!" Seamus declared, his face pale. "Slytherins! What were you t---"
I'm staying right here," Ginny said stubbornly. "I need to talk to Ka---"
"Oh, pul-ease. Stop with the lame excuse," Pansy cried. "It tends to get annoying, Weasley."
"Live Gin alone, Parkinson," Trina said coldly.
"Make me," Pansy said with a sneer.
"Stop straying from the topic!" Seamus snapped. "You two Gryffindors are sitting with the worst bunch of Slytherins there ever was!"
"What's your point?" Blaise asked, pretending to be curious.
"You are so thick, Zabini!" Seamus yelled. "Gryffindors and Slytherins don't even talk to each other except when they insult the other group!"
"You're not insulting us," Draco pointed out.
"Urgh..." Seamus growled. Trina, Ginny, and Pansy laughed. "What?"
"You...look...funny...when...you...growl," Trina told him between hiccups of laughter.
Pansy and Ginny quickly overcame their laughter, Pansy being the stupid, proud Slytherin that she was, and Ginny not wanting to hurt his feelings. But Trina found the expression immensely hilarious. She practically howled with laughter until she fell over and a strong arm caught her light body.
She looked up and her blue violet eyes widened as she saw the person holding her up. Bright blue eyes stared back at her. It was Blaise Zabini
Turning pale, Trina drew away and suddenly became very interested in a Sneakoscope that was in her pocket. Blaise slapped himself and started muttering words like, "stupid" "what did you do that for" and "such an idiot".
Seamus finally shut up and left after goggling at Blaise. Ginny gawked at her best friend and Pansy glared at Blaise. Draco stared at the ceiling. There was a confused silence.
Then the train stopped. Trina and Ginny rushed out. Ginny took a last glance at Blaise, who was clutching his head and staring at the floor. Katrina just looked forward, her straight back arching. The Slytherins slowly walked out after the Gryffindor girls, just as silent as they had been.
Hogwarts
Gryffindor Table
Trina was talking animatedly to Ginny, staying off the topic of what had happened on the train. Ginny understood her best friend and they started talking about Quidditch. As Professor McGonagall put the Sorting Hat away, Professor Dumbledore rose and made his famous speech. Trina and Ginny paid no attention until---
"Our Charms Professor, Professor Flitwick, has retired from his job to spend his last years in the Bahamas. Please welcome our new professor, Miss Jasmine Sokoli!"
Trina and Ginny stared at Jasmine, their mouths shaped in an "o". The Great Hall burst out in applause for the eighteen-year-old teacher. Jasmine gave a curt bow and smiled, showing her sparkling white teeth. Her green-blue eyes twinkled. She brushed her thick black hair back and sat down.
"And due to circumstances, our gamekeeper and Care of Magical Creatures Professor Rubeus Hagrid has left Hogwarts. Give a warm welcome to Mr. Lief Sokoli!"
Lief rose from his seat and bowed. The students gave a polite applause for Trina's brother, while Trina and Ginny stared. Lief plopped down back onto his chair, which was right next to his sister's.
"And now, please enjoy our feast," Dumbledore said and snapped his fingers. Food magically appeared on the golden plates.
Trina, now feeling much better, dug in. Ginny ate heartily beside her friend. Seamus, on the other side of Ginny, laughed and talked as though he hadn't seen anything on the train.
Slytherin Table
Blaise was quiet as he ate his food. He hadn't meant to catch Trina on the train. Then again, he couldn't resist. He had meant to let go sooner, but he had been caught in those eyes...cerulean with sparks of orchid-violet.
"Bla-ise," Pansy said, waving a hand in front of his face. "Are you in there?"
Blaise waved his half-sister away and went back to thinking about those deep blue violet eyes. And the ink-black curls. And her light, attractive façade.
He turned around to catch a glimpse of Trina. She was talking to Ginny Weasley. He could see a glint of silver in her eyes, something he hadn't noticed before. Now they were silvery blue.
Blaise's jaw tightened as he saw that Harry Potter was flirting with her. He grinded his teeth as a cold look came to his face.
"If he touches what's mine, I'll literally kill him," he said out loud.
Pansy laughed, but Draco was in Dreamland. His cold, hard gray eyes were a soft, silvery mercury. Ginny, however, was unaware of his stare.
"Geroff her, Finnigan," he muttered. Seamus was tickling Ginny and kissing her at the same time. Trina was trying to block the scene from Ginny's older brother Ron. But it was too late. Ron was beet red, yelling at his friend for touching his sister. Seamus backed off. For once in his life, Draco Malfoy was actually thankful of Ronald Weasley's existence.
"Look, Blaise. Creevey's joined the Katrina Sokoli Fan Club!" Pansy said to Blaise, giggling. Blaise started to rise, thinking about pounding Creevey and Scarhead. Pansy stopped him and held him back. Draco helped as soon as he snapped out of his daydream.
All the Slytherins looked at Blaise inquisitively, but he ignored them. He sat back down, fuming red. Only one person caught who he was looking at, and she was sitting at the High Table.