Punished For Someone Else's Crime Chapter 5: The Divergence and Convergence, a harry potter fanfic

Note: Sorry about Aiden's class schedule. It was in grid form on Microsoft Word, but it got mixed up here... but thats ok, you guys probably arent interested in her classes anyways. just for personal knowledge, Aiden chose Care for Magical Creatures, Astronomy and Muggle Studies for her electives.

Chapter 5: The Divergence and Convergence

The following morning, Aiden awoke to someone's incessant shoving. She mumbled, "five more minutes…" under her breath, but only heard a bossy, motherly tone answer back.

"Wake up, you're gonna be late."

Rolling over, she forced her eyes open to a frowning, slightly pug-faced girl.

"Who are you?"

"Pansy Parkinson. And if you want your class schedule, you better get into your robes and get down to the Great Hall immediately."

"Fine…"

Aiden grumbled about classes starting so early in the morning as she slipped her gray, sweater vest over her head. She pulled on her matching gray slacks (to the strong disapproval of Professor McGonagall, who insisted that girls wear skirts) and swung her robe over her shoulder, rolled up her sleeves and shoved her hands in her pockets. It was her Californian habit. Casual, tomboyish and lazy.

Upon entering the Great Hall, Aiden felt a heavy stone drop into her stomach. She remembered the look on Ron, Hermione, and Harry's faces last night when the sorting hat assigned her to Slytherin. They looked so disappointed and even horrified… Aiden spotted the three sitting and chattering happily at their table. She put on an equally happy smile and sort of skipped over to the empty seat next to Harry.

"Morning you guys!"

Unfortunately, only Hermione greeted her back properly. Harry forced a smile and went back to his sausage and Ron didn't even acknowledge her existence. Hermione looked appalled.

"Ron! Harry! She SAID 'good morning'! Aren't you going to say something back???"

The two muttered something inaudible and Aiden's face dropped like the stone in her stomach. Hermione turned to Aiden apologetically.

"Good morning Aiden. You look tired. Why don't you sit down and I help you look over your new schedule?"

A grateful smile crossed Aiden's face and she sat down, which was a big mistake. The moment she did, the entire Gryffindor table was silent. Everyone was staring at Aiden with contemptuous eyes and she gulped. Hermione told her to ignore them, but Aiden always knew when she was not wanted. Hurt and offended, she got up; but with a fake smile on.

"That's okay, Hermione. I'll just go sit with the other Slytherins..."

Aiden practically ran away from the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Pansy, across from a blonde boy with cold, gray eyes. Hermione watched Aiden sit down and eat silently, staring at her schedule. She turned on Ron and Harry.

"What the hell was that?" Hermione hissed in a dangerous voice.

Ron's ears turned red under the pressure. Harry stared at his plate.

Hermione ground her teeth and shook her head.

"I'm leaving."

Ron looked up.

"Where? Transfiguration doesn't start for another ten minutes."

"What do you care? You obviously don't care about your other friends, why care about me?"

In a huff, Hermione stomped away, leaving Harry and Ron in the dust. Harry finally looked up and Ron pouted a bit.

"You think we're doing something wrong, Harry?"

Over at the Slytherin table, Aiden stared blankly at her schedule. She had never seen anything so complicated in her entire life. The paper was in a chart format, minus the grids. And her schedule looked something like this:

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Transfiguration 9:00 am

Defense Against Dark Arts 9:00 am

Double Transfiguration 9:00 pm

Double Herbology 9:00 pm

Care of Magical Creatures 9:00 am

Potions 10:30 am

Herbology 10:30 am

History of Magic 10:30 am

Lunch 12:00 pm

Care of Magical Creatures 1:00pm

History of Magic 1:00 pm

Double Potions 1:00 pm

Double Charms 1:00 pm

Muggle Studies 1:00 pm

Muggle Studies 2:30 pm

nothing

Nothing

Charms 4:00 pm

nothing

Dinner 7:00 pm

Astronomy 12:00 am

In fact, Aiden was so in shock that she had just finished gazing at Care of Magical Creatures after lunch on Monday when the paper was snatched out of her hand.

"Hey, jackass. Give it back!"

"Oh ho," a cold voice drawled, "Quite a schedule you have here. Think you can handle it?"

"Probably better than you can."

"Mudblood Studies?? And you were put in Slytherin?? What are you, a mudblood in disguise?"

"I don't know. Maybe I am, if I knew what it was," spat Aiden.

The blonde boy smirked.

"I like your attitude. I saw you hanging around Pothead, Weasel, and Mudblood Granger over there. But that's okay. As fellow Slytherin, I can fix that."

Aiden narrowed her eyes and smiled almost sinisterly.

"I was told that Slytherin was the bad group. I could use a couple of new friends. Why don't you show me around…umm?"

"Draco. Draco Malfoy."

"Well Draco. If I am clear, we have Transfiguration in about five minutes. Why don't you walk me to class?"

"I would be my pleasure."

In a satirical way, Draco crooked his arm and held it out for Aiden. She had a face of mock pleasure.

"My, my Mr. Malfoy. You're quite the gentleman."

She laid her hand on his arm and they walked toward the Great Hall entrance. As they did, nearly the entire room was silent and watched in fascination (or in Pansy's case, jealousy) as the two strode out. Suddenly, Hermione ran in.

"There you are, Aiden! I was looking over my schedule and I think that aside from a few classes, we mostly have the same schedule! So I can walk you to almost all of your…"

Hermione's face grew astonished when she saw Aiden happily holding her arch-nemesis' arm. Aiden smiled good-naturedly.

"I'm sorry, Hermione! But umm, Draco is going to help me out from now on, okay?" She hugged a disappointed Hermione. "It's okay, you don't have to worry about me anymore! Just go back to Ron and Harry."

"Yeah Mudblood Granger. She doesn't need you anymore," Draco jumped in.

Aiden slapped Draco lightly, but forcefully on the arm.

"Don't call her that. She's cool." She looked back at Hermione, the friendly smile gone. "You can tell Ron and Harry that they don't have to worry either. I won't bother them ever again. (smile returned) I'll see you in class Hermione."

She patted Hermione on the shoulder with a comforting hand and left.

The rest of the day was kind of a roller coaster ride for Aiden. It had its up's and down's. She knew from the moment that Professor McGonagall laid eyes on her that she disapproved. Draco had told her that McGonagall was like that to all the Slytherins, but Aiden knew it was her rebellious nature that pissed her new teacher off the most. On her first day, she had already lost her house five points for mouthing off about how McGonagall taught. She was teaching the class all wrong. McGonagall was so demanding that we all pronounced the words correctly and that we enunciated in the right places. Magic, to Aiden was about the belief in magic, not the belief in the things that made magic. This meant, no wands, no spells. Just good old fashioned, point and imagine. McGonagall's face turned white when Aiden proved she didn't need a wand for transfiguration, to the entire class' surprise. And, of course, to add insult to injury, Harry and Ron had avoided eye contact with her at all times.

But Potions was another story. Back in California, chemistry was always her favorite subject. So, Potions was like being home again. Professor Snape was a little stiff, and she noticed that he was a bit biased towards the Slytherins and especially Draco, but it was all good. "Be quick and efficient" was one of Aiden's many mottos so she was finished with her Drought of Courage within the hour. Snape was extremely impressed.

"Now, here I thought the seventh year was hopeless. But I suppose we did turn out a few good students who can follow directions. Notice that Miss Wang's drought is flawless. The consistency is fluid but not watery. It is magenta and not purple as others' have turned out (nasty look at Neville). And it is boiling, not exploding. Class, take notes."

So this was great and all, but post-dinner was the climax. Promptly at 7:00, Aiden sat down with Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy for dinner. Pansy was still acrimonious about her morning display of deriding affection with Draco, so Pansy wouldn't even look at her. On the contrary, Draco stared at her intently right through 'til dessert. Finally, Aiden couldn't take it anymore and put her spoon down.

"Draco…? I don't know if it's a British thing, but in America, it is not a custom for friends to be staring at other friends while they eat."

"Yeah? So what? I was just thinking," Draco said harshly.

"Geez, sooorry. What were you thinking about?"

"Well that idiot, Avery (no relation to the deatheater) finally graduated last year. Only took the stupid bloke ten years. But now we're missing a keeper. As the captain, I am much too lazy to be setting up tryouts for a bunch of second year wannabes." A mischievous smile appeared on his face. "Why don't you become the new keeper?"

Aiden's eyes widen at this nasty surprise.

"Oh heeeeell no."

"Why not? Slytherin has not had a female player in centuries. It'll catch all the other houses completely off guard. You are well built. Plus, with magic like yours, our team could do more that just damage this year." Draco smirked that all too evil smirk of his.

"Look, Draco. Nice of you to offer and all, but I don't think so."

"Aw, why not?"

"Because, 1) I don't know how to play Quidditch. 2) I don't plan on breaking any bones. 3) I can't even drive a car correctly, much less ride a broom."

"1) I'll teach you. 2) Madam Pomfrey can mend your bones in seconds. 3) Riding is like walking, it comes naturally. We have the rest of the night off, I'll teach you."

Taking Aiden's hand impatiently, Draco dragged her to her feet. Suddenly, Pansy jumped up and shrieked: "AGAIN WITH THE HAND HOLDING!!!! WHAT ARE YOU TWO???? IN LOVE?????????"

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Come on. Before it get too dark."

Reluctantly, Aiden allowed herself to be pulled.

"Fine, but this game had better be worth all the hype it creates."

Hermione was in the Gryffindor common room, reading Hogwarts: A History for the millionth time when Harry and Ron came in.

"Can you believe Filch gave us detention again???"

"I know! He must be bitter because he's a squib."

The two stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Hermione sitting in front of the fire. She laid the book down slowly and frowning, spoke in a quiet anger.

"You two sit down. I think we ought to talk…"

End.