The Chosen Ones

by: Daphne Li

Chapter 2.



FOUR YEARS LATER

"James, get up! You're going to be late to breakfast!" Curtis Weasley shouted, jerking open James's bed-curtains. James groaned as Maxwell Bierderon added to the noise by telling him they had Snape first that day, and pulling his blankets off. How they had gotten up to his room, he would never know. Obviously he'd have to change the password again...maybe 'Slytherin's Rule' would stump them longer than the previous password...

"Alright! I'm up. Just go without me. I'll catch up." He mumbled, throwing an arm over his eyes. His two human alarm-clocks rolled their eyes and did as he asked, dragging Orion Black and Romulus Lupin from the room on their way out. James listened to them leave, and then rolled over onto his stomach, stuffing his face into his pillow.

For normal teenage boys, their sixth year would have been one that they enjoyed above all others, mostly because they were now at an age where more things were permitted. But for James, his sixth year had been a total hell.

Starting off, it had been normal. James and his friends sitting at the Gryffindor table, waiting for the first years to be sorted. Then the feast, then the long walk to the Gryffindor common room among the other tired students.

Unfortunately, the 'normal' part of his year ended there. When he had quietly announced to his friends that he wouldn't be joining them in the dorm this year, they had all sent up a ruckus that caused the students around them to stare.

"Why in the hell not?!"

"Are you mad?!"

"What's wrong, James?" This last comment, said by Romulus, was more understanding than the other exclamations. James sighed.

"Let's just say I've gotten my own room, for reasons beyond my control, and leave it at that," he said, looking away, pointedly ignoring the jealous and disgusted looks he was getting from the other students around them.

And this was just the beginning.

Newspaper articles that compared him to his father had begun to come out in the fourth week of his school year. Quotes from students in every house (even Gryffindor) were placed indifferently throughout almost every article, along with more assumptions and rumors about James Darien Potter.

Then, about halfway through the school year, a rumor got out that James had a crush on the most beautiful girl in the school, Kirah Galliant, a Ravenclaw. Now, this was one of the few things that was true. Ever since his first year, James had had a monster crush on Kirah. His friends had always privately teased him about it, but they had never told a soul. So when it had come out, James found that he could not deny the accusations, and Kirah was immediately informed that it was true.

She had not taken it well. Publicly humiliating him, she had cornered him on his way out of the Great Hall one night, and loudly told him that she had no interest in 'daddy's-boys' and 'geeks' like him. James had stood there for several seconds, stunned (his heart pounding painfully), before turning on his heal and stalking away from all of the laughter that now filled the great hall.

Ever since then, he had not been able to walk through the Hall without someone commenting on his attraction to her. His friends had been supportive and defensive of him, hexing anyone who dared to say anything while in their presence. But for James that just made things worse, his friends having to stand up for him.

So here he was, on the last week of school, dreading the coming summer where he would be forced to spend more time with his mom, dad, twin sister, Lily, and little sister, Margaret (Meg for short). They would all worry over him, tell him it wasn't his fault and that people were just jealous, make him feel a little better—

Then it would all fall apart when he went back to school for his seventh year. That he already knew. He had nothing to look forward to in the upcoming months. Sure, his friends would visit occasionally, but they would all be busy with their own things, and he would be left alone, thinking about the fact that he may never li...

"NO!" James muttered, sitting up and tossing off his blankets as he bounded from the bed. He wouldn't think about it. He couldn't! The one secret that he kept from everyone—even his father. No one could know. Merlin knows what would happen if anyone discovered that little secret of his!

"Mass panic, most like." He mumbled bitterly, as he pulled on his robes. As he did, they brushed against the trunk at the end of his bed. James stared at it for a moment, then took his wand out of his pocket and whispered an unlocking spell. Opening the trunk carefully, he pushed away several non- important things until he came to a picture that lay in a heavy silver frame.

James picked the picture up tenderly, and gazed down at it. With a sigh, he closed his trunk and placed the picture on top of it, facing him. He ran his fingers over the moving figures, smiling slightly as he watched them. They were all waving and smiling up at him cheerfully, making him forget his own troubles and focus completely on the ache that was now entering his stomach.

"Ugh. I have to eat." He moaned, finally looking away from the picture and walking out of his room, never glancing back.

The picture he had been looking at held the figures of ten smiling people. Two adults, a man and a woman, one blonde, one auburn-haired. Two twelve year-old boys, one with white-blonde hair, the other with messy black. Four girls all about a year younger, one blonde, one with black hair, one with auburn, and one with chestnut locks. Then a boy of about five or six, and a tiny infant only just born.

By name, Draco and Kaitlynn Malfoy, Jason Malfoy, James Potter, Jasmine Malfoy, Starr McKay, Serenity Malfoy, Violet Dursley, Darren Malfoy, and the baby, Marina Malfoy. His 'second family'.

They were one of the few secrets that he dared keep from all his family members, except his father.

But not the biggest secret.

Oh, no. Definitely not the biggest.

It was a few weeks later, on the last day of school, when a letter was dropped on his lap during breakfast by a happily chirping owl. James had taken one look at the handwriting on the outside, and had torn it open eagerly, much to the surprise of his friends.

James:

All things considered, I still have to say that being seventeen is much better then being sixteen. 'Why', you ask? Well, here's the reason.

Dad bought me a new car!!!

My own that I don't have to share with Jasmine, Serenity, or Violet! So the girls get the old Hondai Accord, and I've got a sleek black Porche convertable! Granted, I may let Serenity drive it sometimes, but Jasmine drives like a maniac, and Violet doesn't usually drive anyway.

So now all I need it you to come here, so I can gloat in person! (Just kidding)

Anyway, other than that, everything's normal here. Mum and dad are healthy and active, Jasmine is as...her as ever. Starr practically lives at our house now, because she and Jasmine are inseparable. Darren is looking forward to his first year of school, Marina's as cute as ever (never tell anyone I said that...) and Violet is becoming more of a Malfoy by the day! Serenity is growing up faster than any of us, which worries the parents, but I can understand. She's always been different.

How are things there? Uncle Harry had to come over here for a conference last month and he visited, but he didn't tell us much.

Well, I've got to go! Write back ASAP!!!

Jason

James smiled as he finished reading his friend's letter. It had been just over four years since he had seen Jason, but they had both owled frequently. He had also kept in contact with Serenity, for some reason beyond even his understanding. They were few and far between, but her letters were among his favorites to receive, mostly because they made it seem as if she were really there with him.

"What's that?" Curtis asked, as he finally looked up from the prank he was twiddling with and motioned to the letter in James's hand.

"Um...nothing." James murmured, moving to put it safely in his pocket. But Orion got there first.

"It's a love-note! A love note from...Jason?" Orion's overly loud voice trailed off as he peered at the letter. James felt anger rise in his chest and he clenched his fists.

"Who's Jason? I didn't know you swung that way, James!" Curtis laughed. James growled.

"It's nobody! Give that back!" He yelled, reaching for it. Orion laughed and tossed it to Romulus, who caught it expertly and eyed it's contents.

"This 'nobody' seems to know you pretty well." He stated. James felt his anger rise to his throat and he growled, his body tensing.

"He's keeping secrets again." Lily announced from further down the table. It was now obvious that the entire student body was riveted to the drama being played out before them. This caused the laughter to cease and Romulus to look up from the letter.

"Oh, is he?" Orion asked, his voice mock-grave.

"This is none of your business." James muttered. Lily's eyes flared.

"It is my business! I'm your sister...your twin! And you're keeping secrets from me!" She exclaimed.

"And us." Max added, folding his arms. James closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm his anger and squash his guilt. Unfortunately, Lily didn't seem to understand that he was at a breaking point, and spoke a little bit too soon.

"Honestly! You're starting to act like...like a Malfoy!" She spat out the name like a disease. At her words, the entire Hall went deathly silent, and James felt something snap inside himself. His eyes flew open and met his sister's in a death-glare that made her recoil back in surprise. His face was openly outraged as he slowly stood. He was still for a moment, then he slammed his clenched fists on the table with a loud 'BANG'.

"THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD IT! The minute this school is out, I'm LEAVING!" He roared, his emerald eyes flashing from behind his glasses.

"I am so tired of this...of you! All of you make me SICK! I can't take it!" He raged, snatching his letter from Romulus's hand. He then turned and stalked from the room, shooting another scathing look back at his sister before exiting. A stunned silence followed this extraordinary outburst. Lily had turned very pale, and her lips shook. Orion and Romulus were sending each other dazed looks, while Curtis and Max looked guiltily down at their breakfasts. Professor Harry Potter stood slowly, ignoring Hermione and Neville's shocked looks.

"I think..." Harry paused as everyone's attention was directed at him.

"...that if this were any other school day, I would be taking points from Gryffindor for many reasons. First, for violating another student's privacy. Second, for making false and hurtful accusations against that student, even as a joke. And third, using an honorable family name (Malfoy, in this case) as an offensive tactic. Such prejudice will not be permitted in this school. As it is, you, Miss Potter, will be facing the punishment of grounding during the first half of the summer break." At the Professor's words, the silence grew even deeper and Lily's face registered shock, hurt, and above all, anger and confusion.

"As for the others involved, I will be speaking to your parents. That is all." With this, Harry turned and swept through a side door that resided just behind his chair, leaving everyone in the room beside themselves with shock and confusion.

After his escape, James had gone to his father's office in a rage, waiting impatiently for his father to enter the room.

"Dad, I've had enough! I've got to get away. I'm so sick of this!" James shouted as Harry finally came in. Harry looked at his son, not at all surprised. He could clearly understand what his son was going through, and he knew that James had finally reached the bursting point of his conscious.

"A vacation, you mean?" He asked gently. James groaned.

"Yeah. Far away."

"Is New York far enough?"

James's head snapped up and he stared at his father in amazement.

"You mean..."

"I received a letter from Draco a few days ago, inviting us over for the summer. I can't go, but I told him that you might be interested. You can even go today, if you want to." Harry hadn't even finished talking, before James had jumped up and thrown his arms around him in a 'manly' hug.

"Dad, you're the best!" He yelped, before rushing from the room amid his father's laughter.