An average sized slender girl stared at the daunting train before her. Of course Procyon had described it to her many times before, but it was still a rather unnerving image. Not that you could tell from her face. She had long ago been trained to keep her feelings to herself, and never to display emotions unless you were using them to manipulate a situation, or person for that matter, to your advantage. With a look of polite indifference she boarded the train.

The young girl made her way through the aisle until she came upon the compartment containing Pansy Parkinson. She slid the door open and stepped inside gracefully.

"May I have a seat in your compartment?" she asked politely.

Pansy smiled in a slightly restrained manner and replied, "Of course you may Capella. How has your summer been?"

Capella smiled politely and seated herself across from Pansy and responded, "Lovely, How has yours been?"

Pansy continued to uphold her trained smile and said in a light detached voice "Lovely as well."

They continued to chat idly about proper subjects. Proper subjects being those that were not particularly personal and showed an intelligent interest in the others state of affairs. After a while Millicent Bullstrode and Daphne Greengrass joined the two girls. The four girls had known each other for most of their lives. They had been raised to be "friends" or at least act like friends. For as long as Capella could remember she had known that she had to maintain good relations with the other three, for they would be her room-mates in Slytherin, and a Slytherin with a grudge against you was not someone you wanted to share a room with.

Of course Capella had never really considered these girls to be her friends. She knew they were supposed to be, but from what she had gathered from books friendship was no what you shared with those who your parents insist you make polite conversation. In fact if she was to classify anyone as her friend she really only had two candidates. Her brother Procyon and Blaise Zabini.

Blaise, she had of course known since she was born too. He was from a rich pureblooded family so it was only natural. However, he was different from the other pureblooded children she had grown up with. The girls she had grown up with were much like her; cold, detached, and of course scheming. The boys she had been raised with were a bit more varied. First off there was Draco Malfoy. He was a perfect child in the eyes of the adults, always polite and with all the right morals. However, when he was alone with the children he acted as if he could boss the rest of them around, as if he was better than them! And if there was one thing Capella did not appreciate it was being looked down upon. Then you had Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe. They were rather stupid and were born followers. She really had no problems with them, though their idiocy did tend to wear on ones nerves. And of course there was Theodore Nott. The boy was a mischief-maker and a definite pervert. At the last social gathering he had attempted to look up all the girls' robes and had asked them all if he could kiss them. That was most definitely improper, but then again so was beating up a boy, so she had had to refrain from doing so.

But Blaise, Blaise was different. She supposed it had to do with his upbringing. All the other boys she knew were the first-born males in their family. Blaise however, was not. He had a brother named Trent who was 5 years older than him. As a result his mother mostly raised Blaise. He was not drilled on proper etiquette as a child and he had not learned how to run a household or the art of politics. Trent would inherit the Zabini family name and estate. As a second child the best Blaise could hope for was to marry a rich girl with no siblings, or to receive a pension from his brother. Capella supposed that because mostly his mother raised Blaise he was different.

Blaise's mother was one of a kind. While in public she of course maintained a cool aristocratic image, but when left alone with her son she was a warm and loving mother. Capella often wondered if Blaise's mother had something against him. After all, it would do the boy no good to be kind and caring, would it?

Capella couldn't help but like Blaise though. She knew if she ever needed someone to talk to, he could be counted on to listen and help. Not like that actually mattered to Capella, after all she had no hopes and dreams. The greatest thing she could hope for was that she would not be forced into marriage with Vincent or Gregory. Of course she would prefer not to be married to Theodore either, though she supposed he would grow out of his immaturity. Draco, well Draco looked down on her, which definitely pissed her off. But the Malfoys were rich and prominent. There was also the fact that Draco's mother was Capella's father's cousin. While all purebloods were related, that was a little too close for comfort in Capella's opinion. However, she didn't think their parents held the same opinion.

She wouldn't mind being married to Blaise though. Cappella did not expect to marry for love, but she did care about Blaise. He was sweet, and definitely intelligent. And though if they were to marry, Blaise would love her in return, it would be the love of a friend or brother, not the love of a life partner. She would not blame Blaise for that, how could she? He was not capable of loving her in that way. After all he was gay.

He had come out to her at the beginning of the summer. While she had been taught that homosexuality was wrong, she thought about it for a while. Blaise was her friend. He was kind and intelligent, and overall everything a good pureblood should be. She didn't see why it should matter. So she kept Blaise's secret as well as his friendship. If she had to marry him, she would have no qualms.

Capella was jolted out of her thoughts as the train pulled up to Hogwarts. She smiled to herself. Here the rest of her life began.