The lax days of summer diminished as quickly as water slipping through fingertips as the Hogwarts students soon found themselves gathered in a growing mass at the Hogwarts Express. Harry and Ron marched up to the enormous train, their carts in front of them. Ron proudly brandished his fine, new set of robes.
"I can't believe Fred and George actually got mum to let me get new robes," Ron chatted excitedly. "But I think mum's starting to accept that it's not taboo for her sons to own a joke shop."
"I'm more surprised they went through so much trouble to get you those," Harry rejoined.
"They've been in a upright mood ever since mum's let them keep the shop you know," Ron said. "Bought loads of stuff already and they still have galleons to spare," Ron added jealously. "Almost makes you want to start a joke shop too."
"I don't think your mother would like that," laughed Harry.
Their conversation came to a temporary stop as they proceeded to heave their large trunks onto the train. With each other's help, they managed to fit their baggage successfully and snugly into the compartment. Panting slightly, they searched for an available seat.
Harry sifted through the crowd through his crude spectacles and caught snippets of nearby conversations.
"Did you see...?
"That girl...who is she...?"
"...So jealous...!"
Harry glanced at Ron. Ron looked back with a curious look on his face. Even so, they continued to mill through the crowded compartments and finally found their Griffindor friends: Dean, Seamus, Lee, Neville, and a few others. Neville gave an enthusiastic wave and Harry quickly sat down next to them, Ron following closely behind.
"Ron! Harry! Good for you to finally make it!" Lee greeted heartily, shifting more to the side to give each of the new boys room.
"Yeah, the train's so crowded when you don't get here early!" Ron said, giving a worn out pant.
"That's great but guess what?" Seamus cut in excitedly. He was so bursting with anxiety that he was barely resting on the edge of his seat. Dean seemed to be mimicking him.
"There's this new sixth year student," Dean started, already out of breath from anticipation, "and she's absolutely gorgeous!" Dean swayed a bit for effect. "I'm not really the kind of person to swoon over a girl, but after glimpsing her, I'd do anything to just look at her again!"
"Yeah! The moment she walked onto the train, it only took her twenty minutes to get at least ten guys to gather around her!" Seamus added.
Neville didn't seem as head-over-heels as his companions. "If she's that popular I don't think we'll ever get a chance with her now will we?" he commented skeptically.
"Don't so pessimistic!" snapped Seamus, his pride wounded.
"Whatever," Lee said, waving his hand. "I still have my eyes set on Angelina. Plus, I've never seen this girl. Not that I don't trust your judgment," he added sarcastically.
Before Dean could chide back, Neville piped, "Yeah! I haven't seen her either! She's probably not as great as you think she is!"
Harry and Ron both sat silently at the sidelines, watching their comrades engrossed in their heated conversation. Harry recalled the bits and pieces of conversation he had caught not too long ago and glanced back at his friends.
"Hey," Ron interjected. "I've been thinking, doesn't this girl kind of sound like a veela?" he said tentatively. They paused to consider this for only a moment.
"That's right!" Neville agreed. "She might not be all that on the inside like she is on the outside you know. Beauty's only skin deep," Neville recited, waving his finger.
"You sound like me ol' gran," sniffed Seamus disdainfully. Neville flushed a bright crimson color.
The compartment door slid open with a rather loud bang. The Griffindors turned. Ron gave an audible groan and purposely coughed into his fisted hand.
"That's not very polite, Weasly," drawled a low voice. "I would rather you address me in a more mannerly way, since I am a richer, smarter, and worthier person than you are at about," he shrugged sarcastically, "everything." Crabbe and Goyle sniggered.
Ron's ears turned a generous shade of rose, but kept his ground. Through the years of taunts he had received from the ever-so annoying Malfoy had taught him to keep his head high no matter how his pride stung. Unfortunately, no one really noticed the young Weasly's bit of valor.
Harry gritted his teeth in anger. "You're not wanted here, Malfoy. Whose father is it that's the shameless follower of You-Know-Who?"
Malfoy blanched, and a silent pink brushed his cheeks. Harry couldn't help but grin snidely. Malfoy growled and regained his footage.
"At least I'm not a part of a group of foolish boys cooing over a girl in secret," he sneered at Seamus and Dean. "Why don't you just sum up your renowned Griffindor courage and ask her whether you can grovel at her feet?" Malfoy laughed triumphantly at the embarrassed faces.
Seamus angrily shouted back, in a poor effort to regain his dignity. "If you'd seen her, you'd be crawling on your hands and knees!" Before Malfoy could reply with another snide remark, the compartment door slid open once more.
A supple young girl in her last year stepped in tentatively. Her eyes were shy and hidden by long raven lashes. Fully lush lips painted with gloss matched her innocently rosy cheeks. A long cascading river of coffee brown curls flowed down her back and over her shoulders. She clutched a bundle of her well-designed dress robe, a nice summer outfit from a well-known Italian witch's robe company. All the boys gaped in awe, even Draco was found absolutely speechless. Her eyes shifted nervously, avoiding their piercing gazes.
"Oh! I'm-I'm sorry. I think I'm in the wrong-," she spotted Harry. A smile spread across her delicate lips.
"Harry! I haven't seen you in so long!" She cried running towards him and giving him a gentle embrace. Harry sat stiff and motionless, paralyzed in his seat. The other boys threw vicious glanced at him.
"Do-do I know you?" Harry stuttered stupidly.
"Oh," the girl paused for a moment seeming to contemplate something. "Oh, um, I'm sorry, I guess not," she apologized, fingering her earring. It gave her quite an attractive aura with her cheeks crimson and her lips curved into a sheepish smile. Seamus felt as if he would fall from his seat.
"I guess I mistook you for someone else, sorry," she smiled and held out her hand. "I'm," she hesitated ever-so-slightly, "Saralyne Granger."
As Harry was too slow to receiver her hand, Draco reached out and folded his own fingers around her open palm.
"Hello, Saralyne," the slick blonde boy interjected. "Draco, Draco Malfoy. Pleased to meet you."
The girl looked absolutely shocked, but she didn't shed away from his grasp.
"You don't want to mix with the wrong sort of people, now do you? I can show you anything you want," he drawled persuasively.
The girl just recovered from her petrifaction and instinctively slipped her hand out from Draco's firm hold. "Um, I-I'm sorry," she replied quickly. Walking briskly out the door, biting her thumbnail, she exited their wide-eyed compartment with a soft 'chunk!'
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Draco's Point of View
A stunningly beauteous girl stood only feet away from me. I had never seen anything like her. The fairness of her glowing skin and her silk-like hair entranced me in a wordless hypnosis. The more I stared, the more she blushed, her crimson shade adding to her attractiveness.
Her eyes wandered away from my gaze, away from the gazes of those around me. Then her eyes rested on someone and a smile lit her beautiful face.
"Harry!" she exclaimed running to him and giving him an all-too-friendly embrace. I felt the back of my neck grow hot.
She had obviously run to him for his popular fame, his glory, his wonder. Only that could be the reason she'd ignored everyone except for him. The only difference between he and I is only his scar anyway. He is no better than me and yet why should he receive all that I equally deserved? I felt anger seethe within me.
"Do-do I know you?" Potter replied dumbly. I silently shouted to god, you see! Witness the stupidity of my foe! Had I that chance to speak to her, I would've chosen words that would've captured her heart in one phrase!
She was taken aback, perhaps offended by Potter's dimwittedness, but managed to reply back, even go as far as amending his mistake by offering her hand to him. As expected, he stared back at her with the thickness of a brick.
How could I resist the chance? How could I, Draco Malfoy turn down the opportunity to show Harry Potter what a complete failure he really was? Show him that the Malfoys were never to be defeated. Show him how much better off he is as dirt on the soles of my shoes.
I reached out my pale hand and grabbed the outstretched fingers of the maiden and made my greetings. I'd thought everything had gone as planned. I would win her with my words and she would never even think as to go near Potter ever again. But I was wrong.
She refused my offer and ran. Why? Had I done something wrong? Was fate reminding me once again that I would never win against Potter? The heroic Potter? The famous Potter? The perfect Potter? At that moment, I think I must have heard the gods laughing at me.
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Harry's Point of View
I think anyone would've agreed with me if I had said that girl was absolutely gorgeous. I'd admired Cho Chang ever since I first met her, along with the fact that I considered Cho to be a nice and very pretty girl. But the person standing before me wasn't pretty; she was lovely.
She glanced around nervously, and finally rested her eyes. On me. My heart panicked. I was not made for dealing with girls, I didn't know how to handle them at all. And with widened eyes, I saw her run towards me, her arms outstretched.
Closer and closer until all I could see was her flying mass of soft earthy curls. Her embrace was gentle yet firm and I found myself paralyzed by the feeling of being enveloped by her arms. She was so close I could smell her sweet scent, which reminded me of daisies on a warm summer day.
She drew back from me, her smile unfading. I was absolutely dumbfounded. When my throat finally began to function, I stuttered a "Do I know you?" I felt a strong urge to slap myself.
She paused and replied with a negative, shyness creeping over her once again. To cover her awkwardness, she bravely made introductions, her hand offered to me. As I tried to regain function of my right hand, a pale white one shot out and stole my first handshake with his girl. I glared horrified at Malfoy, undecided at whether I was furious or shocked.
"Hello Saralyne," he said, his voice oily, as he tasted her name with his tongue. "Draco, Draco Malfoy. Pleased to meet you."
I could feel the anger burning upon the faces of my friends as they watched, their fists clenched. Ron's ears were a flaming crimson color and his teeth were gritted. I would have bet anything the words running through all our minds were, "How DARE he?"
What surprised me was the expression that Saralyne donned on her delicated face as he hand her hand steady, his eyes staring unblinking into hers. Her eyes were practically bulging and her skin grew pale. Her glossed lips were parted in a small oval, allowing her to draw in a breath. I couldn't decide whether she was shocked, disgusted, or absolutely dumbfounded.
With a swift tug, she drew her hand from Draco's hold, almost by instinct. "I'm sorry..." she breathed hastily and exited the compartment. All of us stared almost satisfactory at Draco's confused, wide-eyed face.
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AN: hey guys!!!!!!!! Really long chappie huh? I kinda went overboard with the points of view thing but there was just so much I wanted to write and I couldn't if I didn't write in separate points of view. Next chap's gonna probably in Hermione's POV and she'll probably describe the same situation. I hope it doesn't feel repetitive. There are just some things I have to mention through her POV, otherwise we dunno what's going on in that brown-haired head of hers. ^_^ For instance, why'd she change her name to Saralyne and not just reveal that she was Hermione? I plan to make this thing into big whole chaotic mess with a nice twist. Wish me luck, I'll need it. ^^;;;; I'm gonna shoot for a fast paced story so I might run out of ideas as they're written down faster than I can think of them. Just an FYI. ^_^;;;
Hermione: I get a makeover!!! YAY!!!!! ^.^
Draco: You need one.
*Draco is beaten by Hermione's Mallet of Wrath*
Draco: XP;;;;;;;;;
Ron: Yes, die stupid Malfoy!!!!!! :-D *laughs maniacally*
Harry: You need help.......o_O
Me: doesn't everyone? :-)
Harry: you need it in particular. ¬__¬
Me: naaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwww!!!!! 0:-)
Harry: ¬_________¬;;;;;;;;;;;;;
Ja ne!!!
~meow-chan~