Wise Beyond My Years

Stella Malfoy

I hate Elizabeth Tanner. Period.

She's an evil witch, who wants to ship my sister and me off to another part of the country. I'm not stupid… I can see what she's trying to do.

Elizabeth Tanner acts stupid on purpose, in an effort to get Daddy to think she's all innocent. Once, when I was in the bathroom, I heard her talking in her room next door. I sat on the ledge of the sink and stuck my head next to the vents. I heard her laughing, and I could hardly make out her words.

She was talking with a friend who was staying from out of town. Her friend was tall and slender, like Elizabeth. She had long red hair that reached her butt. She seemed very stand-offish when Daddy introduced us. He said her name was Jennifer, and I decided I didn't like that name. I never trusted her.

Anyway, as I was in the bathroom in a very awkward position, I could hear what Elizabeth and her horrible friend were saying.

"…and once I get those filthy and annoying brats off my hands, I can really put my plan into action!" Elizabeth announced.

"What's the first thing you'll do?" Her friend asked.

"Well, I intend on snooping around in Draco's files. If he catches me, I'll tell him I misplaced something. Once I find out all his bank account information, I'll gradually take money and then I'll leave him alone—in debt!"

I remember almost falling off the counter. I was shocked—I mean, I disliked Tanner from the start, but I never suspected her to be a con artist!

"And you're going to split it 40/60 with me, right?" Her friend asked casually.

"Of course, Ginny. I promised you." I also remember thinking hard about this one. She called her "Ginny…" not "Jenny."

"How are you going to get rid of the girls?" This Ginny character asked.

"Simple." Elizabeth schemed. "Boarding school. But first, I make the girls look like brats by complaining about them and pouting to Draco. I'll make him want to spend alone time with me."

Ginny laughed. "Brilliant!"

I decided I wouldn't make it so easy. I kept the secret to myself—after all, I knew Daddy wouldn't believe me, anyway.

And so, I terrorized the nannies and made Tanner angrier by the day. I became what she wanted me to be—a huge brat. But Daddy never wanted to send us away. I knew he wouldn't do it.

And then he hired Hermione Granger. She was different from all the other nannies I'd ever met. She generally cared about Luna and me. I knew I couldn't let her go… so I came up with a plan.

That day at the carnival showed me a different side of my dad. He seemed happier, freer with Hermione. I decided then and there—with the ocean waves breaking on my bare feet— that I was going to get Hermione and my dad to fall in love.

I didn't know how, but I knew I wanted it to happen. Hermione was everything Elizabeth was not—smart, genuine, kind, and pretty. Elizabeth was a lowly liar and con artist. Given a choice, I'd rather have Hermione for a mother.

So, I decided to go all "The Parent Trap" on them. Yes, I've actually seen that movie. One of our nannies thought Disney movies would make us more "wholesome," so she forced them upon us by the dozen.

My first plan was to get them alone. I thought of the movie and decided that trapping them on a boat together would be perfect. I'd suggest we go sailing on a yacht—Daddy's got one, anyway—and then Luna and I will run off it before they notice we're gone. And when they notice, the ship will be out at sea…

----

I was in the bathroom again, combing my hair. I should've been in bed, but I knew Ginny was over. I hoped to catch them in a conversation.

I heard Ginny and Elizabeth talking, so I shut the door and got into my position on the counter. This was the second time I'd eavesdropped on those two… and it was becoming a hobby.

"Those damn brats are still here!" Ginny whined. I wanted to smack her.

"I know…" Elizabeth muttered bitterly. "But I have the perfect plan."

"Do tell!" Ginny whispered loudly.

"Well. First, one of us—or someone we hire—kidnaps the brats."

I almost fell off the counter. I wanted to go protect Luna, but I knew they weren't going to do anything now. So I got really quiet and listened with concentration.

"After that's taken care of, we'll write a ransom note for that obnoxious nanny to find." Elizabeth laughed. "And we'll demand a ton of gold and let someone else pick it up for us. Once we've got that, we skip town and dump the girls off somewhere."

"So your original plan is void?" Ginny asked.

"Maybe, maybe not." Was the reply. "It depends on how smoothly the kidnapping goes."

"When are you going to 'get' them?" Ginny asked with a laugh.

"Tomorrow."

That time I really did fall off the counter. I hoped they didn't hear me. I waited several minutes and then ran down the hall to my room. I was so overwhelmed that I cried.

Crying is a weakness. Showing emotion in public is wrong. I repeated the things I'd heard my grandfather—when he was still alive, that is—say. I tried to calm myself down, but I was so scared. I felt more alone than I ever had before.

I couldn't tell Hermione or my Dad. They'd both think I was lying. Luna wouldn't help the situation, so I couldn't tell her.

I was so desperate and afraid. I started wailing loudly. Hermione ran in, just as I thought.

"What's wrong?" She asked in a soothing voice.

"I had a nightmare…" I lied with tears running down my face.

"It's okay now, Stella." She said calmly, sitting on the edge of my bed. "Want to tell me about it?"

I nodded and tears spilled down my face. "Luna and I were walking around the house… and…" For a more dramatic effect, I paused and sniffled. "Some bad people grabbed us and took us away."

"Do you know who they were?" She asked. I debated whether or not to tell her it was Elizabeth.

I nodded. "It was my daddy's lady friend."

She gazed sympathetically at me. "Do you dislike her?" She asked softly. I nodded. Hermione ran her fingers through my long blonde hair.

"And then," I continued. "She dragged us to a place we didn't know and left a ransom letter. And after that, I woke up."

I inwardly felt relieved. I told her what was about to happen. She would remember it tomorrow and know that it did happen. "Well, get some rest. I'll bring you some warm milk."

Tears ran down my face. I couldn't rest; no, not while knowing what I did.

Author's Note: I told you the plot would thicken! Did you start to think this had no substance? Well… you were wrong! And as for the romance-factor… wait ONE more chapter, will you? Now for the personal responses to reviews… I like when other people do this, so maybe I'll do it every once in a while.

Runaway Mental Patient: Yeah, pardon my ignorance of English culture. I'm an American, after all. Funnel cakes are basically batter dipped in hot oils and covered in powdered sugar. It's totally something you buy at boardwalks… it's greasy, it's TERRIBLE for you, and it costs only a few dollars. I don't really like them… but many people do!

Red-e-2party: Yep! That's exactly what she's about to do. You called it!

MarliS: Hahaha. I read that and laughed. I like it when sleep-deprived people say things, it's always amusing.

And, of course, thanks to everyone else who reviewed! They make me happy and want to update more!