Disclaimer: You know, the usual, I don't own any of this, blah blah blah.
Chapter 3:
Less than a week later, the Weasley clan headed to King's Cross Station. Ava, the newest Weasley child heading off to Hogwarts, was nearly exploding with excitement. To cover her childish anticipation she had become a little ice queen. She walked through the station with her head held high, shoulders thrown back, and hair swinging over her shoulders. Hermione watched her daughter with dismay. One moment she was an absolute doll, cooing over the last minute gift from her parents: a tiny, squirming kitten with a bit of kneazle blood in her, and the next she was acting like the Queen of England. Earlier that day, as Ron had watched Ava cuddle the little kitten he was reminded of her mother years ago with that wild furball of a cat, Crookshanks. It had been the perfect present to send his daughter off for her first year of schooling.
"I'll name her Dora, you know, for Gryffindor," she had told her parents as she nuzzled the little kit. Her parents shared a worried glance over head. Trying to be as gentle as possible Hermione reminded her that she had not been sorted yet. Though there was a long tradition of Weasleys in Gryffindor House, Ava seemed to be the exception to every Weasley rule. Still, Ava seemed unbothered by her mother's reminder, absolutely certain that she would join the same house as her parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
"After all," Ava reasoned, "if Bill's dolt of a son can make it into Gryffindor, I will be a shoe-in." Hermione scolded Ava for the insult of her cousing, but genuinelyhoped Ava would not be disappointed.
Passing through the barrier separating Platform 9 and ¾ from the rest of the station, Hermione was overwhelmed by memories of her days riding the train to and from school. Though she had been to Hogwarts many times since her school days, Hermione had not ridden the Hogwarts Express since the end of her 6th year of school. The ride then had been wrought with grief and misery. She sent up a silent prayer that Ava would never experience such a horrible thing.
Ava was, of course, oblivious to her mother's trip down memory lane. She was standing close to her father, where she felt safe, but was surveying the students queuing up outside the train. Her eyes especially focused on the smallest of the children she saw standing around, seeing as how they were most likely to be first years as well. As the conductor issued a warning that they would be leaving within the next few minutes, Ava realized the time had come to leave her parents. She impassively raised her cheeks to her parents so they could bend down and kiss her on each cheek, then turned around sharply in the direction of the train dragging her trunks and the carrier containing Dora.
Hermione forced herself not to shed a tear and she watched her baby girl ascend the steps up to the train and disappear inside.
Ava made her way hesitantly down the middle of the aisle. Somehow she had lost track of Selena and Gwen in the crush of students outside the train. As people settled into their compartments and shouted greetings to one another, Ava kept her eyes pealed for a flash of red hair. With so many of her cousins attending Hogwarts these days she was bound to find one of them. However, as she continued down the aisle she had not yet found anyone she recognized. She did eventually find an empty compartment to sit in. After settling her trunk and Dora in the overhead wrack, she sat absolutely still with the most composed look on her face that she could muster, waiting for someone to come in and meet her. As the train began to lurch forward, a figure appeared in the door of her compartment.
"Do y-you think I-I could sit here?" the girl stuttered shyly. Ava appraised her coolly. She was small and her shoulders hunched unbecomingly. Long blond hair hung limply down her back and her eyes were so pale and gray that Ava shuddered a bit. Despite her rather unimpressive appearance, Ava nodded and the girl came in.
"I'm Muriel," the girl said quietly extending a hand, "Muriel Malfoy." Ava stopped mid-handshake and her jaw dropped open.
"Malfoy? Draco Malfoy's daughter?" Surprised, Muriel nodded her head yes. "That does it, get out of my compartment." Muriel's pale gray eyes widened frightenly.
"B-But, b-but, why?" She spit out.
"Because you and I are MORTAL ENEMIES!" Ava shouted. Seeing the other girl's utter shock she continued, "Don't you know anything? Hasn't your father told you all about us?" Muriel continued to look bewildered, and by now, quite frightened of the raging girl seated across from her. "Don't you see what color my hair is?" Ava concluded, clutching a chunk of her hair.
"I think it's nice. I like red hair," Muriel said, without a bit of sarcasm or contempt. Ava gaped at her.
"I am a WEASLEY," assuming that would clear everything up.
"Oh, um, ok," Muriel said hesitantly, looking about, hoping someone would come in and save her from this raving lunatic.
"Hasn't your father told you about his feud with my father and his brothers while they were at Hogwarts? Ron Weasley? Ring a bell? Or what about Harry Potter? He's my uncle you know," Ava said proudly.
"My father, well, he doesn't talk much about his past," Muriel said quietly.
"Well I should imagine not, he must be quite ashamed of it." Muriel looked up into Ava's eyes and then hung her head in shame. Ava was not quite sure what came over her but she decided to neglect all the warnings she had been given about Malfoys and actually be nice to the pitiful girl.
"So you'll be in Slytherin then I suppose?" Muriel looked back up and nodded slowly. "Yes, yes, all Malfoys are Slytherins, aren't they? I'm a Gryffindor myself. Not officially, but we're all Gryffindors. I've already got a thousand jumpers knitted by my Grandmum in Gryffindor colors," Ava went on, getting rather chatty now. It was quite clear that Muriel was not someone to be afraid of, but someone to be pushed around. Ava continued to talk for the rest of the trip while Muriel nodded, shrugged, and smiled whenever it seemed appropriate. Suddenly, when Ava was just in the middle of her favorite story of George and Fred's defiant departure from Hogwarts, the train grinded to a halt. "Oh, I see we're here. It's been nice talking to you. Maybe I'll see you around, but maybe not, now that we're in two different houses. Have a nice year," and Ava was off towards the boats carrying the first years towards the lake.
A/N: Please review and let me know what you like/dislike! I'd appreciate any feedback I can get!