Disclaimer: nope, I still don't own anything of which you recognize.
A/N: most terribly sorry that this update came so late and took me forever to get up. I could write a whole bunch of lame excuses that you wouldn't take credible anyway, but I wont. Just know that next time it will NOT take this long for me to post. However, I can't speak for Ariei. Smiles
Chapter 3
Quickly Hermione looked up, and shot back a reply, "were you following me?"
Before he could answer, she pushed past him to go back down the corridor, hoping she could leave before a large argument started, but to her disappointment…or was it? As she shoved past, he grabbed her wrist, not allowing her to go any farther.
"Do you think I was following you?" he asked in an accusing tone.
"It certainly seemed that way." Hermione accused back, while trying to free her limb from his grasp.
"Is it possible, that the little mudblood wants me to be following her, so she is making up these ridiculous lies in order to lessen her own guilt?" he said snidely while slowly pulling her toward him.
"Leave me alone!" she shouted getting worried as flashbacks of the dream ran through her mind. Just as she finished speaking, he jerked her into an embrace and whispered harshly in her ear.
"I need you… I need you to save me from-" he didn't finish. He was jerked roughly backwards, away from her and she stood dumbfounded while he was thrown up against the wall then into the open door of a compartment and the door slammed shut behind him. He didn't get up and try to fight back so she guessed he'd been knocked out. She raised her eyes and her gaze fell upon her rescuer. He was a tall young man with obsidian black hair and lilac violet eyes. As their eyes met she thought how unusual that color was, but even then how entrancing. He began to walk toward her and she tensed.
"I heard you scream, so I came to help. I'm sorry he was bothering you. I hate it when a guy can't treat a woman decent. It makes me sick." He said with disgust.
Hermione was speechless, not sure whether to kiss him or hex him for what he'd don't to Draco.
She found it useless to try to correct herself in her mind, no matter how many times she told herself to call him Malfoy, Draco just popped up anyway.
After a slightly odd silence, he introduced himself, "I'm Scott G. Triston. This is my fist time going to Hogwarts."
At this she snapped back to reality and looked at him confused, "you mean you just found out you had magic?" she couldn't comprehend how someone could go for this long not realizing they had something everyone around them did not.
He smiles, shaking his head. "No, I've know I was a wizard all my life, I'm just saying that I've transferred t Hogwarts. I used to go to a different school, is all."
After this explanation Hermione noticed the difference in his speech. He had an American accent. Were there really other schools in America? She thought. And since she didn't say anything he went on.
"I'm a seventh year, and I hope to make the best of this year."
Hermione pushed her thoughts aside again and answered back, "I'm Hermione Granger, 6th year Gryffendor. Welcome to Hogwarts. Well, not actually since we aren't technically there year, but welcome just the same. If you'd like, I could show you around." She left the invitation open.
"Yes, I'd like that very much."
"Excellent, where are you sitting, so I can explain some things?"
At this, he got a wry smile on his face, and gestured at the compartment 2 doors down, the same compartment he'd shoved Malfoy in minutes before. Wait Malfoy, and I getting in out of my head at last? After seeing this Hermione smiled slightly before turning to go towards her own compartment, or more specifically, the one she shared with Harry and Ron.
"You may come sit with my friends and me. I'll introduce you."
But as they both began to walk, a voice was heard from behind them.
"Gabe, there…um…appears to…be a…ahem… body in our compartment." She trailed off some worry in her voice.
Hermione turned her gaze on the speaker to find a shorter girl with shoulder length, very wavy, silvery white hair, staring confusedly into the compartment. The girl turned and smiled noticing Hermione's presence. Hermione caught her breath at the beauty of the smile, and the bright sparkle of life and joy in her eyes. Noticing the eyes, she saw that they were the same lilac violet as Scott, the same unusual color, and came to the conclusion that they had to be family.
"Hello," the girl said to her. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you past my lump of a brother."
'Ah, I knew it, they are related, not that any intelligent person couldn't have been able to tell from the resemblance.'
"Gabe?" she asked again.
'She must be referring to her brother, but his name is Scott, why does she keep calling him Gabe?'
He'd been staring at Hermione, and he abruptly broke his gaze and turned to his sister.
"Yeah?"
"What about his body?" she asked, her tone demanding an answer.
"Um…I knocked him out-"
She cut him off, "WHAT? We haven't even gotten to the school yet and already you are losing your temper!"
"But Cris, he was attacking Hermione," he gestured in her direction.
Hermione made a protesting sound, but quickly covered it with a cough, realizing how odd it would have been explaining Malfoy's presence.
Cris simply raised an eyebrow at her brother before walking to Hermione and taking her arm, pulling her down the corridor. Hermione looked over at her confused.
"Hermione is it? That's an interesting name, musical and flowing. I like it." She said bluntly.
"I'm Jaderra F. Triston. Twin sister of that nut case behind us." She nodded her head in his direction.
"I resent that." He said while following him, but with a smile in his lips.
"Wait" Hermione said…your name is Jaderra and his is Scott…"
"Yes," she answered failing to see the significance or the point.
"Then why did you call him Gabe, and he you, Cris?"
"Ah," the girl nodded understanding Hermione's confusion. "Well, our friends called us Scott, and jade, so we decided to call each other something different, just for the random heck of it. His middle name is Gabriel, hence Gabe, and mine is Fearcris, hence Cris. It's a family thing, since we have no surviving relatives, at least that we know of, we decided to have pet names, if you will, for each other."
At last Hermione understanding said, "Ok, now that I'm no longer utterly confused, still confused mind you, just not utterly, you can come to my compartment."
The three all smiled at each other and Hermione led them down the corridor where Harry and Ron were still discussing the Chudley Cannons.
Draco woke up dazed and with a lovely headache. He stood up shakily and walked out of the compartment he hazily remembered being thrown into. Holding onto the doorframe he seethed silently. He'd been close to Granger. Almost gotten it out, only to be torn away from her warmth abruptly. When he found out who ever had done it. He swore he'd cause them pain…yeas…lots of pain. With this pleasant thought in mind he began to make his way back to his own compartment plotting very gruesome deeds all the while.
It had been quite a shock for the two boys when Hermione showed up back at the compartment with a goddess and Hercules. Or at least that's how the twins appeared to them. Jade, petite and stunning without trying, and Scott, huge, and muscular. They'd eventually gotten over the shock, and Ron's ears even changed back to their normal color. They'd all become fast friends. Scott enjoyed talking about Quidditch as much as Harry, and Ron did and all three were soon swapping movies and stories or past experiences. Hermione looked on…watching Scott as he moved and talked, her face spreading in an unconsciously tender smile. Jade watched Hermione watching her brother and smiled, but the radiant smile slowly turned to a very sad frown and she lowered her eyes as they became moist. She'd never forget that lonely night.
(Flashback)
Walking home with Gabe smiled laughing when out of nowhere a large group of grown men, at least they looked like living people…until they smiled evilly, stepped out of the shadows. Everything from then on was a quick blur, her Gabe fighting them all off, after shoving her behind a garbage bin to hide her from them. Then all of them combining their strength to beat her brother; knocking him onto the cold wet ground, unconscious. Then they'd crowded around him, her fallen hero. She'd never forget…the two bloody holes she'd found in his neck, and how utterly pale he'd become…
(End Flashback)
She again looked up at Hermione, 'she smiles at him now, but would that smile stay there if she knew, knew about my brother and his unlucky fate? No. No, I'll keep it hidden, I wont let her find out about his past…or his future.'
She was then brought back to reality as Hermione turned and smiled at her. She quickly hid her sadness and smiled back while her thoughts continued on. 'Never will I allow any girl to harm my brother again. Not like the last one who'd found out and nearly destroyed him. No, never again. I cant lose him.'
They finally arrived at Hogwarts and the group found an empty carriage to take them through the rain to the castle. As they got there, Jade and Scott stayed back while Hermione, Harry and Ron went to the traditional Gryffendor table, and their regular seats. The same old process went on, the sorting; the announcements until Dumbledoor stood up and called for silence.
"We have two transfers from the States. They are twins and 7th years. We'd like them to come in now to be sorted. I expect all of you to treat them politely and respectfully in accordance with the reputation of this school and it's students." Then he smiled and sat down.
The twins came in through the large doors, there was an audible gasp throughout the hall, and walked up to the stool. Professor Magonagal called the Scott first.
"Scott Triston."
Slowly he walked to the stool sat and the sorting hat was placed on his head.
"Slytherin!" the hat called out, and the Slytherin table erupted in cheers.
Looking very disappointed he shuffled over to the table and took a seat. Then looked up eagerly at his sister silently hoping and wishing her to be with him. Even if he'd never admit it, he was frightened, he knew why he was in this house, and also knew that if he weren't the way he was, he would have been in Gryffendor with his newfound friends.
Meanwhile over at the Gryffendor table the trio was considerably shocked.
"How could he have been put in Slytherin, he doesn't belong there, he's nothing like that scum." Harry said.
"I don't understand it." Ron said confused.
Hermione would have said something but was to concentrated on Jade and where she would be put.
"Jaderra Triston."
Jade looked from her brother to the hat and back, then determination glinted in her eyes and she walked up to the stool sat and let the hat be placed on her head.
'Put me in Slytherin, put me in Slytherin with my brother.' She thought as hard as she could, even with the internal struggle going on inside her. She could never desert him, he needed her.
"Slytherin!" the hat called out and Scott heaved a huge sigh of relief. Jade stood and smiled at her brother walking over to where he sat and taking a seat next to him.
The Slytherin table was utterly Chaotic so she was able to lean over and whisper in his ear.
"I couldn't leave you to be eaten alive." Then she smiled at him, and he wrapped her in a hug.
All the other tables were visibly disappointed, but no one was more so than three certain Gryffendor who sat in shock, unable to eat the food that had just filled all the tables. They still sat, trying to figure out why things had turned out how they had, why those two great people had been put in the most horrible house.
Scott, and Jade were eating happily when Scott was tapped on the shoulder, both turned to see who it was. A boy stood there with his hand outstretched.
"Welcome to Slytherin, I'm Draco Malfoy"
Scott stood up abruptly clenching his fists ready to strike again the foul piece of trash that had been attacking Hermione on the train.
A/N: Yea, not very good cliffhanger, but at least I finally got it up. I would really appreciate it if you would R&R.