DISCLAIMER: J.K. Rowling owns the setting and everything that you see in the Harry Potter books. Thanks to Rowling for a brilliant world to write of. However, I do own a few original characters and ideas. If anything in here seems related to another story/fanfic, sorry! It's really not.
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---Chapter One: Moving---
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"Oh, I'll really miss California," Fiona sighed, staring out of the window of the airplane.
I didn't want to acknowledge that I'd heard her, so I just stared out the window as well.
California was fast falling away beneath us, and people became mere dots and indistinguishable blurs. Buildings and lights grew smaller and smaller, until we were finally up in the clouds. I leaned back against my chair and squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself not to cry. It hurt to know that I wouldn't be living there anymore. Fremont, CA wouldn't be my home anymore. Andrew wasn't across the street from me anymore. We would never just walk over to one another's house and hang out and talk and go skateboarding over the summer. We'd never go sing karaoke together, or write music together. We'd never sit in the same classes at Drake's Institution for Witches and Wizards and plan out how to get revenge on the people who bullied us… we'd never get to do a million things together again.
I didn't mourn over school or my old house or family. I just mourned for the loss of my one and only childhood friend. David and Tracy had made it clear that they didn't want us to ever go back to California… and I couldn't blame them, after they had heard the whole trial.
"I don't want to go to England," Fiona sighed again.
"Do I look like I care?" I snapped, not wanting to listen to her complaints. "But you shouldn't worry, Fiona. You'll make new friends in a snap." I made sure that my words were completely saturated with sarcasm. "Everyone will just love you."
"I never knew you thought so highly of me, Faye," Fiona said coolly.
"I don't," I assured her coldly.
We were both silent for the rest of the plane ride. We hadn't talked much after the trial… we both knew that Fiona was a fake, a liar. We weren't on the best terms with each other, and that was the nicest way of putting it. And we were leaving all that we knew behind to go live in England. Henry and Diana had gone bankrupt, and my PE teacher at the program I was attending over the summer had noticed something out of the ordinary… and that was when… the whole issue of drinking and abuse was unearthed. I had never been so mortified in my life. Andrew… he had been astounded. He had never dreamed that I had gone through all that. That must have been the first crack in our almost rock-solid friendship. The very first—and it was all my fault. I was a coward for not telling him. I am.
Then the case went to court and everything… and now Henry and Diana were deprived guardianship of Fiona and me. I didn't know why Fiona was included… she had never undergone any beatings… not once. But officials, being the officials they are… assumed that every child was included in abuse.
It was very lucky that my dad's brother, David Prewitt, agreed to take Fiona and me in, or would have probably gone to an orphanage. Even better, David lived in England. For me, that meant a new beginning and an end to my miserable life in California. I had a chance to actually step out of my image of 'the loser.' Who knew, maybe I might even make a few friends. The only real friend I have at the moment is Andrew.
I stared unseeingly out of the window into darkness until the dull hum of the airplane lulled me into an uneasy sleep.
ll----ll
"Do you like your new home?" Tracy, my aunt and new adoptive mother, asked eagerly. She had insisted on abandoning 'Mrs. Prewitt' right away. I didn't quite know how to act with Tracy. She seemed to truly care about me… I felt awkward and unsure of what to do with myself, how to act. Diana, my used-to-be mother, had always either ignored me or sniped at me, and I had been only too happy returned the courtesy. But Tracy… she didn't do any of those. I was so unused to the absence of mutual dislike between an adult and me that I almost wished that she would snap at me.
We were standing in front of an enormous, ramshackle house that was covered in climbing roses, ivy, wisteria, and clematis. Large flowerbeds made up the yard, and summer flowers spilled onto the stone walkway that led up to the front door. Stone statues that were nearly run over by the plantlife dotted the yard. It had a wild, unmanageable sort of beauty.
"Yeah!" I said, trying to tone the excitement in my voice down. In truth, I loved it. But I would never say that nonexistent word 'love' out loud. It just wasn't me. I looked around at Fiona, who looked less excited.
"My allergies are going to make my life hell," Fiona said with a twisted smile. What, is the world all about your allergies? I saw Tracy's face fall over Fiona's shoulder. I felt anger surge up in me once again, anger and jealousy. Why did she care that much? It was only, after all, Fiona. That might not have seemed like such a good argument to anyone else, but to me… it was more than enough.
"Oh, well," Fiona drew a long breath. "I'll live!" You do that. "Besides, we're not going to be here for spring 'cuz we're going to that magic school, right? Let's go inside and explore! Which room's mine?" she asked excitedly, bounding into the house as if her slight gloom had never been there. Tracy's face showed relief and happiness. Oh, brother. There Fiona went again, doing fake antics to get people to admire her. I knew for a fact that Fiona's allergies toward pollen wasn't that bad.
"Let's go after your sister and make sure that she doesn't hurt herself," Tracy said with a smile. She's not my sister; she's my half-sister. There's a difference. We entered the house, and I was amazed at how large the rooms were.
"Wow, Tracy," I breathed, turning in a slow circle in the dining room. "This is really… big."
"Yes. Faye, this is your new room," Tracy called from up the stairs. With a bit of misgiving, I eyed the wide, graceful staircase that led up to the second floor. It had creaked quite a lot when she had walked up it. What would my luggage do to it?
Hauling my bag up, I quickly ran up the stairs and blew a relieved sigh when I reached the top without the staircase collapsing on me. Following Tracy's voice, I went down the spacious hallway and stopped before an open doorway. She stood inside a roomy bedroom with a large window covered with sheer drapes that allowed sunlight to stream into the room. It faced into the huge backyard, and it even had a window seat! The built-in light on the ceiling had slight swirls radiating outward from it, making the room seem to belong in a fairy tale instead of in the modern, 21st century. All my furniture was already in place, and I leapt onto my bed.
"It's perfect!" I cried happily, hugging my pillow. Hey, I loved pretty things as much as the next girl. A shriek down the hallway alerted us of Fiona's approval. A moment later Fiona came tearing into my room, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright. She rushed to envelop Tracy in a great hug before jumping around the room excitedly.
"It's so pretty! It's just like from a dream! I love it, love it, love it!" she screeched happily. I think we get the point.
Whirling around on me, she grabbed my hand and physically hauled me off the bed. "Come look at my room!" Having little choice in the matter, I allowed myself to be dragged into the room adjacent to my own. She always did this, showed fake affection for me in front of adults, for the sake of a good image. Fiona's room was practically the same as mine, except her window overlooked the front yard and street.
"Oh! Isn't mine pretty?" Fiona squealed in my ear. I winced. Yep, squealed summed it all up.
"Fiona gets this room because it's on the west side. You told me that you love sleeping late!" Tracy said from the doorway with amusement she and Fiona shared a laugh. I didn't join in. Lazy, that's what it is. It wasn't cute at all.
"Where's David?" I asked, shaking my rather nasty thoughts out of my head. I knew that Tracy and David also had a daughter, Melanie, who was twelve.
"Oh, he's still out taking care of a few loose ends. Melanie's at ballet class right now," Tracy said. "Let's go down for lunch." We ate in the enormous dining room that overlooked the backyard in all its flowerbed glory.
"I admit that it is a little out-of-date, but we've lived," Tracy said cheerfully as Fiona clapped her hands. I wolfed down lunch as fast as I could, almost choking on a piece of bacon.
"Can I go outside to see the garden?" I asked, still working on swallowing my last bite.
"Go ahead, Faye," Tracy consented cheerily. I decided that I liked Tracy. She was friendly and… just the kind of mother I'd always imagined I had. But I still couldn't let down my guard around her. Letting my guard down was only an invitation for people to hurt me.
I pushed back my chair and in another second, I was outside smelling the fragrance of the flowers and fighting my way through the shrubbery and flowerbeds that spilled out of their proper enclosures. There were even roses there, the wild, climbing roses with long thorns and colors of every type. Cherry trees stood all around, their branches full of lush green leaves and little clumps of cherries. I couldn't have enough of them. Somehow, flowers always made me feel immeasurably better about my life. They didn't look at anybody differently; they showed the same brilliant hues to everyone. I know, kind of gay, but I couldn't help it.
Ivy grew all along the walls of the garden, hiding the brick walls with abundant swinging leaves. I had to stop to marvel at my sudden luck. Maybe living here wouldn't be that bad. I already loved the house. But then… I remembered that Fiona and I wouldn't be living here long, as we'd go to school soon.
"Hey, Tracy!" I shouted as I headed back to the house. "What magic school are Fiona and I going to?" Tracy had told us that she was a witch from America herself, though neither David nor Melanie was, so she had adopted a muggle type of living style.
"Hogwarts!" she shouted back. "I heard it's the best school there is! I've already enrolled you two. Don't worry; you guys are accepted!" Hog… warts? As in hoggy warts. Or warty hogs. Need I say more about how excited I was to go there? I turned back to the wild glory before me.
Too bad I would be going to school so soon. I would have loved to see the garden during the fall when everything would flare into beautiful gold, red, and bronze colors. I turned around slowly and reluctantly walked back to join Tracy and Fiona in a conversation that probably wouldn't involve me talking much.
It was several hours before David came home looking tired but pleased. "I have the matters all straightened out! Do you like your new home, Fiona? Faye?" he asked.
"Yes!" Fiona squealed at once. "I love it. We both love it! Right, Faye?" She looked around to me.
"Yeah," I agreed. "It's pretty!" What else could I say?
"I'm sorry you had to move away from California. And I'm truly sorry about… your parents," David started uneasily, but Fiona interrupted him.
"Don't be sorry, David. It's not your fault. This house is great. And I'll bet everything else will be great as well! You did what you think is best for us, and that's why we're really grateful to you," she said. I wished that I could have said those things. But I didn't. And that's exactly why everybody loves Fiona, not me. Hah, she probably spends all her free time thinking of speeches like that.
I forced a smile onto my face that no one noticed as all of us entered the house, avoiding the protruding flowerbeds.
A little while later, Melanie arrived back home, her face flushed and smiling. She apparently carpooled with a friend to get to her ballet classes and back. She was a pretty girl, overly skinny like ballet dancers are, with sunny blue eyes and an infectious smile.
"Hi!" she sang out. She had an incredibly musical, clear voice. "Where are my new sisters?"
"Hiyee!!" Fiona squealed while I winced at the noise. "You're Melanie, right? Oh, you're so cute! I'm Fiona!"
I looked away uncomfortably as Melanie and Fiona got to know each other in what seemed to be a series of excited screams. I didn't know how Fiona just settled in that comfortably. Diana and Henry had barely been unearthed three months ago… and here she was, perfectly happy. I would think that she would be more devastated about them, since the both of them had always fawned over her. I, on the other hand, couldn't be any happier about getting away from them.
"And you're Faye, right?" Melanie's sweet voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked into her pretty face and couldn't refrain from a smile. She just looked too innocent.
"Yeah. Nice to meet you," I said quietly, and Melanie laughed.
"It's great that I can have the two of you," she sparkled. "I've always wished for a sibling, and here I am, with two sisters!"
I looked into Melanie's blue eyes that were somehow so similar and yet so different from Fiona's, and I couldn't doubt her sincerity. I don't know where my usual pessimism seemed to have gone… I actually believed in happiness for one, glowing moment.
ll----ll
Over the next few weeks, I slowly settle right into living with David Prewitt instead of Henry Prewitt. I preferred him much, much more. I thought about my own real father less and less, not that I thought about him very often. Fiona's presence was a constant thorn in my side… she reminded me of my old life, my painful life.
Tracy and David didn't insist that we call them Mom and Dad, but I wish that they did. Then the perfect, happy family would be complete.
Not surprisingly, Fiona made immediate friends with all the other kids in the neighborhood. And of course everybody loved her at once. I was once again "Fiona's older sister," but not for the lack of trying. I tried so hard to strike up a conversation with Mariana, our neighbor. I was succeeding, too, until Fiona bounded in on us. My initial thought was, Back off, I'm trying to make a friend here. Too bad I couldn't say it out loud. So, predictably, Mariana turned from me to her.
I tried not to mind, I really did. After all, I didn't really expect to beat Fiona. And Mariana wasn't that exciting to talk to anyway. But something even better made up for that: Melanie.
Melanie struck me as the type of really honest, truthful, and loyal type of girl. She was sweet and kind… and she liked me. Me, the troublemaker, the firebrand, the bane of many teachers back at Drake's Institution for Witches and Wizards. Melanie had truly looked past my outer core, in the blink of an eye. We spent many hours in her room or mine, talking about many, varied things. At first, it had been hard for me to open up, but she made me comfortable right away…. It was amazing. But what amazed me the most was that… Melanie had told me that she didn't really like Fiona all that much. It made me feel so much closer to her. Melanie wasn't a witch, so she had been very disappointed when she found out that I would have to leave for Hogwarts.
It was a day before Fiona and I were to leave for Hogwarts, our new school. Fiona was over at Mariana's house and I was combing Melanie's hair. Before coming here, I would never have done anything of the sort—I would have rather been struck down by lightning— but… Melanie was special.
"Hey, Faye?" Melanie piped up.
"Yeah?" I asked, looking at her reflection in the mirror.
"Do you ever feel bad about what happened to your real family?" The question, so innocently asked, made me freeze. Melanie knew about my past life… Tracy and David had, of course, told her.
"No," I said slowly, still working over her hair. "I hated my old family."
"No, I mean… do you ever feel bad that things between you guys turned out this way? That all of you had the chance to be a happy family, but your dad screwed it up?" Melanie said seriously. "You can tell me. I'll keep it a secret, I promise."
I remained silent for a long time before I decided to tell her. After all, Melanie had accepted me without question into her family with no jealousy, no resentment. She did have a right to know.
"Yeah. Sometimes I feel so torn up about why it had to turn out like this… and sometimes I'd just think about it indifferently. It varies with my mood. Now, it's starting to get better. I've never really loved Henry or Diana anyway. The type of people they are, the way they act…. See? I don't even call them Mom or Dad. It's just the way it's always been. My real, biological mother died giving birth to me, so… Henry remarried… and Fiona's my half-sister."
"And?" Melanie prompted.
"And Henry and Diana have always… favored Fiona over me… I… My parents haven't always liked me, quite the opposite, actually… that's why…" I trailed off.
Melanie twisted around to look at my face. There wasn't any pity on her face, and I was glad, for I didn't want to be pitied. There was only open sorrow in her face. "That's why you and Fiona aren't really good friends, right?"
I shrugged noncommittally.
"People might think that I'm lucky to have Fiona for a sister. Yeah, right. You know, I used to spend almost every moment of my life wishing that I didn't have Fiona for a sister. I used to spend every moment of my life wishing that I didn't have my own family. I had this daydream complete with a happy ending that I would somehow get lost, lose my memory, and get adopted by somebody who had no children…. The chances of all that happening were close to zero," I said softly, turning Melanie back around so I could go on doing her hair. "But then this happened, and I don't need that dream anymore. Being a part of your family is as close to a real dream that I've ever had."
Melanie didn't say anything for a long time. Maybe she was disgusted at me….
"I'm glad that you're a part of my family, now, too," Melanie finally said, and I smiled in relief.
I started humming a favorite song of mine by a pop singer back in America. "I go to my room and I close my eyes… I make believe that I have a new life… I don't believe you when you say that everything will be wonderful now…" I sang softly. It was almost just like my old life. Except now I had a new one. (A/N: That's part of a real song, "Wonderful," by Everclear. Thanks to Kathy for letting me know!)
"Everything is wonderful now," I concluded, making Melanie laugh.
Later that day, I took out my diary, the diary I had kept while I was still living in California. This little blue book had all my horrors locked inside it, a memory of what had happened to me…. But now it was time to start a new book. I added on last entry before putting my old diary in my trunk … I didn't want to leave it here.
Just in case.
ll----ll
"Faye!" Fiona called. We were in the train station called Kings Cross, and we were between Platforms nine and ten. But there was no nine and three-quarters. Stupid people. Couldn't they have at least put directions in our letters? "What are we supposed to do?"
Wheeling my trolley around, I stared around at the crowd. What were we supposed to do? "Maybe we should feel around the place with our wands or something," I guessed wildly. "I mean, they're bound to use some sort of magical barrier, right?"
"Oh, wait, I see someone. I think she's a witch, too. I'll go ask her," Fiona told me before disappearing in the crowd, leaving me with Tracy, David, and Melanie. Even though Tracy was a witch, she had gone to school in America, so she'd never gone to Hogwarts, so she, unfortunately, didn't know how to get onto the platform.
But Fiona was back in an instant, before I could say anything. "I know how to do it now!" she said excitedly, pointed to the solid wall between platforms nine and ten. "Just walk right through that wall, and we'll be there!"
"What? I don't get it," I told Fiona.
"Just watch me!" Fiona said a bit impatiently. That made me mad. Yeah, and people walk through walls on a daily basis. She wheeled her trolley around and headed straight at the barrier. I delighted myself in a brief but satisfying daydream about Fiona crashing headlong into the wall and being embarrassed in front of this whole crowd.
"Fiona!" David said in horror. But then she disappeared in the blink of an eye. All three of us stared at the very solid-looking wall. She didn't even say goodbye. What a caring person.
"Well, I guess I'd better go follow her," I said after I pulled myself together. "Bye!"
"You'd better write, Faye!" Melanie said fiercely. "I don't want to lose my sister as soon as I got her!" I smiled at her. Now there was someone I really liked.
I gave them all a quick hug that left me feeling foolish and forward, and then I turned around quickly and headed for the barrier, just as Fiona had. And in less than a second, I was in a crowd full of students, and a train labeled 'Hogwarts Express' stood ready to go with smoke billowing out of its top. I couldn't see Fiona anywhere, but I wasn't worried. She was probably out making several new friends. She was like that. Quelling my feelings of insignificance, I decided to go and find a seat on the train. There wasn't anything else for me to do anyway. This wasn't much different than our old school. Taking a deep breath, I boarded the train.
Feeling very out of place, I peered in through every glass door into the compartments inside, looking for an empty compartment. I didn't want to sit in a compartment full of people that I didn't know. Sweeping, my wild, wavy hair behind my shoulder, I continued my painstaking search. Several compartments later, I spotted Fiona's bright hair amongst a few other people, and the lot of them was already immersed in an obviously amusing conversation.
I debated with myself for an instant: to go in and disturb their conversation and embarrass Fiona, but have attention trained onto me for a moment, or to continue on throughout the train and try to find an empty compartment. Duh. The second option. That was certainly a no-brainer. I didn't like drawing attention to myself, although the lure of embarrassing Fiona on her first day here was very tempting. I pushed my trolley down the aisle quickly before Fiona could see me.
I pushed my trolley only a little ways more before I found an empty compartment. With more than a bit of hard breathing, I got my trunk out and up halfway into the holding area for the luggage. I pulled out my new school uniform robes and threw it on a seat, deciding to change later. Sighing, I took out my own wand and murmured, "Wingardium Leviosa!" and my trunk floated up and plopped into its rightful place. Taking a seat, I pushed some stray strands of hair out of my face and stared out the window at the milling horde of students.
Suddenly, my glass door slid open and a pretty, dark-haired girl stepped in. At least, she would be pretty if she dropped the I'm-all-that-and-you're-not expression in her dark eyes. Two more people stepped in after her, another pretty blonde girl and a malicious-looking boy.
"Lookie what we have here. A pretty face. That pretty face is probably hiding a very empty head," the girl sneered. I looked up at her calmly, my face betraying my uncertainty. Was being pretty such a good reason for her to bully me? She herself wasn't bad-looking. What a hypocrite.
"And a Mudblood, too, I bet. Look at her clothes!" There were disdainful hoots and rolling of eyes at this comment. "How is it that you deserve a compartment to yourself?"
Now I was more confused than ever. What was a "Mudblood?"
"What do you mean?" I asked her, though I doubted I would get anything friendly out of her. There were even more shouts of laughter at this.
"Why are you even here, Mudblood?" the lead girl asked nastily.
"I don't know what you're getting at," I told her slowly, stretching out every syllable as if I didn't think she could handle a lot of words at once. If that girl got any nastier, I wouldn't hesitate in giving these jerks a thorough telling-to. "Do you need it any slower?"
"You're going to learn that things here are different. We run things," the girl said smugly, ignoring my insult.
"What?" I asked, stupefied. Nothing like this had ever happened to me at Drake's Institute. Well, actually, I take that back. I just didn't expect so much animosity before I had been even half an hour on the train to Hogwarts. The girl's eyes narrowed.
"Don't tell me you're that stupid! Because we are purebloods," she sneered. I was in complete disbelief. What did being a pureblood or whatever have to do with anything?
"Purebloods, my ass," I snapped, getting angry. She reminded me very strongly of a girl called Greta Langston, who Andrew and I had unceasingly pranked. "Your attitude is as dirty as that thing that I assume is your face." Oh… what now? But she didn't so much as bat an eyelash.
"I'll never be as dirty as you, Mudblood. It's not as if your comments are worth much, anyway," the pretty, dark-haired girl said with a bit of a nasty sneer. "I think we'll have a bit of fun, now. Right, guys?" she asked the people over her shoulder. The others all crowed their assents nastily, assuring me that their bit of "fun" wasn't going to be pleasant for me.
"I don't think…" I tried to say, but the lead girl cut in.
"Don't try to run! You want to be a brave girl, don't you?" she asked in a falsely sweet voice that made my skin crawl. "Don't you want to be put in brave Gryffindor?" I didn't know what the hell she meant, but I had to retort something. I didn't want to seem like some sort of spineless girl who couldn't think of any comebacks. I held girls like that in contempt.
"I'll settle for anything that doesn't include you! Really, it'll be like heaven!" I growled. How was I going to get out of this? I was digging myself deeper with every insult I made. But I couldn't help it. "Now get your sorry arses out of here! Why are you even picking on me? I've done nothing to you!"
"Why?" she pretended to be thoughtful for a second.
I hated her.
"Because you're a dirty little Mudblood running around a place that's supposed to be reserved for the highborn only—the purebloods," she said decidedly. "Besides, you annoy me." I rolled my eyes. The people at my old school had picked on me because I annoyed them as well. The phrase 'besides, you annoy me,' was getting really old. Couldn't these stereotypical evil villains think of something more creative?
But no one at my old school had even mentioned the word Mudblood or pureblood. And certainly no one had ever singled me out because of some stupid racist reason. Maybe for other reasons, but not that reason.
"Let's first look at your lovely hair. It's so pretty and dark and curly; why don't we see how good it would look once it's all burnt up," the girl said with glee, grabbing a handful of my hair and jerking my head painfully before I could take out my wand and hex her into the next generation.
"Don't touch me, you ugly old fart!" I yelled. She ignored me, of course.
"Incen—!"
"What are you doing now, Bellatrix?" a cool male voice cut through the girl's spell. "Torturing another innocent victim?"
I jerked my eyes towards the doorway to see two black-haired boys standing in the aisle just outside my compartment, glaring at the girl and her lackeys with open dislike. One had grinning hazel eyes, a messy mop of hair that stuck up in the back, and glasses pushed up on his nose. He was good-looking, but the other boy standing next to him made the messy-hair look like a mangy mule compared to a stallion. He was stunning—in a masculine way, of course. His black hair fell casually into his roguish dark eyes and his mouth hinted at a catchy smile, only right now it was hardened into a thin line. His poise was casual and relaxed, as if he was indifferent to everything, but his eyes smoldered with anger.
"Go away, Black," the messy-haired boy said menacingly. "We're in no mood to see any of your forms of entertainment."
"Who's going to make me?" the girl called Bellatrix asked coolly, though she had dropped her handful of my hair. Coward
"Listen, if you don't get your ass out of here I'm going to spell you so thoroughly that you'll have to crawl home sprouting feelers and begging for release!" the handsome one snarled, pulling out his wand. In the next moment, my hecklers had all vanished down the hall, throwing scowls behind them. Feeling a new rush of shame engulf me after the danger of losing all my hair had passed, I flattened my hair and glared at my rescuers.
"I could have gotten out of that one by myself," I muttered. It would not do for my first impression to be one of weakness. Both of them stared at me for a moment, their jaws slightly open, looking as if they'd been struck dumb. Had my nose turned green? Oh, wait. It was just because they were the sort of guys that drooled over girls. Ugh. Or maybe they were used to gushing girls who thanked them profusely or something like that.
"No problem," the handsome one finally said, acting as if my comment had been thanks. "I make it my job to be the knight in shining armor rescuing beautiful damsels in distress." Damsels in distress? I was totally not in distress. And how corny was that?He gave me a bright grin that made him even more attractive. But I noticed more than just a hint of arrogance in his grin, and that annoyed me immensely. I was just about to open my mouth and knock him off his high horse when the messy-haired one spoke.
"Oh, brother, Sirius, give it a rest!" the he said. Turning to me, he said, "Hey, are you new here? I've never seen you before." Hooray to Mr. I-Can-Point-Out-The-Obvious.
I gave a short nod, and a thick curl thankfully fell forward and hid a part of my face. I wished and prayed with all my heart that I could just disappear. I got the distinct feeling that these boys were just like those shallow playboys back at Drake's Institute who didn't care anything about a girl but their looks.
"Then you can come sit with us! If you don't have anyone else to sit with, that is," the handsome one said hastily. Fat chance if I had anyone to sit with. I didn't really care to sit with them, but I didn't have anyone else to sit with. I was just trying to cook up a nice way to reject them when the messy-haired one spoke again.
"The school year hasn't even begun yet and you're already hitting on girls! Blimey, I though you had more of a control over yourself!" I felt myself blush crimson as I glared at them. Did they think I would be won over by flattery? Well, they were sorely mistaken.
"I'm Sirius Black, and he's James Potter," the handsome one said to me with dignity, ignoring James. A short silence stretched before I realized they were waiting for my name.
I decided to be nice, since they had saved me from having a burned scalp on my first day going to Hogwarts. "Faye." Just when Sirius Black opened his mouth to say something else, I heard an all-too-familiar voice call my name.
"Faye! Where were you! I've been looking for you all over the place. Come on, I found us a place to sit!" Fiona's voice called. A second later, she appeared at my elbow, her blond wavy hair swinging gracefully around her face. Hah, looking all over the place for me, what a joke. She was probably just here because she wanted to meet the hot new guys I was talking to. Of course it wouldn't do for Fiona to be too obvious about meeting guys. I knew what was going to come next….
"Oh, hi!" Fiona said, pretending to just notice Sirius and James and flashing them her famous, trademark Fee smile. The two boys smiled goofily back at her, instantly smitten. Boys. Disgusting. "I'm Fiona Prewitt, Faye's sister. Who are you?" she asked openly and affably.
"Half-sister," I muttered under my breath, but no one heard me.
"Sirius Black and James Potter, at your service, beautiful lady," Sirius said grandly, gracing Fiona with another gallant bow. It was sickening.
Fiona laughed lightly. "Thank you! Hey, Faye, come on. Why did you put your stuff in here? You should have known to come find me!"
"What if I didn't want to?" I snapped. I noticed that my cold, nasty tone towards Fiona had caused Black and Potter's jaws to drop. I didn't care. In fact, it gave me a strong sense of pleasure. I wasn't going to play along with Fiona's game and pretend like we were best friends. We were far from it.
"You seem to forget that you and I hate each other. I'm not going to waste my time playing your stupid game of getting-the-hottest-guy-in-the-most-unapparent-manner," I hissed so that everybody in the hallway could hear. I hoped that Fiona was properly embarrassed and put in her place. She deserved it.
"Now go on and charm your guys, and leave me the hell alone," I finished with a final glare. I ran a contemptuous look over Sirius and James before turning to go back into my empty compartment.
"See you around, Faye!" I heard Sirius call from behind. I was so surprised that he said anything to me that I turned around and looked at him for a second. But all I saw there was that great smile and that huge bit of pride and arrogance in his face. I turned back around and slid the door shut firmly. He was no different than all the other fake guys at my old school that got close to me to get closer to Fiona or some other unfathomable reason. He was no different at all.
After a while, Fiona, Sirius, and James cleared out of the hallway outside my compartment, and I was left all alone. Thankfully. But my peace was soon destroyed when my compartment door opened to admit a brown-haired girl with sunny blue eyes that looked remarkably like Melanie's.
She took one step inside, smiling at me in a pleasant manner. "Hi! I'm Grace Thompson. Can I sit in this compartment? Everywhere else is full." How could I say no to that?
"Sure. Faye Prewitt," I said nonchalantly, and Grace smiled gratefully. I helped her lug her trunk in, and then we settled down into an uncomfortable silence.
"You know, you're really pretty. I bet you could be a model!" Grace said, eventually breaking the silence. As if I'd want to be a model. I'm not pretty, anyway.
My heart sank. Was I going to spend the rest of my life talking about looks? Unbidden, the thought made me shudder. "I'm not pretty," I said indifferently. We lapsed into silence again.
"Hey, are you that Fiona Prewitt's sister?" Grace asked suddenly. "You guys have the same last name, and you're both new here." I nodded dully. How I loved being related to Fiona.
Grace sighed wistfully. "I'd love to have a sister. I'm an only child, and it gets so boring by myself all the time, with no one in the house but me and my parents." Don't ruin yourself by wishing for a sibling!
"It's not as good as you think," I said softly, thinking about Fiona. How many times have I wished that I were an only child? But then… Melanie popped into my mind, making me smile unconsciously.
"You guys fight?" Grace asked, her blue eyes wide.
"Yeah, every sibling does," I said evenly. What an understatement. Fiona and I fought all the time, every day, 24-7. But I had always ended up as the loser. Fiona had had the power of both of our parents behind her. When we moved to England, however, we had stopped our fights. I sincerely hoped Fiona felt guilty… after the trial and all the authorities questioning her, though I shouldn't put too much hope on her. And she couldn't reveal the truth to David and Tracy.
I had a weird feeling that I could trust Grace with anything, just like Melanie. I was longing to blurt out everything to her big blue eyes. But I knew I couldn't. After all, who was to say that she would like me better than Fiona? Besides, other people might overhear. So I contented myself with, "We fight all the time."
Grace, probably sensing my discomfort, changed the subject. "So, is California nice?" I blew a relieved sigh.
"Oh, yeah. We're so close to so many fun places. And we used to have a yearly tradition of driving up to Lake Tahoe during the winter to get some snow," I said happily, remembering all those times before… everything had changed. "We went to Ano Nuevo several times to see all the fat male sea elephants compete for females." Grace laughed. "This one time, when we were at Death Valley, Fiona and I spotted a sidewinder coming straight towards us. We both totally flipped and piled inside the car, screaming for Diana to drive away…" Then I suddenly realized that my talk might be boring her. "Um… Grace? You don't have to listen…."
"No, go on!" Grace said. "I've never been anywhere but England and France. I'd like to hear about America, really. And I like your accent."
I couldn't help but smile. "Your accent's cool, too…" I really thought that, too. I liked their English accents. When I was small, I used to play games with Andrew in which I was a powerful English duke and he was my servant and we'd go hunt lions together in the jungles of India, which didn't make sense since I was an English duke. "I've always liked the English accent."
"Thanks," Grace giggled. "But there's nothing much cool about England."
I shrugged. "Everything was strange after I arrived here; everything was on the wrong side of the road! And so many girls wear proper skirts and are polite and well-bred… it's almost scary."
The rest of the trip passed pleasantly. I knew that Grace was a truthful, fun, smart girl, and I was glad that I had managed to make a friend in my first day. Grace just made me relax and drop my guard around her. As the sky got darker, Grace and I had become drowsier and drowsier before Grace finally fell asleep. She had been asleep for the past two hours. Even though I could feel weariness dragging at my bones, my mind was wide-awake and buzzing with anticipation with what Hogwarts (I still thought that was a weird name) would bring, even though I fiercely told myself not to hope for anything. But finally, the clatter of the train lulled me into a sleep.
I was awakened by a hand on my shoulder and a voice saying, "Fairy, we're almost there. Wake up. We have to get changed." I groggily sat up and stared into Grace's blue eyes.
"Call me Faye," I mumbled, shaking my head. "That's my name."
"Oh, sure, whatever your highness wants," Grace grumbled, digging around in her trunk for her robes.
"I don't expect anything less," I said promptly as Grace laughed.
"I can't believe Leah. She's been my friend for four years, and she just meets Fiona and starts jumping at Fiona's every beck and call," Grace changed the subject. She shook her head and looked nonchalant, but I knew how crappy she must have been feeling. I mean, I got that feeling almost twenty-four hours a day back at home.
"I'm sorry. Fiona just does that to people," I said quietly, casting my gaze down at the floor again. Grace snorted noncommittally, but then she lightened up.
"Did you already meet Sirius and James? Those two came in here while you were still asleep and acted as if they knew you," Grace said. I didn't much like that idea.
"Meet?" I repeated slowly. "Um, I wouldn't exactly call it 'meet.' Well, there were these people… I think Sirius called her Bellata Black or something… are they related?" I asked, suddenly remembering my heckler.
"You mean Bellatrix Black?" Grace asked me, aghast. "Blimey! Don't go anywhere near her! Her crowd is nothing but bad business, Faye." Duh. The nasty expression on Bellatrix's face didn't argue with Grace.
"Well, I was in here, and then they came in and started to rag on me…" I trailed off. "They called me a Mudblood."
Grace gave an angry huff. "They're always doing that. Just don't listen. Their conversations aren't worth crap."
"But what does it mean?" I persisted.
"Mudblood?" Grace spat the word out like it was poison. "It means… that you're a dirty, half-breed, you get what I'm saying? It's just a nasty, foul name purebloods like those cows use for people who have Muggle parents. It's… not such a nice think to say. Ugh, let's not talk about that. So, what did Sirius and James do?"
Dirty blood? Half-breed? I pushed the stunning thoughts out of my mind for later analysis. "Well, they just came in and told Bellatrix that if she didn't scram, they'd jinx her until she had to crawl home sprouting feelers."
Grace laughed a pretty, tinkling sound. "What I wouldn't give to see that! Did she run?"
"Scattered like the devil was after her," I replied promptly. "Ouch!" I yelped as Grace elbowed me. I clapped my hand over my mouth and glared at Grace.
"So basically, Sirius and James are you saviors? Your heroes?" she asked, obviously trying to hold back a laugh. Saviors? I could have perfectly well gotten out of that myself… after some time.
"No! I wouldn't call it that!" I said defensively, trying to figure out what she was getting at.
"So, what do you think of them?" Grace asked. "You're certainly beautiful enough to catch their eyes…. Well, at least Sirius's eye. James has already got a goal set."
"Really? Who?" I asked, intrigued. I hoped that James would have a hard time getting the girl, whoever she was.
"Ohoho!! Interested?" Grace laughed at me.
"N-no! It was just…intriguing?" I protested weakly.
"Uh-huh. You haven't answered the question yet. What do you think of them?"
"I don't really like them," I answered immediately. "I mean, I guess they mean to be good people… but…. Oh, I don't know," I said helplessly. I mean, I barely spoke to them for five minutes!
"They make you confused, you're interested in James's love life, you think they're your heroes," Grace ticked off her fingers thoughtfully. "Face it. You've fallen hard and fast, Faye."
"WHAT?" I burst out. "No freaking way in hell!" Just the thought of falling for a boy made me sick. The only decent guy I knew was Andrew, and I couldn't imagine doing anything… relationship-y with him. It was just too disgusting. After my father … I lost all interest—not that I had any interest to begin with.
Grace burst out laughing. "Relax, I was just kidding."
I shook my head and busied myself with putting on my school robes in an effort to hide my discomfort. I was already starting to relax around Grace. Well, at least more than I did around other people. I didn't feel as comfortable around her as I did around Andrew, but I was sure that I would get there. She had a way of making feel like I wasn't anything strange or unwanted. And she actually made an effort to make me talk, to get to know me.
"But really, do you think they're hot?" Grace asked.
I rolled my eyes. "You never give up, do you?" The very thought of saying they were hot repelled me, repulsed me, grossed me out.
"Nope," Grace said cheerfully. "Come on, just let up."
"Whatever. They're okay."
"OKAY?" Grace gasped, horrified. "Just—okay?"
"But he's more than a little conceited," I said, glorying in saying the harsh truth. "I get this feeling that he's a major player and heartbreaker," I added. I wasn't used to discussing guys with other people. It wasn't as if I made a practice of discussing which guys were hot and which ones were not with Andrew. I just wasn't that type of person, and nor was Andrew.
"You got that right," Grace agreed. "He and James are the major heartthrobs. They are the most eligible bachelors in the whole school right now. Both the Black and the Potter families are so filthy rich that they could swim in their Gringotts vaults. Every girl practically drools over them. But no girl can get them for more than a week or so. Except for Lily, that is," Grace chuckled.
"Who's Lily?" I asked. "You seem to know her very well."
"Oh, we're roommates. We're not really, really close friends, but we're good enough. She's a really amazing girl," Grace said, not disguising her awe. "She alone remains unfazed by the Marauders!" Marauders? James Potter and Sirius Black called themselves the Marauders? What a stupid name!
"So you like them, too?" I asked, smiling at her innocently, almost like I would smile at Andrew.
"Well… I do like… a certain Marauder. There's three cool ones to choose from," Grace said, her cheeks turning pink. "But the fourth one is a major…" Grace gestured at the ground, "loser."
"There're more than two Marauders?" I asked startled. The thought of having more than two arrogant pinheads around wasn't all that assuring. In fact, it was rather… intimidating.
"Yeah, of course!" Grace gave me a scandalized look. Before I could ask who they were, the train whistle sounded as the train began to slow down.
"We're here!" Grace cried happily, rushing to the door. "Come on, Faye! You don't want to miss your first sight of Hogwarts! It's the best school there is, really!" I followed, a little less enthusiastic, especially when I thought of Andrew and what hell he must be going through right now with all his usual bullies picking on him and no me to talk to. And… Hogwarts. The name didn't cease to amuse me.
We joined the throng of people that crowded the walkway and pushed our way through an exit. I stepped out into the cool night air and marveled at the scene before me. There was a huge grassy field far ahead, and a black, still lake reflected the stars that hung in the velvety night sky. And above all of that loomed a huge castle with impressive towers and spires that pierced the sky. I was impressed in spite of myself.
"Wow," I expelled my breath slowly. "It's a lot bigger than my old school."
"I hope you get into Gryffindor! That's my house," Grace told me, looking very hopeful.
"There are houses?" I asked her, startled yet again. So that was what Bellatrix Black was talking about when she mentioned Gryffindor.
"Of course, you ninny!" Grace said. "Ravenclaw is for the smart people, Hufflepuff is for the honest, Slytherin is for the nasty and ambitious, and Gryffindor is for the brave people! Like me!" Grace said—rather loudly—thumping on her chest and trying to look impressive.
"Give it a rest," I laughed, pushing her. But I would have liked to be labeled as brave… it would surely boost my confidence.
Suddenly, a voice roared out in the darkness. "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" I nearly jumped out of my skin. Turning around, I saw a huge, very tall figure holding a lantern against the darkness.
"Who is that?" I whispered to Grace.
"Hagrid, the gamekeeper. He takes the first-years over the lake," she said back to me. "Come on, you're not a first-year. We can ride in the carriages." Grace took my hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world for her. I almost pulled away. For me, no one had ever really touched me in that friendly and open manner. Andrew and I didn't make a habit of holding hands. Definitely not. I caught up to Grace uncomfortably. This year definitely wouldn't be that bad if I were put in Gryffindor, even though I did feel very awkward doing this. I had a sinking feeling that Grace did this often.
Through the throng of students I caught a glimpse of Fiona's face. As people shifted once more, I saw Fiona talking to Sirius Black and a sandy-haired boy that I didn't know. So much for maidenly chasteness. Before Fiona had even gotten off the train she was off flirting. I could see that they were hanging off her every word. It was really rather disgusting. I hated people who did things like that. I called it 'kissing ass.'
"Faye! Don't just stand there! What are you looking at?" Grace said in my ear.
"Nothing," I said quickly, turning away and jumping into the nearest carriage. Grace followed, giving me a weird look, but didn't comment.
Three other girls joined us. One was a pleasant-looking but plain, round-faced girl with honey-colored tresses and warm brown eyes. The second one was pretty, with rich black hair and stunning blue eyes. The last one was the most beautiful girl out of the three. She had fiery red hair that went all the way down to her waist and amazing, emerald green eyes.
"Hi!" Grace greeted them. "Oh, have you met Faye? She's new here this year. Just moved here from the United States!" she added, gesturing at me. "Guys, this is Faye Prewitt. Faye, these are my fellow Gryffindors in fifth year. Alice Bradshaw," Grace pointed at the blonde, "Arabella Figg," was the black-haired one, and, "Lily Evans," was the redhead.
I perked up at the mention of Lily Evans. She was the one that had resisted the charms of the Marauders. "Hi," I said evenly. I didn't want to seem shy, but neither did I want to ruin my chances of getting new friends by seeming unfriendly.
"Ah, come on! Don't be shy!" Arabella clapped me on the back. "We're all girls! At least, I was the last time I checked." I relaxed and laughed along with everyone else.
I listened to their chatter all the way up to the school. Really, I was too busy looking outside at the fields and the dark forest beyond that o participate. We stopped in front of the school's—was it really a school?—huge mahogany front doors. Drake's Institute had nothing this grand. A woman wearing robes was standing at the front door.
"Are you Faye Prewitt?" the stern-faced woman asked me. Feeling intimidated, I nodded slightly. "I am Professor McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress. Come with me. Your sister is already inside." I cast a look over at Grace, and she nodded reassuringly. So I followed the teacher up the steps and away from the other students. She led me into a room full of first year students, and standing in a corner a little separate from the rest was Fiona.
I didn't take any move to join Fiona. Instead, I stood with the first-years—I was taller than all of them—until McGonagall came back.
"Come with me," McGonagall said, sweeping back into the room. "First years, make a line. You two," she said, looking at Fiona and me, "stand in front." Alright, keep your hair on, lady.
So we marched out in a line into a great, spacious hall that had four long tables set in it. Chattering students were already seated at the tables, most of who were staring at their empty plates with expressions of longing. With our arrival, most of the talk ceased, and everybody looked at us expectantly. Many people pointed to Fiona and I, obviously confused as to why we were in with the first years.
>Hat's Song (A/N: I'm not good at writing poems, so this will have to do.)
After the applause for the hat had died down, the stern teacher cleared her throat. "This year, we have two new students who came all the way from California in the United States, Faye and Fiona Prewitt. Faye will be a sixth-year, and Fiona will be a fifth-year. I trust that all of you will make them feel welcome." Turning to us, she said, "When I call your name, come up and put on the hat." She gestured to the most miserable-looking wizard's hat that I had ever seen. Then she took out a roll of parchment.
"Prewitt, Fiona!"
Fiona walked briskly up to the stool and pulled the Sorting Hat on. After a moment, the hat shouted, "Ravenclaw!" and a table burst into applause. Fiona pulled the hat off and smiled her fake, but obviously dazzling smile, causing even louder applause and even several whistles. I noticed a quite few boys grinning idiotically. It was really rather funny, but more pathetic, as I took in the dazed expressions on their faces and their frantic waves at Fiona. After the clapping had died down, the teacher continued. After Fiona was seated, she gave me a triumphant, smug look. I didn't know why she was being smug… but if that was the way her twisted mind worked, I couldn't do anything about it even if I cared to.
"Prewitt, Faye!"
I walked up to the stool with knees shaking so bad that I was surprised that I didn't fall down. When I finally reached the stool with the dirty hat on it, I sat down and pulled it on.
"So, Faye. Let's take a look," a voice said in my ear. "Ohoho, I see. Family problems?" it asked knowingly.
Furious that it had the nerve to go poking around where it wasn't wanted, I snapped, "None of your bloody business! Just do your job and we'll both be grateful."
The hat only chuckled, "Don't take that tone with me." But then, in a more serious vein, it said, "Don't underestimate yourself, Faye. You're a strong girl, but I daresay you already know that. I can see how much you've gone through, how much you loathe your sister and your whole family. But remember, your sister can't help but be what she is. Her surroundings, your parents, and even you yourself molded her that way. Hating someone is a painful job, even for someone like you. Forgive and forget… it's the best thing that you can do for yourself and anyone else."
How could the hat know what I was like? I was slightly shaky about what it had told me.
"Are you taunting me?" I demanded. "Are you excusing Fiona for all that she did? Are you excusing my family for what they did as well? I assure you that Fiona doesn't even try to be a loving sister to me. My family… hah… they're not family." Images of Fiona laughing at me, making fun of me, staring at me from within the circle of Diana's arms while my own dad hit me over and over again…
"My feelings towards her can't be changed, not ever. I hate her and my so-called parents, even if they can't hurt me anymore. Besides, you saw Fiona yourself. You should know first-hand how wonderful she is." I dragged 'wonderful' for as long as possible.
Again the hat chuckled. "No, I'm not taunting you. And Fiona… she might not be as bad as you've always believed. Try to be another person before you judge them. And remember, you're somebody. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Now, back to business…hm…. Oh my, what is this? I haven't heard of one in centuries! I think Slytherin might be the best choice after all… No? Not Slytherin? What was that? Gryffindor? Oh all right, if you're sure… GRYFFINDOR!" It shouted the last word so loud that my ears rang with it.
Before taking it off, I whispered, "Thank you." With a big smile over my face, I walked off towards the table on the far left, the table that was applauding for me. To my embarrassment, however, I heard more than a few wolf-whistles echoing in the hall, and numerous heads followed my progress across the hall. I spotted Grace waving at me frantically, and I grinned and hurried over to her.
"Great!" Grace said happily. "We're in the same house! This is going to be fun," she promised, laughter twinkling in her blue eyes.
Professor McGonagall went on to sort the rest of the first years while I looked over at Fiona. She was already engrossed in a conversation with her usual dazzle with someone sitting across.
After all the first years were settled at tables, McGonagall rolled up her parchment and took the stool and Sorting Hat away.
"Finally," Grace growled. "I'm so hungry!"
An old, old man with a long silver beard stood up at the high table. "Welcome back! Now is not the time for making speeches, so all I have to say is, enjoy!"
"That's Dumbledore," Grace told me happily. "He's our Headmaster. Ooh!" She was almost immediately distracted by the food.
Dishes appeared magically out of nowhere, and I happily dug in. For a while, neither Grace nor I voiced a word because we were too busy eating. There were so many things to choose from, just like at Drake's. After I was done stuffing myself, I sat back and marveled at the warmth and content I was feeling just then. Too bad Andrew wasn't here as well.
"I'm totally bloated," Grace groaned beside me. "I don't think I can move." I uttered a soft noise of agreement.
Professor Dumbledore stood up once again. "Now that you've all eaten to your fill, I trust that you will all give me your undivided attention. Firstly, new students must know that the Forbidden Forest is out-of-bounds. And I hope that all of you will welcome our new students all the way from America, Faye and Fiona Prewitt. Now off to bed with you all!"
"I'm about to snuff right out," Grace mumbled tiredly. "Just follow me up to the Gryffindor tower. Oh, watch out for that… step…" My foot had gotten stuck on a tricky step. Passing students snickered. I glared at them murderously, and they sped up. "Here, let me help you," Grace said, grabbing one of my arms. After I was safely pulled out, we continued on our way.
"There are a lot of tricks around here," Grace yawned, "so you'll have to watch out."
After a few more confusing twists and turns, we found ourselves in front a portrait with a fat lady painted on the front.
"Password?" the Fat Lady asked, looking down her nose at us.
"It's 'Cornish pixy,'" Lily said from right behind us.
"Correct," the Fat Lady said as the portrait swung open to reveal a nicely furnished room and a merry fire crackling in the fireplace.
"This way," Grace said tiredly, pointing to a flight of stairs. "This side's girls. The other side's boys." We both trudged tiredly up while Lily stayed behind to direct first years to their respective dormitories. Grace opened a door, and then we were in a room with six four-poster beds. Our luggage had already been brought up, and it stood by the beds.
"Hop in one," Grace advised. She herself plopped down on the nearest bed and pulled the covers over herself. "'Night."
"G'night," I answered her. I changed into my nightgown and brushed my teeth before climbing into a bed and drawing the covers around me. I heard the door open and other voices fill the room, but I was too tired to make any sense of it. The mattress was so soft, and I felt myself sinking down comfortably into it. I finally gave up the fight to stay awake and let sleep roll me over. My last conscious thought was that Howarts wasn't that bad.
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Thanks so much to Flyingwithdragons for pointing out this problem to me. I was doing a major uploading thing with the whole story, and I guess this chapter just got messed up. But now it's fized!