Disclaimer: I only own Ella and Jayden. Everyone and everything else is copyright to their respectful owners.

Reflections of a Ravenclaw

Chapter 1

It was silent outside the window despite the fact that it was a glorious summer day. The sky was a vibrant periwinkle blue that seemed to dwarf everything beneath it, but not a single bird could be seen flying across it. Most of the muggles who had settled in the neighborhood found the absence of animal life unnerving and never usually stayed more than a year. Ella's grandmother had only meant to drive away the birds with her curse on the house, but she saw the constant removal of the neighbor muggles as an added bonus.

No, not a single sound came through the open window of Ella's room. There was only the prickling sound of her quill as she wrote.

Dear Jayden,

Hey, it's me. I can't believe it's already the end of July, I'm so glad. The sooner I get out of here the better. I think my mum is trying to drive me insane. She's invited at least three boys to dinner this week and last week it was four. Save me! She's trying to marry me off before I can get to my seventh year. I don't know how I'm ever going to finish all this homework with her pestering me all the time.

Ella's quill paused over the last sentence. Knowing Jayden he had probably finished all of his work the day he got back home. I really don't deserve to be a Ravenclaw prefect, she thought, smiling, I'm so lazy.

What else was there to say? Ella thought a moment, but all she could come up with were more complaints. So she continued:

Mum has also been scolding me a lot lately about being the first Ravenclaw in the family. You know how upset she was about that. She just won't let it lie and it's driving me crazy! "My grandmother would have disowned us! Thank God she's dead!"

Anyway, enough of my ranting…how are you? What was Italy like? I'm so jealous!

Jayden's family went to a different country every summer. He would send her fabulous pictures and Ella would look in longing at the amazing places. Pyramids in Egypt, the Eiffel Tower, Niagara Falls; her desk drawers were stuffed full of the moving photographs. Her family never traveled farther than down the street. Of course, looking at things positively, Ella could think of a number of good reasons why she would never want to be in a foreign country with her mother. But, thinking positively was not in her blood.

You have to send me more pictures of… she began to write, but at that moment her bedroom door burst open.

"Lo' mum," Ella mumbled half-heartedly without turning around.

She heard her mother's sharp footfalls approaching and then the familiar sound of one foot tapping impatiently. Ella turned in her chair sullenly.

Araminta Meliflua, named after her mother, was a bony woman with large eyes and an almost wild look about her bushy black hair which was always tied back in a half-ponytail. She was the sort of person who tried very hard to be strict, but lacked the right countenance for the job. In fact, Araminta was not smart enough for the job. She was calculating, yes, but not the brightest crayon in the box. Often times she just sounded stupid when giving people orders and expressing her opinions.

"I hope you're not writing to that muggle boy again!" she snapped, obviously in a bad mood.

"Mum! Jayden his not a muggle! His father is a muggle, there's a difference." Feeling defiant she added, "And I'd write to him even if he was a muggle!"

Her mother narrowed her eyes. "Were you planning on wearing that this evening?" It was an old tactic of her mother's: when in doubt just find something to criticize.

"Well you laid it out for me so yes, I was planning on wearing it." said Ella, smiling, "What's put you in a bad mood?"

Araminta looked up and glared at the curtains hanging on the window beside Ella. Then her glance moved around Ella's room. "This room," she said, ignoring Ella's question, "I was always so disappointed with your choice of décor."

"Well, it is my room," replied Ella lightly.

"Yes," said her mother distastefully. And then her eyes found what Ella had been hoping they would not notice. In a shadowy corner of the room was a neglected piece of furniture that was covered gloomily with a white sheet. The sheet was so coated in dust that it had turned a permanent shade of grey.

"What's this!" cried her mother, moving over to the corner. "Is this what I think it is?"

Ella stood up quickly, "Now, mum!"

"It's a crime to cover up such a beautiful piece like this!" she said sternly. Araminta's thin fingers reached out to the dirty sheet.

"Don't take that sheet off!" yelled Ella, but it was too late.

The sheet fell away to reveal a beautiful work of art. There sat the vanity. It was beautifully engraved of dark wood; carvings of angels played with banners up the curved legs while two snakes, blindfolded, slithered around the frame. Each snake held in its mouth a blood red ruby. Another snake framed the mirror, which was held in place by to brass moldings attached to the sides. This snake had its eyes wide open, blank, and staring. Ella looked away from her pale reflection quickly and shivered.

"Your great-grandmother gave you this," said her mother, "And I will not have it banished to the shadows."

"I've told you a million times that I don't want that thing." said Ella, sitting back down and turning to her letter.

"I'm really getting tired of this!" said her mother exasperatedly.

"You can have it if you like it so much!"

Her mother narrowed her eyes again, "You always were the odd one out in this family. I don't know what's wrong with you!"

"Alright, just because I didn't get into Slytherin like…" Ella began.

"It's not just that!" wailed her mother as she shook her hands. "I don't know what to do with you!"

"Then do me a favor and don't do anything!"

There was a silence; the sort of silence that only comes between parent and child. Then the silence was broken.

"Tonight's off anyway." said her mother, finally. "There's been a sudden death."

"Thank goodness!" said Ella, "One less suitor!"

"You will be polite and respectable when speaking to me!" snapped her mother, "And I am happy to tell you that Jeffery is not dead…"

Damn! thought Ella…

"…it's your Uncle Luscious Malfoy."

"Not Draco's father?" asked Ella, surprised.

"Yes, your very very," Araminta pursed her lips, "distant and prestigious uncle is dead."

"So the aurors finally decided to ignore the minister and go after Mr. Malfoy anyway?"

"Ella!"

"Sorry," she said quickly, "But then…how did he die?"

"Oh I don't know!" said her mother is a disheveled way, "I just received an invitation to the funeral."

Ever since Voldemort had been defeated by Harry Potter two years ago, Luscious had taken his usual tactic of pleading innocence. To everyone's surprise, he had been whole-heartedly believed and supported by the Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimjaw. However, most of the aurors had not believed him in the least.

"Well, have fun at the funeral! I'll see you when you get back." said Ella brightly, thinking that it would be nice to have the house to herself for a while.

Her mother chuckled, "You've been included in the invitation."

Ella sighed and bowed her head, resigned, as her mother continued, "It says 'It is the wish of my son, Draco, that your daughter, Ella, also attend the services' isn't that nice?"

"What?"

Draco had been in the class two years ahead of Ella and when they had been in each other's presence, which had, even in school been rare, he barely had anything to say to her. That is, unless he could find something to make fun of her about. He was always a bit of a prat. she thought. Now he invited her to his father's funeral.

"I wonder how Draco's taking it." she pondered aloud.

"He sent you a note as well," said Araminta with a conniving smile.

"Really? Let me see." Ella held out her hand for the note and her mother placed it there. The seal had already been broken.

"Mum!" said Ella at her mother's insufferable nosiness.

"I'll expect you packed by tonight!" said her mother turning to leave, "We leave for the Malfoy Manner tomorrow morning. I've rented a flying coach already."

"But mum," said Ella looking at the invitation her mother had left on the desk, "The invitation says that they won't expect us until Friday…that's three days away."

Her mother paused in the doorway, "I meant that." she said before rushing off to reschedule the coach.

Ella looked down at Draco's note. It read:

I can't wait to see you again, it's been so long. You'll have to tell me about everything that's happened at Hogwarts since I've graduated. It will be nice to reminisce over old memories. See you there!

Draco Malfoy

What did he mean "old memories"? They did not have any old memories and she did not think he could be talking about memories of his sixth year. Nobody who had been at Hogwarts at the time wanted to remember Draco's sixth year.

It was certainly a curious little note. Ella tried to look for any sarcasm that might be there, or maybe a threat or a teasing, but there did not seem to be anything like that. It was just…a note. Well I suppose everyone has to grow up sometime. she thought.

Looking up, Ella saw with a jolt that her mother had not put the sheet back over the lovely vanity. Ella stood up and squinted determinedly at her reflection there, moving closer to it. Then with a look of disgust she picked up the sheet and through it over the mirror. She felt a sort of tingling in her fingertips as she did so and knew that she had done the right thing to hide the mirror, no matter what her mother said.

Ella went back to her desk and looked at her letter to Jayden. It was sort and she had not had much to say, but now she was bursting to tell him a number of things. Finally she concluded her letter with:

I think that things are about to get interesting…

Yours Forever,
Ella

AN/ Thank you very much for reading! Reviews are greatly appreciated!