Here I am, again. Standing beside my young father, who is known only for his misdeeds, which there are many of. You should see how people look at me, as iI/i am the one who was a world rebound Death Eater. Yes, you have probably already guessed it, my father is Draco Malfoy. I share many traits with him, though I do not particularly enjoy it. It kind of lowers your self-esteem to a rock-bottom level. I have his blonde hair, although mine is down to the middle of my back, and usually very straight and glossy. On top of feeling the pressure of my father's reputation, I also get my share of the blonde jokes. I also have his blue-grey eyes, and his shape of face. I am very proud, just like him, and that is my favorite part, but sometimes pride gets the better of me, and I feel very stuck up.
In fact, I share so many traits, it's like my mother was just there to make me female. But female isn't bad.
But enough with my ranting. So I'm standing there, in Flourish and Blotts, inhaling the dusty smell of books and other people, all rushing to get their things before the shops closed. The Hogwarts express was leaving the next morning.
I'm only half paying attention as Father rants about the importance of family honour and how important it will be that I get into Slytherin, just him, and Grandpa, and Great-Grandpa, and Great-Great Grandpa... What about iGrandmas/I. God, I never iasked/i to be a Malfoy, but it's me, Mariah Rosalie Malfoy. But you love your Father, and want him to be happy.
I just don't want to be evil.
I just want to get out of this dusty old shop.
Right now.
And go home.
My wish was finally granted, fifteen minutes later, when the late afternoon sun began to stream through the windows, in a Summery-sort of way. i Yesssssssss.../i I thought, as we high-tailed it out of there. I have just survived four hours of shifty glances and musty shops. My personal record is only three and a half.
But my lectures were inot/i over. All through dinner (takeout pizza, Father can't cook) all I heard was "Make sure you have all Pure-blood friends, Half-Blood is fine, but no Mudbloods!" He spat that word. Mudblood. I never liked it, I don't believe in this petty form of racism. I don't see how they are different. They're just... ipeople like us /i. Yea, just like us.
Only their last name isn't Malfoy.
In my bed that night, I felt nervous, scared, and happy to be leaving. I was also scared my Father would be sad. Despite his cold hearted approach to the Muggle-born, I know he loves me. He loves me more than himself, he has said.
I was tired of daydreaming, and tired of dreaming. I was tired of waiting.
I was so tired, I fell asleep.
h
(POV Summer)
"Summer Li Potter! Get down here NOW!"
I rolled my eyes at this cruel form of separation from my passion, music. I pulled off my head phones.
"What is it, Mom?" I yelled back down the stairs, rolling my eyes. My igreen/i eyes. They were totally hot. I really don't like any feature but my eyes, even though everyone tells me I'm beautiful. I have straight, jet black hair and Asian features. The most distinguishing part of my appearance is my green eyes, just like my dad.
My dad is Harry Potter. Sometimes I think it is iso/i cool that my father brought down Voldemort, six months before I was born. Other times it's not so great, when all these journalists come and ask you about your life. Or even worse, deranged Muggles in down town London sometimes heckle you for one reason. That you have inter-racial parents. It's very sad. But today, I am too busy. We are going shopping for my supplies in Diagon Alley! I am so excited about my entree to Hogwarts culture I am shaking. Music calms me down.
"We are leaving in fifteen minutes! Get down here please!"
Let's just say I had that music off my ears and was halfway down the stairs so fast I must have left an imprint of myself behind! I'll check later.
I came into the kitchen, twitching and shaking like mad. My mother was putting away dishes and my father was eating toast. They both stopped what they were doing in mid action to look at me.
"Uhm, Summer, you are looking very excited today! You've already eaten?" A smile crossed my beautiful mother's face. I nodded. "Well I have some good news that you will be happy to hear. We are meeting Hermione and Ron today at the Leaky Cauldron! They are bringing their daughter Arielle. She is your age. We might meet up with Ginny and Neville, too. Oh! Yes, Hermione and Ron just had another baby! She must be adorable, I am so happy for her..." My mother went on and on, but I was just to listen. I have seen pictures and heard stories about Ron and Hermione, Father's best friends at Hogwarts. I couldn't wait to meet them and Arielle.
My father spoke for the first time that morning. "Cho, I have to be going. I will see you tomorrow, at the station, Summer. Good luck today." With that, he disapparated. Then, much to my annoyance, Timmy, my four year old brother came screaming into the kitchen, jumping all over the floor.
"Ti-mmmyy! Stop! We have to go soon, you will need to behave! Hold onto Summer's hand ithe whole entire time/iDo you understand?"
"Yes mommy, I understand." He said bashfully, looking down.
"Good, now Summer, go Floo to Diagon Alley. I'll be along in a couple of seconds." Once again, I bounced my way out of the kitchen.
Soon, me, Mother and Timmy were in the pub, waiting for my Godparents and going over the lists of supplies and my mother laid down rules.
"NO letting go of Timmy. NO talking to strangers. NO going into Knockturn Alley. NO-"
"OK, mum, what can I do?"
"You can take this money, your list and Timmy and go buy things while I wait for the Weasleys. Go now!" I stood to leave when young woman with bushy brown hair came bursting in. She was with a guy about her age, and was pushing a stroller. Behind the couple was a surly looking girl with bright red curls. She had blue eyes, and freckles were lightly sprinkled over her pale face.
"Hermione! Ron! Arielle! And...? Who's this little guy?"
"Girl." Corrected the man with red hair. He bore surprising resemblance to the girl behind him. It took me a minute to realize who they were. I took Timmy's hand and walked over to them.
"Hermione?" I said shyly.
'Oh, dear! Is this Summer? She looks just like you, Cho, but she has Harry's eyes." She turned to me. "It's so nice to meet you, dear!" She gave me a hug. "Why don't you and Arielle talk?" She smiled a warm smile. I turned to the man.
"Ron, right?" He was itall/i! I had to turn my head right up to see his face clearly.
"Yep. That's me." His blue eyes twinkled as he smiled. Finally I turned to Arielle, who's bushy red curls took over most of her face. I smiled. She gave a little half-smile back.
"I'm Summer." I held out my hand. She shook it and replied,
"I'm Arielle. Want to get our supplies together?"
"Heh, why not?" I leaned in closer. "It might get me away from my pesky little brother!" I jerked a thumb over my shoulder. She smiled. I walked bouncily over to my Mother,
"Mum, I'm going with Arielle to shop. I'm leaving Timmy here."
"Oh? Yes dear, go ahead." I left feeling like she had not heard a single syllable I had said.
Arielle and I hit Diagon Alley with a cheery air and we began chatting immediately. We made sure every last item on our list was high-quality, because, as Arielle said her mother said, "Our academic achievement is crucial to our future, so we ineed/i top of the line books. We really should set aside at least four hours a day and dedicate it to homework. Mother says Hogwarts has a ifantastic/i library. We have to check it out."
Father said this was defiantly Hermione. On our way through Flourish and Blotts, Arielle spotted a blonde girl who had her arms crossed over her chest and was gazing off to the side in a disconnected way. Her father seemed to be giving her a speech, a speech she was completely dead too. I recognized her father as the notorious ex-Death Eater, Draco Malfoy.
I've heard Father talk about him, he was inot/i particularly kind to them during school. I told this to Arielle, she bit her lip and nodded. She told me that she had also heard stories of this young man from her Mother and Father. We avoided them. We would never hang out with iher/i at Hogwarts.
On the way back, me and Arielle decided to hang out during our time at Hogwarts. We wanted to grow up together, like our parents had. The best news of all came when we got back to the pub.
My mother was sitting with Timmy bouncing on her knee. Hermione sat across from her, holding a tiny baby in her arms, which she also was rocking. Ron was standing at the end of the table with both hands flat on the surface.
"Arielle, dear, we are moving to the same city as the Potters! We will be in by Christmas!"
I almost suffocated under the weight of the hug me and Arielle shared.
h
(POV Arielle)
I was SO not looking forward to my excursion to Diagon Ally. I wanted to go to Hogwarts, but I knew of no one else attending the same year as me.
So I wanted to lie in my soft, warm bed forever, just dreaming. Dreaming of Hogwarts forever, carving my own meticulous adventures from the depths of my mind.
But something called me to get out of bed at three thirty in the morning and watch cartoons. I was wide awake. But once the little kid cartoons began playing, I was out cold.
The sound of that retched baby woke me at seven thirty five. Oh, that baby. See my Mom just had her last Thursday, so she cries. A lot. Her name is Okalani. I just want to sleep!
It seemed the minute flew past and I was in Diagon Alley, my red bushy hair half combed and my clothes unmatching. I walked slowly behind my dad as we entered the pub. I look just like my dad. And my Mum. I guess I am half and half. I also contain both of their attitudes and perspectives. This scares me, because they could not be more different. They hung out together in school, along with the famous Harry Potter, whose daughter I will be meeting today. She is like... My "God sister". Please don't ask, because I don't even know.
So the baby was crying and Mum was rushing to get that stroller through the narrow door, and my dad is so tall that when he crashes into them he tries not to fall and kill them both.
Happy thoughts to start the day.
Feeling a bit miserly, I put on a frown, stood up straight and decided I would just be a loner at Hogwarts. It might be okay. My Mum only and two friends, and ishe/i did fine.
But two good friends seems a lot better than none. I brightened up a tad little bit when I saw summer. She seemed very happy to see me, but she was too pretty to be imy/ifriend. I hoped for the best. She came over and introduced herself. I did likewise and offered if she wanted to get her supplies with me. I was waiting for her to say that she was waiting for a friend when she said
"Why not? It might get me away from my pesky little brother." She pointed him out. He was very cute. Both children looked just like their mother, except for their eyes. I had heard Father say that Harry Potter had green eyes. I had almost forgotten he was their Father.
As soon as I and Summer hit Diagon Alley, we hit it off immediately. I felt as though someone who ifinally/i understood me had come along. I made sure we got only the best supplies, because mother was very apt on my success in school. She had been best in her year, and she told me she would randomly owl my teachers to check on my marks. It was a lot of pressure. Maybe our professors wouldn't stand for it. Who was I kidding?
But one thing still makes me wonder. In Flourish and Blotts, we saw a young girl, blonde like her father, who was standing inattentively while her father lectured her. She was tuned out completely, but her father took no notice, and still talked away. Summer pointed the man out, and I recognized him as Draco Malfoy, the Death Eater who was free when Voldemort was destroyed eleven years ago. We decided to avoid her at iall/i costs. I mean, with a father like hers, she ihas/i to be the same way, right? I decided not to dwell on it, because the book-buying portion of this would most defiantly be the most fun.
And it was.
Our day passed so fast, we almost forgot we had met each other that morning. We decided to hang out with each other all through our time at Hogwarts.
When we got back, out parents seemed to be anticipating telling us something. They were very excited, though silent.
"Oh, dear. Arielle, we are moving to the same city as the Potters. We will be in by Christmas." My mother smiled her soft smile. I hardly saw it, because I jumped up and gave Summer a huge hug.
"I can tell they will be friends." My father said, with pride in his voice...