Chapter 3: All Aboard!
The Weasleys, Harry, Hermione, and Mara all stood just between platforms 9 and 10 at the King's Crossing train station. It was time to go onto the Hogwarts Express, and the others were just finishing explaining to Mara how to get on the train.
"Got it, then?" Fred said, going after his brother, who'd just gone through the brick wall, after she'd nodded.
Then it was Harry, Ron, Hermione, Mara, and last, Ginny. Once they got on the train, they all went back to an empty compartment and stowed their trunks. They were all talking and laughing. Fred and George hadn't gone with them, though—their friends were in another compartment.
As they were just beginning to settle into their seats, the door slid open and the last group of students any of the Hogwarts students wanted to see walked right in. It was Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle.
Everyone went right to their feet, even Mara, who felt, from the sudden tension in the room, he was more foe than friend. Malfoy noticed her, and looked her over. "What's this?" The pale blond boy sneered. His eyes took in her black hair and dark blue eyes. "Who are you? You're not a Potter, he's an orphaned only child, or a Weasley, your hair isn't red, and your clothes are new. Are you a Mudblood like Granger, then?" Everyone glared at Malfoy. Mara was silently boiling over. This…this pompous little rich boy had just insulted her only friends. She couldn't keep quiet any longer.
"Oh, no," she said, perfectly sweet. "You see, my friends here are keeping quiet. That is one thing that sets me apart from them. Here're some things that set me apart from you: first of all, I have a backbone and class. Second, I don't need friends similar to brick walls to make me feel strong. Because I'm strong, mentally and physically. And here's a question. I'm just a little curious. Are those buddies of yours as thick as they look, or are they even more stupid?" She fluttered her eyelashes innocently and smiled.
Draco's eyes narrowed. Her words had had just the effect she'd wanted. "Look, little miss Americana, yes, I could tell from your accent… Anyway, you do not want to fall in with this crowd. From your words, I can tell they've talked about me, lies, of course. I will offer you the same thing I offered Harry here when we first came. Some wizards are much better than others. I can help you there." He smiled, and Mara was… strangely, tempted. Then she smiled.
"I'll get back to you on that… As Dumbledore, the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione are the only witches and wizards I've met yet, I'm not sure which ones to trust yet." She threw a glance back at her friends, who looked a bit confused, then looked right back into Draco Malfoy's eyes. "By the way, my name is Mara. Mara Whitmore. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
Draco gave a half-smile and nodded. "See you around, Mara." He and the two dimwitted other students left the compartment. Before any of the others could speak, Mara began.
"I have my reasons for what I said. I did not lie; I am very unsure right now. I only just met you. We only became friends by circumstances set by Dumbledore. Draco is the only person I've met in the wizarding world to ask to be a friend. I'm sorry if this offends you, but it's the truth, which sometimes hurts." She shrugged and left the compartment.
She didn't know where she was going, so she somehow found an empty one, and sat down there, trying to figure this out.
On the one hand, she thought, Harry and the others have been nothing but nice to me, except maybe Ron. But Mrs. Weasley probably asked them to. Nobody asked Draco to be nice, and, even after I insulted him and his friends, he pretty much asked to be my friend, though, in his mind, I think he meant as for me to be his friend. I obviously can't be friends with both groups, since they obviously hate each other.
She stood up and smiled to herself. "I spend a whole week with the Weasleys. I might as well spend some time with Draco." She went off in search of the compartment he was in.
"Excuse me, do you know where I can find Draco Malfoy?" She asked one boy with dark blonde hair.
"Sure. He's about 3 compartments down."
"Thanks."
When she got to his compartment, she knocked first, just in case. She heard his voice say, "Come in," and she slid open the doors.
"I didn't expect you so soon," he said, smiling. "What changed your mind?"
"I haven't—yet. I spent an entire week with the Weasleys. It wouldn't be fair to decide if I didn't spend any time at all with you."
"Wise choice. Shows better judgment than a few of those you were in the compartment with."
"I'm not really sure what House I'll be in, you know…" She shrugged. "Or how I'll be Sorted."
"Well, I'm in Slytherin. I'm Seeker for our Quidditch team," he added.
"Oh, really? Harry told me he's Gryffindor Seeker. I learned a bit of Quidditch while I stayed with them. I'll be trying out for whichever House team I'll be in."
"Maybe you'll be in Slytherin. We're not as bad as people seem to like to think. Maybe the only reason Dumbledore sent you to live for that week with those Gryffindors is to start a friendship between the two Houses. According to school history, the founders of those two Houses were the closest of the four."
"It could be. You seem an intellectual sort, Draco. Why do you keep company with those two… um, dimwitted fellows?"
"Our fathers were friends. Family is often a big thing here. By the way, what's your family like?"
"Well, I don't know about any aunts or uncles. But when my Muggle parents saw my letter, and the owl delivering it, it seemed like… they'd known. And when Dumbledore knocked on my door, they almost seemed to know him, but my entire family is non-magical. I'd wondered before, how they almost knew I was magic, yet they told me my entire family isn't. I think maybe some of my family lived here once, and were witches and wizards. I've been told I almost have an English accent. I also already had a small fortune in Gringotts."
"Well, usually I tend to ridicule Mu—er, Muggle-borns, but you seem different."
"I'll just take your word for it. You're a very interesting person, Draco. I like you. At first, I didn't. But that could have been the fact that I had an entire group of friends around me acting like they hated you." She smiled.
"And you're not as, well, no offense, but as American as I'd thought you'd be. Most Americans have no culture or true class."
"I understand. This country is so rich with both, and history." She laughed. "I sound like a tour guide. I always wanted to visit, you know. But now… I get to live here. I'd better go now," she said as she looked at her watch. "I think its time to change."
She went and got her trunk from the compartment with her other friends in it, and ignored their questioning looks. She went back to the empty one, changed and waited. When the train stopped, and after she heard the calls for first years fade, she stepped out of her own compartment and walked down the others, leaving her trunk. She followed the line of other students down the train and ran into Draco. She told them about her friends' behavior. "They just stared at me the entire time," she said in an almost shaky voice. She hadn't realized until then how much it had hurt her to find them practically rejecting her.
"It'll be alright. You can sit with me during the feast."
She smiled. "Thanks."
As soon as the first years were Sorted, Dumbledore stood.
"This year, we not only welcome back our older students, welcome our new first years, but we also welcome a both newer and older student. Miss Mara Whitman is here from the States, and has not yet been Sorted. Let's welcome her, and let her be Sorted into her own House."
Mara stood and walked away from the Slytherin table. Dumbledore seemed mildly surprised to see her coming from that direction. McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on her head.
"You have traits easily scattered across the four Houses," the small voice whispered in her ear. "Bravery and loyalty, kindness, intelligence, cleverness, cunning, and more, it's all here. I also see you have friends scattered, too."
No, she thought. My "friends" in Gryffindor betrayed me. Draco is my friend.
"Oh, so you are the opposite of young Harry Potter. He asked me for any House but Slytherin, the House your newest friend is in, the same table you just walked away from. Where do you want to go?"
I want to be with friends who are true, but who will understand me also. Harry didn't. Neither did any of the others, she thought bitterly.
"Then, it is SLYTHERIN!" The hat screamed the last word, for the whole school to hear, and the entire green and silver table clapped. Mara smiled as she went back to her seat next to Draco. Harry, Hermione, Ron, and the others who had known her just looked at each other almost sadly. Except for the Weasley twins, who demanded from the others what they'd done on the train to make her willing go with that crowd.
After everyone had eaten their fill, Dumbledore stood once more to speak. "Now all our students are Sorted, and our bellies are full, it's off to bed. I'm sure you're all anxious for classes to begin tomorrow." He chuckled as he sat back down.
The prefects led the Houses toward the House dormitories. One Slytherin said the new password loud enough for them all to hear. "Dragon fang," he said.
Everyone climbed in to the common room, and then Mara followed the other girls up a staircase to the girls' room.
Tired, she climbed into bed and wondered what her classes would be like…
A/N: Chapter 3! Not what you expected, huh? Everything always puts their original characters with the original hero. Gryffindor and Harry, Ron, or Hermione. Draco is so much better. So :P to them! Hope you enjoyed, please review.