iii. Ignorance is Bliss
Hogwarts First Year
"Oh, is that a teddy?" Sarah asked as she saw it sit on Lyarra's bed. It was medium sized and white in color, with a blue scarf. The teddy bear looked quite worn.
"It's cute!" Jemma cooed. "Where did you get it from?"
"Did you name it?" Sarah asked again, ever so curious.
"Thank you," Lyarra took the white teddy bear that had a blue tie from her bed. "I named him Centurion."
"What a name," Sarah chuckled, and the rest followed along.
"I got Centurion for my third birthday. My parents were busy because mother was having Scorpius. Since my mother is frail, she spent a month in the hospital just before labor. They didn't want me to be alone in the Manor so they got me a teddy bear."
Lyarra hugged Centurion. Jemma and Sarah looked at each other and frowned.
"Tsk, why are you always alone, Lya? And why are you so used to it?" Sarah tutted.
"I don't know. It's only that month though. Mother and Father came back with Scorpius, and I was excited to have a sibling." Lyarra smiled.
"You must really love your family." Jemma sighed. "How close are you with your brother?"
"Very close. Growing up as a recluse together, we only had each other for entertainment and fun. I sure hope Scorp doesn't feel lonely at home." Lyarra sighed.
"You should write him and your parents a letter!" Sarah suggested.
"Oh! They would like that. Thanks for the suggestion." Lyarra smiled and went to find some parchment and went to the common room to write.
Meanwhile, Sarah and Jemma looked at the closed door to the Slytherin girls' first year dormitory with concern.
"She's lonely." Jemma stated.
"Based on Chris and Blaise's stories, yeah." Sarah nodded.
"But she has us now."
"She has us now."
It was three weeks in when it happened.
"Mudblood! You don't deserve to be in Slytherin!" Marvin Flint, Slytherin fourth year spat at Jemma who was on the ground. His cronies were laughing at her from behind him. He had bumped her in the hallways when she was alone, on the way to the library. The Slytherin five was going to do some homework together. Jemma forgot her notes midway so she ran back to the dorms alone, only to bump into Flint on the way back to the library. Her books fell to the ground.
Jemma sat on the ground in shock, and Flint and his cronies kicked her books and walked away, only to be stopped by Lyarra and Christophe.
"Flint." Christophe fumed.
"Apologize to her." Lyarra demanded.
"Apologize? To the mudblood?" Flint and his cronies laughed. Christophe's hands gripped into fists. Flint turned around and mockingly apologized.
"Sorry~" He mocked, and walked away with his cronies. Just before Lyarra and Christophe could get to him, Jemma coughed to get their attention.
"I'm fine, really." She assured. Both Lyarra and Christophe bent down to get her fallen books.
"Words only have power if you give them, Lyarra." Jemma said wisely as Lyarra handed her the books. The statement made her think.
"You're a strong one," Christophe chuckled. Jemma laughed along and patted Lyarra's shoulders, leaving her to think as Jemma talked with Christophe.
That's right. Why do I even bother what James Potter thought of me?
With Jemma's words, Lyarra's constant frowns turned into smiles.
She started enjoying the class as the days go by, gaining points and ignoring the glares of James Potter. They're not friends, and he had stated that he doesn't like her just because she's a Malfoy and a Slytherin.
She finds it quite ironic how quickly he just assumes one's characteristics may be.
Now, she currently sat in History of Magic. Binns was babbling away stuff that probably every Pureblood kid knows already.
Lyarra finds herself thinking. She didn't mind taking notes because Christophe and Jemma usually writes them, and while Christophe is a little bit reluctant on sharing notes, Jemma will happily lend hers. Blaise and Sarah was busy gossiping about something that Lyarra doesn't want to know.
Lyarra snuck a look at Jemma at her side, who's diligently writing notes. Jemma is smart and adapts quickly to change, and she's quite wise for her age. Even after older Slytherin students like Flint mocked her she didn't mind and went on her day like usual. Lyarra was grateful for a friend like Jemma.
An idea suddenly formed in her head. Lyarra devised a plan meticulously, not realising the burning glare on her back from a certain Gryffindor.
"You did it, didn't you?" Jemma accused as she sat down in the seat across from Lyarra in the Slytherin common room. Lyarra was reading a book.
"What? What did I do?" Lyarra asked back confused, looking up from her book.
"You turned those fourth year Slytherin's brows into leeches and their nose red. Like clowns. And now they are browless."
"Oh, I did that? I don't know what you're talking about." Lyarra brushed it off, but had a slight curve in her mouth. She was smiling.
"I knew it! Lyarra Malfoy, you brilliant witch!" Jemma excitedly clapped her hands. "Who knew you have a knack for pranking?"
"It's not me. I know nothing." Lyarra hummed.
"You're a dangerous first year... Remind me not to piss you off and cross you when you're mad." Jemma whispered.
Lyarra just gave her a wink and gone back to read her book, making Jemma chuckle.
"Hell hath no fury like Lyarra Malfoy did."
The Potter vs. Malfoy rivalry must have spread around campus. Students had gossiped around of the rivalry of the offsprings of the legendary Gryffindor hero Harry Potter and former Death Eater, Slytherin Draco Malfoy.
Each time they passed in the hallways they would give each other the stink eye and ignore the other's entire existence. When they are in the same class, they would sit in different ends of the classroom. Lyarra would sit in the front with Jemma, with Blaise and Christophe behind them. Sarah would sit with who she was bothering for the day since she's a social butterfly. James would sit in the very back of the class with Fred, and two of his other Gryffindor friends who Lyarra heard was named Daniel Wood and Terrence Jordan.
Daniel is called Danny by his friends and he was the son of world renowned Quidditch player turned coach Oliver Wood. He has a twin sister named Diana who is in Ravenclaw. The two are into Quidditch as much as their father. No wonder Danny gets along with James and Fred. The two were maniacs about the sport, while Fred was more of a casual player.
And then there was Terrence Jordan. He was into Quidditch too, but not for the playing aspect, but for commentating, like his father Lee Jordan. Jemma had overheard and told Lyarra about it, which Lyarra didn't find as surprising.
The four were inseperable, like the five Slytherins.
The Slytherins mostly knew by now that James had did something to Lyarra, while the Gryffindors just followed James along in hating Lyarra because he was kind of like the leader of the group.
Yet the two groups ignored each other throughout the year.
Lyarra got excellent marks throughout the whole year while James struggled a little bit as he dozed in class. But his grades were pretty good, surprisingly. Lyarra rolled her eyes. Everything must come naturally easy to James. He was liked by the whole Hogwarts population (except the Slytherins) unlike Lyarra who people are still reluctant about and even some Slytherins dislike her because Marvin Flint and his cronies was so sure that Lyarra was the one who pranked on them. They did nothing though, as Lyarra showed no knowledge and feigned ignorance about the incident. It made Flint and his cronies watch their backs more now.
And after all of those high and lows, thus the first year ended.