Chapter 5: The Need for Freedom

The dream is alive, I can run up the hills every night, go around and see another side of the tree, all I want is to be untamed and free, howl with me.

The Cage – Sonata Arctica.

Veronique stood at her dormitory window and stared into the dark. She missed Skylar. They were together in many lessons but he wasn't the same, not since the sorting ceremony. She didn't understand it, they had always been together, but now they'd been separated.

They'd been the last to be sorted; all the first years were sorted before they were, and she'd hated the waiting. She'd watched as all the first years got sorted into the four houses, and she really didn't like the idea of a hat going through her head. In front of her Skylar was fidgeting, stamping his feet occasionally, he was nervous. So was Veronique.

She thought about her parents then. Her father had been in Slytherin, her mother had been in Gryffindor, with her uncle. Her mother had always hung around with people from Slytherin, and as consequence had only one friend in her own house, she knew that. Her best friends were Alexander Veero and Severus Snape, and the only friend from her own house had been Remus Lupin. Later Orion Black had married Alexander, and then Skylar and Veronique had been born. Three years later Alexander had been killed for being a suspected Death Eater.

"Veero, Skylar" came McGonagall's voice, breaking into Veronique's thoughts. She watched her brother walk to the stool and sit down. McGonagall placed the hat on his snow white hair and waited. It took the hat a long time to decide where to put her brother, and she waited nervously for the result.

"Slytherin." Veronique blinked, and Skylar grinned up at her. Then he stood and walked over to the cheering table. He sat between Malfoy and another boy and watched Veronique. Veronique was slightly shocked, Skylar had always been expected to enter Gryffindor; she was more suited to Slytherin than he was.

"Veero, Veronique." Taking a deep breath, she had walked and sat on the stall. The hat was placed upon her head and she waited.

"Hmmm," came the voice of the hat. "Another tricky one. Another Veero I see. Now, what shall we do with you?"

'Put me with my brother, please, let me stay with Sky,' she thought desperately.

"You want to go to Slytherin do you? Well, no, I don't think so, you are not unlike them and yet you are not like them." She blinked; everyone had expected her to be in Slytherin, and what on earth did the hat mean?. "I think Ravenclaw would suit you well, you've fair brains there in your head. No. I think not. Yes, let me see, I know."

Veronique screwed her eyes shut hard, but she was expecting what came next.

"Gryffindor!"

The hat had been removed and she'd look at her brother. He was stunned. Most of the Gryffindors were clapping and cheering, but amongst the table there were two who did not.

"What?" hissed Ron to Harry, "her in Gryffindor? Whilst her brother's in Slytherin? I think the hats been confunded." Harry nodded in agreement.

As Veronique walked towards her house table she'd looked at the teachers, and at where the potions master sat. He gave her the tiniest of nods to acknowledge her, but he didn't look happy. He, along with everyone else, had expected her to be in his house.

And now, she stared out the window. She felt alone. She'd been at Hogwarts now for two weeks, and she was doing well, particularly in potions, defence against the dark arts and ancient runes, but she didn't like it. She longed to be free again, and to run with Sky as they used too. That was something she had loved about her home, there was always room to run wild. She also missed her swords, as she had not been allowed to bring them with her to the school, and she longed to practice with them again. Skylar had practiced with her most of the time, and yet Veronique loved them more and was much better than her brother. Any anger she had felt would be put to use as energy to her sword fighting. She had never been as angry as she was now.

She turned as she heard somebody enter the room. Lavender stood there. She glared at Veronique and walked over to her trunk. The black haired girl turned back to the window and ignored her.

She felt trapped here. Nobody really liked her, she knew. She hated most of them too. Hermione and Ginny were nice enough, and Fred and George were funny. She liked them, but everybody else in the year seemed to take her presence personally, as if she'd done something to them. In particular Ron hated her. Whatever she did he took as an insult on himself. What made it worse was that she had never done anything to him.

Skylar had made friends with many Slytherins, but in particular Draco Malfoy. This annoyed and upset his sister in equal amounts. Draco Malfoy, the son of the man that had almost killed her. Draco Malfoy who was as much of a bastard as his father was.

She'd been standing at the window for around an hour when she decided to do something. She walked down into the common room and was about to leave when a voice called her back.

"Hey, Veero, what do you think you're doing?" It was a sixth former. She glared at him and he took an involuntary step backwards.

"I'm going out," she snarled.

"You can't do that, it's too late. You'll get caught and we'll lose house points. You've lost us enough already."

"Oh no," she cried in mock horror. "House points! Well now I simply can't leave." She turned and left through the portrait hole.

Ron looked up and glared at where she had been. "I hate her," he said. "I really do." Hermione shook her head and carried on with her essay.

"I'm going up to bed," Harry announced. "Night."

Sorry about it beign slightly shorter than most. It would be simply wonderful if you'd review. D