Author's Note: Argh, okay I totally forgot to say this earlier. I am currently updating chapters 1 through eight due to numerous typos and mistakes regarding details. I don't know about you guys, but I get irritated when there are too many typos and mistakes in a story. Please enjoy this chapter and please please please review!
Chapter 2
On Monday morning, Janie and I met Albus and Mark in the common room, and we made our way down to the Great Hall. Alex waved at us from the Hufflepuff table, and we waved back merrily. His dirty blonde hair looked particularly ruffled but his hazel eyes were wide with glee.
I sat down next to Albus and began to eat. About halfway through breakfast, Professor Longbottom began to distribute class schedules. This process was a little more complicated than usual, as he first had to ensure that everyone had achieved the required O.W.L. grades to continue with the N.E.W.T classes they had applied for. Last year, I had received an O in Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts, and an E in everything else. I was one of the few people who found Professor Binn's lectures to be quite fascinating, and therefore had not failed in my History of Magic O.W.L. I knew I had to drop the subject, however, as it would be no help in my ambition to become a Healer. Professor Longbottom immediately cleared me to continue with Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Potions, Transfiguration, Arithmency, and Care of Magical Creatures. The professor moved onto Albus, smiling at me appreciatively.
We were almost done eating when someone cleared his throat behind us. Albus and I both turned, and my heart skipped a beat as I saw James standing there. He, however, ignored me completely.
"Don't forget Al, Quidditch trials are Saturday at six. I need you to be there to show support."
Al nodded, "I'll be there. What positions are you filling?"
"Well we need two new chasers and a beater, but dad told me to try out everyone just in case there are some talented new faces."
Al's head bobbed up and down again, then he looked at me. "You should try out V, I know you're a great chaser."
"Sorry," James interrupted before I even opened my mouth, "We don't allow death eaters on the team."
My jaw dropped. James Potter had made crude asides about my ancestry as long as I'd known him, but never once had he said anything directly offensive. Tears began to sting my eyes as I looked at my friends. They looked equally shocked. Not seeming to realize that he had said something offensive, James turned and marched along the table to join his seventh year friends. Furious, Albus jumped to his feet. I tried to grab his arm to restrain him but he ripped it from my grip. He stomped angrily over to where his brother sat and began screeching at him,
"Stop being such a bloody prat, James! Since I've met Vera she has been nothing but a friend to me, and you continue to treat her like dirt on your shoe. So she's a Malfoy! That doesn't dictate who she is as a person. If you keep treating her like this just because of what family she was born into, then your no better than those stupid pureblood supremacists that dad fought against during the war!" With that, Albus turned on his heel and marched out of the hall. Rose, Hugo, Roxanne, and Lily stood and raced after him. The hall was entirely silent, every pair of eyes on me. Every pair, that is, except James Potter's. Blushing and trying to hold back tears, I grabbed Al's schedule and mine and stalked out of the hall. I didn't know where I was going. All I knew was that I was fed up and more than a little hurt by the way James Potter had treated me for the past five years. I was tired of him, and I was tired of the way everyone gawked at me because of my last name. I didn't even look like a Malfoy, sure I had blonde hair, but it was closer to gold than white. My eyes weren't gray and harsh like my father and brother's, they were a bluish green. And I wasn't deathly pale. In fact, my skin was rather tanned. If I changed my name and went to a different school, no one would be any the wiser.
I finally stopped in the seventh floor girls bathroom, where I at last let loose my tears. I cried in there for the better part of an hour until the bell rang, signaling the end of breakfast. I ran to the dormitory to grab my books before running down to my first period Charms class.
Albus sat next to me, positively fuming throughout the entire lesson. He did not even crack a smile when Professor Velveteen charmed a flowerpot to dance around the classroom singing classic Weird Sisters' songs. He didn't speak to me until the two of us were heading back to the castle for lunch after Care of Magical Creatures (we had stayed behind to help Hagrid tidy up after the lesson).
"I'm sorry." He burst out suddenly.
"For what?" I asked, confused. He didn't have anything to apologise for.
"For my brother."
When I snorted, his head whipped around in surprise. "It's not any more your fault for being related to James than my fault for being related to Scorpius."
He nodded idly. "It's just- James can be really cool. But whenever he's around you or your brother he turns into a complete-"
"Prat?" I finished.
"Exactly."
"Don't worry about it Albus. Really. It's my lot in life. Some people came into this world as muggleborns or half-bloods, I came into it as pureblood from a disgruntled ex-death eater family."
"It shouldn't have to be that way though. You're nothing like the rest of your family." Said Albus, kneading his furrowed brow in frustration.
"It shouldn't be that way, but it is."
He sighed, and the rest of the day was passed in relative silence. The bell rang after fourth hour Herbology, and Albus, Alex, Janie, Mark, and I headed to the library to work on homework.
Albus' mood had improved greatly by the time our prefect duties rolled around, so much so that instead of patrolling the corridors looking for perpetrators, we went down to the closed library and played a marathon game of hide and seek by wand-light.
Tuesday dawned bright and early the next morning, and my friends and I had an enjoyable day misbehaving through the three consecutive classes of Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts, and History of Magic. We parted ways during fourth hour as I made my way to Arithmency while they all traveled to their various electives.
Albus and I were walking to the library after the final bell in silence when I burst out,
"I want to try-out for the Quidditch team." I had been thinking it over ever since the incident in the Great Hall yesterday and I was determined, if not to join the team, to at least out fly James Potter and watch that smug smile melt off of his stupid face. Albus speculated for a moment before saying,
"You should."
We studied in the library for several hours. I had surprised Albus by inviting Delilah along under the pretence that I needed help with my Charms essay. He gave me an exuberant grin when she walked into the library, and scooted over so she could sit between us. I smiled happily at his enthusiasm.
The week passed quickly, and the homework piled up. Having performed fairly well on my exams last year, I was thoroughly put out by the amount of homework I was being assigned for every class this year. I'd had my patrol duty with James on Wednesday, which was just a tense and uncomfortable as I had feared, but I also got a chance to catch up with Rose Weasley he generally had her face in a book for so long that no one could get a word in), who was still as sweet and thoroughly un-James-like as she had always been.
Albus and I headed down to the pitch at fifteen to six on Saturday evening, with our broomsticks slung over our shoulders. The three remaining members from the Gryffindor team were already out on the field, welcoming the people who had showed up for tryouts. Maria Duvall, the current keeper, smiled at Albus and me as we walked up. She was a very tall, very pretty fifth year girl with a kind smile. Donovan Thomas stood next to her. He was equally tall but also broad and muscular, with fair black skin, blue eyes, and curly light brown hair. I blushed slightly as he smiled at me. James glared at him for a brief moment, and I figured he was upset that his teammate was treating me like an actual human being.
"Listen up!" Said James loudly, once all the hopefuls had gathered. "I will be trying out all six spots today for this year's team. I hope you are all prepared to make the commitment for this year's team, as practice will be more rigorous than ever. I am determined to win the cup this year." A cheer went up from the gathered people. "Excellent. Now, before we start I'd like to see how each of you handles a broom. Now could everyone divide into groups of five and please fly around the pitch once."
The gathered people instantly shuffled up into three groups of five and one group of six. Albus and I were together along with Elena Bones, a fourth year named Prometheus Zhang, and a timid looking second year named Calypso Tamelin.
James immediately ruled out the first group of six, as it was composed entirely of first years who all crashed or careened out of control within seconds of entering the air. He made no comments about the group I was in, but eliminated one seventh year and one second year from the two groups after us.
Next, he put the keepers through their paces. Maria secured her spot on the team by saving four out of five goals. James tried out the seekers next. He let loose two snitches, saying that the first two people to catch them would go for a second round. Albus scraped the first one, and the tiny Calypso Tamelin grabbed the second. In the second round, Albus narrowly beat Calypso to the snitch, but beat her nonetheless. Albus went to sit next to Maria and mouthed at me, Good luck. James moved on to the beaters next. He tried them two at a time, with the object that they had ten seconds to try and knock the Quaffle from his hands. Donovan and his temporary partner managed this task with ease. James tried out the six most successful people individually then. Don and a broadly built third year named Ferdinand Krakowski soon became the two Gryffindor beaters.
James saved the chasers trial for last. This trial was simple. One simply had to score as many goals possible out of ten. Rose Weasley and I tied with nine goals each, yet James, being a prejudiced prat as usual, insisted that this was not enough confirmation of skill. He decided to give Rose one spot and put me through my paces again against Nora Lewis who had scored eight points, and Colby Brown, who had scored seven. James' frown became increasingly pronounced as I scored five out of five goals, and Nora and Colby did not manage more than two. Obviously hoping that someone would back him up in the notion of not putting me on the team, James flew down to the stands to consult with his teammates. He, Maria, Don, Rose, Ferdinand, and Albus argued for the better part of ten minutes before his shoulders sagged and he turned back to where I was floating in the air to yell,
"Congratulations Malfoy. We've decided to put you on the team."
Exhilarated, I flew back down to the pitch to meet Albus, who hugged me. Maria, Rose, Don, and Ferdinand joined in enthusiastically, while James stood at a distance, looking deeply uncomfortable. The seven of us headed back to the changing rooms to change into regular clothes. I waited by the door for Albus once I had pulled on my jeans and shirt. As I was standing there, however, Donovan came up to me. He wore faded jeans and a flattering black t-shirt.
"Hey Vera, can I talk to you?" He asked, looking strangely nervous.
"Sure. What's up?"
"Nothing much. You flew really well today."
I blushed. "Thanks. That means a lot coming from you."
He smiled down at me, seeming bolstered by my compliment. "Thanks...so I was wondering…"
"Yeah?"
"Our first Hogsmeade trip is in two weeks. Any chance you would wanna go with me?"
My heart beat so quickly in my chest that my brain was having difficulty forming words. "I'd love to." I finally got out.
"Excellent." He said, smiling brilliantly at me. "I'll seen you then, I guess."
"Yeah, of course." I replied. He bent down and kissed my cheek before racing off. I felt the place where his mouth had touched me burn. My flare of happiness at my encounter with Don was instantly quelled as James Potter rounded the corner. He stopped in front of me, looking me in the eye for the first time in years. His eyes were a glorious shade of brown that reminded me of butterbeer, and his features were as dashing as they had always been. I felt my breath catch in my lungs. Then I noticed his face. It was contorting in a series of strange and confusing expressions.
"What do you want?" I demanded, not forgetting the comment he had made Monday morning.
"I just…you shouldn't…it's not…I don't think…"
"Spit it out." I said angrily.
He took a deep breath. "I don't think it's appropriate for you to date a teammate."
I raised my eyebrows at him. I wasn't aware he had been listening in on my conversation. "I think it's my business who I date."
"Well, as your captain and his it's my business also. So just – just don't mess it up. Okay?"
"Uh, okay." I replied. James seemed to be struggling with something else then. He gave up after a moment however, and turned to stalk away. I watched him make his way across the grounds, feeling rather bewildered.
"Was he being mean to you again?" I turned. Albus had emerged from the changing rooms with the same tousled hair as his brother. He was glaring at James' retreating back with narrowed eyes.
"No. He was just being weird."
"What do you mean?"
I explained what had just happened with Don and then with James. Albus congratulated me for being asked out by Donovan, but frowned as I told the story of James, looking quite as confused as I felt. Eventually he shrugged and the two of us headed back up to the castle for dinner.
Sunday and Monday passed quickly. I was so busy working in class and on homework from dawn until dusk that I barely had time to even look at a clock.
Albus had prefect duty again on Tuesday night, so after Quidditch practice I went up to the common room to finish my homework on my own. Janie had retired to bed early, but Mark sat up with me, chattering away as I worked. I nodded and pretended to listen, but I was really contemplating my strange encounter with James on Saturday, and was still trying to decipher the peculiar expressions that had flickered across his face in rapid succession. It was around midnight when I finally finished all my homework. I would have finished sooner, but Mark had considerably slowed down the process. I had stood up and bid him good night when he said,
"Hey, Vera, wait." I froze, suddenly realising that he and I were entirely alone in the common room. I knew what was coming, and I wished desperately that I could escape the situation.
"Um yeah?" I asked, warily.
He got out of his chair and approached me, situating himself so that he was blocking the stairs up to the girl's dormitory. I looked for another way out, my eyes flickering around madly like those of a trapped mouse.
"I wanted to talk to you about something." I nodded, waiting for him to proceed. "So we've been friends for a long time. Almost six years now." He looked mildly uncomfortable, which was nowhere near how awkward I felt right now. "And you know that I've liked you for a while…"
What? No. I wouldn't have guessed considering you've asked me out five times by now.
"And I know you've said no before, but I was just really hoping you could give me a chance…"
But I don't want to! I exclaimed in my head.
"So…would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me in two weeks?"
I sighed with relief, glad that I finally had a good excuse to say no.
"I'm sorry, Mark. That's really sweet but…I already have a date to Hogsmeade."
I heard the portrait hole creak open behind me, but I disregarded it.
"With who?" He demanded, staring angrily over my shoulder, apparently at nothing, "James Potter?"
"What? No! Where in the world did you get that idea?"
"I don't know. He looks at you a lot."
I frowned. For all I knew, James Potter never looked at me if he wasn't forced to.
"Be that as it may, no. We don't like each other like that. In fact, he hates me. And I'm not a huge fan of him either."
He shrugged. "I don't know if that's right. Love and hate are both very strong passions. Sometimes people confuse them."
"Well I'm very firm in the knowledge that he hates me." I replied, pushing his comment away from by accelerating heart. I didn't need any more confusion about James Potter in my life right now.
"So if you're not going with Potter, who are you going with?"
"Donovan Thomas." I said promptly.
"Oh, I see. Well maybe I'll see you there."
"Yeah, of course." I replied. He nodded and cleared my path, trudging away up the boys' staircase.
I was about to head up to the dormitories when I remembered the quill I had left on the table. I turned back to face the room…and my heart stopped. James and Albus stood just inside the portrait hole, staring at me. Albus looked irritated while James looked calculating. Albus was first to break the silence,
"Uh, Vera. Can I talk to you?" He looked at his brother and emphasized, "Alone."
"Sure." James replied. "Just a warning though Al, you know what they say about spending too much time around a tease."
I stared at him, the fury mounting in my chest. "Are you talking about me?" I demanded.
"Hey don't look at me like that. You're the one with fifty guys after you all the time. Figure it out for yourself." Before I could think of a reply, he pushed past me and walked up the stairs. For the second time in a week, I was trying very hard not to cry at something James had said. Albus rushed forward and pulled me into a tight hug.
"Don't cry. I'm sorry my brother is such a…. well an ass."
Albus had surpassed me in height and weight in third year, and had refused to let me forget it. His large body now entirely enveloped me as we hugged.
"It's alright. Forget about him." I wiped my eyes and pulled away. "What did you want to talk to me about?"
"Well actually…" He looked suddenly uncomfortable. "It's about James."
I stiffened. "What now?"
"I just wanted to give you a heads up…while he and I were patrolling the corridors tonight…we checked an empty classroom and…well we sort of walked in on Scorpius and Rose and they were kinda…snogging."
My jaw dropped. "Rose? Rose Weasley?"
He nodded.
"How on Earth did my oaf of a brother get a girl like Rose Weasley?"
Albus shrugged. "It's a mystery. But James was livid when we found them. It was all I could do to stop him from cursing your brother. He took fifty points away from Slytherin and gave Scorpius a weeks worth of detentions."
"Harsh." I replied. "But what does this have to do with me?"
"Well…James isn't really logical when it comes to you and your family. So I'm just worried he might try to take his anger out on you. Like just now when he implied you were a – uh…"
"Slut?" I finished for him.
"Yeah that."
"I see. Well I don't imagine he can treat me much worse than he usually does but I'll keep an eye out."
Albus nodded to this and bid me good night. I gathered all my things and made my way upstairs to get ready for bed. I knew I had a lot of things I could think about regarding James Potter. I could think about all cruel things he had said and done to me, but for some reason, that's not what occupied my brain as I lay in bed, trying to fall asleep. All I could think about was what Mark had said: He looks at you a lot. It was early in the morning by the time I finally drifted off to sleep.