Chapter 2
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A/N: Please excuse my broken French!
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I woke up naturally quite early in the morning, sitting up in the comfortable dark that my curtains provided and panicked slightly before remembering where I was.
Gently, I pushed one curtain back and looked around the fifth year dormitory I hadn't cared much about enjoying last night.
The dorm was a strange oval shape with beds lining the wall with the ends facing towards a black cauldron shaped chimney. I could feel the nice warmth it radiated from my bed and I sighed and stretched, feeling it wake my muscles one by one.
I heard tapping at the window beside my bed and another's and after making my sheets neat I sat in the little nook to look out over a lake that lapped at the lower inches of the long window.
The storm had truly hit its full force as it thundered and threw rain around wildly, yet the thick glass of the windows reduced the noise to a dull tapping.
I closed my eyes and enjoyed the peaceful ambience, crossing my legs and putting my back against the glass deciding to meditate a little.
Along with the rain I could hear soft snores and muffled shuffling from curtain covered beds.
This 'alone' felt far nicer than the solitary hours on the train.
Peaceful co-habitation was my goal here and even though no one else was conscious to share my values, I felt like I was off to a good start at last.
A soft fluttering caught my attention as I opened an eye.
"Flamber?" I whispered with a hopeful smile as I walked to the end of my bed.
My smile widened as I saw my black and copper owl in his cage atop my trunk.
"Bonjour Flamber." I hooked my finger inside his cage and after a soft nibble he rubbed his face against it.
"It's a little too windy for flight today mon ami... I promise you'll be able to have a nice stretch when it's calm again."
A curtain to my left opened and a face sleepily leaned out of it with a yawn.
"'Morning." She said groggily, looking over to me and Flamber.
"Good morning." I replied in a hushed but friendly tone, not wanting to disturb any more sleeping girls.
"What time is it?" She asked as she slid her feet out of the covers and into her slippers.
"I have no idea." I chuckled slightly, lifting Flambers cage to place him at the window so I could open my trunk and pull out my pocket watch.
The girl spoke softly to Flamber and giggled when we gave her a gentle nibble through the bars.
"It's 6:50, I'm sorry for waking you." I said with a wince and she shook her head with a smile.
"Oh you didn't, I'm an early riser anyway."
I relaxed my face feeling much better.
"Breakfast usually opens at 7 anyway. Wanna go down together since we're both awake?"
I could feel my smile trying to burst off my face as I nodded.
"I'm Alura." I held out my hand and the girl took it, shaking it as she replied.
"Pansy. Oh! Your chin! Are you alright?"
I touched my chin and felt the graze from yesterday that I had almost blissfully forgotten about.
"Oh, yeah I'm okay, just a graze-" she cut me off as she ran to a little bag on top of her trunk with what I could only assume was a makeup bag of sorts from the brushes she pulled out.
"Aha!" She pulled out a small glass tub and opened it, stretching it out to me.
"This should do the trick. It'll make it heal much faster." My eyes widened as I hesitantly reached out to dip a finger in the cream and lightly wiped it across my chin. It felt funny then almost numb then it felt normal.
I touched my chin again and although it felt a little tender, the skin was back to normal.
"Th-thank you." I breathed out with a grin.
"No problem at all! Let's get dressed and go."
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We walked down to the Great Hall, quietly chattering away about nothing important alongside tips for Hogwarts.
Almost no one was in the halls and I liked the chance to be able to slowly enjoy the antique style of the castle.
"What's Beauxbattons like?" Pansy asked as we entered the Great Hall and over to our house table.
I picked up an orange as I sat down and looked around, like I was playing spot the difference.
"So so different." Pansy laughed at my response and it lightly echoed in the near empty Great Hall.
"At 6am we have ballet practice and then food. It's so strange to be able to wake up and eat within school."
Pansy tilted her head as her mouth opened to take a bite out of a pastry.
"Ballet? You had to do ballet?"
I nodded.
"Nothing extreme, but simple steps and posture. Just for setting a high example of how we should move and behave. It's kind of strange to relax so much here."
She nodded and smiled.
"I'd be so useless there. I can't even walk in a straight line, let alone go on those tippe-toe shoes!"
I laughed and shook my head.
"I never did pointe. I was too old to start and not many girls did either."
Pansy leaned over the table a little with an excited gleam in her eyes.
"Can you show me what you had to do then?" I chuckled at her and looked around.
Only a few teachers were eating and one or two other students on the other tables.
"Please?" She pouted, resting her chin on her hand.
I mock rolled my eyes and sighed standing up with a smile.
"Yay!" She clapped her hands together quickly and brought another laugh out of me as I took off my outer robe and stepped back from the table.
"You have to imagine a bar here." I motioned beside me and stretched out my hand to 'hold' it.
"Balase." I held my head up and held back a giggle as Pansy straightened up like she was my student.
"And, fondu, releve, fondu..." I began to step up and down in second position, extending my foot back and forth in dégagé.
I moved to plier and finished the brief rundown of some simple steps with a tourner, ending my single spin with a graceful curtsy.
Pansy erupted in muffled applause, trying to keep from causing too much of a scene and I laughed, moving to sit down.
"Of course the frenchie knows ballet." A voice behind me snickered and my face dropped as I sat down moodily.
Pansy smiled and waved to Draco but saw my face and slowly stopped.
"Are you alright...?" Draco cut her off as he sat beside me rather closely, his cronies from the train trapping me next to him.
I rolled my eyes and tried my best to ignore him as I began to chat with Pansy again.
"Like I said, it isn't what you might expect. But it is a little strange the school insists on some level of-" Draco stretched over me to grab an orange, his friend not moving so I was squished between them as he took his time picking.
I waited for him to sit back to continue, not bothering to chastise him for it. It's what he wanted. I would be lying if I said he didn't smell good though...
Pansy bit her lip as she watched the scene play out before her in confusion and entertainment.
"-some level of ballet."
Pansy nodded before looking at Draco.
"How was your summer?"
He lazily looked over at her.
"Hm? Oh it was fine. Father got promoted at the Ministry again and brought me and mother a vacation away to America." He puffed his chest proudly and Pansy gasped.
"America? How was that?" I hid my smirk by biting into my piece of fruit as I watched her, how she acted around him. She was smitten.
I glanced at his arrogant face as he began to tell her where he went and all the expensive food they ate.
If he was knocked out and quiet he might be considered handsome. But he never let that horrible smugness and almighty attitude leave his face long enough for anyone to see.
As he finished, Pansy sighed with a smile.
"That sounds so wonderful! I should ask my parents for a trip there next summer!" She seemed so excited to be talking to him and he seemed to be drinking in her adoration.
I took the chance to quickly and awkwardly shuffle out of my seat and walk around the table to re-perch myself beside her, happy to have my personal bubble back so I could eat in peace.
I could feel his smirk burning on my face as I took my time picking another piece of food to avoid having to look up at him.
Pansy began to chatter away about her summer and I took the chance to turn my body towards her to ask the occasional question to get through breakfast with as little contact as possible with Draco.
The hall began to fill up as the conversation passed. Suddenly Pansy shot up and looked down at me.
"We have potions! That's quite a walk away! We should get moving. Snape gets angsty when even the Slytherins are a moment late."
"Snape...?" I began to ask but she had already walked to my other side towards the door and gestured for me to follow.
I didn't hesitate to get up and follow, leaving Draco and his buddies with a half full plates of food.
I relaxed a great deal more as soon as we walked from the Hall and we could chat by ourselves again.
Pansy giggled as she looked ahead but her face turned to a scowl.
I blinked in confusion and followed her glare to a familiar pair of eyes glaring back.
"Ginny!" I smiled, about to walk to her, but she looked away and walked fast to go past us. My stomach dropped as I tuned to go after her but Pansy linked her arm in mine and gently tugged me along.
"She's a Griffendolt. They hate us and we hate them. The moment you became a Slytherin you became enemies." She explained simply and my heart sank.
"But... why? Isn't that a little harsh?"
Pansy looked at me in anger at first but it seemed to melt to understanding.
"It's how it's always been... the other houses just exist, but the rivalry between Griffendor and Slytherin has always been. Long before any of us here came to Hogwarts."
I looked down sadly but she nudged her shoulder with mine.
"It's not always personal. But it's how things are."
I nodded and walked down the stairs with her arm still linked with mine.
"You'll sit with me in Potions right? Last year I had to sit with Crabbe and he was a terrible potions partner!" She stuck out her tongue in dramatic disgust at the memories and I laughed with a nod.
"Bien sur, Of course." I translated myself and her eyes lit up again.
"You'll have to teach me some French! We could have our own private conversations in another language!" Her excitement wiggled my arm that she clung to and I giggled.
"My French is quite broken but of course I can teach you what I know."
She let out a happy squeal and led me to a lower part of the castle, level with our common room but on the other side of the campus.
It was quite dark down here but the flames lighting the way gave a sense of ease from the storm we could hear thundering away outside.
The door was already open to Potions class and Pansy took me to what I assume was her comfortable regular table near the far end of the room but to the front facing a large long table with several cauldrons bubbling away.
A few more strolled in before Draco and Blaise with Goyle running in several moments later.
Thankfully they didn't see us and sat down at the opposite side of the room.
His eyes locked with mine and he smirked, about to stand up when a man in black robes walked in, dominating the room with his presence.
"Sit down, mouths closed, books open." He half barked, seeming bored already with the greeting he began to give everyone.
"As you know, you're joined by a new student. Get over it." My eyes widened and I held back an entertained grin at his bluntness that I was very thankful for.
Pansy bumped my knee with hers and we shared a silent giggle.
My joy subsided as I recognised the mans face from my Ministry meeting.
He had gone with the Hogwarts headmaster to my hearing... he knew my secret and the blood in my veins ran cold for a moment.
He glanced at me once but proceeded to ignore me for the bulk of the class unless it was to check mine and Pansys progress with our potion.
I don't know if I was thankful for it or it made me feel worse. But I was grateful for Pansys enthusiasm by my side... and for Draco being seated as far away as possible for two whole hours.
He got up when I did to get ingredients with a wicked smirk but I asked Pansy to go in my stead as she could get them quicker since she would know what we were looking for and we could go back to chatting without getting behind on our work.
I gave him a smug smile as Pansy bumped into him and began to chat away as they gathered ingredients, giving her the time of her life while I could prevent more annoyance.
Did he really have to keep targeting me? Was there no other poor soul in the class- hell- the school who could take his attention for five minutes?
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