Alexandra had looked forwards to this day, the 1st of September, the day she would go to Hogwarts. Finishing up yoga she went to take a shower. The hot water scolded her body, but she really didn't mind, it made her feel alive.
Half an hour later she walked downstairs dressed in a burgundy red tank top and a pair of black leather pants. She had braided her hair and put on a pair of rose gold earrings.
"Morning Caroline," she chided pouring a cup of tea.
"Morning to you too, don't forget to feed Oswald."
Alex scoffed, Caroline had a soft spot for the snake, he really didn't need food more than twice a month.
"Caroline, you do know we're not supposed to spoil him so, it'll get to his head."
"Aww come on Alex, he's just so sweet!"
Alex sent an unbelieving look in Caroline's general direction. Sweet? He could kill her within half an hour.
As if summoned Oswald slithered through the door
'Human,' he looked at Caroline as if greeting her, 'mistress'
Alex smirked, Oswald had begun calling her that a couple of days after she bought him. She kind of liked it though so she hadn't asked him to stop.
'Oswald, good morning.'
'Now that's a lie, it's a horrible morning, I hate mornings.' That was probably the closest a snake would ever come to sounding discontented. Oswald slid up her body and placed himself on her shoulders.
"Now Alex, are you sure you can bring Oswald? I don't remember snakes being on the list of approved pets."
"Do not worry, I worked it out with Mrs McGonagall." The older witch had really taken quite a shine to her so it hadn't come as a surprise when Minerva had allowed her to take Oswald with her.
They sat in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying the quiet moment. It was Caroline who broke the quietness.
"Have you packed yet?" Alex just nodded, she'd done it the day before since she knew they would be leaving early.
"Well, good, cause we have to leave now."
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Alexandra felt monumentally stupid standing between the staircases to platform 9 and 10. She marvelled at her own stupidity, how could she've forgotten to ask McGonagall about how she was supposed to get to platform 9 3/4?
Caroline had dropped her off just a moment ago. She'd been all depressed and dreary, asking for letters every day. Alex, who did not feel comfortable with the obvious show of emotions, had promised to write and given her a quick hug. They usually didn't hug since Alex disliked any kind of physical contact, a relic of living with the Dursley's.
Oswald's tongue graced her ear, 'mistress, look over there, they might know the way.'
A big family of redheads were hastily approaching her. They carried trunks and the oldest, of what seemed to be the children, carried a cage with a tousled barn owl. Two of the other redheads, who looked an awful lot like a pair of twins, excitedly whispered to one another.
"Excuse me Mrs. are you going to Hogwarts too?"
Alexandra did her best to look childlike.
"Yes dear, is it your first time?" Alex nodded yes, "well do not fret it is Ronald's first time too!"
The woman's curly hair bounced as she excitedly pointed at a rather tall dangly boy, who honestly resembled a beanstalk.
"Yes, that's nice Ma'am," Alex tried her best to sound sheepish and not dismissive even though she couldn't care less for the beanstalk…
"I just don't know how to get to the platform…"
The woman was practically cooing at her by then.
"Well we'll show you, now Percy you first," the oldest child began walking towards the wall between platform 9 and 10.
And then he disappeared…
Alexandra almost face-palmed. OF COURSE, they were wizards, of course, they would hide the entrance with magic! Her train of thoughts was interrupted by the redheaded woman.
"Now George you're next," she motioned towards one of the twins, "Then you Fred."
One of the twins, the one she had called George scrunched up his nose, the other just looked dismayed.
"Honestly woman! I'm Fred, and you call yourself a mother?" The tone of George's, or should she call him Fred, yes, Fred's voice was upbeat. And Alex couldn't help but admire his acting, nobody but her and the other twin had noticed!
Noticed that his eyes showed hurt.
Fascinating, she thought, how very interesting…
He then ran towards the wall and disappeared. The other twin sighed, George.
"Well, Mother this is goodbye for me too. Try not to worry so much, nobody gets our names correct anyways." He then disappeared too.
"Well, I think I've gotten the hang of it. Thank you so much Ma'am."
Before the lady could get to say anything Alex sped towards the wall disappearing.
.
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Molly Weasley looked at the wall that secretly was the entrance to platform 9 3/4 the polite girl had just gone through.
Well, that girl certainly had painted a beautiful picture standing there in her muggle clothes and pretty face. The snake though had been… disconcerting. Not that it had altered her overall view on the girl. Molly looked at her own daughter, and suddenly wished she was a little less shy, a little more polite, had long black hair and wore a pair of thick rimmed glasses. She was brought out of her trance-like state by her youngest son, Ronald Weasley.
"Well, I'm gonna go to. I'll see you at Christmas mum."
"Yes, yes. Remember to write me everyday dear, and do tell Fred and George not to blow up any toilets this year."
Molly felt terrible, for a moment, no matter how small, she had wished for her little Ginny to be someone else. She was a horrible mother, she thought.
Yet that girl had held a certain charm, she'd been captivating.
.
.
Once she had arrived on platform 9 3/4 Alexandra's eyes had automatically searched for Fred and George. She had found them standing together with a dark skinned boy with dreadlocks holding some kind of box. He was rather appealing to the eye, she thought. Maybe she should go see what they were doing?
She might make some new 'friends' by doing that.
Well, it was worth a try, if he was half as interesting as the twins he would be worth it. With long confident strides, she moved over to them.
"What are you looking at?" She added a raspy streak to her already husky voice, trying to imitate the voice Caroline sometimes used on men. The voice that made them do whatever she asked for.
The dark boy turned towards her and seemed to lose his ability to speech.
Alex just smirked slightly and took a look into the box.
"Wow, she's beautiful." She allowed a bit of amazement to be showed in her eyes.
"It is a female right?"
The boy seemed to come back to his senses, "yes, it is a she. Excuse me for my bluntness, but are you sure we're both talking about the tarantula?"
"Well, what else is there to talk about," she registered a flicker of disbelief in is eyes, "don't worry, I have a thing for.. unconventional creatures," Alex motioned towards her snake, "I won't tell," then lifted a single finger to her lips. She wasn't stupid, she knew that the twins and the boy, being older than her would read the signals she sent as sensual, they might even think them a bit sexual. It was a great tool...
"My name is Alexandra, it's nice to make your acquaintance Mr. …?" The boy shook her outstretched hand. She suppressed the slight shiver that arose at his touch.
"Lee Jordan, but just call me Lee, and believe me, the pleasure is all mine."
"I doubt that Lee," she sent him a small wink before turning to the twins.
"Fred, George, I, of course, met you just before," for a moment her mask slipped, her eyes becoming cold and calculating, "and I must say you interest me." A wolfish smile spread across her lips. Then her face went blank, causing the three boys to blink, had she really looked so devilish just then?
"Well, I'll see you later gentlemen, I see someone that require my attentions."
She fleered away from them, making sure her face portrayed no emotions. Fred, George and Lee were to be handled differently than the boy she had just spotted across the platform.
The Malfoy scion, Draco, was more complicated to win over than them because he knew the game she was playing: A game of power and manipulation. But no matter how good an education his family had given him he was still just a child.
And children weren't good at being cynical and calculating.
He would be hers soon enough.
.
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"Draco," a husky voice reached him. He knew that voice, it belonged to Alexandra.
Grateful he wasn't standing with his parents or someone important: It wouldn't do for them to see him interacting with a mudblood, he turned around.
She looked stunning in her muggle clothes. Muggles might be filthy mudbloods but they sure knew how to make good-looking clothes.
"Alexandra."
For a while, they stood there in silence. Draco began feeling restless, how could she just stand there looking emotionless? Didn't she ever feel awkward? He fake-coughed trying to break the weird tension that he felt.
"I see you've gotten a pet."
At this, her eyes seemed to light up for a short moment. Pleased he'd gotten her to show some kind of emotion he sent her a smug look.
"Yes, he's beautiful isn't he?" Alexandra stroked the snake, "I named him Oswald since I thought that a fierce being like him should have a special name."
Draco didn't really understand how 'Oswald' could be classified as fierce, but he didn't really want to show his lack of knowledge, so he just nodded.
"He really is beautiful," by now her eyes shone with amusement. He got this feeling she knew he didn't understand the snake's name and that she liked having the intellectual high ground.
"Well Draco, I suppose we should board the train."
She looked at him expectantly. He fumbled with the handle of his trunk, what did she want from him? Her eyes flickered to her trunk, well he supposed he could carry it for her if she wanted him to he meant. Then again Malfoys didn't carry the trunks of other people. His inner turmoil became too much for him to handle.
"Malfoys aren't packrats," as soon as the words left his mouth he felt himself blushing violently. Why, oh why had he said that? Her mouth formed into a pretty little sneer.
"Suit yourself Malfoy," she looked at him with disappointment, picked up her trunk and began walking
He flinched, never before had he thought his last name to be an insult, he had always taken pride in being a Malfoy. Right now, though… It felt like she had slapped him.
"Wait up Alexandra," he ran after her, "I'll carry it, satisfied?"
She looked at him, narrowing her eyes.
"Do not force yourself Mr Malfoy," once more he flinched at his last name. She spat it out with such contempt.
"I must insist Alexandra," he took her trunk, raising an eyebrow. Why was it so light?
"Feather-light charm Draco," so she was back to calling him Draco, that weirdly enough felt quite good… But wait, how did she know the feather-light charm? That was second year material. Deciding it would be wiser not to ask her, considering her mood earlier, he followed her inside the train and found an empty coupe to sit in. Here Oswald hissed at her, she nodded and the snake disappeared out the door Where it went Draco didn't know.
.
Alexandra was, to put it bluntly, extremely pleased. Her test had gone exactly as she had hoped for: Draco had carried her trunk for her. It didn't seem significant but it was. She had tested if he would do something for her without getting anything back except for a smile and her company. Usually, people like Draco would ask her to do something for them too, even if it was just the smallest thing, but he hadn't. He was well on his way to being hers.
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Blaise Zabini couldn't believe his eyes.
He had met up with Nott, Greengrass and Parkinson on the platform but Malfoy hadn't shown up even though they had agreed to meet up at the station. None of them had thought anything of it. Malfoy had probably forgotten all about the agreement or decided he had something better to do at the time. Besides, they could just find him on the train.
And found him they had.
Nott had just opened the door to the compartment they had seen Malfoy inside, expecting Goyle and Crabbe to be in there too. They weren't, instead, a raven haired female in weird clothes, which meant the could only be muggle, sat in the coupe.
"Malfoy, who's your lovely companion?" Blaise asked. Malfoy seemed to turn paler than before if that was even possible but otherwise looked like he could care less about anything Blaise said.
The girl just turned a page in a book she had placed in her lap seemingly indifferent to his mocking enunciation.
"That's Alexandra, she's.." the Malfoy scion stopped talking as Alexandra closed her book with a slam.
"Let me Draco."
"You let the mudblood call you Draco?" Note's horrified sneering pretty much summed up the feelings he knew they were all having at the moment.
"Tsk, that's such a filthy word," the temperature in the compartment suddenly dropped a couple of degrees.
The raven turned her head so that she was now looking at them. Blaise felt his jaw drop, she was stunning. Now that was something coming from him as he was known for being quite vain, a rumour he himself could confirm. It was hard not to be vain with the mother he had.
"I think you need to wash your mouth with soap," the girl mused scornfully, quiet anger in her eyes.
"Don't you think so too Draco dear?" He looked at Draco, how would he react to this?
"Don't call him that! I'm the only one who's supposed to call Draco by his name, ain't that right Drake?" Parkinson's screeching made him momentarily deaf, and judging by the look Greengrass sent her he wasn't the only one.
"Oh, sod off Parkinson," Blaise almost smiled, leave it to Malfoy to get Parkinson to shut her mouth, but he remembered the mudblood. A sneer spread across his face. Had Malfoy gone mad?
"No, no sweetie don't do that," the mudblood sent him a disapproving glance, "it makes you look vile and not in a good way." She sent him a suggestive wink.
"You are one to talk, you filthy mudblood, now get out of my compartment."
"Draco, how come you surround yourself with impudent little brats?"
He growled in anger, how dare she ignore her. Then he drew his wand aiming it at her. She, however, was faster.
"Expelliarmus" his wand flew out of his hand.
"Do not call me that, I'm no pathetic muggle," her voice with an eery calm, "besides, what does it matter whether or not I'm a muggleborn if I can kill you but you can't kill me."
Blaise had to admit she had a point there.
"Now fell free to sit down," she motioned to the free seats, raising an eyebrow when they didn't move, "hurry up, I haven't got all day."
Everybody sat down and the temperature went back to normal. Parkinson, of course, sat beside Malfoy.
.
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Daphne Greengrass, unlike her fellows, found it better to not judge a book by its cover. In this case, she decided that she wouldn't judge Alexandra before getting to know her: Mudblood or not, she had attracted the eyes of the Malfoy heir which meant she had to be special somehow. Her father had always said Malfoys were attracted to power and even though he spoke the words with disgust, she recognised the truth in them. She, therefore, chose to observe the girl while they were in close proximity.
Alexandra wore tight fitting muggle clothes that revealed a toned midriff. She was in physical good shape, Daphne concluded. She had removed the book from her lap and opened her it once more.
'A guide to advanced transfiguration' she read. The girl was intelligent too. Only second later Daphne was distracted the incessant whining produced by Pansy Parkinson.
"Oh come on Draco it's just a shoulder rub, let me do it, please."
"Absolutely not! Where are Crabbe and Goyle when one needs them?" Malfoy tried shoving of Parkinson. Then a book was slammed shut. Everyone turned their heads towards the mudblood.
"Don't mind me, I just decided the noise was too loud for me to continue reading. I've read the book once before anyways." After that the compartment became silent.
.
.
Theodore Nott decided the silence had lasted too long.
"So Alexandra," her head snapped her head toward him. He gulped, "are you excited for Hogwarts?"
"Very much so Mr…?"
"Nott. Theodore Nott."
"Hmm, I think I'll call you Theo, I like the sound of that." He felt a surge of anger, not even Zabini, who he had known for all his life, called him by his first name, much less a pet name.
He, however, didn't get to voice his opinion as her avid green eyes locked with his. He felt a blush rise in his cheeks. She was beautiful no matter what blood ran through her veins and having her complete attention was quite nice.
"Which house do you want to go to Theo," he found himself leaning across the table to get closer to her.
"Slytherin I suppose, all of my family have gone there. What about you?"
Malfoy broke the connection he had felt with Alexandra by doubling over laughing.
Theodore, together with everyone else, except for Alexandra who somehow seemed to know what was going on, looked at him with confusion. When Malfoy finally calmed down he answered the question for Alexandra.
"She wants to be a Hufflepuff Nott, a Hufflepuff." Malfoy broke down in hysterical laughter once more.
"Do you get why this is so funny?" Daphne asked him, speaking up for the first time since they had boarded the train.
"Not really, no…"
"Inside joke," a husky voice said, "it's a long story. Now calm down Draco, I do not think Malfoys are supposed to die of laughter to use your own words."
Draco just began laughing more violently, tears streaming down his cheeks.
.
.
Alexandra thoroughly enjoyed toying with Draco. He looks way better when he laughs, she mussed. She also enjoyed the malicious glances the pug-like girl, Parkinson, sent her. She apparently wasn't allowed to interact with Draco in any way and having an inside joke was a big no-go. Draco finally calmed down.
"No fair Alexandra they all think I'm going crazy, letting a mudblood into our compartment, laughing like a maniac."
Alexandra felt a surge of anger, that word really was horrible.
"Do not, and I repeat, do not call me that. I am a wizard just like you lot." She motioned towards the people surrounding her.
"All that matters is power, and right now I am more powerful than any of you."
At this, the tall dark boy beside her, the one she had unarmed, snorted. She erased all feelings from her face. If they wouldn't believe her, she would just have to show them. Closing her eyes she willed her magic to seep out of her body.
Daphne gasped as a rush of magic was emitted by Alexandra. It felt wonderful yet scary, dark and all-consuming. She felt as if she wanted to drown in the feeling, it was addicting. Looking around her she saw the others glazed over eyes. She knew they felt the same rush as her.
"Do you get it now?" Alexandras eyes shone with magic
"I possess power, therefore I am worth more than you. Now you all have potential, except for the pug face, but if you don't utilise it you are worth nothing more than the dirt under my shoes."
The magic contracted back into Alexandra and Daphne suddenly felt empty. Trying to recover from the sudden loss she took a deep breath.
Then the door slammed open to the compartment.
"Have anyone seen a frog? It's named Trevor. Neville here lost it." A bushy haired girl spoke pointing at a shy boy, then at Alexandra's book, "I haven't seen that book before, that isn't on the curriculum, is it? I myself have read all of the books, twice"
Alexandra, being the only one that wasn't breathless from her display of power just before, answered that they hadn't seen a frog.
"I can find it for you, though," she continued.
"That would be very much appreciated," the boy squeaked.
"Accio Trevor."
Daphne chuckled a little as a frog came flying towards them.
"Here you go," Alexandra smiled a smile that Daphne couldn't help but find fake. But Neville and the bushy haired girl were fooled. Neville thanked Alexandra profusely before leaving the compartment.
"Well, I guess I should be going to. You should change your clothes soon, we're almost there," the bushy haired girl pointed out before disappearing too.
The rest of the tour was utterly boring the only thing remotely exciting was the fact that Alexandra owned no inner robes and refused to wear anything but muggle clothes underneath her outer robes. "They are horrid, like a bathrobe. Really unseemly," she had said. None of the children had commented on her strange behaviour since they had gained a certain amount of respect for Alexandra.