AN: Like I said this is my first story so input is welcome and wanted. My schedule is kinda hectic at the moment so updates might be slow especially with exams around the corner. Italicized is flash back. Any mistakes are wholly mine and mine alone but that is it all rights go to J.K for her creations. That's all for now so onward!
Present-1995
"Honestly," she drawled in a bored tone to the approaching footsteps behind her, "I'm seeing red in the most literal sense. They should put hazard signs around themselves before they leave their shack; I can already feel a headache coming on."
"It's good to see you too Dahlia and as always I'm in agreement," he walked forward to be beside her and looked off at the offending group.
"Draco, I'm assuming your father has already left the station." She watched as the oldest female screeched out orders to the scurrying group. Her high pitched voice could be heard across the platform and through the other bustling bodies causing them to cringe at the sound when it reached them.
"You know he never likes to wait to see me off and mother doesn't have much say in the matter does she?" It was quite amusing to watch them all in their faded cloths and with their worn luggage. "Besides I'm happy he's gone so I can ask you how your holiday went."
"Oh, you know my mother took me to Italy to see her side of the family for a month. It was nice, hot but nice as it was the last time I visited and the time before that." They watched the others in vague curiosity as a person would a zoo animal.
"It's a shame to think that their apart of the 28 and you're not. Really it confounds me often." He tilted his head as if he was truly thinking the notion over in his head like it was something new to contemplate but she had heard the words from him before.
"That's sweet of you but it's not to be. In the muggle world I'm seen as the upper tier but here," she shook her head, "I'm less than dirt."
"My father may not see your worth but that doesn't mean I don't." He was stopped from saying more by a whistle marking the time.
"Let's go. This conversation is making me depressed." She latched onto a slim arm and tugged him towards their seats. Together they walked with the red and black train as their headed destination with many stories passed between them, Dahlia hearing about quidditch and Draco expanding on his muggle annotates.
They weaved and dodged bodies until they reached the designated serpent's den. It wasn't an official designation only a collective choice many generations before them to dominate the space, forcing anyone not in silver and green to move on into other spaces.
She ignored the looks and whispers her presence produced until she was yanked down into an already occupied seat. She yelped in an undignified manner and flopped into a warm lap heavily. Laughs rippled from the group of staring students, some mocking while a few were good natured.
"Hello." The person under her smirked until a hand landed squarely in their face causing them to respond by shoving her off their lap and onto the floor.
"Miles!" her voice was laced with indignation and a pout over took her tanned features. Blowing out dark hair from her eyes she glanced at the others and took in the amusement she caused before looking back at who had started her troubles. "You're so mean." A booming laugh came from above the girl as the person clutched their sides at the childish words.
Draco ignored the two and sat down in an empty seat near them but not close enough to be caught in any stray spells. He settled in as the wheels started out of the station and he pulled out some reading material to distract himself.
"It's great to see you Millie." The laughing abruptly stopped at the girl'ssnarky reply and turned into a low growl. The girl picked herself off the floor and took the opportunity to swipe non-existent dirt from her dark wash jeans. Her face was blank but a triumphant look gleamed in her greenish eyes. She knew the effect what she said would have.
"Don't call me that!" Anyone else would have heard the warning in the words and the others around proved this by turning back to themselves and not making a sound but out of bravery or plane foolishness it didn't stop the girl from trudging forward with her instigation.
"Why, isn't that your name?" The girl grunted at the impact as a much larger body wrapped long steel arms around her middle and pulled her to a board chest. The arms continued to retract in on themselves until all the air left the girl's body.
"What were you saying?" The voice was dark and dared her to continue.
She debated if it was worth the trouble of saying more and could feel barbed words on her tongue but her self preservation won out. "Nothing at all, "she squeaked out through her clenched throat.
The arms turned soft and released her slowly before retreating completely. The girl gulped in mouthfuls of air before she dragged her body to the only seat left. "Really Draco you need to control your cronies, there's only so much abuse I can take."
His eyes stayed glued to the print and he spoke in a distracted tone. "Leave me out of it, Dahlia. If you really want to stop the abuse," he rolled his eyes at the choice of word, "stop teasing him." He turned his full attention at the lines in front of him and completely ignored the rest of the world around them.
Miles flashed a wolfish grin at the words while Dahlia only whined about the unfairness of it all. The ride progressed in much the same way with the two seemingly sending sharp words to each other while Draco stayed immersed in his book until he was eventually drawn into conversation as well. From a stranger's perspective it would have appeared as if they were genuinely arguing and that Draco was truly annoyed at their behaviour but if they looked closely they would have noticed the affection in all of their eyes.
On first look the three had nothing in common, Draco the groomed pureblood prince, Millicent the lumbering freak that people avoided and Dahlia the mudblood in the wrong house. Despite all of that they bonded in their first year and stayed the dubbed the Silver Triosince then.
"Dahlia Augustine." The stern looking witch, McGonagall she reminded herself, called her name and Dahlia jolted from her amazed stupor over the grandness of the Great hall. With unsteady steps she approached the sorting hat in trepidation.
"Ah, I haven't seen a mind like yours in many years," the hat muttered in her ear, "you've definitely have the Ravenclaw mind and the Griffindor bravery when it suits you. I can even see some loyalty underneath your exterior which would suit you well in Hufflepuff."
She can't stop herself from cringing at its words causing it to laugh at her reaction before it concluded, "I see you've heard of the houses have you? Then you know the stories of Slytherin? Good, its decided then. Slytherin!" its voice ran through the hall causing gasps and mutters from all the four houses.
"Wait!" she desperately called to it, "your wrong I'm a muggleborn I can't be in Slytherin!"
Before McGonagall can take the hat from her head it mutters to her one last thing, "Your destiny lays with the serpent's heir, young one, never doubt me."
Mustering all the courage her tiny body could hold she steps towards the hostile students at the green table. Suddenly someone shouted out from the glaring group, "You're a cheat! You've fooled the hat!"
She sunk into an empty seat and prepared for the upcoming insults to begin. The sorting continued and eventually the dinner commenced. Hers wasn't the only name that caused a stir that night; Harry Potter was sorted into Griffendor who she learned earlier was some kind of chosen one left over from the wizarding war.
She was being completely ignored other than glares that were being sent her way when two giant boys that sat a few seats from her began to speak loudly about her.
"She's probably stolen some honest wizard's magic," the shorter one stated, "stole their wand and bribed the hat!"
"No mudblood could ever make it into Hogwart's greatest house!"
"The lying filth should not be allowed to dirty our house, we should do something about it."
The two continued uncaring how far their voices travelled while Dahlia tried to make herself as small as possible in her seat.
"Crabbe, Goyle! Shut it, I'm not in the mood! "a skinny white haired boy shouted to them and they snapped into obedience. The boy met her eyes and his cold grey eyes lost their edge momentarily before his attention was drawn into conversation with someone beside him. Upon that gaze a tentative truce was struck and eventually a friendship followed soon after.
It was the end of her first week of class and already she had been taught more curses that normal first year curriculum included by vengeful students that seemed to hunt her down. She was studying in one of the only places that truly kept her safe from the nasty things the creative Syltherins could come up with.
All of a sudden a looming shadow blocked her parchment; she looked up at the sulky looking figure. "May I help you?" she asked the other snake she had only seen in classes but never spoken to.
"I need that book." Was the gruff response as they pointed a thick finger at the large tome sitting beside Dahlia on the table.
She glanced at it then back at the intimidating figure. "Well so do I."
The person let out an angered sound then reached for the book anyways, only for Dahlia to snatch it out of their reach. They fumbled for a moment until the eagle eyed librarian grabbed each of their ears.
"shhh! This is a place of learning not a quidditch pitch!" she dragged the two squirming out the doors of the library and effectively kicked them out. The two were stunned that such a woman could do such a thing and sat on the hard stone floor. Dahlia glanced down to the book that was heavy in her hand and she started to laugh uncontrollably causing her unwilling companion to join in. They were interrupted by their bags being rejected out of the doors behind them in a rapid speed and making them duck out of the way.
"Well that was unexpected," they smiled awkwardly at one another before Dahlia stuck her hand out, "I'm Dahlia Augustine or just Dahlia."
The other person hesitated for a while enough to make Dahlia doubt herself before big rough hands enveloped her own. "Miles Bulstrode."His smile got a tiny bit larger on his face.
"Still wanna read that book?" Dahlia asked as she held up the object and got a nod in response, "let's go to the common room."
Together they picked up their class supplies and made their way to the dungeons all the while making fun of the spinster of a librarian. Eventually their respect for each other grow as Dahlia realized that Miles actually could hold a conversation and wasn't some idiot of a brute. Miles on the other hand respected any girl that could throw a punch for themselves and he came to this conclusion about Dahlia by the still stinging impact he could feel on his ribs.
"Dahlia wake up, we're here." Draco's voice roused her from her slumber and she wiped off the drool on her chin and glanced at the sprawling castle just ahead.
"We're back," she let a gin arch along her face, "finally."