CHAPTER TWO

Audrina walked down the corridor with a nervous but excited smile upon her face. There were other students, her age, and even younger, looking for compartments to stay in for the journey that would take a good portion of their day.

"AUDRINA!" She heard from behind her. She stopped and turned around, seeing her cousin, Zane Lestrange run up to her as fast as a boy with a trunk and an owl could. She smiled at the sight of her best friend. He had the dark and dangerous eyes of his mother and black hair, the curliness rivaling Bellatrix. "Hey Zaney, let's find a compartment, then talk," she said and continued on her way. About five minutes later, towards the back of the train, the two found an empty compartment and squeezed in, pushing their trunks onto the shelves above them, their owl's cages sitting next to the window.

Audrina sighed heavily and plopped down on one of the benches, her cousin following suit across from her. "So why didn't you come to dinner last night?" she asked curiously, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. Zane shrugged, biting his lip. "Mother didn't even tell me she was going. The elf just told me that she left and I had to take care of father," he rolled his eyes. "Bloody stupid if you ask me. I mean really, who tries an unknown potion that you found in the attic yourself? He could have just given it to Laney, she doesn't do her job right anyways. Now Father is beltching blood fifty times a day. Mother is sick of it and I'm just glad that I'm gone."

She laughed lightly and looked out of the compartment, watching as students clambered on past, barely looking at them. What would they care that she was a Malfoy-err Riddle and he was a Lestrange? The days of wizards and witches hating Death Eaters were done as most everyone in the school had parents that worked for The Dark Lord. Audrina was lost in her thoughts as she questioned herself. Did that make her wizard royalty? And maybe it was because of her father that she could talk to snakes. Parseltongue was a part of her, ever since she was little. She never questioned it and she never told her mother, she didn't think it was particularly important at the time. Maybe if she had pieced the facts together then she would have figured that Voldemort was her father before hand.

She looked over at Zane, an eyebrow raised. Did he know that she wasn't Luicius's daughter? Did his mother know? Of course Bellatrix probably did, she was obsessed with the man. She would kill her own husband and son if it meant spending just one night with the Dark Lord. "Do you…know who my real father is?" Audrina asked quietly, looking over at Zane. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Yeah…I do and I wanted to tell you so bad," he said quickly before she could get a word in. "But Mother made me make an Unbreakable Vow not to tell you or hint to you until Aunt Cissy told you."

It made sense to her completely. They wouldn't want her to know until the time was right. She was about to say something else when she saw out of her peripheral someone stop in the door to the compartment. She looked up, seeing Steven and smiling unconsciously. "Hey," she said softly.

"Hey," he smiled back at her. He took a step towards her and extended his hand. "Steven Harrison," he said politely and confidently.

"Audrina Riddle," she took his warm hand and squeezed ever so slightly. "Audrina Riddle…so much better than Malfoy Girl," he chuckled. "Do you mind if I join you…two?" he looked over at Zane curiously, a spark of jealousy in his eyes.

"Not at all, this is my cousin, Zane," she said hurriedly, letting go of Steven's hand. He looked a little upset from the lack of warmness in his hand but seemed mildly happy that she didn't introduce Zane as her boyfriend. "Well hello, cousin Zane," Steven smirked slightly, holding his hand out to Zane.

Zane looked as if he didn't want to touch the hand but shook his hand slightly, barely touching Steven as he did so. "Steven Harrison," He said disdainfully. There was something off about the kid, almost like he didn't belong in the new Hogwarts, the new Wizarding World.

Zane looked over at Audrina and stood up suddenly. "I'm gonna go…find someone," he brushed past Steven who look at him curiously. "I don't think he likes me…" he voiced. Audrina shrugged and motioned for him to sit in the seat where Zane had sat previously. "He doesn't like a lot of people. He's just like that," she smiled.

The compartment went awkwardly quiet for a few minutes, Audrina looking everywhere but Steven. She was nervous, and that was saying something because she never got nervous. "Soo…." She bit her lip, finally looking at Steven. "That was pretty sneaky of you to put the parchment in my jacket."

He laughed lightly, "Yeah well I just wanted you to know that I wouldn't hate you just because our parents do."

Audrina nodded her head and looked out the window. "Yeah, well my parents hate a lot of people. So doesn't my brother since apparently him and your parents went to school together."

"Yeah, while your brother was is Slytherin, my father was in Gryffindor and my mother in Ravenclaw. My parents and your brother never got along, apparently Draco cursed my father a few times while growing up."

"Draco is just very opinionated, it doesn't mean he's a bad person."

"I never said he was," Steven looked at her. "So are you ready for Hogwarts?" He changed the subject unsubtly but Audrina didn't mind. It saved the two from a very long awkward silence that she really didn't want to deal with. They spent the rest of the train ride talking about their wands, favorite candies, and how much Hogwarts must have changed since their parents attended, since both of them had read Hogwarts, A History.

Zane walked into the compartment in the middle of their conversation about the Forbidden Forest. "We have five minutes until we get to Hogsmede Station, you two better put on your robes," he said in a monotone and pulled his trunk from the shelf above Steven's head, barely missing as it tumbled onto the seat.

"Yeah, I'll see you later, Audrina," he smiled back at her as he left the compartment. Audrina glared over at her cousin and sighed, grabbing her trunk off the shelf and pulling her robe over her clothes as the train slowed to a stop.

"We're here," Zane said excitedly, back to his normal self now that Steven was gone.

"We're here," Audrina agreed as the cousins exited their compartment and made their way off the train.

((AUTHORS NOTE)) SOOOO sorry it totally sucks. I'm not completely sure what I have planned for this story, but I'll play it by ear. Review and tell me what you want to see happen, or PM me :) Thanks! 3 3 3