The New Chapters of Hogwarts
Chapter 2: The Hogwarts Express
"Hurry along everybody!" called her mother.
One by one, everybody that had come to see the youngest Potter off filed on to the platform of 9 3/4. Carvera was flabberghasted when she exited the front door to see everyone standing there and smiling at her. Lily, Albus, James and Tom weren't even in their Ministry clothes. Neither was Grandpa Weasley. However, Gram-Gram looked as she always had; a beaming smile and gray curls looping with those of fading red. Auntie and Uncle Ron were there with her cousins. Hugo had that mischevious grin on saying that he was bound to pull some kind of hilarious stunt before the day was out. They had all come out to see her. Her! It felt wonderful. 'Wicked!', as her Uncle would have said.
So now, as their family blazed through the crowd with her luggage in tow, Carvera still couldn't help but smile. All this time she thought she'd be alone. The past few days had plagged her with worry and doubt. Her father joked that she acted as if there were dementors a foot. If only it had just simply been dementors. There were so many things that could go wrong. So many ways she could fudge it all up. Too many to count. And so she shoved it to the back of her mind. And amongst her 'shoving', she had accidently bumped into someone.
Carvera got up slowly after landing on her rump. She looked up to apologized but had immediately wished she hadn't. The tall, distinguished figure looked down at the girl coldly. His onyx orbs made her freeze in place as they contrasted strongly against his slicked-back blonde hair. To say he was intimidating would have be an understatment. Apparent height difference aside, Carvera found this man completely terrifying. For a moment, she thought she'd be looked into his icy stare forever until someone intervined. A warm hand grabbed hers and made the small girl jump. She looked up to see her father looking right back at the frightening stranger.
"Malfoy" Harry said blankly.
"Potter" Draco responded.
The two stared at each other until there was a small movement beside Draco. The boy was about Carvera's height but definitely posessed Malfoy traits. Unlike his father, his cool blonde hair was softly brushed back into a short, loose pony tail. He had identical facial features to Draco though, not to mention his pale skin. But his eyes, those were his mother's; ice blue. Which made Harry wonder...
"Where's your wife? I'm sure she'd want to see your youngest son off."
Draco remained cool "Azkaban."
Somehow, Harry had not sensed his group come until he heard Ginny say "Azkaban?! Good Merlin, what for?! I thought you were cleared of all charges during your Death Eater days?"
The blonde nodded "I was. But she became very...confrontational when someone insulted me at her work." He glanced towards Ginny for a split second "I told her she should of stayed home with the children."
"Well, they can't keep her in there long, can they?" Ron asked.
Malfoy shook his head gracefully "No. She didn't do much damage."
Somehow, Carvera didn't like the way this Draco man said 'much'. But then she glanced at the boy. The girl blushed to find that he had been staring at her the whole time. She was about to wave shyly, but something in his stare made her unnerved. However, she did manage a small smile. The boy seemed taken a back, but returned the gesture with a small nod.
"Your youngest?" Carvera heard her father say. She looked up to see Draco nod.
"Yes." he looked down and nodded as if it was some sort of cue.
The boy looked at his father and then looked at Harry "Narcicuss. Narcicuss Malfoy, Mr. Pottter."
Harry managed a small smirk "Nice to make your acquantance Narcicuss." He turned back to Draco "No doubt named after his grandmother."
Draco nodded in conformation. He then directed his gaze towards Carvera "And this girl here is yours, I assume?"
Harry nodded, his expression brightening a bit "Say hello sweet pea."
Harry was a bit confused when he felt his daughter look up at him with a horrified expression, her face flushed. He didn't understand until she spoke.
"Father, please!"
Harry chuckled softly "Ah, I see. Formality in public." He turned to Draco "She certainly is the shyist one in the Potter family."
Draco smirked "I suppose...someone has to be."
Ron went bug-eyed "Did you just make a joke?!"
Unfortunately, Malfoy soon returned to his cold appearance and turned back to Carvera. "Your name child?"
"Carvera." she answered "Carvera Minerva Potter, Sir."
"Sir?" Malfoy repeated "She certainly is different from you or the Weasley's, Potter."
The girl looked up at the man. He saw her worried expression and nodded "In a good way, young one."
The tension between her shoulders released. She hadn't wanted to offend one of her family's old acquantances. Nor had she wanted to misrepresent her family. But now she could rest.
"Oh my goodness!" Hermoine cried "They should board now."
Harry and Draco looked at one another and then nodded. They showed their children to the same door.
"Be good you two." Harry said "We don't want any letters home."
"Quite." Draco confirmed.
"Don't worry Papa. I'll try not to get into too much trouble." Carvera joked. Harry bent over and hugged her tightly, making her giggle.
"That's my girl!"
Both were drawn back to their side where they caught a surprising sight. Draco bent low to be eye-level with Narcicuss. It shocked the father and daughter to see Malfoy kiss the boy on the forehead, hug him, and tell him to be safe. After he released, Draco straightened and acted as if nothing had happened. He looked back towards Carvera, emerald meeting onyx once more.
"Best of luck, Ms. Potter."
"Th-thank you, Sir."
Draco couldn't help but smirk. Even for him, she was too cute.
"ALL ABOARD!!!" the conductor called as he tooted the train's horn.
Quickly, the two children boarded and watched as their fathers became small forms in the distance. Carvera sighed sadly and turned to Narcicuss. But before she could say anything, she was frozen. Again he had been looking at her with that same odd stare. Silence fell between the two until the conductor interrupted.
"Please find a bunk children. We don't want anyone getting hurt."
They both nodded and walked side by side. The unsettling lack of conversation between the two pre-teens was killing Carvera. Finally, she had met someone her age, been formally introduced and she couldn't come up with a bloody thing to say. Curse her horrible social skills! Why couldn't she have been born with them like the rest of her family? She innerly sighed and walked on beside Narcicuss.
"Your father..."
"H-huh?" Carvera said dumbly as she turned towards the blonde boy.
"Your father...he's Harry Potter? The Harry Potter, right?"
It took a second, but the girl nodded.
"He saved my father's life once."
She looked up at him with wide eyes. "Really? M-my father never mentioned..."
"That's because my father was a bad guy at the time." Narcicuss looked at her "A Death Eater through my grandfather."
Carvera was speechless. Her father saved a Death Eater? It seemed incomprehensible. But the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Her father was never one to make revenge his first priority. To this, she smiled.
"You're smiling." Narcicuss observed "Why?"
She looked at him with a bright expression "B-because the more I think about it, th-the more it sounds like something my father would do."
The boy narrowed his eyes into a nasty glare "You mean spare the weak."
Dispite the look she was given, her smile did not falter "I mean saving those who are worth saving and who are honorable. From what I hear your dad is that type of man."
A large gap seemed to be moved from between the two. Carvera suddenly felt a bit more happy and secure as the color that had left Narcicuss' face in anger, slowly began to return. Suddenly, she felt him grab her wrist. She yelped and saw that he had pulled her into the only empty booth left. The girl began to relax and took a seat across from the boy. He seemed to have a proplexed look on his face. Maybe because she was still smiling at him. As silence began to envelope the two again, Carvera played with a lock of her long black hair. Out of all the things in the world, she thanked God for giving her her grandfather's fine, black hair. It was fun to play with and set Carvera apart from the rest of her family. Just as she was fiddling about, she felt like she was being watched. She looked up to once again see the Malfoy boy looking at her with a curious expression. She couldn't help but be curious as to why.
"N-Narcicuss, was it?"
"People close to me call me Nari. But my brother calls me 'sis'."
For the first time that day, Carvera actually laughed. She felt a bit odd but suddenly calmed when she saw Narcicuss was smirking. He had apparently meant it to be a joke.
"W-well, Nari, may I ask you a question?"
He nodded.
"Why do you keep l-looking at me?"
She suddenly wished she hadn't asked that question. The smirk that once graced the boy's lips had turned into a frown. Slowly, he reached for a lock of Carvera's hair and twiddled it in between his fingers. A rosey color had crawled to her cheeks as the boy continued his curious actions. Her mind ran rampid with questions and embarassment.
"Your hair." he began "It reminds me of my mother's."
Carvera suddenly felt sad "Sh-she's in Azkaban?"
He nodded, now twirling the lock around his finger. "I haven't seen her in a few months. I miss her."
The boy looked up and took notice of the girl's flushed complexion. As if being smacked into reality, he removed his hand. He himself began to feel the blood rushing to his face. He suddenly felt like avoiding Carvera's glance at all costs.
"S-so" she began after after a few minutes "What house do expect you'll be in?"
He looked at her a bit bewildered but replied "Slytherin. My family hasn't had a member who hasn't been in that house. Yourself?"
She smiled nervously "I-it's a bit of a tradition in my family to be part of Gryffindor."
He frowned "It's said that those two houses are supposed to be enemies."
The blonde was a bit confused when he heard her giggle "Well then, maybe we'll break that tradition."
He felt his lips curve upward as he nodded. She seemed different than his brother discribed the Slytherin girls. Sweeter. She was definitely someone ok to hang around with.
"Your name's Carvera, correct?"
She nodded "Th-that's right. But you can call me Cara."
He smirked "Nari and Cara."
She giggled and nodded. And just as they were relishing in the feel of their new-found friendship, two more people blew through the door.
" 'Ello!" they said in unison "We're the Lovegood-Longbottom twins!"