How to Learn - 1
August 21, 1994
It was a Sunday. 3 o' clock in the afternoon to be exact. The Weasley Burrow was bustling with loud bangs, shouts, chatter, and excitement. Of course, the home where the red-heads resided was never quiet, especially now with two extra guests and another one coming in about two hours. And oh yeah. The Quidditch World Cup was tomorrow night.
Alhena Malfoy sat right by the window enjoying the fresh air. From a distance, she could kind of see Bill and Charlie Weasley outside the house.
She was currently in Ginny Weasley's room, which she was sharing with both the red-headed girl and Hermione Granger. She had been here since summer started and 3rd year had ended, not bothering to even go back to the Manor. She did, however, send a letter - albeit a really short one but one nonetheless - back to her parents, but she doubt they even bothered to open it. Either that or they took one glance at it then gave it to the House elves to dispose of it. No, they were too high and mighty to dispose of it themselves.
Downstairs Arthur Weasley and his three sons Fred, George, and Ron got ready to pick up Harry Potter at 5. Alhena wondered how the twins even managed to convince their father to bring them on the trip. Disaster was even more likely to happen now that the two of them were going. Even without the two, something bad was bound to happen.
The Dursleys were nasty little buggers from the stories Harry had told them. That was probably why Alhena had opted out of going with them to retrieve her friend, and even though they were horrible to Harry, they were probably tons better than her family anyways. She didn't need to see it to know it.
"Al! Hey, where are you? Are you still sitting by the window? Bloody hell, you've been up here all mornin'!"
The young witch slowly turned her eyes to her friend, not appreciating being bothered, "Shouldn't you be getting ready to go pick up Harry?"
Ron grinned and sat down on the bed near her, "We've got time." His words earned himself a snort.
"Really?" She questioned sarcastedly. "You were so eager earlier. 'Oooh, I can't wait for Harry to get here! Harry, Harry, Harrrrrry! Oh how I miss you!'"
The red-head glared at her as his ears slightly turned red, "That'snot how I sound like! And-"
"Oh, can it, Ron. I was only joking," smirked Alhena. "Though it was as nauseating as listening to you moan about Viktor Krum. Shall I make an impersonation of that as well?"
He made a cross between a snarl and a growl. "Words, Ron," taunted his friend, "use 'em."
He suddenly shot up and started stomping out of the room while angrily muttering words like "I don't know why I'm even friends with you" and "how do people even put up with you." Alhena grinned and jumped off the windowsill. That was why she loved being friends with Ron. He was just too easy to tease. He was also one of the few people that could put up with her crude humor and indifferent attitude. Hermione and Harry being one of the other few - though not as well as Ron, but it was probably because the red-head had a bit of a cruel streak sometimes as well. It was a strange relationship between the two, but it's also what keeps them close.
It only took a few seconds to catch up to Ron, as he was still muttering to himself while stomping down the staircase.
"So why'd you come up to find me in the first place?" asked Alhena after realizing he must've came to find her for a reason. He calmed down immediately as a sudden thought seemed to pass through his mind.
"Oh yeah. Mum wanted to know if you wanted any food. You did skip lunch, which I don't even get why you would do that." Because declining any offered food was such a mind-boggling subject for Ron that he couldn't dare to try to understand.
Al shook her head, "No... it's okay. I'll just wait for dinner." A slight frown adorned her face. Lately she didn't really have an appetite for anything, which was quite weird because she usually wasn't like that. She almost loved food as much as Ron did - though in a more "mannerful" way. Just not lately. It was like she couldn't stomach it in. She just had a bad feeling about something, and it kept her from being at ease.
It was as if he could read her mind as Ron suddenly stopped in the middle of walking and turned towards her. "Are you okay? Do you feel... er, sick or anything? Do you need Mum to whip you up a potion or something?" So maybe he couldn't exactlyread her mind entirely, but he knew something was wrong.
Alhena shook her head to indicate that it was alright and decided it would be better to change the subject, "Let's go see what the others are doing or if your mum needs any help around the house."
Her statement immediately caused a groan to leave her friend's mouth, "What? No way! I don't know about you, but you're crazy if you actually want to work - oh wait. Al, you arecrazy!"
His grin only caused her to shoot him a glare. "Har har har. You're very funny, Ron." She lightly shoved him to the side as she started to walk ahead of him, ignoring his cry of, "HEY!"
"Hello, 'Mione! Ginevra!" Alhena jumped in between where Hermione and Ginny were both sitting on the couth, squeezing herself in the small space between the two, all the while hitting both of them in the face as she tried to make room for herself. She even managed to smack the book that Hermione was reading out of her hands.
"Wha - Al!" tutted Hermione.
"Move your fat arse, Al!" Ginny shouted. Alhena could faintly hear Mrs. Weasley shout "Language!" at her only daughter. On the other side of the room, Ron let out a shout of laughter before moving into the kitchen.
"-and don't call me Ginevra."
Alhena snickered as she ignored the comment. "So! How are you guys on this fine morning?"
"It's half past four already, Alhena," pointed out the bushy-haired witch. Al raised an eyebrow in response. Half past four already? Time moved fast. How long was she speaking to Ron for anyways?
"So?" Al replied after a moment.
"So," Ginny spoke up. "We were having a fine morning-" She held up her fingers to represent quotes. "-before you came."
"Gasp!" Al breathed out in a mock-hurt voice. "That hurt, Gins." On the right side of her, Hermione rolled her eyes at her friend's immaturity and decided to just continue reading instead of joining in the conversation.
Ginny grinned. "You mean, me? A Gryffindor? Hurting you, a Slytherin?" The Malfoy smirk appeared on Alhena's face. She vaguely wondered why she never hung out with the youngest Weasley. Despite being secretly the same age, they never really got past the sharing rooms and the occasional joking conversations they had with each other.
"You see, Gins. We Slytherins... we're actually really sensitive-" A loud snort interrupted Alhena's words. She turned her head to the other side of the room and spotted the two Weasley twins, causing her to smirk.
"Oi. Weasley Clone Number One. Got something to say or are you just trying to be a pig?" A gleam of amusement appeared in Al's eyes as Fred's, or Weasley Clone Number One, ears turned slightly red. It was just too easy angering some of the male Weasleys, she noticed. On the side, she could sense Hermione roll her eyes again and Ginny suddenly tensing up.
Fred shot up and his hand went to reach inside his pocket, probably for his wand, but it was no use. He wasn't even of age yet, Al noted. However, before he could fully pull out his wand nor even begin to a shout a spell - or hex most likely - Molly Weasley appeared from the kitchen.
"Fred Weasley!" She screeched. "What in the world do you think you're doing? Pulling out your wand like that! At Alhena, too!" She suddenly turned at said mentioned girl, ignoring the twin completely much to his dismay. "Ally, dear. Are you sure you don't want a snack or anything? You didn't eat lunch, and you barely ate breakfast! That isn't healthy."
Barely holding in her grin as she could faintly hear Fred muttering "Bloody Slytherin" whilst moodily glaring in her direction, Alhena politely replied, "No, Mrs. Weasley. It's alright. Honestly, I'm fine."
The middle-aged witch didn't seem to believe her but let it go, "How many times have I told you? Call me Molly. is just too formal." And with that, she turned back around and headed back inside the kitchen, shooting a stern glance at Fred beforehand. As soon as she was out of earshot, Fred turned back towards her, a darkened glint in his usually warm brown eyes.
"You think you're so smart don't you-"
"What's gotten your knickers all twisted up?" Alhena quickly questioned, irritated at how unusually mad he had gotten.
It was then that George Weasley finally spoke up. "Fred, calm down." The two's usually joking attitudes and smiling faces were gone and instead, surprisingly, they were serious. It was quite a sight.
Even Ginny was a bit surprised, "Fred, why are you being so rude to Al?"
Weasley Clone Number One left out a scoff, "I can't believe it! My twin and my sister! Both against me!" He shot a glare at Alhena. "Malfoy, what've you done to them?"
Before the Slytherin could retort back with a definitely even crueler remark, Ginny and George both interrupted.
"You've gone completely bonkers!"
"I'm not taking anyone's side!"
But that wasn't enough to calm the twin down, and seconds later he was already gone from the room, George following him afterwards as a shocked silence filled the room.
"What was that about?" questioned Ginny, more to herself.
Alhena leaned back comfortably into the couch, not really caring. "At least Weasley Clone Number Two was right about something. Number one has gone completely bonkers."
"Why don't you just say their names? It's much easier, you know," Hermione pointed out, causing the other two girls to turn their heads towards her.
Alhena ignored the question and the comment. "Why didn't you say something earlier, Mione? Honestly, I don't even get why he doesn't like me so much. I've never done anything against him. Or Georgeeither." She made sure to put emphasis on the fact that she actually said one of the twins' names.
The young witch sighed, shutting her book with a snap!and got up. "You could also be a little nicer, Alhena. You were the one who insulted him first." And then she walked out of the room.
Ginny got up as well and gave a bit of an awkward smile, "Well, I'm going to go upstairs and have a quick nap. I'll, er, see you later."
Alhena didn't bother giving a reply and instead just nodded, wrapped up in her thoughts of Hermione's last words. Sometimes she hated how the muggleborn could know her so well.
"You could be a little nicer"
Be nice and what? Gain the consequences of having him try to be a friend? It was like the saying goes. It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt, and she didn't want anyone, including herself, getting hurt.
It was better this way, Alhena concluded. It was more fun to have someone to bicker against because getting Fred Weasley mad was just too amusing. Though, it was all his fault for getting mad anyways. She didn't even understand why he disliked her so much. So what if she got him and his brother in trouble once by telling Snape that they had committed a prank. Yes, she had tattletaled, but she was twelve and in her second year. She wouldn't normally care whether the twins were pulling pranks, but even though it was aimed for the majority of Slytherins, it had affected her as well, and she did not like being targeted. Besides, it wasn't like the twins didn't get in trouble often. They did, and Fred Weasley should not have held a grudge against her for so long.
But she was a Slytherin and a Malfoy. And if it was one thing that she definitely knew about the Weasleys was that they all loved one another and would protect each other against anything. It was annoying to think that Fred, or anyone in his family, would possibly think of her as a threat.
Honestly, she loved the Weasleys and would never dream of hurting them.
'I guess it is partially my fault,' Alhena thought. 'Look at what happened. I come into this room filled with people, and now I'm the only one left.'
Harry soon arrived a while half past five. Fred and George were in a considerably better mood, seeing as they've just managed to trick Harry's cousin, Dudley, into eating a Ton-Tongue Toffee.
Mr. Weasley, however, was not in a happy mood. Alhena watched amusingly from where she sat at the kitchen table in front of Bill and Charlie.
"Fred, that wasn'tfunny!" He shouted. "What on earth did you give that Muggle boy?"
"I didn't give him anything!" said Fred with an evil grin on his face. "I just dropped it... It was his fault he went and ate it, I never told him to."
"You dropped it on purpose!" roared his father. "You knew he'd eat it, you knew he was on a diet-" Dudley on a diet? The thought nearly made Alhena crack up in laughter.
"How big did his tongue get?" George asked eagerly.
"It was four feet long before his parents would let me shrink it!" It was then that Alhena and everyone else in the room started laughing except for Mr. Weasley himself.
"It isn't funny!" He protested. "That sort of behavior seriously undermines wizard-Muggle relations! I spend half of my life campaigning against the mistreatment of Muggles, and my own sons-"
"We didn't give it to him because he's a Muggle!" said Fred indignantly.
"No, we gave it to him because he's a great bullying git," explained George. "Isn't he, Harry?"
Harry immediately started nodding, "Yeah, he is, Mr. Weasley!"
"That's not the point!" raged the middle-aged wizard. "You wait until I tell your mother-" Alhena suddenly sat up straighter in her channel. Uh oh. This was gonna be bad.
"Tell me what?" said a voice behind them. Yup. This was definitely going to be bad, Alhena realized.
Mrs. Weasley had just entered the kitchen with both Hermione and Ginny right behind her. Arthur eyed his wife nervously, obviously not really intending to tell her what the twins had done. There was a short silence as Molly narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
"Tell me what, Arthur?"
"It's nothing, Molly," mumbled Mr. Weasley, "Fred and George just - but I've had words with them - "
"What have they done this time?" said Mrs. Weasley, "If it's got anything to do with Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes - "
"Why don't you show Harry where he's sleeping, Ron?" said Hermione from the doorway.
"He knows where he's sleeping," He replied, not catching on to what she was trying to do.
"We can all go," She tried again, giving him a look.
Ron finally got it. "Oh. Right."
"Yeah, we'll come too," George said, but he wasn't about to get off so easily.
"You stay where you are!" snarled Molly.
Harry and Ron quickly edged out of the kitchen with Hermione and Ginny behind. Disappointed that she was about to miss the twins getting yelled at, Alhena reluctantly followed behind her friends as they climbed up the rickety staircase.
"What are Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes?" questioned Harry. Ron and Ginny began laughing while Alhena smirked, but Hermione, who obviously did not approve of what the twins were doing, remained neutral.
"Mum found this stack of order forms when she was cleaning Fred and George's room," said Ron quietly. "Great long price lists for stuff they've invented. Joke stuff, you know. Fake wands and trick sweets, loads of stuff. It was brilliant, I never knew they'd been inventing all that..."
"We've been hearing explosions out of their room for ages, but we never thought they were actually making things," added Ginny. "We thought they just liked the noise."
Alhena, however, thought otherwise. She'd known about what they were up to for a while before they were even caught by their mum. It wasn't hard to figure out, with their reputation as pranksters.
"And then there was this big row," continued Ginny, "because Mum wants them to go into the Ministry of Magic like Dad, and they told her all they want to do is open a joke shop."
Suddenly, they could all hear shouts from downstairs even though they walked up at least three flights of stairs.
"She must've found out about the toffees," Alhena pointed out, grinning slightly. They all nodded and laughed quietly whilst Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Those boys," The muggleborn muttered.
Ron's room was, to sum it all up, a mess. One that they were all used to by now, especially Harry. It looked the same to him with the posters of the Chudley Cannons, who were the red-head's favorite Quidditch team, displayed all over the walls and ceilings. Pigwidgeon - or rather, Pig, as everyone but Ginny liked to call him - hopped up and down in his cage as he twittered madly.
"Shut up, Pig," Ron said in an annoyed tone.
"Er - why are you calling that owl Pig?" Harry asked.
"He's being stupid," Ginny cut in before her brother could reply, rolling her eyes.
Alhena grinned as she jumped over the four beds that were crammed in the room. Both Fred and George had to sleep in Ron's room since Bill and Charlie were here.
"Stop being so mean, Ron. I like him," She cooed as she reached a finger in the cage to slightly pet the hyper bird, who tweeted happily in response.
"He's going to bite y'er finger off," Ron warned, but Al just ignored him while Ginny glared.
"No, he's not, Ron," The Weaslette snapped and then turned towards Harry. "Its proper name is Pigwidgeon."
"Yeah, and that'snot a stupid name at all," came the sarcastic response from the Ginger. "I tried to change it, but it was too late, he wouldn't answer to anything else, so now he's Pig. I've got to keep him up here because he annoys Errol and Hermes. He annoys me too, come to that."
But as Pig continued to zoom happily around his cage as Alhena cooed at him, Harry knew that Ron didn't actually not like the owl. He knew him too well to take his words seriously.
"Where's Crookshanks?" He asked Hermione.
"Out in the garden, I expect," she replied. "He likes chasing gnomes. He's never seen any before."
"So how was summer?" She continued after nobody bothered to start a conversation.
"Fine," He replied, but the cringe that came right after his response told them otherwise. Summer with the Dursleys was not fine at all.
"And have you heard from - ?" An awkward silence fell after Ron's unfinished questioned. Harry, Hermione, and Alhena all knew that he was asking about Sirius except Ginny. She didn't know about him being innocent, so it would be a disaster if she found out who they were talking about.
"Soooo," dragged out Alhena, trying to find something to fill the silence. "I'm excited for tomorrow."
Harry immediately cracked a big smile at her words. It was going to be his first time at a Quidditch World Cup. Ginny and Hermione rolled their eyes while smiling and shared a look with Alhena as Ron begun talking about Victor Krum again. It almost made Al regret bringing up the subject of tomorrow's events, but it was nice spending time with her friends like this. She was glad to have Harry finally here.
A/N: Hi, guys! Chapter 1 officially finished. Sorry if it took a while. Things in the story might be a little slow, like this chapter. I'm just trying to introduce Alhena and how she interacts with people. As you should have noticed, the storyline takes place in their 4th year. Regarding the romance in this story, it will be kind of a slow pace, but I assure you, it will gradually grow as Alhena gets closer to different people.
Review Responses:
HPLuver: Thanks for the review! And you're right. I'll be sure to try to let readers in on what Alhena's personality is like as the story goes on.
WildLily13: Thanks for the review as well! I appreciate it! You're right about the narrative thing. xD That's what I was planning to do anyways, as you can see in this chapter. Seeing as the chapter before was the prologue, I wanted to let the readers know some facts first. So thanks, and I hope you keep on reading! ^^