(15 years later)
Alexandria Holland made a habit of believing in things she knew weren't real. She believed in unicorns and fairies, she believed in music and the power of love. On that July morning she believed that her life world work out exactly the way she planned.
"Alexandria you can't stay inside that tent the whole weekend." Her new step-father's voice filtered in from outside. Ally, as she preferred to be called didn't bother to look up from her novel to acknowledge the man who preferred her to address him as father. Instead she flipped to the next page. As long as she stayed in her little cubby hole of a bed the longer she could pretend that she wasn't at the Quidditch World Cup in the middle of who knows where England but instead back home at her apartment in New York.
She knew she shouldn't be so hard on Mark Rollins; he was a nice man and seemed to make her mother happy. It really wasn't his fault that the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office decided to present him with a job opportunity he couldn't refuse. Yet her mother's past two husbands didn't feel it necessary to indulge her mother's desire to move back to England.
(April 1994)
"Ally dear, you are going to love England. It is so beautiful and there is so much space. Mark found the cutest house in the country." Her mother had reassured when breaking the news on that early April morning. "The grounds are so lovely; I promise you will never grow tired of exploring the wood nearby." If Ally had been 10 years or so younger the promise of wood to explore and trees to climb might be appealing but at 14, she much preferred to explore the city.
"I will still go to Salem in the fall right?"
"I have already spoken with Albus Dumbledore at Hogwarts."
"Hogwarts? Sounds more like a disease than a school."
Ally's mother ignored her comment and continued. "Headmaster Dumbledore looked over your marks and assures me that you will fit right in with the other 4th year students."
"I like my school."
"If you were to attend school at Salem Witch Academy where would you stay?" Her mother did have a point. Traditional boarding schools were such a rarity in the United States that most students traveled to school each morning by train or stayed with host families near the Academy. "Hogwarts is a fine school. Both your father and I attended."
Mention of her father sparked her interest. She knew her mother didn't mean Mark, who graduated from Saint Phineas' School for Gifted Boys in northern Maine. This must be her father, her real father, the man whom her mother only mentioned on rare accidents. She didn't even know the man's name.
That marked the last time she vocally complained about changing schools. For if her father attended the school with her mother there must be some clues in this Hogwarts to his identity.
"He went to school there." Ally recounted to her best friend Jena in a whisper during transfiguration that next afternoon. It was the only class they shared that term and news as this wasn't something that could be owled.
Jena nodded in acknowledgement while hastily scribbling notes. Professor Kunkel was known for packing a tremendous amount of information in each class period and never stopped for questions. Ally knew she should pay closer attention as final exams were close yet she couldn't focus on anything besides her mysterious father. She could tell the by the way that her friends lips curved up to a smile that she too was excited by the revelation.
"Do you know what this means, Jen." She went on slowly glancing up every few words in order to make sure Professor Kunkel wasn't looking at her.
"This means that you had better keep quiet about it if you want to copy my notes later." The strawberry blond muttered still scribbling away. The brunette proceeded to slump back in her chair and allowed her friend to learn enough for the both of them.
The two witches rode the train to the city in quiet excitement for talk of mysterious wizards and magical boarding schools would not become common place on muggle transportation for many years. It took all of Ally's self-control to contain herself until the door to her bedroom finally clicked shut.
"She talked about him, Jena." Ally said falling onto her lavender bed with a bounce another disturbance a moment later signaled that Jena had joined her.
"So I've heard."
"That never happens." Ally looked up at the same celling she had looked at since husband number two almost 10 years ago. At least when her mother's second marriage dissolved the woman had kept the apartment and refused to move for husband three.
"I know." Jena sighed.
"I wonder what he's like. Is he smart? Is he kind? Does he know I exist?" That last question haunted her the most. Surely he didn't know about her, or else he would have come looking for her.
"So what do we know about him?" Jena shifted on one elbow facing her friend.
"I know that he must have dark hair, have light eyes, and be of average height or shorter."
"How do you know about the bit with the eyes and height?"
"I checked out a muggle book about genetics from the library."
"You have a problem."
Ally gave her friend an incredulous look. "My mother has blue eyes and in order for me to have blue eyes both my parents must have blue eyes. I'm fairly small so my father can't be too tall, and my mother is blond and I'm not. That's how I know what he looks like." She didn't mention that she had spent hours over the years comparing her looks to her mother's pictures from her school days in order to pick out features that didn't match. Unfortunately she was almost the image of her mother.
"And now we know he went to Hogwarts." Jena added
"Exactly, there has to be clues somewhere about him."
"I'm going to miss you when you go to England." Jena sat up.
"I'll miss you too." The best friends hugged.
"I can't believe it Jen, I'm going to find him" She said softly.
She knew it was a long shot but Ally often had a habit of believing in things she knew weren't real.
(June 1994)
Malfoy Manner was unlike any house she had ever been too, if you could call it a house. It looked more like a small country hotel than a home. It made her family's new abode look like a shack in comparison.
"How many rooms do you think they actually use in there?" Her new step-brother Colton asked as they rode up the drive in a carriage. A carriage, as if a car weren't invented. Her mother had told her that the Malfoys were a traditional family; she didn't realize traditional meant they were stuck in the 19th century.
"I'm guessing less than half." She met Colton's grin. His sandy brown hair was trimmed from its normal shaggy mess into a military short look and his dress shirt and black pants didn't match his personality in the least but his dark brown eyes filled with mirth and baby face sprinkled with a light dusting of freckles couldn't be displaced.
"It has to be more than that."
Ally fiddled with the sash of her blue satin dress. "I know that if I lived in a place like this I would sleep in a different room every day of the week."
"A different room every day of the month." The closer the carriage came to the front of the house the more intimidating the upcoming dinner seemed. Ally pulled her white sweater closer to her body; she still wasn't use to the chill this late in the year. Back home – in the city, she mentally corrected herself, in June she would by lying on the floor of her apartment wearing as little as possible with every window in the apartment open trying desperately to beat the heat.
"It looks like we're having dinner with the Addam's family." Colton mentioned in reference to the family of three standing on the front steps.
The leaned over her brother to get a better look out the window. She saw what he meant. The man and woman looked regal and proud but their son looked sickly pale and as uncomfortable as Ally felt. "I didn't realize this was a wake." Colton laughed. If there was any silver lining to her mother's marriage it was Colton. He was a year older than her but was quickly becoming her partner in crime.
"Stop that, it's disrespectful. Narcissa and I have been friends since we were very young." Her mother snapped. She must be feeling nervous as well as her mother rarely snapped at her.
The carriage stopped in the center of the circular drive and Mark opened the door to help his family out of the carriage.
"Abigail." Narcissa came as close to running as the women ever did and embraced her friend.
"Cissy, it's been too long." Abigail returned the embrace and kissed her friend on the cheek.
"This must be your family." Narcissa said letting go of her friend.
"Yes, my husband Mark, my son Colton, and-"
"You must be Alexandria." Ally was immediately enveloped into a hug.
"Forgive me." Narcissa said letting go. "I've been hearing about you, your entire life. I'm so glad to finally meet you." Ally wished she could say the same. Along with the rest of her mother's early life she had heard very little about the witch in front of her. Yet Ally returned her smile just the same.
"Meet my husband Lucius, and our son Draco." The two men shook hand and Draco gave a small nod to his guests.
The inside of the house was just as extravagant as the outside. It only made Ally more curious about her mother's secret life before she was born. She knew her grandmother was rich by the extravagant birthday and Christmas presents. Yet she had only met the woman a few times in her life.
Dinner was filled with all the sorts of foods that Ally knew she was supposed to like but when Narcissa suggested Draco show her and the grounds Ally had never been happier to be outside.
"How do you like England so far?" he asked.
"It's alright I guess." She said. "It's so quiet. It's weird, is that weird?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"I mean, of course it's quiet, it's the middle of nowhere." She paused waiting for him to say something, when he didn't she continued. "I guess I'm so used to the city that quiet makes me feel," she searched for the words. "Uncomfortable." She noticed that he was staring at her. "I'm sorry you asked me how I liked England, I'm rambling. I guess it's all a part of the whole I don't like quiet thing. If the space isn't filled by a car horn I guess I feel the need to fill it with talking."
"It's alright I don't mind listening." She turned her head and caught his eyes. Up close he was more handsome than her first impression. His chin was too pointed, his skin too pale but somehow it all worked well together on him.
The moment, whatever it was broke at the sound of her brother coming to meet them. "Mind if I crash? I can only listen to dad ramble on about finance for so long before I stop resisting the urge to light my napkin on fire."
"It's fine." Ally said suddenly annoyed at her brother's presence for a reason she couldn't explain.
"So what were you guys talking about?"
"Apparently, England is too quiet for Alexandria."
"Ally please." She corrected.
"Oh, I know, you can actually hear yourself think here. It's torture." Ally punched him in the arm. "So Draco, what do you do for fun around here?"
Draco paused for a moment to think of activities that weren't solitary.
"Have you ever played hide and seek in there?" Colton asked.
"Oh please, sardines is so much better for three people." Ally added.
"Dude, we could get those house elves involved."
"They'd just hide somewhere obvious to let us win."
"You have a point. Sardines is a lot more fun anyways." The siblings continued rapidly until a cough caught their attention.
Draco looked at them puzzled. "What's sardines?"
The three stared at each other for a moment and Draco looked like he regretted asking. "Oh, it's like the reverse of hide and seek." Ally said.
"What's hide and seek?"
Colton gave him a look like Draco told him Christmas was canceled. "You've never played hide and seek before?" Draco shook his head.
"Well in hide and seek one person is it, they close their eyes and count a designated number of seconds while everyone else hides then the person who is it says 'ready or not here I come' then goes and finds the rest of the players. In sardines one person hides then the rest split up and try to find the one person hiding then when the person is found the person who found him joins the hiding spot until the last person finds the group of people." Ally described
"That sounds ridiculous."
"Come on its fun." Draco didn't look like he believed the girl but followed her and her brother into the house anyways.
Meanwhile on the terrace Narcissa and Abigail looked on. "They seem to be hitting it off." Narcissa mentioned.
"That they do. Thank you for having us over. I know that Mark isn't exactly what-"
Narcissa placed a hand on her friends arm. "Abby, does he make you happy?" Abigail nodded. "Then he is perfect."
Abigail looked out across the grounds "Remember when we were little girls and we used to fanaticize about how it would be if our children ended up together."
Narcissa smiled "I remember it well."
"I know it's ridiculous to assume anything but, it is nice to think she will have friends here."
"Alexandria is a wonderful girl; she will make friends anywhere she goes."
Abigail watched her new son lead the way back into the house, her daughter and Draco trailing behind chatting. In that moment Abigail Rollins allowed herself to believe in something she knew wasn't real. For Abigail was a sensible woman and knew such speculation was for children.
Alexandria didn't know how long it she had been playing a simple children's game but for whatever reason she didn't grow tired. The sun had long dipped below the horizon causing the abandoned corridors of Malfoy Manner to be covered in flickering firelight. She had long abandoned her shoes for the click of her heels gave her a great disadvantage.
Draco didn't know how he ended up in a dusty wardrobe in an abandoned section of Malfoy Manner, playing a muggle's children's game with two almost complete strangers. It was the most unmalfoy like thing he could remember doing. He imagined his best friend, Blaise, laughing his arse off at the pure ridiculousness of the situation. Blaise was probably off somewhere in the south of France with some girl on one arm and a drink in the opposite hand.
The wardrobe opened briefly then closed as his new playmate joined him. There was barely any room for one let alone two. Yet somehow Alexandria Holland fit perfectly against him. It was probably the combination of the dusty air clouding his judgment. Along with the thought of how Blaise would never forgive him for being in a closet with a beautiful girl and not making a move. For better or for worse in those few short moments before her brother intruded Draco Malfoy pressed his lips against hers.
(July 1994)
"He's right you know." Draco Malfoy said taking the book out of his girlfriend's hand. She made a sound of protest but was quickly quieted by the touch of his lips.
"Alright that's enough." Came the voice of Blaise Zabini leaning against a pole. "There's only so much of this I can take before I want to gouge my eyes out."
"Oh Blaise you're just salty because you've been turned down by every girl you've made a pass at this weekend."
She couldn't see why. With his chocolate skin and strong aristocratic features along with a wicked sense of humor the only thing working against him was his habit of going to witches significantly older than his 14 years.
"Poor Zabini is having a dry spell." Draco added.
"What are English witches not as willing as French ones?"
"You know, if you are wishing to be rejected again I've heard a rumor that there are some French Veelas around here somewhere."
"Alright, if we're done playing emasculate Blaise can we get out of here?" Blaise gestured towards the door.
Draco stood up and helped Ally.
"Look who left her cocoon." Mark Rollins commented when his step daughter finally emerged.
"We're going for a walk." Ally announced.
"Alright, but be back in time for lunch. Arthur Weasley and his family are joining us. I'd like for you to meet them" Ally raised a hand to show she heard her step-father and continued on her way.
"Ugh, why are you having lunch with the Weasleys?" Blaise asked once they were safely out of earshot.
Ally shrugged. "I don't know, I guess my dad works with the bloke now. What's wrong with the Weasleys?"
"Look whose speaking like a brit." Blaise commented. Ally blushed.
"Poor, with a million ginger kids running about. Weasley is obsessed with muggles. You should hear father go on about them. They're just not the sort of people we associate with." Draco said.
Ally frowned. She was still getting used to the anti-muggle feelings of pure bloods in England. In New York everyone lived so close together than muggles and wizards intermingled quite often. "Well, I guess we'll see how this goes then."
They walked a bit further and came on a sign with the Salem Witch Academy seal. Ally let herself feel a moment of sadness. She had stopped writing Jena and her other school friends shortly after meeting Draco and his friends. She hadn't thought about them in more than passing for some time. That was her old life and here with her new boyfriend and group of rich influential friends was her new life.
"Blaise there's those French witches." Draco pointed to a camp a few tents over.
Blaise nodded and jogged over to the witches. Ally and Draco stood back and watched as he spoke with a young woman with beautiful silvery hair. Moments later the girl slapped Blaise which was meant with winces from his friends. He walked back in defeat.
"Well that didn't take long." Draco commented.
"I might have mixed up my words and accidentally implied that she was for sale."
"Blaise!" Ally slapped his arm.
He rubbed his wound. "My French is imperfect."
"Honestly I'm starting to think you made up all those conquests you told us about." Ally implied
Blaise looked wounded. The morning passed quickly and Ally said goodbye to her friends after they returned to her camp.
"See you this evening." Draco gave her a quick kiss.
When the Weasley family arrived Ally realized what her boyfriend meant by the Weasleys having a million children. Arthur Weasley introduced himself to Ally along with his children and their friends.
"Ron and his friends will be in your year at Hogwarts." Mark said, his brown eyes sparkling. It was sad really, seeing how happy her step-father was at the thought that she and this Ron person would become friends. She had friends and had no intention in befriending someone Draco had specifically warned her against.
"I'm Ron." He mumbled awkwardly, not quite meeting her eyes. Ally stiffened in this new position she noticed the women in her life displaying.
"I'm Hermione Granger." The bushy haired girl put out her hand and Ally reluctantly shook it. She had heard about the muggle-born know it all, too.
"And I'm Harry Potter." This shaggy haired boy Ally had heard about long before Draco had given her a briefing on the students in her year. This boy was special, she knew that. What she didn't know was he would be the key to her discovering everything she had dreamed of. For once in her life, one of the things Alexandria Holland had a habit in believing in might turn out to be true.
January 16, 1979.
Cissy,
Please you have to meet with me. I think I've made the biggest mistake I've never made. Yes that includes abandoning you to run off with Brandon Griffins and overshadow your wedding to Lucius. I apologized for that right? Well if I haven't I'm doing it now. Please Cissy, I'm in England for three more days. I have to speak with you as soon as possible.
Love,
Abby
January 17, 1979
Abby,
I don't know if it's possible to get yourself into more of a mess than you already had in the past but I have to admit you always had a talent for trouble. Alright I'll hear what you have to say. Lucius has a business meeting in London so come 'round the manner for tea.
Sincerely,
Narcissa.
(1975)
"He's making a fool out of himself." Abigail said looking over at the group of Gryffindors. Sirius Black was hanging upside down from a tree branch. His shirt falling up only to give her a view of his toned stomach. Narcissa looked on and frowned despite being a few years older than Abigail, Cissy was Abigail's closest friend. She didn't know what she'd do when Narcissa graduated in a few short months.
"You're making a fool of yourself!" She yelled.
"I'm only a fool for you Abby!" He called back. Abigail blushed despite herself. His constant advances ranged from extravagantly romantic to outlandishly ridiculous. She had to admit he was dedicated. She stuffed her feelings back down. Slytherins don't date Gryffindors, especially Gryffindors who have been disowned by their Slytherin families. With a flip of her golden locks, mostly for his benefit she walked away.
"You do realize you are the most infuriating person on the planet." Abigail said as Sirius backed her into an abandoned classroom long past curfew.
"I know." He muttered, his lips finding hers in the dark. His lips traveled down to her neck causing a moan to escape. It was in these rare moments when he wasn't speaking that she could find him almost tolerable. For Sirius Black hated silence and found the space best filled with words.
(August 23, 1994)
The corridors of Hogwarts felt lonely as Alexandria Holland, Colton Rollins, and Abigail Rollins followed Minerva McGonagall to the headmaster's office to be sorted into their houses. Ally had a vague idea of what the houses meant. Ravenclaws valued cleverness, Gryffindors bravery, Hufflepuffs loyalty, and Slytherins ambition. She was all but assured by her mother that she would be sorted into Slytherin house, the Hollands had been in Slytherin for ages. When she asked if her father had been in Slytherin too her mother choose to pretend she hadn't heard her daughter.
It was in the Headmaster's office that Abigail Rollins's worst fear was realized. Watching her daughter grow up she had her suspicions, but since moving to England and being around her new friends she blended in like only a Slytherin could. The bits Abigail had seen in her daughter were surely the American way of life rubbing off on her. Yet when the sorting hat touched her daughters head she knew she had only been lying to herself.
"Gryffindor." The hat had called out. The sorting was met by a soft round of applause and her step son sat on the stool only to join her daughter in Gryffindor house.
(1973)
It was in potions on that October morning in 1973 that Sirius Black fell in love. Of course this wasn't the first time he had met Abigail Holland, she had presence at 12 Grimmauld Place for years on account of their mother's friendship. Yet at 13 years old Sirius Black felt as if he was meeting the blond for the first time.
"It says to 'add one measure of doxy eggs." She said her long straight blond hair falling around her as she leaned over the book.
Sirius dropped the eggs into the cauldron. "How are you today Abby?" He said in an attempt to make small talk.
She gave him a dark look, only her family and close friends were allowed to address her as Abby "I'm fine, let me know when it turns pink." She turned her attention back to her potions book.
"It's pink" Sirius said a moment later.
She sprinkled in the toasted dragonfly thoraxes until the potion turned red.
"It's a lovely day. I hope the weather keeps for quidditch practice today."
"You're not on the team, Sirius, why do you care if the weather is good for quidditch?"
"The Gryffindor team needs to practice if we are to win the cup."
"In that case I hope it rains." They fell into an uncomfortable silence. "Sirius, the potion is blue."
Sirius added some more toasted dragonfly thoraxes turning the potion to silver.
The rest of the period continued on in the same pace. Sirius made awkward attempts at small talk and Abigail shut him down at every opportunity. It wasn't until Sirius recounted an incident in which Severus Snape's robes just happened to spontaneously catch fire that he was rewarded with a laugh from the Slytherin.
"I don't care what anyone says Severus Snape is a whiny little git and you will never convince me otherwise."
"He is a little wanker, isn't he?"
"Yeah, Severus Snape, more like Snivellus." She laughed again and in that moment Sirius Black knew that he wanted to hear that sound forever.
"James, I think I have just found the woman I am going to marry." Sirius said bursting into his dormitory dropping his things next to his bed.
"I know that some of the witches in PlayWitch are enticing but I'm not sure it works that way."
Sirius hit his friend on the back of the head. "I'm serious, she's perfect and she doesn't even do anything. My stomach is in knots."
"Are you sure that's not just indigestion." Remus added from his own bed.
"She's smart, witty, beautiful, –"
"- and completely uninterested in you I take it." James put in, him and Remus laughed.
"Laugh all you want, but believe me one day I'm going to marry Abigail Holland." It would be kind to say that Sirius did indeed grow up and marry Abigail Holland but unfortunately this was not the case. For this is not a love story and 13-year-old wizards often believe in things they know aren't true.
