Draco stared at Mira for a moment. "Well, my dear," he said, thankful that his older, harder demeanor was returning, "Let's board the train, shall we?" Draco had both of their trunks in both of his hands and was easily carrying their weight. Mira remembered what well-defined shoulders and biceps lay under his crisp, white shirt.
He nodded at the brick barrier in front of him. "Go on, walk through."
Mira looked up at the tall barrier, and shut her eyes tightly as she walked through it.
"There, not so hard, was it love?" Draco's voice came from beside her.
Mira opened her eyes. Before her were crowds of people, trolleys, cages of owls, and a huge scarlet steam engine dubbed The Hogwarts Express was hissing steadily, students climbing aboard, leaning out of the windows, yelling and waving.
Draco shoved the trunks onto a car and lifted himself up onto the first step. "Might as well get on now. Nothing out here to wait for." Draco said, rather grimly, and led Mira onto the train. Compared with the outside world, inside the Hogwart's Express all was quiet. Draco took Mira down the hall and into a larger compartment with sliding glass doors.
"This is the Slytherin side of the train." Draco explained as Mira took a seat next to the window. Mira nodded absently, sighing. "Look, Mira…." Draco said, sitting down next to her. "I'm with Pansy, do you understand that?"
Mira bit her lip but remained still. "Yes, Draco, I know."
Draco observed her for a moment, sensed her strength playing, and continued. "Yes, well, even though I am with the cow, I still love you." He said softer now, kissing her cheek gently, the way he had that day in Diagon Alley, when he bought her the Vortex.
Mira smiled at that memory, playing that day through in her mind. Something else had happened, yes, something….what was it? She screamed at her brain, what was the terrible thing…and then, it hit her.
Draco. Pansy. Naked. Fucking.
Mira gasped as the sight of them making love was pumped before her eyes, so clear as if it was playing right in front of her, this very moment.
"Yes," Draco commented, "Yes, Crabbe and Goyle are very hideous, but my dear, you will simply have to learn to deal with them."
Mira nodded slowly. "Yes…." She murmured, blinking hard several times.
Two large boys entered the compartment. "Sit." Draco barked at them. They both complied. Mira scrunched up her nose. These boys were absolutely disgusting to look at.
"This is Mira." Draco said, jerking his thumb at Mira. "She's to be treated with respect. When we get to school, whatever House she's in, I want it to be your two's duty to watch out for her." Draco said, giving the two idiots orders.
Each boy nodded stupidly.
"Drakee pooh!" A high-pitched, shrill voice shrieked at the compartment door. Mira was shoved violently aside when a brown-haired, pug faced girl plopped down in between her and Draco.
Draco swallowed hard, as if he had poison lodged in his throat, and managed a lukewarm "Hi, Pansy." Pansy beamed at him, and then turned to Mira.
"Eww, who let that thing in?" Pansy said in a high-pitched voice.
Mira stood up. "Fuck you, Parkinson." She seethed, before glaring at Draco, then walking out of the compartment, slamming the glass door shut behind her. Mira breathed easier, now, away from Draco. Away from Pansy.
She will die first. Mira decided, grinning to herself, reveling at the thought of slowly sucking the life from Pansy Parkinson.
Mira walked through the train, not really noticing where she was going, until she ended up outside on the very last car of the Hogwarts Express. Mira let out a deep breath, letting the soft wind whip her face and blow her hair around.
"Hey, you're that new girl, Draco's friend, right?" Mira's head snapped to her right. A tall, brown-haired boy reminiscent of California surfers that Mira had seen was staring at her, a friendly smile on his dimpled face.
Mira nodded, grinning in return.
"We should have met before, but Draco doesn't like summer visitors much." The boy said, laughing. Mira nodded.
"I'm Blaise. Blaise Zabini." The boy said, sticking out his hand. Mira grinned and took it.
"Mira Smethwycke." She said in return.
"Well, Mira, a pleasure to meet you. It's nice to see a normal girl for once."
Mira blushed slightly. Nobody, in her entire life, had ever called her normal. Seeing Mira's slight surprise, Blaise elaborated.
"I mean, you know, you're natural. Look at your hair, the way you let it just hang out. And your eyes….brilliantly jade…." Blaise shrugged, smiling again.
Mira smiled. "Thanks Blaise." She said, truly meaning it.
Perhaps Hogwarts wasn't going to be so bad.
---
Mira and Blaise stayed out side, on the caboose car for a while, talking. Mira learned Blaise had visited Hawaii with his family over the summer, and learned to water ski and surf, just like muggles, though he'd had to sneak around to do it.
"My parents despise anything muggle-invented." He said, shaking his head. Mira nodded vaguely, remembering the time her own parents had thrown her Sony radio out the window of the living room.
"I heard, from Lucius, that your parents died….I'm sorry." Blaise said.
Mira opened her mouth to respond, but the door behind her clanked loudly open.
Draco emerged, glaring daggers at Blaise. "What the fuck do you think you're doing, Zabini?" He said, grabbing Mira's arm.
Blaise rolled his eyes. "Stringing taffy, Malfoy, care to join me?" He said sarcastically. Mira laughed, pulling her arm from Draco's grasp.
Draco's glare snapped to her, then back to Blaise. "Go to hell, Zabini, she's off-limits." And with that Draco pulled Mira back inside the train. "Where in the hell do you get off talking to Blaise Zabini, Mira?" Draco asked, as if Mira were out of her mind.
Mira shrugged, again pulling her arm well out of Draco's grasp. "Excuse me, but I can talk to anybody I please." She replied indignantly. "Besides, Drakee Pooh, I hardly doubt I was missed." Mira pushed Draco out of her way and walked back towards the compartment.
Draco balled his fists in fury. Damn, she was so annoyingly right sometimes. He turned back towards the caboose, and saw Blaise staring at him, an amused expression on his face. Draco glowered at him. I swear to god, Zabini, if you fuck with her I'll kill you. He vowed, turning back around and following Mira.
---
Mira spent the rest of the train ride staring out the window, at the darkening countryside. Hogwarts was going to be her ultimate test, and she knew it. She would not, however, give into Dumbledore or any of the other mudblood supporters at school. She knew, full well, that Granger was a mudblood, but she was only attracted to Hermione's body, not her, so it didn't really count, did it?
Besides, that's over and done with. She said to herself, nodding. Hermione was part of a future that was now dead. She had believed, for a while, during her brief stay at Number 12, Grimmauld Place, that all the hoopla about her being Gryffindor's heir was true. Now, though, on the actual way to Hogwarts, she knew she was a cold-blooded Slytherin, to her core, to her soul.
"We're almost there." Draco declared, standing up.
Pansy had been out of the compartment for some time now, doing rounds with the other prefects. Mira, especially, was grateful for this.
"Here," Draco said to Mira, pulling from inside his robes a brown-wrapped package. "It's your uniform. Put it on." Crabbe and Goyle grunted, then left the compartment.
"I'm not changing in front of you." Mira said flatly to Draco, who had turned to watch her, as though she were a cheap cable porn series.
Draco grinned. "On the contrary dear, as my property, I shall enjoy you all I want. Now strip."
Mira flipped him off. "Fuck off, Malfoy." She said, as she walked out of the compartment.
"Mira!" A deep voice called to her. Blaise was coming up the aisle towards her. Mira smiled. "Hey Blaise. You wouldn't happen to know where I could change, do you?"
Blaise nodded. "Sure, you can change in my compartment. Everybody's out anyway."
Mira smiled. "Thanks." She said. Feeling eyes on the back of her head, she turned around and saw Draco staring at the two of them. Blaise followed her eyes. Mira smiled sarcastically at Draco, waved, then turned around and followed Blaise towards the end of the train.
---
When Mira emerged from the compartment with her clothes wadded under her arms, she found Draco and Blaise both waiting for her.
"I'll take those." Draco spat, grabbing her clothes from her.
Mira shrugged. "Whatever. Just don't lose the shirt….it's my favorite."
Draco nodded. "I know, I'm the one that gave it to you, remember?"
Mira smirked. "That's not why it's my favorite." She said, in the bitchiest tone she could muster, as nervous as she was.
Draco glared at her, then grabbed her wrist firmly between his fingers and led her, quickly, off the train. "I'm only going to say this once, Mira," Draco said dangerously, as he pulled her up the dirt path to where dozens of carriages lay, waiting. Mira knew that Thestrals pulled the school carriages, but she couldn't see them.
Not yet, anyway. She thought to herself.
"Stay away from Zabini. He will ruin you."
Mira laughed. "Blaise? Blaise, the sweet, funny guy that was trying so hard to charm me?"
Draco stopped in front a carriage, and opened the door, allowing her to climb in first. "Yes, Blaise who was trying his stupid, cowardly, back-stabbing ass off to charm the hell out of you."
Mira shook her head, unbelieving of his words. "Sorry, I just don't see it."
Draco sighed impatiently. "Blaise Zabini only wants two things. To get into your pants, and to turn the whole damn school against you if he doesn't get his way."
Mira rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Draco. He doesn't even know me, how could he want either of those things?"
Draco stared at her. "Don't know if you've noticed, love, but any guy would want to get into your pants." And with that, Draco turned to look out the window of the carriage and would say no more. Mira leaned back in her seat. The carriage was musty, damp, and smelled of hay.
"There," Draco said, leaning back, and grinning, "is Hogwarts."
Mira's jaw dropped as her vibrant eyes beheld the splendid castle of Hogwarts. Tall, stone turrets and towers stood cascading above the dark grounds, and many lit windows glittered from the candle light inside the castle.
"Holy shit! That place is huge!" Mira said, pushing Draco back farther to get a better view of the castle.
Draco laughed. "It is magnificent. Wait until you see the inside."
Mira smiled at him, then leaned back into her own seat as the carriage drew to a halt. Draco helped her out, and kept her hand firmly in his as they made their way up the large stone steps, and through the open entrance way. Mira bit her lip to hide her delight. The Entrance Hall was marble and sparkling from the chandeliers dangling from the high ceiling. Draco led her through the line of students streaming into the Great Hall. Students, upon seeing the blond Slytherin, hurried out of his way, and stared curiously at the girl that was lucky enough to be escorted by the serpent prince himself.
There were four long, wooden tables in the Hall they came to, and a long staff table at the head of the room. Most of the teachers were sitting there, and Mira quickly met Snape's eye. He inclined his head to her, and she acknowledged him with a slight tilt of her own head, the custom greeting to followers of Voldemort.
Draco took Mira to the Slytherin table with him, and sat her on the end of the table, placing himself in between herself and Goyle. It took about ten minutes for everybody to sit down and for a gentle quiet to descend upon students.
The door to the Entrance Hall was shut, and an old lady came scurrying up the aisle between the Slytherin table and the high stone wall. "Welcome. Before we begin the Sorting of the first years, we have a new student that we must add to one of our Houses." The lady said, walking up the aisle farther.
She came behind the Slytherin table, and touched Mira lightly. "You must be Sorted." the lady said, sternly. Mira nodded, and looked to Draco, who stared back at her. The lady was carrying an old, very beaten stool and a tattered wizard's hat the appeared to be hundreds of years old. The Sorting Hat. Mira's own adversary. As Mira sat on the stool, facing the rest of the school who were all quiet by now, she felt defiant. Let them look, the bastards. She doubted if Hogwart's had seen anything like her before.
Professor McGonagall was about to place the Hat on Mira's black head, when an old man's chuckling reached Mira's ears. "A new student at last! Gracious, I hope she adds some new blood to this place." The old man said.
Mira recoiled, her blood turning to ice in her veins, her eyes narrowing to slits. Dumbledore. Mira, though, had no time to glower or curse in response at the old man. The Sorting Hat's folds soon covered her eyes, and she was enveloped in black silence.
"Hmmm…" The Sorting Hat's small voice said in Mira's ear. "I've head about you, Mira. Yes, so much have I heard about you. I am sure you are familiar with Houses? Let's see, shall we?" Mira, her stomach convulsing with an odd mixture anxiety and rage, consented with a small nod.
"For Helga, fairness was an absolute requisite. You, my dear, have never known a fair life, so you hold no justifying bone in your body."
Mira rolled her eyes. Like she would ever be in Hufflepuff!
"Rowena," the Hat continued, ignoring Mira's sarcastic comment, "wished her flock to have brains and admirable wit. However, intelligence was something the old Professor felt should kept modest, and even be surpassed by maturity. You, Mira, have been thrown into many things even the oldest of wizards could not handle, and yet, for your age, very little modesty and maturity exists."
I have no need for modesty. Mira returned coldly. Let the world see me. I care not what they say.
"Ah, but the world governs your soul, Mira…..Now, Gryffindor demanded of his students boldness, and bravery, and a moral disregard for wrongful authority. You, Mira, are a perfect match for this."
Mira's breath caught in her throat. She couldn'tbe in Gryffindor. Her plans would end, her revenge would have no choice to but to wilt away inside of her and die.
And of Slytherin? She asked the Hat. Mira could feel the Hat smirk.
"Salazar was a steely man. Stern, clever, cold, and ambitious. Lineage and blood meant the most to the told man…a firm collection of aristocratic family, a rock of nobility, was the cutting mark for Slytherins…You, Mira, are the surviving heir of one of the purest bred Wizarding families. Your shrewd heart and penetrating mind make you qualifiable even for Slytherin's Heir."
Mira smirked. Slytherin, here I come.
"And so, a crossroad we approach, Mira. A test lies here. Two houses to choose from, two paths to cross, but only one of each lies in your future. And I, as the emissary from Godric Gryffindor, must Sort you into your destiny. So here, Mira, we have Slytherin and Gryffindor."
Mira held her breath tightly. She would not beg the Hat, for she knew full well that any tool of Dumbledore's would not heed her.
The Sorting Hat opened its brimmed mouth wide-