Note: Sorry for taking so long to post. I started college and have been pretty busy lately. Also working on other writings like my novel and some other fanfictions. I kind of rushed through this chapter, but I hope you like it anyway!

Chapter 12

Standing on the platform, she watched as the train rolled into the station. This was the first time she'd been excited to see the other students. All summer she was stuck at the castle and she never realized just how lonely it could be when every single student is gone. Smiling she rested against the pillar as the train came to a stop. She was waiting for her friends. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Bria. Everyone. She was in such a good mood that she even flashed Draco a smile as they disembarked the train, heading for the castle. The usual ceremony was held for the first years, but there was talk about an attack at the Quidditch World Cup.

Harry, Hermione and Ron didn't seem too thrilled about it, and when she asked them about it they said it was nothing and changed the subject. Standing she approached Bria's table at Hufflepuff and sat down. Nyx never sat with Slytherin because of Malfoy and the others. Most of her time was spent with either Harry and his gang or Bria.

"Bonjour fille," Bria smiled as Nyx took a seat next to her. "You look like someone just pissed in your milk. What is wrong?" Nyx sighed, shaking her head.

"Oh nothing too important, just the fact that there's talk about an attack at the Quidditch World Cup Arena, my friends are talking about it but they refuse to enlighten me on why they're acting so damn sketchy." She cradled her forehead in her hand, rubbing her forehead. "Am I really so distrust worthy?"

"I sink zat maybe zey feel it would be too much of a hassle to explain it all to you. Of course, zey could also just be assholes, after all, zey are Gryffindors." She took a sip of her morning tea, grimacing at the taste. Nyx had learned from Bria last year before she'd left for home that the French didn't drink tea often, they usually drank coffees and espressos with wines. She says it's a fine taste they shared in common with the Italians. Gourmets amongst Gourmets. "So, besides the asshole welcome, how was your summer?" She turned, her blonde hair pulled into a ponytail.

"Oh," Nyx grabbed a piece of toast and played with it. She never actually ate breakfast, her stomach still heaving from even just the smell of it, but if she thought about other things, like the smell of Bria's tea, or shampoo, she was able to sit in the same room with the enchanted meal. "It was fine." She continued. She hadn't told Bria about the night she'd made love to her potions teacher. The taste of the alcohol still on his tongue. From time to time, when she saw him she felt the slippery silk gliding across her tongue, pressing against the inside of her cheeks and teeth. When she said his name, she tasted the alcohol, and her heart started racing. Not seeing him very much over the summer was both a good thing and a bad thing. Good because every time she say him, her heart would race and her tongue would tie. Bad because she loved the feeling of her chest seconds from imploding the closer he got to her.

"Just fine?" She pressed. "Mon cher seigneur you have ze most boring life ever." She teased.

"Oh shut up, and what's with this?" Nyx looked at her, her forehead crumpling. "You're speaking French? What the hell happened? Last year you said the Beauxbaton's can take their language and shove it up their asses." Bria laughed.

"True, true, but it gets difficult to speak a language sometimes still. English is not my first tongue zerefore it is hard to talk for long periods of time without speaking my first tongue." Her smile faded almost as quickly as it had taken root on her face. "You do not know about what happened at zeh Quidditch World Cup? I am surprised." Nyx looked up at her, tearing the piece of toast in half.

"And you know about it?" Bria nodded, brushing the strands of hair she missed behind her ear.

"Yeah, zere was an attack." She replied. "Apparently some wizards attacked and trashed ze whole place. A few people were killed, an ominous signal was put into ze sky afterwards." She explained. "I do not know much but I know zat sings are going to get a bit 'airy around here." Looking away Nyx waited as Bria began eating again, pulling some toast and bacon off of a plate.

"I'll catch up with you later." Standing she headed off to wander around for a bit. Things were getting dangerous in Hogwarts. Most of it seemed to be revolving around Harry, why? She didn't know. She headed to the highest tower she could reach, which was just off the Slytherin common room. Climbing through the window she slipped out onto the long stone rain gutter and sat down. She'd found this place over the summer when she was left alone. The ledge was thick enough for her to lay on with someone next to her, and at the end was the head of a large Snake. She stared at the ocean, just thinking to herself.

She never let her mind run usually. Most of the time she thought about little things because if she didn't she'd focus on her dreams with Severus, or the night she made love to her potions teacher. Just as she had expected, the next morning he knew nothing about it. He apologized for falling on her but that was about it. She wanted to ask him if he remembered more than that but she was too nervous. She figured he didn't. She was a fool to let herself think that maybe those sloppy drunken words held any truth, but her heart caused her too much pain to force herself to think otherwise.

A loud neigh of a horse caught her attention. She cocked an eyebrow and looked down. Where she was there was a full view of most of the grounds, and not a single horse was seen. Again a neighing, only it was louder. Looking up she caught what it was. A chariot being pulled by flying horses swooped at her, just barely missing her. Screaming she threw herself to the ledge, covering her head, her hair being whipped around by the force of the wind.

Sitting up she looked after carriage, her heart racing as it sped on by towards the entrance to the school. Pushing herself to her feet she climbed quickly but carefully back inside, making her way down to the dining hall where she'd left Bria. Everyone was chattering happily. Everyone seemed excited about something, but Nyx wasn't. She'd almost had her head taken off by a flying chariot. Which she thought to be silly all together with this talk of magic –if she hadn't seen it and experienced it every single day she wouldn't believe it to exist. Nothing was more demeaning than capitation by a unicorn…or was there?

She –like most of the times- hadn't realized just how much time she'd spent up on that ledge but it seemed as if classes were cancelled for now. Or at least postponed. Pity, she was looking forward to seeing her Potions Teacher and dying of a slow forming heart break whenever he ridiculed her in front of the entire class because she tried to prove him wrong.

"What's going on?" She asked, following a girl out into the hall to look out over the sea where the Chariot had landed close by. A huge ship emerged from the water, everyone awing at it. Everyone murmured about how amazing it was. Nyx thought it was scary as hell. Of course, when you're from the real world with your head with your feet on the ground –not counting wanting to marry her potions master who is almost 3 times as old as she was with a heart of granite and frozen acid- you tend to think things like that to be a little bit frightening. Great, not only were their Wizard and Witches, but there were fairy God mothers and Phantom Pirates now too. They were all ushered back into the great hall and sat down at their tables. A couple new tables were set up that were dedicated to Hogwarts Guests. Sitting in her usual place with the Hufflepuffs, sitting next to Bria. Everyone was still chattering happily, but Bria, Bria wasn't. She sat at the table with her back stiff, her eyes wide. Nyx was just about to ask her what was wrong when the doors flew open. Everyone turned, looking at the door. Dumbledore had said something beforehand but Nyx didn't notice. All she noticed was the worry in Bria's eyes and the opening of the doors.

In fluttered a group of girls in blue dresses. They were beautiful, tall and slender. And like most tall, beautiful slender girls, they made Nyx sick. Still, Bria looked horrified. "Bria, what's wrong?" Nyx questioned. She turned and looked at her, groaning.

"The Beauxbatons." She muttered.

"Beauxbatons? You mean those girls are members of your old school?" Bria nodded. Soon after the giant headmistress made her pass, the doors slammed open again and in came a group of men. All men. They did their little ritual like entrance. One boy entered and everyone broke out in 'Ooo's' and odd stares. A couple Hufflepuff girls fanned at their hearts as he walked by as if he were the most attractive man in the world. Nyx thought he looked like a burlap sack wrapped half bald grizzly bear with the IQ of lint and turned sighing. "This is going to be hell, why are they even here?" She muttered. Bria shook her head.

"I do not know, but I do not want to find out." Standing, she made for the door. The movement was so fast that it caught Nyx off guard. Gasping she stood up and followed. Everyone was so preoccupied with the guests they didn't even notice the girls premature dismissal.

"You really don't like them, do you?" Nyx pulled her to a stop in the hall. The sun had gone down. Nyx didn't even notice –which seemed to be the case with many things now.

"Not zat I do not like zem. I hate zeir guts!" She growled, then sighed, sitting down on short wall that blocked the halls from the court yard. Nyx looked at her friend sympathetically, sitting next to her.

"There's…another reason you hate them." She guessed. Bria looked up at her, her forehead crinkled, almost as if she were about to cry.

"I am not one of zem. Ze only sing zat is anything like zem is my accent, which I hate." She admitted.

"You…there something else." Nyx pushed. "Bria, tell me what it was like. You talk about how the school was just wretched, but you never go into details."

"Because I do not wish to sink about it!" She snapped.

"Bria, I'm your friend. Please…I want to know." Nyx pushed calmly.

"You want to know? Fine!" She stood up, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. "I never 'ad any friends! I was a loner my entire life going to zat school! I was called bad names and taunted. Zen what would happen? I would have to come back and take care of my Fazer, do you know how zat feels? Being ze laughing stock of ze whole school? No, why? Because you are pretty, and smart, and tall with dark hair!" Her voice cracked, a tear escaping which she quickly wiped away. Now Nyx knew. Bria her whole life suffered the same thing she did. She nodded slowly, her eyes closed.

"Bria, where have you been for the past couple years?" Nyx asked honestly. "I'm not popular here. Nobody likes me. I've had my potions explode in my face, my hair melted off, drenched with water, called nasty things. And in the end, I have no home to return to." She admitted, looking up at her. Bria fell silent. "My parents were murdered when I was a baby. I lived in a foster family which abused me. I had no bed. I slept on the floor in the basement of a muggle house. Cement with one blanket, one pillow. I had two outfits. One was my normal school uniform, then some weekend clothes for when I washed my uniform. My foster father put my teeth through my lip 7 times. I truthfully don't remember much of my child hood because I spent it in a coma after angering my foster father. He put my head through the wall when I was 7, when I woke up, I was 12. I had no one to love me unlike you." Bria didn't say anything for a long time.

Sitting down on the walls Nyx watched as Bria paced a couple more times before sitting next to her, a look of sincere apology in her eyes. "I am sorry." Bria whispered. Forcing a smile Nyx shook her head looking down at the floor.

"Don't be. Just…don't take what you have for granted, because it might vanish someday." They both listened to the crickets chirp in the darkness, staring at their shadows on the floor that had been made by the moon. Footsteps caught their attention, causing Nyx to stiffen up. Knowing her luck it was going to be Snape and he would blame and punish her for her and Bria sneaking out of the dining hall, but the voice of the person that spoke was different. It was a thick Swedish sounding accent.

"Excuse me." Nyx stopped and looked up shocked to see a white haired boy standing just a few feet away from her. He was dressed in a brown coat and was very feminine looking.

"A Durmstrang Student." Bria noted, confused.

"Durmstrang? Where is that located?" Nyx looked over at Bria.

"Near Sweden" The boy answered before she could. "You don't mind if I sit with you do you?" he questioned, sitting on the opposite side of Nyx. She shook her head moving over.

"Not at all."

"Why are you not inside ze dining 'all?" He looked at us for a second then sighed.

"I'm a bit shy. I don't like new eyes staring at me. Hell I don't like the people in my school staring at me either." He shifted a bit then smiled. "My name is Fiske Werne by the way." He greeted, holding his hand out.

"Fiske?" Nyx cocked an eyebrow, taking his hand.

"Weird eh?" He frowns.

"Just, different." Nyx corrected. "My name is Ellenyx, Nyx for short."

"Or Nox if you are Malfoy." Bria added. Groaning, Nyx closed her eyes, hating being called Nox.

"Ha, ha." Nyx laughed dryly.

"My name is Bria Medellahorge." Bria introduced herself, grinning at Nyx's reaction. "I am surprised." She continued, looking off across the hall at the wall on the opposite side. Fiske looked at her confused, cocking an eyebrow. "I heard zat ze Durmstrang students are too narcissistic to actually hold a conversation wit' ozer students." Forcing a smile Fiske shrugged.

"No, not narcissistic. Well, not all of us. I truthfully don't fit in with the school, I was just chosen to come because, well, I have good grades." He admitted. "I'm not even liked." He frowned.

"Why aren't you liked? You seem like an amazing person." Nyx was confused. He seemed polite, and was very attractive.

"Eh, just…for little faults." He replied simply, not saying what his faults were, as if he were trying to avoid telling them something.

"Like what?" Bria pushed, looking at him sternly. She was a very open person, and Fiske seemed as if he were trying to be secretive. But usually a person doesn't offer up a hint at information without expecting to tell someone the actual story. He looked at her for a long moment then sighed, looking down at the floor.

"Well, for a number of reasons. The main one for…well…" He trailed off.

"For?" She pushed on, getting irritated that he wouldn't just come out and say it. He hesitated then groaned as if expecting to be negatively judged.

"I'm gay." He admitted sadly. Bria and Nyx shared a glance. So there was a social outcast, someone feared for being violent and dangerous and someone hated because he was gay. They had a weird little group going on, but for some reason, it felt as if he were already their friend just for that small fact. "I'm a freak." He whimpered, looking down, sadness in his eyes.

"Hey," Nyx nudged him lightly. He looked up at her once more, his forehead crinkling at the smile on her face. "Join the club." She grinned wildly. Bria smiled as well. Three students from three different schools experiencing the same humiliation and ridicule. She wasn't sure if it was coincidence, or fate.