AUTHOR'S NOTE: So here's another chapter. This one follows the book more than the movie. I liked the book better because I can use Miss. Zabini more and it gives her a chance to start her task a little sooner than if i played by the movie. So if it sounds familiar and like it's from the book, then it probably is. Oh and thank you for my lovely review. If you want the story to move quickly, then everyone should review, it makes me write faster.
DISCLAIMER: I am NOT JKR. The only person I own is Ms. Adrienne Zabini.
September 1st, 1996
The scarlet engine sped down the track, carrying the most precious cargo in all of England: Hogwarts Students. Some were walking about the train looking for an open compartment, old friends, or a missing pet. Others were inside of the compartments laughing and reviewing their summer adventures with friends. Then there were the people that had to read, mostly first years that were too nervous to speak to anyone else, or an older child that needed to be ahead in class on Monday.
Four sixth year Slytherins, two girls and two boys sat at a table near the front of the train, being in the back was entirely too noisy. That were all the excited people and nervous first years were. The quartet of Slytherins were sitting as closely as the table between them would allow and whispering. The two on the outside were keeping a watchful eye out for ease droppers. On the outside sat a blond, very tired looking Draco Malfoy, and next to him was the dark skinned, Blaise Zabini. Across from Blaise was the pug faced, Pansy Parkinson, and next to her the hot cocoa toned, Adrienne Zabini.
"So that's it?" Pansy pouted. She'd been putting for the better part of a half hour, because of the news of Adrienne and Draco's engagement. Even though they had moved off the subject of the engagement and on to the task that Adrienne had, seeing as Draco refused to talk about his in front of Pansy, Pansy just couldn't let it go. Everyone with eyes knew that Pansy was just completely and utterly taken with the blond Slytherin. However, the blond Slytherin wasn't taken with her in fact he truly despised her. It's something about having want and can't have that makes one want something, and Draco Malfoy was defiantly something that Pansy was never going to get. "I mean, I have money," Pansy whined. "So why her?" Pansy pointed at that the darker toned girl in disgust.
Adrienne, who'd been lazily gazing out of the window, and not doing a good job of playing lookout, turned her dark brown eyes to the girl beside her. Her crossed her arms across her chest and glared at the girl. "Really, what's wrong with me?" Adrienne asked. Pansy didn't answer and Adrienne had her answer. "That's what I thought."
"That's enough," Draco drawled. "It's all ready been decided so that's enough. Secondly, Pansy your family doesn't have the money and stature that the Zabini's do. Their house and my house, you can trace back of centuries. Your family is a relatively new branch of pure-bloods, made of two dying pure-blood families, the Parks and the Jamison's, not wanting their respective sides of the family to die off, because of the surname, the families agreed to combine a surname, Parkinson." Draco told her.
A third year approached the table to see a pouting Pansy and a glaring Adrienne. After a moment of not being acknowledged, he cleared his throat and Adrienne turned her attention to him. "Yeah?" she said lazily. The boy handed her a stroll tied with a violet ribbon and one to her brother, before rushing rushed away from the table.
"What is it?" Draco questioned.
"An invitation," Adrienne responded. "Adrienne, I would be delighted if you would join me for a bite of lunch in Compartment C. Sincerely, Professor H. E. F. Slughorn," she read. "Guess, we'd better go," she said after she, Draco, and Blaise exchanged glances.
Adrienne excused herself from the table and she and her brother started off towards the compartment they'd been summoned to. The siblings slid through the crowd of students looking for the lunch trolley with ease, no one wanted to cross them. Soon they were at the compartment, that they'd been called too. Quietly, she pulled the door open and smiled at the fat, bald, old man before them.
"Mr. and Miss. Zabini, I assume?" the man said to her, as he shook her hand, then her brother's. "I'm Professor Slughorn." Adrienne nodded and smiled at the people in the compartment. "Do you know everyone here?
"I do, that's Marcus Belby, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Harry Potter, and Cormac McLaggen," Adrienne stated.
"Good, good, do have a seat," Slughorn demanded.
Not wanting to sit by the blood traitor, she took a seat between Cormac and Belby, who proceeded to chock on a piece of pheasant that he was trying to shallow to quickly in order to answer a question that Slughorn posed to him. A smirk crossed her lips and she chuckled a little, however covered with a cough when Slughorn looked at her. Blaise, who was also smirking, took a seat next to Belby.
Over a lunch of pheasant, salad, fruit, and tea, the Professor questioned the students and told them of his life in retirement. Apparently, he backpacked around the United States, only they don't call it backpacking there. He said it was very strange over there, but he'd like to go and visit again. In fact, he was trying to get a trip cleared with Dumbledore to take a few students to some of the major places in the country. However with the ever-present threat of another Wizarding War, he figured that now wasn't the best time. Then he spoke of all the students that he taught and how if they were luck, he'd be telling kids about them next year. Adrienne smirked at the comment, because it reminded her of what Draco head said before she left him.
The grown man swooned over Potter, worshiping the ground that he walked on. Blaise, unable to control his dislike for Potter snorted while he was talking about himself, which was punished by a scolding from Ginny. Slughorn didn't really seem to notice, and went back to praising Harry. Eventually, he started up on some quidditch player and Adrienne zone him out, until he dismissed them. Adrienne smiled and exited the compartment, her brother close behind, and soon enough they were back at the table were Crabbe and Goyle had taken their seats, and Pansy decided that it was okay to run her fingers through Draco's hair while she was gone. The Zabini twins glared at the two dumber boys, who moved quickly, and took their seats.
"What did Slughorn want?"
"Trying to kiss up to well-connected people; it didn't work out to well. He had McLaggen from Gryffindor, Belby from Ravenclaw, Longbottom, that Weasley girl, and Potter," Adrienne announced, because her brother was still glaring at Goyle.
"People with ministry connections and Potter and Longbottom," Draco drawled. "What does he want with him?" Everyone shrugged, honestly not knowing. "And the Weasley girl! What's so special about her?" Pansy reached over to stroke the back of Draco's hand, in order to soothe him. For a moment, Draco allowed it.
"A lot of boys like her," Pansy said, looking around the table insecurely to see if anyone said anything or expressed an agreement. Pansy met Adrienne's glaring brown eyes and Pansy quickly pulled her hand off of the young Malfoy's and folded her hands in her lap.
"Even Blaise finds her attractive," Adrienne added, "And we all know how difficult it is to please him."
Blaise denied that he found Ginny attractive and swatted his sister's arm roughly. They continued to speak about Slughorn's meeting and the people that were there, how bad Slughorn's taste was, and subtle mentions of the task that Draco was assigned, one that Adrienne didn't even know. Soon they were changing robes, Adrienne and Pansy excusing themselves to go to a bathroom, and shortly after that they were at the school. When the train lurched to a stop, Goyle and Crabbe muscled their way through the crowd of second years, pushing them aside, Blaise followed. Pansy held her hand out to Draco, as if hoping he'd hold it, but he sent her away. Then he turned to Adrienne, "There's nothing there," he assured without her having to say anything about it. It took a moment for her to figure out what he was talking about. Then it clicked, he was telling her not to be threatened by pug face. She laughed inwardly, she could never ever be threatened by Pansy, there was nothing threatening about her. Adrienne simply nodded and smirked at him saying nothing. "But you go too; I'll see you up there; I just have to check something." His eyes darted up to the rack above the bench and then back to deep brown eyes.
"I'll wait outside," she told him, and before he could protest, she left and exited the train.