"Ring-a-ring o' rosies, a pocket full of posies, A-tishoo, A-tishoo, we all fall down." The young mother sung to her child. She dressed in a white gown, a set of dark green robes draped over shoulders, while holding her new born in her arms. "My darling. My little angel, I love you so much." The baby's eyes were latched onto the sparkling silver key around her mother's neck.
She woke up startled and Krista wiped the sweat off her forehead. She had been back at Hogwarts one night and the dreams were already back twice as strong. Most recurring. The Slytherin witch didn't mind. She knew she was dreaming of her mother, she didn't know how she thought of or remembered the dreams, but it was her mother. There was doubt about it in her mind.
Krista got from under her covers, slipped into her slippers and reached down to grab her dressing gown. Getting up and she tugged it onto her shoulders. Krista grabbed her book from the night stand and quietly left her dorm room. She hugged it tightly to her chest as she made her way to the common room. There was no one in the there. The crackling fire filled the air. Krista sat down onto the sofa nearest the fire and enjoyed the warmth. While she could relax alone, she touched the roots of her hair and slowly the illusion of curly red hair disappeared and she long black hair came back showering over her.
Krista put down her book and started to plait the long hair. She thought about the trouble it would take to even do her hair in the morning. Her hands weren't used to how they had to bend to be able to plait. She only got a quarter of the way down before she started to struggle. Her right hand slipped and dropped the plait.
"Fuck." Krista mumbled to herself.
"Need a little help?" She jumped then looked behind her to see the pale skinned and snow white haired Slytherin returning back from his morning Prefect duties.
"Not from you." Krista snapped picking up her book and turning to the correct page. Malfoy took a seat on the sofa next to her. One of his legs bought up on the seat and his arm draped around the back of the sofa.
"What are you doing up?"
"Why do you care?"
"Do I need a reason?" Their questions bounced off each other.
"Does a toe rag Malfoy need a reason?"
"Do you ever give up, Weasel?" Krista sighed. She couldn't be bothered to play a game with Malfoy so early in the morning.
"I couldn't sleep. Dreams."
"About?" Krista didn't answer. "Do you still want some help? I used to do my mothers hair." She cocked her head at Malfoy, he was being nice to her. That was confusing. She nodded and Malfoy motioned for her to turn around. Krista did as she was told and faced the fire. She felt weird Malfoy touching her but tightly and neatly he braided her hair into a perfect plait. It took a while but when he was done, he hooked the plait over her shoulder. His fingers grazed her neck. She froze in her place. Krista turned around after a few seconds.
"Thank you, Malfoy." He nodded at her and got up leaving her alone again.
Krista read for a while until the clock on the wall turned seven. She got up and returned to her dorm room to get ready for breakfast and class. Krista threw her book onto the bed and undid Malfoy's work, her hair went from black to red and straight, deciding to tame the curls for today. Daphne woke up yawning, rubbing her eyes with strands of blonde hair falling from her top not.
"Morning." She croaked from her bed beside Krista. Krista was slipping on her uniform before Pansy and Millicent woke up.
"Morning, Daph." Krista smiled. Daphne smiled and stumbled into the bathroom joining to the dorm room. She didn't see Daphne for a good ten minutes but when she came out, her hair was in a high pony tail and small little plait intergraded in, her face fresh and wide awake.
"Do we really have to go to class?" Daphne asked.
"You want to skip? On the first day?" Krista questioned.
"Yes." Daphne stripped off her pyjama top and started to button up her shirt.
"No." Her best friend told her. Last year Krista let Daphne drag her out of class at least four times a week. This year was more important than previous years. If they didn't do well in their OWLs then, Krista wouldn't get her position at Hogwarts in the future, or Daphne had no chance in working in the Ministry. "It's OWL year."
Sphinx jumped onto the bed and started meowing at her human. Krista scratched her behind the ear, causing her cat to purr.
"Come on you." Krista picked up her cat and turned to Daphne. "I need to feed Sphinx. Meet you down there?"
"No, no, no. Hang on I'm nearly done." Daphne hoped around trying to pull on her boot. Krista rolled her eyes, plonking herself onto the bed. Sphinx meowed, more like a wail at this point so loudly that it woke up, Pansy.
"Shut that god forsaken cat up!" She shouted from her bed.
"How about you get out of bed Parkinson." Daphne snapped back. "Lets go Kiki." Daphne pulled Krista with her and they went down the corridor to leave.
The Great Hall was swimming with students, most houses merged together, except the Slytherins who were only mingling with Ravenclaws. Sphinx jumped from Krista's arms and went towards the younger Weasley daughter who already had food out. That's all that Sphinx cared about at that moment.
Krista and Daphne sat down at the Slytherin table opposite each other. Krista reached for a plate and two slices of toast. One bite into her breakfast and she was interrupted by Blaise Zabini.
"Weasley, Parkinson said you'd left for breakfast." Krista looked up at Blaise with a mouth full of toast. "I've been given Captain this year. So try outs are tomorrow." She swallowed.
"I'll be there, thank you Zabini." Blaise left then Krista carried on eating breakfast. The two best friends talked for almost an hour and half before classes started. Sphinx had come and gone multiple times through out that time.
There was a dread when Krista thought about the class she was about to enter. Umbridge was going to be trouble and she hoped that the curse of the DADA teachers would get her a lot sooner. Krista walked into the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. The set out hadn't changed except from the stripped décor. The walls were bare to the point where you couldn't tell it was even DADA classroom. Krista and Daphne sat in the middle row of seats. That happened to be right behind Draco Malfoy. Maybe before that wouldn't have bothered Krista but after their moment in the early hours it had become something else, she was beginning to feel that way at least. More of confusion to why Malfoy was being nice.
The class dribbled in, and the Patil sisters enchanted an origami bird to flutter around the class room and some of the less accommodating Slytherins try to tear it down. But they didn't succeed the bird burned, losing flight and landing back on the desk on the owners. For she, already known as toad face had made her entrance.
"Good morning Children." With a flick of her wand letters were scrawled on the chalkboard. "Ordinary Wizarding Level Examinations. O-W-Ls, more commonly known as OWLs. Study hard and you will be rewarded. Fail to do so, and the consequences may be severe." Books started to hand themselves out, on the front it said 'Defensive Magic for Beginners'. These were the kind of books you were given before you started Hogwarts. Childish and no educational value at all. "Your previous instruction in this subject has been disturbingly uneven. But you'll be pleased to know, from now on you will be following a carefully structured, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic." Hermione Granger raised her hand. "Yes?"
"There's nothing in here about using defensive spells?" The brightest witch in Gryffindor argued.
"Using spells?" It was almost like a mocking. Krista didn't understand this woman in the slightest. The ministry was meant to help protect the wizarding world, yet slowly this would destroy it. "Well, I can't imagine why you need to use spells in my classroom."
"We're not gonna use magic?" Hermione almost mumbled.
"You'll be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk free way."
"What use is that? If we're attacked, it won't be risk free." Harry snapped. All eyes were on the boy who lived.
"Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class. It is the view of the Ministry that theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your examinations which after all is what school is all about."
"And how's theory supposed to prepare us for nothing out there, dear. Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourself?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe Lord Voldemort." The whole class began to whisper, two sides of a story. Some believed Harry and some didn't, in fact most didn't.
"Now let me make this quite plain. You have been told that a certain dark wizard is at large once again. This is a lie."
"It's not a lie. I saw him. I fought him."
"Detention Mr Potter." Oh well done Harry, Krista thought to herself. It was only the first day yet all the usual drama had begun. Sometimes even Krista wondered what it would be like if Harry never came to Hogwarts.
"Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord?" Krista glanced at Daphne beside her and held her hand. The Green
"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident."
"It was murder. Voldemort killed him."
"Enough!" She screeched. The whole class went silent from the banshee. "Enough. See me later, Mr. Potter. My office." Umbridge went up to her office for a moment and the class began to talk among themselves. Draco Malfoy was one of them, sniggering to his best friend Theo Nott.
"Potter is bloody crazy." Krista couldn't ignore Draco's comment. He was coward, only speaking when Umbridge was gone.
"Are you sure Malfoy?" Draco turned around. "I mean you'd know right? After all your fathers a death eater." The whole class gasped. Malfoy stood and turned to Krista, forcefully and his chair fell to the floor.
"What did you just say to me?!" He sneered. Krista stood up.
"Your. Father. Is. A. Death. Eater." Krista sounded it out getting closer into his face every time. Malfoy turned red, almost the shade of her hair but Theo whispered to Draco she's not worth it. Malfoy took a deep breath and calmed himself down before taking his revenge on the Slytherin girl. He leant forward put his hand on her cheek and gave a fake smile.
"Weasley you look tired, come on you can take a nap on me again." He faked his concern and sweetness. Malfoy knew that his words wouldn't effect Krista, but getting her brother riled up to attack her did.
"Id rather spend a week in Azkaban." Krista snarled. She grabbed her new pointless book and left the classroom not even waiting for Daphne to join her.
In Charms Krista didn't need to worry about bumping into Malfoy and in Potions she stayed far away from him. By lunch time Krista was done with the whispering, she sat there at the Slytherin table alone while Daphne was asking Sprout questions about this year. Sphinx her gorgeous cat guarded its favourite witch, tracing up and down her section of the table. Slytherins were staring at her and whispering. As Krista was to have another outburst Daphne slid onto bench next to her.
"Why are they all staring?" Krista whined leaning on her best friend. Daphne smirked and turned towards her slightly.
"Well rumour is Draco Malfoy has a thing for you. And you have a thing for him."
"THAT'S FOUL!" Krista shouted, a bunch of students looked at her and she slumped down. "I wouldn't touch Malfoy."
"I know, I know." She patted my back. "But id stay away from Malfoy if I were you for a while."
"I'm going to head to the library. Try and find some DADA books that don't have cartoons." Daph nodded. Krista got up from the bench and called her cat with her. Sphinx trotted by her side as she left the Great Hall. She was also trying to avoid Ron at all cost to even attempt to explain what was going on with Malfoy.
While she walked towards the library she thought about Malfoy. What was he playing at being such an ass? Krista looked down at her cat that looked up at her.
"I don't get it, girl. He was nice this morning." The cat just meowed at Krista. "Yet again I did kinda start it." She shrugged. Down the last corridor to reach the Library Krista heard a giggling. In an indent, between pillars, on her left she saw the back of Draco Malfoys head and girls giggle. Malfoy's head moved towards the girls neck, kissing her. Krista knew the girl, she was a fourth year Hufflepuff. The girl spotted Krista and she cleared her throat causing Draco to stop.
"What?" He snapped. She stared at Krista causing Draco to turn around. He stared at me and moved off the girl. "Go, I might come find you later." Draco Malfoy strikes again in girl department. The girl scurried off and Draco walked towards Krista straightening his tie.
"Stay away." Krista stepped back.
"I shouldn't have done that today. Im… Never mind." Krista rolled her eyes at him. Draco Malfoy couldn't even slip out an 'Im Sorry'.
"Sorry. That's the word you're looking for." Sphinx circled Draco, purring while rubbing her body against his ankles.
"I'll see you around, Weasley." Malfoy smirked her and once again left Krista confused.