"Bye mum."
"Goodbye. Get good grades," Mrs. Baem replied to her youngest daughter. Irene boarded the train first, having already spotted her friends, Jade assumed.
"Bye," Jade said halfheartedly.
Her mother gripped her shoulders and smiled widely. "Have fun, okay? I know you always do. And help Slytherin get the House cup this year! Damn Gryffindors have been getting too much special treatment lately."
Jade sighed inwardly. "Right. I'll write you," she added vaguely.
"Bye! Love you!"
"Love you," Jade mumbled as she stepped up onto the train. She walked briskly down the narrow isles looking for an empty compartment before she almost cursed. I have to go meet with the other Prefects, she remembered.
With a groan, Jade dragged her suitcase behind her to the very back of the train. At the Prefect's compartment, she knocked reluctantly. The door slid open quickly and a girl with curly brown hair stood looking down at her. She already had her robes on, her shiny Prefect's badge stuck neatly overtop of the Gryffindor colors. "Hello," she said kindly. "You're a new Prefect, right? Come on in."
Jade smiled slightly before she stepped forward into the small space. The girl sat down next to a redhaired boy, and suddenly Jade recognized them. Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley - they were pretty famous for being the Chosen One's best friends. The two Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws introduced themselves, but Jade didn't remember the names. "I'm Jade Baem," she said quietly. "Slytherin."
Hermione Granger lifted a brow ever so slightly - as if she was surprised. Jade laughed to herself; of course she wasn't Slytherin material. Whether that was a good or bad thing, she wasn't sure yet. "So we're missing the other Slytherin," Hermione said. "Where is he?"
Before she could finish her sentence, the door flew open, and a tall, dark figure leaned against the frame. "Right here, Granger. Not surprised to see you here - but the same can't be said for Weaselby there."
Ron turned a nasty shade of purple - Jade couldn't help but notice that it clashed with his hair. "Malfoy - you - Prefect -"
"Now, now, don't try to think too hard," Draco sneered.
Hermione sighed. "Please just sit down, Malfoy."
Draco ignored her, his eyes finally meeting Jade. "Hey - you."
"My name isn't you," Jade instantly snapped.
She saw the corners of Draco's lips twitch ever so slightly. "I know, Jade. Fancy seeing you here."
"Sit down."
"Sure," he replied, as if by invitation, and plopped down on the seat next to her.
Hermione became the natural leader, with some inputs from the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Draco lounged carelessly next to her, adding sighs and snorts where he saw fit. Ron Weasley split his time between listening to Hermione and glaring at Draco. "Does this sound good to everyone?" Hermione asked. "We can work together to do our jobs."
Jade smiled tentatively. "Yeah."
Hermione gave her a surprised smile back - and Draco shot her an annoyed glance. Jade pretended she didn't see and focused on the knock that came on the compartment door. Hermione slid it open, revealing a pretty girl with fair skin and brown hair and eyes. And behind her...stood Harry Potter. Jade blinked, feeling her heart rate escalate. She found her eyes trailing over his ruffled black hair and piercing green eyes. She had never seen him this close before, even in their classes.
"Hey," the girl said hesitantly.
"Hey, Emma!" Hermione greeted brightly. "What are you guys doing?"
"Oh, we just wanted to say hi cause we're taking a little walk. Sorry to interrupt."
"Hey Emma," Ron interrupted with a grin. The girl - Emma - gave him a bright smile.
Hermione shrugged. "I think we're just about done."
"Are we?" Jade asked, a little overwhelmed at being with so many people.
Emma looked down at her and blinked. "Hi."
"Hello."
"Well, let's go then," Ron said eagerly, jumping up from his seat.
"Wait, Weaselby," Draco drawled. "Don't you know the dirt poor have to wait for their superiors to leave first?"
"Shut up," Jade snapped in unison with Emma.
Draco narrowed his eyes at her, but she just said a quick goodbye and left the compartment (brushing past Harry on her way). She found Irene in a compartment in the middle, sitting with a blonde girl that she assumed must be the infamous Luna Lovegood. Across from them sat a boy Jade thought was Neville Longbottom, a nice but pitiful boy in her year. She sat down next to her sister slowly. "Hey, Rene."
"Hey."
Luna looked up from her magazine (which she was reading upside down, though Jade oddly didn't question it) to murmer a quiet, "Hello."
Neville Longbottom gave her a hesitant smile, extending his arm around the weird plant sitting on his lap. "I'm Neville. Are you...Irene's sister?"
Jade nodded and Irene exclaimed happily, "Yep!"
"Jade. Nice to meet you." She shook his hand reluctantly. She turned back to Irene. "Are you guys changing into your robes any time soon?" Irene shrugged carelessly. Jade was about to suggest they all do when the door slid open again.
"We're back," Harry Potter greeted, sliding in next to Neville.
"And we brought Prefects." The girl named Emma came and sat down next to him, and Ron Weasley next to her. Hermione Granger was the last to enter and the first to notice Jade, as she began to sit down in the empty space next to her.
"Oh - Jade!"
"Hi." Jade cursed herself for her awkward, antisocial behavior.
"What are you doing here?"
Irene answered for her, wrapping her arms around Jade's shoulders. "This is my big sister!"
Jade smiled halfheartedly. "Yeah."
"Well, I think we'll be getting there soon, let's all put on our robes!" Hermione said, pulling her trunk in behind her.
"Crap," Jade sighed. "I left my trunk in the Prefect Compartment." She squeezed Irene's arm. "I'll just change there. See you later?"
"Sure."
She walked down the hallway moodily, throwing open the compartment door.
"I knew you'd come back for me."
Jade narrowed her eyes as she saw Draco Malfoy still lounging on the seat inside. She brushed past him and reached up for her trunk on the shelf above. Cursing her 5'2 frame, she went on her tippy toes and still fell short. Draco pushed her aside and brought the suitcase down with ease. "Your welcome," he drawled.
Jade tried to walk away, but Draco grabbed her arm. "You're getting a little close to the Gryffindors, aren't you? Maybe you should think about whose side you want to be on."
Jade ripped out of his grip. "Neither."
Emma was careful to side step shallow puddles along the path from Hogsmeade station. Feeling at home in her black robes, she was overly excited to relax once again in Gryffindor's common room.
Soon, the self-pulled carriages were in sight and Emma, Harry, Ginny, Luna, Neville, and Irene were able to climb inside. Emma was vaguely aware of Harry asking Luna about what was pulling the carriages (odd because she could see nothing), but she was too absorbed in craning her neck to find Ron and Hermione.
"Where are they?" she asked, irritated.
"I'm sure they're with the other prefects," Harry sighed. Emma was glad that Harry seemed put out as well- while she had no desire to be a prefect herself, Emma missed her friends.
The ride up to Hogwarts was interesting thanks to Luna, whose odd magazine captivated Emma. She personally believed the Quibbler was ridiculous, but entertaining none the less. Soon, the carriage halted, allowing the students to pour out, joining the flow up the steps into the castle.
Emma stuck close to Harry, not wanting to be separated. "The Great Hall looks lovely, don't you think?" Luna's whimsical voice said in Emma's ear, who had to refrain from jumping. "The knargles are running rampant, though." Emma nodded in agreement, not wanting to get into what knargles were.
Finally, Emma and Harry spotted familiar bushy and red hair amongst the Gryffindor table. Emma squeezed next to Ron, who moved over to make room.
"How's prefect duty?" Harry asked.
"A lot of work, the first years are absolutely clueless," Hermione sighed. "They will need some guidance."
"Or a good punch," Ron added. "I can't believe some of the things they do- we were never like that, were we?"
Emma shrugged along with the others, smiling slightly at the glare Hermione shot at Ron. There was an excited murmur as the plates and goblets were magically filled. Ron was the first to dive in to the delicious food.
After the plates had been cleared, Emma's attention was suddenly averted to Dumbledore, who was standing at his podium expectantly.
The wizened professor went through his usual start of term speech, and after a few minutes motioned to a woman who looked rather like a toad sitting at the staff table, in all pink with a horrible bow on top of her hair.
"She was at my hearing," Harry hissed. Emma frowned and faced forward once again. A ministry worker was at Hogwarts? Why?
"This is Dolores Umbridge, she will be taking over the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
There was a soft rumbling through the hall, which was short lived. Umbridge cleared her throat with a soft "hem hem" before standing from her seat and striding to the front of the hall.
Emma was taken aback, a teacher had never once interrupted Dumbledore.
"Is she mad?" Ron whispered. Emma smirked.
The woman's voice sickly sweet as she made what seemed like a carefully rehearsed speech. Emma didn't pay much mind to the woman's formal ramblings, she was more interested in taking in the faces of the Great Hall. The Slytherin table was full of scowling faces, except for one.
Jade was odd- unlike all the other members of her House. When Malfoy had shot an insult at Ron, Jade had been as quick to defend him as Emma had. Emma wondered why the seemingly nice girl was in Slytherin at all.
"What does it mean?" Emma heard a voice hiss behind her.
"It means that the ministry is interfering at Hogwarts," Hermione answered solemnly.
There were some more grumblings as Umbridge took her seat. Dumbledore began to clap, and he seemed to be about the only one. A scuffling told Emma that the Houses had been released.
The four teens stood, but Hermione's voice cut in. "Ron, we're supposed to show the first years where to go!"
"Oh yeah," Ron answered. Hey- hey you lot! Midgets!"
"Ron!" Hermione shrieked.
Emma laughed and smiled at Ron, unlike Hermione she found his sayings quite funny. Ron's face flushed.
"Well, see you later then," Harry grumbled to Ron and Hermione. He took hold of Emma's sleeve and maneuvered them through the throngs of students. Emma turned back for a moment to wave to Hermione and Ron, who both smiled apologetically.
"Are you worried?" Emma asked Harry, referring to Umbridge, as they rushed up a familiar staircase towards the Gryffindor common room.
"Yes-" Harry shot a glare at a Hufflepuff second year who looked up at the pair with curious eyes. "-and it would help if everyone would stop staring at me!"