Hard to Hate

Chapter 1

The charm required the utmost focus, if I didn't, catastrophic backfire could have occurred. I strained heavily, as the egg in front of us had to be charmed just so as to not hurt our partners. I could hear chatter in the background but I worked hard to block it out. Focusing in back on the egg, I turned my wand in my hand slightly in order to get a little more comfortable. Lifting my shoulders slightly, I corrected my posture in order to prepare myself for the spell, but the sound got louder and launder, and I immediately recognized the annoying voices and laughs;

I slammed my wand down on the desk and spun around in my chair to face the source of the extremely irritating noise.

"Would you two kindly shut the hell up?" I couldn't help but yell a little, the two had this way of constantly getting on my last nerve, and I couldn't stand it, especially when it was taking away from my schoolwork.

"Why should we, Lestrange, too much fun and interesting conversation for you? Not enough muggle hating and murder?"

"No, Weasley, I unlike you, actually care about my future, and your ridiculous assumptions about my opinions based on my parents, are overdone at the least," Flitwick caught ear of our conversation, and shut down the three of us before it could get any farther, and I couldn't help but be grateful toward the professor. Although both of the twins were absolutely awful, at least George had some sort of a notion of common sense. Fred, on the other hand, was just an annoying, idiotic prick who thinks its funny to pick on the girl whose parents are in Azkaban. Not that it bothered me in the slightest that they were locked up, in fact, the only worry that I had, is the chance that they would ever get out. Up until the third year, the entire school was terrified of me. My only friends were books and the professors, as they had to at least try to treat me the same as every other student. Then I met Melody, my current project partner. She was a fellow Slytherin in my year that saw me on my own in the library and decided to come and talk to me, and we've been best friends ever since.

"Will you stop picking fights with those two? You know that's only going to make the whole thing worse."

"Yes, i know that, but I snapped. I really don't want you getting sent to the hospital wing if this doesn't end up working," I huffed, anger and frustration flooding my nerves. I felt Melody's hand on my back, as she tried to help me calm down, breathing deeply in and out. Once I was calm enough, we finally got around to perfecting the charm. I focused on the egg in front of me, finally being able to clear my mind. I said the incantation, not loud enough for everyone around me to hear, and tapped my wand against the egg twice. I give Melody a look of worry, as I hoped that this would work.

"It's ok, Y/N, I trust you," She gave me a comforting smile.

"I know you do, Mels, the problem comes in when I don't trust myself. I closed my eyes, picking up the egg, and rolling it slightly in my hand. It now felt weightless, which was a good sign. "Ready?"

"Ready," Melody said, the look of determination almost inappropriate for the situation. I held the egg above Mel's head, and cracked it open, watching as the blue light flooded over her hair. Everything was going exactly as planned and I couldn't help but get excited. Our class was supposed to be developing cosmetic charms on our own as a project, and today, we were to show Flitwick the results. The shiny blue light around Mel's head dissipated and I sat back down.

"Okay, last step, now you just have to think of something, anything," My eyes widened with excitement as I watched her face scrunch up slightly in concentration. All of a sudden, I watched as tendrils of hair began to harden into wood in the same shape as her hair before. Small cherry blossoms began to grow from the wooden tendrils. Dancing in my chair a little, I called Flitwick over. He made his way over to the two of us and we explained how we completed the charm, as well as showing him the completed product. I couldn't help but swell with pride as our Outstanding was placed onto the paper. Turning to Mel, I could see a mirrored expression, the same as mine. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the idiots' attempt at a cosmetic charm. The two had turned George into a horrific and monstrous thing, all teeth and eyes everywhere. I couldn't help but look in abject horror at his ghastly appearance.

"What are you staring at, Lestrange, George and I too irresistible?'

"You know that cosmetic charms are supposed to make you look actually good, not like a troll and a doxy were brother and sister, and then had a kid?"

"Harsh words, Lestrange, I for one think I look gorgeous!" George said, though it was difficult to understand him through all of those teeth. I turned to Melody, miming me throwing up, which got a laugh out of her.

The two of us laughed and talked for the rest of the class, trying our best to ignore the redheaded blunder located behind us. Finally we were dismissed from class, and I got to leave. I was finally free of those two. Mel could see the change in my demeanor immediately once I left their presence.

"I never understood you hate those two so much."

"I just do, they always try their best to ruin my day and I can't stand it!"

She dropped the subject, knowing that it would only ruin my day more to talk about him, them. I was lucky, as this was the last class of the day, finally my absolute escape from all of my responsibilities and deep psychological issues, Quidditch practice. I walked Melody to the library, before heading down to the common room. I could feel the excitement coursing through me as I got dressed in my uniform and collected my broom. As I headed down the stairs, I saw none other than Draco Malfoy flagging me down in the common room. I smiled and ran over to him, tousling his hair and slinging my arm over his shoulder. The kid had been a friend of mine ever since I could remember, and when my parents got locked up, Narcissa practically demanded that the Malfoy's took me in. Throughout our entire childhood we did practically everything together. Hell, I got to hold him after he was born, with help of course, he was only two after all. My cousin and I were more like brother and sister, if I was totally honest with myself.

"So, how was the new class?" I teased. Third year is when you started taking Care for Magical Creatures, and Draco had been complaining about it ever since he found out he had to take it.

"Hagrid says he's showing us something interesting tomorrow, probably going to be a secret dragon or something," He cringed at the thought, Draco never was a fan of animals. I let out a little laugh, and the two of us headed out, walking and talking all the way to the pitch.