malice. |harry potter|

1.9

"do you trust me?"

♥

     Mali and Lottie sat in the train compartment with Astoria and Pansy, promising to write each other over Holiday and laughing about something or other. When they were about ten minutes from Kings Cross, Draco, Blaise, and Theo came into the carriage, hugging the girls goodbye.

     "Lottie, we should go find the others," Mali prompted. Colletta nodded, following her out of the booth, saying a final goodbye to the other Slytherins. The two girls walked to the Gryffindor carriage, stopping in a Hufflepuff compartment to take Cedric.

     "Mali!" Harry and Ron were in a booth alone, Hermione having left by floo to her parents already.

     "Hey Harry. This is Lottie Dupont, and I think you sorta know Ced already, right?" Harry nodded, getting up to shake Cedric's hand.

     "Nice to properly meet you. You're one hell of a seeker, you know."

     "Thank you. I'm excited to play Hufflepuff," He then turned to Colletta. "Hi, I'm Harry."

     Lottie smiled, shaking his hand. "Lottie. It's a pleasure, Harry Potter. I've heard a lot about you."

     "Ced, Lottie, this is Harry's friend, Ron Weasley. He's coming to the manor as well."

     Cedric's face dawned in recognition. "Oh, you're the twins' younger brother!" Ron nodded sheepishly, briefly saying hi to Mali's friends before sitting back down. The five children sat in comfortable silence, before Mali turned to them.

     "Okay, so, I need to give you all some warnings. Ced, you alright know the deal, but for the three of you," she stared pointedly at Harry, Lottie, and Ron, "listen up. My mother is the kindest, warm, most well-meaning person in existence."

     "Why on earth would we need to be warned of that?"

     "Good question, Potter. I just wanted you to know, she will spoil you, and dote on you, and give you presents that are far to weird for someone that you've only just met to give you. But I'm warning you, accept everything with a smile on your face, be happy, and do not try to be modest or humble. Like I said, the Fallons are obscenely wealthy, and the one love that my mother and I both share, is spending money."

     "It's true," Cedric added. "Just let her do what she wants, or she gets sad."

     "Yeah, pretty much. Also, we have enough space for you to all have your own rooms, if you want, but most of the time my friends just stay with me. Ced and the twins are in one room, but Harry, Ron, you two can stay with Lottie and I, if you want."

     "So..." Ron began. "Your 'warning' was that your Mum will be sad if we don't let her spoil us?" He asked incredulously.

     "Yeah, essentially," Mali shrugged. Ron and Harry grinned.

     "Well your Mum sounds lovely," said Lottie, smiling sweetly. "I'm rather excited!"

     Mali smiled, "Me as well. Oh, look!" she pointed out the window, indicating the view of Platform nine and three-quarters, to which the Hogwarts Express was pulling in. "Come on then, you lot!"

♥

     "Mum!" Mali and Isla screeched at the same time, running across the platform. Rosalie Fallon turned, beaming, to embrace her daughters.

     The three women hugged each other tightly, always having been a close family. "Hello, my dears. You've both somehow gotten twice as beautiful since the last time I saw you!" Isla and Mali laughed, already feeling the lightness that came with Rosalie. "Now, introduce me to your friends! I'm so excited to have so many people at the manor!" Mali grabbed her wrist, dragging her toward the group of kids.