A Daughter Of Death

The Hogwarts Express

Ron was just talking Harry through the finer points of quidditch when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy or Hermione Granger this time.
Three boys entered and Harry recognised the middle one at once: it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop. He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.
'Is it true?' he said. 'They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?'
'Yes,' said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them were thickest and looked extremely mean. Standing either side of the pale boy they looked like bodyguards.
'Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle,' said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. 'And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy.'
Ron gave a slight cough that might have been hiding a singer. Draco Malfoy looked at him.
'Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles and more children than they can afford.'
He turned back to Harry.
'You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there.'
He held out his hand to shake Harry's but Harry didn't take it.
'I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks,' he said coolly.
Draco didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.

'I'd be careful if I were you potter,' he said slowly. 'Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riff-raff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid and it'll rub off on you.'

Both Harry and Ron stood up. Ron's face was as red as his hair.
'Say that again,' he said.

But before Malfoy could, a voice interrupted Harry's plans to knock him into the carpet.

'Draco?' A dark haired girl had appeared outside their compartment and stared at Malfoy a little wide eyed.

'Emmy!' Malfoy's cruel expression vanished, replaced by mild shock.
The girl grinned, wrapping her arms around Malfoy in a warm embrace and - to Harry's disbelief - Malfoy hugged her back.

'I was looking for you,' the girl said, still holding onto him.
'I'm sorry,' Malfoy mumbled. 'Mother thought we could bring you with us but -'
'I know', she interjected. 'It's okay.'

Harry wasn't entirely sure what to make of this turn of events and Ron hadn't seemed to have forgotten Malfoy's insults. He was struck by how at odds the two children's appearances were - the girl's dark hair (as black as Harry's own) looked striking against Malfoy's ghostly complexion.

The pair drew apart from their embrace and Harry thought Malfoy looked a little torn between insulting Harry and Ron further and going with the girl.

'Be careful, Potter.' He spat the words like venom and with a final glare at Ron, Draco Malfoy turned to leave.

Yet the girl - Emmy he had called her - looked at Harry for the first time. A strange expression crossed her face (that if he didn't know better he might have thought was guilt or more likely pity) before she too left, Crabbe and Goyle following in her wake. Leaving Ron and Harry alone at last.

'You've met Malfoy before?' Ron asked once Malfoy was surely out of ear shot.
Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley. Now that he thought about it, he recalled Malfoy and his mother mentioning Emmy in Madame Malkin's.
'I've heard of his family,' Ron said darkly. 'They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My Dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the dark side.'
'Do you know who the girl is?' Wondering why her arrival had swayed Malfoy to leave them.
Ron shrugged, 'Probably some pure blood family friend. Wizards like the Malfoy's tend to stick together.'
Ron returned to his attempts of coaxing Scabbers out of a sweet box but Harry found his mind wandering back to Emmy and Malfoy as the train approached Hogwarts.