"Ah, another Malfoy," the hat sounded amused. "You are not what you seem, or what your family and peers see, are you? Your heart is double. A Malfoy in name, but your true lineage is hazy, which makes you quite tricky to place. You would do well in...
Our letters arrived from Hogwarts so that Draco and I could go buy what we needed for second year. We waited by the fireplace as mother was going to accompany us.
Draco went first. Mother isn't keen on Flooing, and so she opens her arms to me which I step into and she hugs me, and together we disapparated to Diagon Alley.
We arrived at Flourish and Blott's first, once we found Draco, and while they were busy I went off and found Hermione. She was stood there looking at a shelf of books with her parents. Her parents both looking a little lost.
"Introduce me to your friend," mothers serene voice said, as she walks up behind me.
I hesitate; but Hermione turns around anyway and walks over to us, her parents in tow.
"Lovely to meet you Mrs Malfoy, I'm Hermione, Hermione Granger," she speaks to mother confidently. "A good friend of Ally's!"
"Are you in Slytherin?" Mother asks.
"Gryffindor, actually," Hermione sniffs.
"And you're good friends?" Mother questions, looking down at me, a questioning look in her eyes.
Mother insists upon speaking with Mr and Mrs Granger, Hermione pulls me over to one side and says. "I brought you some things. I realised there must be a lot of muggle things you've never tried before, so I brought some of my favourites for you!"
"Hermione, you didn't have to do that," I tell her, but she's opening my bag and tipping in a collection of goodies.
"Nice girl, and bright, too, pity she's a mudblood," mother says as she and I left Flourish and Blott's.
I bite my lower lip. "Where's Draco?" I ask quietly, knowing I couldn't argue with her.
"He's still inside, dear. We're going to get you some more robes, you've grown a fair bit since first year!" She states absently.
Following her along, I catch sight of some cats in a window and one immediately caught my attention: a Bengal cat. The most striking shade of vivid orange with black, rosette markings; and pure lime green eyes. He's laid down on his cage, almost to his side with his front paws splayed out in front of him. Mother lets me get him.
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We find Draco stood, waiting for us near Knockturn Alley, and I realise he's talking to father. Draco flashes me a smirk as we approach them.
Father rushes up to us, and as he was about to snarl something at me, mother pulls me behind and says something neither me nor Draco could hear. He calms down and his smile turns sinister.
***
When September 1st came, I was more than ready to head back to Hogwarts. Draco and I were running through King's Cross Station while pushing our trolleys; I was going at a slower pace so that I didn't frighten Rufus, - my Bengal - too much.
We pass Harry and the Weasley's, and that's when I spot Ginny amongst them. The youngest and only girl amongst seven boys. I had almost forgotten that this would be her first year at Hogwarts. I send her a quick smile and she waved back.
After we got our trunks onto the train, I took Rufus out of his cage to rest on my lap; just then, the trolley lady comes by. "Anything from the trolley, dears?!" She asks, a kind smile on her face.
"Erm, two chocolate frogs please and a packet of drewballs, please!" I ask.
I take a seat by the window while Draco takes his time thinking about what he wants, and I almost choke on a drewball when I see Mr Weasley's Ford Anglia flying alongside the train. Harry dangling out of it as he clings to the front door handle.
I've no idea how they weren't on the train, they were just behind Draco and I on the muggle platform before the barrier, and the other Weasley's all made it through and onto the train in time.
Finally, when Ron reached out his hand to help, Harry was able to drag himself back into the car and I sagged in relief.
Before long, I had lost all sight of the Ford Anglia and it was time to change into our robes as we were almost at Hogwarts. I'm playing with the pendant around my neck, it was something mother gave to me just before we were due back at Hogwarts. She told me all I had to do, was tap the small mirror in it, once with my wand, and I would be able to see and talk with her as she had an identical pendant. She showed me how to do the spell.
The train pulled into the station and everyone filed off. Theo caught up to me and we got chatting again as we climbed onto a nearby carriage that was now full, and it started to take us up to the castle. He told me all about his summer.
When we reached the Great Hall, instead of sitting next to Draco like I usually would, I placed myself between Theo and another second year I'd not met yet. His smile makes me uncomfortable.
As the new first years were being sorted I played with the pages of my diary until I heard Ginny being called; she, of course, was sorted into Gryffindor.
Once the sorting ended and the feast, we went down to the dungeons towards our dorms to get ready for bed.
Arriving in my dorm, I see there's another trunk that had been brought up; just then, our prefect walked in with a timid looking first year.
"This is Gaia Rosewood. You will both be sharing this dorm until graduation. Goodnight," with that blunt and brief introduction, she spun round and slammed the door behind her.
"Hi, I'm Ally Malfoy, it's nice to meet you," I offer her a warm smile.
"You're a Malfoy?!" She squeaks.
"Yes, but trust me, I'm not anything like them. And I don't wish to be," I say. "I'm going to get ready for bed, but we can talk more tomorrow, and don't worry, you'll get used to everything pretty quickly!"
She nods.
I grabbed my pyjamas to get ready for bed, and I went into the girls bathroom to brush my teeth.
