The Sorting Hat's Mistake (A Harry Potter FanFiction) ON HOLD

Chapter 4: Draco and Hogwarts

***ROWAN POV:***

Present time: 

"Darling, remind me, we need to give Rowan a haircut," my Mom says to my Father as she pulls a comb through my hair. My Father mutters something inaudible an exits the room. I clench my jaw but don't say anything. I really do love my hair and I don't want them to cut it, but of course I'm not going to get any say in it. I never do. "This party is going to be fantastic. You're going to wear that winter green dress and you're going to dance with Draco...alright?" I nod my head. 

"Yes, Mother." I've learned there's really no point in arguing. I have to go to Draco's party every year, and every year I have to put on a fake smile and dance with fake people. My whole life seems to be fake sometimes, but I push through anyways. Soon I'll be back at Hogwarts and away from my controlling parents. It took them a while to get over the embarassment that I'm not a Slytherin, but they eventually let it go. They still nag at me for reading too much, but they like the fact that I get good grades. 

"Shelly!" My Mother calls and the elf immediately apparates to us. 

"Yes, Mistress?" Shelly asks, bowing slightly. 

"Draw a bath for Rowan," she says, finishing putting my hair up in curlers. 

"Yes, mistress," Shelly says obidiently, scurrying off into the bathroom. My Mother hands me a bathrobe and pushes me rather forcefully into the bathroom. 

"I'll have Shelly leave your dress and your shoes on the bed. Call me when you're ready for makeup." And with that, she closes the door. I rub by temples for a moment before climbing into the sudsy bath. 

This is going to be a long day. 

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"Hello, Draco," I greet quietly. Draco smiles at me. He looks handsome in his black suit and green tie. 

"You look beautiful," he says, kissing my hand formally. I try not to laugh. It's sort of an inside joke between us, it started when we were twelve and our parents made us do it. Draco hated it so much back then, but now he seems accustomed to it. 

"You look dashing," I reply and our parents beam at us as we walk into the ballroom arm and arm. "Ready?" I ask Draco, staring at the crowd of Hogwarts students in front of us. 

"Not really," Draco replies, but drags me towards his friends anyways. 

"Rowan!" I sigh as I hear her squeaky voice. Pansy Parkinson. She's not that bad, but I'm really not in the mood to see her right now. Good thing we're in different houses. I would kill myself if I had to share a dorm with her. 

"Pansy!" I put on a fake smile and go up to hug her. Draco disappears into the crowd. "How was your summer?" She smiles her pug-like smile. 

"Wonderful. What about yours?" I shrug. 

"It was alright, I guess. Seen Natalie anywhere?" I look over her shoulder. Natalie seems to be my only friend sometimes. We tell each other everything, go everywhere together, do everything together, and all the things best friends do. You could call us best friends...but she's a muggle born. I can't tell my parents that she is, so I told them she comes from a noble pureblood family but was adopted by muggles. They take much pity on her, which she sort of takes advantage of. Plus, she hates Pansy more than I do. 

"She's here somewhere," Pansy tells me, "and so are Persophone, Julianna, and Grace." I nod. Julianna is from my dorm as well, but she's the slightest bit uptight and snarky. I don't talk to her much. Grace and Persephone are in my year but they're both in Slytherin with Pansy. They're actually pretty nice for Slytherins.