Thicker than Blood (Draco Malfoy love story)

Chapter one: My wildest nightmare

Phoenix's P.O.V.

I walk with the other students on the way to Hogwarts, nervous and excited. I wonder where Hagrid is, hoping he'll be home tonight. He's supposed to help me identify a dragon egg I got a few weeks back. I think it's a Norwegian Wedgeback, but the coloring is all wrong. I have never heard of a dragon egg that glows neon blue, but there is mistaking the glow of this egg. I was hard-pressed to cover it up, but I managed it, thankfully.

I walk with the rest of the sixth years, earning some funny looks. It's my first year, but I'm 16, and at the sixth year level. If they think I'm weird now, just imagine what they would think if they found out what I am. After all, it's not very often they let a half-vampire witch into the school.

Actually, I'm probably the first, because I'm the only one of my kind. Yeah, it sucks. I have to hide what I am, always appear normal. But I'm sure I can do it, can't be too hard.

Dumbledore is the only one who knows, because he's my godfather. I guess he would just be my father now, actually. Little orphan Phoenix, lost her family to a bunch of vampire hunters. No one can know. No friends, no family, no one to talk to.

I let out a rather unladylike curse when someone pushes me out of the way, knocking my books out of my hand. I look up, planning on giving them a lesson on manners. Instead, I forget how to breathe as I look into the face of the most gorgeous man on the face of this planet. He smirks at me, which would have pissed me off if I wasn't so distracted. He bends down and picks up my books, handing them to me.

"Hurry! You don't want to be late your first day!" Hagrid's words jolt me into action. I pull my arms tighter around my books.

"I-I have to go. Bye!" I run to the front of the group, trying to look like I had a reason for being there. I risk a glance back to see if he's still there. When there is no sign of him, I give a sigh of relief and let myself relax.

My thoughts immediately go back to those beautiful gray eyes and his pale blond hair. His smile... or smirk. Same difference, seeing as it was still breathtaking. I try everything to push the thoughts of him out of my head. He would never even consider me. He's out of my league. He's probably got a girlfriend. I scowl at the ground.

I'm forced to stop moping when we walk into the castle. Wow... Amazing doesn't even begin to cover it. Candles float over our head as we walk into the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall walks over to me, professional as always.

"Phoenix Beaxlin, please come with me. We are going to let all of the first year students get sorted first, then we will introduce you and let you get sorted as well." She says, waking of while I stumble behind her, trying to keep up.

We get up to the stage, and she sits me next to Hagrid. I feel strange sitting in a teacher's seat, but there isn't much I can do about it.

"Good luck, Phoenix." She whispers.

I give her a shaky smile. "Thanks." She nods and sits in her assigned place. Hagrid reaches over and gives my hand a gentle squeeze. It surprises me, considering he isn't normally a sentimental person. Towards people anyway. He has a soft spot for weird and dangerous animals, though.

"Don' ya worry. Yer goin' ter get a good'un. I promise ya tha'." I smile at him. He's like family, and it's wonderful to have him here with me. But even he doesn't know my secret...

I shake that thought out of my mind. No point in poking the wound before it can heal, as Dad used to say. I can't help giving a sad sigh as I think about him. Oh Dad, if only you were here...

"He'd be proud of ya, yer Dad. An' yer Mum. I bet they'd be righ' 'ere, watchin' their pri'e and joy get into the school they wen' to." I look at him in shock.

"They wen-" My question is cut off by Dumbledore's voice.

"Now, we have a special student getting sorted today. She has been evaluated and will start as a sixth year student, as she would have if she had started at the age of ten. A bit early, but she is very talented, I assure you. Beaxlin, Phoenix."

I stand up after a moment and make my way to the front. I look at Dumbledore, unsure of what to do. He smiles and looks at a stool sitting at center stage. I sit down and watch him pick up a worn old hat. I realize that I'm supposed to put it on. I stay still as he puts it on my head, almost missing his quiet words. "Good luck, sweetheart." I smile, feeling a little more confident.

I tense up, waiting for something- anything- to happen. "Well, well, what have we here?"

I damn near jump out of my skin, then I chastise myself for it. It only spoke. A talking hat. Trust me, there are weirder things out there.

"Easy, dear. No need to be afraid. Although, with all of the secrets that are hiding in this head of yours, I'm not surprised. Tell me, how did a vampire and a witch have a child? I would have thought they were incompatible." I freeze.

Oh God, how did you see that? No one can know. I would get kicked out... or worse. Please just put me in a house, I plead mentally.

"No matter which one? Well, you have the makings of a Griffindor, but Slythern would help you hide your... secret. It's filled with secrets. Of course, with a curious streak like yours, I could see you in Ravenclaw. What do you think?"

I ask the question before I can think on the consequences. "Which house did my parents belong to?"

I hear it laugh. "See what I meant about curiosity? What were their names, child?"

I actually have to think about it. "Nancy and Alexander Beaxlin. My moms maiden name was Leslie."

Total silence for a second. And another. And another. Then... "Well, I'll be damned..." He laughs. "I can't believe it! They couldn't stand each other! Pretty sure they got into more fights with each other than everyone else combined! Talk about odd couples..."

I smile at the picture of them fighting, then realize how long I've been sitting here. "Please, what house were they in?"

"Well, Nancy was a Slythern, through and through. But Alex was rather like you. Very hard to place. Had the cunning of a Slythern, bravery and disregard for rules like a Griffindor, inteligence of a Ravenclaw, and the kindness of a Hufflepuff. Eventually, I put him in Griffindor."

I think about it for a minute. "Slythern. I have to protect the people who helped me get here, even if it means being an outsider in my house."

He laughs. "Spoken like a true Hufflepuff. But, if you're sure... Slythern!" He shouted the last word out loud, comdemning me to my fate.

I hear cheers coming from a table with lots kids in green and silver robes. I'm assumimg these kids are Slytherns, so I walk over to that table and sit down. Hundreds of handshakes, high fives, fist bumps, 'Congrats, kid', 'hell yeah', and several other forms of welcome later, I am walking to my new dorm room, pretending to listen. The only thing that slips through is the dorm password. "lacewing". How nice. I sigh and walk around the common room, watching my fellow students. Everyone else is finding their best friend, or starting games, or placing bets.

I freeze. There, talking to two, rather stupid looking kids, is my wildest dream. And my worst nightmare. Standing there in his all of his glory, from his blonde hair to his shoes, and the smirk in between, there was no mistaking the boy who had taken my breath away. And he's in my house.

This is going to be a long, long year.