Borderline: A Draco Malfoy FanFiction

Chapter One: The Woman in the Locket

The cool air rushes in through the crack of the window, causing the hair on Jade's arms to rise. She quickly pulls the sleeves of her black turtleneck down her arms, rubbing her forearms with her hands. She traces her fingers along the seam of her dark green, plaid skirt, slowly picking at a loose thread on the end of the seam. The calm crack of thunder can be heard in the distance. She slowly loses focus as she plays with the thread, but slowly snaps back to reality as her train cart opens. Her eyes go wide in surprise as she is met with the most gorgeous girl she's ever seen; short, dark brown curls that fall perfectly; mesmerizing dark hazel, almond-shaped eyes; sun-kissed skin that looks like it is actually glowing. Jade had gotten so lost in the girl's beauty that when she finally speaks, it takes her by surprise.

"Can I sit here?" the girl asks.

"U-uh, sure?" Jade answers, uncertain. The girl smiles sweetly as she sits in the seat directly across from Jade.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to impose, but you looked rather lonely in here, all by yourself" the girl speaks, rubbing the back of her neck as she looks out the window. "I take it that you're new?"

"I guess you could say that" Jade replies plainly. "I'm a third-year but this is my first year at Hogwarts."

"Wait, what?"

Jade sighs. "I was basically homeschooled by my father for the first two years because we were in America for his job and he didn't want me to leave."

The girl's eyes widen. "Why?"

Jade shrugs. "He's very protective."

The girl takes the hint that Jade was uncomfortable talking about her father, so she quickly changes the subject. "I just realized I don't even know your name!"

"Jade."

"Cora" Cora reaches her hand out and Jade graciously accepts it, shaking it softly. "So have you been sorted yet? Sorry, I don't know how it works for transfer students."

"Uh - no. I haven't been sorted yet. Have you?" She raises her eyebrow, smirking.

Cora sits in silence, hands folded in her lap, trying to process what Jade had just asked her. Jade chuckles, "I'm messing with you." Cora simply nods her head, smiling sweetly like she always does. Jade wanted to punch herself in the face with how badly that joke fell through. Cora must have realized Jade was embarrassed because she simply changes the subject as if nothing had just happened.

"I'm in Hufflepuff, see?" Cora lifts her jumper to show her Hufflepuff encrusted vest. "What do you think you'll get into?"

Jade already knew the answer to that question. Every single person in her family was a Slytherin, except for her mother, who was a muggle. Her family has Slytherin in their blood, so being put in anything but that would make her disowned, or worse, killed. But some part of Jade wants to be placed in any other house but Slytherin. Some part, some very small part of her, wants to be cut completely free from her family. See, she is a direct descendant from Loxias, a Dark Wizard from hundreds of years ago, who was master of the Elder Wand. After his death, someone in her family decided to honor him by making his name every direct descendants' last name, which makes it very hard to make friends with people that aren't death eaters or on his side. Jade knows there will be people afraid of her because of her last name, especially if she gets placed in Slytherin. But for some reason, Cora doesn't seem to care. At least, not from what Jade can tell.

Jade had been lost in such a trance, she hadn't even noticed she had been fiddling with the locket around her neck. But Cora did.

"That's an absolutely gorgeous necklace! Where did you get it from?"