long and lost | malfoy fanfiction

chapter one | first year

___________
valeria
___________

Like everyone else joining a new school, I was nervous. So nervous that I debated just not going to my new school altogether. My father figure, Amos Diggory, shut that option down immediately. So now here I was, lugging my huge trunk down the stairs of my family home in Devon, minutes away from starting the long journey to London, where I would be catching the train to Hogwarts.

When I was first accepted into Hogwarts; School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I was so excited, I'd been waiting for this day ever since my older brother, Cedric, got his letter too. I waited three long years and when the day finally came, and September 1st ticked closer and closer that's when I realised that I was bound to make a fool of myself and if I didn't, Cedric would.

Cedric wasn't my real brother, and Amos wasn't my father (although I took his last name from the day I arrived on their doorstep). I was left at their doorstep when I was a baby, just one year old. I could never pass as Cedric's little sister anyway. I was blue eyed with bright red fiery hair cascading down my back in waves, and on my forehead was a scar. A faded scar, the shape of a lightning bolt. I had no idea how I got it and whenever I asked Amos he somehow changed the subject. Ever since I was young, people would whisper and point at my scar when they saw me. Things like "that's her!" and "I hear she was just one when it happened." It must have been bad.

A shocking pain shot through my toe as my trunk landed on my foot. My hand flew to my foot in pain and groaned. Today was already not going well. "Cedric, would you just stop being stuck up and help me put my trunk in the car!" I called up the stairs. Cedric was in the awkward teen stages now and was going into his third year, suddenly he thought that was an excuse to ignore me and treat me like crap.

A glimmer of hope coursed through me as I saw my brother open his bedroom door. He slumped to the top of the stairs and glared down at me with angry eyes.
"And you can't do it yourself because?" He asked, walking down the stairs so he was in front of me.

I huffed and rolled my eyes, "Will you just help me? It needs to get into the boot but I can hardly get it down these bloody stairs." I looked up at him pleadingly, he sighed and roughly grabbed my trunk from me. I mocked him behind his back as he easily picked up the trunk and carried it out to the car.

"Come on, come on you two, stop your bickering. We'll be late, everyone in the car." Amos rushed me out the door and out into the crisp air. It was going to be a nice day out, it was a pity I wouldn't be there to enjoy it. I crammed myself into the backseat with some of the other bags and my owl while Cedric sat, smug, in the front.

The car came to life with a rumble and lurched forward, we were officially on our way. I focused my time mainly on taking in the view, the rolling hills, ranging from dark forest green to bright yellow. The fluffy clouds in tufts against the bright blue sky. I was going to miss home that was for sure. Slowly the countryside faded into streets and houses, most of them ancient looking and worn down and the others brand new with glossed windows and shiny letterboxes.

The peace and quiet was soon interrupted too. Traffic started to build up, people were obviously doing the morning rush. We'd gotten stuck in three traffic jams already, I could see Amos in the front nervously checking his watch and drumming his fingers against the steering wheel. Thankfully we got to Kings Cross Station with fifteen minutes to spare.

"You've got everything?" Amos asked us, as we piled our luggage onto trolleys. My owl, Pippin, screeched as I accidentally bumped her cage against the side of the trolley.
"Yes." Cedric and I chorused, itching to get onto the platform before it was packed with people.
"Your books? Your robes? Your wand?" Amos fired questions at us like a madman.
" Okay, Dad, we have everything. Can we go now? "
Cedric was fidgeting nervously, obviously wanted to get as far away from us and to his friends. Amos sighed, looking back and forth from me and Cedric proudly.

"Okay you two, be nice, Cedric look after your sister." Amos warned him as he pulled him in for a hug. I scowled, " I don't need Cedric, I can take care of myself. "
More and more cars had entered the car park now and I was starting to worry if we really were running behind. Amos pulled me into a hug to which I accepted gratefully.
"Owl me when you can. I'll see you at Christmas." He started waving as we walked away. We walked in silence until we could no longer see Amos nor hear him or our old loud car.

"Sit with me and my friends." Cedric told me, I rolled my eyes and scoffed.
"What makes you think, I'm going to listen to you, Ced? I don't have to sit with you, I can sit with whoever I want." We were now entering the station, shuffling awkwardly inbetween crowds of staring muggles. The barrier to platform nine and three quarters was bobbing in and out of sight as we walked.

"Fine. Amos won't be happy if you sit with boys, just warning you." He had an amused tone to his voice like he was teasing me.
"You mean you won't be happy if I sit with boys. You're my older brother, I get that Ced, but I'm not a baby." We had stopped behind a large family of redheads waiting to go through the barrier now.

Cedric ignored me and we waited patiently to go through the barrier. After the last people got through, Cedric nodded towards the barrier wanting me to go first. I took a deep breath and started at a run. It was always a shocking feeling, like you had just been dunked in ice cold water and you couldn't resurface for air but soon enough you came out the other side and regained your warmth.

In front of me was a dazzling train, scarlet red with thick billows of steam puffing onto the platform engulfing everyone in it. The windows gleamed almost unnaturally and wizards and witches piled onto the train, waving goodbye to their families. Not even a second later, Cedric joined me on the platform. He checked his watch carefully. Ten to Eleven.

"Come on, we'd better load our trunks." I followed Cedric though the crowd, staring at nothing but his back so I wouldn't get lost. Loading the trunks was hard work, I could barely lift the damn trunk. Thankfully, Cedric was there to help me and Pippin and my trunk were long gone in the mess of Luggage.

The train on the inside was almost as amazing on the inside. I'd never been on the actual train before. The most I'd seen was through the windows and that was exceptionally difficult. Cedric turned to me, stopping outside of a compartment full of people that I recognised, Cedric's friends.

"You're sure you don't want to sit with us?" Cedric asked, raising one of his thick eyebrows. My nerves had settled back in my stomach but there was no way I was going to sit with my older brother's friends. I had to make friends of my own. Cedric had made his friends on the train in his very first year, I had to do the same.

"No, I'll be fine. Thanks, Ced." I smiled gratefully. Cedric glanced around quickly before pulling me into a bear hug. His hugs were always comforting, they made me feel safe and for a second I wanted to take back my answer and join him with his friends. He let me go and ruffled my red hair before saying a quick bye and slipping into his compartment.

I sighed, starting my walk slowly down the corridors. Now I just had to make some friends. It wouldn't be that hard right?

_________________________
this is so long and it's not even
good omg. if anyone even reads
this, i'm sorry they'll gradually
get better but the first few are
going to be so bad because i
haven't wrote anything like this
since i was eleven and i'm now 
fifteen so yeah, sorry lmao :) 

i'm dyslexic and have to 
search up how to spell everything
i even struggle speaking because of 
it so yeah sorry about my spelling
i'll try and work on it