Under their control

VII

The young girl awakens to a house elf knocking on her door. Rolling over she pushes herself out of bed. Her small feet stumble a bit before she reaches her door. Jerking the door in, the elf's hand pauses mid knock.

"Sorry to wake Miss Young, but Miss Young must get ready to leave."

The elf sheepishly looks down as Ares replies, "Thank you Tabith, you are dismissed."

Closing the door behind her the tired girl steps towards her bathroom. Looking in the mirror she grabs a toothbrush and begins to scrub at her teeth. Rinsing her mouth she grabs the enchanted brush on the vanity to her left. Her crazy curls stretch and tangle as she pulls the brush through. When she finishes the girl separates pieces in the front and begins to braid them. Pulling the four braids to the back of her head she ties them off with a small white corn snake. Her curls fall messily to her waist, but the top of her head looks pristine.

When she exits the bathroom she puts on the only casual outfit left in her closet. A small white muggle skirt that flares at the hips and a large black button down that she tucks into the front of her skirt. Reaching towards the floor she slips on a pair of white heeled sock boots. Her final stop is near her jewelry cabinet where she picks out gold and black rings, gold layered necklaces, and matching bracelets for her left wrist. Slipping on her gold garter before grabbing her trunk the girl pulls it down the stairs where she heads into the garden.

"Scsosmses smsys scshsislsdsrsesns"

Small and large snakes slip out of the bushes and flowers. Ares selects a small orange and white snake that wraps around her right wrist opposite her bracelets. Her second snake is a medium length black one that the girl ushers into a terrarium. Back inside the house she hands the cage to an elf that already has her trunk. When she grabs onto a second elf the first one leaves the home with a pop.

Suddenly the girl is being pulled through a long tunnel before she lands in Kings Cross Station. In front of her sits the Hogwarts Express. Letting go of the elf it apparates back home and Ares is standing there alone. All around her families hug and wave but she has no one to say goodbye to. Sighing she struts towards the train and boards before almost everyone else. The only other person she finds that's sitting alone is a plump boy. His round face and crooked teeth match the portrait of Neville Longbottom.

Knocking on the compartment door frame she leans in, "Would you mind if I join you?"

The boy looks up and immediately flushes. His round cheeks jiggle as he bobs his head up and down. "I-I mean you can sit here", the dark haired boy voices.

"Thank you, I'm Ares", sticking out her hand the girl gives a sweet smile.

Sheepishly returning her gesture the boy shakes her hand with a shy smile, "N-neville."

Satisfied with herself the girl digs through her trunk for a book. Sitting back she flips open her copy of The Dark War. Flipping though the pages Ares falls into thoughts on what the world used to be like.

As the girl flips the last page she hears soft snores. Looking to her right the girl gazes out of the window only to find that it is already night. Shaking Neville awake the girl looks at him as he regains coherent thinking.

"Where is Trevor?"

Looking slightly concerned Ares responds calmly, "Neville, we were the only people here."

"No, Trevor is my toad", Neville begins to rummage through the compartment and stress is evident on his face, "where is he?"

"Neville", placing her hand on the boy's shoulder she turns him to face her, "why don't we go ask some of the other compartments?"

Taking a deep breath Neville nods in agreement. As he pulls the door open he walks straight into the bushy haired muggle born that Ares met in Diagon Alley.

"Sorry, but you really should watch where you're going", the girl's high voice notes.

"I'm s-sorry, but h-have you seen a toad n-n-named Trevor? I l-llost him. I'm Neville by the w-way." Neville's nervous paragraph reaches her ears thankfully and she shakes her head.

"I haven't seen him, but I can help look", Granger, the name Ares remembers, offers.

"I-If you don't mind", Neville answers with a small smile.

"Well we should get looking, because I suppose we are close to Hogmeade", Ares' soft voice interrupts.

Splitting up the small first years go from compartment to compartment before they decide to give up. Retiring back to her and Neville's compartment Granger is nowhere to be found. In passing the pair heard a prefect mention getting dressed so Ares lets Neville have the compartment and grabs her robes and finds the bathroom.

By the time Ares returns Neville's idly sitting in his robes with a solemn look on his face.

"Neville, I'm sure Trevor will turn up. Someone probably found him and yook him to an attendant or something. I promise you'll find Trevor." Grabbing his hands reassuringly Ares gives him a soft smile.

"Thank you Ares. I-I just met you, but y-you know just what to s-say." His sad smile lifts Ares hopes a little bit and she leans back letting go of his hands.

The train pulls to a screeching stop. The sound of compartment doors flying open fill the air. Joyous shouting rings through the train as students exit. Neville and Ares wait a few seconds before following behind a group of large burly boys.

"First years over 'ere", Ares recognizes Hagrid's deep voice and grips Neville's arm. Dragging him behind her she follows the shouts of the giant man.

Neville and Ares are towards the back of the crowd, but people clear out of their way as they head to the boats. Slipping and falling Ares and Neville laugh amongst themselves. The people around them side step to avoid being pulled down as the two stumble. When they reach the end of the path it opens out onto a black beach surrounded by trees. Small boats rock on the water and the duo stare in awe.

"Four to a boat", Hagrid shouts as he begins pushing the children towards boats.

Climbing into a boat nearby the pair sit at the front. Soon a boy and girl fill the seats behind  and the boat lurches forwards. The dark skinned boy sits with a straight back as the boat rocks. The girl on the other hand grips the side as her body drifts from side to side slinging her blue hair all over.

"Hello, I'm Aresephone Young", offering a smile I look over my shoulder.

"Blaise Zabini."

"Oh I'm Yuni Gamp."

"N-Neville Longbottom."

"Merlin this is quite awful", the blue haired girl almost shouts as she leans dangerously close to the edge.

"If you lock your feet under the bench it's not as bad", Ares' dreamy voice assured the quaking girl.

"W-where do you t-think you're going to be sorted?" Neville looks away timidly as we turn to him.

"Slytherin", Blaise states matter of factly.

"Probably Ravenclaw, most of my family is sorted there", the blue in her hair now makes sense to Ares as she pieces together the people in the boat's history.

"I'll p-probably be in Hufflepuff, but m-my family is usually i-in Gryffindor", Neville's sweet voice stutters out.

The groups turns to Ares as she picks with a thread on her white skirt beneath her robes.

"I don't know. My father was a Slytherin, but my mum was a Gryffindor from a family of Ravenclaws." Ares stays looking down as she realizes that she has no clue what house she will be in.

"Well you'll find out soon, because we're here." Blaise nods to the front of the boat and the three others follow his gaze.