Purebloods and Peppermints

Up and Up

~Sophia POV~

"New year, new me. That is the saying, right? " I thought to myself as my feet hit the slate ground at platform 9 3/4.

 I've walked through the crowds of parents and excited first-years for 5 years now. This year is different. I don't have Mum and Dad to send me off this time. It's only been three months without them. I can feel myself start to recall the night of their deaths in my head as I continue to walk purposefully to the train. The green light, the screams... the waking up alone and orphaned. I bite the inside of my lip, a nervous habit of mine. I'm about to tell myself off for it when two towering figures approach me on both sides. One of them puts their hands over my eyes while both of them give me a slightly cocky "Guess who?". Not only did the speaking in unison give it away, but I'd recognize those Devon accents anywhere and they immediately gave  me comfort. 

"Fred and George, really? I'm slightly hurt you think I wouldn't recognize the school troublemakers." I said with confidence. 

"Oi, I thought we earned a better title than just troublemakers after dealing with your rubbish for 4 years," Fred speaks with humor hiding behind the fake hurt in his voice. 

Fred and George Weasley have been my best friends since my 1st year and their 3rd years. They were looking for someone on the inside. A "Slytherin spy" as they called it. Being an anxious first year that was wanting to be accepted I agreed with no hesitation. Well, none that I showed at least. The task was to slip some ton tongue toffees into Professor Snape's office thus forcing him to cancel classes for the next week. They "borrowed " an invisibility clock from Mr. Filch's office which served as my disguise. I made it into the classroom with no problem. I set the toffee's on his desk and was turning around to leave when I ran straight into the target of the prank, Professor Snape himself. He is already a very intimidating wizard. Much more when you are just caught trying to trick him into enlarging his tough to four feet long. Needless to say, the twins got off scot-free and I was stuck cleaning potion bottles for a month. After that, one of us was never seen without the others. 

"I could consider a better title if you give me a chocolate frog. I know you pickpocketed a few from some first-year, Weasley." I said looking at Fred. He was the riskier twin. George had his head on slightly more straight than Fred. 

"Oh, not only that. We've got Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, cauldron cakes, and acid pops." Fred responded with pride that his pickpocketing skills paid off. 

Fred was always looking to cause some mischief somewhere. George was more of the "brains". Don't get me wrong, George performed his fair share of stunts. He just thought things out a little more than Freddie did. However, to pull off some of the pranks that these two did in the past, neither of them could be stupid. 

"Boys I have to admit, I'm a little worried about you two possibly becoming kleptomaniacs," I said jokingly. 

George started to say something defensive when the Hogwarts express gave that comforting whistle stating that it was time to depart. 

"C'mon lads. We can finish this conversation on the train," I said while locking arms with both of them. 

As we started walking to the train I heard a familiar "Sophia Elizabeth Williams! I know you are not leaving without giving me a hug goodbye." coming from a red-headed middle-aged woman who looked as if she was going to spite me right on the spot. 

"Of course not, Mrs. Weasley! You know I could never do that," I said while she wrapped me in a hug. 

"I am not going to tell you again, Sophia. Call me, Molly!" She scolded while giving me a squeeze. 

She and Arthur have been so good to me since my parents passed away. The entire Weasley family helped me clean out my family home after the incident. I couldn't stay there after the night of the murders. It wasn't home anymore. They gave me a room at the Burrow. I declined at first saying I could find somewhere to stay alone, not wanting to intrude. Molly said that was "utter nonsense" and I was more than welcome to stay with them for as long as I wanted to. I stayed there for a few weeks. 

"Well, I can't thank you enough for what you did for me this summer, Molly," I said as she released me. 

"Nonsense! Your parents were some of our best friends. I see so much of them in you. You remind me so much of your Mum especially."

I felt a warmth grow inside of me when she compared me to Mum. Molly knows I want more than anything in the world to be just like my Mum. 

She pointed to Fred and George and said "Now boys, I don't want to hear anything this year about you dragging Sophia into one of your idiotic schemes again. Do not step out of line. I'm warning you." She then gave that Mrs. Weasley look that meant she was serious that the three of us know too well. 

The twins and I laughed but knew that some sort of trouble involving the three of us was inevitable. Fred and George didn't have a care in the world about getting caught. I was, however, I tad nervous about receiving a Howler. The one Molly gave Ron our second year was brutal. 

The Hogwarts express gave that final warning whistle. Fred, George, and I stepped onto the train and found an empty compartment alone. I took a seat by the window across from two boys. As comforting as Molly's goodbye was, there was someone else I would miss even more. Sirius. Sirius and I became very close after the death of my parents. My parents were both in the original order. They met Sirius when they were Hogwarts students themselves. He became like another father figure to me. Even before their deaths, I affectionately call him "Uncle Sirius". He calls me "Little Padfoot". Molly fusses at him every time he calls me that. She always responds with "Sirius, do not fill her head with any ideas that she wants to be like you!" She swears that he influences me too much. 

I hear Fred and George laughing across from me. They are trying to decide on what prank to pull on Mr. Filtch this year. As the train slowly pulls away from the station, I can see parents waving goodbye to their children with tears in their eyes. I can see Molly waving with a smile on her face. I go to wave to Molly when I see who is next to her. On her right side, there is a black grim. A smile comes across my face as soon as I see him. 

"Sirius," I whisper to myself. 

He came to send me off. Of course, not in the most traditonal way. I knew he would get a verbal beating from Molly since he is not to be seen at all, animagus or not. I wonder if he saw Harry too. Harry and I were friends. Not very close, but I knew everything that was happening. I knew about what really happened to Cedric. I knew you know who was back. I knew almost everything. "Almost" being the keyword. For some of their meetings, they would kick all of us out and hold them in the basement where they thought we couldn't hear anything. Fred and George would always use their extendable ear invention to try and listen in. Needless to say, it didn't work. 

"C'mon, you really didn't think that Sirius would let you go without saying goodbye did you?" George said with that half smile he gives.

"Yeah, Soph. He's got to say goodbye to Harry anyways. Might as well step in and say bye to you too." Fred chimed in. 

I was about to respond when the compartment door slid open. I was expecting the sweet trolly lady with her dependable "Anything off the trolly, dears?" What I got was a surprise, a horrible surprise. Standing in the doorway was a boy with hair as platnium as a lighting bolt. Dressed in black from head to toe like he was going to a funeral. With his attitude he might be attending his own if he didn't watch it.

Draco Malfoy.