Behind the Shadows [Book One]

Chapter Nine:

Chapter Nine:

When Christmas finally came around, I woke up bright and early before heading down to the Common Rooms where I was sure to find the few of us who had stayed at Hogwarts for the holidays. I had made the decision last night that I was tired of running; I was not scared to face my brother and the more my young mind thought about it the more I realized I'd been lied to.

Lied to by the same people who had always lied to me, the fact that I hadn't figured it out before then just proved how idiotic I was. But I would fix that, I would fix whatever relationship I could salvage with my older brother and I would fix my life.

Because I deserved it.

"Harry.. I think your sister wants to talk to you," I heard his friend, Ron, mutter as I stood behind their small group waiting for them to finish opening their Christmas gifts.

"I'll be right back," I could hear Harry say as he pushed himself up off the couch in front of the fire before heading my way. I smiled awkwardly, feeling as though I was doing the right thing but honestly not wanting to bother with doing it.

"Hi."

"Hello. Can we talk? Preferably alone."

Harry nodded, following me out of the portrait before taking the lead and taking us down the halls before opening a door. We stepped outside where there was nothing but pure white and a burst of cold air hit us hard. Shivering, we sat ourselves on a bench.

"I've been a p-prat, I was lied to and I'm s-sorry for not realizing it. Uncle told me.. That you left me, abandoned me.. I hated you and a part of me is s-still bitter but you're my brother and I don't want us to be strangers."

Harry's face twisted up as he thought about my words before he finally said what I'd been waiting to hear.

"I would never abandon you. I came to Hogwarts, and I knew you'd be coming too. I love you Amy, you're my best friend and the most important person in my life."  Harry's words struck a chord in me, making me feel ashamed of all the bad things I'd ever thought about him or said about him.  Part of me had begun to hate everything he was and stood for, and it had taken until now to realize that there was no need to.  He was my brother, my protector. 

In that moment, the words 'only a girl' echoed throughout me and I made a promise to myself.  

I would be more than just a girl, I would be everything I could be and more, I would be amazing.  Grinning, I hugged Harry before deciding I'd had just about enough of the snow and tugged him inside.  Heart to hearts between siblings could do amazing things to one's emotional stability and all I felt now was happy; I could conquer the world with just the feeling inside of me.  

"I'll see you at lunch, Amy." 

"See you, Harry."  

I wanted to spend more time with him but I was fully aware that he had friends at the school and wanted to spend time with them; and I was promised a gift from my own new friend, Draco. Though he was still quite rude, and controlling; I liked him, he could take a punch and considering how much I enjoyed punching people, I think it was good to keep him close to me.  

Sighing, I made my way through the corridors until I'd gotten to the dungeons.  I knew that people from other houses weren't allowed into another house's dormitories or common rooms but Draco trusted me enough with the password in just the couple of days we'd known each other.  I could only hope that I wouldn't be caught one day sneaking into it; otherwise it might be my last offense before being expelled. 

"Pureblood," I said clearly as I made it to the stone wall in the dungeons.  I watched silent yet unpatient as the wall revealed a passageway inside of it that led me straight to the Slytherin common room.  I ran through it and into the green (a rather pretty emerald shade) room where only a single Slytherin sat waiting.  All the others, as far as I knew, had gone home for the holidays so we had no reason to worry about someone ratting us out. 

"Draco!"

The blond haired boy smirked at me, holding up a wrapped gift while on the floor around him were several miscellaneous items and at least six pounds of wrapping paper.  The gift Draco was currently holding up for me seemed to have somewhat crinkled paper, hinting to the fact that he used some from one of his own presents and the fact that he was only a first year, thus incapable of going out of the school, suggested heavily that my present was pre-owned. 

Or stolen; honestly it'd be hard to tell with Draco.

Smiling, I sat on the floor next to the chair he was sat on.  He handed me the medium sixed box, seeming oh-so-proud of himself as I shook it to try and guess what it was.  I'd never really gotten honest gifts before, Harry would always get Dudley's old ragged clothes and I would be lucky to get a cheap bobble or trinket, usually just a stack of stickers or a broken piece of jewelry.  But then Harry would try and find me things, weird or odd shaped or coloured stones and pieces of nature.  

When I was younger, I loved the things he gave me but as I got older I began to realize just how much I hated nature.. I never could get the courage to tell my older brother that I'd slowly come to dislike his Christmas or birthday presents.  

But this.. whatever this is, it would be something new or at least well taken care of, and it would be from someone who actually liked me and not just because he had to because we were siblings.  This boy, Draco Malfoy, liked me for me.  

"Go on, open it," Draco commanded me, making me raise my eyebrows towards him as if to say 'excuse me? Are you trying to get hit again?'.

"Sorry," he rolled his eyes before gesturing to the box again.  

Grinning, I tore into the wrapping paper, just throwing it on the ground next to me; knowing that it would be cleaned up (though by who or what, I wasn't sure).  Beneath the paper was box and as I broke through the cardboard, I uncovered something black and unbelievably soft.  I laughed as I realized it was a cloak, and not one I would necessarily wear as it was emblazoned with the Slytherin crest and could potentially get me in a good bit of trouble with many of my fellow Gryffindors.  

"Did your mum send you this?"  

Draco blushed before nodding. "I already have two, and you don't have one I've noticed. You're always running around without something to keep you warm so I'm giving you this one.  You are now an honorary member of the House of Slytherin."  

Launching myself at him, I laughed happily as I thought of his words. He had noticed something about me and he was welcoming me into his house, essentially his family.. I meant something to this boy, this random boy who I punched during our first meeting who had no reason to like me yet every reason to hate me.. I meant something to someone.  

I'd never felt happier.  Christmas couldn't get any better than it was right now.  

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[[A/N: omg i actually finally finished this chapter.  GUYS i haven't had a computer in like 2-3 months, this is terrible awful and I've not been able to write at all and it sucks so bad but i'm here for another hour and a half (at a friends house) so I'm going to try and get chapter 10 out as well c: I'm sorry this seems rushed, I am trying to hurry this book along a bit, it slows down a LOT after the next couple of chapters (as these chapters are to establish friendships and let you guys know all thats happened in her life before Hogwarts) as I'll be jumping towards her fourth year.  This book doesn't revolve around Harry's life so much as other HP sister books do, sorry ;_;)  ]]