NO | a Draco Malfoy love story

Prologue

~

She stood, silent and alone, in the space between platforms 9 and 10. The letter had said Platform 9¾ but there was no such place. Had it all been a hoax, a joke? Magic isn't real, right?

A rather large family of redheads brushed past her, chattering and laughing, with cases and a cage with an owl in it. She watched them for a minute, envying their happiness, and then turned to leave.

That was when one of them mentioned "Platform 9¾."

"Excuse me," she said, wandering up to the family. "Did you say Platform 9¾?"

"Yes, I did," the mother said. "To take them to Hogwarts. You're a muggle-born, I presume."

Not fully understanding the work "muggle-born", she just shook her head and shrugged.

"Follow Ron and Harry. They're in their first year too."

The girl watched as, one by one, the red headed kids ran through the wall that separated platforms 9 and 10. Then Ron and Harry ran through, and she followed.

Smoke carpeted the platform, a shining, red steam train stood with the words Hogwarts Express printed on it. Following Ron and Harry, she sat with them in a compartment of the train, her case next to her on one side, Ron on the other.

The two boys chatted and laughed, but the girl was distracted. She was leaving everything she had ever known, and she felt that she should be sad, or afraid. But a peculiar sense of calm had come over her.

"Has anybody seen a toad? Neville's lost one?"

The girl looked up to see another girl, with brown bushy hair, standing in the doorway.

"No, sorry," Harry says. "Who're you?"

"I'm Hermione Granger," the new girl said smiling.

"I'm Harry Potter."

Hermione's eyebrows quirked up, but she turned to Ron. "And you are?"

"Ron Weasley," he mumbled, his mouth full of food.

"Pleasure."

The three begin talking, asking Harry a few different questions. Harry, taken aback by his sudden fame, answers as best as he can.

But then Hermione turns to the girl. "Hey, you never said your name."

"Uh," the girl hesitated. "My name's Isabella Lucas."

~

One by one the children were called forward, the magical hat placed upon their heads. Each time somebody was sorted, a huge cheer arose from that house's table.

Finally, the Deputy Headmistress called out:

"Isabella Lucas!"

Taking a deep breath, Isabella stepped forward, sat down, and the hat was placed on her head.

"Hmm..." she heard a funny voice say. "Now where to put you?"

The hat was talking.

Isabella was surprised at how much a talking hat shocked her - it wasn't as surprising as a school of magic or just the fact that Magic was real.

"Well, you're not going into Hufflepuff as I see you have a habit to keep to yourself. You're smart, filled with intellect, but I don't think Ravenclaw would be a good fit..." the Hat trailed off.

"Well?" Isabella asked quietly. She had been sat under the hat for what felt like an hour.

"You've got ambition, but you're not proud, which rules out Slytherin. I think I'd best put you into...GRYFFINDOR!"

The Hat came off her head, as students sitting on the Gryffindor table rose to their feet, clapping and cheering.

Isabella went to sit down, finding herself between a pair of ginger twins: Ron's brothers.

Across the hall, something caught her eye. The boy who had spoken to Harry before - the one who didn't like Ron or Hermione or Isabella - was sat at the Slytherin table, watching her.

Isabella frowned, and stuck out her tongue, earning a raised eyebrow.

Oh, dear, Isabella thought. Rivalry already?

She closed her eyes, praying that Hogwarts would be different from the other schools.

Then she opened her eyes and laughed. Of course it would be; it was a magic school.

And now it was her home.

~