A 14-year-old girl stood looking into a store window. The people passing in the streets paused to glance at her, but she always stood out in a crowd. Her short curly red hair was eye-catching, and her gray acid washed jeans, along with her ratty band tee and flannel tied around her waist looked very out of place on the cobblestone street. Add to that heavily pierced ears and combat boots she was turning heads for all of the wrong reasons. Violet didn't mind, she was used to being looked at. Her father was a world-renowned surgeon, her mother a model. Violet was also a witch. She looked over her shoulder and pulled open the door, walking into the shop. She was greeted immediately by an old wizard. Violet smiled at him.
"Getting your first wand?" He asked gently.
Violet shook her head. "A replacement actually. Mine was broken. It wasn't my fault." She added quickly when he looked at her. "I was attacked. His spell broke my wand." Violet removed the two pieces from her leather bag. The white river monster spine was snapped clean in half. "The wandmakers in America said it couldn't be repaired, but I figured I'd try one more shop before getting a new one."
Ollivander nodded and took it from her. "White River Monster Spine? That's unique in these parts. I'm sorry dear there's no fixing that." Violet nodded. "Try this one. 11 inches, Dragon Heartstring, Ashwood, inflexible."
"Lumos" the light flickered and then went out, Violet set it back into the box shaking her head.
The wizard hummed and reached for another "10 inches, Dragon Heartstring core, Applewood. Inflexible" Violet took it carefully.
"Wingardium Leviosa" the box she tried to levitate didn't move at all. "I'm sorry sir, my last wand was very springy.
Ollivander considered her carefully and then handed her another wand. "12 and three quarters, Dragon Heartstring core, Walnut wood, Supple."
Violet took the wand and instantly felt a connection. "Reparo" She pointed it at a broken vase on the floor. The vase instantly returned to its prior state. "Wingardium Leviosa" The vase floated neatly onto the table and settled there.
She smiled up at the wandmaker and paid for her wand. Then went to join her father for lunch across the street.
Violet's father took her into a shop where he surprised her with a new potions kit. The apothecarist had packed a new cauldron, scales, and an abundance of ingredients into an apothecary chest her father had bought at a muggle yard sale. The store owner did an expanding charm on it for free, so that everything would fit neatly despite the chest being too shallow for the cauldron. Violet's father left with the new kit, bringing that and her other school supplies to their home in London, but Violet wanted to explore the village a bit more.
She wandered off down a road to the right and passed a store labelled Borgin & Burkes, Violet was drawn in when she saw a tall blonde boy step in with his father. She placed her wand into her purse and walked around, hands behind her back looking closely at a variety of peculiar items. In a glass case was a shriveled hand, clutching a pocket watch with a strange symbol on it. She could hear the boy's father speaking in hushed tones with the shopkeeper. She locked eyes with the boy through a glass case. Violet felt her heart flutter looking at the sharp features against soft grey eyes. His father, tall with long stringy blonde hair spoke to the boy harshly and the boy turned away. Violet left the shop quickly and went down to another apothecary down the street. Violet peered around and noticed she was the only woman present. "You! Girl what are you doing here!" A scarred up man with a spinning fake eye was yelling from across the shop. Violet reached into her purse for her wand as she stepped back out of the shop and into the street shaking and hoping he didn't follow
Violet caught her breath as she rounded the corner back into Diagon Alley. A tall, sick looking man approached her softly. "Are you alright?"
"Y-yes sir, I'm sorry someone startled me." Violet felt foolish for wandering down such a dark street to begin with, and more foolish for allowing the man to scare her so much.
"Ah, an American. That's Knocturn Alley, and it's no place for an unaccompanied girl. You haven't been hexed?"
"No sir. Just startled." Violet looked about the alley and saw the man leaving the shop "There, he chased me from a shop"
The man laughed. "Of course he did. That is Alastor Moody, one of the nation's best Aurors. I'm sure he meant you no harm. Merely shocked to find such a young girl alone in that branch of Mulpepper's. There's another up the street if you're seeking supplies for potions class. They're more like to have what you'll need anyway, and less that you won't"
"Thank you sir, have a good day." Violet turned and walked back into Mulpepper's to wait for the man to leave, he walked calmly down Knocturn and turned into the very shop she had just left.''
She entered a sweets shop to buy a bag of almonds supposedly roasted by a small dragon, and wandered around the streets. She stopped to breathe in the smell of fresh baked waffle cones in one shop. Then stopped to look around a pet shop, the Magical Menagerie. Violet had been wanting a pet for a while, but her father didn't like cats, or want a toad or rat in the house, and Violet found the owls somewhat creepy. She wandered back out of the shop and down to Madam Primpenella's Beautifying Potions. Looking around at the strange concoctions Violet decided she preferred muggle makeup. But she did buy a small tube of a pimple vanishing solution. She also stopped to look at serums for her hair, but they all boasted the ability to straighten even the most stubborn curls. She shook her head at a brown-haired girl about her age staring longingly at a glass vial with the moving image of a straight haired girl dancing and running her hands through her hair. "You have lovely hair, try using something with Argan Oil to deal with the frizz, it works well for me." The girl smiled, but Violet still saw her buying the larger vial with her mother after she purchased the solution.
She stepped into the next street and decided to enjoy a cup of coffee at Rosalee's Tea Bag before heading into Flourish and Botts to look at books. Violet had decided that she would be bored at Hogwarts if they didn't listen to Headmaster Fontaine and started looking for books that were more her level, two years ahead of standard Hogwarts Curriculum. She selected and paid for a few, before heading back to the Leaky Cauldron and hailing a cab to take her back to the townhouse she and her father had moved into earlier that week.
Hogwarts Express September 1st
Violet stared warily at the brick wall in front of her. She had seen a boy with an owl on his cart walk through it a moment ago, but looked at her father nervously, unsure if he would be able to follow. She watched another group go through before asking a red-haired woman with a big family if No-Maj's could get through.
"No-Maj?" The woman seemed confused. Violet bit her lip.
"You know, folks without magic?" The woman smiled.
"Is that what they call muggles in America then? I'll have to tell Arthur. Arthur come here." Her tall husband walked over and greeted her. "Arthur, this young lady is muggle born. Did you know they call Muggles No-Maj in America?" He beamed at her.
"I did not! Brilliant. Perfectly Brilliant. How interesting." Violet tried not to look confused by his excitement but must have failed. "I'm in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts department at the Ministry." Violet smiled and nodded
"She wanted to know if Muggles could get through the platform." The woman was speaking to her husband again.
"Oh yes. That's your father? It's no problem he can go right on through. In fact, follow me sir." Her father looked concerned as he followed the oddly dressed man into a brick pillar. Violet caught eyes with a dark-haired boy standing out in a crowd of red haired children and then followed suit.
Violet felt a rush of warmth and saw everything fade into a warm yellow and then slide back into place. She was standing on a warm platform. Violet looked around at the bright red train and old-fashioned platform. She gave her dad a hug and pulled her trunk into the train. She found a cabin and waved at her father, he was already walking back to the exit. She usually left for Ilvermorny on her own, he'd only come this time because it was a new city, and Violet wasn't sure where the train station was. A thin blonde girl entered with a red-haired girl. They looked a bit younger than Violet, but she smiled and waved as she pulled on her headphones and tucked her knees against her chest. She could feel the two girls looking at her as the train pulled out of the station. They were both waving out of the window at families, and Violet felt a twinge of sadness that her own family was too busy to see her off. She turned up the dial on her music and watched the scenery change.
They were passing over a bridge when the train came to a sudden stop. Violet pulled her headphones down and looked at the other girls. "We aren't there yet?" They both shook their heads and looked scared. The air was starting to feel cold. Violet could feel Jenna's hand going cold in her own. She shook herself and looked out the frosted window. Something was swirling beyond the glass. The lights went out and Violet drew her wand. "Lumos Maxima" a ball of light formed at the tip of her wand and then centered itself in the middle of the cabin. A hooded figure appeared at the door, Violet stood at the center of the cabin as the girls moved away from the door, placing herself between them and the dementor. The blonde girl looked ready to faint. Violet closed her eyes and thought of an empty field, blue butterflies flying through the air, Jenna laughing loudly as they jumped from a tire swing into the lake. "Expecto Patronum". The younger girls turned to look at her as a pale blue seal emerged from her wand and flew towards the dementor. The monster swirled and floated away, and Violet could feel her Patronus moving down the hall. The lights came back on and Violet extinguished her light and sat back down. The image of Jenna laying on the class room floor bloody was still in her mind when the younger girls looked at her.
"It was a dementor?" The red-haired girl gasped. "They must be after Sirius Black! My dad mentioned that he slipped past them from Azkaban, but he wouldn't say anymore when he realized Ron and I were in the room."
Violet had a thought. "Is your dad's name Arthur? I think I saw you for a second at kings cross, your dad showed me how to get to the platform."
"Yes. My Mum is Molly, I'm Ginny Weasley, and this is Luna Lovegood. We're second years, I'm in Gryffindor, Luna's in Ravenclaw. I've never seen you around. What house are you in?" Ginny had a kind smile and very pretty eyes, and Luna had soft dreamy features and a sweet face.
"I'm new this year. I went to Ilvermorny, but my dad took a job teaching at Cambridge, so we moved here this summer." Luna and Ginny looked at each other. "You guys don't know much about No-Maj's- muggles- here do you?" The other girls shook their heads. "My dad's a neurosurgeon. He fixes brains. It's a huge school, where muggles learn to be doctors? I think you call them healers? But they don't have magic, so they use other methods." Violet smiled at the girls and pulled her headphones back on and leaned against the window, closing her eyes and syncing to the music and rhythmic vibration of the train.
The train pulled into the station. Violet was confused as the first years were called one direction, but the older students went the other way, she could hear her name. Violet pulled her headphones off and looked around. "Violet Vodrey?" It was a tall stern woman.
Violet looked up at her. "Here, ma'am" She made her way over to the witch and introduced herself.
"I am Professor McGonagall, you are to come with me to be sorted before the ceremony." Violet took a deep breath and followed the tall witch towards the carriages.
The Sorting September 1st 2009
"Nervous?" asked the stern Professor McGonagall.
"Only a bit, we do things so differently in America, including sorting." Violet was small, with red hair and purple eyes.
"Which house were you in at Ilvermorny?" Squeaked Professor Flitwick. She could see that it was rare for a student to transfer from another school like this, particularly Ilvermorny all the way in the states.
"The Horned Serpent"
"Ah yes... Unfortunately, that doesn't necessarily mean you'll be in Ravenclaw." Professor McGonagall's sharp voice seemed to pierce the eager looking Flitwick.
"I noticed... Were those thestrals? I've heard of them but never seen them in person." She asked curiously.
"Yeh could see those could yeh?? Not many students can yeh know" The large man that had led the first years to the boats spoke gruffly, and yet seemed very kind.
"I saw that in the book for 'Care of Magical Creatures?" She was careful not to reveal why she could see them. The loss was part of why she decided to move to England with her father, besides from what she had read, anything as subtle and common as sitting in the room while her grandparents passed could make them visible to her.
"Yeh're in my class are yeh??"
"You're professor Hagrid? I'm very excited for your class. I organized a class trip to Central America to go to the Wizarding Zoo in Belize."
"Well you'll quite like my class then! What was your favorite beast there?" Hagrid seemed very pleased to have found a student as eager to study his creatures as he was.
"There was a clutch from a Peruvian Vipertooth that hatched our second day there. They were absolutely adorable. Of course, they're probably much larger and less "cute" now, being venomous and all. Still I would love to see them all grown."
"Aye..." Hagrid seemed to be imagining what a hatchling clutch of Peruvian Vipertooths must have looked like.
"She'd do well in Hufflepuff you know." This is the first Professor Sprout had spoken and it seemed to bring Hagrid back from his vision.
"It seems to me that the girl would do well in any house. Looking at her marks from Illvermorny she's ahead of most of her year here... She may even be ready for O.W.L.s by next year. The head of Ilvermorny, Agilbert Fontaine, sent this letter along with her marks. It requests that we put her into 5th year Defense against the dark arts and 4th year Arithmancy. I will need to consult the O.W.L.s committee." Headmaster Dumbledore's thoughtful deep voice filled his office, sounding both powerful and soft.
"Severus, would you please get the hat?" The tall man in the corner had not yet spoken, remaining the only silent head of house. He watched her warily as he flicked his wand and a lumpy rag on a shelf began to stir. It floated lazily on to the Headmasters desk, where it began a song about each house. Between the words of students on the trains, actions of the head masters, and now the song coming from the hat she seemed to have an idea of what each house was, although she could not decide which she would prefer.
"Sit here dear." Came the gentle voice of Professor McGonagall. She followed the instruction carefully, as though too quick a move may cause the hat to sing again. Reaching the seat across from the headmaster she sat slowly, and Professor Snape placed the hat on her head. A voice came swimming through her mind, yet she was certain only she could hear it.
Ahh a transfer... interesting.... You're older than most that I sort... Very interesting. And a Challenge.
I see in you great bravery... you've had it tested of course... and the bravery won unlike many Gryffindor.
But also, intellect... unmatched by many who have been placed in Ravenclaw before you.
You're kind as well.. loyal... you value that kindness, perhaps more than most Hufflepuffs of your age.
But to match that kindness you are... determined... hardened... more so than Slytherins twice your age.
Time ticked by as she watched the professors moving around her. Dumbledore watched Violet curiously, and McGonagall kept checking her watch.
"I don't believe it's even her age... I'm unsure of where to place her. She embodies each value of each house in equal parts." The hat finally spoke aloud. "It's as you said Albus, she will do great things regardless of her house."
"Time.. It's a hat stall, the first since my own!" Professor McGonagall looked shocked. "Of course, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter each came close." Was it just her imagination or did Snape sneer at that second name... where had she heard of Harry Potter before?
Well girl, what is your choice??
She tried to think fast- Gryffindor is brave, but bravery can only ever take you so far if it's not matched with intellect, charisma, and a goal. Ravenclaw is intelligent, but again, without the courage to act, the friends to back you, and a goal, what good is brains? Hufflepuff is kind and loyal, and while I would love to surround myself with that I'm not sure I would feel challenged. That leaves.. Slytherin...
Was the tall man in the corner what she wanted to emulate? Shouldn't she want to be in Gryffindor with Professor McGonagall standing, so regal and powerful alongside you? But it was the only choice that made sense. If you aren't determined and ambitious? If you don't have a goal, an end plan.. What are any of those other qualities?
"I want to be in Slytherin."
The Dungeons
Before she first entered the common room with the first years the prefects explained that the Slytherin Dorm is in the Dungeons with a view of the lake. But she was shocked to find that they meant a view into the depths of the lake. As all the first years eagerly went to the windows to look out Merpeople swam to greet them. A giant squid was clearly visible some way back, it's great black eye staring back at them. Looking around the dungeon there were several burning fireplaces and cozy black leather couches, chairs, and bean bags scattered into little nooks. The room looked cold but was comfortable. There was the kind of chill that made you feel like curling up with a book and blanket, but not cold enough to make her shiver.
The ceilings were high enough to be 2 stories and elevated to the height of a second floor; there was a loft that reminded her of a muggle bookshop or café. Wandering up to it she noticed little tables and bookshelves. At one end there was a bar with coffee, tea, cream and sugar and several self-refilling platters of sweets and snacks. Violet climbed the stairs to the third level, above the common room, and noticed it was almost as large as the common room. She walked along the shelves and felt just as at home as she always had in a bookstore. She trailed her hand along the books waiting for the familiar pull. She had often walked around a library trailing her hand along their spines until one jutted into her hand as she passed. Her hand settled on a withered potions book. Just then the female Prefect, a 6th year named Shay, called the first-year girls to their dorms, and she decided to follow so as not to need to ask for directions later.
From Violet's understanding Slytherin was the only house with private dorms. The Lake cast a glowing green light into her dorm and she noticed her trunk laid out by the foot of her bed. She slowly began unpacking hearing the other third years settling into their old dorms and going to visit friends. Violet checked her new schedule and gathered the books she'll be needing for tomorrow morning 9am Divination with Professor Trelawney, then 10:30 am Herbology. She slipped them into her bag along with her schedule, some parchment, a bottle of ink, and 2 quills.
She set the bag onto the desk provided in her room and went to work organizing her other books onto the desk, and filling the drawers with various quills, bottles of ink, and other supplies. With her birthday last month her father had surprised her with an expensive potions set all stored in a beautiful apothecary chest. It was placed carefully on her desk. The shopkeeper had charmed the chest with an expanding spell, so that everything fit in it with plenty more room, but it was unassuming resting against the wall on her desk. Finally, she set her clothes into various drawers, pajamas and under clothes in one, muggle clothes in another, and hung up her school robes in the wardrobe. Then she changed into pajamas and wrote letters to her parents. After finishing her letters, she settled onto the bed with Standard Book of Spells Grade Three and practiced a few of her weaker spells, rusty after a summer of no magic. Eventually, she closed the book and looked out into the lake that was now dark blue. She could see a shimmering silver smudge that must have been the distant moon, and went to sleep.
Meeting Draco. September 2nd
She awoke the next morning in a comfortable four poster bed in a small room, the black drapes over the window were still drawn, letting in the soft green glow and Violet caught sight of a few fish and perhaps the giant squid further away. She had Divination at 9 am but glancing at her watch, she saw that she had enough time for breakfast before class. Changing quickly, she gathered her bag and headed off to the great hall.
"Over here!" a tall handsome blonde boy called as she came into the common room. "We were just on our way to breakfast, care to join us? I'm Draco by the way, Draco Malfoy." Another girl peered out from behind him, Violet thought she looked rather cruel, with a square face, small eyes, and sharp features that should have been beautiful but somehow fell short. "This is Pansy." added Draco.
"That sounds nice. My name is Violet Vodrey, actually I think I saw you in Diagon Alley?" The boy's eyes flashed remembrance and he nodded.
"Yes, in Borgin and Burkes. I'm surprised I didn't recognize you at the feast." Pansy glared at her as Draco spoke, then wrapped her arm around Draco possessively.
"What classes do you have today?" She addressed the group, 2 pale dark-haired boys hung behind Draco to the right, they both seemed rather unintelligent, but she had always said that it takes all kinds. Another boy, tall, dark, and sharp looking stood to Draco's right; he was the first to answer.
"I have Divination first thing, Mum says I should try my hand at it, but I'm sure it'll be a waste. And it's Blaise." The boy stepped forward and shook her hand.
"Oh, I have divination too! I hope I'm good at it though, it seems interesting. At Ilvermorny Divination was an elective for 7th years." Pansy snickered at her response and whispered something into Draco's ear, but he shook her off.
"Excellent, let's go get breakfast." She felt Draco was rather bossy, but was glad to be accepted. Besides, there was something deeply attractive about Draco's cocky attitude. Sitting with them she learned that the 2 dull looking boys were called Crabbe and Goyle, and they really were as dull as they seemed. Pansy seemed to absolutely adore Draco, often placing her body physically in between Draco and Violet. Violet didn't mind, it looked as though it annoyed Draco as much as everyone else. It felt as though Draco was often staring through Pansy straight at Violet, with intense gray eyes that captivated her.
That Evening
"Violet." Violet looked up, she had been sitting on her bed working on some homework for History of Magic.
"Oh, Hi Draco." She smiled at him, for once he was alone. Pansy must be in detention again, she had mouthed off to McGonagall.
"Do you mind?" He gestured to the chair at her desk and she nodded. "What are you working on?"
"History of Magic. Professor Binns is so boring. And I think I'm behind, it didn't occur to me that History of Magic in England would be different from what we studied in Ilvermorny." Draco nodded, listening to her intently. "Some of it's the same of course, but like, Grindelwald affected us differently. And we knew about Voldemort. But he never came to America, so we didn't study him so closely." Draco shrinked at the name.
"We don't say his name. We just say He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or You-Know-Who, or The Dark Lord." Violet looked at him and noticed again how attractive he was.
She smiled. "Well I've been writing it all day... oops."
"You have a nice smile." He looked at her. "I should go, Pansy will be out of detention soon. If you need help let me know." Violet said goodbye and pouted as he sauntered off to see his girlfriend.
September 14th
"Have you seen this?" Luna looked uncharacteristically worried as she handed Violet today's copy of the Daily Prophet. "He's been spotted, in Dufftown... That's not far from here." Violet wrinkled her brow and took the paper to read out loud. She was in the Ravenclaw common room and several first years exchanged worried glances.
"Well then. It looks like the dementors caused more trouble than he did... Seems that it took the Ministry four hours to calm down the locals after the dementors brushed through. You know muggles can't see them, so they would have just... felt them. Anyway, it was some old muggle woman, could have been anyone." The first years looked up at her. "Besides, I'm sure Black is terrified to come here. Professor Lupin seems very capable. McGonagall, Flitwick, and Dumbledore are all accomplished in defensive magic, Snape is also an incredibly gifted wizard and practiced in Defensive and Dark magics." People looked around and Violet remembered she was the only Slytherin present. "And yes, Professor Snape would protect students. I know he's not so popular in other houses but there's a stretch between being harsh and being evil." The other students nodded. Snape could be awful, but Violet knew he wouldn't let someone hurt a student. Unless that student was Harry Potter, or maybe Neville. "But he won't come here at all, I mean... Dumbledore is here, no one would want to face him!" Luna looked much calmer after Violet's soothing words.
September 23rd
"So Violet. Where did you grow up exactly?" Violet immediately knew something was wrong. Pansy was being too sweet.
"Oh, My mom lives in New York City, and my dad lived in Boston, but he just moved here to London." Pansy was smiling at her.
"And what do your parents do?" Violet felt her stomach drop.
"My parents? Well they're divorced, but my dad is a doctor, and my mom is a model." She looked around. Draco looked shocked, Pansy was still smiling broadly. Everyone else was starting to look at each other. "They're no-maj. I guess you call them muggles here." Violet knew what was coming, she looked directly in Pansy's eyes. "What do your parents do?"
The entire common room burst out laughing, "MUDBLOOD" Pansy shouted and pointed at her. Violet felt tears coming and stood up to excuse herself from the common room. She looked back over her shoulder to see Draco and Pansy making out.
She wandered the halls crying until she bumped into a dark-haired boy, a curly haired girl, and a red-haired boy.
"Oh! What's happened? It's Violet isn't it? You're new this year." Violet nodded and tried to get herself together. "I'm Hermione Granger, this is Harry Potter, and Ron Weasley" Violet smiled meekly at them.
"The other Slytherins found out I'm muggle born." Behind Hermione, Harry and Ron exchanged a look. "I had been hanging out with Draco Malfoy and his crowd, I heard some of the things they were saying, so I stopped hanging out with them in the group. I was really just friends with Draco. But his girlfriend Pansy was getting jealous." Violet told them what they had said.
"You should go to your head of house, that's Professor Snape." Hermione spoke bossily, sounding awfully like Draco did sometimes.
"Oh, no that's alright. I mean it's just some bullying. Thanks for letting me cry it out though. I'm sorry to interrupt whatever ya'll were up to." She smiled at them. Hermione tutted, as if she thought Violet was being stupid.
"If you need anything, let us know." Harry spoke with an odd level of command for someone so young and then smiled at her. She nodded and turned back towards the Slytherin dorms. She stopped in the bathroom on the way and wet a paper towel to hold under her eyes and bring the puffiness down.
When she got back Draco's group had left the common room, but it was far from empty. Everyone turned to look at her and she hung her head and went to her dorm. She found a note.
Stay away from him or you'll have something real to cry about.
P.P.
She sat back onto her bed and cried again.
Neville October 27th 2009
"Oh! Look it's the Mudblood!" Pansy was sneering over her breakfast as Violet entered the hall. She was headed over to the Ravenclaw table anyway. Violet generally rotated each meal, Breakfast at one table, Lunch at the next, and dinner at a third. She had friends in each house, but really hadn't found a niche yet. She tried to avoid the Slytherin table when it was most crowded, breakfast and dinner. At first no one knew her blood status, but eventually it came out that she was muggle born and most of the Slytherins were not so accepting of a "Mudblood" in their mix. She could see Draco looking at her, his eyes filled with what looked like rage. She was never sure what to expect from him. There were times when they were alone that Draco seemed almost kind. Once he had stopped to grab her books after she dropped them coming out of the library. He had stood dangerously close as he handed them to her. If Pansy or any other Slytherin were around she knew better than to expect anything less than a sneer. And for those first few days, before Pansy insisted on asking questions about her parents it even seemed like he may have had a crush on her.
Violet found her group of Ravenclaw friends and slid in between Luna Lovegood and Micheal Corner. Luna, a second year with some very odd ideas, was sitting to her left. Her sweet soft voice interrupted Violet's thoughts as she leaned over and whispered "I think that Gryffindor boy... is it Neville? Is looking at you"
Violet looked up from her plate to see Neville, directly across from her at the Gryffindor table and met his gaze, causing him to blush furiously as he quickly dropped his eyes to his plate. It made her smile to see him like that, he was rather cute with his clumsy stumbling and tripping over his words.
She had finally figured out why she knew of Harry Potter when she had her first lesson with the Gryffindors. Years ago, in this region there was a terrible dark wizard Voldemort, and he had tried to kill Harry as a baby, but somehow Harry lived. Voldemort was never a threat to America, perhaps because baby Harry managed to finish him off before he could spread his terror that far, but even still you had heard tell of The Boy Who Lived. Despite Professor Snape's insistence that he was arrogant, and pig headed, Violet felt Harry was very kind and hard working. And she often sat near him or one of his circle during joint lessons. It was during one of these lessons that Neville Longbottom asked if she was going to Hogsmeade.
"Oh.. I'm not sure.. I don't want to go alone, I figured I would just hang around, take advantage of an empty library." Violet wanted to go, but no one had asked her. She also didn't like large crowds, so she was hesitant to go along with one of her larger groups of friends.
"You wouldn't be alone! Come with me and Seamus, the more the merrier!" Seamus was sitting on the other side of Neville and he nodded in eager agreement, though she was certain she had heard a shuffle and grunt as Neville stepped on his toes.
"That sounds great. I guess I'll meet you in the great hall Saturday Morning?" she answered, trying to hide her blush. She quickly looked to check her ingredients and stopped Neville just in time from adding frog spawn instead of rat spleen. She was certain Neville wasn't dumb, he was always full of quick one liners and was brilliant in Herbology. She glanced at Snape, certain that his tactics are why Neville struggled so in his class.
Braids October 28th Prisoner of Azkaban
"Violet!" Luna Lovegood was calling Violet, when she turned she was surprised to see the other girl wearing oddly shaped sunglasses in the hallway. "I really like your hair today Violet."
"Oh, thanks Luna!" Violet answered brightly, she didn't know Luna very well but was starting to really like her. "Luna what are those glasses?"
"These? They're spectrespecs, great for seeing Nargles and Wrackspurts." Violet smiled kindly.
"What are those?" Luna was weird, but so was Violet and she had always felt that being good was much more important than being normal. And Luna was definitely good.
"Well, nargles are invisible creatures. Lots of people say they don't exist, but dad and I go on a trip every year to look for them. We haven't found any yet, but someday we'll prove everyone wrong. And wrackspurts fly into your ears and make your brain go fuzzy. There's lots of them here." Luna was looking around distractedly.
"Oh, I've never heard of either." Violet wasn't sure what else to say. "Are you going to lunch Luna?"
"I was about to, I really do like your hair Violet. I was wondering if you might do mine sometime. You always wear such pretty braids."
"Oh, yah I could do your hair Luna, give me a time and a place." Violet was excited by this invitation. Luna had long silvery blonde hair that was nearly straight. A sharp contrast to Violets deep red curls. Today Violet was wearing a side swept fishtail braid that wrapped from her left temple to behind her right ear.
"Would you do it today at lunch? If you have the time, of course."
"Sure, let's go get something to eat." As the two girls walked together to the Great Hall Violet asked what kind of braid Luna would like.
"Well the other day you had two braids coming back and then joining a larger braid. Think you could do something like that?" Violet could do that with Luna's long locks and it would probably look better on Luna than it had on Violet.
When they arrived in the Great Hall it was mostly empty. One Slytherin girl pointed at Luna's glasses, but Luna didn't notice. They took their seats at the Ravenclaw table and Violet poured herself a drink and went to work on Luna's hair. It was terribly tangled but Luna had her comb with her, and Violet was able to transfigure a goblet into a spray bottle to begin detangling Luna's hair.
"That's some impressive magic, I'm still struggling with turning a bird into a goblet." Luna said it so calm and dreamily that Violet couldn't tell if she realized that Luna was beyond where she should be.
"Well that's usually the end of second year Luna, you're probably ahead of your class." Violet was brushing the ends of Luna's hair and noticed that despite its matte color and tangles it was incredibly soft.
"Oh, I know, but you're much further ahead of yours than I am of mine." Again, it was hard to tell if Luna was upset by this, or just impartially stating the facts.
"We did things differently at Ilvermorny, I was in third year Transfiguration there, so this year has been a repeat for me and I've been learning on the side." Luna shifted her weight on the bench and Violet realized she had been brushing the same spot since she started talking, she adjusted and went up to brush a greater length.
"I guess that makes sense, how did you do it there?" Luna seemed genuinely curious about the practices of American magic.
"Well not everyone does, but I had mastered end of the year stuff at the beginning of the year so the transfiguration, and DADA professors argued that I be moved up a year in each. And then I also got to take Arithmancy as a second year, I didn't have to wait until third year." Luna hummed softly at this and Violet began braiding the hair on the left side of her face back, she conjured up a few bobby pins and hair ties and then pinned the braid in place. Repeating her actions on the other side Violet joined the two braids and then braided the length of Luna's hair into a long dutch fish tail braid.
"Oh! I love it. Thank you, Violet." Luna seemed pleased with her hair and Violet smiled as she turned to her plate. Maybe she was finally making friends.
Hogsmeade & Patronuses October 31st 2009
As she entered the Common room on her way to breakfast she was teased again by Pansy, now sitting sloppily on Draco's lap while a group of other students looked on enviously. Gross Violet decided. Her mother always said girls only act like that when they were afraid of something. But then her mother often did act like that. She had to agree however, Pansy was terrified of being uprooted as Princess Slytherin, and clung to Draco as if he somehow meant she could keep her crown. Honestly, at 14 the girl was acting more like a drunken college girl, it was sad. Smiling at her as Violet always did she slipped out of the passage and headed to the great hall to meet Neville.
"Hey Violet!" Neville waved her over to the Gryffindor table and scooted over so that she could sit. She took a piece of toast and poured herself some orange juice as the upperclassmen started giving advice telling each student where to visit, what to buy, not to go to the HogsHead, the advice went on and on. When it was time to leave, Neville hesitated at the doors and Seamus scoffed at him. Ignoring Seamus as he tried to cover up laughing at his best friend Violet took Neville's hand with a wink. Neville smiled broadly then and began to talk animatedly.
Violet visited Zonko's with the two boys and had a good laugh at her own expense when a prank wand zapped her as she brandished it at Neville as if about to cast a jinx. And then lead the boys into an old book shop up the street. She wandered around until she found a section of children's stories. Neville was quite confused when she decided to peruse the section for a while. Wary of another situation like that with Draco's gang, she quietly explained that being muggle born she never knew the wizarding world had stories like this. Neville took a book from the shelf and bought it for her with a smile.
A while later they settled into a booth in the Three Broomsticks and Rosmerta came to the table with 3 delicious butter beers and a large plate of fries, or chips as Neville called them. She began to tell Neville and Seamus about how in the states the culture around muggle born wizards changed dramatically in the 20's when Newt Scamander came to New York and caused all sorts of trouble but also saved the country. Seamus explained that while some purebloods felt that way most wizards were halfblood, not pureblood, anyway. And Neville quickly added that not all purebloods thought that way either. And said in a hushed voice that his parents had fought You-Know-Who when he was just a baby. She knew that Neville lived with his grandmother, but the hush in his voice and the way he wouldn't look up from his plate told her not to ask for more information. Instead Violet reached across the table to put her hand over his and asked if there was anything else either of them wanted to do, before heading back to finish up some homework before the feast.
Neville asked to come along to the library, but Seamus announced that he worked better in the common room. Agreeing to meet back with Neville after she grabbed her books Violet hurried along to the Slytherin common room. She walked in on Pansy and Draco making out, or snogging as they seemed to say here, and Pansy rather grossly offered to favor Draco. Violet tried to just sneak past, but Pansy flung a hex at her that caused her vision to go blurry and then pulled Draco into the boy's dormitories. Annoyed and unable to think of a counter hex she grabbed her books and went to meet Neville.
"Ugh it's no use, I can't see anything!" she whispered loudly to Neville.
"Just go see Madam Pomfrey, she'll fix you up easily! And you won't miss the feast if you're honest with her about what happened." Neville predicted her argument easily, as he should have seeing as she'd already made it twice.
"I don't want Slytherin to lose points over this..." Violet was worried enough about not fitting in. But if it was escalating to violence like this, maybe she should tell the truth. She also had hoped it would fade but in the hour since Pansy had cast the hex there was no change.
"I want to see Pansy and Draco in detention for a month for this." Neville said hotly, "Please come to the hospital wing with me, it'll be quick I promise." Violet shook her head. "If not Madam Pomfrey maybe Professor Lupin could help?"
Violet decided to let Neville lead her by hand to Professor Lupins office. After asking a few questions Lupin was able to identify the hex Pansy had used and correct her vision. But Lupin would not let her leave until she explained how she had been hexed. Finally, she broke down.
"It was Pansy Parkinson... she's been awful to me because I'm muggle born. All the Slytherins are awful to me." It all gushed out in between sobs. Shaking his head Lupin instructed Neville to go and get Dumbledore while Violet sat in a chair crying, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Moments later Neville returned with Dumbledore and Snape. Quickly she tried to right herself.
"What happened? Tell it from the start." Dumbledore sounded deeply upset by all of this.
"My first day here Draco and his group invited me to breakfast. At first everything was fine, but I think Pansy was jealous that Draco wanted to spend time with me because she started to pester me about my parents. I'm proud of my family and I didn't want to lie, so I told them the truth, that I'm muggle born. They all started laughing and calling me a mudblood and saying that I didn't belong, and they were surprised I could even step into the Slytherin dorms without being blasted back out by Slytherin's curse" she took a deep breath and continued "since then they shout mudblood and imposter at me when they see me. They refuse to call me by my name and won't let me sit near them in lessons. But they had never tried to hurt me until today."
"And what, might I ask, happened that they cursed you today" Snape's nasally voice asked, not unkindly, but also not kindly.
"I don't know, I came into the common room to get some books and Draco and Pansy were making out. Pansy said something very... um... promiscuous and I guess she realized I must have overheard and sent this hex at me. It caught me off guard and I didn't have time to put up a shield charm. Then they went upstairs together" Violet was done crying now and clarity came back to her quickly.
"You know how to use a shield charm?" Neville asked sweetly.
"Protego" a shimmering appeared in the space around Violet as she brandished her wand in a circle.
"Were you the one who sent the Patronus down the train when the dementors came through?" asked Remus.
"Expecto Patronum" Violet's seal shaped Patronus circled the room once before sitting beside her, a shocked Neville watched it with his eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar.
"That is impressive magic for a third year." Dumbledore's kind voice filled the large room. "But, that isn't in the standard curriculum at Illvermorny."
"No, I was so good at defense and charms they ended up putting me in an advanced class, for students who thought they might want to be Investigators. I was the only second year there, I think the next youngest student was in their 4th year." Neville looked very impressed now. "It met once a week in the evening and I still had regular Defense too."
Dumbledore's thoughtful voice broke the silence that had settled after she finished speaking. All eyes were on the seal shaped Patronus and Violet stroked it absentmindedly. "I will be moving you to fifth year Defense Against the Dark Arts tomorrow."
"Well. I do not want to take points from Slytherin when the victim of the behavior is also in Slytherin. I do not wish to punish the students of my house for their honesty. Draco will have an evening detention and Pansy will have 4 consecutive Saturday detentions. Separately as I believe the situation calls for that?" Snape seemed to be seeking Dumbledore's opinion.
"Yes, Severus I quite agree. I am curious as to why you would punish Draco though." Dumbledore was still staring at Violet intently.
"I will not permit members of my house to allow that sort of behavior to go unreported. It's not becoming of a Slytherin to allow their classmates to tear each other down." Snape said it so simply, but it didn't sound true. After all, many Slytherin did feel that they could only be successful by stopping others from it.
Violet left with Neville and sat with him at the Gryffindor table for the feast. She could feel Draco and Pansy's eyes on her but refused to let them ruin the story Neville was telling about his grandmother. At the end of the night she walked slowly back to the Slytherin common room. Aside from the hex, she had had a wonderful day.
Taking a deep breath and preparing to cast up a shield charm she opened the door and entered back into the space. She was certain everyone expected her to retreat into her room with all eyes were on her. Instead Violet settled in the reading nook on the second floor with her book. She chose a seat easily within view of the students below and summoned the coffee pot and a mug from the other end of the loft, then she summoned a plate, a cranberry crumb cake settling onto it as it floated towards her. So far Violet had been avoiding showing off her magic, but Neville had suggested that since people were targeting her, they should know who they were dealing with. Violet summoned over the cream and sugar with a wordless flick of her wand and older students, still unable to do silent spells watched in amazement. The cream and sugar poured itself into her mug and a spoon floated up to mix it together as she opened her new book and began reading.
After a while she wordlessly refilled her mug and summoned some parchment and a quill from her bag. I'll teach them to think muggle borns aren't just as talented. Violet thought to herself as she began a long essay for Transfiguration.
Patronus November 19th
"Hey. Hey. VIOLET." Draco was calling Violet. It was almost curfew and Violet just wanted to go back to the common room and read the book Neville had bought her in Hogsmeade.
"What do you want, Draco?" She was getting tired of his back and forth attitude towards her. Being charming when it was just the two of them and then being a jerk when he was with his friends.
"Oh. I was wondering if you could show me how to do a Patronus? Those dementors are really giving me a hard time and... well I saw you walking to Hagrid's with yours the other night." Violet was one of the only students allowed to roam the grounds, mainly because she was helping Hagrid with the animals, who were very sensitive to the presence of the dementors.
"What do they seem to like about you? I didn't know you had a soul Malfoy." Violet regretted it when she saw sadness in the boy's eyes instead of his usual anger. "Draco, I'm sorry."
"I deserved that. And maybe I don't. Maybe that's why I can't seem to get one. You can do it, and now Potter. I know I'm good, everyone says so." Violet rolled her eyes at Draco's arrogance and drama.
"Don't say that, you have a soul. It's just all dark and broken." Violet said it grudgingly. "Besides, it takes more than talent, Draco. Do you have time now? We could go to the room of requirement." Violet didn't care anymore if the other Slytherins didn't like her, but she couldn't stand the dementors. She also thought that the more students who could produce a Patronus, the less likely they were to have another event like at the quidditch match.
"Yah I have time, but where are we going?" Violet laughed.
"Come on." Violet led Draco up to the seventh floor and across from the tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy. She closed her eyes and walked three times back and forth in front of that spot, while Draco looked on incredulously. To his amazement a door appeared. And Violet entered the room.
"Perfect." Draco followed behind Violet to find a large room with a worn couch. "Ok. Draco, what's the happiest thing you can think of?"
"Umm I don't know. That's the part that always gets me. I understand the theory, and I've done more difficult spells." Draco looked stressed as he sat on the couch. "I've never struggled this much with a spell."
"Well this is really advanced. Maybe time you've spent with your friends?" Draco shook his head. "Why hangout with them if they don't make you happy?" Violet was thinking of time spent with Luna and Neville. Draco was looking at the ground between his feet, and Violet came and sat next to him. "Draco, I promise anything that happens in here, stays in here. I won't tell a soul."
"My parents have arranged for me to marry Pansy. I can't stand her, I mean she's great in the bedroom" Violet made a yuck face and Draco laughed. "but honestly, she's kind of nasty and she's not all that pretty either. And I grew up with the others. Our parents are all... They're all friends so I can't stop hanging out with them."
"Well maybe you have a pet that you like?" Violet was reaching, she knew very little about Draco.
"There are white Peacocks that live in the garden, but I hate them." How big must that garden be? Violet's parents were far from poor. Her mother was an A list actress and her father a world class surgeon. But she had a hard time imagining Draco's home with peacocks.
Violet clicked her tongue thinking. "What about when you made the Quidditch team? That must have been exciting?"
"Not really. My dad bought the whole team new brooms so they had to let me join." Violet was starting to feel sorry for Draco.
"Hmm. Ok let me try something." Violet concentrated hard and the song I Gotta Feeling by the Black Eyed Peas began to play. "Dance with me." Draco looked shocked. "Really it works, get your body moving, you'll feel better." Violet stood in front of Draco and grabbed his hands to pull him upright. Draco stood awkwardly as Violet danced to the music still holding his hands. "Just relax Draco, it'll come." Violet began singing along to the music and pulled his hands to the beat. Draco caught on quickly to the repetitive words and was mumbling them under his breath. When the song ended Can't Stop the Feeling took its place and on and on they went Draco slowly coming out of his shell. Eventually even dancing on his own. Finally, after a dozen songs, Violet asked the room to play 22. Violet began singing along loudly and gesturing at Draco while laughing. He seemed to be responding faster and about halfway through the song gave Violet a spin. The skill with which he spun her out and pulled her back in suggested he may have had some kind of dance lessons. As she spun back into him Violet noticed that his usually flat eyes had a much brighter shine to them than she had noticed before.
At the end of the song he was red faced and laughing and pulling out his wand he yelled "Expecto Patronum." An Elephant burst from his wand and stampeded around the room.
"You did it Draco!" Violet flung her arms around him and he kissed her on the mouth. Suddenly the Patronus disappeared and the music stopped.
"I shouldn't have done that." Draco looked more confused than upset or angry.
"I promised what whatever happened here would stay in here, Draco." He looked at her, his eyes back to a stormy gray. "And I meant it. I'll take that to the grave if you want." He smiled sadly at her and turned to walk away through the door. A handkerchief appeared midair beside her. "Oh, shut up I'm not about to cry over him." But the room didn't respond, and the handkerchief remained floating beside her. Violet waited a moment longer wanting to let Draco get far ahead of her before following him out the door.
When Violet returned to the common room Pansy was straddling Draco. "Oh look the Mud bloods back everyone." Pansy spoke loudly over Draco's shoulder. His reflection was visible in the window into the lake. He looked at Violet sadly as she climbed to her usual spot on the loft.
November 20th 2009
Violet awoke in the morning to find a paper crane folded up on her bedside
You look like Bad News
I gotta have you
You're right.
Violet smiled and touched the elephant drawing Draco had used as a signature. As she dressed she slipped the note into her robes. Grabbing a spare piece of parchment, she wrote one herself.
Everything will be alright
If you keep me next to you
8pm the place where it happened
Violet enchanted the note with the same charm Draco used, but opted for a more discreet paper airplane, in case someone else saw it. Then she headed out to the great hall.
"Thanksgiving? What's Thanksgiving?" Violet could hear a large gathering of students as she neared the memo board by the great hall.
"It's an American holiday, I didn't think you would celebrate it here..." Violet explained as she paused going up on her toes to see the board.
"We never have before..." said Shay, one of the few Slytherin who would acknowledge Violet, perhaps because she was prefect. "What's it about?"
"Well... when the colonists came to America from Europe there were already people there, called Native Americans. The colonists didn't know how to farm the land or hunt the way Natives did, and so the Natives helped them. That Fall, in order to say thanks, the Colonists threw a feast and invited the Natives. So, we have Thanksgiving on the third Thursday of November. But really that's a children's tale. Why we actually celebrate thanksgiving is unclear. It's during the harvest season, so it makes sense to have a great feast, but the Native Americans were mostly killed off by the Colonists and otherwise treated very terribly. It's very unlikely that there was ever some grand thank you feast."
"Hmm, that's interesting, but it looks like we will be celebrating it this year anyway, on the 25th... which is the third Thursday... I guess I'm not one to complain about a feast. Maybe it's to help you adjust?" was Shay's reply.
"I don't know. No one said anything to me about it."
"Violet" she heard Neville call her name as he rushed up the hall don't trip.. don't trip.. Violet thought to herself as he hurried along. "Did you see the feast? Are you excited? I saw that it's an American holiday. I bet it's for you, that's something Dumbledore would do."
"Yah, I'm really looking forward to it. Neville, where did you hear it was an American Holiday? You and I seem to be the only ones who know that."
"Umm." Neville was looking down at his feet. "well, I.. I really like you and after that day in Hogsmeade I looked up all kinds of stuff about America in the library. I guess I was curious." Neville looked terribly embarrassed. Realizing the hall was mostly empty Violet leaned up and kissed him on his cheek, realizing for the first time that he was actually very tall.
"That's really sweet Neville." He turned the brightest shade of red she had ever seen. "There's another visit to Hogsmeade next weekend, why don't just the two of us go? If you don't think Seamus would mind too much. I mean we could even meet up with him there later or something."
"Yah that sounds great... oh and I wanted to ask, do you think you could help me study some for Potions, you're so much better at it and I can't quite get this latest potion right."
"Course, we could meet in the library tonight? I promised Luna I would get Dinner with her but maybe at 6?" She was excited by the idea of spending more time with him.
"I was actually hoping we could use an empty classroom. I want to practice the potion not just study it's theory. No matter how much I do that it doesn't seem to stick..."
That evening Violet and Neville found an empty classroom and began setting up their cauldrons.
"We should be fine here, there's a Slytherin Ravenclaw match on. You didn't want to see it did you?"
"Oh... no I forgot but I don't care much unless Gryffindor is playing. but surely you'd rather..."
"Support those losers? No thanks. I like the sport, but it's hard to support a team when half of them have tried to jinx you." She really hated most of the team but tried to make light of it.
"It hasn't gotten any better then has it?" Neville seemed genuinely concerned as she opened her set of ingredients and began pulling out what was needed for the potion. Then she thought better of it.
"Uh.. you know they haven't stopped but I've sort of gotten used to it? You saw I'm pretty good at defensive magic and most of the smarter less talented students have stopped trying. It really just leaves the upperclassmen who think they're talented and the stupid ones like Crabbe and Goyle. Now when they try to Hex me publicly I loudly put up a charm to rebound the hexes. Crabbe and Goyle keep going to the hospital wing, but I'm just defending myself, and what kind of third year could put up a shield charm that good after all." She winked and laughed at the last bit. "here Neville sit on the floor."
Neville clambered down and sat next to her on the floor, she pulled out all the ingredients "Ok, pick out the ones you need for the potion."
"Oof.. Ok I need Bat's Fur" Neville grabbed the right vial of tiny black hairs and held it up. "That's this right?" She noticed he looked adorably proud when she nodded. "And I need Frog Spawn.. is that this or this?"
"What do you think?" She asked, noticing that the other option was rat spleen, and Neville had made this mistake before. They were both squishy and greenish brown, but frog spawn was noticeably more round than the rat speens.
"Um... this one?"
"Very good Neville! Can you tell what the other thing is?"
"Is it Rat Spleen?"
"Yep," Neville looked absolutely thrilled to have figured it out. "Neville you're super clever, you just get so intimidated by Snape that you don't learn in his class. You know what you need to know." She took the bottle of rat spleen and put it carefully into its labelled space in her apothecary chest. "There are 2 more ingredients."
"Ok.. this is mandrake pulp, and this is gillyweed." Neville was very good at Herbology and never had trouble identifying the plant-based ingredients.
"Perfect Neville." Violet began putting away the rest of her apothecary. "Now, what does Bat's Fur do?"
With some coaching Neville was able to get all of the uses of all the ingredients and identify what each brought to the potion, which he began writing down on a piece of parchment. Violet had to smile at how seriously he was taking all of this. "Ok, what's the first instruction"
At her direction he read it all through once, and then read each bit out loud before doing the step. In the end he had created a perfect draught of Lasting Breath, a potion that would enable the drinker to hold their breath for an extended period of time. In his excitement of getting the potion right on his first try Neville kissed Violet on the lips, and then blushed and spilled some of the potion.
Neville was well on his way back to the Gryffindor tower before the match ended. Violet went to the Room of Requirement and sat down on the worn out couch to think.
Violet felt happy with Neville. She felt pretty and safe, like nothing could go wrong. And Neville had been her friend even when it meant cost to himself. With Draco Violet felt exhilarated. She couldn't get enough of him, like a good book you've read a million times, or a puzzle that you just can't solve.
Neville was obviously a good person. Draco, the jury was still out. Violet knew her mother would say that she had her whole life to look for a good man, and might as well have some fun while she was young. But Violet had always been the careful type. She had just thought it when the song Mine came on. She rolled her eyes.
She was singing along to the chorus when Draco came in and the music sputtered to a stop. "Sorry I'm late I couldn't get away discreetly. I was worried you wouldn't wait."
"That's ok I knew you had the match." Draco looked at her curiously "Did you win?"
"Violet. We won." Draco gestured between the two of them. "But yes, you didn't come? Don't like Quidditch?"
"I love Quidditch. And I'm pretty good on a broom too. But most of the team is..." Violet trailed off.
Draco nodded as if he had only just realized. "Yah. I guess you wouldn't want to be out there supporting us losers huh." Violet swallowed at the change in his tone.
"Have you been practicing?" She asked quietly.
"Quidditch?" Violet laughed at him
"Your Patronus dummy." She said it kindly.
"Oh yah, I managed to get a bit of blue light last night after I left but it only happened once." Draco looked upset with himself.
"Try right now." Draco drew his wand and produced a shield Patronus. Violet smiled.
"You say you're good on a broom? One of our chasers got hit, we might need a stand in for the next match." Draco had moved to the couch. Violet sat sideways at the other end and faced him, leaning back against the arm of the couch.
"Draco, thanks for the offer, but I wouldn't be surprised if Derrick or Boles tried to hit me with a bludger." Violet laughed light heartedly, but she meant it. "Try again, concentrate on your happy memory." Draco tried again but only managed a faint whisp of white.
Draco bit his bottom lip. "I want to try something. Whatever happens here stays here right?" Violet nodded, and Draco moved closer to her, kissed her lightly on the lips. "Was that ok?" Violet nodded again
She moved towards him to kiss him again. "That was definitely ok." She was surprised at the breathy quality of her voice. Draco smirked and produced a perfect Patronus.
February 19th
Violet had been feeling sick and suffering from headaches all week but today when she had stood up at the end of Defense against the Dark Arts she almost fell over. Luna found Violet still sitting at her desk and looking extremely pale when she came in, with Professor Lupin leaning over her. "Ah Lovegood! The two of you are friends yes?" Luna nodded sweetly. "I thought I saw the two of you together often. Would you bring Miss Vordey to the Hospital wing?"
"Of course, Professor Lupin."
"Can you stand Violet?" Lupin was looking at her concerned, obviously he still remembered her crying earlier that year after being hexed by Pansy.
"Yes, really the light headedness has passed Professor I think I'm ok." The last thing Violet needed was for people to think she was weak. She was targeted enough as it is.
"Take it from someone who is sick often enough, you should visit Madam Pomfrey." Lupin spoke sternly.
"Was it another dementor attack? Violet you look so shaken." Luna was watching as her friend stood up slowly.
"No, I'm not sure what's going on." Luna gathered up Violets school things and set her own down at her desk and then walked with Violet out of the room. "I didn't want to say anything in front of Lupin, I got my period this morning and it's been awful."
"Hey Vi. Everything alright? You look ill. Pretty as always though." Violet's boyfriend Neville was turning the corner as they passed it. She smiled at his compliment, he was always telling her she was pretty.
"Oh, not really, she's having a very bad period." If she hadn't been about to puke Violet would have been mortified. Luna tended to be very open and honest and generally Violet loved that, but right now she could have shaken her best friend.
"Oh. Um, well let me know if you need anything." Neville gave her a quick kiss. "I've got to get to class but I'll come find you later if you're up to it." And he hurried off down the hall.
"He's a very good boyfriend you know. You're lucky to have that." Violet had to smile at Luna's observation, she was lucky.
"Yah..." Violet was still smiling at Neville when they reached the hospital wing. "Thanks for bringing me to the hospital wing Luna. I might see you at lunch if Madam Pomfrey has a remedy for this."
"She does. I've never been quite so sick as this but a couple of times I've come down for cramps. She has a nice potion, it's like hot chocolate, and she'll probably have you lay down with a hot water bottle for a while. I'm sure you'll feel better by lunch." Luna kissed Violet on the cheek and wandered off down the hallway. Violet realized how lucky she was to have such good friends and walked in to the office.
About an hour after drinking the potion, which was just hot chocolate, Draught of Calm and a drop of Dolfinis, a potion that could soothe pain, and laying in bed with a hot water bottle Violet was feeling much better.
"You're feeling better Dear?" Madam Pomfrey asked as Violet came in to the office to return the hot water bottle.
"Yes much. I'm going to go to lunch if that's ok." The matron nodded
"Violet." Neville called her over as she entered the Great Hall. Violet waved Luna over to the Gryffindor table. "I picked and dried some moondew. It's supposed to help." Violet kissed Neville on the cheek.
"That was really sweet Nev."
"Remember what I said this morning?" Luna helped herself to a fry from Violets plate.
Violet braced herself as she entered the greenhouse. Herbology was a class she had with the other Slytherins as well as Ravenclaw. The only Defense against the Dark Arts class she had been able to move into was a Gryffindor Session, where even the upperclassmen treated her with kindness and respect. But Slytherin and Ravenclaw together were an uncomfortable experience. Although Ravenclaw had no more disregard for muggleborns than any other house, they tended to be a bit self absorbed and none of Violet's Ravenclaw friends were in the class, and her Slytherin classmates were always horrid. She settled into her place at a work table and took out her copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi and opened to the page on Arrowroot. She silently began reading as Professor Sprout made her way huffing heavily into the warm greenhouse. As Professor Sprout began yelling for attention, trying to bring the rowdy room into a form of order Violet put away her book and pulled out the tray of supplies she kept neatly under her assigned workstation. She found this time a knob of a root each of the trays seemed to have one.
"Alright students, settle down. Today we'll be planting Arrowroot in the garden outside, gather up your trays, don't lose the knob on the way please, you'll be needing it." Violet looked more closely at hers and realized it was more of an orange color than the others, but she tucked it onto her tray and carried it out regardless. She quickly found her assigned garden box, a slightly raised bed with no bottom; they were used year after year by the same student to grow things not easily grown in pots. "Now you'll need to dig a small hole, about 6 inches deep where you want the arrowroot to grow, before placing it in."
Violet took her spade and began digging down into the dark rich soil, once her hole was at 6 inches she carefully placed the root inside and covered it with soil "Does everyone remember L'eau Venir?" Violet's favorite part of Herbology was professor sprout using different spells than the other professor "If you haven't mastered it yet you may use aguamenti, but a practiced herbalist would tell you that L'eau Venir provides a richer water and is better for growing plants."
Violet preferred the french rendition of the water summoning charm, though Aguamenti summoned water more suitable to drink, the french spell rolled beautifully from the tongue and always made a pretty flourish as it fell to the ground. She cast it and gently sprinkled the ground around her new plant allowing the water to soak into the soil slowly and fully, but moved the stream over to her other growing crops before the soil over-saturated. Though she didn't particularly love herbology she worked hard at maintaining her little garden and there was only one better than her own. Violet assumed it was Neville's but she had never wandered over to check the name tag. Once her garden was thoroughly watered, Violet grabbed a quill and a garden tag and labeled her new plot. Looking down at her hand she noticed that it was quite red and a bit painful, just then the bell chimed and Violet began gathering up her supplies slowly, allowing most of the students to filter their way back to the castle before returning to the greenhouse to put away her tray and retrieve her bag, as she lifter the bag her inflamed hand burned harder and she looked again to find small white spots blooming on her fingers. "Professor Sprout? Is Arrowroot an irritant?"
"No dear, I would have had you all wear gloves, is something the matter?"
"I'm sure it's nothing, my hand is burning..." Violet trailed off as the redness spread further and the white spots bloomed into raised rings.
"Show me your lot dear, did you touch anything else?" Violet shook her head and Professor Sprout sent a fluttering piece of paper flying out of the greenhouse and towards the palace with a flick of her wand. They walked over to Violet's blooming garden where the professor quickly began to dig up the root Violet had just planted. "Oh my.." The professor continued "This can't be right, this is Bitter Roadweed, the flowers are used in brewing poison, but the roots cause a painful rash upon touch." Just as she finished speaking Madam Pomfrey arrived.
"Roadweed? What have you gotten into now Har- Violet?" Madam Pomfrey took the girl's hand into hers and immediately began rinsing it with a flow of water from her wand. "When I got your letter Pomona I was certain it was Potter again, that boy is always finding himself in my office for one thing or another, but I haven't seen Violet here in awhile. That will stop the spreading but we need to get to the infirmary so that the damage done doesn't worsen."
"I don't know how this could have happened. I keep the Bitter Roadweed in a completely different storage space, and that order of Arrowroot was just delivered this morning!" Professor Sprout fretted about the greenhouse as Violet was led away back towards the Castle, her hand throbbed, leaving her light headed. Once they were gone Professor Sprout spotted an extra knob of the Arrowroot on the workstation assigned to Pansy. "200 points from Slytherin. I'll need to see Dumbledor about this, it's getting out of hand."
An hour later, with her hand wrapped in bandages to keep the foul smelling ointment in place Violet made her way to the Great Hall for lunch. "Violet... What now?" Neville was used to Violet's ever growing list of injuries, almost all the result of some hex cast by a classmate, he lifted her hand and gently eased back the bandage to view the damage. By the time Violet had gotten to the Infirmary the pain was unbearable and what had been a faint red blotch with white dots had become an angry blotch of red flesh and white abscesses "Roadweed, how did this happen?" Neville carefully wrapped the bandage back around her hand, Violet wasn't surprised by Neville's knowledge of plants anymore but she did find his ability to recognize the plant just based on the damage it caused impressive. "Not sure, we were planting arrowroot today and I had a knob of the roadweed instead."
"Miss Vodrey" Dumbledore strode into the Great Hall with Snape a few paces behind and took a seat next to her driving a bewildered Gryffindor first year out of the way. He took her hand and repeated Neville's action of unwrapping and inspecting the damage. "This is getting too far out of hand." Violet just stared at him puzzled.
"An extra knob of Arrowroot was found in Ms. Parkinson's belongings after class." Snape explained, Violet exhaled slowly and laid her head on the table.
"That slimy witch" Neville exclaimed, "Of Course Professor Sprout wouldn't have confused the two, Roadwood roots are bright orange, Arrowroot knobs are a beige, an amatuer mistake. No offense Vi." Neville added when she shot him a look.
"Whatever, I'm tired, my hand hurts and I just want to go to bed."
"Do you have any classes other than mine this afternoon?" Snape inquired.
"I have Astronomy at midnight, but that's it."
"I'll send Professor Sinistra a note, you are dismissed from both classes, Neville would you be so kind as to escort Miss Vodrey to the Gryffindor tower? She will be staying there for the remainder of the term. Your things have already been moved. Neville, you are also dismissed from all classes please stay with her and help her settle into her new dorm."
Violet followed Neville to the Gryffindor tower and into his room where she fell into his bed in pain and exhaustion. She slept for about an hour before Neville woke her gently, "Madam Pomfrey wants to see you again." She shook herself awake and stood, the pain in her hand had abated slightly but she still couldn't grasp her wand in her right hand, she shifted it to her left and Neville led her gently down the stairs and across the castle to the Infirmary.
"Ah Miss Vodrey, lets see the damage..." Violet sat on an infirmary cot as the Matron carefully unwrapped her bandages. "I'm afraid this is going to hurt dear, take this, it will dull the pain some. Neville be a dear and hold her other hand, we need to clean off the infected tissue." Madam Pomfrey began the delicate procedure of debriding the ruined tissue with several instruments. The milk of poppy eased some of the pain, but Violet was struggling to keep her vision clear as she leaned into Neville's shoulder. "I hear they moved you to the Gryffindor tower for safe keeping?"
Violet nodded, "If I had known how Slytherin treats Muggleborn I would have chosen a different house..."
Neville looked puzzled, "They let you choose?" Violet nodded.
"Miss Vodrey was a hatstall, the first since Professor McGonnagal in 1947." Neville shrugged and wrapped an arm around Violet.
"Of course she was, I just can't imagine anyone choosing to be in Slytherin." Violet nodded, tears running down her face.
"Alright dear we're all done here, You'll need to apply this twice a day, washing the area and changing the bandages each time. Try to wash off the ointment before bed and leave it unwrapped." Violet nodded and stood slowly "We caught the inflammation before it spread too severely but the poison had already entered the bloodstream. It's a small amount but you may feel weak for the next day or so. I Understand you've been dismissed from classes for the day. If you're not feeling well in the morning stop by and I'll give you a pass for tomorrow morning as well. But a good night's sleep should alleviate most of the pain, and you're strong."
Neville escorted Violet back to the Gryffindor tower where she went up to her new room, the Gryffindor dormitories were shared unlike Slytherin, by the time she returned she found Hermione Granger and 3 other girls going about their evening in the small room. "McGonagal told me you would be staying here Violet. Let me know if you need anything, I have your homework for Potions and Astronomy here." Violet thanked the girl and turned in for the night.
Violet woke the next morning in an empty dormitory. She had a note scribbled from Neville.
Morning,
Hermione said you wouldn't wake up, I stopped by the Infirmary before class Madam Pomfrey dismissed you from all classes today. She said to come straight to the Infirmary when you do wake.
Neville
She stopped by the Infirmary where Madam Pomfrey did a few simple tests. "You're body has all but purged the poison dear. This must have been fairly traumatic, a mild hex or jinx is one thing, but this could have been fatal. How are you feeling?"
"I'm exhausted. I must have slept 14 hours and feel like I could sleep another day!" The old Matron nodded,
"You've been quite a lot, body and mind, let that instinct guide you, if you need sleep then head back to bed, I would urge you to stop by the great hall though. Get some good food in you and go back to resting. You'll be right as rain come morning." She showed Violet out of the Infirmary, Violet decided to take the Matron up on her advice and went on to the Great Hall, where most of the students had already finished their lunches. Draco was standing by the entrance.
"Violet, I didn't know what Pansy was planning. She said it was just a joke." Violet looked at him, exhausted, in pain, afraid, and most of all angry.
"Screw you Malfoy."
"Really she told me she switched it for something I didn't think she would go this far.. I.." Draco trailed off seeing the rage in Violet's eyes.
"I don't care Malfoy, you're a cowardly little worm, too interested in pleasing daddy to do what you know is right. Don't speak to me ever again." Draco took a step back, surprised by the harshness in her words. "Just leave me alone. Go fuck Pansy in some broom closet,." Draco turned and walked away as Luna appeared behind Violet.
"You really gave it to him Vi, are you all right?" Luna took Violet's uninjured hand and sat her down at the ravenclaw table.
\A ravenclaw girl that had been in her Herbology class stared at her from across the table. "What are you looking at bitch?" Violet snapped.
"Apparently a ghost, that should have done you in, you filthy mudblood." Violet drew her wand and the girl's eyes widened.
"Say it again, go ahead, or are you afraid of a pathetic weak mudblood?" The pureblood girl burst out laughing and Violet silently cast a jinx causing the girl to cough up slugs onto her tray, the girl stood up, coughing out slugs all the way to the Infirmary. Violet simply took a drink from the cup Luna had poured her and began eating as all the students turned from staring at her back to their lunches.
"That was Alessia Crouch, you need to be careful, I know you're upset but that could land you in worse trouble." Violet brushed off Luna's concerns and finished her meal before heading back up to the Gryffindor tower and dozing off.
The rest of the term passed smoothly except of course for the scare that Sirius Black was in the school. Hermione and his friends insisted that Sirius had never been the bad guy, and Violet was too busy keeping her head low to bother sorting out the truth from the myth.
With Violet out of the Slytherin dorms Pansy seemed more willing to ignore her than taunt. And after Jinxing Alessia very few people were willing to challenge her again, up until that day she had only used defensive magic. She did receive a detention for it; she was allowed to serve it assisting Dumbledor in his office.
She still endured the taunts and comments but Violet became friendly with several more of the Gryffindor students. Draco continued to stare at her from across the great hall or classrooms but made no attempt to speak with her.
As Violet boarded the train home she was greeted by Neville and Luna and Ginny and made her way into a carriage with them. She could see Draco staring at her from across the platform as she disembarked to head home at the end of the term, and she gave him no mind getting into her cab and returning to an empty house.