The Hogwarts Express whistled and jerked into motion, and Vega leaned back in her seat, already feeling a sense of adventure despite the confined space.
"I'm so excited about Hogwarts! What about you, Vega?" Hermione asked, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
Vega smirked, her sharp wit already kicking in.
Excited? Sure, because what could possibly go wrong in a castle filled with magical teenagers and Merlin-knows-what else?
"Oh, absolutely thrilled, Mione. Just can't wait to see if the castle's as drafty as it looks," Vega replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Mione? That's cute! Of course, call me Mione," Hermione beamed.
"You know, you're so beautiful," Hermione added catching Vega off-guard, her gaze wandering to Vega's sleek black-and-white cat-fox hybrid lounging on the seat beside her.
"But, um, what exactly is that? A cat or a fox?"
Vega raised an eyebrow. "A cat-fox thing. Obviously. You know, because regular cats are just so boring."
Hermione blinked, momentarily confused, but the slight grin tugging at her lips suggested she was beginning to understand Vega's humor.
Hermione's gaze shifted to the book in Vega's hand. "Wait, are you reading about potions? Before school even starts?"
Vega sighed dramatically. "Guilty. Got it as a birthday gift. Figured it'd be less boring than just staring out the window, watching clouds pass by like a regular person."
Hermione tilted her head, clearly intrigued. "Oh, so... are you a pureblood?"
The question was cautious, almost shy, and Vega couldn't help but laugh softly. "Yep. Pureblood. Don't worry, though-I don't bite. I'm guessing you're Muggle-born?"
Hermione nodded, cheeks slightly pink. "Yes, how did you know?"
Vega leaned forward, her tone kind but teasing. "A lucky guess. You're far too nice to have grown up surrounded by wizards."
Hermione laughed, her earlier nerves dissolving. "So, are we friends now?"
Vega grinned. "Of course, we're friends. Now, where's your brother or sister? or You're here alone?"
Hermione shook her head. "No siblings. Just me. What about you?"
Vega leaned back with a mock-dramatic sigh. "Oh, I've got a twin brother. Draco. He's... occupied with his friends. You know how boys are-sticks, stones, and an endless supply of stupid ideas."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "You don't like his friends?"
Vega rolled her eyes. "I don't even know his friends. I've barely seen my brother growing up. Our family's idea of bonding was sending me off to live with our aunt until now. But don't worry-I'm sure his friends will be delightful."
The sarcasm wasn't lost on Hermione, who chuckled.
"I bet."
Vega shifted in her seat, clearly getting hungry. "Speaking of delightful, I'm starving. Got any snacks?"
As if on cue, a voice interrupted them.
"Anything from the trolley, dears?" the Trolley Witch asked, her cart clinking with various magical treats.
Vega's face lit up. "You, my dear witch, are a lifesaver. I'll take one of everything."
Hermione stared in disbelief as the trolley witch piled an assortment of treats into Vega's arms.
"You... you'd better have money for all this," Hermione warned, raising an eyebrow.
Vega smirked, pulling out her money pouch. "Relax, Mione. I'm not about to dine and dash."
As they settled back into their compartment, surrounded by chocolate frogs, pumpkin pasties, and other magical snacks, Hermione couldn't help but laugh at Vega's enthusiasm.
"You really were hungry," Hermione commented as she opened a pumpkin pasty.
Vega handed her one. "What can I say? Starvation's not my aesthetic."
She unwrapped a chocolate frog and inspected the card inside. "Albus Dumbledore, huh? So he's the headmaster. Seems... quirky."
Hermione nodded eagerly. "I can't wait to meet him."
Vega's cat, now lazily sprawled on her lap, let out a soft purr. Vega scratched her behind the ears and smiled.
"Zaga, come here. Have some chocolate," Vega said, holding out a small piece of the candy.
"Zaga? That's your cat's name?" Hermione asked, surprised.
Vega shrugged. "Short for Zagan. My fou brother said it was an angel's name. Classic Draco, right?"
Hermione's eyes widened, and she burst out laughing. "You do know Zagan is, like, a demon king, right? A bull-headed one, no less."
Vega smirked.
"What .....Perfect. She's officially the most regal pet on this train."
Hermione, still giggling, leaned closer to the cat. "How about we call her Zourva instead? It's prettier."
The cat purred in agreement, making Vega feign betrayal.
"Et tu, Zaga? Fine. Zourva it is. But just so you know, she's probably plotting your demise now."
Hermione grinned. "I think I'll take my chances."
As the train continued its journey, Vega found herself relaxing for the first time in what felt like forever.
Maybe this Hogwarts place wouldn't be so bad after all.
As the train jolted along the tracks, Vega leaned back in her seat, her sharp eyes scanning the passing scenery. She had already decided that Hogwarts, despite its reputation, would be a nice little vacation from the mess that was her family.
The perfect place to stir some trouble-after all.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a light knock on the compartment door.
Vega raised an eyebrow, then smirked.
A round-faced kid stood nervously outside, his big eyes darting between her and Hermione. He looked like he might explode from sheer anxiety.
Vega grinned, and with a dramatic flair, waved him in. "Well, don't just stand there, kid. Come on in. We don't bite-usually."
The boy looked like he might faint as he fumbled for words. Vega snorted under her breath but kept her expression polite, watching his blushing face.
"Hi, you need something?" Vega asked, leaning back casually as if she hadn't just made the poor kid sweat bullets.
The boy mumbled something about needing something, but it was barely audible. "Neville Longbottom," he finally managed, still not meeting their gaze."
Longbottom, eh? That's a mouthful." Vega chuckled as she eyed him, trying not to laugh at the kid's nervous energy.
"I'm Zeta Malfoy," she said, leaning forward with a mischievous grin, on seeing his unbelievable shocked expression she added, "and yes, I'm indeed a Malfoy. The last name's pretty famous around here."
Neville perked up a little, clearly surprised. He studied her for a moment, his eyes wide in disbelief. Vega couldn't resist the tease.
"Yes, Neville, I know. I'm that special," she added with a wink, watching as his face flushed an even deeper shade of red. He looked ready to crawl under the floorboards at that point.
"Oops, sorry, I didn't mean it-" Neville began, looking embarrassed, but Vega waved him off."
Don't apologize so easily, Neville. You'll wear yourself out with all that. It's my pleasure to meet you," she said, her tone light but laced with that signature Malfoy snark. She tilted her head, sizing him up, "So, what's got you all worked up? You need something, or are you just here to admire the chaos?"
Neville hesitated, lowering his gaze like he was hiding a secret. Vega arched an eyebrow, sensing something was off. She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing with curiosity."Out with it, Neville," Vega demanded. "You can meet my eyes, you know. I'm not about to eat you."
Hermione chuckled, and Neville finally lifted his eyes, meeting hers with what Vega could only describe as a mix of trepidation and awe.
"I... I lost my toad," Neville blurted out, his face a mixture of embarrassment and frustration. "His name's Trevor, and I've been looking everywhere for him. I can't find him."
Vega felt a surprising flicker of sympathy for the poor kid, though she quickly hid it behind her usual sarcastic grin. "A toad, huh? How very noble of you, Neville. Losing your pet toad... well if a toad were here i don't think i would be sitting calmly here Nev, don't you think?"
Neville blushed harder, and Vega couldn't help but snicker at how easily the poor kid was flustered. Hermione, of course, was already laughing.
"She's probably right, Neville," Hermione added, her eyes bright with amusement.
"Shut it, Mione!" Vega shot back, laughing herself. "Give the poor kid a break."
Neville smiled awkwardly, clearly relieved to have someone laugh with him instead of at him. It was a small victory, but it was something.
"I'll help you, Neville," Hermione offered, getting up from her seat and heading towards the door. "We'll find your toad."
Vega groaned theatrically, as she stretched her arms above her head. "I need to change out of these robes anyway. You two go off on your quest, I'll be here, lounging."
Hermione, still smiling, nodded. "It's okay, Vega. I understand."
"Great," Vega said with a dramatic eye roll, "I'll just sit here and live my best life, while you guys hunt down a frog. Have fun!"
With that, Hermione and Neville exited the compartment, leaving Vega to kick back in peace. She pulled out her school robes and began to change, her mind already working on what trouble she could get into next.
After all, Hogwarts was supposed to be fun, right?
...
Meanwhile, in another compartment.
Draco was brooding in his usual fashion, his brow furrowed as he glared at his friends. They were talking amongst themselves, but Draco couldn't focus on their idle chatter. He was far too annoyed with the whole situation.
He had half a mind to leave the compartment and get some peace and quiet, but before he could even stand up, someone grabbed him by the arm and yanked him back down into his seat.
"Leave me alone, Pansy," Draco growled, his voice colder than usual.
Pansy, who was sitting across from him, looked at him with a mischievous grin, clearly unfazed by his irritation. "Oh, come on, Draco. You're not getting away that easily," she said, tightening her grip on his arm.
"What's going on with you two?" one of Draco's friends, Theodore Nott, asked, raising an eyebrow.
Pansy smirked, her eyes gleaming. "
He wants to meet that girl again."
Theodore's interest piqued, his voice turning eager. "Who?" he asked, leaning forward.
Draco's lips pressed into a thin line. "Who I want to meet is none of your business," he said sharply, clearly done with the conversation.
Without waiting for a response, Draco stood up, ready to leave. But before he could reach the door, it swung open on its own, revealing a tall, muscular boy standing in the doorway.
"Hey, Marcus," Draco muttered, narrowing his eyes. "I was just leaving."
"Wait! Wait!" Marcus said, holding up a hand to stop him. "I'm here to see my little cutie. Where is she?"
Draco blinked, trying to process what Marcus had just said. It took him a moment to realize what Marcus meant. "I don't even know where she is," Draco replied, his tone a mix of frustration and irritation. "And don't call her that."
Marcus raised an eyebrow, not the least bit deterred. "Are you kidding me?! Where is she? Is she attending Hogwarts or not?"
"Of course she is," Draco said, his pride flaring. "If she wasn't, why would I be here? Now get out of my way."
Marcus seemed satisfied by Draco's response. "Fine, fine," he said, grinning. "Since she's at Hogwarts, I can see her whenever I want. Don't go searching for her now. We'll be there soon enough. Go change your uniform."
Draco rolled his eyes but nodded. "Okay," he muttered.
"Wait, what was that all about?" Blaise Zabini, another one of Draco's friends, asked as Marcus disappeared down the corridor.
Draco shook his head, clearly irritated. "Nothing," he replied shortly.
Theodore and Blaise exchanged puzzled looks, but neither pressed the matter further. They all went about changing their uniforms in preparation for their arrival at Hogwarts.
Pansy, however, looked distinctly grumpy, her lips twisted in a pout. But no one paid her much attention.
As Draco adjusted his uniform, his thoughts were already drifting back to how Marcus was calling Vega little cutie; they must have already met in one of those stupid pureblood parties, as he sighed.
...
Meanwhile, in another compartment.
Harry Potter was sitting across from his best friend, Ron Weasley, who was looking a little more disheveled than usual. The train ride was long and quiet, until there was a sudden knock on the door. Harry glanced up to see the same round-faced boy from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. His face was flushed, and he looked like he had been crying.
"Sorry," the boy began, sniffling, "but have you seen a toad at all?"
Both Harry and Ron shook their heads, but the boy didn't seem reassured. He let out a wail, a sound so miserable it could've made the entire train car sob with him.
"I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"
"Don't worry, mate," Harry said, trying to comfort him. "He'll turn up."The boy nodded, his lip trembling. "Yes, but-" He was cut off as he shuffled out of the compartment, still sniffling.
Ron leaned back, putting his feet up on the seat, looking smug. "Might've died, and you wouldn't know the difference," he muttered, his eyes fixed on Scabbers, who was snoozing on his lap.
"I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work," Ron added, clearly dissatisfied with his lack of magical skill. "I'll show you."
Ron rummaged around in his trunk for a moment, pulling out a very battered-looking wand that seemed like it had seen better days. It was chipped in several places, and Harry could swear he saw something white poking out from the end-maybe unicorn hair, maybe not.
"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow," Ron said, raising the wand and clearly about to do something magical, "Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."
But just as he finished speaking, the compartment door slid open again, and the toadless boy-Neville, Harry remembered-was back. This time, however, he wasn't alone.
A girl walked in with him.
Harry's eyes narrowed as he took in her appearance: bushy brown hair, a slightly bossy air, and a new set of Hogwarts robes. She looked entirely too self-assured for Harry's liking.
"Has anyone seen a toad?" the girl asked, her voice loud and rather commanding. "Neville's lost one."Ron, already annoyed with Neville, sighed. "We already told him we haven't seen it.
"But the girl was barely listening to Ron; her eyes were glued to the wand in his hand. "Oh, are you doing magic?" she asked, her voice full of excitement. "Let's see it, then."
Ron blinked, clearly taken aback by the girl's forwardness.
"Er-alright," he muttered, trying to pull himself together."
Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow," Ron recited again, waving his wand. But, as expected, nothing happened. Scabbers stayed the same dull color, curled up fast asleep on Ron's lap.
The girl, however, didn't seem disappointed. In fact, she seemed far more interested in Ron's failed attempt.
"Nobody in my family's magic at all," she said, still talking a mile a minute, "It was a surprise when I got my letter, but of course, I was pleased. I mean, it's the best school of witchcraft there is, right? I've already learned all our course books by heart-well, not all of them, but I just hope that will be enough-oh, I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"
Hermione Granger, Harry thought. Another name to add to the rapidly growing list of people he'd have to remember. But honestly, she was a little hard to ignore with all her rapid-fire speech and enthusiasm.
"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered, still trying to process everything she'd just said.
"Harry Potter," Harry added, feeling a bit out of place now.
"Are you?" Hermione said, her eyes brightening with recognition.
"I know all about you, of course. I got a few extra books for background reading. You're in Modern Magical History, The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts, and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."
Harry stared at her, feeling dazed.
"Am I?" he asked blankly.
"Yes, O good gracious , Vega will be waiting for me," Hermione said briskly, as though she were finishing up some sort of checklist. "Well, I'll be off!"
With that, Hermione turned and left the compartment, leaving Ron and Harry to look at each other in stunned silence.
"Vega?" Ron asked, furrowing his brow as he glanced at Harry.
Harry didn't know what to make of this girl. He had a feeling that when he finally met Vega, he would get the shock of his life.
And, judging by the way Hermione had casually dropped her name, Vega had to be someone important.
The train ride went on, but Harry couldn't shake the thought of the girl named Vega. Whoever she was, she seemed like she was always one step ahead. And he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.
.....
Vega's Compartment
Vega sat back, her arms casually crossed as she lounged in the corner of the compartment.
Her black-and-white hair tumbled freely over her shoulders-something her mother would probably scold her for later, but she didn't care.
School robes? Check.
The Hogwarts Express rumbling along beneath them? Also check.
But, frankly, Vega was already bored.
When Hermione stormed back into the compartment, her face a mix of frustration and excitement, Vega raised an eyebrow.
"So, how'd the toad hunt go?" Vega asked dryly, her tone thick with sarcasm. She barely glanced up from the window, not needing to see the annoyance on Hermione's face to know it was there.
"Trevor's still missing," Hermione huffed, clearly not pleased with herself. "But I did meet Harry Potter."
Vega smirked, the corners of her mouth tugging upward. "Oh? So that's who all the fuss is about. Harry Potter, the boy who lived, and apparently the boy who will never be left alone."
Hermione's eyes flashed. "Well, he is famous."
Vega let out a sharp laugh, spinning around to look at Hermione now. "Oh, he's famous alright. Famous for being famous." She rolled her eyes.
"Must be exhausting to have the whole world watching your every move. Maybe he'll turn into the next big tragedy. 'Harry Potter-Victim of Being a Public Spectacle.'"
Hermione sighed, clearly not appreciating the humor. "I don't know. There's something about him. He doesn't act like he knows how famous he is."
"Well, that's because he probably doesn't care," Vega retorted, leaning back in her seat and stretching her legs. "Most people would be a lot more insufferable if they were as famous as him. Trust me, I'd be unbearable."
Hermione glanced at her, clearly unsure whether to be offended or amused. "And I suppose you wouldn't mind being famous?"
Vega raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a smirk.
"Oh, please. Fame is overrated. I'd much rather be the mysterious, witty genius who occasionally graces the world with my presence. But don't worry, darling, I'm sure you'll be able to keep track of me when it happens."
Before Hermione could respond, the sound of footsteps caught their attention. The door slid open, and in walked a tall, muscled figure-a boy with shaggy hair and a grin that could melt the hearts of anyone who cared to look.
Marcus Flint.
"Hey, cutie," Marcus said with a wink as he leaned in the doorway, giving Vega a once-over.
"Still slumming it with the bookworm?"
Vega rolled her eyes, not even bothering to look up at him. "Oh, great. Another charming soul. How'd you make it this far without a mirror to stare at yourself in?"
Marcus was unfazed. "C'mon, you know I only came for you. Where've you been hiding, huh?"
Vega yawned dramatically.
"Here, obviously. Can't you tell? Or is the fact that I'm surrounded by books and less annoying people throwing you off?"
Hermione gave Vega a look as if trying to figure out if she was being serious or just obnoxious-Vega had that effect on people. She finally sighed, standing up. "Well, I'll let you two catch up with your charming banter."
Vega waved her off. "Yeah, sure, go back to your toad hunting. I'll just be here, doing absolutely nothing, as usual."
As Hermione left the compartment, Vega turned her attention back to Marcus, who was still grinning like an idiot.
"Alright, Marcus," she said, arching an eyebrow. "What do you want? If you're looking for someone to fawn over you, you're in the wrong compartment."
Marcus's grin only grew wider, and he leaned in a little closer. "You're just too much fun to annoy. But I'm serious-I'm not leaving until I get my answer."
Vega didn't flinch. She leaned back in her seat, her eyes narrowing with calculated amusement. "You want an answer? Fine. I'm not interested in your ridiculous games. Try that with someone else."
With a resigned sigh, Marcus held up his hands in mock defeat. "Alright, alright. You're no fun, Vega."
Vega shrugged, her usual smirk tugging at her lips. "I know. It's a gift."
As Marcus left the compartment, Vega leaned back once more, letting the train's motion lull her into a sort of detached calm.
School was starting, and she'd already made up her mind-nothing was going to be boring if she had anything to say about it.
Hermione had returned to Vega after her vain attempt to search Trevor. She told her about her encounter with Harry Potter in detail as it was interrupted by Marcus and Vega didn't know what to make out of it.
The train came to a halt finally.
Students were piling out of their compartments.
Vega wore her school robes with her black and white hair unbound.
TO BE CONTINUED...