She was going to miss the train to Hogwarts.
Her legs couldn't carry her fast enough through the train station. She carried two large luggage bags in each hand as she burrowed her way past people.
Ebony looked up when she saw a sign that read '7 ' hanging above head. She had exactly three minutes to make it, maybe if she could cast a-
Ebony was bumped to her left side as her luggage bag clashed against a rounded-man. "Watch it!"
"You watch it, muggle!" She bit back, not having time to gouge his reaction as she continued to run down the the station. In the distance she could see the platform she was meant to run through.
From behind her she could hear the man asking his friend what a muggle was. She would have laughed at his ignorance had she the chance.
With a little over a minute left she found herself feet away from the platform. She could have made it through in time had it not been for the muggle leant against the very wall she was meant to run through.
Ebony made the split decision to grit her teeth and not slow in her pace to the wizarding world. She absolutely could not miss this train. She didn't have another way to Hogwarts.
It was a lanky teenage boy standing in her way. He looked bored as he flipped through a pamphlet, as if he was just trying to find a way to pass the time by. She decided he couldn't be older than thirteen.
"move it!" Ebony gave him only a second to react before she had her shoulder lowered, bulldozing him off to the side. She nearly tripped over her own feet as she came through to the other side.
"Oh, thank God." She breathed when she saw the Hogwarts express was still docked at its station. She had made it.
Ebony's bags hung tiredly from her hands as she desperately searched for an empty spot on the Slytherin compartment of the train. From the corner of her eye she saw some of her classmates laughing in one of the seats off to the side.
Despite seeing that no seats we available in their room she smiled and opened the door. "Hey guys."
The group of four all turned towards her. A petite blonde was the first to break out into grin. "Ebony, you made it!" Milly jumped up and wrapped her arms around Ebony's neck. "When train pulled out of the station and I hadn't seen heard from you yet, I got so worried something happened."
Ebony made a noise of relief thinking back to her journey. "I barely got on in time. You guys would have laughed if you saw me running to get here!"
Milly pulled away from her and laughed just as Ebony felt gentle hands on her upper back pushing her slightly to the side.
"Just sliding by you, half-blood."
Ebony looked over her shoulder and rolled her eyes when she saw the back of a certain Draco Malfoy walking towards the back of the train. It could have been an insult - but based on the person and the tone, it was just said in passing.
"Six years in this house and I'm still just a half-blood to some of these people." She said and looked back her her friends. Milly still stood in front of her while the other three remained seated. "I don't get it sometimes."
From the back corner Jayden shrugged, not seeing the big deal. He was raised by pure-blood Slytherins so he wouldn't. "Just be glad the sorting hat decided you were worthy of Slytherin or people like Draco wouldn't be so kind. It's just how it is, Ebony."
For a second Ebony thought about snapping back, but decided that there was no reason to argue with Jayden over something he couldn't help. "I better find a seat." She said solemnly before taking Draco's path further down the train.
The further down the train she went the more annoyed she felt. Hogwarts really decided to be at full-capacity the only year she was running late.
Nearing the end of the train she faltered in her footsteps as she saw the only empty spot was a window seat. Right beside Draco Malfoy.
She had to laugh bitterly at her luck. First she nearly missed her train and now this. There was no way Draco and his friends would let her sit with them - not that she desired to. There were a load of other Slytherins whom she'd be happy to sit next to.
But there were some, a select few, who were just different. They held themselves as if they were royalty - and they were treated as such. It was something to do with their pure-blooded lineages and old-money wealth.
Ebony never saw herself below anyone in her life. She never took shit from anyone regardless of their status. But, there was just something about families like the Malfoy's that made her skin crawl. They truly thought they were something else - and at times had almost convinced her.
Ebony thought back to her first few months her first year at Hogwarts. It had been an awful adjustment. Draco Malfoy had tried his best to bully her, and two other first years who lacked the pure-bloods status out of school. He said it was a disgrace to the Slytherin name for them to be members of the Slytherin House.
He did eventually back off later that year when she punched a Gryffindor in the nose for badmouthing Slytherin. It was a boy too, Neville Longbottom. She had busted his nose up real good for him.
She hadn't realized Draco had been behind her watching the scene unfold until he cheered in surprise. He had ran up to her and clasped her on the shoulder, throwing a few insults at Longbottom before pulling her away so a professor couldn't catch her.
"You know Silas, maybe you are a Slytherin." His words were so vivid in her mind because it was the first time anyone of their year had said anything kind to her, besides the other misfit half-bloods. "You know- my father told me last night that Professor Snape was a half-blood..."
Draco never really did talk to her after that, but the bullying stopped. And it was like whatever curse that had been placed on her lifted because slowly other kids in their house began to befriend her. By the end of her first year she was as popular as any half-blood could be in the House of Slytherin.
Still, just because Draco allowed kids to befriend her when they were eleven didn't mean he wanted to sit beside her.
Before the trio could realize she was awkwardly standing just behind them she decided to see if their were any empty seats with the Gryffindor's.
As she turned to leave the lights went out and the surprised screams of younger students filled her ears. Ebony didn't scream. She had seen too much during her years at Hogwarts for something as little as a power outage to startle her.
However, she did feel slight panic build in her as she thought back to the year when the dementors filled the train. She would never even see them with the lights cut off.
"What in the bloody-"
Ebony let out a soft yelp as she was shoved into by an unknown force. She landed ungracefully across a surface, gripping onto whatever she could to catch herself.
The chaos only lasted a few moments before the lights shot back on.
It only took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the light before she heard "What in the bloody hell are you doing, Silas?" Draco looked as flabbergasted she did with the realization of her being sprawled across his lap. She still had the collar of his black suit clutched in hand.
"Oh, I was pushed." Ebony slowly released her grip on him as she processed the fact that she was sitting on Draco Malfoy. "I was trying to find a seat when the light went out. I guess someone shoved me, I'm not sure."
Draco hardly paid her mind as he was trying to adjust his suit back. "Lucky for you, you don't seem to have done any damage. I highly doubt you could afford to even dry clean my clothes, let alone pay for damages."
Ebony drew her lips into a thin line as she watched Draco fuss from where she now stood. "My mum is a lawyer, Draco. I'm not poor."
Pansy's high-pitched laugh cut in from beside Blaise. "Oh, not by muggle standards maybe. But by our standards..." she paused, sobering herself up. "Never mind that. There's no seats back here, I actually don't know what you're going to do. The train is full, I noticed that earlier." She looked at Blaise. "I think it's because parents are afraid to keep their kids home, but I say the real danger is at-"
Ebony cut her off, not interested in conspiracies. She ignored the empty seat by Draco as she said, "yeah, I'll probably just got find a seat with the Gryffindor's since they're the closest." She looked back to Draco, face blank. "Sorry about your suit."
She was not sorry.
Draco rolled his eyes. "Might as well join us for the time being. Don't get use to it though, Silas. It's just not a good look to have a Slytherin seeking outside help."
Ebony gave him a sarcastic grin but didn't dare throw away her chance at a seat. She really didn't want to seek help from Gryffindor if she didn't have to. She could have almost laughed as she scooted in past Draco's long legs to her seat. If you would have told her six years ago that she'd been sitting next to Draco Malfoy on the train to Hogwarts she would have laughed.
"I guess we'll be at Hogwarts soon anyways." Pansy added.
Draco scoffed, pale hands resting on the table in front of him, "Hogwarts. What a pathetic excuse for a school. I think I'll pitch myself off the astronomy tower if I have to continue there for two more years."
Ebony turned in her seat, confused by his words. "What's that suppose to mean?"
"Let's just say I don't see me wasting my time in charms class next year." Blaise began to snicker beside Pansy. "Amused Blaise? We'll see just who's laughing in the end."