Zinnia's POV Pt. 1
Year 3 1991 (Sorcerer's Stone)
It was already Zinnia’s third year back at Hogwarts and as she got on the train she reflected on how things were so different since the last time. Hugging her mom goodbye, she boarded the train and joined in with her fellow Slytherin friends to catch up from the summer.
“Well my father said he is bound to be in Gryffindor, you know since his parents were both in it.” A slightly younger blond haired boy said to her best friend, Lyla.
“Who’s this?” Zinnia asked as she sat in her usual seat that was halfway taken by the first year blond boy.
“Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. And you must be Zinnia Black. We’re actually cousins or something, my mom was Regulus’s cousin.” He said as he held his hand out for her to shake. “Right, Narcissa’s kid.” Zinnia replied, ignoring his hand. “Well, run along this compartment is for third years and older.
“Whatever,” Draco scoffed and exited the compartment, only after seeing Miles, a overly tall for his age Slytherin, towering in the doorway.
“Were we that small our first year?” Miles asked the group watching Draco walk out.
Miles was nearly a foot taller than the last time Zinnia saw him and his shoulders looked broader and stronger. He had chocolate brown curly hair, deep almost black eyes, and his body was just finally growing into his large head. Miles and Lyla were Zinnia's first Slytherin friends. Miles was rude and arrogant, always bullying the smaller kids. His aura was pure from what she could sense. He was proud and loyal.
“You were never that small Miles, but you somehow are even bigger than last year.” Zinnia told him as he took a seat next to her. She gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek.
“How was everyone's summer then? Or are we just skipping that and sharing our Harry Potter stories? ” he asked the other Slytherins in the compartment. Across from Zinnia, Lyla was combing our here impossibly long raven hair. She looked at Zinnia and rolled her eyes. "We aren't even out of the city and I have heard Potter's name fifty times!" Lyla said.
The other Slytherin boys Adrian, a geeky boy with a short afro, and Cassius, a handsome but daft boy with sandy blond hair, joined them in the compartment as they hyped each other up over the Quidditch season. Zinnia and Lyla continued to tune them out and share their summer adventures and compare their tans.
“I have to pee, join me?” Zinnia asked Lyla.
“Ugh no I hate these toilets on the train they give me claustrophobia.” Lyla replied.
After washing her hands and fixing her curly platinum hair, Zinnia left the bathroom and bumped directly into George Weasley.
“Oooof, George! You stepped on my foot, you twat!” She almost shouted. She looked up at him; he was almost two feet taller than the first time they met during her first year on the Hogwarts Express. He put his hands on her shoulders and moved her around him so he could get into the bathroom.
“Don’t get your knickers in a twist ZZ Top. We aren’t even on campus yet and you’re already out to get me,” George said as he shut the bathroom door in her face.
She was not out to get him. She never was. She stormed off, annoyed, back to her compartment.
They arrived at the castle and sat through the sorting, Harry Potter was all anyone could talk about and Zinnia was over it. She was no longer the new shiny toy at school. For her first two years, her American upbringing and Black family lineage had made her the most popular girl in school. Now Potter was all anyone would talk about.
Draco Malfoy was sorted into Slytherin, of course, he was a Malfoy and his mother a Black and was her father’s cousin.
Once the feast was over the students headed to their respective houses and Zinnia was excited to be back in her old dorm with her best friend Lyla. They went over each other’s nearly identical schedules and then headed into the common room.
Miles, Adrian, and Cassius for the most part had similar class loads to them.
“Uggggh I cannot wait to be done with History of Magic, that Binns is a snore. Should we skip tomorrow and practice on the pitch after lunch?” Miles asked the boys.
“I’m in, I have a break during that period anyway. Adrian?” Cassius replied.
“No I cannot get detention on the first day back my mum will send a howler again.” Adrian replied.
“Boooo, fucking nerd.” Miles taunted him.
“Adrian you can sit with me during History of Magic, Lyla will be in Runes during that period.” Zinnia told him and put her hand on his arm. She felt bad that the other guys would make fun of him for just wanting to not get in trouble.
“Hang on, maybe I will come to class, it will just be syllabus week anyway right? That way I can sit with you Z.” Miles said, reconsidering. He would do nearly anything for Zinnia’s attention.
“No, no, you said it yourself on the train that you needed to practice to make Keeper this year.” Zinnia told him.
“Fine. Whatever, so you guys see that Potter was sorted to Gryffindor? Sat right next to the weasels, that doesn’t shock me at all. Those blood traitors are gonna ruin him.” Miles said to the group.
Zinnia was sick of hearing about Potter and stuck her nose in her History of Magic book.