Hello Readers! This is my first HP fanfic in the original timeline, and I hope it's enjoyable for all. Though this beginning does have a lot of material from the actual books (as in the conversations), I don't plan for future chapters to be so as my main character Airlea won't have much to do with the Golden Trio as a group (see the last word of this chapter for evidence). Anyway, this is a Draco/OC fic because excuse me Draco Malfoy ~TT~ Please Review, I seriously need feedback because I get lost in my own head sometimes ^_^.

Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter, otherwise I would be the Queen (a.k.a JKRowling).

"Come on Ron! Get out of bed you dimwit the owls are coming today!" I roughly shake the ginger haired half asleep boy lying in bed, before he starts to swat me away.

"Okay, okay... Jesus Airlea who could ever think we're related... it's way too early..." He moans but I just smirk triumphantly.

"Ron, its 7:30, not dawn." I reply, before pulling his duvet off him swiftly and dumping it out his bedroom door before swiftly making my way downstairs, ignorant of his further groans.

"Morning Airlea dear!" Aunt Molly says to me as I take me corner seat at the breakfast table. "You're awfully chipper this morning aren't you."

"Of course, Aunt Molly." I say in my much more normal, quieter voice. My name is Airlea, pronounced air-lea, and I'm about to get my first ever Hogwarts letter. I love life at the burrow, but unlike the rest of my family, I seem to be much more inclined
to education. I've pretty much completely finished the entire child section of non-fiction in the wizarding library, and Aunt Molly won't let me try the intermediate stuff, she says it'll be too gory and complex for an eleven-year-old like me. So,
I've been waiting and waiting, to go to Hogwarts.

You see, no matter how much I read, I can't really apply it, to anything. I don't have a wand yet, since you can only get one when of age to go to Hogwarts. So, I've been patient, gathering my knowledge, so I can finally input it at Hogwarts.

"Well, I'd prepare yourself I can see them coming right now!" My head flips towards the window, and there I can see them, five owls side by side heading towards us.

"Are they here yet Airlea? Honestly, you've been unbearable the last few weeks..." Fred says coming down the stairs, along with George and Ginny in their footsteps. I merely nod my head as the rest of the family fill in. Ginny comes to sit next to me
looking slightly downhearted.

"Don't worry Ginny, a year passes in no time." I tell her, though I know it really doesn't for Hogwarts.

Sure enough, five barn owls fly through the open window in the light summer, each dropping a different letter onto the table. As soon as I spot my name my hand shoots out to grab it and my eyes light up as I open the letter.

Dear Miss Airlea Iluisa Prince,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

A broad smile widens on my face as I flick through the equipment list.

"Now Airlea, Arthur and I thought it the best time to give you your key, for Gringotts." Molly interrupts my daze and I look up her in question. I have a Gringotts vault? "Here's your key darling. Do you want us to come with you or do you want to go alone?"
Aunt Molly hands Me a small, diamond shaped gold key, with a single emerald on the handle. I take it curiously, and look back up to answer.

"I'm sure I'll be fine alone." I reply with a smile. One might wonder, why would Molly even offer for me to go alone, a young girl on her own. Well over the years they've seemed to realise, unlike my many cousins, I much prefer the peace of my own mind.
Aunt Molly merely nods her head before walking to shout up the stairs.

"Ronald get down here this instant! Your letter has arrived and we need to leave to go to Diagon Alley!" She walks away shaking her head as breakfast starts landing on the table. I dig in and finish efficiently, before excusing myself up to mine and Ginny's
shared room to get dressed.

I quickly throw on some muggle jeans and a light cardigan over a T-shirt, as EVEN though it's summer the temperature is still a little breezy. I brush my straight dark red hair back into a mid-ponytail, it's much darker hue distinguishing me from my family.
After brushing my teeth, I head back down for an exciting day.

"Airlea Iluisa Prince." I repeat my name to the goblin, giving a small polite smile despite his obvious irritance at everything surrounding him. His desk is littered with files, along with what I can see to be an application for Head Manager.

"Come this way." He takes me to the carts, where we take a ride much longer than I expected, to the lower vaults. We reach a line of vaults and he opens it for me, where I gather a few stacks of galleons from the many mountains I didn't expect. I don't
know much about my parents, so I didn't know what I was expecting, but this wasn't it.

As we move back to the waiting point for the carts, one rooms up from much farther below, and stops for us to get on. Already seated in the car is a finely dressed lady in wizard robes with dark hair and next to her a boy around my age, with startling
white blonde hair. I seem to remember something in my mind, but I can't put my finger on it. The lady meets my eyes and I smile lightly at her, and as the boy turns his head as well I smile at him as well. He stares at me a moment, before letting
a smile of his own onto his face.

"Oh, what is a young girl like you doing on your own down here my dear?" The woman asks me kindly. "What's your name?"

"Airlea Prince, miss, and I don't mind it's not exactly a social gathering." I reply in an equally nice tone. I like to think I have a good first instinct... like women's intuition, and this woman seems nice.

"Prince?" She murmurs, and at a guess she's trying to find my bloodline. I mean if they were coming from further down, they must be an old family. Not a second later however a smile returns to her face. "I'm Narcissa Malfoy, and this is my son, Draco."

Malfoys? Of course, the blonde hair... Uncle Arthur talks about Lucius Malfoy all the time... and not in good words... odd, Uncle Arthur tends to be very friendly.

"How do you do?" Draco asks me politely, though he looks away slightly.

"Very well thank you. I was just going shopping for Hogwarts supplies today." I reply, sitting down and holding onto the side as the cart starts moving.

"So, you must be the same age! Draco and I were doing the exact same thing!" Mrs Malfoy exclaims.

"What house do you think you'll be in?" Draco asks, excitement in his eyes.

"I'm not really sure, I'd think Ravenclaw since I've been dying to go to school since forever, but I'm not sure about where my personality will put me." I reply honestly.

"Well you seem delightful to us, doesn't she Draco!" Mrs Malfoy says once again, maintaining her distinguished posture through the slightly rough ride.

"That's because I like you so far." I reply honestly, chuckling, and Mrs Malfoy merely laughs.

"I'm going to be in Slytherin, just like Father says." Draco says, his chest puffing out slightly. "What houses were your parents in?" My heart falls just like that but I manage to keep a smile on my face.

"Draco, don't ask such personal questions." Mrs Malfoy minds, and Draco looks up at her confused. She smiles at me, and I can tell in her eyes she's at least guessed my parents aren't around. I nod my head thankfully. The cart stops and I climb out.

"...stinking humans..." the goblin mutters not so quietly, and I scowl at him.

"With the amount of paperwork stacked on your desk, that promotion is centuries away." I snarl, finding it pointless to be polite as I will never be seeing him after today, nor will I recognise him.

"It was nice meeting you both, and I'll see you on the Hogwarts Express Draco." I turn to say, waving a hand in farewell to the Malfoys. I don't wait for a reply, and simply head at a fast walk to the exit, out to Diagon Alley.

After a swift exit, I go straight to the wand shop, Ollivanders. It was quite a direct visit I believe, for I only tried out four wands before finding mine, whereas Charlie told me it took his thirteen tries, though I swear the time before he said it
was twelve... Anyway, I got an 11-inch blackthorn with a Phoenix feather for its core. Mr Ollivader said it may take time for it to completely trust me, but regardless it was an extremely powerful wand, for the most skillful spell caster. I won't
lie, I swelled with pride at his words.

Knowing I had to meet Aunt Molly and the others at Flourish and Blotts at twelve before heading home for lunch, I went to Madam Malkins to get robes fitted, before buying Prince. Why did I decide to name my new dark tabby cat by my last name, so that
everyone knew he was mine. Plus, it suited him, walking around with his head up high, looking down on all the other kittens...

Once at Flourish and Blotts I met up with the rest of the family, then spent the rest of the day buying the rest of my list.

The next month flew by, with the number of new books I'd bought from Flourish and Blotts. I'd tried to read all our textbooks, though some (cough cough Potions cough cough) I gave up on, since it was basically just instructions and recipes. I managed
to get through all the theoretical parts though. And when the day came, I was beyond excited, though I tried to keep myself under reign.

"Do your coat up dear, you'll freeze!" Aunt Molly chides me and I quickly do the zip up of my dark grey hoodie. I push my trunk through the busy station at King's Cross, making sure to tail Fred and George so to not get lost.

"- packed with muggles, of course -" Aunt Molly sighs as I finally see the sign for platform nine.

"Now, what's the platform number?" Aunt Molly questions to Ginny.

"Nine and three quarters!" She replies sweetly, but her face soon falls. "Mum, can't I go-"

"You're not old enough Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."

Sure enough Percy runs straight at the column and right before my eyes, disappears. I grin.

"Fred, you next," Aunt Molly hurries.

"I'm not Fred, I'm George!" says Fred and I hide a smirk. "Honestly woman, call yourself our mother! Can't you tell I'm George?"

"Sorry George dear." Aunt Molly gives up.

"Only joking, I am Fred." He snips with a grin in my direction, before hurrying through the barrier followed by George. I'm about to step forward when a scruffy boy with glasses moves forward.

"Excuse me-" He starts, and Aunt Molly immediately understands.

"Hullo dear, first time at Hogwarts?" She questions and he nods. "Ron and Airlea are new too."

"Yes, the, the thing is, I don't know how to-" He struggles to explain himself, and study him. Must be muggle-born then, but I don't see his parents around, and surely the school would prepare muggle families with instructions for Platform nine and three
quarters?!

"How to get onto the platform?" Aunt Molly carries on with her endearing smile. "Not to worry, all you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platform nine and ten. Don't stop, and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important.
Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron."

The boy looks very unsure of himself, so much so that I'd be worried the barrier would reject him. But surely enough he runs at the barrier, and disappears.

"Poor boy, all on his own. Well go on you two, off you go." Aunt Molly ushers us through the barrier, and there the Hogwarts Express sits in front of us. I'd seen it before, when seeing of Fred and George and the others, but now I was going to ride it…
amazing.

"Ron, you've got something on your nose." Aunt Molly says, moving to wipe it off.

"Mum, geroff." Ron whines, and I chuckle.

"Ah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" George jests.

"Shut up."

"Where's Percy?" Aunt Molly asks.

"He's coming now." I say, motioning to him striding towards us already in his Gryffindor robes.

"Can't stay long mother, I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves-" Oh he was just asking for it, honestly.

"Oh, are you a prefect Percy?" Fred starts, and I can't stop the grin on my face. "You should have said something, we had no idea!"

"Hang on-" George starts, "I think I remember him saying something about it, once-"

"Or twice-"

"A minute or two" I chip in.

"All summer-"

"Oh, shut up." Percy chides.

"How come Percy gets new robes?" Fred asks accusingly.

"Because he's a prefect!" Aunt Molly says with pride. "All right dear, we'll have a good term, send me an owl when you get there."

"Now you two, this year, behave yourselves! If I get one more owl telling me you've, blown up a toilet, or"

"Blown up a toilet? We've never done that!" Fred jives.

"Great idea though, thanks mum!" George says and I grin.

"It's not funny!" Aunt Molly says. "And look after Ron and Airlea!"

"Don't worry, ickleRonniekins is safe with us." Fred says.

"And Airlea will fare better than we will!" George adds and I can only smirk.

"Shut up." Ron says.

"Hey Mum, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?" Fred questions and I listen in lightly.

"You know that black haired boy who was near us on the station? Know who he is?" Fred carries on and it gains my interest.

"Who?" Aunt Molly gives in once more.

"Harry Potter!" George answers and my eyes widen. Harry Potter? On this train? I guess… he is the same age as Ron and I…

"Oh Mum, can I go on the train and see him, mum, oh please!" Ginny moans.

"You've seen him already Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Is he really Fred, how do you know?"

"Asked him, saw his scar. It's really there, like lightning."

"Poor dear, no wonder he was so alone, I wondered. He was ever so polite when he asked how to get onto the platform." I agreed with that.

"Never mind that do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"

"I forbid you to ask him, Fred. NO, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school." Aunt Molly puts her foot down.

"All right, keep your hair on." Fred says, but he meets my eye and I know he wasn't serious. The whistle of the train sounds.

We bid Aunt Molly goodbye, before putting our trunks away on the train, and trying to find a compartment.

"Couldn't we just find Fred and George? It would make much more sense." I reason to Ron, but he swats me away.

"Are you kidding, if we go with them they'll blow up the train and we'll never see Hogwarts!" He says and I chuckle. Sure enough, after going door to door, we find the boy Aunt Molly helped through the barrier.

"Anyone sitting here? Everywhere else is full." Ron asks, and he shakes his head so we go and sit down.

"Hey Airlea"

"Hey Ron"

The twins had found us as soon as we sat down.

"Listen, we're going down the middle of the train, Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."

"Right." Ron answers.

"Try not to get it confiscated before I can take a look!" I say giving them a pointed look.

"Harry, did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley, and that's our brother Ron, and then our oh so dear cousin Airlea Prince." Fred says for us, and I beam up at him as he introduces me. "See you later then."

"Bye!" We all say.

"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurts, barely a second past.

"Ron, you couldn't be polite, could you?" I mutter to myself. Harry nods regardless.

"Oh, well, I thought it might have been one of Fred and George's jokes," Ron says and I shake my head. "And have you really got the-you know," He gestures vaguely to his forehead. Harry pulls up his fringe and it's impossible to miss the lightning bolt
scar, almost red against his skin.

"So, that's where You-Know-Who…?" Ron doesn't even finish his sentence.

"Yes. But I can't remember it." Harry quickly amends.

"Nothing?" Ron asks but Harry shakes his head.

"Well, I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else." He admits.

"Wow." Ron finishes.

"Try to close your mouth Ron, you'll get flies making home." I jest and he glares at me lightly. I don't usually indulge in mocking people, but that was too obvious.

"Are all your family wizards?" Harry asks, almost as curiously as Ron asked him. Of course, he was raised in the muggle world, so he would have questions.

"Err- yes, I think so. I think Mum's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him." Ron supplies happily.

"So, you must know loads of magic already." Harry says but I shake my head.

"Not really, I mean we've seen a reasonable amount, but we don't learn how to do anything till Hogwarts." I tell him.

"I heard you went to live with muggles, what are they like?" Ron asks eagerly.

"Horrible- well, not all of them. My aunt and Uncle and Cousin are though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers."

"Five actually." Ron says and I can see his gloomy face coming on. "We're sixth in line to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left – Bill was head boy and Charlie was Quidditch Captain. Now Percy's
a prefect."

"I, I think you mean we." I add in.

"Yeah, but you'll have no problem everyone knows it. And you're a girl!" Ron complains.

"Yeah, well you're nowhere near as bad as your making it out. I mean look at Fred and George, even they get pretty good marks, and everyone thinks they're funny." I try to reason.

"Yeah but everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand and Percy's old rat." Ron moans,
but pulls out Scabbers nonetheless.

"His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy's got an owl from my Dad for being made a Prefect, but they couldn't aff- I mean, I got Scabbers instead." Ron seemed to realise he'd been rambling, and took to staring out the window.

"How about you then, do you have any other siblings?" Harry asks, and my eyes are wide and I merely blink.

"No, I've lived with Uncle Arthur and Aunt Molly since I can remember. Along with the rest of these Weasels of course." I say with a smile. "They're basically siblings to me anyway. So, you didn't get along with your cousin?"

"Nope, it was like you said, all my clothes are Dudley's old ones, and they never gave me any presents at all." Harry says, but I can see he's just doing it to cheer Ron up. He seems nice. ", and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being
a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort-"

Ron let out a loud gasp and I almost got whiplash from the speed my head whipped to him.

"What?" He asks confused.

"You said, You-Know-Who's name!" Ron exclaims.

"I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name. I just never knew you shouldn't. See, I've got loads to learn I bet… I bet I'll be the worst in the class." He admits and it's easy to see he's worried.

"You won't be. There's loads of muggleborns and they learn quickly enough!" Ron reassures him. They're getting on well. I look out the window pensively as the train carries on.

"I'm going to see if I can find Fred and George and that Tarantula. See you later Ron, Harry." I wave a hand behind me before turning into the corridor, my robes in hand. First, I go to change, and in my sleek black robes I wander down the train. Right,
they said they were at the middle…

"Anything from the trolley dear?" The trolley lady offers and I look over the variety of goods.

"Um… just a pumpkin pastry please." I request, handing over a few knuts. When I look back up there's a quick flash of white and a familiar face is standing behind the trolley lady, with two taller boys following. His eyes widen in recognition, and he
smiles slightly.

"Airlea? Prince, was it?" He clarifies, and I let the trolley lady pass so I can face him.

"Yep. Draco Malfoy if I remember correctly." I return the favour and he nods. "And you are?"

"This is Crabbe, and Goyle. We're family friends." He tells me. "Have you had any enlightenments on what house you'll be in?"

I sigh, having made sure I caught every bit of information about his family from Uncle Arthur, I would guess these family friends would be Slytherin friends, selective as his father rumors to be. I've always tried not to think too fast about Slytherin,
but I know if I even spoke a word of considering it, I don't know if a Weasley would ever speak to me again. "I've decided to let the hat choose, I don't particularly mind as long as I'm best suited to it."

"Were you going somewhere?" He asks and I nod.

"Apparently, there's a giant tarantula somewhere in the middle of the train, I'm trying to find it. You?"

"We were going to-" Draco starts but Crabbe interrupts.

"Harry Potter's apparently on the train, he's coming to Hogwarts!" He almost gushes, but he has a slightly manic smile.

"Don't interrupt!" Draco snaps, and I chuckle internally. Only child indeed, he seems primed and pampered, though that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

"Well, he's further along if you're looking, on the right." I tell them, and their eyes widen.

"You've seen Harry Potter?" Goyle stumbles slightly, and I nod.

"Met him. He seems very nice, though slightly worried about his muggle upbringing." I say.

"Well why wouldn't he be? Honestly who thought to put him with muggles…" Draco answers, obviously excited. Only the most wise, powerful wizard alive.

"We'd best be on our way then. I hope you find him!" I say, waving as I move past.

Unfortunately, I never did find that tarantula, as Fred and George had gotten into some mighty trouble with Percy when he found it. But as we arrived at Hogsmead station, I found the matter forgotten.

"Firs' years, firs' years over here!" A tall, giant, towering man called on the platform, and I walked over, quickly finding ginger in the crowd.

"Hey Ron, Harry." I greet, and I walk with them up the narrow path through dense forest following so called Hagrid, as Harry told us. All of a sudden the path opened up to a brilliant black lake, and glittering above it on a high pedestal, was a magnificent
castle.

I barely registered Hagrid's instructions as I stepped hurriedly into a boat with Harry, Ron, and a boy named Neville, not listening to the light chatter as I admired what was to become home.

We arrived at a stone harbor, and walked up to the face of the castle, and Hagrid knocked thrice. The massive wooden doors swung open and a witch in emerald robes waited for us, and gave us the introductory speech. And then came the Great Hall. And great
it was. Lit up like a diamond just as I had read, I walked through in a daze, only drawn out by the twins sitting on a long table with robes emblazoned with scarlet and gold.

The sorting began. It's supposed to be a secret, but it was quite easy to find some author who had let slip the sorting hat's existence; though I had never told Ron. I watched as the crowd of first years around me depleted, Crabbe, Goyle and Malfoy all
went safely to Slytherin, and it came to Harry's turn. He seemed extremely anxious as he sat down, the hall quieter that death as the sorting hat decided.

"Gryffindor!" I smiled, not because of the result directly, but because Harry's face had lit up like a bulb. But straight afterwards…

"Prince, Airlea!" My name was called and I heard vague good lucks from the twins nearby as I walked up calmly. I picked up the hat, sat down, and put it on.

Well, how ususual! I heard Prince, but a Weasley as well sits here… What to do. I see intelligence, great intelligence, what a mind full of memory! Ravenclaw would welcome you, but I think you can do better. How about Gryffindor, where your family waits? I see the confidence that would earn you prestige… No, the lions are much too outspoken. I sense a reserved, knowledgeable calm. I now see there was only one outcome…

"Slytherin!"