My Enigmatic Enemy

I almost stared at him from across Platform 9 ¾. He was so pale, much paler than ever before - which was saying something, as Draco Malfoy had always been a pale boy. His platinum hair was unusually messy, I couldn’t help but notice, and he seemed a bit twitchy.

But as soon as I realized I was staring, and that I was noticing these things, I pulled my eyes away. I could not be distracted by him. He was the enemy, and no matter how different he seemed, I could not ponder it.

Shaking my head clear of all thoughts of Draco Malfoy - or so I had hoped - I boarded the train and set off to find someone to sit with. It was proving harder than it had originally seemed, so when I happened upon the compartment of my cousin, Katie Bell, and her friends, I wasted no time in asking if they minded if I sat with them.

“Ami! Come on in!” Katie beamed, standing to give me a hug. I hugged her back, murmuring a ‘thank you’ into her ear.

I guess I should tell you this much about myself: My name is Ami Carson, I’ve just turned sixteen, and I’m boarding the Hogwarts Express for the sixth time. My hair is short, black, and curly, only falling to where it barely touched my shoulders. There were red highlights in the front, almost as if to prove my loyalty to my Hogwarts house. I had a small kitten who was very, very fluffy and looked almost Siamese…and I had dubbed him Smokey. I was petting him at the moment, absently listening to the conversations of my cousin and her friends.

I must have dozed off, because before I knew it, I was being shaken awake.

“Wake up, Ami! Hurry up and change, we’re already slowing down!”

I bolted up at this, and hurriedly seized some robes out of my trunk. I threw them on over my clothes, and moved my wand from the back pocket of my jeans to the pockets of my robes. I fixed my hair with a simple charm said under my breath and cuddled Smokey for a minute longer before putting him in a lidded wicker basket for, as I assumed, the house-elves to carry to my dorm. I wondered absently as we started filing off the train what Crookshanks might do to another male cat in the common room, but I didn’t think to much on it. He seemed almost playful sometimes, so surely it shouldn’t be too bad.

“Ami!” I heard, and I nearly groaned. “Ami! It is you!”

“Hey, Lavendar,” I said, throwing on a false grin.

“Ami! How are you?” Parvati asked, coming up beside Lavendar as we waited for a carriage.

“I’m okay,” I said softly.

“Here,” Katie pulled me into her carriage. “You can ride with us. See you girls later!”

The carriage trundled away, leaving Lavendar Brown, Parvati Patil, and Padma Patil standing there gaping.

“Thanks,” I laughed. “A lot.”

“I know you don’t like them much,” Katie shrugged. “You’re better friends with Ginny, and
she’s a year younger than you are.”

“You’re right,” I grinned, “But I’m friends with you, too, right?”

“Well, we’re cousins, it’s a requirement,” she teased, and she, her friends, and I all laughed.

I ended up sitting between Hermione and Ginny at the start of term feast, Katie a few seats down. I couldn’t care less about Professor Slughorn, or about Snape being the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, seeing as I was busy watching a certain Slytherin when no one was paying attention to me. As I’d noticed over the past month, he’d become pale as a ghost - as if he wasn’t pale enough already!

“So, how was your summer, Ami?” I heard, pulling me out of my thoughts to turn to Hermione.

“Okay. A bit boring, not even Quidditch around the house to take my mind off things.” I said, the main reason for no Quidditch being our proximity to the home of the Malfoys. Dad didn’t want our position learned, which is why, if I went out, I had to take a hair changing potion Dad had set by so I wouldn’t be recognized by Draco.

“That sucks!” said Ginny, Harry, and Ron all at once. I kind of looked t them, and Hermione snorted.

“Yeah, it does,” I said, then we started laughing.

But throughout the dinner, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had eyes focused on me. Every time I glanced up, the feeling would go away, but as soon as I focused on my housemates or my food, I’d feel the prickling sensation again. It kind of unnerved me, but I kept my composure and didn’t let it bother me too much. Then we were dismissed.

“Come on, Ami!” Ginny pulled me up, “To the tower.”

“Yeah, we need our sleep. Classes start tomorrow!” Hermione added, excitedly. I shook my head, laughing.