King With No Crown

It was about ten o'clock when Severus and I had arrived on the platform to the Hogwarts Express. I looked around and saw a lot of students and parents there. I didn't pay attention to my older cousin as my eyes wandered around. Even though I honestly didn't mind staying home with just him and I. But, to be back at Hogwarts and to learn magic, I was honestly as excited as I was every year.

Severus cleared his throat.

"What?" I inquired as I glanced at him, adjusting my pleather jacket and shoving my sunglasses on to my face.

"Do not fool around on the train this year."

"Sev. Listen, you give me this speech every year."

"Do not interrupt me." He said sternly, taking off my glasses and holding them. He continued to start his speech that he gave me about the Hogwarts Express. The same speech that he had given me since I was eleven-years-old and going on the Express for the first time in my life.

Words cannot describe how excited I was that year. Ever since, every time I see the Express, I get that same excitement, wondering what I'm going to learn this year at Hogwarts. I may not seem like that sort of person, but I hide it well.

Obviously, I did not pay attention to what he had to tell me. It was word for word as the last five speeches. My hues diverged over his shoulder. I saw Draco hugging his mother as she handed him a small bag of what I assumed was full of galleons. I wasn't surprised, to say that the Malfoy family wasn't loaded was like saying that Severus's hair wasn't greasy. I couldn't help but to frown as I remembered that I had neglected to pack myself a meal for the train ride.

"What?" Sevvy asked as he noticed my frown at the end of his speech.

I looked back in his direction, "I just realized that I forgot to pack a meal for the Express."

"Ava, I reminded you all week."

I frowned even more. "I know."

He pulled out a few galleons from his robes. "This is coming out of your Gringotts account."

"Did you really think I expected you to give me money and not have to pay you back for it?" I grabbed the galleons and put them in the pocket of my high waisted shorts and took my sun glasses back. As I placed them back on my face I let out a sigh. "Severus, can't we just Aparate to Hogsmeade?" Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved the Express, but after the whole thing with Draco and I in our fourth year, the Express ride was always uncomfortable when we were around each other. Although, treating him like the stupid sod he is does make me feel a little better. It wasn't 'oh no! a boy broke my heart!' No. It's more like no one makes a fool out of a Prince.

"But—"

"No." With that, he Aparated into Hogsmeade so he could get back to the Castle and help the rest of the Professors get ready for the new term. He didn't show it, but he was excited. He finally got the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.

I let out a final sigh and headed on to the train. I headed to the part of the train where most of the compartments were filled up with Slytherins. I picked a table to sit at and sat near the window.

My eyes had been closed for a while when the train was already taking off. I opened my eyes when I heard someone sit down across from me. It was Blaise Zabini.

"Alright holiday?"

"As alright as spending a whole summer stuck in the house with Snape. Your mum find another rich bloke yet?"

"They've been married a month."

"He dead yet?" I couldn't help but to ask. It was his seventh step-father. All of the rest rich and died mysteriously, leaving Blaise and his mum and more rich.

"Not yet. I expect to hear about it over Halloween."

"I don't know. The last one only lasted a month, didn't he?"

"True."

"Draco, why did you pick a table with her sitting in the table behind it?!" I heard that shrill voice that I had been hoping to avoid all school year. It was none other than the pug-faced Pansy Parkinson herself.

I turned around to see Crabbe directly behind me, Draco to my left, Goyle across from Crabbe and Pansy standing next to her seat next to Goyle.

"Are you bleeding kidding me?" I asked rhetorically. "What on earth are you lot doing behind me? I've been sitting here for an hour now, which none of you were here before. Sod off."

"Draco can sit where ever he likes! You are a sad excuse for a Slytherin! You think you're cool because Snape is your cousin. News flash, Prince. No one likes you and if I do recall, Draco dumped your sorry arse at the end of our fourth year." She crossed her arms and let out her shrill laugh.

"News flash, Parkinson. Notice how Malfoy's never even given you the time of day? Bit sad you've been chasing after the bloke for six years now and he has never even snogged you. I don't see why you want him so badly. He's really not even a good shag." I said, shrugging.

"Excuse me?" Draco turned to me. "I was the greatest shag you've had." He scowled at me.

"Piss off, yeah? I bet Potter's better than that."

"Then why don't you go fuck Potter, you slag!"

I stood up, getting my wand out from the inner pocket in my pleather jacket and shoved the wand at Pansy's neck as she shrieked. All of the other students were cheering me on. "One more word and I hex you, got it?"

"Look, you're even dressed like a muggle slag. What? Can't afford real leather?"

"I don't like real leather. One more word from you, Malfoy and you're next." After a minute, I returned to my seat and sighed. "Stupid bint." I mumbled and Blaise laughed.

"My dear Ava. Do you ever cease to become more badass as the years go on?"

"My dear Blaise. Have you failed to notice who I am?" I inquired as he smirked. I couldn't help but to notice that Zabini had became much more attractive over the summer. "Blaise, did you suddenly hit puberty this summer?"

He choked slightly on his water, "Ava, I hit puberty when I was fourteen."

"Right. . ." I said, smirking at him, slightly lifting an eyebrow. Why had I never noticed?