Chapter One A’ Marie sat up in bed one hot June morning, shook and disturbed. She tried to forget the horrid dream she had had, but the screaming wouldn’t stop. She put her head on her knees holding herself still. She hadn’t had a dream like that for, well, scince she started school six years ago.
After she calmed herself down she looked at her clock, 5:17 am. She decided that she wouldn’t sleep again that morning. So she got up out of bed and walked toward her open closet near the door.
“Lovely morning don’t you think luv?” said a voice from the window sill. A’Marie walked over to the open window and picked up a piece of parchment ignoring the voice.
“A’ Marie?” the voice called again, but she still did not reply, instead she turned the parchment over and kept reading.
“Oh, I won’t bite you this time,” the voice continued,” I promise.”
“Souxe, you know you are not to be seeing me, here,” A’ Marie said sighing with an emphasis on the last word.
Suddenly a black long haired cat jumped onto the desk, messing with the parchment A’ Marie was reading. The cat knocked off a large tin can full of pencils. That hit the ground with a loud ring, as the pencils rolled under her bed.
“Souxe!” A’ Marie whispered angrily as she got on her knees to pick up the lost pencils.
“Oh dear me, what have I gone and done?” Souxe said mockingly.
A’ Marie had her head under the table when she heard voices in the hall. The click of a light switch and the foot steps of another person followed. A’ Marie saw shadows from under the bed before the door opened. There stood a tall, middle aged, black, elbow length, haired women. The women stomped over to A’ maries window closing it with a snap. She then turned to A’ Marie.
A’ Marie crawled from under the bed and stood up at eye level with the women. Though A’ Marie still had the tin can and a few of the runaway pencils in her left hand.
“A’ Marie? Why must ya be up at such an ungodly hour causing such a terrible racket?” the women said frowning at her. But before A’ Marie could answer she continued,” I know ya are anxious about school starting but ya can’t be bumbling about the house. Just yesterday you tripped poor Hannah Cannball down the stairs.”
“Sorry Ms. Donagon,” A’ Marie replied lowering her head.
“Don’t fret too much deary,” Ms. Donagan sighed. “Just try harder to remember the rules and know that they do differ from your school rules. I don’t know what they teach ya there, but it must be something good if ya still respect us,” she finish smiling down at A’Marie.
“I do try. I’m just not good at it?” A’ Marie replied in a hushed voice.
“Well ya will just have to try harder now wont ya?” Ms. Donagon said as she ruffled up A’ Maries hair. She smiled at her then walked quietly to the door. Before closing it she said, “Now do try to get some sleep.” Then she shut the door and went back to her own room at the end of the long empty hallway.
A’ Marie looked back under her bed for the remaining pencils. She picked up the last one and stood up. Her eyes met two round, golden, cat-like eyes. These eyes belonged to a tall teenage boy with perfectly trimmed and groomed black, shoulder length hair. He wore a long black robe that just barely reached the floor. His robes were astonishing clean for a teenage boy. Upon his face was a grin of pure pleasure at A’ Marie’s shocked face.
She didn’t stay shocked long. As soon as the boy took a breath anger roared inside A’ Marie.
“Souxe! I can’t believe you, tonight! What has gotten into you?” she whispered ferociously to him.
“Me?” Souxe purred innocently, “I have done nothing wrong. I just came here to tell you that you’ll be leaving today.”
“But school doesn’t start for two weeks?” A’ Marie said confused.
“I know, I know,” sighed Souxe. “But, the Ministry thought it be best that I came to tell you rather than send an owl. The owl might get people suspicious.”
“Well?” A’ Marie asked raising a brow.
“Well what?” Souxe replied sarcastically.
“Well aren’t you going to tell my why the ministry sent for me?” A’ Marie said a bit agitated.
“The ministry thought it best you get to settle in with your new family a couple weeks before you go to school,” he said matterofactly.
“New family? You mean I have been adopted?” A’ Marie asked screwing up her brow even more.
The grin on Souxe’s face widened, “That is what I said is it not? Oh and you are leaving today. A letter should arrive today for Ms. Donagon. So get packing!”
“Who? Who has adopted me?” A’ Marie asked loudly.
They both stared at the door after her last statement expecting some one to wake. After a bit, nothing moved nor made sound.
The grin faded and turned into a frown, a flash of anger filled Souxe’s eyes, “You are to be adopted be the Malfoy’s.”
“What? You mean Draco Malfoy’s family?” A’ Marie asked shocked.
“Of course, who else would have a name like Malfoy?” Souxe sneered at the words coming from his mouth.
A’ Marie saw the sneer and suspected that he didn’t like the idea of her moving into the Malfoy’s house. Little did she know, he didn’t not like the idea, he despised it! Souxe had taken a liking to her over the past six years and was to follow her to the Malfoy’s house, of course as a cat. Not too many people knew he was more than just an extremely smart cat.
“I will only go if you come with me,” she stated blankly.
“I was planning on going whether you wanted me to or not. I am souxe the cat!” Souxe said a small smile licking his lips.
A’ Marie smiled at him as she saw a light flicker on in the hallway, and then turned to her clock. 7:45am!
“You might want to practice being Souxe the cat now,” A’ Marie said hushed. She turned to her closet and pulled out some close. When she turned around she saw the cat jumping under the bed. She took that opportunity to dress.
A’ Marie put on a pair of blue jean shorts and a dark green t-shirt. She tied her waist long, blonde hair back with a green tie.
She was looking for her plaid green, white, and black hat when she heard Ms. Donagon calling her from downstairs in the kitchen.
“Ree!” she yelled, “I need you to meet someone!”
A’ Marie looked at Souxe with the same confused look he gave her. She went down the stairs with Souxe weaving in-between her legs.
She entered the kitchen, which was populated by Ms. Donagon, a couple other kids from the orphanage, and an odd girl she had never seen before. She wore a pair of green jeans with a huge red t-shirt. She had purple dyed, short hair. With green eyes to match A’ Marie’s. The girl was average height and looked nice enough.
But A’ Marie’s eyes darted to the trunk situated at her left side. The trunk had a hole in one of its corners which revealed a quill. “No, it’s probably just a feather, maybe just a keep sake.” A’ Marie thought.
“Well good morning A’ Marie dear. This here is Steve. She will be staying with us for awhile. Her father has just lost a son and a wife and cant support them both,” said Ms. Donagon, as if it were common knowledge.
“Nice to meet you, Steve,” A’ Marie said politely.
“Good to meet you, A’ Marie,” Steve said quietly, in a Scottish accent.
“She will be taking your room dear A’ Marie,” Ms. Donagon said setting the table with the help of the older children.
“What?” A’ Marie said trying to act confused.
“Oh, I never told you. I got a letter this morning and it reads that you have been adoptedand are to be leaving today at 1 o’clock,” Ms. Donagon said putting down the last spoon.
“So I need to go pack?” A’ Marie asked truthfully.
“Not now, wait till after breakfast. Oh and the family is the Malfroy’s,” she added picking up the glasses.
“Its Malfoy,” A’ Marie said automatically.
“What?” Ms. Donogan asked looking at A’ Marie with suspicion.
“Oh, err…um, I know a kid at school with the name Malfoy…and…people say his name wrong all the time…” A’ Marie said quickly.
“Oh, I winder if they are related? Malfoy isn’t a very common name,” Ms. Donagon said to herself as she sat down for breakfast.
A’ Marie ate her breakfast in mostly silence. Except the occasional older girl who would ask about her adoption to get some juicy gossip, but when she mostly just nodded they left her be. She was to busy thinking.
She over heard some off the younger kids talking about A’ Maries adoption. They were talking hopefully about themselves getting adopted. A’ Marie smiled at them. She remembered when she was little. How she would always ask Ms. Donagon if she would be next, or she would tell her about whom she wanted as a family. She always said she would put Ms. Donagon as her sister or maybe her mother. Ms. Donagon only laughed at her. Now she understood why she had laughed. There was no way that being adopted meant being able to chose your family.
She frowned. Only a year after she had willingly told Ms. Donagon about her dream family, A’ Marie had become doubtful, thinking and saying she would never get adopted. She had ruined most of the other little girl’s dreams with her pessimistic thoughts. Now she was packing up for good. She would never see this place again. She became sad. She would miss the house and the children. Especially Ms. Donagon, who devoted her life to the little ones.
She shook herself mentally. “There was no point in fretting,” as Ms. Donagon had said.
A’ Marie excused herself from the table and went into the hall. She looked up at the top of the old stair case to see Souxe’s two round eyes bore into her mind. He swished his tail irritably.
She knew Souxe wanted to speak privately. So she walked up the stairs and into her room, shutting the door behind her after letting Souxe in. She sat on her green sheeted bed and waited for Souxe to jump up.
He jumped onto the bed next to A’ Marie and stared at her. He wasn’t really staring at her as much as listening for the other people of the household. He heard them all downstairs in the kitchen. He was about to talk when they both heard Ms. Donagons loud voice calling to another girl.
“Steve why don’t you go help A’ Marie pack? I am sure she would love more company than that silly cat of hers”, she laughed.
Steve came up the stairs quietly, almost too quiet to hear. When she opened the door Souxe had streaked under the bed and A’ Marie jumped up trying to smile politely.
“Ms. Donagon said she would like me to help you clean out your room,” Steve said quietly avoiding A’ Maries eyes.
“You can help me, sure. But only if you want to,” A ‘Marie added quickly.
“I really have nothing else to do…..” Steve replied looking at the floor
“here you can start by folding my clothes and putting into my…um…” A’ Marie looked around. She didn’t have any luggage accept her school trunk.
“You mean this?” Steve said softly showing a suit case she brought up, “Ms. Donagon said to bring it up for you.”
“Thanks. While you do that I will empty my desk drawers,” A’ Marie said walking over to her drawers.
They cleaned out her room quickly in silence. Her room was small and she didn’t own too much. Maybe four pairs of non school clothes. She wasn’t sure though. Even with a small room and little stuff she always kept her room messy.but now, to her amazement, the room was almost bare. She felt alone, even with Steve standing next to her.
Steve shifted her weight uncomfortably. She didn’t know why but she felt awkward. Usually people didn’t bother her. But A’ Marie was different. Steve felt like she could see past her, into her soul. A’ Marie always looked so sad, even when she was happy. Steve felt just bad for her.
A’ Marie looked at her clock, 10:16 am. It was going to a long morning. She tried to move her thoughts to something else when she remembered Souxe.
“Souxe come here,” A’ Marie said said demandingly.
Souxe meowed but didn’t budge.
“Fine, here kitty kitty, come here little kitty,” A’ Marie sighed and said in a little girly voice.
With that Souxe came out happily and looked at Steve then to A’ Marie. He sniffed Steve then sneezed. He went over to A’ Marie and rubbed his head on her leg.
Steve looked at Souxe curiously. His black hair was really clean for a cat. She smiled at him.
Souxe meowed again at A’ Marie.
“Fine,” A’ Marie sighed, “this is Souxe he is my cat and best friend. he is my schools cat but he finds me anyway.”
Souxe looked into her eyes. He meowed softly then turned his head back to Steve.
Steve shifted under Souxes watchful eyes. She liked cats but Souxe reminded her of some one she couldn’t remember.
“So what’s your father like?” A’ Marie asked happily.
“Er…well…he…” Steve thought quickly, “he home schooled me till now.”
“Oh cool, is it fun?” A’ Marie asked ignoring her stuttered first sentence.
“No it is boring just like public school,” Steve said even though she had never been to a public school. She thought A’ Marie wouldn’t believe her.
“Aw that’s too bad. So you have any sibling besides your….oh sorry,” A’ Marie said looking to the window avoiding Steve’s gaze.
“It’s alright, my brother actually died when I was five. I loved him but, well no use wondering about the pass is there?” Steve said staring into Souxe’s eyes.
Souxe jumped down to the floor and sniffed Steve again. He then walked back to A’ Maries bed and sneaked under it. Were he fell into a shallow sleep, he’s ears twitching at every sound.
“Would you like to help me drag my garbage down to the hallway?” A’ Marie asked smiling.
“Sure, what else is there for me to do?” Steve replied with a small smile then picked up the luggage. A’ Marie picked up her school trunk and hoisted it down the stairs with a “thunk”.
A’ Marie and Steve spent the rest of the morning talking or playing board games. Apparently Steve had never played shoots and ladders. Which was a very childish game but it was still entertaining. A’ Marie beat Steve all four times before Ms. Donagon called them into the kitchen for lunch around 12 o’clockish. Then Souxe came down stairs and situated himself on the couch next to A’ Marie and pretended to sleep. A’ Marie and Steve were in a deep discussion about Europe’s soccer teams when the doorbell rung.
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