Home is whenever I’m with you

 

Chapter I

I woke up with the blazing sun on my eyes. “Merlin, where am I?” was my first thought.

I slowly seated and looked around. There were about 15 other people in the room around me, most of them half naked, some drooling, other snorting, but all of them, no exceptions, looked trashed. Apparently it had been a hell of a night last night uh?

I got up, and walked around the room, trying to recognize any faces. I found my dress, put it on, got my shoes and went around the room once again and, this time, I actually realized that my brother, Max, was on one of the couches, holding a girl as if for his dear life.

I shook him awake and he got up with a start. At first he looked a bit lost, but then, as he looked around, realization hit he and he cursed a ‘bloody hell’ under his breath.

‘Get your clothes together and let’s get the hell out of here before anyone else wakes up or someone comes in.’ - I said to him in a whisper.

He nodded and did as I told him to. Ten minutes after I had woken up we were out the door, having the luck to find some cereal on the kitchen table.

 

▲

 

I’m Francesca Malfoy, 16 years old, daughter to Bruno and Jane Malfoy (née Wood), sister to Massimiliano Malfoy, currently attending Scuola San Marco di Magia Per Ragazze*, in Italy; My mother used to go there when she was a student and we had always lived in Italy so it was only natural that I would go too. But there’s my brother, we’re twins actually and if you don’t understand italian San Marco is only for girls, so he went to Hogwarts since his first year.

We only saw each other at Christmas, which we used to spend at the Malfoy Manor in England, and during summer vacations, spent at our summer house in the Tuscany. Mother and father had never really cared much about what we did: as long as we didn’t get into trouble or put out name in social risk, it was fine.

Not that they were bad parents, they were just fine, really awesome parents I’d say, they just trusted us a bit more than we deserved and preferred not to ask. It’s simpler. And for that I’ll be always grateful. Our vacations and holidays were always the bests; we would have the fun of our lives and then just keep it to ourselves, they were just memories after all. Friends were always involved, together with drinking, smoking and sometimes even some muggle drugs.

But now it was July 23 and we were moving back to London. I had received my Hogwarts letter the day before and it had been decided that we were going back since June, when my father was offered a job as an Auror back at the English Ministry of Magic.

*Translations*

Scuola San Marco di Magia Per Ragazze > Saint Marc School of Witchcraft for Girls

 

▲ 

 

‘Hurry down piccola*, we need to be there at 11!’ I heard my mom shout up the stairs to me. I grabbed the only remaining things in my bedroom: my bag, and Charlie, my owl; turned the lights off and went downstairs.

My mother was trying to make her Luis Vuitton luggage fit in the fireplace with her when I reached the first landing of the house. ‘Merda*’ she cursed.

‘I’m ready, mamma*’

‘Good, good. Now sweetie, your mum is going first to make sure everything is ok and then it’s you, your brother, and I’m going last to close the fireplace and all, is that alright ?’  My father said with his trademark smile. ‘He’s so cute, hahahah’ I thought.

‘Sì, babbo.’ I smiled.

Mum reached for the floo powder, threw it up on herself and her bags and shouted ’27, Halford Road, London, England’.

I hated international floo trips. They were twenty times worse than the normal ones.

We waited a few minutes, talking little; just taking in our last minutes in that house, and it was already my turn.

I did the same as my mum. Grabbed my bag, owl, powder, shouted the address, and all of a sudden everything was spinning with wild flashes of green passing in front of my eyes.  But, just as suddenly as it started, it ended and there I was.

 

*Translations*

Piccola  > little/small

Merda  > shit

Mamma  > mum

Babbo  > dad

▲

 

I came out of the fireplace coughing as if there was no tomorrow. After good five minutes mum came running down the stairs and helped me with a charm.

Only after I had straightened myself again I was able to look around the room. It was beautiful. The walls were adorned with golden ornaments and painted a faint blue, the floor was of dark wood and the windows were enormous which made the place heavenly and naturally lighted.

My appreciation trance was interrupted by the sudden sound of my brother landing on the fireplace.

‘Nice.’ - was all he said.

I started exploring. Through an archway I reached what I believed to be the dining room, and through a door in the dining room I found the kitchen. They were all designed in the same basis: golden ornaments on the top on the walls, light blue paint, dark wood floor, but each one of the rooms held a different feeling, sort of a mist, something that made me believe I had been there before and that I would remain there for many years from now on.

It was home.

 

Chapter II

The last remaining week of vacations went quite fast, but not unremarkably. Me and Maxxie were out every night, doing the usual things at unusual places with unusual people. We found a few remotely clean and well frequented clubs and pubs around our place and some bloody amazing ones all around London.  Sometimes waking up without remembering a thing of the night before, sometimes having no clue of where we were.

We would sneak in our place - hoping, for dear life, that our parents would not be awake – lie down in bed only to be woken an hour later by a smiling parent calling you for breakfast.

The house had been furnished on the same day we had arrived. Our new furniture was to arrive at noon and that’s why mother was rushing to be there at 11: she had bought new pieces of all furnishing to ‘mach the new house designs’, and I quote: ‘Amore, ma la nuova casa è così differente della vecchia!’* to which father replied his usual ‘Va benne, dolce, va benne’*.

But the thing is, today was July 31, and I was supposed to be going to Hogwarts the next day with my brother. I had no idea of what it would be like to be attending an entirely different school in another country even, with people I had never seen in my life. But I would make sure it was hella fun.

It was 10:00 am when I woke up. Someone had drawn back my curtains so there was a soft sun light coming through my window, but to my pounding mind it was a thousand supernovas happening at the same time right in from of my eyes. I got up slowly and went over to the window so I would wake up completely.

That’s when I noticed him. 

He had raven black hair falling over his eyes; a rather tall, slim figure and walked with a bit of a wiggle on his hips. He was well dressed, not in a fancy or preppy way, his clothes were just matching and it didn’t seem like he’d spent the morning thinking about what to wear, he just looked good in a natural way.

And just when I thought that, he looked up almost as if he had sensed me at the window. And then he smiled. Just a small curve on his lips, more like a smirk, but not an arrogant one, it was one I could not read.

I smiled back, just like him, with a small curve of my lips and turned my gaze down to my feet. That’s when I realized why he’d been smiling. I was not in pyjamas; I was wearing my underwear, as in only my underwear.

I laughed at myself for being so stupid and shut the curtains, but not without before noticing the boy had made a turn and was now walking up the steps to my house.

 

*Translations*

‘Amore, ma la nuova casa è così differente della vecchia!’  > ‘Love, but the new house is too different from the old one’

 

‘Va benne, dolce, va benne’  > Something like ‘alright, sweets, alright’

 

▲

 

I grabbed my towel and went into the bathroom, all the way down the corridor stopping only to raise a middle finger at my brother for the look he gave me.

I took my time in shower, washing every part of my body carefully, watching out for a few unknown bruises here and there, washing my hair about three times and shaving my legs with perfection. I went out of the now steaming bathroom rolled on my towel and made my way back to my room.

After about 10 minutes of search I found my wand somewhere in the mess my room was - almost breaking it by stepping on it and finding some pretty gross things during the process of looking for it – and put a musical charm in it. I mean my room, not my wand.

Going through the mess once again I managed to find a pair of clean knickers in my drawers and put on the same bra- it was still clean anyways. Since I had so many clothes I always did my best to keep my closet as clean and organized as possible - otherwise it would be impossible to find any piece of clothing – what made the task of finding something to wear the easiest and fastest one until now.

I put on a pair of jeans shorts, thin black wool thighs, a silk dress shirt of a light shade of pink and went downstairs for breakfast not even bothering to put any shoes or to comb my hair - it would dry insanely straight as always anyways.

When I reached the first landing of the house four people were just leaving the living room talking animatedly about whatever. One of them was my mother, the other, my father, the third one was my brother and the fourth person happened to be him.

 

▲

 

‘Good morning piccola!* How kind of you to join us. Did you sleep well?’

‘Good morning mamma. Yes, I had a great night of sleep.’

‘Great! Now come and join us in the dining room for breakfast. We were just talking about how great this year will be for the three of you, together in Hogwarts, wasn’t it Maxxie ?’ Mother said staring at my brothers with the happiest of expressions.

He only nodded politely while smiling and when she turned to go in the dining room with dad he mouthed a ‘Where were you last night?’ in my direction.

I answered it with a shrug and mouthed back:

‘I don’t know. I don’t even think I went out.’

We were all now sitting and as I looked around the table looking for something eatable I did my best to keep my gaze away from the boy. Merlin, I didn’t even know his name.

‘Mamma*, what did you say? The three of us?’- I asked, just now realizing what she had said.

‘Yes piccola*, you, Maxxie and James’- She answered me with a hint of impatience on her voice.

So that was his name.

‘And that would be –‘

‘Me’– He said interrupting me.

‘Oh.’- Was all I managed to say at that moment. I kept on looking around the table trying to hide my embarrassment and found some desirable raspberry pancakes.

I reached out for a grapefruit without realizing James was doing the same and our hands touched for a moment and I rethreaded my hand as if I had been electrocuted.

‘I’m sorry. You can have it.’- He said politely.

‘Thanks’ I grabbed it and started cutting it in half and eating. I gathered some self-confidence and started:

‘So, James, have you been friends with my brother for long?’

‘Hm, yeah, pretty much since our first year when the stupid git threw me out the boat and into the lake.’-He said laughing with my brother.

‘Ah c’mon mate, you were annoying as fuck.’

‘Massimiliano!’

‘Sorry mamma*.’-He looked down holding back a laugh.

After retrieving his composure he continued:

‘You are going to love Hogwarts Fran. It’s just amazing. It’s so huge, not just the castle, but the grounds! And there are classes I would have never dreamt of!’

‘I hope so. I’m going to annoy the hell out of you for the first few weeks, and you, as the great brother you are, are going to put up with it and help he get around until I meet new people, aren’t you?’- It was a threat.

‘No I will not. I hope you socially starve.’

‘Outrageous!’- I made a face.

All along James would only laugh and make faces, but now he interfered:

‘I call for peace! I can’t really take in all your arguments at once so early in the morning.’

‘Fine, I’ll just be the socially awkward kid everyone hates and I’ll go around telling everyone I’m your sister just to get back at you because you’ll be too ashamed of me to even think of me as family, let alone tell people we’re twins.’

‘Merlin, enough with the drama! I’ll help you make friends.’

‘Thanks’ – I said with a smirk.

‘Are you all ready dears?’

‘Yes mamma*. – My brother turned to me – Are you coming with us?’

‘Coming where?’- I said with my mouth full of those raspberry pancakes.

‘We’re going to Diagon Alley to buy school supplies, but if you don’t want to come I can just buy yours, they’re the same as Maxxie’s.’

‘Oh thank you mamma!* Would you be so kind as to do so? I don’t really feel like going out today.’- Sarcasm is my best weapon, combined with my amazing skills at lying, I’m invincible.

‘Of course piccola*, do you want me to bring anything else for you? Do you need any clothing or maybe some food for Charlie?’

‘No, I don’t think I’m in need of anything, but thanks.’

‘It’s nothing dear. If you feel like going out later, we’ll be having tea at the Leaky Cauldron at five, come and meet us there alright?’

‘Yes, of course mamma.*’

‘Ok! Time to go! Everybody, grab your cloaks and let’s get going. The floo network can be quite crowded today; it’s better if we go earlier.’

Mum rushed out to her room, dad to the cupboard and Max to his room, leaving me with James, who already had his cloak on, in the living room.

‘Where are you doing today?’

‘What?’

‘Where are you going today?’

‘Didn’t you just hear me tell mum I don’t feel like going out?’

‘You don’t fool me, sweet-eyes. You can tell me, I’m not gonna tell your parents.’

I sighed.

‘I’m meeting a few friends back from Italy at the Notting Hill Arts Club.’

‘Nice played, Italian girl.’

By now they were all back down here and dad was already in the fireplace. Mum went next, and then Maxxie, after giving me a rib breaking hug.

James got in the fireplace and grabbed a handful of floo powder. He stopped and looked at me for a second before saying:

‘By the way, nice bra.’

He smirked and shouted ‘The Leaky Cauldron’ over a cloud of green dust.

He was gone.

 

*Translations*

Piccola  > little/small

Mamma  > mum

Chapter III

The next day I woke up with a throbbing head, sore legs and a hoarse voice. The Notting Hill Arts Club had been wild and meeting my friends was nice and all but the hot guy I had (not only) snogged until my lips were swollen was, by far, the best part of the night.

Today the curtains were still shut but my early awakening had nothing to do with the light. There was some brainless creature knocking fervently on my bedroom’s door. I slowly raised my head and screamed at the top of my lungs.

‘FUCK OFF!’

‘Are you stupid or something? We have to be at King’s Cross in an hour!’

I stood up in a start.

‘Merlin, I completely forgot! I’m coming!’

Yesterday I had arrived home moments before my parents and brother did, and as I told you before my amazing lying skills got me out of this. I had red eyes, swollen lips, my face was flushed from dancing and I was hot and sweaty, but I managed to make my parents believe I was sick, by faking a few coughs and an almost faint.

Mum had bought my new school supplies and had even bought me a beautiful new indigo dress robe. By faking the illness I had gotten myself out of the incredibly boring and long task of packing my trunk, so by waking up that morning I had the pleasure to know that the house-elves had already packed it.

I rushed out of bed and started running around my room looking for anything to wear. I went in my closet and grabbed the first pair of jean I saw, together with a torn shirt from a rock gig I once went and my red leather jacket. I slipped in some black moccasins and rushed to the bathroom.

Once in there I brushed my teeth in the speed of light, combed my messy hair and did my best to hide the bags under my eyes.

I ran down the stairs and into the kitchen where I found Stinky, our house elf, already holding out a plate full of cookies and cupcakes for me. I took a handful of cookies and a cute green cupcake and rushed out the door.

They were all already waiting for me in the garage where dad insisted to keep a black muggle car; he would always use the argument that we were in London, every single place was so far from another and that for the sake of ‘our kind’ we had better keep up appearances. In fact he was a rather good driver.

‘Good morning happy family! Shall we get going?’- I asked with sarcasm.

‘Aren’t you forgetting anything?’

 ‘Like what?’

‘Your trunk, maybe?’

‘Oh fuck. STINKY! COULD YOU BRING DOWN MY TRUNK? FAST!’

In a second the house-elf was down there with my enormous trunk hanging in mid air right behind it. With a quick movement of its wrist the trunk was placed in the car’s booth.

I slipped into the car with them and we were off.

 

▲

 

King’s Cross was crowded.  There were people all around and I couldn’t recognize one single familiar face. Were they muggles or wizards?!

Since Max was the only one who’d been there before, he led the way. We made a few turns, went down a few stairs and walked good two miles. Ok, maybe not that much, but it was fucking tiring.

Finally, we stopped between platforms 9 and 10. Where the hell was platform 9 ¾?! Oh, whatever, I had found magical people! And that’s exactly what was occupying my thoughts when a blur of blond hair attacked me.

 

▲

 

‘Frances, you bitch! Why didn’t you owl me?! I’ve missed you so much! What are you doing here?!’

Dominique.

‘Will you please stop calling me that? And I’ve missed you too, but my summer has been a mess and I couldn’t even afford having the mind to remember owling you’

‘Yeah, I know what you mean. There’s been so much happening at home. But hey! What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in Italy? I thought your classes had started last week.’

‘Yes, but hm, I’m sort of going to Hogwarts this year.’

‘Are you serious? Merlin, that’ll be so awesome! But wait, how, in the world, did you convince your mother to let you come?’

‘We actually just moved back to England you know, Dad has been offered a new job as an Auror here and now we’re living in London again. So now I have to go to Hogwarts with Max.’

‘That’s so nice! We’re going to be together all year now!’

‘What do you mean?’

‘What? Didn’t you hear? I’ve been attending Hogwarts since last year. Mum got in this huge argument with the new Beauxbaton headmistress and she sent me to Hogwarts last year. And now you are coming too! It’s gonna be so much fun!’

I met Dominique for the first time when I was nine. She was this stuck-up little girl talking shit about her great-grand father having been the man who designed the Eifel Tower. I had found her ridiculous and threw my ice cream on her hair. She looked back at me and laughed. I was intrigued, until she brought her hand from behind her and threw her ice cream right on my face. I started laughing too and we became best friends at that very second.

I never saw her again until I was 14. I was back in France for the Easter holidays and I and mum were shopping at the Champs when I saw this beautiful ostrich leather boots in the Hermés shop. I rushed straight at the same time as another tall, blonde girl.

I recognized her at first sight, let go of the bag and extended my arms for her with the biggest of smiles. She made a confused face and walked away with the bag. I shouted:

‘HEY! That bag was mine first Dominique!’

‘No it was not, you let go of it. And how do you know my name?’

‘Francesca, remember? The ice cream girl? Eifel Tower? We were five?’

‘No. I have no idea who you are.’

‘Don’t be stupid, of course you do!’

‘No, I don’t.’

‘Yes, you do.’

‘No, I don’t.

‘Yes, you do.

‘No, I don’t.’

‘No, you don’t.’

‘Yes, I do.’

‘HA. I knew it!

‘Oh shut up and give me a hug, of course I know who you are! I’m just making fun of you.’

Since then we had kept in touch with each other, sending owls whenever something interesting would happen in our lives and meeting every once in a while during holidays. But this summer I hadn’t even been to the Tuscany or had time to do anything. We had been deciding whether to stay or move back while hosting some of dad’s friends from Switzerland and dealing with a sick Massimiliano. So I had absolutely no time to even think of owling anyone.

It’s not like I didn’t go out or had fun. I just had to do that with the usual Italian friends.

But now here we were, together again, going to Hogwarts. Yeah, she was right. It would be ‘so much fun!’.

 

▲

 

 

‘Fran, let’s go.’

‘Let’s go where? I’m still trying to find the bloody platform 9 ¾.’

‘Did you really think that the Hogwarts Express would leave a muggle station? Merlin, sometimes it feels like I have a squib for a twin.’

‘Hey! I heard that!’

‘I meant for you to hear that.’

I stuck out my tongue for him.

‘Wow, no need to insult me!’

‘Ha, ha.’

‘Ok, enough. Let’s go or we’ll be late.’

‘GO WHERE?!’

‘Sweet Merlin, help me. Frances, could you please follow me?’

‘Yes dear.’

He walked a few steps and stopped staring at the column between platforms 9 and 10, turned around and said to me:

‘Now Francesca, all we have to do it go through this wall and we’ll be at platform 9 ¾.’

‘Simple like that?’

‘Yes, simple like that.’

‘We have to go through a fucking wall. How the hell is that simple?!’

‘Like this.’

He threw me against the wall without giving me time to even close my eyes, and just when I thought the pain was coming, all I saw was the inside of the bricks and as I kept walking I came out on the other side.

There were about 800 people all along the long platform. Two hundred of them were parents and the rest, students of all ages. There was a huge red engine on the tracks and the students were all rushing in and out of it, putting their heads out its windows or trying to push their trunks in it.

My brother came out of the wall behind me and gave me a smile as if saying ‘Didn’t I tell you?’

Mum and dad came right after him carrying the trolleys with our trunks, Charlie and Max’s stupid black kitty, Zoe. They ‘parked’ the trolleys in a corner and came over to us.

‘Oh piccola, I am going to miss you so much!’

‘Mum, nothing’s changed. I’m still going to be gone all year, I’ll just be somewhere else.’

‘I know, but it just feels like you’re going to be so much further away from me this year.’

I gave a small chuckle.

‘Ok mum, don’t be like that. I’ll try and write you every week ok?’

‘Ok’- She said in between sobs and laughs while hugging me.

She let go first, trying to regain her composure and I walked over to my dad as she did the same towards Max.

After about eighteen hugs, goodbyes, and a few more reminders that I’d write every week, dad levitated our trunks into the train and we hopped in, each one trying to get in first than the other like every pair of siblings do.

 

▲

 

The very second we managed to get our full bodies in the train the door shut close. We grabbed our trunks and started walking down the aisle while the train stated moving.

‘Where exactly are we going, Max?’

‘To the boy’s compartment.’

‘No, we’re not.’

‘Yes, we are.’ He rolled his eyes as if saying ‘don’t you think I know what I’m doing?’

‘No, you are. I am going to find Dominique. I’ll see you when we get there ok?’

At that moment a red-haired head popped out of a compartment door and said:

‘Yeah, we thought it might be you, Max.’

‘Hey Freddie!’ He said going over to the redhead and giving him that weird one armed hug only guys can do.

‘How was your summer mate? It’s been really long uh?’

‘Don’t be a pussy, we met like, last week.’

‘Yeah, you’re right, but you know I love you. A week without you feels like a year man.’

‘Fag.’ He coughed.

‘Fred’ gave a slight punch on my brothers shoulder and laughed with him. He suddenly stopped acknowledging my presence and said:

‘And who exactly is this beauty?’

‘Shut up man, that’s my sister!’

‘Oh, pardon me young lady, if I have insulted you.’

‘Not at all my dear knight, you have only but flattered me.’

We both laughed and my brother threw us an ice cold glare.

‘Go ahead; make fun of the protective brother.’

I pinched him on the cheek jokingly.

‘Oh, don’t be like that! You know I’ll be forever yours, don’t you?’

He chuckled.

‘You better be. Imagine if you started dating a waste of space such as Fred! Merlin, I’d have a heart attack.’

It was now our time to laugh and Fred’s to throw glares.

‘Alright, I’m off. Enjoy your trip.’ I gave Max a peck on the cheek and turned to leave when Fred asked:

‘Hey, don’t I get a kiss too?’

‘No, I barely know you.’ I said without turning back.

‘Can I at least know where you’re going?’

‘Calm your inexistent tits mate; she’s just gone to find Dominique.’

Max rolled his eyes and they both went in the compartment.

I had walked through other 5 compartments, trying a peek at every door, without finding Dominique. Just when I was about to go back to my brother’s compartment I heard a giggling noise from a close by door and went to check it out; ‘maybe it’s the girls making some kind of joke or something’ was my thought at that moment.

I walked over to the door and looked through the little glass window on its door, but what I saw was definitely not what I expected. Thank Merlin I didn’t open the door without looking first.

There was a couple in the compartment. So far, so good; They were snogging the daylight out of each other. Well, that’s expected; It was James. HA, gotcha!