The train station was buzzing that early autumn morning. Sixteen-year-old Severus Snape wheeled his small, beaten up luggage cart easily through platform nine and three quarters. He was very depressed, having left his household on bad terms again. So imagine his emotions when unexpectedly his cart was knocked over in a blur.
"Oh, I am so sorry! It was my fault entirely." The speaker had a soft, feminine southern accent.
An American?
Severus took a step back to get a better look. The girl had knelt down to put his things back on the cart, making her long ponytail cover her face as she looked down. She suddenly looked up, flinging the golden brown waves back and revealing two enormous eyes, framed by long lashes, which were as black as the night sky on new moon. She was dressed completely in the standard Hogwarts uniform, with a few alterations to go with her unique personality. Her socks extended above her knees, which were visible beneath her pleated skirt (which ended at mid-thigh.) Her blue and bronze tie was draped loosely across her shoulders, outlining a peculiar glass pendant resting at her collar bone.
"Could you help me up?" Her heart-shaped face was set off by a few stray tendrils, which had elegantly come undone from her silvery hair thingy. Severus gently extended his trembling weedy hand to the attractive young woman. She got to her feet, but all of a sudden, she tripped in her high platform boots, (which were calf-high with big star shaped buckles that she had painted herself) and fell straight into his skinny, undernourished arms.
"Oh my," she giggled, sounding like jingle bells at Christmas, as they untangled themselves. She had the pleasant aroma of lilacs and pineapples. Her amber eyes examined his pallid face, not disgusted by his greasy hair and aquiline nose. When they rested at his pasty mouth, she put a willowy, manicured hand to her cheek in concern. "Are you hurt?"
He quickly backed away, trying to cover his swollen lip, compliments of his abusive, no-good, hideous, penniless father whom Severus had loathed all of his entire life.
"Its nothing," he said, trying to act like a man.
She put a finger to his face, careful not to cut him with her inch long metallic pink nails, which had a string of rhinestones glued at the tips. From her Hello Kittyâ„¢ handbag she withdrew a 12 1/5 inch cypress wand, which she had also glued rhinestones on.
"Caffeine carbonate," she drawled, waving her wand with a quick flick. The wound healed with a tingling sensation. "My name is Jessamine Louisa Mirabelle Astrid. But ev'ry body calls me Honey, because of my hair and eyes. I am an exchange student from Paris."
"Paris?" Severus asked, raising a thin eyebrow.
"Paris, Texas, I mean," she laughed. Severus smirked at the joke. Suddenly his dark eyes went wide as he spotted something coming their way. Honey casually turned to look.
"Excuse me, miss, is this oily scoundrel bothering you?" A handsome boy of their same age was strolling over to them, wand in hand. He casually ruffled his jet black hair and pushed his glasses down on his nose, grinning at Honey with striking hazel eyes. He shook her hand tenderly, holding it two seconds longer than necessary. "I'm James Potter, pleased to make your acquaintance."
Honey rolled her eyes. "They call me Honey."
"I'd love to," he replied flirtatiously, "so is Snivellus bothering you?"
"Snivellus? That can't be your real name?" She turned to Severus, batting her large honeysuckle eyes.
"My name is Severus," he said, attempting to fricassee James with his nuclear glare.
"Well, Severus is most certainly not bothering me and I do not appreciate it when people accuse without supporting evidence."
"I apologize," James said insincerely.
Honey quickly recognized that he wasn't sincere but said nothing because she knew there was just no use in arguing with people like that. She glanced at her pink Barbieâ„¢ wristwatch. "We had better get on the train."
"Do you want to sit with my friends and me?" James asked, running a hand through his messy hair, which was as black as black ashes.
"No thank you. See y'all tonight." She gave Severus a quick wink, closing and opening one long lashed eye very rapidly, and disappeared into the train doors.
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Honey made her way through the aisle, politely turning down several (mostly male) students welcoming her to sit beside them. She had reached the end when she heard James' baritone voice coming from further back. Not wanting to have another encounter with her annoying, yet charming and handsome acquaintance, she ducked into the closest compartment. England was quite different than she had imagined…but anything was better than the ghastly past she had left behind. Honey put her head in her willowy hands, remembering the horror she had witnessed that warm summer's day, two agonizing years ago…
She suddenly noticed three other people in the compartment with her. She whipped her head upward, splashing her ponytail backwards, to see three girls.
"Hello, I don't believe I've seen you around here before." The eldest one said. She was rather busty with short, flipped blonde hair and cerulean blue eyes; almost as pretty as Honey.
Honey dabbed at her large eyes, the color of fossilized tree sap, with her lacy white handkerchief that she had brought along just for brooding, so that the girls would not think she was feeble. She had to be brave. After all, this was a new place. A new beginning, she fought back her tears and tried to think of the friendly boy she had met. "I'm an exchange student. I've moved here from America for...." she paused mysteriously.
"Personal reasons," another girl finished more mysteriously. If Honey had been a less perceptive person, she might have missed the strange, skinny girl scrunched into the side of the compartment.
"How did you know?" Honey asked in total disbelief. Suddenly it hit her; this girl must be a Seer!
Could it be?
She leaned forward for a closer look. The Seer girl had on a pair of weird spectacles, and her frighteningly frizzy hair was let long and loose. Around her skinny neck she wore a bunch of dangly beads, kind of like the ones people where at Marti Gras in New Orleans when its marti gras. Honey noticed the Hufflepuff insignia on the young lady's robes, which were rather long and loose on her. Honey's view of the girl was suddenly blocked by a third girl's head.
"It is very nice to meet you," the third girl said, offering her hand, on which the nails had been very neatly trimmed, without any polish. She had straight, neatly combed dark cherry red hair and vibrant green eyes. A green headband made a line between her perfect red bangs. "I'm Lily Evans, a Gryffindor prefect, so if you need any help just feel free to ask. This is Rosmerta, and that's—" she motioned to the strange girl and made a forced smile, "Sibyll."
"Lovely to meet y'all." Honey said with a million dollar smile. "I'm Honey."
"So which house are you in?" Rosmerta asked inquisitively, while looking up from her compact mirror as she fixed her watermelon/ cherry flavored sparkly lip-gloss.
"She doesn't know yet." Sibyll said without turning to look at them.
"I haven't been sorted yet," Honey said with a sly grin. Sibyll noticed the faint natural rosy glow in her peaches and cream complexion.
"You have met a nice boy?" Sibyll pried.
"I met two boys," Honey sat up straight, "the first was a doll, didn't say much though. The second was pretty cute, but he was actin' as if he was some sorta bigshot or something."
Lily and Rosmerta exchanged knowing glances. "James Potter. He is the most rude, conceited, arrogant, member of the male species that I have ever met in my entire life." Lily pursed her slightly shiny lips, which she had applied a clear gloss to. She did not wear a lot of makeup, as she was a very good girl and student, and only went for boys who were the same. "Him and that Sirius Black. They think they're so cool, just because they're brilliant and sporty and the best looking guys in the school."
"Methinks the lady doth protest too much…" Rosmerta said under her breath.
Suddenly the compartment doors rolled opened. Lily's rolled her vibrant green eyes and sighed. "What do you want?"
Honey turned to see the most handsome boy she had ever seen. He was tall, with cavernous silver eyes and luxurious dark hair. He smiled at her devilishly, leaning against the compartment door in a laid back stance.
"He just came with me to meet the new exchange student, like Dumbledore suggested," another voice said. Another boy entered, with pale brown hair and deep melancholy eyes. He turned to Honey and offered his hand, "Jessamine Astrid, I presume."
Honey giggled, this time sounding like the bell on a convenience store door if someone was opening over and over again. "Call me Honey," she said sweetly.
"I'd love to," the handsome boy said, still leaning against the door, flexing his muscles. He wasn't trying to impress them or anything, he was one of those naturally gorgeous people who didn't care how he look, but was simply gorgeous anyway.
"Let me guess, you are Sirius Black." Honey guessed, not intimidated by his manly muscles and gorgeous face. His aristocratic background was apparent, but she was not impressed. She knew that the best of people came from places that weren't luxurious and rich.
"Whatever she said about me…it isn't true," Sirius said, enamored by the way she had known who he was, and was not intimidated by his absolute gorgeousness.
"She said you were one of the best looking guys in the school." Honey smiled so brightly he had to look away. Her teeth were as pearly as white pearls. "Who is your friend?"
"I'm Remus Lupin, the other Gryffindor prefect," the pale, melancholy boy said, sounding very downhearted. He was obviously depressed about something, as he kept his eyes downcast unhappily.
"Well it's very nice to meet you, Remus." She smiled at him with a knowing glance, as if she had looked into his soul. He also had to look away from her piercing amber eyes. "Do you want to sit with us?"
Lily turned to Honey and shook her head vivaciously. Rosmerta was oblivious to everything except her watermelon/ cherry sparkly lip-gloss, which she was still cautiously applying. Sybill's googly eyes were transfixed on Remus' boyish features.
"Er—I'm sorry but we have to catch up with James," he said, and then smiled, making him look less angsty, "It was nice to meet you Miss Honey…see you around Lily and Rosmerta." Remus nodded politely to them respectively, then noticed the scrawny girl in the back, "you too, Stacey."
Sibyll did not correct his error, and simply said, "The thing you've been dreading will happen in a few days."
He looked back, startled out of his wits, and then hurried away. Sirius still remained posing in the doorway, until Remus pulled him away.
"What's he been dreading?" Rosmerta asked, putting the cap back on her lip-gloss and taking out a bottle of foundation.
"No idea."
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The students waited in the great hall as the first year students were sorted. After they had finished with the name, "Zabini, Alex," another name was called. "Astrid, Jessamine Louisa Mirabelle." The students watched curiously as Honey, far too old to be a first year, rose from her place.
Honey took a deep breath and stepped up on the dais, where the raven haired Professor McGonagall waited to daintily set the Sorting Hat on Honey's honey colored crown. As she sat down, she glanced around the room. Over at the Gryffindor table, James, Sirius, and Remus were gossiping with a chubby blonde boy. Lily sat alone at the farthest end of the table. She noticed Rosmerta sitting with the Ravenclaws, but Sibyll was no where to be found at the Hufflepuff table. She was about to glance for Severus, when the raven haired Professor McGonagall daintily set the Sorting Hat on Honey's honey colored crown
"Hmmmm… you are a brave one," the hat said, in its deep, slightly creepy voice, "But your loyalty is unmatched as well… yet overall you are fair, fairer even then Rowena Ravenclaw in her blossoming years. I see you have her mind as well, wise enough to make even the centaurs bow. So, as long as you agree…" She nodded, and the hat continued pretentiously. "I will have to say RAVENCLAW!!!"
All the students burst into overwhelming applause as Honey descended the staircase to sit beside Rosmerta at the Ravenclaw table.
"Do you like the food?" Rosmerta asked.
"Oh, desserts are my favorite!" Honey said sweetly.
A handsome young Asian boy with shocking violet eyes leaned in from across the table. "I'm Bob Chang, captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. Do you play?"
"Well…I was on the team back at Horsegrowth's, but—"
"Horsegrowth School of Magic and Sorcery? In Texas? They have one of the best teams in the bloody world!" Bob grabbed her willowy hands excitedly, and looked deep into her honey tinted eyes. "You wouldn't happen to be a seeker, would you?"
"Why yes, actually." She said dreamily, reminiscing about past victories, lost in old memories; happy and bittersweet.
"Excellent, our Seeker just went into labor! We need a replacement! Tell me you'll help us." Bob gave her wrists a delicate squeeze; the whole table froze with utter anticipation.
"Nothing would give me more honor than to play with such fine, friendly people as yourselves." Honey dabbed at her eyes with her lacy handkerchief, overjoyed to finally be accepted. Bob let go of her supple wrists and stepped up on the table.
"Ladies and gentlemen of Hogwarts School, I am pleased to announce that Ravenclaw has found a seeker!" He pulled Honey up with him, lifted her in the air and spun her around. Suddenly the enchanted Hogwarts ceiling began to rain pink and blue confetti; there was another burst of applause. As she spun, she saw Severus Snape secretly clapping for her, whereas the rest of his table was not.
"Who is that?" she whispered to Bob as he continued spinning her around under the confetti.
"Which one? The greasy one?" he asked, turning the other way to see, trying to blow some confetti out of his navy eyes.
"That's not very nice, Bobby!" she scolded, giving Severus a wave.
"Sorry," he spun her around again, "that's Severus Snape, a creepy Slytherin boy. I wouldn't recommend you get caught up with his sort."
Slytherin? Aren't they supposed to be…mean?
Bob set her down and took her hand. He bowed, while she did an old fashioned Texas curtsy. The people continued congratulating her as they helped her off the table, but her mind was now pondering other things.
A Slytherin…
How could she ever have befriended a Slytherin?