JINX; AUGUST

[THEODORE NOTT]

This was a dream. It had to be, right? No strange man had ever swept a child away into a magical world. That stuff only happened in fairy tales and my life so far had been anything but a fairy tale.

I was no princess. I was dirty and scrappy and that's how I liked it. This was no castle. I had simply been hallucinating. I made it all up. In fact I thought that I would open my eyes and realize that I was at another foster family. One that I would soon be kicked out of and the cycle would repeat itself

This was fake. Everything was all fake. I had to have made it up. That's why I didn't tell Apollo about the magic aspect of my dream. The idea of magic was ridiculous. There's no way in a million years he'd believe me. He would've thought that I was crazy.

"Hey." A snobbish voice uttered from above. Fluttering my eyes open, I saw him. Draco stood over me, already dressed up in spiffy clothing, his pajamas no where to be seen. "Mum sent me up. You need to get out of bed if you want anythin' to eat." He shoved my arm, a permanent frown dropped his face down. "Come on, Orphan Girl. I want my Comet Two-Sixty and mother promised to buy it for me once we get to Diagon Alley."

"You know, you can be kind of a jerk sometimes." I pointed out, pulling myself up against the rich dark headboard. "Has anyone ever told you that?"

"Cry me a river." Draco pressed on a passive agressive smile, arms crossed in front of his puffed out chest. "Now hurry up, before I make you." He then sharply turned his back to me, stomping out of my bedroom to his.

"Jerk." Muttering the insult under my breath, I stepped out of my bed. After a fast change into unsuitable Malfoy clothes—ratty cargo pants and a baggy t-shirt paired with Chuck Taylors—I headed downstairs. No sooner that I entered the dining room, a horrified gasp greeted me.

"Jinxon, Sweetheart, what are you wearing?" Auntie Cissa's eyes were doe-like, stuck on my figure. Uncle Lucius joined her stare, face twisted by his pinched mouth.

I shifted around uncomfortably in my unlaced converse, holding my arms behind my back. Did I really look that bad? This is what all the kids in the neighborhoods I frequented wore. This is what Apollo wore.

What did magic people wear? Did they want me to dress as decadently as Auntie Cissa, in a long black dress with lace and ruffles, that hugged her curves? I had no curves. I was me, Jinx. I was just a kid.

"What is that dreadful mess on your shirt?" Uncle Lucius inquired from the table, his eyes narrowing. He was referring to the horror graphic plastered across the cloth.

"Oh!" Buzzing with excitement, I misinterpreted a mocking question with genuine interest. "It's Chucky. You know, from that one scary movie. He's this doll that's possessed by this guy named Charles Lee Ray and he goes around and kills a bunch of people. The gore in it is super..."

My Aunt and Uncle blinked at me with fish-eyed expressions. It struck me that they were not interested in my verbal onslaught of Child's Play that I planned to deliver.

"Make sure to burn it." Uncle Lucius ordered his wife, simultaneously pecking at his breakfast. "Give it to Kerry upon your return."

"Yes. I think that would be best." Agreed Auntie Cissa. "Pardon me, Jinx, but it is erm quite the eye sore." My cheeks flushed, blood rushing to my face. "But never mind that, Dear, come get your fill. You'll need it for our big day today."

I obeyed her wish, sitting myself next to her and letting my senses take in the assortment of food. There were potatoes and ketchup, fried eggs, beans, tomatoes, and sausages. I'd never had beans for breakfast. To be truthful, I'd never had most of the food for breakfast.

Unsually I was fed something cheap and quick at the foster homes. Like a bowl of cornflakes or oatmeal. I feasted indulgently, my pants feeling tight around my stomach when I finished.

"My, my, you were quite hungry." Uncle Lucius made a point of my eating, tilting his chin around contemptuously. "Don't get much food, do you?"

Wiping my mouth off with my bare arm, I shrugged sheepishly. I did eat. Just not as over the top as they did. Usually my diet consisted of canned foods, long lasting dry foods, and whatever else I could scrounge up.

"Oh leave her be, Lucius." Aunt Cissa scolded, unfolding from her seat at the table. "Jinxon, why don't you finish getting ready and we'll head to the shops."

"Sounds good." Nodding, I stiffly left my chair, heading back up to brush my hair and teeth. Once I'd finished I headed back down to the parlor to meet Aunt Cissa and Draco.

"Alright, I'm going to apparate you both along with me." She told us, holding both of our hands. "Jinxon, you apparated with, Severus, yes?"

"Yes."

"So you know what to expect." Auntie Cissa breathed out, relieved. "Close the circle."

She instructed. "You two hold hands. We wouldn't want anyone to get lost. On the count of three. One. Two. Three!"

Once again I experienced the same feeling of being sucked up as if I was being compressed through a tube. We were shot out to the other side, appearing in a cobblestoned road lined with shops. Immediately I fell over, losing my balance from the apparition.

"Oof!" I hit the ground hard, my bones rattled, elbows scuffed up. "Ow." Draco snickered loudly at my expense, resulting in him receiving a smack on the back of the head.

"Ow, Mother!" He whined, clutching his slicked blond hair. "That hurt!"

"Now you now how, Jinx, feels." My Aunt remarked righteously, crouching in her black heels to help me up. "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay." That was the truth I suppose, the only thing particularly bruised was my ego. I just hoped that no one else saw.

"Splendid." Aunt Cissa warmed me with her smile, patting my hand with nurturing care. "Why don't we get you two to Madam Malkin's. That way I can go poke around Twillfit and Tattings while you get your fittings done."

"What are we getting fit for?"

"Well robes of course."

"Robes...?" I followed her like a curious puppy dog, allowing her to be my lighthouse in the storm of magic surrounding me.

* * *

Madam Malkin was a cheery woman, leaving me in amazement as she worked on Draco and I'd robes. With just a flick of her wand she could make thread and needle obey her, stitching quicker than any machine could.

She was dressed head to toe in muave that fitted her nicely, snug around her squat voluptuous body. Her silver hair was puffed up in a beehive bun, tight and sleek.

"So you two are off to Hogwarts?" Madam Malkin didn't give us a chance to reply. "Well that is just delightful, isn't it! I still remember my school girl years. Oh, so long ago." She hummed, looking off in a dreamy stare. "Still, it feels like it was yesterday." When she finished our fittings she wrapped up our robes, tucking them nicely up into plush boxes. Auntie Cissa had prepaid, allowing us to leave freely. "You both have a nice day now!"

"You too!" I beamed at her, hugging the box close to my chest. Draco rolled his eyes at her, settling his gaze onto me as we left the shop.

"Can you believe her?" He scoffed, walking side by side with me down the cobbled street. Wizards and witches clumped together with carts, shouting about their wares. "I thought that old hag would never stop talking."

His words made my stomach roll. I picked up the pace, forcing him to tread faster. Conversation bubbled around us as strange objects floated in the sky, suspended by gravity.

"I thought she was nice. Maybe you just aren't used to it." Stabbing at him with my words, I glared at my petulant cousin. "Maybe you could take a page from her book. Then you wouldn't be such a prat."

"Prat!" He repeated angrily, snatching my arm to anchor me next to him. "Please, you act like I'm the one who needs to be changed! What about you?! A slum girl that we took in like a dog. I hate dogs. But I'd prefer one over you anyday."

"Let go!" I snarled, ripping back my arm while delivering an insult. "Daddy's Little Rich Boy! You think you're better than everyone, don't you!"

"At least I'm better than you. You act like a filthy mudblood dawdling around all confused." The nasty remark was foreign to my ears but I felt the sentiment all the same. "You might as well be one." He raised his hand up, bringing it down to knock the robes box out of my hands.

"You're such a freaking jerk!" Diving for the box, I snatched it up quick to avoid dirtying it. Our voices had become so loud that they began to call attention to our dispute.

Particularly they caught the attention of a boy I would come to know as Theodore Nott. He came along to cut between us, smacking Draco on the shoulder.

"Draco?!" He spoke with a monotonous sort of enthusiasm, his face barely leaving it's set deadpan position. The shirt he wore was patterned with green and blue stripes, a tan jacket covering his thin frame. Most notably, Theodore's left arm was being kept up by a sling.

"Theo?" Draco's eyes clicked in recognition. He knew this boy. "What are you doin' here?"

"Shoppin' of course." Theodore drawled, flipping his head toward a shop on the side of us. "Came to look at the Nimbus two-thousand again. My mum took mine away since the accident." He tilted his chin up, presenting his arm to us like a badge of pride. "Split the bone right through the middle. Pretty nasty shit. Who's this?"

Draco brushed off his interest in me, putting an arm around his shoulder to walk with him. I had no choice but to go after them.

"That's just my mudblood cousin. Our new family dog really." He maligned me without a care, finding humor in my presence. "Her name's Jinx. Do you want to pet her?"

"Woof. Woof." Theodore grinned as he placed his hand on the top of my head, messing up my hair in a rough fashion. "Aren't you gonna bark for us?"

"No." I sneered, an immediate dislike of the black-haired boy sinking onto me. "Step off." Moving from his reach, I sidled up next to Draco. It made sense. Only stupid idiots would befriend stupid idiots. They prefer their own company.

"Your dog's shit, Malfoy." Theo laughed, jostling into my cousin. "It doesn't even bark."

"Eh, with a bit of training maybe she could get up to standard." Draco joked, shooting me a smug look. "We got to teach her though. Make sure she knows not to piss on the floor like the mudbloods had her do."

The happy balloon that once filled my insides popped, deflating to a sick horrible feeling. They hated me. The both of them. And I hadn't even done anything wrong. Except maybe for them even my presence was wrong.

"You know, I'm here?" Clenching my jaw tight, I gritted my teeth. "I'm literally right here." My reaction only made them snicker like hyenas together. They took joy in my frustration.

"Hush up, Pup." Theo reached over and lightly pushed me with his good arm. A wicked smirk curled up his lips. "Be a good pure blood and listen to what we tell you."

"About what?"

"About everything. About Hogwarts mostly." Theo crossed back over to me, sandwiching me between the two exhausting boys. "There are certain ways to act. My older brother Henry told me everything there is to know about it."

"What's there to know?" I asked, letting the boys lead me into a parlor that sold ice cream. Theo waited to answer my question while they ordered.

"I want two scoops of the lemon cookie." Demanded Draco to the ice cream man. He dug through his pockets, handing him a few bronze coins. "Sorry, Cuz, only have enough for me."

"I'll pay for her." Theo offered, looking over to me as he scratched his nose. "What do you want?" Was he being serious? Or was this some sort of joke? Did they plan this? "Go on, tell him what you want."

"A- A scoop of cookies and cream please." I ordered hesitantly, eyeing the boy suspiciously. Funnily enough Theo pulled out a few coins after his own and paid the man. "Thanks." Expressing my gratitude quietly, he nodded, handing me the ice cream. Once we got out of the shop and sat a table to eat, we resumed the original conversation.

"Well you know about the four houses, don't you?" Theo queried, licking his vanilla cone. I shook my head, busying myself with my own ice cream. "Well there's Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor."

"Slytherins the best house of course." Draco cut in, leaning into the conversation. It was funny that now that Theo wasn't being horrible to me, he wasn't either. Still, I appreciated it. "That's where you want to be. They're a fine lot."

"Rich, attractive, pure blooded, ambitious, intelligent, with balls of steel." Theo informed me, listing the traits off on his fingers. "What's not to like?!"

"Then there's Ravenclaw." Butting in again, Draco seemed to get joy from these kinds of conversations. "Second best house I'd say."

"Henry told me that they're either a real brainy bunch or they're sort of those freaky artist types." Theo divulged. "Then Hufflepuff is sort of the alright house. They just kind of throw the leftover kids in there. But Gryffindor...Ooh Gryffindor..."

"The worst lot of them all!" Draco slammed his hand on the pastel pink painted table. "Filled with blood traitors and mudbloods! You best stay away from them, Jinx. They're evil. Every. Single. Damn. One!"

"What if you get sorted into Gryffindor? What if I do?!" Panic set in fast, making my heart thump a little faster. Sweat beaded from my neck. I didn't want to be put in the evil house. "What'll happen?!"

"We die." Draco declared coldly, smashing the rest of his cone into the table. "I'd rather die then be a Gryffindor."

"Agreed!" Crowed Theo, obliterating his own cone in the pastel wood. "Slytherin or death!"

"Yeah!" I agreed, following the same cone crunching pattern they did. The shop owner didn't like that too much.

" 'Ey what are you kids doin'?!" The big bellied man shouted, making his way out of the parlor.

"Run!" I cried, instinctively jumping up to sprint away. This time it was me leading the boys as they dashed after me.

"Wait up!"

"Don't leave us behind!"

We took refuge in Twillfit and Tattings—a luxurious upper class store. Entering right as Auntie Cissa was leaving, nearly bumping into her.

"Oh!" We frightened her, causing the bags that floated behind her to drop onto the floor. "What in Merlin's name do you lot think you're doing!?" Her eyebrows arched, ready to pounce before she recognized our faces. "Oh it's you." Auntie Cissa's magic returned and the bags floated happily once again. "Now what are good children such as yourselves doing running about like animals?"

"Having fun?" Draco offered, forcing me to suppress a giggle. Sometimes, rarely, he could be quite funny. Auntie Cissa tutted her lips, smoothing his blond hair back. A dark haired woman appeared behind her.

"Theo, Darlin', you found Draco." She spoke elegantly, sort of like Auntie. The two women filed out of the shop to clear the doorway, herding us down the street.

"Yes, Mum." Theo replied, stringing along with his mother. "And I met his cousin. Apparently she's the new family dog." His eyes crinkled your with a smile, nudging into me.

"I beg your pardon?" His mother's voice hardened, she blew out the smoke from the pipe she'd been carrying around him.

"It's just a joke, Mum." He said quickly. "We we're havin' a laugh about it earlier."

"Oh, a laugh." Theo's Mother chuckled, beautiful smoky eyes matching her breath. "Well yes, I like those. Nice to meet you Darlin'.
I'm Mrs. Nott." She reached across Theo to shake my hand. Her grip was firm.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Jinx, Jinx Lestrange." Her hand went limp in mine. Then it disappeared altogether.

"I'll be dammed." Mrs. Nott sucked on her pipe, simultaneously speaking. "Lestrange. You're Bella's child. I went to school with your mum."

"Really?" Thrill filled me at the possibility of any information about my mother.

"Really." She confirmed, heeled boots clacking on the cobbled streets. "Strange girl, that one. But powerful. She was insatiable for power. A true Slytherin."

"Children." Auntie Cissa addressed us, we all toward our attention toward her. "Why don't you all run along and gather the rest of your supplies? You three have each other so we won't need to worry about murderers or kidnappers. This way Cordelia and I can catch up." Both mothers handed their children a sack of of coins. Allowing us to roam wild.

We each got carts to lug around our equipment, hitting stores up for quills and ink—I opted for a few bags of pens instead, paper, brass scales, protective gloves, mountains of textbooks, a cauldron, glass vials, and ingredients for potions. All that was left was our wands.

"Ollivanders." Theo shoved his hands into his pockets. The weather was beginning to chill, washing us in a fog. I began to shiver. He noticed. "Here." Theo surrendered his jacket, placing it on my shoulders. It's lining was coated with wool, making it feel like a warm umbrella.

"Theo, are you sure? You look-"

"Just shut up and take it." He mumbled, scratching his nose. My dislike for him was waning. Maybe he wasn't so bad. "Wouldn't want the dog to get cold."

"Let's go in." Ordered a chattering Draco. "I'm freezing." He ran his hands up and down his arms with great speed. He exchanged a short whisper-fight with Theo. "Oi, why didn't you give me the jacket?"

"Why didn't bring your own jacket, Mate?"

"I didn't think of it."

"Hello children." An older gentleman greeted us upon our arrival, his voice bathing us in the coziness that only a woody campfire could provide. There was a twinkle in his eye saying I-know-something-you-don't-know. "I'm Mr. Ollivander. I've been expectin' you."

"Charmed." Draco uttered dryly, raising his thin brows. "Let's get this wand business done."

"Malfoy." Mr. Ollivander's face crinkled wisely, giving him a glance. "I know when I see one." He moved from behind the cash register to meet us at the front. "You're here for a wand I presume."

"Yeah."

"Then we'll do you up first." Proclaimed Ollivander, gliding over to one of the many walls filled with hundreds and hundreds of slim long boxes. Theo and I took a seat together on the cushiony side couch to observe Draco's process.

"What's gonna happen?" I whispered to Theo, leaning toward him.

"Just watch." He murmured, patting my head. I did as he told, listening into Mr. Ollivander's conversation with Draco.

"If I recall correctly." The older man set an armful of wands on the counter, unboxing each one. "Your father's wand was twelve and a quarter inches long, rigid, made of elm. However, your mother's was nine and a quarter inches long, pliant, made of Alder. Try these."

Draco followed Mr. Ollivander's instructions, swishing and flicking the carved wands around. It took about five before the wand glowed, signifying it's