The train screeched a high-pitched squeal and suddenly started moving out of the train station towards the Hogwarts castle. Stella and Casey made their way to the back of the train, to the Slytherin compartments, dragging their trunks and receiving stares of amazement. The Rayne sisters had grown quite attractive through their years, which also increased their popularity. However, they weren’t popular with all of the students at their school, and the stares of amazement weren’t all because they were adored. They were in Slytherin, and the Slytherin students were still hated by the rest of the school. But because Stella and Casey were blessed with prodigious beauty, their names came up in quite a few conversations.
Now, Stella was sixteen and in her sixth year, and Casey was fourteen and in her fourth year. They could remember the day they had lost their parents in that relentless fire and walked to the Malfoys’ manor. They remembered clearly the night that they had presented their news to the Malfoys and how they had taken the sisters in. Though Lucius Malfoy had been skeptical about the whole situation -- about having two young girls living with his family, especially with a son already -- the sisters knew that he would come around. They knew Mr. Malfoy was much too loyal to Ezekiel Rayne and his wife.
Ezekiel Rayne and Thaya Maviah Rayne attended Hogwarts with Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black Malfoy. The couple had been wealthy, well-known, and had been dubbed Head Boy and Girl in their seventh year. They’d been a year older than Lucius and Narcissa but were in Slytherin with the Malfoys and therefore got along quickly, especially with their similar views on magic and bloodlines.
Stella slid open the door to enter the Slytherin compartments, dragging her trunk behind her, Casey on her tail. Stony-faced Slytherins looked up to wave or smile at them when they passed. The Rayne sisters were popular and definitely well-liked by anyone Slytherin.
Draco Malfoy had already boarded the train, not bothering to wait for the girls who resided in his manor. He definitely hadn’t agreed with the situation and constantly insisted they leave, bullying his parents into throwing the girls out. He was supposed to be the only spoiled one. He was supposed to be the one receiving attention, and though the Rayne sisters hadn’t wanted the massive amounts attention Draco got from his parents, Lucius and Narcissa still paid quite a bit of attention to the girls. Lucius favoured Casey, and Narcissa favoured Stella, both for their vast knowledge of the Dark Arts and their yearning to learn more from them.
The Rayne sisters could spot Draco and his incredibly blonde hair a couple compartments away, talking secretively with his friends: Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, Blaise Zabini, and Pansy Parkinson.
“You don’t suppose he’s talking about the Mark, do you?” asked Casey, a watchful eye on Draco.
“Knowing him, yes, he would be quick to boast,” replied Stella with a smirk. She wandered up the aisle and found an empty compartment across from Draco’s full one. His cold grey eyes gazed up at her and glared. Evidently, he still hated that the two of them lived in his house and stole his attention.
“If I’d known the Malfoys had a brat for a son I don’t think I would have agreed to stay with them,” snarled Casey, glaring back at him with hatred in her hazel eyes. Draco shook his head and continued on with whatever he was telling his friends. The two of them walked into the compartment and pushed their trunks up on the luggage rack before sitting down. Stella smoothed out her clingy black wool dress. Casey shut the door.
“Mother and Father wanted us in their care. You’d disrespect their wishes?” Stella asked.
“Of course not,” Casey prompted, “I just hate the boy’s attitude is all. Shame what Lucius has to put up with.”
“Well I suppose it’s a good thing he’s in Azkaban then, isn’t it?”
Casey narrowed her eyebrows and folded her arms. “It bloody well isn’t. How could a magnificent Death Eater like him have gotten caught during the Department of Mysteries incident?”
“He failed to cover up the mess he made, didn’t he? Now look what he’s done to the name of Malfoy. I bet the Dark Lord is granting Draco the position as a Death Eater to make up for his father. Lucius was one of the Dark Lord’s most loyal Death Eaters. Probably figures his son might live up to his father,” Stella said.
Casey smirked and looked out the compartment window at Draco. “Well we know that he isn’t the only one who’s taking the position as a Death Eater. Who would have thought that the Dark Lord would have allowed a fourteen-year-old to join his ranks?” She giggled menacingly while Stella also looked out the window, her brown eyes landing on Draco Malfoy.
Casey stopped giggling when a small third year Ravenclaw girl walked over to Draco’s compartment, trembling like she had been traumatized. Casey arched an eyebrow curiously.
“Well what’s going on now?” Casey asked. Stella looked at her sister, her eyebrows knitted together with curiosity.
“Do you know that girl?” asked Stella.
Casey nodded. “Yes. That’s Coraline Smidgen. What’s she giving to Zabini?”
Coraline had rapped on Draco’s compartment door with an envelope in her hand. Apparently, she had asked for Blaise Zabini because he stood up and grasped the envelope from her with a sneer. Shivering with the door closed on her, she anxiously ran out of the Slytherin compartments.
Stella and Casey watched curiously as Blaise Zabini, a tall, highly attractive, light-skinned black boy, tore open the envelope and unfolded a letter. He looked stricken by it and, after reading it many times through, quickly shoved it back in the envelope, sticking it inside his robes.
They could faintly hear Draco ask loudly what was inside the envelope. Blaise shrugged and replied that he was asked to come see a Professor Slughorn. Casey looked at Stella confused.
“Professor Slughorn? Since when has there been a Slughorn at the school?” she asked.
“Not sure. Perhaps he’s new,” Stella answered. “However, I am curious to know what Draco was telling his motley crew.”
“Maybe you can get something out of Zabini. You know how he’s always got his eye on you,” Casey suggested with a grin, nudging Stella in the side with her elbow. Stella laughed.
“Oh, really? Well, sounds good to me. Maybe it’ll make Ickle Drakiekins somewhat jealous?” She laughed out loud again, almost tilting her head back in a cackle.
“Well go on. Zabini’s coming out of the compartment. Oh look -- he’s out!” Casey hurriedly slid open the compartment door and pushed Stella. Blaise looked startled by her immediate outburst.
“Stella?” he asked curiously. “Everything all right?” He peered in back of her, only to find Casey waving behind the glass innocently.
“Blaise,” Stella said, smoothing out her dress again. She patted Blaise’s black robes, pulling some lint off them, just to seduce him. “I could ask you the same thing. I noticed that Ravenclaw girl come and deliver something to you. Mind telling me where the post came from?”
Blaise arched an eyebrow and grinned, tilting his chin high in the air. Stella knew all too well of Blaise’s vanity, he boasted just as much as Draco about his accomplishments.
“A Professor Slughorn wanted me to join him for a cup of tea,” he recited. “Did he give you an invitation, or were you hoping to come with me?” he added sultrily.
Stella grinned. “Don’t get your hopes up, Zabini,” she said, pushing him away as he was about to grab her waist, “I’m just a curious wanderer. Speaking of curiosity, I was also wondering what dear Draco was telling you back there.” Her voice had dropped to a whisper. “Anything concerning what happened over the summer?”
Blaise’s black eyebrows knitted together with suspicion. “About what? Stella, do you know something I don’t know?”
Stella glanced over Blaise’s shoulder and spotted Draco staring at the two of them inquisitively, his eyebrows narrowed. So, had Draco not been boasting about becoming a Death Eater over the summer or the mission he’d been given by the Dark Lord? Stella’s eyes wandered back to Blaise’s, and she smiled again.
“Nothing of the sort, love,” she replied. “Enjoy your cup of tea with Slughorn.” She turned back to her compartment, slid the door open, and walked inside, where an anxious Casey was waiting for her. Blaise Zabini, confused, yet utterly amused that he’d managed to get his hand on the popular Slytherin girl, walked off to his appointment.
“Took you long enough,” sighed Casey, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. “I was expecting you to kiss Zabini, the way you were leading him on.” Stella narrowed her eyebrows and rolled her eyes. “What have you found out?”
“Zabini’s off to some tea party with Slughorn,” Stella informed. “And apparently Draco’s told him nothing about the Dark Mark. Maybe he’s waiting for the right moment to tell him, not that there would be a right moment, would there?”
“Well, I’ll tell you one thing; he shouldn’t be boasting about his Mark. Imagine one of his friends blabbing to another, especially that Pansy Parkinson, the gossipmonger. If she’d gotten a hold of this news, she’d surely love to spill,” said Casey.
“I’m sure, but, as we all know, Parkinson’s quite fond of Draco and would surely do whatever he told her to do. No doubt he’d order her not to mention this to anyone,” Stella said.
“Still, no one can be trusted. Perhaps the Dark Lord was mistaken when he thought he could trust Draco. I highly doubt he will succeed at whatever the Dark Lord requested him to do.” Casey sniffed, the two of them gazing back at Draco and his crew.
“Well, if he does fail, we all know who the Dark Lord will choose to take over,” Stella said with a grin, eyeing her sister. “Youngest Death Eater in history,” she added.
Casey smiled proudly. “I’ll show the Dark Lord that Lucius Malfoy’s Dark Arts lessons were not put to waste.”
“If he fails,” Stella reminded.
“When he fails,” Casey corrected with a grim smile.