Before you met me, I was alright but things were kind of heavy, you brought me to life -- Fall 1991

I was leaning against a tree on the grounds, waiting for Draco to meet me like he promised. I somehow convinced him to work on some spells for class. I was worried I wasn't going to be able to preform them like I should and my brother agreed to help me with them. I sighed, he was late. I sat down and found a leaf of the ground. I smiled as took out my wand to practice. "Wingardium Leviosa." I said, doing what I though was the correct wand movements. Apparently, something was wrong, the leaf never left the ground. I sighed again, disappointed in myself for not being able to do the spell. I head someone laugh, they sounded pretty close. I looked around but couldn't see anyone. "Hello?"

I was headed towards the Great Hall to meet up with Addison when I saw another first year -- it was the female Malfoy twin -- struggling with the simple charm of levitation.  I had to say something -- her brother definitely would.  He was making quite a reputation of sneering, cocky, spoiled brat for himself.  And why not poke some fun at the quieter of the two?  I laughed at her, coming up from behind her.  "Are you really that dense that you can't perform such a simple spell?" I questioned, shaking my head in fake disappointment at her.

I turned towards the voice and saw a female Hufflepuff I only knew in passing. I started bitting my nails. "I...I...I'm trying m...my best." I stammered, mad that I couldn't even defend myself. I knew that wasn't true though. According to Father, my best could do these simple spells, which I clearly could not. I was already the disappointment at home and I was disappointed in myself, I didn't need her to be disappointment in me too. I couldn't help it, tears came to my eyes and as much as I tried to blink them back, I felt one fall. This was too much like home. I couldn't take it.

Merlin, she was in tears already?  And she was actually going to cry in public?  I laughed all the more.  "You are horrible!  You can't even stand up for yourself!  Let me guess... you always had your brother fight your battles for you?  Always too scared to do anything yourelf?" I taunted, rolling my eyes at her.  "How pathetic..."

<< Linc had to make an appearance sooner rather than later... he doesn't like this lol >>

I was walking, by myself like normal, out to the lake from the castle.  I had break this period and really did not feel like being up in the tower surrounded by other students.  I would rather be on my own than with anybody else at any given time -- no matter the temperature outside.  I heard some taunting and wanted to ignore it, but I could not.  It was not in me to ignore someone being a bully.  I lived with bullies, for lack of a better way to describe them.  There was no way I could avoid it.  I walked over and recognized the students from the Sorting ceremony, but could not recall their names.  I just knew that a first year really should not be making fun of a fellow student when neither one of them knew much magic at all -- even if they came from wizarding families.  

I walked up in time to hear the one girl call the blonde pathetic.  That infuriated me.  "What I find pathetic is how you feel it's necessary to completely disregard someone's feelings and poke fun when we're all beginners here," I said, giving her a pointed look.

<<June needed saving so Linc's more then welcome to come whenever he wants:) >>

I was trying to find the words to defend myself when a Ravenclaw male came up and defended me. I looked up at him , tears in my eyes, shocked that someone besides my brother would defend me. I couldn't think of his name, I thought he must be in second year. I looked over at the Hufflepuff to see how she would react to me not fighting my own battles, what she was completely right about.

I crossed my arms and stared at him and then turned my gaze back to Malfoy.  "Wow... just wow.  You even have the nerds standing up for you?  You must think you're something special," I said sarcastically.

And now she was going to insult me?  Not a very smart move.  "You just keep digging yourself a deeper hole," I informed her.  "Being a so-called nerd, I know more spells than you do... so if you don't beat it, I'd sure love to practice the Bat Boogey Hex on you."  I crossed my arms and returned her glare with one of my own.

I glared at him for a moment longer.  "This isn't over," I told Malfoy as I spun on my heel and left the two of them.  One of these days she was not going to have someone there to protect her.

When she walked away, I looked up at the person who had protected me. "Th..th..thank you." I stammered as I stood up. Why was he doing this? He didn't know me, didn't know my story, so why was he helping me? I wiped my tears away. "I...I'm sorry ab..about that."

I shook my head at her.  "Don't apologize; it's not your fault that someone like her prey on others," I said quietly.  "I don't like it when students bully other students..."  I would always stand up for the defenseless.  I felt like I needed to make up for the one time that I was unsuccessful in protecting my brother... the one time I blamed myself for what had happened to him.

<<  Hahaha!  Linc stands up for the people Draco picks on, too... another reason the two can hate each other!  >>

I looked up at him, I wanted to ask why but he seemed like someone who didn't really like to talk to other people. I took a shaky breath and forced myself to introduce myself, he had saved me after all. "I...I...I'm Jun...Juniper Malfoy." I held out my hand for him to shake, just like Father taught me. "Thank you again." I forced myself not to stutter the last sentence, if Father heard how much I had stuttered, he would have my neck.

<<yes! Oh for sure!!!>>

I just sort of looked at her outstretched hand.  I did not touch people and they did not touch me.  "I'm Lincoln Matthews," I said simply.  "And forgive me, but I have a thing with contact, so don't think I'm rude for not shaking your hand."  The least I could do is apologize for rudeness.  Malfoy, though... "Don't you have a brother?" I asked.  I had already had to stand up to some blonde kid who thought he was so much better than everyone else.  It was rather ridiculous.  The year had barely begun and this kid's head barely fit through the corridors.

"Oh umm...." I looked at my outstretched hand for a moment before I realized I should put it down. I let it fall back to my side. "I'm sorry." I said looking up at him. It seemed I was saying sorry to him quite a bit. According to Father though, a Malfoy never apologies. I sighed, "I do have a brother, a twin brother." I said, "Draco. If you stand up for other people who are being bullied, you may have stood up to him once or twice." I knew my brother was a bully, there was no point in denying it. It's what Father wanted so Draco acted that way. That didn't mean I had to like it though. "I feel I should apologies for him?" It was more of a question then an actually apology. How many times has he had to save the poor people who Draco picked on? Here I was though, saying sorry to him again. He must think I'm crazy or something, apologizing so much. I was just happy the stuttering had stopped.

I nodded slightly.  "Already have... he doesn't like me much," I said, not really caring how others viewed me.  "But the feeling is mutual, so it doesn't bother me any."  I stopped talking and felt like I was being extremely rude speaking ill of her brother.  if anyone had ever spoke ill of Austin... I would defend him with a passion.  "What spell were you working on?" I asked her, knowing that the other girl was picking on her because she could not get it.  Perhaps I could help her for a moment.  I just wanted to make sure that she would not come back to start another fight; the bullies tended to do that.