Chapter Text
Ciara had run again from her palace. She couldn’t bear the thought of so many hours with her boring tutors. Her mother sometimes tended to forget that she was just a nine-year-old girl, one who would rather play or read. She loved reading. From the moment she had learnt, she just couldn’t stop herself from finding new books. Her favourite were the ones with stories about knights, dragons, pirates, and magic. Often, she dreamt of living in a magical world, where she wasn’t the heiress of a noble family, and instead she could travel and live adventures. Unfortunately, she was forced to study and learn how to behave in order to be the perfect little lady. She had to be perfect on every occasion, be well dressed and always spotless, should her family invite some guests over.
Sitting in her secret glade, in the forest behind her palace, she thought about the punishment she would surely receive by the politics tutor. He always chose to use the stick on her thighs instead of the hands, so that the bruises could be covered by the gown. Her mother didn’t know (or didn’t care) about this situation and Ciara for her part didn’t want to make things worse. So, she kept being quiet whenever one of her tutors punished her because she couldn’t focus and started daydreaming during the lessons.
Sighing, she quickly changed with some comfortable clothes she had taken, and she began to read one of her books.
Ciara was quietly reading, when suddenly she heard a rustle from the trees. She looked up, but there was nothing. Another rustle, nearer this time. Something is there. She knew there weren’t ferocious beasts in that forest, yet she was slightly anxious.
She slowly went near a bush and then
“AHHHH”; something had jumped on her and now it was sniffing her. Looking at the thing, she realized it was a little fox, her fur red and soft.
“Oh, look at you, you’re so cute.” Ciara loved foxes, they were among her favourite animals and that one seemed particularly friendly and looking for cuddles. After a bit however the fox started running away toward the forest.
“No, wait, don’t go,” but the fox didn’t listen to her.
Ciara decided to follow her, she wanted to take it home.
The fox was fast, but Ciara managed to not lose sight of her, and ran until she reached the end of the forest, finding herself on the top of the hill, facing a valley. In the middle of it there was a palace, similar to the one her family owned, and it was surrounded by gardens and fields.
That’s strange, she thought, I’ve never known we had neighbours from this side of the hill, nor I remember the owners as our guests. She was feeling very attracted to that palace, so she quickly started descending the hill. She had nearly reached the borders of the property, when she tripped over a stone, and fell, rolling for a few metres.
“Are you alright? Did you get hurt?” a drawling and unknown voice asked. Two small arms were helping her to her feet, and when Ciara looked up, she found herself looking at a pair of beautiful grey eyes and a child who looked her age. He was slightly taller than her, he had a pale white skin and blonde, almost platinum, hair.
“I’m fine, thank you for your help.” From the way he was standing, and his refined clothes, although strange clothes those were, he probably was noble too.
“How did you find this place? Our house it’s invisible to muggles like you.”
“I was following a fox around the forest and… muggles? What does that mean?” Ciara asked, confused.
“Non magical people. Father says they are inferior to us.”
“Wait a moment. Did you just say magic? Are you a wizard? And your family too? Is magic actually real?” She couldn’t believe it, that was too good to be real.
“Yes, we are wizards, and I really shouldn’t tell you about it, muggles can’t know about our world.”
“Is there a whole wizarding world beyond my palace? But that’s amazing. I’ve always dreamt about a magical world and now I discover that it’s actually next to my house.” She was practically jumping from excitement, but she noticed the boy’s shocked expression. “Sorry, it’s unusual for me to behave in such a way, losing control.”
“Don’t worry,” he reassured her “I’m merely surprised by your reaction. Usually, when muggles discover the existence of magic, they are either scared or they have violent reactions. I’ve never met a muggle happy about magic.”
“It’s simply because I love stories about magic. My father liked them too and he used to tell me a lot of stories. My mother doesn’t really like them, but she doesn’t stop me from reading them.”
“Did your father stop telling you tales because you were old too?” the boy asked with a sad look in his eyes, promptly hidden after a moment.
“Oh no. He stopped because he died. It was five years ago. Then my mother got remarried with a Spanish noble man, and now I have a little sister.”
“I’m sorry for your loss. I just noticed we never introduced ourselves. I’m Draco Malfoy, welcome to Malfoy Manor.” He then proceeded to bow, an elegant movement quite superior to the ones Ciara’s aristocratic friends tried every time.
“I’m Ciara Pendragon, pleased to meet you.” She bowed too, although with the trousers she was wearing, it didn’t have the wanted effect. “I’m mortified by my appearance, but I was running away from home, and I changed my clothes for it.”
“Why were you running away?”
“I couldn’t stand anymore lessons for the day. Instead of learning, I just suffer from headache.” And bruises, but she wasn’t going to say that.
“But knowledge is power, and if you come from a noble family, you should know more than other people so you can control them.” Ciara made a face at that. Was this kid serious?
“Are you from an important family in your world?”
“Yes, we are among the most powerful and rich pureblood families. Father does businesses with the Ministry, while Mother organizes social events.”
“What are pureblood families?”
“Pureblood families are families that have magical blood from many generations. Then there are half-bloods, people with a magical parent and a muggle one, there are mudbloods, who are magical people in a muggle family, and squibs, non-magical people in a wizarding family.”
“I understand, but if magic passes through blood, how can mudbloods and squibs exist? Maybe magic has another origin.” Draco’s face turned dark.
“Of course not. Magic is in blood. Although I don’t blame you for your question, as a muggle you can’t really know about our world.” She wasn’t fully satisfied by the explanation, but she didn’t insist.
“I’d like to know more about your world. It seems fascinating. Can’t you show me some magic?”
“I still don’t have a wand, so I can’t. I will buy it when I’ll be eleven years old and I will attend Hogwarts, it’s a school of magic.”
“A school? How is it? Where is it?”
“It’s a castle in Scotland, although muggles can only see ruins. It was founded by two wizards and two witches, all very powerful, and each of them named a schoolhouse after them. When new students arrive, they are sorted into one of the four houses, based on their character and values.” The kid seemed to enjoy the role of professor, he was wearing a smug expression all the time.
“Oh, how I wish I could go. Is there a way to discover if I’m a witch?”
“The only way is to look for signs of accidental magic before you turn eleven.” During their chat they had started walking, and they were now in the gardens of Malfoy Manor.
“Accidental magic?”
“Yes. It usually happens when you feel strong emotions. Flying objects or turning lights on and off are the most common ones. For example, I was once in the garden and I was so angry that I summoned my favourite plushie, that was in my room.” He explained. “So, if something like that happened to you, it could be a proof that you’re a witch. There are already high probabilities you have magic.”
“Really? Why?”
“I told you, this house is invisible to muggles. There are protections. If you were a muggle, you would have had the mysterious urge to go away, it’s a spell.”
“Actually, the opposite happened. I was really attracted to this place and, oh look that’s the fox I told you about, the one I followed here.” The fox was indeed on the path before them.
“It’s probably a magical creature, at least partially, and if it chose to be your familiar, it’s another clue that you’re a witch.”
“I don’t want to get my hopes high, but I wish it was true. Although, if I were a witch, I would be a mudblood and you don’t seem very enthusiastic about them.” She turned to him, looking into his eyes.
“I’m from a very ancient and traditional family. You will find magical folks who call the mudbloods muggleborns, and that support their rights.”
“I wish we could talk more about this, but it’s quite late and I should go home.”
“Will you come back? It’s been a while since I talked so much with someone.”
“Sure. I hope I’ll find the way though. Today has been luck. What if next time the spell works properly, and I can’t see your house?”
Draco seemed to think about it. “I have an idea,” declared “if you haven’t come back in a week, I will come to visit you. Your house isn’t invisible. What do you think?”
“It’s a good plan. It was really a pleasure to meet you, Draco, and I hope next time I will be presentable to meet your parents. I should have introduced myself to them.”
“You’ll do it next time. Today they weren’t even home, but in London for a meeting. I hope I’ll see you soon Ciara Pendragon. Goodbye.”
“Goodbye” waved Ciara, walking toward the hill. She heard a noise and she turned around, finding the fox walking next to her with soft steps. “Hello again, would you like to stay with me in my home?” the fox looked at her with intelligent eyes and it seemed to agree, coming a bit closer to her.
Ciara was starting to feel quite tired, and she wanted nothing more than going to bed, but she knew she had to face the consequences of her escape. Though, the events that had happened that day lifted her mood and she wanted to write them in her diary. She also had to find a name for the fox.
She turned around one last time and she thought she could see a bit of Draco’s blond hair, before she went inside the forest, going home.