The Gryffindor Malfoy

Prologue

Summary: Carina says goodbye to her family before boarding the Hogwarts Express. She meets a few people before going through the sorting.

Being a Malfoy isn't easy, especially being the daughter of Lucius Malfoy. Most of us in the Sacred Twenty Eight were raised in an environment full of prejudice. Among the most traditional and oldest families in the wizarding world, any little thing can be grounds for disinheritance, whether it's being sorted into a House other than Slytherin (especially when your family has been in Slytherin for generations), as happened to Sirius Black, my mother's cousin who was sorted into Gryffindor, or whether it's having relationships with Muggle-borns, as happened to Andromeda Tonks, my mother's sister who married a Muggle-born and was disinherited from the Black family. We can barely interact with Muggles, Muggle-borns or blood traitors, as we already run the risk of being excluded from our families.

Here I am, Carina Narcissa Malfoy (my first name came from the constellation, a tradition from the Black family that Mum made a point of keeping, and my second name in honour of my own mother), ready to start my first year at Hogwarts. I've spent the last year listening to Draco chatter on about the school, Slytherin, his friends and his enemies, Harry Potter, the Weasleys and the Know-it-all.

 September 1st 1992

I wake up early, excited to finally start my first year at Hogwarts. I shower and get ready for breakfast in the dining room with Draco and my parents. I get there before everyone else and see Dobby, our house elf, setting the dining table. 

"Good morning, Miss Malfoy." he greets me.

"Good morning, Dobby." I say.

I take my seat and a few minutes later I see my parents arrive. Mum sits next to me while Father sits at the head of the table. As soon as she sees me, Mum flashes a smile (a smile she reserves especially for Draco and me), putting a hand on my shoulder as she sits down.

"Good morning, darling." she says.

I smile back at her.

"Excited for today?" Mum asks me, already knowing the answer.

"Very much so!" I reply.

"Carina, you already know, but I'll remind you once more," my father begins to speak. "As a Malfoy you must honour our family name, I know you'll do the minimum and be sorted in Slytherin, just as I don't want you to make friends with any blood-ruins or blood-traitors."

"Lucius..." Mum says in a scolding tone. "Leave the girl alone. Carina already knows all this. I'm sure our daughter won't let us down." she turns round and winks at me.

Mum has always been the opposite of my father: loving, protective and everything a mother should be. A few minutes later Draco arrives in the dining room and joins us, sitting down facing Mum and me.

"Draco," my father says, turning to my brother. "You already know this, keep an eye on your sister."

"It's alright, Dad." Draco says, rolling his eyes. 

I think that to everyone's surprise, Draco isn't an arsehole towards me, quite the opposite, although he treats others badly, he and I are close, and he's a very protective brother.

When we arrive at the platform where we'll be catching the Hogwarts Express, I immediately look for my friends among all the people. I look for Stella, my friend since I was practically born. As soon as I find her, I'm about to run after her when I feel an arm pull me away.