Chapter Text
Beth had it all. Her bloodlines go back generations of purebloods, she achieves near perfect grades, plays on the Quidditch team and did I mention that she also was dating Oliver Wood, who had left a few years previously to play Quidditch professionally.
She was entering her final year at Hogwarts, and her father had already lined up a position at the Ministry of Magic for her, as long as she maintained her grades and didn't put a foot wrong. That was the slight pressure with the family name - being a Farrington certainly had it's perks and got you almost anywhere you wanted, but the pressure was next level.
Her father was the Deputy Minister of Magic and while a quick look at the family history showed it glowing with being on the right side of every fall if you delve any deeper there becomes a bit of a murkier water, and Beth was very aware of this. Any family, with the power and background of the Farrington's had skeleton's in their closets. She'd been referred to before as the golden version of the Malfoy's and that unsettled her, knowing how easy it could be to fall from grace.
She walked herself through Kings Cross Station - The Farrington's didn't believe in emotional, heart felt goodbyes. A family breakfast this morning, a quick kiss on the head and then she'd been away. Wheeling her trolley with her case on, she made her way to platform 9 and 3/4's, taking a quick look round before she gently walked towards the bollard in the middle of the station, and from all surrounding muggles point of view... disappeared.
Emerging onto the platform, her heart immediately felt lighter. The familar hustle and bustle, the steam of the train and the soft hooting of owls was all she needed and she smiled as she saw familar faces. She looked around for her trio of friends, Hermione, Ron and Harry but couldn't immediatley see any of them. Her friendship with Hermione had always been taught - the competition between them for the top marks in the class had always caused a bit of a sore spot, but academics aside she got on well with her, and her father very much approved of her mixing with non purebloods (although god forbid she dated one).
Her things were loaded and she made her way down to the compartment that the four of them had always shared, assuming they would already be there, espeically as she'd been running late, something her father hated. There was a bit of a commotion further up the carriage, with first years trying to pack all of their things and find someone to sit with which had caused a jam in people walking down the train. She leaned against the side of the compartment she was against, waiting for it to pass, and also nursing a slightly heavy head.
The night before Oliver had been over, fresh off the back of winning the Quidditch World Cup her father had opened bottle after bottle to celebrate and, as the night had worn on, despite her father's insistance that Farrington's could drink anyone under the table, her vision got blurrier and blurrier, and the few hours she'd had in bed had not been an enjoyable nights sleep, not to mention the fact that Oliver had passed out downstairs on the sofa so she hadn't even had a night with him before heading back to Hogwarts.
"Farry" a voice behind her drawled and her she cringed at the sound of her childhood nickname being used, especially by the blonde boy who stood behind her, annoyingly just slightly taller than her. At 6 foot, Beth was accustommed to towering over guys, if not looking them dead in the eye and it annoyed her that the one person who got under her skin the most was that little bit taller than her. She turned
"Malfoy" she said shortly, nodding her head as a greeting. As children from similar standings, they'd grown up going to the same schools, the same clubs and Draco's father had seen them being friends as a way to tie the two families together, something her father was anxious about and Beth vermontly against. She eyed him with suspicion, things had never been straight forwards between them not since he'd caught her while playing a game of Tag age 8 and she'd promptly kicked him in the balls.
"Final year of being forced together" Draco responded with a smirk on his face, obviously referencing the same thing I had been thinking about the forced friendship from a young age.
"Thank God" I responded. She didn't have the energy to deal with his sacasm today, not with a pounding head and next to no sleep. Annoyingly, in her fragile state she couldn't help but register that Draco had grown and filled out over the summer and was now disgustingly handsome. She turned away from him, hoping she wasn't blushing and started moving down the corridor which had now cleared.
"Catch you around" came floating down the corridor and Beth didn't even both to acknowledge it. She finally reached the compartment she was aiming for and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Ron's ginger hair sat next to the window, especially as the whistle went on the platform and she felt the train start to move off.
"Hey guys" she said as she slid into the compartment and was greeted with a smile from everyone. Hermione already had a text book open, whereas Ron was half reading a comic and half staring out the window eating a chocolate frog. She sat next to Harry who was half asleep already against the window.
"Where have you been?" Ron asked her, noticing the train pulling out of the platform and the slightly hassled look on Beth's face.
"I overselpt" she said wrinkling her face "and then some little first years couldn't work out where to sit... or keep their voices at anywhere close to a respectale level" she complained and Ron laughed at her.
"Good night with Oliver then?" he said with a wink, which earned him a dig in the ribs from Hermione. Beth rolled her eyes and rested her head against the side of the train, already feeling her eyelids close... she'd just have a 20 minute nap and then catch up with everyone she thought.