Back to school. One feeling that I wished I could avoid.

School sucked for me. I was misunderstood, rejected, and hated. I had no friends besides my pet Martin, Dust. No one liked me. I was I loner in a pack of raving, bloodthirsty wolves.

You would think that being the daughter of the great Harry Potter would make people like me better. And it used too, that was until I learned that they only liked me so they could get to know my dad. Ever since then I avoided people completely.

My brother, Tristan, on the other hand, took advantage of his fame and it worked for him. He was the captain of the Gryffindor Quiditch team and most favored jock among all the girls.

On the plus side, I was great at Quiditch too. I was one of the greatest chasers that Hufflepuff had ever seen, but that didn't make me any more popular.

I spent most of her time locked up in my room (at home and school) with my guitar playing endlessly.

"Hey Jayce?" Tristan knocked me out of my daydreams. "We're there, come on. Unless you'd rather stay here, because if you don't come that means less embarrassment for me."

"Tristan leave your sister alone." Mrs. Potter hissed.

"Technically she's not my real sister." He pointed out as he slid out the door of the car.

"Half sister or not your still related, and you need to be nice."

"Thanks Cho." I sighed and followed him out the door. Grabbing my duffle bag.

"Jaycee," Dad pushed from behind the small blue corvette. "Come here would you."

Crap I was busted. Dad hated it when I called Cho, Cho. Just because she was the only mother I ever knew didn't mean I had to think of her as a mom.

"Jaycee," he scolded in hushed tones "how many times do I need to tell you? You need to treat your mother with respect."

"She's not my mom." I grunted under my breath.

"Excuse me?"

"I'll be nice." I rolled my eyes and grabbed my bag from him. He yanked on my arm and pulled me to face him

"I understand that you feel distant from her, but that doesn't mean you can't be courteous as well."

"Ok ok I said I'd be nice." I pulled away from him and sauntered toward the station. A fluffy little head poked out of my backpack and licked my face.

"Not now Dust. You need to stay there until we get on the train." I pushed its head down back into the backpack.

"I don't know why they let you have that thing?" Tristan grimaced.

"Why not? Its not against school rules."

"Well it should be. Owls are much more suitable pets and not so…viscous."

"Dust isn't viscous. He just doesn't like you." Dust had been known to bite Tristan a few times, but only because he deserved it.

"Ok here we are." Dad exclaimed as we reached a tall pillar between platforms nine and ten. "You two be good at school and enjoy it."

"Ooo," Cho screeched. "I can't believe this is your last year at Hogwarts. I cant believe my babies grew up so fast." She wrapped us both in a great big hug and started to cry.

I'm not your baby. I thought coldly to myself. Never have been never will be.

"Thanks Ch…" I got a scornful look from Dad. "Mom."

"We'll be back for Christmas." Tristan promised.

Dad stepped over to us. He slapped Tristan on the back. "take care boy." He smiled.

"Thanks dad."

Dad moved towards me again. "you take care of your little brother." He smiled. Tristan was only eight months younger than me and it just tickled dad to tease him like that. I didn't think it was half bad myself.

"I will." I smirked at Tristan and he glared back. "Bye daddy." He pulled my into a big hug and wouldn't let go for sometime.

This was one of the few times that the two of us actually shared an affectionate moment. Dad always said I was more like my mom than him. Except for my eyes which were emerald green.

He pulled away and smiled at me. "Oh I almost forgot!" he reached into his pocket and pulled out a bunch of brochures. "I thought you might want to look at these while you're at school. Just think about which one you want to go to."

Did I forget to mention my dad was bent on me going to a respectable wizarding college the second I was out of Hogwarts? I did? How stupid of me.

Yeah, he pretty much had my life planned out for me. He had good intentions but didn't really know what the heck I wanted.

"Thanks dad." I stuttered. "I will," Right before I through them in the fire. I hugged him one last time and waved goodbye.

Tristan led the way trough the magic pillar that leaded to the Hogwarts' platform.

The second we were there he blew me off to go find his friends. I was left alone again with only my luggage, guitar, and dust at my side.

I sighed heavily and stepped onto the train. We must have been later than we had thought because all the compartments were full. I slumped all the way to the back compartment and swung open the door.

I was shocked to see a tall dark haired boy sitting in the window seat all alone.

"Oh I'm sorry." I jumped. "I'll just find another place."

Even more to my surprise he argued with me. " No, stay, it's ok. This was the last empty one."

"Well wont your friends mind their seats being stolen?"

"Nah. I'm actually alone." He gestured toward the seat across from him.

I slumped towards it and placed my bag on the rack above me. I sat down and looked at him.

I'm not what you would call shy, but I'm not outgoing either. So I was a bit uncomfortable sitting there with this boy in silence.

"Hey," he said staring at me with great intent. "You're that Potter girl right?"

"I prefer being called Jaycee, but yeah that's me," I rolled my eyes. " Why? Did the other girls tell you to avoid me?"

"No," I sighed with relief. "But your brother did."

"Good ol' bro." I smiled sarcastically. "You must be new here."

"How could you tell?"

"Well most people around here know instinctively to avoid me. They don't have to be told by the Gryffindor Jerks like my half brother. What's your name?"

He laughed a little "Ian. Ian Lunk."

I nodded politely and dropped my backpack on the seat next to me. Dust rolled out grunting from being wakened from his sleep. Ian seemed undisturbed by our company.

"So you say Tristan is your half brother? But he said he was a Potter too."

"He is. We have different moms."

"Ah. I see." He trailed off for a second still not taking his eyes off me. I blushed and pulled my dark auburn hair in front of my face to conceal it a little.

"So uhh…" I stuttered as the train began to move slowly but picking up speed. "Did you transfer to Hogwarts from another school?"

"Uh…" he shook his head as if trying to shake a thought from it. "Sort of. I was going to a school in America and moved back here with my mom when my dad got married again."

"Huh. I know how that feels. Only problem is I don't know where my mom is or even who she is."

For the first time in my life I noticed that he was actually listening to me. Something I wasn't used to outside my family.

"Go on." He urged gently after I didn't speak for a moment.

"Err…its just, every time I try to bring her up to my dad he just say 'your too young I'll tell you when your older'"

"And never does." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah. Pretty much. I mean I know he cares and it's a painful subject but I'm seventeen I need to know these things."

"Yeah I agree with you. I didn't know that much about my mom until I was thirteen and I forced him to tell me."

"I've tried that it doesn't work." I sighed and looked at my shoes. "I mean I like Cho its just she's not my real my mom you know. I guess I should care a bit more, I mean she's been married to my dad since I was born. Well maybe even before that."

Ian looked confused.

"When I was born my mom just left me on his doorstep, I guess hoping he could take care of her better than a single mom could. I suppose she just wanted the best for me." I breathed deeply trying not to cry.

"Anything from the trolley dears?" a little old woman smiled from the doorway.

We must have been talking for a while. It takes the trolley about half the trip to get all the way back here.

"Sure!" Ian perked. "I'll have some Berrty Bott's and a liquorish wand. Oh and a chocolate frog too."

She smiled pleasantly, handed him his order and turned to me. "anything for you love?'

"I'll have the same. Oh but do you have an apple beer too?"

She handed me a tall glass bottle and my candy. "Anything else?"

"No thank you." Ian smiled professionally and I nodded.

"So wait I'm confused." I said as I watched him scarf down his liquorish wand. "You say you lived in America but you have an English accent."

"I live here till I was five, and well it never wore off I guess."

"Hmm." I nodded with interest as I gulped down a swig of apple beer.

The rest of the ride was filled with pleasant conversation. Ian was a nice kid, very sincere and sweet. But I had no doubt that when we got to school and he got to know the other kids he would start to ignore me like everyone else. So I enjoyed the time I had with him while I could.