TW: homophobic slang will be used. I will give you another warning when it comes.

Nova was silently reading Little Woman for what must be the hundredth time when there was a knock at the door. 

"Come in," Nova called in. 

In walked a woman. She had long blonde hair and cold blue eyes. She was tall and skinny. She smiled softly at Nova. 

The woman was someone Nova had mixed emotions about. 

The woman was Narcissa Malfoy. 

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Malfoy," Nova greeted. 

"Please, call me 'Cissy'," Narcissa spoke. 

Nova was confused. Narcissa was never openly hostile with Nova. But then again, they never spoke. She always came to help Nova prepare for balls, but they barely spoke. 

"Please, call me 'Nox'," Nova said. Narcissa raised an eyebrow in question. "I didn't really know what to say. So...I gave you something to call me, I guess."

"Well, Nox, we best get you ready," Cissy stated. "Let's get you in that corset."

"There is no bloody way I'm putting on that death trap," Nova stated, crossing her arms.

"You must," Narcissa stated, rolling her eyes. "Greta is insisting upon it."

"But, Cissy," Nova whined. "I can't breathe in it!"

"Come on, Nova" ordered Narcissa. "We haven't time to waste."

Nova walked into the bathroom attached to her room.

She studied herself in the mirror. Her body showed no change.

When Nova returned, Mrs. Morgenstern ordered Nova to only eat one meal a day. Nova, who had no say in the matter, was forced to only eat dinner. Even then, her proportions were considerably smaller than they normally were.

"You've become fat," her foster mother scrutinized.

Nova was having ice cream withdrawals. She missed the cold dessert dearly.

Nova reminded herself that there were those less fortunate and she needed to be thankful for what she had.

But ice cream! Nova's stomach would whine.

Nova didn't put the corset on. She just wore her normal undergarments, joining Narcissa to put the dress on.

Cissy chuckled as she saw Nova refusing to wear the 'death trap', as she had put it.

"What's so funny?" Nova asked.

"You remind me of my sister," Narcissa stated softly.

"Bellatrix?" Nova asked, scrunching up her nose in disgust.

"No," Narcissa answered, ignoring Nova's reaction. "Andromeda."

"Didn't she marry a muggleborn Hufflepuff?" Nova asked.

"Yes," Narcissa said, her voice becoming cold. Her face mimicked her voice. "Get your dress on."

Slowly, Nova stepped into her dress, careful not to mess it up. With Narcissa's help, Nova was able to zip the back.

By 'Narcissa's help' Nova means her arms were too short, and couldn't reach the zipper well.

"Sweet Merlin..." Nova murmured. The dress was beautiful.

Nova's dress:

The dress clung to the top half of her body, but once it reached her hips, it began to fan out. It was an off the shoulder dress that dipped slightly down to her cleavage but covered everything.

Nova's favorite thing about the dress was the color. It is an elegant dark green, but not 'Slytherin Green'.

"Oh, Cissy!" Nova exclaimed turning to the woman. "It's wonderful!"

"I'm glad you liked it," She said with a smile. Then she caught sight of a necklace with a locket that rested at the base of Nova's throat. "What a pretty locket. Who gave it to you?"

Nova looked down at the locket around her neck. It was gold and in a rectangle shape with fancy patterns on the front. On the back was an inscription. An inscription Nova lived by.

I'm a warrior empress with the strength of a fire gone wild. I'll walk along the path forged by my own will and desire. 

Author's Note:

Nova's Locket (the front)

Nova smiled to herself.

It was a gift for her thirteenth birthday. Harry, Ron, and Hermione worked on it together.

Harry bought the actual necklace and locket.

Ron found the quote.

Hermione charmed it to be special.

Not only did the locket hold pictures, but it also played memories. The pictures represented a certain memory. All Nova had to do was say the passcode, and the memory would project in front of her.

"Thanks," Nova replied. "My friends gave it to me for my thirteenth birthday."

"I see," Narcissa stated.

Well, I hope you could see. I'd rather not have a blind woman curling my hair, Nova thought to herself.

"I assume you would like to keep it on," she stated. Nova nodded.

Nova tested her luck. She asked the question she had been dying to ask for since Cissy smiled.

"Why are you being kind to me, Cissy?" Nova asked, adding more tension to the atmosphere.

"Might I asked what you mean by that?" Narcissa stepped back.

"Well...normally, you are silent while helping me." Nova began to explain. "Which is fine. However, when you spoke, you are showing me kindness. I want to know why."

"I've always wanted a daughter. I love Draco, but I wanted a daughter. That's part of it," Cissy announced honestly. "You also remind me of my sister. I miss her dearly. I want nothing more than to talk to her, but I can't. Besides I doubt many people have been kind to you this semester with your father escaping prison."

Nova was shocked. She wasn't sure what to say.

"Not what you expected?" Cissy laughed.

"Basically. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if out if you turned out to be a vulture or something. Everyone always pretends to be nice to me. It could be anything from hoping for me to spill my secrets to getting in my pants." Nova shrugged. "I guess I'm used to all purebloods to be raging bitches."

Narcissa snorted.

"Most of us are. Only some of us aren't." Narcissa informed.

A knock came from the door.

"Come in!" Narcissa ordered in a cold voice. Her face turning hard and stone-like.

"Come, girl," Greta Morgenstern ordered.

***

Nova stood at the top of the winding stairs case, waiting to make her 'grand entrance'. She fiddled with her golden locket that hung just below the base of her throat.

"We are pleased to have everyone here tonight..." Mr.Morgenstern's voice floats to Nova's ears from above.

Finding something to occupy her time while the Morgensterns gave their unnecessarily long speech, Nova watched the first memory in her locket; the day she discovered a magical utensil called a pen.

"What's this?" memory Nova asked as she held up some cylinder shape with a point on the end. 

"It's a pen. It's like a pencil." Hermione informed without looking up from her potions book. "It's also like a quill, but you don't need to dip it in ink. The ink comes from inside it. There's a capsule-like structure that holds the ink. Gravity pushes down on the ink cartridge, allowing the ink to flow from the inside." 

"English please," Nova said. She moved the green utensil around, investigating the foreign object. 

"Just write with it," Hermione laughed, handing Nova a piece of parchment.
"Okee..." Nova took the pen in her right hand before signing her name. 

"Merlin's left eyeball!" Nova exclaimed, throwing the pencil to the floor as if it were poison."It's a bleeding pencil! What dark magic is that?"

"It's a pen," Hermione stated again. "Besides, it's harmless."

"That's what you said about Green Eggs and Ham!" Nova exclaimed. "'Oh, Nova! It's just a children's book. No need to worry.'"

"It is only a book," Hermione justified. 

"No! It's a torture object!" Nova insisted. "You look inside the book and not only are their weird-looking people but green eggs and ham!"

"Nova! You can't just call people weird looking!" Harry laughed. Nova playfully glared at him. 

"Green eggs!" Nova yelled. "Green ham! That has to be illegal or something! It's okay if it's blue. Blue food is amazing and should be worshipped. (A/N if you get this reference...let's be friends) But green! That's illegal!"

"It's not ill-" Hermione began to reason. 

"I'm with Nova on this one, 'Mione," Ron said nodding his head seriously as if this were a very important matter. In Nova's eyes, it was a very important matter.

"If you don't like the pen...just give it back," Harry piped up. 

"Oh no. I'm going to keep the dark object." Nova stated, pocketing the pen. 

A small smile decorated Nova's face.

She wanted to be home. She wanted to be surrounded by the warm and welcoming atmosphere of Hogwarts. She wanted to dance and parade around with Ginny and Hermione for no reason. She wanted to blast music in the Common Room, dancing with her family. She wanted to let all her worries go as she laughed with her friends. She wanted to have an eating contest with Ron. She wanted to play a prank with Fred and George, maybe even Harry if he wanted to. She wanted to be like those teenage girls in muggle movies; great friends, parties, sleepovers, boys, and parents.

She didn't want to be in this cold house.

But nobody ever cared what Nova wanted.

Not here at least.

"In just a few moments, we shall welcome a very special guest," Mr.Morgenstern's voice drifted up the stairs to Nova. She knew it was time to make an entrance.

She walked towards the top step, ready to descend. She had to make this perfect.

Perfect posture.

Perfect steps.

Perfect breath repetition.

Perfect balance.

She forced herself not to think of the consequences of her failure.

"I will not mess this up," Nova murmured.

"Please welcome the lovely and beautiful Nova Lily Black!" her foster father's voice rang from below.

Nova began to descend. (A/N itallics are the reminders Nova is giving herself)

First step.

She hoped her knees wouldn't give out.

Second step.

Breathe in.

Third step.

Breathe out.

Fourth step.

Step on the beat.

Fifth step.

Sixth step.

She is a puppet with a man pulling the strings, making her stand tall.

Seventh step.

Her ankle wobbled in her five-inch heels.

Eighth step.

Nova became aware of all the people starring at her like vultures, waiting for her to make a mistake.

Ninth step.

Remain emotionless. Portray no emotion.

Tenth step.

Look ethereal. Look delicate. Look powerful.

Eleventh step.

Don't cry

Twelevth and final step.

Just like you practiced. Nothing different. There totally aren't at least a hundred people watching.

Upon stepping off the stairs, everyone dispersed.

Nova let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, that was anti-climatic," Nova stated cooly.

"Enjoying yourself, Black?" A drawling voice asked, amusement clear in their tone.

"Oh yeah, totally' Nova said sarcastically turning to her platinum blonde cousin.

"Where's your posse?" Draco mocked Nova from the day Harry was turned into a deer.

"Well...they're at Hogwarts," Nova said tonelessly."Hermione isn't welcomed here due to her blood which is a bit outdated. Ron isn't welcomed because of how he is regarded by everyone here. Harry isn't welcomed here due to the fact he destroyed Voldemort."  Draco flinched. "Which so happens to be a god to these deranged people."

Nova paused.

"Where's your posse?" Nova asked.

"Crabbe is eating all the food. Goyle is trying, and failing, to charm some poor girl." Draco explained.

"You don't like them, do you?" Nova questioned.

"Not necessarily," Draco said. "I just like them more than Potter."

"Can you get over it?" Nova asked hotly. "He's not that bad, alright?"

"I won't give it up until he does."

Nova groaned.

Boys and their bloody pride, Nova thought bitterly as she rolled her eyes.

"I'm going to dance with Astoria," Draco announced.

"Yeah! Sure!" Nova said sarcastically. "Leave me alone to the vultures!"

"Awe! Is the Gryffindor Princess in need of a knight and shining armor?" A voice came teasingly from behind her.

"I can save myself, Zanbini," Nova said turning around.

Blaise Zanbini and Theodore Nott stood face to face.

Well, it was more like Nova was looking up at the two seeing as they were a couple of inches taller than her.

The two Slytherins are the only plus side to these balls.

Nova would stand in a corner laughing and joking with the two boys. Sometimes (normally when being force) they would dance. Of course, it wasn't ACDC like the trio likes to listen to, it was classical, but they were forced to dance.

"Nice entrance, Noxxy" Theo teased. Theo and Nova had a sibling relationship, so did Nova and Blaise. Much like she was with Dean and Seamus, Nova was waiting for the boys to admit their feelings for each other.

"Call me that again and I'll rip out your tongue and feed it to Blaise for dinner," Nova threatened. "Then, he'll have your jewels for dessert.'

"Why would I want to eat his family's jewelry?" Blaise asked.

"One, that's not what I meant. And two, you wouldn't be opposed to eating his tongue?" Nova raised an eyebrow.

Blaise blushed as Theo laughed.

"I wonder how you aren't in Slytherin more and more every day," Theo announced.

"And I wonder how Blaise isn't in Hufflepuff yet, here we are."

"How are things with Wonder Boy and his Golden Posse?" Theo asked.

"His name is Harry. And we don't follow him around like Crabbe and Goyle follow Draco." Nova rolled her eyes. "We each have a job. Hermione is the brains of our operation. Ron's the glue and more important than people think he is. Harry's the money and the thing that gets us into trouble. And I'm the entertainment. I mean, come on! I'm fabulous!"

The trio laughed.

"What do you think of Lupin?" Blaise asked.

"Mr.Chocolate Man?' Nova asked, and her darker-skinned friend nodded.

"I think he is a great professor," Theo stated. Nova looked at him surprised.

"I thought all Slytherins hated him. Especially after the boggart lesson."

"Nah. He's a really good teacher. I personally liked him more after the boggart lesson," Blaise stated.

"He's my favorite professor. After Minnie, of course," Nova answered the question asked a minute before.

Nova studied the boys. They contrasted greatly as they stood next to each other.

Blaise had darker skin and black hair. Theo was paler than Casper the Friendly Ghost. But he had dark brown hair and blue eyes.

"We're going to dance," a voice announced from behind Nova.

Before she could protest, Nova was pulled into a waltz. She looked back at her two friends, they gave her a helpless look.

Nova's face became emotionless as she looked up at her kidnapper.

His hair was a dark brown, nearly. His eyes were darker than the night sky. His skin tan and he had large buck teeth. Nova's mind flashed to a muggle cartoon, Spongebobby Squarebottoms, or something like that. But she recognized who it was.

Marcus Flint.

"Ma'am, this is considered kidnapping," Nova stated as she continued to dance with the boy.

"It's not kidnapping if you came willingly," He said, assessing her every move. "Besides, if I wanted to kidnap the Gryffindor Princess or Harry Potter's sidekick or whatever people call you, I wouldn't get caught."

"Three things you got wrong there, bud," Nova began in a sassy and confident tone. "It is kidnapping since your sorry arse dragged me here. Second, I'm not a princess, I'm a queen. Lastly, I'm no one's sidekick. Get your bloody facts straight."

"The Little Lion has some fire," Flint stated with a smirk. Nova became aware of his hand slowly moving down.

"Come too close and you'll get burn, arsehole." Nova hissed. "And I may be small, but I'm still bigger than what you think makes you a man."

Flint glared. Nova glared back.

"Besides, I was about to dance with a respectful male," Nova said, indicating Blaise and Theo.

"How do you know they were going to ask you?"

"I'm just that awesome."

(A/N homophobic comments ahead)

"Don't lie. You didn't know they were going to ask you to dance. They're just a couple of fagots." Flint sneered. "Don't look surprised. We both know they're disgraceful."

"They are not," Nova said in an angry voice. "Just because they love someone that isn't generally thought to be right by the larger population doesn't make them fagots or anything bad. They are more tasteful and more likable than your sorry arse."

Flint's hand moved lower, centimeters above her arse.

Nova wondered what her father would do if he saw a boy doing what Flint was doing at this moment.

She wondered what he would do if she stood up for herself in this moment, pummeling the slimy snake to the floor, making them sorry.

She reminded herself that her father was as good as dead. Her mother wasn't around, most likely abandoning her.

"I suggest you remove your hand from where it lays or you won't have one," Nova growled. "You are seventeen-years-old. I'm not even fourteen. You, sir, are on your way to becoming a pedophile."

Flint's hand was officially on her arse.

Nova pushed the boy away and resulted to shouting. 

She wanted to turn into a lion and tear his throat out, but she needed to keep her secret. Plus, she didn't fancy going to prison.

"Get off of me you filthy pig!" Nova yelled. The music stopped. Everyone's attention was on them, more specifically Nova.

"You are nothing but a disgusting slimy snake. You have no regard for anyone but yourself. Keep your filthy hands to yourself." Nova yelled, unaware of the stares she was receiving.

Most looked at her with deep distaste. Narcissa and a few more looked at her with pity.

"I'm a human being. Not your fucking plaything. When I tell you to stop, you stop."

"You have not right to order a man around. You are nothing as a female." Marcus hissed.

"Oh okay, so if I were to switch genders, would I be considered a man?" Nova growled. "No, I wouldn't. Not in your eyes anyway. I do not ask and did not ask for authority over men. I asked for equality.

"There is nothing wrong with loving a person of the same sex. There is nothing wrong with wanting to change your body to match who you were born to be and who you are on the inside. Moreover, if you need to succeed in such a goal by being transgender, then do it. There. Is. Nothing. Wrong. With. It. Just because you believe in outdated cultural misogynies!" Nova said.

"Nova Lily Black!" Mr.Morgenstern yelled. "Get out! You're disowned from the house of Morgenstern."

"I was never apart of this house." Nova snapped. Her temper calmed and she replied in a cool voice. "Besides, you can't disown me if I leave willingly. This happens to be exactly what I'm doing."

Nova stormed up to her room. She ordered Binky to gather her things. Everything Nova owned was thrown into a bag with an extension charm.

Before leaving, Nova handed Binky a single sock, freeing her from the house of Morgenstern.

Binky agreed to leave but vowed to stay with Nova.

With the snap of Binky's fingers, Nova Black, Shadow the Cat, and Binky the house-elf were gone.

Author's Note:

Where should Nova go?

Weasleys'?

Tonks'?

Other?