"Potter, Harry!" The air seemed to have a gain a life as students and teachers-no professors, Willow had to remind herself- began to whisper and look on quietly. Her brother swallowed and gave a quick, reassuring squeeze of her wrist before moving up to the platform. As the dusty old hat was placed on his head, she began to jitter and bounce in place. A desperate need to move filled her and couldn't help but rush her twin mentally.

"Honestly," she breathed, "is he really getting into an argument with a hat?" She hadn't expected anyone to answer, truthfully, and was stunned when a cool voice replied.

"This happen often?" She turned to see a rather good looking boy who looked to be of Italian decent behind her. She gave a soft, shy smile.

"I love my brother, but he can get into an argument with a saint over the fact that the eggs are too runny and the toast not brown enough." The boy chuckled and stuck out his hand, which she took gracefully. She didn't care what Harry said about those pageants, they did teach her things. For example, how to school her expression into one of polite indifference when the boy did not shake, but kissed her knuckle.

"Blaise Zabini, at your service."

"Wi-" Her introduction was cut off by the large shout of 'GRYFFINDOR!" and the even louder cheering of said house table.

"WE'VE GOT POTTER! WE'VE GOT POTTER! WE'VE GOT POTTER!" Harry blushed cherry and immediately sought her out. When he did, she smiled and gave a quick waggle of her fingers to show that she noticed and gave her nonverbal congratulations. But her smile dropped once she saw his gaze grow darker. However, she had no time to pounder on her brother's wild and sudden mood swing due to McGonagall.

"Potter, Willow!" The noise immediately stopped; an eerie hush falling over the crowd.

"My hair," she hissed to Blaine, "is it alright?" He gave her a once over before nodding in approval and patting her hand.

"You look fine, love. Now go, before McGonagall goes on a manhunt for the missing Potter twin." It was only then, while she was strolling confidently to the stool, did she realize that Blaise had still been holding her hand. And that was why Harry looked as if someone had shoved lye down his throat. She shook her head. Brothers…

Daintily setting herself down onto the stool, making sure to smooth her robes and pull the fabric away before doing so, she sat ramrod straight and crossed her legs in a very ladylike manner. Setting the hat down on top of her shiny, black hair, she tried not think about lice. Or bedbugs. Or anything of the sort. The Sorting Hat laughed merrily.

"Fear not, Miss Potter. Rowena Ravenclaw had the same worry many an age ago and she herself placed a scouring charm on me as to not pass on any a pest!"

"Can't blame a girl for worrying. Not a great way to start the year, I would think. A mass infestation of head lice?"

"No, I suppose not. Now tell me, my resilient little Willow, where should I put you?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Pardon me, but isn't that your job? What would be the point of asking students who will only chose where they wish, not caring if they actually have the traits or not?" The hat hummed in response.

"Tell me, why do you think Hogwarts is divided the way it is?"

"If you believe the legend in Hogwarts: A History, it was because the Founding Four, awfully uncreative name if you ask me, had different traits they desired in a witch or wizard. Honestly, though, I think they realized having a castle full of adolescents would bound to lead to trouble, so they created the houses for them to reside with like-minded individuals. As such, building four different schools would've been impractical and expensive, also dealing with people too much alike to yourself would be suffocating. Always being known as just Gryffindor, just Slytherin…it would've been damaging to one's self esteem. So they kept the houses together, to create enough diversity that no one felt too...too unimportant and they kept a sense of individuality."

That was one thing Willow had learned while living with the Dursley's, if you wanted to be treated somewhat decently you had to keep up. That meant reading, lots and lots of reading. Nights spent in that tiny, crowded bedroom pouring over newspapers and dictionaries and thesauruses. She got the best grades and offers into special programs and teachers would gush over how she was 'such a dear in class'. Extra-curricular was a must along with community service. And while she didn't have any friends, she didn't care. With friends, you couldn't go off to eat lunch in the library and finish that homework assignment that wasn't due for another two weeks.

It was a shame that Harry never seemed to have gotten the memo. Or, more accurately, he took and tore it up before throwing the shreds into the fire. He resented everyone and everything other than her it seemed, and at times would get disgusted by her docile nature towards their treatment. Shame he didn't realize that it was all down out of self-preservation…

"And is that what you want?" It asked. "To prove that you're more than just another pretty face? That there's more to you than just being the Boy-Who-Lived sister?" There was no hesitation. No stutter. No indication that she had ever wanted anything different. That had always been the problem with Willow, she always knew what she wanted and there was no changing her mind.

"Yeah, it is."

"If I place you where you truly belong, it will cause much heartbreak between you and your twin. Are you willing to risk it?" Her green eyes, so much like her brother but yet so different at the same time, flashed.

"He's my brother. He should love me no matter my house, my friends, but if that isn't the case…well he's not really worth my time than is he?"

"We both know that is a lie, my dear Willow…but I accept your answer. Before you go, though, tell me what is your wand and core?"

"Is this standard?"

"No, yet I would like to know."

"Thirteen inches, hawthorn with veela hair. Rigid."

"Ah, the wand of a protector."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, in this case it best be…SLYTHERIN!"

She had no chance to ask the hat to repeat its assessment of her wand before she was ushered off the platform and towards the green covered table on the far left. To her surprise, and slight apprehension, the only cheering came from her designated house. All the others, stared at her with a look of contempt and disapproval. She raised an eyebrow.

"Do we have a problem?" She asked and another silence fell over the Great Hall as the students averted their gaze. "Thought so." Flouncing forward, she took a seat next to the blond that her brother had snubbed on the train. He gave her an evaluating look.

"You're Potter's sister."

"Yes, yes I am." She replied; eyes unabashedly looking him up and down. Blond, a bit short but she had the sneaking suspicion he would one day tower over her, pretty grey blue eyes that made her want to pluck them out and wear them as jewelry as disturbing as that sounded, and strong but sharp facial features. Once he lost that baby fat, he would be a true heartbreaker. Noticing her staring, he preened under her gaze.

"Draco Malfoy. I trust you're not as big as a fool as your brother?"

"You trust right. Willow Potter, pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Nice to see you made your way into Slytherin, Miss Potter. It would be a shame if a face as pretty as yours was forced into Gryffindor." Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she turned to address Blaise.

"You pay a pretty compliment Mister Zabini, and if I don't know any better, I'd say you had a secret agenda." He sat himself down next to her, which forced her closer to Draco, and laid the cloth napkin across his lap.

"But you do know better." He shot back, "Besides, it isn't a compliment, I'm just stating facts. Isn't that right, Draco?" Snapped out of his…whatever, he blushed bright red and mumbled something unintelligible.

"What was that?" Blaise asked; a sadistic gleam in his eye as he watched Draco squirm. He mumbled something again and Willow forced back a smirk.

"As cute as your shyness is, Draco, I think Blaise and I would like it better if we could understand you." If it was possible, he turned ever redder.

"I said," he cleared his throat, "I have to agree with you Zabini…" he trailed off and went to pile his plate filled with food. Properly satisfied, for now, she helped herself with a small portion of meat and dairy before filling up with vegetables and fruit.

"My God." She muttered; "Do they want us to get horrifically obese?" Blaise smirked as she pressed her napkin down her small steak; trying to soak up as much of the excess grease. "Is there anything baked?"

"No, I don't even think they know what calories are." She paled.

"What!?" He shrugged,

"Eating healthy has never been a big concern with potions to take away most of the side affects of eating bad." She turned green before clearing her throat and shaking her head.

"I think I'll stick to the muggle way…seems much more…natural." And with that she began to eat with all the delicateness of a cat. A very, very prissy cat with a superiority complex.

1313131313

Willow amused Blaise. Despite her status, she was as snobby as any pureblooded witch he knew, and that was saying something as he spent the majority of his summers with the Malfoys, but much more subtle. The way she spoke seemed innocent and sometimes flattering until you worked out what she had said. And that wasn't until after the conversation had long since passed. Her sentences and words were layered and complex, the surface so sweet it was difficult to realize there was something underneath.

That and Draco's instant infatuation with her gave him more ways to entertain himself.

Watching her nitpick through her food, muttering something about calories and clogged skin, he watched and smirked. Hogwarts was going to be interesting indeed.