As always i own nothing my own characters J.K. has dibs on the rest
"Mister Mason!" Called McGonagall sorting hat in hand. All eyes fell on a mess of dark unruly hair as a small boy walked up to the three legged stool and sat on it.
The hat appeared to be deliberating with the boy when it suddenly declared, "GRIFFINDOR!"
But as the crowd began to call out the great hall doors slowly swung open and all heads followed the motion to the back of the room.
A head of snow white hair peered around the left door and grey blue eyes took in the surrounding students. She was then passed by another girl who was followed by one bill Weasley and Charlie.
"Bill! Charlie!" Exclaimed a chorus of four voices at which both men sent a smile and a wave.
"Sorry for being so late head master but we were held up by the minister it's... not too late is it?" Bill queried.
"Of course it isn't come join us you ladies." He called twinkling madly at them.
The slight, white haired girl quickly hugged Charlie and Bill rushed over to join the group. Her sister gave both men curt nods that oddly enough reminded the teachers and staff of someone they knew. That someone raised a pointed eyebrow at this while Flitwick covered his chuckle in his napkin.
A few minutes later saw only the two sisters left.
"Miss Willow." Invited McGonagall patting the stool.
She slowly made her way to the stool to avoid stepping over her feet, as was her wont to do when nervous. Taking her seat and allowing McGonagall to place the hat upon her head she soon found herself having a slight chat with the hat.
"Hmm…you seem to have a big heart; much too big it seems to have left you sensitive. Ah bravery, you have that in spades to. Loyal, yes. But where to put you. The house of snakes is not for you nor the ravens nest . The badgers set maybe or the lion' den."
"Um… ? I can be brave really, could I be in the brave house?" she faltered.
"Hm…I don't see why not you'd do well in either…very well." Mused the hat. "GRIFFINDOR!"
She rose off of the stool and threw her sister a brilliant smile to which her sister responded with the same nod appointed to the older Weasleys.
Then a bushy haired girl ran up to willow and took her by the hand. "Hello I'm Hermione Granger."
"Um…willow. Nice to meet you." She replied daintily shaking her hand
"Here you can sit by me." She offered while sliding into her spot on the Gryffindor bench.
"Ok...thanks Hermione."She smiled at the head master who offered her a covert wink in return.
"Viper." She straightened up and walked almost gliding across to the chair. As the hat came down on her head the hat exclaimed"SLYTHERIN!" she wondered as to why the hat had placed her so quickly but immediately put it out of her mind as she took in everyone in her new house.
As she went to take her place among her house mates she noted the lack of enthusiasm from the other three tables and made a mental note to watch everyone for this was something she did not like. Not at all.
The head master signaled for silence with a raise of his hand. "Well everyone that concludes this sorting. I'm sure as you have noticed our last two students here are not quite young enough to be first years." He stated glancing over his crescent-moon spectacles. "Due to unforeseen circumstances that I am not at liberty to reveal, they missed their first year with us….I do hope you will all extend a warm hand and welcome our new students. Now, it is time for the welcoming feast." As he announced it the food appeared before the students.
"Um….maybe you should slow down. You could choke if you don't chew properly." willow gently scolded the youngest Weasley.
"Urm swure whatewer you say." Came his gurbled reply from around a chicken leg.
"Ignore him willow you can't help that he has the table manners of a pig." Hermoine murmered. She yelped however as she was quickly shoved further down the bench as two gingers took sentry on either side of willow.
"So Miss willow-"
"-you're our foreign student?"
"Aren't you-"
"-a little pale"
"to be-"
"-an Egyptian?" inquired the twins.
Poor willow was lost between the switching dialogue and settled for a weakly mumbled"maybe."
Percy was having none of this however."Fred, George leave that poor girl alone or I'll owl mother telling her you're harassing poor girls."
"Ooh no!" exclaimed one."Whatever shall we do?!"
"We were just asking an innocent question perce."
"Um…it's ok. I'm not always feeling my best so I didn't spend a lot of time outside." She hesitated. Feeling a little exposed she began nibbling on a chicken leg wishing the twins would stop asking questions. She was so wrapped up in trying to disappear that she missed the glances the twins shared over her head.
Viper distractedly listened to one of her house mates rambling off to some girl to the right of him. Pansey I believe the name was. However at this time she only had eyes for the two boys crowding her twin sister. Though she wore a mask of iron she stretched her senses to catch their conversation. She had always had very acute senses sometimes to the point where they pained her.
"We were just asking an innocent question perc."
"Um…it's ok. I'm not always feeling my best so I didn't spend a lot of time outside."
She looked at her plate once then around the room in an effort to appear bored and like she was not eaves dropping. However when her eyes lifted to meet another pair of obsidian eyes she quickly dropped all pretenses and lifted all her mental barriers as well casting her eyes down.
"Hm? Viper is it? Why are you staring at your plate like that?" A starling white blond haired boy demanded of her. "Nothing…I was just thinking of the clothes I need to obtain." She drawled. She could not understand it for the life of her but somehow her speech elicited a chuckle from the boy. "Am I amusing you Mr…?" She lifted an eye brow inquiringly this further amusing the boy apparently.
"I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." He vocalized rather self-importantly. She stared at him blankly while he pruned in front of her. He eventually caught her look. "You know...Malfoy!" he elaborated as if it were that simple.
She turned back to her dinner with a half yawned "Never heard that name before." At this statement Draco went pale though he kept up his expression. She pushed some peas around before spearing one and offering a solemn "Nice to meet you Mr. Malfoy."
…
After the feast and announcements for the term the prefects where released to gather their house mates and lead them to their respective dormitories.
A raven haired girl took the head of the group. "This way everyone."
Willow gazed around the corridor in a bit of a haze finding the size of her new 'home away from home' -as Charlie had taken to calling it-a bit overwhelming. "first years follow me please. Keep an eye on the chair cases, they like to change." Shaking herself out over her reverie she joined the head group of students as they climbed the stairs.
"Welcome to Gryffindor common room."She announced after giving the portrait of the fat lady the new password. While the students pooled into the common room Miss McGonagall joined them.
"Welcome to Gryffindor. First years I want you all to be aware that should you need anything you are to contact your house prefect. If you cannot locate one them my office is always open to you. I ask only that you knock as I find myself in many meetings with staff members. Study groups are maintained within the house should you ever feel the need to utilize them. The boys dormitories are up the staircase to the right while the girls' dormitories are located up to the left . Be warned that the girls dormitory stairs are charmed to become a slide should anyone not in residence attempt to climb them." She added with a significant glance at her lions. "That is all for the night, pleasant dreams everyone."
After she departed some students headed into their old dorms while others settled in content to catch up with old friends. Willow took a seat on the floor by the fire place and listened to the hushed murmurs and the soft crackle of the fire. After a moment she turned to the trio of Harry, Hermione, and Ron inquiringly and asked, "Where do I sleep?"
"You can sleep in my dorm if you think you can handle incessant gossiping." Offered Hermione."We have an open bed."
"Thanks, I'm going to need to take a shower so I can be rested and ready for my tests tomorrow." She replied drowsily.
"You haven't even started yet and their testing you?!" Ron sympathized.
"It's just to see where I am in my studies and what classes I need to take. I was home schooled before I came here. " she stated simply before lifting herself up off the floor."Um…would you please point me to the girls lavatory?"
"Oh sure just out the door. up the stairs and..you're there! Here's a map of the school, you may need it tomorrow."
"Thank you very much I think I can manage with this…" she replied dreamily. After her shower Willow was barely aware that here head had hit the pillow as she quickly succumbed to sleep.
Sorry If you guys think I'm cutting this off early but I felt it was too long. As always read and review. I had this fic set in 93 at first but then an idea hit me and I've decided to replace it in 92 instead. Also note it's being written differently.(Without W-V which was getting annoying) This fic has it's own ideas so….deal with it i am just along for the ride. XD
