The days flew by. And friday came. When Sunny and Angela entered Transfiguration those who saw them grinned at them. In her year Sunny had already the reputation of truly being the sunshine. She beamed at the others and took her seat beside Angela. The blond inspected her friend interested. "You know you've always been quite the happy one, but this week you're kind of ten times worse." Sunny only smiled brighter. "I'm just really excited for Transfiguration! It's the one thing Jon never was really good at. He doesn't have enough imagination Mum says." The blond nodded. "Fine. If that's it." It was true. Sunny always wanted to achieve something Jon couldn't even if just to make him proud. And if she'd be good in this he might even talk to her again. Also since she had read in a book about those having the ability to transform and those who can even call themselves Animagi, she wanted to master this. Her spirit rose even more when suddenly the cat sitting in the front transformed into Prof. McGonagall. Amazed the class stared at her. What she did afterwards wasn't quite as interesting. Turning matches into needles seemed easy enough. It wasn't. At the end of the lesson Sunny at least had succeeded in turning it shimmering silver. Prof. McGonagall smiled at her and Sunny grinned a little more. After Transfiguration they had two hours of Herbology with the Slytherins. "I bet they are all mean and unfair. They will tease us to no end.", Angela whined on their way outside. "Oh come on...it won't be that bad. They are just students like us." Angela looked at her best friend as if she was crazy. And maybe she was. Her smile wavered a bit when they entered the greenhouse and were confronted with the Slytherins cold stares. As if lightning had struck her Sunny remembered once more why she didn't want to be put in Slytherin. "H-hey guys!", she regained her cheerful self. The other Hufflepuffs stared at her in awe. "Someone look at that sorry twat trying to play friends with the highborns.", a cold voice at the other end of the greenhouse laughed. Sunny took her hand down that she had raised for a wave. The owner of the voice was none other but Draco Malfoy. Angela beside her gave a grim expression. The blond Malfoy boy came closer until he stood in front of Sunny. She was a little bit smaller than him and had to look up to catch his grey eyes. "Listen Luce. You may be a pure blood, but as a Hufflepuff you're not worth a penny more than that Granger girl." The Slytherins laughed at Dracos mean words. Sunny just kept smiling. She had gotten to know Hermione at an early breakfast this week and had found her to be nice and clever so she told herself that this was a compliment. "So you call me clever. Thanks Malfoy.", she smiled at him and then walked passed him to get a place near the watering place. She could nearly feel Dracos mood shift to angry. Angela snickered. Sunny turned and saw how Malfoy took a breath to say something. This exact moment Prof. Sprout entered. "Hello Class and welcome in Greenhouse number one."

The following two hours were filled with resentful looks Sunny got from Malfoy and the other Slytherins. Her mind wandered far away as she watered the plants. Was that the reason why Jon didn't speak to her? Because now she wasn't worth anything anymore? But Jon had never cared about blood and status. Maybe he had changed in his time at Hogwarts. Maybe he didn't want his friends to think poorly of him. Sunny didn't even recognize that she drowned her plant and that the water was overflowing. If Jon didn't take her side who would help her stand tall at home? Her parents accepted non pure bloods like Angela but had always expected their own kids to be sorted into Slytherin and someday marry into an old wizard family. Angela beside her swore and took the watering can from her hand. "Damn Sunny. You killed the plants.", she muttered but the brown haired didn't listen. Professor Sprout strode over and gave a high cry that shook Sunny from her thoughts. "By Merlin. Poor little plants. No need to drown them Miss Luce. I think that's enough water." And with a spell and a wave of her wand the overflowing water vanished. Once again the Slytherins laughed at her. But Sunny only smiled and said: "I'm sorry Prof. Sprout. I got a bit lost in thoughts." She rubbed the back of her head. "Well, you better concentrate next time or the plants might strangle you. There are a few dangerous ones among them." Sunny nodded.

On Fridays their afternoon was free and so Hannah, Justin, Ernie, Angela and Sunny decided to go down to the lake. Although it was already history their main talking subject was the burglary at Gringotts. "I bet it was one of the old You-know-who followers.", announced Ernie as they sat down in the grass. "But what use would it have to break into Gringotts?", Sunny asked. "To steal something that will help You-know-who come back again of course.", Ernie answered convinced. Sunny and Angela exchanged sceptic looks while Hannah moaned: "Ernie. Don't say something like that. It's horrible to think something like this might happen." Ernie apologized to Hannah but couldn't let the subject go. "Someone probably thought that in this chamber was something worth a lot of money.", said Justin the moment Hermione joined them. She didn't seem to hear them as she set down and began reading a book. Sunny and the others didn't bother her. They sat there and talked until noon. When it was time for dinner Sunny shook Hermione from her book. "We'd better go or we'll miss dinner.", she told the Gryffindor girl. "Oh sure. Thanks Sunny.", and she closed her book. Sunny smiled at her and they made their way up.

"Pfuh ... looks like we survived the first week. Now it can only get better!", Angela smiled at the ceiling. Sunny nodded to herself. Everything would get better. Her brother might start talking to her again. She might stop faking smiles. The Slytherins might stop hating her. She might stop fearing her parents rage. Sighing Sunny looked at her yellow bed hangings. This was now her home. No matter what would happen, the people in this house would stand by her side. Tired she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.