A/N: Written for Round Two of the Houses Competition, representing Slytherin House. Category: Drabble / Prompt: Siblings / Word Count: 459

A/N2: Original characters, AU after the Final Battle. Set approx. 18 years after Deathly Hallows, and for my regular readers you can consider this part of my 'What Worth A Life Universe'.

o.o.O.o.o

"Take care of your sister."

Lysander Lucius Malfoy could hear his father's voice in his head as he sat at the Slytherin table, watching his younger sister walk towards the stool for her Sorting. Her wild blonde curls were bouncing as she hopped up onto the stool and the hat dropped down over her eyes. He hoped desperately that she'd end up in his House, so he could protect her the way he knew father wanted him to. Ever since the second wizarding war, being a Malfoy had been a difficult thing. Their mother might have been a war heroine, but in the eyes of many she'd betrayed her own side by marrying his father. He'd gotten into more than one fight over the last five years in defence of her name. He didn't want Celia to have to face the prejudice alone like he had.

Lysander's anxiety grew the longer the Sorting Hat took, with people all around the Great Hall starting to mutter about a Hatstall. Some of his friends looked to him questioningly, since it was almost a foregone conclusion that the latest Malfoy would of course be in Slytherin…they were never sorted anywhere else.

"Well, better be Slytherin!" The Hat finally pronounced, and Professor Sinestra lifted it up off the girl's head.

Lysander couldn't help but laugh as his little sister gave the Sorting Hat the most indignant look imaginable, a look they had both seen on their mother's face more than once, and usually after a drawn out debate with father. He met her eyes and smiled as she came to sit down, a rare show of warmth.

"Finally decided to join us?" he drawled.

"Stupid hat," she muttered.

"I'm sure you set it straight." His grey eyes glittered with amusement as he met his sister's glowering glare.

"Naturally," she sniffed, the very image of a pureblood princess, almost daring anyone to comment on her blood status.

Lysander felt some tension inside him ease, deeply grateful that he'd have good news to send home to their parents. The first half-bloods in the history of the Malfoy family would stay together, and by the time he left school he'd be certain his sister had a network to draw on. They had to look out for one another, because no one else would do it for them.

'Family is everything, Lysander. Blood binds us together, and it is the only thing you can truly trust in this world. Friendships can fade, alliances can falter, but family is forever.'

Seeing Celia sitting there, chatting away with the other new Slytherin first-years, Lysander felt a great deal of pride. They'd show everyone that the Malfoys were still a family to be reckoned with, and they'd do it together.

~Fin~