I quickly learned I actually quite enjoyed talking to Ginny even if she was a Weasley. I could hardly ignore her now that she was sorted in my house and after I had just offered her a seat next to me. Pansy kept drawing me in on conversations for some reason.

"How was your mother's charity event?" Pansy then butts in as Ginny is going on about the Holyhead Harpies being the best quidditch team there is. I feel torn as I want object and talk more about quidditch, but I also want to answer Pansy. I look a bit confused at her. She could have after all asked me on the train, but she'd been content to make word webs.

"It was really nice, Pansy," I then say. "They had lots of nice appetisers and I talked to Vin and Greg. I missed you though."

Pansy looked pleased. "And-" I had already turned back to Ginny ready to tell her all about the best quidditch team. I did not notice how put out she looked. Then the food disappeared and Dumbledore walked up to the front. "The very best of evenings to you. It is another year at Hogwarts." Dumbledore spread his arms wild as if physically welcoming all students. "Now, to our the new students, welcome. To our old students, welcome back. It is already late and tomorrow your first day of this years magical education will begin, so I ask you to follow your prefects to the common room. Sweet dreams."

"Slytherins, follow us," a small build guy then said. It was Adrian Pucey, the guy who used to be seeker. Would he be mad at me? Marcus had told me he would try-out for chaser. He stood together with a very tall girl, who was known as Gemma Farley. In my first year she was also a prefect. I got Daphne to introduce Astoria to Ginny, who was talking animatedly with Garrick Newborne.

We walked through the wall in the dungeons that lead to the common room. It was nice to be in back. The ceiling was low and a greenish light shine over us, it had a sort of comfort in it, that was indescribable, the greenish lamps and chairs and the green glowing at the end of the common room from the lake, it was nice to be at Hogwarts again.

I walked up to Ginny and before I knew what I did, I asked if she wanted to use my owl to write her parents, which she did. The following day I almost overslept and when I hastily walked to the Great Hall, I saw I was not the only one. Ginny was walking fast out the common room, but when I saw her walk the wrong way, I caught up with her. It wouldn't look good for a Slytherin to be late after all. "Oh Draco, you're late too. Could you please show me the way to the Great Hall?" Her ears turned red. I nodded. "Come on, Weasley," I ordered. It was silent.

"Why do you call me Weasley?" She suddenly blurts out. "You did it yesterday too." She frowned. "Vin and Greg and the others just call me Ginny, you should do the same, Draco." I flinched. I did not want to get to comfortable with her. We were not friends. How would my father react to me befriending a in Slytherin sorted Weasley? I just did not want her to be lonely. At first when I had gone to Hogwarts I had felt lonely. My father had always acted formal in public and outside of the comfort of my manor I used to take that over. I had of course met a large part of house mates at parties and charity events that were thrown by my mother, but I had always stayed at a certain distance from people. My father might have thought he was protecting me or raising me like proper pureblood. It made me lonely. It was only worsened by Potter rejecting my hand because of a bloodtraitor. And being alone- that's so hard. Ginny tentatively touched my arm. "Draco?"

"I just," I said, "I thought our fathers might not like us hanging out."

She then smiled carefree. "I'm not my father and you are not yours, Draco. I think we are gonna be great friends. Thanks, you know, it was really cool that you offered me a spot to sit yesterday." I nodded numbly. Together we walked into the Great Hall.

"You," Ronald yelled from the Gryffindor table. He stood up and was scowling at us.

At that moment McGonagall walked past. "Ronald Weasley, no yelling, do I make myself clear." She admonishes him in a strict voice that makes him gulp. Ginny chuckled softly and I could barely make out her softly saying "prat." McGonagall then stood in front of us. "You're late for breakfast, make sure you are not late for your classes." We nodded sheepishly and quickly headed over to the table. We ate quickly and silent. Vin told us some story about some magical plants that grew in his uncle's garden. Then owl post arrived. I had gotten a letter and some sweets from mum, as expected. I actually gave a few to Ginny too.

Then one of the Gryffindors yells: "Look Ron Weasley's got a howler." Everyone was looking to one extremely red Weasley. I heard Neville urge him to open the howler, otherwise it will only get worse. I heard a loud, angry voice filling the Great Hall. "STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE —"

I leaned toward Ginny. "Your mother is one hell of a woman when she is angry. If you can lie to this I applaud you, fellow Slytherin," I told her while gaping at the impressive howler.

She looked haughtily at me. "And don't you forget it Draco." Potter and Weasley were looking horrified. Well what the hell did they expect, taking a flying muggle car to Hogwarts. Merlin, they could have just send an owl. Honestly, how brash could you be?

Ginny's mother's loud voice filled the great hall. "— LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU AND HARRY COULD BOTH HAVE DIED —" Well, I thought smiling, father probably won't care about my friendship with Ginny for now, probably being too gleeful with Arthur being in trouble. "— ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED — YOUR FATHER'S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME." I actually wanted to chuckle a bit, but seeing Ginny's horrified face, I decided to keep quiet and I noticed some other Slytherins looked away as well. Then the howler flew to Ginny, who looked cautiously at it. The tone changes drastically. A loving and sweet voice could now be heard. "— Oh, and Ginny dear, congratulations on making Slytherin. It might be a bit of a surprise for us all, but I'm sure you will do fine there. Your father and I are so proud. We were happy that you wrote that letter on the night of your sorting, your brothers always forgot to write. That was a beautiful owl you used by the way. Be good." The howler then flew back to Ronald, blew a raspberry at him and shred itself into pieces.

Ginny took off with Astoria and the other first years, to their first classes. I had Transfiguration.