.Chapter Two.
The Varying Degrees of Hogwarts Hospitality

After the four of them got settled in their dorms, they decided to walk around. Alexia had never been in Hogwarts before, so Hermione suggested they go and show her the school. Hermione and Alexia met Ron and Harry in the Common Room. Ron had been in a daze since the sorting ceremony, and no one could figure it out.

Piper came down the stairs to the Common Room, she had forgotten one of her books on the table. "Hey Piper." Alexia greeted. Piper, Alexia, and Herimone shared a dorm and had gotten acquainted while settling in.

"Hey guys." She said, looking up and seeing them all. Her eyes stopped on Ron. Unlike Alexia, Piper had gone to a different wizarding school before Hogwarts, and whether you are in England or not ... all wizards and witches know who Harry is.

"Ron, Harry ... this is Piper." Hermione introduced.

"H-Hello." Piper started, meeting Harry's eyes, and then flickering to Ron's. It was like a dream coming true for Piper. "Nice to meet you Ron and Harry." Ron's eyes were glued to her just as hers were on him. Hermione rolled her eyes and grabbed Harry's wrist as the five of them walked out to go see the school. Piper decided to tag along, she wouldn't turn down an invite from Ron. She probably wouldn't have turned down an invite from anyone, she had no idea where she was, and it would really help her to come along.

They walked down several corridors, meeting up with Professor McGonagall. "Oh girls. I'm glad you're hitting it off with these three. They're wonderful students. But becareful, they like to get in trouble sometimes." She said, shaking her head and laughing. She said to find her if they ever need anything, goodbye and walked off.

After the professor left, Hermione, Harry, and Alexia looked back on Ron and Piper. "Well, they're a match made in heaven." Alexia giggled, along with Harry, looking back at them. Hermione just shook her head.

"Hey Draco." Alexia said, turning around and seeing the familiar face standing off to the side with two other boys that she didn't recognize. He looked at her with confusion, and then sneered at the group.

As soon as Alexia let the words 'hello' out of her mouth, Hermione jumped at her. "No, we ... Slytherin's are, they're just bad. And Malfoy ... ugh. He's the worst." Hermione said quickly, and barely above a whisper.

Draco saw this, and knew that Hermione was telling her about him at that moment. "Sucks you didn't get Slytherin, now you're stuck with these fools." He said harshly, walking towards her.

Harry gritted his teeth, and Hermione glared. Draco looked behind the two and saw Ron with another girl. "Weasley, new girlfriend?" He teased.

"Shut up, Malfoy."

"Ouch." Draco said, faking a tear, and shaking his head. "Pathetic." Draco smirked and walked off. Alexia watched him, knowing that bad boy routine was just an act. She laughed a bit and continued on with the group.

----

The girls were sitting in their dormatory later that night, talking, and getting to know the school and one another better. "Alexia? Are you alright?" Hermione asked, noticing that she wasn't talking as much as earlier.

"You said that Slytherins are bad. I was almost put into that house. Does that mean-" Alexia was cut off by Hermione who already knew what she was going to ask when she began to talk.

"No. The hat said you were ambitious. That's a key characteristic of a Slytherin. You had some of their's but that doesn't mean that you got the bad ones. Like Draco, he doesn't have anything good in him. And well ... yeah." Hermione said, lying a bit. She had been curious herself about why she was almost put in Slytherin - Gryffindor's enemy. Harry had the same situation, but Hermione knew that Harry was almost put into Slytherin because of the traits you-know-who gave him along with the scar.

Alexia let the question drop, although it by no means had left her thoughts. She couldn't understand why they hated Draco, and why Gryffindors hated Slytherins. Was it like Romeo and Juliet? The Montagues and Capulets...families just fighting so long that no one even knew the reason any longer? Well, hopefully not, since we all know how that turned out.

"I'm kind of tired, guys. I'm going to go to sleep." Alexia said, putting the light out on her side and slipping her headphones over her ears. She wasn't in the mood for talking at the moment, and Hermione and Piper figured that out. Hermione and Piper said goodnight, and followed suit a few moments later. It had been a long day for everyone.

----

They awoke the next morning to meet Harry and Ron downstairs in the Common Room. They grabbed their books and headed to Potions class. Their Potions class was with the Slytherins. The five students got there in plenty of time. Hermione hadn't wanted to give Snape a reason to not like the two new students. The bell rang five minutes later as students filed in the classroom. Ron had offered to sit next to Pipr in the back, and Hermione took the seat next to Harry right in front of them. Alexia, not wanting to give a bad impression for the teacher, sat in front of them in the front desk. The teacher walked in, Alexia saw he had dark, greasy hair, and dressed in total black, but there was something about him that looked almost comforting to her. He noticed students in the hallway, and called out, "Malfoy, get in here."

Draco and the two kids Alexia had seen him with before shuffled in the class. Crabbe and Goyle, the two kids he was with, took the seats at the desk next to Alexia's, and Draco sat next to her. It was the only seat left. She looked at him, with a polite smile, as he sneered at her, knowing people were watching.

Snape immediately noticed the two new students. "Ah, I see that you've made fast friends with Mr.Weasley, Mr. Potter, and Ms. Granger..." Snape said walking closer to Piper. "I hear you went to a different school before Hogwarts. Let's see if it was worth it, shall we?" Snape said slowly, and intimidatingly.

Alexia noticed a common trait. Snape and Draco tried to intimidate, maybe that was a Slytherin characteristic, she pondered.

Professor Snape looked straight at Piper. He asked her a question, and she was unable to answer it. Malfoy took his turn, and answered the question correctly. Snape shook his head at Piper. It wasn't looking good for her future with Snape. Harry couldn't help but think it was his fault. That it was because she was his friend. Snape never really seemed to like Harry.

He walked up the row. "Very good, Malfoy." He commended, stopping in front of Alexia and Draco. "So I presume that you are the other new student? The one who just found out she was a witch? The one like Potter?" Snape said, never changing the tone of his voice. It was deep, dark, and yes ... intimidating.

"Yes, sir. That's me."

Draco chuckled. Sir? Nobody ever called Snape sir. "Malfoy." He commanded, and Draco shut up. "Let's see if you know a little more than Piper back there." He spoke. Professor Snape asked the question and waited for the dead air. The dead air that came from everyone on their first question, and that still coming from some of them. But to his surprise, she got it right. Before Draco had the chance to butt in.

"Impressive, Ms. Relso. I see why the sorting hat would've put you in the Slytherin house." Snape said, and walked away to ask someone else a question. Their was a tension in the room, as everyone remained in shock at the fact she had gotten the right answer.

Alexia's cheeks were turning slightly crimson, knowing that the awkward silence was due to her. Malfoy turned to face her, and smirked. It was going to be quite a year.


Authors Note: Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you are liking it! Please review, they are all very much appreciated. Also, I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes made.