Thankies to all my lovely reviewers! (throws cookies and miscellaneous plushies)
The next morning Harry was awoken by what sounded like Neville falling down the stairs. On closer inspection, it turned out to be Dean. Apparently no- one was that happy with the start of the new term, Harry observed when Parvati Patil dashed into breakfast with a towel still wrapped around her head.
Harry slid in next to Sabina, who was resolutely scarfing down a bowl of cornflakes and pointedly looking in the opposite direction. Once he'd decided that the din in the Great Hall was loud enough, he inquired, "So, you're a Parselmouth?"
Sabina promptly choked on her toast. Proper choking, not that fake stuff with the dainty ladylike coughs. Harry smacked her on the back once her lustrous golden eyes started bugging out.
"Uurgh...yow...thanks...now how the hell did you know that?" Sabina twisted round and shot Harry a glare that could melt icebergs. Harry squirmed.
"Uh, see, I couldn't sleep, so I decided to go downstairs and tidy up a bit, and I overheard you talking to your snake. See, I'm a Parselmouth too." he added, regretting it almost as he said it.
"I know, I read some back copies of the Daily Prophet before I came here." Sabina said flatly, but she didn't look quite as angry as she had a second ago. "I would prefer it if you didn't tell the whole damn school, however."
"Oh, I won't." Harry assured her. "Just wondered, is it a family thing?"
"Nope. Neither of my parents can do it. They always thought I was kind of a freak, hanging out with snakes and lizards all the time. I think one of my great-uncles could, though." Sabina answered, taking a bite out of a sausage. Her third or fourth, if Harry remembered correctly. "I have to go to Charms now." She stood up and grabbed her bag, gaze still fixed on the ceiling.
"I have Charms too. See you there.' Harry said quickly, waiting until she had left the Great Hall before getting up and dashing after her. Partly because he planned to sit near her, and partly because the classroom was up in on of the towers and he wasn't sure how to get there.
He skidded into the classroom just behind Sabina, tried to look as if he hadn't just run from the Great Hall to the top of the east tower, and slumped into a seat just a few feet away from her. At he front of the classroom, Malfoy turned in his chair to smirk at him. Bloody Malf – oh, no. Malfoy, in his class, for another two years. Greasy git.
Fortunately, Harry wasn't to be completely friendless – Ron and Hermione came in together, Hermione apparently trying to explain the Teletubbies to him, and a few minutes both Parvati and Padma Patil entered. Okay, so they both disliked him and Ron, but at least they were familiar faces.
Hermione seated herself next to him, her bushy hair obscuring Sabina's face for a second, and thumped her books down on the desk. "Look, Ron, they aren't supposed to have a point, they're in a kids' programme! They just dance around and sing about custard!"
"Why would kids want to watch that? I know if I was a Muggle kid they'd give me bloody nightmares..."
"Ron, that isn't the point!"
"You just said there wasn't a point at all!"
Harry leant back in his chair and relaxed. Maybe this new year wouldn't be so different after all.
The next morning Harry was awoken by what sounded like Neville falling down the stairs. On closer inspection, it turned out to be Dean. Apparently no- one was that happy with the start of the new term, Harry observed when Parvati Patil dashed into breakfast with a towel still wrapped around her head.
Harry slid in next to Sabina, who was resolutely scarfing down a bowl of cornflakes and pointedly looking in the opposite direction. Once he'd decided that the din in the Great Hall was loud enough, he inquired, "So, you're a Parselmouth?"
Sabina promptly choked on her toast. Proper choking, not that fake stuff with the dainty ladylike coughs. Harry smacked her on the back once her lustrous golden eyes started bugging out.
"Uurgh...yow...thanks...now how the hell did you know that?" Sabina twisted round and shot Harry a glare that could melt icebergs. Harry squirmed.
"Uh, see, I couldn't sleep, so I decided to go downstairs and tidy up a bit, and I overheard you talking to your snake. See, I'm a Parselmouth too." he added, regretting it almost as he said it.
"I know, I read some back copies of the Daily Prophet before I came here." Sabina said flatly, but she didn't look quite as angry as she had a second ago. "I would prefer it if you didn't tell the whole damn school, however."
"Oh, I won't." Harry assured her. "Just wondered, is it a family thing?"
"Nope. Neither of my parents can do it. They always thought I was kind of a freak, hanging out with snakes and lizards all the time. I think one of my great-uncles could, though." Sabina answered, taking a bite out of a sausage. Her third or fourth, if Harry remembered correctly. "I have to go to Charms now." She stood up and grabbed her bag, gaze still fixed on the ceiling.
"I have Charms too. See you there.' Harry said quickly, waiting until she had left the Great Hall before getting up and dashing after her. Partly because he planned to sit near her, and partly because the classroom was up in on of the towers and he wasn't sure how to get there.
He skidded into the classroom just behind Sabina, tried to look as if he hadn't just run from the Great Hall to the top of the east tower, and slumped into a seat just a few feet away from her. At he front of the classroom, Malfoy turned in his chair to smirk at him. Bloody Malf – oh, no. Malfoy, in his class, for another two years. Greasy git.
Fortunately, Harry wasn't to be completely friendless – Ron and Hermione came in together, Hermione apparently trying to explain the Teletubbies to him, and a few minutes both Parvati and Padma Patil entered. Okay, so they both disliked him and Ron, but at least they were familiar faces.
Hermione seated herself next to him, her bushy hair obscuring Sabina's face for a second, and thumped her books down on the desk. "Look, Ron, they aren't supposed to have a point, they're in a kids' programme! They just dance around and sing about custard!"
"Why would kids want to watch that? I know if I was a Muggle kid they'd give me bloody nightmares..."
"Ron, that isn't the point!"
"You just said there wasn't a point at all!"
Harry leant back in his chair and relaxed. Maybe this new year wouldn't be so different after all.