Konniciwa, minna-san!  It's been a long time I know, but due to some bugging, I am finally posting up chapter 2.  I don't own anyone or anything in the original Harry Potter universe- my nametag at work says Dez not JK Rowling- and I only lay claim to Celine.  Orenda, Kallan, and Zila all belong to my sis.  Read, review, destroy, enjoy!

Chapter 2: First Impressions

Celine blinked the fog of sleep from her eyes and just stared in surprise. "Uncle Sev?"

Severus jerked awake and stood immediately, narrowly avoiding tripping on the hem of his robes. "Celine! Awake already I see. You slept well?"

"Decent." The truth was, Celine's dreams had been haunted by a strange voice singing a lullaby that she could not remember ever hearing before. Something about pretty little dragons. Blinking again, Celine yawned and for a second, she could have sworn she saw Severus grin.

"Better get ready," Severus said matter-of-factly. "There's much to be done today."

Celine nodded as Severus descended the staircase. About fifteen minutes later she descended also, wearing a green tanktop and matching pleated skirt, to find Orenda sitting at the kitchen table waiting.

Celine's eyes narrowed into small bluegreen slits. "I thought you left last night," she hissed. "Get out of my house, you cheap Mudblood slut."

Orenda just looked at Celine, one eyebrow raised. "Are you done now? Feel any better?"

While Celine just stood there looking a bit puzzled, Severus walked into the room. "Might I ask that you speak a bit more kindly to your aunt, Celine?"

"What? Aunt?" Celine asked. She looked from Severus to Orenda and back again. "Explain. Now."

"This is Orenda, Samuel's and my half-sister," Severus explained patiently.

"He and I didn't exactly get along very well," Orenda added quietly. "Just thought I'd help you move your things to Hogwarts today."

Celine still looked at Orenda suspiciously. "My trunk's already packed. In my room."

"Is that all you wish to bring?" Severus asked, an almost bored look on his face.

Celine answered with a glare.

"Then we'll be off," Orenda replied.

Around noon, Celine found herself looking at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the first time. Snape and Orenda walked slightly ahead of her, with her charmed trunk floating in front of him. "Professor Dumbledore has arranged quarters for you near mine for the remainder of the summer, but once school starts you will be expected to sleep in your House dormitory. This is now your home, just as it is mine."

"My House?" Celine asked.

"You'll be Sorted into a House before the beginning of the term," Orenda explained as the two walked through the front entrance. They took a turn to the left, down into the dungeons. "Professor Dumbledore will summon you after you've had a bit of time to settle in." Snape led the way down a hallway just before the Potions classroom and his offices. He stopped at two doors across the hall from each other's and entered the one on the right. "Here are your quarters- thought you might prefer one with windows," he said, setting the charmed luggage down by a four-poster bed with black silk curtains. Snape and Orenda then turned and left Celine to settle in.

Celine and Snape didn't see each other much over the last few weeks before the first day of school. The Sorting Hat had placed her in Slytherin, saying "It's in your very blood- where else could you go?" Celine briefly wondered what that was supposed to mean, since her parents had gone to a different wizarding school. In fact, they'd both gone to the school she'd just left. Dumbledore gave Celine almost free reign of the school so that she could familiarize herself with the different hallways and such.

"You don't want to stand out too much now, do you?" he had asked. Celine shook her head 'no'.

Soon enough, she had a general feel of how things were going to be at Hogwarts. Snape left a note on her door one morning that read, "You'll go by your mother's maiden name while here- you and I will be merely teacher and student once the term begins." Celine had to think a moment to remember what name that would be- she had asked her mother what her maiden name was many years ago.

"Wyndam," Heather had replied. "Her name was Wyndam."

"Her name was Wyndam?" Celine had asked, confused.

"I mean your grandmother," Heather quickly explained. "Your grandmother's name was Wyndam."

Sitting on her bed, Celine thought about it. Celine J. Wyndam? It wasn't too bad, she decided. Could be worse. Could be Celestina Judas Snape. She shuddered. Celestina had always sounded too ethereal, too romanticized for her to be comfortable hearing on a regular basis.

Celine also got a chance to meet the other professors whose classes she would be attending. She had achieved very good scores on her OWLs the year before, and so was able to take the same classes she had wanted to take at her old school- Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, and her secret favorite Potions.

All too soon, the day came when the other students started arriving and the house-elves moved Celine's things into her assigned dormitory bedroom. Meticulously, Celine applied her dark makeup, braided her hair, and dressed carefully in her school uniform. As the other students filed into the Great Hall, Celine blended in and found a relatively secluded spot at the Slytherin table. She watched as the students behind her found their seats, talked and laughed with their friends, and of course completely ignored her. Celine stared at them with seemingly dead eyes, so that anyone who did happen to notice her got the message to leave her alone. The only possible exception was a girl about her age who was the last person to sit down at the Slytherin table. She had long black hair with dark red highlights that fell gently against her black robes, and tanned skin. Celine grinned inwardly- now here was a person at least as antisocial as she. Feeling a bit mischievous, Celine nearly started to annoy this girl when Professor Dumbledore stood up to give his 'welcome back' speech.

"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts. All students should note that the Forbidden Forest is indeed forbidden, now more then ever. Hogsmeades trips will be for fifth years and above. Due to Voldemort's return we will be adding a new class to our agenda which will be required for all students. To teach this new Survival class we have Lady Zila Night who comes to us from the Silver Wood School of Mystical Arts."

At the mention of her name a tall young woman with dark brown hair stood and swept the hall with her deep blue eyes. She gave them a friendly smile before returning to her seat beside Professor Snape who had his usual scowl.

As she sat down Professor Dumbledore continued his speech, "Along with this new class, security around Hogwarts has been increased. Heading our efforts is Lady Orenda Black who also comes to us from Silver Wood School of Mystical Arts where she instructed Defense classes," he smiled getting a young woman with black hair shining in places with deep red highlights to stand and give a small bow of her head. "I expect each and every one of you to do as she instructs with respect," he added as she sat down between Snape and Remus Lupin who stood as he was welcomed back as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. When he finished the introductions the feast began and later everyone headed to bed.

Celine and the girl walked casually out of the Great Hall with the other Slytherins to their dungeon common room. Completely by coincidence, Celine ended up following this girl the whole way. Since everyone else had already gotten there by the time Celine and the girl entered the common room, it was naturally fairly noisy. A boy their age with slicked-back white blonde hair walked up to the girl.

"Hey Kallan," he greeted. "What have you been up to? I didn't see you at the table."

Kallan just kept walking.

"Hey, I asked you a question!" the boy said again. By this time a few other Slytherin boys were watching him. Kallan again ignored him and kept walking in the direction of the girls' dormitory rooms.

The boy, a bit agitated and embarrassed by now, walked up to Kallan and grabbed her arm, trying to force her to face him. "What's with you?" he asked angrily.

Kallan just looked him calmly in the eye and replied, barely audible to anyone not standing near them, "Draco, let me go."

Blinking, Draco nodded slightly and stepped back, allowing Kallan to proceed on her way to her dorm room. Celine, though rather unwillingly, proceeded to follow Kallan in the direction of the dorm room. By the time Celine reached the door, Kallan had already shut the curtains around her bed, and soon Celine had followed suit. She just lay on top of the blanket and stared into space. From nowhere, that song that had been haunting her dreams nearly every night since the funeral started playing in her head. "Hush a bye, don't you cry, go to sleep my little baby. When you wake, you will find all the pretty little dragons." The lullaby still playing in her head, Celine fell asleep.