Disclaimer: Whish I owned it, but unfortunately, I'll never be that fortunate.

Sorry about the loooooooong wait, everyone--this is just a short update, but at least it's something--I've been really busy, between moving, switching schools, homework, and doing everything my mom can't do with a broken leg...it's a bit hectic in my little world here--but here you go--hope you enjoy!

Once Severus had managed to get Charity into the Great Hall for breakfast, he left her for the staff table at the front of the hall. Charity tried to find a seat at the Slytherin table, and was nearing the end of it, sighing in frustration, when someone pulled her down into a chair. It was Draco Malfoy.

"Don't look so happy to see me," he told her sarcastically when she glared at him. "You need a friend."

"I need no one," she spat back in aggrivation, but in reality, she was very happy she at least could talk to someone. She turned around so that she was facing the table, and waited for Draco to finish filling his plate, before passing the food on to her. There was a huge bowl of scrambled eggs, all the bacon she could ever want, french toast with sweet, thick, sugary syrup, extremely fluffy and buttery pancakes, along with cornbread, blueberry muffins, apples, oranges and much to her surprise, a giant bowl of Fruit Pebbles.

She took a spoonful of eggs, a pancake and some cornbread, and passed everything onto the next person.

"That's all you're eating?" Draco asked, his mouth full of french toast, and a dribble of maple syrup came from the corner of his mouth. He stabbed his fork into his own cornbread and stuffed it into his mouth with a grin.

Charity glanced up at the staff table. Dumbledore was talking to Professor McGonagall cheerfully, whilest Lupin sat beside her, completely focused on cutting his bacon into little tiny bitesize pieces. Snape was sitting upright, glaring sourly aroung the room, and when he looked her way, she snatched a few muffins from Draco's plate and bit into one of them quickly.

"No, it's not," she told him, giving him an impish smile.

"Thief," he grumbled, and then continued tearing his cornbread apart.

"So you're the new girl, huh?" came a girl's voice from behind Charity. She turned in her seat to see a tall girl with black hair. Draco introduced her as Pansy Parkinson. "I've heard about you. You're the Muggle-Born."

Charity nodded. She still wasn't real familiar with the terms of the wizarding world, but she was getting better.

"How did you manage to get put in Slytherin?" Pansy asked her, sitting down in the seat next to her, who's occupant had just gotten up. "You're the first Muggle-Born to be placed in here in...in..."

"There's never been a Muggle-Born in Slytherin before you numbskull," Draco piped in.

"You know, I keep asking myself the same question," Charity told them both with a shrug. "The Sorting Hat told me I'd be good in all four of the houses--it said 'forgive my actions' when it placed me."

"Damn--Probably was thinking of how well you'd cope with Snape. He's not the most joyous person in the world, in case you hadn't noticed," Pansy told her with a nod toward the staff table.

Charity was surprised to hear herself chuckle ever so slightly.

"Oh, I've noticed all right," she replied with a frown. "Hey Draco--you didn't give me a blanket the other night, did you?"

Draco looked at her like she was insane.

"I'm not that much of a friend yet!"

"No--I was just wondering--because I went to bed without one, and woke up with one. I slept in the common room, so I suppose it could have been anybody..."

"You know," Pansy said thoughtfully. "I heard Snape arguing with himself about you in the halls real early this morning. He said something about a blanket."

Charity gave her a deadly glare.

"Are you implying that Mr. The-World-Has-Come-To-An-End gave me that blanket?" she inquired in a disbelieving tone.

Pansy shrugged.

"Dunno for sure, but hey, he has to go through the common room to get to his quarters, dosn't he?"

Charity opened her mouth to talk back, but Draco interrupted, bursting into hysterics. The two girls(and several others), looked at him blankly.

"Snape--being nice--that's hard to even imagine!" he said through his laughter. Only when Snape appeared behind them, did his laughter cease.

"Just what do you find so funny, Mr. Malfoy?" Severus asked him, with a glare similar to Charity's. Both Pansy and Draco couldn't help but notice the similarity. When Draco offered no explanation, Severus turned to Charity.

"Miss Riker, if you would please accompany me--Professor Lupin would like to begin your lessons, and wishes for you to be escorted to his office." Charity nodded and got up to follow him.

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