Open Casket
Chapter I
May 20th '05

She sat down across from me, but refused to say a word. Every Slytherin had watched her cross the room to our table after being the last to be sorted. I recognized her name--"Towers, Raven"--her older brother had attended Hogwarts the year before, and was given Prefect priviledges over the summer.

"Welcome! Welcome to another term at Hogwarts!" I could hear Dumbledore bellow cheerfully, interrupting my thoughts. While all of the older students had heard this same speech, with few variations, every year--and had learned to ignore it--most of the newer students listened intently as the Headmaster rattled off new additions to the list of items forbidden now at Hogwarts. (Several of which had been contributed by the Weasley twins during their last year of attendance.)

Pansy Parkinson gently tapped my shoulder, startling me. "What?" I hissed angrily, not bothering to turn my attentions to her.

"Do you realize just how big of an ass you're making out of yourself?" she asked me in return, a smirk crossing her lips. She obviously enjoyed this.

I finally looked away from the new student. "What?" I repeated, growing a bit frustrated.

Pansy simply rolled her eyes. "You've been staring at that Towers girl ever since she sat down, Draco," she informed me, "She's bound to notice--"

"--Dig in!" Dumbledore exclaimed loudly, cutting Pansy's statement off--and for once, I was thankful. The golden platters which had been sitting so tantalizingly in front of us for so long suddenly filled with all types of delicious foods. A stir arose in the Great Hall as every student reached out, fought other students, spilled several platters--and broke a couple to fill their plates with food. Then, after a moment's deliberation, as if everyone was trying to decide which delicacy to devour first, the noise was silenced as we began to eat--all it seemed, except the new girl. She only stared at an empty golden platter. Whether only nervous or not hungry, I didn't know, but I classified this action as strange, and apparently, my "friends" agreed.

"What's her problem?" was whispered throughout the Slytherin table. I knew, of course, they had all hoped she had over heard them...and normally, I would have joined right in with them.

"Y-you're not going to eat?" I questioned, surprised at my own remark. It was rare you would hear me—the great Draco Malfoy—stammer.

She, however, didn't seem to find this—or me—worth her while: another rare occurance.

"Hey!" Crabbe exclaimed, slowly as usual, from the other side of Pansy. "Don't you know Draco asked you a question?"

Raven averted her gaze to him, as if she hadn't been aware of his presence until he had spoken. (How she missed him, I'll never know...)

"Yes," she replied simply, "but I found the answer fairly obvious. No food on my plate, and there's none in my mouth, is there?"

I swallowed my mouthful of food suddenly at her snappy answer, causing me to splutter and reach for my glass of pumpkin juice.

Crabbe didn't respond. I figured her logic was just a bit too much for his tiny brain.

"No reason to be so rude!" Pansy sneered, taking a bite of a biscuit she had been admiring in her hand for quite some time. Her eyebrows wrinkled while she searched her mind for something to add to her observation, but failed miserably.

I on the other hand, allowed the subject to drop, after noticing the girl's brother slinking up slyly behind her.

Ryan lazily rested a hand on his sibling's shoulder, a slightly bewildered expression finding it's way onto her normally uncaring face. He leaned over to whisper something into Raven's ear, and as hard as I tried, I found this impossible to over hear. To assure him she understood, Raven nodded her head. And with a smirk to Crabbe—or Goyle, I couldn't tell—he turned to leave.

Raven caught onto the sleeve of his robes, stopping him in his tracks. "Show me where the common room is, before you go," she demanded. He tugged his sleeve away from her, refusing to fulfill her request.

"No time," he grunted, stalking away as to not hear his sister's pleading.

"Damn," Raven complained under her breath. The first years had already been given their common room passwords and had been lead away after Dumbledore had given them his 'few words'—"Horseradish, gobbledy-gook, and lemon drops" this year—and a goodnight. Raven had refused to joined the younger newcomers.

"You could follow--" I began, with the intention of offering to show her the way. When I looked up, I noticed she had already slid from her seat, and therefore ceased from completing my offer. I let out a sigh of frustration and shook my head. Why did women have to be so complicated?

Author's Note: Yeah. I know that this chapter wasn't so very eventful—but how many first chapters do you read that really are? I also realize it's a bit short. o; But hey, it's my first shot at a Harry Potter fanfic (besides my prologue!), so cut me some slack.