For the rest of the ride to Hogsmead neither of us spoke. Aiden attempted a couple of times, but I just ignored her and didn't reply. The weather began to change to my mood. Either I was causing the weather to change, or the weather was causing my mood to change, either one it didn't matter. It started off as a drizzle then the farther we got, the harder the rain was coming down. When we reached Hogsmead it was pouring, and I had to rush to find a horseless carriage, which wasn't horseless to me anymore. I found a carriage that was almost empty and got in, with Aiden right behind me. Returning back to my attitude that I had when I was on the train, I looked out the window ignoring everything around me.

I was almost lost in my thoughts when I heard someone cough. I knew it wasn't Aiden's, because it was a male cough, so I looked up, to see who was sharing a carriage with me. It was dark, so I couldn't really tell who it was, but when the light shown upon his face I got a glimpse of him. He had strong male features, dark hair and equally dark eyes. His nose was slightly large with a bit of a hook at the end. He was strikingly handsome, and I could feel my cheeks get hot as I felt his eyes land on me. Even though the light had passed and I could no longer see his face, I knew that his eyes were on me. Aiden shifted uncomfortably in her seat beside me, and cleared her through. I shot her a sideways glance, but she just looked back out the window.

The carriages came to a stop one at a time right outside the doors of the castle, letting students out to go inside, into the awaiting Great Hall for the welcome feast. When ours got to the castle, the man setting in the carriage with us waited for Aiden and I both to get out before he too got out. However I didn't get the chance to take a look at him, because as soon as we were out, Aiden grabbed my arm and took off running for the castle. It was still pouring, so by the time we got to the castle we were both soaked. I looked around to see if I could find the guy, but he was nowhere to be found.

I rang my hair out, and followed Aiden into the Great Hall and over to the Gryffindor table. Muddy footprints followed me all the way to my table, but as soon as I had taken three steps, the footprints would disappear, leaving a spotless floor behind it.

The Great Hall was filled with excited voices of students happy to see friends that they had not seen all summer, catching up on everything they had missed. I sat down beside Aiden with a fifth year on my other side chatting happily to her friend. I looked up to the Head table and noticed that Draco sat at the far end of the table talking to no one, and staring at his empty plate with a scowl on his face. I glared at him, and then too looked down at my empty plate. I felt someone nudging me in the side, and looked up to see Aiden looking at me.

"Listen. I know you don't like Malfoy, but you have to try to get over it. He's your teacher now, and he's going to be her for the next year, so try to forget him, and get into a better mood. Your not that nice when you're all grumpy, and it's beginning to make me grumpy. I do not want to be grumpy, so try to cheer up. Look, there's Collin coming our way. Put on a happy face and say hi to him, ok." I just stared at her. "Please Gin, for me."

She gave me the 'face' and I rolled my eyes and put on a fake smile. "Is that better?" I said with the smile still on my face. She rolled her eyes back at me, gave a little laugh, and said "That's a little better."

"Hiya Gin!" Collin said setting down across from us and smiling at both of us. I noticed that he had a new camera around his neck. "Hiya Aiden."

"Hi Collin. How was your summer?" Aiden asked her eyes glued on Collin, while the first years stared flowing in to be sorted.

"Oh, great, I went on vacation with my family this summer. We went to America, which sure is a weird place to visit. There are people all over the place claiming that they are witches, but none of them actually are. All fakes, they are." He looked at me and smiled widely. "Geez Gin, you look like you're really mad. What's the matter Red?"

I saw Aiden glare at me slight out of the corner of my eye, and felt slightly guilty. "Ginny is just upset that we have a new teacher this year. Oh and he just happens to be her favorite person in the world." She waved her hand in direction of the teachers table. Collin looked up to where she was gesturing, and his face fell.

"You mean to tell me the let that Ferret back into this school; and to teach. What was McGonagall thinking?" The students around us all stopped talking to stare at us. Collin didn't say that as loud as I did when I was on the train, but is was loud enough for the people around us to hear. His cheeks turned slightly pink and he looked around smiling shyly at the people staring. They all diverted their attention back to the sorting.

"That's exactly what Ginny said when she found out." Aiden said looking up at the table again. Suddenly I heard her take a sharp intake of breath, and turned to see what she was looking at.

Moving his way slowly over to the seat beside Draco was the same dark haired guy that had occupied the carriage with us. When I recognized who it was, I too took a sharp intake of breath. What was he doing at the teachers table? Okay, I'm not that stupid, I know what he was doing, but, was he really a teacher? Could he be? Duh, look at Mr. Malfoy setting beside him; of course he could be a teacher.

"Ginny, is that..." Aiden started but didn't finish.

"Yeah, I think so." I said, not taking my eyes off of the man.

"He's even cuter in the light."

"I agree."

"Who, who's cuter?" Collin said sounding really confused and looking up at the table in the direction we were looking. When he saw what we were looking at he made a disgusted face. "You two are such girls. I mean, come on, he's your teacher for Pete's sake." We both turned to look at him. He made a face at us, and we made faces back.

"We know he's a teacher Collin. We're not that stupid. We were just admiring how handsome he looks. Aren't we allowed to do that?" I raised my eyebrows at him as I said this. He gave a quick look at Aiden, who had stolen another glance at the teachers table, and glared slightly, but quickly wiped it away.

"Of course you are. I'm just saying is all; don't get your hopes up." He shrugged his shoulders.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Right Collin. Get our hopes up over a teacher. Like that would happen."

Aiden looked back at us hearing my last sentence and said, "Right, never get our hopes up over a teacher, heh, like that would happen." But she didn't sound to convincing.

Just then the sorting finished, with a last new addition to Gryffindor, and Headmistress McGonagall stood up and a hush fell over the room. Thoughts of the new professor were shoved to the corner of our minds as we all listened to what our new Headmistress had to say.

"Welcome back to another year here at Hogwarts. I just wanted to say that I am glad to see that you all have returned, and would like to welcome all the new first years. We went through a terrible year last year. We lost so many loved ones, and so many things held dear to us. People sacrificed many things…some, including their lives," a few sniffles were heard around the room, "but we should all take a moment to honor those heroes; those who have died for us, so we can continue to be safe, and go about our daily lives." We all were quite for a couple of moments, then she continued. "But just as time goes on, we all must too. We must rebuild our lives and continue on with a wonderful school year. Now, I must lay out a few rules for you: First off, to all the new students and as a reminder to all the older students, the forbidden forest is forbidden, and no student is to cross into it. Next, there is a list in the front corridor of all the things that are forbidden in Hogwarts, which has been updated by our caretaker, Mr. Filch." She went on for a while listening some old rules and the newer ones. Then, after she finished, she went on to introduce some of the new teachers.

"I would first like to congratulate Professor Flitwick for becoming my new right hand man." The little short charms teacher stood up on his seat and waved to everyone as they all cheered. "Next I would like to introduce to you our two new teachers. First we have Professor Draco Malfoy, who will be our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Draco stood up with a bored look on his face then sat back down quickly. "He will also serve as our new Head of Slytherin." The Slytherin table, which now was the smallest table due to the absence of a bunch of the members, cheered.

"And second we have our new Potions professor: Professor Julius Snape." Now everyone took a sharp intake of breath. I looked up at the table, at the spot where the new potions professor sat, with my mouth hanging wide open.

"Snape?" I heard Collin wisper. "He's a Snape? I can see it now, I thought he looked familiar. I mean, that black hair, and that crooked nose, I can't believe I didn't put it together before." I agreed with what Collin had said. I can't believe that I didn't even notice the resemblance. He did look a lot like Professor Snape, only he was a lot younger, and much more handsome.

"You may notice that there is a similarity in names here, and yes, Professor Julius Snape is in relation to the old potions professor, Severus Snape. He is his son." The new Professor Snape sat at the table with an unreadable expression on his face. He didn't make eye contact with anyone, nor did he make any notion that anyone was talking.

"Well, now that I have introduced you all to the new professors, and explained the rules to you, lets eat." As those words left her mouth, food filled up on our plates, and we all dug in eagerly. I wasn't as eager however, my gaze lingered on the new potions professor for a while. I wasn't really staring, I was just thinking, but before I knew it, my eyes were locked with dark black smiling eyes. I jumped back into reality and notice that he was staring back at me, and for the first time since he arrived there he had an expression on his face; he was smiling.

After dinner, we all went to our rooms. I followed Aiden and Collin as they lead the way to Gryffindor tower. They were chatting and flirting with each other, as I walked a few paces behind lost in my own thought. Draco Malfoy was back, and now there was another Snape at school. Could this year get any better or would it get even worse.

Once at the tower, Collin said the password- wizbeez- and we entered. He gave Aiden a quick hug, then gave me one, and headed up to his dorm, as we headed up to ours. Once inside, I went over to my bed, while Aiden went over to hers and started unpacking her trunk.

"So, wonderful day huh?" Aiden said, pulling out her pajamas and changing into them.

"Yeah, I guess. I wonder if this is going to be the worst year or what. I mean, this was supposed to be a good year; last year was the bad, so this year was supposed to make up for that. However, I don't see that happening." I pulled my pajamas on and got into bed.

"Don't worry Gin, things will get better. And don't worry, even if things do suck, we only have one more year left, and then we can forget about everyone and everything at this school. We'll get through this. So it may be hard, but we'll do it. I mean we always do it."

"Your right Aiden. This year will only be as bad as we make it out to be. If we want it to be fun, we'll have to make it fun." I started pulling the hangings down around me. "But, ugh…Malfoy's back!"

Aiden chuckled as she too pulled her hangings down. "Gin, really, don't worry about Malfoy, it will be fine."

"Well, I hope you're right. Goodnight Aiden, I'll see you in the morning."

"Night Gin, sweet dreams."

"You too." And I drifted off into a sleep filled with dark eyes, and detentions from a man with pale blonde hair.

A/N: So, another chapter. I kinda like where this story is going so far. I have ideas for it, but I'm basically making things up as I go along. So tell me what you think, Review please. Thanks-Tiff