Chapter Two:

The following morning, Professor Sprout arrived to lead the first-years to the Great Hall, not wanting them to get lost on their first day. She greeted each first-year with a nod, their name and a smile as they passed her to go through the portrait. They walked all the way to the Great Hall, where they sat down, instantly conversations began around Gemini, who wasn't included in any of them, not that she cared. She stabbed her spoon into her boiled egg, glaring at it. It was yellow, just like Hufflepuff.

It wasn't until after Transfiguration, where Gemini had a whole free hour before lunch, that she finally saw her brother Draco. She pulled him into a hug, not caring about how Malfoy's were suppose too be seen.

"Come on, Gemini. We'll go to Professor Snape, he'll sort this." Draco said, taking Gemini's arm. He pulled her down to the dungeons. As they came across the Potion's classroom, they heard their names being called and turned around to have a loudly squeaking female launch herself at them.

"Draco! Gemini!" It was Pansy. Draco patted her shoulder awkwardly, while Gemini hugged her back. Draco and Pansy had been betrothed since birth and they had spent a lot of their childhood together. "Oh Gemini! It's awful, I've got to deal with Greengrass, Davis and Bustrode on my own! Did you owl your father? Are you going to see Snape? Is he going to fix it?"

"Pansy, please have some decorum," Draco said snobbishly. "We are going to see Professor Snape"

"Oh good," Pansy sighed. "He has this hour free, too, so you won't be bothering him." She grabbed Gemini's hand and squeezed it. "Good luck, Gemini"

Gemini squeezed back, as Pansy skipped off, Gemini longed to call her back to ask if she was to remain in Hufflepuff would they still be friends? Or would they become strangers? They reached Professor Snape's door and knocked.

"Come," barked a voice, and Draco opened the door. Gemini looked around the room as she walked in, it looks as much as she had expected it would. Snape was sitting at his desk at the front of the classroom, glaring down at a piece of parchment. He looked up as Draco shut the door and nodded to the siblings. "I've been expecting you, but before you ask, there is no way to change houses once the sorting house has chosen." Gemini nodded, she oddly felt relief? Draco, on the other hand, looked furious.

"But…but, she can't be a Hufflepuff!" Draco said. "Malfoy's have always been Slytherin's, there must have been a mistake!"

"A Malfoy in Hufflepuff. I never thought I would see that." Snape commented ignoring Draco's outburst, he looked at Gemini. "Have you heard from your father?"

Gemini felt the blood drain from her face, as she realized that her father hadn't sent her letter, he might not know, they could keep this whole thing from him.

"Does…does he already know?" Gemini asked fearfully.

Snape nodded. "He does. I received an owl this morning from him, asking whether it would help to take the matter to the Headmaster, I told him that I would not, but I fully expect him to do so anyway." Gemini looked at the floor and Snape walked over to her.

"Gemini, your father will have to face that fact that you are Hufflepuff, and that that is where you belong, as will you." His voice was unusually soft.

"It's not that." Gemini whispered. "Well…Hufflepuff doesn't seem horrible, exactly, but…I know Father won't be pleased. At all, he will be very angry, I've brought shame to the House of Malfoy" Gemini sounded very afraid, then, and Snape frowned and knelt down to her level.

"Gemini, Draco, your father…Lucius doesn't… take out his frustrations on your does he?" Both Gemini and Draco looked at him in confusion, before Draco understood and his eyes went wide.

"No!" He yelled. "How dare you? Father would never hurt me…us. Gemini just doesn't like disappointing him…right Gemini?" Draco turned to Gemini. Gemini squirmed under the gaze of her brother and Professor Snape.

"He doesn't hurt me, not physically, just sometimes he says stuff, like how I'm weak. I had to be in Slytherin, to prove him wrong." Gemini whispered. "It's fine Professor, honestly." Gemini met the Professor's eyes and she felt the uncomfortable sensation that her thoughts were being…taken or something. Snape nodded.

"Well, as I said, Lucius will have to accept that fact that he has a Hufflepuff daughter." He said flatly. "If that is all?" Gemini nodded. "Go then." Gemini thanked him cordially and they both left.

At lunch that day, Gemini was surprised to see Eloise coming to sit down next to her. The other first years, had been ignoring her and were sitting further up the table, one in a while they would shoot a glare at her, or look at her and then laugh as if something was funny about her.

"I managed to get to the library this morning," Eloise told him, starting a conversation. "Though there was already a bunch of Ravenclaw's there…and that Gryffindor, Granger." Gemini peered around Eloise to look at the bushy haired Gryffindor. "Yeah her, anyway, I got something for you." He pulled out a library book out of his school bag, setting it next to Gemini. She looked at it interested.

"What is it?" She asked.

"It's about Helga Hufflepuff," answered Eloise. "It talks about her life, her relationship with the other founders and her contributions to the school. As well the life of the first students to graduate from Hogwarts, as Hufflepuffs, I thought it might help."

"Help what?"

"Don't that this the wrong way. But you don't seem exactly comfortable being a Hufflepuff or eager to join in" Eloise said nodding towards the other first years. Gemini scowled.

"They," She began. "Are ignoring me. Not, the way round, not that I want to talk to any of those mudbloods." Gemini regretted the words, as soon as they fell out of her mouth. Eloise's mouth tightened.

"The book is to be returned next Monday, make sure you return it by then." Eloise said sharply.

"Eloise…I…" Gemini started.

"That's Prefect Boot to you" She cut in before standing up as she stood she said to Gemini. "You know, I thought being a Malfoy sorted into Hufflepuff, you'd be different, not into that blood purity stuff, but I see you're all the same." With that she left, to sit with her fellow sixth years.

Gemini started to stand to follow her and apologise, as well as at least try to explain. She always hated her parents talks on blood purity, she always felt sick after them and deep down she knew that it was stupid and wrong, but years of that been drilled into her head caused her to automatically believe it.

But as she stood, the family owl came flying in, dropping a letter in front of her. She glared back at the owl, who had given her a stern, even angry hoot before it flew off without waiting. Gemini sighed and she slowly opened it.

Gemini,

I will be meeting with the Headmaster and Professors Snape and Sprout. As always I will remedy this problem you caused.

Lucius A. Malfoy.

Gemini dropped the letter on the table and tried to think about how this meeting would go.

In the end, the "meeting" between her father, the Professors and the Headmaster had gone a lot differently, that Gemini had thought. It ended up with Professor Sprout yelling at her father, with righteous indignation, while Professor McGonagall, (Who had come running, the moment she heard that Lucius Malfoy was in the castle), glared threatening at Lucius from behind the other witch, sometimes calling out in support of her fellow head of house. Lucius would respond with poorly veiled threats, and turned every now and again, to Professor Snape, imploring him to do something, or to the Headmaster, threatening to use his influence and seat on the Board of Governors to have him removed. Dumbledore merely sat calmly, behind his desk and twinkled ever more brightly at Gemini, who slowly was sinking into her seat. She hated this and in this moment she hated her father.

"…absolutely ridiculous!" Professor Sprout was yelling. "This happens at least to one student every year! Parents need to learn to accept their children, not try to make them replicas of themselves!"

"How dare you presume to challenge my rights as her father!" Lucius hissed back. Gemini bit her lip. Finally, the Headmaster stood and the two adult fell silent.

"There have been cases in the past where a student has been allowed to try the hat on one more, but not in any case has the hat changed its decision," said Headmaster Dumbledore. Lucius made to speak, but Dumbledore held up his hand, continuing with. "Perhaps, we should ask Gemini what she wants."

Gemini suddenly sat up, as four pair of adults eyes were fixed on Gemini, who shifted about uncomfortably. "Would you care to try on the Hat again?" Dumbledore asked, gently. Gemini glanced around the room, her father was staring at her, telling her to put on the hat and make it say Slytherin. Professor Sprout looked at her with an encouraging smile. She breathed in and thought about her short time in the Hufflepuff House, she had liked it there, and Eloise did seem to want to be her friend and Gemini knew that she wanted to make that right and being in Slytherin wouldn't help that.

"Well…" Gemini started. She couldn't believe she was going to do this; she had always followed her father or brother before. "I think I should stay in Hufflepuff" She said slowly, but quickly added as she saw her father's face. "The hat probably won't change its mind anyway and…"

"Hufflepuff is a fine house to be in." Professor Sprout said.

"Of course you would say that!" Lucius hissed back at her, Professor Sprout looked ready to yell at him again, when Gemini stood up.

"Father…" She said, Lucius didn't dare look at her, he looked furious. He schooled his face quickly and turned to Dumbledore.

"Headmaster, I require a moment alone, with my daughter." Dumbledore looked at the old grandfather clock which stood in his office.

"I'm afraid Lucius, that it is time for Professor Snape and Sprout to return to teach and I have a lot of paperwork to complete, beginning of the year and all, maybe at Christmas, you can talk this over. There is no need to fret, Lucius, Professor Sprout will take good care of your daughter." Dumbledore said, calmly as he walked over to the door, he opened it and Lucius scowling walked out. He stopped when he was next to Gemini.

"We will talk about this." Gemini bit her lip harder and tears threatened to fall. Dumbledore quickly closed the door as Lucius left the room.

"Well then! For remaining firm under pressure and displaying admirable loyalty to your house, Gemini, ten points to Hufflepuff." Dumbledore said. Gemini smiled a small smile and Professor Sprout looked pleased.

"I have a class to teach." Snape said, heading for the door. "Good day." Professor McGonagall left with him.

"I'm sure you'll go far in this house, Gemini. I'm here if you ever want to talk, now I know that Prefect Boot, has a free period now, she's normally in the common room." Professor Sprout said winking. Gemini smiled again. Gemini looked over at Headmaster Dumbledore, who motioned for her to leave and she rushed out of his office.

When Gemini reached the entrance to her common room, she quickly tapped the beat to Helga Hufflepuff on the three barrels that guarded the entrance to the Hufflepuff Common Room and found Prefect Boot sitting in the corner reading. She walked up to her and stood by her. Prefect Boot looked over.

"Prefect Boot, I want to apologise for my comment at lunch today, it wasn't a nice thing to say…and…" She paused, and took a deep breath, this was second time today she would do something unexpected and that went against what her father had told her. "I was wrong, they are not…not…that, they are witches and wizards and not any less than purebloods." Gemini let out her breath and crossed her fingers hoping what she said was right.

Prefect Boot, looked her up and down, before nodding.

"I guess, you're only back to collect your stuff then." She said stiffly. Gemini looked confused and Prefect Boot went on. "Charlie Bucket, saw your father coming into Hogwarts, we guessed it was to change your house and as you're here instead of moping somewhere, I guessed your coming to get your things…" She trailed off, realizing that maybe her logic, didn't work out as it had in her head.

"No, well yes my father did come to try and change my house…but I told him I wanted to stay here." She said. Prefect Boot's face lit up and she smiled widely. She quickly told the rest of the Hufflepuffs what Gemini had said, when her friend asked what a Malfoy had said to get her smiling.

An hour later, as she was waiting for the start of charms. She smiled to herself, as the rest of the Hufflepuff first years sat around her, while they may not be starting a conversation with her, they weren't excluding her and didn't seem to mind as she listened to their debate on whether a werewolf could survive on the moon.