Hello, nice to meet you all. Thanks for reading my first-ever fan fiction story, for putting it on your favorite lists, for subscribing to it, and of course for reviewing. Sadly I've only got two reviews so far, but that's okay, although it'll be of course much better if you also review. Anyway, hope you keep enjoying the story! :)

CHAPTER II

"I DON'T CARE! SHE MUST BE SOMEHOW RESORTED INTO SLYTHERIN!" Crystabelle heard her brother yelling hysterically as she arrived at the entrance of the hospital wing. He had been admitted there after his dramatic fainting in the Great Hall, but only now, almost about an hour later, Crystabelle decided to pay him a visit.

Really, she thought, who could be sillier than Draco, fainting like a girl over trivial matter such as a not-so-expected sorting result. She did not need to sacrifice her premier grand dinner at Hogwarts just to see if he was okay. He was of course okay, only needed some time to gather himself after the shock.

It seemed, however, that Draco had not gotten over the shock yet. He continued to rant hysterically in front of whoever it was listening to him. She decided to delay her entrance and eavesdrop a little. After all it's always best to first study a situation before making any moves on it.

"DO NOT SPEAK TO ME WITH THAT TONE, DRACO! I AM YOUR TEACHER!" the other person, apparently a male Hogwarts professor, yelled back at Draco, whom she heard gasp in surprise.

Serve him right, Crystabelle thought. Trust Draco for whining like that at school, and to a professor at that. She rolled her eyes, and listened again, wondering who the professor could be.

"This is a very childish act by you, Draco," the professor lowered his tone as the boy whimpered. "I have expected you to be more mature."

"But, you don't understand, my father is going to kill me!"

"And how is that so?"

"Well…"

"It is not your fault she is sorted into Gryffindor. Your father doesn't have any reason to kill you. You exaggerate things, silly boy!"

"But, he has told me to watch over her!"

"Watch over, not ensure she would be sorted into Slytherin. You wouldn't be able to do that even if you were the headmaster. The Sorting Hat has its own will. After six years, I thought you've learned better than that."

"But, I've heard it could give people choice, and I'm sure she was surely given a choice to enter Slytherin, what with her being a Malfoy. My father is going to kill me for failing to lure Crissy and ensure she would choose Slytherin when given the option!"

And her brother was hysterical again.

She rolled her eyes for the second time, and decided to make her grand entrance right at that moment, when the mysterious professor yelled, "ENOUGH…!"

Draco stopped his rants, also because this time he caught the sight of his sister. He immediately narrowed his eyes and scowled. The professor, who appeared to be a tall, dark-haired middle-aged man by the name of Severus Snape, turned around to look at what had drawn Draco's attention, and it was then Crystabelle recognized him.

"Uncle Sev … !" she beamed, and then ran and practically jumped at him, encircling her arms tightly over the chest of the unsuspecting man, who gasped in surprise and because his airway was suddenly cut off. The poor man almost toppled because of the sudden attack.

He stiffened for a moment. It was not every day a little girl, or anyone at that, caught him completely off guard, let alone by attacking him like that. Hell, not even once a year. In fact, as far as he remembered, along the course of his lonely and miserable life, there was only this one little girl who dared to do such thing to him, the only one he had reluctantly given the liberty to do so. And who else that would be but his much-spoilt goddaughter Crystabelle Malfoy?

Upon gaining his self-control back, Snape very carefully, with annoyed look on his face, raised his hand and put it awkwardly on the little girl's head. If that had been any other child, he wouldn't be so troubled and would have quickly ripped them off of him without trying to hide any disgust on his face, and he would make sure that the child would never ever again think about doing any of such despicable things to him. But, this girl, inexplicable as it was, he had found to be somehow rather troublesome to reject.

"There, there, Crissy … " he coughed and then patted the little girl's head uncomfortably, creating indeed a scene which made Draco forget about his misery and snigger, and Snape throw a murderous glare at the boy.

"… There is no need to be so emotional," he inhaled sharply. "I, err… appreciate your attention, but *cough* well… given that *cough* I am now one of your professors, it is only… err… best that we keep our relationship here at professional level, as in, ehem… between… professors and their students? You must know what I mean, yes, Crystabelle…?"

He said the last sentence very carefully, which made Draco snigger even louder. Now the boy was holding his stomach and made no effort to hide his laughter, prompting Snape to glare even more murderously at him, if that was possible.

Thank Merlin the boy's disrespectful behavior successfully drew his sister's attention and made her finally loosen her too tight hold of the Potions master.

He found her staring up at him with big doe eyes, looking somewhat sad, which made him feel instantly bad and quickly pat the blond girl's head again after flashing her a nervous smile (anyone would be hysteric seeing the old bat literally smile! -not to mention it looked rather weird).

"There, there…," he said, trying to cover his guilt. "It does not mean you cannot seek out my help whenever you feel the need to *cough*. Welcome to Hogwarts, and… err… congratulation for being sorted into … Gryffindor," he paused here, his nose screwed in disgust, contemplating briefly never had he thought in million years he would ever one day have to say such revolting sentence.

He sighed, and continued, "I trust you and your brother have a matter to discuss, yes?"

Crystabelle nodded, and now completely removed her hold of the Potions master, which drew a relieved sigh from him.

"Thank you, Uncle Sev… oops, I mean Professor," she said, grinning innocently. He gladly noticed that the sparkle in the little girl's eyes had returned as she stepped away from him and toward her big brother.

"Very well, then, I'll leave you two alone. I hope by this time this is over, you will be healthy enough to leave the hospital and escort your sister to the Gryffindor tower, Draco. And I expect you to settle the matter more maturely. Good evening, both of you," he again threw a murderous glare at Draco, who was still sniggering, before awkwardly curling his mouth a little in an attempt to smile at Crystabelle.

He then quickly turned around, swishing his robe during the process, and left the hospital ward, which by that time was empty but for Draco and his sister. Madam Pomfrey should have been inside her office at the moment.

Crystabelle turned around, directly facing her brother, smirk forming on her mouth and mirth in her eyes, which made Draco instantly scowl.

"Why am I not surprised that that whiny baby behavior was surely just one of your very well-intended acts?" he sighed, dropping his head on the stood-up pillow.

"But, please… hugging Snape? I thought even you could do better than that," he added, rolling his eyes, so now it was her turn to scowl.

"I forgot he stinks," she wrinkled her nose. "Had to hold my breath, would never do it again. But, at least it was worth it, wasn't it?" now there was a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Draco made a face, but before he could form a sentence, she quickly added, "I mean, whom was it that he called childish? I clearly heard it was you, big brother, never thought you would be a whiny type. And, in front of our Godfather, too, of all people? It's pathetic enough I've seen you whining around in front of Mother. Can't imagine what Father would say if he saw you." She smiled smugly.

Draco scowled again, and said, in lack of a more witty response, "Ah, look, the pot calling the kettle black. Imagine what father would say upon hearing you being sorted into Gryffindor."

"Well, what am I supposed to do? The Sorting Hat sorted me into that house, and me and you know it is impossible for resorting. I trust it is you, Draco, that father would like to hear an explanation from. Isn't it your responsibility to make sure I wouldn't choose Gryffindor when the hat offered me the option?"

Draco scowled for the umpteenth time, but this time also decided to give up and sighed, "So you eavesdropped us, huh? Tell me again why I'm not surprised? Anyway, if you sneaky little prat are so cunning, then why for the life of Merlin did the Sorting Hat put you in Gryffindor, not Slytherin?"

"Because it thought I was brave and noble, and said Godric Gryffindor would have been very proud of me if he were still alive," she answered proudly.

Draco narrowed his eyes, "But, it must have also offered you a place in Slytherin, didn't it?"

"It did. As a matter of fact it also offered me a place in Ravenclaw."

Draco narrowed his eyes even more. He felt a crush to his ego, remembering how the Sorting Hat didn't even think he was worthy of other houses and immediately put him in Slytherin even before it touched his head, back then when he was on his first day at Hogwarts. He had used to be very proud of the fact, meaning the Sorting Hat acknowledged him as a Slytherin to the core, didn't it? But, now, somehow it sounded like an insult. He decided to skip the counterproductive thought, though, and back to the problem at hands.

"Then. Why. Did. You. Choose. To be. In Gryffindor?" he clenched his teeth, trying hard not to explode.

"Well… for start I want something new, Draco. I want a change. Don't you think it's boring everyone in the family is a Slytherin? Some of us definitely need to experience other Houses so we can tell more interesting stories to our grandchildren and their children, and so on…"

"ARE YOU INSANE? You're putting my life at stake for this… this tale-telling plan for yet NON-EXISTENT grandchildren?"

Her brother practically roared in anger, but Crystabelle stayed unperturbed as she played her hair with her fingers.

"Relax, Draco… If you're so scared of Father, I can face him for you. We're in this together, you know," she released her hair and reached out the back of Draco's hand to pat it, but he drew it harshly while shooting a murderous glare at her.

He was about to fume again, but then decided he was fighting a losing battle anyway, and began to relax his muscles and sighed.

"Okay, okay… you win. Go to your Griffindorks of friends and tell them I will kill them personally if they ever lie even one of their fingers on you! I will face Father's wrath on my own," he pressed his fingers at his temple now, groaning as he felt the headache coming back.

His sister smiled that too innocent smile at him, and then patted her brother's cheek and gave it a quick peck before he had a chance to react. She then stood up on her feet and then smirked,

"I love you, Draco… Despite all, you know I love you, and I thank you so much for everything."

"Yeah, yeah… whatever. Go! Shoo!" he said as he closed his eyes and tried to shield them from the light with his arm, wishing to sleep the throbbing headache away.

"But, didn't Godfather tell you to escort me to Gryffindor tower?"

"Arrrrghhh…! Go by yourself! I am more than positive a girl like you can very well protect your self!"

"Well, then, if that's what you say. Get well soon, big brother, I'll see you first in the morning!" and so she left, humming on her way, leaving Draco grumble in response.