Chapter 2

After a long first day, Caroline Logan sat alone in the Slytherin common room. It was quite late and all of her new classmates had long gone to bed, yet she was lounging on one of the room's sofa in her pyjama shorts and sweater with a novel. Her thoughts wandering away from the book's plot, she started replaying the day's events her head. After the opening feast, Taylor, the girl with the reddish blond hair who had saved her from that dreadful boy at dinner, had informed her where she would be staying and what the password to the common room was. 'Purity'. Caroline found this password a little over the top, but liked the elegance of it. Taylor also gave her important details about how things work at Hogwarts. She told her a bit about her teachers; apparently Professor Snape, the head of Slytherin, was the person to go to if she needed to get out of a detention. But Taylor told her even more about the students. Caroline tried to remember all the names she listed as being either annoying or "not worth her time", but she couldn't even begin to. She figured she'd find out soon enough anyway.

Over the few hours Caroline had been at Hogwarts she had already met many people, several of which when she thought back on it must have been on Taylor's list. Her roommates for example. She couldn't recall all of their names, (One she knew was Mary definitely; one, she was almost sure, was named Suzanne; one was maybe named Elizabeth; and the last she hadn't a clue.) but she did know that together, the four of them had less sense than a ten year-old. From the moment she had walked into her room, they had pestered her for details surrounding her past relationships, and if she had seen anyone at Hogwarts that she considered pursuing. They of course had suggestions on the latter. Other than her ditsy roommates, however, there was no one that she found particularly annoying. Unless she counted the boy from dinner, who she thought at least had good taste, and seeing as his lines ceased after Taylor's interruption, could forgive for his lack of tact.

Seeing her thoughts had come full circle, Caroline picked up her book and continued reading. This is how Draco Malfoy found her when he entered the common room at one in the morning.

-

Draco's first day back had been pretty average. Too average for his taste. It was true that he hadn't exactly been looking forward to coming back to school after a summer of exotic travelling and beautiful women, but he had hoped that this year would be somewhat different. Instead he was met with the same things at Hogwarts as he had left behind the year before: a pair of brain-dead followers in Crabbe and Goyle, and an obsessed ex-girlfriend in Pansy Parkinson. He supposed he shouldn't be so dissatisfied. He was still the most popular boy in Slytherin, had good friends in Blaise Zabini and Taylor Donovan, and was one fine specimen of a male if he did say so himself, though he didn't have to; the entire female population Hogwarts said it for him. And yet, he wanted something new.

This feeling followed him throughout the rest of the evening until he decided that he'd had enough. He was going to distract himself as well as prove just how exciting his life could be. With that mindset, Draco left his friends to look for a "distraction". As he made his way down the halls of Hogwarts, he encountered seventh-year Ravenclaw prefect Rachel Yorke. 'This couldn't be easier,' Draco thought to himself, and he was right. After a few smooth exchanges he and the prefect were headed to the nearest broom closet and Draco had succeeded in creating some "excitement" in his life.

Leaving the girl when finished, the blonde made his way to the prefect's bathroom to shower. Sure he felt satisfied physically, but there was a part of him that still felt bored. His escapades in the broom closet felt almost like déjà-vu: meaningless and in the past. 'Whatever', reasoned Draco as he dried his wet body. 'Once quidditch starts back up I'll be over this'. He made his way back to the Slytherin common room to turn in for the night.

'Or not,' he thought as he entered the common room and saw a pair of bare legs extended in front of a person hidden behind a book.

"Is the novel any good?" Draco inquired. The girl jumped at the sound of his voice, putting down the book and allowing him to have a look at her face. 'Ah, the new girl... now that's more like it! Time to turn on the old Malfoy charm,' he thought appreciatively.

"It's decent," replied the girl, whom Draco was wracking his brain for now.

"You're up late. Not exhausted after your first day?" he asked, taking a seat in the closest armchair to her.

"It's the time change. It only feels like eight o'clock for me right now," she laughed, then raised an eyebrow at him. "What's your excuse?"

"You've got me there, I suppose," he laughed along with her. 'Think Draco! What is her name? Christina? No. Catherine? No.' "So where are you from," 'Think, think... Caroline!' "Caroline?"

"I just moved here from Ottawa."

"A canuck, eh?" joked Draco, changing his accent.

"That's right," replied Caroline with a smile. "I'm surprised you got that. So many people assumed I was from the States."

"Surprised?" Draco feigned insult. "You know, not only am I extremely good looking, but I also happen to be excellent at geography."

"A bit cocky are we?" teased Caroline.

"Yes. And rightfully so. There's a reason why people call me the Slytherin Prince," he said smugly.

"Are you sure that not only your mom?"

"Ha ha. You're quite the comedian Caroline from Canada," replied the Slytherin Prince. "Ask anyone of your roommates tomorrow what they think of Draco Malfoy and you'll get your answer." Caroline groaned to herself imagining what indeed her roommates would say.

"Draco Malfoy?" the inner Slytherin in her replied. "Now what does he have to do with any of this?" Draco, however, saw this as an opportunity.

"You don't know him? Well in that case I will most definitely have you get acquainted with him at a later date," he flirted. "Right now, though, I must head up to bed seeing as unlike you, it really does feel like the middle of the night. Sweet dreams."

VC

Author's Note:

Please review! Feel free to leave any comments or questions. I always look forward to reading what you all think of the story.