Chapter Five:

Dust drifted up my nose, causing me to sneeze for about the 50th time since we entered the library. Blaise had set up a silencing charm around us, Pansy had set up a barrier around us that would alert us if anyone was approaching and Draco had placed a charm on all our papers which would blur what was written on them to anyone who was trying to sneak read them. What we were discussing was to be kept completely and utterly secret from all, even our house until I decided to announce it.

"Right, so we're all in agreement on the two day plan?" I asked, looking around at the others. Pansy was nodding distractedly as she charmed multiple paper balls to fly up and hit Blaise and Draco in the heads. Draco was absently scribbling on his paper as he mumbled a 'yes'. Blaise didn't reply as he swatted the flying paper projectiles before reaching over and pulling Pansy into a head lock, "sounds good to me." "Ger' off!" came Pansy's mumbled shriek.

I didn't really blame them for their distractedness. We'd been here for the past three hours, completing homework, preparing for classes, and planning the Quidditch tryouts. My Slytherin nature showed itself best when I was planning things, I liked to be subtle and keep all the best parts for surprises. And they usually worked, when I wasn't planning against Pansy and Blaise and confiding in my little squealer of a brother. Which reminds me…

"Draco, I just thought…"

"Yeah?" he said, looking up because of my silence. He stilled as he recognised the innocent look on my face. "Uh oh."

Blaise looked up too, as did Pansy once she finally freed herself from Blaise's grasp and smoothed her hair. She snickered "Looks like Drakie's about to get it!"

"I distinctly remember telling you that I wanted my coming here to Hogwarts to be a surprise."

"Well it was-"

"From everyone."

He swallowed and looked shiftily for an escape route, or an object he could use in defence. "Yes, I remember-"

"Blaise and Pansy didn't seem too surprised. In fact," I turned to look at them. The little devils were grinning in evident glee of watching Draco's torment. "did you, by any chance, hear from Draco that I was coming?"

They nodded, the evil looks never leaving their faces.

"They made me! They held me down and used a tickling charm. You know how I can't stand those!"

"Tiklmarto!" I said, pointing my wand at him from under the desk. He bent over in double, laughing so hard he cried. His laughter would have been loud enough to draw the attention of the entire library to our secluded little corner had it not been for the silencing spells. After a minute of watching Draco plead I gave in and released the spell.

"Dang it, Sera, you don't play fair!" He said weakly once he'd recovered his breath.

"I am a Slytherin. And you can redeem yourself by stopping scribbling daydreams about the girl you fancy on your paper and actually help me with the plans so we can finish up here." I noticed with surprise that he developed a slight tinge across the top of his cheeks when I mentioned a girl he fancied. If it was anyone but my brother I wouldn't have thought it important, as it was, I resolved to see if his scribbles did indeed contain the name of some girl. Unfortunately though, Draco does know me and quickly burnt his paper. "You know that's against school rules?"

"You know I'm Head Boy?"

"Touché."

"Anyway," Blaise said, "So we're all in agreement? Two days for the trials."

"Yep. Everyone wanting a spot on the team will try out for all the positions on the Saturday, that way you get an idea on if anyone is worth keeping as reserves or if their talents lie in a position they didn't think of." Pansy said.

"And on the Sunday," Draco continued, "all the ones who showed promise on the Saturday will be called back and will be assigned positions to mini teams and we'll have a few mini matches. Allowing you to see how people respond to orders and what their team work is like."

We all held eyes for a moment and saw the glee that all felt. I'd be having the other houses scrambling in confusion before the games even started, I don't think there's ever been a team which has asked for two days for their tryouts before.

As we left the library I made a point of briefly thanking Madame Ponce for all her work and smiled and waved at the students that I'd spoken to before. As a flow on effect, they'd smile and wave back. I figured that psychologically, this would do the others good. They'd start to be seen in a more accepting light if people begin to associate them with smiles and waves, not of course that they gave others smiles. I think they're still a long way off that.

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Pushing their way through the usual throng of students at the entrance to the Great Hall, Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way over to their table and sat down in seats across from Ginny and Colin. Colin was groaning about how he had so much homework to do he was finding it hard to find time for his photography project that he'd set himself this year; taking a photo of a different student everyday of the school year, trying to depict their personality and interests in it as he did so.

"Colin, it wouldn't be so hard if you just stuck to the timetable I drew up for you." Hermione said, reaching for some of the chicken sandwiches. Ron and Harry threw sympathetic glances at the younger boy.

"Hermes," Ginny said, using the nickname she had come up with in third year after hearing about the Greek messenger God who was thought to have winged shoes. "I think the point Colin is making is that he's doing so much study already."

"Nonsense, those plans I made for everyone were perfect."

All of the nearby seventh and sixth years shuddered in remembered horror of those timetables she'd handed to them on the first day, about a week ago.

"So guys," Colin said, going for a topic change. "What's Sera been like in classes?"

"She's smart." Hermione said with a mixture of disgruntled respect showing on her face. "I mean, it's hard to tell, she doesn't volunteer to answer questions, but whenever she's asked, she's got the right answer. And it doesn't take her that long to pick up the lessons." She hesitated a bit and then continued "I think she'd be an interesting conversation partner."

"But she's a Slytherin!" Ron said, turning to look at the girl he still hadn't confessed to.

"You have a problem with Sera being in Slytherin, Ronald?" Ginny said, pinning her brother with a hard and dangerous stare. One look at it had Ron backtracking quickly.

"Uhh… no… I was just meaning…"

"Nothing. That's what you meant. Not one single thing." Ginny told her older brother. The rest of the Gryffindors sniggered at how easily Ginny was able to get her older brother to back down when she channelled her mother.

"Anyway," Harry said, returning to the conversation at hand. "All the teachers like her from what I've heard."

"Yeah," Colin agreed. "And did you know, she's friendly with people from every house. I mean, there's Gin, Jas, Luna and I, that first year Hufflepuff, Grover Finch-Fletchley, I heard she's helping him with his Potions, and of course, the Slytherins."

Ron snorted, "The Hat's probably thrilled that someone is finally doing what it wants and 'uniting the houses'. I wouldn't be surprised if it suddenly appeared, magically produced roses for her and then asked her to tango with it."

Harry laughed at the thought of the Hat doing just that. Just then James leaned across from the Hufflepuff table. "Hey guys, couldn't help but overhear that you're talking about the school's hottest topic: Miss Malfoy. There's been a poll going around the students and result show that about 50% think she's a goddess, 30% think she's great and the rest think she's nice but have to admit they don't really know her beyond hallway greetings. The majority also attribute her presence this year to the changes seen in the Slytherins, notably Parkinson, Zabini and Malfoy. I mean, they think it's a combination of the knowledge that they were under pressure from their fathers and are finally freed from that, but still, most think that there wouldn't have been as great a change if Seraphina wasn't at school with them. I mean, they wouldn't exactly want to piss her off by tormenting her friends now, would they?"

"James," Ginny said, a slightly concerned look on her face, "one day, you're going to pass out from lack of air while you talk, you know? Although, I do admit that Malfoy and the rest seem to be taking a back seat this year on the whole 'let's antagonise the whole school' thing that they've had going the last few years… It kinda makes them all seem a bit more approachable and human. And it's just bumping Malfoy's sex god status right up."

"GINNY!" Yelled most of the guys around her. "We do NOT need to hear your opinions on Malfoy's sex appeal, thank you very much!" But most of the girls were simply nodding their heads in agreement. Malfoy had always been desired, what with his good looks, but this tempering of his coldness made more admit that they would be more than willing if he ever offered to do something with them.

Harry was lost in his own thoughts during this though. Ginny's comments had made him think of the other Malfoy sibling, the one with long, flowing, golden hair, soft blue eyes that were always smiling genuinely at people but sparkled with intelligence and wit. He caught himself in this train of thought and quickly suppressed it. Yeah, she's nice, but she's a Malfoy. Heck, she's Draco Malfoy's TWIN.

Trying to get his mind off the way Seraphina's robes showed her curves and the way the green made her eyes seem even brighter, he leapt onto a seemingly safe related topic. Quidditch. "Did you know that she's booked the Quidditch pitch for two days in a row for her tryouts?"

"Yeah, there's been some talk about that, although none of my sources know why that is." James said, looking rather forlorn at the fact that almost all decent and interesting information relating to Seraphina seemed to always slip past him. However, he was rather thrilled by this, rarely was he provided with a challenge by one of the student body.

"What?" Ron asked, "Two days for tryouts? What on earth does she need two whole days for?"

"Don't know, mate." Harry replied, "But I think it'll be good to get the whole team down there and watching. I mean, we're going to be doing that anyway, especially since Slytherin's are after everyone else's, but… well, we can make it a team bonding experience."

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