Chapter Two ~Now That We Have Things Sorted...~

Draco watched as the new girl was sorted into Slytherin and as she walked towards the table sitting almost opposite him. It was the same girl from the book store, not three days ago. If he was right and this Adelaide Hart was the clerk who recommended the book he bought then that could mean trouble for him if she suspects what he would need it for. And, even worse if Potter and his friends get to her. It was settled. He would keep an eye on this small, clumsy girl, maybe even go so far as gaining her trust if need be. She would not get in his way or he may as well give up on his mission and hand his life into to the Dark Lords sinister hand.

The sorting of the first years ended and the feast began and at once he noticed this new girl wasn't eating anything. Actually, she wasn't paying any attention at all, not to the food of the students around her. She was just sitting staring into space. The fork of the fourth year girl next to her hit the plate with a loud clash which startled Adelaide out of her dream-like state. Of course, he didn't care if she ate he just wanted to know if she remembered the book she sold him and, if she was at all suspicious.

Adelaide was shocked out of her stupor by a loud clash nearby. The butterflies in her stomach only allowed her to eat slowly and little. She was so overwhelmed by the castle and the people she had lost her usually large appetite. Should she be concerned that she had been sorted into Slytherin, a house notorious for producing Death Eathers and their kin? Both her mother and grandmother were Gryffindors and her father a Hufflepuff. There was no Slytherin in her family that she knew of. Adelaide made a mental note to ask her father about it in her first owl home. Dinner finished after four delicious courses and the headmaster made a brief but rather pointed speech, even though it wasn't clear who it was pointed towards. At least, it wasn't clear to her. At the completion of the speech and dismissal of students Adelaide was still sitting in her place and thinking.

After dinner the older students headed to their allotted dorms and common rooms for a night of catching up with friends. The first years got and elaborate tour of the castle but Adelaide wasn't in the mood to waltz around the many corridors and classrooms and made straight for the dungeons, her new home. That is, if she could find them. Ending up horribly lost and walking into boys bathrooms more than once (honestly, they need to label them more clearly), Adelaide was too tired to really try to sort out where she was and so she decided to wait for a teacher, prefect or anyone to show her the way. And so she sat down on a window ledge and tried to stay awake. Only a few minutes had passed when she heard heels clopping on the marble floor in the distance. Or were they closer? Unable to see anyone she called "Hello?" rather reluctantly. The footsteps passed but her confusion was now more determined and riveted in place.

"Excuse me?" she heard quietly from behind her. She turned to see a boy about her age with dark, messy hair walking towards her. He was familiar. As he passed through a section of light creeping through a window she knew who it was. In all honesty she would rather be stuck out in the corridor the entire night then ask help from him: Harry Potter, the boy wonder.

"What?" she asked him abruptly, only feeling a little bad because she knew he would help her regardless.

"You're new, yes? Are you lost?" he asked politely

"No, I just enjoy spending my nights in the hall." Adelaide retorted.

"Well what house are you in? I'll help you find you way back." She couldn't believe it. He was still being polite despite her deliberate and obvious rudeness.

"Slytherin." She replied not looking at him, or even in his direction.

"Okay, well if you go to the end of this hall and there is a staircase. If you follow that down to the first floor then cross to the other side of the entrance hall, down another set of stairs then you will see the Slytherin portrait at the end of the hallway. And..." he added, "Be careful. The staircases have a tendency to change mid-flight." He smiled when he had finished his explanation, nodded in farewell and disappeared around the next corner. After at least half an hour she finally made it to the Slytherin portrait. Not unexpectedly it stayed shut tight upon her arrival.

As if reading her mind the snake in the portrait slithered to life and asked "Passsssswordthththt?"

"Password? I wasn't told anything about a password!" She was fuming at herself and at Harry Potter for not warning her.

"Ththtaattssssssss nothhh ththe passwordththt" the painting slyly replied clearly mocking her. It was a snake, and not even a real one at that! She racked her mind for anything that could be the password for a Slytherin common room and tried many guesses to no avail.

"Do you want the password or are you going to stand there guessing all night and getting angry at a painted snake?" Draco asked her condescendingly, smirking at her obvious annoyance.

"Yes," She said, staring at her feet embarrassed "I would like the password...please.".

"It's Mariscoring. It's a plant used in ..." He began to explain.

"Thanks," She cut in "I know what it's used for. I wasn't totally raised by muggles you know." She knew all too well what the purple leaves of Mariscoring plants were used for. She had consumed dreamless sleep potion every night since her seventh birthday. That was when her subconscious memories from her earlier years flooded to the surface.

"Your name is Adelaide, is that right?" He stepped forward into the glow of a torch mounted on the wall. The light danced across his face and caused sinister shadows that made Draco's pale complexion appear almost ghoulish.

"Yes but people call me Addie. It's easier, I find." He nodded "What, may I ask is your name?" She asked as politely as she could. Draco's strict upbringing made him appreciate her manners.

"Draco...Malfoy" He held his hand out to her as he spoke and she shook it without hesitation. At least one person wasn't reluctant to touch or even come near him.

"Hello." She said simply as she shook his hand. She was honestly too tired and overwhelmed from her day to think of anything wittier.

"Hello to you, too." He replied with a slight smirk and after the moment became uncomfortable silent he asked: "Shall we go inside before dawn?"

"Please." Adelaide was glad she would soon be in bed, even if it wasn't her own and she couldn't hear her father snoring from down the hall.

The two entered the dark Slytherin common room, which was surprisingly noisy considering the lateness. "Adelaide!" he got her attention as she was too busy marvelling at the sight surrounding her to pay attention to the boy on her right. "Your room is up stairs on the left. That's where the senior girl's dorms are. Your luggage would have already be taken up from the train." He said and without a second glance at her walked up stairs on the right and closed the door to the senior boy's dorms behind him before he could hear her call of thanks.

Like Draco had said her suitcase was in her room waiting patiently for her. So she slowly and quietly undressed to be sure not to wake the other girls, drank her vial of already-prepared Dreamless Sleep Potion and climbed into the empty four-poster bed her trunk was placed next to. So far, Hogwarts was just what she expected but with the hope of seeing her two loyal friends at breakfast in the morning she drifted easily and quickly to sleep.