Chapter 2

An Unexpected Friendship

Dean was glad to say the least when Sam came and took the seat beside him at breakfast the next day. Logically he knew that's exactly what would happen, but last night he had worried that Sam would no longer want the name Winchester now that he was different from them.

"Ya like being in your house?" Benny asked, knowing that Dean was deliberately ignoring the green and silver tie around his brothers neck.

"Yeah, a few of them are nice." Sam shrugged. "I'd rather be in Gryffindor though. Some of the older Slytherins are scary."

"What's your first class?" Dean asked too quickly, obviously trying to change the subject.

All three of his companions shot him dark looks, but they still went along with it.

"Defence Against the Dark Arts." Sam replied. "With the Ravenclaws."

"That's good. Uncle Bobby'll be teaching you." Dean said, taking another bite out of his bacon.

"Try and make friends with a few Ravenclaws too." Cas smiled. "It's good to have allies in all houses."

"I was gonna." Sam grinned, then they fell into silence as they dug into their meal.

It wasn't until they were leaving the Great Hall to head towards their first classes, that the sorting was brought up again. Dean was halfway out the door before his sleeve was grabbed.

"Can I talk to you?" Sam asked.

Dean nodded, and followed his brother into an abandoned corner of the hall.

"I know you ain't happy with me being in Slytherin." Sam said.

"I'm not mad at you." Dean sighed. "I just.. I'm worried that you won't belong."

"So was I." Sam admitted. "I begged the hat to put me into gryffindor, just like you did, but it didn't listen. It said that it was my destiny, and that it was about time a Winchester broke tradition."

"Everything is breaking tradition." Dean muttered. "And what do you mean, just like you did?"

"The sorting hat told me, Dean." Sam offered a small smile. "It looked into your mind and all it could hear was gryffindor, gryffindor, gryffindor so that's where you went."

"Where was it going to send me?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It didn't say, but my guess would be Hufflepuff."

"Hufflepuff?" Dean asked incredulously.

"You are unbelievably brave." Sam chuckled. "But you are a lot more loyal."

"That is not a bad thing!" Dean said, feigning insult.

"I never said it was, jerk." Sam grinned.

"Bitch." Dean replied, fondly ruffling his brother's long hair.

"I can't believe we have potions first thing on the first day." Dean groaned, catching up with Benny and Cas at the bottom of the stairs. "And with the Slytherins to boot."

Cas playfully batted his arm.

"I have a sister and a cousin in Slytherin." he reminded him. "And now you have a brother."

"They ain't all bad." Benny agreed as they reached the door.

"Ready to face Crowley?" Cas asked, but he didn't wait for an answer before opening the door.

They all stepped inside, and glanced around the room. No-one had taken seats, so Dean assumed that they'd be getting forced seating like they did every other year. Professor Crowley just loved to torture them.

"Good morning students." the woman said with a faked smile and a Scottish brogue. "We'll get you sorted into seat's first, then we'll talk O. ."

Cas was lucky in the draw and was seated next to his Slytherin Cousin Balthazar, but Dean supposed Cas wouldn't feel so lucky when Balthazar caught him in a bone crushing hug meant for embarrassment. Benny was sat next to a Slytherin girl who Dean couldn't name, but he supposed at least she was hot which would lighten the torture. Dean felt like he had definitely taken the brunt of the blow, being seated to Fergus Crowley. Dean had never really enjoyed his company. He was the self-professed King of Fifth Year who looked up to people like Alastair Heyerdahl and made his pocket money with skeevy smuggling deals. Dean grudgingly took his seat beside Crowley, soothing himself with the thought that it was at least the professor's son, and that could earn him some favour when it came to the course.

"Passing your O. is not going to be an easy feat." the Professor began to speak once everyone had settled in their respective seats. "And we will have to work hard all year if you want to continue on to your N.E. , because I don't take anything less than an Exceeds Expectations." she paused to ensure that it had sunken in then continued. "So we're going to get straight into the thick of it today with a draught of peace. Be very careful with this, because if done wrong this potion can have disastrous affects. Good luck."

To Dean's annoyance, being Professor Crowley's son didn't earn him and Fergus an automatic pass. Actually, it seemed like Rowena targeted them more than the rest of the class. Dean thought it was perhaps a level of expectation that caused this but later, seeing the glares the Crowley's exchanged, he realised the sad truth that some families just didn't like each other.

He was even more surprised when, at the end of the class, Fergus Crowley turned to him with a grin.

"I can watch over your little brother." he said with a twinkle in his dark eyes. "Keep that whore Ruby far away from him."

Dean stared at him doubtfully. He didn't doubt his claim. The kid had always had a gift for figuring out what someone wanted more than anything, and he always exploited it with promises and gifts, but there was always the catch...

"You don't do anything without payment." he replied.

Sometimes with Crowley, you were left wondering whether the prize or the payment was bigger.

"I don't want much." Crowley replied with one of his charming winks.

"Just my soul?" Dean deadpanned, but he didn't know if he was even joking.

The Brit laughed.

"Not your soul." he assured. "Just some tiny little thing. You don't even need to think about it until much later."

Dean was even more doubtful now. What could he possibly offer Crowley? And why would the Slytherin wait for payment? Still, he'd do anything for his Sammy.

"Fine." he growled.