The next day I woke up way before the rest of my dormmates. Hermione had offered to walk with me to the Great Hall for breakfast but I'd already declined politely. While the rest of my classmates have had three years to learn their way around Hogwarts, I haven't even been here a day.

So after taking a quick shower and dressing into my new school robes, I silently crept back down the spiral staircase and disappeared through the portrait hole.

For a long while I just walked around, peering into empty classrooms and making mental notes of different ways to get to the same location in case a staircase decided to change at the most inconvenient time.

But when my stomach started to growl, I decided to search for the Great Hall and, to my surprise, managed to locate it within five minutes.

Hermione was already sitting with her friends, despite having woken up much later than I did. They had received their timetable and were now discussing it. Seeing as I didn't know anyone else, I walked over to the empty seat beside Hermione and opposite Harry.

"Hi," I said a little awkwardly. "Mind if I sit?"

"Not at all," Hermione said brightly. "Meet my friends, this is Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. Guys, this is –"

"Oh we know who she is," Ron murmured.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I said, trying not to sound to defensive.

"Exactly what I said," Ron snapped back. "McGonagall said your name in front of the whole school and seeing as she's the only transfer student in like forever, you'd be kind of stupid to forget it."

Ron went back to stabbing at his food and I pursed my lips. It was clear from his tone that he did not want me there.

"Oh, that reminds me," Hermione said suddenly. "McGonagall was looking for you. I think she thought you'd gotten lost on your way here…"

But before I could reply, my attention was caught by a loud rustling noise coming from the open windows. A hundred owls had flown in and were now dropping the morning mail.

Opposite me, Harry gazed around the hall. "Hey, shouldn't you be getting that too?"

I followed his gaze which landed on my brother. Draco had received a large supply of sweets and cakes that were most definitely from my parents. I scoffed at that and Harry looked at me curiously.

"Guess Draco couldn't wait to tell our parents about my sorting," I explained sourly.

"Well Malfoy's a dick," Harry said before turning back to his breakfast without another word. He remained in this silent state for the rest of breakfast while I assured Hermione and then later Professor McGonagall that I had not gotten lost and was merely exploring the castle. In fact, he didn't say a word until we'd gotten to the greenhouse where our first class, Herbology was held.

It was gross lesson as we spent the whole time squeezing pus out of these ugly looking plants called Bubotubers.

When the bell finally sounded, it was with relief that I raced out of the greenhouse only to freeze when I remembered I had no idea where I was going.

McGonagall had only given me my timetable a few minutes before class started so I'd had only enough time to quickly glance at Monday morning. I saw what classes I had but had no idea where they were or which other house they were with.

I scanned the area before my eyes rested on a familiar face. "Hermione," I called out. "Hermione, do you know where the Care of Magical Creatures' classroom is? I didn't check this morning and I think my timetables at the bottom of my bag…"

"You're with us," she smiled. "Hagrid teaches that class near his house down there. You're welcome to tag along."

"You have no idea how grateful I am," I sighed in relief, following her and the rest of the Gryffindors down the slope towards a small hut near the edge of the forest.

Standing beside the hut with one hand on the collar of a huge dog was the largest man I'd ever seen. He was twice as tall as the average man and three times as wide.

Not wanting to seem rude, I turned my gaze away from him quickly.

"Mornin'!" the man, Hagrid said. "Be'er wait fer the Slytherins, they won' want ter miss this – Blast-Ended Skrewts!"

I froze. Ron said something but I wasn't listening. My thoughts still on Hagrid's words. The Slytherins! If this class was with the Slytherins then that meant…

"And why would we want to raise them?" came a familiar voice.

I spun around to face Draco who had just arrived along with the rest of the Slytherins.

"I mean, what do they do?" asked Malfoy. "What is the point of them?"

I glared at him. It was a fair question though I just wished he'd asked it while showing the respect our teacher deserved.

Hagrid paused for a few moments, obviously thinking hard. Then he said roughly, "Tha's next lesson, Malfoy. Yer jus' feedin' 'em today. Now, yeh'll wan' ter try 'em on a few diff'rent things – I've never had 'em before, not sure what they'll go fer – I got ant eggs an' frog livers an' a bit o' grass-snake – just try 'em out with a bit of each."

The creatures were very ugly and smelt rotten but Harry, Ron and Hermione picked up the food and tried to tempt the skrewts with it. After only a slight hesitation I joined them.

Everyone was surprised when the end of one of these creatures exploded, burning the hand of one of the Gryffindor boys. According to Hagrid, that was completely normal. As was the pointy stingers on the males and the blood sucking things on the bellies of the females.

"Well, I can certainly see why we're trying to keep them alive," Draco said sarcastically. "Who wouldn't want pets that can burn, sting and bite all at once?"

"Just because they're not very pretty, it doesn't mean they're not useful," I snapped back surprising everyone, including myself. With everyone's eyes now on me, I hurried to justify my exclamation. "Dragon blood's amazingly magical, but you wouldn't want a dragon for a pet, would you?"

Draco just started at me with a look that pained me more than I could've expected, a look of deep loathing.

My classmates and I spent the rest of the lesson trying to feed the Skrewts. But by the time the bell rang, signalling it was time for lunch, we were still no closer to figuring out what the horrifying creatures ate than at the start. That's not true, at least now we can now eliminate ant eggs, frog livers and grass-snakes.

Hermione had invited me to join her and her friends again for lunch to which I happily accepted. I was growing rather fund of the brunette and I was sure I would also like Harry and Ron once I got to know them better.

But before we could reach the castle, a familiar voice caused me to turn around.

"What do you want Draco?" I said bitterly.

"To talk to my sister," he said, striding over to us with Crabbe and Goyle flanking him like a pair of brainless gorillas. I smirked at that thought, relieved I was no longer in the position to have to be nice to my brother's friends or call them by their first names. But then I suddenly realised what he'd said and I frowned.

"Sister?" I asked in confusion. "Funny, I seem to remember you disowning me only last night. And what was the reason again? Oh right, because I was sorted into the better house."

That was the first time I'd said something like that to my brother, even when we fought as little kids. It felt surprisingly… good.

"Is this seriously how it's going to be like from now on?" Draco asked, raising his brows amusedly. "Not that I'm complaining. I've had a lot of practise insulting you behind your back when you were in New York. I could do this all day…"

"Yeah, well I have better things to do than think of witty comebacks so I'll ask again, what do you want, Draco?"

He smirked and strode over to me. I remained perfectly still without breaking eye contact, even when he got so close I could feel his breath hot against my forehead and when he opened his mouth, I could see a tiny bit of his breakfast wedged between his two front teeth.

"Stay out of my life," he hissed, quietly so that none of our friends could hear.

I scoffed loudly. "Or what?"

Draco glared at me. "I didn't appreciate what happened back there with the whole, 'just because they're not pretty doesn't mean they're not useful' thing, but I did learn something valuable from it."

"That you need to learn to shut up."

"That we have a problem," he said irritably. "There's only room for one Malfoy here. And since I was here first, not to mention sorted into the actual better house, I guess we know who's staying."

I scoffed again. "Good luck getting me to leave, because guess what brother, Hogwarts is my home now too."

"Yeah, well we'll see about that," Draco said, before motioning to his friends and strutting towards the castle. I glared at his back, blinking back tears that threatened to spill. Draco and I used to be inseparable, so what happened? First New York, and then the sorting…

I breathed in deeply and made a mental promise to myself that this would be the last time I shed a tear for the Slytherin entering the castle now. Cause that's all he is to me, a Slytherin. And I will treat him like any other Slytherin.

I was still battling with my emotions when I felt a tender hand on my shoulder. "You alright Leaena?" Hermione said kindly.

"Please don't use that name," I said, trying very hard to keep my emotions out of my voice. "Call me Lean."

"Okay Lean," Hermione smiled gently. "Are you alright?"

Was I alright? I'd just asked a girl I hadn't even known for a full day to call me by the special nickname my brother gave me ten years ago. But I realised now that the best way for me to get over the loss of my brother, would be to pretend he had never existed. If that meant forgetting the meaning behind the nickname, then so be it. From now on, that would be the name my friends and classmates called me. Draco had nothing to do with it.

"I'm better than ever," I said at last, then sending the three of them a small smile, I led the way to the Great Hall with a subtle skip in my step.

"Oh, and one last thing," I added, speaking mostly towards Hermione. "Feel free to punch that Slytherin again this year."


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