"Did you know that you can extract memories from magical creatures?"
"Stop" Harry James Potter tells her flatly as he looked back at her, his brows furrowed. They were in a muggle toy shop and he was currently crouched down on the ground so he can see the lower shelves better. Harry had planned to get his godson a gift today to celebrate him getting his Hogwarts letter.
Pansy had no idea why she said yes to go with him, but she had visited her father this morning and had accidentally bumped into her mother and well, now she was too much in a bad mood to do any work. She was hoping Daphne was in town, she was really craving for some girl time and pampering but Potter was rapidly becoming her only choice these days. Everyone was either too married or too tied down with babies to come hang out with sad singles (aka her)
"What?" Pansy scoffed at how rude he was being
"You've been doing this all week," he tells her pointedly.
"Doing what?"
"Saying completely random information as if they're normal things to bring up," He raises an eyebrow at her, "I hope you're not thinking of doing anything illegal,"
"Don't worry Potter, I know our laws like the back my hand," Pansy says innocently.
"You're telling me that you actually read ALL our law from cover to cover." Harry says, dubious of her claims.
"How else will I find all the legal loopholes?" she continues with her innocence.
"I swear to god if you get arrested, I'm pretending I don't know you," Harry tells her flatly, "And also maybe don't discuss your intent to commit crimes with the ex-auror?"
Pansy only stuck a tongue out at him like a child and Harry rolled his eyes and went back to sifting through the toys on the shelf in front of him. Pansy turned her attention on the opposite row of shelves and started lazily touching and lifting everything to inspect them with increasing interest.
"Muggles have such odd things" Pansy says lazily as she picked up another bauble from the shelve. This one was a black plastic ball that had a tiny window on it where a smaller plastic piece was floating in it. Pansy couldn't tell if it was a dice or another ball or what, "Whats this supposed to be?"
"We literally have a shop full of eyeballs in jars," Harry replied, "Trust me, the muggles are not the weird ones"
He makes a face at her as stands up to take the ball from her, "Oh. A magic 8 ball."
"The muggles have magic?" Pansy raises her eyebrow at it, skeptical.
"Not the kind of magic you're thinking of exactly," He says dryly, "You're supposed to ask it a question and then shake it. An answer will appear on the die inside. There are only like 20 answers on there mind you and it only makes sense if you ask it a yes or no question. Muggles usually use it when they're feeling indecisive. Not exactly divination."
"Huh," Pansy says eyeing the thing before taking it back from Harry's hands. She shoots a look at Harry to make sure that he wasn't just pulling her leg, "Is Potter fucking with me?" Then she shakes the plastic ball. Harry and Pansy look at each other before peering doown at the same time at the ball. The 20-sided icosahedron die stops in its trajectory revealing the fate to her question: Very Doubtful.
Harry smirked satisfied as he moves on to another aisle, Pansy followes close behind, her attention still on the plastic ball. She asks another question. "Will my year suck less this year?" The die spins again: Better not tell you now.
Pansy snorts at the vague answer.
"Will Pansy ever be helpful when she says she's going to help?" Harry says dryly as he looks back at her from whatever he was perusing. The Slytherin witch gives the war hero pointed look but shakes the magic 8 ball irregardless. She looks down at the answer and scowls.
"What did it say?" She hated when he got smug with her.
"Outlook not so good," Pansy laughs, "Wow still a better prediction that Trelawney's"
Harry laughs and shakes his head as his hand disappears behind a shelf and produces a box called a magic kit set.
"Why is your godson so interested in those? It's not even real magic, it's just sleight of hand." Pansy raises an eyebrow at him as he straightens up and meets her in the eye.
"Yes but most kids in Hogwarts don't know that," Harry says as he leads them towards the cash register, "Teddy says he wants to practice muggle magic so he can mess with people when he starts first year. They'll think he's some 11-year-old protégé who can do wandless magic,"
"Shouldn't you be telling him not to do that? You did just give me shit for….bending the rules." Pansy raised an eyebrow at him as she followed him to cash register. She still hasn't let go of the 8-ball.
"There's no rule against showing cool harmless skills in Hogwarts," Harry smirks at her, "Besides, I kind of want to see the chaos, you know?," He smiles remembering his father and his friends, not to mention, the Weasley twins. This was something they would do after all. Then he remembers Fred and his smile falters, "Anyway, are you seriously getting that?"
Pansy looks down at her hands. She too was confused as to why she couldn't put the thing down, "I guess I am"
Harry proffers his hand, "Give it, i'll get it for you,"
"It's fine I can pay for it,"
"With what muggle money?" He laughs at her. Pansy stares at him before reluctantly dropping the toy in his hand. She hadn't in fact gotten anything exchanged for the past month since she had holed herself up in her apartment. He turns to the register and converses with the muggle behind the till and Pansy wanders off to the front of the store. Harry appears beside her in a short while, "So, lunch?"
"I'm buying," Pansy declared.
"You kind of have to, you owe me," Harry says smugly as he drops the ball back in her hand.
They end up at a cafe that served both of their favorite comfort foods (lasagne al ragú for harry, a bowl of salad with a cup of the blackest coffee for Pansy). Pansy couldn't figure out the neurotic nature of the cafe. Was it brisith, italian, american? Who knows. It seemed like they just offered any food at random.
"Are you seriously just eating that?" Harry asked her as he looked at her meal dubiously.
"I'm on a diet," Pansy says simply as she finally puts down the eight ball on the table so she can pick up her fork instead.
Harry scoffs and picks up her plastic ball and asks, "Is Pansy being dumb for dieting when she doesn't need it?" He gives it a good shake or two while maintaining eye-contact with her. He glances down at the answer, "Decidedly so," he says with a smirk.
"Ha ha, very funny Potter," Pansy rolled her eyes as Harry puts back the ball on the table, "Can't a girl watch out for her figure"
"I'm just saying, Parkinson," Harry shrugs.
As if making its point the server comes back with Harry's pasta, the aroma of fresh tomato and seasoned meat assaulted Pansy's senses, sending a low longing in her stomach. She tries not to stare at Harry's food. Harry only smirks at her smugly as he digs into a portion and shoves it in his mouth. Pansy glowers at him as she puts a piece of fruit in her mouth.
"So," Harry starts, "What else do you have planned today?"
"Absolutely nothing," Pansy props her chin with her hand, "Bumped into my mother this morning—who by the way is still ignoring me, not that it's a surprise. Father says she'll come around but I'm not holding my breath. She put me in a foul enough mood to be unable to concentrate on work,"
"Is plotting your revenge masterplan considered as work?" Harry slowly, an eyebrow raised.
"Oh yes. It's hard honest work, Potter," Pansy nods solemnly, "It's called serving justice"
"Vigilante justice," Harry corrected while shaking his head in amusement.
"Oh i'm sorry. This, coming from the guy who murdered our defense against the dark arts professor in first year?," Pansy snorted, "And yes, I read the Harry Potter biography"
"Stop," Harry groans, embarrassed. He hated those books with a passion but he'd rather the truth come from him than strangers.
"Don't be embarrassed, Potter. It's incredibly well written. All seven of them." she teases with glee, "I've actually been meaning to get it autographed."
"Stop it right now," he was turning beet red
"I particularly liked your photo in the third one," Pansy grins at him.
"Why are you the way that you are?" He makes a face at her and she only laughs at his obvious discomfort.
"Anyway," He tells her dryly to change the topic, " I'm taking Teddy to the Oceanarium after this. I'm picking him up from Andromeda's. You can tag along if you want," he says casually.
Pansy scrunches her nose, "Merlin, is that a pity invite? That's depressing"
"Maybe try not to take everything in the worst way?" Harry suggested, amused.
Pansy shrugs and weight it in her head "Well, it depends,"
"On?"
"What an Oceanarium is,"
Harry stops midway of taking another bite of his lasagna. He blinks up at Pansy who was looking at him expectantly. He laughs (he always seemed to laugh when he was around her. Mostly because she's the most ridiculous person he's ever been friends with—in a good way, that is), "It's like…a museum. But instead of inanimate objects behind glass it's live, aquatic animals. Something like the windows of the Slytherin common room, looking out in that black lake."
"And you'd know that of course after you broke into our common room in second year," Pansy narrows her eyes at him.
"Yeah sure but also because I'm the head of the Slytherin house," he says so casually that it catches Pansy off-guard and she chokes quite spectacularly on her coffee. Harry looked pleased, "I'm glad to know there are still some things about me that surprises you,"
"What? How!," was all she could sputter.
"Well, Neville was already the head of house of Gryffindor when I came in, and Slughorn suggested for me to take over Slytherin. I honestly think he just wants to focus on his slug club if anything," Harry explains, "I find it quite ironic"
"Why?" Pansy dabs her mouth with a napkin
"Because the sorting hat was contemplating on placing me in Slytherin but I begged it not to"
"Seriously? Why?" Pansy was slightly offended.
"Because every adult i've ever met up to that point kept saying "green snake house bad" to me," Harry laughs, "The sorting hat must be gloating, now that i've ended up exactly where he told me I would"
Pansy snorts, "Rude. In our defense, Imagine how we feel, being 11, excited for school and the whole school boos us as soon as were sorted. What does that say about the rest of you assholes?"
"I guess that's a fair point," Harry concedes having witnessed how his little snakes do get bullied for nothing but he was relieved that they have relatively stayed out of trouble for the most part, "So anyway, are you in?"
She shrugs, "It's not like I have anything better to do."
"It'll be fun I promise," Harry grins at her and Pansy looks unconvinced.
Pansy's eyes catches movement at the entrance of the cafe and she swallows her salad a bit more forcefully, coughing as the dressing slightly stung her throat.
"You okay?" Harry looks at her with concern.
"So," Pansy says casually, "Draco said you managed to get through a short conversation with Weasley and Blaise during the charity ball without any incident."
"I guess," Harry's brows furrowed.
"That's good. At least you won't get your panic attacks anymore if you ever see her again,"
"Well," Harry says thoughtfully, "Anything can trigger it really. Stress, anxiety…even if I'm over her, I doubt i'd be any less stressed whenever I see her,"
"Oh," Pansy's face falters, "Well that's unfortunate"
"Why?" Harry asks her suspiciously
"Because she and Blaise just walked in and they're heading straight for us." She says eyeing the couple who was slowly making their way to them.
"Next time, lead with that, maybe?" Potter hisses at her and she pointedly ignores him to plaster her Slytherin smile as Blaise reaches them.
"Pansy!" the baritone voice of her Italian friend greeted her.
"Blaise." Pansy greets as she stands to hug him. She nods at the red head as a civil greeting and the youngest Weasley returns the gesture with a tight smile.
"What are the odds that I'd see you…and Potter…here?" Blaise looked confused as he finally regards Pansy's company.
"Zabini," Harry greets evenly, regarding the Slytherin boy.
The Slytherin boy looks suspiciously between the two before saying, "Mind if we share the table?" He says smoothly, sending his typical Zabini smile at Pansy who only smirked back at him with an eyebrow quirked. Beside him, Pansy noticed the slight twitch in Ginny's eye and the ever so slight tug on Blaise's arm. Blaise ignores his wife's silent plea.
"Oh I very much do mind, Blaise." Pansy answers easily, "I'm quite enjoying my salad with a good friend. You're just going to upset the balance of my lunch,"
"Then there's no problem then," Blaise grins as he stalks over the seat across Harry, "Aren't we all good friends here?"
Pansy's smirk grew wider. Blaise was clearly up to something (or he was trying to stir up shit for his enjoyment). Either way, lunch had turned from an innocent salad bowl to an all out Slytherin battle of the wits. Pansy only smiles as she takes the seat beside Harry instead so that Blaise's wife could sit beside him.
Harry was chewing his lasagna slowly as he watched the scene unfold in front him. He acted as though his lasagna was the most interesting thing in the world. His life had slightly been more chaotic ever since Pansy had come into it. He blames her for all the uncomfortable anomalies that plagued his ordinary day to day. (But then again, she was also responsible for most of the recent excitement)
Pansy and Blaise fell into comfortable conversation, having much to catch up on. She hadn't actually had time to meet up with him ever since he gotten back to London. He and Weasley were probably busy getting themselves situated. He tells them how he and Ginny Weasley had met.
"Well, Gin had a match in Italy and thats basically how we met," Blaise says, non maliciously, just a matter of fact to end his story, "We hit it off almost instantly, and one year later here we are. Easiest decision of our lives, right love?"
Ginny only smiles at Blaise and Harry's jaw clenches. Pansy shoots Blaise a look and he only smirks back at her as his eyes darts toward Harry. Blaise wasn't one go go out of his way to aggravate people, but when the opportunity presented himself, he wasn't above teasing.
"What team did you play for again?" Pansy asks (just to be conversational, not actually caring)
"The Holyhead Harpies," Ginny answered. Then hesitantly, throwing a quick side glance at Harry, "For six years now"
Pansy nods at this. Did Ginny Weasley leave Potter at the altar just so she could play quidditch? Interesting. She wondered if Harry was calculating the same things in his head. She wondered if he cared. He looked rigid as he sat there impassively listening to the conversation, his eyes looked empty and far off. His hands told her a different story. Pansy noticed how tightly it was clenched under the table.
Pansy had no idea if this was another one of his panic attacks or anxiety attacks but she casually lets her hand fall on her lap before moving it on top of his, and giving his hand a squeeze without looking at him. She feels him slightly turn his head towards her, then his hand relaxes and moves to hold hers in a snug grip for comfort.
"So…you and Potter, how did this happen?" Blaise asks eagerly. Now his real intentions finally come out. Pansy swears all her friends are such gossipy bitches.
"Blaise, you did not just insist on sitting here so you can pry about my personal life did you?" She raises both of her eyebrows on him.
Blaise quirks his eyebrow, "IS there a personal life to pry at?"
Pansy and Blaise merely smirk at each other, a silent pissing match as they stare into each other in the eyes.
"On the night I left Adrian, I went to Draco's place with no one to, ah…," Pansy licks her teeth as she throws a split second glance at the red head, "runaway to," She emphasizes, "Except instead of Draco, I found Potter. We've been trauma bonding ever since,"
Harry rolls his eyes, "Please stop calling it that," he tells her flatly, speaking with ease for the first time, "Hermione has to stop teaching you things"
"Oh please do," Pansy drawls, "Did you know she gave me a book on meditation and a prompted journal where you had to write three affirmations a day?"
"Good god" Harry tells her dryly.
"I think she's trying to save my soul through positive thinking," Pansy wrinkles her nose in disgust.
"I'm pretty sure she's trying to exorcise you if anything," Harry smiles for the first time.
"Anyway," Pansy rolls her eyes as she turns back to Blaise with a sigh, "Were trauma bonded"
"Please just be normal for once and say friends," Harry tells her exasperatedly
The Slytherin boy studied them curiously, the Cheshire grin only growing wider, "Well, that's disappointing"
"And what exactly were you hoping for?" Pansy asks, amused.
"Well you two seem close but, after reading the articles in the prophet I was expecting, I don't know, a whirlwind romance? Torrid love affair?" Blaise says lazily, "Even something as basic as, 'oh he's my current fuck buddy. You know, I don't judge"
He was doing this on purpose of course to get some sort of reaction from the two. Harry smiles falls almost immediately as he squeezes her hand so painfully tight that she had to step on his foot to make him let go. Honestly the temper on this one, Pansy inwardly rolls her eyes.
Pansy shrugs maintaining her composure, "Sorry, nope. Boring old friends here. Besides I've been too busy dealing with Adrian,"
At this Blaise decides to drop the conversation about her and Harry and instead switched the topic to her and Adrian. She feels Harry relax the grip on her hand. She watches him from the corner of her eye turn his attention back to his meal, struggling to eat it with his non-dominant hand. Pansy moves to remove her hand from his so that he could eat properly but he grips it tighter as soon as she does.
Pansy's face twitches at the actions of the war hero but otherwise keeps her voice even as she fills in Blaise about how her divorce started up until her latest work of art that she built in the Pucey Gardens.
Blaise was laughing, "Fuck, I wish I was there to see that in person." He settles down into a mild chuckle before finally making his intentions to leave, "We should probably go. Thanks for lunch, Pansy. Potter." The married couple stood up and Harry releases her hand so they could do the same.
"By the way, my mother's birthday is coming up. You two should come. I'll send the invites by owl"
"I'll look out for it," Pansy assured the Italian. Harry gave a non-committal nod (He was so not going to go)
"Bye Harry," Ginny speaks directly to him for the first time since they sat down. A slight edge of nerves in her voice.
Pansy holds her breath for some reason. She shoots Harry a glance to see how he'd react. He looked aloof, then, without breaking a stride he says, "Goodbye, Mrs. Zabini," in the most pleasant cordial voice Pansy has ever heard from him.
There was a pregnant pause and for a split second the three of them stood motionless. A slight twinge of pain crossed Ginny's eyes and with that Blaise bids them goodbye again and the couple went on their way.
Harry casually sits back down as if nothing happened and starts to eat again. Pansy eyes him, a grin on her face, as she slowly takes the seat right in front of him. She folds her hands in front of her and waits for him to look at her.
Harry looks up at her, "What" he says flatly.
"You petty bastard," She was so proud of him.
"I have no idea what you're talking about"
"Mrs. Zabini," Pansy mocks him and Harry only throws her a withering look, "That is fucking brilliant. You have no idea how proud I am,"
"Not sure if you being proud of me is a good thing," Harry says dryly.
"Oh it's a very good thing," Pansy said as a matter of factly, "That earns you a higher spot on my favorite people list"
"I'll bite. What rank am I?" Harry asks intrigued.
"Fifth," Pansy shrugged.
"Fifth?!" Harry was insulted.
"Out of five"
"I'm dead last?" Harry gaped at her.
"Hey be grateful you're even on the list at all. You almost lost to Crookshanks," Pansy grins at him as she takes another sip of her coffee. Harry contemplates her words for silent minute or two.
"Wait. I was ranked below Crookshanks before?" He cried at her incredulously
"I was actually contemplating on staying home and borrowing Crookshanks and just watching a movie."
"Crook—you can't be serious," Harry gapes at her, and pretends to be hurt, "You would rather hang out with a cat than me?"
"You were like the fourth person I asked to hangout today"
"Fourth—! Now you're just trying to hurt me," Harry says dryly
—-
Pansy loved the Oceanarium. Harry was right when he said it was like the Slytherin common room. She felt right at home, submerged underwater. Except instead of huge stained glass windows looking out to the black lake, it was a smooth dome that looked out to the ocean. Instead of a giant terrifying squid, she was treated to the most colorful array of aquatic species common to the muggle world. There was something so relaxing to be under the glass dome with the serene blue water all around her.
"Ms. Pansy, I found the hammerhead!" Teddy Lupin yells from the other side of the dome, waving frantically while pointing excitedly at the spot where the beast was swimming.
"Teddy use your inside—" Harry begins to admonish the child as he starts to walk towards his godson.
"Shut. Up. Where!" Pansy shouts back excitedly as she nearly shoves Harry aside to run to the 11-year old.
"—voice" Harry finished exasperatedly. How would he have known that the witch would go crazy over underwater aquariums? Pansy was completely enamored by all the colors in the aquariums.
"The black lake just always looked so black," Pansy told him earlier, "And all you see is the giant squid and some ugly mermaids"
He tiredly makes his way to the pair who now had their faces pressed against the glass. When he brought Pansy with him here, he didn't know that he was going to be spending his day chasing the two of them around. He smiled sheepishly at the muggles who were eyeing their group, and apologizes for them.
"How fast do you think they can tear through human flesh?" Pansy asks the 11 year old who only looked at her incredulously.
"Sharks don't eat people!" He cried (He was an avid shark week observer)
"I thought you said you were going to show me an apex predator," Pansy demands.
"And sharks are apex predators!" The 11 year old argued, "They just don't eat people. They sometimes kill them by accident but they don't eat us!"
Pansy looked mildly disappointed and Harry couldn't help but smile at the forlorn look on her face. Harry also couldn't help but be a tiny bit concerned by Pansy's odd fascination with dangerous animals.
Teddy take out his toy camera that he had given him on his eleventh birthday. (Teddy loved the thing and took pictures of everything he found interesting. On his latest roll, Harry found six pictures of some backyard earthworms) He takes a picture of the hammerhead before taking a card out of his pocket and marking something on it.
"Dad look!" Teddy shows Harry the card that had pictures of the different kinds of sharks the oceanarium had. There was only one more shark left to be crossed out, "I just need to see the great white!"
Harry laughs and ruffles his hair, "Great job, buddy. Want to take a little break? I could use one from chasing you around," then he quirks an eyebrow at pansy, "the both of you" he corrects himself. Pansy only returned his accusation with a haughty expression as she crossed her arms defensively.
The three head towards the concession area and settle on a bench to fuel up on greasy burgers and chips. Teddy all but wolfs down on his.
"Done! Dad can I go play with the other kids?"
"Just stay where I can see you," Harry barely finishes his instructions before running off to the nearby indoor playground installation to play. Harry and Pansy watch him from the bench.
"That kid has too much energy," Pansy muses
"Oh as opposed to the grown woman who spent the day running around the oceanarium like a lunatic?" Harry teases her and she slaps his shoulder with the back of her hand, "He has Tonks cheery attitude for sure, and Lupin's quiet brilliance" Pansy studies the fondness that crossed Harry's face as he spoke about his godson.
"Was it hard for you to raise him?" Pansy asks sincerely
"Some days," Harry admits, "But that comes with any new parent, I guess. Always stressing about if you're doing it right. Trying not to screw him up that much. I love it though,"
"I noticed he calls you dad. Does he know?"
"Yes, I told him when he was old enough to understand," Harry's eyebrows furrowed, "I'm grateful andromeda was there to help me explain to him what had happened to his parents. One day he accidentally called me dad, and well, I told him it was okay if it was okay with him. I didn't want him to feel like I was replacing his real father. He hasn't stopped calling me that since,"
"Dad! Look what I can do!" Teddy calls from the playground, calling the attention of the two adults. Harry took off running when Teddy started hanging himself upside down from the monkey bars. Pansy laughs as she watches Harry try to wrestle him down from the muggle playground, exasperatedly begging the child to come down.
They finished the rest of their trip by having their picture taken with the great white as demanded by the eleven year old. It was apparently Teddy's favorite kind of shark. Teddy claims that it would be a travesty to miss having a photo with such a beast. Pansy decides this kid was most likely to own a dragon in the future.
"Hey, thank you," Harry tells her as they walk to the nearest apparition point, carrying a sleeping teddy on his back, "For entertaining teddy and being cool with him,"
Pansy blushes at the compliment but shrugs to mask it, "Oh it wasn't for Teddy. I'm just really, really interested in sharks, Potter,"
"Of course" Harry laughs
"You don't have to keep thanking me for things, you know," Pansy gives him a side-eye.
"I like to be generally grateful for things,"
"Yeah," Pansy rolls her eyes, "Well were friends. You can't really thank someone for something that was expected"
"And what should I have expected from you then?" Harry asked amused.
"I think one thing people overlook from us Slytherins is that we are extremely loyal to our few chosen friends. That being said, we tend to do anything for our friends no questions asked," Pansy says nonchalantly (Her friends did just help her burn a giant middle finger)
"So you finally admit that were friends"
"Of course we are, number five" she grins at him and he scowls at her, "Yes so if there's anything you need Potter. Anything at all. Even if it was something like a kidney, i'd go out of my way to get you one,"
"Wow, thanks" Harry said dryly
"Just don't ask me how I got it, though," Pansy smirks at him.
"That is both touching and horrifying," Harry says flatly,"Well as a Gryffindor," he continues, "I'd still like to thank you. You were great, really"
Pansy eyes the 11 year old draped on Harry's back, "He's a good kid. You did good, Potter" she decides to say and Harry smiles at her appreciatively. They walk in silence for the rest of the way, mostly because they were both so exhausted to say anything more.
"Well, I guess this is goodbye. Thank—I mean, Good bye Parkinson," Harry smiles at her when they reached the apparition point—a secluded back alley three blocks away from the Oceanarium, "This was fun"
"Bye, Potter," she returns his smile, "Yeah, it was,"
The two adults went their separate ways and disapparated at the same time with a loud pop.
—
A/N: Okay, I made Harry the head of the Slytherin house because I think it's just so cute. Since Harry is known to be incredibly kind and merciful, he would be the perfect person to head the Slytherins (especially post war when everyone is most likely hostile towards them). He would understand them the best since he witnessed the worst of the war himself and he knows what kind of families some of those kids come from.
And he calls them his (little) snakes.
And the fact that he's a parseltongue (lol he can talk to these misunderstood slytherin snakes)
And I imagine the Slytherins seeing him as their Hogwarts father figure.
And the Slytherins all stay out of trouble only because they don't want to disappoint Harry.
And I imagine, Teddy half lives with him in Hogwarts when classes are in (so Teddy has been in the castle since 8 yrs old). And sometimes the older Slytherins babysit him on their free time while Harry has classes. And even when he gets eventually sorted in hufflepuff he still sometimes sits in the Slytherin table with his older friends.
Anyway, this is a whole other fic waiting to happen so I have to stop myself here.