"Who's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" I asked Draco as we took our seats. 

Azaleea sat across from me in between Tanya and Alice. Crabb and Goyle sat on Draco's left while I sat on his right. We all were glad we weren't first years. The weather was absolutely horrid tonight. I could just imagine my poor little brother, soaked to the bone, and all alone without any of his family. I shivered thinking about it. 

"I don't care." Draco muttered. I glanced at him quizzically for a moment before assessing the staff table. 

There was Professor Flitwick, our Charms teacher, sitting on what looked to me like several pillows, although from our angle it could have been something else. Next to him was our Herbology teacher, Professor Sprout. Who, as usual, looked absolutely ghastly. Mindlessly chatting away with her was Professor Sinistra, our Astronomy teacher. 

Snape sat next to Sinistra, watching our table with an especially close eye. He was of course the head of Slytherin house. He was quite strict with us, but I could hardly blame him. If he wasn't so strict I suspect we'd all be an embarrassment to Hogwarts. 

The seat beside him was vacant, which I assumed was Professor McGonagall's. And in the center of it all was the very regal Head Master, Dumbledore. Dressed in fantastic robes, his fingers formed a steeple and his chin rested upon them as he watched us all intently. 

"Perhaps Dumbledore will be our teacher." Azaleea muttered. I bumped Draco's shoulder with mine in an attempt at flirting, but he ignored it.

"I certainly hope not." Suddenly I was in a vision. 

I saw a little boy take a seat in the stool and fit the Sorting Hat firmly on his head. He was completely drenched. I assumed it's from the raging storm outside. I couldn't rightly make out who the boy is, but after a couple of seconds the hat announces my house, and then I was thrown back into real life. 

That's what I hated most of all about my visions. The faces were never clear, nor were most of the sounds. Who was he? Why would those particular words have brought one on? Then suddenly the doors to the Great Hall opened, and complete silence fell over the room. 

Professor McGonagall slowly led the absolutely drenched first years through the hall. I giggled quietly when I saw Tevon making his way through with a couple of other first year boys. 

"What are you laughing at, Redd?" Draco whispered. 

"My brother. He looks positively water logged." I smiled.

"Doesn't he though?" Azaleea laughed as she turned to me.

"For Merlin's sake, Redd! How many siblings do you have?" He asked sarcastically.

"I have eleven sisters and one brother. There's thirteen of us all together." I muttered. When Draco's eyes met mine I saw frustration, I saw confusion, but I also saw a glimmer of amusement. 

"Jeez."

My attention was brought back to McGonagall as she placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years and placed The Sorting Hat on it. They all watched intently, as did I, waiting for the song it had prepared this year. 

"A thousand years or more ago,
When I was newly sewn,
There lived four wizards of renown,
Whose names are still well known:
Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,
Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,
Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,
Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.
They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,
They hatched a daring plan
To educate young sorcerers
Thus Hogwarts School began.
Now each of these four founders
Formed their own house, for each
Did value different virtues
In the ones they had to teach.
By Gryffindor, the bravest were
Prized far beyond the rest;
For Ravenclaw, the cleverest
Would always be the best;
For Hufflepuff, hard workers were
Most worthy of admission;
And power-hungry Slytherin
Loved those of great ambition.
While still alive they did divide
Their favorites from the throng,
Yet how to pick the worthy ones
When they were dead and gone?
'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,
He whipped me off his head
The founders put some brains in me
So I could choose instead!
Now slip me snug about your ears,
I've never yet been wrong,
I'll have a look inside your mind
And tell where you belong!" 

With that the Great Hall burst out into a roaring applause. Everyone always looked forward to it's song, even Draco looked genuinely happy. After the applause died down McGonagall unrolled a rather large sheet of parchment. 

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool," The first years gazed at her intently. "When the hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table. 

Ackerley, Stewart!" McGonagall announced. A shivering mess of a boy walked up and placed the hat on his head and gingerly sat down on the stool. 

"RAVENCLAW!" Suddenly the table beside ours erupted into loud hoots and hollers. 

"Where do you think your brother will be placed?" Draco whispered, and sudden realization hit me. How could I have not known? It was my brother. The little boy from my vision was my brother. 

"Gryffindor." I lied, not wanting him to suspect anything when Tevon gets placed. 

"Baddock, Malcolm!" McGonagall announced. 

"He's sure to be Slytherin." Draco grinned at him as he took his seat in the stool, but I was far to mesmerized by Draco's slight grin to be paying any attention to the first years. 

"SLYTHERIN!" The hat yelled. Draco stood to congratulate him. After a moment of realizing what it is we were all clapping about, I meekly joined in. 

The hat continued to place people, and I only half paid attention until my brother's name was next. 

"Redd, Tevon!" I watched intently as he made his way up to the stool, just like in my vision. Firmly he placed the hat on his head and squeezed his eyes shut waiting for his house to be announced. 

"SLYTHERIN!" The hat hollered. Tevon's eyes shot open as if awakening from a bad dream. He looked around the room, and I could see the same look on his face I had at my sorting ceremony. I quickly stood to let him know where to go, but he stayed firmly planted on the stool. 

"Over there, Mr. Redd." McGonagall pointed to me. He locked eyes with mine for a moment before he slowly stood and removed the hat from his head. Tevon walked as if in a trance to an empty spot on my side of the table. I leaned out to see if he would do the same, but he was to wrapped up in his own mind to notice. 

I suppose I was happy to have another Redd in Slytherin house, but I couldn't find it in my heart to smile. I knew how badly he wanted to be a Ravenclaw. I knew exactly how he felt, and all those feelings of disappointment came rushing back to the surface. 

My table cheered and laughed. I'm not sure if they were laughing because of the slight spectacle Tevon made of himself, or if they were genuinely happy to have my brother as a member of our house. The Sorting Ceremony ended with Kevin Whitby, who by the way was placed in Hufflepuff. Then Professor McGonagall carried the hat and stool away as Dumbledore got to his feet. 

"I have only two words for you." He said as his deep voice echoed off the walls. "Tuck in." The tables suddenly erupted with food. Draco eagerly loaded his plate with meats and fruits. 

"Excuse me a moment." I said to Draco. "Zay, come with me." We quickly made my way to Tevon, who was laughing with a couple of other first year Slytherin boys. 

"What's going on, Lily? Why are you suddenly hanging around Malfoy?" Azaleea asked as we headed toward Tevon.

"I don't know. He asked me to sit with him, and I agreed. That's all I know." I muttered quietly.

"Fae is going to have a fit." 

"Are you alright, Tevon?" I whispered in his right ear as I wrapped my arm around him tightly. 

"I'll be alright. I'm obviously meant for something great." He looked up at me with big eyes. I admired his way of making the best out of the situation. 

"You sure?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't suddenly burst into tears or some other unmentionable thing. 

"Yes, I've already made friends." He looked to the Baddock boy sitting directly across from him. "But, will you tell Malfoy not to whomp on me again?" He asked with a grin that doesn't touch his eyes. 

"Absolutely." I laughed as I ruffle his hair.

"Slytherin house isn't all bad. You'll love it after a while." Azaleea smiled. 

Tevon smiled in agreement, but again it never reached his eyes. My heart broke again for him. He turned back to his friends, effectively dismissing us. After welcoming the other first years to our house I returned to my seat next to Draco. 

"My brother asks you not to whomp on him anymore." I spat with a little to much venom, but he said nothing in return. As a matter a fact, he didn't acknowledge my presence at all. 

I quickly took a piece of meat and several vegetables, and a piece of fruit or two. I found myself not at all hungry. 

"Is that all you're going to eat?" Draco asked with a mouthful of food. I nodded. 

"It's none of your business how much I eat!" I shouted, whilst nonchalantly looking down at my body to assess exactly what he was seeing. 

"Whatever." Draco sighed. I was beginning to wonder what ever possessed me to agree to this. I looked to Azaleea, who just gave me a shrug and went back to her plate without a word. Why was I even asked to sit with him in the first place if he was going to ignore me the whole time? 

"Perhaps you'd like to insult me some more, hmm? I'll give you some topics," I cleared my throat. "I'm ugly, my voice is disgustingly deep, my eyes look like my owl's. I'm not particularly graceful, and I almost flucked Potions last year. Oh, and my flying skills are seriously lacking. Anything I forgot?" I asked Azaleea, who gaped at me with wide eyes.

"How did you manage to nearly flunk Potions?" Draco asked with wide eyes, and suddenly I'm angry. 

"Okay, I'd rather sit with the first years than have to bother with your bloody bullshit right now." I hissed. As I turned to leave Draco grabbed my left forearm. 

"Don't go." He begged in a nearly inaudible whisper, his eyes burning with some unsaid thing he just couldn't seem to spit out. 

"How else would you like to insult me then? Perhaps you'd like to taunt me about my Dark Arts class? Or maybe--" 

"Good God, Redd. Is there anything you are good at?" The question nearly knocked me off my seat. 

"As a matter a fact, yes. I passed Charms and Muggle Studies with perfect marks. I'm exceptional in Transfiguration and Herbology." I blushed bright crimson before I attempted to stand again, but he held me tightly. 

"I'm sorry if I offended you, Lily. It wasn't my intention." He whispered. Suddenly his face was so close to mine I could hardly breathe. "Forgive me?" 

"Of course." I whispered back. He smiled slightly. 

"For the record, you're not ugly. You and your eyes are beautiful." He looked away as he said it, and he said it as though the words had no meaning, but I still melted. 

When I looked up from my plate Azaleea was watching us through her eyelashes, a snarky grin pulling at her lips. Past her I saw Roselle pressed a little to close to Neville Longbottom. She glared at me with burning hatred. I knew she despised Draco Malfoy since that time in the Great Hall during our first year when he'd called her a fat old granny. I had found it quite amusing. 

Her eyes spat venom into my soul and when she looked away I saw her whisper something to Neville. He quickly looked up at the both of us and went back to his plate as he whispered something back to Roselle. She quickly flagged down Faelynn, Jazlynn, Zaria, Orchidde, Violette and Nova and began telling them something. Each of them glanced my way with disdain. 

Once everyone's plates were cleared, and everyone was nearly green with fullness, Dumbledore rose again to make his welcome speech. I slowly leaned into Draco, and he wrapped his right arm around my left and pulled my hand into his lap. I lightly gripped his sleeve with the other and listened intently.