A happy and loud, expletive came from your right, shattering the silence that followed the hat's proclamation.
"Mr.Sallow!" reprimanded the Deputy Head—but it had done its service in breaking the awkward atmosphere, causing students to start laughing and cheering for you. You even heard a few polite claps come from your new house.
You shakily stepped down from the stool as the redheaded witch removed the hat from your head. You glared at it as it was taken away—the confusing conversation with it still buzzing around your brain.
An excited clapping came from behind you and saw Professor Ronan sending you a zealous thumbs up, joy filling his jolly features. You scanned along the line and saw all the teachers applauding and beaming, with Professor Sharp giving you an appreciative nod, holding up his goblet.
"Alright young Slytherin, look here." You turned to see Professor Weasley holding up her wand. With a flick, you felt magic cascade over your body, watching the gray accents on your clothes turn a deep shamrock green, a serpent crest branding your cloak with your new house.
"Well, I suppose that's a step in the right direction." came a haughty voice.
The Headmaster looked down his nose at you with a shade more interest than before. Judging by the color of his attire, you had just joined his boyhood house.
Numbly you looked up and saw disappointment etched on the faces of your new friends. Natty gave a luckless shrug but clapped and cheered loudly. Poppy and Amit also looked crestfallen, but applauded and tried to seem happy for you anyway. Garreth appeared a bit more downcast—but you assumed that was due to him having surely lost his wager.
You turned your feet towards your new house table, your mind and heart weighing heavily with each step.
So where should I sit? Next to the blind boy I insulted, the girl who thinks I'm an idiot or the flirtatious rake who seems hellbent on driving me to violence?
You purposely walked to the far end of the Slytherin table as food magically appeared along it. The Great Hall broke out into conversation and clinking cutlery as you spied an empty seat next to a girl with a brown fringe. You quickly sat down, pretending you didn't hear Sebastian's little nickname for you drifting down the table, trying to catch your attention.
"Hello there! I'm Nerida Roberts." the attractive brunette said, holding out a hand. You tried to shrug off your initial disappointment, smiling politely as you shook it, introducing yourself.
Nerida turned out to be quite an interesting dinner companion. While the rest of the Slytherins on your end of the table eyed you with distrust, Nerida warmly asked you about your classes and your life with Muggles.
"It's so strange. No one thought you would be a Slytherin—not with your upbringing." she said, taking a bite of her roast beef.
"Why? What does my upbringing have to do with it?"
"Oh! It's not a bad thing, honest—It's just—Slytherin has certain...traditions. One of which is a requirement to be a pure-blood."
"A what?"
"A pure-blood. It just means that your family is made of all wizards—no muggles. I don't hold much stock in that nonsense—but many in our house do." and she then gave you a significant look which you unfortunately, understood. "The thing is, you didn't seem to know anything about the magical world and you were raised by muggles...everyone assumed you were a muggle-born."
Huh.
Were you not muggle-born? You had never really given much thought to your parents. They had not seen the value in keeping you or they had not survived long enough to do so—either way, they were strangers.
"Yes, I had some questions about that as well." came an irritated voice behind you.
Glaring down at you was Imelda Reyes.
"How the hell are you in Slytherin? Were you just pretending to be a moron earlier to trick me? You grew up with muggles!" she growled, spitting the accusations at you.
You steeled your expression.
"What can I tell you, Imelda? I was raised by muggles—in a muggle orphanage. I don't know who my parents are—so how could I have known if they were wizards?"
Imelda scoffed haughtily—but seemed to back down a bit, eyes darting to the side as the logic of what you said dawned on her.
"Now, now, Imelda, be a good sport." said a voice moving towards you. You looked to see Garreth and Natty striding over, finished with their meal. "I lost too. Seems our new classmate is just full of secrets." and he shot you a quick wink.
"So who won?" you asked with idle curiosity. Garreth's expression soured and he stuffed his hands in his robes in a petulant display. "Only two people guessed correctly." he admitted with a sigh.
"Only two people?" You were shocked. Everyone else must have assumed just as Imelda did, that Slytherin couldn't be a possibility for you. "Who?" you ask.
"Well, I promised one person I wouldn't say—and the other..."
"Where's my little good luck charm?"
You pinched the bridge of your nose as you swore.
Turning you saw the one and only Sebastian Sallow sauntering up the tables, his eyes trained on you with a wolfish grin.
"You? You guessed I was going to be sorted into Slytherin?" you asked in disbelief.
"Of course. Where else would someone as mysterious and violent as you end up? Plus, I knew you couldn't bear to be parted from me." he added with a hand on his heart, giving you a simpering look before laughing. You huffed and looked away as he approached Garreth, hand held out expectantly.
The Gryffindor scowled at the Slytherin, previous animosity palpable between the two boys.
"Alright, Sallow. Here." Garreth sneered as he dropped a heavy leather pouch into Sebastian's awaiting fingers.
"Much obliged, Weasley." he said with jovial air, feeling the weight with an appreciative nod.
"What will you buy with your winnings, Sebastian?" asked Natty good-naturedly.
The Slytherin boy looked thoughtful for a moment, making a show of rubbing his chin with speculation.
"Hmmm...not sure yet, Si. I do need a few things in Hogsmeade...and while I'm there, I think maybe I should buy my little charm, a drink at the Three Broomsticks—after all, my boon came from her." and he flopped onto the recently vacated space on the bench next to you, boldly throwing an arm over your shoulders, grinning at the side of your face. Natty giggled while Garreth's scowl deepened.
You immediately shrugged the arm off to round on the teen, ready to tell him exactly where he could shove that presumptuous drink—when you were interrupted.
"Hogsmeade? Did I overhear something about that from this direction?" said Professor Weasley, approaching your group. You saw Sebastian swiftly tuck his winnings into his robe, setting his face with an innocent smile
"Me, Professor. I was just saying I might make my way down on Saturday. I want to buy my sister a gift, to cheer her up." He said smoothly.
Sister?
You noted the subtle change in everyone's demeanor at Sebastian's remark. People looked away or at the floor. Imelda bit her lip while even Garreth rubbed the back of his head, brow contracted. The Deputy Head bestowed a sympathetic look on the boy.
That doesn't seem...good.
"That is very kind of you Mr.Sallow—and in the spirit of such generosity, I was hoping you might take our new student with you, as she needs to collect some supplies—but has never been to the village and therefor might need assistance."
Sebastian beamed like he won another bag of money.
Placing his arm around your shoulders again; this time in a more friendly fashion, he gave you a light, chummy shake. You faked a toothy smile as you didn't think you would get away with decking the boy in front of the Deputy Head.
"It would be my honour to show our—"
You were about to interrupt, to try and stop what appeared to be your professor setting you up on some kind of social outing with Sebastian—but Garreth beat you to it.
"Aunt—Professor, I would be more than happy to show her around and help collect her supplies. We were actually talking about Zonkos earlier in Potions. I would love a chance to show her." and he smiled down at you.
You felt Sebastian's fingers tighten a fraction where they held your shoulder.
"While I appreciate the chivalry, my dear nephew, I do recall that you are currently on restricted privileges for the incident with the grindylows. You will have to show our new Slytherin the joke shop when you are once again allowed to leave the castle."
Garreth's face began to match his hair as he looked down in embarrassment. You could practically feel the delight radiating off of Sebastian, his body shaking slightly as he was trying to contain laughter.
"Mr.Sallow will do as a guide. It's lucky too—" and she turned to address you. "—as you really need to get your own wand my dear, can't have you using that old borrowed one much longer, can we?"
You nodded in agreement and promised to go and collect one on Saturday. Happy that she had discharged her obligation, the older witch bid them all goodnight.
After she was out of earshot, Garreth started laughing loudly.
"Something funny, Weasley?" asked Sebastian, his tone edged.
"Nothing—I'm not saying anything." but his eyes still bubbled with mirth.
Sebastian dropped his smile and stood to face off against the Gryffindor, arms crossed defiantly.
"Really? Cause it seems like you want to say something."
Garreth's brow cocked a hair higher.
"I was just thinking about the fact that the Slytherin duelling champion got his royal arse handed to him by a muggle-raised girl on her first day—with a borrowed wand." he stared straight back at the brunette, lacing his hands behind his head in a confident pose.
Sebastian scrunched his nose with a mock simper.
"Awww don't be a sore loser, Weasley."
"You think I care you won the bet?"
"Wasn't talking about the bet. Red."
You thought you could actually feel sparks coming off the two boys as they looked ready to murder one another.
Natty was shaking her head.
"It's always something with you two, isn't it?"
Your name called loudly from across the hall seemed to break the tension. Both boys sneered at each other once more before stepping away. You turned and saw The Figs beckoning you to the side door where they stood with Professor Ronen. You waved goodbye to the group of fifth-years, with Nerida saying she would see you later in your dorm. Imelda sniffed at this—which made you realize it was her dorm too.
Great.
As you walked away Garreth called out to you.
"See you later, Slytherin girl."
Sebastian, not to be outdone, bellowed:
"See you at home, Bash."
Your face was burning by the time you had hurried over to the adults. The elder witch had an amused look when you arrived, as she made a show of glancing past you towards the boys you had just left.
"Having fun, are we?" she said with a mischievous raise of her brows. You scrunch your nose with a head shake which made her bark out a laugh.
"Ah youth." she lamented wistfully, leaning her head on husband's shoulder. He chuckled and kissed her snowy hair.
"It's wasted on them, is it not." joked Professor Ronen.
The jolly professor then looked conspiratorially around before beckoning you closer. You leaned in with curiosity.
He pulled a leather satchel out of his pocket and swiftly closed your hands around it. It was heavy and sounded like coins. You gasped.
"You were the other bet!"
His eyes shined with delight and mischief.
"Of course not. It would be unbecoming of a professor of my age to engage in childish wagers—No, I merely placed a bet on your behalf."
"But—how did you know what house I would be sorted into?"
"Call it, a gut feeling of a fellow Slytherin. When I met you this morning, I saw something in you—call it, a necessity—one that I felt was connected to my own house."
You thought for a moment about his meaning.
"Do you mean that I need Slytherin?"
"More like Slytherin needs you, my young friend." he said with a cryptic look, his ever present smile growing a tad warmer. You felt your nerves soothe slightly as you beamed back, feeling better for the first time about your new emerald crest.
"Now make sure you use this to buy something really silly and ridiculous, alright? Nothing educational or healthy. I highly recommend Zonkos!" he chuckled.
"Already corrupting your charge, are you Abby?" asked Fig jovially, stepping closer to the conversation you hadn't tried very hard to hide.
"Typical Gryffindor, always seeing a bit of fun as a 'corruption'. I tell you, I'll never understand how you could betray our house and marry this old lion, Miriam." he laughed, clapping Fig on the shoulder in a brotherly fashion.
Your eyes widened and you looked up at the witch who was shaking her head at the men before looking down to meet your gaze, eyes twinkling with humour.
"You were in Slytherin?"
"Indeed I was—am. You are always a Slytherin, my dear—and yes it was quite the scandal when Eleazar proposed a year after I graduated. Our social group nearly went to war over the matter."
"But Miriam was set on having her Gryffindor—and once Miriam decides something, Merlin's mercy to anyone who tries to stop her." added Ronen.
Miriam let out a peal of laughter at this description of herself, spinning the delicate gold band on her left hand between her fingers. You caught the glint of a row of little rubies and emeralds in the candlelight.
Real love, your heart whispered.
"On that flattering sketch of my character, Eleazar and I have a few things to discuss with your newest little garden snake."
Ronen nodded and gave a quick-step bow before bidding you goodnight.
"I will see you soon my friend. As your head of house, I am at your disposal should you require any help." he added, and finally, charged Miriam with bringing you to the Slytherin common room later.
The Figs bid their friend goodnight and then turned to you.
"I know that today has been a lot for you. If you don't want to view the memory tonight, that's alright." offered Miriam, tucking a stray lock of your hair back into place, worry clouding her features.
You shook your head.
"No. I need to understand what is happening. I am acting on instincts I can't explain—or justify following. The sorting hat also said some...concerning things. I cannot just keep staggering around in the dark. I need to know."
Your mentors both nodded with grim understanding.
"Then let's go get your answers, shall we?" said Fig, gesturing for you to lead the way.