Pansy shakes me awake. "Get up, sleepy head! We're gonna be late for class!"
I mumble something even I don't catch, and sit up slowly, rubbing my eyes. My trunk and other belongings were taken up to the dorm by servants while the sorting and welcoming feast were going on, so I have all my stuff. I turn on the lamp on my bedside table and slide off the bed.
It's just me and Pansy in our dorm. Usually there's at least five to a dorm, but most of the other girls have separate ones.
I shuffle around in my trunk for fresh clothes and grab the same kind of outfit I adorned yesterday. I leave the dorm last, still yawning, and walk into the hallway between the separate dorms for each year of girls. I follow the slow stream of them down the stairs and duck into the bathroom for a shower. I pull off my pajamas and fold them neatly on the counter and slip into the shower in my underwear. I'm not quite comfortable enough here that I'll walk around the bathroom in nothing. I pull off my bra and underwear and toss them back with the rest of my stuff. A fresh white towel waits readily for me on a hook in the shower stall.
I take a long, hot shower, and scrub every inch of myself with the soap and shampoo I brought from home. At last, I feel clean, and slip out of the shower stall in my towel. I duck into a toilet stall to change.
People tell me I always smell like vanilla and laundry detergent. If that's a good thing, I'm not sure. I don't have the energy to blow dry my hair, so I pull it back wet into two long, even darker red braids down my back. I pull out a couple strands to frame my face, and borrow some makeup from one of the other girls to get rid of the bags under my eyes and add some color to my pale face. After ten minutes of adjusting my appearance, I conclude I look fine and stroll out of the bathroom into the common room to look for someone to go to breakfast with. I find Theo sitting on a couch, fiddling with his hair in a mirror across the room.
"Morning," I say tiredly, plopping down next to him.
"Hey gorgeous," he smiles.
"Oh piss off," I grin. I'm not really mad.
"Someone woke up grumpy today," he says, sweeping his long brown hair out of his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah. Where are the others?" I ask, tucking a loose strand of his hair behind his ear so it stops covering his blue eyes.
"They already went up. Told them I'd wait for you," he says.
"Let's go then," I say, standing up and offering him my hand to pull him up from the couch. He takes it like it's as natural as breathing and doesn't let go. Suddenly I feel little flutters in my chest. Stop it, I tell myself.
We start off down the hallways. When we get close to the great hall, I let go of his hand and stride to the table. We sit down with the others.
"Took you long enough," Draco says.
"Relax a little, Draco. You're starting to act like a responsible little Ravenclaw," Enzo laughs.
I grab a box of cereal and pour myself a generous bowl. I didn't each much yesterday, and now I'm famished.
"Huzzah, here come our new schedules." Theo points to Snape walking down the benches, handing out schedules.
I'm nervous to see what I get placed in. I don't want to be alone in my classes, like I have been for so long.
Snape slowly works his way down towards us until finally, "Let's see... Yes, Nott, Berkshire, Zabini, Riddle, and the Malfoys." He passes us each a blank schedule and with a wave of his wand, words appear indicating our itineraries.
"I've got Transfiguration first period, then History of Magic, Charms, Divination, Herbology, then Lunch, Care of Magical Creatures, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and last period I've got Potions," I say.
"Same," says Mattheo, showing a tiny smile.
"Seriously? Sick," I smile. I won't be alone at all. The rest off them have different classes, except for Care of Magical Creatures.
"Shit," says Theo.
"Yeah," echo Blaise and Enzo.
Me and Mattheo head out for Transfiguration a few minutes later. We walk quietly. The hallways are crowded, so I grab the strap of his bag so I don't lose him. He turns back with a scared look on his face.
"What?" I ask.
"Nothing. We're almost there."
I shrug it off, and let him guide me through the crowds to the classroom we're supposed to be in. We squeeze our way through the door.
"Where do you want to sit?" He asks without looking at me.
"Somewhere at the back. I hate not being able to see what's going on around me," I say, pointing out a vacant desk in a corner.
"Me too," he says, grabbing my arm to pull me to the desk. Now I'm looking away and blushing. Godric, what is wrong with me today? He is just a boy. It's not like you've never had a friendship with one before, but he's just a boy, right? Just a boy.
McGonagall, presumably the teacher of this subject, shouts for quiet and tells us to get out our books. I pull out the thick copy of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Four.
We turn to chapter one. I finish it in a few minutes, so I just sit and doodle on some scrap parchment. After a minute I realize I'm absent mindedly sketching Mattheo's face, and I snatch the paper, my face burning red, and stuff it into my bag.
McGonagall peers over my shoulders. "Done already, Miss Malfoy?"
I jump a little, since I didn't see her. "Yes, Professor."
"Excellent, you may complete the chapter quiz," she says, handing me a packet of paper. I nod.
I finish that too, in only a few minutes. This is the easiest Transfiguration class I've ever taken. I guess Hogwarts is a lot more relaxed than Beaxbatons. I get up and hand McGonagall my packet. I feel like everyone in the room is staring at me. "Done already? My, I am impressed, Miss Malfoy," McGonagall says, pulling down her spectacles to grade the test.
I look up to see half the class staring at me with sour looks on their faces. I walk back to my seat and lay my head down on the desk, intending to just take a nap for the rest of the class. I feel a jab in my ribs and look up to see Mattheo eying me curiously.
"How did you do that?" He whispers.
"Do what?"
"Finish so fast?"
"I dunno, I just did," I shrug.
"You're incredible," Mattheo laughs quietly. "I mean, no. You're smart, that's all."
I raise my eyebrows. "Really? Thanks, Riddle."
"Help me?" He asks.
"Sure," I say. I direct him on the answers to the rest of the questions on the quiz, and he's the second one to finish after me.
After he turns in his paper, we just sit in awkward silence for a minute before he says, "So... I know like nothing about you."
I laugh quietly. "Yeah, you too. Ask me something."
"What's your favorite color?"
I let out a real laugh this time. McGonagall shushes us. I put my hand over my mouth. What a silly question, but I guess it can tell you a lot about a person . "Green, I think."
"Fitting, you being an Slytherin," he says.
"Not that kind of green. Something softer, more natural. Like the woods. Moss, and trees and grass," I say. "What about you?"
"Orange."
"Like Weasly's hair?" I laugh, pointing with my thumb towards Harry Potter and Ron Weasly across the classroom.
"Ha-ha," he laugh sarcastically. "No, something softer, like your green. More like, a sunset, y'know?"
I nod. I do know. "What do you do for fun?" I ask.
"Whatever the gang is doing, I guess," he shrugs. "We mess around a lot. Y'know, go to parties, hang around the school grounds. Whatever seems interesting at the time."
"I didn't know parties were allowed here," I say.
"They're not. But no one really cares," He winks at me.
"Oh, I get it. You and your gang, A bunch of bad boys, huh?" I laugh.
"Lighten up. I think you'll have a lot more fun."
"Someday I'll take you up on that offer, Riddle. But not today."
The bell rings. We stand. We go.