Slytherin Poison

eight

I had to say, I was very irritated.

I was wondering why I did not reach Draco in time and that was because someone decided to hold me back.

A girl with rather large front teeth and bushy hair seized my robes and hissed in my ear, "Stop it!"

Turning, my eyes flashed. "If you touch me again, I promise you won't like what I'll stop."

Rearing back, the girl almost stumbled but held tighter to me. Several people shot her dirty looks. With her prissy voice, the girl's eyes narrowed as she retorted, "I can always tell the professor if you do anything to me. Besides, I know exactly who you are."

I snorted. "I can't say the same."

"You-"

Her voice was drowned out when Professeur McGonagall reappeared. Her sharp eyes took in the scene before she finally stated strictly, "Follow me."

I guess she decided to turn a blind eye.

The doors burst open and the great hall came into view. The ceiling, though enchanted, was beautiful, illuminated by thousands of floating candles. Four long tables stretched across the room and at the far end was where the teachers sat to dine. 

"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside." I had no doubt it was the same girl from before. "I read about it in Hogwarts: A History."

Of course, she would think that memorizing the whole book was impressive but to me, I thought it wasn't something worth noting. Draco and me, the both of us had grown up reading thousands of books and studied hundreds of things, from potions to dark artifacts. Not to mention, the girl didn't know Bathilda Bagshot personally as I did. Bathilda was an old friend to my Grandmother and often came for tea. You learn more when the author of the book teaches you things she didn't want to make public to the world.

Rolling my eyes slightly, I stopped like everybody else when we faced a chair. On it, perched a flappy sort of hat, colored a dull brown.

This was it.

The sorting ceremony.

I felt nervous for the first time here. 

"Rosalyn."

It was Draco.

He didn't explain what happened back then and I didn't push it. He needed his best friend and I would be there for him. Taking his hand, I squeezed and his worried expression eased just a bit. 

As the hat sang his song, I said, "Everything will be fine, Draco."

"You know exactly how our families will react if we didn't make it to Slytherin." Draco's expression clouded. "But if you don't make it, it won't change anything between us." A slight grin appeared. "Well, aside from Quidditch, that is."

I laughed. "Don't insult me, Draco."

When Milicent was sorted to Slytherin, Theo looked quite unhappy. Daphne and Pansy both got into Slytherin and I saw the mirroring sentiments on both of their expressions when they sat together. Theo joined them not much later. Greg and Vince got in too and I saw the dismay on Draco's face. It turned out that the girl with bushy hair was actually a muggle-born with the name of Hermione Granger. 

To my surprise, she was sent to Gryffindor. I honestly thought she would be a Slytherin from her haughtiness.

My knuckles were white when Neville Longbottom joined the Gryffindor table.

Not long later, Draco was called up. I watched intently. 

Draco would be fine.

I held my breath as the hat was placed to his head but before the hat even touched Draco's head, it bellowed, "SLYTHERIN!"