Bejeweled: A Draco Malfoy Fanfic

01. Is The Sorting Hat Supposed To Do That?

   
"Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it." - a lot of people, probably

———————————————————————

Ivy Stillwater had always told herself that her best features were her eyes. Hers were large and cinnamon-brown, and if they caught just the right angle of sunlight, they sparkled in fiery-golden rays. Eyes were the first thing that Ivy noticed when meeting someone new, and she wished people would appreciate the unique hues and tints of their own eyes a little more. Eyes could tell stories, if one only bothered to read them.

Ivy also had long, dark hair that cascaded in waves down her back, which contrasted nicely with her pale skin. Her hair and eyes were her only distinctive features, as she was a fairly average girl in all other aspects. She was neither tall nor short for her age, and was neither thin nor heavyset.

All in all, Ivy Stillwater was just another student waiting to be sorted to begin just another school year at Hogwarts.

~

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor Table erupted in applause as another excited-looking first year scrambled off the stool to sit amongst the cheering students. Ivy smiled as she imagined herself being sorted into Gryffindor. Brave, daring, and noble Gryffindor. Who wouldn't want to join them? She supposed Ravenclaw would be nice, too, and had heard Hufflepuffs were a friendly lot. She didn't know much about Slytherin, not that she cared - they seemed rather unpleasant. Gryffindor was where she wanted to be. The line of first years was beginning to dwindle, and she knew it would soon be her turn for the Sorting Hat to decide her fate.

Ivy had just moved to Britain in hopes of attending the famed Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry when she got her owl-delivered letter. She had dreamed of becoming a witch for years, and now she was finally going to learn magic!  It was a miracle that her father had gotten a new job in Britain, and it was an even greater miracle that she had persuaded her parents into letting her attend Hogwarts. Ivy was sixteen now, so she would only be able to attend Hogwarts for a few years before graduating, but that didn't matter. Her dreams were finally going to come true.

She snapped back into reality as the girl who was standing in front of her was sorted into Ravenclaw. "Stillwater, Ivy!" Professor McGonagall called her name, and her heart pounded nervously inside her chest. She felt the stares of hundreds of students follow her as she made her way to the tiny stool at the front of the line.

Of course they're looking at me, I stick out like a sore thumb! She thought to herself. Who's ever heard of a fifth year student getting sorted for the first time? Ivy sat down on the stool as McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on her head. Gryffindor, Gryffindor, Gryffindor, she pleaded quietly, holding her breath with anticipation.

The room was silent as the Hat considered the four options. Ivy let her vision wander, taking in the grandiosity of the Great Hall for the first time. It was then that she noticed a boy sitting at the Slytherin table. He was handsome, with piercing blue eyes and white-blond hair ... and he was looking right at her. He wasn't smiling, but he looked intrigued, as if she was an object of great interest and value. Their eyes locked for a few moments, and then-

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The boy frowned, shook his head, and turned away.

There was more applause, and Ivy shyly made her way to the Gryffindor table, eyeing the strange boy who suddenly seemed uninterested in her. She decided not to worry - she was just placed in her favorite House, after all, who cares if a Slytherin boy didn't share her enthusiasm? Her thoughts were interrupted with the gasps and exclamations of students pointing to the front of the Hall - to the very spot where she had just been sorted.