Scarves and Secrets- Phan AU

Chapter Three- The Slytherin

Dan sits down with his fellow Slytherins. He catches eyes with Phil from across the Great Hall, and gives the Hufflepuff a little wave. Louise slides on the bench next to him, bumping him with her hip.

"So, how did it go with that Hufflepuff boy?" she asks, wiggling her eyebrows. Dan blushes and glances around nervously.

"It was fine," he says, fiddling with his scarf. Louise slaps his hand away.

"Dan, stop doing that! I swear to god, one day you're going to rip it," she playfully chides. Dan looks up to her bright eyes.

"Louise, do you know any people named Zoe and Alfie?" he rushes out. Louise widens her heavily mascaraed eyes.

"Why, um, yeah, I've met them. Why?" she replies, a bit taken aback by Dan's sudden question. He shrugs.

"I just met them on the carriage ride, is all."

Louise bites her lip and reaches for a biscuit, which magically appeared on a silver platter. Dan sighs and grabs cookie from a pile that had just sprung up on a large plate. He rests his head on the table, munching on his treat slowly. Louise nudges his shoulder.

"Dan, they're sorting the first years!" she exclaims. He lifts his head, not really paying attention.

The only names that he caught was some boy named Ricky Dillon going to Hufflepuff, a girl named Lily Singh going to Gryffindor, and a girl named Miranda coming to Slytherin. Miranda stares directly at Dan, her mousy hair a mess and bright red lipstick smeared around her mouth. She slinks over to Dan, a smile spread wide across her face. He shifts uncomfortably. She sprints the remaining distance over to him and plops down right next to the fifth year.

"Hello, my name's Miranda!" she says. Her voice sounds slightly slurred and raspy, and she leans in so close to him that Dan can smell exactly what she had for breakfast that morning. She drops her voice, "I am so excited to be in the same House as you, Daniel Howell." She wiggles her eyebrows at him and Dan struggles to find words appropriate for this situation. Louise sniggers. He gives her a sideways look that could translate to, "shut up and help me."

"Um, that's nice, Miranda," he finally manages to say. "Um-how exactly do you know my name?"

She points over to the long table where all of the professors were seated. "The big hairy one told me," she says, winking while motioning to Hagrid. Hagrid gives him a knowing nod. Dan gulps nervously. Dan has barely talked to the surly half giant since what Dan and Louise liked to call the First Year Fiasco, which he managed to keep quiet with some simple Confundus charms and memory hexes.

Miranda inches closer to Dan, pressing herself tightly against his body.

"I hope that we become bestest friends, Daniel Howell," she whispers. "You could be another one of my many boyfriends. Because I'm so popular-" which she pronounced "pop-oo-ler", "so obviously I has lots." She stood up and blew him a kiss, bounding off towards the other end of the table.

"Good bye Daniel Howell!" she flashes him another one of her creepy smiles. Dan turns back to Louise and shudders.

"Please, let me get through this year," he says, looking desperately up towards ceiling surrounded by floating candles. Louise's hand flies to her mouth and she clutches her stomach, laughter exploding from her gut. Dan rolls his eyes.

He nudges Louise to quiet down as Professor Slughorn waddles up to the tall podium dripping in candle wax. The Potions master clears his throat and addresses the anxious crowd:

"Hogwarts students, professors, and staff, I hate to be the bringer of bad news," a large murmur is heard throughout the Great Hall. Professor Slughorn adjusts his spectacles and continues, "but I am afraid that is what I am doing this evening." Students whispered amongst themselves, and even the teachers were shooting each other uncertain looks. Slughorn takes a deep breath. "Headmistress McGonagall is, unfortunately, unable to attend Hogwarts this year due to-recent complications. Now, now, don't be too upset. We will have a replacement soon enough, as well as a new head for Gryffindoor house. In the meantime, I will take over as Headmaster."