[1] Gasoline ✗ Draco Malfoy

two

Chapter Two;

"RAVENCLAW!"

The Sorting Hat boomed its decision for its entire audience to hear – which was only Seohyun and Professor McGonagall. The Transfiguration professor had taken her aside when she entered the Entrance Hall to a small chamber, where she could try the Hat on alone.

"The only others being Sorted are first years," she'd explained crisply. "Unless you want to stand out, it would be better for you to be Sorted alone."

Now Seohyun beamed and jumped up from the stool, handing the Hat back to Professor McGonagall. Ravenclaw! That was Luna's House, so she knew at least one person. And Luna was exceptionally kind; Seohyun had travelled to the castle in the same carriage as Luna, at the blonde's invitation. She'd been joined by Ginny Weasley and her boyfriend, Dean Thomas. Seohyun thought she might have been shoved to the side, forgotten, so had been greatly touched when all three included her in their conversations.

Professor McGonagall took the Hat and smiled. "Well, Miss Park, you'd better hurry and join your House. The first years will be here soon."

"Of course, Professor." Seohyun returned the smile and scurried from the room, entering the Great Hall. She paused in the doorway, her mouth hanging agape.

Seohyun's first thought when she saw Hogwarts was, I must draw this place. She needed to capture its beauty in her lines, have pencil create an image in which the essence of the castle's ancient aura hung, yet there was something strong, everlasting, like it was proclaiming to the world, I am here, and I always be here. She wanted to capture what it looked like against the backdrop of the night sky; the way the moon shone upon it like a spotlight, how the soft glow from the windows pierced the darkness and gave the structure an element of warmth. It was beautiful, it was awe-inspiring... It was the type of building that she would have expected to find in fairy tales.

A same rush overcame her as she stared at the Great Hall. She wanted to sit down, whip out her drawing pad and draw it as she saw it. The way the ceiling appeared to open up to the heavens, creating a sense of endlessness and magnificence, the thousands of candles in the air like stars. The people, seated at the House tables, talking and laughing... The comradery, the friendship; she liked that.

Then, with her critical artist's eye, she started to find flaws in the image before her. The four tables were relatively close together to fit into the same room, however no one looked around. People didn't lean across to another table, a joke or witty comment at their lips. Everyone's backs remained turned, their eyes only for those next to them or directly opposite. The comradery was only for people who sat with them, who wore their House colours. Everyone else were acquaintances, at the best. In other cases, they were strangers.

Seohyun pursed her lips. She didn't like that. At Areum Academy, they had all sat together. No colours had separated them, no trait of personality. She'd shared her dorm with a variety of girls, all with personalities as different as chalk and cheese. There'd been no classification, no label slapped on to them by the crest emblazoned on their robes. They'd been a family.

This was a separated, dysfunctional family. And she didn't like it one bit.

Someone bumped into Seohyun, dragging her from her thoughts. She blinked and realised that she stood in the doorway, lingering. Blushing, she scampered through the crowds to the Ravenclaw table, where she spotted Luna's pale head sticking out amongst the others.

"I'm Ravenclaw," Seohyun proclaimed, plopping into the space beside Luna. She noticed quickly that Luna seemed to be sitting separate to the others; though people were on either side of her, she wasn't engaging in any particular conversation. She grinned. "Nice to be a part of your House, Luna."