Some Badgers like Snakes

Jacob

Elle waved at me and I smiled.
I sighed. This felt like some sick joke.
I looked back to my food, this was a disaster. I felt cheated, I felt tricked, I felt sad. It wasn't fair! How could she have ended up in Hufflepuff? I mean I guess I'd never asked but she just seemed...like me. I poked at my roasted potatoes scowling.
"What's wrong? Missing your girlfriend?" Came the same nasally voice from earlier. I looked up to see the smug face of Serena Nott. The annoying blonde from earlier, as I had predicted she had been sorted into my house as well. Her and two other girls were giggling in a way that might be considered cute or girly if it wasn't so terribly annoying.
"No, some lice actually." I said matter of factly
"Afraid I lost the precious things in the 'old greasy hat'," I said mimicking her annoying comment during the ceremony. ",they prefer blondes you know; better watch out." I glared at her. She stopped laughing and fluffed her massive curls haughtily.
"No wonder no one but a badger would talk to you." She sneered and turned away. I looked back to my picked over plate of food but was satisfied to see her scratch and check her head a few times.
"Hey you," someone poked me.
I turned, why is it always me?!
An arrogant looking boy had settled next to me followed by a shorter kid with bad acne and greasy black hair.
"May I help you?" I asked rather aggravated at this point.
"I saw how you talked to that girl." He said cocking his head towards Serena. She looked over and flashed what must have been an award winning smile at him. I rolled my eyes.
"Ethan." He said sticking out his hand in introduction.
"This here is Brock." He gestured to the lunkhead behind him as I shook his hand. I gave a small nod in Brock's direction and he returned it politely.
"We're starting a group of sorts. You want in?" Ethan asked raising his right eyebrow with a sly smirk.
Naturally I was suspicious.
"What kind of group?" I questioned cautiously.
He laughed. "Just like...friends, you seem alright." He answered.
I'd never really been considered "alright" , I was mildly interested in this group.
Ethan had the shaggy "hip" style of sandy brown hair. He was clearly "attractive" as I counted about fifteen girls from Slytherin and the neighbouring table, Ravenclaw, staring at him all moony eyed. He seemed athletic, smart, I could do worse. I figured I could at least accept this offer until something better came along.
"What do you say?" Brock asked.
"Sign me up." I replied nonchalantly.

I'd survived my first full night at Hogwarts. I'd bunked with Ethan and Brock. I found out rather fast that I'd made the right choice in my selection of friends. Ethan proved himself popular fairly quickly, getting attention from boys practically twice our age. Brock was harder to analyze. He didn't talk much, I couldn't tell exactly where he stood on the IQ charts, but he seemed to be more brawn than brains. His neck was practically lost in his thick frame and he wore a permanent scowl. I tried to make conversation with him while Ethan was talking to a bunch of third year girls but we didn't get far. Brock seemed to have an extensive vocabulary of grunts. We hung out in the Slytherin dungeon, it wasn't my favourite place. The common rooms were under the lake, I almost saw the reflection of rippling water on the ceilings and walls in the right light. They were cold and poorly lit, and practically reeked of expensive cologne and damp stone. They reminded me of home, I shuddered at the realization. I couldn't wait to get out of there and start class.
We ate breakfast quickly as everyone was anxious to begin the school year. I barely touched my eggs and gladly gave Brock my sausages after he'd devoured a full plate of his.
"We have potions first." Ethan informed me as we got up to leave. Although I already knew this, having looked at our schedule as well, I nodded and let him lead the way.
I heard the sound of a familiar laugh. Belonging to a burnt orange blonde that I hoped hadn't seen me. I didn't know why I was avoiding her but I was.
I looked forward and kept walking to class, trying to ignore the thought. I didn't have any classes with Hufflepuffs so I didn't worry to much.
"Oof!" I grunted as I was knocked to the ground, the sound of my books skittering down the hallway filled my ears. I looked up to see, oh no, Elle was splayed across my legs her all too familiar hair covering her face. She hurried to stand up and hastily brushed the hair from her face, pinning it behind her ears to reveal a deep Scarlet blush covering her face.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! I'm such a klutz-" she rambled going to help me up and surveying the damage.
"Great way to start a new school year, huh?" she joked looking up to meet my eyes.
"Oh hey, Jacob." She stopped, looking at me with a small smile.
"Is there a problem here?" Ethan's voice came coolly from behind me.
We looked back at him, she smiled but it disappeared as she saw his scowl.
"No, it's alright." I assured him.
"You guys go ahead, I'll be right there."
He looked between me and Elle before shrugging his shoulders.
"Alright. Don't be late." He replied never taking his glare off Elle. He turned around and headed towards class, Brock trailing shortly behind him. She shifted uncomfortably.
"I see you found some uh...friends." She said crawling across the floor trying to collect her books and supplies.
"Yeah, you too." I said wondering where her friends had gotten off to.
"Yeah I uh kind of miss my original friend though." She poked me with a giggle. I kept a straight face and her joking smile slipped off her face.
"When can we hang out anyways? I can't wait to tell you all about... well everything." She tried again her eyes looking up into mine happily.
"I uh, I don't know if we socialize really." I said looking for the right words. Those weren't them.
Her face scrunched up in confusion, her eyes blinked rapidly as she tried to figure out what I meant. What did I mean?
"I mean, how come you're not in Slytherin?" I finally asked letting all the cheated feelings I'd had come out in my  voice.
"What?!" She asked still completely baffled by what I was saying.
"We could've been such great friends," I said quietly, looking away and bending down to retrieve the last of my books.
"Don't be ridiculous, we can still be friends." she chuckled as if I was giving her the most idiotic reply in history.
"We're so alike, there must have been a mistake." I marvelled.
"I mean Hufflepuff is just a bunch of muggleborns and halfwits. You shouldn't be with them." I spat out, disgusted at the thought of my friend, the Hufflepuff.
Her eyes grew large and her hands balled into fists and began to shake.
"I may not know much about this school or how these silly houses work." She began keeping her eyes closed and her voice steady.
"But I do know that the people I've met are far from halfwits. Just because they're not as judgemental as you Slytherins seem to be, they are not stupid." She seethed, jabbing me in the chest.
I definitely regretted what I said, I wished I could have take it back.
"I told everyone all about you and they said not to bother! They said Slytherins were cold and cruel and evil. I didn't believe them because I thought you were different. Maybe I should have listened, as I clearly can't judge for myself." She snapped, holding back the tears in her eyes as she spun on her heel and started walking away.
She stopped.
She turned her head around to face me, my jaw practically lying on the floor.
"And as for the 'muggleborns' I rather enjoy them and I suppose I should seeing as I am one." She whipped her head back around, slicing the air with her hair, and stomped off into the crowd of students.
I stood there gaping.
I would've stood there forever if the warning bell hadn't rang for class.
DAMN!
I forgot all dignity and rules and broke into a run down the hallway. I was going to not only be late for my first class, but my first class with my very own head of house. So much for first impressions.