Severus stood up in surprise.

Slytherin?

After all the time he had spent with her... He never would has suspected...

Slytherin?

Aaria hopped up and skipped over to the Slytherin table. Still, in stunned silence, Severus watched as she plopped herself next to Draco Malfoy. The boy seemed almost as surprised as him. He turned to his friends, Goyle and Crabbe, whispering. But Aaria hardly noticed.

Severus sat back down. But he barely remembered the rest of the sorting. Instead, he watched as Aaria attempted conversation, but failed.

Slytherin?

Aaria looked around. Nobody seemed interested in conversation. Draco glanced at her every once in a while, but then went back to whispering with his two other friends.

Friends.

All of the friends she had made were at the other tables. For once in her life, she felt alone. That's when she saw someone. She was so surprised she nearly choked on her roast.

"Gunter?"

Gunter Woodsworth was sitting a few seats down on the bench across from her. He turned at the sound of her voice.

"Oi, Wendleson. Expected to see you here."

Aaria said opened her mouth to speak, but something made her stop.

"You didn't call me freak," she said. Gunter looked over and shrugged.

"I guess were all freaks here, just in a different way," he said, and went back to his food, leaving a highly confused Aaria. But she chose to ignore it and went back to eating.

After a while, the plates changed to reveal all kinds of desserts; pudding, pie, macaroons, ice cream, cake... And so much more she didn't even recognize.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could have sworn she saw Draco smile as she piled the macaroons onto her plate.

Stomach full, Aaria followed the other Slytherin to the common room down in the dungeons.

After a prefect had said the password, the portrait swung open.

Aaria looked around the room. Hung all over the walls were large green posters with silver snakes, and in the corner was a large fireplace. Silver, gold, and green furniture littered around the floor. Two sets of stairs went off in different directions.

Aaria followed the girls up one, while the boys went up the other.

They went inside their dorms and started unpacking. Well, the other girls unpacked. Aaria sat at the enchanted window and stared.

After the girls had left, she did her own unpacking.

"Hello."

Aaria jumped and turned. In the corner, on a small wooden stool, sat a girl about fourteen or fifteen. She was in a silvery nightgown, and her red hair fell over her shoulders. There was something about her... An aura of feeling warm and loved, yet the air around her was icy cold.

"You can't sneak up on people like that! Its rude," Aaria said. For split second, amusement flashed in the girl's green eyes, but then they went back to looking much wiser than she seemed.

"Forgive me. I have just never been up here before," she said, her voice like silk. Aaria cocked her head.

"In the girl's dorms?"

"In the Slytherin dorms."

Aaria noticed that whenever she tried to focus on her face, it would become more and more fuzzy. Only her green eyes and her wide smile stood out.

"What House are you in?"

"Gryffindor."

"Who are you?" She asked, sitting on her bed. The girl dropped her smile.

"That information is not to be shared right now. However, I know who you are, Aaria Wendleson."

Aaria opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, the door burst open and the other girls came in. The door slammed on the girl.

"Hey! Watch it! You just hit her!" Aaria cried. She ran to the door and looked behind it, but the girl- stool and all- were gone.

The next morning, right when Aaria got up, she looked over to the corner. But the girl was still gone.

She didn't appear the whole time she was getting ready, or when Aaria came back from breakfast.

"Wonder where she is...?" She muttered.

"Where who is?"

Aaria turned to see Pansy Parkinson, one of the second years, leaning on the door. One eyebrow was raised, and her arms were crossed.

"Oh. Er... No one," Aaria said, gulping. Before the older girl could say anything back, however, Reyna Sesorin, a fifth year and one of the nicer girls, came in.

"Aaria come on! Someone told us that something's going on in the Great Hall!" She laughed, and led Aaria down the corridor.

Turns out, the "something" was just Draco and Harry picking a fight. After that blew over, they both sat down at their tables.

Draco mumbled something as Aaria sat next to him, but was otherwise silent. But she didn't mind as she pilsd her plate with fluffy buttermilk pancakes.

As she was starting, there was a sound from above.

"Mail's here!" Someone cried. It sounded like Seamus.

Owls dropped down in front of students, holding letters, packages, and items.

Aaria was rather surprised when a large barn owl landed near her plate. She untied the wrapped up letter from its foot.

Recognizing the scratchy handwriting as her father's she grinned, opening it.

Dear my little lion Ari

We have Finally gotten over the shock- well, I have, you mother still needs time- that you are indeed a witch. We hope you made it safely to Hamwits. Was that the name of the school? I'm not sure. Equestia had a small cough, but we got her some medicine, and she is well now. Has Professor Snape treated you well? We want to hear all about your past few days! Be sure to write soon!

Love,
Dad.

P.S.

I included a little treat for you!

Aaria laughed as the owl handed her a small box. She opened it to find a small truffle, obviously her father's making, due to his usual choice of pecans instead of peanuts.

She took a small bite, and looked around. The barn owl had left, and most kids were reading letters or opening packages. Pansy was reading her letter and grinning, and Crabbe and Goyle were eating their sweets. Draco, however, had his head low, saying nothing. He was taking small bites of his eggs, and had a letter scrunched in his hand, so hard his knuckles were turning white, and he seemed to be seething in anger.

Aaria frowned. She didnt like seeing people like this. Shrugging, she sat the truffle on his plate in front of him. He looked up in surprise, and Aaria smiled.

"You need it more than I do."

She hopped up, taking the letter and a piece of toast, and went down to the Slytherin common rooms, thinking of how she was going to explain her past few days to her father!