⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭
"Tell me all the ways to love you"

Harry was both nervous and excited for his first year at Hogwarts. Emily was glad to see him bouncing up the walls but it made her a little sad that the house would be practically empty without the children.

As they approached the Weasley family, they could hear the chaotic mess they were already becoming.

When the Weasley twins saw the Blacks approaching, they gasped at the sight of Harry.

"What's that?' said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry's lightning scar.

"Blimey," said the other twin. "Are you –?"

"He is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Harry.

"What?" said Harry.

"Harry Potter," chorused the twins.

"Oh, him," said Harry. "I mean, yes, I am. Wait, you two know who I am." He looked at them, confused.

"The Boy Who Lived," Fred and George whispered creepily. Until Selena slapped them upside their heads.

"Quit it, you two."

"Ron, you've got something on your nose."

The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.

"Mum – geroff." He wriggled free.

"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said George.

"Shut up," said Ron.

"Where's Percy?" said their mother.

"He's coming now."

The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes and Harry noticed a shiny red and gold badge on his chest with the letter P on it.

"Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, the Prefects have got two compartments to themselves –"

"Oh, are you a Prefect, Percy?" said Fred, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."

"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said George. "Once –"

"Or twice –"Selena continued.

"A minute –" Damien chimed in.

"All summer –"

"Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect.

"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.

"Because he's a Prefect," said their mother fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term – send me an owl when you get there."

She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.

"Now, you two – this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've – you've blown up a toilet or –"

"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."

"Great idea though, thanks, Mum. Hey Lena —"

"It's not funny. And look after Ron."

"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."

"Shut up," said Ron again. He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.

Just then Emily strode towards them, a blond boy in tow. The boy was dressed rather well, though his lips were pulled back in a sneer, he seemed a little bewildered.

"Harry, I want you to meet Draco. He's a first year as well and his mother has made a rather secret request that you try and be friends."

Molly looked at her, startled. "Narcissa? She asked you- what?"

"I had the same reaction. But it seems she's a lot more... open minded than she had been during our school days. She thinks Draco needs to have a better, less old fashioned perspective."

"I need nothing of the sort. She simply meant that I need to associate myself with someone on my level. Although I suggest you try not to seem like you're close with the Weasleys or the Blacks. Not very good for your reputation." He addressed the last part to Harry, who grew livid with every word.

But Emily had it under control. She pulled Draco's ear and told him sternly. "I do believe your mother told you to be polite. I understand your father's influence is a large part to blame, but you won't make any loyal friends with an attitude like that."

Draco glared at the woman but instantly averted his eyes from her stern gaze. The Weasleys were already glaring at the boy and the Black Twins looked like they sorely wanted to take him to task.

"Now, Draco, did you mean what you said?"

To their surprise, the boy mumbled, "No."

"So what do you have to say now?"

"Sorry." Emily raised an eyebrow.

"I couldn't hear you properly, dear."

"I'm sorry." He said, borderline yelling as an angry flush overtook his face.

"Good boy. Now all of you run along and get on the train before it leaves." Only then did they notice the warning whistle.

As they clambered onto the train, Ginny began to cry.

"Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."

"We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat."

"George!"

"Only joking, Mum."

"You wanna sit with us, Harry?" Damien asked once the train left the platform, but Harry shook his head.

Draco was looking at them, as if fighting with himself before blurting out, "I know I'm incredibly rude and I sometimes act like a snob. I might say some things that sound like a typical Pureblood prick, but I don't actually mean them."

Harry was the first to smile. "Good on you for coming clean. Now come on, let's find an empty compartment."

Selena turned to her twin to find him looking at the young blond with a pensive look.

"What's going through your head?"

He smiled, a little mischievously. "If he ends up in Slytherin... I'm gonna have a lot of fun with him."

Selena sighed, chuckling under her breath. "Just don't kill the boy, Damien."

   "You two gits coming?!"

   "Coming," Damien called, grabbing Selena's wrist and pulling her after their friends.

   "Had a nice summer?" Fred asked as soon as they closed the doors.

   Selena grinned, plopping down between the Weasley twins, propping her head against Fred and legs on George. "Awesome, as usual."

   Damien, on the other hand, was content to sit by the window and stare out at the scenery. "You know we really gotta look out for our brothers right? Joking aside?"

   Selena glanced at Damien, frowning. "Of course, anyone who messes with them will wish they'd never been born."

   "Don't worry, Damien, our ickle firsties, Harrykins and Ronnikins will be perfectly alright."

   It turned out, that they would not be alright. Harry and Ron got sorted into Gryffindor and Draco ended up in Slytherin, but the two managed to maintain some semblance of friendship, even wishing each other good night before heading off.

   Selena was chewing on her lower lip nervously in the common room. Fred came down from the boys dormitory, and looked surprised to see her there.

   "I thought you'd have gone up to get your beauty sleep, princess." Fred settled down next to her on the couch.

   "I'm worried. About Harry. I don't like how there's suddenly a forbidden floor all of a sudden and just as Harry's shown up. He's been so excited to come here, I don't want it to be ruined by him getting hurt."

Fred threw an arm around her, bringing her into his side. "He'll be alright, he has you looking out for him."

   She leaned into him, a habit that came naturally to her. "Maybe so, but I'm still worried."

   "Well you being sleep deprived isn't gonna do him any good. Off to bed with ya." He pushed her off the sofa unceremoniously, laughing at her glare.

   "I'll get you for that," she threatened, but made her way to the stairs to girls dormitory all the same.

   "Sure you will, love. Good night."

   "Good night," she yawned, oblivious to the endearment that had slipped from Fred's lips, and oblivious to his look of horror at slipping up as well.

   Meanwhile, in the Slytherin Common Room.

   "Is there a reason you're up so late, Malfoy? That too, on your first night here? I hardly think it would be from excitement or anxiety."

   Draco jumped up at the smooth, low voice that spoke from behind him. Draco flushed under Damien's calm and amused gaze.

   "Sorry, I couldn't sleep," the blond muttered.

   "Why would you apologise for that?" Damien tilted his head slightly, as if puzzled. "It's not as if you aren't allowed down here, it's the Common Room. Besides, I like to come here myself when... well, it doesn't matter. If you could just scoot over a bit, I'll just sit here and read my book. I won't bother you."

   "I-it's not a bother, really." Draco stammered, "I'll head back now-"

   "I imagine the others aren't quite so pleased that you've befriended Harry. It wouldn't have mattered to them if he hadn't been sorted into Slytherin. Just stay down here. I don't mind." He patted the sofa beside him and curled up at one end, opening his book.

   Draco couldn't help but take a peek at the cover. "The Hound Of Baskerville?" He read aloud.

   Damien looked up at him, and Draco immediately worried that he may have disturbed him. Draco usually wouldn't care, he'd been raised to act pompous and important. But same as how he'd felt around Emily Black, he got the feeling that Damien wouldn't care for that attitude. And it was his mother's request to be nice to everyone and to be honest, he didn't care for the bratty attitude either. He only kept it up to please his dad.

   But Damien didn't seem disturbed in the slightest. "It's a muggle book. It's a crime novel, about a detective named Sherlock Holmes."

   "Is- is it any good?"

   Damien smiled at that, a wide, eager smile that made him seem no more older that Draco. "Would you like me to read it to you?"

   "I'm not a child, I can read it by myself." Draco flushed angrily.

   "Oh no, it's just that... I miss reading together with my sister, and it does help if I read to someone. I've been told I have a good reading voice."

  Draco reluctantly came closer, curiosity taking the best of him. Damien smiled again and began reading from the first chapter. Draco found himself being drawn to his voice, and being pulled into the story. There was something about Damien's voice, that was so soft and soothing.

   Without realising it, at some point, Draco had come really close to Damien, looking into the book and reading it along with his voice. Damien continued reading page after page, never tiring.

   And as it grew deeper into the night, Damien suddenly felt Draco's head against his arm, as he fell asleep. Damien's breath hitched as he looked down nervously.

   "What the hell am I supposed to do with a sleeping kid? Should I carry him up?" Damien thought better of it, not wanting to risk dropping the boy with his lanky arms.

   He sighed and went up to his dormitory, ignoring Adrien's enquiry as to his actions and brought down a blanket and a pillow. His blanket and pillow.

   Draco woke up the next morning surrounded by the calm scent of the sea and no idea how it came from the blanket. Damien was making his way down, dressed neatly in his robes and hair impeccable. His startling blue eyes met Draco's grey ones, amusement sparkling in them.

   "Sleep well, Malfoy?" He grinned at Draco's unkempt visage, chuckling at his angry flush.

   Draco didn't understand why he felt so... annoyed by his teasing senior, wanting to smack that grin off his face for laughing at him.

   He huffed and chose to ignore him, getting up and rushing to his own dorm to shower. Damien couldn't resist calling after him, "I'd take care of the hair first, wouldn't want anyone to find a Malfoy looking so much less than perfect!"

   "Shut it, Black!" Draco yelled back.

   Draco was surprised pleasantly when Harry and Ron came over with Selena to join them at the Slytherin's table.

   "Mornin'," was all Selena said before going down on the food like a starved animal. Harry was unbothered, used to seeing this often throughout his life, turned to Draco.

   "The hat wanted to sort me into Slytherin," he told him frankly. "But I... I wanted to be in Gryffindor."

   Damien looked up from his breakfast at that, expression calm but unreadable. Selena stared at him as well, confused and expectant. Ron seemed aghast.

   "It's not because I don't like Slytherin!" Harry quickly explained. "I didn't want to be in any house but Gryffindor because, well... mum and dad were in Gryffindor...." Understanding lot everyone's faces. To everyone's surprise, it was Draco who asked first, "Did you feel... closer to them somehow? Being in the same room as they probably were?"

   "A little," Harry admitted. "It... feels like home."

   "Then that's all that matters. Here, have some treacle pudding." Draco pushed the bowl to Harry.

    "How did the The Bloody Baron get so bloody?" Selena asked suddenly, pulling down Damien's book to get his attention.

   He looked extremely annoyed. "Perhaps he annoyed someone who was invested in a really interesting theory about Vampires and found out the consequences of interrupting them."

   Selena grinned, unabashed. "Nah, I don't think that's it. Be serious, Damie."

   He reached across the table and smacked her with his book. "Don't call me that."

   Selena's lips pulled back in a snarl and she tried to grab the book out of his hands. "Stop bloody hitting me all the time, you prick!"

   "Then stop calling me 'Damie', you twit," Damien snarled back. The first years stared at them, unsure of whether to intervene or not. Harry, on the other hand, was still unbothered.

   "Damien, Lenny, stop fighting or I'll tell mom."

Damien and Selena stuck their tongue out in unison.

"She's not here, Bambi, and you know she's too fed up to tell us to stop fighting." Selena rolled her eyes.

"Fine, I'll tell Aunt Petunia about last week, then." The Twins fell silent at that.

"You wouldn't." Damien whispered.

Harry fixed him with a cheerful smile. "Try me."

"Lena, our brother is a monster!"

Draco leaned towards Harry. "Is this normal?"

Harry shrugged, letting the twins moan about betrayal and blackmail from their own kin. "At this point, I'd be more concerned if they didn't make a fuss at breakfast."

Draco looked over at Damien, the shit eating grin on his face as he charmed charmed his sister's plate of bacon to float just out of reach.

"Oi, Malfoy." Ron caught his attention.

"Yes, Weasley?"

"Glad to see you're not as bad as I thought you were." Ron and Draco had actually bonded a little over Chocolate Frog Cards on the train.

"Thanks.... I think?" He answered uncertainly.

"You three better get started if you wanna get to class on time." Selena grinned.

"But there's still an hour and a half before classes start." Draco frowned.

Damien threw an arm around Draco's shoulders, "You're gonna need the time to find your classroom. Everyone always gets lost on their first day."

"Can't you just show us the way or take us there?" Ron protested.

"And deprive you of your complete first day of first year experience? Never. Go on, get a move on!"

"Get off me, Black" Draco threw his arm off, while the older boy grinned, unabashed.

"Good luck! Try not cause too much trouble!"