He wasn't sure, but was she giving him attitude? That's what Bridge always did when he did something stupid. She'd tilt her head and look at him with those big brown eyes of hers. Merlin, it annoyed him. But this chick, she was probably seizing him up. That's what people did to newbies, right?

Okaaay.

He cracked a smile when she greeted him. "Thank you. I've always wanted to be in this house." And Gryffindor, but Slytherin suited him most. He stretched his hand toward Kahlan. "Lucian Blackwell. Nice meeting you." So...this was making friends, right?



His stomach did a little rumbling sound and he patted it as if taming it. He was starting to wonder if he stared at a plate long enough food would suddenly sprout out of it. No such luck, but there was someone speaking to him. "Me? I'm Lucian Blackwell, official first year Slytherin," he said, his chest puffing out. Yeah, pride. He had that.

Then she gave him answers. Fi-na-lly. "Oh, so we have to wait until then?" he complained. There were still students getting sorted. "Does it take long?" he asked. Couldn't the unsorted sit and wait until they ate? It sounded like a great idea.

He shook her hand and eyed her back. Was she seizing him up too? "What year are you?" he asked out of curiosity. As for her house she was obviously a Slytherin. Her robes said so unless she stole them from a snake's back.



It wasn't strange that his blue eyes scanned the tables for Miss Blondie, he told himself. She'd been nice to him at the festival. So nice as to let him drink from her lemonade. Also, she would probably be the only person he recognized.

Then he heard a familiar voice and he knew it had to be her. Lucian didn't know anybody else here. "Do I?" he said, casually sitting next to her. "I sure hope so." He smiled, but the glint of the candles reflected on something on her robes. "What is that?" he asked. Shiny.