Expect the Unexpected

Expect the Unexpected

"David Archer!"...RAVENCLAW!

Cheers erupted in the Great Hall as a dark haired boy ran to take a seat with his new house.

"Hannah Asstrum!"...HUFFLEPUFF!

The Hufflepuff table stood up and burst with applause and cheers in support of there new house member.

The sorting ceremony continued in the same routine as the following six years Harry, Ron and Hermione had watched it. The three became bored and chatted quietly until Hermione reestablished their curiosity in their new schoolmates.

"Who's that girl?" she asked more to herself then to Harry and Ron.

Harry turned around and his eyes rested on a very pretty girl who was almost half a foot taller then all the first years being sorted. 'Hermione's right, we never have students come in who aren't first year,' he thought, ' Which she obviously isn't.'

His thoughts were interrupted when Ron - who had barley given her a single glance- muttered "She's an exchange student from the U.S."

"What? How do you know?" Hermione challenged.

"Dad told me," Ron replied. "He said we would be having some new girl from New York. I thought he finally went off his rocker but I guess not," he said turning around to get a glance.

Everyone else seemed to wonder who this mystery girl was too, for half of the Great Hall was muttering and whispering, casting quick glances in the girls direction then looking away just as quickly. Finally Professor McGonagall called "Trista Sternmore!"

and the girl walked forward to be sorted.

Harry had been watching the Slytherin table when he noticed Draco Malfoy go chalk white at the sound of Trista's name. A slow smile spread across his face as he got up and left the Great Hall. Harry followed Draco with his eyes until he was gone then turned back around to watch as the girl took a seat and the ancient hat was placed on her head. The Sorting Hat must have had a difficult time deciding which house to put 'Trista Sternmore' in because it seemed like the students sat in silence for two minutes before the hat finally sputtered "S-Slytherin!"

"Oh great, another one," Ron said rolling his eyes. Harry, forgetting about Draco's weird behavior and the new girl, turned around to eat his dinner.

~*~

During the feast Trista began talking to Pansy Parkinson and her group of Slytherin girls. They offered to show her around and give her some "helpful hints". Trista, who was thrilled to have made friends so quickly, accepted Pansy's offer before she even finished giving it.

After the golden plates were cleared again, Trista and Pansy got up to leave when Trista noticed the enchanted ceiling. Remembering it from a book she read, Trista stopped to observe it. The sky was a velvety black mixed with deep blues and purples and dotted with twinkling stars. She remembered sitting under a sky like this when she was little. She could almost feel the familiar summer breeze hitting her face and playing with her hair. Feeling the grass move underneath her and tickle her feet, then that little hand grab her even smaller one and hear that little boy's voice say "You're my best friend Tris, I don't care what anyone says." The words rung in her ears and she continued to stare at the sky until a laughing voice broke her out of her reverie.

"Trista! Earth to Trista!" Pansy laughed snapping her fingers in her face.

"Wha- oh sorry," Trista said smiling, as a blush crept into her cheeks.

"Merlin's beard girl what were you thinking about?" Pansy asked linking her arm in Trista's and leading her out of the Great Hall.

~*~

Trista looked around the Slytherin common room and let out a dramatic sigh. 'This is it Trista,' she thought. 'Your new home for the next 10 months.' She took one more look around then pushed her way through several groups of students until she found the girls dormitory. She opened the door to find five beautiful four-poster beds with green hangings. After looking around the room in awe she found her belongings at the foot of one of the five beds. Pansy and her friends had stayed in the common room to talk to some boys, so Trista unpacked her things with a swish of her wand and changed into her nightdress, then crawled into her new bed and looked around the room once more. Tucking her legs underneath her, she gave her wand a flick and a glittering book appeared in front of her. "I love being a witch," she thought out loud with a giggle. She opened the book and began to leaf through the pages of documents, awards and pictures that she had accumulated over the years. She stopped when she came to a picture of a young couple with their son and daughter in front of a Christmas tree beaming and waving. She let out a weak laugh and felt a tear trickle down her cheek. Her father's death had been a shock to her entire family and even though it was six years ago Trista knew she would never get over it. 'I miss you daddy,' she thought, more tears spilling down her cheeks. 'I promise I'll make you proud.' Hearing the sound of shuffling feet on the stairs Trista hastily wiped her eyes and put the book on the bedside table. Then burrowed herself in her covers and pretended to be asleep.

~*~

She didn't know how many hours she lay there but Trista's body refused to sleep. So instead she grabbed some parchment, a quill and ink, her scrapbook, and her wand then headed out into the common room. Settling herself into a comfy chair, Trista took out her parchment and decided to write a letter to her friend Jenna.

Jenna,

England is beautiful and I'm so glad to be back but I can't help but miss New York, especially you and the gang. Everything seems so different here, but anyway, how is eve-

Trista was suddenly interrupted by the swishing of wings and a hoot as a beautiful owl landed and perched itself on the arm of Trista's chair.

"Mysty! How did you get in here?" she asked, stroking her owl. "I was getting worried about you." Mysty, noticing the parchment in Trista's lap, hooted and pecked at it.

"Sorry Myssy this isn't done yet, you can deliver it tomorrow, why don't you go up to the owlery and get some sleep."

Clearly irritated at being declined a lat night delivery, Mysty hooted impatiently and flew off again, causing Trista's papers and pictures to scatter to the floor.

"Mysty!" Trista called after her in a hoarse whisper.

"Damn bird," she muttered bending down to clean up the mess.

Arranging the parchments properly again Trista went to stand back up when she heard an all to familiar voice behind her.

"Couldn't sleep either eh Tris?"

Trista stopped mid-bend. 'Only one person has ever called me Tris, but it couldn't be,' she thought. Trista slowly stood up and forced herself to turn around.

She dropped the parchments again and cupped both hands over her mouth, only to bring them down very slowly.

"D-Draco?" she said breathlessly.

"Now is that anyway to greet your life-long chum?"

~*~