“Well, I didn’t know who it was when I offered, Dray.” Harry sighed, rubbing Reggie’s head and neck “And, well, okay, Weasley is a git but he’s just lost his pet. I’d be dead upset if anything happened to Reggie. Besides, I’m kind of tired of him being so nasty all the time. Perhaps, if I do something nice, Weasley might stop hassling us.”

“He has a point, Draco” Blaise said, looking over from his chess game against Hermione. “We did rather get off on the wrong side of the broom.”

“Wrong side of the broom?”

“It’s an old, y’know, saying.” replied Theo, who was struggling to keep the curious and excitable Sal on his lap “If you dismount from a broom with your back to someone, it’s rude. Back in the old days, when mages were really uptight, if a wizard snubbed you like that, you’d duel them.”

“Oh, yes I see” smiled Hermione, nodding "It's like muggles saying, 'getting off on the wrong foot', which is when two people, having got a bad first impression, aren't very friendly to each other and it kind of spirals downwards."

“Well Weasley started it!" Draco snapped "He’s been perfectly foul to us, Harry in particular, since the beginning.” Draco fiddled with the collar of his teal dress robes. “Can we take a break soon, Mr Selwyn?”

“You’ve only been sitting for twenty minutes, Draco” the elderly artist sighed, looking up from his easel “But, yes, I suppose we could break for a few minutes. Theodore, I have finished the painting of your Sal; perhaps you would like to put him in his carrying cage.

Theo grinned in relief “Thanks, Mr Selwyn.”

“You’ve just painted the snakes!” gasped Draco, walking around and looking at the portrait. “Why did we…”

“That’s enough, Draco. Your father did explain to you what this painting would entail” the artist said firmly, his golden eyes stern. “You needed to hold your familiars so as I could sketch your positions and I started on the snakes because sitting is harder for the poor beasties."

Draco pouted and looked away. Mr Selwyn, who had been one of his grandfather’s closest friends, was not a man he wished to test. When he had been five, his grandfather had been visiting Mr Selwyn and, whilst the adults were sipping elderflower wine in the garden, little Draco had wandered into the studio and messed around with what turned out to be a very rare and expensive porcelain model. The inevitable happened and Draco had been returned to his parents with a sore bottom, courtesy of Mr Selwyn’s slipper. Mr Malfoy had been outraged but his mother, who had known Mr Selwyn all her life, was rather less sympathetic.

“I still don’t see why Weasley should have one of your owls” he grumped, turning to Harry “I wouldn’t give him one of Flossie’s puppies. What if he hurts the owl. He might, he’s that much of a git.”

“Well, I could ask your Dad about that spell of his, the one that he uses to protect the puppies.” Harry said “And, you know, Fred and George are alright.”

“And Ron isn’t, that’s the point.” snapped Draco.

“I’ve always wondered whether Ron isn’t a bit, you know, jealous” said Hermione “He’s always worst to Harry, which is strange because…”

Blaise nodded “As Mr Weasley and Mr Malfoy don’t get along, you’d think that Ron would go for Malfoy. I was talking to Fred once and said Ron thought Harry would be in Gryff. He was really excited, apparently.”

Theo, who had just placed Sal into his vivarium, rolled his eyes “That’s dumb, if you want someone to be your friend, you’re decent to them.”

Hermione smiled “A boy once put bubblegum in my hair. My friend, Miranda, said he was trying to get me to notice him.”

“Sound’s like a git” said Draco, sitting down between Harry and Theo with a thump.

“I feel kind of sorry for Weasley” said Harry sadly “I mean, if he’d hoped I’d be his friend…”

“He was only interested because you’re famous” Draco grumbled “What sort of friendship starts like that?”

“Besides, it’s his problem if he’s prejudiced towards Slyth.” Theo added.

“Yeah but I still feel kind of sorry for him. It’s not nice, feeling jealous. Or being hated by someone you want to like you.” Harry replied quietly.

“And Weasley has just lost his pet” added Hermione “Even though he’s not really very nice, he didn’t deserve that.”

“I’d be well relieved if it were me” said Theo, stretching. He stopped, his face concerned “Not that I’d want to get rid of Sal, he’s really great. I mean if my familiar was an animagus.”

“We understood, Theo” grinned Blaise, running a hand through his wavy, black hair. “I think Harry’s right and, besides, Draco, if Weasley really is as much of a dick as he seems, he’ll refuse it. After all, everyone in school knows that Harry Potter’s raising owlets.”

Harry grinned, blushing a little. He’d shown his photos of Hedwig’s nest to every kid, teacher and even ghost who looked tolerably interested. Fred had eventually joked that, if Harry wanted that picture permanently stuck to his head, he and George would be happy to oblige.

oOoOo

“And then Mum tried using butter, but that just made the bubblegum really slippery and, eventually, a hairdresser suggested coconut oil and it worked.” Hermione said with a smile.

“I’d have hexed the guy bald” sniffed Draco, leaning back in his chair.

“Well, I didn’t have my wand back then” shrugged Hermione “Besides, it’s better to turn the other cheek.”

“What, so they can slap that one too.” said Theo, winking.

Draco turned from watching Isis splashing with Reggie in her aquarium. “Hermione, one has to be realistic; if you don’t defend yourself, other people will simply take advantage.”

“Don’t gang up on the poor girl” Mr Selwyn said lightly “it so happens that, more often than not, kindness breeds kindness.”

“Yes” Blaise nodded “If you treat someone well, they’ll be more inclined to be nice to you, too.”

“Not always though” Harry said sadly, sighing. Reggie looked over, concerned; his two-legs’ sigh had sounded rather like a ssshhhss.

At that moment, Suvie popped into existence “Mr Selwyn, young Masters and Miss, Milady Malfoy is wondering whether yous being ready for lunch?”

“Yes, Suvie. We can break here.” Mr Selwyn replied, casting cleaning charms on his brushes.

oOoOo

“Severusssss”

“I am trying to finish my marking, Salazar.” Severus sighed, sitting up and resting his quill in the heavy silver inkwell.

“When are you going to introduce Harry to Hissy?” the portrait insisted “My heir is at Hogwarts. We both know that he will strike again!”

“I have warned the Headmaster, Salazar” snapped Severus “He has forbidden me to take action until we have proof.”

“Proof?! Proof! Dumbledore is an egg-eating fool! If I were still Headmaster, Quirell would already be in Hissy’s guts.”

Severus looked sour “I know. All I can do is ensure Harry is never alone.”

“You should allow Hissy to protect him or, at least, tell Goldilocks; he seems to have some venom in his fangs.” Slytherin’s face broke into a beatific smile “If you could have heard the hissing and spitting last week, oh, it was hilarious! Wonderful entertainment.”

“Lucius did rather take exception to Pettigrew being able to circumvent Hogwart’s security.” Severus said, his dark eyes glinting.

“He’s good value, very good value indeed.” smirked Salazar.

Smiling, Severus shook his head and picked up the quill to recommence marking.

“You know, Hissy can let himself out anywhere in the school. Got an entrance to the Room of Requirement in his Chamber.” Salazar said in a conversational tone.

Severus dropped his pen “What?”

“Oh, yes. No point in locking the poor old thing away from the action. However, do not fear, my Alumnus, the Room is keyed to ensure that only a Parselmouth can enter the Chamber of Secrets.”

Oh bloody brilliant.