Rita took another deep breath and followed the rest of her house up and out to breakfast. It was only the first day and she was ready to give up and go home. Parker kept looking back at her and Rita made a point of stepping harder on the flagstone of the corridor. Her sparkly shoes rang out with each step. She heard Lucius' soft chuckle. Yeah, she was going to pay for that later, but right now it didn't matter to her. Rita was bucking the system.

It was a good thing they were walking up to breakfast together as Rita hadn't paid anything resembling attention last night when they went down to the common room, and she wasn't paying attention now. That just wouldn't do, she thought to herself. If this was how the first day was going to she was going to have to stay on her toes till he left Hogwarts for good. Or Parker, Bobbi and Bellatrix could meet with a accident. Preferably all at the same time, and in front of the entire school, and all the professors. Rita smiled to herself and nearly crashed into the boy in front of her as the line had stopped.

The entire house was lined up. Girls on one side with Parker in the lead and the boys on the other side with Lucius in the lead. They stood stock still as the doors to the Great Hall opened. Parker tossed her curtain of red hair over her shoulder and stepped into the Great Hall.

The rest of the houses were already seated and engrossed in their food as Slytherin marched in and took their seats. A few people turned around and stared, but most just rolled their eyes and went back to their breakfast.

Rita thought it was a bit pompous and she had to hid her own eye roll, but she was in enough trouble already so she kept that remark to herself. She climbed onto the bench and sat down gratefully. Her eyes got wide at the selection spread over the table. Towers of pancakes and steaming crepes. Mountains of clotted cream and with buttery scones. The sweet smell of crispy bacon and fluffy eggs got her attention first and she dove right in. Right piled her plate high with eggs and bacon. She was going to tackle those pancakes next. Bellatrix had ruined her appetite last night, so she was indeed so hungry she could eat a horse. She giggled as she finally got that phrase. The food was better than she had hoped. Her mother wasn't a very good cook and the food at Hogwarts was making Rita regret having to go home over the holidays already. Rita was halfway through her eggs when she felt a tap on her shoulder and she whipped around ready to pounce on whomever it was. This was not a good day to mess with Rita.

Hiccup was smiling at her. “Rita,” he cried throwing his thin arms around her neck. She chocked on the mouthful of eggs she was trying to swallow. Hiccup might have been a wee little thing, but he was stronger than he looked and soon Rita was turning a very unattrative shade of purple.

“Ack!” she chocked and Hiccup released her.

“Oh sorry,” He was smiling when he let go of her neck.

She coughed and swallowed a mouthful of water just to make sure she wasn't going to die. Once she was sure she had gotten all the eggs down, “Hullo Hiccup.” she told him with a smile. Rita leaned over hugged him back and held on longer than their previous hug duration. Rita needed a friend right now and Hiccup was it. Hiccup was quite sure Rita had never hugged him like that and he suddenly found that he rather liked it.

Rita heard a throat clear behind and she sighed and released Hiccup. Lucius was standing behind Hiccup with a amused smirk on his face. “Young love just makes the heart go zing, zing, zing.” all of the Slytherins and a few of the Hufflepuffs laughed and Rita felt her face grow hot. Hiccup beamed at being counted as Rita's lover. “A plus Ms. Skeeter.” He winked and flounced off with a grace that Rita wouldn't have attributed to a boy nearly six feet tall.

“You better go Hiccup,” Rita said as she felt the blush creeping up into the crown of her blond hair. She had lucked out getting Lucius' attention and not Bellatrix, or worse Parker's. She knew she was already on their dragon dung list, for reasons she was still working through but she knew she was there nonetheless. “We can talk later.” she promised him when his bottom lip quivered.

He nodded and melted away back toward the Gryffindor table. Rita watched him go suddenly feeling her breakfast fighting its way back up her throat. She swallowed it back and turned back around to her table. Everyone was looking at her. “Slumming already Skeeter.” Bellatrix drawled as she popped her last piece of toast into her mouth. A few of the girls surrounded Bellatrix snickered.

“He's just a friend.” Rita growled, her little fists balling up at her side.

Bellatrix fixed her with a cool brown stare, “He's a Gryffindor Rita.” she sneered. “He is, and anyone who associates with him is beneath Slytherin.” She flicked a piece of imaginary lint off the shoulder of her black robes “We are the proud and the few. And we stand head and shoulders above the rest.” She stood up and the rest of the stable stood up with her. “And that means we don't consort with the other houses. Because if we did it would make us no better than them.” She gave Rita another look, “And that is unacceptable.” She folded her arms across her chest and sat back down with a satisfied smile on her face and a nod of approval from Parker. Rita was ready to lose her breakfast all over the table. If she were lucky some of it would lodge on Bellatrix over inflated head.

“All right. Buck up down there.” An authoritative voice called down the length of the table. Rita looked up and she could have sworn she was looking at a slim Santa Clause. The man's cheeks were rosy and glistening in the glow of the candles floating above their heads, and he was draped in enough green to carpet half of Kent if they were so inclined. He had beady little eyes that despite their size danced with a little mirth and his mouth was framed with laugh lines. “I am Professor Slughorn, your head of house and I will be handing out your schedules.” he nodded and smiled at a few students trying to catch his eye. “And maybe for the lucky few you will get a invite to my little party later on this week.”

“Oh Professor Slughorn it was so gracious of you to attend our little party last month for my grandfather.” Bellatrix simpered.

“Ahh yes Ms. Black I was so delighted that Pollux remembered an old potioneer like me.” Professor Slughorn simpered right back. “I hope you will mention to him I did enjoy the new dress robes.” Bellatrix nodded and kept the smug look on her face. Professor Slughorn went about handing out their schedules and Rita was as nervous as a cat at starting her lessons.

True be told she had spent more time in her room snuggled on her window seat writing her muggle fairy tales. She loved those the most. She hadn't spent much time trying to steal her mother's wand to give the cat a pair of bat ears or trying to fly her father's broom. Granted it was a hand me down piece of junk and it wasn't very fast, but still it was the principle that she should have been trying to fly it anyways. Rita was sure she was far behind her housemates and with all this added pressure of upholding the pride of Slytherin she was ready to actually puke till her back caved. “Margarita Skeeter. I must say that is a rather unusual name.” Rita looked up into the smiling face of Professor Slughorn. “I expect great things from someone with such an outstanding name.” He let her schedule flutter down into her open palm. The knot in Rita's stomach gave a violent twist and she had to hold herself steady to keep from rocking. He patted her on the head and moved on to the next student.

“Great things from someone named for a muggle drink indeed,” Bellatrix giggled as she stood up. A chorus of laughs followed her every move. “That will be the day.” She threw Rita a smile and turned and walked away. Half the table went with her and Rita was left alone with cold eggs and a burning blush lighting up her face.