Harry ended up waking himself up screaming, his breathing ragged and unable to stop shaking even though he was warm under the covers. He was acutely aware of every tiny imperfection of the dark, sculpted wood above him, the dampness of the otherwise nice sheets making them stick to him unbearably.

Just needing to get out of there, Harry grabbed his invisibility cloak, map, and picture of his parents, noticing with a pang that it was lunch and Hermione and Ron were waiting for him outside the great hall, probably. Harry knew that they would go into the Great Hall before lunch was over, he didn't have it in him to handle people right now, especially not in a crowded hall where every sound could set him off.

Deciding to ask Dobby for some sandwiches, which he may or may not eat, Harry made his way to the astronomy tower. He liked having a good view and breeze on his face when he was so easily overloaded like this.

-----

Harry was feeling a lot calmer, the breeze moving his hair as he sat, looking out at the Hogwarts grounds. Dobby and the other house elves had made him a whole tray of every kind of sandwich anyone could ever think of, but nothing was sparking Harry's interest.

Sighing, Harry picked one up at random, brown bread with tuna and sweetcorn, not Harry's favourite, but he should eat something. It took Harry the rest of lunch to finish the sandwich, taking the smallest bites he could, hating the feeling of anything in his mouth, but his stomach needed something in it.

The sky was starting to darken when Harry finally returned to the Slytherin common room, deciding he had better tell them about the news sooner rather than later. Harry almost forgot the picture of his parents as he was leaving, once again covering himself with the cloak, before heading back into the castle.

-----

Harry had timed it just right, arriving at the Slytherin common room with enough time to put on his public persona of awkwardness, but still confidant, before the other Slytherins arrived. He held his hands behind his back, unable to stop fiddling with his finders out of nerves and not wanting the others to know.

The other Slytherins entered the common room in an unintelligible burst of noise that almost made Harry flinch, he had been right to not go to lunch. When they noticed Harry, though, all noise and friendly chatter stopped, replaced with an awkward and hostile silence.

"Potter." Draco hissed after an apparent stale mate.

"Malfoy." Harry replied amicably, inclining his head to the taller blond in respect.

"What are you doing here Potter? You seem rather far from Gryffindor tower, don't know the castle yet?" Blaise asked, eyeing the thin boy in front of them with suspicion, surely they weren't being suspected of anything again?

"Uh... I'm a Slytherin now, Dumbledore had me resorted so here I am." Harry said, a bit faster than he had meant to, but slow enough for the others to understand.

"Why would Dumbledore have you resorted?" Pansy asked, both scorn and confusion in her voice.

"Apparently he didn't think I was Gryffindor enough and the Sorting Hat agreed." Harry said, shrugging. Obviously Dumbledore wanted him in Slytherin, but he couldn't even guess why. It had been because of him he was in Gryffindor to begin with.

"You, Harry Potter, not Gryffindor enough?" Theodore asked, brow raised in scepticism.

"I was almost sorted into Slytherin in first year." Harry said. "And in second year lots of people thought I was the heir of Slytherin."

"Then why didn't you get resorted in second year?" Draco asked, to which he only received a shrug.

"Dumbledore changed his mind? I'm not going to pretend I understand him." Harry said, barely hiding a note of bitterness, remembering the summer.

There was another moment of silence, the Slytherins in other years going to their dorms to drop their things off and maybe start some homework, read or something else before dinner started. The 5th year Slytherins took a moment longer to enter the common room, but eventually did, those who had nothing to do with Harry just walked past, Draco and his friends remaining in the common room.

"Just so you know, Potter, there are some rules about being a Slytherin." Theodore said, smirking in a way that made Harry feel worry settle somewhere in the pit of his stomach.

"What he means is that we all look out for each other. You look out for us and defend us, we'll do the same for you." Blaise said, rolling his eyes at Theo.

"And, in order for us to accept you, I have to do your makeup. It's basically an initiation." Pansy said, smiling an obviously evilly sweet smile at him.

The other boys groaned, Pansy was undoubtedly good at makeup, shown by all the Slytherin girls asking her for either tips or to just do it for them, but she loved doing it for the boys. It's not that there was anything wrong with them wearing makeup, but she was always trying to do it for them. Perhaps if she spent her time focusing on Harry they could have a break from her constantly dragging them into the girls' dorm to do their makeup.

"So, you going to do the initiation?" Pansy asked, realising that Harry hadn't said anything.

"I mean, sure... It's not like I'm actually doing anything though." Harry said, feeling awkward under the pressure of everyone's stares.

"Great!" Pansy cheered, grabbing Harry's wrist and pulling him into the 5th year girls' dorm, knowing the other girls would have expected her to do this so Harry won't see anything he wasn't supposed to.

"You're doing his makeup, aren't you?" Millicent Bulstrode asked, rolling her eyes at her makeover obsessed friend.

"Well, of course. Can't let our newest housemate walk around like this?" Pansy said, gesturing to Harry, who would have been offended if it wasn't for the fact he did look pretty poor.

"Bet Draco will fix his wardrobe next, I swear that boy is obsessed with shopping or something." Millicent said, rolling her eyes with a slight laugh.

Pansy pushed Harry onto a chair as she went to collect her makeup supplies. Harry just sat back and let Pansy have her way, totally not because he was intimidated, he honestly liked her fussing around him. It was a similar feeling to Mrs Weasley caring for him.