The Green Man and the Goddess

My feet echoed down cars of the Hogwarts Express as I ran further and further from my friends, family and most importantly my boyfriend. As soon as I had got on the train and out of site from Draco, I had detatched myself from Harry and ran.

I knew I shouldn't of reacted the way I did to seeing Draco with that girl but if his father got his way, Draco would marry her, not me and I couldn't bare the thought of it. Seeing Draco with her was terrible but that wasn't the only thing... he had changed. There was a dark aura surrounding him like a cloak. I was terrified that if he stayed around that bitch, Jade, and his Father that he would end up just like them.

I neared the back of the train and slowly stepped into the last car. Everything was silent as I searched for a car. In the first compartment, I found a couple of scared looking first years and I quickly exited the compartment and tried the next one which turned out to be occupied with a couple of Seventh years making out. Finally in the third compartment I found seclusion. I lowered myself to the seat nearest the window and just sat there, staring out the window as I watched the countryside fly by.

What was happening with Draco? I could swear at nights I could feel his pain and his desperation but about what? I know he didn't want to marry Jade but in the end, how could he refuse his father? I thought sadly. I rested the back of my head against the seat and sighed. I had never felt so helpless. Even as a child, I had always had better options than this. My biggest fear that day was that there was nothing I would be able to do to help Draco.

Finally the train finally started to approach Hogwarts. I quickly stood up and changed into my school robes, proudly pinning the prefects badge that I had received over the break onto the front of robes and exiting the compartment that had been a safe haven for me on the journey to Hogwarts.

As I walked through each car, pulling my light trunk behind me, I saw the other children coming out of the compartments. They looked so happy. Voldemort wasn't a constant threat to them and they didn't have to worry about their boyfriends or girlfriends being sucked over to the dark-side.

When I stepped into the car closest to the front of the train and I saw Draco step out of a compartment. He stood there all alone and I thought he had been the only one in there... until she stepped out and put her arm around his neck. She acts like she owns him, I thought bitterly and took a step back so that Draco wouldn't see me. I wanted to know if he was cheating on me. I had to know if he was cheating.

Behind me I heard voices and I turned to see Hermione and Ron coming towards me, Harry was no where in sight. Hermione's headgirl badge shown in the light and Ron's arm was comfortably encircling Hermione's waist.

"Are you ok Gin?" Ron asked, staring to where Draco and Jade were standing. "He does look like he's trying to drag her off, he told me sympathetically.

"Well he shouldn't have to drag her off in the first place," I hissed, "and don't talk so loud. He might hear you. I don't want him to know I'm here."

"Oh Gin!" Hermione cried, "he's not trying to hurt you. That girl just won't let him go and he looks quite upset. Whiter than usual."

"I don't care," I hissed.

Hermione and Ron just looked concerned. "So you'll just purposely hurt him then?" Hermione asked. "I saw the look on his face when he saw you with Harry. He wanted to decapitate Harry and serve his head at the feast tonight."

I just laughed... loudly. Draco turned around then and our eyes met. He didn't try and push her away, his eyes were just sad, pleading, and... lonely?

I didn't understand. Why didn't he just push her away? It was so simple. Why couldn't he do that? I wanted to scream those words but I didn't want to draw the attention. There was a time and a place for everything and on the train to Hogwarts wasn't the time or the place.

Draco's eyes were ripped from mine as Jade dragged him down and off the train. I walked to the sliding doors which hadn't yet shut and watched as he was dragged away and into a coach with Jade, Crabbe and Goyle.

"Can I sit with you two?" I asked Ron and Hermione hopefully. They were watching me sadly and while I didn't want their pity, I didn't want to be alone. If I had learned one thing over the summer, both Ron and Hermione were my friends.

"Ya, of course, if you don't mind sitting with Harry as well," Ron told me.

Harry had been acting wierd lately. He hadn't come to the Burrow at all the past summer and Mum had been worried and forced Ron, Fred and George to go and get him but when they arrived at Privet Drive, Petunia Dursley had rudely told them that Harry wasn't there and shut the door in their face. For some minutes the boys had tried to knock the door down, trying to find out where he was but there was no success. They would of used their magic to get the information out of the Dursley but of course Mum had forbidden them to take their wands with them, so they were forced to get back into the Ministry car and go back to the Burrow. After they asked at the Ministry, they were told that Harry had been given permission to live on his own that summer but no one knew where exactly he was and when he arrived at Platform 9 3/4 he had flately refused to tell anyone where he had been.

Harry was changing, like Draco, and I have to admit I was afraid for both of them, although thoughts of Draco occupied my mind much more than thoughts of Harry Potter.

I turned to Ron and nodded my head, "Ya, of course. I'd love to have a chat with Harry. He seems so distance these days."

Ron and Hermione looked at each and sadly agreed. "He has," Hermione said, "and I'm not sure I like what he's turning into."

After that we headed to the carriages and climbed in after waving hello to Hagrid who was herding the first years into boats like usual.

The carriage was dark and there were blinds that had been pulled down to almost the bottom so that close to no light shown through. I bent my head to watch out the crack of the exposed window and watched as people climbed in and out of the carriages.

Ten minutes later and there was still no sign of Harry. None of us had seen him and Ron and Hermione had said that he had disapeared after they had gotten on the train. They hadn't thought any different after he disapeared but that was probably because they were to busy making out but I wasn't about to say anything about that.

Finally we could wait for Harry no longer and the carriage rolled into motion. Just as we took the final turn out of the train station, we saw Harry jump off the train. Accompanied with him were two Slytherins. Blaise Zabini, Blake and Devin Leofric.

Hermione gave out a little cry and Ron looked angry. Blaise, Blake and Devin were all known for their practice of the dark arts and rumour said that Blaise's parents were really Deatheaters and that they had left her with her aunt to escape the Ministry. But whatever Harry was doing with them, it wasn't good.

Finally we arrived at Hogwarts and we hurried to the Great Hall. I sat at my designated seat at Gryffindor Table near the High Table and Hermione hurried to the front so that they could annouce the Headboy and Girl. Draco stood up there too and he stared straight at me, his eyes pleading for forgiveness. I dragged my eyes from his and looked down to where Ron sat further down our table. He just looked at the table, as to say, I'm not getting into this and I glared at him.

Turning around I saw that Professor Dumbledore was talking to Jade in the corner, the Sorting Hat in hand, a brode smile plastered across his face and I sneared. Of course Dumbledore liked everyone. He had probably liked Tom Riddle himself when he was at Hogwarts, I thought to myself coldly.

The First Years had now started to arrive, filing into the Great Hall and McGonagall was motioning them to stand infront of the High Table. Dumbledore smiled and walked over to her, pulling Jade along with him, and handed her the Sorting Hat.

McGonagall then turned around and clapped three times and the Great Hall fell into silence. Everyone stared at the new First Years and settled to watch the sorting.

The sorting started as Alaric, Chelsea was sorted into Slytherin and ended with Watson, Alan being sorted into Hufflepuff and then Dumbledore stepped forward but instead of the usual speach he said,

"We have amongst us, a new student who will be joining us for her sixth year. I hope everyone will give Miss Grolloni a warm welcome," he told the school before turning to Jade, "now Jade, please sit on this stool and the Sorting Hat will be placed on your head."

Jade looked at the Hat distastefully but sat down on the stool anyways, and the Hat was placed on her head. The Slytherins looked expectful and all the houses just glared. The Sorting Hat took a deep breath to call out the House where Jade belonged when-

There was a bang and the doors flew open. Harry strolled in with Blaise, Devin and Blake on his heels. McGonagall looked shocked and for the first time she was at a lost for words.

Harry strolled in and took his seat at Gryffindor as the other three joined Slytherin Table. Everything was silent but fortunately not everyone had lost their voice.

Hermione stood up, wand in hand and cried, "Harry Potter, you are late! 10 points from Gryffindor and another 30 from Slytherin for that matter, since Zabini and the Leofrics were all late. Another 5 off of each person for bursting in like this and interupting the ceremony. Do not be late again!"

Everyone stared at Hermione, for it was widely known that she was great friends with Harry Potter but before the students could speculate anymore, the Sorting Hat something else of its own to say,

"Jade Grolloni, you belong in Gryffindor!!!"