Nothing's The Same

"Chapter 1: Back Again"

After an invigorating summer Ron was back on Platform 9 ¾ about to depart for the last time to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This was one of those rare summers where he hadn't seen Hermione and Harry. The whole Order had been scattered all over the place in fear of Voldemort. There was a betrayal in the Order and it had been abandoned. Ron, along with Ginny, had gone to stay with Charlie in Romania while everyone else was scattered. No owls were exchanged and isolation was key, due to the fact that most of the members of the Order were known. Charlie had been a prime choice for a hideout due to the fact that no one really thought him a member of the Order, assuming that he was too wrapped up in dragons and the fact that he lived in Romania. Only the close inner circle knew about Charlie. Ginny stood beside Ron they were waiting to see not only Harry and Hermione but also their parents. It had been a long, grueling summer, not that Ron was complaining. Spending the whole summer at a Dragon camp wasn't exactly boring, but it was awkward not being surrounded by so many people.

"Ron!" came a shriek from the corner. Ron turned to see Hermione. She ran up to him and threw her arms around him, she turned to Ginny and did the same. "I missed you guys so much! Summer just wasn't the same without you! All I had to do was read nonstop! I wrote you letters for comfort even if I couldn't send them."

"Why?" asked Ron, slightly baffled.

"To kill time," she answered then hugged him again. "I missed you so much! You have no idea."

"I missed you too, Hermione," Ron answered patting her on the back awkwardly.

"How was your holiday?" she asked. Ron felt slightly awkward so he changed their positions and held her at an arms length.

"It was great!" exclaimed Ginny, talking for the first time. "Feeding dragons in Romania was bloody fantastic!"

"You were staying with Charlie?" Hermione inquired, but didn't wait for a response. "I was staying with Bill and Fleur along with Harry, for the first part of summer at any rate. Harry left so it was just Bill, Fleur, and me. Where is he, anyway?"

"Harry?" Ron asked. Then he shrugged. "Not here yet."

"Oh my God, Hermione!" shrieked Ginny excitedly. She was just now noticing the other girl's hair due to the fact that her attention was focused on scanning the crowd for a certain boy with jet black, untidy hair and bright green eyes sheltered by glasses. Hermione's hair was, while still bushy, not nearly as much.

"Thank you!" She smiled, not needing the other girl to finish her sentence. "I didn't particularly like Fleur, but the girl knows her cosmetic spells."

"I wonder why?" Ginny sighed. She liked Fleur but the girl spent more time in front of the mirror than her whole dormitory.

"I know," Hermione said with an eye roll. She was still a tad bitter because of the whole Ron thing, and his immature little crush of the Veela.

"There he is!" yelled Ginny, smiling. She pointed Harry out of the crowd. He was standing by the Dursleys, who had just dropped him off. They were probably giving him the lecture about never darkening their doorstep again, because he was of age now. Ron couldn't be sure. Harry spotted his friends, waved to his aunt, uncle, and cousin without looking back at them as he started over his trunks and Hedwig trailing on a cart behind him.

"Do you still fancy him?" Ron asked Ginny raising both eyebrows. "I thought you were over him."

"I never said over," Ginny answered, shrugging slightly. "I said that I'd given up on him."

"Right!" Ron answered nodding his head. "Wait! What?! There's a difference."

"Harry!" exclaimed Hermione throwing her arms around him as he reached them. She then let go and looked him over before shrieking again. "I've missed you so much!"

"It's been, what, a month?" smiled Harry. He looked at Ron and gave him a 'what's gotten into her look.' Ron just shrugged.

"Still a whole month! I'm so excited to be back!" shrieked Hermione.

"We hadn't noticed," said Ron sarcastically. Harry bent down and hugged Ginny.

"Hello, Ginny," he said.

"Hello, Harry," she replied smiling up at him. Hermione and Ron exchanged glances.

"Ron," Harry finally greeted his best friend, giving him a manly hug. They separated and then began discussing their summer. Draco Malfoy bumped into them and just kept walking on his way towards the train.

"Watch it!" exclaimed Ron. Malfoy just flashed him the V.*

"Someone looks different," Hermione pointed out, looking at Malfoy. She didn't check him out, but she was making a just observation as he did look very different.

"He seemed to fill out a bit. His features have also softened," Ginny elaborated slightly mused. Occasionally stealing glances at Harry, who was doing the same. Ron pretended not to notice.

"Guess who made Head Girl!" Hermione yelled suddenly. She had waited until they were all together to break the news.

"Let me think...." Ron answered and paused for about a minute. Then he added slowly, "You?"

"Yes!" she yelled, but quickly sobered up. "Malfoy is Head Boy."

"How?" asked Ron. Everyone knew since first year that Hermione was going to be Head Girl but everyone also thought that Harry was going to be a prefect and Ron got that title. He tried not to gloat too much but it was the one thing that he beat his best friend out at. He was extremely proud of this accomplishment.

"Apparently he had decent marks, better than most at any rate."

"You think it'll be as calm as last year?" asked Harry. Everyone looked at him in disbelief. Last year hadn't been calm. Mad-Eye had died in a battle at Gringotts when the Death Eaters had invaded and started killing people at random. Harry was once again almost killed by Voldemort. Over the summer things had become rather slow. "I mean Malfoy-wise."

"Oh!" the others said in unison. Ron looked towards the train.

"One can only hope that he's more messed up than he was last year," answered Ron. Malfoy still was mean to them last year he just didn't go out of his way to pick on them. Things had been rather quiet in that department. Ron just assumed that it was due to the fact that his mother had died the summer before. Malfoy couldn't exactly torment Harry about having no proper family because Malfoy's dad was in Azkaban and his mother had mysteriously died. No one exactly knew how. Malfoy used his connections with Rita Skeeter, whose year long ban was way over, to hush it up. She obliged, Ron just assumed that Malfoy owned the Daily Prophet or something.

"Hello," came the voice of Seamus Finnigan from behind them. He was avoiding eye contact with Ginny. She had dated him last year along with Dean Thomas, Colin Creevey, who was no longer a gawky kid with a camera, and Terry Boot. "How was your summer?"

"Oh, you know," responded Harry, avoiding the question. "How about you?"

"Average," answered Seamus. There was an awkward silence. "Well, bye."

"Bye," the Trio said in unison. Ginny just smiled weakly.

"RON! GINNY!" exclaimed a voice. Ron and Ginny turned to see their mother, she ran over and engulfed them both in huge hugs. Then she turned to Harry and Hermione and did the same. Mr. Weasley followed suit. "It's so good to see you. Your father and I have missed you so much!"

"Hello Mum," Ron choked trying to breathe as she engulfed him in another hug. The train's whistle blew and Mrs. Weasley let go, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "MUM!" Ron whined swatting her away. He secretly didn't care all too much, but all his mates from school were on the platform or in the vicinity, and he didn't want to look like he was treated like a child. Molly ignored him.

"You have to go," she said giving everyone a final squeeze before they all barreled onto the train. They walked towards the back of the train to their usual compartment. They all flooded in and sat down.

"I learned all about curses this summer," Hermione said brightly. "I learned more about Gringotts than I ever thought possible to and not to mention tons and tons of cosmetic potions, spells, and incantations."

"That's nice," Ginny said smiling, and casting a glance at Harry. She smiled shyly when they made eye contact and quickly looked down at the ground.

"Bill is very smart, you know. He's brilliant actually. I wouldn't be surprised if he turned out to be the Minister of Magic," Hermione continued.

"That's Percy's dream," Ron answered. "Be back in a minute."

He walked out of the compartment towards the lavatory when he heard a voice inside another compartment. Luna popped up and began to listen with him. God only knows where she popped up from, but there she was.

"O-v-e-r," came a voice. "You mindless twit. We've been over for years. I repeat years. And years. You're driving me nuts with your constant stalking."

"I am not stalking you! I just made a statement that you looked better than last year. Different in a good way."

"I know I look different. I own a mirror."

"I mean you were attractive before, but now....."

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"I'm worried about you!" came the female voice.

"About what, Pansy?"

"It's Malfoy and Pansy," Ron whispered to Luna, who nodded. He didn't know why he had just stated the obvious, but it had been said and there was no taking it back now.

"You were almost civil to those Ravenclaws!" Pansy exclaimed shrilly. Ron was beginning to think that the girl's voice was an octave higher than everyone else's. He wasn't even in the room and it made him cringe.

"I'm not in the mood to harass people right now. When I get in the mood to make people's lives living hell, I'll do it. I have more important things on my mind right now."

"Like the fact that you never sleep?" she asked. Ron had an strong feeling that there was a death glare competition going on in the compartment. He didn't know who would win. He'd been at the receiving end of glares from the two people in question a lot, and they were not pleasant.

"I sleep!" he objected. "Just not a lot and how the hell do you know that?"

"Blaise."

"I'm going to kill him!"

"There's the Draco Malfoy I know and love!" Pansy said in a very annoying voice. Ron just couldn't get past the voice. It was extremely irritating.

"On second thought, I'll just scold him," Draco answered. Ron snorted in disgust, he could practically hear the smirk.

"I was digging myself into that, wasn't I?" asked Pansy. They heard a sigh and then the sound of someone sitting in the seat. Ron didn't, however, hear the sound of a second person sitting down.

"Oh yeah," Draco agreed. Ron was shocked, it was the first time he had ever heard the other boy be in concurrence with another human being. Unless, of course, you counted teachers that Malfoy seemed particularly fond of sucking up to. "My witty remarks may be a little off due to the lack of sleep."

"Since your mother died you haven't been the same."

"I'm sorry," he said sounding baffled. Of course, it was sarcasitic, but Ron didn't pick that up. "I'll try to get over the fact that I walked in on my mother after she slit her wrists just in time to hear her last breath."

"Draco, you can't live in the past!"

"I can if I want to," he responded, sharply. "This conversation is over, just like we are over and always will be over."

"Draco, don't be like that!" the she yelled. Luna and Ron barely got out of the way when Pansy threw open the door and stormed out, not seeing them.

"I didn't know that happened," said Luna. "I feel sorry for him."

"You feel sorry for Malfoy? Someone who has tormented you for the last five years of your life and called you some very cruel things? I'm confused," he was referring to the time last year where Malfoy called Luna an insane fruitloop with nothing better to do than stalk Harry and make huge, gaudy paper mache hats that would embarrass even the most daring of people. That was putting it lightly. He used much worse language and more offensive words. Words that were out of the average wizard's vocabulary. Hermione had explained to them what the word's meant but he only then memorized their synonyms and forgot the actual words.

"Clearly," Luna answered. "How would you like to walk in on your mum killing herself?"

"I wouldn't," Ron answered. "But if you had to pick someone for that to happen to....okay I'll shut-up now. Fine, we can feel sorry for Malfoy. But I don't have to like it, do I?" asked Ron cowering under Luna's intense glare. She could be quite mean when she wanted to be. She had learned it by hanging out with the trio more, especially Hermione. Hermione had rubbed off on Luna in the worse possible way and she was turning slowly into a walking textbook herself, but she did still have her warped theories. Scratch that, she was turning into a walking Quibbler, which was never good. She could pull random facts about Murgles and Poogles (two nonexistent species) off of the top of her head. They started back towards the compartment.

"His father's in jail, his mother died, he has nothing..."

"Except a boatload of currency in the bank."

"No family," Luna continued, only pausing briefly to glare at Ron. "No one to love, no real friends, I feel sorry for him."

"Alright, we got the fact that you feel sorry for him," Ron stated. "You could write an article for the Quibbler on it."

"That's a good idea. What should I call it?"

"Love for Spoiled Rich Brats Who Lost Their Fami," Ron stated. "Alright, I feel sorry for him."

"See!" Luna stated. "Think of the pain he's hiding. That would take strength. Strength you and I don't have," as they entered the compartment they heard giggling and saw Harry and Ginny flirting. Hermione was curled up in the corner reading.

"Get a room!" Ron yelled. Both of their head popped up. "God, Gin! You're going to have all the Gryffindors dated before you graduate."

"What?" asked Ginny.

"Well, you went to the Yule Ball with Neville, cheated on him. Dated what's-his-face for awhile...."

"Michael Corner," Ginny said.

"Right, then you dated Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Terry Boot, and Colin Creevey. Now you've moved on to Harry. Just pick a bloody guy already I'm sick of lecturing a different guy every other week."

"You lecture them!!" Ginny shrieked. It would have done Pansy proud.

"Yes!" Ron responded. "Duh!"

"You may want to shut up now," Hermione whispered under her breath.

"You make me so angry! So what if I have some guy issues! Is that a crime!? At least I've had a boyfriend! What did you have? A date last year?"

"I don't feel like putting up with this again," Ron stated and stormed out of the compartment, Hermione following him close behind.

"Ron, wait!"

"Shouldn't you be up in the lead compartment or something?" he asked gently.

"We decided to hold the meeting in school, we never get much accomplished on the train," answered Hermione. "Remember?"

"Yeah. Right, I'm still a prefect, aren't I?"

"You think?" asked Hermione, smiling sweetly up at him. "So what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Ron sighed. "I just don't know. Life is so complicated. Sometimes I wish I knew what it was like to be normal. To be a muggle, to not know what it's like to wake up and be have the fear 'what if today is the day I die.' It's getting old, Hermione. It's getting old fast."

"We're wizards, Ron. We're very privileged. No matter where you live there are going to be people who ruin it. Muggles aren't exactly living in the nirvana you think they are. If you took Muggle Studies you would know that."

"You're right," Ron sighed. "Who am I kidding? You're always right."

"Duh," she smiled. "Let's get back to the compartment."

"Alright," Ron sighed and they headed back. Ron bumped against Malfoy. Ron shook his head. What was with bumping into Malfoy today!? It was really getting on his nerves.

"Watch it, Weasley," Malfoy snapped.

"Just....Gah!" he shouted.

"Impressive vocabulary, you must tell me the dictionary you used," smirked Malfoy.

"Fuck off," Ron said and stormed off, Hermione trailing behind him. He knew under different circumstances she would have given him a ten minute lecture about why not to use the infamous 'f-word.' He paused at the compartment and took a deep breath.

"Maybe Ginny is having all these guy issues because she's been secretly in love with Harry all this time," Hermione tried, touching his arm gently. It, in all honesty, hadn't been that big of a secret, but he wasn't about to correct Hermione. He wasn't in the mood for another row.

"Maybe," Ron shrugged. He opened the door slowly to reveal Luna, Neville (who had joined the other three when Hermione and Ron had gone), Harry, and Ginny.

"Cooled off," Ginny asked coldly.

"Yeah," Ron answered throwing himself down on the seat. "Much. I'm sorry I called you a scarlet woman."

"And I'm sorry I called you a reject," Ginny sighed. Hermione, Harry, Luna, and Neville looked deeply confused, but the siblings had a deep understanding. Something that only children just couldn't quite grasp.

*******

"Hogwarts! Can you believe it!?" Hermione exclaimed from beside Ron. "Our last year! It's so sad!"

"Yet oddly exciting," Ron stated, making fun of the fact that she was talking so excitedly about something that was supposedly sad. "What's with you?"

"I don't know," Hermione sighed. "All of a sudden I just miss this place. I miss the last train ride, I miss the last time we're arriving in the carriages. I miss everything already, even if we've only just arrived."

"We just started the school year," Ron pointed-out.

"Yes, I realize that, but the beginning and the end are the times to miss things. In the middle I'll be normal again. Any idea what you're going to do after Hogwarts. Besides Quidditch, that is?"

"Not yet," shrugged Ron. He then thought of something that would be sure to get a rise out of his best friend. "You think I could join a band?"

"Please!" Hermione yelled. "I've never even heard you sing."

"I have, I'm not that bad either."

"Alright, sing something," she said crossing her arms over her chest.

"I don't sing in front of people," stated Ron.

"Fine, then how are you going to join a band?"

"I was just joking, don't take everything so seriously," he laughed.

******

"A snake shall fall for a lioness. An unexpected twist this truly is. Taming this fiery seductress will prove difficult! But the one of Bad Faith is superior and may not be able to make amends! This year will be the most shocking that has ever been!" came the voice of Professor Trelawney, it had been deeper and more mystical than usual. She had just burst into the Great Hall in the middle of the feast and delivered a prophesy. Or what Ron supposed would be a prophesy. She seemed to recover herself, but then looked around blankly at the room. Silence echoed throughout the Great Hall, Harry whispered to Ron and Hermione that that was how Trelawney sounded when giving an actual prophesy. Hermione looked shocked. She was about to say something when her thoughts were interrupted by a loud shriek.

"DRACO! AREN'T YOU GOING TO EAT ANYTHING!?" the voice belonged to Pansy Parkinson. Who else could get their voice that irritatingly high. Ron couldn't seem to get his mind off of the matter. She ran after him.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Ron, clearly baffled.

"Do you think we should eavesdrop?" smirked Harry. Ron nodded, the boy's looked at Hermione.

"It's sort of petty," she responded. You could tell that she was minutely interested, but she would rather not do it. Although, she could still be in shock at the fact that the old fraud was capable of delivering a prophesy.

"But it's Malfoy," whined Ron. "Maybe he knows something...."

"Fine, we'll go," Hermione sighed. They walked out the doors, unnoticed. It was actually pretty rare for them to go anywhere unnoticed, especially with Harry around. As soon as they were out Harry summoned his invisibility cloak. "How are we all going to fit under there?"

"You're right," Harry stated.

"You know what, I'll stay behind. Have fun," Hermione stated and walked back into the Great Hall.

"Sad that we get a kick out of spying on Malfoy, really," Ron pointed-out.

"It is," Harry agreed and they stalked down the corridor after Malfoy and Pansy.

"Pansy, would you please stop following me?" asked Draco threateningly.

"Like I said before I'm worried."

"We had this conversation already," he sighed.

"What's wrong now?"

"The batty teacher was talking about me!"

"It's Trelawney! You can't take what she says seriously!"

"I've heard prophesies before and she sounded the same as the legitimate Seers that I've heard."

"Even if it was real, where did you get that it was about you?"

"So a male Slytherin is going to fall for a Gryffindor," he started.

"And that pisses you off, it's not even proven that its you. Believe it or not, not everything is about you," Pansy pointed out. Ron almost laughed. He only wished that he had been the one who got to tell Malfoy that the world didn't revolve around him. It probably brought his whole entire world crashing down.

"Well, I didn't think that either, but when she said 'bad faith' it's proof."

"All Slytherin's have bad faith, well, compared to the noble Gryffindors," Pansy stated, rolling her eyes. Harry tensed beside them. Gryffindor comments really seemed to get to him lately, ever since the end of last term, that is. Ron didn't know why but they did. It wasn't as if Malfoy knew they were both standing there. If this was the case he definitely would have said something.

"My last name means bad faith," Draco informed her.

"Oh, that is rather....it could just be a coincidence."

"Could my life get any worse?" he complained, leaning against a nearby wall.

"Keep thinking like that and it will," Pansy nodded.

"Maybe I'll isolate...no kill! I'll kill myself and then I won't fall for a Gryffindor."

"It's not that bad!" Pansy shrieked. "Draco! You can't kill yourself! It's not worth it! Think about it, if you kill yourself there will be no more you ever again. A Gryffindor isn't as bad as a Hufflepuff."

"But what if it's Granger?"

"Nah, she's got Weasley," Pansy stated. "It could be anybody. Parvati and Lavender aren't too bad."

"Merely annoying," Draco commented.

"What if it's someone not in our year?"

"Like a sixth year?"

"Or fifth," she shrugged. "My point is, that it's not all that bad. It could get worse."

"There's a beauty of a question, how could my life get any worse?"

"You could be poor."

"True," he answered. "Maybe I'll just buy something. A house in Venice. I don't mind Venice, I'd say Prague, but I bought that last year."

"Venice would work or America. You've never been there."

"Someplace isolated, with a lot of quiet."

"You could catch up on some sleep, I suppose."

"I'd have to sleep for a long time," he commented. Ron, at this point, wasn't really into the conversation. They weren't talking about anything interesting. Mainly money, something Ron didn't really understand or relate too. If he wanted to hear Malfoy and Pansy talk about money all he would have to do is mention it.

"Where did you go this summer?" asked Pansy.

"Rome," he answered. "Met a few interesting people."

"You're very fond of Italy, aren't you? But that sounds nice. You met new people?" she inquired raising an eyebrow. Just what Ron wanted to hear, the horrible people Draco met in Italy. He made a mental note never to travel there. If Malfoy liked it so much it must have been horrible.

"I didn't like them, but they were interesting none the less."

"Are you bored yet?" whispered Ron when he couldn't take it any longer. Harry nodded. They slipped back into the Great Hall, taking seats across and next to Hermione.

"Learn anything interesting?" asked Hermione.

"Malfoy wants to kill himself because he thinks that the Trelawney's prediction is about him."

"God forbid that he should fall for a Gryffindor. Poor girl," Hermione sighed. "Wonder who it is?"

"Dunno," Harry shrugged. Hermione then grabbed Ron's hand and looked at him with fearful eyes.

"What if it's me!" she exclaimed.

"Herm, calm down," Ron stated. "It's Trelawney! Remember the fraud!"

"He was frightened of that, too," Harry smirked. Hermione's eyebrows shot up in the air, because the statement had been a bit late. Harry's belated statement did seem to distract her from her fear of falling for a Malfoy....temporarily. It came back almost instantly.

"I mean, we're going to have to work together this year, being Head Boy and Girl and all. What if....Oh, God!" Hermione continued her rant, thinking up all the possible ways.

"I'm sure it's not you," Ron said soothingly, motioning towards both ends of the table in turn. "Look how many girls are in Gryffindor. Chances that it's you are slim to none."

"And no offense, Hermione," Harry stated. "But you aren't exactly a fiery seductress."

"None taken, I'm not," she agreed. "I don't exactly need taming either."

"It would be funny though," Harry laughed. "The look on Lucius Malfoy's face!"

"It's going to be priceless no matter who it is," Ron agreed. "Even if it's not Hermione."

"Well, if it is...." Hermione trialed off. Ron and Harry looked at her with raised eyebrows. "I'd have to be under imperious and please put me out of my misery."

"Ditto," Ginny stated. "Although, I have more sense than that."

"Anyone would have to," at that point they all grew quiet and they could hear the ongoing conversation of Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown.

"Do you think he'll talk to me?" came the voice of Parvati. "I mean if I casually bumped into him."

"How casually?" smirked Lavender.

"You know, just enough to drop all of my books. Do you think he'd help me pick them up?!"

"No," Lavender shook her head.

"What are you talking about?" asked Ginny.

"Nothing," Parvati said turning bright red.

"Nothing indeed," smirked Lavender. "Just her newly discovered undying love for a certain Slytherin."

"Are you mad?!" exclaimed Ginny, shocked. "He's evil."

"Never to me," Parvati smiled. "He looks so much better this year."

"No one's disagreeing," smirked Lavender. Of course, anyone with eyes would have to admit that Draco Malfoy was bordering on hot. Most wouldn't say bordering, but to Ginny he was still evil, so even if he was the most gorgeous thing on the face of the planet he wouldn't be. She couldn't say that he was a pointy faced twit anymore, that's for sure. He was actually very lucky that she was in a good mood, because if she wasn't he would be hideous in her mind's eye. Apparently Lavender felt the same way, but then again everyone knew that she was in love with Seamus. She hadn't spoken to Ginny in the brief period that the two dated last year. Correction, everyone knew of Lavender's infatuation, save Seamus. "I mean I'll even admit that he does look a lot better, but..."

"He's evil?" helped Ginny.

"Evil's a bit harsh," Hermione stated. "Spoiled rotten prick with no heart would be correct."

"I wonder who he lives with now that his parents aren't...."

"Alive?" helped Harry.

"Sane?" offered Ron.

"Yeah," Parvati nodded, becoming increasingly uncomfortable. "Anyways, how was your summer?"

"You know...." Harry started. Lavender and Parvati looked at him blankly.

"Average," answered Ron. "Bordering on boring."

"With Harry? Never!" Lavender stated. "I mean your Mr. Hero Guy. You can't simply expect us to believe that nothing bad happened."

"Surprisingly quiet," Harry stated.

"Shockingly," sneered a voice from behind them. Ron and Hermione didn't even need to turn around see who it was. Hermione immediately shoved her nose in a book.

"Malfoy," sneered Harry. "Where are your body guards?"

"Eating?" smirked Ron. Actually, since last year Malfoy wasn't constantly flanked by his two cronies. He was usually with Blaise and Pansy.

"Better than reading at any rate," he smirked looking at the spine of Hermione's book. "Interesting read. Wouldn't be my first choice, but...."

"Like you've actually read Hogwarts, A History," Hermione stated, rolling her eyes.

"My favorite is page 666," Draco smirked.

"Of course, you'd like that page," snarled Harry.

"A coincidence that it happens to cover the Malfoy Family then, isn't it?" smirked Draco.

"There's a shocker," Hermione stated sarcastically. Ron gaped at Hermione. Why hadn't she told him that the Malfoy's were in Hogwarts, A History? He briefly wondered why. "If you read it."

"My name is in the school motto," smirked Draco.

"What's the motto?" asked Ron.

"Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus," smirked Hermione. "Alright, Malfoy, if you're so intelligent where are each of the founders from?"

"Gryffindor from North Yorkshire, Hufflepuff from Dartmoor, Slytherin from Norfolk, and Ravenclaw is from Glencoe in Scotland," he smirked. "There's a meeting in ten minutes. I just thought I would remind you in case you forgot."

"I remembered thanks," Hermione retorted. He shrugged and walked away.

"He's read Hogwarts, A History," Ron smirked. "I think it's love."

"Don't be ridiculous," Hermione said, elbowing him. Ron laughed.

"You think he heard us?!" Parvati asked worriedly. Ron shrugged.

"Who cares," Harry stated.

"You want to go to the meeting?" asked Ron. Hermione nodded.

******

"Malfoy! Would you stop acting so...."

"Arrogant?" he helped, smirking.

"Are you deliberately contradicting everything that I have to say?" Hermione asked. Draco nodded.

"Pretty much," he paused. "Remember when I beat up Rodger Davies last year?" Draco asked. "That was great! I had that boy hospitalized."

"How is this relevant?" Hermione questioned. It was really hard to talk when you had Draco Malfoy standing beside you contradicting everything you say and just making comments that were beside the point.

"How is any of this relevant? We've been here for three bloody hours. All I know is that time is a valuable thing. I'm so bored right now that I could summon a clock and have more fun watching time flock by as the pendulum swings. You know watch it count down to the end of the day, while we have to sit here and watch as the clock ticks life away."

"How original," Hermione said sarcastically.

"Knew you'd like that," he smirked. "My point is that you can't waste three hours going over school rules. We've been here for too long. We know the rules, we're all prefects. We got that title for a reason. Believe it or not, we Slytherins know the school rules. So let's leave. We remember everything, if not you've had plenty of time to remind us all."

"I'm only on Filch's list," Hermione objected.

"As much as it pains me to do so, I'm going to close this meeting. I think Weasley's sleeping."

"Ron is not sleeping!" Hermione protested. Ron looked up at hearing his name. He wasn't sleeping, if Hermione saw him he would never hear the end of it. He was, however, staring into space, not really paying attention. He avoided looking at Filch's list for seven years now, he wasn't exactly going to learn it by heart. Or at least pay attention as Hermione recited it by heart.

"I was talking about the girl," Draco stated motioning to Ginny, who had her head down on the table. Hermione glared at him.

"You don't even know her name?"

"Nope," he shrugged. "Don't much care to know either. I'm leaving now. The rest of you lot feel free to follow suit."

"No! Wait!" tried Hermione, but everyone left the room, save her friends who were waiting politely for her. She sped out of the room, and grabbed Malfoy by the arm. "What gives you the right to do that?!"

"I have every right to let them go, as you have every right to make them stay," Draco drawled.

"You're just bitter," spat Hermione.

"Why would I be bitter?"

"Because you could fall in love with someone in Gryffindor."

"And it could be you?" Draco arched a perfect eyebrow. "Don't flatter yourself. She said, and I quote, 'a fiery seductress.' You don't fall into that category. Granger you couldn't lure a hard-up virgin away from a bite of ice cream."

"That was out of line, Malfoy!" yelled Ron.

"Well, unless it was pistachio-flavored, cockroach ice cream. Then, I suppose, it would be a tie and either way they would just have to grin and bare it," Draco stated. He didn't look at all amused with himself. He looked aggravated. Ron and Harry's mouth's dropped open in horror. Hermione looked away Ron knew that she was crying. Ginny glared at Malfoy and then they all fled. It was Harry's idea he probably thought that they should get out of there before the initial shock wore off and Ron killed Malfoy.

*******

"Hermione! Sit down!" Harry ordered. He was getting a bit aggravated at Hermione running around the room looking in every mirror deciding if every reflection was deceiving. Hermione sat down.

"Herm-" Ron started.

"I'm hideous. I mean I always had this feeling that I was, I just never thought that--"

"You're not ugly!" Ron protested. He was telling the truth, he didn't think she was ugly. Far from it actually.

"I'm beyond ugly!" she cried. "I'm repulsive!"

"You are not! Stop saying that!" Harry yelled. Ron had no idea whether or not Harry thought she was beautiful. They had never really discussed it. Ron wanted him to think she was pretty, just not too pretty. He didn't want his two best friends to wind up dating. That would be horrible.

"Herm, don't pay any attention to anything that great git Malfoy has to say. Do you want me to beat the smarmy bastard to a bloody pulp?" Ron said, as she sobbed into his shoulder. He patted her on the back of the head, but shockingly enough it wasn't awkward.

"Ron," she said looking up at him with a tearful expression. "You can't."

"Oh, I can and I will."

*******

*Flashing the V- for those of you who don't know this is the way that people are flipped off in England.

Poogle- those belong to neopets

A/N: I hope you liked it. This has a lot more foreshadowing than my other fics. So if there are any loose ends that aren't answered in this fic they will be answered in the sequel 'Bad Faith,' or the third part. I may let some details slip in my LJ, so if I haven't updated in awhile or you want some spoilers (I'm not sure if I'll post them yet, but I may) or cookies then check it out.