Secrets and Lies

"I think he's dreamy."

"Well you would."

"Oh, touched a nerve, have I?"

Ginny was sitting at the Great Hall, listening idly as Megan lusted after the new boy, whereas Romilda continued her "Harry Potter is the sexiest man on Earth" campaign. It was getting old fast.

In truth Megan had a point; there was a certain something about Matthew. Maybe it was the air of mystery that surrounded him. Maybe it was the tough exterior, under which you just knew there was a kind-hearted, sensitive man.

It must have been very deep down, because he'd just shoved a first year's face into his lunch.

Matthew rose from the Gryffindor table with a scowl, and marched down the table casting dirty looks over those sitting at it. Momentarily his gaze stopped on Ginny, but he quickly stepped on whenever he saw her looking.

"Oh my God, he was so totally checking you out," Megan hissed at her. "I'm so jealous."

"Isn't Harry enough for you?" Romilda asked, leaning over the table. Ginny ignored Romilda's comment, instead turning her attention to Megan.

"As if I don't have enough boys pining after me," Ginny said, nodding her head towards where Colin Creevey was staring at her. Here we should spare a thought for poor Colin, who was tragically torn between his love for Ginny Weasley, and his love for Harry Potter. For one thing he had a shrine under his bed with a picture of Ginny and Harry together.

Romilda, who was convinced there was something wild trapped inside the young boy waiting to break free, waved at him. He ignored her, and continued staring at Ginny.

Soon enough, Harry arrived with Ron and Hermione. Hermione didn't look happy.

"Slugborn wanted to speak to me," Harry explained as he sat down beside her.

"What for?" Ginny asked.

"You don't want to know," Ron told her.

"Well, we had Walker today," Ginny said, glancing up at the staff table. "And I feel the desire to warn you that the man is a maniac."

"He's handsome too," Megan said much in the same tone she'd used to describe Matthew moments ago.

"What did he do?" Hermione asked.

"Well, first off he transfigured massive fangs onto a squirrel," Ginny replied. "The squirrel didn't like that, so it bit him. Rather than use his wand, he bit the squirrel back. The squirrel didn't like that."

"So it bit him in the nads," Romilda cut in. "So Harry how was your day?"

"It bit him where?" Harry asked, suddenly looking very pale.

"It's OK, he found both of them again by the end of class," Romilda said offhandedly. "But enough about him, what about you?"

"I'm not sure I want a teacher with such poor skills of judgement," Hermione said sternly, ignoring Ginny giggling at Ron and Harry's expressions of horror.

"I'm sure he was just nervous," Ginny assured her. "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

Everything was not fine, as Ginny found out on the way down to dinner. She'd originally planned that she and her boyfriend would stroll down to dinner at their own pace, maybe making a brief stop in a broom cupboard or two, only to find that Hermione wanted to accompany them whilst telling her all about what a lousy teacher Walker was and how they'd spent most of the class chasing a monkey he'd given wings around the room. Ron followed about ten feet behind them, as if it was a story he'd rather not relive.

When they arrived in the Great Hall, Ginny quickly noticed Matthew was sitting on his own at the end of the table. She nudged Harry, and gestured towards him. Harry shrugged. With a sigh, Ginny grabbed his hand and led him over to where Matthew was sitting.

"Mind if we sit here?" Ginny asked brightly. Matthew looked up, surveying them with a scowl.

"I'd rather you didn't," Matthew muttered.

"Perfect," Ginny said with a smile, sitting down beside him before helping herself to the food on offer. Ron and Hermione sat down opposite her, and Harry slid onto the bench on her other side.

"So Matthew, how come we've never seen you before?" Ginny asked. Matthew took a moment to answer her.

"If you haven't seen me before it's only because you haven't been looking hard enough," Matthew drawled.

"Okay, let me be more specific. How come you didn't come to Hogwarts before this year?" Ginny asked.

"I was home-schooled," Matthew muttered, trying clearly to focus himself on his dinner.

"Why aren't you home-schooled anymore?" she asked. Matthew suddenly turned to look at her. It was a sad look. An all too familiar look.

It was the look Mum had whenever someone mentioned her brothers, Gideon and Fabien.

"I'm sorry," Ginny mumbled. "I didn't know."

"You're a Weasley," he replied. "I wouldn't have expected you to."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ron snapped, standing up to tower over Matthew.

"Ron, he's just upset," Hermione scolded him. "He's recently lost family!" Ron continued to glare at him, but sat down.

"My parents told me everything about the Weasleys," Matthew said, throwing down his fork. "They told me everything about Mudbloods too." Hermione gasped, and Ron made to rise from his chair again. "My whole life they preached to me about so-called purity of blood..." He turned to glare at Harry. "It was that purity that cost them their lives."

"Him?" was all Harry asked.

"I'm sorry, I appear to have lost my appetite," Matthew announced, standing up. "I look forward to seeing you in another excited Transfiguration lesson," he added with a hint of sarcasm. Then, he marched out of the hall.

###

His father had screamed in the end. All his life he'd pretended to himself he was the top dog. Only in those final moments did he realise how little power he actually had.

And his mother, who had believed herself to be above everyone else. She was part of two prominent pureblood families, with traditions older than any. Only in those final moments did she realise how little her blood counted for anything.

The Dark Lord did not believe in purity of blood. He simply pretended he believed to rally supporters to him quickly. He'd enjoyed killing Muggle-borns, but he'd always found it more satisfying whenever he caught a pureblood. The only time he was truly alive was when he was torturing his own followers.

Draco thought back to all those families that his had hurt for this maniac. The Prewetts, the Boneses, the Abbots, the Potters, the Longbottoms... so many had lost so much.

Draco knew he could never take back what his family had done, but he could make a truce. Now, he was going to do just that.

"Marauder," Draco said once he reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, not even pausing to wonder why Lupin had chosen this as the first password of his rein. The portrait swung open, and Draco quickly entered the Common Room. His eyes scanned the room, before finally setting on his goal.

He strode over to the chairs nearest the fire, and extended his hand to the one occupant of the chairs, who was currently engrossed in a library book.

"Longbottom, I've come to settle a score," Draco said. He could almost hear his father rolling in his grave.

###

Ron had told her that she was crazy, and that it was the first day back so she shouldn't worry about starting her revision notes. Then Hermione had told him as calmly as she could manage that she'd done no work over the last year, and that if she wanted to pass her N.E.W.T.s she was going to have to work for them.

So there she was making out revision notes for Arithmacy in the almost deserted Common Room. The only other ones in the room were Matthew Baird and (unbelievably) Neville Longbottom beside the fire. They were playing some sort of game, and laughing a lot.

"Well, at least he's made a friend," Hermione thought. "Maybe it'll help him get over his parents." She tried her best to ignore them, and continued making out notes.

Soon enough, Matthew and Neville decided to go to bed, leaving Hermione alone in the fading candles. But she didn't notice. So engrossed was she in her work that she didn't even notice when someone sat down on one of the chairs beside her.

"Hello Hermione."

Hermione leapt out of her seat, and was halfway to cursing the source of the voice until she realised it was only Seamus.

"What are you doing down here?" he asked, leaning over to look at her notes.

"Just making some Arithmacy notes," she explained. Seamus nodded.

"Cool."

"No it isn't. What do you want Seamus?" Hermione asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Nothing, only I couldn't sleep," he replied. "You should try getting some sleep yourself."

"Nonsense, I have notes to make!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Well then, write on," Seamus said, leaning back in the chair. Hermione looked at him for a moment, before picking up her quill and starting to write again. Seamus just sat there, watching her. Eventually Hermione's mind drifted off, and when she woke she was lying out on one of the sofas, with a blanket draped over her.

###

Harry woke early that morning, so early that the sun had hardly risen. Yet, if the noise coming from outside his curtains was anything to go by, he was not the only one up.

He whipped open the curtains to see Matthew, who then scrambled frantically to hide the hip flask he'd been drinking from.

"What's that?" Harry asked, before rolling straight off the bed. The noise awoke Dean and Neville, however nothing moved from Seamus and Ron's beds.

"It's nothing," Matthew said quickly.

"Is it that hip flask again?" Dean asked sleepily. "What's the deal with that?"

"It's ... er... medicine! Yes, medicine," Matthew replied. Harry stood up and brushed himself down.

"What kind of medicine?" Harry asked. Matthew paused for a moment, as if searching for an answer.

"Ear medicine?" Matthew replied in what sounded more like a question than an answer.

"What for?" Harry asked.

"For my ears," Matthew said, still not sounding sure of himself. "I have a very bad ear infection that requires me to drink this potion every so often."

"What's the potion called?" Harry asked, thinking that the moment he got the name he'd go to Hermione and find out if it was a real potion. Matthew seemed to think for a moment.

"No idea, McGonagall gets Slugborn to brew it for me."

Harry knew he was probably lying, but if there probably was some truth to McGonagall asking Slugborn to brew it for him. And Slugborn was already brewing Lupin's Wolfsbane Potion, so it probably wouldn't look too bad if McGonagall requested another potion.

But it sure as hell wasn't ear medicine.