Love, War and Friendship - The Wizarding Way

Told From Hermione's POV

Mr. Weasley changed his mind and told Ron it would be better if I stayed at the Finnigans.

Lavender's always trying to drag me to the park so we can get away from Seamus (she doesn't have the heart to break up with him while his mom's giving us food and shelter). It's only been a day and a half and I already think I'm going to go crazy in this place. I feel horrible for Hedwig who has to make major trips back and forth from Harry's to Seamus's here in Ireland. Ever since Harry's last owl, which made me giddy for hours with the knowledge that he loves me, I've been able to write more. In my last owl I wrote two long pages front and back. I was still waiting for his reply. I wish the Finnigan's had a phone, I know Ron's been able to have contact with Harry that way although thing's are quite hectic over there what with Draco's runaway and return. That boy was very confusing and a good match for Ginny since to me she was equally as confusing.

I tried to ask Ron if he'd ever like Lavender but he sent me back a message saying after seeing all of us being all mad and overemotional all for love he's decided not to get involved for a very long time. This didn't make Lavender happy I can tell you that neither did hearing from Ron (not Harry) that there was a veela living at Privet Drive. Number 4 Privet Drive I might add. Of course I trust Harry with all my heart but I do not trust veela's at all whatsoever especially around Harry. Wasn't he what every girl would want? He was cute and rich and famous.

Lavender had laughed when I voiced my opinions to her saying I was completely paranoid and that no one wanted to make a move on Harry but once I got mad at her and refused to go outside with her she'd apologized and took it back.

"Only two weeks left till we go back to Hogwarts," Lavender sighs as we swing in the playground, watching out for the red sparks that flew from the little kids fingers whenever someone tried to steal one of their toys.

"Really that long?" I whine. "I'm going to die by then."

"With that attitude you will," Lavender giggles. "You can't be missing Harry that bad."

"Well I am," I say sticking my tongue out her. "Besides you want to go back just as much as I do to see Ron."

She blushes. "Yes and because I don't want to have you dragging me into the library every day."

"We were only there for ten minutes!" I exclaim before realizing she was just kidding. "You'll have Parvati at Hogwarts," I remember softly.

"No I don't think so."

I turn to look at Lavender's wistful face. "Why not?"

"She's different you know? And not different like different interests she's mean different. Like the stuff she says about Harry," she shudders. "She and her sister have been hanging out with Slytherins. There's something a miss don't you think?"

"Yah," I drag my feet in the sand. "Do you think she's on their side now?"

Lavender doesn't answer for a while, just staring down at her sandals. "Probably."

"I'm sorry," I offer knowing it doesn't help any. She probably felt the same way I did when I found out about George, maybe worse because she didn't know whether to believe it or not.

"Thanks Hermione," she smiles at me sadly reaching over to grip my hand tightly. I've begun to feel more comfortable around her. Mostly being friends with boys not to mention the fact I've never been the huggiest person I wasn't used to the way Lavender reacted towards me. Without reason she'd jump up and hug me when she was excited where as I would only do that when I felt a huge rush of emotion.

"You ready to go back?" I ask trying to lighten the mood something watching Seamus, Dean and the rest of the neighbourhood boys' play Quidditch would help.

She nods and we walk in silence out of the park and over to the small Quidditch pitch that Seamus had told me was built last year by Mr. Malfoy as a way to promote some of the adults if not even children to go over to his side. I told him that they should boycott the playing field because of its intent but all the other boys said that was stupid as it was already built and what was the point in that?

Seamus swooped down to give Lavender a short kiss, something I think he did to show off to the other guys. I'd had a few of them approach me as well earlier in the day when Dean had still been quite angry at me and had announced angrily to the crowd that they better not come near me, I was bad news while Seamus had added hastily that I was Harry Potter's girl with a worried smile. Since then none of them had come near me.

I hoped Harry was having a better time than I but not if that good time had anything to do with the veela girl.

***

Told From Harry's POV

Well my day was pretty much a horror. It was quite a dreadful thing to be woken up by Aunt Petunia with her facemask and curler's still in tossing the phone around and muttering a bunch of rubbish about respect. The phone call that had made all the Dursleys act wretched towards me for the rest of the day and all for nothing. Draco was fine. Turned up on his own like I'd told him to, granted he spent a lot more time getting there than I'd expected. The only thing that brightened my day was the owl from Hermione. It was so long that I could practically hear her thoughts as I read it through twice. The first bit was all light-hearted and breezy but near the end she was more honest and said she was miserable without Ron and I. (I chose to ignore the Ron part and believe she missed me the most.) Selfishly enough I was glad since I missed her something awful too. I didn't reply right away because I figured Hedwig could use a rest but I composed a letter inside my head as the day went on.

The veela girl, Ravey wasn't as bad today. Her sleep in must have helped her mood a great deal but we didn't talk much. She mostly sat around upstairs and read or sometimes went for long walks around the neighbourhood - I figured she could handle Piers Polkiss on her own - and curiously enough she seemed to get a fair few visits from Dumbledore. I wasn't at all sure why and neither she nor Lupin would tell me. Ravey, of course found it quite amusing to hold something over my head like that. "Are you sad to find out you're not Dumbledore's favourite any longer?" she'd taunt for a while until she'd lose interest and go back to harassing Dudley.

"Two more weeks," I sigh to Hedwig as I tie my latest letter to her leg. "Only two more weeks and we'll be back at Hogwarts."

As usual I couldn't wait for the return to Hogwarts but this time even more. It was the first time in years that I would be arriving at the Hogwarts Express without my friends. Lupin had decided that instead of Uncle Vernon having to go out of his way to drive us all to King's Cross he'd get us all a taxi there. I thought this was very nice of him to offer but Uncle Vernon had simply grunted and turned the page of his newspaper. Aunt Petunia oddly enough had been much nicer to Lupin, Ravey and I this time round. She claimed it was only because she couldn't wait to get rid of my horrid friends and me but I wondered about her. She reminded me of Filch at times which made me first think of a Squib but then there's her pure hatred and fear of magic.

"Two more weeks," I say again but now to an empty cage. "It's going to take forever."

***

Told From Ron's POV

It was kind of embarrassing to watch Ginny's blatant devotion for Draco the second he walked up the drive, completely forgetting about their harsh words and the pain he'd caused her not to mention the lack of sleep we'd all suffered trying to find him. I wanted to pull them apart and scream bloody murder at Malfoy for what he did to her and to us but Dad held me back. He on the other hand seemed to be enjoying watching the rejoicing couple where as I felt like gagging. It was sad that my little sister, my little sister was going to get more action than me this year.

Well what were my options there was Hermione but no already tried that. There was Lavender, who would probably become all giggly and girly with Parvati once we got back to school, which put them both out of the question. All of the other Gryffindor girls were either too young or too old and there was no way I was going to try and find a proper Slytherin for a girlfriend. Maybe Susan Bones. She's kind of pretty. I thought of Fleur admiringly. Now that's the type of girl we needed to get some more of at Hogwarts. Sure I hadn't really liked her it was more of an infatuation thing but if you put a bit of Hermione's intellect and a smidgen of Lavender's personality in with Fleur's looks and you have the perfect girl. No one would ever be able to find a fault.

"Ron would you mind putting the kettle on?" Dad asks as he somehow manages to entangle Draco and Ginny taking them each by the shoulder and leading them into the house. I follow behind realizing sadly as I'm brewing up the tea and pouring it into the glass mugs that I'm doing Mum's job. She must be pretty stricken over George to miss all of this. Truth be told I didn't much think about George when I did I felt dreadful so it was best just to not think of it. The numbness was always nice.

I was a little annoyed when I brought the tea out to the living room to find that it wouldn't be needed. Dad had collapsed in the easy chair looking exhausted and Ginny and Draco lay sprawled out on the couch snoring away. I do a quick heating spell to keep the tea warm until they wanted it and hurry up to my own room. They may settle for sleeping on chairs and couches but I would prefer the comfort of my own bed.

I fall asleep within minutes; the last thought I remember thinking, "Two more weeks."

***

I don't know about Harry and Hermione (both who spent the past two weeks complaining bitterly through owls and phone conversations to me of sheer boredom and worry over the others faithfulness) but for me the two weeks flew by quickly. I was lonely for a little bit while Draco and Ginny went through what Hermione calls the "honeymoon" period. She says all couples start off like that and then it gets better but they still haven't stopped and it's been two bloody weeks.

For some reason I felt a lot closer to my friends again after this past separation and I know they feel the same. I couldn't wait to get on the train. Ginny and Dad keep laughing at me as I scurry about from compartment to compartment to check if either of my friends had gotten aboard yet. They haven't yet since I made Dad drive us to the train station early so I wouldn't miss them.

I ambushed several of my fellow Gryffindors wanting to know if they'd seen Harry. No one had but some stopped to comment meanly in Draco's direction asking what he was doing here holding hands with my sister. The two didn't seem to notice all the odd and fearful looks they'd been getting from all the other students but I did. No one wanted to be friends with a Malfoy in a time like this and none of them could understand why I of all people was. I was right in the middle of explaining their current situation to one of the Creevey brothers when I saw Harry. He stood beside Lupin and a small dark haired girl, trunk in hand. Across platform nine and 3/4 he grinned widely at me, waving his wand excitedly. I was about to rush over to Harry when Hermione coming out of nowhere beat me to it, throwing herself at him so hard they both fell to the ground. Hermione looked near tears as the brunette I'd noticed before helped them both up. She must be the veela. That thought perked me up as I stood watching them. Harry had scooped Hermione up and they were both holding each other like there was no tomorrow. I didn't want to wreck their moment but ah hell I'd waited a long time to see them both again. Without thinking I dropped my things at Ginny's feet and ran over to them joining their hug.

"Ron!" Hermione squealed and I could see there was indeed a sparkle of tears lining her eyes but she swung one of her arms over my shoulder and hugged me just as tightly as she had Harry.

"I missed you guys," I admit without any shame. I see Hermione hide her head in Harry's chest and I strongly suspect she's crying.

"I did too," Harry says slapping me on the back heartily as he tries to comfort Hermione at the same time.

"No fighting this year," I say. "Promise? I think I've had enough fights to last me for awhile."

"We can't promise never to fight," Hermione argues emerging her face from Harry's shirt but still not releasing him. "It's not possible."

"Well just for a while," Harry tells her. She stares him down for a minute but just as Ginny gets with Draco she can't deny him what he wants.

"Oh all right," she sighs a little huffily. "I promise not to -"

"Ahem," a rude coughing interrupts her. I turn to see the veela girl standing beside me. What was her name uh -

"Guys," Harry says gesturing at the annoying girl. "This is Ravey."

"Ron," I tell her offering my hand, dropping it promptly when she either doesn't notice it or is just being plain rude. Hermione makes a tutting noise in the back of her throat at her actions but smiles strained at Ravey. Ravey smiles back just as fakely.

"You must be the girlfriend," she says rolling her eyes. "He never talks about anything else not even to him," she points to Lupin. Hermione beams and I nod at Lupin, sorry to have ignored him unintentionally.

"Ready to board?" Draco asks as he and Ginny stride over. "We've got a compartment saved."

Harry raises his eyebrows at me before looking back at Draco and nodding. "Sure." He turns to say a quick good bye to Lupin promising to owl if he runs into any trouble at all and I promise the same to my own Dad, who seems very reluctant to let us go.

"Be good," he calls after us as Harry, Hermione and I follow Ginny and Draco onto the Hogwarts Express. Finally, I sigh happily grinning at my two best friends.

***

Told From Ginny's POV

By the time the compartment door had been sealed and the train on it's way I'd grown tired of pretending I didn't notice the stares and whispers that had accompanied Draco and I onto Platform Nine and 3/4s. Why did we live in a society where even the best people didn't believe a person could change? Draco had changed for the better and I hated having to explain the circumstances to every Gryffindor who passed my way. I knew he felt it too and many times I had to squeeze his hand tightly to remind him he could no longer lash out at other students when they ridiculed him for being with me. If he did any chance of fully fitting in would be gone.

But once the door closed tightly shut five of us began to relax fully. Wait five...that couldn't be right. I turned to count the heads again but there were definitely five. My eyes landed upon the small new girl I had yet to be introduced to.

"Hi," I say pulling away from Draco for a moment to welcome her. I could tell the others had taken an immediate dislike to her. Some of them could be so close-minded.

"Hello," she replies flatly her eyes shifting to Malfoy. They seemed to light up when she sees him. "Draco!" she cries happily and much to my dislike runs to give him a fierce hug. He however does not hug her back, moving to stand behind me like a shield.

"You have Dark magic all around you Ravey," he says, a tremor of revolt and could that be longing? in his voice.

"Relax," she laughs as all the others draw back as well. She pulls a silver necklace from her robes. "It's just this."

Hermione gasps. "Where did you get that?" she demands slowly as if trying to finish a puzzle without the missing piece.

She smiles thinly slipping the pendant back where it had come from. "My grandparents gave it to me to keep me safe."

"Your grandparents - no," Hermione breathed wringing Harry's hands rather than her own.

"Hermione what's going on?" I ask wondering anxiously what could have gotten her so worked up. I turn to Draco for support but he's staring at Ravey with a grim look.

"Dumbledore," she says slowly. "Dumbledore is Ravey's grandfather."

Ron gives a great shout of laughter startling us all. "Well then," he says looking Ravey up and down. "Dumbledore must have been a wild man back then. Can you imagine him with a veela?" He looks around for any signs of amusement in any of our faces but finds none.

Ravey is glaring at him fiercely. "She was a half veela you twit," she snaps. I can practically see the fire exploding from her eyes. "And he loved her. Voldemort murdered her."

Everyone in the compartment aside from Harry jumped at the mention of You-Know-Who's name.

"Oh I'm - uh - I'm sorry," Ron stammers quietly. "I had no idea."

"Of course not," she says simmering down slightly. "No one ever does. They're so prejudice against veelas. All we are is a body to seduce men, or an evil being when angered. No one ever thinks of us as people." I feel an unexpected wave of sympathy for the girl as tears well up in her crystal blue eyes.

"Ravey," my brother struggles for words.

"I think I'm going to go find some where else to sit," she whispers opening and shutting the door before anyone can stop her.

"Ron you have to go after her," I say. "Apologize or something!" I couldn't stand for the girl, even though she'd been so rude to all of us, to be alone and upset. Ron looking slightly green at the idea of having to go after another crying girl frowns at me. "Why me?"

"Because you're the one who upset her!"

"Er - excuse me," Hermione interrupts. "But I think if I had to agree not to fight with Ron then everyone else should to."

"Oh would you all shut up?" Draco roars over the din of voices. "I'll go." With that he stomps out the door leaving me feeling sick to my stomach. First of all she was a veela and second she knew Draco, how well I didn't know.

Stop. I think. Guys don't like possessive girls.

So instead of telling everyone I didn't like the idea of Draco going after her I sat and stewed in silence. A giggling Harry and Hermione snuck off saying something about the bathrooms a few minutes later and Ron abandoned his attempts at making conversation with me as soon as Lavender and Seamus came to join us, followed by a moody looking Dean and an ever so forgetful Neville Longbottom. He was sweet and came to talk to me for a while but my mind was only half there as if Draco took a part of me every time he left. It disturbed me to feel that entwined in somebody else's life when they let me in on so little. I mean I know Draco cares deeply for me that much is obvious to anyone but he never tells me anything about his life before. I understand about him wanting to change and needing to make a fresh start but I knew I could help him if he'd just open up a little. But I couldn't press it too much. Life with Draco was fragile. One wrong move from either of us could splinter our connection in two.

***

Told From Hermione's POV

"Harry!" I giggled as he tugged me out of our seats just as the train began running. "The bathrooms? Do they even have them on the Hogwarts Express?"

"Have to," he smiles at me, making my knees turn to jelly. "It's a long ride."

"Harry," I start to say but he's up and running to ask the nice lady with the food trolley where the bathrooms were, yanking me along with him. I wanted to tell him the worries that sprang to my mind as soon as he'd pulled me away from Ron and Ginny. I wanted to explain about Ravey and the necklace and my suspicions about Draco but he didn't seem to want to listen to anything but his hormones.

"They're very small," the woman warns with a smirk after giving Harry the directions. The bathrooms were located to the left of the very last compartment and the trolley lady had not been wrong; they were far less than small with barely an inch of room between the sink and the toilet. I wasn't sure one of us could fit in there let alone us both.

"Is this really necessary?" I ask as Harry steps in, closing the toilet bowl lid so he can sit down. "We could go back and -"

"Do this in front of our friends?" he sighs impatiently, encircling my waist with his arms in a lazy attempt to pull me closer.

I blush. "Well we don't have to do anything," I protest glancing up and down the hallway nervously. "We could just talk." I was already shirking my train prefect duties (well so was Ron and I doubted he cared) but if someone caught us here we'd get in so much trouble.

Harry drops his arms glumly. "That's all you want to do? Talk?"

Well all you want to do is this ... in some bathroom! I want to shout.

"No, I just - Harry we haven't seen each other for two weeks -"

"Exactly!" he interrupts kissing the back of my hand softly. "I've been missing you like crazy for the last fourteen days and now you're here and I'm here and -"

Without giving me another chance to disagree his lips are on mine causing all my will power to disintegrate as I let him pull me in and slam the door closed behind me. Not even the sharp pain in my lower back from being pressed up against the tap could help me form an arguing thought. But why would I need to think. I already think far too much for my own good. Shouldn't I be allowed to lose myself for a little while instead of worrying about getting caught while I'm with someone I love with all my heart and who - oh no here I go again with my stupid paranoid thoughts.

"Harry?" I whisper pulling back as best I could, narrowly missing the light fixture above me.

"Hermione?" he breathes into my ear. That was the big problem with this bathroom there wasn't any possible way I could say anything to Harry without his face swaying dangerously over mine. It seemed impossible not to lose all my self-control.

"What is it?"

"We started off with a kiss right?" I close my eyes tightly trying to ignore the feel of his hands running through my hair.

"I don't get it."

I open my eyes again to find him looking down at me in confusion, his green eyes darker than usual.

"You realized your feelings for me when we kissed and not before. Not that that's a bad thing," I add hurriedly. "It's just-"

"I love you," he says softly erasing all my worries. I knew I was the first person to hear these words from him. "If you don't want to do anything right now then we won't."

I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. Once again my insecurities had been wrong. Maybe I had been around Ginny and Lavender for too long.

"I never thought you were so good at talking to girls," I say lightly.

"I'm not, only with you. How about we -"

This time I'm the one to cut off the conversation with a kiss. Harry, startled by my forcefulness trips over the toilet sending us both flying into the opposite wall.

"Ow," I mumble into his lips while he rubs the back of his head gingerly.

"Should we stay and continue or find someplace more comfortable?" Harry asks trying to find a more comfortable sitting position, shifting me over in his lap at the same time.

"Some place more comfortable? What is there like some broom closet I don't know about?"

"Not here but they have them at Hogwarts."

I frown and shake my head. "Then everyone will know what we're doing."

"Only if they see us but Hermione I'm pretty sure they're going to know anyways," he laughs. "Unless you'd rather show them and just got at it right there in the common room."

"Uh-"

"Dormitories are out. I can't go into yours and if you come into mine -"

"Everyone would think I was being like Lavender."

Harry looks puzzled. Guess he pays about as much attention to Seamus as I do Lavender.

"The astronomy tower?"

"No, it's locked whenever there's not a class."

"Hey I've got an idea," Harry says brightly. "Why don't we stop worrying about what'll happen at Hogwarts and go find some other place to make out?"

"That was so romantic Harry," I comment sarcastically, getting to my feet.

"I try," he says hitting his head on the ceiling as he stands too.

I take a disgruntled Harry's hand and lead him back to our compartment, where everyone eyes our bruises with amusement but keeps quiet about it.

***

Told From Draco's POV

"Ravey!" I call, following after the flowing pink cloak. "Ravey wait up!"

She hesitates but comes to a full halt a few feet in front of me not making any move to come closer.

"Hey are you ok? Ron was just being stupid. He didn't mean anything by it."

"You're different," she says quietly disregarding my last question. But that had always been the way Ravey was. She paid attention to what she wanted to hear or see and paid no heed to the rest.

"So are you," I say pointing to the Slytherin crest perched over her right breast pocket. "Is this the girl who used to tell me if you took out all the Slytherin's the world would be a peaceful place?"

She crosses her arms and looks me squarely in the eye. "Is that the boy who used to tell me you couldn't pay him enough to hang out with Gryffindors?"

I shrug. "What changed?"

"I could ask you the same thing," she says not giving anything away. I suppose she doesn't trust me. "Was it the girl?"

She means Ginny but that's not it. I had changed long before I'd met Ginny she was just the first person to believe in me.

"I always thought if anyone could convert you it'd be me." There's a twinge of hurt in her voice and I knew she was thinking of the time we'd met. I remembered that summer well. It was the summer before third year when my father had taken me away to show me the depths Dark magic could go. It had been his last ditch effort to make me all I needed to be for the rising of the Dark Lord who I would of course be serving. Ravey had been working at the local restaurant, which my father chose for us to eat in every night though our hotel had a diner because it was run by veela. Unaware that Ravey was a relation of Dumbledore he found it quite pleasing that a veela would show interest in me so I was allowed to go out with her whenever I wanted. She had tried her best to drag me out of the dregs of darkness and show me how much better things would be if I picked goodness rather than darkness. I thought she was a crackpot just like her grandfather so I had ignored most everything she told me but after I got home I began having doubts over how much I wanted the life my father had already lay out for me. But it wasn't until plans for You-Know-Who's resurrection that I decided I didn't want to have a hand in such evil. I wanted to fight against it like Potter and his band of idiots; a group I'd always longed to be a part of. Everyone loved him whereas very few people even liked me.

"It wasn't Ginny," I say but I don't give her any credit either. When I had told her I would stand by the Malfoy ways she had told me I was an idiot and a disgrace to the word wizard. Without Slytherins the world would be a better place.

"Oh," she sniffs distantly. "Well you can go back and tell your friend you apologized for his ignorance and I'm fine."

"No," I object. "And just for the record Ron's not my friend."

"Then why come out here to defend him?" she swipes away tears angrily. "Why bother?"

"Because you were upset! I'm not as heartless as I used to be, Ravey. I do care about your feelings you know." As I turn to leave her alone as she wanted to be she stops me by placing a small hand on my arm. "You were never heartless Draco."

I stare at down at her hand until she removes it hastily with a blush.

"Sorry guess that's not good you know 'cause of the girl -"

"Ginny," I say vehemently, wishing Ravey would stop referring to her as girl. "Her name is Ginny."

A flash of annoyance passes over her face. "Yah Ginny wouldn't like it."

I didn't like how she was talking about Ginny. Ginny was just as much a part of me as I was myself.

"Do you love her?" she asks unexpectedly out of nowhere. "I understand if you don't want to answer but do you?"

I pause, genuinely wondering what the answer was. I cared for Ginny in ways I'd never known possible and stronger than anything I had ever felt but I didn't think it was love - yet. I wasn't even sure I knew what love was.

"No," I say finally. "I don't know if I'm capable of love."

"But if you were ..."

"She is the nearest I've ever felt to it."

Ravey nods and I can't help thinking I've hurt her. It couldn't have been the mention of Ginny because after all she'd been the one to bring her up and ask the question. We hadn't been anything more than friends all those years ago either so ... I don't know. Ravey's always been confusing.

"How'd you get into Slytherin anyway?" I ask thinking we need a new subject. "There's no way a Muggle loving descendant of Dumbledore would ever be sorted into anything but Gryffindor. Your grandfather set this up?"

"Yah," she says quietly looking around before adding, "I'm doing undercover work. The kids might be easier to get close to than the adults."

I let out a snort of laughter. "Fat chance that's going to work."

"And why not?" she glares hands on her hips.

"Your last name is Dumbledore. Dumbledore. No Slytherin in their right mind would trust you."

"Nobody's suppose to know that!" she exclaims. "If it weren't for Potter's little girlfriend no one would. How did she know?" Ravey looks scared for a moment maybe wondering if she'd let something slip to Harry.

"The necklace," I say grabbing it and tugging it sharply from her neck taking no notice of the squeal of pain she let out. "She must have recognized it." I dangle it before her eyes, dropping it gently into her palm. "Anyone who can read could open a book and figure it out. That's the Dumbledore family crest. You best keep that hidden for the time being."

"But it's a charm to protect me. Grampa had it made using both good and evil meshing into one protection spell that will keep me safe from anything."

"Not where you're going," I tell her, closing her hand over the charm. "You want this done properly you have to become mean and vicious. You don't associate with any other house certainly not Gryffindor and definitely not Potter. You act like you're the best and you know it. Don't feel sorry for anyone and never ever say anything against the Dark Lord and any of his plans."

"Wow uh that's a lot to remember Draco," she says faintly. "It's a good thing you'll be there to help me."

"I won't. I'm *gag* sharing Snape's corridors until a new room is found for me. I am no longer with the Slytherins," I say realizing it was true for the first time. I take off my own house symbol and hand it over to her. "This is going to be harder than you think. Be prepared to be spiteful to everyone in that compartment, degrading them until there's nothing left. The Weasley's can usually be taken down for their lack of money or Muggle loving father, Potter for just about anything and all it'll take to knock Granger down is to call her a Mudblood."

"Draco," Ravey gasps. "I - I couldn't. Mudblood," she shudders. She'd obviously grown up in a different type of household from me. "I could never call anyone that."

"Then don't even think about considering yourself a Slytherin. You will do everything I just told you to or don't bother trying at all."

I feel sorry for her as she, white faced and fearful nods in agreement. But I'm not done yet. I'm pretty sure she doesn't realize what she's getting herself into.

"Refusing to shake Weasley's hand was a good touch but not good enough. And if anyone saw you arriving here with Harry and that riffraff werewolf that'll go against you," I stop for a second knowing there's something no one's told me yet. "Wait why did you come here with Harry again?"

Ravey averts her eyes and shifts her weight from her right foot to her left. "I - something happened a couple weeks back with Voldemort and I went to Harry. I - uh - have no memory of it."

"Not good," I say slapping a hand to my forehead. "If he knows then all of the Slytherins who are involved with You-Know-Who will know who you are."

She shakes her head. "He didn't come after me. He came to all the vela's to present some deal. We were all put under a strong curse not to tell anyone else of our joining, I was just the one who went to Potter so he chopped my memory. Besides even if he did know me he knows me as Ravey Dumbledore not Ravey Jagts. It'll be fine. Don't worry so much."

"He knows all Rave," I say speaking more to myself than her. "He sees everything."

Everything I do anyways. Or at least my father does who then goes and reports it.

"Well I'm doing the best I can!" she shouts quickly lowering her voice before anyone would hear and come rushing out to see what was wrong. "Do you think I enjoy doing joining up with the people I'm against even if it's fake? And don't think for one moment that truly nice people like me and like George enjoy being mean and calling people Mudbloods for the sake of information. We're only doing it so that maybe one day soon we'll be one step closer to stopping -"

"George?" I repeat. "George Weasley?"

Ravey looks stricken. "I - uh - I have to go. I'll see ya." She turns to leave but I grab her from around the waist and pull her back.

"Were you referring to George Weasley yes or no?" I ask gripping her arm until it pains her. My father had always been the best Death Eater at getting his information.

"Yes," she cries trying desperately to get her arm out of my clutches. "Yes."

"No," I say in disbelief. "I heard him. He sounded so cruel he was -"

"Acting. It was an act. Dumbledore needed a spy and George agreed. You were right. Voldemort sees everything including what George said to his family and what he said to you."

I pale. "What he said to me? George - Dumbledore knows doesn't he?"

She manages to wrench her arm away from me as I weaken for a moment. "My Grampa believes in second chances Draco. He doesn't think you'll go through with it. He believes Ginny Weasley will save you and she will. Which is why," she whips out her wand from behind her. "I have to do this. We can't afford to have you tell her. Grampa will take care of Hermione but I must take care of you. Draco you know too much. I'm really sorry but I have to get rid of all your memories of me." There's a tear in her voice.

With nothing to defend myself with I can't stop her as she yells, "Obliviate!" and a hot rush of pain fills my head as the white light hits me square in the forehead.

I blink at the brown haired girl in front of me. "Look Weasley's sorry. Would you come back? He'd like to apologize."

"You wish," the girl laughs haughtily. "I think I'm going to go find some Slytherins. Some proper Slytherins," she says eyeing me with disgust.

I shrug as she turns away walking confidently down the aisle. That was her loss if she wanted to be with them. Oddly though when she thinks I'm not looking she stops and looks at me with sympathy. What's that about? Who cares? She's a Slytherin. I jump with a start. Oh God I was beginning to think like them, a Gryffindor.

***

Told From Ginny's POV

I was ecstatic when Draco came back inside again bending over to give me a swift kiss as a greeting. It might have gone a little further if there hadn't been so many other people around us but since there were I pulled away reluctantly while I still had a bit of self-control left in me. "What took you so long?" I ask him.

Draco frowned. "What do you mean? I was only out there for a couple minutes."

No, more like twenty. Even Harry and Hermione were back both looking worse for wear something we'd all tactfully not commented on.

"So how do you know her?" Harry asks from across the room, Hermione in his lap holding an ice pack she'd conjured up to the back of his neck.

"Know who?"

"Ravey, you dumbass."

"Watch it Potter," Draco warns. He hates it when anybody insults him. "Hey check you out. Your girlfriend beat you up?"

Everyone laughs at Harry and Hermione's identical red blush.

"And no I don't know her. Thought you did."

"I do."

"You don't?" I turn to Draco.

"No," he says in irritation. "I just said I didn't."

"But when she came in she yelled your name and hugged her," Ron chimes in from his seat between Harry and Lavender.

"So loads of people know who I am. Besides I'm hot who wouldn't want to hug me?"

I watch as Seamus and Dean, who had both been told of the Draco situation by Hermione and Lavender over the holidays raised their eyebrows at each other and Ron muttered, "Keep dreaming Malfoy," under his breath.

Draco laughs. "I don't have to. Just ask your sister she thinks I'm dead sexy, said so herself."

I think I'm blushing redder than the pair across the room. It was true I had said it but I hadn't planned on this information being divulged to my bother.

"Gin-ny," Ron sighs in disgust before a small grin passes over his face. "What am I going to do with you?

Seamus is slapping hands with Draco, obviously thinking it was a great thing to have a girl call you sexy. I smile. They're all starting to accept him I think happily throwing my arms around him in delight, letting him twirl me around. I loved having someone to constantly shower my spontaneous outbursts of affection to. I had always been a very touchy person but who could I share it with before? Ron didn't even want to hang around his sister and Harry wouldn't have let me and Hermione, well Hermione rarely showed affection towards other girls which I suppose was the way things were supposed to be but well you know what I mean.

I knew Draco didn't mind it either. Back at the Burrow he would slip into my bed late at night after he'd had about as much of the couch as he could stand and ask if he could just hold me, something I didn't think any other boy would ever think to want while in their girlfriend's bed. It was almost like he was starved for attention when he was a child but that couldn't be it. His mother at the very least must of hugged him sometimes.

"What's this for?" he asks setting me down on the ground but holding me so close I could hear his heart beat if I tried hard enough.

"They like you," I say so only he can hear.

"Of course they do love," he whispers into my hair causing shivers to run down my spine. Even though I'm sure once upon a time he had called plenty of girls that (I'd heard him myself trying to sweet talk Pansy Parkinson into doing his potions homework last year) it still made me feel special.

"So it is true," a voice comes from the door. Draco and I turn to see a large sixth year boy flanked by Crabbe and Goyle standing at the door. "Draco Malfoy is actually hanging out with Potter and Co."

"Why don't you just leave before things get ugly Blaise?" Draco sighs. All the rest of the guys get to their feet.

"And looky here," Blaise turns his attention over to me glancing down at the light arm Draco has around my shoulder. "Malfoy's got a girlfriend."

The Slytherin reminds me of Piers Polkiss something I'd like to punch this guy out for.

"A Weasley," he sneers and I feel Ron's supportive hand on my shoulder. "I have to congratulate you Draco she looks more like a cheap whore than most of your girlfriends."

Before I can hold either of them back Ron and Draco are pounding the life out of Blaise and Seamus is sending hexes out left and right, most hitting the wall. I scream as a particularly nasty one hits Draco and another Ron. Crabbe just barely got away as the Slytherins scurried off, damage been done.

"Here Ginny," Hermione says getting out her wand, from where she sat Harry fast asleep on her shoulder. "Hold him up so I can figure out how to fix him."

I do everything she says and soon a bloody nosed but otherwise healthy Draco has collapsed against my chest.

"Nobody insults my girl especially not that big oaf." He's so cute as he joins Ron and Seamus in a discussion of how rotten Blaise Zabini is that I don't have the heart to tell him that a year ago that had been him.

***

Told From Harry's POV

The train ride seemed to go on forever. I fell asleep on Hermione's shoulder not long after we'd gotten back. They told me I missed a bunch of action with Blaise but no one would speak of it in front of Ginny and Draco. Hermione said she'd tell me later. They had waited until it was time to get off the train to wake me up.

I was happy to return to Hogwarts. My arm around Hermione I grinned up at my favourite teachers (Hagrid and Dumbledore) and even my least (Snape) glad to be home at last. I wasn't surprised although the rest of the school was when sitting down across from me at the Gryffindor table were Draco and Ginny chattering away so as to not notice the stares. I knew it wasn't a good idea for him to sit with his own table but I think there was a rule or two about these things. But when a few stray Hufflepuff seventh years stop to ask snottily why Malfoy wasn't sitting with the Slytherin's and Dean tells them to sod off I knew he'd been made an honorary Gryffindor. I wonder what Dumbledore was going to do about this arrangement. I know Draco has been owling him about the Slytherins. He wants someplace else to sleep, says if he doesn't he's likely to be murdered in his sleep.

"Attention," Dumbledore calls over the din, standing to raise his glass. Everyone falls silent quicker than usual except for the table of Slytherins who every year now have become increasingly ruder although they do quiet down right away at Snape's icy glare.

"I am glad to see you all here alive and well. There are no new announcements this year and I'm sure you are all aware of the rules: no magic in the corridors and you must be sure to stay out of the Forbidden Forest." He looks around the room and I notice his eyes linger a few seconds longer on Draco than the rest of us. Weird.

"And now before we meet the new first years I would like to introduce you to our new sixth year student: Ravey Jagts would you please stand up."

I look over to see Ravey stand up at the Slytherin table. She seems nervous as she sends scornful gazes over the surrounding tables.

"I thought you said she was a Dumbledore," I whisper to Hermione. She looks upset.

"But she is! I saw the family crest. I read about the Dumbledore family in the newest edition of Hogwarts: A History."

I squeeze her hand gently beneath the table. This is almost the first time I had ever heard Hermione get something wrong.

"The first years if you please Professor McGonagall."

Dumbledore sits down as McGonagall brought in the group of scared looking first years and placed the Sorting Hat down on the stool. I lose interest after the first few Gryffindors had been sorted turning my attention over to Ron, who was seated next to Ginny trying hard not to fidget. I knew he couldn't wait until the food was placed on the table. I grin and look to Ginny ready to roll my eyes at Ron with her but she isn't paying any notice to Ron or the sorting. Her eyes are fixated on the Slytherin table and more precisely on Ravey. Her brow was furrowed and she looked as if she were trying to place Ravey in her memory. This couldn't be because she had hugged Draco once on the train.

"No," Ginny whispers as she continues to stare her face pale. "Couldn't be ..."

"Did you say something?" Draco asks.

"What?" she looks shaken as she pulls her eyes away to look at her boyfriend. "No I just - Hermione," she reaches across the table to tug on Hermione's cloak. "Hermione we need to talk," she hisses.

"Now?"

"As soon as possible."

Hermione nods. "All right we can talk after dinner."

Draco and I exchange bewildered looks at the exchange taking place before us. What was this about? Could it be something about me or even Draco? It looked more serious as Ginny's frightened eyes look back at Ravey and she shakes her head.

"No, after the sorting in the Great Hall. We can come back for dinner after."

"Ginny is that really -"

"Yes!"

Her words echo throughout the room only to be punctured by the huge roar of applause for 'Sheelan, Adam' the newest Ravenclaw student. What on Earth could be so important? Well I guess I would know soon enough as Ginny took off with Hermione as soon as the last first year was sorted into Gryffindor.

***

Told From Ginny's POV

"What is it?" Hermione sighs looking back longingly at Harry and Ron who are both stuffing their faces with food. "Don't tell me this is about Draco and that girl."

I narrow my eyes irritated. "No it's not. It's about you."

Hermione laughs. "Me? What about me?"

I turn away from her to pace, something I always do when I'm trying to explain something complicated.

"Ginny come on seriously it can't be that bad."

Oh yes it could. Things are starting to come true. That girl, Ravey she was the girl which meant that things were starting to fall into place and if things fell into place then -

"You're going to die," I tell her stopping so I can look her directly in the eye.

"G-ginny what are you talking about?" Hermione falters looking quite put off by my statement.

"I don't know when but it's going to be soon. You -"

"Wait how do you know this? Ginny what's going on?" she's holding onto my shoulders so I can't walk away from her.

"I'm a Seer," I say averting my gaze. "I get visions."

"I don't believe in Seer's Ginny. It's all very dodgy. Visions can change as time goes by." Despite her confident words she still sounds nervous.

"I've been having visions since I was three years old!" I shout at her. "Not one thing I've Seen has not come to pass. You can even ask Ron and I Saw you. I Saw you die."

"No!" Hermione cries. "You don't believe this. The future isn't something that can be predicted. I don't believe in it!"

"Well I do!"

"Ginny," her voice is trembling. It can't be very nice to have anyone tell you they'd seen you die even if you don't believe them and I hated playing God but I needed to fix things before it happened. I didn't care what the Powers that Be told me. These things could change. You-Know-Who said that she died because Harry loved her and she was a Muggle. Well that latter she couldn't help but things could be done about her and Harry. She wouldn't want to but if it came down to her life wouldn't she want to try something?

"How?"

"You-Know-Who, Avada Kedavra," I say simply. Her eyes widen and she glares at me.

"That's not funny! I know Harry told you about his dreams but don't think you can chase me away from him by repeating it. I wouldn't think that you would sink so low since you have Draco now. Isn't he enough?"

How could she think I was only saying this to keep her away from Harry? I was doing this because I cared.

"Do you think I like knowing this?" I blew up at her. "Do you honestly think I want to know that you or - or that pretty veela are going to die?"

"No," she says a little kinder. "I don't think you do and I know you believe what you say but it's not true. You're just scared and all the stuff Harry's been saying got to your head."

"Hermione would you listen to me!" I shake her as hard as I could, not an easy thing since she was several inches taller. "You can ask Ron! I know what I Saw and it was you dead because Harry loved you. Please I'm telling the truth. Just like I saw Padma kissing Draco before you sent him that owl. Listen to me!" I snap again as she keeps whispering no and shaking her head. "Please Hermione I don't want you to die and I wasn't going to tell you but -"

"Ginny calm down!"

I'm more upset over this than she is but that's probably because she didn't See it. I wish she had then maybe she'd believe me. Divination might be dodgy when Professor Trelawney who is definitely not that great of a Seer but when it comes to me I am always right. I hoped with all my heart that this one was wrong but seeing Ravey made me realize I wasn't and something had to be done.

"Look I can prove it to you," I say taking a deep breath. "If you don't believe me let me prove it to you."

"How could you do that? Kill me?" she asked cynically.

"I know a spell. It's used for Seer's to communicate with the Powers if they don't understand one of their premonitions."

"The Powers?" Hermione repeats.

"The Powers that Be," I explain patiently. "They're -"

"Part of the spirit world," she finishes. "Yes I've read about them. People think they're just a myth."

"They're very real," I say shuddering at the memory of the first time I'd gone to see them. Ron and me hadn't expected it to work. We were going to ask the Powers if it was possible to get rid of my visions. The Powers (a man and a woman who sat on their thrones demanding gifts each time you visited) had said I played an intricle part of the future and nothing about me could be reversed from the size of my feet to the awful prophecies I made.

"If I took you there I could let you See."

"Ginny," she says uneasily shifting her eyes back to Harry.

"Please," I beg. "If you won't believe me then at least let me show you."

Hermione places a troubled hand around her neck as she thinks about it. "It's dangerous," she says after a moment.

"It'll work. As long as I'm there it'll work." My eyes plead with her. I want her to take me seriously. I want her to be safe and I also want her to ask the Powers the question I didn't dare echo: was she actually going to die?

"Fine," Hermione sighs. "I'll go."

***

Told From Ron's POV

Ok just because Ginny had run off with Hermione all secretive and everything didn't mean what they were talking about was that important. It was probably girl talk or something. Maybe Ginny had felt some pressing need to talk about how "sexy" she thought Draco was. All right that didn't sound very plausible and they probably were discussing something more important than that but I certainly didn't think it warranted the amount of concern Draco and Harry were giving it. They hadn't even touched their food yet.

"I've never seen Ginny that shaken since she was possessed by Tom Riddle," Harry was saying.

"You don't think he's-"

"No but something's definitely up."

"Oh give them a break," I interrupt heaping more mashed potatoes onto my plate. "They probably just wanted to get away from you two. It's pathetic. Really you two can't even stand to be away from your girlfriends for more than five minutes. You're both so whipped."

"I am not whipped," Harry insists while Draco tells me I'm more pathetic because I haven't a girlfriend but my words have the effect I'd been looking for and soon they were both eating and joining the conversation of Quidditch.

I assumed that Ginny was speaking to Hermione about her vision. She hasn't told me any of it other than the little bit of Padma and Malfoy kissing but judging on the seriousness in her face when she'd come back to reality that day made me sure the rest of it had to do with either me, Harry or Hermione. I had been going to ask her about it but she'd gotten so upset over Draco and Padma I'd forgotten. Come to think of it I hadn't seen the Patils yet. I looked up and down the table to see Lavender looking very alone and very bored. Without letting Draco or Harry know where I was going I picked up my plate and walked over to sit in the empty seat beside her.

"Ron!" she cries happy to see me.

"What are you doing sitting here all alone? Where's Parvati?" I ask still shovelling food into my mouth as I spoke.

"Very attractive Ron," she tells me. "Didn't your mother teach you to chew with your mouth closed?" she laughs before glumly looking over at the Slytherin table. Following her gaze I notice two identical blonde girls seated on either side of Blaise Zabini.

"Has she turned?" I ask softly.

"I don't know," Lavender looks miserable. "I think so but who can tell these days?" She takes a large swig of pumpkin juice. "But I can tell you this: she doesn't want anything to do with me."

"But Lav what about all the owls she sent you while we were at Grimmauld Place. You can't honestly believe she doesn't want to be friends with you?" I was bewildered by the depressed way in which she was acting. Where had the cheerful and giggly girl I had known gone?

"But I know so. She told me on the train. I'm 'beneath' her she said."

I think she's about to cry and I wish she wouldn't. I try to think of a joke to tell her but none I come to mind except a few blonde jokes that would only remind her of Parvati, making her sadder still.

"I'm sorry," I offer feeling like it wasn't enough.

Lavender smiles. "I'll live."

"Not if you don't eat anything," I grin poking the tiny lump of lettuce on her place glad her mood was lifting. "Don't tell me you're turning into one of those girls who only eats salad."

"No," she sighs. "I'm just depressed, one of those horrible side effects of having your best friend tell you you're not good enough for her."

"Well I've always found chocolate a lot more comforting than that stuff," I say putting a few desserts in front of her.

"But you don't get it," she tells me pushing her plate, deserts and all away. "If Parvati doesn't want to be my friend then who will I have to hang out with? Seamus and Dean are great but I couldn't be with them all the time and I have a feeling Hermione's going to be otherwise occupied for the next couple weeks," she sighs watching Hermione and Ginny sit back down, both looking more than a little nervous. Neither seemed to notice that I was gone.

"I'll be your best friend Lavender," I decide. "I'm not promising we'll have slumber parties and braid each other's hair but I think I could still be a suitable replacement."

Her eyes lit up. "Really? But what about Harry and Hermione?"

I shrug. "Well like you said they're probably going to be occupied for awhile. "I grin, taken by surprise as she threw her arms around me.

"You really are a sweetheart," she says and I blush at the compliment. I wasn't used to having people say things like that to me.

I'm pleased when Lavender begins to dig into her the desserts I'd given her. Looks like I'd cheered her up a little.

I glance back at Harry and Hermione talking seriously. Harry was probably grilling her over her talk with Ginny. I had been honest when I said I wanted to be Lavender's friend but it still hurt some that my own two best friends hadn't noticed I was gone.

***

Told From Draco's POV

The girls wouldn't tell us anything when they came back which drove Harry crazy. He kept pestering Hermione about it every few minutes until she flat out refused to talk to him. It was funny to then watch him begging for her forgiveness until he too stopped speaking to her. I was concerned over how upset Ginny looked but I was smart enough not to press the issue. I had other ways of getting information out of her.

"So," Ginny says at the end of the dinner as everyone else begins to get up and leave for their common rooms and dormitories.

"So," I say back watching her stand as well and look torn between going with a sulky Harry (Hermione had gone to talk to Ron and Lavender) or staying behind with me.

"I don't suppose they'd let you sleep in the Gryffindor common room," she sighs wistfully, leaning her head against my shoulder.

"Not tonight love," I smile into her hair. Was it possible to ever feel anything but happiness when in Ginny's company? "I'm on strict orders from Dumbledore to go with Snape as soon as the feast is over and according to my calculations that's about now," I say looking around. Harry had given up on Ginny and disappeared. We were now among the very few lingering students including Crabbe and Goyle.

"Snape?" Ginny makes a face as I stand. He's waiting for me up at the staff table and I know almost as well as anybody how stupid it is to keep Snape waiting but as it turns out when around Ginny I will do very stupid things.

"Yah he's letting me have a room in his corridor until Dumbledore can find me a private one."

"Private room huh?" she says taking the hand I'd offered to pull her from her chair and wrapping her arms around my neck. "Sounds promising."

"Ah Gin, don't tease," I murmur leaning over to give her a soft kiss, ready to say good night before I went to see Snape but she pulls me in for more and who was I to resist? It stuck me then how odd of a sight we were. Anyone who knew of me knew my greatest enemies were Harry Potter and Ron Weasley and here I was standing in the middle of the dinning hall kissing his little sister.

"Mr. Malfoy," a low voice says into my ear. "Some time today Mr. Malfoy."

I was going to ignore it but Ginny pulled back at Snape's voice leaving me breathless and disoriented.

"Professor Snape," she mumbles. "Draco I'll see you in the morning."

"What'd you have to do that for?" I ask angrily shrugging off the restraining hand he'd placed on my shoulder as Ginny scurried away.

Snape raises his eyebrows at my remark. "I think I'll pretend I didn't hear that. You would do well to remember that I may well be the only ally you have." I can hear the threat within his voice as he slinks off in the opposite direction of the Slytherin common room.

"I have Ginny," I say following after him. "And very possibly Harry, Ron and Hermione."

"Gryffindors!" Snape spits in disgust. "They will turn on you the moment they see who you really are."

"Who I really am? This is me. This is who I am."

"Is it?" Snape asks finally turning to face me. "The Draco Malfoy I knew would have never gone running to Harry Potter when things got tough."

I feel a wave of fury. I know why Snape hates Harry and all about his grudge against the late James Potter but it's time to get over it.

"Who else was I supposed to go to? Everyone who isn't in the league with my father hates me!"

"Me," he says his face looming dangerously close to mine. "You could have come to me. At least people would have been able to understand that but Potter, be prepared to sever all ties to everything you've ever known here including your friends."

"I don't have any friends," I tell him coldly.

There's a rare streak of pity in my professor's eyes. He doesn't say anything more as he leads me up a large marble staircase. I don't recognize any of my surroundings. Finally two staircases, five right and two left turns later Snape stops in front of a large statue of an angel, not something I would have expected him to have guarding his rooms.

"Before I give you the password there are some rules I trust you will to comply to."

I frown. "Rules? We don't even have rules for the dormitories."

"Yes well we're not in the Slytherin house now are we? But if that's where you'd rather be I'd gladly escort you."

I open my mouth to challenge him to do just that but realize it's pointless. This is something he can hold over my head and I have nothing to threaten him with. I can't use my father, the school governor because Snape already knows we have no communication, unless you count his connection to my thoughts. I had no advantages.

"You will not bring Miss Weasley or any other girl into your room after eight o'clock and if for whatever reason you have brought her in," he smirks obviously aware of t he main reason why any teenage boy would bring a girl up to his room. "You will then keep the door wide open so I can see what you're doing."

Ok either Snape's very perverted or just really didn't trust me.

"You won't make a mess and if you do I expect you to pick it up right away because as I'm not your mother I don't want to have to clean it."

"Actually we have a maid," I say receiving a glare for my cheek.

"The only room you have permission to go in is your own. Everywhere else is considered private areas.

"Sounds reasonable," I agree when he's finished. "Kind of reminds me of what my father might have said."

"I am nothing like your father Draco," Snape snaps rubbing his right forearm compulsively. "Ariel Letterman," he says to the angel quickly.

"Ariel Letterman," I repeat, committing the password to memory. "Wait a second is Ariel an actual chick?" I laugh. Did Snape have a girlfriend? No sane girl I knew of would ever go for him.

As the stone angel swings aside to let us pass he gives me a look that warns me not to say another word. Inside was spacious full of different colored blue hues, quite unlike the dungeons he teaches in. A large comfy sofa stands tall in front of a fireplace but other than that the room is empty. I can see four powder blue doors coming off of the main room. Snape points to the furthest one.

"Your room is right there. I hope it's to your liking."

"I'm sure it is. Good night sir."

Snape nods, sitting down on the couch looking exhausted.

My room was bigger than I'd anticipated complete with a huge four-poster bed. My trunk sat beneath the window, which had an excellent view of the Quidditch pitch. There was a walk in closet that provided more room than needed with a door leading to a small bathroom. It was nice. A lot nicer than my old room in the dormitories.

I flopped down on the bed without changing out of my school clothes. I wasn't too sure how I felt to be back at Hogwarts. I wasn't overjoyed like many of my fellow students but I also didn't feel mad to be back like I knew Pansy did.

Getting under the covers I missed Ginny's presence, her warm body lying beside me. Holding her at night kept my nightmares at bay and reminded me of a peaceful time when my mother used to stay with me until I feel asleep gently rubbing my back. It had been tiring though what with having to stay awake until her parents went to bed and waking up early so I could get back downstairs before anyone noticed I was missing. I'd get a lot more sleep this way but I still couldn't help reaching over to touch the air beside me wishing it were her.

***

Told From Hermione's POV

"You guys are fighting already?" Ron asks laughingly.

"We're not fighting! We just had a minor disagreement that's all," I tell him in irritation as we made our way up to Gryffindor tower.

"Well then why are you here with me instead of him?"

I want to shout at him for stating the obvious. Truth was we hadn't actually had a fight, not really but we'd both thoroughly annoyed each other by the end of dinner. I didn't like the way he wouldn't accept it when I said I didn't want to talk about what went on after the sorting. I know if I told him Ginny swore I had died in her vision he would freak and insist we break up until we could figure out for sure whether or not I would in fact be dying in the near future. I had gone through far too much to have it all end now just because Ginny thinks she can See.

"Ron," I shove him playfully though a little harder than I normally would. "I'm still friends with you even if I am going out with Harry. Nothing changes."

"Yes it does," he says sadly. "I'm always going to be the odd one out now."

"Don't think that way!" I cry, sorry I'd made him feel that he was second best or just didn't matter anymore.

Ron shrugs but looks touched that I still cared. "I can't help it Hermione. I'm going to feel left out most of the time because you two are always going to have some bathroom rendezvous or something that I can't be included in. I mean you didn't even notice that I moved at dinner."

"Of course I did!" I shake my head at his stupidness. "But I didn't want to come over because -" I let my voice trail off and looked guiltily behind me where Lavender was walking with Seamus and Dean.

"Because?"

"Because Lavender likes you!" I blurt out immediately covering my mouth with my hand. "I shouldn't have said that."

"What!" Ron bellows, his voice echoing up and down the spiral stairwell causing several students to around and glare at him.

"Ron seriously shh!" I command throwing a horrified glance back at Lavender. Thankfully she didn't appear to think anything was wrong.

"Hermione you're so wrong. We're friends. I know that's a hard concept for you to understand considering you get fuzzy feelings for every guy who tries to befriend you -" he stops at the pained look on my face. "Oh God that was a stupid thing to say. I take it back. I'm sorry."

"No, you meant it. I deserve it. We promised not to fight so we won't."

"Are you sure?" Ron asks uneasily. What did he actually want to fight?

"Yah," I lie. "It's no biggie."

You deserved it, don't cry! But it had been in the way he said it without the slightest bit of animosity or resentment that bothered me. The words had rolled off his tongue so easily as if that was simply his honest opinion of me and maybe it was. I didn't know but I couldn't let it get to me now.

"So about Lavender?"

"Friends," Ron says again more firmly this time. "I already told you I was staying away from that love crap for now."

"But-" I'm about to state my case about how he should just go for it and not use us for examples of what love could do to you when the girl who'd been staying with Harry interrupts me.

"Please tell me you know where the Slytherin common room is," she says in a soft voice. I start to tell her we're Gryffindors so how did she expect us to know but I notice she's talking to Ron only. He's got a huge grin upon his face and I can just imagine him spouting off to her about how he built the common rooms himself. He however keeps his cool better than I'd thought and calmly gave her the directions.

"Well that was weird," I say after she departed once again in search of her house. "She was being nice."

"Why wouldn't she be nice?" Ron asks defensively.

I want to remind of how she so blatantly ignored him at the train station or how angry he had made her but I decide its best not to get into it. Never come between Ron and his veela. So instead I ask him suspiciously how he knew where her common room was located.

"The poly juice potion," he tells me referring to the time in our second year we had used that certain potion to turn into Slytherins in a failed attempt at catching the heir of Slytherin. I don't recommend trying this potion until at least fourth year. I myself had turned into a cat instead of Millicent Bulstrode.

"Wingardium Leviosa," Ron says to the Fat Lady.

She yawns. "If you say so dear."

"Ron," I sigh as I climb through the portrait hole. "Was it your turn to make up the new password?"

"I couldn't think of anything else!" he throws himself down in one of the armchairs. "You going up or staying down here?"

"I guess I'll stay and wait for Harry," I say sitting down beside him.

"That could take a while."

"Why do you say that?" I rest my eyes for a moment. I was so tired.

"Because he was waiting for Ginny to say goodbye to Draco but got tired of waiting so he came back here to find his friends," Harry answers for Ron before turning to me. "Are we talking again?"

Ron groans. "And that's my cue to leave. Night kiddies."

"Night Ron!" I call after him.

"So?"

"So I suppose we're talking again if you apologise properly for being a bully when I said I didn't want to talk about it."

"I'll say I'm sorry when I know what's wrong!" Harry cries indignantly.

I sigh but not angrily. "You can work on that apology for the morning." I tell him kissing his temple lightly to show him I wasn't mad. "Good night."

By the time I made my way up to the dormitory, brushed my teeth and got into my pj's Lavender and Parvati were both in bed ignoring each other stonily. I almost missed their loud giggles that had ruined my chance at a good night's sleep many times. Only almost.

***

Told From Ginny's POV

The first full day at Hogwarts was busy and hectic for everyone particularly me. It seemed as though all my classes were placed at opposite ends of the school. By the time lunch rolled around and I got from the Arithmancy class room (I'd switched into it from my Muggle studies on Hermione's recommendation) down to the dinning hall all my friends had gone leaving me no one left to sit with but Neville Longbottom, not that I had any problems with that. Neville was nice enough but our conversations were always lacking. Today he was telling me about the new defence against the Dark Arts teacher, who had been surprisingly good. Neville said she was almost like a female version of Lupin minus the werewolf bit. Harry however hadn't been satisfied and decided he'd still like to gather up the group to teach his own defence against the Dark Arts. I had figured he might after all Harry never really believed a job was done right unless he did it himself.

"Guess who?" Two thin hands cover my eyes lightly.

"Draco!" I squeal recognizing his touch. Pulling his hands away from my face I abandon my chicken soup to throw my arms around him. He'd missed breakfast this morning so I hadn't seen him since last night. He winces, stumbling slightly as I hug him tightly.

"What's wrong?" I ask, immediately dropping my arms. I notice a fresh cut across his cheek when he turns his head to look away from me. "My God Draco," I whisper reaching out to touch it but he slaps my hand away.

"It's nothing."

"Have you been to see Madame Pomfrey?"

"It's nothing," he says again an odd expression coming over his features.

"It's not nothing," I hear Ron say as he comes up from behind me.

"Weasley," Draco growls warningly.

"Pansy and Goyle attacked him in our magical creatures class. Hagrid tried to send him to the hospital wing but he refused."

I look from my brother's seriousness back to Draco. "But why?"

He picks up my napkin and begins shredding it into tiny pieces. "Can we just drop it please?"

"He didn't even want to get Pansy and Goyle in trouble," Ron tells me as Draco sends him a menacing glare. I wouldn't have continued if I were him. "What happened to me Draco Malfoy who used to love earning other people detention?"

I know he's gone too far at this. I can see Draco's body quiver for a split second before Ron's fallen to the ground with a bloody nose.

"I'm tired," he hisses in a low voice. "I am so sick and tired of people saying that! Why does everyone have to compare me to how I used to act?"

A few teachers are approaching to investigate among them the toughest were Professors Snape and McGonagall. They definitely wouldn't let him off the hook without something.

"Draco," I say grabbing hold of his arm to warn him.

"Ginny not you too!" He shakes me off so hard I fall hard back against the table, knocking over several goblets of pumpkin juice.

"You all think you know me, that you've got me figured out. Well let me tell you something: you never did and you never will."

Before the teachers can reach us Draco hurries off breaking into a run as he reaches the doors.

"Weasley is there a problem I should be aware of?" McGonagall asks stiffly pulling a rumpled Ron to his feet.

"No," he mumbles. "I'm fine."

She nods; evidently deciding it was best to leave the situation as it was. I think despite Draco's low voice that everyone had heard what he'd said.

"Ginny are you all right?" Neville wants to know, hastily wiping up some of the sticky mess with his sleeve. "Ginny?"

I don't have the words to answer. What had just happened here?

But I did didn't I? If there were things I didn't know about him it wasn't for lack of trying. I did the best I could to get him to tell me things but for some reason I never could crack through the surface of his tough exterior. I knew I saw a more sensitive and vulnerable side of Draco than everyone else but he was so complex with so many different sides to him it was nearly impossible to understand him. I wasn't sure if I ever would.

"What was that all about?" Ron asks as he takes the napkins I hand him gratefully.

"I don't know," I sigh letting my head fall onto the table with a clatter. "I don't know."

As Ron and the rest of the Gryffindor table rush to assure me none of it's my fault (I already know that) I feel myself burst into tears. It didn't look like Draco's transition was off to the good start I'd hoped he would get.

***

Told From Draco's POV

I shouldn't have punched him. I know although no teacher's followed me to get me in trouble for my actions. None of them understood - not even Ginny. It was everyday, everyday it was like this. Someone always telling me how I was supposed to act. I switched alliances yes but that didn't mean I changed personalities as well. I was just as I'd always been just no longer scared of letting it show.

"Well I have to say that was fairly stupid," comes Snape's jeering voice. I turn around to find him gliding towards me. I roll my eyes. Just the person I wanted to see.

"They won't stand by you if you continue to give out bloody noses and make innocent little girls cry."

"Ginny was crying?" She couldn't be. This hadn't been about her. It was about that stupid Weasley and me. He was so damn irritating.

Snape smiles widely. "So you do care for the girl and here I was thinking you were just using her."

Using her? Did Ginny think I was using her? Had she said something?

"Why would I do that?" I ask anxiously. "I would never -"

"You wouldn't have been the first," he tells me, circling now. "She's just so innocent and sweet."

I wonder if he's talking about Tom Riddle or someone else.

"I wouldn't do that to her!" I shout wishing he would stop trying to put ideas into my head or whatever he was doing.

Snape rubs his chin thoughtfully. "Dumbledore will be pleased that everything's going according to plan."

Plan ... Dumbledore couldn't know about the plan. No, there must be another one. Wait - I had a vague remembrance of Dumbledore and me and Ginny but it was all hazy as if I had only dreamt it. What had it been again?

"What are you talking about? What plan?"

"That's nothing for you to be concerned over, Mr. Malfoy."

"Tell me!" I insist. What had been the point in him mentioning it to me if he wasn't even going to say anything about it?

"Now now," he says in a kindly voice that I'd only heard him use once or twice before and both times it had been after I had been in the hospital wing. "The only thing you need to worry about right now is Miss. Weasley." He pushes me in the direction I'd come from.

I could see her laughing blurry eyed at some stupid joke Neville Longbottom was telling her. How could she find that idiot entertaining? I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach, had I ever made her laugh like that? I made her cry often enough but could I make her laugh? Even Harry could make Hermione laugh and he wasn't even funny. Maybe she should be with someone like that, it was more than obvious that Longbottom liked her but I was far too selfish to even consider giving her up for her own good.

Keeping my head held high I walk back to the table ignoring the tittering and whispers that followed me. I think the entire Gryffindor table glared at me as I leaned over to reach for Ginny's hand. She stiffened as I touched her before even more tears flowed and she wrapped her arms around my waist sobbing.

"Ginny?" I say untangling myself from her grasp and nearly booting Weasley off his chair so I could sit beside her. "Ginny why are you crying?"

"Because you're not happy," she whispers, hugging herself when I wouldn't let her hug me. "Because you think no one knows you and I want to know you but I don't."

"Ginny oh Ginny," I sigh letting my hand trail from her shoulder and down her arm. Her words struck me hard. It was true she didn't know me but I barely knew myself. When we were alone she always tried to ask me things about my childhood or my family and I wouldn't answer her.

"You won't let me in," she cries her tears lessening as she wipes them away with her cloak. "You never let me in and then you hit my brother -"

"I'm sorry," I apologize to Ron for Ginny's benefit. He waves it off but I can tell he's pleased.

"Sorry doesn't make it all better, Draco," she tells me. "Nothing works if you don't let me in."

"I will," I promise. "I will."

"When?" she presses and I finally let her run her fingers over my cut. "You won't even tell me what happened today."

"I will," I say again. "When the time is right I'll tell you."

She smiles a little but I can tell she's itching to tell me that wasn't a proper answer. When will the time ever be right with me?