Black, White, and Grey

Chapter 8 - Returning To Hogwarts

I can't remember what else happened in that room that night. Nothing except leaning over a basin, with someone holding my hair back, and emptying the contents of my stomach, and still feeling like bringing up more. Draco wasn't all that far away, with his head between his knees, trying to keep his own dinner, which had been further removed from the meeting than mine, from returning in the same fashion. He was the other one of the six not being initiated, which wasn't really a surprise.

And then, the awful choice given to me by Voldemort. To join him, support his cause, or leave the wizarding world completely until this was over. Not that I thought I'd be allowed to return then. I was glad he gave me the school year to think it over. I needed that time to dull the memories.

Ginny is looking rather ill in her corner. No one had told her what happened to her mother before this, and she isn't taking it any better than I did at the time. I think she would gladly kill Ri if she wasn't already dead. I hope Sirius and Remus can keep her from falling apart, because she certainly won't let the rest of us nearer her than can be helped in this attic.

At least she doesn't blame me, anymore than she did when she finally saw me again that summer on the train back to Hogwarts. I'd avoided the Weasleys the rest of that August. Avoided the wizarding world altogether, as I received a package the day after the meeting with my school supplies. Draco thought I'd rather prefer that to venturing into Diagon Alley.

That wasn't the last surprise from him over that summer. Like on the train. He was more attuned to people's moods than he was given credit for. Though that can be used to torment as well as to comfort, so it shouldn't have been as much of a surprise as it was.

~ ~~ ~

"Owl us when you get safely to Hogwarts, dear." Mum kissed me on the cheek as I made sure that everything was secured to my trolley.

"Of course, mum." I smiled, and stepped through the barrier. Once on the platform, I let the smile fade, and I hurried towards the train. I was dreading facing Ron and Ginny, and I'd rather keep it as short an encounter as possible. Mrs. Weasley's death had been splashed all over the front page of the Daily Prophet, and I'd seen the pictures they'd taken of the rest of the family. Ginny looked like she was ready to murder the camera person, and Ron was being actively restrained by Charlie.

No, I'd rather not face them, thank you. Or Harry. Sirius was no longer in Morigyn's house, and after the argument we had that last night, I rather suspected he'd reinforce Ron and Harry's estrangement from me. I'd even think he'd told them I was dressed as a Death Eater, except I hadn't had Aurors show up on my doorstep to trot me off to Azkaban.

It was early enough that I had no difficulty finding an empty compartment, and settling in to read until we left the station. I wished I had Crookshanks to sit in my lap, and pet, but I hadn't seen him since after the day I'd talked to Remus. No doubt he'd found himself an alley to haunt, resourceful cat that he was. At least, I hoped he had.

Draco opened the door to the compartment a half hour later, and I shut the book with a growl. I hadn't gotten more than a page read, preoccupied with my thoughts, but I didn't need him to show up now.

"So this is where you're hiding. Don't want to face the Head Boy and his prefect sister?"

I glared at him for a long moment. "Not particularly, no."

He directed his trunk into the rack next to mine, sitting across from me. "Probably for the best. The sister looks like death." Draco paused, looking out the window. "So does my cousin," he added quietly.

I followed his gaze, spotting Ginny and Lisette standing together. They were gripping each other's hands, white-knuckled, with the twins hovering over them protectively. Ron was standing several feet away, with Harry looking uncomfortable next to him, and Arthur was in between the two groups, trying to say something to them all.

"You'd think that grief would bring them closer together." Draco was still watching the Weasleys as I glanced over at him. "But instead, he's going to leave his sister to her own sorrow once they're at school, and seethe at her choice of friends."

I frowned. "I know Lisette is going to be at Hogwarts this year, so why do you say that Ginny will be alone?"

He glanced sideways at me. "She is. And I doubt she'll be in Gryffindor, to let the sister cry on her shoulder."

"She could be." I held up a hand to stall his reply. "But even if she isn't, she'll probably be able to get into the common room if Ginny wants her in there." I stressed Ginny's name slightly, hoping Draco would take the hint and use her name, rather than just calling her 'the sister'.

"Really?" Draco shrugged. "It still doesn't matter. Mother has insisted I keep an eye on Lisette, and no doubt she will object to letting me into the Gryffindor common room."

I snorted. "She might not, but everyone else would." Glancing out the window again, I noticed the Weasleys were no longer on the platform, and leaned back against the seat. "And even if you act the prat afterwards, they will have the train ride to talk, and for Lisette to let Ginny cry on her shoulder, if that's what she wants to do."

Draco opened his mouth to reply, but he didn't have a chance before the door to the compartment flew open to reveal Fred and George. Draco scowled and turned to them. "What are you doing here? You have no business on this train."

"We're not here to listen to you, Malfoy. Ginny asked us to make sure Hermione was alive and well," George said, stepping into the compartment. "She's been worried about you, Hermione, ever since you didn't show up for Harry's birthday."

"Ginny said you might have gotten kidnapped, like mum. Except she wasn't scared she'd find your body somewhere." Fred shot a venomous glare at Draco.

"Are you all right?" George was ignoring Draco completely, giving me a concerned look. "Ginny wasn't the only one worried, you know. Harry..."

"Tell them I'm fine, George," I said quietly. "And I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the party. Something unavoidable came up."

"Why don't you tell them yourself, Hermione?" George sat on the seat next to me, while Fred remained in the doorway. "Let them see you're still alive, and safe."

I snorted. "And how can you be so sure I'm safe, George?" I raised an eyebrow, and noticed Fred's sharp look at Draco from behind his brother. "And Fred, leave Draco be. He's not going to hurt me."

"He's a Malfoy, Hermione. You can't trust him not to hurt you." Fred took a half-step forward and turned so the way out of the compartment was clear. "Come on. We'll carry your trunk for you." He pulled out his wand, preparing to levitate my trunk from where I'd placed it in the rack.

"Don't you dare, Fred Weasley!" I glared at him as he gave me a surprised look. "I'm not going to go sit in a compartment with Ron and Harry and Ginny, and let them berate my choice in friends just so that you can feel like maybe all the vitriol that Ron has no doubt spouted over the summer was from a little spat. If Ginny and Lisette and Harry want to see that I am alive and well, they can come here, and leave Ron to stew. And if Harry thinks he's going to get me to tell all, and gush about how I can't continue to go on without him and Ron, he can stay with his friend, and away from me!"

George and Fred both had recoiled as I ranted, and were staring at me like I'd sprouted a second head, or turned into a Malfoy.

"Hermione, what are you talking about? You and Harry and Ron..." Fred trailed off, gesturing impotently.

"What happened between you?" George was giving me a confused look. "Ginny said there'd been a row, and you weren't talking to Ron or Harry, but you've always reconciled before this."

"It won't happen, George." I waved a dismissive hand. "Don't try to tell me that it's nothing, because you don't know that." I sighed. "Go away. Tell Ginny I'm fine, and that if she wants to talk to me, she can come and talk."

"Don't bother." Ginny pushed past her brothers, and plopped down on the seat next to Malfoy, her eyes meeting mine. "They were taking too long getting back," she said with a shrug, jerking her head at the twins. "I decided to come find out what was taking them so long."

"Ginny, see if you can't talk some sense into her." Fred gave me a look of consternation. "She's gone nutters."

Ginny rolled her eyes, and made shooing gestures at them. "She's not gone nutters, you great twat. Go, let Lisette and Harry know she's fine, and then get back to the platform before dad starts getting worried."

Fred and George both gave me concerned looks before reluctantly leaving to do what they'd been told.

Ginny heaved a sigh of relief as the door closed behind them, and reached across to give me a hug. "Thank Merlin you're all right! I thought you'd gotten snatched, or your parents had forbidden all contact with the Wizarding World."

I shook my head, looking out the window again, not willing to meet her eyes. How could I, when I'd watched her mother tortured to death? Murdered by a woman who'd been kinder to me than most purebloods would be, and whom I'd almost thought was a decent person. Almost. I mentally cursed my lapse in judgment.

"Hermione?" Ginny reached out to touch my arm. "What happened?"

"You don't want to know, Weasley." Draco spoke before I could, cutting Ginny's protest off with a sharp gesture. "You weren't there, you wouldn't understand, and you really do not want to know, no matter how much you think you do."

I shot Draco an incredulous look, surprised at his sensitivity. The Draco that I'd known before this whole mess started would have used his knowledge of how Mrs. Wesley died to hurt Ginny and drive her to tears. Even the Draco of last year would not have hesitated to hurt Ginny, or me, with innuendo and tidbits of information.

Ginny gave him an annoyed look, and I could see the objection in her eyes.

"Ginny." I drew her attention away from Draco. "He's right. You don't want to know. And I really hope you never understand what happened. You'd be better off never getting drawn that far into this."

"And what if I don't care how far I get drawn into whatever this is you've gotten caught up in?" Ginny held my gaze steadily. "You're my friend, Hermione, and I'm not going to let you simply drop out of my life just because you've gotten yourself into something that you think is over my head."

"It won't change my mind, Ginny. I'm not telling you what happened, and I'm not going to get you caught in this. You don't need to have most of your friends decide your not worth associating with." I smiled slightly, knowing there was a trace of bitterness showing through. "You have too many to lose them all for this."

Draco shifted, reaching out a hand to turn my head so I was looking at him. "Granger. If you chose to mope about loosing Potter and his sidekick, do it during class, and not around me. I won't have you thinking about them during my time." His eyes were cool, but there was a spark of sympathy there that took the sting out of his words.

"If I decide to think about them, I won't tell you." I reached up, removing his hand from my chin. "And I don't intend to mope, thank you very much," I added tartly.

A smirk crossed Draco's face as he leaned back. "I should hope you don't, Granger. It would speak very poorly of my skills."

"Draco!" I yelped at the same time Ginny screeched, "Malfoy!"

He chuckled, his smirk widening. "Conversational skills, Granger. Whatever did you think I meant?"

I glared at him, resisting the urge to deck him. And the equally insistent urge to laugh in his face. "You bloody well know what I thought you meant, you perverted little sod."

"Really?" Draco's eyes widened in mock-innocence. "Why, Granger, I'm hurt. I would never imply anything improper."

Ginny snorted, her eyes gleaming with the same amusement I was trying to suppress. "Really, Malfoy? Claiming to be the pure white knight, are we?"

"Dear me, Weasley, never." He leered at him, giving her a once over. "But I wouldn't want to overwhelm Grangers delicate sensibilities."

"And when did I become a glass ornament?" I raised an eyebrow, my lips twitching with the effort not to burst out laughing.

"Apparently when you got involved with Malfoy." Ginny shrugged, meeting my eyes. It was only a moment before we both started laughing while Draco watched us both with a long-suffering expression on his face. It even would have been believable if he hadn't had a gleam of laughter in his eyes. It only made me laugh more, the tension that had been building since that awful night flowing away like water.

It would return, I was sure, but it was good to forget while in the company of friends, before I had to face Ron. That thought made my laughter die, and I shivered. Ron was going to be ten times worse than last year, with Mrs. Weasley gone.

Draco reached over again, and snapped his fingers in front of my face. "Don't start." He held my gaze, a clear command in them. He didn't want see me upset, and he wasn't going to let me think on what happened this summer.

I wasn't sure what to make of him now. He had been confusing ever since that night. I could almost think he actually cared about how I felt, if it weren't for all the events over the last six years that made it impossible to think he cared, except for how much he could hurt me. But that night... Merlin, I wished I could stop thinking about it. Blood, and screams, and...

"Salazar's bollocks!" Draco grabbed me by the arm, hauling me out of the compartment and down to the lavatory, snarling at Ginny when she tried to follow. Distantly I wondered why he was doing this, as I lost my breakfast into the toilet. It had tasted better going down than coming up. At least it had been rather tasteless then.

"Life would be much easier if you could just not think about that, Granger," Draco's voice was a mix of annoyance and concern that was as disconcerting as his behavior. "You might actually make it to school without risking my reputation by turning green while in my company, and nearly loosing your lunch on my very expensive robes."

I laughed shakily, aware that it sounded more than a little hysterical. "Your reputation, Malfoy? Is that all you think about?!" I got shakily to my feet, my hands clenched into fists. "Your reputation, your money, your sodding social status! They don't bloody matter!"

Draco was meeting my glare with a stormy expression. "It's all I have, Granger! I'm the heartless Slytherin git, or did that slip your mind?" he said in a cold, sneering tone that would have done Professor Snape proud. "I don't care for mundane things like love and caring, and being nice, especially to a Mudblood like you. That's not in my nature. It's not in the nature of a Malfoy to be weak, and show emotions like love. That's not how the game is played."

"Game? This is all a game to you, is it?" I hissed, trembling with the need to lash out. To give him a visible reminder of my temper. And forget the control I had tried to gain over it in the last six years. "See how much the Mudblood can take before she runs away crying? See what it takes to make the Mudblood break down, and go back to the Muggle world she came from?"

My jaw was clenched, and my voice was as quiet as Snape's when he was reaming some unfortunate student in Potions class. I wanted to feel Draco's nose crunch under my fist, and I wondered if this was the sort of rage Ron had felt towards the sneering brat since our first year. Since before our first year.

"Forget it, Malfoy. I will never leave the wizarding world. Never. Not for my parents, not for Voldemort, and certainly not for some inbred imbecile like you."

I spun on my heel, reaching for the door, when Draco's hand slammed against it, holding it closed. I twisted back around, fist coming up to deliver the blow I'd managed to avoid earlier.

"You realize you just made your choice, Granger." His eyes were cold, and he caught my wrist in his other hand. "If you stay, there is no turning back, and no one to save you if you mess up. Potter and Weasley will hate you, as much as they hate me. You will have no one."

"Why would you care, Malfoy? I thought you just said you were heartless." I tried to pull my arm free, but he simply tightened his fingers until I hissed in pain.

"And I thought you were intelligent. I must have been mistaken, since you're still here."

My eyes narrowed, and I shifted my weight slightly to kick him in the shin, making him wince. "I'm still here because you won't let me out of the loo. If you'll be so kind as to remove your hand from the door, I'll leave."

"Don't you ever think, Granger? If you stay in the wizarding world, mother will not stop until she has extracted the signatures of you and your parents on a wedding contract!" He was breathing heavily. "She doesn't take no, and the only way she would leave you be is if you returned to the Muggle world, and stayed there."

I stared at him, my jaw dropping. "WHAT?"

Draco finally removed his hand from the door, running a hand through his hair in a frustrated gesture. "It's all she's bloody spoken of for the last month. About how you were clearly born to be a pure-blood, and you'd be the perfect Malfoy wife. That there were laws in place that could even eliminate the pesky problem of you being legally a Mudblood. Father locked himself in then east wing, and even Aunt Bella won't go near her."

I blinked, still staring. Was Narcissa Malfoy insane? "She what?"

He glared at me. "Don't play dumb, Granger, it doesn't suit you."

"I heard what you said, I just do not understand. Is you mother absolutely insane?"

"That, Granger, is none of your concern." He gave me a cold look that was meant to end that line of conversation. Not that I was going to let it drop.

"If she's trying to drag me into it, it is my concern!"

Draco's jaw clenched. "Didn't your parents teach you any manners, Granger? There are matters you simply do not discuss with those outside of the family."

"Insanity," I said flatly. "And considering the Victorian nature of the wizarding world, sexual deviance of family members, or financial difficulties."

"Or incidence of Squibs, infertility, infidelity, or marrying outside your class," he added stiffly, his expression darker than it had been before. I doubted he enjoyed finding out I knew it would be considered rude to discuss it, and still pushed the matter.

"But if your mother pushes for this sort of alliance, you won't have a choice. Everyone in the Wizarding world will want to know who is marrying the scion of the Malfoy family."

"She will destroy the Malfoy name with this! And I will do whatever it takes to ensure she doesn't." He held my gaze, a determined expression on his face. Draco really was hoping that I would leave after this conversation. Step off the train, and take myself back to my parents and the Muggle world forever, no doubt.

"The only way to stop her plans is to kill her, or kill me. I already told you, I will not leave the Wizarding world for any one person's sake. But I doubt you could actually kill your mother, and if you kill me, you won't survive very long unless you beg asylum from Dumbledore."

"Who said I had to kill anyone, Granger?"

I snorted. "How are you planning to stop her, then?"

"There are people who owe me favors. All I have to do is call one of those favors in."

"You are not going to play matchmaker with me, Draco Malfoy!" I glared at him, my wand dropping into my hand. Draco would look wonderful with red hair. Bright scarlet red hair, and glowing gold skin, and perhaps a nasty case of boils while I was at it.

"You would rather my mother did?" He raised an eyebrow, a slight smirk playing at his lips.

"I would rather no one did. But if it is a choice between you blackmailing someone, and your mother's distant pressuring, I'll take your mother's attempts at matchmaking over yours." I crossed my arms over my chest, giving him a look that would have made Harry or Ron cringe and beg my forgiveness a year ago.

Draco's eyes narrowed. "I don't ever want to run the risk of marrying you, Granger. And you're bound to play yourself right into mother's hands."

"Don't underestimate me like that, Malfoy. I'm not a pushover like you." I turned to leave again, half expecting him to try to stop me.

Just as my hand touched the handle, he spoke, quietly.

"If you stay on this path, you'll understand why I don't argue with my mother."

I looked over my shoulder, my brow furrowing in confusion, but he gave me a cold, dismissive look, and I rolled my eyes in exasperation before leaving the lavatory. A glance at my watch told me it was almost time for the Prefects meeting, and I hurried past my compartment towards the lounge. In the front car Time to face Ron.

~ ~~ ~

"Oh good, there you are." Ginny dragged me into a seat beside her, keeping a wary eye on the door. "Ron hasn't come in yet, but he should be here soon. You really don't want to be in his way right now. He's convinced you know something about mum's disappearance, after you didn't show up for Harry's birthday." She rolled her eyes. "Honestly, he's been such a prat about you ever since last November. I don't know how he can possibly think you're awful, even if you do hang around Malfoy a lot."

I tensed slightly, then forced myself to relax when she mentioned Ron thought I knew something about Mrs. Weasley's disappearance. Ginny was giving me more credit than she should have, because I did know something about her disappearance. I had watched her be tortured to death, and then spent most of an hour heaving before I could keep a potion down long enough to quell the nausea.

Merlin, I needed to forget about that! I could feel the queasiness from earlier returning, and forced my thoughts elsewhere. Like who was the new Gryffindor seventh-year prefect, with Ron being Head Boy? And why wasn't Draco attending the meeting? He had been a Slytherin prefect for the last two years, why wasn't he one now?

Ginny nudged me, pointing over to where the Slytherin prefects were clustered, her voice low. "Malfoy's going to lose face in Slytherin. Nott's the seventh year prefect opposite Parkinson this year."

"What?" I stared at her. "How do you know Malfoy's going to lose face?"

Ginny shrugged. "I had a crash course in Slytherin politics 101 my second year. I'll explain the way it works later, but trust me, Malfoy's not going to have it as easy as he used to." She snickered softly. "Serves him right for trapping you like he did."

"He didn't trap me, Ginny." No, I did that on my own, and aren't we getting away from the subject, Ginny Weasley? "Why did you get a crash course in Slytherin politics?"

"Because I was trying to establish some friendships with a couple first-year Slytherins, and they very rudely told me to shove off, they didn't need a Gryffindor ruining their chances at gaining status. I wanted to know what the hell they were talking about, and accosted one of the Slytherin prefects."

Ginny smoothly switched subjects as the door to the compartment opened, letting in Ron, followed by Dumbledore. "And what do you think brings our esteemed Headmaster here, Hermione?"

I shook my head, watching Dumbledore as he made his way to the front of the compartment. He looked like he'd aged decades over the summer, and I wondered what had happened that made him appear so frail. "I don't know."

"I know you are all surprised to see me here, but there is news that I will hope that you keep to yourselves until the students arrive at Hogwarts. You will need to be strong for your fellow students when they are made aware of this, and I can only hope that telling you now will allow you to put aside any grief you may feel in order to help your fellow students."

Dumbledore paused, and I avoided his eyes as they swept the compartment. My stomach was beginning to churn again, and I reached out to grip Ginny's hand in a white-knuckled grip.

"We will not have one new professor this year, but three. As well as new heads for Gryffindor and Slytherin houses." The gasp that greeted his words was hushed by an upraised hand. "Neither Professors Snape nor McGonagall are dead, but they are both missing in the attacks this August."

Ginny extricated her hand from mine, and wrapped her arm around my shoulders, and I glanced sideways. Her face was pale, but she had a determined look on her face that the world would later learn was a dangerous sight.

"Some of your fellow students will also be absent, and others will have lost family," Dumbledore continued. "I hope you can open your arms to them, and help them through the difficult times ahead. All of you." His eyes met those of the Slytherin prefects, and I saw their expressions shutter as they drew closer together.

"Sir, who will the new heads of House be?" Susan Bones asked, and I glanced over at her. She looked pale and drawn, her eyes rimmed in red as if from crying, and new tears shining behind her lashes.

"Professor Sinestra will be taking over for Gryffindor, and our new Transfiguration professor will be the Head of Slytherin."

"Who is our new Transfiguration professor?" Nott's voice was quiet and controlled, his eyes glittering coldly. "Or must we wait till our arrival at Hogwarts to know?"

"I am." The compartment door had opened once more, and a lean man with black eyes and coffee brown skin stood in the entryway. "Jared Antonius Lord." His eyes scanned over the rest of us, settling briefly on Ginny and me, and again on Ron. "I shall be traveling with you on the train, as Professor Dumbledore has requested, to help ensure the security of the train."

"Which I must also discuss with you. If you would find a seat, Jared?" Dumbledore waited until Professor Lord had taken a seat among the Slytherins, who were eyeing him with a mix of contempt and awe. I made a mental note to find out who Jared Lord was, and why the Slytherins would have such a reaction to him.

"Several Aurors, as well as professors, will be traveling with the train this year. We ask that you keep alert, and you try to keep your fellow students calm should anything occur."

"Are we expecting Death Eaters to attack the train, Professor?" Ron was looking grim, and I knew he was thinking of how much to tell Harry, and possibly involving the DA. It hadn't been disbanded last year, but after the conversation with Professor McGonagall, I had not attended, and they'd avoided me ever since the fight in November.

"I hope we do not, Mr. Weasley, but this past month has shown no place is safe, even Hogwarts itself, without our close attention."

"And constant vigilance." Ron's words brought a brief spate of almost hysterical giggles from some of the prefects, but more of them looked as implacable as Ron, determined to do what they could to protect the others from the threat.

"Indeed, Mr. Weasley." Professor Lord was regarding Ron with a calculating expression. "You would do well to be constantly on your guard. It is good practice for when you are out of Hogwarts and in the real world, where danger is far more common."

~ ~~ ~

"What do you think of Professor Lord?" Ginny cocked her head to one side, watching me as we walked back towards the compartment.

"That he has a reputation among the Slytherins." I paused. "And that you probably know more about him than I do." I fixed her with a sharp look. "He's related to the Snapes through marriage, and they attend the picnics at Meri's place, since one of Meri's grandmothers was a Snape."

Ginny blinked. "I think so. But he's never been at the picnics. Not that I can remember."

"Oh." I grimaced. "Than... I don't know. I think that we'll have to wait and see what he's like as a professor."

"Granger." Draco was standing outside the compartment we were sharing, his arms crossed over his chest. "Your friend Potter has decided to invade my compartment to wait for you. And he's corrupted my cousin." He glared at me as if this was my fault.

"Oh, come off it, Malfoy." Ginny rolled her eyes. "Lisette was corrupted long before she ever met Harry. But you didn't pay that much attention to her at Easter, did you?" She snickered at the disgruntled expression on his face before shoving the door open.

"Ginny, can you hex my cousin for me?" Lisette was alternating her glare between Harry and Draco as we stepped into the compartment. "Harry won't give me my wand back to do it myself."

"Why don't I hex Potter, and toss him out on his arse, Lisette, and you stay here where I can keep an eye on you?" Draco leaned against the door after closing it.

"Accio wands," I muttered when I saw Harry's eyes narrowed, and neatly caught the wands that flew out of his hand, and from Draco and Ginny. "Now, I'm going to lock our wands in my trunk, and you can get them back when you're ready to behave, boys and girls."

Ginny rolled her eyes at me, and sat down next to Lisette, leaning back against the seat. "They're not likely to behave, Hermione. We are talking about Harry and Malfoy here."

"I know." I reached up to open my trunk, dropping all five wands in, and locking it before tucking the key where it would be rude to fish for it. "And if they don't behave on the ride to Hogwarts, they'll have to wait until after the Welcoming Feast to retrieve their wands."

Draco's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't dare, Granger."

"She would." Harry shrugged. "Not that I don't mind." He had a glint in his eyes that suggested he actually looked forward to the idea of pounding the crap out of Draco.

"And maybe you two could actually think for a moment, and stop trying to kill each other. It doesn't do any of us any good; all you succeed in doing is loosing House points, and leaving each other in the hospital wing." I crossed my arms over my chest. "I don't care what you think of each other, but while you're in MY compartment, you will behave like gentlemen."

"I am always a gentleman, Granger." Draco sneered at Harry. "It's not my fault Potter was raised to be a wild little mongrel."

Harry snorted. "Your arrogance astounds, Malfoy. You're about as much a gentleman as Ron is."

"I am nothing like Weasley!" Draco's eyes narrowed, and it looked for a moment like he was going to try to strangle Harry, until a thoughtful expression flickered across his face. "Not that Weasley, at any rate."

Harry frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Draco smirked, his sense of superiority clearly restored. "Why don't you ask Miss Weasley? I'm sure she knows who I'm speaking of."

"Ginny?" Harry looked over at her, and she shrugged.

"I suppose he's talking about grandmother Augustine. But then again, he does have an over-inflated ego."

Ginny slid a sidelong glance at Draco to see if the barb hit home, and Lisette giggled as his mouth worked soundlessly for a long moment.

I exchanged a mystified look with Harry as Ginny and Lisette collapsed into gales of laughter, and Draco's expression vacillated between anger and exasperation for a long moment before he found his voice.

"Bloody hell, Weasley! Are you completely insane?"

Ginny looked up at him, a wicked gleam in her eyes. "Well, I can't imagine you're comparing yourself to, say, me." She paused, a thoughtful look on her face. "Or maybe you were thinking about Percy? I mean, he..."

Draco growled, and Ginny dissolved into giggles again.

"You're a bloody pest, Weasley. That bugger is a complete waste of the air he breathes. Merlin, I'd rather be compared to Dumbledore than him!"

That made Harry snort, and I bit down on my lip to keep from reacting to the amusement of the other two Gryffindors.

"How many brothers do you have, Ginny?" Lisette had managed to get an innocent expression on her face that would almost be believable. If she had been asking a question that she didn't already know the answer to.

"Six." Ginny studied Draco for a long moment. "I don't think he's anything like the twins, though. He doesn't have much a sense of humour. And he's not tall enough to pass for Bill."

"What about Charlie?" Lisette leaned back in her seat, a grin playing on her lips. "I mean, he already has the dragon part down."

Ginny snorted. "You know, you could be right. You'd just have to dye..."

"No!" Draco yelped, looking scandalized. "You are insane! No dye comes near my hair."

"No dye, just enough gel to drown a baby killer whale," muttered Harry, sending Ginny and Lisette into fits of giggles again.

"Hmph." Draco crossed his arms over his chest, looking up at me. "If you start helping them, Granger, I swear I'll have you scrubbing the Slytherin boy's shower after Crabbe and Goyle have gotten their shower for the month."

"As if I would, Malfoy." I crossed my arms over my chest. "They're doing quite fine on their own, and don't need my help."

Draco's jaw clenched, and he took a deep breath before he turned his attention to Harry. "Why did you invade my compartment, Potter? You didn't say earlier."

"Yes I did, Malfoy. I came here to wait for Hermione." Harry met Draco's gaze with a cold expression. "And the rest of the reason is none of your business. Or, really, for that matter, Ginny's or Lisette's."

"If it has to do with what happened last fall, there's no reason to prevent them from hearing it. What I can talk about, anyway."

Harry turned his gaze to me, regarding me for a long moment with an inscrutable expression on his face. "Would you change what happened, if you could? Go back, and not swear an oath to keep whatever you heard or saw from me and Ron?"

I blinked, watching him as I thought back over the last year. How much I'd learned about the wizarding world, and how it worked. What I knew now about Remus and Sirius, and their families. Everything that I would never really have seen if I hadn't accidentally overheard McGonagall talking to Voldemort. Not most of it.

"No. I wouldn't. And it wasn't just an oath not to tell you or Ron what I'd seen, Harry. I can't tell anyone, even those who would have already known, and understood it, about what I saw. Only what I talked about with McGonagall afterwards. And that I won't tell anyone because I respect her too much to betray her like that."

There was silence a long moment, Ginny and Lisette looking as solemn as Harry, and Draco looking like a statue with a face I couldn't read.

"Good." Harry smiled slightly. "Than I won't ask. And I won't stop you from doing what you need to. Just understand that I'll be around if you need a friend, and things start falling apart. Even if I'm prat about it."

I stared at him, uncertain what to say. He'd changed since the end of school. Grown up. But what had happened that had caused that change?