Disclaimer: I sadly do not own Harry Potter or any rights to it.

Harry turns away from Ron and starts to head up the stairs to the dormitory. He pauses as his eyes land on Lyric. She was sitting in a chair in the corner of the common room, tucked underneath a blanket sporting the house colors, a big book laying open in her lap. It wasn't unusual for her to be alone, she spent most of her time alone it seemed. It was common knowledge that she was an orphan, her mother being killed by Lord Voldemort and her father never having been involved in her life.

He sighs and wipes a hand over his face before he heads over to the corner and stops in front of her.

"Lyric?"

She looks up from her book at him. "Do you need something, Harry?"

Harry shakes his head as he sits down on the ottoman by her feet. "No, I just thought maybe you wanted to talk."

Lyric frowns. "Why would you want to talk to me?"

"You just don't seem to talk to anyone."

"Because I chose not to," Lyric says as she picked her book up, clearly ending the conversation.

Harry shakes his head before he heads back up to the dormitory.

Lyric sighs as she looks down at her cauldron. It was a mess. The potion hadn't brewed right and she had lost forty house points. She can feel the glares of people watching her as she takes her seat back at her desk and buries her face in her hands.

"It's not that bad," her friend says from beside her.

Lyric snorts. "I melted one of Snape's pots. He's furious."

"Newsflash dove, you're wearing red and gold, that's like waving the cape in front of the bull, with you lot he's always furious." Penthesilea Tonks comments studiously not glancing at her head of house as she shoves aside black curls that had escaped from her ponytail.

Lyric pouts as she glares at the melted pot on the desk. "I don't get why I don't understand potions."

"Maybe it's a lion thing, Longbottom and Weasley are about the same when Granger's not whispering to them. Not to mention all the explosions Finnegan's caused."

"Why can't it just be like music? That I understand."

Penthesilea snorts as she bottles her potion. "Why don't you raise your hand and ask?"

Lyric looks behind her to where Harry is watching her. She frowns before looking back at Penthesilea. "I don't know what's going on with that Potter boy lately. He keeps watching me."

Pen glances back as well before smirking and turning back to her friend. "Did you ever think my darling cousin may have a crush on you?" The Slytherin asks before rising from her seat and walking to the front of the class to hand over her potion sample.

Snape takes the vial from her before turning back to the class. "Class is dismissed, for everyone except you, Ms. McKinnon."

Pen makes her way back to her station, making a face at her friend as she starts to clean up and pack up. "Want me to wait?"

Lyric shakes her head as her friend leaves. She slowly packs her bags before she heads over to Snape's desk. "Yes, professor?"

"Ms. McKinnon, your grades have been failing miserably. You know that your prefect status only remains as long as you keep your grades up. What happened to that girl who was bright first year when it came to potions?"

Lyric shakes her head. "I don't know Professor."

"If they don't start to come up then I'm going to remove you from this class. I will be speaking to Professor McGonagall about this."

Lyric nods. "Of course professor."

Draco laughs as he tosses a paper ball up in the air. "I bet he's yelling the knickers off of perfect prefect McKinnon.

Pen makes a face as she looks up from her homework before turning in her chair to look at her cousin and his friends. "Please keep your sick fantasies to yourself. I for one do not want to think of Professor Snape removing anyone's knickers."

"Only because you want to be pulling off her knickers yourself."

Penthesilea laughs and turns back to her homework. "You are nearly as obsessed with Lyric's knickers as you are with Potter, should I be worried?"

"You worried that I'm going to take your precious little friend and make her not so pure and innocent?"

Once again the curly haired girl laughs, and peers into her book to double check her answer. "Perhaps if you spent less time polishing your broomstick. However, I believe we all know how likely that is, so no, I'm not worried at all." Pen retorts smirking as she hears a few snickers from behind her.

Draco rolls his eyes at the girl as he goes back to tossing the ball into the air.

Lyric dives under the water before she comes back out, leaning against the side of the bath. She thinks about the dark haired boy with green eyes and unconsciously feels her hand dipping down to the area between her legs.

"Whatcha doing?" Pen asks as she appears in the bathroom.

"Nothing," Lyric says as she quickly pulls her hand up.

The prefect tutts and wags her finger in admonishment. "Didn't look like nothing to me. If it was nothing then you shouldn't mind sharing those bubbles, but if it was something then I can snag a shower in the back and give you a bit more privacy." Penthesilea comments wiggling her fingers to accent what the something was.

Lyric hesitates for a second., "Of course you can join me."

"I don't know, you don't sound to enthusiastic." Pen teases, stripping down and climbing in the sudsy water opposite her friend. "Did you know that there is a charm on the girl's stairs, if a boy tries to go up then the stairs become a slide. But there is no such protection on the boy's stairs, if a girl wants to visit, oh say a certain jade eyed boy, there's nothing to stop her." Penthesilea comments before leaning back in the soapy water and vigorously sudsing her wild curls.

Lyric gives the girl a blank look. "Really, Pen, who would want to do that?"

"Oh, I don't know, perhaps the blonde girl who was doing nothing when I walked in?"

Lyric finishes rinsing the shampoo out of her hair as she stands and wraps a towel around her body. "I don't like Harry Potter. God, he's like so overrated."

Pen snorts and rolls her eyes. "Are you sure you've never been to Egypt dove, because you are certainly swimming in denial."

Lyric ignores her friend, humming under her breath as she brushes her blonde hair letting the strands fall down her back. "You better hurry, it's almost time for Defense Against the Dark Arts." She takes her time french braiding her hair into pigtails before she starts to leave. "By the way, you are way too interested in my sex life."

"Can't be interested in it if you don't have one." Penthesilea retorts dipping her head back as she scrubs her hair again. "I think I might skip Defense, that toad isn't teaching us anything and Madam Pomfrey will give me a pass if I ask. If I have to sit through one class of her pink nauseating sweetness I very well might snap and hex her. And while I won't mind putting her out of commision I'd rather do it with no witnesses around."

Lyric absentmindedly rubs the back of her hand where words were still etched into her skin. "Good idea, I think I might skip as well."

The black haired girl pauses and glances at her friend. "Well then, feel like going to town?"

Lyric looks at her before she shakes her head. "I...I don't know."

"Okay, well wherever you go you may want to make sure your hidden, in case the toad comes looking."

The blonde chews on her lower lip. "I was going to work on my music."

"Have fun, I'm probably just going to soak for a while then head down to see Madam Pomfrey." Penthesilea informs her friend.

"Alright, see you at lunch."

Harry turns the corner stopping short as he sees Penthesilea. "Tonks, have you seen Lyric?"

"Not lately."

"I'm trying to find her before Umbridge does."

Pen shrugs and straightens the Gryffindor's tie before stepping around him. "Why don't you ask a house elf? I seem to remember Draco whining about you stealing his."

Harry doesn't answer her. "I know Lyric invited you to the DA. Are you joining?"

Penthesilea lifts an eyebrow as she looks the boy over. "The one Slytherin in all the school granted an invitation, I might drop by."

"If you see Lyric will you tell her I'm looking for her?"

"Sure, I'll tell her you're ready to find a dark corner to snog in."

Harry blushes. "Don't be ridiculous."

The Slytherin smirks, "You're not a very good liar are you? Ta!" Giving a small wave the Slytherin continues on her way, fighting the urge to laugh out loud at the boy's blush. She stops short as she turns a corner and McGonagall is there.

"Oh, Ms. Tonks, didn't see you there. If you happen to see Ms. McKinnon can you tell her that I need to speak with her in my office?"

"Yes, ma'am." Penthesilea replies watching the Head of Gryffindor leave with a small frown. Why was everyone looking for Lyric and asking her if she knew where she was?

Lyric strums another chord before erasing something on the paper in front of her and trying again. She winces and looks up in time to see Pen leaving the castle. "Penthesilea!"\

The black haired girl spins at the sound of her name, seeing her friend she brushes a curl out of her face before trudging over to the blonde.

"I can't get this chord progression right," Lyric whines as she looks at her friend.

"Professor McGonagall is looking for you."

Lyric freezes. "Why?"

The Slytherin shrugs, "Don't ask me, I'm just the owl, and Potter's looking for you too."

"Jeez, wonder what Potter wants with me."

Penthesilea smirks at her friend. "Oh I can think of a few things." She states eyeing the girl suggestively. "He is a teenage boy after all."

"I bet Umbridge is looking for me as well."

The curly haired girl frowns and lets out a disgusted sound. "Hopefully not for the same reason Potter is."

"Ugh, don't make me sick right before lunch."

"Me?" Pen retorts with a snort. "You're the one that paired shagging with Potter to Umbridge."

"Shagging? I'm not shagging Potter."

Pen groans and rubs the bridge of her nose. "Gryffindors." She mutters disgustedly before simply shaking her head at the blonde.

Lyric laughs softly. "So, I guess I should go find McG first."

"Probably a good idea, and then find Umbridge with McGonagall, since she is your Head."

"I'm thinking about leaving school."

Pen freezes and simply stares at her friend, after a few minutes of watching the blonde fidget Penthesilea grabs her arm and drags her closer. "Explain now."

"We're not learning anything with that woman. She's abusing kids...it's just not something I want to be a part of.

"Then don't go to classes." Pen states slowly, "I was thinking about starting up a boycott for the Defense classes and the castle is big enough to hide in. I mean, what can she do, put the entire school in detention?"

"Yes. I don't get the point of school anymore and there's only 3 weeks left."

"Then just wait it out."

"I'll try," the blonde says softly.

Pen sighs. "Are you having the dreams again? About the faceless man?"

"They come and go."

The Slytherin sighs and holds out a hand for her friend. "Come on, let's go find your pussycat before she takes points."

Lyric takes the offered hand pulling herself to her feet. "She in the office?"

"I have no idea, she nearly ran me over in the halls." Penthesilea replies glancing around to make sure no pink blob was around before pulling her friend toward the Transfiguration classroom.

"Ah, Ms. McKinnon," Professor McGonagall says as they come into the room. "I had hoped to speak with you alone."

"Rawr, kittycat's got claws." Pen teases before giving the professor a small bow. "Want me to wait for you?" She asks Lyric, turning to leave the room.

"No, I'll meet you in the great hall for lunch."

With a nod the Slytherin saunters out of the room ignoring McGonagall's glare.

"What's going on?"

McGonagall looks at Lyric. "I'm afraid there has been some unexpected circumstances and because of it I am unable to offer you my house this summer."

Lyric frowns slightly. "That's okay, I'm sure the orphanage will take me in again."

The older woman shakes her head. "That's not my intention. I have spoken with the Weasley family and they're all too happy to allow you to spend the summer with them."

"The Weasley's? I don't even know them."

McGonagall raises an eyebrow. "You reside within the same house."

Lyric rolls her eyes. "Yes, we do, but I've never spoken a word to any of them. Why can't I go home with Pen?"

"Because you can't," McGonagall says softly. "I'm doing what's in your best interest here."

"It doesn't feel like it."

The Head of Gryffindor sighs softly. "I'm sorry, but the arrangements have already been made."

Lyric shakes her head. "You didn't even ask me."

"It's done, my dear."

Lyric nods before she turns to leave. Since first year she had been spending summers with McGonagall, holidays at Hogwarts. She never thought that would be taken suddenly.

"Lyric?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"I'm not abandoning you. There's just some things I have to take care of this summer."

Lyric doesn't answer as she walks out of the room.

Penthesilea chews her bottom lip as she skirts around the group of Ravenclaws before pausing momentarily as she catches sight of her cousin and his friends. Visibly calming herself the Slytherin prefect meanders over to the group and smiles as she grabs Draco's tie. "Excuse us, won't you? I need to borrow my cousin for a bit." Pen comments leading Draco to one of the broom cupboards and shoving him in, ignoring Zabini's wolf-whistle. Stepping in as well she locks the door and casts a small privacy spell.

"If you're going to molest me in a broom cupboard perhaps accosting me in front of witnesses isn't the best choice of action." Draco drawls casting a lumos so that he can see in the dark room.

Pen snorts and straightens the boy's tie before leaning against the door. "I do not molest people, however if I did I'm sure you would enjoy yourself thoroughly and then boast to your roommates. Unfortunately my accosting you is of a more scholarly option. Can I mix a diarrhea potion with a vomiting potion?"

The blond boy makes a disgusted face. "You can but it would have to be slowly so as to not cause a volatile reaction. Of course, should you mix the two it could cause death if your victim does not receive help once the symptoms begin."

"I'm aware of that." Pen states ruffling Draco's hair before frowning at the hair gel stuck to her hand. With a flick of her wand her hand is clean of the sticky residue and another flick removes the gel from his hair ignoring her cousin's admonishments. "That's better. Can you freeze a diarrhea potion?"

Draco runs a hand through his hair moodily before glowering at his cousin. "No, if you do the potion will lose its strength and merely cause an upset stomach. Vomiting potions, on the other hand, will not lose their power when frozen, well most of the common ones won't at least. You're going to poison Umbridge aren't you? Mix it in her drink or something." He was eyeing her now, rather curiously and at the girl's determined nod he lets out a breath. "If you get caught you could go to Azkaban for attacking a ministry official."

"I won't get caught." Pen replies stubbornly before letting out a breath and glancing at her cousin with lidded eyes. "So long as you don't tell anyone." She adds slowly keeping her expression innocent as the other prefect snorts.

"Of course not, I can't stand the woman, even if her squad grants me more power. Besides, you're family, blood runs thicker after all."

Penthesilea smiles slightly as she nods in agreement and stands upright before releasing the spells on the room. "Wonderful, I'm glad we had this chance to talk. Perhaps I make the school's cupboards my new meeting grounds."

"I'm sure Nott and Zabini would miss your presence in our showers and dormitory." Draco replies dryly opening the door and motioning for his cousin to exit first.

Lyric frowns as she reads the essay over. She had rewrote it over ten times and it still came out sounding off. "Hermione?" She calls to the bushy brunette sitting with her friends. "Can you come and read this over for me?"

"Alright." Hermione answers rising from her seat and making her way over to the blonde.

"If I don't get this right then Snape is going to have my ass."

"Professor Snape." Hermione absentmindedly corrects as she looks over the essay. "Your third paragraph is to short and you've forgotten to list the properties of aconite." Pulling out her wand Hermione taps the essay a few times causing certain words and phrases to rearrange. "There, now you just need to add the aconite."

"Thank you," Lyric mutters pulling her hair into a messy braid. "Do you think later you can help me with some potions?"

"Of course, just let me know when you're ready to start." Hermione answers before wondering back over to her friends.

Pen glanced at the head table before sharing a glance with her cousin, both noting Umbridge's empty seat.

"Shouldn't be long now before the house elves start to clean." Draco mutters, leaning closer to his cousin so that only she can hear. Pen takes a sip of her apple juice as she nods, ignoring some of the older students looks at how close the pair were. Penthesilea had crawled into Draco's bed late last night after her switch was completed, they had stayed up late talking about the various possibilities of the next day before falling asleep together. Both had agreed that no one would go looking for Umbridge so it would most likely be an elf that would find her, if she had infact died from the potion mix. Of course, no one else knew what was said behind the heavily warded bed curtains and so most drew their own conclusions when Pen left Draco's bed the next morning in shorts and a large shirt.

It was nearly the end of breakfast when a frightened house elf appeared in the Great Hall and nearly tripped over himself in his hurry to make it to the head table. The noise of the students dropped as they watched the magical creature climb onto the head table and talk hurriedly with Professor McGonagall.

Lyric looks up from her spot at the Gryinndor table frowning slightly at the scene before glancing curiously at Pen sitting at the Slytherin table.

Nott catches Pen's eye and motions behind her towards the Gryffindor table with a tilt of his head. The curly haired girl glances behind her and offers her friend a simple shrug.

McGonagall stands up, clearing her throat. "All students are to return to their houses immediately. The remainder of breakfast will be sent up there. Classes for the day are cancelled."

Draco snorts and glances around the table. "And I was so hoping to watch Longbottom, McKinnon, and Weasel melt another cauldron."

Pen glances at her friend who was trying to round up the first year Gryffindor students.

"You do have magic you know, if you want her skirt to fly up you can make it." Draco comments smirking when Pen scoffs and scowls at him.

Blaise chuckles as Pen rises from her seat and motions for Draco to do the same so that they can make their own rounds. "Careful Draco, she might just make you sleep in the Common Room tonight."

"Nah, she'd miss me too much."

Pen snorts and pulls the boy from his chair. "Please, I could do without your thrice damned cold feet and hands. Though he is an awesome cuddler."

"I do not cuddle!" Draco retorts angrily as Pen shoves him ahead of her. The curly haired girl merely rolls her eyes and offers Pansy a smirk at the younger girl's scowl.

Reviews appreciated