Chapter 1
Here we are Again
It was a balmy and somewhat out of the ordinary, thirty-five degrees Celsius on the first of September, also the first day of sixth year for Harry Potter and Ron Weasley at Hogwarts. The sun was shining right down on their backs with no clouds in sight for shade. People were milling about and either fighting for small patches of shade or running as fast as they could on to the magically air conditioned train to escape the intense heat. Harry and Ron were struggling to lift their heavy trunks into the Hogwarts Express. Both were sweating profusely.
"Good Lord it's hot out here!" Ron exclaimed.
"No, really," Harry answered sarcastically. "I thought it was the perfect time to build an igloo."
Just as they finally made it in the refreshingly cool train and off into one of the last empty compartments, they noticed a certain tall blonde person they were not happy to see standing just outside their window. But instead of the smug expression Draco Malfoy usually had on his face, the two boys were surprised to see him looking somewhat depressed and alone.
"Well well well, look who it is. For once those two monstrosities aren't with him," Ron remarked, pressing his nose up to the window.
Before Harry could give an answer, Hermione and Ginny showed up at the door of the compartment. They invited themselves in and gave Draco a small backwards glance as they closed the compartment door.
"Hey boys," the girls chorused.
"What the heck is Malfoy doing standing there all alone?" Ginny inquired.
"No clue," Ron answered starting to pull out the exploding snap cards.
"Why don't we ...invite him in?"
"WHAT!?" The rest of them yelled, ganging up on her
"It was just a thought. I mean he looks a little lonely. Besides aren't we supposed to treat people the way we want to be treated? Come on he can't be all bad.... maybe"
"I do beg to differ." Harry snorted
"Fine," Ginny said starting to head for the window. "If you bunch of ninnies are too selfish I'll do it myself. HEY DRACO! CARE TO JOIN US?" She had to yell to make herself heard over the hiss of the engine. It was ten fifty-nine and thirty seconds and the train was on the brink of pulling out of the station. Ginny figured his answer was no because he was glancing around as if someone might see that he was being addressed by a Weasley. Just at the last second Draco jumped on the train and Ginny guessed he would find a compartment with some other Slytherins.
"Is he coming?" asked Ron tentatively
"I don't think so." Ginny said pulling her head back inside and closing the window.
"HORRAY!" the boys sang and congratulated each other with a high five for who knows what.
"Try again Potter," came a smooth snide voice from the doorway. "Thank you Ginny. At least one person here has some class."
Then without another word Draco slipped into a corner seat. He didn't say a word to them even when Ron was bold enough to ask if he would care to join them in a game of exploding snap. He just looked out the window as the scenery flowed past and the sky got darker and cloudier. The sky was a perfect mirror of what Draco was feeling. And so the trip went on and Draco just stared out the window. Occasionally he would glance over to see what was going on with the rest of his compartment mates. One time when he looked over at them Ginny caught his eye. She gave him one of her classic big smiles with plenty of sparkle as only Ginny can do. This took him by great surprise and he just looked away. But for the rest of the trip he kept trying to catch her eye again. It had almost worked when the trolley lady interrupted and their minds were suddenly occupied with junk food.
"Heh Maou, ca fo uh chahclahd frug?" Ron tried to say with his mouth full of pumpkin pasty.
"No thanks," Malfoy replied with a somewhat disgusted look on his face.
"How about some Bertie Botts?" Ginny offered with another smile.
"Sure," Draco replied leaning over to take some. "Thanks," he said, this time smiling back.
Harry had to work very hard to restrain Ron, who was fuming from the ears, from doing anything rash. This sudden change in Malfoy's attitude towards Ginny made him, shall we say, uneasy.
"So Malfoy, why the sudden depression?" Harry asked finally getting control of Ron.
"None of your bloody business, Potter," Draco sneered going back to staring out the window
"Ask a simple question, get a grumpy answer. What's wrong? Daddy mad at you?" Harry taunted.
At this Draco's muscles tensed, his fists clenched and he closed his eyes, trying his utmost to control himself.
"Oh... hit on a soft spot did I?" Harry said quietly continuing to pry.
Then Draco lost it. He was on the other side of the compartment in a flash, grabbed Harry by the collar and slammed him against the wall.
"At least I have parents Potter," Malfoy whispered, coming within about a centimetre of Harry's face.
Harry would have punched him but he didn't have to time. Malfoy dropped him into a heap on the seat and stalked off slamming the door. Needless to say it took all of Ginny, Hermione and Ron's combined strength to keep Harry from going after him and tearing him to bits. They didn't see Malfoy for the rest of the trip.
"He's probably off sulking somewhere," Harry replied soothing his bruised head after the question of Draco's whereabouts had come up.
"Oh Harry you should have just left him alone. He wasn't bothering us," Ginny said as she pulled her robes over her head.
"Why are you sticking up for him?" Ron asked as the group exited the train and stepped out onto the Hogsmead station platform. "He's a prying, spoiled, evil jerk. There is no good in him...anywhere!"
"I still think you guys are too hard on him." Ginny said shaking her head as she headed for a coach.
"Ginny, has he been easy on us? No! He's made sure we are in trouble for every possible twinge we make. He lies, cheats, does things to get what he wants. His whole family is evil AND hates our family. Have you forgotten what Mr. Malfoy does to Dad? This one thing was the only one nice thing I have or ever will do for him. From now on I want you to stay away from him. Understand? Drop it! JUST DROP IT!
"Ron, stop!" Hermione had to yell, gripping his shoulder.
Ginny was just standing there, tears rolling down her freckled cheeks. Ron had never yelled at her before...ever.
"Ginny, I..." Ron began; but Ginny just turned and ran.
Ginny didn't sit with them at the start of term feast nor did she speak to Ron as she passed the group on her way to her dorm.
"I can't believe you - you know, I just can't believe you!" Hermione said to Ron as she passed the Gryffindor common room after the feast. "What would make you yell at her like that? She was just being the sweet caring person you know she is. So what if she wants to be nice to Malfoy, he never did anything to her. All that was, was your selfish pride wanting to get back at him and you took it out on her. I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!"
"Hermione, please..." Ron said head in his hands, his own eyes watering.
"YOU DON'T HAVE A RIGHT TO ASK FOR PITY AFTER THE WAY YOU TREATED YOUR OWN SISTER!" she yelled, storming up the stairs after Ginny.
That first night at Hogwarts in the sixth year boy's dorm was spent in silence. Harry didn't want to say anything to Ron for fear he might get upset again. Seamus, Dean and Neville did the same as Harry had told them what had happened.
"Great," Harry thought. "A perfect start to the year."
He tried not to think anymore about it and finally drifted off to sleep.
Here we are Again
It was a balmy and somewhat out of the ordinary, thirty-five degrees Celsius on the first of September, also the first day of sixth year for Harry Potter and Ron Weasley at Hogwarts. The sun was shining right down on their backs with no clouds in sight for shade. People were milling about and either fighting for small patches of shade or running as fast as they could on to the magically air conditioned train to escape the intense heat. Harry and Ron were struggling to lift their heavy trunks into the Hogwarts Express. Both were sweating profusely.
"Good Lord it's hot out here!" Ron exclaimed.
"No, really," Harry answered sarcastically. "I thought it was the perfect time to build an igloo."
Just as they finally made it in the refreshingly cool train and off into one of the last empty compartments, they noticed a certain tall blonde person they were not happy to see standing just outside their window. But instead of the smug expression Draco Malfoy usually had on his face, the two boys were surprised to see him looking somewhat depressed and alone.
"Well well well, look who it is. For once those two monstrosities aren't with him," Ron remarked, pressing his nose up to the window.
Before Harry could give an answer, Hermione and Ginny showed up at the door of the compartment. They invited themselves in and gave Draco a small backwards glance as they closed the compartment door.
"Hey boys," the girls chorused.
"What the heck is Malfoy doing standing there all alone?" Ginny inquired.
"No clue," Ron answered starting to pull out the exploding snap cards.
"Why don't we ...invite him in?"
"WHAT!?" The rest of them yelled, ganging up on her
"It was just a thought. I mean he looks a little lonely. Besides aren't we supposed to treat people the way we want to be treated? Come on he can't be all bad.... maybe"
"I do beg to differ." Harry snorted
"Fine," Ginny said starting to head for the window. "If you bunch of ninnies are too selfish I'll do it myself. HEY DRACO! CARE TO JOIN US?" She had to yell to make herself heard over the hiss of the engine. It was ten fifty-nine and thirty seconds and the train was on the brink of pulling out of the station. Ginny figured his answer was no because he was glancing around as if someone might see that he was being addressed by a Weasley. Just at the last second Draco jumped on the train and Ginny guessed he would find a compartment with some other Slytherins.
"Is he coming?" asked Ron tentatively
"I don't think so." Ginny said pulling her head back inside and closing the window.
"HORRAY!" the boys sang and congratulated each other with a high five for who knows what.
"Try again Potter," came a smooth snide voice from the doorway. "Thank you Ginny. At least one person here has some class."
Then without another word Draco slipped into a corner seat. He didn't say a word to them even when Ron was bold enough to ask if he would care to join them in a game of exploding snap. He just looked out the window as the scenery flowed past and the sky got darker and cloudier. The sky was a perfect mirror of what Draco was feeling. And so the trip went on and Draco just stared out the window. Occasionally he would glance over to see what was going on with the rest of his compartment mates. One time when he looked over at them Ginny caught his eye. She gave him one of her classic big smiles with plenty of sparkle as only Ginny can do. This took him by great surprise and he just looked away. But for the rest of the trip he kept trying to catch her eye again. It had almost worked when the trolley lady interrupted and their minds were suddenly occupied with junk food.
"Heh Maou, ca fo uh chahclahd frug?" Ron tried to say with his mouth full of pumpkin pasty.
"No thanks," Malfoy replied with a somewhat disgusted look on his face.
"How about some Bertie Botts?" Ginny offered with another smile.
"Sure," Draco replied leaning over to take some. "Thanks," he said, this time smiling back.
Harry had to work very hard to restrain Ron, who was fuming from the ears, from doing anything rash. This sudden change in Malfoy's attitude towards Ginny made him, shall we say, uneasy.
"So Malfoy, why the sudden depression?" Harry asked finally getting control of Ron.
"None of your bloody business, Potter," Draco sneered going back to staring out the window
"Ask a simple question, get a grumpy answer. What's wrong? Daddy mad at you?" Harry taunted.
At this Draco's muscles tensed, his fists clenched and he closed his eyes, trying his utmost to control himself.
"Oh... hit on a soft spot did I?" Harry said quietly continuing to pry.
Then Draco lost it. He was on the other side of the compartment in a flash, grabbed Harry by the collar and slammed him against the wall.
"At least I have parents Potter," Malfoy whispered, coming within about a centimetre of Harry's face.
Harry would have punched him but he didn't have to time. Malfoy dropped him into a heap on the seat and stalked off slamming the door. Needless to say it took all of Ginny, Hermione and Ron's combined strength to keep Harry from going after him and tearing him to bits. They didn't see Malfoy for the rest of the trip.
"He's probably off sulking somewhere," Harry replied soothing his bruised head after the question of Draco's whereabouts had come up.
"Oh Harry you should have just left him alone. He wasn't bothering us," Ginny said as she pulled her robes over her head.
"Why are you sticking up for him?" Ron asked as the group exited the train and stepped out onto the Hogsmead station platform. "He's a prying, spoiled, evil jerk. There is no good in him...anywhere!"
"I still think you guys are too hard on him." Ginny said shaking her head as she headed for a coach.
"Ginny, has he been easy on us? No! He's made sure we are in trouble for every possible twinge we make. He lies, cheats, does things to get what he wants. His whole family is evil AND hates our family. Have you forgotten what Mr. Malfoy does to Dad? This one thing was the only one nice thing I have or ever will do for him. From now on I want you to stay away from him. Understand? Drop it! JUST DROP IT!
"Ron, stop!" Hermione had to yell, gripping his shoulder.
Ginny was just standing there, tears rolling down her freckled cheeks. Ron had never yelled at her before...ever.
"Ginny, I..." Ron began; but Ginny just turned and ran.
Ginny didn't sit with them at the start of term feast nor did she speak to Ron as she passed the group on her way to her dorm.
"I can't believe you - you know, I just can't believe you!" Hermione said to Ron as she passed the Gryffindor common room after the feast. "What would make you yell at her like that? She was just being the sweet caring person you know she is. So what if she wants to be nice to Malfoy, he never did anything to her. All that was, was your selfish pride wanting to get back at him and you took it out on her. I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!"
"Hermione, please..." Ron said head in his hands, his own eyes watering.
"YOU DON'T HAVE A RIGHT TO ASK FOR PITY AFTER THE WAY YOU TREATED YOUR OWN SISTER!" she yelled, storming up the stairs after Ginny.
That first night at Hogwarts in the sixth year boy's dorm was spent in silence. Harry didn't want to say anything to Ron for fear he might get upset again. Seamus, Dean and Neville did the same as Harry had told them what had happened.
"Great," Harry thought. "A perfect start to the year."
He tried not to think anymore about it and finally drifted off to sleep.