"This is unacceptable.I can't believe.you know better.In front of the first years.my best students..," Professor McGonagall stuttered while pacing back and forth in the corridor outside Dumbledore's office. All along the wall Draco, Harry, Ron, Seamus, Hermione and Lavender stood (or leaned) in silence. Hermione shifted uneasily and wiped a single tear from her cheek. She glanced over at Draco who was nursing his busted lip and black eye. She then glanced down the line a little farther to see Harry standing stoically not showing any sign of pain from the bruise on his left cheek.

The door in front of them slowly opened and a gentle voice invited them in. Professor McGonagall led the way and quietly talked to Professor Dumbledore. He nodded his head to what she was saying and frowned slightly.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, from what your Professor here has told me, you all have had a busy day. Won't you all sit down?" With a wave of his hand four more chairs identical to the two already in his office appeared. The six students sat hesitantly. "Professor why don't you go get a cup of tea, I can handle it from here," he said and Professor McGonagall left room (Harry could have sworn he heard her mumble something that sounded like "Where's my flask?")

"Now, please explain what happened and why. Why don't you start Miss Granger?"

"I was in the common room calling Harry and Draco came and then everyone else did. Of course they all wanted to know why he was there and how a Slytherin got in and Ron walked in. They started yelling and then fighting and Lavender and I tried to pull them apart," she broke into tears at this point and Harry put his hand on hers.

"Mr. Malfoy why were you in the Gryffindor common room?" he asked Draco, who looked frail sitting in the dark office with his pale skin now stained with bruises and blood. He had attempted to fix his hair but it still stuck up in the back. Hermione laughed silently to herself, he usually looked so confident with his ego shining through but sitting there in the headmaster's office he looked like a little boy being scolded for taking a cookie. He was human after all she thought. Her thought process was broken when he finally spoke.

"I was waiting for Ginny. We were going to go out for a butter beer," he said in a shaky voice. He looked over at Ron, who didn't look back. He looked like he was going to explode. He gripped the arms of his chair so hard that his knuckles began to turn white.

"Ok, Mr. Malfoy. Mr. Weasley please don't be so hard on my chair. Thank you. I think I can figure out how the fight started. I know you boys don't get along but really. You are seventh year students, Head Girl and Boy, quidditch captains and players, prefects, role models. The younger students especially look up to you; Harry and Draco. Please, can the fighting stop for your last year with us? Ron you will have two weeks detention, Draco, Seamus and Harry one week, Hermione and Lavender one day. You will all start tonight. Meet Filch in the great hall at eleven. You may go now. Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Weasley please stay a moment and if one of you could send in Miss Weasley, thank you."

"Hermione and Harry walked out hand in hand with Seamus and Lavender talking quietly behind them. As they walked out into the corridor they saw a small girl with flaming hair sitting on the floor.

"Umm, Gin Dumbledore wants to see you," Hermione said. Ginny looked up and whispered a thanks. Harry and Seamus looked away; the look of betrayal could be seen on their faces. Ginny saw that and directed her eyes to the floor; she rushed past them not looking up again.

"How could she?" Seamus said to no one in particular.

"Well, Malfoy is pretty damn hot," Lavender stated with a smirk. Seamus and Harry both glared at her. "What?" she asked innocently. They continued to walk down the corridor and past the great hall without another word, all lost in their own thoughts.

"I need to go to the library," Hermione said suddenly and let go of Harry's hand. She darted down the adjacent hallway. No one said a word; they all knew that meant she needed to be alone and think.