A/N: updates will probably be sporadic, though I'll try to make it a weekly thing. If you're enjoying this, not enjoying it, interested, losing interest, whatever - let me know. Reviews are my food :)

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He couldn't stop himself rolling his eyes. Honestly, if she was going to insist on such company she would probably end up targeted sooner. Especially if she didn't make some friends in Slytherin.

Malissa didn't even notice him as she passed, walking alongside Ginny Weasley. They'd started the day with Potions class together, and Ginny had helped her again. Professor Snape had scared her, at least until he made a positive comment about her potion and gave her a small smile. She had recalled her mother mentioning Professor Snape a few times and was relieved when he made it clear he didn't apparently hate her like most of the other students.

'He's really not that bad, I suppose,' Ginny admitted as they walked towards their next classes, 'My brother, Ron, always says how he's so scary. Maybe he's nicer to first-years.'

'I hope so,' Malissa replied, 'I think my mother mentioned him at some point. Maybe he knows her,' Maybe she also asked him to look out for me, she thought, but shook it off. Mother knew she didn't go seeking out fights - surely Draco's "protection" would be enough.

'Will you join me for lunch?' Ginny asked, as they reached her classroom, 'I'll meet you in the Entrance Hall,'

'Sure,' Malissa grinned, nodding. The bell rang, and she scurried off towards her own class, just a few rooms away from Ginny's. She had Transfiguration next, while Ginny had Charms.

Professor McSterny-Face from the previous night smiled at her as she greeted the class, introducing herself as Professor McGonagall, and then transformed her desk into a pig and back again with a wave of her wand. She then set them to the task of transforming a matchstick into a needle.

'I can't get it,' the boy sitting next to Malissa said in frustration. He was the boy from last night, who had told her not all Slytherins went bad.

'You're doing the wrong wand movement,' Malissa told him, spotting his error almost immediately, here, like this,'

Her matchstick turned silver, but didn't change its shape, and she grimaced, 'At least, I think that's it,'

'I'm Harry MacHeath,' he told her, 'I met you last night,'

'Malissa Tretassi,' she replied.

'Are you enjoying Slytherin so far?'

'I suppose,' Malissa replied, 'I haven't really spoken to many people,'

'Well, you heard what that prefect said last night,' he told her, 'Slytherin usually stick together. It doesn't do well to be alone,'

'I've already got a friend,' Malissa told him, 'Ginny Weasley,'

'A Weasley?' Harry scratched his chin, 'Well, I suppose it's a friend.'

'What about you?' she asked, 'Have you made any friends yet?'

Harry shrugged, grinning at her sideways, 'Just the one,'

Malissa understood his !meaning, and smiled slightly.

They met Ginny in the Entrance Hall and took some good from the table, heading outside. She was dubious of Harry's company at first, but warmed to him once he told her a little about his parents. Ginny's father worked for the Ministry of Magic, in a department to do with muggles.

Ginny suddenly grabbed at Malissa's arm, pointing excitedly.

'There! There he is!'

Malissa looked where she was pointing, spotting two boys and a girl walking together. One of the boys had the same bright red hair as Ginny, and had to be one of her other two brothers that was still in school. The other boy had black hair and glasses.

'Harry Potter?' Harry asked, eyeing him critically, 'I thought he'd be bigger,'

'He's only a year above us,' Ginny told them, 'Mum's always saying how he needs to eat more. He stayed at our house for the last few days of summer. Isn't he handsome?'

Malissa looked at Potter again. Her mother had always told her how it was "that Potter boy"'s fault her father was sent to Azkaban, but she couldn't pull up any dislike for him.

'I suppose,' she finally replied, before turning away, shrugging, 'He's just a boy,'

'He's The Boy Who Lived,' Ginny said in exasperation, before sighing disgustedly, 'Oh, never mind.'

A shadow fell over them, and Malissa looked up to see Draco with his two henchmen.

''You're still not doing well,' he commented, casting an eye over her two companions, 'A pair of blood traitors - what would your mother say?'

'Leave them alone,' Malissa told him, standing up, 'Its a wonder you make any friends at all, you're so rude,'

'At least I'm not a blood traitor,' he replied, tutting, 'Perhaps I should write to your mother,'

'Do it,' Malissa snapped, her eyes narrowing, 'Go on and sing, she won't listen to your little stories,'

Draco felt a cold shiver of unease shoot through him, and stepped back. He scowled at her, then at her two friends, before snapping at Crabbe and Goyle.

'Come on,'

Ginny and Harry stared at Malissa as she sat back down. 'He almost looked like he was scared,' Ginny said in amazement, 'How did you do that?'

'The right words,' she replied, as the bell rang. Some things were better kept secret.

She had Herbology next, then Charms. Her Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor was some idiot all the other girls seemed besotted with, but when he flashed one of his smiles at her, she didn't feel anything special.

Harry stayed faithfully close through all their classes, and sat with her at dinner. She looked across the hall to see Ginny sitting with the two brothers who had helped Malissa with her trunk on the train. She waved at Ginny, who waved back as Draco took the seat beside her.

'You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort,' Draco warned her quietly, 'The Weasley are blood traitors. They're the reason your father is in Azkaban,'

Malissa looked around, startled, 'How do you know that?'

'Father told me,' he admitted, spearing a few slices of roast beef and depositing them on his plate, 'You'll want to avoid them, especially this year,'

Malissa bowed her head low, leaning closer to Draco, 'Is that something to do with the "plans" for this year?' she asked. Draco shrugged.

Father said he left a diary with them, when we saw them in Flourish and Blotts,' he explained, 'He isn't entirely sure what will come of it, but he was acting on the orders of the Dark Lord.'

Malissa leaned back, looking at Draco. 'He's had contact?' she asked, but Draco shrugged.

'He wouldn't tell me too much,' he admitted, 'But he said things were going to happen this year, remember? Perhaps that's it. Perhaps the Dark Lord will return,'

Malissa tried not to shiver. She had been born the night the Dark Lord had fled, had never known what his presence in the world would do to change the way she lived. Her father was one of The Faithful, her mother had said - he had tried to find the Dark Lord after he had fled, and been imprisoned for it. Her mother had taken her to Azkaban a few times to see him, but Malissa's memories of her father were dim, and she often pretended he didn't exist. If the Dark Lord were to return, however, he would be released and would return home.

She voiced this to Draco, who nodded thoughtfully, before casting a glance at her. She was a keen observer, he had to admit. He had never given much thought to the Dark Lord's return, but one of his first acts would almost certainly be to release The Faithful from Azkaban. His aunt and uncle, the Lestranges, were in there as well, and on the single occasion he had met Aunt Bellatrix, she had told him how she had faith her Lord would rescue her and reward her for her devotion.

'Just stay away from the Weasley girl,' Draco told her. Malissa shook her head.

'You can't tell me what to do. You're not my mother,'

'I could tell your mother,' he threatened, but he knew from her derisive expression that she knew he was bluffing. He'd have to come up with a new threat if he wanted to keep her in line.

It wasn't as though he had to keep her in line, though - his mother had only asked him to look out for her. She could have meant simply make sure she didn't get into any trouble. He had already mentioned her to Professor Snape - surely he was more capable of "looking out" for her. That would then mean he, Draco, was absolved of any duty to act as guidance and/or guardian.

She had returned to talking with her other friend, the MacHeath boy. Draco knew the family name, knew they were purebloods and owned muggle businesses, though he couldn't quite recall exactly what type of business. Well, at least he wasn't entirely a blood traitor - the MacHeaths, his father had told him, had remained aloof from the activities of the Dark Lord in an effort to keep their businesses running, though they had failed to properly report a few "accidental" muggle deaths that had happened at their warehouses.

Malissa ate very little, he noticed. She had heaped her plate with food and was picking at it all as she spoke with MacHeath, occasionally taking a mouthful of salad or a small cut of the beef. It was no surprise she was so small, if she ate like that all the time. She ate less than a Scops owl.

He did however notice that she took her plate with her when she and MacHeath rose from their seats to leave.

'Where are you taking that?' he asked. She turned back to him, as if surprised he was still there.

'We're going to do some study,' she replied, 'And its my food. I can do what I want with it.'

'The librarian won't let you in if you have that,' he warned her, 'Leave it here,'

'We're not going to the library,' Malissa replied, before turning and following her friend. Draco sighed, shaking his head at her odd behaviour.

'He's a bit frightening, isn't he?' Harry asked as they left the hall. Malissa shrugged.

'He's more concerned with status than anything else,' she replied, 'There's easy ways to get rid of him.'