Notes: YAY!!!! Another TWO chapters~ Aren't I great? I mean, I know I'm being really slow on the updates, but I'm trying to make up for it by posting two chapters instead of one in what I like to call.... -drum roll- Emmy-Chi's Two Chapter Special~~~~ I'm so nice n.n Hope you enjoy the next TWO chapter, though this one is just kind of pointless...ah well, chapter 3 is better~ Enjoy Part One~

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER!!! That right belongs to the lovely J.K. Rowling.

Forgiveness is usually for
the benefit of the person
being forgiven, but sometimes,
it will help those who are
forgiving to see clearer
-anonoymous

Chapter 2: Friends? And Apologies

The train had been rattling along now for an hour or so, and someone had yet to bother her. As Elizabeth sat, staring absentmindedly out the window, thoughts of the day's previous events flashed through her mind. It was extremely unlike her to judge someone before ever meeting them in person, but all the stories she had heard about Harry Potter talked about how he was the reason Lord Voldemort was bringing havoc down upon Europe with such force. Voldemort had not yet tainted the U.S, for which Elizabeth was grateful, but there were always whispered rumors of an attack planned for the near future where He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would come west and rally more Death Eaters. Elizabeth had never believed such rumors, but it worried her all the same to think of what would happen to muggle-born Chelsea, her dear friend.

Thinking of Chelsea sent a lone tear trickling down Elizabeth's face, and she wiped it away unconsciously with the back of her hand.

"Why are you crying?"

Her green eyes snapped upward, only to find an unfamiliar girl with a strange pair of glasses on her face. The girl, who appeared to be about a year younger, had long pale blond hair(not as blond as the boy, Draco Malfoy, she had met before), strange glasses covering any view of what colour her eyes were, and was carry a strange looking magazine titled The Quibbler.
The girl smiled at her, and the dreamy voice from before floated to Elizabeth's ears.

"Are you alright? You shouldn't waste your tears, they attract Tear Lice(1), nasty little creatures, they'll suck all the tears out of your eyes so you can never cry again and then when you really need to cry, you won't be able to."

Elizabeth wiped her eyes again, not sure whether or not to believe this strange girl about her so called 'tear lice' and attempted a smile.

"I'm Elizabeth."

The blond girl walked further into the compartment and sat down in front of Elizabeth. Before replying, she took the seemingly paper glasses off her face, revealing curious and wise gray eyes.

"My name's Luna, but everyone calls me Loony Lovegood. Your head is full of Wrackspurts, did you know that?"

Elizabeth gave the girl a strange look, and Luna motioned with her glasses toward her own blond locks.

"My Spectrespects can see them. They're good for things other than reading The Quibbler you know."

Elizabeth nodded and, unsure of what to do next, turned back to the window, flushing slightly and mentally scolding herself. Nice going! Another person who might want to be a friend yet you refuse to talk to them! Get some courage you coward!

Feeling determined, she turned back to Luna, her mouth half open, ready to ask about The Quibbler, when another voice cut in.

"There you are Luna, I've been looking for you everywhere. Weren't you going to come sit in my compartment with Me, Harry, Ron, and Hermione? Neville's looking too--OH! Who's this? A new girl? Wait, I recognize you...You were the one who shouted some sense into my pigheaded older brother and boyfriend! I'm Ginny Weasley by the way."

Elizabeth flushed, and stared down into her lap. All the people here are so assertive. If I want to fit in, I'm going to have to try and be assertive too!

"Thanks...I guess."

The girl smiles and walked further into the compartment, plopping down onto a seat next to Luna who was now reading the Quibbler upside down with the spectrespects back on her face.

"No problem. Those gits needed to be knocked down a size. They're so bloody full of themselves just because Harry is supposed to defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

Elizabeth frowned.

"But I thought it was Harry's fault that Voldemort is back?"

Luna seemed unaffected, but Ginny visibly flinched upon hearing Voldemort's name, though she tried to hide it. What's wrong with saying Voldemort?

"I guess you could say that it's Harry's fault, but it's also his fault that Voldemort was quiet for fourteen years or so. And if you really want to go there, at least Harry is trying to make up for it by working with Professor Dumbledore to figure out a way to defeat You Know Who."

Elizabeth nodded. And this is why I usually don't listen to rumors or newspaper articles, they always mess up the facts or leave information out. Then, with a silent groan, Elizabeth placed her head in her hands. Greaaaaaaat! Now I'm going to have to apologize. I hate apologizing, it always sounds so pathetic when I try to do it.

Across from her, Ginny's eyes widened, and she seemed to be muttering to herself, something about "de ja vu." Then, straightening, she began playing the concerned mother role.

"Are you alright?"

Elizabeth's eyes snapped up to meet Ginny's worried eyes, and smiled.

"Just thinking of the apologies that I'm going to have to make, two of them."

Ginny flashed a smile in return, her worry fading, but then looked confused after a second of processing.

"You don't have to apologize to me, and that only leaves Harry, Ron and Hermione. But why are you apologizing to only two of them?"

"I'm only apologizing to one of them."

"Well, then who else are you apologizing to?"

"Draco Malfoy."

Ginny snorted, and covered her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter.

"You're really going to apologize to Draco Malfoy over Ron and Hermione? What has he ever done to deserve an apology? It's more like he's the one who needs to say sorry!"

Luna's eyes drifted up from the pages of the Quibbler and stared at Ginny.

"Ginny, she's never met the Draco Malfoy you know. If she was willing to defend him, he obviously showed a different side to her. Truthfully, I feel sorry for the boy, with a dad like that. It's not like anyone would ever listen to him if he did apologize."

"Well that's true...But think of the things he's said! He insults Harry every chance he gets, calls me and Ron blood-traitors, and he's still using the "M" term whenever he addresses Hermione!"

Ginny wailed in reply, trying to convince her blond friend that Draco was indeed evil. Luna sighed, and flipped a page in The Quibbler.

"Actions speak louder than words." she muttered, staring at the pages distractedly.

Elizabeth watched the entire exchange feeling like an outcast. So, as the flaming red haired Weasley went to reply, she stood quietly, and tiptoed out of the compartment, ready to search for Harry, Ron and Hermione. She would leave Draco for last, she needed to think over her words to him as they were sure to be followed by an awkward silence either way.

Shutting the door as silently as possible(though still not drowning out Ginny's loud voice), Elizabeth spun on her heel and began gliding down the hall, stopping every now and then to check through the compartment windows.

Farther down the aisle was a plump witch pushing a tray, stopping every now and then to call "Anything form the trolley?!" Elizabeth put a small hand into her pocket, momentarily forgetting her quest, to brush her fingers against the small bag of Wizarding coins in her pocket as her stomach grumbled. Just as she decided that she was indeed going to buy something from the snack trolley, she walked past a compartment that made her stomach flip nervously.

Inside was a group of three talking and laughing students. One of them, the girl, sat beside the window, her nose stuck in an extremely thick book, only talking occasionally as her two companions joked about by themselves.

Sitting beside her was an identical copy of Ginny Weasley, spare the fact that this was a boy, and he was obviously more than six feet tall. His blue eyes seemed to be laughing as he listened to what his other friend was saying, while his arm was slung lazily around the bushy haired girls shoulders.

The third in the compartment was an equally tall boy(just a tad shorter than the red head) with unruly pitch black hair, the same as Elizabeth's own, except shorter. His own jade eyes were sparkling with amusement, as the friends continued to banter and tease back and forth.

Gulping, Elizabeth knew she had reached her first destination. Inside was Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, otherwise known as the Golden Trio. One of these was a boy, who happened to look suspiciously like herself, and was to be the receiver of her first apology. Summing up all the courage scattered throughout her bones, Elizabeth slid the compartment door open. All noises stopped as the three inhabitants glanced up at her, solemn expressions replacing the once merry. Elizabeth bit her lip and tried to smile convincingly.

"Erm...hello."

The freckle faced Ron was the first to speak. In accusatory tones, he hissed, "What do you want?"

Elizabeth began to wring her hands, shifting side to side as she tried to think of the right way to get her words out. Finally, coming up with nothing that sounded half-plausible, she decided to just wing it. Letting out a large breath of air in defeat, she began.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I listened to American rumors--which by the way should never be trusted--and began to hate you, Harry, without even meeting you or trying to see if the rumors were true. I shouldn't have shouted at you. I could have said worse things, but I was still wrong to yell. However, you were in the wrong too. You may know a mean side of Draco Malfoy, but the side I got to meet in the five minutes prior to when you showed up today was nothing like what I keep hearing about. I've learned not to listen to rumors, so now that I'm done apologizing to you, I'm going to go apologize to him for running off while we were having a 'conversation.' Sorry to interrupt whatever you were doing."

Refusing to meet Harry, Ron, or Hermione's eyes, Elizabeth quickly sped out of the compartment and down the middle of the train, breathing deeply, and smiling so widely that the corners of her mouth hurt. Yes! I did it! I got some courage together and told them exactly what was on my mind! Plus, this whole concept of speaking is becoming so much easier! Go Lizzy, go Lizzy, go Li-- Her thoughts however, were cut off when with a loud crash, she ran into a soft, but solid form for the second time that day, and fell to the floor, landing painfully on her bum. Cringing slightly from the sting in her back side, Elizabeth cracked an eyelid open and once again, green met silver.

1: my friend came up with the name of my made up creature, but I really don't like it. I'm too lazy to think up a better name, so I'd love it if you all could give me suggestions!!! It's just a little thing, but it bugs me SOOOO much! Thanks~

Notes: Part One of my Two Chapter Special is complete!!!! Now, you can review if you want, but, if you don't want to, just skip to Part Two~ There'll be a longer note at the end of that one.