Chapter Three

Diagon Alley caught our breath. I almost shed a tear, seeing it back to its former glory. We moved slowly from shop to shop, ignoring those that were moving too fast around us. Luna hummed and swayed, almost completely back to her old self, though not once did she mention nargles. Ginny pulled Pansy to look at the newest brooms. "Maybe we can play this year?" The redhead almost squealed. Pansy rolled her eyes, but smiled.

Once the shopping was done, we settled into some butter beers at the Leaky and had lunch, enjoying our last day of adult freedom for a while.

"They'll be boarding the train tomorrow." Pansy gestured at the students milling about the tavern. "He will be."

Luna snatched a chip from Ginny's plate. "No need to be nervous, I am sure we will be quite liked in the Lion's tower."

Ginny bit the chip in Luna's hand. "Only because the female population is tiny."

"Purebloods home school their daughters still. Some do go to Hogwarts, but mostly halfbloods and Muggleborns." Pansy chimed in. "Seriously, Gin. Manners?"

Pansy had spent her free time and ours teaching us all the little things pureblood daughters knew. Like table manners, and how to address males in our peer group. We were trying hard to ignore our nineties upbringing, but Ginny seemed to be failing.

As I paid for our drinks, what I could only assume to be one of Malfoy's ancestors walked over to me. "Hey there."

I glanced at him and sighed. "Can I help you?"

"I've just never seen you around here, and you seem to be carrying Hogwarts texts. My mates," he gestured to a dark corner booth with five other males, "and I were curious, is all."

"My friends and I are fleeing the war on the continent. Dumbledore has offered us haven at Hogwarts. We will be sixth year Gryffindors."

He scolded, "What a shame to have you in that shamble of a house."

I couldn't keep the glare from my eyes. "Our parents were killed in that war, and we fought tooth and nail to get back to England. Courage is not dishonorable; I doubt you would understand if you think it is a shameful trait. Go back to your mates." Handing the rest of the gold out for the bill along with a tip, I huffed, "If this is the manners of the male population of your house, whatever it may be, then you would be want for feminine attention. I would suggest a meek Hufflepuff." The other three had gathered our things and walked over to me.

The young man smirked, "I'm Abraxas Malfoy, Miss…"

"De Gaunt. And my companions, Miss Delacour, Miss Fawcett, and Miss Famel. And we were just leaving," the girls and I moved towards the door. Malfoy's hand caught my arm. "How dare you?"

"Come now, don't ruffle your feathers. Come sit with us?"

Luna smiled at him, "No. We've other shopping to do, as well as a trip to Gringotts. Remember, that is where papa said to put anything of value. He arranged a vault for each of us."

Ginny's temper flared, "Let her go Malfoy." The venom in her words shocked him enough to drop my arm.

Pansy pushed me behind her, "As lovely as this all has been, we've things to do, and wish to keep the company of someone with better manners than yourself. A pureblood would never behave as such. Good day." She moved us out the door, "Come along." We followed her out, and held our smiles until we reached the apparition point.

"That was brilliant Pansy. You let him, and everyone in school, know our blood status without advertising it." Ginny patted the girl on the back, and with a pop, we were all back to school.

The next day we changed into our uniforms after spending some time enjoying the room of requirement. Ginny had asked for somewhere fun and it saw fit to throw us a small carnival including rides. Laughing and playing like we never really had the opportunity to as children seemed to be just what our souls needed.

We watched our new peers climbing the hill, and hurried to the great hall. Dumbledore waved us over to him. "I've first years to retrieve. However, I would like to introduce you to Headmaster Dippet." The elderly man stood, and we each curtsied to him. "He will introduce you as Gryffindors after the sorting. Please stand beside the professors' platform and wait for that time."

As we moved to where he wanted us, Pansy whispered, "Nothing like being made a spectacle of." Ginny snorted in reply. Luna moved to my right, with Pansy and Ginny on the left and we watched as the students poured into the hall; each of them staring. Before I could start to fidget, Pansy leaned over, "Confidence, De Gaunt. Remember that those kids smell fear. We are stronger, smarter, and braver than most of them will ever have to be."

"Even the scary ones, who will be potential death eaters. They are still just children." Luna mused, "Not so scary to think of them now, is it?"

Ginny never looked away from the room, "You're right Luna. They aren't as scary."

Once the upper years were seated, Dumbledore brought the first years in. They were sorted quickly, and The Headmaster stood to make his speech.

"Greetings, Students of Hogwarts. To start, we've an unprecedented occurrence. These four brave young women have come to us to finish their education inflight of the war on the continent. Gryffindor was their sorting, and they will bring honor to that noble house." He motioned us forward. "Miss Luna Delacour, Miss Pansy Fawcett, Miss Genevieve Famel, and Miss Hermione De Gaunt. I expect you all to make them welcome here." We were dismissed to our table, and sat together at the end of the first years, not quite ready to face the others in our age group.

After we finished, we moved to head to the dorms, only to be stopped as we walked by. "'Ello loves. Names Mark Wood. I'm in your year, along with Charlus Potter and Alastor Moody there." The three boys were smiling at us, and we couldn't help but return it. "Allows us gents to escort you to the common room. No telling what you might come across tonight."

Mark offered his arm to Luna and then to me, and Pansy took Charlus's and Ginny Moody's. The boys began telling us about those in our house; including Septimus Weasley, who was their dorm mate and the sixth year prefect.

Once in the common room, we quickly thanked them, and turned to go to our room. Moody cleared his throat. "You might have noticed girls are a bit of a rarity. As long as you're vigilant, no one should bother you. Though you might have noticed the Malfoy heir staring at that one." He gestured to me.

"Only because Hermione told him to…" Pansy smacked Ginny, who finished, "leave her alone. Geez Pans, I've had too many brothers to not have a swearing problem. Did you have to hit?"

"Yes, act like the lady you are." The dark haired girl huffed. She then turned to Moody, "Thank you Alastor for your concern. We will be aware."

Luna chimed in, "Oh yes, Constant Vigilance! Good night." We gave our goodnights and hurried behind Luna. Once in the room, I shut the door and leaned against it.

"This is so awkward. I wanted to call him professor!" I waved my hand, throwing a silencing spell around the room. The others were already changing into bed clothes. "I need something from our time, yeah? Music?"

The others nodded and I dug around in my bag for the small stereo I had and a flip book of CDs. It was originally a gift to Arthur, spelled to work in the wizarding world. Molly had given it back to me after he had passed.

Ginny picked out Shakira and pulled the music up loud as the other two bobbed along to it. Luna was spinning as if she were dancing with her father again, and Ginny and Pansy were trying to shake it like they had when we traveled to Spain before the outbreak.

I couldn't believe it when Harry had brought Pansy back to Grimwald a year after the war. She had been accosted by some older man in Diagon Alley, and Harry had saved her from him. When she came in, we all stopped and stared for a moment before Ginny extended her hand. "Seems like the hero can't seem to stop. Truce?"

Pansy was enveloped into our lives then, even doing a brief dating stint with Charlie Weasley. Her heart was broke when we watched him waste away. Seeming her, and Ginny and Luna, smile helped my heart some.

All three of them had felt the loss of lovers, while for me it was just my two pseudo brothers. They would argue with the just, but their hearts are taking so long to heal. Mine still hurt, but not like theirs.

Luna flumped beside me. "No hurting allowed." She said, and pulled me up to dance with them. They were the family I had now. And I had better enjoy them.