Shadow Evans hurried through the barrier, squealing and hugging Luna, Ginny, Hermione and Colin who were all stood together, and whispered, "Where's Draco?"

"He went to get a compartment. Apparently, he can't be seen with us in public," Hermione said bitterly.

"He can't," Ginny whispered. "Imagine, a Weasley with a Malfoy? Skeeter and Rowle would have heart attacks!"

"Jenny wouldn't, but Skeeter would," observed Shadow. "Jenny knows we're all friends." Hurrying away from their fussy parents, they scurried to find Draco. Meeting him in the last compartment, where, much to Shadow's shock, her father slept, they piled in and sat down. Shadow stared at Draco.

Damn, she thought. He looks hot. He'd grown his once-short hair down to his ears, white blonde hair covering his left eye, skin pale with no imperfections...Yes, she decided, definitely fancy-able.

Little did she know that Draco was thinking the same about her, Shadow, after seeing her wearing her black top and cargo pants. The black was because her grandma, Rosa, had just passed away. Grandpa Evans had died years ago, and Rosa had been a lovely woman who had watched her when she was a child, but in her later years had succumbed to Altzimers disease. Wrapped around her neck was a black scarf Grandma Rosa had made her, it dipped down to the floor wrapped around her neck twice. Of course, everyone else knew that her grandma had died, as she'd written to them about it.

"Hey," she gave a small smile. It was a sad smile.

"Hi, Shadow," he said, hugging her, then saying hi to the rest, hugging them too. She wondered if she should say anything about Remus being her father: No, she decided, They'll reject me and Remus.

"Why is Professor Lupin riding the train with us?" Colin asked with his eyes wide.

"I have no idea, but it may have something to do with Barty Crouch JR escaping."

"He's escaped?" Gasped Shadow, as she hadn't known as her mother and she didn't really keep up with Wizarding news. Barty was the man who had betrayed the Longbottom's, having given their secret away to Voldemort. It made Shadow sick to think about betraying her friends like that.

"Yeah," Hermione said quietly. "He escaped last night, with the help of Peter Pettigrew, that mass murderer?"

"I remember," she said, and saw her father tense in his sleep. Did he know Pettigrew had escaped? was the only question Shadow could think of.

"No," she said aloud, and everyone looked at her. "Sorry, thinking." Luna nodded, as did Ginny and Draco.

After a few hours chat, they were all caught up with what they hadn't said in their letters and Ginny was warned about Terry Boot, when they felt cold, and their worst memories replayed in their heads as it got even colder. Her father shifted in his sleep, and she remembered something...it had been the full moon last night! She had no idea how she'd forgotten, the moon was her favourite time of the month. But that was how he slept through this.

A black cloaked, soul-sucking Dementor stood in the doorway. Her father stood up as Shadow's grandmother's death played before her eyes. He said something, and then white stuff poured out of his wand. "Miss Evans, Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger, Mr. Creevey, Miss Lovegood, Miss Weasley, are you all alright?"

"Fine," Hermione replied, sounding slightly shaken. Shadow leaned into Draco, who had at some point put his arms around her. Colin was slightly pale, while Luna was crying softly. They all hugged one another, trying to give one another comfort like they had given each other so many times before. Ginny was alright, but her face was slightly green.

A few minutes later, they got to Hogsmeade station, and went up to the Thesterals pulling the carriage. Luna and Shadow petted them, and then jumped up into the carriage.

At the feast, the new defence teacher, a Madame Krystal, who was blonde haired and green eyed, was greeted with a great applause. Hufflepuff got few new students this year, noticed Shadow, where Gryffindor got the most. Colin's little brother, Dennis, had been sorted into Gryffindor. After a long feast, where Cain, the only other Hufflepuff student in her year, had asked, eyes understanding, if she was ok. She'd simply nodded, and when the feast was over had gone over to Draco, and then she'd bid the others goodnight and they had all gone to bed with small smiles on their faces, happy to be with friends once more.