Chapter 7

The first thing I noticed when we stepped into the Great Hall was the absence of Hagrid. "He couldn't have just left."

"Don't you remember what we heard over the Ears a couple of weeks ago. Dumbledore sent him on on some mission. he must still be doing that." George said in a low voice.

We sat down with the other seventh years and scanned the staff table looking for the new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher. The only new face I could find was a short, toad like woman who a strong love for the color pink. "Please don't tell me she's it." I groaned.

"I'm afraid that it looks that way." Lee said.

The woman than turned away from Dumbledore and I got a look at her face. "Oh no." I laid my head on the table hoping she didn't see me.

"What?' George asked.

"That my friends is Dolores Umbridge. She works for the Ministry and has been to many a work party at Malfoy Manor. She's really into pureblood extremism."

Any questions they had were put aside as Professor McGonagall led the first years in to be sorted. The hat had a very odd song this year. Not much about the attributes of the houses, mainly warnings against be split and turning against each other. Eerie, yet oddly comforting. The Minister may be turning a blind eye, but at least the hat knew something was up.

After the sorting Dumbledore stepped up to make his usual super short pre-dinner speech. " To our newcomers welcome! To our old hands welcome back! There is a time for speeches and this is not it. Tuck in!"

The food appeared and I immediately began loading my plate with roast potatoes, steak and kidney pie, and vegetables."

"You know you're not going to have any room for dessert." George said pouring me some pumpkin juice.

I gave him a challenging look.

He raised his hands in defense. "I know it's you favorite part of every feast. Just looking out for you."

I smiled a took a bite of potatoes.

Eventually the everyone finished eating and the noise crept up as people began to talk again. I on the other hand was slipping into the first stage of a food coma. I laid my head on my arms. "He really should start with these speeches. I just want to go to bed already."

Fred rolled his eyes. "Then you would complain the whole time that you're starving."

I shrugged. "Even better point. He should just post it on a wall for us to read at our leisure."

Dumbledore stood up and everyone went silent. "Well, now that we are all digesting that magnificent feast, I ask a few moments of your attention for the usual start of term notices. First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is strictly out of bounds to students-and a few of our older students ought to know by now too." I leaned back in my seat to point a look at Harry, Ron and, Hermione who looked rather amused.

"Mr. Filch has asked me for what he says is the four hundred and sixty- second time to remind you all that magic is not permitted in the corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things all of which can be found in the extensive list now fastened to his office door.

"I plan on getting more things added to that this year." I whispered, causing the twins and Lee to silently break down in laughter.

"We have to changes in staffing this year. Professor Grubbly-Plank will be taking over Care of Magical Creatures, and Professor Umbridge our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the-"

He stopped talking as it became apparent the Umbridge wanted to make a speech.

"Thank you Headmaster," she said. "For those kind words of welcome."

"Gag me." I whispered, which set the boys off again.

"Well it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say! And to see such happy little faces looking back at me."

Fred looked around the room. "Where?"

"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure that we'll be very good friends.

"That's likely." The twins said in unison looking very unconvinced.

She then continued with a speech about how important the education of young wizards was to the Ministry and "progress for progress's sake must be discouraged." Translation: the Ministry is concerned about Dumbledore's influence on our young impressionable minds and is will now be interfering at Hogwarts.

As soon as we were released to go to our dormitories I made a break for the door.

"You're in a awful big hurry." Fred observed as the boys tried to keep up with me.

"Believe it or not boys I'm doing this for you. If you want to get that testing poster hung up we need to do it while Hermione is distracted with helping the first years."

Once my words sank in Fred broke into a full on sprint with Lee trailing after him.

"Now who's in a big hurry?" I called after them with a smirk.

"I suppose we should go after them to make sure they don't kill anyone with their mad dash." George said.

"If they do it's their own fault, let them deal with Dumbledore if they survive what Hermione would do to them." I replied, wanting to see how far this joke can run.

"Those are some harsh words Miss. Malfoy." He said. Wait, was that tone joking or flirting?

I stood a little straighter. "Well I am a Malfoy. It comes with the name."

His face got really serious. "No it doesn't. You are nothing like them."

Startled I just stared at him. Where did that come from?

"Are you two just going to stand there or are you going to give me the password so I can let you in?" The Fat Lady asked. I jumped slightly. I didn't notice that we had made it to the portrait.

"Sorry, um, yeah, Mimbulus Mimbletonia."

She nodded and the portrait swung back to reveal the entrance to the common room. "You know you two are really cute together." She said as we walked through.

"We're not together." I told her.

She just chuckled as the painting recovered the entrance.

We got to the common room and saw no sign of Fred and Lee. "Where the hell did they go?"

"Probably having trouble locating the poster. I'll go help them." George said heading to the stairs for the boys dormitories.

I nodded. "I'm going to go change."

I took the stairs to the seventh year girls dormitory two at a time. As soon as I entered Angelina tackled me in a hug. "Libra!"

I tried to push her off, but I was laughing too hard. "Hi Angelina. How was your summer?" I said once I was able to recover enough to breathe.

"Brilliant. But we can talk about that later. You won't believe what's happened?"

"What?'

She shook her head. "Guess. I'll give you a hint. It's Quidditch related.

So she got the captain's spot. Now we'll have pep talks that don't go on for over half an hour. This is going to be the best season ever. I decided to mess with her a bit though. "Wood turned down his big chance to go pro and has come back to be the permanent Gryffindor coach?"

"Libra If you're going to purposefully make a wrong guess at least make it something less frightening. And really, as if Wood would turn that down."

I walked over to my trunk and dug out some sweats and a tank top. "So when are the tryouts for our new Keeper, Captain?"

"Friday at five. I want everyone there so we can see how the new person will mesh with the rest of the team."

"I'll be there." I said changing quickly and headed for the stairs.

"Tell Fred and George." She called after me.

"I think I'll only tell George, then you'll have an excuse to talk to Fred." Said with a wink before running down the stairs before she could throw something at me. She's had a crush on Fred for about as long as I've had a crush on George.

I was still moving pretty fast at the end and crashed into someone, knocking both of us to ground. And of course that someone was George

"Where's the fire Libra?" Lee asked trying to hide his laughter at what just happened.

"It's in their hearts." Fred said with a wicked grin.

I quickly rolled off George, stood up, and held out a hand to help him up. "Sorry George." I turned to the other two. "I know where you guys sleep at night and the stairs to your dormitories won't knock me down at the top. Do you really want to annoy me?"

They immediately stopped laughing. Lee took half a step back. "What would you do?"

"I don't know yet."

"Doesn't matter Lee. She wouldn't do it." Fred said. He didn't look sure of himself though.

"I will. I've done it before. Do you guys not remember third year?"

Fred changed the subject. "So the poster. Do think it'll be effective?"

I looked at the sign that was now posted on the bulletin board. "Definitely."

At that exact moment Hermione came through the common room. We all moved so that we were blocking the poster from her view. It had to stay up at least until tomorrow morning so we could get people to test the Snackboxes on.

I glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece. "Gotta go guys. See you in the morning."

"I still can't believe you're going to talk to him." Lee said as I walked away.

"He's my brother."

Fast forward half an hour and Draco still wasn't at the library. I glanced at the clock and put the book I had been reading back on the shelf. I reached out to open the door and sneak back to the common room it opened itself. Draco slipped in and shut the door. "I'm sorry. It was hard to sneak out."

I sat with my back to the wall next to the door. "So glad you could make the time for me. I know how busy you are climbing the ladder and playing power games."

"If you don't want to talk I can just leave."

"You're the one who asked me here. What do you want?"

He sighed and sat down next to me. "I'm sorry. I didn't think he was going to kick you out. Otherwise I wouldn't have said anything to him."

"First, what did you expect him to do? Second, what was there to tell him? It's not like I'm going to end up with George."

"Oh please. The way you two are always flirting with each other. You'll end up together before Christmas."

"I really don't think it's going to work out that way."

"Why not?"

"The odds are against us. He's always been part of the good guys, and I will never be able to cut my ties with the bad guys."

"We're not-"

"Can it. You know that what Voldemort did back then was wrong. And now that he's back Dad will go right back to him."

He went silent. When he finally spoke it addressed my first question. "I just thought he would break you guys up. Not drive you to him."

"We aren't dating. And what would it be to you if we were? He's not a bad guy."

"He doesn't like me. None of them do. I thought if you had a reason to stay with them you would leave me behind."

"I wouldn't do that."

"You seemed to leave easily enough at the beginning of summer. Didn't hear from you the whole break. I sent owls to the Burrow and they all came back without a reply."

"I wasn't at the Burrow. That's why I didn't write. I couldn't risk him finding out where we were."

"You're smart. You could have found a way."

"Also I think Sirius would have flipped if I did try."

"So you spent your summer with an escaped murderer. Lovely."

"He's not a murderer."

"It still would have been nice to hear from you."

"How bad was he?"

"Not too long after you left Death Eaters started setting up in the Manor. Voldemort stopped by a few times."

"No surprise there."

"I think he knows that you've always been trying to get me to see things your way. He acts like it's a no brainer that I'll join then, but at the same time it feels like he's trying to recruit me."

"Well you're here now. Safe. And all you have to do is say the word, and you can come with me. You don't have to go back there."

"Yes I do."

"No you don't."

"If I don't go home for Christmas he'll know I'm with you, and he will try to find me and that will bring all of them down on wherever your secret hideout is."

"Is this really you being noble or is this him in your head drawing you down the same path he followed?"

"I don't know." He said softly.

We fell into silence. After what seemed like ages, but according to the clock was only three minutes he spoke again. "We should go."

We stood up and I hugged him. "Love you, bro."

Taken by surprise it took a second for him to hug me back. "Love you too."

I let go and opened the door. "You don't have to be him, and you don't have to be me. Fall in the middle if you like. But please don't let him control you and make you join them if you really don't want to do it." And I left.

I entered the common room in full stealth mode and was almost to the stairs when George nearly gave me a heart attack. "Took you long enough to get back."

I turned around and saw him stretched out on the couch. "We kind of had a lot to talk about."

He sat up and made room for me on the couch. I sat down. "What's bugging you?" He asked.

"What you said on the train. What if I can't save him?'

He put an arm over my shoulders. "If it turns out that way it wouldn't be your fault. You would have tried everything you could think of to help him."

Sweet gesture, but I knew he was just saying it to try to make me feel better. "You don't even like him. Why do you care?"

"Because you care."

I looked up at him confused.

He leaned forward and I knew he was going to kiss me. I was thrilled with this turn of events, but also completely terrified. I turned away and looked down at my hands.

"What's wrong?" He sounded hurt.

"It defies everything that we're friends. I don't want to risk it with more."

"I thought you liked defying everyone."

"Well if it sets you up to get hurt then I don't. My father may not want me in the family, but he would still do something because that's the kind of control freak he is."

"Maybe being away from you will hurt me more than whatever he would do."

I couldn't think of anything to say.

He stood up. "I'll let you think. But I'm not giving up. I'll wear you down eventually." He kissed my cheek and walked away.

"George?"

"Yeah."

"Why now?"

"Fred's constant insisting the you like me too finally sank in. Figured I had to take the risk."

He walked up the stairs.

I sat on the couch playing over what had just happened. The guy I've been in love with since fourth year just told me he felt the same way, tried to kiss me, and I had turned it all down because I was scared of what my father, who had kicked me out of the family and out of his life, would do. "I am so stupid." With that statement I went upstairs. Tomorrow I'll talk to Angelina, Hermione, and Ginny, and hopefully they'll know how to fix this mess.