Chapter Ten

"Merlin." Blaise breathed. Neville and Hermione were still struck dumb.

"I-" Neville started but fell silent when everyone looked at him. They'd commandeered an empty classroom for Hermione, Blaise, Theo and Neville's debriefing.

"Go on." Pansy encouraged.

"Well, I-I could… follow Harry and Ron." Etain looked at him in amazement.

"Thank Salazar, you actually have a brain! I wasn't sure but now-" Pansy glared at her and she shut up.

"That's brilliant Neville!" Pansy cried. "You can get information from Hagrid too! Now all we have to do is get you some reason for following them around…" They sat for a moment thinking and then Etain sat up and said.

"I am a bloody genius." Draco rolled his eyes.

"Of course you are." She made a face at him.

"All we have to do is attack Potty and Weasel and then Neville can swoop in, back them up and save them from the big bad (inept) Slytherins! He can be their little groupie!" Draco thought it over carefully.

"Pretty good." He conceded. "But you never know what Gryffindors might do. How would you react Longbottom? Think like Weasel." Neville squeaked in terror at being addressed but answered.

"Well, it depends. If I got overpowered and then I saw someone else defeating my opponent effortlessly I'd be pretty embarrassed. Maybe if-if I insult you and you all attack me. Then Harry and Ron get to be heroes and they don't feel th-threatened." Draco and Etain's eyebrows rose and Pansy smiled proudly. Blaise and Hermione seemed indifferent, although Hermione shot Neville a smile. Theo just faded into the background as usual.

"Good." Blaise nodded. "Now, perhaps I can find something in the Library about the Philosopher's Stone." Hermione snorted deprecatingly.

"You can read?" She asked in mock surprise. Blaise scowled.

"I research better than you Granger!" She rolled her eyes.

"In what world Zabini?"

"In the real world Granger, where you can't research worth a damn!"

"You're just sore I beat you in Transfiguration!"

"You did not! Besides, I beat you in DADA!"

"You sabotaged my essay!"

"I did not!"

"Yes you did! You told me it was about destroying banshees!"

"You should have been listening then!"

"I was in the Hospital Wing with the flu!"

"ENOUGH!" Etain yelled. "WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT BICKERING?!" Hermione and Blaise looked at her sheepishly.

"Wait till we're married to become an old married couple?" Blaise suggested.

"Next time you have an argument I'll hex you into next century?" Hermione offered next, Blaise nudged her warningly and she quickly amended. "Although that could have been someone else."

"Right." She suppressed a smirk. "Will you be quiet now? You can both research along with Theo, maybe he'll referee. Oh, and by the way. I beat you both at Transfiguration for the last three classes, so there.' She stuck out her tongue and laughed.

"Whatever, Grey." Hermione rolled her eyes good humouredly.

"What are you going to do then?" Draco asked Etain with a sigh.

"We, dear, we are going to search Quirell's rooms." Etain said brightly. Draco groaned.

"I'll never live to be a teenager. If some random Dark wizard doesn't kill me I'm going to have a heart attack!" He proclaimed melodramatically.

"Don't worry Draco. He'll let us in." Draco watched her suspiciously.

"What are you going to do? Polyjuice us into Aurors and threaten him till he opens the door?"

She smirked.

"Sort of."

Lucius pulled Narcissa down onto the sofa next to him. They were in his study having just answered all of their letters. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and then to her mouth. He had just started trailing kisses down her throat when they were interrupted.

"Gross!"

Lucius scowled at his son's head in the fireplace.

"What's the matter Draco?"

"Nothing, I just read mother's letter, it said you visited Aunt Bella so I called to see if you were feeling alright and I find you snogging! I'm scarred for life!" Lucius wasn't fooled but Narcissa immediately jumped up and knelt down in front of the fireplace.

"How sweet of you darling! Aunt Bella is fine, she said to send her love." In between rambling about her unrequited love Lucius rolled his eyes, his son had the worst timing, the last time he'd called he'd been in a meeting with the minister for magic and Draco started thanking him for his Christmas presents- two of which were illegal, it had taken some quick thinking on his part to placate the Minister. He'd had to tell him that he'd given the boy a book on law because Draco wanted to pursue it as a career. Honestly, an eleven year-old interested in law!

"Was there no ulterior motive for your call Draco?" Lucius drawled.

"Of course not father, how could you suggest such a thing?" They smirked at each other, Narcissa glared.

"How's school, darling?" She asked, he shrugged.

"Same as usual, I got an O on a Potions test the other day."

"Ah yes, and how is Severus?" Lucius enquired. He scowled as he remembered Narcissa's reaction to her sister's state.

"Fine, I believe. Why?" He cocked his head, it looked rather eerie in the flames.

"I thought I might pay him a visit." He replied mildly but his eyebrow arched.

"I apologise father." Draco said quickly when he caught the look. Lucius nodded regally.

"What do you want for your birthday, dear?" Narcissa asked smiling, only Lucius noticed the slight twitch of Draco's face at the word 'dear'. "It's only a few days away now and you haven't told me what you want."

"I thought you liked surprising me." Draco grinned back. Narcissa rolled her eyes.

"We do, but I thought you might like something in particular, like say, I don't know, an owl to write to your poor neglected mother?" She suggested pointedly. He winced.

"Animals hate me, mother, and I write to you once a week!" He protested.

"Animals would probably like you better if you remembered to feed them, darling. And I want to hear from you at least five times a day!" She smirked.

"I'll see what I can do." Draco replied dryly.

"Perhaps we should get you a pet for your birthday, you might learn some responsibility. I've had several owls from Severus this year and I am not impressed. It seems you've been getting into trouble all year!" Lucius remarked. Draco grimaced.

"Not my fault."

"Exactly." He frowned. Draco clarified quickly.

"My ideas weren't ones we were caught for." He smirked, then- "Please don't get me a pet!"

"I think it's a great idea." Lucius' face was blank. "You'd hardly forget to feed a vulture, or a Hippogriff."

"A basilisk." Narcissa suggested.

"A Griffin."

"A Sphinx."

"A Wolf."

"Ok, I get it." He laughed. "As long as you don't suggest a cat like Etai-" Narcissa and Lucius fell silent immediately.

"Excuse me?" Lucius asked frostily. "Don't get a cat like who's?" Draco didn't say anything.

"Like who's?"

"She's a Slytherin! We're supposed to be like family!" He defended.

"Andromeda is your mother's sister but we don't speak to her!" Lucius shouted. Narcissa went pale.

"I have no sister of…That name."

"I'm sorry, Cissa, I didn't mean it like that." Lucius apologised at once, his face softening as soon as he looked at her.

She nodded but her mouth was still pinched.

Lucius spoke more calmly.

"I don't want you to have anything to do with that… person, Draco. It's bad enough that you and Narcissa had tea with her and your mother told me about your letter. I can't believe that you're associating with a Mudblood. She's worth nothing, if you continue to be so weak I will remove you from Hogwarts Draco, I really will. You can go to Durmstrang instead; I will not tolerate this sort of behaviour! Do you not understand the opportunities you're wasting? I will not let you ruin our family name!"

"Would you disown me?" Draco asked quietly. Narcissa's head shot towards him. Lucius paused.

"Would you?" He asked again.

"I…"

Narcissa gave Lucius a meaningful look. "We love you and just want what will make you happy." Lucius looked chagrined.

"What and you don't care about blood?" Draco asked sceptically.

"Of course we do." Lucius sighed. "Your mother is saying that forcing our off-spring into moulds is a bad idea."

"You got that from that?" Draco asked confusedly.

"Long story. Remind me to tell you some time." He waved a hand dismissively. "The point is that you have your own life and if you want to consort with… Mudbloods-" He shuddered. "Then that's your choice. I won't…" He gulped. "Stop you because in the end it will just make you miserable and rebellious." He pressed his hand to his forehead and snapped. "Just don't bring her near the house or I'm not responsible for my actions!"

Draco grinned mischievously. "Does that mean I can visit her over the holidays?" Lucius' face was tinged green when he answered.

"I-if you want to-to." He looked positively ill at the thought of speaking to a Muggle. "Wash before you come home." He instructed. "And burn your clothes. And wear gloves, there's no telling what vile diseases-"

"Lucius." Narcissa interrupted with a scowl, he stopped with a last disgusted sneer. Then grew so horrified he couldn't help himself.

"You aren't going to marry the Mudblood, are you? Tell me you aren't going to breed with-"

"Lucius!" Narcissa exclaimed, she turned back to Draco. "What your father means is, that while she's not quite the daughter-in-law-" Lucius made a protesting noise. "-We envisioned, we'd be happy with anyone you were in love with." She finished warmly. Lucius' expression said quite clearly what he thought of that but then Narcissa pouted at him.

"You mean you wouldn't have married me if I were a Mudblood?" Her lip trembled. Draco watched, impressed, as immediately Lucius knelt down beside her completely contrite and mumbling reassurances and apologies.

Narcissa smirked at Draco behind his back.

"Prof-essor?" Etain started carefully after her Potions class, Draco, Pansy, Hermione and Blaise were all waiting for her by the door. "I was curious about the standard of store-bought Potions."

"Hah!" Snape snorted. "There is no standard. That's why Longbottom will die young and I've been stressing the importance of Potions to you all. There are three options: make them yourself, buy crappy pre-made ones or pay a Potions Master to make them. The last is only for the ridiculously wealthy, Potions masters are expensive, I believe the Malfoys have one currently on their pay roll. A waste, I always thought. Narcissa at least is perfectly capable of brewing a Potion."

"Ah yes, but Narcissa is also a free-lance journalist, a mother and has to plan at least ten balls per month. And I resent the implication I can't brew, you were not the only one in the Potions Club, Severus." Lucius Malfoy stepped through the doorway.

"There's a Potions Club?" Hermione asked Blaise quietly.

"Ah, Draco, Miss Parkinson, Mr. Zabini… and?" He gestured at Hermione and Etain.

"Etain Grey, Hermione Granger." Draco introduced, gesturing. Draco winked at Etain whose smile had vanished.

"Yes, Miss Grey. Draco has… spoken of you." Lucius forced out. Etain raised her eyebrows.

"All good, I hope."

"Unfortunately." Lucius sneered. Draco coughed something that sounded suspiciously like 'mother', the sneer dropped instantly and he attempted a smile.

"I was just asking Professor Snape about the quality of store-bought Potions, Mr. Malfoy." Etain started after a short pause.

"Oh? I'm sure Severus had quite a lot to say on that matter. Why did you want to know?" He asked uninterestedly. Etain smiled sweetly, extremely irritated.

"You never know when a nice poison will come in handy."

"Buying a Poison leaves a paper trial, Miss Grey." Lucius looked down his nose at her. Etain's mouth tightened slightly but she made an effort not to express quite what she was thinking.

"I shall bow to a more experienced mind then, Mr. Malfoy." Murderer. The conversation seemed to be a struggle for Lucius as well, one that manners appeared to be losing.

"Indeed, Miss Grey, persons like yourself do seem to have that problem." Scum like yourself ought to bow. Pansy, Blaise and Hermione's heads were shooting back and forth like they were watching a tennis match. Draco and Severus just watched with expressionless faces.

"No more so than persons like yourself, Mr. Malfoy." Hypocrite, you bowed to the Dark Lord. She couldn't help but say.

"I am not a person like myself, Miss Grey, as evidenced by our conversation." If I were really a Death Eater you'd be dead by now and I wouldn't talk to you.

"I am sure that that is useful in your line of work, Mr. Malfoy." Two-faced coward, the Ministry might believe that but I don't.

"Not if I am never myself, Miss Grey." I'm not faking. He watched her face carefully, Etain's eyes widened.

"That is unfortunate, although the same would be true in the opposite occupation." Well it's not like you could join the other side.

"Perhaps I should stop working altogether, Miss Grey." Maybe I should just stay neutral.

"Perhaps you should, Mr. Malfoy." She nodded at him with a new respect and left with the others. They paused outside the door for Draco to catch up. He smiled at his father.

"Thank you."

His father just grunted.

"Remember to tell your mother." Lucius said to Draco as he left.

"What was all that about?" Severus asked Lucius amusedly when he'd set up privacy spells.

"Eh, Cissa made me." Lucius waved a hand.

"She gave you a script?" He asked pointedly, Lucius scowled.

"She's not as bad as Umbridge."

"If that's your basis for comparison I wonder that you have a problem with Muggleborns at all." Severus smirked. "Does this mean you've changed your stance?" Lucius shuddered.

"Never but Cissa reminded me of The Incident and told me to be more supportive." He spread his hands. "Here I am. Being supportive."

"And the comment on your allegiance?" Severus raised an eyebrow. He shrugged.

"Who would listen to a Mudblood? And a Slytherin at that. Neither side would listen to her." Lucius smiled wryly. "I was making sure she wasn't scared by my reputation, Draco would blame me and go crying to Cissa." He shook his head fondly. "We're all played like violins. Draco creeps around Cissa, who talks to me, who does whatever they want. Head of the family? Right. Our House-Elves have more say than I do." He grinned.

"What can I say, my friend. You were doomed the day you met her." Severus summoned two glasses and a bottle of fire whiskey.

"That I was. Speaking of being doomed, Cissa and I visited Bella the other day." Severus' face closed immediately.

"Oh?" He asked guardedly.

"Look Severus, I wouldn't interfere but you know that Cissa and Draco come first and she was really upset…"

"She put you up to this." Severus accused, he took a swig of his whiskey.

"No, not really, like I said I wouldn't normally interfere but Sev, Bella was in a bad state."

"She's in Azkaban, what do you expect?" Severus asked harshly.

"A fair point but she was even worse than usual-"

"Missing her darling husband I suppose." Severus drained his glass, Lucius rolled his eyes.

"When are you going to get over that? We told you it's not what you think- Don't you trust us? We wouldn't lie about something like this." He almost knocked over the bottle in exasperation.

"You're just here to make Cissa happy, Luce. Just tell her you talked to me so we can drop this excruciating conversation." Severus waved his hand, Lucius glared in irritation.

"Don't be obtuse, Sev. You know I'm not just here because Cissa told me to be, I'm here so you and Bella can go back to fawning over each other with your nauseating nick-names. Oh Trixie! Oh Sevy!" He mimicked. Severus moved almost too quick to see. In a moment both of them stood with their wands drawn.

"When Rodolphus tried to call her that she sent him to St. Mungos." Lucius said softly.

"Get out." Severus growled.

"You're a coward, Sev." Lucius looked at him sadly and walked out. "I tried."

"I still think he's a waste of space." Draco leant back in his armchair. Etain shrugged, she was sat opposite him. Neither of them had much felt like dinner so they'd waved the others on and taken the chairs by the fire.

"Neville? Well…" She tried to think of a positive characteristic. "Pansy likes him." She offered finally. "He's, uh, good at Herbology… Um, he's very… brave?"

"He's an idiot. He can't duel, can't brew, can't cast… the only thing he's got is a green thumb." Draco said flatly. "I haven't a clue what Pansy sees in him."

"I'm sure he's very sweet." Etain bit her lip and finally gave up. "Yeah, I don't see it either."

"Thank Merlin, I was quite sure you'd gone Hufflepuff on me for a second." Draco clapped a hand over his heart dramatically.

"Adrian, Tamara and Sophie aren't so bad." She defended. "Then again, looking at all those do-gooders, Hannah Abbotts, Cedric Diggory…" She blanched. "I prefer Slytherin."

"The Ravenclaws aren't so bad." Draco reflected. "They have their little cliques but most are Ok. Although they're intelligent rather than clever or smart which is kind of useless beyond school."

"Mmm. That second year Chang gets on my nerves, she's as snobby as Greengrass, her and that friend of hers." She grimaced. "There's no hope for the Gryffindors, of course. They're Bumbles' little army, hand-picked to not only be so irritating they convince people to off themselves with a greeting, they're also so utterly brain-dead they'll believe anything spewed out of Twinkling Travesty's mouth."

"The Weasleys are the worst." Draco agreed. "They're so hypocritical. Arthur Weasley was pro-Muggle, pro-Muggleborn, complete Blood traitor and Muggle-lover. So what does he do? He marries a Prewitt! A family as old and pure as the Malfoys! Not to mention that they're still fanatical even after Bumbles little war kills half their family."

"This is only half the family?" Etain's eyebrows rose.

"No, just a figure of speech. Molly Weasley's brothers died, it just surprises me they're still so eager to follow him. Seems kind of suicidal to me." He frowned.

"I don't know. She's probably thinking of revenge rather than saving her own skin." Etain leant forwards slightly. "I personally would just lie low for the rest of the war." She confessed. "Would you fight Draco?"

"I'd have to." He answered seriously.

"Your parents would force you? They don't seem the type."

"No, the Dark Lord would. I'd have to otherwise mother would be killed."

"You could always go into hiding." She pointed out interestedly.

"Not with- I can't tell you." He shook his head. "Sorry."

"It's alright." She smiled. "So, I know you're an only child, but do you have any cousins?"

"No relatives on my father's side, my mother has tw- one sister: Bellatrix, and two cousins: Sirius and Regulus. Regulus is dead and the other two are in Azkaban." He told her, perfectly emotionless.

"Oh." She felt a little awkward. "Um, I have a cousin on my mother's side, we don't speak anymore. I don't even remember his name."

"Why not?" He asked, distracted.

"Oh, mother fell out with them or something, I forget." She waved a hand. Then suddenly cocked her head as her eyes focused behind his head. "Draco?" She asked very suddenly. "Is there something you forgot to tell me?"

"What?" He turned to look and groaned. Three huge eagle owls were carrying a huge box between them marked.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DRACO, SORRY BUT WE'LL HAVE TO SEND YOUR PRESENTS IN BLOCKS. WE ONLY HAVE SO MANY OWLS AND THESE BOXES WEREN'T BUILT FOR HAWKS OR BIRDS OF PARADISE.

He turned back o find Etain watching him with an extremely irritated expression.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me about your birthday!" She stood up and started. "This means I'll have to order a present, this is so embarrassing! I can't believe you did something like this!" She spun to face him and scowled at his bemused expression. "Well? How long have I got then?" She propped her hands on her hips.

"Uh, my birthday is in two days." He grinned, she looked utterly horrified.

"If Pansy doesn't have any catalogues, I am going to kill you!" She threatened, running up the stairs to her dorm. He burst out laughing and followed her to the foot of the stairs.

"You needn't get me a present, Etain." He called up to her.

"Don't be ridiculous," she shouted back down. "Everyone else has probably been planning what to give you for weeks, possibly even months! You're the practically a prince here, how is it going to look when one of your best friends hasn't got you a present? Oh, I suck at picking presents… Why didn't anybody warn me?" She wailed.

"Prince of Slytherin?" He joked. "I think I'll keep that one."

"Oh, shut up!" Etain reappeared with a stack of catalogues, parchment, a quill and ink.

"You're making too much of a fuss." Draco watched, amused as she struggled to a table.

"I am not. You could have helped!" She flopped into seat. Draco smirked and examined his nails.

"I would have but you looked like you were having so much fun…"

Etain glared at him. Then her eyes widened as she remembered something.

"Harry Potter." She breathed.

"Excuse me?" Draco asked, affronted. Etain's eyes darted all over the place as she thought. She grabbed a piece of parchment and started to scribble things down.

"Draco." Pansy snapped her fingers in front of his face.

"What?" He snapped.

"Look, Drake, we don't want to ruin your display of hatred to the world but you're starting to scare the Hufflepuffs." Blaise pointed in the direction he'd been glaring, the Hufflepuffs were looking a little panicked, one of them looked on the verge of tears.

"Would the reason you're angry have anything to do with the reason I haven't seen Etain all day?" Pansy asked pointedly. Draco smirked.

"Sort of, although that's the one part of this whole thing I'm enjoying."

"Oh?"

"You know it's my birthday tomorrow?"

They rolled their eyes.

"Your parents are really forward-thinking, Drake. Ours, on the other hand, have drilled every single important date on the pureblood calendar; from the anniversary of a beloved pet's death to the annual Malfoy Christmas Ball into our skulls since birth. Of course we know when your birthday is!" Pansy exclaimed.

"Well, Etain didn't so she's really angry with me for not telling her." He explained.

"She missed most of our birthdays." Pansy shrugged. "No-one expects her to know these things. Does she think we're all born after Christmas?"

"I think she's not really thought about it." Draco shrugged. "She's only human."

"Hermione will be angry as well." Blaise pointed out gloomily.

"I'm not too worried about her. Hermione, excluding with you, is a pacifist, it's Etain we have to watch." Pansy waved a hand. "Speaking of Etain's temper, I should probably tell her not to go too overboard. See you."

Draco turned back to Blaise and froze. He peered under the table to find Belial rubbing against his leg.

"It's that damn cat again!" He pulled out his wand.

"Don't-" Blaise was a touch too late.

"Draco." A very even tone started. "I know you're not even thinking of cursing my darling cat." Draco froze again.

"How could you even suggest such a thing?!" He asked, recovering his composure. "Pansy's looking for you."

"I know. We're going to talk later." Etain sat down across from the two boys.

There was silence for a few moments.

"What's the matter?" Draco asked finally. Etain smirked.

"I need Polyjuice Potion to pose as the fashion police." She nodded at the Hufflepuff table. "I thought you might be able to get me some."

"You already owe me two favours, Etain, and I have yet to collect." He said, business-like.

"I'll have to owe you three then." She replied seriously.

Blaise and Draco exchanged a glance.

"Why not ask Blaise, Theo or Pansy?" Draco asked curiously. Etain laughed.

"Meaning no offence whatsoever; Blaise's mum has had seven husbands and is now on her eighth, every one of them has died unnaturally and all of them had a lot of money and Blaise has gone to hospital twelve times in the last five years due to some sort of stomach complaint, taken by his House-elf. Pansy's mum is dead and her dad sent a long letter that arrived approximately a minute after the press said he was flooed by the Aurors. Theo's mum and dad have such huge fights that they have to move manors every other week and Theo is a regularly used weapon. Your parents, on the other hand adore you and do anything you ask. I have to ingest this Potion you know." She said pointedly.

"How did you know all that?" Draco asked incredulously. She just tapped her nose.

"Telling me will count as a favour." He wheedled. She considered that for a moment and nodded.

"Obviously, I asked Pansy about her parents. Blaise's I looked at old newspapers in the Library, it's got a search engine, all you have to do is look for key words. I did that for Theo's as well. Yours… that's just common sense." She shrugged.

"Fine, I'll owl mother." Draco rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure she'll be very pleased to hear from you." Blaise laughed.

"Move." Etain sniffed haughtily and pointed at Neville.

"Make me, Slytherin Cow." He folded his arms. Potter and Weasley looked over from the other side of the corridor. Draco moved up behind her shoulder, scowling. They were the only ones in the corridor.

"With pleasure Longbottom." Draco drawled, making to draw his wand. Etain laid a hand on his arm.

"He's a Gryffindor, Draco. Hardly worth the energy."

"Afraid to fight me, Bitch? Scared your Drakie-poo will lose?" Neville sneered.

"Excuse me?" Etain's eyes widened in fury. Draco's fist snaked out and caught Neville on the nose, drawing blood.

"Don't talk to a Lady like that." He growled.

"What Lady?" Neville taunted, breathing hard.

Draco and Etain drew their wands.

"Tanregra!" Just before everything went black, Etain swore that the next time they were going to implement a plan involving her getting hexed, they were going to make sure Weasel and Potty knew how to pronounce the spells.

Etain groaned and tried to shield her eyes from the blaring lights, turning over on her bed to press her face into the pillow.

"She's awake!" Pansy's voice called out.

"How long have I been asleep?" She moaned, voice muffled.

"Only an hour or so." Draco's voice joined Pansy's.

"Tanregra?" She sat up and looked at them, Blaise was there too, along with Theo and Hermione.

"I know." Draco muttered disgustedly.

"What did it do?" Etain asked, moving her legs gingerly.

"As far as we know, it just knocked you out. That's why you're in the Hospital Wing." Pansy told her helpfully. Etain nodded, she'd pretty much guessed that when she saw the lights, the Hospital Wing was much brighter than her eyes were accustomed to. It was probably Madam Pomphrey's way of torturing the students- or teachers- that came in for a hangover potion.

"You missed dinner, I'm afraid." Theo handed her some rolls.

"Thanks." She took them gratefully.

"Dumbledore announced that the big competition is tomorrow." Pansy rolled her eyes. "But at least we get out of lessons tomorrow."

"I'm sure Dumbledore is doing what he thinks is best." Hermione defended. The others exchanged glances and snorted.

"I found out what the Philosopher's Stone is." Theo inserted randomly.

"Well?" Their heads swung round to look at him.

"It was on a Chocolate Frog card, if you can believe that. Created by Nicolas Flamel, it's supposed to make you immortal."

"Immortal?" Draco demanded.

"Well, yeah-" Theo started.

"Why?" Etain interrupted shrewdly. "Do you know anything?"

Draco shifted a little, uncomfortable.

"Um, you know that detention I had with the Oaf?"

"The one you got for being a complete prat?" Etain raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that one." He blushed slightly. "Well, there was this… creature in the forest."

"You went into the Forbidden Forest?" Pansy asked incredulously. He nodded.

"I thought it was a Vampire but I looked it up and Vampires only drink blood from Humans. It attacked a Unicorn.."

Blaise, Theo, Hermione and Pansy gasped.

"What?" Etain scowled, hating being out of the loop.

"Unicorn Blood prolongs the life of the user but not by improving their state of health. But to take the blood of an innocent being for personal gain curses the drinker to a half-life." Hermione recited, knowledgeably.

"R-ight. So why didn't you tell us this before?" Etain's focus snapped back to Draco and he went pink.

"I may have been slightly startled… Fine, I yelled, terrified out of my wits and ran, happy?" He closed his eyes in embarrassment. Blaise sniggered but Etain glared at him, said.

"Very sensible, Draco." And moved on.

The entire Slytherin table sat scowling with their arms folded. Only the Gryffindors could look at them for more than a few seconds before flinching. The Gryffindors, through slow brain movement, lasted ten seconds.

Retaining her scowl, Etain muttered to Draco.

"How did you like your presents, Draco?"

"They were fantastic. I was tempted to bring the head to breakfast, I did bring the goblet, as you can see." He gestured to a plain silver cup. It was spelled to detect several common Poisons, some Love Potions and could also find Veritaserum if the quantity was big enough. Snape had added the latter two, it had been fairly easy to find, actually, Borgins and Burkes had a few. The other present was Harry Potter's head on a platter. Literally. She'd owled a picture of Potter to a Wizarding bakery and they'd made Draco a Birthday Cake, it was quite weird when it blinked but the Bakers had refused to make Potter look dead. Something about tempting fate, losers. Etain sighed, she'd really gone too over the top, her parents were going to kill her when they realised how much she'd spent. Ah well, not much she could do about it now, their own fault for giving her blank Wizarding cheques.

"Good Morning, now as I'm sure that you're all eager to start your fun day-" Dumbledore started his speech, ignoring the black looks from the Slytherins. "-I shall keep my speech brief. As I am sure you're all aware, today there will be no lessons. Instead, we will be having activities that will strengthen both intra and inter-house bonds."

Was the conversation between Lucius and Etain too cryptic? My brother said not but his mind works in weird ways, much like my own, so I didn't count his opinion. It took me ages to write this because just before I was about to post it I decided the bottom half was too cliché so I deleted it and re-wrote it.