In which there are sword fights

-This is the first of three scenes that mark a big change for Draco. This is before Draco gets turned into a Ferret.-

Draco hurried to catch up to his best mate, Margret Potter. Even after a year he still found it odd he was friends with a Potter, especial an American one. Margret was rough, loud, blunt, and a terrible trickster. But she was also honest, caring, loyal, protective, and easily flustered by a certain red head. She was a great friend and the first person Draco felt he didn't need to act for. Margret liked who he really was, not the snark Malfoy bastard he pretended to be. Draco was actually very lonely and gental by nature. Well, with Margret around he wasn't lonely anymore.
There was only one thing Draco didn't like about Margret, and that was her temper. It wasn't easy to get Margret angry, but there was one sure way to do it: Antagonize her beloved cousin Harry. Draco had hated Margret's devotion to her Cousin at first, but then she'd told him her and Harry's horrendous childhoods and Draco understood. Now knowing the truth he found he couldn't hate Harry anymore, though he'd never admit it to anyone but Margret.
At that moment, however, he sorely wished Margret wasn't so devoted to her cousin. The constant danger and cruelty that circled Harry these days was driving Margret crazy, especial since she couldn't do anything about it. She was suffering, and it killed Draco to watch.
"Calm down, Batty," He said, once he caught up to the angry witch, "You only have one more vial and it's only mid-day."
Draco had discovered last year that Margret had a condition that made her emotions dangerous to her if they got too intense. To control it she had to carry a special potion around for sudden attacks, and these days she had to carry around multiple vials.
"This is driving me nuts," She complained, the metal studs on her dragon hide jacket clacking together, "Someone put Harry's name in the goblet to put him in danger, but who? There aren't that many wizards in the castle who could confund the goblet, and all of them are loyal to Dumbledor."
"What about Karkarofff?" Draco suggested, "He was a death eater."
"If we're accusing known death eaters lets add Snape and your dad too," She scoffed. Draco nodded, that did sound ridiculous. Both men were too smart to try and pull something under Dumbledore's nose, even if they were against him. "No," Margret went on, "Karkarofff's a coward, he'd never do something like this. It has to be someone we wouldn't suspect, but that could be anyone."
"Maybe we should go to the Arena," Draco suggested, noticing they were headed toward the Dungeons, "Perhaps a work out will help you think clearly."
Margret stopped in her tracks. Draco had been right in thinking that would get her attention. Margret loved blood sports, and she was brilliant at them. While her favorite sport, Wizard Diskis, was banned there was still Fencing. Having learned with Werewolves Margret was the strongest Fencer in the castle, and everyone wanted a crack at her.
"OK," she said, brightening up at the idea, "I've been wanting to try my new Rapier anyway." With that she turned toward their Common room to collect her things, a grateful Draco trailing behind her. Draco thanked whatever power had influenced Margret's personality for making her so easily distracted by violence.

While in the Dungeon, the Arena was not reserved for the Slytherins, but they did use it the most.
As always the worn stone stands were filled with Slytherins and a few other students, most waiting for their chance to fence. When Draco and Margret showed up they all decide to wait. Margret was incredible to watch, absolutely fierce and elegant. As she descended the steps to the sunken field some even got out parchment and quill to take notes. Quite a few boys, Draco noticed, eyed her hungrily.
Even last year Margret's elegant form had been something to look at, now she was developing into a women. What was more, her tight pants and crisp shirt with the top buttons open looked rather enticing. Draco suspected Lupin would be furious to see so many boys drooling over his beloved god daughter, but Draco wasn't as bad. He didn't like it, but he knew Margret didn't accept advances from anyone except Fred Weasley, which he still didn't understand.
"Whose first?" Margret asked as she reached the dirt floor of the Arena, drawing her new black rapier, complete with silver bat shaped guard Draco had given her for her birthday.
And thus it started. The first was a large Slytherin 6th year, brandishing a Celtic broad sword. He sliced at Margret, aiming for her head. She ducked under the blade and sliced at his legs, cutting him and earning a yelp. After that she beat him back, slicing and hacking at him, his blade only barely able to block each blow. Eventually she let up a little and he charged forward. He drew up his sword and slashed it down on her head. With a clang Margret caught his blade with the flat of her own, the enchanted black steel not even buckling. After a moment she let him slide to one side and struck his exposed throat. In a puff of smoke he disappeared and reappeared in the stands, collapsing onto the bench behind him. Draco knew that while dieing in the Arena wasn't permanent, it was still frightening.
"Quite a vicious little thing, eh?" Asked a gruff voice, as the next opponent stepped forward to challenge Margret. Draco turned to see Prof. Moody standing behind him. He noticed movement in the corner of his eye and turned to see that other people were now arriving. Other students, of course, but some of the Durmstrang boys had arrived, two Beauxbaton girls, some teachers, and Karkaroff. Draco was getting nervous, remembering the discussion he and Margret had had before.
'It has to be someone we wouldn't suspect, but that could be anyone,' He recalled her saying. That described many of the people that had just entered. He also remember the threat she'd made to destroy anyone that hurt Harry. What if the person pulling the strings took her serious? What if they considered her a threat and wanted her out of the way? If it were Draco, he'd cause a little 'accident' to befall her here at the Arena, where it wouldn't be questioned too thoroughly.
"Next?" Margret asked, having just dispatched her 6th opponent. She had barely broken a sweat.
A raven haired 7th year Ravenclaw with a Claymore stepped forward. There was a clang and suddenly his and Margret's blades were locked. Draco blinked, he hadn't even seen the boy move. Suddenly they'd moved again, Margret having just attacked. As they fought no one dared speak, captivated by the spectacle.
Draco couldn't believe his eyes. Enhanced by her status as an Ani-Magus and with her training Margret's physical abilities were inhuman. Yet this 7th year was keeping step. The two of them moved so quickly all Draco could see were the few seconds when their blades clashed. He had no idea what they were doing or who was winning, only that they appeared evenly matched.
Margret smirked, enjoying herself. This time as their sword's meet she'd grabbed her opponent's wrist and held it tight. The taller boy scowled at her, increasing her glee. This 7th year had been the most intense opponent she'd had since she'd been a child learning to fence in America. She'd loved the match, having been finally pushed to preform, but now it was time to end it.
She pushed her opponent back slightly and freed her sword. She prepared to strike the final blow, delighting in how her opponent's eyes went wide in alarm. He lifted one booted foot and kicked Margret in the chest with all his strength, knocking her off him.
After a moment Margret realized she shouldn't be flying this far back-
"Margret!" Draco cried, his heart nearly stopping as he saw what happened to his friend. He tore down the steps, rushing to her side.
Margret looked down to see blood, lots and lots of blood...her blood. There was also a piece of metal jutting out of her mangled side. She recalled that there was a metal spike set in one wall of the Arena, completely random in her opinion.
She noted that it didn't hurt, yet. In a few moments it would. As she felt the adrenalin fade she noticed the 7th staring at her in horror.
To every one's-except perhaps Draco's-alarm and shock, Margret pushed herself off the spike. She staggered forward, almost falling several times, her side gushing blood like a fountain. As she approached the 7th year dropped his sword and reached out to catch her.
Smack! He staggered back, dazed. She'd punched his face.
Margret blacked out for a moment after that, a freash flow of blood spurting out from her side as she started to fall. Suddenly she stopped and she looked up to see Draco's incredibly pale, frightened face as he lowered her to the ground.
"Somebody get some bloody help, blast it," Draco shouted at the stunned spectators, his voice cracking in panic.
He noticed a swish of black and the rustle of cloth and suddenly Prof. Snape was leaning over Margret, his wand drawn. He muttered a few spells and the bleeding stopped, but the blood lose had left Margret ashen and weak. Draco suspected his head of house had been lurking in the shadows watching. Even since Margret had made her declaration Draco had noticed that they were never out of a teacher's sight for more then a moment, even on Hogsmead weekends. They knew that if someone was after Harry they'd first have to deal with Margret.
"We need to get her to the hospital wing at once," He said sharply.
"But it's too far," Draco said, feeling Margret grow cold in his arms.
"D-dobby," Came Margret's agonizingly weak voice.
With a crack the house elf appeared, sporting a tea cozy hat, tacky jumper, and several pairs of mismatched socks. He was smiling at first, but when he saw Margret's state his eyes went wide in fear.
"Mistress Margret is hurt," He hissed, terrified, "What does Mistress Margret wish Dobby to do?"
"Hospital wing," She said, fading.
The house elf nodded and took her hand. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers. There was another crack and next thing anyone knew he, Draco, Snape and Margret were gone.
There were several high pitched screams, and suddenly half a dozen girls were running past Draco. He looked around and realized they were suddenly in the Hospital Wing.
"God Heavens!" Came Madam Pomphry's voice and she hurried to the little group, "Was there an accident?"
Using the last of her strength Margret shook her head. "Felt magic," choked out, her voice deathly thin.
"Someone attempted to kill Ms. Potter," Snape explained, helping the Medi-witch move her to a bed, "She was impaled on a spike in the Arena."
"But the magic there shouldn't have allowed this," Draco said, as the witch began running diagnostics, "The moment before someone is likely to be hurt it moves them to the stands. How could this have happened?"
"The spells must have been tampered with to not affect her," Snape said, stepping back to allow the witch room, "Her unique Magical Rhythm would have made it simple for any experienced wizard."
"It must have been whoever is after Potter," Draco said, anger dripping in his voice. His professor didn't argue, because he had the same thought.
"Is there anything we can be doing?" Came a squeak from the end of the bed. Three more house elves stood with Dobby, all looking sick with worry at Margret.
"Get me some bandages, disinfectant, and a blood replenishing potion," Pomphrey ordered, not looking up from Margret's wound. The house elves hurried to obey.
"Bandages? Disinfectant?" Asked Draco, confused, "Why not just use magic? Won't it work better? And faster?" He was only partially aware of what those things were for, Margret explaining it to him when she talked about Muggle First Aid.
Pomphry shock her head. "As Severus said, Ms. Potter has a unique magical rhythm," She explained, accepting the disinfectant from Dobby, "She has a rare condition that makes her magic unstable. Right now it is working to save her, but adding mine could make things worse for her. I'm afraid muggle methods are necessary in this instance. At least until her magic settles."
"But she's going to be alright," pleaded Draco, "Isn't she?"
Pomphrey took a moment to smile at him pityingly. "She's going to be fine, Mr. Malfoy. Ms. Potter is highly resilient and her magic is quite impressive. It will take some time, but she'll recover."
Draco was so relieved he almost collapsed. Snape caught him under the arms, guiding him to a chair. Draco had been so scared, he'd never been that frightened in his life. He didn't know it was possible to be so frightened of anything but losing your own life. The thought of losing his best friend, of having to live his life without her had almost been enough to stop his heart. He never, ever wanted to feel that again. And he'd make sure he never would, even if it meant his own life.

-Sword fights, blood and world changing revelations. All in one little scene. Sorry for so much crazy emotion, but I had to set it up for the next one. Poor Draco, though, almost losing his best friend. These three scenes will really put him through the loop and change him.-

(It's christmas this saturday, as many of you know, and so I'm not sure I'll be able to post. I'll try to get on sometime that day, but if not I will be back wensday. Please stick with me guys, it'll all be worth it in the end...I hope.)