Disclaimer: Not mine, nope.

A/N: See? As I promised, another chapter. I hope you'll like it. Not much to say here, sorry, if something funny comes into mind I'll write it in the next Author's Notes.

To Halo of Darkness: Thanks for being so supportive and nice, and thanks for pointing always out how wonderful Draco is.

School Days

"So," started Professor Slughorn, walking towards his sixth year students. "I'm very, very sorry to tell you that some ingredients from my private stocks have been stolen. Very sorry," he continued, walking slowly between the tables and stroking his moustache. "I'm saying this to all my students, if this will happen again, I'll be sure that your exam at the end of the year will be the hardest you have ever had."

Lots of students gulped. Some of them paled.

"What ingredients have been stolen?" asked a girl from Ravenclaw raising her hand shyly above her head.

"Oh, nothing important, Miss Clark," answered Professor Slughorn. "Just some Mandrake roots and Bundimun secretion. You can't do much with those things. But the problem isn't that, it's that some students dared to steal from my private office."

"O-of course, P-professor," stammered the girl, who had turned a deep shade of red.

"Well, anyway, today we are making Amorentia. Who can tell me what are the proprieties of this potion? Ah, yes, Miss Weasley?"

The lesson proceed normally. Rachel answered all the questions asked by Professor Slughorn, earning a good amount of points that would have lasted until her brother would go to his first lesson of the day. At the end of the two hours, Slughorn reminded the students that were in his Slug Club about the upcoming feast with Oliver Wood and dismissed the class.

"When did he say was his party?" Rachel asked Emeric distractedly as they exited.

"Next Saturday," he said as distracted as her. "Did you hear what he said?"

"About what?" she asked. "He said quite a lot of things."

"Yeah, well, I meant about the ingredients stolen from his office," he answered gravely. "It's nothing good."

"Why do you care so much? There are lots of students that brew potions in secret. My parents did it as well when they were in their second year," she stopped and started to laugh.

Emeric looked at her quizzically. "What's so funny?"

"I've just remembered that they used to brew that potion to shadow your father," she answered, still laughing.

Emeric smiled as well. "My father never told me that," he said.

Rachel shrugged. "I don't think that he knows about the whole thing."

"Yeah, well, I'm not the one that he's going to tell him," stated Emeric. "Anyway, I was serious when I said that it's distressing that someone has just stolen those ingredients from Slughorn's office. And, plus, Sybella has just received another letter from her parents this morning," he said seriously.

Rachel sighed. "You are not still thinking that she is plotting against us, are you?"

"Of course I am," he answered darkly. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you or my baby," he added, placing a hand on her stomach.

She couldn't help smiling. "I wouldn't want that either, but she doesn't look very interested in us."

"I don't like it when she receives post from her parents and she walks around with an evil grin across her face," stated Emeric.

"Maybe you are worrying too much," she said gently.

"I'd rather prefer to worry too much than not to worry enough," he replied.

Rachel sighed deeply. "Okay, keep an eye on her then. But don't lose your sleep over something like that."

He nodded seriously. "Have you asked Slughorn about the roast beef?"

"Nope, you have to remind me next time we have Potions," said Rachel. They walked to the Great Hall and they separated at the door, one headed to the Gryffindor table and the other one for the Slytherin one.

Rachel sat down next to Allyson and smiled. "So how was Charms this morning?" she asked cheerfully.

"Funny. Professor Flitwick fell down from his pile of books because Malcolm's spell hit him," she answered.

"Great," muttered Rachel. "How many points did he take from Gryffindor?"

"Oh, just thirty. Not as bad as usual," said Allyson quietly.

Rachel nodded. She opened her mouth to say that Slughorn had reminded them about the party in his office when an old, small owl, carrying a parcel twice his size, landed right in front of her, spilling all her pumpkin juice.

"Pig," exclaimed Rachel, taking his parcel. "How are you?" she asked, stroking his feathers.

The owl hooted in response and flew away.

"Looks like mum is sending me something," she said to no one as she opened the parcel.

Allyson peeked over her cousin's shoulders. "Oh, Aunt Hermione sent you some new clothes," she said, disappointed. "My mum never does that."

Rachel smiled. "I needed these clothes because my school robes are becoming too small for me," she said, showing the open buttons on the top of her skirt. "I can't manage to close these stupid buttons."

Allyson suppressed a giggle. "Well, looks like someone here is eating too much."

"I'm eating for two," she snapped at her cousin.

"Hey, hey, hey, who's getting our cousin angry?" asked a tall boy with milk-coffee skin.

"Another cousin of yours, Matthew," snapped Allyson.

"Yeah, but is this other cousin pregnant as well?" asked another boy with milky skin and red hair.

"Not yet, Thomas," she answered sarcastically.

"Then, sorry, but we have to protect Rachel from you, Allyson," Thomas declared.

"Where are your sisters?" asked Allyson, annoyed.

"They are coming," said Matthew vaguely. They sat down across from Allyson and Rachel and started to eat.

"So, Aunt Hermione has sent you something," said Thomas.

Rachel nodded. "Some new clothes. Mine are becoming too small for me," she said, blushing.

"Uh-oh, somebody here is eating for two," said Matthew teasingly.

"Stop bothering Rachel," said a tall girl, walking towards the boys. She had dark skin just like Matthew. "Didn't you see what happened to Malcolm?"

"Phoebe is right," said another red-headed girl. "Remember the spoon!"

"Thank you, Phoebe, thank you, Alexis, you are really useful," said Rachel, rolling her eyes.

"You are welcome, Rachel," answered Phoebe.

"Anything for our cousin," added Alexis. "Anyway, my dad wrote to me. He said that he and Uncle George are waiting for you in Zonko's next time that there'll be a trip to Hogsmeade."

"Just one thing," said Thomas. "Dad is not very happy that you are together with that Malfoy boy."

"Yeah, well, my father is not happy as well. Why should I bother with Uncle Fred?" snapped Rachel rather rudely.

Phoebe shrugged. "Well, you know what happened to Aunt Katie, don't you?" she asked her.

Rachel looked at her and frowned. "No," she answered.

"What? Your parents never told you what happened to Aunt Katie in her last year here at Hogwarts?" asked Matthew.

"No," repeated Rachel, annoyed.

"Well, mum must have asked them to keep it a secret because it's a very dark story," said Thomas. "Right, Alexis?"

Alexis nodded. "Well, maybe if mum doesn't want to let them know, it's better if we don't tell."

"No!" snapped Allyson. "Now, we want to know."

"You are too young to know things like that," said Matthew mockingly.

Allyson glared at him. "I'm only two years younger than you," she hissed, then she smiled suddenly. "Well, never mind that. If you don't want to tell us, we'll ask Leonard," she said haughtily.

"You think you are funny, don't you?" said Thomas. "Okay, we'll tell you."

"Yeah, we don't want Leonard to give out all his knowledge," said Matthew annoyed. "Alexis, tell her."

"Why me?"

"Because Katie Bell is your mother and you know the story better than anybody else," said Phoebe.

Alexis shrugged. "Well, actually, in her last year at Hogwarts, mum had been cursed and Malfoy – well, really, it was Madam Rosmerta, but under the Imperius Curse of Draco Malfoy – gave her a necklace that should have killed Dumbledore. But mum touched it and she spent almost the whole school year in St. Mungo's with her memory damaged," she whispered.

Rachel looked at her with her eyes wide. "Draco Malfoy?"

Thomas nodded. "The father of your boyfriend," he stated.

Rachel swallowed noisily. "Well, Emeric is really different," she said hoarsely.

Matthew and Thomas looked at her and burst into laughter. "We know!" they exclaimed together. "And Uncle Harry keeps on telling us that, after all, Draco Malfoy is not so evil. At least, not since his sixth year at Hogwarts."

"Why his sixth year?" asked Allyson curiously.

Phoebe shrugged. "We don't know. We don't talk much about the Malfoys at home."

"Yeah, we just know that he tried to kill Dumbledore, but didn't succeed. And that he had an affair with that ghost in the girls' bathroom," said Matthew seriously.

"Yeah, well, thanks a lot for the news, but I'll be happy if you don't go around gossiping about me and Emeric," said Rachel.

"We didn't! You asked us," protested Thomas.

"I didn't. Allyson wanted to know," said Rachel.

Allyson shrugged. "I was curious," she said.

"Okay, all of this sounds really funny, but I have classes to attend, so see you at dinner," said Rachel, standing up slowly and walking towards the door.

All the Weasleys looked at her as Emeric caught up with her and they exited together.

"I have to tell you something," said Emeric gravely.

"Good or bad thing?" she asked him.

"Not so good," he answered slowly. "Sybella said that she owled my parents. She told them that we went to the Burrow for lunch this Sunday."

"And?"

"And nothing, but it's very likely that my father won't be happy about it. And maybe my mother will invite us to the Manor one of these days," he said, scared.

Rachel tried to sound casual as she said, "Well, that would be nice."

Emeric looked at her. "That would be – that would be nice?" he asked in disbelief. "It will be nice if we'll manage to get out of the Manor alive," he stopped for a while. "All three of us," he added.

"Oh, come on, they can't be so bad after all," she said, waving a hand in front of him.

"You can't even imagine," he said blankly. "That wicked witch, I swear that I'll kill her."

"Who? Sybella?" asked Rachel, giggling. "She is not worth it."

Emeric sighed. "You are right."

They walked towards the Charms classroom and, in doing so, they passed in front of a bathroom from where came such a terrible smell, they had to cover their nose and walk faster.

Sybella peeked out of the door of the bathroom as she heard steps outside. She moved her head back and closed the door slowly. Leaning against the wall she took a deep breath, then covered her nose and came back to the small cauldron in which the abortion potion was boiling. Very unluckily, it took an entire month to fully brew a decent abortion potion. The recipe had been on the book page that her father sent her. It was almost December; it should be ready for January.

She had decided to act in January. That would be funny. Emeric and that Weasley girl would have the greatest loss because they would have been already accustomed to the baby's presence and it would have been more painful for them to lose him. Maybe their pain would drive them away from each other, and at that point, Mr. Malfoy would have to reward her for all her precious help.

She coughed a little over the steam that came from the cauldron, then picked up the Mandrake roots and poured them into the potion. She watched the potion for another half an hour, mixing it with her wand and then she moved the small cauldron into a corner on the other side of the bathroom's door, hidden under a basin. She exited the bathroom, trying to look extremely calm, but hardly succeeding due to the excited grin across her face.