""Speech

Thought

= Two or more persons talking at the same time

'' Figure of speech

21 Wrong decision

Contrary to what she was used to, Serena was going to her first lesson that Tuesday morning, Arithmancy, alone. Despite this being one of her favourite disciplines Serena couldn't be in a worse mood.

Her bad mood was because of the same reason she was alone. The Golden Trio had been called to Umbridge's office shortly after breakfast and one thing the blonde was sure of, they hadn't been called to exchange pleasantries.

Serena attempted to go along with them but the ' no way in hell ' look that Harry cast her when she was about to do something was more than enough to show that this time, her boyfriend wouldn't let her do what she wanted. But maybe this was for the best, the fact that she hadn't been called to Umbridge's office like her friends demonstrated that the now Headmistress didn't grant her great importance and that was something that gave her some encouragement, it would be much more easier for Serena to help her friends if no one give her too much importance, she should stay in the shadows, for now.

"Serena."

"Malfoy," she exclaimed surprised, great, just what I needed, the Slytherin Prince trying to charming me,again. Doesn't he know how to take a hint?

The girl continued in her way as if she hadn't heard him, but when she tried to pass he simply moved himself blocking her way again.

"Serena, please, I just need for you to hear me out for a moment."

"What if I don't want to Malfoy, are you going to make me?"

"Serena. Please, it's something important."

Draco Malfoy asking please to someone, this certainly caught the girl by surprise.

"About what exactly," asked the suspecting girl.

"What do you see in that moron?"

Any intention that the Gryffindor could have to hear what the Slytherin had to say was completely eradicated by his last words.

Who doeshethink he is?

The boy realized his mistake when the irritation of the girl had become more than evident.

"Serena wai ..."

"I think we haven't anything more to talk about, goodbye Malfoy."

Before Draco could say anything to the girl she left him behind and started following her pat again. Finally getting out of the lethargy Serena's icy words had put him in; he quickly followed in her trail.

"Serena, wait."

The blonde keep going without paying any attention to him, desperate to make her stop he grabbed her arm. Serena whiteout looking to said, in a more than pissed off voice, "get your paws off of me Malfoy, I already told you that I have nothing more to talk to you about."

Understanding his mistake Malfoy slowly released her arm.

"I'm sorry; I just wanted to talk to you about Parkinson."

The phrase surprised the girl enough for Malfoy to be able to put himself in front of her again.

"Okay, so, what do you want to talk about Parkinson anyway?"

The interest Serena demonstrated confirmed what he had been suspecting, the Gryffindor would do anything she could to help the Slytherin.

Bull's eye, the platinum blond smirked internally, "we could stop tormenting her; wasn't that what you want?"

Okay, now he was starting to confuse her. "Are you trying to tell me that you will stop inciting the other Slytherins against her?"

"Maybe," he answered avoiding.

"What do you mean by ' maybe '?" The girl asked annoyed.

"Depend of how our conversation will end."

"Very well then, start talking."

"No, not now, after dinner in the Shrieking Shack," and saying that, the boy turned and hastily followed in the opposite direction she was going.

Although outraged by the fact that the boy just assumed she would show up, Serena knew he was right in assuming that, as much as Pansy had tried to hide it she had suffered with the way the people she had thought to be her friends had treat her for the past two and a half months and Serena would do everything in her power to help the Slytherin.

She didn't want to lie to Harry but, she was sure he would never let her go alone and she wasn't that dumb to think Malfoy wouldn't care if she showed up with Harry.

Shit.

Serena interrupted her line of thought when she started to remember something important.

The class! SHIT, SHIT, SHIT. She thought as she sprinted down the corridors towards the classroom.

…..

"Are you sure of it?"

"Yes, it will be tonight."

"Do not take her out of your sight, you understand, if anything happens to the girl there will be dire consequences."

"Yes Sir."

…...

Harry and Ron headed towards Arithmancy class to get Serena and Hermione when Malfoy and its two thugs cut off their path.

"Potter without your girlfriend I see, did she finally stopped feeling pity for you and told you to go screw with someone of your level, like the filthy mud-blood that is always running around you. She is really asking to be fucked, isn't she?"

Harry had to grab Ron to stop him from doing something stupid.

"Malfoy," oh how Harry would love to clean the floor with the Slytherin, but he knew very well that if he acted upon his wishes the blonde would only use it to give him even more problems that the ones he already had and Umbridge was just waiting for an excuse to kick him out, definitively, not only of the school but also from the entire wizard world and that was something that he wasn't willing to risk just to give a bashing to that spoiled brat.

If there was something the Golden Boy had learned with his girlfriend it was to be prudent with his attitudes, besides, Harry knew that behind the insults that dumb ass cast him was the jealousy Draco felt because Serena had preferred him to that whiny egocentric.

Harry almost felt sorry for Malfoy; the only thing that the guy was archiving with this was pushing her away. So Harry just decided to pay him the same way:

"You shouldn't feel jealousy of a half-blood Malfoy," said the Gryffindor with a cynical smile. "That's just something beneath you."

The face of hatred the Slytherin prince showed was more than enough to tell Harry he had hit the nail on the head.

So Malfoy, how do you like the taste of your own poison?

Harry resumed his path, leaving behind the fuming Slytherin prince while the other two looked him as if that was the first time they really saw him, Ron followed his friend with an expression half admired and half amused in the face.

Without a doubt, Serena made Harry change for the better.

Ron couldn't help but feel happy for his friend; Harry finally had begun believing in himself. Despite the efforts that, Ron knew, Harry did to not give importance to the insults his relatives throw at him every time he returned home, it would simply be impossible for anyone to be totally indifferent to something that happened since the teen could remember.

Much as Harry tried not to, he had begun believing that no one would ever love him. His state of mind had improved when he found out he was a sorcerer and even more so when he befriend his two best friends, but Ron had known then that his newly found confidence had been far from being cemented and the events of last year break down any confidence that Harry had won in the other years.

But now, not only did he showed to have gain his confidence back but it also looked like nothing and nobody could ever break it again. Now, Ron could really see in his friend the leader that would take them to victory in this war that seemed closer every passing day.

But the transformation of his friend also came to make him feel even more remorse for his past deeds, it was true that Ron considered Harry as a sibling but it hadn't been always like that, his conscience would never allow him to forget that in the beginning he had only get close to Harry to try to gain something from the boy-who-live and when Ron had feared Harry could prefer Hermione friendship to his, he had attempted to turn Harry against her.

With time he was finally able to see how lucky he really was for having Harry and Hermione's friendship but every time he remembered the wrong he could have cause them both he simply couldn't stop from feeling awful about himself.

The young Weasley would do everything he could to help Harry in his mission, that was the less he could do to thank not only his best friend but Mione also.

How could he even think about dating her, he haven't the right to do so, not after hurting her so much. His friends thought he didn't showed his feelings because he was afraid Hermione wouldn't want him for not being smart enough, rubbish, he knew her well enough to know none of that would matter to her. He didn't reveal his feelings to her simply because, in the bottom of his heart, he knew that she was meant for someone better than him.

…...

Casting off her invisibility spell, Serena gets near the place where Harry had told her to be the entrance to the passage that should lead her to the Shrieking Shack. The dark and narrow passage didn't seem even a bit inviting on the dim light that the, almost, new moon caste on the night. Aldo she couldn't shake of the bad feeling she felt, she gone inside the gloomy passage. Too late to go back now, Serena told herself.

…

Pansy was to the verge of a nervous breakdown, how could the other girl have simply disappeared into thin air. The Slytherin just lost sight of the girl for a mere moment and the next thing she knew she was simply... gone, vanished into thin air.

Parkinson did as she had been ordered and didn't lose the Gryffindor from her sight; everything was going according to plan, until now.

The Slytherin had only lost sight of the table she was occupying, on the library, when Madame Pince had come to her table to inform her she needed to retire to her common room because it was time to close the library. When she had looked again to the table that had been used by Serena, expecting to see her putting away her things to get out also, Pansy was faced with a completely empty table and the Gryffindor seemed to have simply gone.

"Madame Pince?"

"Yes Miss Parkinson?"

"Did you see when Diamond leave?"

"Miss Diamond from Gryffindor House," the librarian asked flatly.

"Yes."

"Miss Parkinson, Miss Diamond left almost immediately after you have arrived, it's been almost an hour!" The older woman said as she looked the girl suspiciously.

"One hour, thanks Madame Pince."

Parkinson hastily put away her stuff and got out of the library, the only plausible explanation was, Serena had used an illusion spell. But where the girl learnt that spell, such spells were only taught in sixth year. Looking at the immense and almost desert corridor the Slytherin starts to feel the first signs of discourage, by that time Serena could be anywhere.

…

Coming out from the passage leading to Gryffindor common room Hermione follows toward the table occupied by her two friends who were caught up in one more game of wizard chess.

"Victory," exclaimed the red head that made her lose her patience so much lately."

"Will I ever win," asked a downcast Harry resting his head in his palm.

"Yes, you just have to start playing with someone else," retorted Ron with a mirthful smile.

"Ha ha ha, very funny," huffed Harry throwing a pillow at his friend.

"I'm just stating a fact," Ron sniggered throwing the pillow back to his friend.

"Hey, boys, any room for me left," interjected Hermione as she got near her two best friends.

"Of course Mione, you can sit here," Ron told her arranging himself, motioning to Hermione to sit on the free place he had managed to arrange in the sofa.

"Mione, are you up for a game?"

"I don't think so Ron!"

"Come on Mione or are you afraid to lose?"

"I won't win, yet, but I will eventually win."

"Yea right," the ginger head brush off her affirmation.

"Shut up Ron."

"Cut it out you two. Mione only once, at least if he wins I have an excuse for losing."

"Thanks a lot Harry." Bite back an annoyed Hermione.

Any joy is wiped out from Harry face when he spotted the twins stormy entry on the common room. Noticing the troubled expression of her friend sitting across from her, Hermione asked, "Harry, what happened?"

Following his friend's line of sight Ron looked behind him, and saw his two brothers racing toward them and assumed the worst. By this time Hermione noticed also to where Harry was looking and turned at the same time that the twins arrived near them.

"Had something happened to father?" Questioned Ron scared.

The twins are only able to shake their heads negatively while trying to catch their breath.

"Harry ..."

"What about Harry? Is something to do with Voldemort?" Hermione whispered.

"N ...no

"Is ab… about Serena!"

This sentence was enough to make Harry get up from his chair, "What happen with Serena?"

"= She's in danger."