[A/N: In this chapter I make a very blatant reference to an anime that I've been in love with for ages. 10 points if you guess correctly. Also 10 points if you catch the "Looking for Alaska" reference. 10 points if you don't know either and are just happy to be here.]

"Will you please calm down?" I asked Draco as he pointed horrified to the newspaper in his hand.

"Calm down? When they're trying to slander your name? Absolutely not," he said.

"Well they've already successfully slandered my name, Draco. That ship has sailed," I said. "This whole being suspected of murder thing is what's really grinding my gears at the moment."

"They can't send you to jail. You're only 15," Draco said.

"They can do whatever they want. And if they do send me to Azkaban it won't be for too long. From what I've been told I'll just be there until they can schedule a date to send me to the dementors," I said.

"BUT-!"

"Calm down. Stop shouting," I shushed. Students passing us in the hallway were staring at us enough as it was.

"You know, at first I thought maybe you and your brother were maybe a little off your rockers thinking someone was out to get you but, now even I'm convinced that something isn't right. I mean someone has to be out to get you after all. . ." he said.

"After all what?" I asked.

Draco pulled me up against a wall and lowered his voice. "I'm not supposed to tell you or anyone else this but. . . My dad has been working on your case since the summer since you know he's on the school board and it involves the kids he's in charge of."

Well that was interesting to know.

"And it doesn't make sense for you to be getting in trouble if you're my girlfriend and my father is looking after your case," Draco said. "I know you didn't kill anyone, Hannah. I know it. And none of this makes sense."

"They're going to be interviewing all of the people closest to me to try to sort out if I did it or not," I said.

"But you didn't," Draco said.

"I know now but-."

"Malfoy!" Filch called out. "Umbridge wants to see you in her office."

"And so it begins, I suppose," I said. "Please be careful of what you say to her. She is relentless."

"So tonight will be our last DA meeting?" Neville asked during lunch.

"We have to. We can't afford to cause any more trouble with them trying to pin murder on Hannah," Harry said.

"But we'll still help you personally f you need it. We won't just let you fall on your ass," I said. "You're, like, one of our best friends. That would be so rude if we did that."

"Best friend, really? I thought you just kept me around to look better in comparison," Neville joked.

"Please, Neville. I don't need comparison," I said.

"Your vanity never ceases to amaze me," Ron said.

"Ron you're just jealous because you wish you were as beautiful as me and Neville here," I said.

"Anyway, did you see McGonagall posted the times for career counseling?" Ron asked, ignoring me.

"Yes! I'm particularly excited," Hermione said. "I haven't the foggiest idea of what I want to do when I leave Hogwarts. I think I may make SPEW bigger, you know? Like do things that instead of how muggles do 'Trick-Or-Treat' for UNICEF, it could be like 'Trick-Or-Treat for SPEW'."

"Please shut up," Harry said.

"Rude," Hermione said.

"Yes, but necessary," Harry replied.

"It's kind of no secret that you're the only one who cares about House Elves," Neville said.

"Speaking of it, what do you want to do when you leave Hogwarts, Neville?" Ron asked.

"Herbologist maybe. It's the only thing I like doing and it's all I'm good at," Neville said.

"Yeah, too bad they don't make careers in just being plain awesome because you're cut out for that too," I said.

"You're complimenting Neville a lot more than usual today. Did we miss something?" Hermione asked.

"Well, we didn't want to tell you this, but Neville and I are secret lovers. When Draco's away the Gryffindor's play," I said.

"Yeah, can't find a love like ours," Neville said.

"You two are ridiculous," Hermione said.

"So, Hannah. If your master plan of being a potions master doesn't work out, what do you plan to do?" Ron asked.

"Alchemy, the science of breaking things down and putting it back together as something else," I said. "It's fascinating if you exclude how to make the philosopher's stone."

"And how does one do that?" Hermione asked.

"A lot of human life," I said.

"When you say human life," Harry started, "do you mean-?"

"That they transmute hundreds of humans into the stone? Yes," I said.

"One stone?" Hermione asked. I nodded. "Isn't that illegal? Didn't Nicholas Flammel do that?"

"Yep," I replied. "At least, that's what I've read…"

Everyone sat silently at the table until Neville cleared his throat.

"So, Harry, Ron. How about the two of you?" Neville asked.

"Auror," they said in unison.

"I expected as much," Hermione said. "And in the unlikely event that Hannah is a failure she can be an auror too."

"Yep. I know I can do that. Then we could be an unstoppable crime fighting duo Harry. Like Zim and Zam," I said.

"Who?" Harry asked.

"You know, the wonder twins from the muggle cartoon," I said.

"Oh! You mean Zan and Jayna from Super Friends," Harry said.

"Sure," I said.

"Hey, is Pansy Parkinson waving at you?" Neville asked.

I glanced up and saw that surely enough she was.

"Oh, yeah," I said. "She's like, being nice to me or something. She gave a Christmas present and everything. It was a hat. Just a regular old hat. I haven't put it on because I feel like it might be infected with lice."

"Weird, girl, that Pansy," Harry said. "Oh, yeah, Hannah. I was talking to Cho earlier and she mentioned something about Hogsmeade."

"Oh, yeah. So, we decided we were gonna go on a double. You and Cho and me and Draco," I said. "It's like a way for me to get to know her better and learn not to hate her and for you and Draco to do the same."

"I will do no such thing," Harry said.

"That's unfair though. I'm at least trying with Cho. You could at least try with Draco," I said.

"And it's not fair that's he's rude and unkind to everyone else," Harry replied.

"Well he's going to be rude and unkind to you if you never even give him the time of day," I said. "He doesn't want to hate you."

"And how do you know that?" he asked.

"Because you're my brother and he knows I'll most always choose you over him when it comes down to it," I said. "But I shouldn't have to choose because you two should get along."

Harry groaned. "We'll see, Hannah."

"You're dragging your brother on a date with your boyfriend?" Parvati asked.

"They're going to have to learn to get along eventually," I said. "I mean they don't have to like each other but they can't keep going on vendetta's against each other."

"But forcing them together for an extended period of time? Seriously? That screams trouble, Hannah," Emily said.

"Harry and Draco can both be mature sometimes. I'm sure that it'll all work out," Hermione said.

"Hannah, let me ask you something," Parvati said. "How serious are you and Draco?"

"I'm an immature 15-year-old. I don't think anything I do can really qualify as serious," I said.

"Alright, let me rephrase the question, and don't get offended. I only ask because I care about you and only because I know you very well," Parvati said. "How. . . Far have you let things get with Draco?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You know exactly what I mean and you're probably playing stupid because you did something bad," Parvati said.

"Please tell me you didn't go all the way with Draco!" Hermione shouted at me, shaking me violently.

"No, I didn't!" I said. "Stop shaking me. You're giving me whiplash."

"Sorry," she apologized.

"Then what did you do?" Emily asked.

"Nothing I lament doing," I answered.

"Of course you don't lament it," Parvati said. "Just tell me, since I know you haven't gotten really down and dirty with him, just tell me second base or third base. And remember, this is a judgment free zone."

"Not true," I said.

"And you're still going to tell us anyway," Parvati said. "Just give me a number. Two or three?"

"Well, everyone has their own varying opinion of what is what so maybe she just needs clarification!" Emily suggested.

Parvati sighed. "Everyone knows the four Fs – French, Feel, Finger, Fuck. Now, answer me Hannah Potter."

Usually I didn't have a problem revealing anything to Parvati, even if she was going to tease me about it relentlessly for the rest of my life, but as I tried to say one simple number it got caught in my throat.

Parvati gasped. "Oh. My. God. Hannah Potter you didn't!"

"Please say two!" Hermione said.

I shook my head.

"You let Draco get to third?! Really Hannah?!" Hermione exclaimed.

Emily shook her head. "What's the big deal? I let Fred."

"WHAT?!" Hermione asked. "This is behavior I would expect from Parvati but not the two of you!"

"Yeah!" Parvati said. "I am completely shocked at both of you, though, far more shocked by Emily than Hannah."

"I don't understand what the big deal is. What she does with Draco is her own business," Emily said. "As long as she doesn't get knocked up."

"Which won't happen," I said.

"Right, because there should be no possibility of that happening!" Hermione said.

". . . I understand that my mother isn't around, Hermione, but that doesn't mean you get to take her place," I said.

"You know, if Harry-."

"Whoa! Don't even mention Harry. He might show up," I said.

"Well," Hermione started, "if you didn't do things that he didn't approve of-."

"I would never have any fun," I said.

"Fun indeed," Parvati giggled.