A/N: An early chapter, just as promised. You all can thank the support I received from my Yahoo group. ;) Oh, and there's a VOTE at the end of the chapter, so don't forget to let me know what you think.

Returning To Hogwarts

The rest of the week did not go well once the Horcrux was destroyed. Umbridge was beyond furious at the theft of every shiny thing in her room, including her dozens of paintings of kittens. Her temper was made worse by the twins being apparently out of her reach. Minister Fudge was swamped and struggling to deal with the populace. He didn't have time to send the Aurors searching for two delinquents. The expulsion would have to be the worst of their punishment. He did promise to put a mark in their files that would ensure they would never be employed by a Ministry run business.

Enraged that her revenge had been thwarted, Umbridge came down hard on any student who so much as breathed wrong. She became a tyrant that rivaled the sheer amount of hate and terror Snape had inflicted while being a professor. In fact, she was worse since she still tortured children in her detentions with the blood quill. Everyone was on their best behavior around her, hardly daring to look the woman in the eyes.

The rise in tension within the school was echoed by those occupying the chambers underneath Hogwarts. Omi managed to acquire several newspapers every morning, and none of them had anything good to report. The persistent and increasing fog had been revealed to be the Dementors breeding. There were a sudden rash of Muggles slipping into comas after having their souls eaten. Muggles feared it was some kind of virus or reaction to something, and they were beginning to truly panic. Some were fleeing the English Isles, while crime rates were skyrocketing in both worlds.

The Muggle Prime Minister was demanding something be done, while the Wizarding community demanded the Boy-Who-Lived. Since Fudge had claimed Harry Potter was being trained secretly under their supervision, he was running out of reasons why the teen hero wasn't making an appearance. Aurors and Order members were doing their best, but the Death Eaters were not making any reckless moves. They were still lying low, only letting the flunkies within reach of the authorities, and enjoyed the chaos as the Wizarding and Muggle world were tearing themselves apart.

Severus was still cloistered away working on his mysterious potions project, while Sirius and Marissa entertained themselves and worked on the snitch. Shadow and Draco were assigned the task of trying to find out where the other Horcruxes were. They speculated Voldemort wanted to make seven. The seventh was going to be formed using Harry's death as a baby. Since Harry hadn't died, the Horcrux was only half-formed, thus creating the concentrated energy that formed Demon. Salazar insisted that when Boy merged with Demon, Boy's White magic had purified the soul, destroying the last traces of Voldemort.

That left six completed Horcruxes still in existence. One was used to resurrect the Dark Lord this summer after Demon destroyed him in the cemetery. Severus suspected it was the Gaunt family ring that was used, since the ring was missing from the Gaunt hut and the defenses had been professionally dismantled. Harry had destroyed the diary three years ago, and Draco destroyed the locket. That left three Horcruxes. One made from a relic of Helga Hufflepuff, the other a relic of Rowena Ravenclaw, and the last Voldemort's snake, Nagini.

The problem was they had no idea what relics of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw to look for. It was worse than trying to find a needle in a haystack. On top of that, even if they did know which relics, they had no idea where they could be found. They were basically at ground zero once again. Shadow was beginning to think he would just have to keep going up against the Dark Lord and destroy him, then wait for him to resurrect himself until there were no more Horcruxes left.

Draco had almost hit him when he heard Shadow mutter this idea. Shadow barely survived the last head-to-head battle he'd had with Voldemort with his sanity and life intact. He was not going to go rushing into a desperate battle until it was absolutely unavoidable. And even then, Draco would make sure Shadow had as many tricks up his sleeves as possible. One of those tricks included learning how to harness Seraphim's power.

xXxXxXx

"You'd be stupid not to use anything you can to protect yourself!" Draco bellowed furiously.

Shadow sneered at him. "I'd be stupid to think I can use Seraphim." He shoved past his friend and stormed back toward the private studies.

Draco followed hot on his heels. "Seph already killed the Dark Lord once. What are you going to do? Carry around a fang and try to stab the bastard?"

"If I have to!" Shadow retorted and picked up his pace. "It'd be more sane than what you're suggesting! I'm just not power-blind to see it!"

"I'm hardly power hungry!" Draco yelled, deeply insulted. "But even if I were, at least I'm not a bloody coward!"

Shadow turned and practically snarled before slamming the door in his face.

xXxXxXx

Tension was running high ever since then. And that's why on Sunday, January 24th, four days after the twins' stunt and the destruction of the locket, Shadow snuck away while everyone else was busy.

xXxXxXx

Shadow grimaced as he crept along the corridor. Most everyone was in the Great Hall for lunch, so there was no one around to catch him. Still, where he was going was not somewhere he wanted to be. If there were any other way, Shadow would have taken it, but they were out of options. People were dying, and they had no leads.

He tried to enjoy it. This was the first time since settling into the Chamber of Secrets that he'd seen sunlight or breathed in fresh air. Severus had daily meetings with McGonagall and sometimes Draco went with them, but Shadow stayed carefully out of sight. The populace was practically foaming at the mouth for the Chosen One. He wasn't too sure that McGonagall wouldn't force him to reveal himself as Harry Potter if she actually had him in her sights. But he couldn't wait any longer. He needed answers.

"Professor? Are you here?" He carefully pushed open the door to classroom eleven and stepped inside. He pulled off his Invisibility Cloak and called again. "Professor Firenze?"

The centaur stepped out of the glamoured forest with surprising grace and folded his legs in the small clearing that constituted the classroom. He gestured at a spot across from him and Shadow sat carefully.

"You seek guidance, Troubled One," Firenze rumbled in his deep rich voice. His large brown eyes stared at Shadow compassionately, his long mane of hair fell over his broad shoulders.

"I don't know where to look for the Horcruxes," Shadow admitted, feeling himself flush with shame, but also anger. "I can't do this by myself. I need help. You said you went against your herd to help me."

"You were given the key to the answers you seek." Firenze's tail flicked with agitation. "You still do not know the right questions to ask."

"Please!" Shadow cried, leaping to his feet. He stretched his hands before him almost desperately. "I don't know what that means. I'm sorry I'm not doing things right, but I'm trying!"

"Be still. Sit with me. Be calm."

Shadow wanted to scream, but when he met the watchful eyes of the centaur, he knew he was being tested somehow. Taking a deep breath, he sank to the ground again and closed his eyes. The breathing exercises Severus taught him to stem panic attacks came to mind and he began to follow the pattern almost instinctively.

Images from the papers of innocent Dementor victims and permanent fogs slowly faded from his mind. The mobs and rallies calling for Harry Potter with fearful desperation were harder to banish, but they eventually released him. His guilt over the suffering of the students due to the distraction he had requested slowly rose off his shoulders. It all faded into the back of his mind. His emotions quieted until he was utterly calm. Only then did he open his eyes.

"The Broken One left you something to help unravel the puzzle of the Soulless Lord. All things have a beginning, and all things must return to their beginning in order to reach their end. You have the tools and the ability to overcome this problem, for this problem lies without." Firenze's voice washed over him, sparking images of the golden snitch, of snakes eating their tails, of crops to be planted and harvested. "Tell me, Troubled One, which darkness do you truly need assistance navigating."

Shadow stiffened as he suddenly remembered the last visit he'd had with the professor. Firenze had provoked him into confronting his feelings for Draco and Draco's feelings for him. The centaur had warned him that darkness and war were coming, but he had not offered help with that path. Frowning severely, he said, "You offer guidance with my inner path."

Firenze snorted and Shadow could feel the warm gust of air against his face. "Shadowed, Chosen, Troubled, Blessed, Bringer of Darkness and Light… You, child, have a difficult burden to bear. You embody contradiction. Shiva walking another coil through mortality. I cannot Guide you. You do not need Guidance. You need clear vision. I will assist you with this."

Dismayed beyond belief, Shadow stared at the centaur. "I'm supposed to reconcile these differences? Are you saying if I don't, then we'll lose to Voldemort?"

"There is no resolution," Firenze said gently. "No compromise. No balance. That is not your path, child. You are Black. You are White. You are male. You are female. Never both. Always one. Always another. You are contradiction."

Shadow shook his head mutely. He had no idea what he was being told, but he could feel a building pressure against his skin. Magic was being drawn to this moment of Truth, almost like a prophecy was being spoken, and he could only wish desperately for Firenze to stop.

"You are Change Bringer," the centaur rumbled like thunder. "So bring change. Do not force yourself to fit the World's pattern. Change the patterns of the World. That is why we cannot foretell the end of this war. Nothing is certain as long as you continue to exist. You change the patterns as you should, change those around you."

Shadow stared helplessly at the centaur. What kind of fate was that? A life forever in chaos.

"Child." Firenze bowed so that their faces were close. "Had you not written your father, where would he be?"

"How would I know?" Shadow snapped defensively, not pleased with where this was going.

"He'd be a spy for the Broken One, at the mercy of the Soulless Lord. And your young mate? Where would he be had you not touched him?" the centaur pressed. "He'd feel like he had to try and do what his father wanted. It would have taken him longer to realize he didn't want to be an agent of Darkness. Maybe it would have even been too late."

"That's not true," Shadow protested futilely. "Draco would never have chosen that path."

"He would have tried," Firenze said gently. "Without you, the fledgling would still reside within darkness and pain. And without you, the Man of Earth? He'd never have broken free of the magical prison he'd confined himself within. You opened his path away from despair and early death."

Shadow flushed. He was deeply disturbed. "That's not because of me! They chose their fates themselves."

"They did, but you sparked the change. You made it happen quicker. You opened their eyes to the paths already there, granted them the power of Choice. You are of Light, but also Darkness," Firenze murmured, eyes staring unblinking. "Your existence fuelled the madness within your mate's father. You inspire the Soulless Lord, focus his efforts and sharpen his thoughts. Your existence provided the Broken One fertile ground for his delusions of power to grow and overcome his morals. You make those under the Fire Bird question their path and reveal the darkness cast by fire's light within their own hearts."

Shadow ran his hand through his hair roughly. "I don't understand."

"Do not deny, suppress, or hate your essence. There is no changing the very fiber of your soul. Embrace what you are." Firenze stood and raised his hands. "Your star is bright. It burns across the sky and will be fixed forever regardless of the outcome on Earth. Your star will travel across the sky and cross the paths of constellations and planets that rule over men and beasts. And when it does, a change in fortune will be in their immediate future. You are a sign of change. You bring change by your very existence."

Shadow didn't understand. Not really. But he could feel along the outline of the idea the centaur was trying to express. Basically, he understood that his very existence put him in a position to do things others couldn't. Everything lined up in a way to give him power to tip things into motion one way or the other. Firenze was saying, Changes things. Upset the established patterns. Shadow wasn't sure how to do that. He was just himself. He was aware of the power of his name, of his birth, of his magic, but was unsure how to use them or control the changes his existence sparked in others.

He had a feeling that he wasn't ready to understand, and that Firenze was just preparing him. That the centaurs words would make more sense later. Getting to his feet, Shadow bowed deeply. "Thank you," he said softly. He was as confused as ever, he hadn't gained a direction, but nevertheless he knew he'd been given a gift. The centaurs words were wise beyond what he could see now. It wasn't Firenze's fault that he couldn't understand.

Firenze lowered his head in return with a soft indulgent smile and disappeared among the shadows cast by the illusionary trees once more.

xXxXxXx

Draco was stressed. Marissa had been bugging him to play with her all morning, and Shadow had disappeared for two hours yesterday, which really worried him. Shadow was usually level-headed, but there were times when he'd do something reckless and foolhardy. There was some Gryffindor in him, after all. But he wasn't talking to Draco, not since their last fight.

"Honey. I'm really busy," he said for the fifth time.

The little girl pouted up at him. "Sirius is too busy to play, too. And you haven't played with me in ages."

Draco ran his hands through his hair with a sigh, knowing she was right, but that didn't change the fact he was busy. "We're really trying to figure this thing out, sweetie." He gestured to the damned snitch sitting innocently on the table in front of him.

Marissa cast her eyes downward. "Okay."

Of course this made Draco wince. It wasn't the girl's fault she was cooped up with them and that tempers were beginning to run short. She was just a little girl and was bored. He stood and offered his hand. She immediately took it, her brown eyes bright with hope. "Come on. Maybe a break would be good. Let's go see what Shadow's doing."

"Okay!" she said more excitedly.

They walked through the rooms slowly, pretending like they were stalking prey. Sirius had taught Marissa this game, and she insisted Draco play with her. Shrugging, the blond crouched and pretended to hunt for Shadow, smiling when Marissa giggled. They moved cautiously until all the rooms were searched. No Shadow. Draco was beginning to worry that his best friend had disappeared again when they entered the main hall where the basilisk remains rested. Shadow was bent over the corpse, working mechanically, his expression distant.

Marissa pounced and attacked his legs, making the teen stagger, but he looked down at her with a smile.

"Hey. What're you two doing?"

"Draco's taking a break. Can you play with us?" she asked hopefully.

"You know what, maybe playing is exactly what we need to do," Shadow answered thoughtfully.

Draco frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?" He crossed his arms over his chest. His annoyance skyrocketed at the silent treatment he was getting. Shadow wasn't explaining himself at all. Not where he went yesterday, not why he'd been in such a funky mood. Nothing. It was really starting to piss him off.

Shadow met his eyes. The two-colored orbs were reserved and tired, but there was a determination shimmering in them as well. "I want to go talk to Rogan and the others. I think I've figured out a way for people to come and go from the Chamber. Trusted people of course. The wards we had Godric devise over their bedrooms only do so much. They should have a place to go if they really need to be out of Carrow and Umbridge's reach."

"Have you told Severus?" Draco asked, arching his eyebrow.

"No. He's busy. Besides, I don't need his permission." Shadow glared at him, reminding his friend he was still mad at him. "Are you coming with me or not?"

"What if you get caught by a teacher or McGonagall?"

"I'll deal with it." He ran a hand through his curls, frustrated. "I'm tired of hiding. I'm ready to confront some of these people."

"And Marissa?"

"She can come. She needs to get out of here for a while, too." Shadow smiled down at the girl who was listening patiently to their discussion.

As soon as she had his attention, she smiled brightly, but also nervously. Strangers put her on edge and this place was the best place she had ever been. It was safe, and warm, and fun. It was strange and magical. She honestly wished she would never have to leave, while also being curious. Sirius had told her that there was a big castle above them, and it was a school filled with lots of kids. Her mother had told her she'd have to go to pre-school next year, so she was curious what that meant.

Draco nodded, resigned. He knew he'd made the right decision when Shadow smiled at him. It was such a happy and unguarded expression that it momentarily took his breath away.

"Thank you," Shadow said softly. Then he turned and smiled at the little girl. He offered her his hand. "You ready to explore?"

Marissa nodded and immediately nodded, sending her thick copper hair bouncing around her shoulders.

They made their way to the slide and Shadow hissed for it to open. The stone rippled until the slide transformed into a long staircase. They made the long climb up to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Draco had to carry Marissa most of the way. He carefully warned the girl about the ghost and told her not to be scared.

"I'm not scared," Marissa answered solemnly. Her hand rose to rest against her collarbone. "The angel will always save me."

Draco nodded agreement to this statement, and Shadow scowled down at him. Draco shrugged to say, 'what can I do?' It wasn't a bad thing that Marissa felt safe and protected. He couldn't tell her that it might not be true when it made her feel safe to believe in her 'angel'. Besides, either way Shadow, Seraphim, or Draco would always be there to save her. Hell, Sirius and Severus, too, had come to care for the child. So her faith wasn't exactly misplaced.

Since it was Monday and everyone was in their last classes, Shadow and Draco decided to wait in Rogan's bedroom for the fourth year to arrive. The common room was too risky and so was wandering the halls. The bedroom was at least warded to subtly influence anyone of ill intent to go somewhere else.

Marissa's eyes were wide with curiosity and fear as they walked through the empty stone corridors. The paintings moved and whispered, there were suits of armor and old weapons. The common room was huge, and she itched to touch everything. However, the most impressive thing she saw was the window that looked into the lake once they arrived at Rogan's room.

"So are you going to talk to me?" Draco asked quietly while the little girl was plastered to the window, looking for mermaids.

"Eventually." Shadow smiled wryly. "I haven't really been able to make sense of what Professor Firenze told me."

"Is that who you snuck out to see yesterday?" Draco asked casually, but his eyes narrowed. He vividly recalled Shadow's last meeting with the centaur, and he did not like to think the creature had put his hands all over Shadow again. Plus, he seems to have upset his friend once more. "What did he have to say?"

"A lot. Basically, he can't help me with Voldemort, I mean, Tom," he corrected when Draco flinched. He rolled his eyes. "Anyway, he did say he could help me become comfortable with who I am. Another therapist, I guess."

"You haven't talked to Severus like that in a while," Draco noted.

"I'll talk to Severus later," Shadow reassured him. "I'm just not ready yet. I'm still thinking about things. Besides, it's not like he'll help your case. He doesn't think messing around with Seraphim is a good idea either."

"We'll see," Draco said darkly. "We haven't heard Salazar's report yet."

Shadow ignored that. He didn't really want to renew the fight. He was beginning to miss Draco's input and company. "I'm getting restless. It doesn't feel right, sitting on the sidelines like this. I want to be more involved. I almost want to come back to Hogwarts."

"No," Draco said flatly, his eyes cold. "We can work behind the scenes, but under no circumstances are you putting yourself within reach of Carrow or Umbridge."

Shadow didn't say anything to this and Draco felt his temper rise. He was about to say something more pointed when the door opened behind them and Rogan stepped in. Shadow's eyes brightened when Rogan enthusiastically pulled him into a hug.

"Shadow!"

"Hey. Things better now?" Shadow asked once the teen released him.

Rogan Harper was the leader of the little triad he formed with Miles and Lillian. Though Lillian could be very domineering, he was the more decisive of the three. He'd taken Miles under his wing and Lillian was his co-conspirator. Once he opened up to Shadow, he'd sort of adopted him as well into his little circle of friends. That meant something to both of them.

"Within our rooms," Rogan agreed, but then shook his head. "Not outside them. Things are getting pretty desperate."

"What's happened?" Shadow asked worriedly and looked the teen over. Rogan looked the same; shoulder length auburn hair, watchful hazel eyes that hid a hot temper, and a pale complexion. He looked maybe a little thinner and his face was a bit strained, but nothing too major. However, he was a Slytherin, and the lack of physical evidence didn't necessarily mean anything.

"Lillian won a duel last night against Tracey Davis." Rogan's eyes cut over to Draco. "Your year, I believe."

He nodded. "Neutral, I believe."

"Anyway, she told me what Carrow is teaching the winners. Knott just uses the loser for target practice, but Carrow… She's teaching the winners Dark Arts. But not normal spells. She's teaching the addicting ones and making them practice them."

Draco and Shadow stood grimly silent. They'd wondered what Carrow was doing. They knew it was bad, but this was truly awful. She was addicting minors and forcing them to crave a power that could easily slip out of control. Marissa, feeling the tension, came over and pressed herself into Draco's legs.

"Who's this?" Rogan asked, looking down at her in surprise.

"Marissa," Shadow introduced, "this is Rogan Harper. My friend."

"Hi," she said quietly and pressed her face into Draco's thigh. He stroked her hair gently.

"We sort of rescued her and now she's stays with us in the Chamber," Shadow explained.

"The Chamber of Secrets?" Rogan's eyes went wide. He was a first year when the basilisk had been set loose, just like Ginny. "Really?" It was every Slytherin's dream to see the Chamber.

Shadow smiled. He'd forgotten that he'd get that reaction. "Yeah. Seems like my father knew how to get in all along. He's hiding us there since not even the Headmistress has access to it."

"Wicked." Rogan grinned. "Miles is going to love this."

The fragile, scholarly teen certainly would. "I wanted to invite you down whenever it's safe for you to slip away. Also if there's an emergency and you have to get away, I want you to know where it is."

Rogan nodded seriously. "Thank you."

Shadow waved that away, a frown on his face. "How is Miles? He's not sick, is he?" His brittle bones condition made him extra vulnerable to physical assault. He hoped that wasn't being used against him.

"He's not a Slytherin for nothing," Rogan boasted with a grin, but it didn't reach his eyes. "We're all holding it together as best we can."

"I guess that will have to do for now," Shadow said, clearly unsatisfied.

"I should get down to dinner," Rogan reluctantly murmured when he noticed the time. "Carrow will know I'm missing. I just came up to drop off my books."

"I'll stop by again tomorrow night with a charmed pendant. It will get you into the Chamber. Use it only in emergencies or if you're certain you won't be missed, caught, or followed," Shadow instructed.

"I understand." Rogan gave his friend one more hug before slipping out of the room.

Draco lifted an eyebrow. "What pendant?"

"We'll have to make some." Shadow flashed him a cheeky grin. "Now come on. We only have while they're at dinner."

"To do what?" Draco demanded as Shadow left.

Marissa followed happily since Shadow was creeping along and she thought it was another game. Shadow put a finger over his lips and winked at her.

Draco's frown deepened when they went in the opposite direction as the Chamber. It took him only five minutes to realize Shadow was sneaking up to Gryffindor Tower. He groaned silently and rolled his eyes. Why must Shadow do such crazy things? But he was committed, so he kept his eyes open and his senses alert. His wand was ready to stun anyone who happened upon them. Luckily, Shadow had timed it right and they arrived without discovery.

"A little one!" the Fat Lady said, startled.

"Hello. We really need to see Neville Longbottom. It's kind of important. We don't want to be caught by Carrow or Umbridge."

"I dare say," the Fat Lady agreed. She looked them over very unhappily. "I'm not supposed to let people in without the password."

"I'm aware, but I solemnly swear that I will do no harm to any student or Hogwarts herself," Shadow coaxed.

Marissa added to the plea with a quiet, "Please, ma'am. I want to see a real lion's den."

The painting smiled down at the young child and caved. "Very well." The portrait swung open onto a worn common room with a multitude of red and gold pillows and couches. It was opulent and luxurious, but not at all elegant the way Slytherin's common room was decorated.

"Wow," Marissa breathed. "It's beautiful."

"A little Gryffindor in the making," Shadow said with a laugh.

"Hardly!" Draco snapped, scandalized. "She's Slytherin through and through!"

"If telling yourself that helps you sleep at night…" Shadow shrugged with twinkling eyes.

Motion to the right drew his eyes and they widened dramatically. Ron and Hermione were pressed into a corner, making out heavily. The redhead's hand was up her shirt and Hermione had both hands buried in his hair. Beyond shocked, Shadow approached cautiously. Their mouths worked furiously and the smacking noises and moans softly filled the air. Shadow grimaced, his stomach churning. He honestly thought he might be sick.

"Sorry to interrupt, but can you not do that," he pleaded, horrified that he and Draco may look like that when they kissed.

The two Gryffindors broke apart with dismayed gasps. Both their faces turned bright red, their chests rising and falling quickly as they struggled to catch their breaths.

"Ugh," Draco grunted in disgust, his lip curled in disdain.

Shadow felt a bit better that he shared his feelings, but still felt very uncomfortable. He shifted his gaze away toward Marissa who was oblivious and bouncing on a battered red couch happily.

"Shadow! Draco!" Hermione finally broke out of her shock enough to speak. "What are you doing here?"

Ron was frantically trying to set his clothes to rights; Hermione followed his lead and nervously tried to flatten her wild hair.

"I wanted to know when you had DA meetings. Thought you'd be at lunch, and that I'd just wait for Ron in his room." He still couldn't bring himself to look them in the eye.

"What are you doing at Hogwarts? Where did you go after the Ministry? The Order has been frantic trying to find you and Snape!" Hermione ran right over his answer. "We were so worried!"

She came toward him to give him a hug, but Shadow quickly sidestepped her. His skin crawled and cold sweat broke out over his forehead and on his palms. Her eyes went wide and filled with tears. Ron's face turned redder, his fists clenching furiously.

Draco quickly cut in, trying to distract them both from his friend. "Aren't you dating Krum, Granger?"

Hermione blushed and covered her mouth in shame, her tears spilling free down her hot cheeks.

Ron moved from the wall and shoved Draco hard. "What's it to you, Ferret? Mind your own bloody business!"

Marissa gasped at this display of violence and cried out, "Draco!" She ran over to the Slytherin, but Shadow caught her and lifted her to his hip.

"Okay. Everyone stop," he said sharply, forcing himself to calm down and push everything else away. "Ron, you're right. What you two do is none of our business. Hermione, stop crying. We really don't care either way. It was just a shock to see. Why don't you wash your face or something, and then we'll talk."

She nodded her head jerkily and ran up stairs toward the girls' dorms. Ron stood with his arms crossed over his chest and scowled at Draco. Draco returned the glare with interest. Shadow stepped between them and introduced Marissa. Ron's expression softened as the little girl waved at him shyly.

The four of them moved over to the couch Marissa had previously been bouncing on. Shadow and Draco sat with Marissa between them, and Ron took a seat in a sofa chair near them. The Slytherins sat silently as Ron described things that were happening around school. The DA had grown exponentially, and everyone was very careful around both Carrow and Umbridge. Umbridge was still giving painful detentions, but Carrow just creeped them out with her hungry smiles and the way she described the awful things potions could do. Most of what she taught was borderline Dark, but not quite illegal, so McGonagall couldn't say anything about it.

Hermione came downstairs, her robes in place and her face clean. She sat across from Ron in a similar sofa chair. Her head was held high, but a blush still stained her cheeks as she folded her hands primly in her lap. "So, Shadow, tell us what you've been up to. Where have you been? What are you doing? We didn't really have time to talk before going into the Ministry, but what happened to you after you and Draco were taken from Grimmauld Place? Are you okay? What are you doing here at Hogwarts? Is the Ministry still out for you? Does the Headmistress know?"

"Hermione, slow down," Shadow said with a smile. Her blush deepened, but she met his gaze steadily. "The Ministry isn't after me anymore, but Draco is still wanted for questioning regarding the incident at St. Mungo's, thus his new look." He waved his hand at the former blond and Draco smirked.

"I had to look twice to recognize you," Hermione admitted. "You did a good job. I don't sense magic, though."

"It's completely non-magical." Shadow grinned at her. "We went to a Muggle spa and salon. You should see Severus!"

"Really?" She smiled. "I'd love to hear the details."

"Is this really pertinent?" Draco scowled at them both. "We're here for a reason, remember?"

Shadow allowed the change in subject. He didn't especially want to die slowly. Marissa huddled deeper into his side at Draco's murderous look. "I want to attend DA meetings. I could use the practice dueling."

Hermione nodded and fished something out of her pocket. She handed him a magically enhanced galleon. "We never plan too far ahead of time, as we don't want word to spread to the wrong people. I put a different time every morning, and those that can show up do. Between Ron, Ginny, and I, we try to have at least one of us at each session to keep a record of what's being taught and to set up drills. Slytherins have stopped coming. Neville explained that it's because Professor Carrow is breathing down their necks and watching their every move. So we try to take notes of what we do and pass them over to Rogan Harper secretly in the halls. He's the Slytherin representative."

"That's really great that you do that," Shadow said approvingly.

Seeing that they were going to be talking for awhile, Marissa wiggled off the couch and ran to explore the room further. Draco watched her out of the corner of his eye to make sure she didn't get into anything she shouldn't. Who knew what Gryffindorks would leave laying around.

"Thanks for this. I'll try to make as many sessions as I can." Shadow slipped the coin into his pocket.

"What's going on?" Hermione insisted. "You still haven't said."

"We're staying in the Chamber secretly. McGonagall knows Draco, Sirius, Severus, and Marissa are down there, but she hasn't seen me. I'm sure she suspects, but it's not like she can go down there to check. Only I can open the door. As for what happened to us after we left Grimmauld Place, I'd rather not say. Draco and I were fine, though. And it's over, so don't worry about it."

"If you're not on the Ministry wanted list, why don't you come back to classes, mate?" Ron asked with a frown.

"It's not exactly safe," Shadow explained wryly. "Officially the pursuit has been stopped, but unofficially I wouldn't put it past Umbridge to grab me and do something drastic."

"You've got a point," Ron agreed.

"Well, I'm very glad you're here now." Hermione smiled brightly. "It's good to see you're all right. Things have been crazy out there." She reached over and he let her pat his hand.

"Thanks." He cast the Tempus charm and saw there was only ten minutes left of dinner. "We should go. People are going to be in the halls soon and we have to sneak back to the Chamber. Tell Neville hello for me."

"Sure," Ron promised.

"See you tomorrow?" Hermione pressed anxiously. Every time Harry disappeared from her sight, she worried it would be the last time she was going to see him.

"Definitely." Shadow smiled and rose. Draco followed his lead. They collected Marissa and, with a final wave from Shadow, the three slipped back into the halls. Marissa thanked the portrait, and they made their way quickly toward Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

"Cutting it a bit close, don't you think?" Draco hissed when they landed safely at the bottom of the slide. They had almost been caught, but had dodged into the bathroom just as a talking trio had turned the corner into the hallway.

He shrugged. They hadn't been caught so it was a moot point. Marissa went running past the basilisk. She was calling excitedly for Sirius. She wanted to tell him all about the lion's den. It had been exactly as he described it. Shadow and Draco exchanged a glance, knowing they were going to be in trouble when Severus heard about their excursion.

Shadow knew that even though Draco didn't approve, he would stand by him and defend his decision to Severus. That knowledge made a tingling warmth spread through his chest. They may not always agree, but against adversity Draco would always side with Shadow. Draco scowled at his friend's knowing smile, but his expression was wiped clean when Shadow grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently.

"Thank you," Shadow said for the second time that day.

Draco sighed, his anger disappearing as if it'd never been. He was going soft! "Don't mention it," he said seriously.

Shadow laughed. "Don't worry, Serpentine. I'd never dream of damaging your badass reputation."

Draco scowled and ran after the laughing brunet, dire threats flying from his lips but laughter in his grey eyes.

Chapter end.

A/N: VOTE!!

A) Keep the scenes mostly from Draco/Shadow's perspective.

B) Add scenes from the Dark Lord/Ministry/Order/Hogwarts students' perspective to let readers in on what's happening other places.

Picking (A) will make the story finish quicker, while (B) will probably give a clearer picture of what's happening in the Wizarding world and what Draco and Shadow are facing. On the other hand, I don't want to spend all this time on writing other scenes when a lot of people skim those or just skip them completely to read just the scenes that have either Shadow or Draco in them. Let me know what you think. Thanks.