Whatever Dumbledore had said to Mara, it seemed to have worked, thought Harry, as he sat with Ron and Hermione at breakfast the following Saturday. For she had returned to classes the day after his lesson with the Headmaster-but to Harry's disappointment, Dumbledore refused to tell him what was going on with her and this Greyback person, he was simply asked to forget about it and move on, and to not bother Mara for information; instead of relaying what he saw between Mara and that Auror to Dumbledore, he told Ron and Hermione.

'It's weird, right?' said Harry, as he walked with Hermione and Ron down to the Quidditch Pitch, where he, as captain, was holding trials for his team.

'Well,' Hermione replied, with pursed lips 'yes, it is, Aurors shouldn't be so friendly with students.'

'You reckon he fancies her?' Ron asked with a smirk 'He's around the same age, isn't he?'

'Looks older,' said Harry 'still young, I'd say in his twenties.'

'Mara's Seventeen,' said Hermione 'it isn't illegal-she is of age.'

'Right,' said Harry 'but, it's still weird.'

'Oh, definitely,' Hermione replied 'you know, she used to be quite popular within her own house, she had a couple of boyfriends before Zambini-other students didn't mind her either, she was very laid back for a Slytherin. Didn't care much what level of blood purity someone had, but-she did plan to marry into a half blood or pure blood family, said she believed in keeping wizarding blood alive by some means.'

'You can do that by marrying muggles,' Ron sneered 'the Malfoys have gotten into her head.'

'I would say so,' replied Hermione 'there is bound to be some influence from them, living with them all this time,' she said, shaking her head 'but she isn't an extremist, she said she believes in keeping wizarding blood 'alive' not 'pure.'

'It's still contradicting,' Harry replied 'well, maybe that will fade away when she get's older.'

'Let's hope so.' replied Hermione 'But, it's only within this new year her popularity has plummeted, since the rest of the Slytherin's found out she was working with us and the DA, and since she returned to school she hasn't spoken to many people.'

'Probably because of this whole thing with that werewolf.' said Harry 'whatever that is.'

'Whatever it may be, Dumbledore is right, Harry, we shouldn't pester her to tell us, especially if it's something that has scarred her. She wouldn't want people knowing.' Hermione paused 'Please Harry.'

'Alright, Alright,' Harry replied tartly 'I won't ask Mara for information.'

'Or anyone else.' Hermione added quickly, Harry sighed

'Or anyone else, let's just drop it, okay?'

Hermione agreed, and they dropped the subject as they entered the very busy quidditch pitch..

Half of Gryffindor House seemed to have turned up, from first years who were nervously clutching a selection of the dreadful old school brooms, to seventh years who towered over the rest, looking coolly intimidating.

'Oh, look, Mara decided to watch the fun.' said Hermione, spotting the Slytherin sitting alone in the middle of the stands 'I'll see if I can join her.'

Ron stared at Hermione, Harry thinking maybe he was about to receive a 'good luck' but nothing of the sort was said as she rushed of to the stands, not looking back at Ron once.

Before Hermione could ask to join Mara, however, that Auror Harry saw last time appeared before her, supposedly asking the same thing as he sat beside her, turning many heads in her direction at this interesting scenario. Hermione felt a sense of irritation build inside her, and she hurried to catch a seat two row's behind Mara and the boy.

'Someone has to keep an eye on the area,' said the boy, Hermoine catching their conversation below 'can't leave a group of students to their own devices these days.' said the boy, rubbing his hands together.

'I suppose not.' Mara replied 'But, do you think it suitable you sitting next to me so out in the open?'

'Does it matter,' the boy shrugged 'they said I could sit in the stands, so..'

'Professor Snape said the next time he sees me fraternising with Auror's, I'll receive a detention, and he'll tell Dumbledore.' Mara said

'I'll make sure you don't get into trouble, Miss Morris.'

'Alright,' Mara sighed 'I'll hold you to that-and I said you can use my first name, remember, Daniel?' the irritability Hermione felt upon first seeing these two sit together grew ever more intense.

'Right, sorry, Mara.' Daniel smiled.

'You are a strange boy, you know.' Mara said in disbelief, shaking her head.

'Gee, thanks.' Daniel snorted.

'It's true,' Mara replied earnestly 'no boy has ever shown this much interest in me, not since Theodore Nott.' she rambled 'And now the only boy that is is a bloody Auror.'

'What about that boy you were arguing with before?' asked Daniel, shooting Mara a questionable look

'Well, we had an arrangement.' Mara shrugged 'We were only satisfying each other, there were no real romantic feelings.'

'Oh.' Daniel replied, looking away with a grimace 'Oh, yeah.' he said, pulling something out from inside his jacket 'I was asked to give you this, by one of the teachers. Hagrid.'

Hermione sat up at once, trying to glance over Daniel's shoulder

'A note.' he said, And Mara opened the letter

'Please come and see me today whenever you can

it's about Care of Magical Creatures.

Professor Hagrid.'

'I see.' said Mara, folding the letter back up 'I thought this might happen-he is probably going to cancel the lesson all together, I mean, it was only myself who turned up last time.' Guilt immediately hit Hermione like a heavy brick to the chest

'So what did you do the whole time you were there?' asked Daniel

'Went inside, didn't we,' said Mara 'he figured it was useless, and we had tea.'

Hermione looked in surprise at Mara 'He said I could go back to the castle, but he seemed upset about something, and looked like he needed some company so I decided to stay put until my next lesson.'

'That's nice of you.' Daniel smiled.

'Well, Hagrid is nice,' said Mara 'and well worth talking to-I find half-breeds most fascinating, and he seems like a lovely person.'

Hermione smiled down at Mara, the irritability she felt before softening, it wasn't often you found a Slytherin saying nice things about Hagrid, a Half Giant..

The trials took most of the morning, Mara however did not stay for the rest of the try-outs, and Hermione watched with a frown as she left the pitch with the boy, to Hagrid's Hermione assumed, the Auror's duties to watch over the students apparently forgotten..