A/N: Here's another chapter. Enjoy:))

Chapter 119: Confused

Just as promised, as soon as we got to the common room (after being given the surprising information that apparently, Slughorn was a Potions professor and not a DADA one), Harry told us everything he heard in the Slytherins' compartment.

"So Draco has a soulmate, surprise surprise so what?"

"Have you heard anything from what I just said?" Harry looked at me puzzled, most probably because I was still calling his 'enemy' by his first name.

"I did, but I don't really see how that is relevant. Why does it even bother you?"

"Well, if we took Malfoy away from Voldemort, maybe he turned his soulmate into a Death Eater too. And there's no guarantee that she isn't eager to do whatever he was supposed to."

"How do you even know it's a girl?"

"Parkinson said so. Even though Malfoy vehemently denied everything that she said."

"And why would she be a Death Eater? Do you realize how crazy what you're saying is? You're accusing someone you don't even know and barely have any info on, of horrid things. I can't sit here and listen to you ramble like a madman Harry, I'm sorry." I got up from where I was sitting next to Ron and left the common room.

I decided that if I got out of the tower, I could just as well go visit Sev and see where he stood on spying; he spent most of the last month of summer Apparating between Hogwarts and wherever Voldy was at the time, so we didn't really get to talk or see each other much. But as I approached the stairs leading to the dungeons, a muffled sound coming from under the Grand Staircase caught my attention. Confused as to who might be there, I opened the door of the broom closet and regretted it right away: Parkinson had pinned Blaise to a wall and they were furiously making out. I don't think the opening of the door was the one that prompted them to stop attacking each other's face, but rather the strangled sound that escaped my throat. Both of them turned to me, faces red and slightly dizzy from the lack of oxygen, and the girl snapped:

"Do you mind? We were in the middle of something."

"Yeah, I can see that." But it seemed like she wasn't in the mood anymore. Muttering curses under her breath, she brushed past me, making sure to bump hard into my arm as she headed, most probably, to her dorm. Blaise, on the other hand, leant on the wall, panting slightly, still blushing brilliantly. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Taking after your mother, are you?"

"Oh, come on, it's not like I change girlfriends like she changes husbands. Or stealing them away."

"Then what was that? Wasn't she into Draco?"

"Don't tell me that she really tricked you. With how much time those two have spent together since...forever, I doubt there ever were any non-platonic feelings between them."

"Oh, really…And how long has this been going on for?" I gestured towards him and then vaguely in the direction of Pansy.

"Not long. My mother and I moved in with her family after summer began and it escalated quickly."

"Moved in with-what?"

"Well, you see, the Parkinsons weren't with You-Know-Who either and we thought that we would be safer and stronger if we were more."

"So you're telling me that you spent the whole summer with her? In her big manor, with only three parents, and you've been together?" I'm not really sure how he managed to see my grin in the dim light, but he obviously did.

"Don't make that face, and don't think about what I know you're thinking. We've only kissed so far."

"Yeah, so far. Now, I'm going to visit Sev, are you coming with me downstairs or what?"

"Sure." He mumbled.

He was making a potion when I entered his office. His sleeves were rolled up and the Dark Mark was a faded shade of black, far lighter than I knew it had been only a few days before. Draco and I had been cranky that day, we weren't used to it yet.

"Hi. How are you?"

"Good evening Selene. I'm better now that I managed to sleep these past days. And I'm brewing Skele-gro to give to Poppy."

"But I thought Slughorn was in charge of these things now?"

"He is supposed to be, yes, but two Potion Masters are better than one."

"And isn't this his office now?"

"I've been here for a long time, so we decided that I'll stay here and he'll take the defense office."

We talked for a while, about my summer, because he refused to tell me anything about the Order or Death Eater meetings or missions. After that, I walked around the castle for a bit, thinking about the events of the night. My brother indirectly accused me of being a heartless Death Eater. Well, at least he didn't actually know about me being Draco's soulmate; and he didn't need to find out either.

Blaise and Pansy were together and her parents weren't supporters of Voldemort.

When I finally decided I was calm enough to go back to the common room, it was late, and, besides Hermione, everyone in my dorm was sleeping.

"Hi Mione. Sorry for running away like that. I just needed some space to think."

"It's okay, I get it. Those two can be too much sometimes. That's why I used to spend so much time in the library during first and second year; sure, knowledge was a bonus, but I was mainly trying to get away from them for a bit. Sorry I never told you."

"It's ok. How about this: we have each other's back from now on?"

"Deal."

And so our return to Hogwarts wasn't as smooth as we expected, but it wasn't as bad as it could've been either.

Next morning, as Harry and Ron were enjoying their first free period (or so they thought), I passed by with Minnie, and she motioned for them to come to us.

"You two go with her."

"But she's got potions professor."

"Yes, I am quite aware of that Mr Weasley."

"And we both only got E in potions. But we should have O to get into the NEWT level class."

"That was the case when Severus was teaching. Horace believes students who got an E are perfectly capable of learning potions as well."

"But the books…and ingredients."

"There are spare ones in the dungeons and you can use them until you order some by owl. Now go. And Potter-" she called after Harry as we turned to leave.

"-I told you I'll help you become an Auror. And I will show that pink toad that I keep my promises."