Chapter Four


"Blaaaaaaaaaaagh...uuuhh...wha' time 'st??" Lily asked bleary eyed, as someone opened a curtain and let in a ton of sunlight.

"It's almost time for Potions, our first lesson! You really need to hurry so that we can get something to eat first!" Pansy said, waiting impatiently.

Lily's eyes grew wide. How had she managed to sleep in on the first day of classes? She jumped up, and told Pansy to go on without her, she would be down in a few minutes anyways...

"Well...ok. I just hope you don't get lost!" Pansy said as she ran out the door.
Lily hoped she wouldn't get lost too. She threw her robes over her head, tamed her wild curls, washed her face, and then realized, dismayed, that her nail polish was chipping. This would never do. She groaned. She would just have to take the polish off, and go nail polish-less the first day...She now only had ten minutes until Potions started!

She ran out of the girls dorm, careening down the stairs, and straight into someone! They both fell over with an angry "Bleeaaaagh!" obviously she wasn't the only person to have slept in. Thanks to her amazing psychic abilities, or, she thought wryly, in this case, lack of, she knew who it was. It was Draco.

"Oh! Uh, sorry!" She muttered, as she hurriedly gathered up her books. Draco was helping her, and happened to pick up her little book on crystals and tea leaves. He handed it back to her with raised eyebrows. She just grinned and shrugged.

"We aren't gonna have time for breakfast...but since we are going to the same place, I might as well just show you how to get there!" Draco said, cheerfully.

As they hurried in to Potions, with one minute to spare, Pansy, along with the rest of Slytherin and Gryffindor, looked at her with raised eyebrows, and as soon as Snape was done talking and being cruel to the Gryffindors, (which really got on Lily's nerves) Pansy hurried up and got to Lily before Draco.

"I wonder what's up with Draco! He is acting sooo weird around you...if I didn't know better I would say that he purposely slept in this morning!"

"But don't you like Draco? Sorry, you have to remember that I can read everyone's minds....teehehe....but, you know, the weird thing is, I can't read Draco's mind! It's really sort of bothering me..."

"It's sooo not fair that you can read my mind and I can't read yours! Grrrr..." Pansy was laughing, but really she was mulling over what Lily had just said. She just KNEW that Draco was up to something...and she was gonna find out what! Pansy decided to just back off from Lily and watch what Draco did....


Draco had gotten a letter from his father that morning, outlining what he was supposed to do. He didn't much like the plan, but he did know it would work...basically, he had to seriously befriend Lily, and make sure that she stayed away from the Gryffindors, which could be difficult, but he had an idea of what to do to solve that...then, after he had become her really good friend, he had to suddenly decide that he was mad at her or something, and get all of Slytherin against her, and make sure that Gryffindor turned its back. Then he would come back in and be her friend, after making her feel really lonely, and really in need of a friend, any friend, at any price. He swallowed. He really didn't like this plan...but he was doing it for father...

All of Lily's classes were the same as Slytherin in the morning, but in the afternoon her schedule was different, because she couldn't do Transfiguration, or Defense Against the Dark Arts, and because she was so psychic she got to do a class only offered to select 7th year students, on really advanced Telekinesis, transporting yourself to other places via the mind, freezing time, jumping into the future, and traveling to the past. She was sooo excited. Then she had a regular math/science/English class, because since she was a muggle, she might need to know that stuff later on...Her day started out with Potions, and then Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid, and then History with Professor Binns, and then lunch...then she went into Professor Trelawny's class, then Mind Transportation, and then her muggle class. Professor Snape had asked if anyone would be willing to show her around to her morning classes, and surprisingly Draco had gotten his hand up right before Pansy...so she was really stuck with Draco. And with Draco around the Gryffindors ignored her. Hermione smiled at her a couple times, but Harry and Ron just sort of pretended that she didn't exist, which really hurt. She didn't even try to read their minds, because, truthfully, she didn't want to know what they were thinking...Hermione just kept thinking, read Hogwarts, A History, sort of chanting it over and over, until Lily got that it was a message to her. Then she grinned at Hermione, who went back to thinking normally.

"Lily! C'mon! We're gonna be late to Care of Magical Creatures! It's way out by Hagrid's hut, and he isn't too friendly to us Slytherins...he tends to favor the Gryffindors, so we don't want to be too late..."

"Ha! Totally unlike Snape, who has been perfectly nice to me, but the way he was treating all the Gryffindors made me absolutely furious!" Lily laughed, then she noticed that she had obviously said something wrong because Draco was strangely quiet.

"So...um, thanks for taking time to show me around and all. I really appreciate it, 'cause if you didn't, I would be sooo lost!" She smiled, hoping that would get the conversation going again. She was uncomfortable in the silence, because she was used to tapping into people's minds in silence, and she couldn't tap into his. She wondered where Pansy had gone...

"Yeah, well, I just figured you would need help finding your way around and all..."

They had reached the hut. Hagrid started to come towards her, beaming, but then faltered upon seeing Draco, and looked confused. So Lily went up to talk to him.

"Hey Hagrid! How was Madame Maxime? I heard she had to leave yesterday to get back to Beauxbatons..."

"Hi Lily! Maxime's doin' good, how 'bout you? Are you okay in Slytherin? Tha' shocked me...I though' you would b' in Gryffindor, fer sure..." He looked genuinely worried. She smiled weakly at him and said that so far everything was ok...

Soon C. of M. C. was over, having worked with Grinkyloops, a small, sweet looking animal that could easily bite your head off, if it decided for any reason whatsoever that it didn't like you. Lily was, naturally, fascinated. Everyone else looked at her like she was crazy. She was the only Slytherin to even go near them. Harry, Ron and Hermione were the only Gryffindors to come and pet them. Lily talked to Hermione some, who didn't seem to mind too much that they were in rival houses. Harry and Ron just sort of snarled. Now that she was in Slytherin they didn't trust her, at all. Then she tried not to sleep through History, and then it was lunchtime. She had to eat with the Slytherins, of course, and ended up sitting in between Draco and Pansy, who kept fighting for her attention. After they had finished Professor Trelawny's class, which ended up being a bore, Pansy pulled Draco aside, because she was gonna find out exactly what he was up to. Lily whispered to her, "Tell me when you know!", grinned, and went to find a 7th year Slytherin to take her to Mind Transportation.

Mind Transportation was really cool! Their teacher was a little airy and kept vanishing, only to reappear in a different part of the room, but the material was awesome! Much to the 7th years dismay, she was still by far the best. Fred and George Weasley were in there, and didn't even hesitate in talking to her, which made her feel good. They did try to get her to eat a candy of theirs, but she kindly refused, knowing that it would do some ghastly thing to her, and reading George's mind to find in horror that it would make her tongue grow to a very loooong length. Aaaah!

She had muggle class, as it was nicknamed, with Dumbledore himself. It was a one on one thing, and she didn't really learn a ton of math, science, or English, but what she did learn was definitely more valuable.

"So...how are you liking Slytherin?"

"Ummm...well, to be truthful, I really wanted to be in Gryffindor. And there's something that's been bothering me, and I think you're the person to ask..."

"Yes?"

"Well, as you know, I can read minds, and I have never met a person whose mind I couldn't read. However, I can't read Lucius or Draco's mind. And while Draco has been what I feel must be surprisingly nice for him, I'm a little troubled by this..."

"Oh my...I wonder what Lucius has up his sleeve? I have no idea how he managed to make their minds immune to you, but I bet it will wear off soon. Watch carefully for a strange drink or potion that Draco gets from anyone, and maybe try and steal it. Although that could just make him quite mad! I think I should warn you, if you haven't been warned already, about Lucius. He is, technically, cleared of being a Death Eater, but Harry saw him last year while fighting Voldemort. I know that Draco is no Death Eater, but I believe Harry about Lucius. And I could see Draco doing just about anything for his father. So stay on the good side of Draco, but don't trust him too much..." Dumbledore was dead serious. But then the twinkle came back into his eye and he started to chuckle.

"Since I will be seeing you every afternoon, just tell me if anything is bothering you. If things get more peculiar than they already are, I will send you a guardian, whom you have met once before. Please come to me if anything, AT ALL, seems strange. Most of the Slytherins are a little on the sly side, but I think you will manage to enjoy yourself in their house anyways. They are almost more famous than the Gryffindors for their wild parties..." He chuckled softly, and then realized that the lesson was over, wished her luck, and dismissed her.


"Draco, I swear I will not leave you alone until you tell me what you've got up your sleeve!" Pansy declared passionately.

"Nothing! I dunno what you're talking about! I'm just being nice to the new girl, that's all! I swear!"

"I completely don't believe you! Why can't she read your mind? And why do you jump at every opportunity to be around her? Oooooh....does Draco LIKE her?" Pansy grinned.

"No! Nononono! Now you've got it totally wrong! Lets just say that I'm doing something to help my father and your father....and their, um, boss." He grinned.

"WHAT?!? Voldie? What are you doing???"

"I'm just finding out information. You sharing a room with her and all, well, I might need your help...just a little. And you absolutely CANNOT tell a soul anything!"

"Ummm...Draco, one problem...she can read my mind..."

"Well, don't let her. Plus, you don't know enough to help her. Just enough to ease your curiosity. And if you do anything to hinder my plans, I will personally tell my father, who will tell 'Voldie'."

"Oooooh....is that a threat?" Pansy laughed.

"You could call it that. Now, will you promise to help me if I need it?"

"What sort of help?"

"If I need to ever give her a potion, or look through her stuff, or if I need some helpful words to be said..."

"It will all depend upon the situation. I'm not about to drug her or make her into a zombie, if that's your idea. She doesn't have much stuff, just a ton of black nail polish...she has a fetish for black...she loves the robes. Be careful, though, because I would be shocked if she hasn't totally caught on, and if she doesn't have a plan of her own. Also, she has a Muggle class with Dumbledore every single day..."

"'k. Thanks Pansy! You have no idea how much this means to me..." He grinned, and gave her a kiss on the cheek, just as Lily walked in.

"Oh! Sorry! Am I, um, interrupting something?" She laughed.

"What? Oh, no!" Pansy said. Lily knew that this was a semi-lie. She grinned.

"Sure...."

Pansy got up to go talk to a friend of hers, leaving Lily once again with Draco. She decided to be blunt.

"So, Draco. I was wondering if you could explain something to me. Why can't I read your mind?"

Draco inhaled sharply. Whoa. Smart, and sharp too. "Well...I really wouldn't know..." he paused dramatically, then went on to say, "My guess is that...maybe you really like me, and because of that, you can't read my mind."

Lily pondered this, and then said, "Well, that might make sense if it was a mutual attraction, I've heard of that happening before, but the thing is, I just, well, don't like your father like that AT ALL, and I can't read his mind either..."

Draco decided the common room just wasn't the place to talk about this.

"How 'bout we go somewhere else to talk about this?"

"Where?"

"Well...maybe if no one's in your dorm, or mine, we could go into one of them..."

She looked around, and everyone in her dorm was in the common room. "Ok. C'mon..."

Everyone was naturally curious, but Pansy hushed them up with some lie about them working together on Potions, since Lily had never had it before. Draco was a little nervous about how to get out of this fix. His explanation hadn't worked, and he couldn't let her know that he was lying, not so early on in the game. Lily, on the otherhand, was enjoying herself immensely, because she was getting to see just how smooth Draco could be.

"So, does this mean that you DO like me, I mean, you said 'that might make sense if it was a mutual attraction'?" Draco said, attempting a subject change.

Lily blushed, and became furious at the same time, saying, "Oooh...don't you dare change the subject. No, that does not mean I like you, I was just sort of hurried in my speech, that's all..."

Draco would really have to get this subject change thing going. What the hell. "Oh...bummer, 'cause, well, it was about to be mutual..."

Alarms were going off all over Lily's brain. She was blushing, and didn't know where to look. "Is this your pitiful attempt at a subject change? 'Cause it just isn't happening" she was grinning, and blushing, and her eyes were sparkling, but Draco knew that there was going to be no subject change.

"So, anyways, I think that you really do know something. Maybe not much, obviously your father is running the show, but let me tell you this: I will never work for Voldemort. Never. I have felt what he and his Death Eaters have done. Do you have any idea how painful it is to read a Death Eaters mind???" she was starting to choke up, and she was afraid that she was about to start crying. Remembering Pettigrew's pitiful mind was killing her...she wished that she could just forget it.

"Well...ok, first of all, who has said anything about Voldemort??? And I wouldn't know what it would feel like to read anyone's mind, having never read anyone's mind before...

"Hmmm...I'm just not sure what to believe you on right now...because everything's your word against mine. I don't want to make an enemy out of you, I really do want to be your friend. You just have to understand that I base my friendships on trust, not necessity..."

Whoa. She just kept hitting things right on...if he didn't know better he would swear that she COULD read his mind....

"I totally understand where you're coming from. And I really wanna be your friend too. But all this suspicion is just unfair. What have I done to ask for all of this??"

Oooooh...now the tables had been turned!

"All I have done is be nice, help you around, be a good Slytherin. I don't know why you can't read my mind, I can't explain it, and I don't know what you have against my father, or why you seem convinced he's trying to recruit you to become a Death Eater...."

"ok ok....fair enough! I'm sorry, I guess I shouldn't be accusing you of anything yet, it's unfair on my part....but I just can't help but have my suspicions. And until I get something to tell me I'm wrong I will still have them...*sigh* I'm sorry...." Lily was suddenly feeling very drained, and she was getting the same feeling she always got when she thought of Pettigrew. She felt like there was something she should be remembering...

Draco was looking thoughtfully at Lily. She had suddenly become incredibly tired. She looked very old. She looked like she had been dealing with too much for one person. He almost pitied her...She wasn't the kind to faint, or to get weak, but anyone could slowly see the energy leaving her...

Draco jumped forward and shook her hand. She looked up briefly, and then slouched over. Her face was splattered with tears. For the first time in his life, Draco was seriously worried about someone other than himself. He felt her wrist, trying to find her pulse, and finally found a very weak one. He sighed and did the only sensible thing he had done in a long time. He scooped her up and carried her out of her dorm room, out of the Slytherin house, where everyone was staring shocked after him, and up to Madame Pompfrey.

He didn't get along too well with Madame Pompfrey, but he knew her well (the Gryffindors had done various things to get him up into the hospital wing at least once a month) and called her Poppy, because they were sort of on an I-don't-like-you-but-I'll-call-you-by-your-first-name-anyways basis. Years ago, before Draco's mother had come into the picture, Lucius and Poppy had been an item. She had visited them at their manor briefly a few times, before becoming basically disgusted with the Malfoy family.

Madame Pompfrey was shocked to see Draco this time. He had never actually bothered himself to bring someone else up to the hospital. He looked genuinely concerned over the girl, too. She was rather certain that Lucius would have some plan up his sleeve regarding this girl, she was too good an opportunity to pass up, but she smiled happily, seeing that maybe Draco would really start to think straight, and maybe he would turn out the way Poppy had always hoped Lucius would...

"Draco? What happened?"

"Well, erm, we were talking, and I guess its my fault really...I got her onto a subject that, unbeknownst to me, brought up a lot of painful memories. And then she fainted..."

"Her blood sugar is very low...Can you help me wake her up? Actually, just try to get her to wake up, and keep her awake, while I get the potion together that she needs...remember not to let her drift off again. Has she eaten anything yet today?"

"Well...we both had to skip breakfast, and then I think she ate lunch, maybe not much though...and that's it..."

Poppy tsk-tsked to herself as she waddled out of the room, leaving Draco with Lily. He wasn't quite sure how he was supposed to wake her up...He shook her gently, and she stirred, but it wasn't enough. It suddenly struck him how damned beautiful she was. Anyone else would have seen a pale, sick girl, but Draco just could not get over her beauty! He rubbed one finger up against her cheek, and was slipping into a reverie, when he remembered what he was supposed to be doing. He shook her again, this time with slightly more force, and her eyelids flickered. He shook her a third time, and she slowly opened her eyes, and looked at him, smiling a smile that struck him as very sad...then she started to slip away.

While he shook her, he started to talk. "Lily! Please, just stay awake...please! Lily!" She was fading fast. He grabbed her hand, and sort of shook her arm. Damn it, he was no doctor...

Lily was having a wonderful dream. And some boy kept trying to get her to leave it behind. Now he was shaking her arm...The dream was just so wonderful. She was at home with her mother, and her father was there too. Then she realized that she was remembering things from long ago. They were cradling a tiny baby, and they were both smiling serenely. Suddenly the picture ripped in half, and her daddy was gone. Her mother was screaming and crying, and then the colors came. Red and black and orange and blue, green, yellow, purple...cascading down around her, flowing into her...The last image was one of her father...he was being tortured, but some unknown force. He got pushed to the ground, and Peter Pettigrew came into focus. So much for a wonderful dream...He pointed at her and laughed, like a maniac. He was covered in blood. It was her father's blood...

Lily sat up screaming. She looked around, wondering where the hell she was.



End of Chapter Four