A/N: Okay,.... long time no see! HAHA. *achem* Anyway.... I'm using an older computer now, so I can't access the Internet directly with it. I go to the local libraries around my house. Anyhoo... thank you all for reviewing my stuff! I love ya'll's reviews, really! Leave more!

Okay.... now.... I've been drawing this while trying to compensate for the lack of ability, so stick with it, tell me if I seriously screwed up, or just say anything that comes off the top of your head. Thank you!

Love always,
Ehren


Chapter Four


Harry woke up to someone tugging at his bed covers. "WAKE UP!"

He opened his eyes to see Ron with an odd grin on his face. "Ron... what do you want..." Harry grumbled.

"Ginny has a surprise in store for you." His grin became wider.

Harry put on his glasses and saw that the grin on Ron's face wasn't only big, but annoying as well. "Alright.... I'm up, I'm up." He shot Ron a smirk. "Kill joy."

"It's all in the friend book. 'Be as annoying as possible in the morning.' It's true!" Ron grinned.

"RON! WE'RE WAITING! DON'T MAKE ME HAVE TO WRITE YOU UP BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS!" came a familiar shout. Ginny always reminded Harry a bit of her mother when she was angry. Ron's ears went pink as Harry sniggered.

Harry finally got dressed and retreated down the stairs. He saw Remus and Sirius sitting in separate chairs, drinking what looked like coffee. Hermione sat with Ron. Astra, Avalon and Nevaeh were all situated around Skywise, who was now in snake shape.

Ginny stood up and smiled gleefully at him. She wore a yellow sundress with tan sandals. On her chest, Harry noticed, a very shiny piece of metal with a stylized letter on it. Harry stared at it in amusement. He realized he had been staring a bit too long for Ron's comfort when he distinctly heard Ron cough. "A prefect, eh?"

"Yes! I got it this morning!" She smiled. Her brown eyes glittering.

Astra smirked and nudged Avalon. "Odds on Miss Weasley surviving the night with the first years?"

"It's an even fifty percent. She's by far more levelheaded than Mr. Potter over there."

"I would appreciate it if you didn't gamble on my girlfriend." came Harry's flat tone. He glared at them both.

"Ten Galleons says that she runs screaming up the stairs by the end of the night." said Avalon. Suddenly, Avalon was hit it the forehead by a book. She fell backward off of the chair arm she was situated on. "Owie....."

"Okay, kids.... it's time you got ready to head off to King's Cross!" smiled Sirius. He stood up from his chair and grabbed his coffee mug. "Man....! I'm out of sustaining liquid again!"

Harry laughed as he watched Sirius get on his knees and beg like a dog to Remus. "Pleeeeeaaase? Pleeeeease?" He pleaded with puppy dog eyes.

"No... that's your fifth cup! You'll drink me out of my house! You're already killing my pantry!" said Remus. Harry laughed and followed Ginny up the stairs.


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


"Mr. Sirius! Could you get my trunk onto the train? I gotta find Skywise!" shouted Astra as she ran past Avalon.

"You and that damned THING. I don't know what you see in it." glowered Avalon.

Astra picked up Skywise around his middle and carried him over to Avalon. "I've got him now."

"You need to keep that furball on a leash!" growled Avalon. Astra ducked a book that was thrown, letting it hit Avalon. "YAAH!"

Astra adjusted her glasses. Was she seeing things? "Crookshanks?" Crookshanks was standing like a sumo wrestler about to crush his adversary.

He was suddenly scooped up by Hermione. "CROOKSHANKS! What did I tell you about throwing books at people! Bad kitty! BAD KITTY!"

Astra watched incredulously as Hermione turned him around and tweaked his little nose. "OH! You are sooooo cute!" she giggled.

"Don't giggle like that, Hermione... It's creepy!" sighed Ron.

Harry emerged from the nearest men's room in his robes, prefect pin shining on his chest. He straightened his sweater and looked around for his friends. He saw the one person he least wanted to see.

Draco was arguing with his father. "Honestly, father... I'm getting better in my classes." he growled softly.

Mr. Malfoy softly smacked the back of Draco's head. "I want you to get them higher! And get rid of those earrings!"

Harry started at those words. He squinted his eyes and saw Draco wearing a pair of diamond earing studs. He wouldn't have noticed them if Mr. Malfoy had not said anything.

Draco's cheeks tinged with pink. "Stuff it! I like them!"

"I'm your father and I'm telling you to do as I say!" Mr. Malfoy's cheeks went the same color from anger. He straightened up and bushed off his coat. "Well.... at least practice your piano lessons. Just use the Christmas gift from your grandmother."

Harry raised an eyebrow at this. Draco straightened his robes and brushed a pale strand away from his cold gray eyes. "Fine... I will..."

They turned away from each other. "Have a nice year...." Mr. Malfoy said before he disappeared through the barrier.

Harry watched Draco walk away towards the train. He saw a smaller pale figure come up behind him. "Draco! Do you want to sit with me on the train?" said Pansy Parkinson. "I just loooove those earrings...."

Draco didn't even turn. He loosened his hair from the style it was in and stepped toward the train. "Go away, Pansy." he said irritably.

Pansy stood like a statue. Her pale face was white as a sheet. For once, Harry felt sorry for her. Harry shook his head and walked toward another tall pale figure. For a brief second, Harry thought he saw something like concern cross Astra's eyes. As quickly as it appeared, it disappeared as Nevaeh came up behind her and giggled. "Did you see the look on Pansy's face?"

"Yeppers!" Astra giggled back.

On the train, Harry laid his head down on Ginny's lap. She absently twirled his hair as she smiled at the window. Harry felt oddly relaxed with her fingers entwined in his hair. He glanced over at Ron and Hermione, who were on the other side of the compartment.

Ron was leaning against the window with a sleeping Hermione propped against his chest. Ron looked a if he was torn between angst and relaxation. He glanced over at Harry irritably. "She sleeps like a log!" he whispered.

"She barely got any sleep last night, you know that as well as I." Harry said. "It's not like you mind." he smirked.

Ron's irritated expression didn't fade. "Could you not lay in my sister's lap? I feel like I'm doing something wrong."

Harry smirked. "I'm comfortable, what's your excuse." He sighed. He could sympathize with Ron. "Fine, Ron..." He started to sit up, but a hand came down over his mouth and nose. Ginny looked like she could melt titanium by looking at it.

Harry struggled with her hand, but she had a firm grip on him. She didn't even seem to realize that she was almost suffocating him. Ron spoke through the on coming haze that was filling Harry's brain. "GINNY! LET HARRY UP THIS INSTANT!"

"I'm not a kid anymore, Ron!"

"Fine, but--"

"For once, just let me HAVE a social life!"

"Fine, but could you let up Harry now? I think he's suffocating."

Harry shot up as Ginny lifted her hand quickly. Harry gasped for air. Harry shot a glare at Ron. "You certainly TOOK long enough, Ron..."

"Hey! You try talking to her when she's like that, mate!" Ron smirked. "Besides... It's not like you mind."

"Hush up, you!" smirked Harry. He couldn't help but laugh.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


"And you say that Skywise is sleeping in your trunk?" asked Avalon.

"Yes... He said that he wanted to get some rest. Crookshanks is with him." Astra said.

"Didn't Hermione protest or something?"

Astra shook her head. "Strangely enough, she was ecstatic."

There was a knock at the compartment door just before it slid open. The same tall man with pale skin, waist length black hair, and those enigmatic lamp-like eyes. He was wearing red and black robes. His hair was tied back in a ponytail. He smiled at them. "Hello, May I join with you lasses?" He stepped inside the compartment. "My name is Professor Wizworth."

Astra smiled up at him. "Come on in!"

He walked over to Avalon's side of the compartment. "May I sit here with you?" Avalon glared at him icily and scooted over in the seat for him to sit down. For a brief moment, there was surprise on his face. It suddenly flickered into recognition. At least, that's what Astra thought she saw on his fine features.

"I'm the substitute, you might say, for various professors." Professor Wizworth said. "I will be working as the assistant for the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher."

"Oh? Who will be--"

Just then, the compartment door opened. Astra turned to see who was there. Draco looked into the compartment. He looked like he was having an internal conflict.

"Come in, laddie... we have plenty of room!" smiled Wizworth.

Draco closed the compartment door behind him and stepped forward. Astra knew exactly what was going through his mind. On the one hand, he could sit with the certifiable psycho with half a mind to behead him. Meaning herself.

On the other hand, he could sit with the certifiable psycho with half a mind to immaculate him. Meaning Avalon.

Astra smirked at his interesting predicament, but couldn't help wondering why he wasn't with Pansy. "Why aren't you with Pansy, Draco?"

He sat down right next to Astra, but scooted towards the end of the seat. "I want you to know that this was a last resort."

"Gee thanks..." she said irritably. He didn't say anything for several moments. He just kept his eyes forward, like a taxi horse with blinders on. "You know... if you were any farther away, you would hit the door. Are you afraid of me?"

"If I were any closer, I would be in your lap. I, for one, would find that a horrendous prospect." he said calmly. "Just think of all the diseases I could catch."

"I completely agree." Astra said with equal calm. She glanced over at Draco. He was staring at her oddly. "You've probably slept with the entire female population of Slytherin house. SUCH is the PRETTY BOY you are...."

Draco's cheeks went pink. He composed himself quickly and smirked at her. "So you aren't immune to my charms...."

Astra's cheeks went pink as well. "What charms, I've seen GOATS with more charm."

"Yor comparing me to a goat?!"

"If the cloven hoof fits!"

"Well, at least I'm not some psychotic BITCH all the time like you! What is wrong with you! Are you PMSing or what!"

Astra's face went a deeper shade of pink. She leaned back quickly. Her foot met with Draco's face. Professor Wizworth's voice shot through the silence. "I think that's enough. We're almost to the station."

"Fine...." Astra said icily.

They all walked off the train and into the carriages. When they reached the castle, they were shown to the great hall. After Professor Dumbledore finished his start of term speech, and the sorting hat, dinner began.

Nevaeh smirked at Ginny slyly. "Soooo.... do ya think you can handle the first years, Gin?"

Ginny smiled gleefully. "Of course! How bad can they be? I remember the prefect that showed us around. I still have no clue why he ran away so quickly."

Astra was about to say something, when she caught a familiar voice come though the din. It was Pansy. "That Astra! What was Dumbledore thinking when he let her into this school! I mean she's only HALF HUMAN!"

Draco's voice came in now. He sounded irritated. "I'm eating, Pans. Could you stop clinging to my arm?"

"But, you're my sweetheart! I have to cling! She ruined your PERFECT face with her ugly foot!"

"Nothing to worry about. I can get her back for that!"

"I know you can, sweetie!"

Later, in the common room, Harry sat with Ron, watching Astra write something on a large piece of parchment. "What is she doing? Homework?" asked Ron.

Suddenly, the common room door slammed and a flaming haired flash sped past the boys and went up stairs. A second door slammed and Ginny's voice rang clear through the common room. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Astra sighed and gave Avalon ten gold galleons. "Beaten by an anti-social leprechaun!"