T. K.: *still crying*

Tsuki: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, *continues to apologize*

Neko: The story with T. K.'s great-grandmother is that she has had an aneurysm of the brain, she has pneumonia, and is currently on a respirator. She is going to need surgery but they have yet to even schedule it. T. K. is also pissed off at Wal-Mart as they have started to cut her hours from eight to six hours a day. On a six-hour shift you only receive a fifteen-minute break. The Work Force Rules state that for every two hours an employ works he or she receives a fifteen minute break and for six hours and fifteen minutes they receive a fifteen minute break and a half hour lunch. On top of that she's been so worried about her great-grandmother that she gets about two hours of sleep a night. T. K. is not a happy camper.

Tsuki: *has stopped apologizing* The wounds Hunter and Billy left on her heart had almost healed but I guess all this has reopened those. Please pray for T. K. and her great-grandmother, Ruby Harris.

~~~~~~

Crystal was headed towards the dungeons and ran right into who she was looking for. "Draco," she said.

Draco Malfoy had backed up a few paces before he'd even seen whom he'd hit. Crystal stepped forward and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"It's just me, Draco," Crystal said soothingly. "You aren't in trouble, Love."

Draco looked up at Crystal, who very nearly flinched. The doctors at St. Mungo's had told her the scars on his face would fade and they had, but no amount of potions could remove the scared and hurt look in his eyes. That would take time, patience, and love.

"A few of your classmates and I are going to Diagon Alley for school supplies," Crystal told him.

At the mention of classmates Draco looked away. "I don't want to go," he said instantly.

Crystal slid her hand under his chin and raised his face back up to hers. "Are you sure?" she asked. "You're going to need supplies and a new wand." Draco flinched. Lucius Malfoy had snapped Draco's before he'd started the ritual to summon the demon.

Draco bit his lower lip. "I guess I do need a few things," he said. Then suddenly he'd wrapped himself around Crystal. "You won't leave me alone will you?" he asked scared at the thought of all the people.

Crystal ran her hand over his back. "If things get too bad, tell me and we'll find someplace quiet for you," she said. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Draco slowly let go and looked at himself, he was dressed in a pair of broken down blue jeans that Crystal had found in her trunk (they had been James's) and a white t-shirt. "I can't go like this," he said.

Crystal smiled and said, "Sure you can." Crystal dropped her wizard's robes to reveal a crimson tank top and a pair of faded blue jean shorts.

Draco looked her over and noticed a tattoo running down her thigh. "Interesting design," he said. It looked like fire running up her leg, in the middle of the flames sat the Marauder's crest.

Crystal looked at it. "I've had it for ages," she said. "Let's get out of here."

~~~~~~

"I was wondering if you were ever going to show up!" Charlie said standing up and hugging Crystal. Mrs. Weasley stood up and hugged Draco and Harry.

"You poor dears!" she said, starting to cry. "You're both welcome at the house any time."

Ron threw his brother an exasperated look that said, What's she doing here?

Charlie smiled and shrugged. "Let's sit down," he said. "Mum, let them breathe please."

Harry looked thankful and Draco stood there slightly shocked. Crystal laid a hand on his shoulder and led him to a seat.

Harry sat down on Crystal's left side with Draco on her right; Charlie sat across from her looking disappointed.

Crystal leaned over to Harry and said, "I'm going to take Draco to Olivander's."

Harry nodded. "How long will you be gone?"

"By the time we get done, you'll probably still be at the Quidditch Supply Shop," Crystal told him. "If not, here's your book list." She handed him the list as the waitress appeared out of nowhere.

"Hi! How are you today?" she asked a little too cheerily.

Everyone nodded and said, "Fine."

"That's great, I'm Diane and I'll be your server," she told them. "Here are your menus and I'll be back in a minute to get your drink orders."

"Little ray of sunshine, isn't she?" Draco said after she had walked away, pursuing the menu.

Crystal smiled. "We can't all be as smooth and cool as you, Draco."

Draco looked at her and arched a silvery blonde eyebrow. "I know," he said.

Beside Crystal, Harry let out a sigh of frustration and relief. Still the same Draco, he thought.

But Crystal saw beyond the exterior and into the little boy who appeared in her doorway of her bedroom asking if he could sleep with her for fear of the monster he called a father living under his bed.

~~~~~~

"How about this one?" Olivander asked handing Draco another wand. He had so far tried twenty and couldn't find one with the right feel to it.

Draco flicked the wand and the chair Crystal had her feet propped up on exploded in a cloud of splinters.

Crystal looked at the pile of kindling. "I think not," she said slowly. "Repairo!" she said waving her wand for the twenty-first time since they had entered the shop. The chair reassembled itself and Crystal propped her feet back up.

Draco handed the wand back to Olivander. "I give up!" he said.

"Now, now," Olivander said, "I have yet to not have the right wand for a person."

Draco looked about worn out as Olivander went into the back and picked out another wand. "Ten inches, willow, a werewolf hair, velvet from the antlers of a stag, two hairs of a Grim, and two unicorn hairs."

Crystal looked at her own wand. Fifteen inches, willow, three werewolf hairs, velvet from the antlers of a stag, a hair of a Grim, and two unicorn hairs. Draco swished the wand and sparks flew from the tip. Crystal hid her amazement with a smile.

"EXCELLENT!" Olivander crowed. "I've only made one other wand like that and that woman right there is the one holding it. It was a special order."

Draco looked at Crystal as she slid her wand into its sheath on her arm.

Crystal paid Olivander and together she and Draco left Olivander's Wand Shop.

"Why did you have your wand special made?" Draco asked.

Crystal smiled. "My brother and his friends... they were a werewolf and Animagi. James was a stag and when he shed his antler velvet, he gave it to me. His other friend was a Grim and I used to brush his fur a lot; I could pick the hairs of his werewolf friend off James after he came back from guarding him on a full moon. I myself am an Animagus, I chose the form of a unicorn or should I say it chose me. I was trying for a deer but instead became a unicorn.

"I took all these things that were important to me to Olivander, a piece of James, a piece of Padfoot, a piece of Moony, and a piece of myself. I had them made into a wand that I would be attuned to me, apparently though, they're attuned to you as well."

"This was a wand specifically made for you?" Draco asked.

Crystal nodded. "I knew Olivander had made another like it," she said.

Draco looked the wand over and twirled it between his fingers. "It feels different from my old one," he said, "lighter, I think."

"The one had before this one," she said, drawing her wand, "was twelve inches, heartstring of a Chinese Fireball, and oak. It never worked when I really needed it after I got older. I still have it somewhere. When I graduated Hogwarts the first thing I did was have this one made and it has never let me down. I can understand why it was connected with me, so why does it connect to you?"

"Why would something that is part you, part your brother, and part his friends have a connection with me?" Draco asked.

"Harry's wand connected with him because of the phoenix feather that is in his and Voldemort's wands... Everyone has some reason that makes their wand special, work for them better than any other." Crystal tapped her wand against the back of her left hand in thought.

Draco looked at her and smirked. "Don't worry about it now," he said, "let's just get the rest of our stuff and get back to Hogwarts."

~~~~~~