Chapter Seven

The next morning the three boys were up early, to Lucius' demand. He had woken them up to eat breakfast three hours before they had to leave. They had finished packing and getting ready, dressed in their Hogwarts robes, thirty minutes later. After that they played billiards for the extra time, in which Draco won and game and Ash won a game. Steven said that he just wasn't as well practiced as his brother, when, in reality, he had never played before.

They flooed to platform nine and three-quarters fifteen minutes before the train was supposed to leave. The boys stood before the train saying goodbye to Lucius. Draco shook his father's hand and Lucius pulled him close and whispered something in his ear. When Steven and Ash shook his hand, he also pulled them towards him, whispering something. Steven wondered what the other two boy's messages were when he received his.

Lucius stuck his hand out and Steven shook it. He was pulled close by Lucius who leaned towards his ear. "I know who you really are, Harry, and I do not mind. Please help Draco choose the right path."

Harry pulled back with a shocked look on his face. Lucius smirked. "I will write to you boys." He said. Then he turned and left.

The three boys looked at each other and then at the scarlet steam engine. Draco sighed. "Let's go find a compartment." The hoisted Draco's trunk and their small bags onto the train and split up. Steven and Ash took the train to the left and Draco took the right, figuring they could find an empty compartment easier.

Steven was just about to open a door when it was pushed open. Steven was smacked in the forehead and was knocked down. He rubbed his forehead and looked up to see Hermione Granger looking at him apologetically. He heard his brother laughing in the background. Hermione smiled lightly and held out her hand. "Hello, Steven."

Steven nodded and took her hand, standing up. "Hi, Hermione. Nice to see you again."

Hermione blushed. "Sorry if I hit you with the door. Did you want something?"

Steven shook his head. "No, me and Ash were just checking this side of the train for empty compartments."

Hermione smiled. "You can sit with us if you want, we have two empty..."

"ASH! STEVEN!" A voice called. Steven and Ash spun around to see Draco half way out of a compartment down the other side of the train. "There is a compartment down here."

Ash started to walk towards Draco and Steven nodded. "Okay, Draco, I'll be there in a minute." Draco nodded and dodged into the compartment with Ash following shortly behind.

He turned back around to see a very tense looking Hermione. He raised and eyebrow and she asked. "You are friends with Draco Malfoy?"

Steven nodded. "Yes, Draco is my friend. Why?"

Hermione pursed her lips. "Steven, I don't know where you...uhm, stand, on things but you might need to watch how you choose your friends...they might have...different views than you." She dropped her voice to a whisper. "Draco's father is a death eater and I am pretty sure that Draco is."

Ron opened the compartment door and looked out. "Hermione, what is taking you so long? Oh...it's him..."

Steven rolled his eyes. "Hermione, no offence, but you really shouldn't try and guess which students are death eaters. Sometimes..." Steven looked subtly at Ron and only the redhead noticed. "Death-eaters can be right under your nose." He then turned and walked towards Draco's compartment.

Steven walked into the compartment to see Draco looking curiously at him. "Are you friends with Granger?" He asked, steely.

Steven shook his head. "Not yet..." He sighed. "We met at Harry Potter's funeral and I like her. She's pretty cool. And, yes, I know she is a...mudblood...but that doesn't really bother me."

Draco nodded. "Whatever...it's your choice. I am a lot for open- minded than several of our fellow Slytherins though, remember that."

Ash laughed. "You?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "So...I saw Ginny further down the train when I was looking for this one. She is probably going to stop by. You don't mind a Gryff being in here do you?"

Steven shook his head, as did Ash. "No, not at all. How long have you been interested in her?"

Draco looked up. "I am not interested in her. She is more like a sister to me. And I think I am more of a brother to her than Weasel is. I hate Weasley."

Steven nodded. "You aren't the only one." He said, without thinking.

"When did you meet Weasley?" Draco asked, confused.

Steven paled but covered quickly. "Oh, I haven't met him. Severus always used to tell us what a pain he was, though."

Draco frowned though. "I don't understand though...Severus ended up being on the light side. He should have liked Weasley well enough."

Ash shook his head. "No, not really. Severus was on the light side with Dumbledore but...you aren't on the dark and you like Ginny Weasley. Besides...who ever said Ron was light?"

Draco leaned forward in his seat. "Weasley is a death eater?"

Steven shrugged. "Just a rumor. Draco...where do you stand? Light or dark? Seriously..."

Draco sighed and pursed his lips. "I really don't know. I wouldn't say I am dark...I am undecided right now. I...I don't, uhm, want to be a death eater though." He looked down.

Ash and Steven nodded. "That's fine. We understand, neither do we. What about your father?"

Draco frowned. "He...is not like me. He is very well decided which side he is on, I think. And it isn't really the side I would want."

The compartment door opened and Ginny Weasley slammed the compartment door, panting. She was still facing the door as she started to speak. "Sorry, someone almost saw me coming in here." She turned around and gasped. "Uhm, Malfoy...this is your compartment?"

Steven shrugged. "It's no big deal. He has already told us that you and him are friends." He stood and got a good look at her. Wow...she had...matured. Her hair was long now and she had lost all her baby fat. She was lean and fair skinned with long auburn hair and pretty brown eyes. Steven felt his heart thump. This couldn't be the girl he had known last year, the shy, immature looking little girl. He stuck out his hand and smiled. "I am Steven Eltanin and my brother Ash is behind me. It is nice to meet you, Virginia. I think I might have seen you at the funeral.

She looked at Draco who nodded and then shook his hand, smiling at him. He wasn't bad looking...no...she shouldn't say that. She had been in love with Harry Potter and just over a month after he died she was looking at another guy! "Oh...call me Ginny. Everyone does." She then shook Ash's hand and hugged Draco before sitting down.

"So...what have you guys been talking about?" She asked, curiously.

Draco sneered. "Sides of war."

Ginny nodded, looking concerned. "Did you...get, uhm, marked?"

Draco shook his head. "No...dad didn't even bring it up. That was strange. And I don't plan on it either."

Ginny looked nervously at Steven and Ash. "What about you?"

Steven nodded. "I do not want to be a death eater. My father isn't one and I don't want to be one. Ash is the same." Ash nodded.

"That's great. If you are sorted into Gryffindor you will get along great with Ron and Hermione. They were Harry's best friends."

Steven scowled. "I know they were, and I have no intentions of becoming friends with your brother."

Ginny frowned. "Why not? You don't know him."

"Have you noticed all the long sleeve shirts your brother has been wearing?" He asked in a whisper.

Ginny's eyes widened at the thought. "Uhm...do...do you think my brother is a death eater?"

Ash sneered. "We have heard stories...from very good contacts. And we believe he is not only a death eater but he actually betrayed Harry Potter and was there when he was murdered." Steven nodded.

Ginny stood up. "You know what? I don't believe that." She looked at Draco. "Draco, I am going to leave now. I can deal with you not liking my brother but these guys don't even know him and are accusing him of being a...a...dark wizard."

Draco nodded. "Gin...just...try to check it out." Ginny's face twisted in anger. "FINE!" She then turned around and walked out.

Draco sighed. "Well...that went well. And, Steven, don't be checking out my honorary sister."
Author's Note: As for pairings I wonder if you can guess what they will be...can you? Sorry this was late, I was just swamped this weekend with Mother's Day stuff...sorry. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews!