OH MY GOD!!! TO ALL THE PEOPLE READING MY FANFIC I AM SO UTTERLY SORRY THAT I HAVEN'T POSTED IN SO LONG!!!

Everything seemed to go pear shaped in the past two weeks. I have been working and trying to pack and find a new place to live. It's been exhausting. Not to mention my brother is leaving to move to Michigan tomorrow with our dad tears but I finally managed it. I hope you all haven't given up on me because I'll die! Please keep reading and reviewing. I love you all! Again, I am really really sorry.

RedTears85

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

The lyrics below are from " For You " by Staind

All your insults and your curses make
Me feel like I'm not a person
And I feel like I am nothing but
But you made me so do something
'Cause I'm fucked up because you are
Need attention, attention you couldn't give

I sit here locked inside my head
Remembering everything you said
The silence get us nowhere!
Gets us nowhere way to fast

The clock above the door ticked the time, counting down the minutes until Draco would have to face his father. He was always nervous about meeting up with his father. It was always endless conversations about joining the Dark Side and pledging his alleigiance to Lord Voldemort. Draco really didn't want to do this. True that due to his upbringing he sometimes couldn't help the thought that the magical community would be better if only purebloods were taught magic but even now he had to stop and think. He took Hermione Granger for example. She was muggleborn yet her intelligence was such that she made a better witch then some of the purebloods he'd met. It perplexed him and he didn't much like making certain revelations like this.

The blond Slytherin shifted uncomfortable in his chair and looked at his surroundings. His father had decided that it would be best that the two of them meet in the Hog's Head. It was a shoddy little pub on the outskirts of Hogsmeade that no respectable witch or wizard would step ten feet within the vacinity. Lucius Malfoy had explained that it made an excellent place for them to talk because no one around would really care. Draco screwed his face up in displeasure at the strangley dressed men and women that inhabited the pub. He shifted again as the door open and a cold breeze swept Lucius Malfoy into the pub. Draco found it ironic how the weather reflected Lucius' aura. Draco stood as his father reached the table that Draco had chosen in a far corner.

" Father, to what do I owe the pleasure? " Draco asked, formally. Manners were a must with his father.

" Draco, good to see that you haven't lost your touch. " Lucius drawled as he seated himself across from Draco.

Draco nodded and sat. " So what's this all about? "

" I came to talk to you about one of the little friends that you've been playing with. " Lucius' eyes turned cold.

" Really? Which friend? Crabbe or Goyle? Perhaps Pansy or Blaise? " Draco's sarcasm was sinking through.

" Watch your tongue boy. " Lucius warned. " As a matter of fact it's neither. It's about the American girl, Serena Skylar. "

Draco's felt the blood drain from his face. " How'd you know about her? "

" Miss Parnkinson had the courtesy of sending me a owl, telling me all about this girl. About the trashy rock music she sings with her trashy friends. How she paraded herself half naked in front of the entire school during a concert. Not to mention, she's a mudblood. "

Draco's head snapped up and he felt his heart jump into his throat. He'd had no idea that Serena was muggleborn. She'd never told him.

" What are you doing making nice with trash. " Lucius demanded.

" What the hell do you know! " Draco stood and slammed his fist onto the table. " Don't you dare call her trash. I had no idea that she was muggleborn but it doesn't matter to me! She's my friend because she doesn't care about my name or my money. She likes me for me. Oh and while I'm thinking on it. I'm not joining the Dark Side. I have more important things to do with my time then try to rule the world. "

Lucius' lips curled into a thing sneer. He wanted nothing more then to curse his son to hell and back at this point and he would have if the place they were at wasn't so public.

" Is that a fact? " the elder Malfoy stood, straightening his clothes. " You listen closely to me Draco. There are people watching you for me and if anything gets back to me that you're still befriending that mudblood then I will see to it personally that you'll regret it. As for joining the Dark Side, you will. Believe me you will. " Lucius' voice was threatening. In a swirl of robes Lucius made his leave of the pub.

Draco stood trembling, he knew his father's threats weren't empty. He also knew that it would be Serena that would be harmed if they continued their friendship. Draco didn't care what happened to him and his father knew that. Frustrated, Draco left the pub and trudged back tp Hogwarts. He had to stop being friends with Serena, to protect her.

Serena tapped the tip of her quill against the parchment below in rhythm to the music that flowed through her headphones. History of Magic was her worst subject and to write an essay for it nearly killed her. The subject bored her into a coma. The common room was dead silent as students studied ferverishly for the N.E.W.T's that were darwing close. Serena had found it hard to concentrate all day because a sense of foreboding settled deep in her stomach. She felt a change of the wind and what might happen, she knew she wasn't going to like one bit. With a sigh, she set the quill down and looked to see Mickey staring at her. She smiled warmly to her friend.

" Wanna take a walk? " he mouthed to her.

She nodded and the two teenagers abandoned their homework and set off through the halls of the castle.

" What's up with you? " Mickey asked. " Is something wrong between you and Harry?

Serena shook her head. " No no, nothing like that. If anything everyday gets better between the two of us. The sex had been great. " she joked.

Mickey screwed up his face. " That was way more then I wanted to ever hear in my life. Besides what basis of comparison do you have? "

" None. I'm assuming. " Serena smiled, then turned serious. " I think it has something to do with Draco. I just don't know what. "

Mickey sighed. " Look, Serena, I've been meaning to talk to you about this kid. I've heard people whispering and just recently I heard a couple of Slytherins talking about Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy. It was some fucked up shit that I heard. Malfoy Sr. is a nasty guy. He spends most of his energy trying to seek out innocents to bring to He Who Must Not Be Named. There was even a rumor that he was in Azkaban for awhile, the wizard prison they have here. I don't know if the last part is true but I'd watch out for this kid. You know that old saying like father, like son. "

" Mickey, I really don't think Draco is like that. He told me that he and his father never really got along but that was it. Still, something in his eyes tells me that he's not a bad person at all. Just lost. I think he was mistreated when young. When he spoke about his father his eyes clouded over in almost a fear type of way." Serena explained.

Mickey nodded. " I'm just trying to look out for you little sister. " He wrapped his arm around Serena's shoulders and nuzzled the top of her head.

" Thanks big brother. " Serena replied.

" No problem. "

With that, Mickey started tickling Serena's sides causing her to burst into immdiate giggles. She tried her best to fend her friend off but he had a definate advantage over her. She shrieked with laughter as Mickey caught her against the wall telling her to beg for mercy. Serena would have to be tortured far more then that.

" Serena. "

The tickle match was brought to an abrupt end as Draco's distinguised voice rang through the hall. Serena stood and straigtened her hair and clothes.

" Hey Draco. What's up. " she asked, smiling

" I need to talk to you. "

Serena's smile disappeared at the seriousness in Draco's voice. " Alright. Mickey can we have a few minutes. "

Her friend gave her a concerned look but she nodded reassuringly. That seemed to satisfy him. " I'll be in the common room if you need anything. "

Once he left, Draco took Serena by the arm and led her a few feet down the hall. " Listen, Serena. We need to stop being friends. It kills me but we have to. I can't explain the reasons. "

Serena felt as if she'd been slapped in the face. " What the hell are you talking about? Why? "

" I can't tell you. Just please you have to trust me on this one. " Draco's voice was pleading.

" This is about your father isn't it? He found out I was a muggleborn witch and he hates them. Is that what it is? "

Draco's head drooped but he didn't utter a sound.

" Tell me the truth, Draco! " she shouted at him.

" Serena you don't understand. " Draco snapped his head up. " I have to protect you this way. He's not a forgiving man and I don't want you hurt. "

" So this is how it has to be huh? You're going to let him run your life? Let him tell you who to be and who to be friends with? When's it going to be enough? When are you going to grow some balls and stand up to him? Tell him you're not going to be his shadow? " Serena cried.

" Serena..." he couldn't finish, Serena cut him off.

" Don't give me excuses Draco Malfoy. If you're going to stop being friends with me because your daddy told you too, then you're nothing more then a pussy! " Serena turned on her heel and flew down the hall, tears streaming down her face. She loved Draco as a pal and now he never wanted to talk to her again. She couldn't believe it.

Draco let out a frustrated cry and slammed his fist into the wall repeatedly until his knuckles bled. It was so goddamn unfair and now he's just lost one of the best people he'd ever met in his life. He sank to his knees and cried as he cradled his bruised and bleeding hand. He wanted to be his own person and tell his father to fuck himself, but the threat of death laid a blanket of ice over Draco like never before. Even to this day he didn't understand why his mother, Narcissa, chose to live in such fear. He thought about that, he knew that she stayed for Draco. Lucius had made if perfectly clear that should in the event of Narcissa leaving, he would have custody of Draco. Narcissa had loved Lucius once and had told Draco that. She'd told him that as Voldemort came to power, Lucius became obssessed with the idea of a wholly pureblood world. It was then that he had changed and built a cold exterior to the wife he'd once adored. Draco wiped his tears away and stood, walking around the castle aimlessly. He knew he had to protect Serena, but perhaps he was doing such in entirely the wrong way.