'Why was Draco shouting?' pansy asked, as she cautiously entered the
compartment. She drew a sharp intake of breath: Mione was slumped against
the seat, tears springing down her cheeks. She was sobbing uncontrollably.
'Hermione!' pansy cried. She rushed forward.
'What's wrong? Did he call you a Mudblood again, or something?'
'No,' she choked, 'It's not that.'
'Then what is it?' pansy asked softly. 'You can tell me, you know.'
'No I can't,' Mione cried. 'I can't tell anyone.'
Pansy looked troubled.
'We're almost at Hogwarts, Mione... why don't you dry your face. I understand
if you don't want to tell, but no one should see you like this.'
'You're right,' Mione mumbled, 'Sorry.'
She raised her wand to her face and murmured a quick spell. Immediately,
her tears dried, and her makeup was recovered. She smoothened her hair, and
quickly smoothened her rumpled clothes. She took a deep steadying breath.
'Sorry,' she said, with a weak smile, and then dashed out of the
compartment, leaving pansy looking very bewildered.
As she ran down the corridor, she caught a glimpse of Harry and Ron.
'Mione-.' Harry started.
She stopped.
'What?'
'Where did you vanish to? We were looking all over the place for you.'
'oh sorry. It's just that you started your Quidditch talk, and you know I
can't stand it.'
'Oh,' Harry said. 'You should tell us if you're getting bored with the
conversation. Here- we saved some Pumpkin pasty for you.'
Harry handed it to her, and she took a grateful bite out of it. Atleast,
with these two, she felt like she belonged.
'What did you tell Hermione?' Pansy demanded, confronting Draco in the empty compartment he was brooding in. 'Nothing,' he replied, automatically. Pansy raised an inquiring eyebrow. 'Is that why she was crying when I left the compartment.' 'She's a crybaby.' Draco said, shrugging. 'what's new about that?' 'Draco, what is wrong you?' Pansy demanded. 'I know you hate her, but do you always have to pick on her so much?' 'You don't understand, Pansy.' Draco said, scowling. Why can't she just leave me alone? He wondered. 'Maybe I don't,' Pansy said, archly, 'What I do is that she's slumped over there, crying her heart out.' Draco felt a sudden pang, but he washed it away. 'That's nice,' he said, sarcastically, 'she's crying. Fine. Like I even care. As if I do. I mean, she's a Mudblood. Why would I care?' Pansy stared at him. 'You do care,' she said slowly, 'Oh my god, Draco, you...' 'I don't!' he said fiercely. 'Yes, you do.' She said, her mouth wide with astonishment. At that minute, Blaise walked into the compartment. 'hey,' he said, cheerfully, and then stopped, seeing the look on both their faces. 'Where have you been?' Draco demanded. 'Uh, nowhere,' he replied, looking at the floor. 'Yeah, right,' Draco said, glaring. 'been fucking some girl?' 'No!' Blaise said, hotly. 'shut up Draco.' Pansy glared at Draco. 'He said something to Mione,' she said, angrily, 'and she's crying in our compartment.' 'That was mean,' Blaise said, somberly. 'Why don't you just get off her flaming back.' 'What is with you?' Draco yelled. 'she's a mudblood!' 'We kinda had a talk over the summer,' Blaise said, looking Draco in the eye. 'and we've come to a conclusion.' 'What?' Draco asked, suspiciously. Blaise put an arm around pansy in a brotherly fashion. 'We're joining the other side.' He said simply, 'We're going against the Death Eaters. We've formed a small resistance, and we're activating it this year.' Draco's jaw dropped. 'what?' he said. 'Honestly, Draco!' Pansy said, impatiently, 'you yourself ran away from your father this summer. He's disowned you. Does the idea seem so ludicrous?' 'Okay, so my father was a git,' Draco said, 'and I'm not with the Death Eaters. But that doesn't mean I'm joining hands with filthy Mudbloods like Granger.' 'You admit that your father was wrong in everything concerning you!' pansy screamed. 'He was wrong to drive you so hard, wrong in pushing you, wrong in beating youk, wrong in terrorizing your mother. But he's right that Muggleborns are jerks? That's your opinion?' 'Yes,' Draco said, stubbornly. Pansy looked disgusted. 'Listen,' she said, 'just tell us what happened.' 'Oh, all right,' Draco said, angrily. 'I met this girl over the summer. Mega hot. And cool. And loads of fun to hang out with.' 'I see,' pansy said, narrowing her eyes. 'well, I liked her, and she liked me back. And I had run away from my home, and she ran away from hers. And we lived together and all that. And I grew really fond of her.' 'And then?' Blaise pressed. 'She said that her school started on the last day of August. Some phrases and all that of hers made me sure she was a pureblood. And there was one more thing- I gave her this ring- the ring of blood.' Pansy gasped. 'Where on Merlin's beard did you get a Ring of Blood from?' she demanded. 'My father,' Draco said shortly. 'I gave it to her on the last day, and when she put it on, I saw the eye of the ring shine for a second and then die away. So I knew she was a Pureblood. Or rather thought she was one.' 'though?' pansy echoed. 'Yeah. You see- I kinda lied about my name. I told her my name was Robbie. She lied about hers to. She told me she was called Loxy. So we never knew who we were. Then it seems yesterday, Granger realized who I was.' 'So that's why she called you Robbie,' pansy said, with a sharp intake of breath. 'Yeah,' Draco agreed. 'It was only then that I realized who she really was...I can't- I ca't go out with a Mudblood.' 'Draco, you're hopeless!' Pansy shrieked. 'Who cares if she's a Mudblood. Like I said, she's a wonderful person. And anyway, you told me the eye of the ring flashed when she put it on. You know that a true Ring of Blood will always flash its eye when its put on the finger of a pureblood.' 'I know,' Draco said, nodding his head. 'My father gave me that ring when I was young. He told me to use it while making friends at Hogwarts. But it must have been fake, since all of us know what filthy blood Granger has.' Blaise and pansy both stood up and surveyed Draco with utmost disdain. 'Don't you dare talk about Mione like that,' pansy said, coldly. 'Yeah, just shut the fuck up, Malfoy.' Blaise snapped. 'We're asking you one last time- are you joining the Resistance?' 'You mad/" Draco said, angrily. 'No,' Pansy said, scornfully. 'We were just wondering whether you were all that stupid, or like us had realized what crap our parents were, and how wrong they were about becoming Death eaters!' 'I'm not siding the Death Eaters!' Draco screamed. 'You're insulting Mudbloods,' Blaise informed him, 'that's even worse.' 'How do you think the other Slytherins are going to take this?" Draco hissed. 'A Resistance? I don't think they're gonna take very kindly to that.' 'As a matter of fact,' Pansy snapped, 'you're the only Slytherin we've asked whose said no. All of us know that the Order won't accept us, but we're willing to give our own hands. Of course, we have omitted asking stupid people.' 'You think I'm gonna keep this a secret?' Draco demanded. 'Yes, I do,' Blaise said. He reached in his pocket, and drew out a silver necklace, with an emerald serpent twisting around the pendant. He touched it with his wand, murmured the word Draco and flung it into the air. It whirled around, and fell over Draco's head, onto his neck. He yelled as he felt the hot metal touch his skin. 'What the fuck is that?' he demanded. 'A Scythrean necklace,' Blaise informed him. 'It prevents you from using your wand against any member of the Resistance, or telling anyone about this. He and pansy lifted their collars, and showed Draco the identical necklaces they were wearing. 'All members wear them,' he said, 'this way, we have no betrayers. And it will absorb any spell that someone wearing a fellow necklace aims at one of us. Anytime you try to tell anyone about this, you'll feel such a pain that you'll faint.' 'You prat,' Draco hissed. 'I'll take it off right now.' 'I don't think so,' Pansy smiled, as she noticed Draco trying to prise it off your neck. 'Blaise said the spell and your name over it. Remember the heat of the metal as it touched you? It's glued to you....it's become a part of your body. You can't take it off.' Draco screamed with frustration. Never before had he felt so helpless. 'You still have a choice, Draco,' Blaise said, evenly. 'You can still join us.' With that, the two of them turned around, and walked out of the compartment.
'What did you tell Hermione?' Pansy demanded, confronting Draco in the empty compartment he was brooding in. 'Nothing,' he replied, automatically. Pansy raised an inquiring eyebrow. 'Is that why she was crying when I left the compartment.' 'She's a crybaby.' Draco said, shrugging. 'what's new about that?' 'Draco, what is wrong you?' Pansy demanded. 'I know you hate her, but do you always have to pick on her so much?' 'You don't understand, Pansy.' Draco said, scowling. Why can't she just leave me alone? He wondered. 'Maybe I don't,' Pansy said, archly, 'What I do is that she's slumped over there, crying her heart out.' Draco felt a sudden pang, but he washed it away. 'That's nice,' he said, sarcastically, 'she's crying. Fine. Like I even care. As if I do. I mean, she's a Mudblood. Why would I care?' Pansy stared at him. 'You do care,' she said slowly, 'Oh my god, Draco, you...' 'I don't!' he said fiercely. 'Yes, you do.' She said, her mouth wide with astonishment. At that minute, Blaise walked into the compartment. 'hey,' he said, cheerfully, and then stopped, seeing the look on both their faces. 'Where have you been?' Draco demanded. 'Uh, nowhere,' he replied, looking at the floor. 'Yeah, right,' Draco said, glaring. 'been fucking some girl?' 'No!' Blaise said, hotly. 'shut up Draco.' Pansy glared at Draco. 'He said something to Mione,' she said, angrily, 'and she's crying in our compartment.' 'That was mean,' Blaise said, somberly. 'Why don't you just get off her flaming back.' 'What is with you?' Draco yelled. 'she's a mudblood!' 'We kinda had a talk over the summer,' Blaise said, looking Draco in the eye. 'and we've come to a conclusion.' 'What?' Draco asked, suspiciously. Blaise put an arm around pansy in a brotherly fashion. 'We're joining the other side.' He said simply, 'We're going against the Death Eaters. We've formed a small resistance, and we're activating it this year.' Draco's jaw dropped. 'what?' he said. 'Honestly, Draco!' Pansy said, impatiently, 'you yourself ran away from your father this summer. He's disowned you. Does the idea seem so ludicrous?' 'Okay, so my father was a git,' Draco said, 'and I'm not with the Death Eaters. But that doesn't mean I'm joining hands with filthy Mudbloods like Granger.' 'You admit that your father was wrong in everything concerning you!' pansy screamed. 'He was wrong to drive you so hard, wrong in pushing you, wrong in beating youk, wrong in terrorizing your mother. But he's right that Muggleborns are jerks? That's your opinion?' 'Yes,' Draco said, stubbornly. Pansy looked disgusted. 'Listen,' she said, 'just tell us what happened.' 'Oh, all right,' Draco said, angrily. 'I met this girl over the summer. Mega hot. And cool. And loads of fun to hang out with.' 'I see,' pansy said, narrowing her eyes. 'well, I liked her, and she liked me back. And I had run away from my home, and she ran away from hers. And we lived together and all that. And I grew really fond of her.' 'And then?' Blaise pressed. 'She said that her school started on the last day of August. Some phrases and all that of hers made me sure she was a pureblood. And there was one more thing- I gave her this ring- the ring of blood.' Pansy gasped. 'Where on Merlin's beard did you get a Ring of Blood from?' she demanded. 'My father,' Draco said shortly. 'I gave it to her on the last day, and when she put it on, I saw the eye of the ring shine for a second and then die away. So I knew she was a Pureblood. Or rather thought she was one.' 'though?' pansy echoed. 'Yeah. You see- I kinda lied about my name. I told her my name was Robbie. She lied about hers to. She told me she was called Loxy. So we never knew who we were. Then it seems yesterday, Granger realized who I was.' 'So that's why she called you Robbie,' pansy said, with a sharp intake of breath. 'Yeah,' Draco agreed. 'It was only then that I realized who she really was...I can't- I ca't go out with a Mudblood.' 'Draco, you're hopeless!' Pansy shrieked. 'Who cares if she's a Mudblood. Like I said, she's a wonderful person. And anyway, you told me the eye of the ring flashed when she put it on. You know that a true Ring of Blood will always flash its eye when its put on the finger of a pureblood.' 'I know,' Draco said, nodding his head. 'My father gave me that ring when I was young. He told me to use it while making friends at Hogwarts. But it must have been fake, since all of us know what filthy blood Granger has.' Blaise and pansy both stood up and surveyed Draco with utmost disdain. 'Don't you dare talk about Mione like that,' pansy said, coldly. 'Yeah, just shut the fuck up, Malfoy.' Blaise snapped. 'We're asking you one last time- are you joining the Resistance?' 'You mad/" Draco said, angrily. 'No,' Pansy said, scornfully. 'We were just wondering whether you were all that stupid, or like us had realized what crap our parents were, and how wrong they were about becoming Death eaters!' 'I'm not siding the Death Eaters!' Draco screamed. 'You're insulting Mudbloods,' Blaise informed him, 'that's even worse.' 'How do you think the other Slytherins are going to take this?" Draco hissed. 'A Resistance? I don't think they're gonna take very kindly to that.' 'As a matter of fact,' Pansy snapped, 'you're the only Slytherin we've asked whose said no. All of us know that the Order won't accept us, but we're willing to give our own hands. Of course, we have omitted asking stupid people.' 'You think I'm gonna keep this a secret?' Draco demanded. 'Yes, I do,' Blaise said. He reached in his pocket, and drew out a silver necklace, with an emerald serpent twisting around the pendant. He touched it with his wand, murmured the word Draco and flung it into the air. It whirled around, and fell over Draco's head, onto his neck. He yelled as he felt the hot metal touch his skin. 'What the fuck is that?' he demanded. 'A Scythrean necklace,' Blaise informed him. 'It prevents you from using your wand against any member of the Resistance, or telling anyone about this. He and pansy lifted their collars, and showed Draco the identical necklaces they were wearing. 'All members wear them,' he said, 'this way, we have no betrayers. And it will absorb any spell that someone wearing a fellow necklace aims at one of us. Anytime you try to tell anyone about this, you'll feel such a pain that you'll faint.' 'You prat,' Draco hissed. 'I'll take it off right now.' 'I don't think so,' Pansy smiled, as she noticed Draco trying to prise it off your neck. 'Blaise said the spell and your name over it. Remember the heat of the metal as it touched you? It's glued to you....it's become a part of your body. You can't take it off.' Draco screamed with frustration. Never before had he felt so helpless. 'You still have a choice, Draco,' Blaise said, evenly. 'You can still join us.' With that, the two of them turned around, and walked out of the compartment.