More Than You Think You Are Green eyes, you’re the one I wanted to find… Honey, you are a rock upon which I stand!, a harry potter fanfic

Author's Notes: Last time, Pansy and Ron plotted, Sirius closed up, Nia overstepped boundaries, Hermione dreamed, and Harri became frustrated with her parents' behavior. I reached the 100,000 words mark! Pretty soon I'll be up to 200,000 words people! I apologize for the lateness of my update, but my aunt recently passed away. Thank you to the following for reviewing: tigersmeleth – I never was a big Ron fan, Sarahmanda – thanks for reviewing so many chapters, thoughts – well that is the point, JoeHundredaire – I always write blocks of texts and then speech, because that's the way I like it. You are entitled to your opinion, but remember that no one is forcing you to read this story, Midnight Walker – thank you, Lady Nicole Malfoy Potter – I love them as a couple, kiyea – nice to see new readers, mishiko – young love is a strange thing between those two, Toms-babygurl – look a new chapter, Liviania – You'll find out why… LydiaBlue – Thanks, Harri and Draco's future is still uncertain, and Madam Sorceress – you are too kind. I do try.

Disclaimer: I never have owned Harry Potter, nor will I ever.

More Than You Think You Are

Chapter Twenty One: Green eyes, you're the one I wanted to find… Honey, you are a rock upon which I stand!

"You're not charging aggressively enough! How can you presume to protect both yourself and Harri if you are not coming at with all you've got?! The enemy will not give you a moment's notice. You must be on alert, Draco. It is imperative that you have constant vig—"

Draco reverted back to his human form, clearly upset with the direction his lessons had turned. He was trying his hardest, and yet that was not food enough. Nothing seemed to be good enough for his Muggle Studies professor at the moment. He stretched languidly, grimacing as he heard the bones in his body crack.

"I must have constant vigilance, I know. I know. Could you give me a bloody break?! Professor, I am trying my best here. The last thing I want to happen is for Potter to get hurt when I am supposed to protect her. I just don't want to hurt anyone in my dragon form. When we were in that fake Hogwarts' I had the urge to hurt and kill and hurt anyone, professor. What if this happens again? I wanted to feast on the blood of my enemies, but how will I know he is friend or foe in that form?!"

Draco retorted angrily, before transforming into the dragon. His tail lashed about angrily, and fire oozed from his mouth. Remus stepped back slightly, but he knew that he was safe. He had placed protective spells all about his person before they had begun the training exercise. So far Draco hadn't broke much ground. Draco managed to keep his head clearly enough while as a dragon, but he was slow to attack, and he was hesitant to seriously injure his professor. Despite what Professor Lupin said, Draco felt as if he should hold back. He was a fifty foot long dragon, stuffed inside a spacious training room with a man who only had a wand for protection. Then again, Professor Lupin was fully able to protect himself if need be. Perhaps he had not given his teacher enough credit.

"That's enough for today, Draco. Your mind is elsewhere, and at the moment you are not ready to practice. Why don't we take the rest of the week off? That should give you more than enough time to clear your head of whatever it is that's troubling you. I still expect a full written report on the dangers of the South American Greenback dragon's poisonous teeth."

Draco nodded sullenly. He had not meant to be so inattentive, but lately everything seemed to be too much for him. His schoolwork, his duties as captain of the Quidditch team, his prefect duties, and the secret practices he held with Lupin were becoming too much. Plus, he didn't get to spend much time with Potter or any of his friends. The only bonus to his current schedule was the he rarely saw Pansy. After he wrote Lupin's report, he'd have to prepare for the Slytherin-Ravenclaw game, and he still had yet to speak to Potter about the upcoming Christmas Ball. He never thought that he could ever wish for the past, but now that seemed to be a wonderful option. Things could have been worse in his life, but they were going far from smoothly.

He grabbed his robes, tired and ready to be alone but there was something that he wouldn't mind talking with the man about. Ever since he had asked for the help of the man, Draco had been amazed at Professor Lupin's willingness to help him. Was he seeing a flash of the past himself? Draco remembered quite clearly the cajoling he had to do to finally get the man to agree. Maybe it was better for him to share his worries with someone that could understand. After their weeks of training, he had begun to respect and trust the man more.

"Professor, there was something I wanted to talk to you about… that is if you do not mind me asking? I'd ask Professor Snape but he has been unreachable this weekend. You're the only other person that I trust with this information."

Remus who had finished arranging the practice room to its original design, sat down on a wooden step, gesturing for the young man before him to take a seat. The two males sat in awkward silence, neither knowing what to say, but knowing that something was going to be said soon enough. When Draco could stand the silence no longer he turned to the man that had been teaching him to control his powers thus far.

"I feel as if something bad will happen. I know that I'm not a prophecy child like Potter, but I sense that something is going to go wrong. It's like I'm missing something important. I know that I'm supposed to train to protect Potter, yet I feel as if she might need protection from me. Like today for instance, I walked passed her and I felt the urge to hurt her. Every time I transform into a dragon I feel like that beneath the surface a cold blooded killer wants to go on a rampage."

"I told you that when I first turned into a dragon, after I killed the beast I was fighting I ate some of its flesh. I enjoyed the killing, it felt good to me—it felt righteous. I felt as if the dragons in the fake Hogwarts wanted to take something from me—like they wanted to take what was mine. Yet when I crossed paths with Potter that same feeling of wanting to fight emerged. How can this be?"

Remus, who had listened quietly through the boy's diatribe, could understand at least partially where the boy was coming from. He was obviously battling more than his emotions. His own unique strain of dragon wanted to completely take over whenever Harri was around, but Remus had not concluded why exactly. He had his own guesses, but now was not the time to worry the boy with assumptions that could very well prove wrong.

"From what I have heard about the protection that you are destined to provide Harri is a conundrum itself. You are fated to protect someone who's animagi is your mortal enemy. I know that it seems unbelievable and even unfair but it is true. It seems as if the gods are playing some cruel joke. There is a reason why this is happening to you Draco. Nothing is ever random. Eventually you will discover why you are feeling this way. I can tell you however that what you are feeling is not the urge to kill, or hurt Harri. If the dragon wanted to kill Harri, you'd have already attacked her. No, what is happening to you runs deeper than that."

Remus' words confused him, and he felt frustrated at his inability to understand. Why was everything so complex? If he didn't want to kill her or hurt her than why was he feeling this way at all? So far he managed to avoid Potter, but when they did cross paths, no words were spoken. He had seen the hurt in her eyes, and his own eyes remained closed off. The feeling of anxiety when she was around, the strange emotion he could feel but not yet name worried him. Every time he saw her he wanted to goad her into fighting him for some reason. He wanted to defeat her in battle, but he did not know why. Running his hands through his hair lazily, his mind drifted from such thoughts. It would not do any good to fret over this now.

"Maybe your right, maybe I should just forget about it for now. It's probably not that important. I'm probably just blowing everything out of proportion. I probably shouldn't get worked up anyway, or my mother will blow a gasket."

Remus smiled at the mention of Draco's mother. He had been fond of her during their days at Hogwarts' but circumstances and politics prevented him from ever having a relationship with the former Hufflepuff. He could wholeheartedly understand her worry at the thought of her soon lost through time. She had probably gone crazy when she learned that they were in the 1970's.

"Your mother worries about you Draco, and with good reason. She is concerned for her son, and she wants you to succeed. Perhaps if you talked to her about your pressures I'm sure that she'd be willing to listen."

He spoke diplomatically, but Draco was certain that the man had no idea what his mother was really like. Narcissa Malfoy was a good woman, but she was surrounded by the wrong types of people. His father was an overbearing man, and while he did not hate the man, he didn't like his father at all. His father had promised that Draco would be given to Voldemort, marked with the skull and bones recognized by all Death Eaters. Draco had told no one of this, but he feared that he would have to eventually. Professor Snape was his first option, but even his favorite teacher would be in danger. Though he was a master Leglimens, he was still susceptible to being discovered by Voldemort and his henchmen.

"You know that you can come to me if you are in trouble Draco. I know it must be hard for you to trust me being your teacher and a Gryffindor no less, but I have never told a secret unless it was absolutely necessary. Even if you can't tell me, you should tell someone that you trust to help you. No child should face difficult choices alone. Help is always available to those who ask."

"Or so I always say. Isn't that right Professor Lupin?"

Dumbledore's unmistakable voice echoed through the room, and he stepped from the shadows. Draco's sullen face changed into an angry scowl. He despised Dumbledore's attitude. Did the man always interrupt private conversations so willingly? Draco stood from his step, giving his teacher a knowing glance before bidding them good day. The last thing he needed was for Dumbledore to hear what was said between him and his professor. He was not shocked that the headmaster knew about his private tutorials, but he was upset with the fact that Dumbledore had taken it upon himself to intrude.

"If you would be so kind as to stay for a moment Mr. Malfoy I'd like to speak with you as well. While I have only just discovered that you are being taught to control yourself while as a dragon, I must say that I am very proud of you Mr. Malfoy. Remus is an excellent teacher and you can learn much from him. As for my reasons being here, Fawkes has brought to my attention some very exciting news."

Draco turned to the man again, his attention fully on the old headmaster. Any news from Fawkes would make him wary, but nevertheless it must be important. Draco couldn't help but smirk at the phoenix's refusal to address the issue with him personally. He sat back down, staring into the wizened headmaster's eyes.

"I believe that he has solved the mystery of you and Ms. Potter's strange connection. While we are all aware that you are Ms. Potter's predestined protector, none of us knew why you were both enemies as animagi. Draco, according to my research I have discovered that the only reason in which the dragon you transform into is Ms. Potter's enemy is because you see her as a threat who rivals you in power. Once you control the powers which you possess, you are free to challenge her for position as the alpha leader."

Draco was now more confused and upset by this discovery. How could he have such conflicting feelings for the girl? Was Potter was beginning to become more trouble than what she was worth? If he was meant to protect her than why would he have such a desire to defeat her at every turn? None of this made any sense to the young Slytherin. Remus remained quiet through Dumbledore's admission and but he found the headmaster's words a bit more believable than his student.

"One question if I may headmaster. Could it be that Draco's constant competitive attitude with Harri stems from the fact that he does not yet see her as an equal worthy of the protection of his dragon form? If this is the case, what will he have to do to change this? Do not tell me that he must actually fight the very person that he is meant to protect?!"

The headmaster's customary smile evaporated and his wrinkled face showed signs of disappointment. He turned away from his students, looking out unto the morning sky. Below him, the students walked about the campus enjoying the cold snowy November morning.

"I'm afraid that this is the case Remus. Draco must fight Ms. Potter in his dragon form so that he can finally be at ease with the notion of protecting her. As an animagi he sees her as unworthy, but his mind thinks like a wizard."

Dumbledore smiled at his young Slytherin, quite proud of the boy. Draco would be successful; he just needed to try his best.

"Draco, you must take control of the animal instincts, you must stop think like a dragon in that form. If you ignore your instincts you place both Ms. Potter and your life in danger. You won't kill her, nor will you cause Ms. Potter any real harm. She is very capable of defending herself. However, as of now, you body is demanding that you spar with her. My guess is that you have maybe a month's time before you simply transform without warning, and challenge her. We would much rather have you in control of yourself before this happens."

"Will she know what's in store for her? I mean, does she know that she'll have to fight me unexpectedly? Now that you've told me, I have the advantage, and she does not. Is that really fair?"

Dumbledore was amazed at the young man's compassion at the moment, but he had broached an important question. He had never ceased to be amazed by the sincerity of his students.

"Things must be this way Draco. Harri must eventually battle Voldemort, and there will be no more warnings prior. Just as you rely on your instincts and gut feelings, Ms. Potter must do the same. Your inner strengths will be your guide. Once you have challenged her, hopefully the dragon inside will accept her."

Silently the young man mulled over the older man's words. He didn't like the idea of Potter not knowing what lay ahead of her, or the fact that instinctively he would challenge he girl.

"What happens if Draco wins?"

Remus asked, breaking the silence.

"The decision is mine to accept her or not right? If I win, I can choose to willingly protect her and work with her to reach our common goals. If I lose, I could deem her worthy of my protection for defeating me. All that I have to do is make sure that despite who wins, she fights good enough to deserve my assistance. That does not seem too difficult."

Though he did not always agree with the young man's attitude, Dumbledore could see a clear difference in the young Slytherin's behavior. The changes between in Harri had been subtle, but as the weeks progressed, he noticed tiny little quirks. No longer did they openly start fights with one another. Sure there were the usual barbs of fifth year fare, but all together both were making a general attempt to get along. That counted for something in his book.

"There is one another thing I should mention. When you to do spar, you must be certain of your control as a dragon. Your own unique strain is very powerful, and I would surmise you'd be prideful as well."

He said wryly, with what Remus and Draco believed to be a weak attempt at humor. Rolling his eyes at the very lame headmaster, Draco's thoughts began to wander. He never thought that he would have to fight in order to protect Potter. He was beginning to think that that the only reason he cared about her was because he was her protector.

"I say this because not only are you bothered by a mere phoenix as your superior, you are carnivorous creature, and Ms. Potter is, to put it plainly fresh meat. You do recall your own bloodlust at the thought of killing and devouring your enemy, correct? We must be absolutely positive that you can stave off the hunger for blood. As this is your fated battle, we are not allowed to interfere. The coven would have my head if any of intervened including themselves."

"We will be ready by the time limit given. I do wonder however, how this fight will work. Surely Draco is not supposed to simply walk up to Harri and attack her, right?" Remus asked with deep urgency in his voice.

"That is Mr. Malfoy's decision to make. I do know that this challenge must be accepted by Harri; otherwise Draco becomes a danger to her, because his resentment could take control. If that happens he could attack her out of the blue. This is situation is truly unprecedented. We have never faced such adversity before. I do not know exactly how this will work, and neither does the coven. We do know that once the challenge is accepted, Draco will test her various areas from critical thinking, to dexterity, to strength and speed."

Draco didn't like any of this. Now he completely empathized with Potter. Fated prophecies were not supposed to dictate his life. He did not enjoy the fact there were creatures that had foreseen bits of his many possible futures. The idea of his life somehow being controlled by a predestined plan irked Draco immensely. He had always followed the belief that man was in charge of his own destiny. Suddenly a sense foreboding danger overcame him then. He faced his teachers with a stony expression of determination.

"And so, the student shall become the teacher."

"Why would you even try to justify your cruel treatment, Severus? Jayda is our daughter and yet you have treated her as if she were a disease since she entered Hogwarts! How could you despise our child?! Do not give me that bullshit about her being James' daughter, either! You know that I would never have cheated on you."

Lily yelled, throwing a lamp post at the love of her life. She was appalled and disturb by his willingness to shun their child as she grew and developed at Hogwarts. His behavior had been unacceptable, and there was no way he could defend himself. She watched as he lowered his head in shame, and embarrassment. Never had she thought that she would not be able to depend on her own husband to watch their child. Lily knew of the extenuating circumstances, but this did not excuse what Severus had done.

"Even with you believing her to be James' child, she is still my daughter. That alone should have been enough for you! I watched my child ignored by the very people that were supposed to protect her. I watched her beaten by her own flesh and blood. I watched her father try to break her at every turn! The way you have treated her is unforgivable Severus."

Inside the guest bedroom, Harri lay sleeping. She was exhausted from her ordeal, and thankfully would not hear her parents' argument. Lily paced the room frantically like an enraged woman. The very last thing that a mother ever wanted to discover was that her child had been abused and malnourished. While she would most certainly be dealing with Petunia and her wretched family, there were more important issues at present. She had been unable to speak with Remus or Sirius at length and she still wanted to speak with her siblings. The first thing that she wished to do now is throttle Severus.

"What were you thinking Severus?! Were you thinking at all? Why did you allow Dumbledore to place our child with Petunia? You know how much she hates me and yet my daughter was raised with those awful muggles! Do you realize the abuse that she suffered through in that household? How you can even dare look me in the face after the way you handled the situation is appalling."

"How should I have reacted Lily? You bloody let me believe that James fucking Potter had fathered my child! You know how we got on at Hogwarts and you honestly expected me to believe that Harri was my daughter? You married him for Merlin' sake! Do you realize how much it hurt to discover that my wife married my archenemies in secret? You never told me why you married him, you just did! How was I supposed to know it was to protect you and the Harri? We found out what happens when you trust a Potter to watch out for you. Look how that bloody ended!"

Severus snapped, his mind fuming in anger. How could she try to place blame solely on him? Sure he had never treated Harri right, but Lily could not even see things from his point of view. Lily had purposely lied to him, as did Dumbledore and yet they both expected his reaction to be different. If he had been told from the beginning that Lily gave birth to his daughter, it would have taken time to get used to it, but eventually he would accept it and move on. However, this was not the case. Both he and his daughter had been lied to under the guise of doing something for their well being. Unfortunately Lily and Dumbledore's actions did the reverse.

"We both know that you were with the Death Eaters. You had told me that you were through with Voldemort and his lot when we were still in school. I married you believing that you had given up on Voldemort for good, but all along you were a spy meeting with that bastard constantly! Even if you are a double agent, you should have been honest and upfront with me. I trusted you Severus! How was I supposed to know that you were helping the Order?! You were always so secretive, and you never told me anything about your comings and goings. At least James wanted to protect me. He knew that I was in love with you, but he was a good friend until the end. He was my best friend, and the very thought of you believing that I would leave you for him, hurts me. How could you not trust me Severus?"

Severus whirled to face his newly revived, estranged wife. She could not possibly be serious could she? Though he loved her, and would always he could not believe that she threw his past actions back in his face! He had always tried to protect her, and yet she believed otherwise. It angered him immensely that she chose to run to the arms of Potter, rather than simply having their marriage annulled. Why did she have to marry that annoying git anyway? Lily backed away slightly, unsure of his actions at the moment. Severus paused in his step. Lily was not afraid of him was she? Why she acting so apprehensive now?

Severus had never hit his wife. Nor did he verbally, physically, or emotionally abuse her. The fear in her eyes was a testament to how far they had come with one another. Would she ever trust him again? The very thought of someone harming his beloved sickened Severus. He could feel the hurt in his heart and the anger in his chest. He had not expected this to happen. Was it too much to expect his long dead love to welcome he and their child with open arms? Severus stopped his line of thinking. The jury was still out on her reaction with Harri, but he still felt as if Lily was frightened, and at the very least wary of him. He exhaled loudly, his long greased hair shadowing his face from her stare.

"You would flee from my open arms? Do I frighten you that much? I thought that you trusted me, I know that you still love me as I much as I you, so why does your body quiver in fear at the prospect of my touch? Do you hate me Lily? Do you really?"

Severus ducked just in time as an empty wine bottle shattered behind him. Lily, shivering uncontrollably now shook a pointed finger at him. Her face was red, and her hair was in disarray, but her eyes were as sharp as ever. He assumed her tongue was just as sharp. She waltzed up to him now, with an angry glint in her eyes. Her eyes pierced his heart, and he could feel the warm feel of her body close to his, a feeling he had long since resigned to never experience again.

"Do tell me then, how I should feel! I do not quiver in fear at the thought of you touching me Severus. I am shaking to control my anger. She is our daughter, I love her and I love you. The two most important people in the world to me have fought bitterly, both hating one another. I have watched you taunt her, punish her, and berate her. Just as I have watched her disrespect you as well. I have witnessed things that should never occur between parents and children, and yet—yet with the two of you this has become second nature."

"Lily, I didn't know! I had no id—"

Lily placed a halting hand in his face, silencing what she believed to be weak excuses exit from his mouth. She leaned into his chest, hugging him tightly. Lily had longed for the warmth of his touch, the feel of his hands against her own. She wanted things to be jubilant, but first they both must realize how badly their actions had hurt her. Lily turned to his chest, snuggling into his robes.

"Please don't try to justify your behavior Severus. There is no justification, there is no excuse. You have made a terrible error. I realize that you are but partly to blame. I did in fact tell Dumbledore not to reveal Jayda's heritage until she turned fifteen, but circumstances changed, and I do recall telling Dumbledore that if anything as disastrous as what occurred did happen to tell you immediately. I'm sorry for doing that to you and Jayda both Severus."

They held one another in the quiet, both knowing that though the words of forgiveness had spoken, their hearts were another matter. Lily needed time to accept the development of his relationship with their daughter, and Severus needed time to accept that Lily only did what she believed needed be done. He could not begrudge his love for wanting to take care of the both of them. She had honestly believed that he had fully returned to Voldemort's servitude. In time, things would get better. For now however, they both expected to bear the worst.

"Mom, please don't be angry with him. Dad, you shouldn't be so angry with Mom either. I heard what you both said, and the only people who really deserves our hatred and our anger is Voldemort. Even Dumbledore, who kept your secret for so long was only trying to protect me, even if his actions were misguided."

Harri spoke softly into the darkness. Her glasses were lopsided, and her wild hair was matted. If the situation was not so serious, her parents might have laughed aloud at their daughter's comical appearance. Her clothes had been changed, and she now wore long sleeved pajamas with flying quaffles on the sleeves and legs. Lily noticed Harri's footfalls were silent, because her feet were bare. Now that Harri had their attention she blushed slightly at her appearance.

"I didn't mean to listen in on your conversation. I'm not an eavesdropper or anything, but you both were so loud."

Severus snorted at her admission, earning an admonishing glare from both mother and daughter. Seeing that he had made a mistake, he gave them both apologetic smiles and kept silent.

"I did want to give you my opinion about everything. No one else will listen, but I figure of all people my parents would be the best audience. Mom, I think you should give him a break. I know that you believed he served Voldemort when he was actually a double spy, but because of the evidence at the time and his personality it is hard to believe otherwise. One thing I am certain about is that he loved you very, very much. He still does love you. Despite the way we used to act with one another, he is trying to be a good father. Neither one of us really knows what to do since he's never been a father, and I've never had one."

"I also know that Professor Snape went through a lot of crap when he was my age. I don't know if he ever told you about any of it, but I'm glad I got to know him as a young man. Yes, we know it was wrong for the professor to treat me the way he did, but he had no idea. I think that you owe it to yourself to at least try to forgive him Mom. At least he is trying with me, now that we both know. Surely you've seen that as well? Besides, you can't stay angry with someone that you love forever."

Lily smiled at her only child, as tears of happiness ran down her face. Lily had always been proud of Harri, but to see her acting so mature and responsible made her heart swell with pride. She had always feared that Harri would not be so well rounded without the guidance of responsible adults, but even with the absence of Severus, Remus, and Sirius, her child had grown into an extremely intelligent young woman. Once again, Harri amazed Lily by beating the odds against her at every turn.

"As for you Professor Snape, my mother never loved James Potter in a romantic way. I watched them interact in the past and they were best friends. James was never in love with my mother, but you let your rivalry with him cloud your judgment. I have forgiven the way that you have treated me, and I hope you have forgiven me for the way that I have treated you. I had this dream that when I finally had both my parents together again, that something like this would not tear us apart. What happened is in the past, and it should stay there."

"You of all people know that we should try to enjoy what we have. The past has come and gone, but our future remains uncertain. We can either face it alone, or we can choose to face these things together. Now that I finally have the two people that I longed for all of my life with me, I do not wish to spoil this blessing by having you both fight one another. We have all been given a second chance, and I do not want our happiness to be tainted with anger and lies."

The wizard and two witches silently mulled over the young girl's words, taking into consideration everything she had said. Severus had never expected to hear something so reasonable and logical from his daughter. This was not because he believed her to be incapable of complex thought; he just never expected to be chastised by his child. Harri made an excellent argument indeed. They had been given an opportunity to begin their lives anew with the people that they most cherished, yet he here he was fighting with the one person he had longed to see again. Now that she was in his presence all he could do was throw accusations at Lily.

He felt ashamed of his behavior, and appalled by what he had said earlier. The fact that he had ever doubted Lily in the first place left him feeling uncomfortable. Could he so easily throw away years of trust on something that had to have a logical explanation? Before he could apologize, Lily beat him to the punch.

"There is no need Severus. I know you're sorry. We both made mistakes. Jayda is correct in saying that the only person deserving our ire is Voldemort. He will pay dearly for hurting my family. I will not allow such an injustice to go unpunished."

Lily would not be able to continue her tirade however, because there was another eavesdropper in their midst. The sound of clapping brought Lily from her rant. Harri cursed lightly under her breath, silently praying there was not another Death Eater or immediate danger to be addressed. She dropped from her combative stance when saw who had intruded on the family's private conversation. Standing before them was Dumbledore's familiar.

"I'm so happy to hear that you all made up! Oh I wish I had one of those muggle cameras to capture this moment forever!"

"Fawkes, what in the bloody hell are you doing here?! We're in the middle of something. If this has anything to do with training or Dra—I mean Malfoy, you can just get lost! I don't want to hear about it."

Harri snapped at the transformed phoenix. Fawkes smiled slyly at his former charge. Apparently the young lady knew how to hold a grudge. Nevertheless, they were family and soon enough she'd get over it.

"Jayda, apologize this instant! Watch your language young lady!"

Lily demanded of her daughter. Harri rolled her eyes, but acquiesced. She softly mumbled an apology to the grinning man. He was obviously enjoying her humbling moment because he looked as if he wanted jumped up and down. Now Harri was beginning to understand Draco's dislike of the bloody bird.

"It's alright Lily. Your daughter just needs to learn that not everything is about her. I only came to tell you that Dumbledore wants to talk to you and Severus both. It's regarding Order business. Also, young Jayda needs to return to the school grounds. McGonagall and her friends are getting suspicious. It's not safe for you to be here right now. After the spell was performed you three should have immediately return to the safety of the school grounds."

Fawkes reprimanded the three, giving them his sternest glare. Unfortunately for Fawkes, Harri and Lily had long since developed immunity to the bird's glare. Severus of course, could scowl with the best of them, and Fawkes was no threat whatsoever. Harri wanted to know what exactly went on in the order, but so far she had been unable to get any information. Not even Sirius would tell her what the secretive group discussed. Now that her mother had returned, she wondered what would change if anything. Would Professor Dumbledore, continue to make decisions that adversely affected her?

"Alright then, let's go. Fawkes, why don't you place some of the ancient spells that Hogwarts has on this house? Jayda and I will be staying here with Severus and I've no doubt that Jayda will want her friends to visit as well."

Harri wanted to protest immediately. Why couldn't they tell her what they talked about? She was not a stupid girl, and she noticed the way they talked as if she were not present. What was wrong with the adults around her? Did they all have an innate trait which prevented them from telling her the truth? Harri bit her lip angrily, an unpleasant habit that she picked up while in the past. Fawkes and her parents would tell her nothing, so arguing was a waste of time. Maybe she could use one of the Weasley twins' Extendable Ear contraptions.

"I know I just got back and we've yet to spend any time together, but the Order is very important, and I promise that you and I can spend the rest of the week together, just you and I."

Lily said lightly, to her daughter. She did not want to seem as if she did not care about her child, but she knew that the members of the Order were there to protect and aid those that needed help. Harri shrugged nonchalantly, slightly angry with the interruption, but she knew that she could do without her mother for a few hours. She had gone without Lily for nearly her entire life, so surely one day would not hurt. Still, that foreboding sense of danger echoed in her mind, and would not be silenced.

Luna Lovegood enjoyed reading obscure books written in the fifteenth century. Many of these books were quite often restricted for one reason or another. She could be found traipsing through the library at all hours in which it was open searching for books on odd subjects. Her daily ritual was a secretive event, and because of this her frequent absences made everyone suspect that she were definitely up to something loony. She had been most disturbed to discover Ronald Weasley having a clandestine chat with Pansy Parkinson. Luna never made it a personal habit to spy on others or to keep up with the goings on of every house, but she did find it strange that the two teens had entered a questionable truce.

She had pondered telling Harri and Draco the entire sordid deed, but they would probably laugh and suspect her to be making up crazing stories. Luna was unpopular enough and she was not seeking to make herself any less liked than she already was. As a responsible Ravenclaw was it not her duty to tell those that were being plotted against that a dastardly deed was headed their way? Malfoy of course would not believe her, and he would probably belittle her for even having the audacity to speak with him. Yet, if she told Harri the truth, Ron would be furious with her for divulging his plans. Luna did not wish to cause a rift between the two friends. She chewed absently on a sugar quill, ignoring her surroundings for the moment. Day dreaming was nothing new to her classmates, and they were all since used to her losing track of what was going on.

"Luna! Luna! Wake up and pay attention! Flitwick is looking this way!"

Ginny hissed, breaking Luna from her trance. She smiled apologetically at her friend, not all embarrassed by being caught staring into space. Ginny shook her head disappointedly. Luna frowned lightly, knowing that she had managed to disappoint her only friend at Hogwarts. Ginny was a nice girl, and Luna knew that by even associating with her that Ginny was risking severe peer alienation. Luna decided instead to tell her friend what was troubling her. She took out a piece of parchment, charming it to create a two way communiqué with the girl next to her. She nudged Ginny, motioning to the blank parchment on her desk.

Ginny can ask you a question?

Sure go ahead.

I've come across some quite disturbing information regarding someone I know. I know that these persons are planning to sabotage and spread lies about someone, but I'm afraid that if I say anything no one will believe me and that this person will hate me completely. What do you think that I should do?

Wow, that's a tough question. I think it is always best to be honest because telling lies, or not saying anything at all will do no one any good. Perhaps if this person knew that you are aware of what they are planning maybe they might not do anything.

I thought about that but I believe that this person will go through with it anyway. I really don't want to intrude, but I know reputations and relationships will be ruined if I just sit back and do nothing! Besides, even if I threaten to tell this person will just call me a loon, and not care anyway. I'm rather inconsequential in that manner.

Oh, Luna… Don't say such things about yourself. You are a great person and anyone would be lucky to have you as a friend. Do you think you can tell me? I could tell this person in your stead if you wish.

Luna reeled back from her chair, flattered by the comments Ginny made. Could she tell Ginny everything that she knew? Would Ginny be angry because it was about Ron and Pansy? Maybe it was best if she did tell Ginny. After all, the redhead was more of a credible source than she was right? Besides, she was his sister and a Gryffindor no less. Ron would listen to his family over a well intentioned Ravenclaw any day. Luna bit her lip, bending down lower so that her face and note was hidden. Flitwick was in the middle of a rather boring diatribe concerning emotional charms. Though the spells themselves were very interesting, she sometimes found his squeaky voice monotonous. Her Head of House's voice could make even the most irritable of babies sleep.

Ginny, it's about your brother Ronald. Yesterday, I was searching through the restricted area for those fifteenth century textbooks on snufflegroots I saw Ronald with Pansy Parkinson. Now normally, I would ignore this and keep moving, but they were in the adjacent aisle. I could hear them talking, and I know it's wrong to eavesdrop. They were plotting to spread rumors about Harri and Draco Malfoy.

How so?

Apparently, Ronald believes that Harri and Malfoy are in some kind of surreptitious relationship. Both he and Pansy plan to start rumors that basically have the two badmouthing one another. They are going to use other people to do their dirty work so that nothing gets traced to them. Do you think you could talk to your brother? I'd hate to see his friendship with Harri completely destroyed over something so trivial.

"I do not think it's that trivial. Harri is our friend, and I for one am appalled if she is actually seeing that pompous, snobby git!"

Ginny said aloud, turning to face her friend. Class had just been adjourned, and now she could speak freely with Luna. She didn't know who to be more upset with. She was not as close to Harri as Ron was, but they were still good friends. How could she want to be with that asshole? Malfoy did nothing but malign her family constantly. He always made wisecracks about Hermione's muggle parentage, and he was an all around jerk. What in the hell happened in the past that had caused the normally sane Quidditch captain to be attracted to a jerk like Malfoy. What was worse was that Ron was willing to ruin his friendship with his best friend simply because Malfoy and Harri may have been seeing each other.

Ginny dragged Luna out of the classroom, thankful that they now had a lunch period. They scurried across the campus grounds to find a private area to talk. Luna taken Ginny to the gazebo that she sometimes frequented. They conjured a few items from the Great Hall, eating quickly. Now that Ginny knew what Ron was planning she had to stop him, but she was not exactly sure how.

Footnotes: That's it for now! I know I left out tons of things, but I promise that whatever I left out will be in the next chapter. Thank you all for reading, reviewing and being patient with me. In the next chapter Severus tells Hermione a secret, Harri shows a bit too much power, the students begin asking each other out, Pansy gets her mission from Voldemort, and Umbridge appears! Now that you have read this chapter, please review. I'll try to update within a month's time. Check out my C2 at www. fanfiction. net/c2/40/1/ Thanks again for reading! Peace.