"Malfoy is a what?" Ron stopped walking abruptly. A little girl bounced off his bum and rubbed her head, scowling up at him.

"A Legilimens," repeated Hermione, "that's..."

"...basically someone who can read minds," finished Harry for her, "Snape told me."

Just mentioning the name of his former Potions teacher was enough to get Harry seething with anger. His mind rewinded back to Dumbledore's office, when Snape had gruffly pushed Malfoy out of the way and pointed his wand directly at the spot on Dumbledore's chest where his heart was. Without thought... without hesitation he said...

'Avada Kedavra'

"Not exactly," countered Hermione, "It's more like... someone who extracts emotions so to speak. The mind-reading part is pure guesswork."

"Snape said something like that," scowled Harry.

"Well it sounds pretty much like mind-reading to me," said Ron.

"Then I said something like that."

Harry smiled at Ron fondly. It felt good to be wrong about something alongside somebody.

"Does that mean he's been reading our minds throughout this whole time?" asked Ginny kicking a pebble away from her.

"Well... he said involuntarily," frowned Hermione thoughtfully.

"I don't think so. Do you really expect he walks into a room and hears everyone's thoughts? Does he hear them through walls? Then how does he sleep?" Harry tried really hard not to look at Ginny. "Anyway... Legilimency... it sort of delves into your memories, and then there are these flashes of things that had happened before, you know? He can't really be reading minds... but if he concentrates enough, he can sort of--- like you said Hermione--- guess what someone is thinking from the feelings he... sees, so to say."

Harry glanced at Hermione nervously, hoping that she wasn't feeling outdone, but she seemed to be deep in thought. When he risked a glimpse at Ginny, she was looking at him. Both immediately looked away.

Ever since Dumbledore's funeral, Harry had had little to no chance of talking to Ginny alone, and whatever chance he had, he did not use. He had no idea what to say to her. Over and over in his head he rehearsed things he could say, but each suggestion he threw at the table sounded even more moronic than the one before. He'd thought of talking about Quidditch, but he dreaded the moment when the conversation would lead to that first kiss. The one in celebration of Gryffindor's victory... in the common room... in front of everybody. Harry made a mental note to remember that moment in case he needed to perform a Patronus sometime in the future. Harry hated himself for it, but the pang of jealousy that filled him everytime he saw Ron and Hermione together was unignorable. Unlike Ginny and himself, Ron and Hermione stood together in spite of the danger ahead, but then, Harry reminded himself bitterly...

None of them own a scar in the shape of a lightning-bolt or happen to be named Harry Potter.

Harry dwelled on this while pretending to examine a store window of 'Quality Quidditch Supplies'.

"Miss me, Potter?" sneered Draco Malfoy's reflection.

Harry's head turned towards him, alarmingly quick.

"We really can't seem to escape you, can we? If I throw a stick, will you leave us alone?"

Draco gave an impressed little grin.

"I'd insult you right back, but I'm still asking myself if you'd be smart enough to notice."

Harry only glared at Draco and stalked away.

"Did I say something?" said Draco with a corner of his upper lip curling. Ginny shot him a look of pure loathing and followed Harry.When they both disappeared from view, Draco turned to Ron. "Say Weasley, where's your mum?"

"She went on back to Headquarters," answered Ron, eyeing him hatefully. "Right after you left she got an owl from Lupin so she hurried back."

"What did the owl say?" Draco was dumbfounded. He knew his father was in Number 12 Grimmauld Place at this very moment.

"Lupin wanted her to fetch something, why?"

Shit. BIG-time.

Draco paced with one of his hands covering his mouth and the other arm supporting it. He clenched his teeth and shook his knee, as he tended to do when he was thinking.

What to do... what to do... an owl would never reach father in time... I could Apparate there... damn, she must have Apparated as well. C'mon Draco... think! You're a Malfoy... a Slytherin... you can think yourself out of this one.

Then Draco thought of Mrs.Weasley. He knew his father would never hesitate. He thought about the smile she had given him this morning... the trusting tone of her voice... the way she treated him so kindly... then he thought of Mr.Weasley and the way he offered to take him in the Order. At the time, he'd thought Arthur Weasley a fool, and he still did, but he now saw what he overlooked before... the kindness and the decency in the thought. If anything happened to Molly Weasley, it would be the end of Arthur Weasley.

This is what the Dark Lord would want.

"Draco, tell us what's going on right now," said Hermione using her prefect voice.

"'Draco!'" Ron stared at her disbelievingly. Hermione gave him a look from hell.

After a deep breath, Draco bit his lip furiously and walked away.

"I've got something to do."

"Now hold on, there!" protested Ron, "you can't just leave like that."

"Oh, wank off Weasley!" barked Draco, not even looking at him.

"Alright, that's it!" Ron's nostrils flared and Hermione watched in horror as he knocked Draco down with a running tackle. Draco pulled himself up by the arms and dabbed his index finger on a fresh scratch on his cheek. Just a little blood, but still...

"Goddamn it, Weasley!" Draco turned over and punched Ron square in the jaw, which Ron returned. They went on like this for a little while until Draco jammed his knee up Ron's pelvis. Ron doubled over and coughed violently. Then Draco joined his arms together like a club and brought them down on Ron's back, who lunged forward and fell to the floor. He was soon up again, but by that time, Draco was already striding away.

"MALFOY, COME BACK HERE OR I'M GONNA FOLLOW YOU, I SWEAR ON MERLIN'S NAME I'LL FOLLOW YOU!"

"FOLLOW ME THEN, YOU BARMY GIT! SEE IF I CARE!"

"FINE."

"FINE."

Draco didn't look back again. Ron, true to his word, did follow him, and Hermione after a confuzzled pause, followed them both.

Author's Note: I liked this chapter. Maybe I should have put a little more lovey-dovey interaction between Ron and Hermione, but that draft got trashed. I like this version, anyway. I hope you guys did too. If so, tell me in a review! I never get sick of them. Plus, you reviewing this means I'm going to be reviewing your fic. All's fair, wouldn't you say? Pleasant sunshine to you all. Miss Extraordinary.