Chapter 2

"We're almost there. I've got to go check on Dennis and grab my robes. I'll see you ladies on the platform in a few," Colin said, leaving Ginny and Chloe to their own devices.

"Well Gin, you and Colin seem to be clicking," Chloe teased.

"Yeah, we sent letters back and forth for most of the summer. Having so many brothers there's always been someone to talk to in the summer, but this time was the first time that there wasn't anyone. They were all busy doing their own things," Ginny told Chloe, not knowing what her friend was up to.

"So. What do you think of Colin," Chloe asked.

"You two are my best friends. With you on the other side of the globe, he's the one who kept me sane this past summer. He's like another brother to me," Ginny said, thinking aloud.

As they changed, they were quiet, and Ginny was thinking about the way Chloe reacted when Colin was around hand when he was mentioned.

"You know Chloe, you should just tell him how you feel about him," Ginny said as they exited the train compartment.

"What are you talking about Ginny," Chloe asked, not sure what her friend was thinking.

They weren't able to say anything else as they were sucked into the crowd, onto the train platform. Before Ginny could reply or Chloe could ask again, they were walking with Colin to the carriages. There was room for eight people in each carriage, and Colin, Ginny, and Chloe were joined by two Ravenclaws and a Hufflepuff. Chloe and Ginny sat on one side with the Hufflepuff. Colin sat across from Chloe, between the far side of the carriage and the two Ravenclaws. The three older Gryffindors rode in silence, listening to the three fourth year girls gossip about the latest piece of Hogwarts news, Slughorn's choice of a Potions assistant.

One of the Ravenclaws told her friends, "I hope he ends up teaching a few of the classes. He's so cute!"

Ginny turned to Chloe and rolled her eyes.

As they exited the carriage, Ginny waited until the girls were out of earshot before saying, "first, I hope McGonagall knows what she's doing, letting Malfoy back at Hogwarts, I mean it's a known fact that he's a Death Eater. And second, if that blonde vermin ends up teaching one of our classes I'm going to the Infirmary with any complaint that'll keep me out of the dungeons."

"Hear hear," Colin agreed as they walked into the Great Hall for the Welcome Feast. Sitting down at the Gryffindor table, they were sucked into the conversations around them.

Durning the usual set of announcements, Professor McGonagall announce the revival of an old Hogwarts tradition of masked balls. There were to be three through the year, with an unmasking only at het last one, in May. The first would be Halloween. The ball would be a costu me ball, with a theme of the past. Students were invited to come as a figure of the past, muggle or wizard. She aslo informed them of the opening of a costume shop in Hogsmeade where they could rent or buy costumes. For many it looked to be one of the highlights of the year.

Later that night Chloe and Ginny were organizing their things for the next day and getting ready for bed.

"I was serious about what I said on the train," Ginny said while she was rummaging through her trunk.

"I don't know what you're talking about, " Chloe said, sounding like she didn't quite believe herself.

"I saw the way you reacted to Colin on the train. I saw it last year too. Are you really going to lie and say I'm wrong?"

Chloe sat down on her bed, holding her pillow to her chest like a homesick first year. "But what if he doesn't feel the same way?"

"But what if he does," Ginny replied, hoping Chloe would listen.

"Besides, he probably likes you, especially if you two talked most of the summer. I mean where was I? In Hawaii surrounded by cute surfer boys!"

"Okay, take a deep breath. Trust me."

"Trust you, Ginny, you're like my sister, but the last time you said that we almost got detention with Filch for a month."

"Almost. But we didn't. All right I'm ready for tomorrow so I'm going to bed. Night."

"Night."

"So, Do you think that we'll have a shot at the House Cup this year," Kevin asked as they climbed into the horseless carriage outside Hogsmeade Station.

"If Lia and Marsden keep from getting in too much trouble, I think we can. I'm not sure I want to see Gryffindor win it again," Jackie replied.

"There'll be pigs in the trees and Popsicles in hell before Marsden'll learn to tolerate me. I still don't get what his beef with me is anyway," Lia said. She really had no idea. She hadn't been at the castle long enough to make any enemies when Daren Marsden began his torment. The cheeky bastard had picked on her before she even sat down for breakfast.

"Well lets hope that the professors have thought out their schedule a little better and didn't even put you two on the same floor for classes," Jackie replied.

"I just want to survive NEWTS this year," Kevin said.

"You just had to bring those up," Jackie said, holding her head in her hands. "As if testing us in fifth year wasn't enough they have to do it again, with harder tests the second time around. God save us."

The three friends arrived at the castle a few minutes later and were walking up the castle steps on their way to the Great Hall when disaster struck.

"Look who it is boys. Check out who decided to come back for another year. Haven't you had enough yet Malfoy? I would have thought for sure you'd go back to your sanctimonious American school after last year " Marsden said malevolently.

"Oh geez," Andrea murmured to herself at the verbal onslaught. Of course, she'd been expecting something to happen. "Move it Marsden," she said when the tall green-eyed young man moved into her path. He'd always been a bit taller than her, but Andrea noted that Marsden seemed to have grown over the summer, because instead of staring at his nose like last year, she was eye-level with his chin.

"What's going on here you two? Come one, into the Great Hall everyone." Professor Potter put himself between the two teenagers just in time. "
Go take a seat Mr. Marsden," he said sternly. Once he was gone, Harry turned around to address Lia. "You two are almost as bad as your father and I were. You should know better than to let him bait you. I don't want to see anything like last year happen." In a quieter, less formal tone, he added. 'If you're going to do anything to the bugger, do it on the Quidditch field."

"I'll try," Lia promised.

"And I expect you two to help," Harry said to Jackie and Kevin, smiling.

"No worries Professor," Jackie replied as the four of them walked into the Great Hall. When they sat down, Jackie whispered to Kevin, "I wouldn't miss this year for the world. If nothing else, Lia and Marsden will be fun to watch on the Pitch." Kevin chuckled and shook his head.

"Just as long as we don't get dragged in too. I have no desire to spend a night in the Hospital this year. Hear that Lia?"

"Loud and clear you two. Don't worry, I picked up one or two things this summer on how to deal with pains in the ass."

Jackie leaned over to Kevin, loudly whispering, "You better watch your back Kev." They quietly laughed as the Sorting Ceremony began.

That night Lia lay in bed, listening to the rhythmic breathing of her sleeping roommates, glad to be back at Hogwarts, looking forward to the upcoming school year. Slowly she fell asleep, unmarred by nightmares or unpleasant thoughts.

­­The same was not true for an occupant across the castle.

"If she ever breaks through that hard shell you have over yourself, she'll see the person I know is hiding inside. She'll see what you're so scared to show the rest of the world. Good luck with the rest of you life Daren Marsden."

Daren woke with a start, shaking off the memory of this past summer. He had gone fishing with his father in France while his mother stayed in Paris and drank and partied to her heart's content. The fishing trip had been a blessed escape from his mother who had gone into one of her drunken rages at the beginning of the summer and tried to hex him out of existence again. Abigail Pucey had never been known for her patience and that did not change when she married and became Abigail Marsden, or when she had a beautiful baby boy. Early in Daren's life, his mother developed a drinking problem. He and his father soon discovered that she was one irate drunk. It had become habit to escape on a fishing trip for two or three weeks over the summer with his father, but this summer Daren's father had only been able to take him for a week. Work had called him back to England and then sent him to Belgium. Daren had been forced to stay with his mother in Paris. It hadn't turned out as bad as he thought. His mother slept all day and was out all night. He was pretty much left to his own devices. Naturally curious, he had ventured out into muggle Paris and done some exploring. While at the Musée d'Orsay, he met a girl by the name of Sarah Marks, from Kerry. There had been nothing serious between the two of them, but not because she didn't want it. They had departed on not-so-easy terms. Thoughts of what she said the night before he left kept him up some nights. Who was she to assume she knew him? She hadn't known him long enough, right?

Daren forced his mind to think about something else, like sleeping. The coming day was the first day of classes and he didn't want to be falling asleep. That was for the rest of the year. A few minutes later, he joined the rest of the castle's occupants in peaceful sleep.