((Author's note: I'm sorry to keep all of you waiting for this next chapter. I was away on a family visit, but I am ever so glad to be back home and I hope to get this story done within the next few weeks! Thanks again for all the great reviews. Keep them coming!))
The train ride back to Hogwarts was somber and quiet. There were fewer students than ever before. Rhyann had counted that there were just over thirty seventh year students; Slytherin having the majority. Not only did the Hogwarts Express seem empty but when the remaining people filed into the Great Hall that first night back from Christmas break, only about a quarter of each long table was populated. With Dumbledore gone, there were more than a few teachers that had left their positions as well.
The new Headmistress stood steady in front of them and assured the young ones that it was still safe at Hogwarts. The professors were all very well qualified and they would assure the smooth continuation of the semester. They were all given new schedules in which the sixth and seventh year students would be mixed together since certain teachers were no longer at the school. McGonagall also announced that Snape had been appointed as Deputy Headmaster. He gave a nod of acknowledgement and let the satisfied angle at which he held his head speak for itself.
The school was also informed that Hufflepuff's ball would be moved to Valentine's Day and the other events for Hogwarts' 1212th anniversary would go on as scheduled. The thought of a Valentine's Day ball seemed to bring some light back to a few people's eyes and excited whispers began to creep back into the Great Hall.
Rhyann noted that Potter was sitting at his table in between his friends. He had not been on the train and thus must have gotten to Hogwarts through different means. His left hand was bandaged but from where she was sitting, she could not see any other evidence that he had been burned as horribly as he had been. She had also expected to see him frightened or staring glassy eyed into space, but his green eyes were alert and there was a newly stoked fire behind them. Potter was even sitting in a manner quite like what she was use to with Draco - seemingly relaxed but coiled, ready to spring to life at a moment's notice.
When she had first noticed that about Draco, she had attributed it to the fact that he was a Seeker. Yet the dreamer soon learned that it had nothing to do with being a quidditch player at all. She was beginning to see more similiarities between the two young wizards than ever before. She always saw an insidious edge in her boyfriend that was not present in Harry, but now that edge was there. Whatever had happened to him in the dungeon when Dumbledore died and during the holiday break had brought out a dangerous side in him.
She noticed that Harry kept scanning the hall but his gaze always returned to Snape. Rhyann silently watched the non-verbal conversation between the two of them. There was no affection or love lost between the pair of them. She had not been able to find out what had really happened the morning the old Headmaster had died. The only two that knew were Potter and Snape. One mind she couldn't enter and the other had answers that kept fleeing from her. She had tired herself out chasing them night after night.
Once the meal was finished, the students were dismissed to be led by the Prefects back to their towers. Draco had gathered with his quidditch team to talk about their holidays. Rhyann settled into a corner with Millicent, Drucinda and Blaise. They were going to bring in more Slytherins into their secret but a few that they had chosen as candidates were no longer at Hogwarts.
"What about David Nockels? He's in third year." Drucinda suggested.
Millicent nodded her head once. "Nockels would be good. Darla Rabe, fourth year, too."
"I would have preferred Nate Savage over Rabe, but since he's not here any more, she'll have to do. She's too much concerned with flirting than anything else, it seems." Blaise gave a quiet little huff but conceded to the suggestions.
"It's only because she likes you." Drucinda chuckled, hiding her smirk behind a hand.
Rhyann had been quiet throughout their conversation. She did not really care which of the Slytherins they decided would be good to invite because she could assure their secrecy through their sleeping minds. They could have all of their House in on it and none would tell anyone with her influence. There would be only one exception. "What about Draco?"
All three turned to look at her as if she were insane. Millicent gave the smaller teen a poke in the arm. "What's gotten into you, Rhyann? Did you get hexed for Christmas!"
"Yes, in fact, I did." Rhyann stated flatly. She had decided that with these three, she would have to tell the truth - or as much as she was willing to reveal. They were keen observers and she had not even had to plant any suggestions in their minds to have them keep her secret about astral projecting.
Leaning in, Drucinda laid her hand upon the dreamer's left arm and whispered, discomfited. "What do you mean?"
There was no flinch. The pain in the brand had eased away but Rhyann was ever aware of the Dark Mark marring her flesh. "I did something that displeased Draco's father over the holidays and he punished me. Draco came in and stopped him."
"What did you do!" Millicent shot out at the same time Blaise asked, "How did he punish you!"
"You know the Mulciber twins are cousins of the Malfoys?" Rhyann lowered her voice and dipped her head in towards the others. Her eyes indicated Imene and Gamene who were entertaining some other first years with a magical puzzle box that had gotten from their father. Once the three had nodded, she continued. "I caught the brats going through my things and I took it upon myself to punish them since I knew no one else would do it. Mr. Malfoy did not appreciate my initiative and punished me in turn... with the Cruciatus Curse."
Drucinda gasped, covering her mouth with her pale hands. Blaise's eyes widened but Millicent's narrowed as she shook her head. "The bastard!"
"Draco came in and defended me. Incurred his father's wrath himself and made sure I was safe. Not something I asked him to do or even expected him to do." She went on, her dark eyes looking at each of them so they could judge the truth of what she was saying. She ominously concluded, "He is no longer his father's son."
Shaking her head, Drucinda removed her hands from her face. "That was not right. Mr. Malfoy should not have done that. To think... using one of the Unforgiv.."
"Of course it wasn't right!" Millicent cut in. "We're talking about Malfoy here! Everyone knows he's one of You-Know-Who's top wizards."
"So Draco stopped that, but that doesn't make him trustworthy enough to let him in." Blaise laced his elegant fingers together and leaned back nonchalantly. He did not like the Head Boy himself. Most of them didn't even if some people acted like it. It was a mystery to many why the petite brunette was even with him.
"He and I had a long talk afterwards." Rhyann raised a hand before anyone could say anything. "No, I didn't tell him anything. Don't worry. Yet I feel he can be trusted now. It would save us trying to hide things from him..."
"It would save you from having to hide things from him." Blaise corrected. "Plus, everyone knows how he feels about Potter and the Gryffindors. The first chance he'll get, he'll rat us all out."
Millicent sighed and leaned to one side, resting on a large elbow. "Blaise has a point. It's just too risky. We can't take the chance." Her opposite hand drummed along the arm of the chair for a few seconds and then thought to ask, "I'm sure Malfoy didn't let either of you get away for that. Surely he must have gotten you again to finish your punishment? Or did something else happen?"
She had planned the reply to this one and it fell off her silver tongue with complete sincerity. "I know Draco can be trusted. I can guarantee it. He would do anything for me." Rhyann paused, taking in a deep breath. "Just like he took the rest of the punishment for me. His father could have killed him. I even thought he might."
A moment of silence followed her last few words. There had been no more punishment. Draco and Rhyann had stayed in his room for the rest of the night. She had went into Lucius' sleeping mind. He had been furious. There was nothing she could do to change that, but she planted a few suggestions that would not go against his personality and lead him to be more agreeable to the deal she had proposed the next morning. She had appealed to the businessmen in both Lucius and the twins' father. She offered compensation through use of her own talents. Since Lucius had exclusive use of the dreamer's abilities before and they were very successful for him, Mulciber immediately agreed to the deal. With Draco's humble apology to his father, he helped to sway him to agree to it also. She doubted it would have worked out if she hadn't planted the suggestions in the senior Death Eater's mind and even with them there, it was a precarious situation. Everyone else gave their support to working it out though and Lucius had finally conceded.
"He actually did that for you?" Drucinda was the first to speak up. Her voice soft with awe.
"Yes, he did." Rhyann as if she were still in awe about it herself. "You would not believe how much he hates his father. He can be trusted."
Millient chewed on her lower lip as she contemplated it and glanced at the others as if leaving it to them. Blaise studied the dreamer's face and then made a little motion with his hand. "It's not really for us to say though. It's Potter and the others that you'll have to convince."
A little smile crossed Rhyann's lips. "You just leave that to me."