Rhyann saw the scarred teen heading towards the secret room just past the portrait of Olivia the Ordinary. She picked up her pace and called out his name, hoping it wouldn't echo. "Harry!" A few portraits gave her irritated sniffs but at least her voice didn't bounce off the walls back to her or down the winding hall.

The-Boy-That-Lived turned, waiting for her to catch up. His greeting smile was not a beaming one but at least there was a smile. "Hi Rhyann."

"Hi, how are you?" She made sure her eyes did not wander down to his bandaged hand.

"Alright, I suppose." Harry gave a little shrug. His green eyes looked at her with a strange intensity as if he wanted to say or do something. "And you?"

"Okay." Rhyann replied, starting them walking towards the meeting place again. She ignored the the glimmer. "I'm glad we finally got a chance to have this time. With all the homework and... whatnot, it's going to be difficult to schedule things this semester."

Harry nodded. "Yet it's more important than ever. I've got a lot to tell you. Some things I need to ask you." He did not say anything specific yet but waited until they were at the room. He opened the door, politely holding it for the petite witch to go in first.

Rhyann had taken a step in, when her eyes widened in shock and she immediately hopped back. Her actions were silent and thus did not disturb the scene before them. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Potter's mouth fall open and his hand darting out to close the door. She was out of his way and did not even think to breathe until she knew the door was closed. She stood there, looking down at her empty hands, at the nothing that they held. How could she have not known?

"Uh..." Harry's cheeks were flushed red and he ran a hand nervously through his hair. His voice was barely above a whisper. "Did... did you know about... them?"

She shook her head. She was not blushing red at it like he was, but there was a bit of color in her cheeks. More from anger at herself than anything else. "I didn't know. I didn't have the faintest clue." She glanced up at him. "You?"

"No, not at all!" He shook his head vigorously. "I mean, I know Ginny broke up with Dean last semester. She's always had some boyfriend... but... I had no idea... I didn't even know she..." He stumbled, not sure how to continue.

"Come on. Let's go some place else in case they come out of the room." Rhyann tugged on his arm and hurriedly led them down to the next floor. She always delved into the members' sleeping minds and looked for secrets. How could she have missed this one! "It seems they have been very good at hiding it from everyone... Though, a Gryffindor and a Slytherin together... That would be good to help unite us all." She thought that out loud as strange as the it seemed to herself, it sounded good.

"But... I had no clue!" Harry was still discombobulated. "Ron will flip when he hears!"

Rhyann couldn't help but smirk a little at that. She thought many students would be shocked once they learned. It did not surprise her all that much who Ginny with as with, because she had grown up on a island with only females. It was only frustrating that she had not seen it in their sleeping minds. Though, she chastised herself, she did not usually venture into that section of people's minds. She was no voyeur and did not care who had a crush on who or who was having sex. The young dreamer would have to start checking such things.

"I had no idea that Drucinda liked girls either." She assured him and brought them to a little room that perhaps once geography was taught in for the walls were covered in maps. "I've never seen her with a boy, but I just thought she was shy. I wonder how long it's been going on. How do you think we should tell them that we know?"

His hands went up showing that he had no idea whatsoever. "I don't know! I don't know if we should even mention it..." His mind was still reeling at the fact that he had just seen two girls sitting cuddled together in one of the big chairs, making out. More so that one of those girls was like a little sister to him! "Maybe they don't want anyone else to know."

"Maybe they don't, but we should at least tell them we saw them. Let them know they can trust us and we can keep their secret if that's what they wish." Rhyann did not feel as though she could say nothing. She was a dreamer and she prided herself on knowing certain people very well. She thought she had known Drucinda like the back of her hand. Her house mate was basically a simple girl and finding out this part about her this way, she was not just going to let it go. "But, as I said, it would be good for everyone to see a Gryffindor and a Slytherin together."

Harry sat on the edge of the big oak table in the middle of the room. He ran a hand through his untamed hair and gave his head a little shake as if to bring some sense back to himself. "Yeah... I suppose it would be good..." He didn't say the words, but those unsaid continued on to say that it would be especially so if it were someone else other than his best friend's sister. His own protective instincts kicked in and he asked, "I don't know Drucinda very well. Is she a good person? She wouldn't use Ginny for anything or hurt her, would she?"

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "No, Dru wouldn't do that. She's much more emotional than she lets on and I think it would be more of a worry Ginny hurting her than anything else."

"Ginny's not like that." Harry said defensively and then took a deep breath, calming himself a bit. "It's just... a really weird surprise."

"Yes, it is." Rhyann hopped up on the table next to him, swinging her legs slowly since they did not reach the floor. At least this opportunity would be good to lead in to what she wanted to discuss with the Gryffindor Seeker. "It will be even better too, if they do tell anyone else, because I want to bring a certain someone in on our secret. I know there will be protests..."

"A certain someone?" He frowned, knowing exactly where she was going with this. Though she had been distant from her boyfriend all last semester, he almost expected this. "Do you mean Malfoy?"

"Yes, Draco." She did not turn her eyes away from his disapproving expression. Harry hated Draco as much as the blond hated him. What she had to make them all understand, though, was that they needed the Head Boy with them. Not just for her own selfish reasons, but to truly unite all of the Houses.

"No way." Harry said more harshly than he would have liked and made sure to continue less forcefully. "Malfoy would turn us all in. He'd ruin it for everyone. Trust me, I've known him since we were first years together. He is always looking for opportunities to get me in trouble."

"Last semester, I would have agreed with you. I wouldn't have even thought to suggest it." Rhyann kept her eyes locked with his. "Something happened over the holidays though. It made me start to trust him again. It showed me that he was no longer his father's son. I know you and he have your differences, but his magic is strong. He's very good with curses and Occlumency. He'd be an invaluable addition. Not to mention, that with Draco, Slytherin is fully united with all the Houses."

Harry gave an internal eye roll at her saying Malfoy was good with curses. It was in his blood after all. He did not back down from his position either. "What happened that made you start to trust him? He could be trying to trick you if he suspects you are keeping secrets. That would be just like Malfoy to do such a thing."

"I am certain it is no trick." The dreamer stated firmly. "I had caught his cousins going through my things over the holidays. Since I know they received no discipline at home, I took it upon myself to teach them a lesson. Draco's father did not appreciate what I did and decided to punish me for doing so. He has never particularly liked me, so it was much more cruel than should have been..." She hesitated, as if battling with emotions. "Mr. Malfoy used the Cruciatus Curse on me. It was Draco who came in and rescued me. Put himself at odds with his father to protect me and even took the punishment for me later. I thought his father might kill him. There is no love between the two of them. Draco hates him more than you can imagine."

There was a flash of fury on Harry's face when she told him what Lucius had done to her. It was true that he hated Draco, but he loathed the elder Malfoy. He was as evil as Voldemort in his opinion. He fiddled with his glasses for a moment, considering what she said. "It was horrible what was done to you. It was wrong... and it is good for Malfoy to protect you, to save you from any further pain. But... I really don't see how it changes anything. He still doesn't like me and the other students don't like him. Some of them are afraid of him. He's a bully, a selfish prat..."

"Okay, I know these things." Rhyann stopped him. "I know how the rest of the school views him. I know what things are like between the two of you. This is why it is vital that you accept him first. Everyone will follow your lead." She reached out, putting a small hand on his arm. "Harry, if I thought Draco would threaten everything, I would not suggest this. I am not naive enough to think that he will get along with everyone or that he won't be difficult, but I know I can trust him. He will keep the secret, maybe not for everyone else, but for me. I am certain of this." She paused and then added, "And no, I have not said anything to him about it yet. I wouldn't do so without everyone's permission."

"Rhyann..." The Gryffindor pursed his lips, staring down at the floor. "I don't understand it. What do you see in Malfoy?"

Smiling softly, she leaned back a little, propped up at an angle. "It's okay. No one seems to understand. There have been times when I have had trouble understanding myself." She looked up at the wall where there was a map of the world and misty clouds slowly traveled over its surface. "Most people only see his aristocratic facade. He can be snobbish, selfish and mean. It was the way he was raised. His family encourages it, nurtures it. His friends in his inner circle know him to be more laid back, to like to joke and talk. They see him as a leader who has the ability to keep his team together. And I get to see that self that he doesn't let anyone else see. The emotional one, the thoughtful and romantic side. One fierce in his love for me so that he would do anything for me. I also know that he hates being used by his family, how they expect him just to do what they want. He wants to go in his own direction, to have his own life with me."

Harry wasn't really sure what to do. Should he laugh disbelievingly or be in awe? He certainly could agree about the first description of Malfoy. He was a snobbish and spoiled git. He could see him with his friends, talking and joking. Malfoy was also the captain of Slytherin's quidditch team. He would not deny that he had leadership abilities. Yet when she described the thoughtful - and romantic! - side of her boyfriend, he just could not even grasp that as a possibility. "That doesn't seem like Malfoy..."

"Of course it doesn't. Do you really think he'd let anyone see that side of him? He would let no one see anything that could be perceived as a weakness." Rhyann turned her head back to see him staring at her as if mystified. "Draco is proud and stubborn too." She made a point in her expression to say that Harry was that way as well.

That was something he could believe. The git definitely wouldn't let out a hint of a weakness. "Even if that were true, still, it just wouldn't work. Too many people hate him." Harry hated him. "And it would throw the whole thing off even more so than what happened..."

She waited for him to continue, wanting him to say anything about what did happen to Dumbledore, but he did not go on. Rhyann sighed and turned her body to face him. "Listen, Harry. I know it will be hard. Even if no one else ever sees what I do and even if you don't believe me about that, you do have to believe that Draco loves me and he would do anything for me. Believe it even if you think it is a selfish thing on his part. He will do as I say." She gave that a few seconds to sink in before going on. "You trust me, right?"

"Yes... I trust you..." Harry answered slowly, almost sadly.

"Then trust that I know what I'm doing. Trust me that I know Draco can be trusted." She raised her hand with the silver ring topped with the garnet stone to him. "This ring, it's a Promise Ring. An enchanted one. Any promise Draco makes will be kept with it. If he breaks his promise, the ring will break too. I know he can be trusted, but this is a little bit of insurance for anyone else that might doubt him."

Harry eyed the ring. "Did you get the ring to make sure he would keep his promises?"

Rhyann shook her head. "No, Draco gave it to me for Christmas. It's enchanted for both of us. It wasn't meant for a purpose like this... it was more... personal."

"Oh," Harry immediately looked away and seemed to find more interest in a map of England which had waters that seemed real. "It sounds... like you really do love him..."

"I do." Her voice was but a whisper. She suddenly reached out and took one of his hands in hers. "Harry, we need him there. Hogwarts needs him united with us. I promise that Draco can be trusted and I will make sure that he won't do anything to threaten it all." The ebony stone on her ring glimmered and faded to return to normal.

Harry had looked down at her small hands when they took his, gazing at the elegant fingers and creamy soft skin. He saw the jem sparkle as she made her promise and then slowly removed his hand from between hers. His longer digits trailing along her palm as they retreated. "Alright. You have to ask the others first. I trust you, Rhyann. I don't think I could ever trust Malfoy, but I trust you."

"That's all I need to hear." Her lips turned up in a little smile and then she slipped off the table. "Come on. Let's see if the room is free now or Ginny and Dru can be the first ones we talk to... about a few things."