A/N: Well, here's the second chapter. There's going to be a lot more flashbacks, in regard to Rena's storytelling.

Disclaimer: HP will never be mine, but it's up to my imagination how I'd like to manipulate them, hehehe…

"…" talk

'…' thoughts

Italics Flashback

Bold changes in scene/time

Chapter 2: Reminiscence In The Mist

Rena gestured for Harry and the others to make themselves comfortable. 'This is going to take some time.' Outside, the mist thickened to shroud the train. As a result, the compartment dimmed. The silence became uncomfortable when Rena slowly arranged her words. Harry fidgeted impatiently. Ron too, he noticed, was tapping his foot.

"It happened when we were about 8…"

"Mama, mama! There're a lot of people at the old mansion today!"

A young Rena, with her raven hair tied in two braids, climbed onto a chair. A woman with gentle eyes and a kind smile peered over the kitchen counter.

"Really? They must be those visitors your father mentioned yesterday."

"They were the Malfoys, who had come over for a vacation. They rented a mansion across our house for the month. I went to watch them move their stuff in. It was quite a sight, since I had never seen so many wizards at that young age."

Harry cocked his head in confusion, "But you live with your parents…"

"My mother was a Muggle, and we led a rather isolated life."

"Oh!"

"Anyway…"

Rena peeked from behind the tall gates, eyes sparkling in awe at the magic performed by the wizards. There was a lot of noise as they were busy shouting instructions at each other. In the midst of the hubbub, the little girl spotted a small boy huddled away in the shadows of mansion.

A ghost of a smile flitted across Rena's face. "That was when I first met Draco Malfoy."

"Hello!" Rena had walked up to the blond and taken the initiative to greet him.

The boy looked up, startled. "Oh, hullo…"

"My name's Rena Hung! Nice to meet you!" she thrust out a hand to him. The boy stared at the hand as though he had never seen something like it before. His gaze shifted to the girl's face. He looked at the dazzling smile with wide, unblinking eyes. At last, he took the hand and shook it.

"Draco Malfoy…" murmured the blond. Rena's smile widened.

"So Draco-" Draco blinked. This little girl, who barely knew him, had addressed him immediately by his first name. But it sounded pleasant so he said nothing. "Let me show you around!" Without warning, the red-eyed girl pulled him by the hand and dragged him away from the mansion.

Rena laughed suddenly. "You should've seen the look on his face."

"I could immediately tell that he was lonely, being an only child myself. So, I guess he was surprised to find a total stranger like me so eager to make friends."

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"Thanks! I had a lot of fun today!" beamed Draco.

Suddenly, he cast his eyes down, "Um, maybe…maybe we could…play again?" He added hastily afterwards, "If you don't mind, of course."

"Silly! Of course I don't mind! I don't have a lot of friends here."

"Why not?" asked the blond, confusion swirling in his grey eyes.

"Because I'm a Muggle-born…" replied Rena quietly. "Anyway, good bye! I'll see you again tomorrow!"

Ron snickered, but everyone ignored him. They were too enraptured by Rena's tale to pay much attention to him.

"My father says I can't play with you anymore…"

"Why not?" Rena sounded so alarmed.

"Because he said you're a-a…Mudblood…" he flinched as he whispered the last word.

"Oh," came the withdrawn reply. Draco chanced a glance at Rena. He was shocked to find those ruby eyes glistening with tears.

"I guess I understand. Everybody stops playing with me after a while anyway. I just thought maybe…" she began to sob, and took off.

"That sounds a lot like him all right!" Ron said gruffly. Rena continued.

Rena curled herself up between the branches of her tree. Her sobbing had ceased but tears still poured down her cheeks.

"Rena,"

Rena looked down. Draco, cheeks flushed pink and panting, was standing right below here. Rena panicked. This was her sanctuary! No one was supposed to come here!

"What are you doing here? Go away!"

Draco looked like he was torn between decisions. Then, he planted himself determinedly to the ground. "No!"

"Go away! You hate me, don't you?" Rena felt like crying again.

"I don't hate you! Why did you say that?"

How could he be so stupid and forgetful? Forgetting her tears, she yelled angrily from the branches.

"You said you don't want to play with me anymore! So you must hate me! Everyone hates m-Aaahh!"

Rena lost her footing and plummeted to the ground. She pinched her eyes shut, bracing for impact with the hard, solid earth. What she collided with however, was softer that she imagined. Rena opened one eye, and gasped.

"Ow…" moaned Draco from under her form.

"Draco, are you all right? Did you hurt yourself?" asked the raven-haired girl anxiously.

"I should be asking you! Falling from a height like that!"

For a moment, both children paused for breath, the adrenaline still coursing through their veins. Taking opportunity of her relief, Draco interjected.

"I don't hate you, and I don't ever want you to think I do!" He looked oddly dishevelled from breaking Rena's fall. "I want to continue being friends with you!"

"I'm sorry." The blond bowed his head and apologised.

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Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville bore similar expressions of what could only be described as utter disbelief. Their amazement had grown as the tale progressed. By now, the amazement had gained vast proportions.

"I can't believe it!" said Ron. Harry could only stare mutely.

"Well, he's a very nice person, once you get to really know him. He's always kind to me."

Harry heard Ron snort, which sounded suspiciously like 'Dragon dung'. Rena observed their reactions silently and carried on.

Rena dug her foot into the ground, boring a hole into it with the toe of her shoe. What was taking Draco so long? It was already getting dark.

"Sorry, I'm late."

Rena looked up, glad that he was finally here. But her joy transformed into worry when she saw his face hidden under a cloak.

"What's wrong?" she made to pull the cloak off but Draco stepped back.

"N-Nothing."

Rena's eyes narrowed in suspicion and in a quick movement, jerked his hood back. She gasped. There was a large red patch on his left cheek and it appeared as if his bottom lip was split.

"What happened?" squeaked Neville. He sounded as though he was listening to a ghost story, and something horrible was going to happen next. Rena's look darkened.

"What happened?" She grabbed his arm, causing him to flinch. Rena let go immediately. She peeled back his sleeve to find a long, angry gash on his arm. She told him to wait and disappeared. After a while, she returned with a wooden box. Hastily, she rummaged through the box and produced a small jar.

"It's a healing ointment. Here, give me your arm." Gently she applied the cream onto the gash. Draco hissed at the stinging sensation it caused. Rena worked consistently to apply a few other potions and creams onto his bruises and cuts.

"That's all I can do. I don't know how to use magic yet…" Rena wanted to cry over her helplessness, but forced herself to focus on the matter at hand.

"Tell me what happened."

"My father…he found out about you. He got angry." Draco said tonelessly.

"That's simply not right!" exclaimed Hermione in spite of herself. "You can't simply punish a child for having a friend!"

Rena smiled mirthlessly. "True, but his son had a Muggle-born friend. That makes all the difference to him."

"But that's wrong! To hit a child so severely is, is-" Hermione struggled to explain her dismay.

"Abuse."

Everyone turned to Harry. The Gryffindor was staring at Rena, but he was looking past her. Malfoy? An abused child? It couldn't be!

"What," Ron began hoarsely, then cleared his voice. "What happened after that?"

Rena shook her head. "Nothing. The Malfoys were gone the next day. Just like that."

Her red eyes were clouded with memories, no longer aware of her surroundings. Harry couldn't believe that the spoilt Slytherin had in fact, been treated roughly by his parents. In this sense they were alike, and it disturbed him that he was unable to see Malfoy's true face, being a sufferer of the same. But no, not the same exactly. The Dursleys neglected him, sometimes to the point of starvation in the worst situations. But never, never wanton violence.

Rena rose from her seat slowly, Talons on her shoulder. She placed one hand on the compartment door, but stopped.

"I'm asking all of you…please, do not mention any of this to anyone. Consider this my request."

Seeing the five nod, she smiled and bowed, "Thank you."

A/N: Second chapter…wasn't exactly something I had expected, but good. I'm pretty satisfied with the result. So, again, please review after reading. Thank you!