Disclaimer: I don't own any of Harry Potter and his wonderful world – it is all J.K. Rowling's.

Chapter 19 – Rocking the Boat

Persephone studied Lucius Malfoy interestedly. In many ways he was like Draco… just his eyes were harder and his hair wasn't quite the same platinum blonde that Draco's was.

How could it be though? This was not something she'd been expecting. But then she hadn't been expecting to be catapulted back into Hogwarts without house elves and she never thought – in her life – that she would ever have to milk a cow. So much for bloody foresight and premonition.

But Lucius Malfoy? How did that work? She had inquired casually about the year to the younger prefect – Katherine – and had been told it was 1909; she'd also received a strange look and a nervous smile from the girl. If it was indeed 1909 – which she was in no position to dispute – then it would make Lucius over a hundred years old at the present time. Perse was determined to find out quite how that worked.

Katherine approached her nervously. "I think it's all done Amelia, you can call the first years in to have breakfast now."

Persephone nodded, blonde hair falling into her face. She was never going to get used to having hair this colour. "Sonorus," she whispered, pointing Amelia's wand at her own throat. It sparked a little at her, but she was relieved to find it still worked. "Okay, everyone," she announced her voice echoing around the field that lay on the verges of the Forbidden Forest. "Time for breakfast." All the first years looked at her in a mixture of surprise and amazement, before slowly milling in the direction of the castle. Oh dear, Persephone worried. What have I done strange now?

Lucius began to make his way towards her from where he had been lazing at the edge of the field, being about as useful as a hole in the head.

Katherine scurried away from Persephone, muttering something about 'crazy' and 'prefects'.

"Cool spell," Lucius said calmly when he was within talking distance of her. "Nice invention." The witch realised he was referring to the Sonorus charm… they didn't have it here?

Crap, did I just change history? Perse bit her lip.

"You were very useful," she shot back in reply, referring to his standing at the edge of the field and spectating.

"And here I was expecting cutting sarcasm," Lucius retorted, laying his palms wide.

"Haven't you got some first years to crucify, or some small animals to disembowel?" Perse inquired sharply, noticing that the field was now clear except for the two of them.

"C'mon sweetheart, there's no need to go all defensive on me." His hand touched her elbow gently, steering her into a path next to him before she realised what was happening. Quickly, she jerked away. He chuckled; "Ah, we're playing hard to get today are we?"

She frowned. Were he and Amelia involved? Was she meant to be being nice to him? Over her dead body. "Impossible to get Malfoy, impossible," she corrected him shortly, before turning on her heel and heading away towards to castle.

"You're mine Sloane, and you know it," he called after her, but she didn't stop walking. "Fine! Be that way!"

What had Amelia got herself into? And what was Persephone going to do about it?

Amelia watched the new world with interest. It all seemed so… shiny. Yet somehow everyone seemed to be unhappy. Almost everything they wanted was instantaneous, with a flick of a wand they could perform so many charms that made everyday life that bit easier, but everyone seemed so discontented and weighed down by immeasurable dissatisfaction.

She stood on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, watching the innumerable number of students out in the unseasonably warm weather. The sat, sprawled across the grass everywhere she looked, playing adolescent games with one another. Games she didn't understand because she's never had to play.

Why had she been bought to this time, what did she have to learn? Or who did she have to meet? Perhaps, she thought, maybe Persephone would be the one who would benefit, would be the one who was learning. Maybe she was just a pawn…

"Are you okay?" asked a voice near her shoulder. Amelia started, looking up into blue-rimmed depths. "You look a little lost."

Amelia spun round and gaped slightly, there was a youth standing before her and he was… well, breathtaking. How had she not noticed him immediately? He was taller than her, but not out of sight and he had burnished blonde hair, lithely tanned limbs and she thought if she didn't take her eyes away now she may start dribbling.

With an effort she managed to recollect her thoughts from where they had skittered when she caught sight of the young godlike creature.

"I'm f- fine," she stammered, feeling painfully self-conscious all of a sudden.

"You're new this year, aren't you?" he asked conversationally keeping an intense eye-contact with her.

I'm new this week, Amelia thought to herself.

"Uh, yes," she agreed, pushing black air out of her face. "Have we met before?" Amelia asked trying not to sound confused or give away the fact that she wasn't sure whether she was meant to know him.

"I think not," he replied, appearing not to notice anything weird about her manner. "I've just come to Hogwarts for my final year after six of home schooling."

Amelia forced her attention away from the way his lips moved and forced herself to look back into blue eyes. A sudden question popped into her head, she narrowed her own eyes suspiciously. "How did you know I was new then?"

He blushed endearingly. "I'm in your Divination class."

Amelia cooed internally, he'd been too shy to talk to her – or, well, Persephone. Slightly confused by this train of thought she turned away, facing Hogwarts again. "Walk with me?"

He nodded his acquiescence.

Draco watched Ginny closely, sighing with weariness. She had her head propped on his shoulder, and she had fallen asleep. Again.

She spent so long at night worrying about Persephone and Amelia and how they were going to get them back to their own times that she rarely slept and it showed in her countenance a little more every day. He wasn't a caring person by nature, and he never expected to be. He wasn't soft, or vulnerable, or unguarded, he was a product of his Father's discipline and he often had a heart of ice to prove it.

But he did want the littlest Weasley, possibly more than he'd wanted anything else. He smiled as he remembered the early stages of their relationship – if that's what it was. She had hated him so much, in fact he thought a little bit of her still wouldn't forgive him for the bullying he had rested on her and her family for his time at Hogwarts, and he, he had despised her. Now he realised he hadn't despised her as a person, just what she stood for, the meekness, the mildness, for having the gene – like her father – that wanted to include everyone in everything, even muggles, in their lives. So different from the Malfoy point of view.

Ginevra Weasley, as a person, was beautiful though. She fought him with a passion, and that same passion came out in her kisses. She genuinely loved the people around her, and in return they loved her as well. In many ways he was jealous of her life, of the loyalty she kindled, but then he would realise that he wouldn't be tolerant of people as she was, or even care for their everyday worries as she did. What his thoughts refused to take him on to was to realise that he was one of those who's loyalty and trust she had.

"You look a little troubled," inquired a slurred voice from his shoulder. He glanced down, a smile already touching his features.

"Nice sleep?"

She prodded his shoulder thoughtfully. "Kind of bony," Ginny replied.

Good? Or nay? Drop me a note, tell me what you think! Hope you enjoyed it (and sorry for the wait). N.B. although my updates for my stories often take a very long time to come, I will not abandon any of them – just for future reference. And to the person who asked how long this story would be… I'm not sure, there's still a lot of plot to come (and answers of course) so there's probably still at least twice the amount I've already written to come!

Now I have a question to put to anyone reading this story (or any of them for that matter), I'm thinking of starting a proper long original fiction on fictionpress and I was just wondering if anyone already had a fiction there and what the best way/length etc of doing the chapters were. And also of course what the chances of it actually being read are. Please email me if you can help. Thank you :)