A/N: Sorry I didn't post this before, but the site and I have been having some, uh, minor disagreements. I have come to believe the site hates me, since it wouldn't let me post. I've had this chapter written and waiting for almost two weeks and only recently was I allowed to upload and post. Hopefully the next chapter will be here on time in its usual schedule, if the site lets me.
Thanks to Kimmy C. and Marille Earen for the spell idea, and to Marille Earen for the hyper review. Also to Xharryxlovesxdracox for the nice review and plea for more, and to my Aunt Myrka for the sweet review and all her encouragement. This is for you, too. Love you, Tante!
Bold italics are Railane's intros, italics are thoughts, and anything in bold is a diary entry.
Chapter two: An unlikely truce
After I pondered Draco's revelation for a while, I knew that my mother's suspicions were true. She'd told me that something terrible had been shaking up the Malfoy household, and that Narcissa herself was trying to get them out of whatever it was. At first I just thought it was more gossip, but Draco's strange withdrawal proved her theory. Blaise admitted that Draco wasn't acting like himself, and I promised myself that I would find out what was wrong and I'd help. Little did I know that fate would present the opportunity to me very soon.
Blaise and Railane walked together comfortably to their first class. Draco had been absent from breakfast, and without her banter with him, Railane had found the table terribly boring and had left as soon as she'd finished her breakfast. Liana hadn't noticed because she'd been talking to Harry, but Blaise had gone after her. They'd talked for a while, but Railane refrained from letting him know about her suspicions.
As soon as they entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Railane was relieved to find Draco there. Leaving Blaise behind, she sat next to Draco. "Are you okay? We missed you at breakfast."
"I'm fine, Lesperance," he replied in a strained tone.
She shot him a dirty look before rising. "I see we're back to using our last names now. Very well, Malfoy. And excuse me for caring."
He groaned. "Railane, wait."
She froze mid-step and turned to him. "What?"
"I just don't like people poking into my business. It's not personal. That's just how I am."
Railane allowed herself to smile slightly. "That's as close as I'm ever getting to an apology, isn't it?"
He smiled weakly. "Pretty much, yeah."
She sighed and sat next to him again. "For now, that's enough. But someday it won't be."
His silence was her only answer, and she knew enough not to push him. He was beginning to trust her, and she was beginning to understand him, and she knew that pushing him too far would destroy all she'd managed to achieve.
Minutes later Tonks entered. "Good morning class. I'm sorry you didn't get the news, but we'll be conducting our class in the Room of Requirement, since all four houses will be taking the class together." The class begin murmuring, and Draco looked livid. Railane shot him a look before turning to Tonks and raising her hand. "Yes, Miss?"
"Lesperance," she supplied. "I wanted to know why we're all taking the class together if it wasn't done like this on previous years."
"Professor Dumbledore believes that we will be stronger together and wants to instill that into the entire school, so no classes will be conducted for only one house."
Every Slytherin except Railane groaned loudly at this. Tonks simply smiled at them and motioned for them to leave the classroom and follow her towards the Room of Requirement. After they paced the required three times, the door opened, and the Slytherins walked in to find the Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor sixth years already waiting.
"All right, class," Tonks began. "I'm going to sort you into pairs, but you will not be paired with anyone from your same house." While the students muttered and groaned, she took out four rolls of parchment, each one with a list of student names, and then placed a blank roll next to it. Tapping each of the parchments in turn with her wand, she muttered a few words and picked up the blank scroll. Gold lettering appeared and Tonks smiled. She paired everyone off following the list on the scroll, and when she was done she tucked all five rolls in her bag.
"Okay. Now one of the things that Professor Dumbledore has insisted on is teaching every student from fifth year and up how to produce a Patronus. Now, I understand some of you can already make them, and I'm glad, because then they can help me help the rest. Patronuses are very powerful magic, and it'll take a while before you can all produce one, but if you keep trying I'm sure you'll manage. Everyone who can already produce a corporeal Patronus please step forward."
Everyone who had been in the DA the previous year stepped forward. Tonks pointed to some of them and asked the others to step back. "Okay, so I already know who Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger are. Who are the others?"
"I'm Ernie MacMillan," Ernie said proudly, "and these are Hannah Abbott and Zacharias Smith."
"Now, I have a boggart in that trunk, and I will release it. Each of you in turn will think about facing a dementor, and the boggart will become it. Why do I ask you to think about a dementor? Because if you fear something else it'll become that instead of the dementor and then it's bye bye Patronus."
Some students chuckled, and the seven students she'd picked got in line. She opened the trunk and the boggart came out, immediately becoming a dementor. Ernie had placed himself first, and his Patronus appeared after his second attempt, a silvery wolf that shimmered. Next came Hermione, and her silver otter appeared on her first try, earning her a round of applause. Hannah's raven Patronus took three tries to appear.
Zacharias had on his smug look, as usual, and Harry was glad that he took five tries before he actually produced his wolfhound Patronus. Ron was up next, and his Patronus took the shape of a panther on his second try. Last up was Harry, and his silver stag walked out of a sheer mist right on the first attempt. Harry smiled at it fondly, reminded of his father, and Tonks beamed.
"All right, now I put you in pairs so if one of you fails on the Patronus the other one tries until both of you have produced a fully corporeal one, or if the boggart turns into something else it's your partner's responsibility to use Riddikulus and help. Mr. Finnigan and Miss Lesperance, you're up first. Remember to enunciate 'Expecto Patronum' well and to concentrate on a happy memory to give the spell strength."
Seamus let Railane go first, and a tiger Patronus appeared as soon as she finished the spell. She smiled with satisfaction before turning to Seamus. He stepped forward, and on his third try a hare appeared. They walked off and watched while others tried and mostly failed, and soon it was Liana and Draco's turn.
Draco motioned for Liana to go first, and she took a deep breath and tried. Her first attempts were only silver smoke, but on herfourth attempt a lion appeared. "A total Gryffindor," Tonks commented, and Liana grinned. Draco walked forward, but the boggart immediately became his father. Liana tried to stand next to the boggart so it would take a shape for her, but Railane had beat her to it. The boggart took the last-known shape of Lord Voldemort, and people gasped. Railane took a deep breath and yelled "Riddikulus!", effectively turning Lord Voldemort into a clown. Draco tried again, and this time a dementor appeared. His leopard appeared on histhird try, and he sighed in relief. A bell rang outside and Tonks dismissed them.
Draco was the first student out the door, and Railane was right behind him. Before he could snap at her, she spoke. "Just ignore them. The comments will die soon enough."
During the rest of the morning Railane and Blaise were Draco's bodyguards; Crabbe and Goyle trailing behind. When they got to lunch, Draco refused to go in. "You have to eat, Draco," Blaise admonished, but Railane shook her head.
"Go to the common room. I'll bring you some food."
Draco nodded heavily and turned, and Railane sighed. "You worried about him?" Blaise asked her, and she nodded.
"Yeah. I just wish I knew why the boggart took Lucius' shape."
Blaise shrugged. "At this rate, he'll end up telling you eventually." Railane smiled feebly and walked into the Great Hall.
Fifteen minutes after sending Draco to the common room, Railane finally arrived. She walked in and sat next to him, handing him a plate. "Blaise and I didn't know what you liked, so I brought you a bit of everything," she explained. He ate silently and she walked around the common room thoughtfully.
When Draco finished, he walked towards her quietly. They stayed there in companionable silence until Blaise walked in. "Come on guys, we'll be late for Transfiguration and McGonnagal's gonna grill us."
They followed Blaise to the classroom and sat down together. A tabby cat was watching from a corner, and turned into Professor McGonnagal as soon as the last students had filed in. "Good afternoon, students, and welcome to N.E.W.T. level Transfiguration. We will be doing very powerful magic this year, and I expect you all to focus and do well. We will begin by turning these birds," she motioned to a line of cages next to her desk, "into ferrets."
Draco groaned at the mention of ferrets, and Railane looked at him curiously. "I got turned into a ferret during our fourth year," he told her quietly, looking mortified, and she giggled.
"Look at it on the bright side, Draco. At least ferrets are cute."
He rolled his eyes at her and noticed Professor McGonnagal standing right behind her. "I take it she's up first," he commented, and Railane's eyes widened as she turned to the Professor.
"Indeed she is. You will use the same motion used for Wingardium Leviosa, and the incantation is 'Arev Exercens'. Enunciate clearly or you might turn it into something dangerous." She handed Railane one of the birds, and she grinned at it.
"Bye, bye, birdie," she said quietly before performing the spell perfectly. She turned to Draco, holding the ferret in her hand, grinning widely. He rolled his eyes, hiding a smile, and she petted the ferret. "Think I could keep it, Professor?"
"I'd like to let you, since you did such a great job, but only cats, toads and owls are allowed. I'm afraid you'll have to return it. I'll give ten points to Slytherin for your troubles, though."
Railane sighed dejectedly, pouting before returning the ferret to Professor McGonnagal and returning to her seat. Draco offered to go next, and managed to turn his bird into a ferret after his third attempt. All of Ravenclaw turned the birds into ferrets, and the only people in Slytherin who didn't were Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bullstrode. Blaise had managed on his fourth try, and he was feeling very proud of himself.
"Very well, class, I am pleased with your performance today. However, I must warn you that this was a very simple thing, and that all of the other transformations will be far more complex. Those of you who didn't manage must hand in fourteen inches of parchment about how to perform the spell correctly and why you did not do it properly, and therefore must be ready for a fresh attempt during the next class. You are dismissed."
They filed out and Draco sighed. "I'm just glad today is pretty much over already."
"Agreed," Blaise groaned next to him. "I'm so glad that I can have a bit of time to relax before we go and have dinner."
Railane nodded absently but Blaise didn't notice and continued to walk towards the common room. Railane turned from him and walked outside, breathing in all the fresh air she could. She walked around the castle grounds, settling on sitting under the shade of a big oak near the lake. Holding her bag between her arms, she looked at the horizon thoughtfully. She was so into her thoughts that she didn't feel Liana approach, and when she sat next to her Railane jumped, startled.
Liana giggled. "You are paranoid."
Railane didn't smile. "I might be, but I have my reasons."
"I was kidding, Lane. What's wrong?"
She shrugged. "I was just thinking about stuff that's happened."
Liana smiled. "On a bright side, we're having a Hogsmeade weekend in two weeks, and Harry asked me to invite you to spend the day with us. Oh, and all Quidditch teams will have try-outs next week."
"You think Draco could come along with us around Hogsmeade?"
Liana sighed. "I can get Harry and Hermione to go for it, but Ron will take some convincing. And I doubt Draco will be up for it, considering how much he hates them."
"He doesn't hate them," Railane replied quietly. "He only disses Hermione because he was raised to hate Muggle-borns, but deep down he respects her. He rags on Ron because he's just such an easy target, and because it's in his nature, being a snobby wanker and all." Liana giggled and Railane continued. "I think that Harry's another story though. A combination of reasons. Pressure from his father, envy and a hurt pride."
"The first one I get. What about the other two? I mean, why would Draco have to envy Harry? And hurt pride? Please. Draco doesn't give a damn what anyone thinks."
Railane stared off at the sky reflected on the water of the lake as she spoke. "He envies Harry deep down because Harry is something he wishes he could be: courageous, sure of his path. And his pride is hurt because he admired Harry and asked him to be his friend, but Harry rejected him without giving him a chance."
Liana shot her a look. "I find that hard to believe, Lane."
"Ask Harry, then," Railane challenged. "Prove me wrong."
"Don't worry," Liana replied, rising. "I will. You fancying him is one thing, Lane, but I can't believe you'd make Harry look bad to justify Draco."
"That's not what I'm doing, Liana. He told me himself. And let's not fight over guys, please. We already went through this with R.R. and Frankie and we managed. Let's not screw up now."
Liana sighed. "I know. Sorry. We'll talk later, okay? I have to get back."
Railane nodded. She kept looking at the water, her hair flying in the breeze. The water was already reflecting the orange and pink hues of sunset, and she felt a calm and peace she hadn't felt in a while. Running her hand through her hair, she rose as the last rays of the sun disappeared and gave way to night.
She entered the Great Hall minutes after everyone else had, and sat down by herself on a corner of the table. Blaise respected her decision to have some privacy, but he hated seeing her alone so he moved to a seat near her and remained quiet. Railane thanked him with a gaze and a slight smile before returning to her dinner, and as soon as she was finished, she walked out. Draco walked out after her.
He fell into step beside her without a word, and Railane smiled to herself. They seemed to agree on the fact that no talking was necessary, and that his mere presence was enough to let her know he cared. They walked towards the common room, and Draco pulled her arm before she went up to the girls' dormitories. "I'm moving to my private room tonight," he told her. "It's on the third floor behind the painting of the redhead and the bird. The password's 'Pyro Aerae'."
"I can't believe you're telling me, of all people."
He shrugged. "I can't tell too many people, but I guess I wanted you to know where to find me."
He turned, walking over to the boys dormitories and bewitching his trunk to follow him. He and Harry arrived to their room at the same time, and Harry whispered the password. They walked in, their trunks following, and Draco placed his on the foot of the bed. He and Harry stood looking at each other in silence, and Harry spoke first.
"If we're going to live together, we need to strike a truce or something."
"I know," Draco replied quietly.
"Look, you can't be so stubborn, our lives depend on- what? Did you just agree with me?"
Draco nodded. "Yeah, I did. So, uh, for lack of a better word, friends?" he asked, offering his hand.
This time, Harry didn't hesitate. "Yeah. It's time we get over this and give each other a chance."
"Agreed," Draco replied.
Harry walked into his room, placing his trunk in the same spot Draco had placed his, and they went to sleep after thinking that the other gave in to the truce too easily.
A/N: This chapter didn't write itself like the others did; I had to push it around a bit. Now all I need is a couple of reviews to get me to write next chapter fast and to make me feel better after my battle with the site. What do you say, guys?