A/N: I'm sure I don't have to say this, but: DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER. NOT EVEN A PORTION.
I have to thank everyone who reviewed, because it made me feel good, and I realised, once I started writing again, that I missed this story. Please review, and do tell me HONESTLY what you think. If you think I could do something better, TELL ME. I can't improve if you don't help me do so. Also, if you have an idea or something you'd like to see happen at, what one reviewer referred to as 'Muggle High', I'd be glad to try and fit it in.
Lastly, all spelling/grammar mistakes are my own. I do not have a beta, so I'm relying on Word, which doesn't always catch them all. I apologise in advance. Also, I am an American, born and bred. Please, do not castrate me on my use of pounds. I'll try to do so, but if my amounts are off, or I accidentally use dollars, please, it isn't THAT important to the story. When we get back to the Wizarding World, it'll be better, because I am well versed in Galleons, Sickles and Knuts.
Courtney, the Harry Potter/Phantom of the Opera lover
Draco looked up at the girl still standing near him. She had this look on her face that reminded him of his father.
" Can I help you?" Draco asked her.
" Oh no, but be sure to come to me if you need help." Alyssa said, and blew him a kiss. Draco shuddered as she walked away. She disturbed him, and she made him think that she knew all his secrets, all his fears, and all his insecurities.
" That is one scary girl." Ron said as he started clicking his mouse madly. Draco agreed.
Rose and Ginny, while the boys were learning computers, were currently learning the science of…well, science. Chemistry to be precise, and were watching with apprehension as the teacher added some unknown chemical to a beaker full of chemicals on her desk. Rose backed away slightly, and Ginny greatly wished that she had not come with Hermione and Draco on this foolhardy experience. Muggle school, indeed. The woman was about to add something else when Ginny shot up her hand.
"I need to go to the bathroom." She blurted. This was even more excruciating that Potions, but at least there she knew what she was doing, and wasn't doubtful of her professor's experience with dangerous potions.
"I am sorry Ginevra, but I am doing a demonstration." She said.
Harry and Hermione walked into History together, and walked up to the teacher.
"Hello. I am Mrs. Wallace. Can I see your schedules?" she asked. They handed them to her. "Hermione Granger and Harry Potter? Ok, take the two seats…right there." She said. Hermione sighed. It seemed she was getting pickier about her schools, because she couldn't ever remember—not learning. Hogwarts always challenged her—whether in the way of scholastics or people—but here she was flying. It was easier than she remembered. Harry also seemed to have an easy time with the work. Hermione was listening to Mrs. Wallace wax on the Civil War when she noticed a girl staring at her. Hermione rubbed her hair self-consciously (just in case it was sticking up, her curls tended to do that) but didn't find anything wrong. She wracked her brain—she remembered meeting that girl—Morgan! That was it! She'd met her in gym class, when she was sitting with Harry, and before Draco came.
"Can anyone tell me when the Battle of Antietam was?" Hermione raised her hand. "Miss Granger?" the teacher pointed to her, a bit of shock in her voice.
"September 17, 1862." Hermione answered promptly."Correct." Mrs. Wallace said, and Harry gave her thumbs up. "All right. You each get a battle and I want at least some work done before the end of class. Morgan—will you team up with Mr. Potter and Miss Granger and explain to them how I do projects?" Mrs. Wallace asked.
"Of course Mrs. Wallace." Morgan said, and Hermione watched the blonde turn her desk to face Harry. Her feet were nearly in his lap, and Harry was trying hard to avoid them. "Hi again. Morgan Tanner. And you're Hermione and Harry?" she asked.
"Yeah. Nice to see you again." Hermione said, drawing the girl's attention to her. "So, how do we do this?"
Draco and Ron had to unfortunately rely on Alyssa's help to get through class, since neither knew how to run a computer competently. It was on top of Draco's list to get Hermione to teach him. Alyssa, meanwhile, sat extremely close to his person (and if he was still the womanizer he had prided himself on, this wouldn't have bothered him) and continually touched his thigh or his hair. Ron was having a grand old time, laughing at Draco's expressions. When the bell rang, Draco shot out of his chair so quickly that he knocked it over, and slammed his leg into the table holding the computers, making them shake violently.
"I'll see you later, then?" Alyssa asked. Draco made some sort of half-hearted gesture, and took off. Ron caught up with him down the hallway, laughing loudly and drawing stares.
"Malfoy—I've never seen you discomposed. It's hilarious. Bloody hilarious." Ron said. A/N: My Ron is going to be intelligent. I despise it when people make Ron out to be an idiot. So yes, Ron is going to know words like 'discomposed'.
"Shut up Weasley. Remember, I'm dating your best friend—the female one. I can tell her that you were mean to me, and she'll beat you up." Draco said sarcastically, and Ron laughed, punching him in the shoulder so hard that Draco had to force himself not to check if he had a bruise.
"Malfoy, you aren't as bad as I thought you were." Ron said, hitching his bag onto his shoulder.
"Gee, thanks." Draco retorted.
The rest was a blur, and Draco was starving by the time he asked a boy named Michael where the cafeteria was. Ron and he walked into a room that even a fourth of the Great Hall wouldn't fit into. Ron was, to say the least, amazed.
"Wow. It's tiny." He said. Draco agreed. He liked the cavernous Great Hall, where he wasn't crowded into his classmates. Here he knew that if he didn't already have it, he'd be developing a case of claustrophobia. He stood with Ron, propped against a wall, scanning heads and faces for Hermione, Harry, Ginny, and Rose, because neither boy carried Muggle money, and even if they did, they had no idea how to count it.
"Ron! Draco!" both turned to catch Ginny waving her arms wildly over in a sunny corner when she, Rose, Hermione, and Harry had dumped their bags and books. Hermione waved, and Draco felt a genuine smile cross his face for the first time that day. They made their way through the crowd, ignoring stares, and set their things among that of their friends. Draco hugged Hermione tightly as Ron greeted Harry, his sister, and Rose.
"You doing all right?" she asked, her small hands smoothing his hair from his face. He caught one and placed a kiss in the palm.
"I'm a big boy. I can take care of myself. Although I have to say—I haven't been this happy to see a familiar face in a long, long time." Draco replied, and hugged Hermione again. Hermione laughed, and took his hand.
"You must be starving. Unlike Hogwarts, there aren't going to be that many choices for lunch. Let's see what we've got to choose from." She said, and the group wandered over to the line of humanity, and looked at familiar food cooked unfamiliar ways.
"On second thought—" Draco began, but Hermione looked up at him.
"You need to eat, you still need to build strength, and besides, it isn't that bad. Also, Mum and Dad are taking us out tonight to celebrate, so you can have one mediocre meal before then." She said, and Draco conceded. He'd never conceded to what he would have once called a Mudblood in his life. Hermione was changing him—for the better, he hoped—and he truly prayed that this would hold. This soft, idyllic time that he'd never before experienced.
A couple of boys joined them for lunch—apparently Rose and Ginny had met them in Physics—and Ron was busy staring one down named Samuel while he asked Hermione for a couple of pounds.
"What do you need it for?" she asked suspiciously, staring at the huge tray of food Ron had polished off without a thought.
"Dessert." He said. Hermione rolled her eyes, but handed him the money. He jumped up, and was joined by a blue-haired boy who was staring at Ginny from three tables over. Draco was playing with a long strand of Hermione's hair when he felt a warm hand land on his shoulder. Her turned to meet the cold, cold eyes of Alyssa. He didn't even know her last name.
"Hello again Draco. May I ask for an introduction to your friends?" she asked.
"Uh, well… that's my sister, Rose Dawson. That's Ron's sister, Ginevra Weasley, but she prefers to be called Ginny, and that's Harry Potter. This is Hermione Granger, my girlfriend." He said, adding emphasis to the last two words, and if possible, Alyssa's eyes grew sharper.
"Ah, hello. I had wondered if—well, never mind. I'll see you in Algebra, right?" she asked, and Draco wished that he hadn't let the girl see his schedule.
"Yeah." He said and let out a huge breath when she walked away with her friends.
"Well, she's pretty." Hermione said. Draco turned stunned eyes on her.
"Her? Yeah, if you're into ice princesses." He said. Hermione turned puzzled eyes on him.
"That's what your friends called me. 'Ice Princess'." Hermione said. Draco smiled, realising her worry.
"You're more a Fiery Lioness than an Ice Princess, my dear, and I prefer my lionesses." He said, and Hermione laughed.
"You useless flatterer. It's any wonder I get truth from you." She said.
"I tell the truth?" he said, and earned a smack. "Kidding!" he said.
Alyssa wasn't happy with what she'd overheard. Not a bit of it. But then again, Draco Malfoy was an unusual boy. Maybe he needed a bit of prodding.
Draco had hated numbers ever since he could comprehend them. Which made Algebra his least favourite lesson. However, one perk was that Hermione sat right next to him; being the know-it-all he knew and loved. One downside was that Alyssa sat on his other side, and tried to continually get his attention, yet Draco made sure to lavish it all on Hermione, who, to his surprise, glowed under it. Although he knew she loved him, he had never thought that she would react as if he was something that she—needed.
"Mr. Malfoy? Are you paying attention?" Mr. Madison snapped, and Draco jumped, accidentally shoving his book off his desk with his elbow. It smacked loudly into the tile floor.
"Uh—" Draco said.
"Kindly stop staring at Miss Granger, and listen." He said, and Hermione smiled at him when Mr. Madison turned his back.
"So, did everyone have a good day?" Mr. Granger asked as they all climbed into the back of the Granger van.
"Well, I sincerely feel threatened in Chemistry." Ginny said, and Mr. Granger laughed.
"I didn't exactly enjoy that class either. But give it time Ginerva, it will get better." He said.
Lucius Malfoy stalked around his library, trying hard not to kick anything. His son was gone, his wife was dead, and even with Harry Potter ensconced in the Muggle World, Lord Voldemort was unable to stage any truly successful attacks. But the most frustrating thing of all was that he had sent out—with the Dark Lord's blessing—fifty men to search for his son, and yet none had come back with any information on where Draco might have escaped. He was getting restless—and he wasn't agreeable when he was restless.
Draco had been given a spare room, which he now shared with Harry and Ron, and Ginny and Rose roomed with Hermione. Draco had taken his only child status for granted—but now he knew what it was like to live with two other men—two men he hadn't very much liked before, to boot. Ron had the loudest snores of anyone he'd ever met, and Harry, with his connection to the Dark Lord, had horrific nightmares that sometimes ended with his awaking screaming. They had increased in volume and intensity and frequency that that same night, after they came home, she sent an owl with all haste to Dumbledore, to get his opinion on Harry's dreams. Harry wouldn't speak of them, but Draco had a bad feeling they involved him, for Harry wouldn't meet his eyes whenever Hermione brought it up.
"Anyone hungry?" Mrs. Granger called up the stairs about three hours after the six had gotten home. Draco was sitting with Hermione in the 'common room' upstairs, and was getting assistance with his Algebra. Ron was playing poker with Rose, Harry, and Ginny, and jumped up at the mention of food.
"Coming Dad!" Hermione called. She and the girls closeted themselves in her room, and the boys shared an eye roll as they went to change into heavy sweaters and coats. The girls managed to finish within half an hour, and came down wearing coats, hats and scarves. Draco kissed Hermione's forehead and she put his hat on his head.
"Ready?" she asked.
"For anything." He said, and received a kiss.
Lucius Malfoy was preparing for bed, his newest 'companion' waiting in bed, when Dolly, the upstairs house-elf, popped into the bedroom.
"Master, there be a guest wishing to sees you." She squeaked, cowering under his cold stare.
"Tell them to go away." He snarled, raising his hand to the elf. She cringed, but stayed.
"He is saying he has information about the young Master." She cried, and Lucius stopped.
"Really? I will be there in a moment." He said. His companion pouted as he left, and Lucius entered the library to see a disheveled Crabbe.
"Master Malfoy." The man said, throwing himself at Lucius's feet. Lucius's lip curled, and he glared at the useless scrap of humanity at his feet.
"Yes?" he snarled.
"I know where the young Master is. The Mudblood girl, Granger. He is there. He takes shelter in her Muggle home. He has been with her." The man said, and Lucius's eyes narrowed.
"So, he has taken with Miss Granger. Order a ten-man squad. Tell them that the Granger house is to be destroyed with everyone in it—except my son. He is to come back alive. The rest can burn, for all I care."
Well—that's chapter seven. Please do not kill me for the cliffhanger. I will have chapter eight by later Friday/early Saturday because I'll be writing on Wednesday, but I go out of town on Thursday, and I'll be back Friday, so I'll write then, but I might not finish till Saturday. But that's the latest it'll be up.
Review, because I love them, and because it'll help me improve!
Sorry this is late, but FanFiction WOULD NOT let me upload yesterday night. I was so mad, but I just wanted to let you all know.