-The good, the bad, and everything In between ch. 5

Dear mom,

Rae has been acting so weird lately. I know you didn't see her for Christmas, and neither did I. I know you told me to look out for her, well I am. She was okay at first, and made some friends. But there was this one incident, which is why I am writing. Rae was walking and minding her own business when some of Potter's mates insulted her and finally threw pumpkin juice at her. She said it was fine, but now she is confusing me. She also mentioned this Gryffindor named Chase Logan. He is a cousin of the Weasleys. I know you wouldn't like that. Please talk to her, maybe even take her out of school a little early this year after the final exams.

-Draco

"What are you writing?" Rae peered over her brother's shoulder. Draco put his body in front of the letter.

"Mind your own business, you idiot." Rae shrugged and went on her way. Draco looked back at his twin sister. They were twins, oh yes, but very different. Draco was older, he had always made a point of it. 13 minutes older. But it had always puzzled him why everyone in the family had light blonde hair, and now suddenly his twin had red?

He shook his head. It also bothered him that she was making friends with Gryffindors. Especially because one was related to the Weasleys, that dirt-poor family full of idiots. Harry Potter was the one person in the school he hated most. And he shared these feelings with his parents too, especially his father. If Rae started to become friends with him she and their father were going to have a serious problem.

"A total betrayal to our family!" He muttered angrily. "How dare she!"

"Okay, okay. Here's one you'll never get. What type of plant can be substituted for Mandrake in the Wigenweld potion?" Rae asked grinning.

Chase, from across the table groaned. "You made that up!" Rae snorted. "I did no such thing. I told you that you weren't ready for the Herbology exam." Chase glanced down at some note cards.

"We can't all be as brilliant as you." Rae nodded proudly. "Yup. But you'll manage. So come on. Take a guess!"

Chase was about to tell her a fake plant he had just made up when Harry and Ron ran into the room.

"Chase! Here you are…what are you doing?" Harry's face was shock rather than displeasure. "Harry, this is Rae. Rae Malfoy." Harry stared blankly at him. "Huh."

Rae stood up, "Maybe I better leave…" But Chase continued. "I know you and Draco have issues, but Rae is a totally different person."

"Who cares? She from bloody Slytherin!" Ron cried, aghast.

"Oh shut up, Ron! Chase is right, she's not Malfoy." Harry said sounding tired.

"See you Chase, Harry." And with that she grabbed her Herbology book and walked out of the library, with her head held high.

The first of the final exams was today in Potions. Rae was good at potions, and wasn't really worried. She slung her book bag over her shoulder and headed towards the potions room.

"Hey! Rae, wait up!" Rae turned around to see her brother running at her. "Sup?' she asked calmly.

"I need to talk to you." He rose up straight and started into her eyes coldly. Rae was confused. "What about?"

"Your new friends…Logan…and Potter. Also Weasley." He said bitterly. Rae scrunched her eyes. "Why?" she asked coldly. "They're great people."

"But they're Gryffindors!"

"What is you're point?"

"We don't hang around with them!"

"You're so stupid! Chase and Harry and Hermione…and even Ron are my friends. I like them, and I'm going to hang around with them no matter what you or dad or mum says!"

Draco looked stunned, even hurt.

"Whatever you say Rae." He said coldly. "You really are a disgrace."

Rae glared at Draco then turned and didn't look back
Rae continued on her way to the potions room but Draco's words still hurt her. She tried to shake off the feeling, but without much success. She didn't really understand why she couldn't have friends that were Gryffindors and Slytherins. Pansy didn't like it, but she didn't really know much, Rae supposed.

Rae opened the door to the potions room. All around her students had a wand and a cauldron, also a test packet. Rae sat down and accepted her packet. She read over the first few questions and smiled to herself.

"Verismun, Verismun potion…" she mumbled to herself. "I have no idea what that is…"

After the writing part of the test Snape came around and gave everyone a different potion to brew. Rae was lucky, she got an easier one. She looked over and saw Draco had gotten and easy one too. But Hermione, Harry, Ron and Chase had been given the hardest separate potions in the first year. She shook her head sadly, and added her ingredients.

"How did you do?" After the test, Rae was talking to Pansy and Alex.

"Oh…I think I did …fine." Rae muttered, still hurting at Draco's words and chagrin. Chase and Hermione headed over to see Rae. "See you later…" Pansy mumbled, seeing them coming. Pansy turned and ran away, eyeing her friend oddly.

Hermione was going on, and on about how she knew that a bezoar stone was supposed to be used, but also a toadstool could have been used instead. Chase grinned at Rae, but seeing her face he quickly eyed her carefully.

"Something wrong?" He smiled encouragingly. Rae shook her head.

"Draco said I was...disrespecting our family by hanging out with Gryffindors."

"He's a bloody idiot," was Ron's opinion.

"Yes, c'mon Rae. Don't pay attention to your brother." Said Harry. Then five of them headed down to the Great Hall.

The problem with the Great Hall was that the tables were divided into houses. Usually this wasn't a problem, Rae had meals with Pansy and her Slytherin friends and caught up with Harry and the others later. But today she didn't want to be around any Slytherin, they kept looking at her strangely and whispering things. Draco glared at her all through lunch, and only Pansy would talk to her, though her voice was unusually high-pitched and squeaky.

Rae ate nothing, and left for the common room hungry and alone. Laying in her bed that night she was thinking to herself;

"I guess it's times like these when you find who your true friends are…like Pansy is still here with me? Right? And Draco and my parents couldn't ever just leave me…right?"