Snape was over instructing someone else when Renata whispered in Harry's ear, "I think I've got a plan. We corner Malfoy after class and threaten to turn him into a ferret!"
"We've done that, or at least you have. We need something original," he whispered back.
"I'll have to think on that then, you need more Mandrake root. Fix it before Snape comes!"
Thanks to Renata, Snape was able to find no fault with Harry's potion. Harry and Renata made sure to tail Draco when they got out of class. When he ended up in an empty corridor Harry called, "Drakey, what's up? Where are your trained apes?" Crabbe and Goyle were nowhere in sight and had avoided Malfoy during class.
"Just go away, Potter," he said, that wasn't a very Draco-esque remark.
"Why? What's the matter, Drakey?" asked Renata.
"Don't call me that," he said sharply.
Harry couldn't be sure but he thought Draco's eyes were a little wet. Harry softened his tone, "What's wrong?"
"I don't want to talk about it, Potter. And I don't have to talk about it. I already paid my debt to you last year. What more do you want?"
"Just want to know what's wrong, Draco. Maybe we can help," said Harry.
"No."
Harry was starting to get angry, not only had Malfoy taken the fun out of teasing him but he was being a brat about it too.
Renata came up to Malfoy, "Don't make us pin you down and read your mind. Trust me, Harry knows I've developed quite a knack for mind reading." She grinned.
Draco's pale face grew paler.
Renata rolled her eyes, unsympathetic. "What's taken the swagger out your walk and the drawl out of your voice? We can't have proper fun teasing you until you stop being so depressed."
He said nothing.
Harry said quietly, "Let's go. It's not our business." He tried to take her arm and pull her away but she stood rooted to the spot.
"No. I can't feel sympathy for somebody who feels so sorry for himself. He's going to tell whether he likes it or not." Her eyes were like blue fire. She walked up to Malfoy rather like a panther approaching its prey and grabbed his wrists behind his back to avoid his escape. She took out her wand and stared into his eyes muttering the spell under her breath.
Harry watched. He could tell that Malfoy wanted more than anything to look away but was held locked by Renata's eyes. Harry knew the feeling. There was something about her eyes that just drew her to him and wouldn't let you leave. When Renata finally let Malfoy go, he rubbed his wrists to get some feeling back in them and after looking away from her for a moment stared defiantly at both of them. Harry just barely heard him say, "So now you know." His face was livid, he walked away with his shoulders slumped.
"So what was it?" asked Harry. He'd never seen Malfoy look so. defeated before.
"His cousin. That sweet little Hufflepuff girl you brought ice cream to last year. she's dead."
Harry gasped.
"Malfoy's father killed her. She overheard stuff that she wasn't supposed to hear." It finally became too much for Renata and she sank to her knees, sobbing.
Harry went down beside her and put her head on his shoulder. "It's okay, it's okay," he whispered repeatedly.
"No. It's not okay and it's going to be okay. She was just a little girl, Harry. Killed because she overheard too much. By her own uncle. Okay, so she wasn't a blood uncle; she's really Malfoy's mom's niece but that's beside the point. When I was looking Malfoy's mind. Sure Malfoy's cruel and sometimes downright evil. but his cousin was the one person he cared about. I saw memories. Sometimes when his dad was out of the house he and his mom, or sometimes just him, would invite Tracey over or go spend time with her. But at the end of this summer." she sniffled and wiped her eyes, "His dad came home early and started talking. Then he found out she was there and didn't want to take any chances. He killed her without listening to explanations. Malfoy couldn't do anything and had to watch his dad kill her." She started crying again. "He still hates us, and he never liked his dad, but now he wants to kill his dad. And he's not so sure about what he's brought up with for the past 17 years. Imagine 11 years of knowing really nothing but hate, hardly any friends and definitely none that weren't the sons of Death Eaters, then coming here and finding his little mini Death Eater bodyguard would still stand up for him. But now he's not so sure. Still hates you. Still agrees with Voldemort. Still hates Dumbledore. But he's starting to doubt." She began crying again.
Harry patted her shoulder and let her cry, he knew talking would do no good and in a case like this the best thing to do would be to let the person cry.
"Why did I have to get so smart like that and break in to his mind? I had to watch her die through his eyes!" She sobbed only a little more, by this time she was cried out. She gave a little laugh. "Look at me, bawling like a baby. Didn't I already promise I was never going to cry in front of you anymore?"
He smiled and helped her to her feet. "Come on, we'll get some lunch in you and you'll feel better. We'll walk slowly so your eyes will stop being so red."
She nodded. "I hate crying."
"Doesn't everybody? I know I do."
She nodded again.
"Come on, look, Ron and Hermione saved seats for us at the table." By unspoken agreement they didn't speak to Ron and Hermione about what they found out about Malfoy.
"Where were you?" asked Ron.
"Oh. We were just trying to give Malfoy a little back to school chaos but the ferret escaped before we could get him," Harry said casually.