Percy was really trying to take it all in stride. On one level, he believed he deserved some of what he was getting from the students because of just how long he had adamantly and ignorantly supported the ministry. On the other hand, it hurt worse when it was coming from students who he'd been their prefect and head boy…or his coworkers that were supposed to support him. Granted, he was nowhere near the only creature on staff. Everyone had known for years about Flitwick and Hagrid. He wasn't sure that anyone who didn't have creature blood realized that Professor Laimar was at least part-veela, so she wasn't getting any of the prejudice. And Snape…well, he was disliked for multiple reasons, only some of which connected to him being a vampire. He also seemed the best at ignoring the hate…not that Percy really believed he was as impervious as he appeared, but he just shrugged it all off and took house points and gave out detentions like nothing was different. It probably helped that he wasn't planning on staying past this year.
It was Dennis Creevey surprisingly who seemed most concerned with the new werewolf professor. None of the eighth years were allowed in the house common rooms, and Ginny was pretending he didn't exist, so it took the late Colin Creevey's brother to hang back after class to fill him in on what was going on in the Gryffindor dorms. Apparently, Vector, who had been appointed the new Gryffindor head of house, was holding her own defense sessions on how to protect yourself against werewolves and vampires in the common room periodically. While it wasn't the worst information to have and wasn't against any rules, it did nothing to help mitigate the prejudice and hate that had been building over the years, hurt even more dramatically by Greyback, Voldemort, and Lupin's unfortunate accident when he was teaching.
"It's not everyone, sir, but…you know, fear is powerful. Everyone's still afraid and looking for something to place that fear on," Dennis told him, wise beyond his years. "It probably doesn't help that you're younger and easier of a target."
"I understand, Mr. Creevey. I've been afraid myself over the past few years," Percy told him sadly, wishing none of them had to go through any of this. "Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself. Thankfully, there are a few perks of enhanced senses, so I catch the traps, pranks, and jinxes most of the time before I fall into them."
"I know we weren't in school together, but Colin said you were a good head boy his first year. He said you helped him when he got lost on the way to Herbology…it stuck with him and he mentioned it once," Dennis explained, wiping a tear from his cheek that had escaped the corner of an eye.
Percy sighed, not even remembering the younger Gryffindor to his shame. He knew the name as one of those lost in the battle, but he couldn't remember the actual person for the life of him. "How are you doing being back here? Have you been able to keep in touch with your parents?"
Dennis sniffed and nodded his head, seeming embarrassed at his emotions seeping out. "Yeah, my parents are muggles, but we live by an owl post, so we write regularly. It's just that Colin was always here with me. I've never been at Hogwarts without him…he wouldn't let me go with him during the battle…I know he wasn't supposed to leave the common room either, but I should have gone with him…"
"No, there was nothing you could do to help or to save your brother," Percy put a hand on the young man's shoulder, happy to see it wasn't shaken off. "I was there and almost lost my own brother. You met Fred in your first couple years, right? He's amazing at magic, and he almost didn't make it. You were only a fourth year, and no one expected you to fight, nor should you have needed to at all."
"When he was a fourth year, Harry fought You-Know-Who…" the Gryffindor cut in with a shake of his head.
"And he should not have had to either," Percy cut him off firmly.
Percy was amazed at his new roommate and how he'd handled everything. He wished he could have seen it much earlier but watching him now trying to handle everything in the aftermath of the war, becoming a creature, and becoming a parent, well, Percy was in awe of the younger man.
"Harry should have been protected much more than he was over the years. He should not have had to face things that aurors would be afraid to," he told Dennis with feeling. "Have you talked to Harry? I can guarantee you he would say the same thing. He would not have wanted you or Colin out in the battle. He would want you safe."
Dennis closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, steadying his emotions. "He came to Colin's funeral, and he did say the same. I just wish…sometimes I wish it'd been me instead…"
Percy looked at the young man who was hurting so much. "I might not remember him, but I know Colin would not have wished that. He made you stay in the common room. He didn't want you in danger. It's something any good older brother would want."
"I know…it's just hard to know," he said, and it made perfect sense to Percy.
"Who are your friends, Dennis?" He asked, wanting to know the student had some sort of support. "Who do you normally hang out with?"
"It was mainly just Colin…and Ben from Ravenclaw in my year, but he didn't come back. I think he transferred to Beauxbatons," Dennis sniffed and shrugged. "Luna Lovegood and Neville have been inviting me to eat with them some, but they're older…I think they just feel sorry for me."
"Knowing Ms. Lovegood and Mr. Longbottom, that is not the case," Percy gave a little chuckle. "Why don't you reach out to Astoria Greengrass in Slytherin? I know she's a year above you, but I've noticed she seems to be in a similar situation. Her family was neutral in the war, so she's been fairly isolated besides her sister who is in with the eighth years."
Percy had noticed the Slytherin student being shunned like most of the Slytherins since the year began, but she also didn't seem to have anyone in her own house that she got on with either. It may not be the makings of a good friendship, but it would at least give Dennis something to do and someone else to check on.
"Really?" Dennis frowned in concern at that. "She shouldn't be all alone…"
"You either," Percy smiled as the teen seemed to form a new goal. "Now, you may not know this, but I'm rooming with Professor Flitwick because of the space issues and since Professor Binns didn't have his own rooms being a ghost and all."
Dennis chuckled at that. "Yeah…I don't think he'd be able to make much use of them."
"True," he smiled back at the student. "Anyway, my brother, Ron, is also rooming with us and Professor Flitwick insists that we all have tea on Sunday afternoons as a sort-of family to check in with each other. Would you like to join us for tea this Sunday? Since it's a Hogsmeade weekend, we're moving it to the Three Broomsticks instead of our chambers. Ron has been complaining almost constantly that he's so out of the loop of the Gryffindor gossip, and you might not know this, but Flitwick secretly loves hearing about all the drama himself."
"I know you're just trying to be nice," Dennis huffed with a smile as he picked up his bag to leave. "I'll still join though. I bet Professor Flitwick would be fun after a couple butterbeers."
"You have no idea," Percy laughed. "I'll see you Sunday then, and try to say hello to Ms. Greengrass if you get the opportunity."
"Will do!" Dennis waved behind him as he left the room.
Percy sighed, wondering just how many people were lost in the sea of students that year because their friends had either not returned or died in the war. Most seemed to have found someone to connect to, even Ginny had Dean and Seamus even though she'd ostracized many of her friends. Seamus almost hadn't returned for the eighth year but had stuck by Ginny and Dean instead of the rest of them since the term started. Parvati Patel was without Lavender Brown, but at least she still had her sister…though he didn't think they were rooming together. If he'd heard the gossip correctly, they were in single rooms surprisingly. Nott and Parkinson had each other, but Zabini seemed a bit isolated. Percy was fairly certain that was by choice though. He'd seen the Italian student hanging out amicably with the elder Greengrass and even Draco Malfoy, so he was not overly concerned.
He made a mental note to talk to Snape about his observations and maybe have Harry or Granger check in on the Patel twins since they surprisingly seemed wary of him…surprisingly since Snape had mentioned their family was historically supportive of creatures. He figured it may have to do with Lavender Brown's death at the hands of Fenrir Greyback. Thank Merlin that monster hadn't survived the battle!
With a tired sigh, Percy banished the cursed parchment a Gryffindor had left behind for him to pick up and also his tea that unsurprisingly smelled a little off since he'd left it unattended on his desk. Things had to eventually get better…if they didn't, then Harry and Andromeda Tonks wouldn't have a chance in Tartarus of getting the new proposed law scrapped. And if the law was passed, this would be his last year at the school anyway…well, his and at least four other professors, not that Snape was planning to stay anyway.
With a change of direction, Percy went towards the DADA corridor instead of the Ravenclaw tower where his, Ron, and Flitwick's rooms were. He suddenly needed to visit his little half-werewolf friend and ask Tonks if she had heard any updates from her mother. If he were to wager, he guessed that Harry would probably be there as well, and one of them would have heard something from Andromeda.
"Hello, Mr. Weasley," Andromeda Tonks was surprisingly the one to open the door when Percy got to the DADA professor's rooms.
"Er…hello Mrs. Tonks," he smiled at her, happy to be able to talk to her directly. "I was just coming by to visit Teddy."
"First of all, call me Andy," she grinned at him and promptly passed a blue-haired baby who was already reaching for him with grabby hands off. "Second, please come in and save me from having to read Wilber the Happy Dragon for the millionth time today!"
"I guess Tonks is still teaching?" He bounced Teddy and made a face at the baby, causing the little drool monster to giggle and clap his hands.
"For the next hour," the woman began making tea, which Percy was infinitely grateful for since he hadn't been able to finish his once it'd been dosed with something or another. "Harry left for a healer appointment a couple hours ago, and he would normally be the one babysitting now. I'm usually here on Tuesdays and Thursdays."
"You hear about what happened?" Percy sat the baby on the playmat in the sitting area and picked up a toy to play with him with. He'd never been around babies much, so he was always a little nervous around Teddy, but he was really trying since now he knew there would be another baby in the house that summer and he wanted the practice. He refused to not help Harry when he was a single dad.
"Not from Harry, that rat," she snorted with a dark look. "My nephew made some comments about him not feeling well for some reason last I saw him, so I had to corner Severus who fessed up. I would have gone straight to Harry, but Severus seems to be appropriately keeping him away from any stress currently."
"More like smothering, not that I think Harry minds," Percy snorted and rolled his eyes at their mutual ignoring of their feelings.
"I know, right?!" The woman laughed and poured the water into a teapot. "They are both so obvious, I don't see why they won't just talk about how they feel about each other and start snogging or something!"
Percy turned a bit pink at that, not wanting to picture his former professor snogging anyone, even if he looked like a teenager now. "I think it's more Harry giving Snape time to absorb everything, and Snape being the oblivious one shockingly. I guess being a double agent doesn't give one time to really figure out dating and relationships very well…"
Andy shrugged and set the tea on the table by where Percy and Teddy were now playing peek-a-boo. "I was a lot older than Severus in school, and I didn't keep track of him after graduation. I really don't know what his relationships have been like. I think I remember seeing him with a man at a charity function years ago that my law firm was supporting. I could be remembering wrong though."
"Well, they'll eventually figure it out," Percy was unconcerned. He was certain that Harry was stubborn enough that Snape would eventually have to make a decision, which he was also very certain Harry would respect whatever it was. "I actually did want to talk to you though."
"I assume about the proposed law?" She handed him some tea and picked Teddy up to give him a bottle she promptly summoned with her wand.
"Yes, any news one way or the other?" He asked in concern.
Andromeda was just opening her mouth when the portrait hole opened, and Draco Malfoy entered with an air of frustration and a cloud of blue haze surrounding him. "Merlin," she breathed out with a wrinkle of her nose when the rank smell of the haze hit her.
Percy just flicked his wand at the blond and the haze disappeared. "They got me with that one last week," he said in explanation for how he knew to counter the spell. "Who was it that hexed you?"
"I can handle it on my own, Professor," Malfoy gave him a glare before marching directly up to Andromeda and holding his arms out like she should know what he wanted.
The woman did apparently know what he wanted since she gave him a fond smile and passed Teddy and his bottle over to the teen. Teddy went happily and settled back into Draco's chest when he sat down in the armchair with the baby and the bottle. "Potter shirking on his duties? We don't normally see you two days in a row," Malfoy commented mildly, giving the baby the first smile that Percy thought he'd ever seen the teen make.
"He had a healer's appointment," she explained again as if this image was one she saw often and wasn't completely shocking to Percy.
Malfoy snorted. "It's just Potter's luck to survive yet another murder attempt. I would be long dead if I were him. Though…It's possible I might be able to develop some kind of wings…"
"Snape finish the potion yet?" Percy asked, holding in his laughter at the normally very grumpy teen cooing at his baby cousin.
"No…this evening though. Just one more thing to add onto this past year…" He sighed. "I don't even know why I care anymore though. It seems like I'm the only one who isn't a creature these days."
"I'm feeling a bit left out myself," Andy chuckled as she poured herself some tea and took a biscuit off the tea tray.
Percy frowned at that because it did seem like they had an abnormal concentration of creatures around them. "I think it's just Harry. He seems to be a magnet for those of us with nowhere else to go."
"Anyway…I was just about to fill Percy in on the law Harry and I are working to push through the Wizengamut," Andy began again.
"Wait…is this about that law that's supposedly to protect children by keeping creatures from living with them?" He frowned, looking down at his cousin and his eyes widening in fear as he held the baby just a little tighter. "Please tell me the Boy-Savior is doing something to keep that from passing?!"
"How did you hear about it?" Percy asked, realizing they actually hadn't talked about it around the teen if he remembered correctly.
"My family still has a seat on the Wizengamut," Draco told them. "Father is in Azkaban, and mother and I are on probation, but it still exists in the Malfoy name, so mother is receiving all the documents through the owl post still even if we can't currently vote."
"We need to discuss your seat more. Do you know how it is passed through the family?" Andromeda became very intense as she summoned some parchment and a quill to her. "Maybe there is a way we can use your seat to vote if we can assign a proxy."
"Harry and Andy are working on proposing a counter-law that would crush the proposed one and give creatures more rights," Percy filled Malfoy in who nodded firmly.
"I don't know much, but Mother will," he told her. "She's been wanting to see you since I mentioned we were getting on and now that father is no longer there."
"Really?" Andromeda looked up from her parchment with hopeful eyes. "Cissy wants to see me?"
"Look…I do still love him," Malfoy huffed like he was admitting something shameful. "But it was Father who held all the strong beliefs in the family. Mother always mentioned you fondly when I was growing up, but Father…well, he wouldn't hear anything of it. He was my father though…" He added on at the end as a kind-of half-hearted explanation.
Andy smiled and patted his knee in understanding. "I'll owl her. This is really good news though if we can access your seat in any way."
Percy breathed out a little breath of relief at that. He was so very worried about that new law, and it was only a couple months before it came to a vote. It was just after the Wizengamut's Christmas holiday it was scheduled to be presented. "Is Harry still planning to out himself as a creature…?" He asked, having been filled in on his friend's plan to be listed as a creature in support.
"He is…"
"I can't believe I never guessed he was a creature before someone went and pushed him off the Astronomy Tower," Malfoy smirked in amusement. "Of course Potter would be a creature!"
"You might be too," Percy couldn't help returning the smirk at the student.
Malfoy just groaned and held the baby tighter. "I should go check in with Uncle Sev…"
"Here to learn your fate?" Severus Snape smirked at his godson over the smoking cauldron in the corner of his personal lab.
Draco glared at the man before taking up residence on the wobbly wooden stool that the vampire never seemed to use in the corner of the room. "You are getting way too much enjoyment out of this."
"I assure you, I am absolutely professional," the potion master poured the potion into a glass tumbler but also nudged the stool so that Draco had to wave his arms around to stop himself from falling over.
"Prat…"
"Git…" Snape grinned back at him.
"What has happened to you?" Draco shook his head and couldn't help a chuckle. "You seem…I don't know…happy…"
"I don't know," the man frowned slightly as he thought over the question seriously. "I was able to take about 50 points from Hufflepuff today and give several detentions to Gryffindors, so it started well…then Harry asked me to help him come up with baby names…"
"Baby names?" Draco frowned in confusion. "Teddy already has a name, as inane as Teddy as a name is, it does suit him surprisingly."
"No," Snape frowned, finally catching that the egg wasn't part of the explanation they'd given Draco when they'd filled him in on Harry's creature status in the aftermath of what happened with the Astronomy Tower. "Oh…how good of a chance do I have that you will let that last bit go?"
"Without obliviating me?" Draco raised a blond eyebrow at his godfather. "You really are slipping, Uncle Sev."
Snape rolled his eyes and leaned against the wooden worktable, pushing the tumbler of clear potion closer to his godson. "Not slipping, just finally relaxing slightly," he sighed, thinking that might not actually be a good thing. "I will not explain this further. You will need to ask him yourself, but Harry's type of creature can lay its own eggs without the need of a partner and without regards to gender…and that egg would need to be carried around all the time until it hatched…like in a bag," he ended with a significant raise of an eyebrow to get the point across.
He was certain Harry wouldn't mind Draco knowing, especially since the alternative at this point was obliviating him. He seemed to really only be concerned with those that were closest to him and willing to let go more now that Snape knew shockingly. Andromeda and Tonks still needed to be filled in, but the man was certain that would happen just as soon as Harry got them all in a room at the same time so he wouldn't have to do it twice.
"Merlin…" Draco breathed out with wide eyes. "Please, Uncle Sev, please tell me that veela don't lay eggs…I mean, they do have wings and feathers like birds…"
"I have never heard of a veela ever laying an egg," he cut in to assure his godson quickly to stem the panic.
"We don't know anything about male veela though…"
Snape pushed the tumbler over slightly again and more insistently this time. "Just cut a finger and drop three drops of blood in here and we'll know for certain. There is no use stressing when there is frankly more evidence that you are a pureblood wizard."
Draco wasn't sure about more evidence, but he also hadn't filled in his godfather about his magic being a little off. "What are the options this will give us? Like what all can the potion tell?" He asked picking up one of Snape's ingredient knives and pausing.
"It will remain clear if you have absolutely no creature blood," he began to explain. "For most all wixen, it will turn a yellowish-green color meaning that you have a negligible amount of creature blood. Most wixen have a relative somewhere in their family tree, but that doesn't mean they have any of the inherited characteristics."
"And if I do have creature blood?"
"I have it keyed to veela since that seems to be the likeliest," Snape took the knife from him and instead held his godson's hand over the tumbler to do it for him, stilling the shaking hand he was holding. "It will turn blue for veela blood. It is likely it will be a light blue if you had a grandparent who was full-blooded veela and you inherited some of their traits. If you are unfortunate enough that your creature side fought out your wizard side during your inheritance, it would turn a dark blue for full veela…if that is the case, then you are probably lucky your Aunt Bella cursed you unconscious for your inheritance."
Draco snorted humorlessly. "The only time luck and Aunt Bella would be in the same sentence," he said dryly as his godfather made a small slice into his index finger and squeezed out three drops of blood before wandlessly healing the cut.
"Now we wait," the man leaned back, studying the liquid as the red seemed to disperse throughout the clear potion.
"Do we know yet?" The annoying Boy-Who-Lived-Again shoved his head through the door with a wide grin on his face. "I just got in and I wanted to be the first to congratulate you."
"On…?" Draco sneered at him in more nervousness than actual irritation.
"Either," Harry fully entered the room now with a shrug holding onto the bag that Draco now knew held more than books with both arms. "It's all about how you look at it. Whatever it says, congratulations."
"Was that your thoughts when you laid a bloody egg?" Draco snorted with a significant glance towards the bag.
"Hey," Harry frowned at Snape who just shrugged but with an apologetic look in his eyes.
"It was either tell him or obliviate him," the man remarked. "I let slip we were talking about baby names."
"He's slipping now he's a teenager again," Draco couldn't help the nervous smirk at his godfather as the potion started taking on some yellow then green.
"Well…whatever," Harry shrugged, not seeming able to care, which Draco really understood at a bone-deep level. "Little Bit was definitely something to be congratulated over though. I still need to tell your Aunt Andy and cousin though, so no slipping yourself until I can tell them."
"Sorry," Snape seemed to ground out between his teeth like the word physically pained him. Harry just smiled more broadly at him, causing Malfoy to roll his eyes. Those two were going to be the death of him if he didn't curse the both of them first.
"Is that looking a bit blue to you?" Draco's eyes widened as the liquid was definitely taking on a blue tinge. "It's just a green shade…right?"
"Nope," Harry popped the 'p' in the word and studied the liquid more closely. "What color are we hoping for?"
"Not blue," Draco said fatalistically as the potion definitely, without a doubt, began to turn darker and darker blue.
"I was not expecting this," Snape nodded thoughtfully at the deep, navy-blue potion. "Looks like your Aunt Bella was actually very kind to curse you even if that was not the intention…seems you are a full-blooded male-veela."
"Congratulations!" The annoying Golden Boy grinned widely at him.
"What does that even mean?" Draco couldn't help the groan as his hopes sank to the floor. He was already so reviled in the wixen community, and now they were adding on a full creature inheritance!
"Well…you should either talk to Professor Laimar…" Potter began but gave him a smirk at Draco's glare of refusal for that suggestion. "Or, you can talk to Ron or Percy…"
"A Weasley? Why?" He asked in utter bemusement at that. They may be blood-traitors, but he was certain the Weasleys didn't have any creature blood…though, he had been certain the Malfoys didn't either.
"The eldest Weasley married Fleur Delacour," Snape explained, cleaning up the mess from the potion with a flick of his wand. "I assume either Ronald or Percy could get you in touch with her."
Draco sneered in the face of Potter's grin. He supposed that a Weasley would be preferable to coming out to one of his professors, but still…a Weasley! "Fine…I suppose the Professor Weasel isn't completely an idiot."
"I really hope you get wings," Potter looked at him wistfully. "I actually would have liked wings. I feel a bit let down since I'm part bird and earthbound."
"I could still beat you to the snitch," Malfoy had to remark, he couldn't help himself. He hated to agree with Potter, but being able to fly without a broom might actually be really fun…
Ron absolutely hated studying. He understood why he was back at school for his eighth year and why he needed to do well on his NEWTS, but that didn't mean he had to enjoy it. It didn't help that the main reason he'd agreed to come back was to be with Hermione…not that he was still upset they didn't work out, but it was also a bit lonely now. Harry was understandably distracted by impending parenthood and his insane crush on the vampire he was rooming with, and Hermione was laser focused on getting into a graduate program for either healing or law. Ron really didn't know what he wanted to do though. He had originally wanted to be an auror, but now that Harry wasn't going that route, he was rethinking his decision as well.
It wasn't that Ron didn't want to be an auror, but he was feeling a bit adrift and without a purpose. Hermione always seemed to have a purpose, and Harry had suddenly found one outside of defeating Voldemort as well. He was wondering around the castle after finally escaping Hermione and Neville in the library but also not wanting to head back to his rooms where he'd end up having to hang out with his Charms professor who would then ask him about his studying…it was a vicious cycle he wanted out of.
"You can't just attack children!" Came a shout from a side corridor down the third floor where Ron was wondering, causing him to pause in his steps. "They haven't done anything!"
"They are Slytherins. They've done enough!" Came the laughing reply followed by a yelp. "None of you are innocent!"
Ron unfortunately recognized the voice of his dormmate for six years. "Seamus," he breathed out with a frown before he turned on his heel and sped towards where he now heard soft crying.
"They are first and second years!" The first voice protested before ending in another yelp.
"Stop it you bastards!" Ron skidded to a stop with his wand drawn and shock on his face. He was stunned at the image of Seamus cursing a bruised and bloody Draco Malfoy who was shielding three first and second year Slytherins, one of which was Cassidy Cattermole. His vision tunneled as he took in his sister, Dean Thomas, Justin Finch-Fletchly, and Parvati Patel standing behind Seamus.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" He almost shrieked at them, not being able to believe his eyes. It was outside of his scope of understanding that something like this would happen after all they'd just been through. And those people…they were all people he knew and that he'd considered friends…well, not Justin…but the rest of them anyway.
"He let Death Eaters into the school," Seamus slightly raised his wand from Malfoy but sneered even more deeply if that were possible.
"And he's blocking you from cursing children," Ron responded with an even deeper sneer. "You alright, Cassidy?" He asked Reg's daughter. He was so going to tell their Transfiguration professor exactly who had been threatening his daughter down to house, parentage, and even where they lived if the man wanted to know.
She gave him a little teary nod. "Draco got here just after Antony was hit with a tripping jinx," she motioned to another first year who seemed to have skinned hands but nothing majorly wrong.
"We got this Ron. Just keep walking. No need to get your hands dirty," Dean Thomas remarked with an eye roll. "Take the Slytherins if you must, but leave the snake…"
Now it was Ron's turn to roll his eyes and stride forward in front of where Malfoy was trying to pull himself off the ground painfully. "How about you just keep walking and I don't send a patronus to Professor Snape?" He raised his wand threateningly. "I hear he's been itching to have someone expelled this year."
"Really, Snape, Ronald," Ginny raised an eyebrow and sneered at him. "That's the last professor you'd ever consider…"
"Expecto patronum!" Ron cast with a flick of his wand and a shining beagle appeared in their midst. "I'd send it to McGonagall, but Snape is closer and runs faster…care to try me on this Gin-Gin…?"
"They aren't worth our time anyway," Parvati reached out and put a hand on Seamus's arm that was slightly rising again. "We have all year…"
"Watch your back, snake-lover," Seamus sneered as the five just short of hurried away.
"Go to Reg and say 'come to the third floor' Cassidy needs you," Ron instructed his patronus next which promptly sped off.
Cassidy gave a little teary laugh from where she and the second-year Slytherin girl were now helping Malfoy up. "Thank you for not saying you were going to call my dad when they were here," she remarked, not wanting that to have gotten around to all her year-mates.
"I had it Weasley. I was just distracted when I ran into them and didn't react fast enough," Malfoy sneered with no heat behind it.
"I was protecting Cassidy, you git," Ron snorted but helped the blond the rest of the way up. "What had you so distracted anyway? We just lived through a war, you even more than that group. I can't believe they got the drop on you."
"I just had some bad news if you must know…Oi!" Malfoy protested as Ron fixed his broken nose with a flick of his wand and a nonverbal episkey.
"It would have hurt worse if you were expecting it. Are all you, ok?" Ron turned to the three younger students. "Any damage?"
"We're fine," the one probably called Antony remarked, not mentioning his skinned hands. Ron just nodded, leaving the kid to Cassidy's dad and letting him maintain his image of not needing help.
"Cassidy!" Reginald Cattermole ran around the corner. "Are you ok? I was just leaving when I got Ron's patronus? What happened?!"
"I'll leave them to you. I'm taking this git to either the infirmary or his godfather, whichever he doesn't curse me for," Ron told the concerned father who was already checking over the younger students. "I have names and descriptions of all the students who did this. Drop by your office in the morning?"
Reg gave the young man a sharp and grateful nod. "First thing," he said firmly.
"Course. Take care, Cas," he nodded to the girl and pulled a grumbling Malfoy along behind him.
"I'm not a child. I can take care of myself, Weasley," he hissed as he accidentally moved his split lip a bit too much.
"Madam Pomfrey or Snape?" Ron just asked instead, physically helping him down the stairs and unfazed by the swears being grumbled beside him. "I've had seven years of practice with that stubborn arse I call a best friend, so you are going to one of them, pick which one."
"Uncle Sev," Draco did not pout. Malfoys didn't pout.
"See, that wasn't so hard," Ron chuckled and led Draco down the way he'd just come from. "Sorry about earlier…I can't believe they'd do that. I lived with Dean and Seamus, and I don't even recognize Ginny anymore…she was so different when we were little."
"If you'd spent any time with a Slytherin at all, you'd know that people are complex. We do things for many different reasons and what you see on the surface in only a small part of who we are," the former Slytherin huffed. "You Gryffindors all seem to think you can just fit people into these nice boxes…"
"No…not anymore," Ron sighed and paused, surprised that he no longer felt any animosity at all towards the man beside him. "I think I've let go of a lot of what I firmly believed this past year as I think you have too."
The blond huffed a deep sigh and paused to sit on a bench in an alcove just a couple corridors from his godfather's office. "Speaking of…are you on good terms with your sister-in-law?"
"Fleur? Why?" Ron frowned and sat beside him in confusion.
"I think I'm going to need to talk to her…"
It didn't take very long before…"Merlin!" Ron's face morphed into a huge grin while Draco's just fell. "The stubborn arse was right, wasn't he? Harry was actually right, and you are a male-veela?!"
"I'd prefer to not tell the entire school," Draco rolled his eyes and cast a silencing ward around them before he settled in to wait for the former-Gryffindor to calm down in his giggling to plan some way of getting in contact with a veela.
Up Next: Bill asks questions...
