The trio had kept what they had seen on the day of their visit to the village from Melanie, due to Hermione's persistence, and it wasn't long before it was time for all to depart for Hogwarts. And so the four friends find themselves where it all began; Hogwarts express.

"Bloody hell. What happened to the other half of the students?" Ron questioned in utter bewilderment at the vast decrease in pupil number this year.
"What did you expect, Ron?" Hermione told. Harry stayed awkwardly silent, for a number of reasons, but Melanie wasn't even listening.

She'd spotted him in the crowd. It's been months since she'd last seen him, and they haven't spoken in almost two weeks now.

"You guys find us a spot to sit, I'll be right back." She informed, hurrying off before any of them got a word in.

It only took her three minutes to reach him. "Draco!" She called. He heard her, and he wished he didn't. Draco turned to the rushing Redwing and was filled with both joy…and horror.

She didn't know, she had no clue, and he couldn't tell her. She would hate him, he would lose her…and it would kill him.

It all happened so un-expectantly, and so quickly. Two weeks before the start of Hogwarts, he'd shown up, the Dark Lord himself, in the Malfoy's home of all places, along with a few of the Death Eaters. He offered Draco a chance. A chance to redeem his family, to save his father from a death insuring prison, and his mother from herself, to pull his family back together…but at what cost?

Murder. Cold-blooded murder. Murder of Hogwarts's headmaster, and one of the greatest wizards who had ever lived. Murder of Dumbledore.

He couldn't. He wouldn't, and he asked what would happen if he didn't. The Dark Lord didn't say he would, but the message was clear. After all, what else does 'You will have outlived your usefulness' mean? Death, that's what it meant. The death of Draco, and, most likely, the death of his family.

He had no choice. And he was terrified.

"Go ahead. I'll catch up." He told Zabini, who nodded in understanding. With the passing of time, he'd become Draco's confidant, a true friend.

Draco smiled as best he could and sinfully accepted the Redwing's gracious embrace. He held her small, fragile form close, taking advantage of every second spent in her arms, as if drawing strength from her, breathing in the peachy sent of her silky hair-locks.

When he pulled away, and even with a smile, Melanie could see something was wrong, terribly wrong.

Her smile faded and her eyebrows furrowed. She placed a warm hand on his cheek. "Is everything alright?" She asked softly, and it felt like he'd been hit by a thousand bricks in the gut. He pulled down her hand and into his, subconsciously squeezing it.
"Yeah, love. Everything's fine." He assured half-heartedly, but the Redwing wasn't satisfied, and before she got the chance to draw out the truth, the train honked hastily, signaling for departure. She looked back to him as he observed the skies, certain she'd caught a glimmer of fear flash through his eyes before they were brought back down to meet hers with that same feigned smile. "I'll see you at the hall." He told, giving her hand one last squeeze before turning away, leaving a very confused Melanie behind.

….

"So what was Draco doing with that weird looking cabinet?" Asked Harry, Ron and Hermione seated across him in the train compartment, the Granger eyeing the crowd out the window for Melanie. "And who were all those people?" He continued. Hermione huffed irritably. What was with all the accusations?! And from Harry of all people. "Don't you see?! It was a ceremony. An initiation." He insisted, for the hundredth time, coming up with a new conspiracy every ten minutes.

"Stop it Harry!" Hermione snapped. "I know where you're going with this."
"It happened. He's one of them."
"One of what?" Asked Ron, who had just finished daydreaming.
"Harry is under the impression that Draco Malfoy, Melanie's now boyfriend, is a Death Eater." She explained tiredly, he scoffed.
"Don't let Mel hear you say that." Ron warned jokingly.
"Thank you." Hermione breathed. Harry huffed. Why wouldn't they listen?
"And besides, what would you-know-who want with someone like Malfoy?" He asked, seriously now.
"Then what was he doing at Borgin & Burkes? Browsing for furniture?" Harry asked sarcastically.
"It's a creepy shop, he's a creepy boy." Ron stated as a matter of fact. "I don't know what Melanie sees in him."
"Didn't you ever come to think that maybe if you'd bothered to look more carefully, like she did, you'd see the good in him, the side he ever only shows to her." Hermione defended. Ron looked a bit taken aback.
"Sheesh! I was only joking."
"Look his father was a Death Eater. It only makes sense." Harry told.
"Hah! Now you deduce that." Hermione mocked.
"You saw it with your own eyes!" He argued.
"I told you, I don't know what I saw." She urged.

Harry gave up. "I need some air." He stood, leaving the cabinet. If he wanted his friends to believe him, he'd have to find more compelling evidence, and that's exactly what he'd set off to do.

….

A few minutes after Harry left, Melanie went into the train and to her friends. She told them that she thought Draco was acting weird, and that she was worried about him. Ron and Hermione refrained from telling any of Harry's colorful theories, and simply assured her that he was probably fine.

But Melanie knew better, she knew Draco, she knew something was off, and she was going to get to the bottom of it.

A while later, they arrived. The students poured out of the train and onto the carriages, but Harry was missing. His three friends, after waiting for quite a while, decided to look for him inside the Great Hall, and in they went.

Melanie, like a hawk, observed the crowd till her eyes fell on the one man she'd ever felt for, seated alongside his usual group, a distant look in his eyes, like he was anywhere but reality, so where was he?

The three seated themselves where Ginny had saved them spots, all wondering where in the world Harry was.

He appeared several minutes later, after the sorting hat had done its beadings. He sat by Ginny, across from his three friends.

"Where've you been?!" Hermione snapped.
"What happen to your face?" Melanie asked in concern and fear, eyeing the forming blood seeping from his nose.

Harry eyed his three friends warily, sending meaningful glares to Ron and Hermione, then turned back to Melanie. "Got shoved into one of the compartment doors, its nothing." He assured, a lie that she believed, after all, why would she think to doubt her friends?

In truth, when Harry had disappeared, he'd went out, with the invisibility cloak, and set off to find Malfoy and his gang, attempting a much noticed eavesdrop. He didn't get much out of it either, except a good beating from an emotionally sensitive Draco.

"What did I miss?" Harry asked, changing the subject.
"Sorting hat urges all to be brave and strong in these troubled times." Ron explained. "Easy for it to say though, it's a hat, isn't it?!" He protested irritably. Harry nodded quickly, Ginny softly reaching for the cloth he put on his face in an attempt to help him.

It had been increasing lately, the awkward interactions between the boy who lived and the only girl amongst her Weasley siblings, and it was noted by all. However, Melanie was too preoccupied by her own thoughts to take notice then.

"Very best of evenings to you all." Started Dumbledore, the sea of students gradually quieting down. Dumbledore started his annual speech off by introducing professor Horace Slughorn as the new potions master, and Snape has, yet again, filled in the post for Defense Against the Dark Arts, which none but the Slytherins were excited about, all but Draco, who wasn't even listening. Melanie wished she could see him, but she had no view from where she was seated.

"Now as you know," The headmaster continued. "each and every one of you was searched upon your arrival here tonight, and you have the right to know why…Once there was a young man, who, like you, sat in this very hall, walked this castle's corridors, stepped under and through. He seemed to all the world a student like any other. His name?…Tom Riddle." And at that, the hall irrupted into a raging ocean of murmurs. Some in shock, some impressed, and others…terrified.

"Today, of course, he is known, all over the world, by another name. Which is why, as I stand, looking out upon you all tonight, I'm reminded of a sobering fact. Every day, every hour, this very minute, Dark forces attempt to penetrate this castle's walls, but in the end, their greatest weapon…is you." It seemed to most that Dumbledore was pointing his words towards a specific someone, but that someone's mind was anywhere but reality. "Just something to think about…Now! Off to bed! Pep, pep." He last said, and at that, the students rose from the Great Hall, confused, scared, and now, in doubt.

…