Chapter 15

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The next morning, Malinda awoke with a slight headache and the very urgent need to pee. She sat up slowly in bed, grateful that her drunk self had enough sense to pull the curtains close. She listened then peeked through the curtains, finding the other girls already gone. Grateful to be alone, Malinda rolled out of bed and dragged herself into the bathroom.

She relieved herself, brushed her teeth, drank a generous amount of water, then proceeded to roll right back into bed. With a lazy flick of a finger, the curtains drew close again and Malinda closed her eyes, shame washing over her.

And if she was being honest with herself, it wasn't just shame that overwhelmed her. Malinda had her fair share of ex-boyfriends and dates, by no means was she a doe-eyed virgin, but never, ever had she felt the way she had last night. No one had ever snogged her truly senseless. Until Draco.

It was supposed to happen. It wasn't part of the plan. Poor Alec, she thought miserably. They weren't a couple, nothing official of course, but still, she felt terrible. What had happened with Draco was foolish, ill-advised and would probably screw everything up. Yet, it had happened.

It had happened and she didn't regret it. Not if she was being honest with herself.

Malinda was eternally grateful that it was Sunday. The water she and Draco had drunk had saved her from the worst, but a slight hangover still lingered. Classes would have been a pain to endure. She reached under her pillow and took hold of her wand, "Accio map."

Her trunk opened and her personal Marauders Map arrived in hand. A quick password later, the whole castle lay exposed to her. Her eyes scanned quickly. Her roommates and most of their year were in the Common Room, along with Alec, Romeo and David, but Draco wasn't nowhere to be found in the dungeons.

She searched in vain for a few minutes, but then nearly slapped herself in stupidity. If he wasn't showing up on the map, then that meant one of two things. Either he was in the Room of Requirement or he wasn't in the castle at all. Both plausible and she didn't bother to try to guess which was true. All that mattered was she could go downstairs without seeing him.

Malinda didn't know what she would do when she next saw him. For now though, she was just glad to avoid the situation. Maybe she was a coward, but she didn't care.

She got up again and changed. She grabbed her school bag for show and walked down the stairs. The Common Room was packed, every seat taken leaving people left to stand or sit on the floor. It was still too cold to be outside and it seemed like no one was in the mood to study today.

While she had hoped to pass through unnoticed, Alec immediately jumped up and greeted her. He was all smiles as he said, "Glad to see you're finally awake."

Malinda couldn't even look at him. "Yup, alive," she offered an empty smile. "Erm, how was the rest of the party?"

"It was good. Slughorn and some of the Ministry fellows got pissed drunk by the end, so Snape ordered the students to bed," Alec gave her a troubled look. "Hey, you alright?"

"Slight hangover. How are you feeling?"

He grinned, "I feel fine. Sorry, I didn't realize you were such a lightweight."

"Me too, it's been a while," she admitted. "Right, well, I'm off then."

Before he could say another world, she strode past him and all but sprinted out of the common room. She walked quickly through the dungeons and into the upper levels. The school bag had been for show because she had zero plans on studying. Right now, she needed water and to get rid of this blasted headache.

When she entered the Hogwarts kitchens, only a few house elves bothered to look her way and even fewer said hello. She was hours late for breakfast and the house elves bustled as they readied for lunch. They were accustomed to her comings and goings by now.

"Dobby?" she called out, looking for the breadmaster. He popped into existence right before her, his eyes wide with excitement.

"Yes, Ms. Malinda? It's good to see you!"

"You too," she winced as pots were scraped and cleaned. "Do you have anything for a bad headache down here?"

"Sit down, sit down," the house elf fretted over her, leading her towards the mock Hufflepuff table. "Dobby will be right back."

He wasn't kidding. He vanished then reappeared with a goblet, "Ms. Malinda must drink this, it will help."

She sniffed the liquid and asked, "What is it?" Then she drank deeply from it, knowing that whatever it was, if it came from Dobby, it would help.

"A healing potion from the infirmary."

"You stole from Madam Pomfrey?" She gave the elf a wide smile. "I'm so proud."

Dobby's ears tilted backwards. "Steal? Oh no, Dobby didn't steal…. I simply borrowed some for Ms. Malinda."

"Don't worry, I'm just giving you a hard time. Thank you, Dobby, you're a lifesaver. I can feel it working already," she sighed in relief. It was true, the pounding in her head was beginning to fade away. "Could I get some-"

Dobby was already there, holding out a cup of water.

"You're a mind reader."

Malinda stayed in the kitchens for lunch, helping herself to the food before the elves sent it above for the rest of the castle. She chatted with Dobby for a while, listening as he shared his latest adventures in the world of bread baking. Then, she said her goodbyes and carefully made her way to the headmaster's office, watching her map to avoid a certain blond individual.

As she rose up the phoenix entrance, Malinda put the map away and did her best to steady her mind. Her love life needed to take a break while she handled real matters at hand.

Dumbledore always seemed to know when she was coming. He sat at his desk, waiting with his usual friendly demeanor. "Good afternoon, Malinda. How are you feeling today?"

"Wonderful and yourself, sir?"

"A bit worn. I fear I had too much of that veela wine last night. Perhaps I should pay Madam Pomfrey a visit for a hangover potion." Then, the headmaster winked at her.

Malinda covered her face with a hand, "Oh, of course you know. You always know everything. Let me guess, portraits sharing my secrets? Well, in my own defense, I didn't know where Dobby would get the potion from and in Dobby's defense, the potion went to a sick student so I'm sure Madam Pomfrey would approve in the end."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Now, what news do you bring, my dear?"

"Right," Malinda gave him a suspicious look then said, "Draco agreed to meet with you. He just asked that I be there."

"Of course, he trusts you."

Eager to keep the Draco conversation short, she asked, "When should we meet then? Term is nearly over."

"Let's leave the discussion for after the holidays," Dumbledore proposed. "I will have tough questions for Mr. Malfoy and I'd like him to enjoy his time off before thinking them over."

She nearly sagged with relief. To delay the meeting meant she wouldn't have to face Draco so soon. Perhaps, if she were lucky and her cowardice won out, she could avoid him for the remainder of the day. Tomorrow morning, students would be bound back to London on the Hogwarts Express.

"Speaking of the holidays," she tried to hide her nerves. "Have you made a decision on our hunting excursions?"

Dumbledore tilted his head slightly, "I know you are eager, but-"

"You said we could begin as soon as I was caught up with my classmates. I did that a week ago and now I'm a bit ahead," she interrupted, tired of his same old excuses. "Merlin sent me here to help, so let me help. I'm an asset now, not a liability."

"My dear, you have never been a liability, despite what some might say."

"Severus, you mean?"

"Severus has lived a harsh life, he is right to be extra cautious of newcomers," the headmaster sighed. "You are right though, I did say we could begin when you were ready and you are ready."

"Excellent," Malinda straightened in her chair, her worries momentarily forgotten. This is what gave her purpose. This is how they would win the war quickly. "We have the diary and ring. The diadem is safe for now, Harry can find it when he knows the truth. So that's three down, four to go. Shall we start with the easiest then?"

"Kreacher will not hand over the locket willingly."

"Either we steal it as Mundungus was supposed to," she paused, "By the way, great call not inviting him to join the Order. You've literally saved Moody's life just in that decision."

Dumbledore's eyes widened in alarm but she continued, "Or we have Harry demand it from Kreacher. He is the elf's master, yes?"

The headmaster blinked, still caught off guard by her casual admission. He nodded, "Harry is Sirius' heir, therefore Grimmauld Place and Kreacher belong to him."

"Ignoring the absurdity of literal slavery in the 1990s, which path should we take?"

"Harry will of course have many questions if we request his aid to retrieve the locket. Questions that will ultimately lead to some revealing answers," Dumbledore said. "I worry that by revealing your true identity to Harry, we will disrupt the timeline too soon."

"What if we don't though?" Malinda tapped her fingers on the armchair. "What if you just tell him that there's a spy and only you know their identity to keep them safe? Harry trusts you above all others, he'd do anything you asked. Will it frustrate him? Yes, of course. But he'll still get the locket."

"And what of the locket? He will want to know why it's important."

"Tell him the truth. That it's important to Voldemort," she replied.

"Such a vague response will only make the boy more curious."

Malinda shook her head, "No, sir. You don't understand. Harry worships you, your death hits him hard. If you ask him to give you the locket, no questions asked, he'll do it."

The older wizard was quiet, thinking over her words. He finally nodded, "Then I will ask him for the locket. Now, in regards to the cup, that will entirely depend on our conversation with Draco."

She winced a bit at the mention of his name. "Yes, well you know what our back up plan is."

"A wildly dangerous plan."

The door swung open suddenly and Snape, in his usual dramatic flair, joined them. As he settled into his seat with the grace of a king, he gave Malinda a bored look, "Which dangerous plan are we discussing?"

"My very well-thought-out plan to break into Gringotts to get the cup," she replied with a grin.

The potion master scoffed, "It will never work."

"Yes, it will," she replied, giving them both a meaningful look. "I saw how Harry, Ron and Hermoine did it. It will work."

"If all goes well, we will never need to execute it," Dumbledore replied in a placating tone. "Now that Severus is here, we should finalize our plan for the upcoming attack."

"It's confirmed that the Dark Lord wishes to capture Potter over the holidays," Snape shared. "He will strike when it's least anticipated on-"

"Christmas," Malinda finished. "Yes, as I told you."

He glared at her. "I still prefer to confirm such ideas before acting. It must be ever so nice to be a god amongst us mere mortals."

"Yikes, you're in an extra pissy mood today," Malinda scowled. "We know when and where he'll strike. So let's focus on saving the Burrow. In the books, it's burnt to the ground. I won't let that happen."

"Is the polyjuice potion ready, Severus?" Dumbledore asked, trying to guide the two away from conflict.

"In three days," Snape tore his eyes away from Malinda. "I will just need you to provide the hairs. There must be ample amounts for the duration you desire."

"Working on mine," Malinda volunteered. "I'll have them by tomorrow."

"Mine arrived just this morning," Dumbledore tapped an envelope on his desk with a smile. "Charlie was quite generous. I suspect he may be bald now."

Malinda laughed.


"You missed dinner," Daphne said and held out a plate, "Brought you some food since you're probably starving."

Malinda glanced up from her book to find a plate full of still steaming food. She took it carefully. "Thank you," she peeked at the door. "Careful, Pansy might see you being nice to me."

"Pansy is still too busy shouting your blood-traitor status to everyone downstairs," Daphne rolled her eyes. "She's bloody thrilled you decided to take Jones to the party with you. Says she's told her mother and you'll never be welcome to society."

"Oh darn."

Daphne punched her arm. "This is serious, Mal. If your family wanted to move here-"

"They don't. So no harm, no foul."

"They… don't?"

"No," Malinda lied, taking a small bite of the green beans. "Business is booming, Father isn't inclined to move the family anytime soon. Plus, I haven't seen the most flattering letters home."

Daphne raised an eyebrow, "You haven't?"

"Don't get me wrong, you and some of the others are lovely. But the whole murdering people because of their blood, which they are born with and have no control over by the way, doesn't scream 'Welcome to England' to people."

"You are very lucky I don't tell the others what you say sometimes," Daphne gave the door a wary look. "You need to be more careful about who you say these kinds of things to."

"Daphne, listen to me," Malinda put her plate to the side and grabbed her friend's hands. "You didn't choose your family. You were born to them and with that comes the privileges of money and power. But it also comes with burdens… You'll have to make a decision soon, on where you stand."

"My father-"

"Is his own person. You are not your father."

Daphne's pretty face crumpled, "I-I can't fight them. They're my family!"

"Then don't fight. Don't fight for either side. Stay neutral. Many pureblood families will, just like the first war."

"But-"

"Things are going to get bad over the next year," Malinda tightened her hold. "Just be careful."

"The next year?" Daphne peered at her curiously. "How could you know such a thing?"

Malinda wagged her eyebrows, "Just as I knew we'd lose that quidditch game. The spirits told me."

Her joke relieved the tension and Daphne pulled away with a weak smile. "Right. Well, make sure the spirits keep their bloody mouths shut. I'm not like you, Mal. I may not agree with you on everything… but that doesn't mean I want people killed. No one can know I'm a sympathizer."

"They will," Malinda promised, getting back to her food.

Daphne walked to her bed and sat down, plucking off her shoes. "Anyways, what has you hiding from everyone today? I swear, Jones looked like he was ready to try the girls' stairs."

"Great," Malinda muttered.

"Ooooh," Daphne leaned forward excitedly. Although a loyal friend, she did love to hear gossip. "Date not go well?"

"No, no, it did!" She gave up on the food and laid down, covering her face with her arms. "He's lovely, I just…"

"No spark?"

"There was, at first."

"But now?"

"No?" Malinda tried. "I don't know. Maybe. I just know that he's not the one for me."

"Ah. So when are you going to tell him?"

"Never. I'm just going to keep hiding in this room forever."

Daphne laughed, "Right, what happened to 'we are strong independent witches'?"

"I can be a strong independent witch... from my bed."

"You should tell him," Daphne said a bit more seriously. "Poor bloke will be worrying over the break otherwise. He may be a half-blood, but he's not an idiot."

Ignoring the blood comment, Malinda sighed deeply. "But if I tell him, he'll be upset over break. I think he really fancies me."

"Half the castle fancies you!" Daphne snorted. "New girl from America? Pureblood, rich and clever? Of course, he's going to be heartbroken."

"Not helping."

"But would you rather him be heartbroken now, where he can react privately at home? Or leave him confused for two weeks then break his heart when he gets back, in front of everyone?"

"Fuck," Malinda forced herself to sit up. "When you put it that way. I'm a shitty person no matter what."

"A shitty, strong and independent witch," Daphne corrected happily.

Malinda threw a pillow at the other girl, before standing up and striding to the door. If she didn't do it now, she'd lose her nerve. She went down to the common room, finding it just as crowded as earlier. Alec sat with his usual group at the chess table and when she approached, her heart thudded. When he caught sight of her, Alec abruptly stood up.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi," she replied.

"Do you want to take a walk?"

Malinda blinked a couple of times. He made the same offer she was just about to ask him. "Sure," she said after a moment. They walked away and Malinda glanced over her shoulder, feeling eyes on her back. Sure enough, Romeo and David quickly looked away, innocently focusing on their game again. Why did she suddenly feel as if she was the one about to get dumped?

Shit.

He led them out of the common room and out of the dungeons. Neither one of them spoke, not until they arrived at the main level. They walked side-by-side, going in no real direction, and Alec cleared his throat. "I know why you're unhappy with me and I just want to apologize."

Double shit. Now he was apologizing to her. Malinda stopped and shook her head, "No, stop right there. You have nothing to apologize for-"

"Yes, I do," Alec frowned. "I left you alone at that party when you felt ill. I should've walked you back and-"

"Stop, please," Malinda begged. She ran a hand through her hair and just said the words. There was no point in holding back. "You are wonderful, Alec. You really are. You're bloody gorgeous, funny, and wicked smart and I wanted you to stay at that party. But-"

Alec's frowned deepened, "But… Oh. Why? I thought we were getting on?"

"There's a spark," she murmured, staring at the stone ground. She was such a coward. "There was from the start and I still feel the attraction but I… I just don't think it's the strongest one I've felt. I'm sorry, I really am a shitty person."

"No, you're not." Alec, the boy she was rejecting, put his hand on her shoulder. She looked up in surprise and he was smiling, actually smiling at her. "I knew this might happen when I asked you out. We're friends, Mal and I liked you. Isn't that the point of a date? To see if there's something else there?"

"Well sure but-"

"So we tried it and if there's not, then fair enough. Thanks for telling me, I knew something was bothering you."

"I'm sorry for hiding."

He laughed, pulling his hand away, "Didn't take you the type to hide for this sort of thing."

"I just felt so awful, especially since you told your mother about me and-"

"My mother gets excited about everything, that's just her way. Don't worry about her," Alec waved off her concern. "Or me, really. Are we alright though? Friends?"

He held out his hand.

Malinda looked at it then back up to his face. "I don't deserve you. You're too nice."

"Don't be daft. Now, friends?"

She shook his hand. "Friends."


It was freezing up in the Astronomy Tower. It was still early in the morning, the grounds dark without the sun, and Malinda yawned. She had hoped to meet Hermione last night, but the Gryffindor had requested they meet before breakfast instead.

So she waited, bundled up in her traveling robe, all packed and ready for the Hogwarts Express. Thankfully, Hermoine didn't keep her waiting long, arriving just as the sun began to peek over the horizon.

"Morning."

"Good morning," Malinda turned and waved. "Thanks for meeting me."

"Sure. Your note said you needed something from me," Hermione got straight to the point, not in the mood for small-talk. "What is it?"

Guess the witch wasn't a morning person. Malinda pointed to the Gyffindor's wild, wavy hair and said, "Need about six of your hairs, please."

Silence then Hermione said in understanding, "You're brewing polyjuice potion."

"Not me, but I'll be taking it."

"And you want to be me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I need to be close to Harry over break without him asking questions. While you are enjoying your holiday in Jamaica, I'll be pretending to be you and paying him a visit."

Hermione's expression brightened with realization. "You sent the tickets to Jamaica."

"Yes," Malinda said with some embarrassment. "I had some extra gold and the currency exchange rate to muggle money is quite good. Thought you and your parents might enjoy a holiday before… you know."

"I was going to stop them from going. It was too suspicious, and I thought it was a trap."

"No trap. Go, have fun. Maybe I'll see you out there."

"What do you mean?"

"To get out of invitations to parties and dinners, I told the Slytherins my family is going on holiday in Hawaii. That's too far so I was going to pop over to the Caribbean for a day to get a tan and make it believable. Probably a sunburn knowing my pale ass skin."

Hermione laughed. "There's probably a spell for it."

"Do you know how many fashion and style magazines pureblood ladies read?" Malinda shuddered. "They can spot a fake tan, trust me. Anyways, I don't mean to intrude on your family."

"That's a long flight for just a day," Hermoine said slowly.

"Won't be flying over. I literally meant it when I said pop over."

Her companion tilted her head, "But to apparate overseas requires immense magic and- Ah, Dumbledore."

"He's been before, he's familiar with the island. Knows an apparition station not far from your hotel."

"You paid for my family to go to Jamaica because you'll be there for a day?" Hermione crossed her arms. "That's crazy."

"I was going no matter what and when I was booking my hotel, I thought about how you and your family are splitting up soon. Family is important. When you have one, you should cherish every moment with them." Malinda rubbed her neck and looked away. "You're right, it probably sounds crazy. Sorry. You don't have to go."

"No, it's just… It's just a surprise. You know, Harry and Ron are convinced you're just as bad as the others. Harry thinks you have an invisibility cloak and spy on us, that's how you know about his map. It's just odd to know you're nice."

Good thing you don't know how much I daydreamed about us being friends, Malinda thought to herself. Outwardly though she winced, "It's just part of the grand plan. Hopefully I can convince some of the Slytherins to remain neutral during the war or best case, switch sides."

"You really think that's possible?"

"You'd be surprised. They're not monsters, they're just like you but with really bad parents," Malinda glanced at her watch. "We should probably head down to breakfast before anyone notices our absence."

"Right," Hemione bit her lip then pulled several hairs from her head. "Here. Can you tell me why you need to be near Harry?"

"Not yet. After it happens, we'll meet so I can explain everything. You'll have to pretend as if you were there." Malinda took the hairs gratefully, pulling an envelope from her pocket and sliding them inside. "Thank you. I know it's hard to trust someone you don't really know, so really, thanks."

"Dumbledore trusts you, so I do too." Hermione turned to leave.

Malinda blurted, "What happened with the love potion?"

"You know about that?"

"It happened before, in the books, but well… I changed something so I don't know how it affected things."

"Harry took Ron to Professor Slughorn who gave him an antidote. Lavender was a bit miffed at Romilda, but Ron's okay."

Dread filled Malinda. It must've shown on her face because Hermione looked worried. "Why? What was supposed to happen?"

"Something important, I think. But maybe I can fix it."

"Tell me, maybe I can help."

"It has to do with your future, I can't."

And once again, she was reminded how clever the other witch was. Hermione frowned, "Ron and Lavender were supposed to break up, weren't they?"

"Uhhh…"

"It's only a matter of time. Harry says Ron is going mental with the girl, she is quite clingy," the brown-haired girl sighed. "You probably think that Ron and I are supposed to end up together."

"Uhh, no?"

Hermione stepped away from the stairs and walked over. She smiled, "You know, I was happy when you said that I survived the war. I imagined growing old with Ron, but I don't think that's what I want. Not anymore."

"No?" Malinda could barely breathe.

"It hurt at first, seeing Ron with Lavender. But it made me realize that we're quite different and after I realized that, it stopped hurting. I think I'm okay with us just being friends."

Oh shit. Malinda panicked, "But you're supposed to-"

"Merlin sent you to change things, to save people." Hermione cut her off. "Ron and I don't need saving. After meeting you, knowing that the future can be changed, I feel excited. I feel like I'm in control of my future instead of a book series dictating everything. Let me make my own decisions, please."

"O-Okay," Malinda exhaled deeply. "What if you end up with the wrong person though?"

"Just the knowledge that I'm supposed to end up with Ron sort of takes away from the relationship."

"I'm so sorry."

"No, it's not your fault. I already felt that way before you came to Hogwarts. Ginny and Molly aren't exactly subtle," Hermione chuckled. "As you probably know, Ginny's been in love with Harry for years. She'd like nothing better than for her to marry Harry and me to marry Ron. It's the perfect ending… The type of ending you read in a book series." She gave Malinda a wry look. "It wasn't hard to figure out that's how your book series ended."

"I've fucked this up," Malinda groaned. "I know you're not upset, but I'm scared how this will change things for Ron. He loves you."

"Not yet. We're still friends," Hermione said softly before clearing her throat. "Besides, he's with Lavender. He'll meet another witch and will fall in love. I'll be happy for him. It's going to be okay."

"And if it's not? If you two were meant to be together?"

"That's life then, isn't it? Figuring it out, even if it takes years," Hermione moved back to the steps. "Enjoy your break. Maybe I'll see you in Jamaica."

Malinda watched her go, feeling quite conflicted. The fear of a horrible future for Hermione and Ron stayed with her as she sat through breakfast. Her mind spun, imagining dozens of different scenarios. Maybe they dated other people until finally coming together? Maybe Ron never married and Hermione divorced then married him? Maybe… Maybe they really could have separate, happy marriages. She just didn't know and that terrified her. Hermione was her hero, the woman who fought and survived a war, getting her happy ending. If she didn't, Malinda knew it would be her fault.

A while later, she sat on the train, staring out the large window when an elbow dug into her side. Her eyes refocused and she turned, finding Blaise sitting there with a book. "You alright? You've been out of it all morning."

"Just thinking," she said before looking back out the window. She didn't want to look in his direction for too long, not when a head of platinum blond was just on the other side of the aisle. Draco sat with Crabbe and Goyle, the two idiots ignoring him and carrying on about their holiday plans. She hadn't looked at him once, too frightened to see what those blue eyes would express. Besides, she was too worried about the Hermione and Ron situation to even consider her own love life.

Thankfully, Blaise left her alone for the remainder of the trip. Daphne and Clare, who shared their table, also seemed to realize she needed some time alone. That and Millicent seemed to watch their every move. When Platform 9 ¾ came into view, Malinda stood with the others. Her roommates gave her quiet farewells, both wary to show too much attention with Pansy and their families so close, before they went their own way. Even Blaise merely patted her on the back before slipping away. Draco didn't even bother to look in her direction and was the first off the train.

Malinda stepped onto the platform, ready to pass through the brick wall and secretly meet Snape who would apparate them back to the castle, but someone slammed into her. She froze as a woman threw her arms around Malinda and in a loud, distinctly American accent practically shouted, "Oh Mal! It's so good to see you! Look at you, you're pale as a ghost. We'll need to fix that in Hawaii!"

"Who the fuck are you?" Malinda hissed, her wand tip pressed into the woman's chest, out of view.

The woman whispered, "Dumbledore sent me. Call me Cousin Penelope. Play along."

They separated and Malinda plastered a large smile on her face. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see people watching them, their attention caught by the loud show. "Oh Cousin Penelope! How lovely to see you."

"Hawaii is going to be so much fun!" The witch said, making sure to emphasize Hawaii for all to hear. Malinda nearly rolled her eyes. They get it, she wanted to say, but instead she kept smiling. The witch was older, in her forties, with straight and black hair. She was dressed nicely, her robes obviously expensive and custom tailored. "Let's get your things, shall we?"

They walked together to the last carriage where trunks were being unloaded. Malinda stiffened slightly when they passed Draco who stood with his mother. The Malfoys watched them silently, Narcissa's eyes cold and calculating. She didn't look well, despite her tidy appearance. She looked tired, slight bags under her eyes, stress lined her face and she held Draco close to her, as if she feared he would vanish. Her son mimicked his mother's blank expression, neutrally watching Malinda as she walked by with her talkative 'cousin'. Malinda made the mistake of meeting his eyes and felt her face redden slightly. Quickly, she looked away.

"So how was your time at Hogwarts? Everyone can't wait to hear all about it. Oh golly, we've just missed you!" This witch would not shut up nor would she lower her voice. Malinda was grateful when she saw and grabbed her trunk. "Is that everything? Wonderful, let's go!"

The witch extended her hand, her nails perfectly manicured and painted a bright blue. Malinda took her hand and braced.

They apparated and Malinda found herself standing in a familiar, small room. Aberforth and Albus Dumbledore sat at a table together, both with pints in hand, and they looked up as their guests arrived. They still weren't on the best of terms, so Malinda was surprised to see them together.

Ab sat back with a grin, "So how did your new cousin do, eh?"

The witch beamed, "Oh, it went well. I made sure to announce our trip to Hawaii, as you requested."

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" Malinda asked, tired of being out of the loop. She relaxed, putting her wand away as she recognized the small space. They were in Aberforth's home in Hogsmeade, meaning he'd adjusted the wards to let them apparate directly in. Whoever this witch was, she was trusted by both Dumbledores. "Not a big fan of surprises."

"Brillie is an old friend," Ab explained and the witch nodded her head in greeting. "My brother here worried your American story could use some support. Brillie was more than happy to help."

"Well, great idea, just wish you would've told me."

"Are you always so friendly?" Brillie said sarcastically. "You're welcome, by the way."

Malinda bristled. "Thank you, dear cousin."

Albus stood, "Thank you Brillie. Your help was very much appreciated." He offered an arm to Malinda, "Shall we?"

She held up her trunk again and Malinda took his arm. She braced for a second time and they apparated, this time directly into her professor quarters at Hogwarts. Stepping away she asked, "Christmas is three days away. What am I supposed to do until then? Hide in here?"

During the summer, she had moved about the castle freely, without worry. Now, she would have to be careful, avoiding the students who remained for the break. The thought of being stuck in this room made her grit her teeth.

Dumbledore surprised her when he replied. "It's time your lessons expand outside our curriculum. I fear that in three days, the war will truly begin and you'll need to be ready. Meet me in my office in two hours, I have some spells I'd like to show you."

"Excellent," Malinda grinned wickedly.