A/N: I'm not even going to try and give a good reason for not updating for six months. It's ridiculous, I know. I sorry! Please keep reading though? And I do believe that this particular chapter will leave things up in air, so, when you review, hint to me what direction you'd like to have it go : And, erm, I know that this chapter is a little short, and a little really lame, but it's just a filler chapter before what will happen next! Bwahaha. Oh, right, I almost forgot-Happy New Year! Felix Annus Novus! Felis Anno Nuevo! Bonne nouvelle annee! Etc….

R-r-r-r-RECAP!:

"Potter! Oh, little Potty, can we help you? Because as much as I'd hate to, you sure could need it..." Crabbe and Goyle guffawed, and Pansy laughed a rather alarming laugh that sounded more like a sick dog's bark. Draco smirked, but Marion merely rolled her eyes. And that's when that damned golden trio noticed her. Stupid Harry Potter went goggle-eyed (because hey, it wasn't like he was getting any), lame Hermione Granger (Marion could out-exam her any day) emitted a small gasp, and that weasel, Ron Weasley-who was no longer as awkward, gangly, or unattractive as he used to be-had a sickening grin on his face, and he was nodding as if in approval. Marion felt her cheeks flush, but she gave them a cold, hard, well-practiced Ice Queen stare. Inherited from her mother, she used it frequently when anyone disturbed her studies , as they so often did. Those who actually has interactions her at school thought she was a bitch, but not without reason. And now, here she was, Marion Scott, standing in a compartment with Draco Malfoy (the train hadn't yet begun to move) with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley goggling at her. This was just too weird.

"Shut it, you." Harry replied, rather rudely. "We're not here to make fun, we're here for the girl." He pointed in Marion's direction. "Headmistress's orders. Hurry."

Marion's mind went blank. What?

--

This was a joke, wasn't it? There was no plausible way in all of Britain that all (well, any, really) of this could be happening at once. As Marion pondered every possibility of what going to the Headmistress could mean-and sending those three idiots, of all people, to collect her-Hermione began clearing her throat quite obnoxiously.

"Ahemm." The first time, Marion figured that there was just a tickle in her throat. The second time, she barely noticed. The third time, she got irritated, and by the fourth she was so startled out of her reverie that Marion might have actually yelped in surprise. Taking a deep breath, the girl mentally prepared her next few phrases, put on her favorite glare while managing to look extremely bored (ah, so there was a perk to being a Slytherin!), and looked mincingly in the trio's direction.

"Can I help you?" Marion said with a smirk. Hermione scoffed, Harry stopped picking his nose long enough to glance in her direction, and Ron was still dumbfounded all together. That could be the title of their autobiography, Marion thought to herself with a smile. Then that shrubby-headed girl smacked the fire-headed one on the shoulder, who proceeded to exclaim "Mnuhh!" and punch mop-head on the side. Mop-head was startled out of his own reverie, one that had involved flicking his freshly-picked boogers into no particular direction, and dropped a few scrolls of parchment in surprise. Everyone else in the cabin was staring in silence, one that would have progressed to an awkwardness of almost heinous levels if Draco hadn't stepped in.

"Look," he began to drawl "What is this regarding? Is it not painfully obvious to you lot that she has no interest in you or the business of the Headmistress?" His last few words dripped with icy sarcasm. "Although…I suppose nothing is ever too painfully obvious for any of you." Draco put on a face of almost sympathy, and Marion couldn't help but feel a flutter in her stomach. A boy? Sticking up for her? Draco Malfoy sticking up for her? Well, whose stomach wouldn't be fluttering? At least, that's what Marion said to herself. Now she had two options; prove that she could handle herself or fall back into Slytherin mode. One way, she'd end up insulting Malfoy and his cronies (okay, that she could handle, but she'd still rather not insult Malfoy-what?! Why not!?) While the other would result in annoying the Headmistress and ruining any chances that Marion would ever have with Harry and Ron. Hang on a tic. Ruining chances?! With….Ron Weasley…and…Harry…Potter…maybe some of that blonde hair dye had leaked into her brain. (Curse you, mum! Curse you and your Muggle grooming habits!)

The remaining nerd inside of Marion was urging her to never, ever, ever become the source of an annoyance to Minerva McGonagall, especially not in her new authority position, and grudgingly, she decided to go with the three stooges. "Oh, but Draco," Marion began "What could be more important than the business of the Headmistress?" It was intended as a joke, but, inside, Marion meant it. That's probably why she was caught so off-guard when he began laughing. Loud, raucous, unappealing laughter, the kind that would previously have been directed towards her and still made her shrivel up a bit inside. Definitely alarmed, and still adjusting to the whole world of-well, the world-Marion decided her best bet was to merely sneak out unnoticed. Rolling her eyes, she sighed audibly and stood up to adjust that tiny little skirt her mother had forced her into. If anything was ridiculous, it was going along with everything Patricia Scott had urged her to. What happened? What mysterious, otherworldly force had taken over inside of her? Maybe there was a potion for that kind of thing. Marion grimaced to herself and did her best to avoid commentary from the boys and "girl" that were remaining in the cabin doorway. With one last shake-out of her hair, she felt prepared to greet the rest of the school.

"Let's get this over with." Marion muttered in a monotonous fashion. Briefly, she turned to see what her original cabin mates were doing-surprise, surprise, they were still laughing as if they'd swallowed just a tad too much Felix Felicis-and strutted out the door.

"After you." Ron said, breathlessly. Merlin! He could speak!

"Oh, shut up already!" Hermione replied, scathingly.

"You know, I'd really appreciate it if you did, for a change." Marion spat, without even turning around.

"I like you." Harry said, from somewhere behind her.

THUNK! It appeared that Granger had finally lost it, flown into a rage, and as a result, Harry Potter was crumpled on the floor of the train corridor.

Marion scoffed. "It was about time." At least she sounded so sure on the outside, because internally? Marion was a mess. Why was she suddenly being so mean? Harry was really cute! And…apparently…really hurt. Who had she become?

"C'mon." muttered Ron, without taking his eyes off of something behind Marion. (She would later discover that that something was her butt.) He was thrilled to be seen walking with her down the corridor. (Marion didn't quite know that either) "McGonagall said it was important."

Oh, Merlin. She had temporarily forgotten about that. They had barely gotten out of London, and it was already shaping up to be a very-err, interesting-year.