A/N: I've got a special double chater release for you! applause Along with a picture of Amaranta I drew!

Fighting With Amaranta

Draco walked into the Slytherin common room to see a crowd of people huddled around the notice board, chatting nervously. He smiled, knowing that they had just found the High Inquisitor's latest decree, which banned all clubs, organizations, and so forth, unless with her permission. He had no need to worry though. The Slytherin Quidditch team was in good hands. He saw Amaranta among the group, and he walked over to her.

"Well, it's a good thing, you're not involved in any clubs or anything, huh?" He whispered into her ear from behind, his hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah."

Malfoy just couldn't wait for Potions, so that he could rub it in Harry's face that the Slytherin team was going to remain. He was waiting outside the dungeon when he saw Harry and his group of losers making there way to him. He held out the official form for the Slytherin Quidditch team for all to see, and said loud enough for anyone within 20 meters to hear, "Yeah, Umbridge gave the Slytherin Quidditch team permission to continue playing right away. I went to ask her first thing this morning! Well, it was pretty automatic, I mean, she knows my father, with how much he's at the Ministry. . .It'll be interesting to see whether the Gryffindors are allowed to keep playing, won't it?"

The filthy mud-blood, Granger, put her hands up to hold back the two boys. "Don't! It's what he wants. . ."

Draco smiled maliciously. And I always get what I want, he thought before continuing, even louder than before. "I mean, if it's a question of influence with the Ministry, Gryffindor doesn't stand a chance! From what my father says, they've been looking for a reason to sack Arthur Weasley for years. . .And as for Potter. . .My father says it's only a matter of time before the Ministry has him carried off to St. Mungo's. . .apparantely, they have a special ward for people whose brains have been addled by magic. . ."

Draco made a retarded face, his teeth sticking out, and his eyes rolling around. Crabbe and Goyle laughed obediently, and Pansy Parkinson shrieked with glee. Then he saw a fleeting flash of a boy burst past Harry.

"Neville, no!" They called out and Harry grabbed him by the robes, pulling him back. Weasley and the mud-blood ran to help him, holding back Longbottom to the point of nearly choking him.

Draco only gleemed malevolently. Especially when Proffesor Snape walked by, noticing the commotion, said, "Fighting, Potter, Weasley, Longbottom? Ten points from Gryffindor. Inside, all of you."

Draco walked in, nose proudly in the air. He noticed Amaranta watching him, and he smiled. She didn't look angry at him for his bullying, but she didn't look pleased either. She simply ignored him, looking over his shoulder to Harry and his friends, who sat down next to her.

"You will notice," Snape said in a low voice, "that we have a guest with us today."

Everyone looked to the corner he was gesturing to see Umbridge sitting on a stool, her clipboard in hand. His two favorite teachers in one class, maybe one of them just might try and pick on Potter, and hopefully Snape would leave Amaranta out of this one, though she shouldn't hang around them in the first place.

Finally, classes were over and they had the rest of the day for homework and rest. While Draco had Parkinson do his homework for him, he took Crabbe and Goyle with him on a stroll around the grounds of Hogwarts. He spotted her, some distance away, sitting amongst a bed of wildflowers, writing on a piece of parchment, a textbook open beside her. Strange, but her dark prescence didn't seem to contrast at all with the bright, sunny scene. In fact, she seemed more at home than ever. As if she was where she belonged.

As Draco stood there, stunned, Potter and his group walked to her. They passed a couple of words to each other, Draco was too far away to hear, and after nodding, Amaranta left with them. That left a sick feeling in his stomach. He didn't know why, but lately, Amaranta had been spending more time with Potter than with him. Even if it was for this so-called "mission" of hers, he would not tolerate this any longer.

He followed them for a while. They walked to the Gryffindor tower, talking all the way. He froze as they reached the portrait of the fat lady. They wouldn't actually invite her in, would they? He let out a sigh of relief when he saw them wave farewell to her and climb in through the hole. She stared at the fat lady for a while, and didn't walk away until the portrait gave her a good lecture.

When she rounded the corner, she found Malfoy in an abandoned hallway, leaning against a stone pillar. "Great pals with Potter, aren't you?" he snapped agrily.

"Befriending Harry Potter is part of-" she began, blank-faced, but Draco cut her off.

"-your mission, right? If you use that excuse too much, I just might suspect you. Just what exactly is this 'mission' of yours, huh?"

"You know as well as anyone that I can't tell you," she replied. "I'm pushing it just telling you that I even have a mission. You know how he is. Always likes to do things in secret."

"Crabbe, Goyle," he adressed them, and without even issueing the order, the two goons held Amaranta up by her arms, so that she was lifted off the ground and couldn't move. Her bag fell to the floor and its contents spilled out. "Amaranta, we've been friends for a long time. I'd appreciate it if you didn't lie to me!" He snarled.

Amaranta looked like she was trying her best to remain calm, but she was quivering slightly and her eyes looked shifty. This was probably the first time he had ever turned on her. He stepped closer so that his words were only a whisper. "You'd like to be real chummy with Potter, wouldn't you? You think he's so great with all those things he did. Or maybe its just that he's forbidden territory that draws you to him. But I bet he wouldn't like you once he finds out who you're father is, eh?"

Amaranta's eyes widened in terror. "You wouldn't. . .!"

"Oh, but yes, I would, my little Amaranta," he straightened himself now, not bothering to whisper anymore. "Once he finds out, he'll hate you, probably even try to kill you."

"No, don't!" The words escaped her mouth, betraying the anguish inside. She drew back, trying to hide the desperate look on her face.

Draco smiled triumphantly. "Oh, but I think I will. Potter doesn't know you like I do. I'm sure he'd like to know more about his new buddy."

"P-Please don't," her lips quivered, and her eyes were becomming steadily watery. "Don't tell him, please. . .Draco. . ."

He froze. That was the first time he had ever heard her utter his name. And she was shaken with the impact. If she kept cowering in fear in front of him, he couldn't act as harsh as he wanted to. She didn't look at him, her tortured gaze looking down at the stone floor, causing her dark locks to fall in front of her face. He tried to push down the feelings welling inside of him.

"If you want me to keep quiet, you must do as I say," he gestured for Crabbe and Goyle to release her. She fell down to her knees, and began to put her things back into her bag, her hair covering her face the entire time. "I no longer want you to sit by Potter in any of your classes, even the ones I'm not in. You will sit by me in Potions, and you must never associate with Potter, you got it?"

She nodded her head. "Yes." Her voice seemed colder than normal, and she gathered up her things, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

He could now see her face and he felt a lump in his throat. She was as cold and expressionless as ever. She had locked her heart up again. He now regretted everything he had said.

"Shall we head back to the dungeon?" she suggested, and Draco shivered at the sight of those blank eyes.

"Uh. . .sure."