Well, to all those who have carried on. Thanks for reading my next chapter. I'm hoping it'll get better. I'm not feeling very inspired right now.

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Do not sue me. I am not willing to give up anything I might or might not own.

Draco looked over at the castle. Hogwarts was lit up. His school, no, old school looked as though it were on fire. He could almost hear the students shouting raucously at each other. They would be so excited. Not seeing each other for months. The hugs, the laughs, the stories.

Something he was missing out on.

'Draco.'

'Sir?'

'If it weren't for your arrogance, I'd still have my job at Hogwarts. I could still be spying on the students and even kept my post in the Order. I'd like to say it's your fault.'

'I know, you've told me plenty of times before.'

'But not enough Draco. You're lucky. The Dark Lord went easy on you. But he's keeping an eye on you. You'd better watch it. Watch your back, daddy won't be here to save you for a while.'

'I will do all I can to make it up to him.'

'Good.'

Snape stalked away.

Draco watched him go. Was it him or was Snape a little down? It seemed he had been since, since that night. But no it couldn't be. It must have been before then and he just hadn't noticed. Snape wouldn't be too upset. I mean, he didn't have to spend time with the muggle lovers, mudbloods and…and…Dumbledore.

For some reason though, Draco got the impression Snape had actually liked Dumbledore. It was when the other deatheaters joked about him. Nasty things. He thought he saw Snape's nostrils flare. And every time Snape stroked down his greasy hand, leaving his hand looking shiny. But that might just be him wanting to see a good story played out in front of his eyes. He turned back to stare at Hogwarts. His home.

'You'd better not be thinking about going back there.'

'I'm not,' Draco snapped at Snape. 'Why would I? Filled with nasty little mudbloods and Dumbledore's robots.'

Snape spat. 'Good. Then don't mention it, don't look at it, don't think about it. Particularly with me.'

Draco turned back around and was lost in thought again.

Blaise Zabini. Maybe he'd be lucky this year. Get his way with Weaslette. He was the only one who told Draco what he thought. And the only one Draco could tell everything to. The only one who told him he was retarded for doing what he was doing. He could remember the conversation now:

'It's amazing. Look at it. It'll decorate my skin for the rest of my days.'

'Branded more like. Like the slave trade and all that.'

'Jealous.'

'No Draco I believe it's called, erm, intelligent. Holding back. Thinking about my actions. Choose whichever you prefer.'

'I'll choose cowardice,' Draco snarled.

'You know something I don't know what to do. What would I do without you? You give me a bundle of laughs. Really you do. Just let me know when it starts to burn. Let me know when you're called so I can take the books from you which I've lost, and any robes. Yours are nicer than mine.'

Draco smiled at the memory. Yes Blaise. What would he do without him?

Harry Potter. He was going to miss him. Taunting him and his little golden trio. With their little sidekicks Weaslette and Creevey boy. It was a shame really. A real waste. It was true, the youngest Weasley had gotten to be very pretty. Shame she had to come from blood traitors. But, Draco thought to himself, some families had to disappoint.

And Pansy. He was going to miss her. Miss her whines, miss her jokes. Miss her shallowness. Miss her deepness. He was going to miss her. But she loved him. You could tell it. She had been so awed with him last year. When he had shown her the mark on his arm. She always had been smitten. And she was a lovely girl. Gave that Granger exactly what she deserved.

The hall was decorated in black. Nothing was how it used to be.

'Suits my mood exactly,' murmured Ron. 'Not nice to be back at school. Dumbledore dead. The only good things are Snape and Malfoy have gone. You going to defend Snape now Hermione? I'd like to see you try.'

'Shut up Ron. This isn't a laughing matter. Dumbledore made a mistake. We have to try and move on and get the order back in place. We can't give up completely.' Hermione responded.

'Guys, guys, guys.'

'WHAT?' They both rounded on Harry.

'Nothing, just er, stop bickering for just one second. If you two can take your eyes off each other for just one second, you can see Seamus isn't here, Dean's looking well upset about something, and Ginny's gone walk abouts.'

'I was not staring at Hermione!' Ron cried out defensively.

'Oh great, thanks a lot.' Hermione ran from the room tearfully.

'What? What I do? Was it something I said?' Ron stared after Hermione in a state of confusion, his eyes big and round. He looked a bit like a pigeon. It would have been funny if Hermione hadn't just stormed out the room with Voldemort on the loose. Especially with her being muggle born and all.

'Yes Ron, it was something you said. Can't you try being nice to her for a minute?'

'She starts it.'

'And you carry it on. You're both as bad as each other. But please, for my sake. For Ginny's sake. For your parents' sakes! Just get on with it and get married. Please? For me?'

'Potter! What are you going to do now wonderful Dumbledore's not here to protect you?'

They both turned to see Pansy Parkinson. Her little eyes screwed up in delight.

'Oh I dunno. I'll survive. Maybe if I'm lucky Malfoy'll step in my way and save me. What you going to do without Malfoy here to snog you Parkinson?' Harry responded.

Parkinson's face turned bright red, and her gang of girls surrounded her and ushered her away.

'Honestly,' Ron said, 'they're all the same. They all go around in gangs of girls and all rely on each other to cheer them up when they split up. Oh God, here comes Lavender.' Harry watched him disappear under the table as Lavender and Parvati walked past. Parvati smiled at him as they passed and they sat down, not far away from them next to Dean Thomas.

'Listen Ron. I mean it.' Harry whispered under the table, 'Can you and Hermione stop fighting? Please? It's getting me down and it's getting Ginny down. And I need support here. Voldemort's free and I've split up with Ginny. And I liked her so much. I still like her. We both need support, not to be shoved to one side as though we were worthless. And can you get out from under the table?'

'OK, I'm sorry.' Ron said as he climbed out from under the table and brushed down his robes, 'I don't mean it. I guess I just don't notice. Hermione walks in the room and she's just there. I need her attention somehow. I do. And I don't get it immediately.'

'Then you could say you start the arguments.'

Ron looked confused for one moment before laughing. 'Shut up Harry. Look here comes Ginny.' Harry's face lit up. He twisted himself round into a really uncomfortable position so he could see her.

'Hey guys, how are you? Where's Hermio…Harry what are you doing?'

'Oh I was er, stretching.' Harry muttered, feeling himself turn pink.

'Right. That's nice dear.' Ginny raised an eyebrow as she sat down next to him.

'Gin, Hermione was sitting there.'

'I notice you used the past tense.'

'Just move.'

'SHUT UP! RON WHAT'S WITH YOU? DO YOU NEED AN ARGUMENT WITH EVERYONE? WHY? GINNY'S HERE. HERMIONE'S NOT HERE AND FACE IT, THAT'S YOUR FAULT SO IF IT'S BOTHERING YOU SO MUCH GO AND FIND HER!'

Harry's face had turned almost as red as his scar. He was panting and shaking. And then they started to flow. Tears. Tears held up for years. Years of resentment against the Dursleys. Years of knowing he had meant nothing to them. Years of knowing people only got to know him for his name. Years of watching Ron's happy loving family. Watching Sirius die, watching Dumbledore die. Losing his parents. All of it and knowing his only compensation was being famous. Something he didn't even want. Something he didn't want to know. The Weaseleys and Hermione were the only ones to see past the fame. And now, now it felt like he was losing them.

'Harry…'

'Just fuck off all right? I don't want to see you. Go and get Hermione. Cheer her up.'

Ron, looking alarmed, scarpered.

'Harry, he didn't mean it. He doesn't mean it. Neither do I…I'm just…'

'Ginny. I don't care. I don't want to know what you feel. I don't want to think about it because that just makes it harder. I have to stay away from you so you don't get hurt. I have to. I'll never forgive myself if…'

'It's about you isn't it? Not about me. That's what I keep telling myself, you're doing it for me. But that's not true is it? It's not true. You're doing it for yourself. So you don't have to feel guilt, so you don't have to feel the pain. That's what it's about it. Well guess what Harry I don't want to hear it. So you can come back to me when you think you've made up your mind about what you want. I hope that's not too inconvenient for you.'

Ginny turned from the room and ran to the Gryffindor tower. To her dormitory. To stare out that safe window which had always been there for her.

And as she looked out the window, the bright moonlight fell on a figure in the grounds. Looking closer she saw who it was, but no. She must be imagining things. She rubbed her eyes. But it was.

Draco Malfoy.

I'm sorry. Hoping it'll speed up soon. Please review.