4

Pegasus looked out the tower window. She was no in Hogwarts. She had been sorted ironically into Gryffindor. She sighed. This was all very different. No one had found out that she was Voldemort's daughter. Everyone was glad to have Voldemort dead. No one questioned how it happened or who killed who.

That was the way everyone wanted it to be. They didn't want to have to explain every little detail. With the vague ideas they were able to keep the girl a secret for the most part. Until one afternoon a woman asked who she was. They gave the response she had been caught by Voldemort but was completely unharmed and was on their side.

That settled any other questions about her. So now she stood in the girls' dormitory looking out the window. She watched everyone on the grounds do their own thing. The only friend she really had was Dante. Dante was always around her too. He sat on her shoulder always watching for someone who might attack them again.

When they were boarding the train and Bill went to pet him Dante bit him. Pegasus didn't think that Dante would ever like him. She didn't mind though. To her Dante would do what he wanted. She had no reason to stop him. He knew what he was getting himself into. He could take care of himself.

She smiled. Dante would be around as long as he could. He wouldn't go down without a fight. She reached up and gently stroked Dante. He was, as usual, on her shoulder. She liked having him there. It was calming to know that there was someone always around even if it was her pet rat.

"Are you hungry Dante? Perhaps we should go get something to eat. I think its lunch time." She said softly.

She looked around the empty room. It was always empty on Saturday. She went over to her bed. She made sure it was clean then went to the door. She looked back just to double check she had forgotten anything. She didn't want anyone finding anything that might be bad even though she didn't have anything of that nature.

She was half way do the stairs when a girl in a higher year pushed her out of the way in a fit. Her elbow hit the wall and she gasped softly. She rubbed as she finished the climb down. Hermione was in the common room. She looked up and saw Pegasus rubbing her elbow. She got a concerned look on her face.

"What's wrong? Did someone hurt you?" Hermione asked standing up.

A girl bumped me. It's nothing really. Just a little pain." Pegasus said trying not to cause trouble.

"Let me see." Hermione looked at the elbow. "Ok. If you say its fine."

"It is really. Is it near lunch?" Pegasus asked hoping to change the subject.

"Yes. By the time we get down there the boys will be there and they will start lunch." Hermione said as she moved to gather up her books she was studying.

Pegasus nodded and waited for her. Pegasus sighed as they walked down the hall.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked. "And don't try that nothing bit."

Pegasus blushed a little. She hadn't realized she had sighed. "I was just thinking…"

"What about?" Hermione looked down at Pegasus.

Pegasus was short for her age. She had to look up to almost everyone two years below her and up.

"What all has happened since I met you and everyone else. And I was trying to think of some friends other than Dante."

"Well you know…Harry, Ron, and me are all your friends. So are Bill, Fred, George, Ginny, and everyone else like that." Hermione said with a smile.

"Really?" Pegasus looked up hopeful.

"Yes, really, we are all your friends. Even if Dante doesn't like Bill."

Both girls laughed. When they entered the boys were already there. They were just sitting down. Ron and Harry waved to them and smiled. Hermione smiled.

"See? Nothing to worry about."

"I guess you are right."

"Of course I am. Smartest witch of my age." Hermione was only teasing.

Pegasus smiled and nodded. "I wish I had half your brains. Then maybe I could pull decent marks in my classes."

"Well what marks are you getting now?"

"I'm passing but I'm not making top marks."

"How close are you to making top marks."

"Very close."

"Then you are fine. Don't worry about your schooling. It will be fine." Hermione smiled.

Pegasus nodded. She would do her best she vowed to herself silently as they neared the boys and sat down. She looked at the food and picked some that she could eat. She was still only eating a little even though it had been three months since she left her father's house.

"You should try to eat more…You'll die if you only eat a little bit like you are now." Harry said watching her eat slowly.

Pegasus blushed a little. "I've never been one to eat much."

"Are you sure? You're not sick or anything are you?" Hermione felt her forehead.

"No I'm fine. Really I am. I've always eaten like this."

"Well that would explain how you stay so thin."

"I also work out a lot too."

"I know we've all seen you." Ron said. "How much do you think you can lift?"

"With just my arms only 50 pounds." Pegasus said.

The other three stared at her. "ONLY?!" Ron burst out.

Pegasus jumped. "It's not that hard… I mean if you exercise daily and push yourself to the limit…"

"Lay off her Ron." Hermione said seeing Ron was about to argue the point with her.

Ron fell silent and went back to eating. They all three kept an eye on her though to make sure she was eating enough. They didn't want her dying after they had risked their lives saving her. Pegasus ate slowly.

She took small bites. She only ate about half a small plate of food before she was done. She pushed the rest away. Ron and Harry were on their second plates each and Hermione was finishing up her first plate.

"I was thinking maybe we all could go do to the lake since its good weather and Pegasus has been locked up in the dorm all morning." Hermione suggested.

"Sounds good to me. We can work on our homework or something."

Pegasus watched in silence. This was all new to her. She wasn't use to being counted in; or going outside. She was use to staying inside studying all year long and working on homework and such.

"Then it's settled. We will all go down to the lake." Hermione said. "Let's go and get our work then we can head down there."

They all stood and started for the tower when a group of Slytherins stopped them.

"Well, well, well… What have we here? Four Gryffindors eh? What shall we do with them then?" The leader teased.

"Just let us threw we don't want to fight." Hermione said.

The Slytherins laughed. "They don't want to fight. That's a good joke Granger."

"What do you want?" Harry asked sounding annoyed.

"We saw that you had a new person hanging around you. We've come to see if she wants to go with us instead."

They looked at Pegasus. Pegasus looked up at them all. She seemed to go pale as she was picked out of the group by the Slytherins.

"Uh….I have some things I need to do…" Pegasus stammered.

"Oh come now. You don't want to be seen with these losers do you?" the Slytherin asked.

Pegasus narrowed her eyes. No one, absolutely no one, picked on her friends. She crossed her arms and Dante straightened himself up. She moved so she was standing right in front of the Slytherin. She reached up and pulled him down by his shirt front.

"These losers are my friends. I would love to be seen anywhere with them. They are much better people than you. All you are is a big ugly pimply faced teenager who can't get over himself and who probably hasn't even had one girlfriend or true friend because he is so vain." She said shortly.

She then stepped on his foot sharply. "Now leave me and my friends alone."

The Slytherin leader jumped around a little in pain. Then glared at the girl. He then led his group away from them. Pegasus sighed and hung her head.

"I shouldn't have gotten mad like that…"

"It's all right. They deserved it. Trust me most Slytherins do." Hermione said putting a hand on her shoulder. "You didn't do anything wrong. Where did you learn to have that much control though? I mean you had him in the palm of your hand."

"Father taught me. He was great at it. I think that's why he had so many people following him. It's a fear thing. If people fear you they will leave you alone or follow you."

They nodded listening to her.

"But I didn't use too much fear that I would get in trouble or anything. I just scared him a little by standing up for what I believe in."

"What exactly do you believe in?" Ron asked. "You are so confusing. More than most girls."

"Sticking up for your friends mainly. I like protecting people. Plus if anything had come of it Dante would have taken care of it for me. He doesn't like seeing me fight."

Dante had settled back down on her shoulder and was hiding his head in her hair so he could sleep. They all talked as they walked back to the dorms and gathered their things. They then all walked down to the lake.

They all sat down next to the lake under a large tree. They pulled out the books they needed and started working. They talked about the different things that happened lately. Pegasus listened to them. Soon she drifted off into her own thoughts.

She thought about all the things that had happened and things that could happen. She didn't notice the other three watching her as she stared off into space.

"Something wrong?" Hermione said softly putting her hand on Pegasus' shoulder.

Pegasus jumped. "Huh?"

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah I'm fine. Why?"

"You were really quiet for like ten minutes."

"Oh… I was? Sorry." Pegasus blushed.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah I'm fine. I was just thinking…" Pegasus forced a smile.

They nodded then went back to working. They all started talking again this time they kept checking up on Pegasus. Soon it was time to head back to the castle for dinner. Pegasus was still silent as they walked to the castle.

"We'll meet you guys there. I need to talk to Pegasus for a little." Harry said to Ron and Hermione.

They nodded and walked off. Harry waited until they were out of earshot and then looked down at Pegasus.

"Are you sure you are ok? I know how you feel. Things have been hard haven't they?"

Pegasus nodded. "Yeah, things have been." She said softly.

"If ever you need anyone to talk to I'm here for you. I'll listen to what ever you have to say. I really will. I'm here for you. Any time you need to talk about anything, and my mean anything, I'll be there."

Pegasus nodded. "Thanks. I might need it sometime."

Harry smiled. "Welcome."

"Uh…Can we talk tomorrow after classes?" She looked up at him.

"Sure. I'll meet you down where we sat at today." He smiled.

She nodded. "Thanks."

He hugged her. "Anytime."

She hugged him back and smiled. "I guess we had better get to dinner then."

He nodded and they both walked to the great hall. They sat down next to Ron and Hermione and the rest of the gang. Hermione looked to Harry trying to ask what had happened. When Pegasus sat down she leaned over to her.

"What did you two talk about?"

"He just offered me some help."

"That's all?"

"Yeah." Pegasus nodded.

Hermione sat up and they started to eat after Magonall's dinner speech. Pegasus watched them all as she ate slowly. When most people were only half done eating she stood.

"I'm going to go to bed." She said when they looked up at her.

They nodded and went back to their own conversations. She left the great hall. Lupin met her outside.

"So how have you been?" He asked.

"I've been fine."

"Anything interesting happen today?"

"Well Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I went down to the lake and worked on homework"

"I saw what happened between you and those Slytherins."

"You did?" She hung her head.

"I'm proud of you. You stood up for your friends." He smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "You did well."

"Thank you." She looked up and smiled.

"I saw you and Harry come in together. Something going on there?" He teased.

She blushed. "No. We were just talking…"

He smiled. "I was only teasing. I know you and him aren't together. He's with Ginny anyway."

She nodded. "I was going to bed. I have a headache."

"Really? Are you sick?"

"No." She shook her head. "Just a headache."

"Ok. If it persists go to the hospital wing."

She nodded. "I will."

"That's a good girl."

She smiled.

"I'll walk with you just to make sure."

"Ok." She nodded.

They walked to the dormitory. They talked about a few things. Pegasus laughed on the way. Lupin smiled. He liked hearing her laugh. It was a nice relaxing thing. When he finally turned to go to his office she was smiling and didn't look as upset or care worn.