Ignorance is bliss. That's what he had always believed, and he believed that even now. He refused to believe anything was any different now than it had been when he left. He simply refused. Nothing, not even Pansy's whining or Blaise's brooding; it just made him want to ravel in what had never changed. To him they would always stay the same, though they would age but they stayed the same. Pansy would always be his Pansy, and Blaise would always remain his Blaise, the spoilt lot that he grew up with. He had left everyone, and they had all stayed behind.

He was only walking a few feet being Harry and his lot. With Pansy and Blaise at his side Draco felt a bit like the seventeen year old he had been, and he smirked a little. It was strange how much going away could do to someone, and then coming back to the place you had left. Some people made it seem like you never left at all while others refused to let you forget how they were left behind. That was what Pansy was doing, currently running her mouth off. Draco played it off as though he was actually paying attention. By the looks of it, Blaise was too. The blonde stifled a snigger.

Sometimes, Draco mused, it was good to be back - to be around people that he actually knew, even if Harry was unsure about it. He couldn't go about letting the Boy Who Lived To Become Wolf-Boy run his life. No, he would only help him with his own. He had learned that within the past a few months that the Potter boy wasn't just some big shot fame surrounded bloke who got lucky as a baby. No, he was a fame surrounded block who got lucky as a baby and now had a problem that the wizarding world couldn't know about. Not yet. There were times when Draco wondered just how much he had changed compared to Harry.

Even now Draco felt himself comparing himself to Pansy and Blaise. They were still up to date with the going ons in the pureblood families, still aware of which families were highly ranked. And Draco? He didn't know anymore. He thought that he felt at as much a loss as Harry. Draco had thrown away all the chances he could have had for a life in London that past year, even if it meant that he might have very well ended up in Azkaban. He really had Harry to thank. It was a very silly thing really.

Draco Malfoy had been, and currently is, living with Harry Potter the boy who had refused his friendship more than seven years ago. But it was Harry that had grown, not he. Draco just didn't notice it yet.

"Love," Pansy snipped, linking her arm with Draco's. "You're not paying attention. I've just got done telling you how Blaise's family's ranks are going up and the Bulstrode's are slowly going down. It's all to do with our government. Mother says that it's complete bollocks. Of course, Father won't hear a word of it. Too ashamed of being fourth highest ranking among the families, I think."

Blaise sniggered to this and Pansy was quick to stomp on his foot as they walked. Using her heal no less. "Come off it, Pansy," the dark skinned boy snapped, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Not all of us are so lucky as the Black's and the Malfoy's. How they manage to stay up top is beyond me." With that the boy leered over at Draco, arching his eyebrows before continuing. "Though, the fact still remains that there are no Black's left, and their name has yet to fall from it's spot. Your family happens to be fourth, mine is only at sixth, and the Malfoy's are still where they've always been. Fancy that, eh, Draco?"

"Not really," The blonde sniffed. "I haven't got any plans on procreating. Let the name Malfoy fall with it's family by marriage I say, and to hell with what Mother says. It's all got to do with the money, you see. When they finally gave Aunt Bella her final sentencing Father's insanity had rubbed on to Mother, now all she can think about is keeping the good, pardon, the sordid name of Malfoy alive, only she can't marry and keep the last name."

Pansy sighed, fanning her face with her hand, bored with the subject. One could only talk about money and family ranking for so long. It got quite boring after a while, you see. Especially if it was all that your family ever talked about anymore. From the morning meal all the way to late night tea! It might have been made better had she other people to converse with, sadly, she was stuck with only Blaise to talk with while Draco had been studying abroad.

"Oh!" The short haired girl exclaimed, patting Draco's arm with her free hand. "I've heard from Millie just the other day."

Draco wrinkled his nose. "She still have a face like a bag of spanners, then? You know, she could get rid of that nasty little problem of hers. No wonder her family is slipping-"

"Draco, love, shut up for a moment." Pansy quipped, tugging him on, clearly ignoring the snickers coming from Blaise. "She's got some interesting news on the going ons inside the Ministry. Which is really quite shocking if you actually stop to think about it. Our Millie!"

"Oh, dear little Millie, all grown up with a face uglier than a pug!"

"Blaise do keep your mouth shut. All sorts of silly things tend to come out," Pansy snapped. "Anyway, Millie says that the Ministry is rounding up all magical creatures that can talk for questioning and possible registration. However, there's a flaw in this. The werewolves. Because they're possibly the most restricted of the creatures that can walk around with witches and wizards, which mind you is very wrong and should be against the law, there are many unregistered werewolves who wont come for the round up."

Here it was again. Of course Draco already knew about all of this. It was the main reason why Harry wanted to flee from England again. Hearing it all come from Pansy was bound to make his ears bleed.

- - - - -

Harry wasn't exactly sure why any of them were taking this walk. It was like the walk from hell. Three former Gryffindors and three former Slytherins. Actually, it was very upsetting, mostly due to the fact that Ron kept turning around, insisting that 'the former snakes are talking about us, and planning to kill us in our sleep'. Torn between wanting to laugh or shake his head and question his friends sanity he just left Hermione nudge him and tell him to stop staring because it wasn't the polite thing to do. This walk could hardly be considered a walk. It was more like a trudge. Possibly because Harry was trudging.

"Y'know what I figure?" Ron asked, folding his hands behind his head as they continued to walk. "I figure if he make a mad dash we could possibly loose them for a good hour. I mean it can't be hard. Look at her, Pansy's like an anchor to Malfoy. I almost feel sorry for the bloke."

Hermione rolled her eyes, clicking her tongue softly to herself as she continued to walk on the other side of Harry. Wrapping her sweater closer to her body she gave a small huff. "I could be working on my government paper. We all could be working on that paper, somewhere where it's warm, and where we're not bound to freeze." She said. But it wasn't that cold, and she knew it. Just a bit chilly with a fair bit of frost as the early sign of snow settling it. But not freezing.

Harry shrugged at his two friends.

"Dunno. I'd rather be sleeping myself," he commented, sticking his hands in the pockets of his jacket. Cursing silently when he realized that he hadn't brought his wand with him. "I was up late working on that paper, and now all I want to do is sleep."

"You were working on that paper? You, at night, late?" Ron asked, baffled. Hermione glanced over, raising her eyebrows questioningly as if she hadn't heard any bit of what Harry had said.

Harry shrugged once more. "Not really no. Just thought it might make Hermione feel better if I said I did." He stifled a yawn, pushing his hands further down in his jacket. "Anyway, I suppose I'd better stop by Remus' place later and tell him I'm back in town again, yeah? I mean it's been a year after all.

Hermione smiled at him. "I think he'd like that, Harry."