A.N. I just wanted to thank all the people that have reviewed my story so far. I'm sorry for the delay in this chapter but I have had exams I had to revise for. Well enjoy!

DISCALMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING

Chapter 6 – The Holidays

The train pulled up, coming to a stop as the excited parents craned their necks trying to see their children emerge from the train.

Neville sighed; lifting himself from his seat, the first years that had been sat with him had left straight after the train had begun to slow. He had stayed behind, waiting as long as possible to leave, going home was not his favourite time of the year, he tried to stay for most of the holidays in the year but this is one he couldn't escape.

He pulled his trunk from the rack resting above his head; clattering to the floor he yanked it up to a standing position. Pulling it behind him he exited the compartment, the mass of students had cleared to a slow trickle exiting the train.

Making his way down the train he soon found himself emerging from the carriage door onto the platform. He noticed the familiar sight of family's avidly awaiting the return of their son's and daughter's.

Searching the faces he soon found his Gran's stern face looking back at him. A shudder ran down his spine 'damn maybe I should have stayed in the train for as long as possible, now she knows I've seen her there is no way I'm going to get away with lingering' he thought shifting his gaze from his Gran. His gaze set on Ginny who he could see arguing with her mother and father, she looked like she had won when a triumphant smirk appeared on her face.

'She always did have a way with words' he grinned

Turning again he caught a glimpse of Harry walking through the barrier, head down, he felt a wave of concern when he watched Harry. Clearing his mind, he started to walk towards his Gran. Reaching her he noticed that she had a look of irritation on her face. Shifting his gaze to the floor he spoke.

"Hello Gran, it's good to see you." he said nervously

She glared at him, irritation clearly showing "What took you so long? All the other students came from the train at least five minutes before you did. I thought that you knew not to dawdle." she glared at him as he opened his mouth as if to reply, he quickly closed it as he noticed her look. "Follow me now we're leaving." she said before moving her way through the crowded station.

Sighing he followed behind her, watching as she looked at him once more before stalking through the barrier. Weaving his way through the crowd, he came to a stop at the barrier that would lead him to the muggle world.

Taking one last look over to the scarlet train which lead to the best part of his life, a flash of blond caught his attention, blinking he looked again searching. That's when he saw a young girl walking through the crowd dirty blond, wavy hair billowing out behind her. He watched almost transfixed as she seemed to almost float towards a man, dressed in flamboyant red clothing, who he assumed was her father.

Reaching him, as if she sensed him watching her. His brown eyes meeting her own grey ones, which even from here he could see the flecks of sliver dancing in, they stood there just staring at each other for a moment until she smiled at him and turned back to her father.

Shaking his head he crossed through the barrier and prepared to face a very annoyed grandmother.

The journey home was silent except for the scathing looks his grandmother gave him.

Before he knew it they were back at the house. Neville stopped for a moment, looking at his grans house. Sighing he moved to follow his gran inside.

He didn't stay long downstairs before walking up the narrow stairs leading to his bedroom. Pulling open the door he stepped into the familiar room, dropping his trunk on the floor beside the wardrobe, he collapsed on the bed.

'I can't believe that I'm back here already, it doesn't seem the long since I left' he thought turning on his side he drifted into a far from peaceful sleep.

"You won't get away from me," the elderly woman said "I'll kill you for this!" she screamed

Neville woke with a start. Sweat covered his brow, panting he buried his head in his hands pulling himself into a sitting position. Glancing at the clock it read 11:13pm

'Damn,' he thought 'I'll never get back to sleep now'

Standing, he walked slowly over to his desk flicking on the desk lamp as he sat down. He sat for a while, part of him wished that he could finally have some people he felt comfortable with, so he could open up to them. 'Don't kid yourself that's never going to happen, who would understand' he thought sadly

For some reason he just sat there listening to nothing, except the faint noises of his gran walking around downstairs. Then he heard the sound of the steps creaking slightly below light steps. The steps came slowly, tired, however he still felt himself cringe as ever step came slightly louder and slightly closer.

The creaks stopped but he could still hear the persons light footsteps coming along the hall. He watched as the sliver of light under his door split, the shadow of the legs grew larger.

His heart pounded as the handle turned slowly. She had to be torturing him. The door opened to reveal a very angry old woman. Approaching him, a malicious grin sitting firmly on her face. He sat there completely still frozen in fear; she suddenly sprang forward dragging his head back by his hair causing him to cry in pain.

"You didn't do your chores they are left undone and I certainly wasn't going to do them I am an old lady not capable of doing these things." She hissed in his ear.

"I'm sorry Gran, I was tired, it won't happen again." he said struggling to talk through the pain of his hair being forcefully ripped from his scalp.

"Good" she smirked before walking from the room leaving him to his own devices.

'I can't take this for much longer' he thought

He didn't even realise what he was doing as he found himself reaching for his quill.

Harry had been at the Dursley's for a week now and so far they hadn't been too bad, apart from making him doing his usual chores, they mostly stayed out of his way. Which was good for him.

He had spent most of his time in the last week sitting in his room, Ron and Hermione had both sent him a letter, though what was written in them didn't interest him very much. Hermione sent him a letter telling him about how much she had missed her parents and how happy they, and she, were to be home.

It wasn't until the second week had begun that he got something that interested him. A letter in unknown handwriting. Pulling the letter of the owl's leg he placed the owl next to Hedwig in her cage. Hooting in thanks he settled down for a drink.

Harry walked over to his bed, sitting down he slid his finger under the flap, pulling away the wax seal keeping the letter together. What he read surprised him

Dear Harry

I have to start by telling you that I'm not really sure why I'm writing this, we have never really been good friends. I would like for us to be friends though. I don't really know why but for some reason I have the feeling that I will need some real friends in the future, and I get the feeling that you are supposed to be one of them. I don't want to be alone anymore.

I think I owe you an explanation as to my behaviour last week, which is when you asked me how it was to live with my Gran and to tell you the truth it's not. She blames me for what happened to my mother and father. There are times that she is a little violent, that's actually what prompted me to write you this letter. Here it's like I can never so anything right.

I know that you are going through something like what I am at your house and I think that I need to talk to someone that really understands what I am taking about and knows what I mean. I know that you're probably thinking 'how in hells name did he know about that?' none of your friends told me if that's what you're thinking, I'm just more observant than people think.

I don't really know if it was rude of me to think that it was ok to just owl you but I was really hoping that we could be friends.

Neville Longbottom

It took a moment for Harry to register the name at the bottom of the parchment, 'Neville' he thought proud. 'you have finally found your feet' it made him happy to know that the quiet shy boy was finally taking his life into his own hands.

It didn't take him long to compose a reply saying that it would be his please to be his friend with the shy boy. He sent it of as fast as he could; returning the owl It had come with originally.

He smiled as he watched the young bird sail through the sky, 'well it looks like I made a new friend today' he thought happily.

He spent the rest of the day in his room, listening to his Aunt clean and bustle about downstairs, his cousin playing computer games in his room, and talking on the phone with his 'gang'.

Hearing a familiar hissing coming from under his sleeve, he felt a warmth spreading through him, 'at least I'm not alone for the whole holidays' he though lifting his sleeve to reveal his snake becoming alive, bringing itself from his arm, solidifying.

"Hey Nat, everything alright?" he said

"No Harry, everything is not alright. I have been stuck on your arm for a week now never getting any room to breathe. All because of those stupid muggles." She hissed to him, anger seeping into her voice.

Wincing slightly at his familiar, he tried to think of a way to worm himself out of this. Thinking of none he replied,

"Well… ok I got nothing, but give me a break, I'm stuck here under almost constant company of muggles there's nothing I can do about it… but for what it's worth I'm sorry." he said in defeat.

He could see the light glare on her face as she nodded, accepting his apology… grudgingly.

Slithering up his arm, he felt her scales digging lightly into his skin, he thanked the gods he wasn't afraid of snakes, or that would be very unfortunate. He felt Nat slide around the back of his shoulders resting against his neck.

Surveying the room she spoke "You know I can't believe that you come back here every year even when you know that it's inevitable that you will have to deal with this." she said, at Harry's confused look she continued "I mean Harry, I was listening to what they were saying to you, it was not the most pleasant of talking and I have lived with Salazar for most of my life, he doesn't have the kindest tongue. Why are you still here?" she asked

"I want to leave Nat more that you can even imagine, but Dumbledore says that this is the safest place for me to be, I trust him you know he has always been good to me," pausing for a moment he considered his previous sentence. "Apart from right after we came out of the Chamber. It was almost as if he was trying to get the Weasley's to be against Ginny. He didn't react as well as I thought he would to her being saved, I thought that he would be overjoyed." He said

If he was looking at Natalia he would have seen the lingering smirk on her face. 'This is going to be easier than I thought, he will be much more open to new things if he isn't under that idiot Dumbledore's ideas.' she thought, happy she wouldn't have to convince him the ageing headmaster wasn't always right.

"I think that it's good that you have an open mind Harry, and it's always good to look further into people's reactions, sometimes to the most basic things can reveal a person's true nature in the one second, you just have to know where to look." She said cryptically

Harry was getting really irritated 'Why does everyone I meet have to give me bloody cryptic answer to everything I ask?' he thought

"Whatever you say Nat but trust me when I say that I will be thinking on it." He said.

Harry and Nat sat down on his bed, they spend hours discussing things he had never felt the need to discuss with anyone else, that was until they finally got onto the subject of Salazar's offer.

"Do we really have to talk about this Nat?" he asked

"Yes, it would be most amusing to here another's thoughts on my master, other than the other founders of course." She said thoughtfully

"Look, it's not like I don't want to talk to you about it but I have already made a decision. My friends helped me make it." he elaborated at her look.

'Yes my friends, wait a minute. Damn it I completely forgot about to owl Ginny. She is going to be so mad at me' he thought.

Closing his eyes he tried to draw out the same feeling of magic that brought Nat to life, feeling the surge again and hearing an indigent cry from Nat as she was pulled into his tattoo, he opened his eyes.

Hurrying to his desk he made a start on the long overdue letter.

Ginny was bored that was the only physical way to describe it, she was sat outside the splendid castle, back rested on the tree behind her, staring at the water and the ripples that occasionally came to its surface.

A book lay discarded beside her, its pages ragged from constant use.

'I can't believe it's been three weeks, Harry promised he would owl me, I haven't got anything from anyone apart from Luna. I wish they would, living with McGonagall isn't the easiest thing although she is a lot nicer that people give her credit for. At least with all this time to myself I did all my homework and I got to explore the castle, I still don't know half as much as the twins seem to though.' She thought a little sad

Picking up her book she stood, turning she made her way back to the castle. Passing through the main doors she turned left following the familiar path to McGonagall's rooms. Coming to a stop before the portrait of an old women standing in the middle of a field.

"Password" she said looking at Ginny

"Glasgow" she said automatically to the picture.

Nodding the portrait swung open to reveal nice, small and cosy living room. Stepping inside she took in the scene, an armchair was positioned next to the small wood burning fire.

Moving to seat herself down in the armchair, she opened the book and set to reading it.

A tapping at the window pulled her from the story, irritation bubbled through her as she set the book aside and headed for the window.

The sight of the familiar owl stopped her in her tracks. A snow white owl sat perched on the window ledge, beak resting on the window pain. Shaking herself, she took another step towards the snowy bird.

Opening the window, Hedwig hopped appreciatively on to her arm. Feeling her weight setting firmly on her arm, she drew it back through the open window into the warmth.

"Hey Hedwig, what can I do for you?" she asked, affectionately stroking her soft feathered head.

Hedwig pushed her head into Ginny's hand, pushing it towards her leg, Ginny noticed a letter tied there, she felt a moment of excitement rush through her when she looked at the untidy writing marking the front of the letter.

Untying it in almost a daze, she felt Hedwig leave her arm but didn't acknowledge it, she was focused entirely on her the letter resting in her hands.

Her finger flipped it open; pulling the parchment from the envelope she sat back in her arm chair and started to read.

Dear Ginny,

You have no idea how sorry I am that I haven't written to you yet. I suppose that I should lie and say that I didn't have time, but I have to be honest, I wasn't really concentrating on anything. I am truly sorry though.

I miss you, I can't wait to come back to Hogwarts, I am envious of you getting to stay there, I know that it isn't good for you, you must be missing your family. Are you alright? Is it ok living with McGonagall?

You are never going to believe this but I got a letter from Neville, he wanted to be friends, it's great.

Did everything go ok with your family when you went to get your things?

Can't wait to see you

Your friend

Harry

P.S. Nat says hi

Ginny finished the letter with conflicted feelings, she was somewhere between annoyed and happy. She was undeniably happy that Harry had written to her, however the fact that he had admitted it had taken three weeks to write to her and he hadn't been busy, he had just forgot. Although the fact that he had admitted to that made her feel like she could trust him, he wasn't going to lie to her.

She felt happy for him that he seemed to be so happy about being friends with Neville, they could be seen to some as a weird sort of friendship, from what most people had seen they were complete opposites.

It was tempting to respond to his letter straight away but she had something more important to do first. A letter to Luna.

Luna sat watching the clouds pass by above her head, feeling a branch dig uncomfortably into her back, fidgeting until she got into a comfortable position again. Sitting back against the trunk of the tree she watched the world pass above her and below her from the top of her tree.

The end of the holidays was approaching fast, only a week to go before they all had to return to school. Luna was not one of those people though, she was perfectly happy with her father at home. Things may not go in the most conventional way, but it worked for them. Since her mother had died her father had worked to make sure that she was the best person she could be, even if other people didn't think so. To the outside world the Lovegood family was strange, with an interest in magical creatures, usually ones that only they knew about or you couldn't see.

Luna was happy though.

She knew she wasn't liked at school, that didn't bother her much. 'Although Harry has been kind to me recently, Of course I can't forget Ginny, she is or will be the best friend I will ever have.' She thought, her expression changing for be brief moment from the dreamy one commonly seen on her face to a happier one.

Luna sat up there for the rest of the day, watching the world around her moving forward. It wasn't until six o clock that night, when the orange glow of the sun was just making its way under the horizon, that anything really happened.

Luna heard a noise below her, looking down she saw a light shape just visible in the dimming light. Intrigued, Luna jumped from the tree, landing on her feet. Approaching the white object she smiled, before her was an owl, snow white in colour.

Luna wandered over, holding out her arm for the magnificent creature to perch on. She stroked the soft feathers of the strange bird. The bird offered its leg up to her; there was a letter in some very familiar handwriting.

"Ginny" she muttered, untying the letter from the leg of the bird.

Dear Luna,

I haven't written in a while I know but I didn't really have anything to tell you, well I do now. The owl, Hedwig, she is Harry's. He wrote to me asking me how I am and all that, I think that it was really nice of him. I am sort of borrowing his owl for the moment, so if you send a letter back with her I can just send her back to Harry.

Anyway, how are your holidays? How's your father? Did he finally find that new creature you were telling me about? I hope so.

It has been really boring here, but McGonagall has been really nice.

I can't wait for everyone to come back, I can't believe this but I miss being at school, well you know what I mean. I miss you and everyone; it's no fun here without you.

See you soon.

Ginny

Luna smiled, she had got many letters over the holidays from Ginny, but they had seemed to stop about a week ago. It was nice that she was finally writing to her again. 'It seems like I'm the only one that gets to go home to a loving family this year. Ginny is strong though she will get through this, she is one of the strongest people I have ever known. I respect her for that.'

She walked steadily back to her house, smiling happily as she went. Her room wasn't that far, she skipped in already sure exactly what she was going to say.