Hey ho, and happy Easter/spring! A quick shout-out to jack, my only reviewer thus far. The knowledge that someone out there is actually enjoying this has renewed my determination to write the entire story for you. If you liked the warm-up, you'll adore the main event. Enjoy!

Chapter 3

"So, you were friends?" Doctor Gallows said.

Draco nodded. "I know it sounds mad. I think we knew that, even then. Slytherins and Gryffindors…it just doesn't work. By all rights, we should have gone on loathing each other in a healthy way, and that would have been the end of it. But no…"

Silence for a few moments, then the doctor raised another question. "If your friendship was so mad, why did it continue? I'm assuming, of course, given you present condition…"

"Oh, of course. Once we realized how much we actually had in common, there was no stopping it. See, River could have easily passed for any House if someone had asked. It was kind of odd. Bold as brass and more slippery than a snake when it came to getting out of trouble, but she was also studious and incredibly kind when she wanted to be. When we used to meet in her weird little storeroom…wait, I never told you about that, did I? She had this room in the wing where I met her, chock full of…

…

"…everything and anything that I find interesting." River swept her arms out in a dramatic gesture. "Just my little hoard of treasures."

Little hoard was in the eye of the beholder. Draco had never seen such a collection of useless junk. The room they were in appeared to be a disused dining hall, or perhaps an old potions classroom, full of long wooden tables and low stools in various states of disrepair. River had taken over the more usable half, farthest from the doors, for herself. Piled on the sides of the room was just random thing: yarn, bolts of fabric, blue paper, books, a small wooden box, a container of raw meat…the list was endless. The middle table was equally sewn with open books, quills, diagrams, Muggle ruled packets and pencils, tools, and a straw summer hat. The mess almost looked like it had a life of it's own.

It certainly had plenty of eyes.

"What's with all the potatoes?" Draco said, picking one up. It looked just like an ordinary potato, except there appeared to be thick colored strings poking out of it, connected to a metal contraption with numbers and little arrows on it.

"That," River said, snatching the potato from his fingers, "is my latest project. A potato clock. See, potatoes generate their own little store of electric energy that can be used to power small devices if you hook it up with jumper cables…Oh, forgot, wizard. You don't even know what electricity is."

"Electricity? Isn't that what lighting is made of?"

"Correct, little pupil." River put the potato clock back on the table. "Muggles have figured out how to harness that energy and use it to power things. But they're quickly running out of fuel, so everyone worldwide is experimenting to see if they can find more in different places."

"Like, in potatoes?"

"Exactly. I'm trying to see, at the moment, if the energy in the potatoes can be stored in a battery. Um, battery…it's a little cylinder of metal used to store energy for different appliances. Like this." She put a small metal object in his hand.

Draco examined it. "This had lighting inside? Blimey, that's insane! I mean, to play with nature like that…"

"Well, that's Muggles for you. Trying to tame the whole planet, they are. Still, you can't blame them, really. It's hard for them, without magic."

Draco scrutinized her carefully. "Didn't you use to be a Muggle?"
River quavered. "Yes, for most of my life."

Without any further comment she rushed across the room and grabbed a stack of posters in block lettering. "Want to help me hang these?" She then launched herself from the room, keeping in the devil-may-care character Draco had come to expect over the last few weeks. By not looking back, she gave the impression that she didn't care whether or not he was following her.

But she did. And he was.

As they walked, Draco noticed that between them they were only carrying four posters. He flipped the top one over and read:

The Projects Club

Are you an inventive thinker?

Do you like to figure out what works?

Research your forte?

Come to the bottom of the marble staircase after dinner

Saturday, November 15th

Bring warm clothes

"The Projects Club? Trying to start something?" He tried to keep his voice flat, but he was more than a little intrigued.

"Indeed. I know it's flat and generic, but I couldn't come up with a better name. If anyone actually shows up, we'll put it to a vote. What do you think? About the club, I mean, not the name."

"It's brilliant." Draco couldn't help but be impressed. Reaserch and invention were obviously her habits, but he certainly couldn't imagine starting a club about HIS interests. Too much work. "Where'd you get the idea?"

"From you, actually. When I realized how little you've actually been taught to use your brain, it made me think of all the other witches and wizards that are going to rule us one day. They need to learn to think as much as you do. We've got to get something in that brain of yours besides power-hunger and money before you leave here, right?"
She had him in a headlock before he could react, twisting and turning to get loose. "Enough, enough. Someone will see, Riv." He finally shouted.

She looked fairly put out, but released him anyway. "I don't see why it matters if we're seen, but I will differ to your better judgment." She bowed to him sarcastically, then continued down the hall. "Anyway, you should come. If you're so worried about this being a secret and all, it would be a perfect way to justify spending time with me."

"I don't know. Granger will probably want to come, so she'll drag Weasley and Saint Potter after her…"

"Oh, stop! Harry Potter is a brave boy and a good man, a perfect gentlemen. Not unlike yourself, in fact. And Hermione's just darling. Always helps my with my essays when I get stuck. Really, I don't understand why you two hate each other; I'm quite similar to her in many ways."

"Yeah, but you're…"

River stopped walking in the middle of the hall and turned to face him. "I'm what?"

Draco was at a loss for words. All he could say for certain was, if given the choice between the company of Granger and River, he would pick Birdie in a heartbeat. Now, all he had to do was figure out why. "You're…you're not afraid to take risks, just throw something out there and hope it'll work. Granger just hides behind her books all day."

River blushed. "Why, Mr. Malfoy! You actually gave a Mudblood a compliment! I may have taught you something yet. Now, these need to go on the common room bulletin boards. I'll get mine, and Ravenclaw since it's close by. Do you know how to get into the Hufflepuff common room?"

"Um…"

"Next to the kitchen doors. There's a picture of a badger. All you have to do is pet it. Don't get caught, okay?"

"Okay. Be safe."
"Yeah. You too."

Draco headed down the corridor toward the marble staircase, tucking the posters under one arm. Before he got too far away, though, he heard a strange noise coming from back around the corner. Unless his ears were deceiving him, it was exactly like the sounds River had used to drive Filch mad when they had first met. Except now, they were real.

Staying as quiet as he could, he crept back to the corner and peeked around. River was leaning against the wall, posters for her breakthrough club abandoned at her feet. Her face was in her hands, which were leaking water, and her shoulders shook. She looked just as distraught as just minutes before she had been excited.

The sight made Draco's heart hurt, and he wanted to go over and make sure his friend was alright. But he didn't. River was always friendly and happy-go-lucky around him, but he never forgot that somewhere inside her was the angry little bully that had beaten him up, and he didn't want to risk that when their friendship was so new.

Careful not to make a sound, Draco slunk back down the hallway, his brain buzzing. What he had seen, however simple, was unsettling. River was tough, really tough; you had to be when everyone ignored you to the point of invisibility. For something to upset her that much…he was afraid to even know.

Still, he resolved as he walked, if he saw this happen again, for her own sake he should confront her about it. That's what friends are for. He was still nervous, though; she had been fine just a few seconds ago. The only person or thing she had come in contact with in that time was Draco himself. Which meant he was the problem.

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