"And if you go chasing rabbits, and you know you're going to fall. Tell 'em a hookah smoking caterpillar has given you the call, call Alice. When she was just small."

The music progressed to become even louder as Vanessa became conscious. Her vision blurred at the sight of the morning light tingling against her skin, she slapped her hand over her eyes, not willing to let anymore light in. She groaned as she took a peek at her clock, 7:58 am flashing in red on her nightstand. Vanessa rolled over on her bed, nestling her head into her soft black comforter, stopping the flow of light that was illuminating the insides of her eyelids. A small chill ran up her back as she yawned, running a tired hand across her face. She was definitely going to miss sleeping in until twelve.

"And you've just had some kind of mushroom, And your mind is moving low."

Grace Slicks voice carried on loudly throughout Vanessa's room. Her foot tapping along to the soft drums while she sang softly into the comforter, slowly pulling her out of her slumber as the singing got louder.

"And the White Knight is talking backwards and the Red Queen's 'off with her head!' Remember what the dormouse said: 'Feed your head', feed your head."

"Jefferson Airplane, huh? Glad you're a fan of some muggle music."

Vanessa abruptly flipped over, nearly slipping off her bed and the sudden sound of her mothers voice. She was leaning against the door frame, her robe wrapped tightly around her as usual, her hair up in a bun.

"Was I that loud?"

Her mother laughed, looking over Vanessa who was tangled in her comforter, random body parts sticking out all over the place. "Not entirely. I just came to check on you, see if you were up and moving. And I, uh, wanted to have a quick word without any interruptions. That all right, bambina?" Her mother asked, clutching her cup of coffee in one hand as she shut the door with the other. Vanessa sat up straight, scooting closer to her headboard, allowing her mother room to sit. A look came across her mother's face, the look of one choosing their words carefully. Vanessa's stomach tightened up immediately. Her mother licked her lips, her eyes drifting to Vanessa's face, "Now, yesterday when we were at Diagon Alley. You remember who you bumped into, correct?" Vanessa's cheeks flushed, giving her away completely, "Vanessa, I need you to listen to me completely and take my words to heart, all right?" She paused until Vanessa nodded.

"Lucius Malfoy will be presiding over Hogwarts this year, along with Dolores Umbridge. The Ministry feels that it would be best for there to be two trusted Ministry officials stationed at Hogwarts this year. Fudge seems to trust Malfoy more than most, perhaps its just his wallet that he trusts but I'm not quite sure. You need to know that you cannot trust Lucius Malfoy. He is an accused Death Eater. He admitted his 'poor choices' after Voldemort fell the first time and apparently that was enough to put him back in good graces with the Ministry. Not with the Order, mind you. I saw the way he kept eying you up in Madame Malkins.-"

"He wasn't eying me up." Her mother peered down her cup of coffee at her and laughed into her cup.

"Vanessa, darling, I want you to avoid him if possible. I know he's attractive-"

"Very."

Her mother chuckled, "Yes, he is. But he's also a Death Eater and...it's starting like last time, darling. I just don't want to see something happen to you. He may seem kind to you, but remember where his loyalties lie. Please, remember that. And if he so dares to lay a hand on you-"

"Mum, don't worry okay. I'll be fine."

Her mother's cautiousness was nothing new to her but over a man twice her own age? Never. She couldn't understand what she meant by 'eying up'. He surely didn't eye her up. He certainly watched her and stole glances at her, but sometimes people just stare aimlessly when they're in thought. It didn't mean what her mother was implying. Certainly not.

"I just want you to keep your guard up, more so than usual. All right?"

Oh trust me, my guards been up for months now.

"Vanessa! Ethan! Its ten already, we need to be leaving!"

"Dammit!"

"Okay, we're coming. Vanessa, you got it?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got- dammit!"

Clunk, clunk clunk clunk!

Her suitcase fell halfway down their stairs and stopped awkwardly on its side. "Oh yeah, I can see that." said Ethan, trudging down the steps to push her trunk the rest of the way down the steps. "The hell you do that for?" asked Vanessa angrily as her trunk clanked to the bottom. "It's heavy and my hands are full, what you want me to do?"

Vanessa clicked her tongue as she held her cat, Lovely, tightly in her arms, his baseball mitts for paws padding at her uneven waves of brown. She looked down at the heavy and adorable cat in her arms, he played with her hair, shoving bits of it in his mouth happily. "Now you're sure you've got everything. I'm not going to be getting any letters from anybody in frantic writing saying they need something, am I?" their mother asked tartly. Ethan and Vanessa exchanged glances, "No, we both went through our rooms several times. We've got everything."

The ride to the train station was relatively quiet except for the occasional mew of impatience from Lovely or the happy twittering of Ethan's owl, Harvey. Vanessa kept her eyes out of the window, going through several scenarios in her mind of what might happen this year. How everything would be different, how in hell she was going to handle herself if she came face to face with IT again. Creepy crawlies on her skin at the thought of him. She was going to put what happened onto the back burner, not think about it ever, distract herself whenever something triggered her to think of it. She had to act like the same happy person she was before that, and that was going to be a challenge this year. A challenge that would suck her dry in the way a dementor's kiss would.

It was fifteen minutes until eleven as the three of them darted through Kings Cross, bumping into already startled muggles, Ethan's owl Harvey twittering loudly in his cage, pecking angrily at the inside of his cage.

"Harvey! For the love of God!"

"He can't help it, Nessa."

"Oh he bloody well can, he keeps scaring the muggles that's the last thing we need."

"Both of you, enough! Now come on, we've got fifteen minutes." their mother huffed testily.

Vanessa and Ethan exchanged identical looks anger before their mother disappeared into the brick wall of Platform 9 3/4. Vanessa repositioned Lovely in his box atop of her trunk, hearing his incessant growling of destain. She heard a low growl erupt from the center of the box before she darted straight into and through the wall.

The familiar, warm, sight of the scarlet Hogwarts Express met her eyes. The feeling of comfort and pure happiness washed over her at the sight, somehow just seeing it made her realize she was going to be safe and that the people she loved would be with her everyday.

"Gonna stand there and stare at it or do you actually want to come along this year?"

Vanessa rolled her eyes as her brother passed her, urging her to come with him. She followed along, immediately spotting the familiar clan of red hair. It appeared Ginny and Hermione were squatting on the ground, petting something. Just before she asked what it was a loud bark erupted between them. A large dog with shaggy black hair spotted her and ran towards her and Ethan.

"Snuffles!" Vanessa cried at the sight of Sirius.

He waggled his tail happily as the pair scratched behind his ears, leaning his head in her hand. She giggled at the very sight of him, she knew he must be happy to not be cooped up in the house. She felt so bad that he would have to go back home to such a quiet empty house. Of course he could just go home with her mother, she'd offered so many times, but he'd always refuse.

Vanessa looked up to see her mother behind them, smirking down at the dog form of Sirius, groaning loudly as she scratched harder behind his ear. Ethan bent down to Sirius - er, Snuffles' ear and whispered something, something that made Snuffles turn to him and bark happily. Before their mother knew what happened, Snuffles whirled around and jumped on top of her, nearly knocking her on the ground, licking at her cheeks. Ginny and Hermione covered their mouth with their hands whilst Ethan, Vanessa, Harry and Ron roared with laughter.