ONE WAY OR ANOTHER

-CHAPTER THREE-

BETA: Hannah

INFO: www. livejournal. com /users /Draycious

"Yes?" he asked Ginny Weasley in a bored voice.

"The girls over there told me your name is Raven," she said and gestured towards the left. Raven looked over and saw a gang of giggling girls. He rolled his eyes. It seemed like Ginny was their spokesperson.

"So?" he said; now truly bored. He had been thought all of this before. He just wanted to be left alone and not be bothered by any girls.

"I figured that I'd say hello and welcome you to Hogwarts, or the train at least," she said with a laugh and stuck her hands down in her pockets. Raven noticed that Ginny was very self-confident. She had never been that before or maybe she had, but only just not around him. To him she would always be the shy girl whom stuck her elbow down the porridge bowl.

"Thank you," he said.

"Do you know Harry Potter?" she asked out of the blue.

"We've meet," he said shortly.

"Really? Was I with him at the time?" she asked him excited.

"I don't remember, why?" he asked and wondered if Ginny had been drinking coffee or something because she was hyper by now. He didn't like the fact that she used his name to brag or keep conversations going. He hoped she didn't used his famous Potter name to impress people.

"Because I recognise you!" she said and smiled. She almost jumped up and down.

Hormones, he thought.

"Well... you should!" he said and left her standing there. He almost ran back to take shelter from the girls in the compartment together with Blade. He threw himself down in the seat after he had locked the door firmly behind him.

"Next time you go get the drinks!" he said sourly.

"Girl attack?" Blade grinned.

"You bettcha."

"I don't know what's wrong with people! It's not like we're veelas or something!"

Raven nodded.

"I know. It's sick!" he said. He opened one of the drinks and took a sip. He watched Blade doing the same.

"We got to do something about it," said Blade in all honestly. "We really can't have it this way inside Hogwarts."

Ravens' look said 'duh' all the way...

"Like what? Tell everyone that we're gay and go fuck Malfoy?" Raven asked sarcastically.

"No, that's a bad idea," said Blade. He frowned. "No, actually, that's a horrible idea but something needs to be done. At least for me since I'm a teacher."

"Oh yeah! Save yourself and leave me to take the full impact!" said Raven irritated and slammed his fist down on the seat.

"That's not what I meant and you know it. You're too touchy for your own good!" said Blade sternly.

"Yeah, I'm stung. Whatever, let's at least act like we're normal."

"That's tough!" Blade said jokingly but shook his head when he saw Raven's less than amused face. "Never mind, do you have Moonsorrow- suden uni with you?"

"It's somewhere in my bag. You need to find it yourself if you want it," he said because he was too lazy to get up.

"Alright," said Blade and stood up to take down Raven's bag from the shelf above his head. He did it without any kind of trouble, it was an easy task because he was very strong, intense training sessions would do that to you. Raven watched Blade make his own way around in his bag.

"Hey! What is this?" Blade asked and held up a thong. "I didn't know you wore that kind of stuff! Leather, well if that's your style...!!!" Blade teased him.

"Give me that!" said Raven cried and snatched the offending piece of clothing out of Blade's hand. "It must have found it's way into my bag in the hurry I had when I packed," he said and stuffed it down his pocket.

"Really," said Blade sarcastically and snatched it right out of the pocket to have a look at it again..

"Really!" Raven said in a high pitched voice.

"And whose are they, prey tell, hum?" Blade asked as he swung them around in the air.

"Er..." He didn't really know. It could belong to anyone.

"AHA! Exactly what I thought, BUSTED!" Blade shouted.

"Will you stop it? And SHUT UP! It's obviously one of the girls that's the owner."

"Whatever you say," said Blade in a most irritating singsong voice.

"I'm Serious!" Raven howled.

"Hi guys, I'm back. What's going on?" Malfoy asked curiously as he entered the compartment again, obviously done with his duties for today.

"Nothing. Blade is just being a total jerk," said Raven and glared at said man, while he threw the girl's underwear out of the window before Malfoy had a chance to see what it was.

"Oh..." said Malfoy and sat down. He wasn't content with the answer but he didn't push. It was apparent Raven didn't want to talk about it, if the glare was any incantation.

"Care to tell me how you got in here? I thought I locked the door," said Raven.

"Well, yeah you did but I unlocked it."

"How? Alohomora doesn't help!"

"I used another spell," said Draco.

"You did? Tell us about it!" said Blade in an interested voice and leaned forward. Raven was a bit interested himself, even if he would never admit it out loud. On the other hand he wasn't all that surprised that Malfoy could do such a thing as open a door with an advanced spell.

"I did try Alohomora at first when I noticed that the door was locked. When it didn't work I decided to try a stronger spell. It's not that difficult to use. All that's needed is a little bit of practise. It's not a very common spell since it's very old but it's effective. The incantation is lotco."

"How come you knew about it when it's not a common spell?"

"My family is of an old heritage. Our knowledge goes deep back in the ages. My father taught me as the knowledge passing from generation to generation."

"Just like the dark arts," said Raven in a non-questioningly voice. Draco stared before he composed himself.

"I don't know where you got that ridiculous idea from," he said snottily.

"Is it really all that ridiculous Draco? Your father is into dark arts. He's a death eater and works for the Dark Lord. It's only natural if he taught you what he knew. If he didn't then that would be weird."

"Hey! You have no proof of my father being a death eater!" Draco half shouted. He was seething in his seat. The dear Malfoy did not like being accused of things, no matter how true they might be.

"He was at the Ministry during the attack, wasn't he? He was caught in the act all dressed up like a death eater, wasn't he? He's got the dark mark, doesn't he? Well?" Raven asked demandingly. Draco was redeemed speechless by this verbal attack and he seemed somehow much smaller now than before. His already pale face went even paler.

"Now you're wondering how I know about the attack and the reason why your father is in Azkaban? Because it's classified information, right? I was there Draco, I saw it happen. That's how, but don't worry your pretty little head about it. I won't tell the school."

"Why not? Why won't you use it as blackmail?" Draco asked, sounding completely lost. He wasn't brought up like Raven, they were two people from complete different worlds.

"And act like a Malfoy? Because you lovely father did that to the school board in your second year at Hogwarts, true yes? Yeah, that's true all right. He blackmailed the board members. Too bad for your dad that it didn't work that long. Instead he was the one too lose in the end, not only his power over those string puppets, but he also lost a bit of face there. His reputation took a turn. Ah well, shit happens. Besides, I don't need to blackmail you. You don't have anything that I want. I've already got everything that I want and need."

"Who are you?" Draco asked in a shaky voice after the little psychological attack Raven performed.

"I'm the best almost friend you'll ever have. Because you haven't got any friends. You only act like friends with people that you consider important to have as allies."

"That's enough Raven!" said Blade sharply. He had watched Malfoy during the entire conversation and he hadn't said a word. He had seen how Malfoy had paled, looked ready to throw up, winced at some true and hard words... and Blade finally felt that it was enough because Draco was looking so damn defeated when Raven said the last part about friends.

Raven sank into a silence. He knew that he had been cruel but he didn't regret it. If there would be a future for Malfoy someone needed to pull him down from the clouds and to reality, as well as put Malfoy into the right place.

"Do you work for the Ministry?" Draco asked Blade, why he hadn't left already, Raven didn't know. Perhaps Draco was curious about them like the rest of the world, so he put up with all the verbal attacks.

"No we don't," said Blade softly.

"Who do you work for?"

"Ourselves and no one else," said Raven and Blade gave him an angry look and held up a hand to keep him silent.

"Yourselves?"

"Not really. I'm going to work for Dumbledore," Blade said to smooth things over. It would do them no good if words went around about them being disloyal to Dumbledore.

"How come?" Draco asked suspiciously.

"I'm the new teacher."

"I, what?" Draco asked surprised. Raven had never seen the Slytherin so out of character before. He had lost his entire cool.

"Yes you heard right. I'm your new teacher."

"What about Raven?" Draco asked and glanced at him. Raven suspected Draco wasn't too fond of him at the moment.

"You'll know what and who he is later." Draco was about to protest but a look from Blade stopped him.

"Look guys, I don't know what happened since I left you but something obviously did. I'd like to be your friend," said Draco apparently making up his mind right then and there. For once he didn't let his Malfoy pride get in the way for him. Way too often his pride had stopped him from doing what he really wanted to.

"I'd love for you to be my friend if the circumstances were different but they are not," said Raven.

"Why not and what circumstances?" Malfoy asked, swallowing his disappointment. Maybe they could work this out.

"Your past, your history, your attitude, my past, my history, my attitude... and trust. No matter what you do I will never ever trust you completely," said Raven seriously.

"Why not?" said Draco, looking a bit down.

"Because no one can trust you, You're a Malfoy and even if there is a saying not to judge anyone by family, well you are one of the exceptions. You're a true Malfoy. You never do anything unless it's for your own benefit," Blade answered.

"Now I see what you meant with 'not everyone bows for a Malfoy'. I get it all thrown back in my face for being a Malfoy! But that's cool. We're equal." Draco said nonchalantly, but Harry could se he was really hurt by their response to his request of a friendship. Maybe they shouldn't have been so frank about it, but at least that way Malfoy learned.

"We may hang out, relax with each other for the time being but you'll never get close to us and know our secrets. Got that?" Raven said, to lighten the mood up a bit.

"Yes I do. It would be like any other day for me. That's how it is with everyone. Sometimes I just wish I could have a close, real friend. Then again some motherfucker decided that I shouldn't just because I was born a Malfoy! No death eater kid is close to anyone, not even the other death eater kids, and no I didn't just admit that anyone in my family is a deatheater!" said Draco fiercely with his voice full of bitterness. It was clear to everyone in the compartment that Draco had been dragging around with those thought in his mind way too long. He didn't deserve to be that lonely, no matter what he did.

"You actually did admit it" said Blade instead of saying anything about Malfoy's life situation as it looked right now. What do you say to that anyway? 'I'm sorry everybody hates you, and that you're lonely and miserable?'

"You know Draco, I don't think that you'll wish to be my friend once you find out who I am," said Raven. Draco looked at him for a while before he gave his answer.

"You'll be fine as long as you aren't Longbottom or Hagrid. Besides, I have a clue about who you really are but I won't say anything until it's confirmed tonight. Now if you excuse me; I have a bitch to forgive me and two oaf's to shout and yell at, I'll catch up with you later," said Draco in a complete change of mood and strode out.

"That was weird. He is either a very good actor or he's got mood swings that resemble yours!" said Blade to Raven. Raven chose to give him the silent treatment for the rest of the ride because of that comment.