A/N: Okay, so I am continuing this story. I haven't been very involved in Harry Potter in forever, so my facts will be a little bit off and everyone will be OOC. This is my pathetic excuse for a chapter after a forever-long hiatus. Don't hit me with things.

The Harry Potter franchise is copyright J.K. Rowling and all the people and blah blah blah you know how this goes. Review. Do it.

Beth settled herself into the quietest, most secluded part of the school, which was, surprise, surprise, the library. She had a book laying flat on the table next to her and a piece of parchment there next to the book. There was an ink pot and a quill in hand but she couldn't see the point in anything she was doing. All she could think of was how she had treated Neville. He had apologized, nearly begged for forgiveness, and she had set standards for him. He had admitted to trying, but she hadn't believed him. She had called him "part of the fashion." In retrospect, Beth really didn't know what that had meant. They had never exactly followed the latest fads, but they had never been non-conformists, either. What had she meant?

A loud giggling and hiccuping sounded suddenly in the library and Beth groaned. She reluctantly allowed her eyes to wander upward toward the intruders in her sanctuary. Beth rolled her eyes upon learning that it was only Terry Boot and Hannah Abbott with bottles of almost-empty booze in hand. Peevishly, she slammed the book and placed the parchment on top of it. She grabbed her quill and also succeeded in knocking over the ink pot Beth muttered the beginning of a swear word but stopped herself and picked up the ink before it could get anywhere it ought not be (as though anyone would reward her for cleaning up after herself). She packed everything into her book bag (which, at this point was nearly entirely empty due to the lack of need to carry around books anymore).

Madame Pince, the librarian, had long since disappeared from the library. Beth wasn't too keen on what she was up to.

"Merlin!" Beth cried after turning around and seeing another person behind her. After taking a moment to recover from the initial "shock," she looked up and saw it was Draco Malfoy.

Lovely.

It was odd, however, that his eyes weren't glazed over with drug use nor did his breath smell of alcohol. He wasn't cut up and he didn't look like he had just experienced hell for a hit. Draco appeared to be his normal, mean self. However, the "I'm better than you so worship the ground I walk on, loser" smirk was gone without a trace. Instead, there was a slight frown and very studying look in his eyes.

"Can- Do you need something?" Beth asked, backing into the table. She immediately reprimanded herself for putting herself in such a vulnerable place and immediately prayed he wasn't there for anything they would regret later.

Draco gave her the once-over before saying, "You're still sober."

"I- Well, yes... I don't really want to end up like Hannah over there." Beth jerked a thumb over her shoulder and there was the Hufflepuff student there, already half-naked and all over Terry Boot. The bottle of liquor now lay entirely empty on the ground.

"What about Longbottom, then? I thought he was involved with all of this," Draco urged, his fair eyebrows knitting together.

Beth shook her head. "Even then, I wouldn't've done it. It's- It's unhealthy," she explained, slipping away to a spot where she would be able dart off if necessary. She nervously gripped tightly onto the wooden chair that was behind her. Draco turned toward her but he didn't lunge at her. "I'd hate to destroy my life in such a stupid way." Beth bit her lip and when he didn't respond, she continued, "Are- Are you sober?"

Draco didn't nod or say "yes" or any other word of affirmation, only "Father wouldn't be happy if he found out I wasn't."

"Your father knows about Muggle drugs?" Beth asked, slightly loosening the frightened grip she had on the chair behind her.

Draco nodded. "He doesn't want his son to be having issues that Muggles are having, too."

Beth raised an eyebrow. "He doesn't forbid it because we're fifteen and sixteen? Or because it's unhealthy? Or-"

"You wouldn't understand."

This silenced her completely. She didn't understand at all. Beth didn't know Draco's father well. She knew he was involved in some pretty grim stuff, but beyond that, it was a complete loss. She was also well aware that many, if not most Slytherin students were rather intolerant of Muggles and everything they stood for.

Beth's aunt and legal guardian was the same way... but not quite. Her aunt was disgusted by Muggles, but the passing disgust didn't extend as far as Draco's father's hatred for them did. Her aunt could tolerate Muggle-born wizards and witches and she didn't particularly favor purebloods, whereas Draco's father was so incredibly biased toward Purebloods, it was almost painful.

After a moment of awkward silence during which Beth pondered Draco's statement, Beth asked, "Do you know of anyone else who's clean?"

Draco made a face an looked away. "Granger..."

"...has a drinking problem. She's slightly more controlled than some of the others, nevertheless it's still an issue," Beth explained, turning to leave the library to the problematic students. Draco followed her through the labyrinthine bookshelves before they found the exit and used it as such.

Again, they were silent. They seldom talked when things were normal and they had virtually nothing in common. Conversational topics were nil.

Finally, Draco, in a pathetic attempt at niceties, asked, "What happened to Longbottom?"

Beth shrugged, lowering her head and lifting her book bag father up onto her shoulder. "I'm not sure... I just went to see him, but he was changed into this rampaging alcoholic overnight. Last night he told me he was trying to fix himself, but I don't believe it... He was drinking just before he said it... I guess you don't care." Passively, Beth thought, So maybe he's not nice and he's not the sweetheart that Neville is, but at least he's not terrorizing me like always... I do miss the old Neville, though.

"I can't believe they'd allow the buffoon into the circles." Beth didn't agree or deny it. She wasn't about to defend him because 1.) she was upset with him, and 2.) she wasn't so keen on losing the one shot she had at a sober friend. Beth couldn't formulate an intelligent response to it, so she remained silent until they reached the floor the Gryffindor common room was on.

"I'm going to go to bed, I suppose," Beth said. Although it was a Saturday night, she found herself getting tired more easily, if not for the sake of the rest of the sleep-deprived school. It was only eight-thirty P.M.

Draco agreed it was a good idea on her part. As she turned to go to the Gryffindor common room, Draco stopped her and said, "We're not friends."