A/N – I only just realized that I didn't put an authors note on the last chapter. That was probably best since it was a very…dramatic chapter and me going on and on about reviews and shit might have ruined that. But to answer everybody's questions…yes, I killed Draco. Or rather the Dark Lord killed Draco and I apologize for the tears everybody says almost happened. I'm glad you have gotten so emotionally invested in my story, I am continuing for a few more chapters so I hope you stay with me. I love you all.

It took only a few minutes for the entire party to travel through the Floo Network to get the Maddoxes house. When they arrived they were greeted by a dark living room. All the curtains were drawn and there was an eerie feeling about it. Maybe that was a running theme with all Slytheirn families' houses. Hermione was the last to step out of the fire into the room and she quickly followed the rest of the group out of the living room and into the kitchen which was filled by a little more light.

"I was actually making dinner when I heard…" Scarlett's mother explained, turning to them. I finished as quickly as I could and came to find Scarlett and Amber-Rose…and apparently the rest of you."

She hastily motioned for them all to sit down and began to dish out servings of roast chicken and potatoes. Nobody seemed to have realized how hungry the experience had made them and they all began to tuck in immediately, not speaking a single word.

It was Scarlett who first broke the silence, finishing her food and reaching into the middle of the long dining room table for seconds. "Where are we staying tonight?" she asked her mother. There was something else in her eyes too; another question but Hermione had no idea what it was.

"You can stay here of course" Mrs. Maddox replied, shaking her head. "That was my intention anyway. I'm not terribly thrilled with the idea of sending you back to Hogwarts after everything. And I don't know how Dolores Umbridge will react to you all being out of school in the first place. We have rooms, some people can share. Also, I wish to visit Lucius and Narcissa tomorrow. Your father will come…you all can stay here and keep each other company"

Scarlett lowered her head and began eating once again. Hermione looked around at the rest of the group. Harry, Ron and Neville seemed to have become rather uncomfortable although Ron was still attacking his food with much force. Luna was staring at her own plate as if looking for Crumpled Horned whatevers. Ginny was just eating casually as if she visited here all the time. In fact she was now deep in conversation with Amber-Rose about something Hermione couldn't quite catch.

The entire party jumped as a bang echoed through the house. "What was that?" Ron asked, reaching down beneath the table to retrieve the fork he had dropped there. Scarlett simply continued looking at her plate and left her mother to answer.

"Scarlett's fathers home" she said, standing up quickly and making her way towards the direction of the noise. Her sleeves were rolled up and Hermione caught a faint glimpse of the Dark Mark. She stiffened. Scarlett had seen her looking and just shook her head, not knowing what else to say.

Moments later a tall man with blonde curly hair much like Scarlett's strode into the room. He looked slightly irritable and was wearing a nametag that looked like one from the Ministry of Magic. It took him several seconds to take in the scene in the dining room and when he did his mouth became a straight line.

"Who are these?" he asked, his gaze fixed on Harry—obviously he had recognized him, how could you not? "And what are they doing in my house?"

"Robert…have you been in contact with anybody today? Have you heard the news?" Mrs. Maddox whispered, taking him by the arm and walking him out of the dining room again. He snatched his arm away and walked back in, glaring around at the children.

"No, I haven't…I'm a busy man Annabelle, you know this" he snapped. Then he reached out and took a plate of his own and began loading it with food from the table. The tables occupants sat completely still, aside from Luna who didn't seem to notice that anything was going on.

"Yes well…the Malfoy's son…Draco…the Dark Lord killed him." Annabelle explained in a quiet voice.

Robert was frozen for a second, it was clear that this hit a bit of a nerve. However, he recovered and looked over his shoulder at Harry again. "Well…what does that have to do with this lot?" he asked, his eyes falling on Hermione for a moment before he turned back to his wife.

"I'm not entirely sure" she admitted. "I just know that they were there in the house when I came to find Scarlett and Amber-Rose." This was the first time that Robert acknowledged his daughter. He simply nodded at her, eyed Amber-Rose with a small smile and then turned away. "I invited them here to stay for the night; I don't think it's a good idea for them to go back to the school"

"What?" Robert exclaimed, almost dropping his entire plateful of dinner. "Are you insane?" He continued shouting but Hermione tried to block out the words. She noticed that Scarlett was already out of her seat with Amber-Rose following her. Mrs. Maddox subtly pointed towards the staircase and the entire group began to scramble up it to escape the noise.

"I'm sorry about that" Scarlett apologized multiple times as she led them up the hall. "I think it's probably best that the boys sleep in here." She opened a door that led into a fully furnished room. The walls were bare but there were two beds and a cabinet. "It used to be my brothers room…" she admitted. "But it's the best we've got"

Ron, Harry and Neville all agreed quickly, not wanting to stay on the subject of Scarlett's brother too long. It was suggested that Ron, Ginny and whoever else wanted to could go back to the Burrow as it wasn't too far away but it was eventually decided that nobody really wanted to sneak back past Scarlett's parents.

The girls left the boys to their business and travelled own the gloomy corridor some more. Scarlett sent Luna, Ginny and Cordelia into another room which she called the guest room and then led Hermione and Amber-Rose to her own bedroom.

"I'm really sorry" she said again, closing the door and crawling onto her bed. "They're often like that…and I don't think it would have gone over well that my mother decided to take in Harry Potter for the night. Mother can be nice sometimes but…" she trailed off, tracing patterns on her bedspread with her finger tips.

Amber-Rose and Hermione just rolled their eyes. This was hard. It was hard to be in this room knowing that the two girls there with her had tried to kill her. Hermione knew they had their reasons but it was still scary. Why were they not mad at her? And if they were, why were they not showing it?

"Draco was our best friend" Scarlett said, as if she could read Hermione's mind. "We didn't want him to die…and well, you were our friend but it wasn't the same. If killing you was the way to keep him alive then that was just how it was going to be. I'm sorry. But…he loved you. And I'm sure he wouldn't want us being complete bitches towards you now." She took a sidelong glance at Amber-Rose who was staring out of the window. "Right, Rose?"

"I hate that he's gone" Amber-Rose muttered, her nails digging into her elbow. "I hate that if we had just done something sooner…he would still be alive"

"Don't talk like that" Scarlett muttered, rolling over and burying her head in the pillow. "It's better for him now. Don't you ever wonder how much better it is after you're dead? He's probably got it all good. He's away from Pansy and his parents and doesn't have to kill the one he loves anymore"

"Are we so sure he loved her though? No offense Hermione" Amber-Rose turned towards the two girls, her hair hitting her in the face. "They'd been together for barely any time at all"

"Let's just believe he was, it makes things less complicated" Scarlett said, her voice muffled.

"At the very least, I loved him" Hermione said, her voice surprising the other two girls. She was still standing by the door, unsure how welcome she was. "I've been through a hell of a lot in these past few days and you two just…" she almost stomped her foot in annoyance.

"So have we" Amber-Rose argued.

"I didn't say you hadn't" Hermione fired back.

"Guys, for fucks sake…!" Scarlett yelled, a few tears beginning to fall down her face. "Get over yourselves. I said it before; Draco wouldn't want it to be like this. Let's just deal with this together and see where that takes us…okay?"

Then she stood up and walked towards Hermione, wrapped her arms around her and gave her a big hug. Hermione just stood there stunned. Then she heard Scarlett's crying begin and finally had the courage to break down too. It was just two girls who had loved Draco too here with her now. It was okay.

One look in Amber-Rose's direction told her that Amber-Rose was crying too. Maybe not as hard but it was astonishing to see the most guarded person she knew crying at all. It almost made Hermione feel closer to her.

"I'm sorry" Scarlett muttered, pulling away from Hermione and sitting back on her bed. Hermione just smiled and Amber-Rose shrugged before Scarlett threw a pillow at her.

"I'm sorry too" Amber-Rose said at last, sounding about as sincere as you could get.

The next morning Mrs. Maddox visited each of the rooms in turn to tell them that she and Mr. Maddox were leaving for the Malfoy's. Amber-Rose, Scarlett begged to go with them but Mrs. Maddox just shook her head and closed the door in their faces.

So the group was left to make their own breakfast. When they got downstairs Amber-Rose, Scarlett and Hermione found the others all up and dressed and led by Cordelia they were treating the kitchen as if it was their own home. Cereal and toast was coming out of the backs of cupboards and Luna was absentmindedly dipping her fingers in the sugar bowl.

A loud and interesting breakfast began. It almost didn't feel as if this was a group of Slytherins and Gryffindors with one Ravenclaw in the mix. It actually felt like a group of friends. It was as if the death of one brought the others closer together and although there was a hole in many hearts right now it was almost filled in these moments.

A loud knock on the door interrupted the noise and Scarlett bounded towards the door to answer it. Moments later she appeared again leading Professor Singlia who looked as confident as ever as if she had no idea she was walking into a dark wizard's house.

"You're all going back to Hogwarts" she announced without any form of greeting. "There appears to be something wrong with Professor Umbridge and she has been taken into St. Mungo's. The estimations came back this morning. They're fairly sure she was and still is under the Imperius Curse but they can't quite figure out who performed it. So no High Inquisitor at the moment. I spoke with your mother previously Scarlett and she has said that I can take you back to school"

The group weren't given much choice and soon they were being pushed out the door by Singlia who kept on wondering aloud how such a strange assortment of students found their way to the scene of Draco Malfoy's murder. Hermione kept expecting her to try and speak to her alone but it never happened.

That night Hermione lay in her dormitory. Scarlett and Amber-Rose appeared to be asleep but Hermione couldn't. She kept closing her eyes and seeing Draco's face with his wand pointing towards her telling her he had to kill her.

"I miss you" she whispered into the darkness, and almost swore she heard a small voice whisper back…if only she could hear its words.