Ginny tossed her red hair over her shoulder. "Feeling at home?" She said, smiling at the two girls.
Hermione grinned back. "Just trying to make our guest feel comfortable." She said, shrugging and placing her palms around Mira's hips.
Ginny walked past the two girls, and sat on her bed. "So tell me Hermione, am I ever going to be invited to these nighttime trysts?" Hermione nodded to Mira, who stepped out of her hold, and began to dress again in the pajamas she had borrowed from Hermione.
"I thought you were into Harry?" Hermione said breezily, walking over to her closet and searching for something to wear. Her plans for sleeping with Mira tonight would have to be put on hold. Mira was a pretty prize, and for once Hermione found herself wanting more than just the occasional rendezvous with her.
Ginny rolled her eyes as Hermione slipped a long nightgown over her head. "Of course I'm into him, but who says I can't have some fun? Besides, between you and me, I don't think Harry knows what a girl wants." Ginny answered, flipping her gorgeous mane of red hair over her shoulder again.
Mira nodded in agreement. Ginny was very pretty, and there was definitely a physical attraction there, but it wasn't the same pulling feeling she felt towards Hermione, and Mira had a small feeling that Hermione felt the same. Hermione climbed onto her bed, and motioned for Mira to sit next to her.
"Well, Gin, next week everything will change." Hermione said, shrugging.
Mira turned her head. "Why? What's so special about next week?" Mira asked.
"Oh, didn't anyone tell you? A week from today is September first."
Mira nodded, confused. "So?"
Ginny giggled. "It's the beginning of term. We're going to Hogwarts."
"All my stuff is at the Malfoy's, though." Mira said, dreading the thought of going back to that house, even if for a few minutes.
"I've brought it."
Two men appeared in the doorway, Draco Malfoy appearing as stately as ever, and Remus behind him. Draco set down a small trunk and leaned it against the wall.
"Mira, could I speak to you please?" Remus said, stepping forward as Draco entered the room.
Ginny and Hermione perked up, excited that they might hear some useful news, as Molly had, as she did the previous summer, kept their ears as closed as possible to anything of importance dealing with Voldemort.
"Alone, if you please." Remus said reprovingly, glaring at the other two girls.
"And while they're gallivanting about, I'd like to speak to the other females of the room." Draco said, as Mira passed him to step into the hall with Remus.
Remus pushed the door shut behind Mira and turned to look at her. Without further ado, he sped into a speech Mira was sure he had rehearsed. "Next week, you're going to Hogwarts. Dumbledore won't make it back before then….he will see you at the school. Mira, you must, absolutely must, make sure the Sorting Hat puts you into Gryffindor. The fate of our plans rest on it." Remus's eyes glowed in the dim lighting of the hall, his orbs rimmed with an icy blue color.
"What the hell is all this Gryffindor shit?" Mira cried. "I'm a Slytherin, Remus, from the fucking color of my eyes to the vileness of my soul, you know that." Mira folded her arms over her chest.
Remus clasped his hands together and sighed. "I see we are going to get nowhere tonight. I will leave you with this. Your mother and your father would have wanted it." Remus touched Mira's shoulder and bent down to stare into her eyes. "And whatever you hear at school, no matter what you hear, your parents were honest and good people, and they protected those who could not protect themselves. That gained them many enemies Mira, enemies that I fear shall be passed onto you. Prepare yourself well, in school."
Mira snorted. "Please Remus, I scored elven OWLs, I hardly think that needs improvement."
Remus shook his head. "I did not mean academically, for you are well ready in that area. Hogwarts will be the undoing of it all, or, if you so wish, the glue that holds everything together." Remus nodded to her, then walked away down the hall.
Mira rolled her eyes and turned the doorknob to enter the room again. Draco looked back to her, then curtly nodded at Ginny and Hermione, who were still sitting separately on their beds.
"Evening, ladies." He said in farewell. He grabbed Mira's arm and pulled her back into the hall. As he shut the door quickly, he whispered urgently to her, "Many things will change when we reach the school, love. I will have to...resume certain activities that I deem below me, but for the benefit of the Order and our plans, it is for the best."
Mira watched Draco skeptically. "Pansy, I am very sorry to say, is a necessity." Draco continued, still whispering. "And as much as I want you with me, Mira, you have to get into Gryffindor. That is where you will be safest."
Okay, everybody's lost their fucking minds. Mira decided, regarding Draco with a delicacy she usually reserved for Narcissa's ramblings and criticisms.
"Next week, you and I will appear at Kings' Cross, in the company of Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy."
Mira held in the groan she wanted to utter, realizing that she would be in the Slytherin section of the train, and not have to be near Harry. The lesser of two evils, she supposed.
"Once we get to the school, you will be the first to be sorted. Dumbledore will call you up, you'll sit on the stool, and the Hat will choose your House. You are predispositioned to be in Gryffindor, and you would do well to follow your fate."
Mira clicked her tongue. "Enough with this Gryffindor nonsense. I want to be in Slytherin, I am a Slytherin."
Draco sighed. "Your mother and father wanted you to be in Gryffindor. Doesn't that mean anything to you?" Draco said, suddenly cold.
Mira nodded. "Of course it does, but my parents were in Slytherin, so why the hell does Gryffindor even matter?"
Draco rubbed his temples. "I'm not the person to tell you. Dumbledore will let you know. I've got to get some sleep, this year is going to be hell, even if you are coming to Hogwarts." Draco kissed Mira's lips, oblivious to the fact that Mira's sweet mouth had touched two others tonight.
Mira cursed herself. Here she was, in the freaking loony bin, with a bunch of psycho's telling her that if she didn't get into Gryffindor, all would be lost. "Whatever." She said aloud, throwing her hands up.
"Mira?" A voice behind her said. Mira's skin on the back of her neck prickled.
The hair on her arms stood on end, and her pulse raced with electricity. Clenching her fists, Mira slowly turned around. "Mr. Potter." She said through tight lips.
"Can I talk to you?" Harry Potter said, his moppy black hair in his eyes, his face pale