Fate

by TheTrueSpartan

When Ron discovers that he can see the future, his entire fate is thrown off of its course. A story about adventure, friendship, growing up, and pushing forward through hardships. This story will get darker as it progresses, just like the original Harry Potter novels. It will cover all Seven Years of Hogwarts, but mostly from Ron's perspective. No Mary Sues, no Character bashing.

103. Chapter 103 - Different Perspectives

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 103 is here! That's right, I'm back, you hijos de puta! (I just watched the first two seasons of Narcos, so 'Hijo de Puta' is my new favorite swear word). Anyway, my birthday, and small break, were great! I had loads of fun, and I had some time to unwind and get my passion fired up for the story once again.

Now, a couple of things:

1. Many of you questioned my decision to kill off Victor Burke, who was a rather interesting character. Well, I made him very mysterious and intriguing for the sole purpose of killing him before more could be learned about him. His death was my way of showing you that characters you love, or hate, will die randomly. Sure, some will have grand exits, but many will die like people do in real life. Abruptly, and when you least expect it.

Characters who make mistakes, or have a strong shortcomings, will pay for those errors. Victor's mistake was his arrogance, and the fact that he looked down on a potentially dangerous individual. He let his guard down to sate his vanity, and he paid the price for it. I don't play favorites, and a war story where everyone lives isn't exactly a good war story. Now that we're in the second half of the book, things are going to get amped up. Expect death, misery, and heartbreak. This fic is for adults, and as many adults know, life has a way of not giving a fuck about people. Choices are what determine where a person ends up. (An odd thing to say, given the title of this Fic, but I think that it still fits)

2. Corban Yaxley's donation has confused many people, and that was my fault. What I meant to type was that he paid 2M Galleons to fix all the roads of Magical Britain, not just Diagon Alley. The error has been fixed, and that donation is elaborated on in this chapter.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, and I do not intend to make any money off of this. Harry Potter is the intellectual property of J. K. Rowling , and I take no credit of it whatsoever.

I was also inspired by Demon Eyes Laharl's: THE RED KNIGHT! and also from Random-Fruitcake04's: CHOICES! I hope you check them out as well because they are genuinely very good stories.

---

Fate

Chapter 103 – Different Perspectives

Albus Dumbledore's POV

Saturday 19th December, 1993 (Grimmauld Place – Midday)

Kurt Varga had no mental fortifications whatsoever, and as Albus spoke to him, he watched the most significant moments of the young man's life.

Kurt had been left with a Werewolf named Abraham at the age of nine, three days after he had been bitten by a passing Werewolf. The boy had grown up friendless, often spending too much time wondering about his mother and father's abandonment of him. By age twelve, he had given up on the chance of having a normal life. When he was fifteen, he had shared an intimate moment with a village girl, which had been interrupted by his furious stepfather. At seventeen, Kurt had watched said stepfather's murder at the hands of Lord Voldemort.

Kurt became just another soldier in the Dark Lord's army, though not by choice. There was so much fear in the young man, so much mistrust. The World had never been kind to him, and he had simply submitted to its will. Albus could not deny that he felt a great amount of sympathy for this lost soul, but nevertheless, Albus had already decided to be cautious. There can be no mistakes. Not anymore. Not after what Ronald told me recently.

"What's going to happen to me?" Kurt managed to ask, and Albus gave him a comforting smile.

"We will take a vote," Albus told the truth. "And after that, we will let you know. Please, wait for us in the Kitchen."

Kurt shot a quick look towards Sirius, who had insisted on being inside the room for this.

"Everything will be alright, Kurt," Sirius said gently, a tone that Albus had barely ever heard from Sirius Black. "Just go and wait out there, please?"

Kurt gave a meek nod, and then he left the room without uttering a single word. Albus didn't need Legilimency to know that Kurt wanted to stay here, and that he was terrified of going back out into the World. The last few months have been a nightmare for this boy, and I have played a key role in his trauma. Albus stood up and walked over to the window, while Sirius called in Minerva and Alastor.

"So?" Alastor growled as usual, and then he sat down on Kurt's bed. "What are we doing with the whelp?"

"We can either let him stay, or we can Obliviate him," Albus replied.

"He's been here for nearly ten days," Minerva said. "In that time, he has given us no reason not to let him stay. He's barely a legal adult, Albus."

"He's a security risk," Alastor countered. "He joined the Dark Lord out of fear once, and he could do it again. Only this time, he knows where we're operating out of."

"All the more reason to let him stay," Sirius stepped in. "Keep him off the streets, and he can't give up the Order's location. Trust me on this, Werewolves have a 'pack mentality'. If we send him out there, some Werewolf will sniff him out and then approach him. He'll get dragged back into You-Know-Who's service." Tom would tear his mind apart in order to find out where he went. What if Kurt is the one who leaked the information about the Order's safe houses?

Dumbledore fought the urge to rub his forehead, he hadn't slept since Ronald had delivered the terrible news. I just realized that Tom can't do that. The Fidelius Charm protects our safe houses, and only a willing Secret-Keeper can share their locations.

"Should I convene the Order for this?" Minerva asked. "If we are taking a vote, then everyone should be here."

"What?" Alastor just stared at her. "No, that is not how an army operates."

"We're an army, now, are we?" Minerva asked.

"We're an armed militia, which literally makes us an army," Alastor said. "In an army, you don't let the foot soldiers decide on stratagems. We need an uneven number of leaders, chosen by Albus himself, and we'll vote on what the Order does, or doesn't do."

"Did he just make himself into a leader?" Sirius asked Minerva, who gave a curt nod.

"Alastor is right," Albus turned to face his allies. "We can't expect the entire Order to assemble every time we need to vote. We do things like we did in the last war. Five leaders, including myself, will vote on the Order's actions." Albus then looked to Sirius. "For this particular decision, us four will have to do. Now… Let's vote."

"I say that we let Kurt Varga stay," Minerva said.

"I say we Obliviate him, and then send him on his way," Alastor said right after. "With the last ten days of his life completely gone, he won't be able to give us away. Not even to the Dark Lord." Completely? That's dangerous, but it could work.

"You know what?" Sirius suddenly scoffed, his expression turning cold. "There is no vote on this… The kid is staying here."

"Sirius-" Albus started, but Sirius cut him off.

"Don't like my decision?" Sirius asked. "I don't care. Pack your things, and fuck right off."

"Watch yourself," Alastor growled as he stood up.

"No," Sirius refused. "This is my house. I know that I volunteered when the Order needed a Headquarters, but I never agreed to the pile of shit that's been thrown my way. You all realize that I have a child to take care of, don't you? And you know that said child is coming home tomorrow, right? How do I tell Harry that I have a prisoner of war in our attic? How do I explain that I threw a desperate kid out into the streets because you decided that it was for the best?" Sirius then shook his head. "I will not abandon him… I know exactly how it feels to be abandoned by those who could have protected me."

Albus barely managed to stop himself from flinching, he knew that Sirius' words were directed towards him. He has never given voice to his anger with me, but I know it's there. And I know that I deserve it.

"I vote that he stays," Albus said, making sure to keep eye-contact with Sirius.

"Good," Sirius looked a little surprised, he hadn't expected to win his case so easily. "I'll keep my eyes on him, I promise. He won't leave the premises, nor will he send any letters."

"He doesn't know how to read, or write," Albus said, while Alastor just hobbled out of the room with a scowl.

"So you really were using Legilimency…" Sirius said slowly. "You didn't even move an inch… Or say an incantation… Did you look through his entire life?"

"I looked through the moments that left an impression on him," Albus replied. Along with all of his thoughts. "He is a lost soul, but perhaps with the right guide, he could one day make a life for himself."

Sirius clearly understood what Albus was implying, but he made no comment on it.

"I'm going to head back to Hogwarts, Albus," Minerva said. "Will you be joining me?"

"Of course," Albus replied before following after her.

"Actually, about Harry…" Sirius started, and Albus stopped in order to face him. "I know you want me to bring him into the fold, but…"

"Do you wish to wait until after Christmas?" Albus asked.

"He's only had one Christmas with me," Sirius said. "I want him to enjoy his Break… It might be the last decent Break he has for a long time." That is true. Harry will be put at the front of this war whether we like it, or not.

"You should do what you think is best for your child, Sirius," Albus smiled.

"Thanks…" Sirius said, he still didn't feel like a father-figure just yet. "Actually… We've all decided to wait until after Christmas."

"We all?" Minerva asked from the door.

"Arthur and Molly, Xeno and Pandora, Seb and Mary, James and Susana… Just us parents," Sirius said, and Albus' smile widened. He just admitted to being a parent. "Why are you smiling like that?"

"No reason," Albus restarted his journey towards Hogwarts. "My advice would be to go straight to the Burrow from Platform 93/4. It will save you from certain questions."

"Oh… Snape…" Sirius nodded to himself. "Yeah, you're right."

They made their way down the stairs, and as they neared ground floor, Albus spotted Molly and Arthur waiting for him. They look troubled about something. Is this about Ronald? That boy has shaved off years from their lives, I think.

"Dumbledore, could we please have a moment?" Arthur asked, and Albus came to a stop.

"Certainly," Albus replied, and then he looked to Minerva. "I will see you at lunch, Minerva."

"Don't forget to send me the report cards, Albus," Minerva gave him a parting nod before heading off to the Living Room.

"I'll go tell Kurt the good news," Sirius said as he moved past Albus.

"He's staying?" Molly asked, and Sirius smiled and nodded. "Thank heavens… Poor boy has been through hell."

"He's welcome at the Burrow, if he wants a good meal," Arthur offered.

"Um… For now, I think I'll let him settle in," Sirius said. "He's actually scared of looking out of the windows." He expects Tom and Fenrir to be waiting outside. An odd fear, but it has lodged itself into his mind.

"Well, hopefully he comes around soon," Molly said, and Sirius left to deliver the good news.

"What can I do for you both?" Albus asked the couple.

"Maybe we should do this with Snape around?" Molly looked to Arthur, and Albus just stared at them. Severus? What is this about?

"I think that's best," Arthur agreed.

"What is this about?" Albus asked them. "Surely you are not thinking about inviting Severus to Christmas." I can already tell you how that will end… It will end badly.

"Actually… Molly already tried that…" Arthur grimaced.

"A terribly rude man…" Molly frowned to herself. Oh.

"So this is about Draco," Albus figured, and the Weasleys nodded their agreement.

"He's only a child, and he shouldn't have been brought here," Molly said, she remembered all too well how the boy had reacted. "Not with what's happening with his Family."

"It was ugly business, but it had to be done," Albus said.

"Not in such a callous-" Molly started, but she stopped when Arthur put his hand on her shoulder.

"We Weasleys have never gotten on with the Malfoys, but he is only a child," Arthur said. "He's Ronnie's age, and from what I can tell, they're sort of friendly now… We just think that there's nothing for him here. Snape can barely leave his bed, Sirius is spending Christmas at the Burrow, and as for the boy's mother…" They are not wrong about this. "We are already hosting a lot of children at the Burrow, so one more won't bother us at all. And if he's around people his own age, he might end up enjoying Christmas just a little."

"Have you brought this up with Severus yet?" Albus asked them.

"No," Arthur replied. Then this should be entertaining.

"Come, let's go speak with him together," Albus turned to head back upstairs.

"Will you help us convince him?" Molly asked as she followed Albus.

"I will try, but I cannot promise you anything," Albus replied. Molly and Arthur are right, Draco deserves a break from all of this. I have no doubt that he has been suffering in silence ever since I brought him here.

---

Ten Minutes Later

"No," Severus said icily, and Albus held back a chuckle. Ten minutes of explanations and pleading, and that's his response?

"At least think about-" Arthur started.

"No," Severus cut him off. "Draco will stay with me."

"And do what?" Molly puffed up. "Sit in the corner? Cook your meals? Help you with your physical therapy? What does that boy have to gain by staying here?"

"I want to keep my eyes on him," Severus said. "My eye…"

"Dumbledore," Arthur looked back with a meaningful look. "Please, talk to him. Tell him that Draco shouldn't be here. Not right now."

"Severus, they are-" Albus started.

"No," Severus cut him off. He really loves that word, doesn't he?

"Molly… Arthur… Please give us some privacy," Albus said, and the Weasleys stood up to leave.

"You might be able to withstand a lot of pain, Snape, but Draco Malfoy is only a child," Molly said before she exited the room. "Do you want him to resent you?"

Before Severus could retort, she shut the door rather harshly behind her. That Prewett temper…

"I am sick of these people," Severus looked to Albus. "When can I leave for Spinner's End?"

"How is your recovery going?" Albus asked in response.

"I will be well enough to work again before January," Severus drawled. Liar. "They have no right to take him away from me."

"They are not taking him away from you," Albus said calmly. "They have seven children, Severus-"

Severus scoffed in disgust, but Albus chose to ignore it.

"They have a soft spot for children," Albus went on. "And they are right… You know that, I think."

"All I know is that Draco will be outnumbered in that shed they call a house," Severus scowled. "Here, he'll be with someone who wants to keep him safe."

"He will be safe at the Burrow," Albus sat down in Arthur's chair. "Tell me, Severus, do you really want him to be here? Do you want him to see you like this? Be honest."

"It's not about what I want," Severus replied. "This is for his own good."

"At the Burrow, he will be well looked after," Albus implored. "He'll be well-fed, safe, and he'll be with his friends."

"What friends?" Severus asked. "Besides Ron, I can't think of anyone who will want him there."

"Molly and Arthur want him there," Albus countered. "The adults all understand that he's not his father."

"You really believe that?" Severus demanded. "Are you truly that naïve, Albus?"

"Severus, it is only for a few days," Albus said. "Don't force him to spend his Christmas all alone in this-"

"I am done with this conversation," Severus shut Albus down. "Draco will stay where I can keep my eyes on him." Severus suddenly frowned deeply. "My eye…"

Albus wanted to argue, but he knew that it was pointless. Severus was not one to change his mind, especially when he was convinced that he was right. I had hoped that he would grow out of this habit, but it seems that he will never move past it. Not even when a child is involved.

Albus stood up, and he left the room without another word.

---

Sebastian Greengrass' POV

Saturday 19th December, 1993 (Greengrass Manor – Late Afternoon)

Sebastian shot a quick look towards Ron, and he found his Apprentice working diligently on his conundrums. He is certainly focused today, isn't he? I want to ask him about his powerful Magic, but we all agreed to not pry into his business. At least, not about this. Sebastian looked back to his own work, his businesses in Eastern Europe were starting to suffer. Especially around Albania. The amount of money that I've sunk into that pit… I could have bought a dozen more safe houses for the Order.

As it turned out, the Gaia Project was finally reaching its end. All of Magical Europe had taken a heavy blow in the economics department, and as a result of that, Sebastian's own businesses had suffered. Of course, Sebastian still had mountains of gold to his name, but his workers weren't so lucky. I have to shut down some of my businesses, which means that a lot of people are going to lose their jobs. What benefits me more? Shutting down, or helping my workers? In the long run, keeping my businesses open is ideal, but right now, I'm just losing money. I think I'll keep them open for a bit longer in the hopes of things returning to normal, but if that doesn't happen, then I'll just cut my losses.

"My Lord, I'm finished with my work," Ron called, and Sebastian looked to his Apprentice.

"Already?" Sebastian asked.

"Here," Ron offered him the solutions.

Sebastian reached forward and took them in his hand, his eyes fixed on Ron's. He looks certain about his solutions. Good. Let's see. Sebastian skimmed over the first couple of pages, he could recognize many proper strategies and calls. This… is really good work. I guess I was worried over nothing, then.

Ron had been eerily silent today, even during lunch, which was very odd for him. At first, Sebastian had figured that Ron was just stressed. But after spending the morning with him, Sebastian had realized that Ron was completely stress-free. Once stress was ruled out, Sebastian had attempted to prod for Ron's own benefit. Sadly, that too had failed. Ron had given one worded answers, all the while focusing on his work. Something's changed, that's for certain.

"These are good," Sebastian looked back to Ron. "Well done."

"Thanks," Ron gave a quick smile. "Since I finished early, might I go home for the day?" Not yet, I need to talk to you.

"That excited for the party, are you?" Sebastian smirked.

"Party?" Ron asked, slight confusion on his face. "What party?"

"The one Astoria has been owling me about," Sebastian replied. "Ron, are you alright?"

"Oh… The party to celebrate our victory at the Dueling Club," Ron nodded to himself, ignoring Sebastian's enquiry. "I will not be attending this party."

"Any reason why?" Sebastian asked.

"I have work to do," Ron replied, and Sebastian cocked his eyebrow. "I had Marty find me a list of charitable acts done by the Pure-Blood Families over the last couple of years, and I want to finish reading through his research." Ron then smiled. "Good job on that Merpeople thing, by the way. Must've cost a lot to clean up their waters. How many Merpeople Lakes was it again?"

"One hundred and thirty five," Sebastian replied.

"One hundred and thirty five colonies saved from pollution," Ron said. "Good on you, my Lord." I couldn't care less about those fish-people. I was being harassed by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures at the time. Cleaning some lakes got them off of my back.

"Why are you looking into these charitable acts?" Sebastian asked out of curiosity.

"I want to learn more about the Wizarding World for The Quibbler's sake," Ron replied. "I plan to have someone who focuses on the good deeds of Pure-Blood Families."

"Really?" Sebastian found that quite amusing. "I thought that you wished to show the truth, and nothing but the truth. No bias whatsoever."

"I still do," Ron replied. "I wish to show people all of the truth, not just the truth that fits my beliefs. I mean, Marty handed me like a hundred articles… Yours was on top, of course. Good news should be shared, shouldn't it? It'll help people come closer, I think."

"Well, that's quite brave of you, Ron," Sebastian stood up, and then he walked over to his Brandy table. "You understand that some people won't appreciate your stance, don't you?"

"Who? My parents?" Ron asked.

"No, I mean the 'downtrodden'," Sebastian poured some Apple Brandy in two snifters. "Even the Daily Prophet doesn't spend too much time publishing articles about our good deeds."

"Why is that?" Ron asked. "Don't you lot control the Media?"

"We do," Sebastian shot a smile back at Ron. He's learning.

"So why doesn't the Daily Prophet focus on your good deeds?" Ron asked.

"It doesn't sell as well," Sebastian shrugged, and then he brought the drinks back with him. "People don't want to read about happy news, they want scandal and outrage. Here."

"Are we about to have a talk?" Ron took his snifter carefully. Smart-arse.

"We are," Sebastian took his seat. "Firstly, I want to ask you about my daughters. How are they?"

"They're doing well," Ron replied. "Tori is still… a handful… sometimes, whereas Daphne is focusing on her business ventures." Daphne's business ventures? I feel proud when I hear that.

Sebastian took a sip of his Brandy, and then he smirked a little to himself. She'll do the Greengrass name justice, I already know it.

"How are things between you and my daughter?" Sebastian asked calmly.

"Tori and I have been getting along-"

"Ron," Sebastian stopped him, and the redhead sniggered to himself.

"Daphne and I are doing well," Ron assured him.

"Are you sure?" Sebastian asked. Astoria has told me a different tale. One which involves you ignoring my daughter.

"Well, we did have a little… time apart," Ron replied. "But it wasn't because we were fighting. Wait… That's not strictly true, we did yell at each other." You yelled at my daughter?

"Get to the point, please," Sebastian said. Before I have you disappeared in the night.

"We had an important conversation, and it didn't go well at first," Ron said. "But we sat down, and we talked through it. Things are back to normal. Somewhat."

"What was this conversation?" Sebastian asked.

"It was private," Ron replied, and then he took a sip of his drink.

"Private?" Sebastian asked. "You won't tell me?"

"No," Ron replied. "Daphne can tell you if she wants, but I doubt she will. We keep our conversations to ourselves. Sorry."

"As long as she's not unhappy, I can live with that," Sebastian said. "Now… The second thing…" I can't believe they pawned this job off on me. "We, the parents, want to speak with you and Daphne about something very important."

"Is this the puberty talk?" Ron looked mildly put off. What? No.

"Just listen," Sebastian gave Ron a bored look. "As we are all aware, your health is a major concern for you."

"Ah…" Ron nodded slowly.

"I don't want my daughter to suffer heartbreak," Sebastian said with a leveled tone. "We are both men, Ron, so I will speak plainly. You are very ill, and death is a possibility for you. It's not fair, I know, but it's-"

"I know," Ron said. "I won't be around for long." Alright, I wasn't going that far. "Daphne and I have spoken about this, and we've come to terms with it. The adults don't need to worry about us being in denial."

"You already spoke about it?" Sebastian asked. "And what do you mean by 'I won't be around for long'?" That is a very dark thought, and he just said it like it meant nothing.

"We did speak about it, and we settled on some conditions," Ron said. "As for my comment… Well, the truth is the truth. No point in beating around the bush, that'll only waste both our times."

"Right…" Sebastian took a sip, making sure to look completely indifferent. "Still, we would like to speak to you both."

"Can it be after Christmas?" Ron asked. "I don't want you to ruin her mood before we celebrate." Ruin her mood? At least he's protective of her, even from us parents.

"Alright, I'm glad we sorted through that," Sebastian said.

"Did the other adults pawn this off on you?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Sebastian finished his glass. "Ron, finish your drink."

Ron looked a little hesitant, but he did as he was told. He chugged the Brandy… Gods help me, I might weep.

"Ugh…" Ron shivered, and Sebastian couldn't help but smirk. "Sorry, my Lord, but that really burned."

"You will get used to it," Sebastian said.

"You keep saying that, but…" Ron mumbled. "Is there anything else that you want to talk about?"

"No," Sebastian replied. "Not yet, at least."

"Ominous," Ron said as he put the snifter on the table. "Right… I'll be on my way, then."

"Wait…" Sebastian said. "I nearly forgot. Madam Roberts won't be around tomorrow, so you should take the Hogwarts Express with the others."

"Is she on assignment?" Ron asked, a hint of disappointment on his face.

"She told your father before leaving, and he told me to tell you," Sebastian replied.

"How often do you people talk about me?" Ron smirked.

"Far too often," Sebastian smirked back. "Now… Go on, enjoy that party."

"I'm not going-"

"You think my daughter plans to spend the party alone?" Sebastian asked him, and Ron blinked in response. "Have fun, and be responsible." Be very responsible, or I'll know the reason why.

---

Draco Malfoy's POV

Saturday 19th December, 1993 (The Headmaster's Office – Late Afternoon)

Draco knocked on the door, and he waited for a response.

"Come in, Draco," came Dumbledore's voice, and Draco made his way inside the Office. Why is it always so smoky in here?

"You wanted to see me, Headmaster?" Draco asked as he made his way further into the Office.

"Please, sit down," Dumbledore smiled at him, and Draco did as he was told with an indifferent look. Is this about my Christmas plans? Is he finally going to tell me if I can spend Christmas with my mother and Godfather? "How has your day been, Draco? Are you enjoying the cold climate?"

"Can we please just talk about what's going to happen to me?" Draco asked. I can't take it anymore… I need to know. "Am I to spend my Break at Hogwarts?"

"No," Dumbledore replied, and Draco relaxed a little.

"I can spend it with my mother, then?" Draco asked, a hint of hope escaping through.

Dumbledore lost his smile slowly, and then he shook his head. Oh…

"I am sorry, Draco," Dumbledore apologized. "But your mother is a prisoner… I know that you don't want to hear that, but the sooner you understand it, the less it will hurt." How would you know?!

"Don't talk to me like you care," Draco hissed, his anger and hurt coming to the surface. Relax… Just relax. Breathe deeply. "You've destroyed my Family…"

"Your father destroyed your Family," Dumbledore said. "And I think you understand that."

Draco just glared down at his lap, he wanted to kill this old codger so badly, but at same time, Draco understood that his life was in Dumbledore's hands. I go from relying on Weasley to relying on this old goat… They keep saying that I have freewill, but I don't. They're making all the decisions for me.

"So I'm to spend Christmas with Godfather, but I can't see my mother?" Draco asked without looking up.

"Yes," Dumbledore replied. "Do you want to spend Christmas with Severus?"

"Of course I do," Draco looked up with a frown. "Where else am I supposed to go?"

"Severus is in deep recovery, Draco," Dumbledore said calmly. "Perhaps you'd like to spend your Break with your friends?" What friends? Is he referring to this Weasley get-together that I keep hearing about?

"Weasley?" Draco asked coldly. "You think he'll want me there?"

"It couldn't hurt to ask," Dumbledore suggested.

"No," Draco refused outright. "I want to spend it with my Godfather." I can at least help with his recovery.

"Very well, but just know that Arthur and Molly Weasley have extended an invitation to you," Dumbledore told him.

"I don't need their pity," Draco sneered. I've had enough pity from Weasleys to last me a lifetime.

"Compassion is not a weakness, Draco," Dumbledore said. Here we go… Same old song, different day. "If I didn't have any compassion, your mother would be dead."

Draco paled at that, his body shrinking at the Headmaster's words. He's not meant to say things like that… It felt as if the temperature had dropped in the room, and the look on the old wizard's face terrified Draco. He doesn't look angry, but his eyes are so piercing.

"Can… Can I… leave?" Draco swallowed thickly, and Dumbledore's expression softened.

"Please think about Arthur and Molly's invitation," Dumbledore said softly. "If you change your mind, come back to my Office and let me know."

Draco stood up, and without a moment's hesitation, he made his way towards the exit. As he neared the center of the Office, the fireplace burst to life with green flames, and Ronald Weasley stepped through with a smile on his freckled face. Both boys stared at each other, and then, Weasley looked towards the Headmaster.

"Good afternoon, Headmaster," Weasley greeted.

"Welcome back, Ronald," Dumbledore greeted back.

Draco began making his way out again, he saw no need to stay here any longer. Plus, I don't want to be near that old bastard right now. I just want a quiet place to think. Draco made his way down the spiral staircase, and then past the Stone Gargoyle. Wait… If I go back to Slytherin, I'll have to put up with the excited party planners. Draco shot a look backwards, and when he realized that Weasley wasn't following him, Draco made his way towards Sanctuary. I still can't believe that Weasley found this place. Who even made it? I bet it was Salazar himself. I mean, he built the Chamber of Secrets, didn't he? What's the creation of one more secret room to someone like him?

Draco paced in front of the entrance with speedy legs, and the moment it revealed itself, Draco rushed in. Hopefully, no Gryffindors saw me. They'd throw me down the stairs if they caught me up here. Draco walked over to the couches, his right hand undoing a couple of his shirt's top buttons. Just breathe, Draco. Everything will be alright… Once I'm with Godfather, he'll give me a solution. Maybe we can live together at his abode? I can ask him to speak to Dumbledore on my mother's behalf. I know that she… Draco tensed painfully. I know she gave him up to the Dark Lord, but maybe he'll forgive her if I beg him. No… What am I thinking? He'll never forgive someone who put him through hell… I know that I wouldn't.

Draco dropped onto a chair, his face buried in his hands. I'm a prisoner, aren't I? They keep telling me that I'm not, but I am. No matter what I do, there's no escape for me. If I somehow return to my father's side, then the Dark Lord will force me into servitude. That is, if he doesn't kill me outright. On the other hand, I end up becoming Dumbledore's puppet. I do as I'm told, and maybe, he'll let me leave with my mother at the end of this mess.

Draco wanted to start throwing things, why was this happening to him? His life was becoming progressively worse every day, and he couldn't do a fucking thing to fix it. I just want things to go back to how they used to be… I want to go back in time, and just fix everything. The door to the Sanctuary suddenly opened, and Draco looked to see Weasley step inside. He followed me here?

"I want to be alone!" Draco snapped, and Weasley jumped in fright.

"Fucking hell… Why are you in here?" Weasley asked, and Draco blinked at him. He didn't follow me?

"I want to be alone," Draco repeated, his tone much lower now.

"Well, you should probably find your own Sanctuary, then," Weasley said as he walked further into the room. "That's my chair, by the way."

Draco stood up to leave, but Weasley clicked his tongue loudly.

"What?" Draco glared at Weasley.

"Sit back down," Weasley said with a calm smile. "We can both be here, can't we? We just won't talk to each other, and that way, we can both have our 'me time'." You've been having a lot of 'me time' lately.

Draco slowly sat back down, while Weasley picked up a few articles from the coffee table. I didn't even notice those. What are they?

"Why are you reading old papers?" Draco asked, and Weasley smirked from his chair.

"I thought you wanted to be left alone," Weasley said in a teasing tone. Why does he have to act so familiar with me?

Draco went to scold Weasley about his familiarity, but he stopped himself before any words came out of his mouth. No… He's the only person who still talks to me like… Like a friend… Draco looked back to the fire, a feeling of shame was creeping up on him. I'm so pathetic…

"I was only joking, Malfoy," Weasley said. "Don't look so glum… I'm sorry, alright? I'm reading these papers in order to learn more about Pure-Bloods."

"What?" Draco cocked an eyebrow at Weasley. "You're trying to learn more about us? Aren't you a Pure-Blood as well?" Surely you were taught the basics of our culture, weren't you?

"Ahem… Blood Traitor scum…" Weasley 'cleared' his throat.

"Funny," Draco drawled coldly. Prick.

"I want to learn more about charity work," Weasley shrugged. "Like this…" Weasley looked to the paper, and then, his eyes widened. "What the fuck?!"

"What is it?" Draco asked, his attention captured.

"Corban Yaxley repaired all of Magical Britain's roads in July?" Weasley looked to Draco.

"Oh… That…" Draco lost his interest. "Yeah, he made a big show of it. It cost him a massive fortune, but it gained him a lot of goodwill from the Building Companies. He made sure to hire wizards instead of Elves, which would have been the much cheaper option."

"Why pay more?" Weasley asked.

"Elves are taking too many jobs," Draco shrugged. "They're cheap, they get things done exceptionally fast, and they're easy to walk all over. Wizards cost more, so in this market, they have less clients. Lord Yaxley is quite outspoken about this topic. He's been shut down quite a few times, but he is fighting for wizard rights. It's just an uphill battle because the Elves aren't breaking any laws."

Draco looked to Weasley as he finished, and he found the redhead staring at him.

"You… You're my solution," Weasley slowly began to smile.

"Solution?" Draco frowned. "What the hell does that mean?" And what's with the creepy smile?

"You're clearly informed about Pure-Blood behaviors," Weasley said. "You, Blaise, Theo, and Daphne… I should've come straight to you guys." And leave your isolation? Seriously, why are you still hiding up here?

"Go to your friends, and leave me be," Draco said harshly.

"Playing hard to get?" Weasley sniggered. "C'mon, Malfoy… Educate this Blood Traitor. You know you want to."

"Why are you hiding up here, Weasley?" Draco asked bluntly.

"Hiding?" Weasley looked confused.

"Your spat with Greengrass is over, isn't it?" Draco asked. "Why haven't you returned to the common room?"

"Do you miss me?" Weasley asked. Yes… No! Fuck! Fuck! I fucking hate you so much, Weasley! "Did I say something that got to you?"

"Just take your articles, and sod off," Draco looked away to the fire, his fingers digging into the chair's armrests.

"Since you asked so nicely, I'll tell you why I'm 'hiding' up here," Weasley said, ignoring Draco's cold comments. "There is nothing for me down there." What?

Draco couldn't help but look back at Weasley, and he found the redhead smiling right at him.

"Nothing for you down there?" Draco asked slowly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Slytherin won four hundred House Points at the Dueling Tournament, and the Triumvirate asked me to lay off of the first years for the final week," Weasley replied. "I have no job to do down there, but up here, I can learn more about the World." Who thinks like this weirdo?

"Why don't you go help with this party?" Draco asked. "I find it odd that you're not exercising your power over the House at a time like this."

"Exercising my power?" Weasley sniggered. "You make me sound like some tyrant."

"You are a tyrant," Draco said bluntly, though he didn't know where he found the courage to speak his opinion so openly. "You threaten people with violence if they don't do as you wish, and should they actually resist your control freak tendencies, you cause them physical pain out of spite. The Slytherins might respect you, but that respect is supported by fear."

Weasley burst into laughter as Draco finished, and Draco frowned deeply.

"I guess you're right…" Weasley shrugged, he looked more amused than offended. "I am a bit of a tyrant, but if it wasn't for my tyrannical ways, you'd still be Flint's punching bag." He's right about that. "It's funny how people take so much for granted. I mean, I have done right by you, and not even you can deny that. And yet, you seem to enjoy treating me like an enemy. Why is that?" I don't know how else to treat you… I know I can't be your friend, but sometimes, it's hard to make sense of what I'm meant to be doing.

"I don't see you as my enemy, Weasley," Draco said coldly, making sure to hide his confusion. "To me, you're just another person in Slytherin."

"What a cold thing to say," Weasley shook his head, he still looked quite amused. "One of these days, Draco… You will finally grow up enough to understand just how much I've done for you." Draco? Grow up enough? What the hell is he on about? "Now… Instead of just being a broody bitch, why don't you help me with this?"

"With what?" Draco asked.

"This," Weasley waved the papers around. "Grab a few, and write down who did what."

"And that helps you how?" Malfoy asked.

"It'll teach me who is interested in what," Weasley said. "Take this, for example… Lady Longbottom has a tendency to spend her money protecting natural forests, and endangered Magical Creatures."

"So the next time you want to save a Magical Creature, you know who to go to," Draco nodded slowly. He's profiling Pure-Bloods? I get the feeling that Weasley has dangerous plans for our kind.

"There's some ink and parchment over there," Weasley pointed to the bedside table. "Bring it over, please. If we work together on this, we could get through all these papers by tonight." Weasley then smiled at Draco. "Trust me, you look like you could use a distraction."

Draco felt the urge to argue for the sake of arguing, but Weasley was right… Draco really could use a distraction right now.

---

Severus Snape's POV

Saturday 19th December, 1993 (Grimmauld Place – Evening)

With pained grunts, Snape made his way down the stairs. Each step sent mind-numbing pain throughout his right leg, so he made sure to rely mostly on his left one. The person who had decided to put Snape on the highest level of this godforsaken house clearly needed to be slapped across the face with some common sense. I bet it was Black, the fool. He even made sure to give me his Death-Eater brother's room. I wonder how he'd react if I told him the truth behind Regulus' untimely demise. Snape smirked cruelly through the pain, it would certainly be very entertaining. A shame that we can't reveal anything about Horcruxes to the rest of the Order.

Eventually, Snape made to the very bottom of the stairs, his face sweaty and red. Just a few more steps… I can do this. Snape used his left hand to lean against the wall as he hobbled towards the Kitchen. Oddly enough, he hadn't run into anyone yet. Most of the Order is preparing for Christmas, no doubt. That particular thought made him frown deeply. They had no time to enjoy the 'holidays'. We all need to be preparing for what's coming.

As he walked past the Living Room, Snape shot a quick look inside. It was empty, but the portrait of Harry Potter quickly caught Snape's attention. Seeing that face was the last thing I needed. Snape grit his teeth as he continued on his journey, a large bead of sweat rolling down his hooked nose. The closer he got to the Kitchen, the more noise he began to hear. Someone was currently making food, which meant that Snape's isolation had come to an end. I won't talk, of course, but sitting up there in the dark is doing my head in. Snape rounded the corner, and as soon as he limped into the Kitchen, he saw Narcissa's long blonde hair near the oven.

Snape reached for his wand with his right hand, only to remember that he had lost both. Who let her out?! Snape looked over towards the sink, and he saw Black and Podmore keeping their eyes on Narcissa. Black already has his wand in hand. What's going on here? Snape's eye drifted towards the nearest chair, and he quickly decided to take a seat. I can't stand for another second… Snape limped to the chair, his pained grumbles catching everyone's attention.

While Podmore and Black looked thoroughly shocked at seeing him, their reactions were nothing compared to Narcissa's. The tall, slim witch dropped the tray in her hands, a scared whimper escaping her now trembling lips. Surprised to see me alive? Snape all but dropped onto the chair, which caused him even more agony. I need crutches, or a leg brace. I can't support my right leg anymore.

"What are…?" Black started, but then he stopped. "How did you get down here?"

"I walked…" Snape barely acknowledged the idiot's presence, his eye was solely fixed on Narcissa. "Who let you out?"

"I… Severus… You're alive…" Narcissa muttered, her usual icy demeanor gone.

"No thanks to you," Snape felt the urge to throttle her. "What are you doing down here?"

"The Headmaster allowed her to bake some goods for her son," Podmore explained. What?

"What an idiotic thing to allow," Snape hissed. "Send her back upstairs, and keep her there."

Narcissa looked rather hurt by his words and tone, which only served to irritate him further. I can't even walk properly, and she's down here making cookies? She should be locked away in Azkaban. Snape drew in a shaky breath, and as he wiped his brow, he felt his Occlumency doing its work.

"Podmore… Get me a glass of water," Snape finally looked away from the traitor.

Podmore quickly did as he was told, and Snape couldn't help but notice the smile on his face. What are you grinning at? Hand me the glass, and be on your way. Once Snape had had his drink, and regained some of his composure, he looked towards Black.

"You need to lock her up now," Snape advised. "She can't be allowed to roam around the house freely." She's too crafty for your puny brain, Black. She'll turn this around if you give her the chance.

"It's just for an hour," Black said, his eyes traveling towards his cousin. "Pick that tray up, and finish up already. I'm getting sick of babysitting you, cousin."

Narcissa clenched her jaw, picked up the tray, and quietly went back to work. Snape noticed that she was trying to look him over in a subtle manner, but since she was so rattled at the sight of him, even Black and Podmore could see her conflicting emotions. Take a good look at your handiwork, Narcissa. After everything I've done for you and your Family, this is how you repay me? Once again, Snape felt filled with anger and bitterness.

"Where is everyone?" Snape looked to Podmore. "Why is our Headquarters unprotected?"

"We sent them out for a couple of hours," Podmore said, his eyes darting towards Narcissa. Ah… I see. They at least thought this through a little.

"Sugar," Narcissa whispered, and all three men looked to her. "I need sugar."

"Sturgis," Black said, and Podmore left for the pantry.

Snape stared at Narcissa's back, and he felt extremely spiteful once again.

"You can bake all you want," Snape started. "But Draco will not have a single biscuit made by your hands."

Narcissa quickly turned around with a panicked look, and then she looked towards Black for help.

"If I had my way, we'd put you down out in the back," Black shrugged. "Like the mad bitch you are."

Snape's lips curled up for a moment, his black eye digging into Narcissa's.

"Dumbledore gave me his word," Narcissa told them, she was always one to recover quickly.

"I don't care about what he gave you," Snape snarled, and oddly enough, Narcissa refused to look in his direction this time. Is my appearance getting to her? Good. "You led me to him… You and Lucius…"

The room went dead silent because of his words, and Narcissa visibly began to shrink in her spot. Podmore reentered the room at that, and he quickly noticed the tension in the air.

"Everything alright?" Podmore asked, and then he handed Narcissa the sugar. "Lady Malfoy?"

"Everything's fine," Black assured his friend, and then he looked to Narcissa. "Get back to your business, cousin."

Narcissa frowned at Black calling her 'cousin', and Snape realized that Black was also trying to get to her. Not very surprising, considering their history.

"My son will be given his gift from me," Narcissa told Black and Snape. "Or I will take this to your leader."

Snape gave a cold scoff at that, she still had the gall to act like a loving mother? Even now? She was leading Draco to his death with her bloody-minded views, and if I'm not careful, she'll keep whispering her poison in his ears. Even in her youth, Narcissa wasn't particularly tolerant towards her 'inferiors', so I have no reason to believe that she will change her ways.

As he watched Narcissa continue her work, Snape's mind drifted to his earlier conversation with Albus and the Weasleys. Contrary to popular belief, Snape was not blind to Draco's needs. He understood that the bedside of a recovering torture-victim was no place for a child, but in the moment, Snape had let his pride control his actions. It was because of the way they came to me… They couldn't help but act like they were the moral authority on what's best for everyone's children. Do they behave this way with Potter as well? If so, how does Black put up with it?

Growing up, Snape had always detested Christmas. His father made damn sure of that, and so Snape always found himself trying to find ways to stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas Break. Draco, of course, had no reason to hate Christmas, and Snape certainly didn't want to give him any reasons. Draco is only thirteen, despite his current situation. Snape's eye drifted towards Narcissa again, and he realized another error in refusing the Weasleys' offer. Draco will try his best to see her, and I'm not capable of keeping him away from her. I can barely leave the bed sometimes… Damn. I can't let her see him, especially right now. Draco is trying to find his own way in the World, and she'll only hinder his journey.

Albus and the Weasley's were right, Draco couldn't spend this Break with Snape. Most of Snape's time was spent recovering from his injuries, and Grimmauld place was currently the home of an armed militia. The Burrow will provide some normalcy to him, even though he'll hate it there. He'll be fed, watched over, and away from his mother. Now all Snape needed to do was to swallow his pride for the sake of a boy who had already suffered far too much. I'm not his father, but I'll be a better father-figure than my own father.

"Black," Snape broke his silence. "Tomorrow, when you go to pick up Potter, take Draco to the Burrow with you."

"What?" Narcissa and Black asked at the same time.

"You can't do that," Narcissa looked aghast. "The Burrow? The den of Britain's most notorious Blood Traitors-"

"Shut it," Black snapped, which made Podmore frown at him. "Snape… Are you serious?"

"Yes, why else would I say it?" Snape asked icily. "Just take him with you. Tell him that I want him there for his own safety."

"His own safety?" Narcissa demanded. "He can't associate with them! The Dark Lord will kill him for-"

"Enough!" Snape glared at her. "I'll kill you, Narcissa, do you understand?"

She paled a little at that, while Podmore and Black just exchanged slow looks. After everything you and your husband put me through, I'd relish the chance to string you up.

"Take him," Snape ordered Black, and then with great effort, he stood back up. "Tell him to stay strong…"

With that said, Snape began to limp towards the exit. I don't think I can make it up there… Fuck.

"Need help?" Podmore whispered, he had walked up behind Snape.

Snape said nothing, but he did give a curt nod. I have to recover, and I need to do it as quickly as possible. Tomorrow, I'll come back down, and then, try to go back up. Snape knew that horrible pain was in store for him, but he was willing to suffer through it. I have spent enough time in bed. Albus and Ron need me, as does my Godson.

---

Daphne Greengrass' POV

Saturday 19th December, 1993 (The Slytherin Common Room – After Dinner)

"You're pouting," Tracey nudged her side, and Daphne quickly fixed her face.

Ron hadn't attended the End of Term Feast, which had ruined Daphne's own dinner. I thought that since we fixed up some of our issues last night, he'd come back to the House. But no… He's still spending his time alone in the Sanctuary. Daphne felt the urge to stomp her feet, but she kept her composure. Stay calm, Daphne. Be the girlfriend who isn't bossy, or clingy.

"Is Ron coming down for the party?" Theo asked, and all four girls shot him frowns. "What? People are already having a fun time, and we're all standing around in a corner. It doesn't look nice."

"He's right," Blaise agreed with Theo. "Malfoy is also missing, which will make people talk." He's probably spending his time in the North Wing again. Either way, who cares about what Malfoy's up to?

"Why don't we just go up there, and bring Ron back with us?" Pansy suggested.

"You can do that," Millie said. "I'd rather not force him to be here if he doesn't want to."

"But we're supposed to spend time together!" Pansy whined. I swear that she's up to something. She keeps hinting at us getting drunk again tonight. "Daphne? Tell them."

"Pansy's right," Daphne said. "Tomorrow, we're all going home for the Break, and Ron chooses now to be a loner?" He could at least show up for a bit, right?

"I'd rather spend my time enjoying the party instead of having Ron tear me a new one," Theo said.

"You girls can go fetch him," Blaise said. "He listens to all of you."

"He listens to Daphne," Tracey quickly excluded herself. Wow. So it's up to me, again.

"We all go together," Daphne said firmly. "It'll be easier to peer-pressure him if there's a lot of us."

"Wait!" Pansy suddenly squealed, making everyone except Blaise jump a little. "Why don't we steal a bottle, and then just have our own party in the Sanctuary? Just us friends!"

"Actually… That does sound nice," Millie smiled a little. "It's really loud in here, and I don't like crowds."

"I want to keep my eyes on Tori," Daphne said. "You know how she is… I can't let her make a mistake tonight." I remember my recent run in with alcohol quite well.

"A mistake?" Blaise cocked his eyebrow. "She's a first year, and no one would dare approach them."

"I meant with one of her male friends," Daphne said. "That Fawley boy keeps staring at her. I've seen it."

"She's a pretty girl, and he's not blind," Theo shrugged. "Relax, Daphne, nothing will happen to little Tori. You do realize that Ron is very closely associated with the first years, right?"

"Theo's right," Tracey said, she didn't like the idea of hovering near the first years all night. "I mean, some boys don't approach me simply because Ron is nearby." What? What's that supposed to mean?

"So can we do what I asked?!" Pansy pleaded, her eyes fixed on Daphne. "Please! It'll be so much fun with just us friends! Tracey can play some music on her music-box, and we can just play cards and dance!" That does sound nice, but why is she pleading so hard? And why is she only looking to me?

Daphne looked around the common room for Tori, but there were far too many people for her to pinpoint the tiny blonde. She's probably dancing somewhere.

"She'll be fine, Daph," Tracey said, and Daphne let out a long breath. "C'mon, let's do what Pansy's suggesting. It does sound a lot better than just hovering around in the corner."

"Alright, I'm in," Daphne relented, she mostly wanted to be where Ron was. Don't be clingy!

"Awesome!" Pansy clapped her hands together. "Blaise and Theo can steal one of the bottles from the seventh years' table-"

"What?" Theo asked. "I'm not doing that! They'll string me up!"

"You stole from the Minister himself," Millie reminded him.

"That was different," Theo said.

"No, it really wasn't," the girls all said together.

"I'll just ask Clara Martyris for a bottle," Blaise drawled.

"You will?" Daphne asked.

"She's friends with Ron, and since he bought them a barrel of alcohol, they can hand over one measly bottle," Blaise said, and then he left to complete his task.

"Blaise taking charge," Pansy smiled at Blaise's back, while Theo just looked between them. "Very attractive, right?"

"I'll go give him support," Theo suddenly changed his tune, and Daphne fought the urge to roll her eyes. The moment Blaise gets a girl's attention, Theo decides to step up.

"I'll grab the Walkman, and the cards," Tracey said. "We can all meet up outside."

"Sounds good," Millie nodded, and Tracey left in a hurry. "Let's go wait outside?"

"Sure," Daphne said, and they began to head towards the exit.

Along the way, Daphne realized that not many people were dancing yet. Most of them were just sipping alcohol from their glasses, and enjoying casual conversation. In an hour, all of them will be out of control. Daphne made a mental note of not drinking too much tonight, the last thing she wanted was to get drunk. Even thinking about my behavior that night makes me want to curl up into a ball. As they neared the exit, Daphne felt a small figure hug her from behind. Who's that?!

"Surprise hug!" Tori sang, and Daphne let out a relieved sigh. I thought some boy was getting handsy with me… I nearly turned around with the intention of kneeing their crotch.

"Tori, I'm glad I ran into you," Daphne turned around with a half-smile. "I'm heading off to celebrate with my friends, and I wanted to make sure that you're planning to behave tonight."

"Ugh…" Tori groaned, and then she looked to Pansy. "Why is she so boring?"

"We don't know," Pansy giggled.

"I'm not boring," Daphne said calmly. "Tori, promise me that you'll behave. No getting drunk, understand?"

"I can't get drunk," Tori said, and Daphne blinked at her. "Apparently, Ron told the Triumvirate that we first years aren't allowed to drink. They said that he wouldn't listen to them, and so, we first years have to obey. Actually… I was hoping that you could talk to him for us." Surprise hug, my purple panties… Wait, Ron forbid them from drinking? This is great! I don't have to worry as much now!

"Sorry, Tori," Daphne gave a sorry smile. "But Ron is in charge of you guys, and if he says that you can't drink, then you can't drink. Do you want him to get angry with you?"

"No," Tori replied immediately, she was clearly rethinking her strategy. "What about one glass? Just one!"

"Ron doesn't negotiate, Tori," Daphne said. "Tell you what? If you behave, I'll buy you something extra for Christmas."

"Really?" Tori's eyes gleamed with greed. "Like what?"

"You'll have to behave to see it," Daphne said, and Tori weighed her options.

"Alright… But you better keep your promise," Tori said, and then she sauntered off towards her friends.

"That was easy," Millie stated.

"Tori likes getting gifts," Daphne shrugged. I'll have to thank Ron as well for being responsible. Hmmm, how should I do that?

"Why are you smiling like that?" Pansy asked, and Daphne fixed her face.

"No reason," Daphne turned to leave. Remember to behave, Daphne. No excessive drinking.

---

Ten Minutes Later

Daphne entered the Sanctuary first, and her friends quietly followed after her. Ron? Are you in here? Daphne's eyes found her boyfriend easily enough, he was currently writing things down on a chalkboard. Was that always here? And what is Ron doing?

"Give me something on the Shacklebolts, Malfoy," Ron said, and they all looked towards Malfoy. He's here with Ron? Why?

"I already told you that there's nothing here," Malfoy said, he was sitting on Ron's favorite chair with a bunch of newspapers by his feet. "The Shacklebolts may occasionally help with charity, but they're not rich enough to head their own projects."

"Surely the Shacklebolts have done one, or two," Ron turned to face Malfoy, and he quickly noticed Daphne and the others. "Oh… Hello."

Malfoy followed Ron's gaze, and when he saw them, he quickly tossed the newspaper in his hand.

"What are you two doing?" Daphne asked, her eyes traveling to the chalkboard. Is that… a tally? Wait… My Family Name is up there too.

"I was just doing some research, and Malfoy decided to help me," Ron told them, his blue eyes scanning them. "Is that a bottle of Firewhiskey?"

"We figured that we'd bring the party to you," Pansy replied slowly. "Why are there three tally marks under my Family Name?" And four under mine.

"Oh, these?" Ron looked to the chalkboard. "Lord and Lady Parkinson have headed three projects in the last two years. A ranch for Unicorns, a protected site for Manticores, and a fundraiser to help expand Magical Britain's industrial businesses. Wizards only, of course."

"Um… They did that?" Pansy asked.

"It wasn't reported on heavily, but Malfoy and I found the proper articles," Ron shrugged. So he didn't come down because he's working… Good, I was worried that things would stay awkward between us.

"You could've asked us for help," Daphne said, and then she moved over to the couches.

"I figured that you all wanted to enjoy the party," Ron said, while Malfoy became eerily quiet once again. Something's been bothering him, even I've noticed that. Does Ron know about it?

"Well, you can put a pin in this," Tracey said as she put her Walkman down onto the coffee table. "We're not taking no for an answer, Ron. We're going to drink this bottle, play cards, dance around, and be silly for a change."

"I'd rather get some more-" Ron started, but a pouty look from Daphne stopped him. It worked? Wait… Of course it worked, I'm adorable. "Guys…"

"Just stop wasting time," Theo said as he sat down. "You won't win this one, mate."

---

Two Hours Later

"You're cheating!" Pansy accused, though her voice came out as a drunk giggle. "Ron, I saw you pass Daphne a card!" Damnit, she's onto us.

"And risk losing myself?" Ron played innocent. "I would never do that."

"I saw him!" Pansy told the others.

For the last two hours, they had been playing Wizard's Poker. Since they didn't have any money to use as currency, they had settled for shots of Firewhiskey. Whoever won was exempt from drinking at the end of the round, and luckily, Daphne had been fortunate enough to be sitting next to Ron. Her boyfriend, for her sake, was helping her win so that she didn't have to drink. But the jig is up, eh? Of course, Daphne had lost a few rounds, but for the time being, her mind was still her own. And it'll stay that way. No more offering Ron 'release'… Well, not until we're both ready for that sort of behavior.

Daphne had been planning to ask Ron at Christmas, but as Christmas loomed ever closer, she found herself conflicted. They were obviously a little too young for this sort of behavior, but she also knew that girls in her year had already experimented with boys. Plus, Ron is my boyfriend, so it isn't too weird. But then again, what would my parents say? Mother would die of a stroke, and father would be sent to Azkaban on two murder charges.

"She's not even listening," Tracey laughed, and Daphne broke out of her thoughts.

"Sorry? What is it?" Daphne looked around.

"You know, I think Ron's rubbing off on you," Tracey pointed out, and Daphne felt her face heat up. Rubbing off on me? What the hell?

"What… What's that supposed to mean?" Daphne asked slowly, and Tracey shot her a bewildered look. I only offered to rub him off! I didn't actually do it!

"It means that I'm influencing you," Ron replied for Tracey. "You alright, Daph?" I'm an idiot.

"Sorry, I just got a little confused," Daphne said, some calmness returning to her mind. "So… I won that game-"

"Yeah, but you cheated," Theo said. "We all know that you two are cheating, by the way."

"We aren't cheating," Daphne denied.

"Really?" Malfoy cocked a lazy eyebrow, he had joined them at Ron's request. Why is Ron so nice to him all the time? Wait… Am I jealous of Malfoy? Get a grip, Daphne. Merlin… I hate alcohol. "Greengrass, you have one more card than you should… Take a look."

Daphne slowly looked at her hand, and then she looked to Ron.

"Oh…" Ron mumbled, his eyes were droopy. He gave me an extra one by mistake?! Why, Ron? "Well… I fucked that up, didn't I?"

"You two need to be punished," Pansy narrowed her eyes on them. "We've been drinking heaps, and you two are just cheating away… For shame."

"Hey, I've been drinking," Ron quickly defended himself. "It's Daphne who should be punished."

"Wow, Ron," Daphne gave him an annoyed look, and he just grinned in a sleepy manner. Actually, he has been drinking for two.

"She has to take a massive gulp," Millie all but ordered, and Blaise passed Daphne the bottle. No… It's still a quarter full…

"I don't want to," Daphne whined.

"Too bad," Blaise said coldly. He's a mean drunk. "Go on, just hurry up so we can start the next round."

Daphne looked to Ron for support, but her boyfriend was swaying from side to side. He's completely drunk. Daphne drew in a deep breath, and then she drank as much as she could. After three gulps, she all but jerked her mouth away from the bottle. It burns. Ugh… That's so gross. No wonder father despises Odgen's Finest.

"Next round!" Pansy quickly hoarded the cards for reshuffling.

"Let's play something different!" Tracey intervened.

"Play what?" Theo asked.

"Truth or dare," Tracey grinned. "You choose truth, or dare, and the person to your right gives the instructions. If you chicken out, you have to drink." The person to my right is Millie. Good, she won't be too harsh with her instructions.

"We don't have much left in here," Theo pointed out, his eyes fixed on the bottle.

"I'll be right back," Ron stood up. "I need to go take a piss."

"Ew," the girls all grimaced, while Theo and Blaise chuckled at Ron's bluntness.

Ron left the room with a happy smile, and Daphne felt the urge to take his seat. If I do that, then he'll be sitting to my right. Ron would never force me to embarrass myself in front of our friends. Daphne smiled coyly to herself, and then, not so subtly, she took Ron's seat. It's so warm. Is Ron's arse on fire? Daphne quickly scoured the room for Ron's arse, but sadly for her, he had left the Sanctuary already. When he returns, I shall gaze all I want.

"Why did you take Ron's seat?" Tracey asked.

"No reason," Daphne lied.

"Right," Theo clicked his tongue. "Bloody hell, I'm feeling a little lightheaded here."

"Weak," Millie scoffed, though her own face was flushed as well.

"I didn't win a single round, give me a break," Theo sank into his chair. "How are you holding up, Blaise?"

"I'm lightheaded as well, but I'll manage," Blaise shrugged. "Wait… We just let Ron walk off into the night…"

"So?" Pansy asked.

"So… This place is on the seventh floor," Blaise reminded them. "What if he runs into Gryffindors? He's drunk, in case you haven't noticed."

"Ron will be fine," Tracey waved a dismissive hand. "I mean, this is Ron we're talking about. He's too paranoid to get caught."

"Don't call him paranoid," Daphne huffed in indignation. "He's just cautious, that's all."

"Oh, no… He's paranoid," Malfoy spoke openly, and Daphne shot him a dead-eyed look. I'm sitting to your right, Malfoy. Do you really want to insult Ron right now? "Honestly, just look at that chalkboard… He's profiling our parents." What?

"Profiling…" Theo looked to the chalkboard.

"Weasley has plans for the Future, or so he says," Malfoy shrugged. "I think he's trying to figure out who his enemies are."

"But… My Family Name is up there," Millie said slowly.

"So is Greengrass'," Malfoy said.

"What makes you think that he's trying to 'figure out who his enemies are'?" Tracey asked.

"When I kept asking him why he was doing this, he eventually told me that he needed to keep 'these people in line'," Malfoy replied. "The way he said it was… alarming… You know when he goes cold all of a sudden?" They all nodded slowly. "Yeah, he went really cold, and then, he just said it like it was nothing."

"I'm back!" Ron called from the door, and they all nearly jumped from fright. "And look what I found!"

In Ron's hand was another bottle of Odgen's Finest, and Daphne felt her stomach turn to lead. He had Marty steal a bottle for him, didn't he? He can't possibly want to keep drinking, can he?

"Where did you get that?" Malfoy asked.

"I have my ways, Malfoy," Ron grinned as he walked up to Daphne. "Wait… That's my seat."

"I wanted to swap," Daphne said innocently, and Ron shrugged before sitting down.

"Here, Blaise," Ron passed Blaise the full bottle. "Let's play, shall we?"

"New idea!" Tracey announced a bit too loudly. "We finish the first bottle, and then, we spin that bottle. Whoever it lands on is it, and then, we spin it again. The person it lands on the second time picks the truths, or dares." What?!

Daphne noticed Tracey's eyes dart towards her, and in that moment, Daphne understood betrayal. This bitch… She figured out why I swapped seats.

"That's reasonable, I reckon," Ron nodded along. Betrayed by Ron as well. "Let's just pass the old bottle around until it finishes, eh?"

Daphne promised herself that she'd be careful with her sips, and then, she took a small sip before passing the bottle to Malfoy. Sip by sip, they eventually finished the bottle. Daphne wasn't going to lie, despite her prudish behavior tonight, she was starting to relax as she consumed more Firewhiskey. Don't fall into the trap, Daphne. That's how Odgen gets you.

"Alright! Spin the bottle!" Tracey squealed, and Blaise did just that.

The bottle landed on Millie, and the big girl let out a grunt. Blaise spun the bottle again, and it landed on Pansy.

"Yes!" Pansy jumped in her seat, while Millie shot Blaise a frown. "What will it be, Millie?!"

"Truth," Millie replied.

"Okay… Do you think I'm pretty?" Pansy asked, and everyone just stared at her. "Well?" Wow… She just wasted her question to sate her vanity.

"Ye… Yes… I think you're very pretty…" Millie mumbled, but they all heard her. "This game is stupid…"

"No, Pansy is stupid," Tracey corrected, but Pansy was too busy smiling to herself because of the compliment. "Blaise, do the honors."

---

One Hour Later

Ron was currently doing twenty pushups on a dare, while Daphne was enjoying bobbing up and down on his back. Pansy had dared Ron to do the pushups, and a condition of his dare was that Daphne had to be sitting on his back. None of them thought that he could do it, but right before he started, Daphne heard him mutter something under his breath, and now here she was. This is actually a lot of fun! He's like my personal horse!

"Faster," Daphne ordered, a drunk giggle escaping her lips. "C'mon!"

"Nineteen… Twenty…" Ron finished, and then he dropped to the ground.

Daphne lost her own balance, and she fell over onto her side. Generally, Daphne was not a fan of lying down on the cold ground, but just this once, she let out a happy laugh as she nudged Ron's side with her foot. My horse died!

"He actually did it…" Theo slowly began to clap. "I'm truly impressed."

"You were clearly a mule in your previous life, Weasley," Malfoy commented, his usually pale face was red and blotchy from drinking.

"I was Ron in my previous life…" Ron groaned from the ground. What?

"I don't think you understand how reincarnation works, brother," Blaise chuckled, he had finally started coming out of his shell. "C'mon, let help you up."

"I understand it better than most," Ron mumbled as Blaise pulled him up to his feet.

"Fuck… Heavy bastard…" Blaise grunted, but he still managed to help Ron up.

The redhead swayed from side to side, and then, he quickly turned to Daphne.

"Daph… I dropped you," Ron realized, but Daphne just shook her head as she sat up.

"I'm fine," she shrugged casually. "Help me up, please."

Ron 'carefully' helped her to her feet, and she decided to rest all of her weight on him. He smiles nice… Take a big sniff, Daphne. Daphne drew in a sharp breath, and she smiled drunkenly. Hmmm, so good. Daphne wrapped her arms around his lower back, and she nuzzled her face into his chest. All mine.

"I think Daphne's done for the night," Pansy pointed and laughed.

"I'm only little…" Daphne sang into Ron's chest, while he just rubbed her back. "I get drunk easy…" Easy? Easily? Whatever.

"We're all the same height," Tracey pointed out. "Well, close enough… The only difference between us are those two melons!" Melons?

"Ha, melons," Theo laughed, and Daphne decided to not make a scene. It's not like Tracey's wrong… I do have giant melons. At least for someone my age.

"Stop that," Ron scolded. "Don't tease her." Yeah, don't tease me. My boyfriend can beat you up.

"He's being protective," Millie sniggered. "Now enough of that, we still have a bit left."

"If I take another sip, I will vomit," Malfoy remarked, and then he curled up into a ball in Ron's favorite chair. "I'm done for the night. Goodnight."

"No!" Tracey all but yelled, making even Ron jump a little. "We have to dance!" Is she inviting Malfoy to dance?

Daphne pulled a bit away from Ron in order to look at Tracey, and she realized that the others were doing the same.

"Did… Did you just invite Malfoy to dance with you?" Theo asked, his voice was quite low.

"No, we should all dance!" Tracey fidgeted with her Walkman, completely oblivious to the stares being sent her way.

"Oh… Okay…" Theo nodded, a slightly calmer look on his face. He's definitely into her, and I know that she's into him. I should play matchmaker!

"You know…" Pansy started, her eyes moving between Malfoy and Tracey. "You two have been acting a bit off lately… Especially around each other."

"What?" Tracey and Malfoy asked together.

"See!" Pansy looked to the others. "They even speak together now!"

"Pansy, calm down," Millie patted the raven-haired witch's back.

"What's going on between you two?" Pansy asked bluntly. "I want to know."

"Nothing," Malfoy rolled his eyes, while Tracey just looked around with a contemplative look.

"Trace?" Daphne called, and her best friend suddenly jumped onto the coffee table. What the…?

"Get down from there," Ron said. "Tracey, you could fall over."

"I have an announcement to make!" Tracey puffed up, a droopy grin suddenly on her face. "Malfoy and I have made peace!"

The Sanctuary went dead quiet, and Daphne found herself gawking at her drunk best friend. What is she on about? Daphne and Ron looked over to Malfoy, who was just staring at her with his mouth hanging open. It's true?! What?! When?!

"What are you on about?" Blaise asked.

"Malfoy… Nay! Draco…" Tracey turned her grin towards Malfoy, who looked even more shocked. "Draco apologized to me for his terrible behavior in regards to my Blood-Status! I know he meant it, and since then, we have existed… Wait… Yeah, we have coexisted peacefully!"

"What the fuck…?" Ron muttered under his breath, and only Daphne heard him. Is this really happening? What is she doing?

"Why didn't you say anything?" Daphne asked.

"Because I didn't want to cause any more problems for the group," Tracey shrugged. "But you know what? We're having a good time together, and it occurred to me that once we're sober, we'll go back to treating Draco like an outsider. I'm getting sick of petty infighting, so I've decided to just get the truth out there." Tracey then looked back to Malfoy. "I'm not trying to embarrass you, but I think you should put aside your pride, and just do what makes your life easier. Get out of your own way, you know?"

Malfoy said nothing, but his clenched jaw clearly wasn't a good sign. I think Tracey just made a big mistake… Still, I can't believe that she didn't tell me about Malfoy. Kudos to her for keeping a secret for so long.

"You know, Malfoy's been behaving quite admirably for the last few months," Ron suddenly spoke up, and Daphne eyeballed her boyfriend. I should've known that he'd jump in to fix things. "Given his history, we can all admit that he's turned over a new leaf."

"Exactly!" Tracey hopped off of the table, and Millie quickly steadied her.

"Just because he doesn't bully us anymore doesn't mean that his past should be forgotten," Millie said. She's right. He attacked Ron, and I can never forgive that.

"I'm right here," Malfoy suddenly shot up. "Stop discussing me like I'm invisible!"

"Calm down," Blaise sighed. "Why are we talking about this? This is not very fun."

"Because now is a good time to clear the air," Tracey said, her eyes fixed on Malfoy. "I'm not saying that we all become loving friends for life, but maybe we could stop being distant to each other." Tracey then looked to Ron. "That includes you as well, mister."

"Hey, I'm on your side here," Ron stated.

"True, but for the last week, you've been really closed off," Tracey pointed out. "Daphne agrees with me on this." She threw me under the bus?!

Ron and Daphne exchanged looks, and all she could do was to give a nod. She's not wrong, truth be told. I've barely seen you all week, even after our chat.

"Did I just dig my own grave?" Ron asked himself.

"This is getting a little too… sappy… for my tastes," Blaise said. "I'll be over by the bed until you lot get this nonsense out of your systems."

"You're a part of the group," Pansy clung to his arm, effectively stopping him. "You can't just walk off whenever things get awkward."

"What about him?" Blaise pointed to Theo, who had been shrinking into the background without anyone's knowledge.

"You fucking prick…" Theo frowned deeply, and Tracey quickly dragged him back to the group. "Ugh… What happened to dancing? You women…"

"Ha, women," Ron sniggered to himself. He loves his casual sexism, doesn't he?

"Ahem," Daphne narrowed her eyes on Ron, but he just pinched her cheek. Ow! "Be serious, Ron."

"Sorry," Ron shook his head clear. "Right, so let's just all be nicer to each other."

"I think we should make a pact," Tracey suggested. "We forgive and we forget. Starting from today, we treat each other with respect and honesty."

"And that includes Malfoy as well?" Daphne asked for clarification.

"Of course," Tracey said, and then she looked to Malfoy again. "Well? What do you think?"

"Does it even matter what I think?" Malfoy asked, and everyone gave him deadpan looks. Of course he makes this difficult.

"It does," Ron said. "Look, you're here with us right now. You pretty much spend most of your time around us, which means that sooner or later, we all need to get this conversation out of our systems. So, why not do it when we're drunk? I don't know about you, but I'm feeling quite out of sorts… In a good way, that is."

"So we all just forget that he attacked Ron?" Millie asked. "Or that he called Daphne a slag? Or that he hit me in the head with a cheap shot? Or that he bullied every single one of us for years?"

"Any other complaints?" Malfoy frowned at Millie, who just glared at him.

"For fuck sake, just stop making this more difficult than it needs to be," Ron rolled his eyes. "Malfoy, I forgive you for assaulting me. And… I'm sorry for hurting you. There, it was that easy. Your turn."

"Um… Ron…" Daphne whispered, and Ron leaned down to hear her. "Not everyone processes things like you." And how can you forgive him for hospitalizing you so easily?

"Help me," Ron whispered back. "Daphne, this is just what I've been looking for… We can end the division in this group if we play this right."

"You and your schemes…" Daphne sighed out. "Alright…" I don't like it, but Ron and Tracey are both together on this.

"Just apologize, Draco," Tracey urged.

"Stop using my given name," Malfoy frowned even more deeply. Yeah, why is she doing that all of a sudden?

"I'm over the fact that you called me a 'Blood-Traitor's slag'," Daphne lied, deciding to help Ron and Tracey.

"Wow… Really?" Millie looked quite taken aback. "Daphne… You can't be serious."

"He called you a whore," Pansy looked scandalized. "You can't forgive that!"

"Things have changed," Daphne shrugged, while Ron's hand found her back. I better get lots of kisses for this. "We were all fighting back then, but now, Malfoy is a part of the group." An unwanted part, but still… "The longer we stay… distant… the more problems we'll face going forward. For the sake of efficiency, we must come together. Only when we are united will we see-"

"Ease up on the formality," Ron whispered. Oh.

"Look, this is ruining our night…" Daphne drawled. "Let's just make up, and then we can dance." How's that? I'm not always formal.

Malfoy was staring at Ron, and when Ron shot him a meaningful look, Malfoy's expression turned cold.

"I'm… sorry… for my past actions…" Malfoy said very slowly, he looked thoroughly put off. That's his best? Really? "I'm leaving… This is stupid…"

Malfoy headed for the exit, and no one went to stop him, but as soon as he left the Sanctuary, Ron followed after him.

"Where are you going?" Daphne asked.

"I'll be right back," Ron said, and just like that, he too was gone.

"Nice going, Tracey," Blaise said coldly. "Way to kill the mood."

"I didn't kill the mood," Tracey denied. "He apologized, didn't he? It's up to us to capitalize on this."

"Tracey, a word?" Daphne asked, and Tracey walked over to her.

"What is it?" Tracey asked.

"Where did that come from?" Daphne asked as they separated from the others. "And why were you calling him Draco?"

"Oh… I figured that I'd tear down the barriers," Tracey replied. "It didn't work, I think." No, it did not. "Still, he apologized, so I'm counting this as a win." You call that an apology?

"You could've warned us," Daphne said.

"It wasn't a planned move," Tracey shrugged. "I'm not like you, Daph, you know that. I don't plan my interactions with other people, I just go with what feels right in the moment. We were all having a great time, and I decided to use that to clear out some dirty laundry."

"Right," Daphne said slowly. "Why didn't you say anything about Malfoy before? Did he really apologize to you?"

"He did," Tracey replied. "It was on the night of the St. Mungo's Gala. Since then, we've both been ignoring what happened that night, but that clearly wasn't the right call. I mean, Malfoy did sound genuinely sorry when he apologized to me, so I'm almost certain that he regrets how things have turned out for him."

"You mean he regrets being a loser," Daphne said, and Tracey tutted her.

"That was actually a cruel thing to say, Daph," Tracey said.

"But it's true," Daphne said. "Just because he apologized doesn't mean that he's not Malfoy anymore. We still need to be cautious around him."

"There's a difference between being cautious and being hostile," Tracey said. "I'm not going to resort to his previous behavior as a means to get back at him. That would make me just as bad as he used to be." Tracey then shot a look back at Millie and Pansy. "They won't be too happy with me on the train ride home."

"No, they won't be," Daphne sighed out. "Just don't take this any further for now. Malfoy clearly didn't appreciate what you were trying to do, and neither did the others."

"What about you?" Tracey asked.

"I don't like him, and I doubt that I ever will," Daphne admitted. "But… You're not wrong about him being a part of this group. Ron is adamant about keeping Malfoy around, and although I don't understand his motives, I've learned to trust Ron's judgement."

"Sometimes," Tracey smirked.

"Sometimes," Daphne smiled a little.

"Thanks for backing me up, then," Tracey put her arm around Daphne's shoulders.

"I didn't see any choice in the matter," Daphne shrugged. "My best friend and boyfriend were outnumbered, weren't they?"

"Speak of the devil…" Tracey said, and Daphne followed her gaze towards the entrance.

Ron had just reentered the room with a happy smile, but Malfoy wasn't with him.

"Well?" Pansy asked. "Is he not coming back?"

"No, he's done for the night," Ron replied. "I think he was mostly embarrassed because Tracey put him on the spot out of nowhere."

"Sorry, but not sorry," Tracey said casually.

"No, you did well," Ron gave her his golden smile, and Tracey perked up immediately. "I'm proud of you, Tracey. It must've taken a lot to move past your grievances with him, and I really appreciate the effort you're making. Thank you." What about my efforts? Turn that smile in my direction!

"Well… It was nothing," Tracey smiled a little too brightly for Daphne's liking. I will claw that smile off your face. Wait… Is she blushing? Or is she just drunk?

"Can we finish this bottle now?" Theo drawled from the couches. "I feel like the night took a nosedive out of the blue…"

---

Theodore Nott's POV

Sunday 20th December, 1993 (The Sanctuary – Well Past Midnight)

"We can listen to Pink Floyd on the way home," Tracey went on excitedly, and Theo just listened with a smile.

They were currently sitting by themselves in a corner within Sanctuary, the night had come to a close. Ron and Daphne had snuck off to find a broom closet, while Pansy had been escorted to her bed by Blaise and Millie after she vomited all over the sandpit. This left Tracey and Theo alone for the time being, which suited Theo just fine. He didn't know if it was the alcohol, or just blind courage, but he felt the need to spend even more time with her. You're smitten, Theo, and you know it.

"Is Pink Floyd anything like Led Zeppelin?" Theo asked, he quite enjoyed Led Zeppelin. I hate to admit this, but Muggle music is far better than ours. They have so many genres, and they integrate their technology to improve their music. It's quite… admirable.

"Yes, and no," Tracey replied. "I personally prefer Led Zeppelin, but some songs from Pink Floyd are just amazing. My dad loves Pink Floyd a lot, and he often plays their music at home. The amount of times I've heard 'See Emily Play'…"

"Your dad?" Theo asked.

"Mum introduced him to Muggle music," Tracey replied.

"Must be a trait in the women of your Family," Theo joked. "Introducing Pure-Blood wizards to the Magic of Muggle music."

"Oh, are we going to get married as well?" Tracey smirked. Is she flirting with me? I'm not really sure, but it feels like she does it all the time lately. "You'll have to listen to a lot more Muggle music for that to happen. I can't marry an uncultured individual, of course."

"I'll get right on it," Theo sniggered, and Tracey suddenly leaned against his side.

Theo tensed a little because of the sudden contact, but he relaxed just as quickly. Her hair smells nice.

"You don't mind, do you?" Tracey asked. "I feel really tired, and my head is spinning."

"No, I don't mind at all," Theo moved a little closer.

"I bet you don't," Tracey snorted. Usually, when girls snort near me, I find them horribly unattractive. But when Tracey does it, it's kind of cute. Merlin, get a hold of yourself, Theo. You need to exude confidence, not whatever this is. "Earth to Theo?"

"Pardon?" Theo broke out of his thoughts.

"I asked you if you were comfortable," Tracey repeated.

"Well, not really," Theo replied truthfully. "Your elbow is digging into my side."

"Oh, sorry," Tracey stopped leaning on him. Damn it, Theo. Way to fuck that up.

Tracey slowly repositioned herself, and then she planted her head on his lap, her legs extending out as she all but lied down on the floor. Alright, this isn't so bad.

"Better?" Tracey asked, and Theo nodded. "You're being awfully quiet right now. Is something on your mind?" Far too many things are on my mind.

"I'm just drunk," Theo shrugged, he wasn't lying when he said that. "Honestly, I've never drank so much before."

"Me neither," Tracey said. "But you know what? I'm glad that we did. I missed out on the night of the Gala."

"That was a fun night," Theo smiled to himself.

"I can't believe that you guys convinced Longbottom to get drunk," Tracey giggled.

"He was good company, truth be told," Theo admitted. "Funny, even."

"Longbottom's funny, is he?" Tracey smirked.

"In a goofy sort of way, yeah," Theo replied.

"Should I be jealous, Theo?" Tracey asked in a playful tone. "Does Longbottom often make an appearance in your thoughts?"

"Get out of it," Theo flicked her hair. She's flirting again. "Trace… Look, this might be awkward, but I just need to ask… Are you flirting with me?"

"What?" Tracey blinked, her glee gone immediately. Think before you speak, Theo! What's wrong with you?

"Never mind, I'm being… drunk…" Theo looked ahead, and after a couple of seconds, Tracey sat back up. Uh-oh.

"I… I think so," Tracey mumbled, and Theo blinked at her.

"You think so?" Theo asked slowly. "So… You're not sure?" How's that even possible?

"Now that I think about it, the way we talk does seem… flirty…" Tracey said, a slightly embarrassed look on her face. "Does it make you uncomfortable? I didn't mean-"

"No," Theo interrupted. "It doesn't make me uncomfortable… It's just that… We had that talk at your birthday party, remember?" We decided that we couldn't date, and I still believe that. Father would never allow it, and I don't want to choose between them.

"Yes, I remember," Tracey shifted in her spot. "We both admitted that we had feelings for each other…" Don't cringe, Theodore. "But we also decided that dating was out of the question for us. It'd only hurt the group in the long run."

"Yeah…" Theo said, he regretted bringing this up. "Let's just move on from my stupid question… What do you say? There's no need to make things more awkward."

"Do you still think about me like that?" Tracey asked, ignoring Theo's request. So much for not making this any more awkward.

"I… Um… Sometimes…" Theo all but whispered. "And you?"

"Sometimes," Tracey whispered back. "It hasn't been that long since our chat, though."

"It certainly feels like it has," Theo said.

They both stared at each other for a few seconds, and Theo could feel the awkwardness setting in. Tracey clearly wanted to say something, but instead of saying it, she was fidgeting with her hands in a drunk manner. As for Theo, he was starting to realize just how terrible anxiety was. I think I'm sweating a little. I hope she doesn't smell it.

"Time for bed?" Theo asked. Time for bed? Am I retarded?

"Wait…" Tracey quickly put a hand on his shoulder, she was suddenly too close for comfort. "Have… Have you kissed anyone yet?" WHAT?!

"I… Oh… Um…" Theo stammered.

"Yes, or no," Tracey looked quite serious.

"No…" Theo admitted, and he had no idea why he felt so embarrassed by that fact.

"I haven't either," Tracey told him. "Sometimes, when I see Ron and Daphne sneak off, I can't help but wonder… Do you understand?"

Theo could only nod, he had a frog in his throat. Is this going where I think it's going?

"What if we just kiss? Just once…" Tracey put her other hand on his other shoulder, effectively keeping him in place.

"Is that a good idea?" Theo managed to ask. "We already decided not to date…"

"We can just share our first kiss, can't we?" Tracey smiled a little, she was definitely anxious as well. "We won't if you don't want to-"

"I want to," Theo blurted out, what sane boy his age wouldn't? "So how would this work? We just kiss, and that's it? We never mention it again?"

"It'll be our secret," Tracey nodded.

"Okay," Theo agreed, though he felt a little disappointed. It's a one time thing, but I suppose that's for the best.

"Okay," Tracey copied him, and then she scooted even closer to him. "I'm… I'm really nervous…"

"Me too," Theo said, and Tracey smiled a little more.

"Alright, here we go…" Tracey drew in a deep breath.

They slowly leaned forward, and when their lips finally touched, they both moved back immediately. Um… Does that even qualify as a kiss? Don't ask her that, it might upset her. Think, Theo… How can you ask for a proper-?"

"Can we try again?" Tracey asked bluntly. "I want to at least feel it…" Am I just a coward?

"Alright," Theo agreed.

This time, they moved a little more fluidly. Theo figured that they were both starting to relax, which was obviously a good thing. When their lips met this time, Theo leaned forward a little more in order to make the kiss last. Tracey's lips were quite soft, despite being thin, and Theo found himself enjoying the sensation. It smells like Firewhiskey, and it's probably the same for her. Neither of them were pulling back, and Theo decided to be a little bolder. He pulled back only to reposition himself, and before she could end the kiss, he planted his lips on hers again.

Tracey's hands found his face, and judging by her soft thumb caresses, she was enjoying this just as much as him. Theo knew that she was going to pull back before him, but right now, he didn't care about that. He was just glad that his first kiss was with someone who he was comfortable around. Someone who he actually cared about. After a few more blissful seconds, Tracey pulled back to get some air.

"Wow…" Tracey breathed heavily, a rather happy smile on her face.

Theo had half a mind to pump his fist into the air like Ron did whenever he won something. She enjoyed it! I didn't embarrass myself!

"That was fun," Theo smiled properly.

"It was," Tracey agreed. "I'm… I'm really glad that I had my first kiss with you, Theo… I'm not trying to sound corny, but that's just how I feel."

"Me too," Theo said. Stop saying 'me too'! "Wait… I'm glad that I did it with you, not myself… That doesn't make-"

"It's alright," Tracey giggled. "I understand what you meant."

"This stays just between us, right?" Theo asked. "You won't tell Daphne?"

"Only if you don't tell Ron, or Blaise," Tracey moved over to his side. "As far as first kisses go, I think this was perfect."

"Me too," Theo said, and she leaned against him again. No elbow this time?

"Do you want to listen to some Led Zeppelin?" Tracey made herself comfortable, and Theo put his arm over her slender shoulders.

"Only if we start with 'Immigrant Song'," Theo's smile widened. I want to ask her if we can keep kissing, but that would be a foolish thing to do. Even if she agrees, it'll just cause problems down the line. Maybe I should talk to Father about Tracey? No… No, that would be incredibly stupid. It's just a crush, Theo, don't ruin your life over it. Hopefully, these feelings will go away. Hopefully.

---

Lord Voldemort's POV

Sunday 20th December, 1993 (Nott Manor – In the Dead of Night)

It was over.

The Dark Lord was currently using the last of his strength to perform a Dark, and forgotten, ritual. Peter Pettigrew's body had reached its expiration date, and with this latest development, the Dark Lord's future was now shrouded in uncertainty.

Over the last two months, the Dark Lord had suffered defeat after defeat, and it was always because of his incompetent followers. Greyback had lost the Werewolf Army, and then, he had abandoned Michael to die at the hands of Emilia Travers. And speaking of Michael, the young Vampire's head had been found impaled on a spike on the outskirts of Knockturn Alley, and when it was brought back to Natalia, the foreign Vampire had shown her true colors in splendid fashion. The Manor had been filled with corpses within minutes, Elves and Vampires alike. None could escape her wrath, and she wept for her 'brother' as she created a mountain of corpses.

Lucius, Cornelius, and Fenrir were left alive only because the Dark Lord stepped in to stop her rampage, but the look in her eyes promised retribution in the near future. Lord Voldemort wanted the three idiots punished, of course, but losing them now would be disastrous. With a majority of his Vampires dead, Gaspard still in a coma, and his body falling apart, the Dark Lord had decided to cancel Cornelius' invitations to the Old Guard. They could not be allowed to see him in such a weak state, not after twelve years apart. For now, the Dark Lord needed to create his new vessel, but his options were limited.

Creating a sustainable vessel out of thin air was impossible, but for someone like Lord Voldemort, it was just another obstacle to bypass. During his search for power, Lord Voldemort had found an Ancient Tome within Russia which had taught him the Art of Necromancy. In the following years, the Dark Lord had learned all of the Tome's secrets, and he had even improved greatly upon many of its Spells and Rituals. One of these rituals would grant him a weak, but sustainable, vessel, and the Dark Lord already had all the ingredients he needed.

The first ingredient was a living Elf, one that had powerful Magic coursing through its veins. Elves were peculiar in that their Magic was tied to another living being, and luckily for Lord Voldemort, he knew how to siphon this borrowed Magic. Lord Voldemort had forced Cornelius to hand over the Elf's ownership, and once that was done, he had ordered the Elf to willingly give up his Magic. The extra bit of power that he would gain from siphoning the Elf's Magical Core would help him power the Blood Ward which required a lot of Magic to function.

The second ingredient was a woman with child, and as it happened, Fate had delivered one to Lord Voldemort's doorstep. Casey Yorkshire. The Werewolf's unborn child would become Lord Voldemort's new vessel, but first, it needed to be cleansed. Lord Voldemort had already discovered that once a Werewolf died, the Lycanthropy Curse died as well. This information was crucial in this plan, because despite his need for a new vessel, the Dark Lord would never taint himself with such a disgusting disease.

The final two ingredients needed were a powerful poison and Unicorn Blood, both of which Lord Voldemort had because of Solomon. The poison would kill the mother, and her child, but the Unicorn Blood would strengthen the dead fetus enough to survive possession. The Dark Spells from the Tome, and the Blood Ritual, would transform the dead fetus into Lord Voldemort's newest vessel, one that would hopefully last longer than Peter Pettigrew. Lord Voldemort will never die… Never!

As the Dark Lord finished his chant, his red eyes turned to the weeping Elf, who was bound in chains and suspended above the Blood Ward. Give me your Magic, Elf. Serve a greater purpose. The Dark Lord restarted his Dark Chant, his rotten left hand aimed at the Elf. Slowly, but surely, he could feel himself becoming stronger. The Elf screamed and screamed, blood pouring out of its every orifice as its Magical Core was all but yanked out of its tiny body. Once the Dark Lord was certain that he had prepared himself enough, he looked Natalia with a firm look.

"Now…" the Dark Lord hissed, and the Vampire stepped into the Ward in order to ungag Casey Yorkshire.

"PLEASE! NO! HELP ME! SOMEONE! PLEASE!" the Werewolf began screaming for help, but Natalia shoved the bottle of poisoned Unicorn Blood into her mouth.

The Werewolf tried to resist, but Natalia was far too powerful. The mourning Vampire had agreed to help the Dark Lord in order to get her revenge on Emilia Travers, even if that meant killing a pregnant woman. And since most of the witnesses were dead, Gaspard would never know about this. Fate had done everything in its power to hinder the Dark Lord, but his will to live would never be extinguished.

Casey eventually drank down the Unicorn Blood in order to avoid being choked to death, and once the bottle was empty, Natalia quickly moved away from the wheezing Werewolf. The Dark Lord poured all of his Magic into the Blood Ward, which began to glow brightly. It's working! I can feel the life draining from the child within her! The entire chamber was filled with crimson light from the Ward, and that seemed to terrify Casey even more. She pulled against her chains as hard as she could, her tear soaked face twisting from agony and fear. She even screamed for the 'Gods' to save her, much to the Dark Lord's amusement. There is only one God, and his name is Death. He is the true enemy of all living things, and I will spit in his face.

As his Dark Chant came to an end, the Dark Lord felt his current vessel break apart from overuse. Peter Pettigrew's bones shattered from rot, and his putrid blood leaked out of his pus filled wounds. Within seconds, Peter Pettigrew was nothing more than a pile of rotten flesh surrounded by foul smelling, black blood. The Dark Lord's spectral form flew around the room, and through the shadow and mist, two red eyes bore down on Casey Yorkshire. The woman was now screaming from mind-numbing misery, and the Dark Lord wasted no time in possessing her.

It was an almost unpleasant feeling to pass through the woman's stomach, and then, to feel himself confined to a terribly tight space. His current host, the fetus, was dead from the poison, but its body didn't reject the Dark Lord due to the Unicorn Blood. Magic from the Blood Ward began to seek its Master, and the Dark Lord felt his undead body move. It's working! The Ward is creating a sustainable body!

"It… hurts…" Casey began to choke, the poison was now claiming her life as well.

The Dark Lord ignored the sounds of the mewling Werewolf, he could feel his appendages growing as the fetus transformed into something eldritch, and before long, he was even able to move his fingers. The sounds of bones forming and shifting filled the womb, and Lord Voldemort was certain that Natalia could hear them due to her heightened senses. There is no air in here… Natalia needs to cut me out now.

"Natalia…" the Dark Lord hissed from within Casey's corpse, and he suddenly felt a tremor.

Natalia was no doubt undoing the chains, and just as the Dark Lord began to lose his patience, light blinded him. He felt cold air biting at his skin, and while his new eyes adjusted, he felt Natalia wrap him in a thick blanket.

"I… live…" the Dark Lord hissed, a terrifying smile breaking out on his little face.

---

One Hour Later

Lord Voldemort sat in Cornelius' study, his child-like body covered in blankets. Natalia had left an hour ago to clean up all evidence of the Dark Lord's ritual, and judging by her demeanor around him, Lord Voldemort was certain that she was terrified of him. For all her power, and experience, she was just a child compared to the most powerful sorcerer to have ever existed. She will not disobey me now, not after witnessing my greatness.

The Dark Lord curled his abnormally long fingers around his wand, casting Spells was now out of the question. Although he felt powerful enough to still cast many of his Spells, the Dark Lord refused to risk his new vessel. Peter Pettigrew was meant to last at least a year, but because of the Dark Lord's abuse of Magic, Pettigrew was now nothing more than a pile of rotten flesh and bones. Now more than ever, Lord Voldemort required servants. Gaspard was still in a coma, Lucius, Fenrir, and Cornelius were locked away in the dungeons, and Michael was dead. Natalia was the only servant who still wandered Nott Manor, but she had other duties.

"The bodies have been taken care of," Natalia said as she entered the room, and the Dark Lord turned his little head in her direction.

She seemed wary of his grotesque, scaly, and child-like form, but that only served to amuse the Dark One.

"Come… closer…" the Dark Lord whispered, his piercing red eyes fixed on her.

"What is next, Lord Voldemort?" Natalia asked as she stopped in front of him.

"Are you afraid?" Lord Voldemort asked.

"Yes," Natalia replied, she wasn't one to hide from her fears.

"You admit it so freely," Lord Voldemort hissed. "Why?"

"Fear is the enemy," Natalia recited her father's teachings. "And one must never turn their back to their enemy." She will make for a more useful servant than Michael ever could have. He was too… blood-thirsty. "What is next?"

"I will need attending to at all times," Lord Voldemort told her. "This vessel is vulnerable, and it will cease to exist if it is not strengthened monthly."

"Strengthened?" Natalia asked.

"I will require a Potion… A Potion of my own creation, that is," the Dark Lord replied. "All you need to know is that two ingredients are extremely important, for without them, my Potion will not work. Unicorn Blood, and venom from a powerful serpent."

"Any powerful serpent will do?" Natalia asked. "I can find Runespoor venom in Knockturn Alley easily enough."

"Make sure that it is potent," the Dark Lord ordered. "The more potent the venom, the stronger I will be. As for the Unicorn Blood…"

"That won't be easy to find," Natalia said. "Finding a Unicorn these days is quite rare, especially after that fire in Albania." She has no idea that I caused that inferno. A shame too… There were many Unicorns in that forest.

"Do not fail me, Natalia," Lord Voldemort warned her, and she made sure to not look intimidated. "I have reached my limit with useless servants…" Go on, deny being a servant. I'll tear your mind apart.

Natalia just stared at him, but she was wise enough to hold her tongue. After what she had just witnessed, she was definitely more scared of the Dark Lord than even her own father. At least her father could be killed, whereas this monster was literally immortal. She knew now that no one could escape the Dark Lord forever, not even her.

"Speaking of servants," Natalia chose to change the topic. "What of the three in the dungeons?"

"You will not harm them," the Dark Lord replied. "At least, not yet…"

"We can't operate with only two people," Natalia advised. "They need to be put to use, even though I'd rather watch them die." She… is right. With me in this form, I cannot expect her to take care of me and run the Vampires in Knockturn Alley.

"Bring them to me… Now."

---

Lucius Malfoy's POV

Sunday 20th December, 1993 (Nott Manor Dungeons – In the Dead of Night)

It was so cold down here.

Lucius huddled in on himself in a desperate effort to keep the cold out, but it was pointless. The Nott Dungeon Cells were fixed with Freezing Charms, which meant that a person would sooner die of hypothermia than torture.

As it stood, Lucius feared that his death was fast approaching. The Dark Lord had tortured both Cornelius and Lucius with the Cruciatus Curse, and then he had them locked away. Lucius, of course, already knew that his Master was as ruthless as they come, but he still found it unjust that he was being punished for Cornelius' failure. The old fool had been outsmarted by a damn Troll Half-Breed, not to mention that he had nearly poisoned the Dark Lord to boot.

How had his life come to this? Lucius cursed the day when Cornelius Nott had called him over to discuss the Dark Lord's survival, everything had fallen apart since then. Lucius had lost his home, his wife, his son, and now, he was going to lose his life. Cissy… Draco… Lucius shivered as he thought of them, and he if he weren't so cold, he might have even wept. His wife and son were in the Order's clutches, and not a moment passed without Lucius thinking about them. Were they being mistreated? What was Draco doing for Christmas? Did Draco even know that his Family had been torn apart? He's all alone, while I'm stuck in here. Lucius grit his teeth, and he felt the urge to pull at his own dirty hair. He had failed his Family.

The sound of a metal door being unlocked caught Lucius' attention, was it time for their daily meal? No, I swear I ate only a few hours ago. Right? How long have I been in here? How many days have passed? Lucius looked around the darkness for signs of life, he knew that he wasn't alone in here. Cornelius and Greyback are down here as well, but I don't know if they're still alive. Footsteps suddenly echoed throughout the dungeon, and then, someone unlocked Lucius' cage.

"Who's there?" Lucius croaked, but no one responded. "Speak…"

A firm, but feminine, hand grabbed Lucius by his neck, and just as Lucius groaned from the pain, he was all but dragged across the cold floor. Lucius tried to resist his violent assailant, but a strong backhand knocked him out of his senses.

---

An Unknown Time Later

Air breached his tired lungs, and Lucius awoke with a pained gasp.

The dim light of the room hurt his eyes terribly, and Lucius quickly guarded his vision. Where am I? The sound of someone else waking up beside him caught his attention, and so, Lucius slowly opened his eyes. It was Greyback, and he was bruised to the point of unrecognition. The only reason why Lucius had recognized the animal was because of his hairy appearance, which had no doubt helped him in the cold dungeons.

"Lucius…" came Cornelius' voice from his left, and Lucius barely held back the urge to kill the old fool. "Lucius, sit up now." Why does he sound so urgent?

"Let him recover his senses," came a cold whisper, and Lucius blood froze in his veins.

"My Lord…" Lucius looked ahead, and what he saw nearly stopped his heart.

They were in Cornelius' Study, and before them sat the Dark Lord. Only it wasn't the Dark Lord… No, instead of Peter Pettigrew's mutilated body, the Dark Lord wore the body of a child, but it was unlike any child that Lucius had ever seen. The Dark Lord's form was scaly, a dark, raw, reddish black. His arms and legs were long, thin, and feeble, they looked almost birdlike. And his face… His face was flat and snake-like, but at the same time, it looked the face of an Elf. This creature before Lucius looked eldritch, almost completely unnatural. And yet, there it sat, its gleaming red eyes fixed on Lucius.

"I sense your fear, Lucius," the Dark Lord whispered, and Lucius bowed immediately. "I forgive you."

"For… Forgive me, my Lord?" Lucius whimpered, his bones were still aching from the cold.

"This form was always meant to be a last resort," the Dark Lord explained. "But recent failures have forced my hand."

"A thousand apologies, my Lord," Cornelius groveled. "I am to blame, I understand that. Please… Please give me another chance… I will never fail you again…"

"No, you will not," the Dark Lord whispered dangerously. "Poor Theodore would suffer a most painful death if you fail me again, Cornelius. And the same applies to Draco, Lucius." No…

"I understand…" Lucius spoke to the floor. "Thank you for sparing us…"

"Your Lord is merciful," the Dark Lord said, he was no doubt smiling at their fear. "But only to a certain degree… I have use of you three, and this time, I will show no mercy to the man who fails to enact my will."

Lucius subtly looked to his right, and he found Greyback bowing his head just like Lucius. This is what I've been reduced to? I beg at the feet of a monster alongside an animal like Greyback? Lucius quickly dispelled his treacherous thoughts, he could not afford to let the Dark Lord hear them. Think of Draco and Narcissa. Getting them back is all that matters now.

"What must we do, my Lord?" Cornelius asked, he sounded a hundred years older than he was.

"Find the others… Bring them to me," the Dark Lord commanded. "I have decided to lead my Death-Eaters again, even in this form. Contact only those who aided us in the last war."

"Yes, my Lord," all three of them said together.

"And if you fail this time, I will grant Natalia her vengeance," the Dark Lord promised, and Lucius remembered the Vampire's wrath.

Fangs, fire, claws, and corpses flashed in his mind, and he felt his stomach turn to lead. I cannot fail, not again. I have to succeed for Narcissa and Draco's sakes. Without me, they have no one left to watch over them.

---

Harry Potter's POV

Sunday 20th December, 1993 (The Hogwarts Express – Midday)

Harry was genuinely feeling down today, despite the fact that he was going to be seeing Sirius again. In the morning, when they were all making their way out of the castle, Harry had the misfortune of looking at the House Hourglasses. Slytherin was over eight hundred House Points ahead of Gryffindor, and to add insult to injury, Gryffindor was dead last in the running for the House Cup. Hufflepuff was just behind Ravenclaw, but that hardly mattered because Slytherin was miles ahead of Ravenclaw as well.

Hermione and Ginny, just like Harry, were also terribly letdown by their House's performance. The only person currently not too bothered was Neville, but that was simply because Neville hated competing in anything. Harry actually liked that about Neville, but it didn't change the fact that Gryffindor's good name was getting butchered this year. The look on Professor McGonagall's face will haunt me all year, I reckon. She looked so… distant… as we passed the Entrance Hall.

"The Dueling Tournaments," Hermione said suddenly, and Harry looked to her.

Harry, Neville, Ginny, and Hermione were currently occupying a compartment together, but none of them were speaking.

"What about the Dueling Tournaments?" Harry asked Hermione.

"That's how we can still win the House Cup," Hermione said, her eyes fixed on Harry. "Think about it, Harry… One hundred House Points will be given to each Group that wins in the Group Tournament, so we can potentially make six hundred House Points when that comes around. As for the Ranked Tournaments, we could use them to leave Slytherin in the dust."

Harry, and the others, just stared at Hermione, and in that moment, Harry remembered that Hermione wasn't a person who gave up easily. She's right, though. What's the point of brooding about this when we can do something to turn the tide? Harry decided to back Hermione on this, her 'never surrender' attitude was just what he needed right now.

"She's right," Harry said to Ginny and Neville. "We can still win the House Cup!"

"That's a bit of a stretch, mate," Neville couldn't help but say. "Slytherin dominated the Year-Based Tournaments-"

"They clearly all practiced beforehand," Hermione countered. "We can do that as well, you know. What if we make a… a group, of sorts…" Hermione then snapped her fingers. "We can make it like Ron's study group-"

"Hermione, it's your study group," Ginny reminded her, while Harry shot a look at Neville. Guess Ron's takeover is complete, huh?

"Whatever," Hermione shook her head. "What I'm trying to say is that we come together as a House, and we all prepare together. I mean, if a House like Slytherin can do it, then so can we."

"Who would we even talk to?" Neville asked.

"The older students," Harry replied. "People like Oliver, Angelina, Katie, Alicia-"

"So the Quidditch Team?" Ginny asked.

"Well, no… But those are the only older students that I know," Harry replied.

"What about my brother Percy?" Ginny asked. "He's in Rank-A." Ugh… Percy… He's never going to help us.

"We can ask him," Harry said, but he wasn't planning on holding his breath. "What matters is that we do something about this… Did you guys see McGonagall?"

They all nodded uncomfortably.

"She looked gutted," Ginny sighed out.

"I'd say that she looked ashamed," Hermione said. "And you know what? She has every right to be. We haven't been doing very well all year, and this latest defeat was on us as well."

"This is all well and good, but you're all forgetting one thing," Neville said, and they all looked to him. "Slytherin has the strongest student in the school." He's right… As long as Ron's on Slytherin's side, we have a pretty big hurdle to jump.

"Ron?" Ginny gave an extremely bored look, while Harry and Hermione nodded their agreement.

"Ginny, he destroyed everyone during the Tournament," Harry said, but Ginny just rolled her eyes. She seriously can't be this blind, can she? Maybe Hermione's right… Ginny's judgement is impaired whenever Ron is brought up.

"Ginny, you can keep underestimating Ron all you want, but the facts are the facts," Hermione said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Did you seriously not see the Slytherin second years?"

"They moved like him," Harry said, and Hermione shot him an approving smile.

"Exactly!" Hermione said. "He's been teaching them himself, which is why they did so well. Honestly, he even spoke to Suzie Ninkovich before she went up against you, Ginny. And we all know how that turned out." Why would you throw that in her face? She's been trying her very best to keep you happy ever since you lost to Greengrass.

Both Neville and Harry cringed a little, while Ginny looked genuinely vexed. Seriously, Hermione, read the room.

"What Hermione is trying to say is that Ron is clearly helping Slytherin," Harry quickly tried to repair the situation, while Hermione remained oblivious to what she had done.

"Right…" Ginny reluctantly decided to let it go, she was in no mood to argue with Hermione. "So what do we do about that? It's not like Ron will stop helping them if we ask him to."

"No, but we can learn from his techniques," Hermione said. "We can learn to dodge better, we can learn to use a variety of Spells, and we can come up with clever tricks to throw our opponents off. We can even ask the Rank-A Gryffindor students to teach us." Hermione then beamed. "Wait!"

"What are you doing?" Neville asked, while Hermione pulled out some parchment from her book bag. I can't believe she's still carrying it around even though school's closed for the Christmas Break.

"Let's make a plan," Hermione began writing on the parchment. "We can sort out training days, potential tutors, and other logistics on this." That sounds… boring.

"Or… We can just go ask people now?" Harry suggested. "It'll give them time to think things over during the Break."

"I like that idea," Ginny agreed with Harry. "Sorry, Hermione, but some things need to be done face to face."

"Sorry? What was that?" Hermione looked up from her work, and Neville sniggered to himself. Did she just zone us out?

"I think we should just go and talk to people," Harry repeated. "You know, give them a heads up."

"We need a plan first, Harry," Hermione looked back to her work. "We need to know who to approach, and how to convince them to join in."

"Here's an idea, we find out what it will take when we're there," Ginny said, and then she stood up. "Harry, do you want to go now?" Now?

"Sure," Harry got up as well. "Nev?"

"Yeah, I'm in," Neville agreed, and for a moment, Harry could swear that Ginny looked vexed again. Probably just my imagination. Neville and Ginny get along really well.

"You don't even know who to approach first," Hermione huffed.

"We do know who to approach first," Ginny said. "My brother Percy." Ugh… "Let's go?"

"Yeah," Harry agreed, while Neville opened the compartment door.

The three of them made their way out, and when Harry looked to see if Hermione was coming along, he saw her writing things down with an annoyed look. Three of us it is, then.

"He'll be in the Head-Boy and Head-Girl's compartment, which is down that way," Ginny pointed down the carriage.

Ginny and Neville began making their way down the carriage, and Harry reluctantly followed after them. Of all the Weasleys, Percy was Harry's least favorite. Of course, that didn't mean that Harry had anything against Percy, but Percy often acted like he was better than the people around him. The twins had made Harry aware of that, and when he had asked Ginny about it once, she had told him the same thing. Not to mention that he tried to destroy our Quidditch Team.

As they neared the Head-Boy's compartment, Ginny signaled them to be quiet. And then, she pushed the door open and jumped inside.

"Percy! Do you have-" Ginny stopped mid-sentence, and when Harry peered inside, he knew why.

Percy was currently massaging a blonde girl's back, and her shirt was hanging just beneath her bare shoulders. What the hell?! Don't look, Harry!

"Out!" Percy roared, while the girl burst into laughter. "Get out!"

Harry all but dragged a stunned Ginny outside, and Neville quickly shut the door as he yelled out an apology. The trio just exchanged looks, and Harry could see genuine confusion taking over Ginny's face.

"Penelope's not blonde…" Ginny muttered, and Harry blinked at her. What? "That girl was blonde…"

"I think that was Carey Ductu," Neville said guiltily. "She's the Head-Girl… Ginny, why didn't you knock?"

"I… I never knock… It's how I ran into Percy and Penelope-" Ginny stopped abruptly. What was she going to say? "That wasn't Penelope!"

"Calm down, Ginny," Harry shot a panicked look at the door.

"He's cheating on her!" Ginny fumed. "How could he?! Penelope's a really sweet girl! And he's cheating on her with some… Slytherin… hussy!" Hussy? Who says that in this day and age?

The door suddenly swung open, and Harry quickly moved in front of Ginny. Percy stepped through with a deep frown, his eyes immediately finding Ginny as he shut the door.

"Knock next time," Percy snapped, while Ginny pushed herself past Harry. This isn't going to plan whatsoever. Hermione was right… Why didn't I listen to her?

"You're cheating on Penelope," Ginny accused, her digging into Percy's. "How could you do something so disgusting, Percy?!"

"I'm not cheating on her," Percy frowned even more deeply. "Don't make silly accusations without knowing the facts, it's unbecoming." He's still being pompous after we caught him feeling up a girl who isn't his girlfriend? Wow.

"Really? Then what was that?" Ginny pointed to the shut door. "She was naked!" I wouldn't go that far…

"Only her shoulders…" Neville pointed out, but Ginny's glare shut him up. We should leave.

"So she was getting naked, it doesn't change the-" Ginny started, but Percy shushed her. "Don't shush me!"

"You're spiraling, and you're going to embarrass us both," Percy told her. "I owed her a massage from a bet that I lost, and I was paying my dues. There was nothing sexual about it." Really? That's your best? She'll never believe that.

"Liar!" Ginny accused, and Harry slowly started to back away. Just leave, Harry. This is a Family feud, and you're not meant to see it. "That was a pathetic lie, Percy… At least try to be a little convincing!"

"It's the truth," Percy puffed up. "I don't have to justify myself to you, Ginny. What do you want from me?"

"Nothing now!" Ginny turned to leave, only to stop when she saw Ron walking down the Gryffindor Carriage with a wide grin on his face. Good God, this is what happens when you don't listen to Hermione Granger!

"Hello," Ron greeted everyone, his grin dying down a little. "What's this? Are you lot fighting about something?"

"Percy is chea-" Ginny started, but Neville stopped her.

"Ginny, we don't know that," Neville said quickly "Don't spread that around, it could hurt people."

"Like he cares," Ginny shot an icy look back at Percy, who clenched his fists until his knuckles were bone white.

"Neville? Harry?" Ron looked to the two boys, and Harry simply shook his head. I don't want any part of this. I'm done meddling in Weasley affairs.

"Ginny, and her rude little friends, barged into my compartment," Percy told Ron, while Harry held back a frown. I'm rude? You're the cheater. "I was giving Carey Ductu, the Head Girl, a shoulder rub when they walked in, and now, Ginny is accusing me of being a cheater."

Ron looked between Ginny and Percy, and then, he simply turned around and began to walk away. Bloody hell! He just walked off!

"Ron?!" Ginny snapped.

"This has nothing to do with me," Ron quickened his pace. Follow his example, Harry. Walk away.

"Ron, get back here," Percy ordered, and Ron stopped midstride. "Why were you coming here?"

"I wanted to show you my report card," Ron turned around and patted his suit, a slight grimace on his face. "But had I known that this was going down, I would've stayed away."

"I am not cheating on Penelope," Percy defended himself. "Ron, you know how I feel about her, so you know that I'd never do that." Ron knows what?

"Where is Carey?" Ron asked as he walked back reluctantly. "I feel like she should be here."

The door suddenly opened from behind Percy, and Carey Ductu stepped through with an amused smile. Harry had to admit that she was incredibly beautiful, but something about her rubbed him the wrong way. She clearly had the Slytherin arrogance mastered, and the fact that she was smiling right now proved that she enjoyed stirring the pot. In other words, she's an arrogant, self-centered individual. Is that a requirement to be accepted into Slytherin, or something?

"You ruined my massage," Ductu shot Neville a wink, and Neville immediately adorned a shy look.

"So he really was giving you a shoulder rub?" Ron asked. "Just a shoulder rub?"

"Your brother isn't the lying sort," Ductu turned her smile towards Ron, who didn't look very amused.

"Do you really want to lie to me, Carey?" Ron asked, a bland look on his face. "You know what I do to liars, don't you?" Huh?

The temperature seemed to drop, and both Harry and Neville exchanged looks. We really shouldn't be here. As for Ductu, she was no longer smiling. Harry would even wager that she looked slightly scared all of a sudden, which had bewildered the rest of them.

"No, Ron, I am not lying," Ductu said seriously, and Ron just stared at her.

"Right," Ron eventually broke his silence, and then he looked to Ginny. "See? No cheating."

Ginny said nothing, instead, she looked to Harry like he had some sort of answer to what was happening. He really does run all of Slytherin, doesn't he? He even has influence over the Head-Girl.

"What was this bet?" Ginny turned to look at Percy, she had no intention of backing off.

"None of your business," Percy scoffed, and then he frowned at Ron. "Ron, don't speak to the Head Girl like that. Show her the respect that she's due."

"It's alright, Percy," Ductu put on another smug smile. "Ron is on our side."

"Stay away from my brother," Ginny warned Ductu. "He has a girlfriend, and he can do a lot better than you."

"Ginny, enough," Percy scolded. "All of you. Enough."

Harry exchanged another awkward look with Neville, and he saw that his best mate was just as uncomfortable as he was. If I could jump out of this train right now, I would.

"Do you still want to see my report card?" Ron asked slowly. "If not, I'd like to leave this awkward exchange." Take me with you.

"Just tell me the results," Percy rubbed his forehead.

"Nine Outstandings," Ron said, and Percy's shoulders relaxed a little. Nine?! He got an Outstanding in every subject?

"Well done, Ron," Ductu looked pleased, which only seemed to vex Ginny.

"Harry… Neville… Do you guys know where the Trolley is?" Ron asked. "If so, you should take me to it." Is that an out?

"Yeah, I know where it is," Harry volunteered, while Neville nodded a little too fervently.

Without another word, Ron turned around and began to walk away. Harry and Neville quickly followed him, but Ginny remained where she was. She'll find us later, I'm sure. As they passed by the fourth compartment, Ron let out a deep sigh of regret.

"Just my luck that I walked into that nonsense," Ron said, and then he looked back at Neville. "Why were you there?"

"Ginny wanted to talk to Percy," Neville replied, while Harry shot a look back.

Ductu had left for her compartment, but Ginny and Percy were still arguing out in the open.

"Thanks for the save," Harry spoke up, but he wasn't sure if he should have. Things are still… strained… between us. God, this Break is going to be so awkward.

"You both looked ready to kill yourselves," Ron shrugged. "So… How did you go this term? Any Outstandings?"

"I got one in Herbology," Neville smiled widely. "Though I… struggled… in my other subjects. I got an Acceptable in Potions, and it was only because Dumbledore started teaching us in December." Snape would've failed Neville on purpose… The git.

"What about you, Harry?" Ron asked as they moved into the Hufflepuff Carriage. He's really asking me?

"Oh… I got one Outstanding," Harry replied. "In Defense against the Dark Arts, that is…"

"What about the other subjects?" Ron asked.

"Mostly Exceeds Expectations," Harry replied, Remus' tutoring had really turned his grades around. "Though I also got an Acceptable in Potions…" And all because Snape hates my insides. I actually showed Remus some of my old work, and he was shocked to see that Snape was failing me for no reason besides spite.

"What about Hermione?" Ron asked. "I bet she got twelve Outstandings." Well, you'd be wrong.

"She actually got ten Outstandings," Neville said, and Ron shot a confused look back at the Gryffindor.

"Ten?" Ron asked. "How?"

"She got an Exceeds Expectations in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and…" Neville trailed off. We can't tell him about Hermione's Poor in Divinations, she'd go mental if we did that.

"And?" Ron asked.

"And we don't remember what she got in Divinations," Neville lied, and Harry shot him a dull look. We both don't remember? He'll never believe that.

"She failed, then, huh?" Ron shook his head. "Daphne told me that Hermione's not very good at the subject."

"She just doesn't like to make things up for good marks," Harry quickly defended Hermione. "Professor Trelawney has us write a 'dream journal'… It's actually quite pathetic…" I haven't learned a thing about the Art of Divination all year.

"We all know that she's a fraud," Neville added. "Well, most of us do… The girls are quite enamored with her, actually."

"Trelawney's no fraud, I assure you," Ron said suggestively.

"What makes you say that?" Harry asked.

"Would the Headmaster hire her if she were?" Ron asked back, and Harry slowly shook his head. "Shame about Hermione's grades… She ought to drop the subject if she doesn't enjoy it. It'll only damage her record, otherwise." Ron then perked up. "The Trolley! It's over there!"

Ron quickened his pace, and before they knew it, they were waiting in line. Do I have my wallet? Ah, there it is.

"How did your friends go?" Neville asked Ron. "Good, I hope."

"They got mostly Exceeds Expectations," Ron shrugged. "Theo got an Outstanding in Herbology, as did Tracey of all people." Davis? "Blaise got an Outstanding in Runes and Astronomy. Daphne got an Outstanding in Divinations, as did Pansy and Tracey." Davis again? She got two? "And Millie got an Outstanding in Defense."

"Bulstrode got an Outstanding?" Harry blurted out, and Ron shot a frown back.

"She worked very hard, Harry," Ron said, his tone slightly cold. "Don't fool yourself into thinking that she's slow… She knocked Neville around quite nicely, if I remember right."

"That she did," Neville said, trying to ease the sudden tension. "Harry was just surprised, that's all." Definitely surprised. Is he tutoring her?

"Oh, and Malfoy got an Outstanding in everything but Defense, Care of Magical Creatures, and Runes," Ron added. Why does he sound so pleased about Malfoy? Wait… Malfoy did better than me? Damnit! "I hope they have pork sandwiches… I reckon I heard Daphne's stomach rumble before."

---

Arthur Weasley's POV

Sunday 20th December, 1993 (Platform 93/4 – Nearly Five 'o'clock)

"How am I supposed to pull this off?" Sirius rubbed his face. "That kid will never believe me, not to mention what the others will think."

Snape had decided to let Draco spend the Break in the Burrow, and as glad as Arthur was with the man's decision, it did create quite the dilemma. All the adults had agreed to keep the war hidden until after Christmas, but with Draco now coming to the Burrow, the children would have questions. Questions that will ruin their last happy Christmas. Draco already knows about the war, and I'm not even sure if he's told the other Slytherins. Ron might already know about the war, and if that's the case, I don't even know where to start with him.

"You'd better make a decision quickly, Sirius," Pandora said. "The Hogwarts Express is right over there."

Sirius looked towards the bend at the end of the station, and he let out a panicked yelp.

"Alright, I'm going to hide," Sirius said, and everyone just stared at him.

"What?" Arthur asked.

"I'll hide, and when the others leave with you, I'll approach Draco," Sirius explained. "You can tell Harry that I had an errand to run, and that I'll meet him at the Burrow."

"What will you be doing?" Molly asked.

"I'll take Draco to Snape, and he can explain his decision to the boy," Sirius said.

"And how do you plan to explain Draco Malfoy's presence at the Burrow?" Mary asked.

Sirius groaned, while an idea popped into Arthur's head. This could work, but only if Ron agrees…

"I'll talk to Ron," Arthur said, and everyone looked to him. "He's friends with Draco, right? I'll convince Ron to say that he invited Draco to the Burrow… The other children might believe that."

"Ron will have questions, Arthur," Molly said. "You know him, don't you? He'll figure out that something is wrong." I know, but I can't think of anything else.

"I'll ask him to trust me," Arthur said, and the Hogwarts Express' horn went off as he finished. "Sirius, I'll meet you and Draco back at Grimmauld Place. It would look better if Ron brought Draco back to the Burrow instead of you."

"Fuck it," Sirius turned to leave. "Just do it, Arthur."

With that, Sirius ran off to hide behind a thick column.

"Arthur, this isn't a good idea," Molly urged. "Ronnie will figure out that something is wrong! It'll ruin his Christmas!"

"Use emotional leverage," Sebastian suddenly said, and Arthur looked to him. Emotional leverage? "Tell him that you need him to trust you as his father, and that when the time comes, he will have his answers. Ron might try to hide this, but he's the sentimental sort. If you show him that you truly need this, he'll do as you ask without question." Really? Sounds very… not like Ron.

"The train is stopping," Xeno said. "Make up your minds now, because any second now, children are going to flood the station."

"Arthur," Molly urged.

"I can't think of anything else," Arthur said. "Molly, we both decided to have Draco over, but for that to work, we need some sort of explanation. Ron will listen to me, I'm certain of it." I'm really not, but I can't think of anything else.

"James! Susana!" Mary called out, and the Davis Family spotted them. They're staying with the Greengrass Family, but their daughter will be over at the Burrow every day, I imagine.

"There you are," James smiled as they approached the others. "Sorry for being late, but something urgent came up."

"Urgent?" Sebastian asked.

"Business," James replied. "Had to tell my workers that I was going away for the Christmas Holidays."

"Where is Sirius?" Susana looked around.

"Behind that pillar," Mary pointed out, and Susana looked thoroughly confused. "Don't ask… It's not a very interesting tale."

"Fair enough," Susana looked to the Hogwarts Express. "We made it just in time, love."

"Are we still on for tonight?" James asked Arthur.

"Oh, yes, of course," Arthur nodded. "Dinner starts at eight, but you should all come over before that. I can show you my shed full of Muggle wonders." James understands the value of that shed. He's even promised to teach me how some of that stuff works.

"Arthur, don't get distracted," Molly clicked her tongue.

"Right," Arthur freed himself from his thoughts about Muggle gadgets.

As the students of Hogwarts began piling onto the station, Arthur and his companions began looking for their children. It was an impossible task, as Arthur already knew, but somehow, their children always found them. The noise steadily increased until no one could hear anything but loud, happy yelling, and Arthur used his height to look for any signs of red hair.

"Father!" came Percy's voice, and Arthur looked to see Percy moving past his schoolmates. "Excuse me, coming through! Sorry!"

When Percy finally broke through, Molly immediately pulled him into a tight hug.

"You're back!" Molly squealed, while Percy let out a groan from her bone-crushing hug. "Where is your sister?" I hope Molly doesn't scold her in public. I still can't believe that Ginny would call Ron… what she called him…

"Somewhere," Percy replied, and Arthur couldn't help but detect some annoyance in his son's tone. Are they fighting at school again? "I think I saw Ron with Luna just before."

"Oh, good," Pandora relaxed a little.

"Should you really be here, Mrs. Lovegood?" Percy asked, while Molly still clung to him. "You look very far along."

"Am I too big?" Pandora asked calmly, and Percy blinked at her. "Are you calling me fat, Percy?"

"No! I didn't mean any disrespect, of course! I was just thinking-"

"I am only teasing you, Percy," Pandora smiled, while Xeno looked around for Luna in a rather frantic manner.

"Oh…" Percy looked to Arthur, who just smiled at his son. He's so easy to rattle, it's adorable.

"Come here, son," Arthur extended his arms for a hug, and Percy looked a little embarrassed.

"I'm a bit too old for hugs, aren't I?" Percy asked, his eyes darting towards the other adults. Oh…

"Nonsense, give your father a hug," Molly laughed. "Go on."

"No, it's alright," Arthur put his right hand forward for a shake. "Percy's right, he's a man now." Though I would still prefer a hug from my son.

"Exactly," Percy perked up, and then he shook Arthur's hand firmly. "It's good to see you again, father."

"You look well," Arthur looked Percy over.

"He's nothing but bones," Molly huffed. "Honestly, you always come back too skinny, Percy. Don't you eat properly at Hogwarts?"

"I eat just fine, mother," Percy sighed out.

"Luna! Over here!" Xeno waved his arms about, and Arthur heard an excited squeal.

"Dad!" Luna came running out of nowhere, her trunk nowhere to be seen.

"Come here, love!" Xeno laughed in childish manner, and his daughter quickly clung to his middle. "You've gotten taller!"

"Only a little!" Luna buried her face in his chest. Um… Where is her trunk?

Pandora had walked over to her husband and daughter, and they were now quietly having their happy reunion. As for Arthur's questions about Luna's missing trunk, those were resolved when Ron made his way past the crowd. He was carrying both his things, and Luna's, a content smile on his face. He's wearing a suit? A rather nice suit, actually.

"Hello," Ron greeted his Family, and Molly had him in a hug instantly. "My back…"

"Welcome back, Ronnie!" Molly crushed him even more, and Ron just dangled about in her embrace.

Arthur's eye was caught by a thin, platinum-blonde haired boy, and he looked to see Draco Malfoy standing in a sea of happy children and parents. He was completely alone, a distant look on his face as he looked around at his excited schoolmates. He doesn't even know who's picking him up, does he? Arthur felt a strong pang of guilt for an odd reason, he really didn't agree with Narcissa Malfoy being kept as a war prisoner. She should be handed over to the Ministry, or sent back to her husband. The Order never took war prisoners before, and we don't need to start now. I mean, look at him… He's only thirteen, for Merlin's sake.

"Dad?" Ron called out, and Arthur broke out of his thoughts. "Are you there?"

"Sorry, son," Arthur put on a smile. "I was looking for Ginny, that's all."

"She'll find her way here, I'm sure," Ron smiled back. "Can I get a hug now?"

"Of course," Arthur's smile turned genuine, and then he embraced his son. "You look happy, Ron. I'm really glad." Really, really glad.

"Why wouldn't I be happy?" Ron snorted. "Mmm, you smell like the Burrow."

"The country air has a certain charm to it," Arthur chuckled as he pulled back. "Nice suit, son. Do you always walk around looking so dapper?"

"Actually, I have some work to take care of," Ron fixed his suit up. Work? "I got a letter today from Gringotts, and it's urgent. I'm actually going to head to Diagon Alley from here, and once my work is done, I'll return to the Burrow." He really can't turn off, can he? His Break just started, and he's not even coming home.

"You can't be serious," Molly looked shocked. "Ron, you only just got back…"

"I know, but I'll be home by six," Ron promised. "If I leave this until tomorrow, I'll just worry about it all night."

"What about your friend?" Molly asked. "Shouldn't you help him settle in first?"

"I asked him the same thing," came a smooth voice, and they all looked to see Theodore Nott standing behind Molly.

Daphne, Astoria, and Tracey had found their own parents, and while they celebrated their reunion, Arthur thought of a rather clever plan. I can go with Ron to Gringotts, and speak to him about Draco away from the others. From there, I'll take Ron to Grimmauld Place where we'll meet up with Sirius and Draco. After that, we'll all return to the Burrow together.

"Here we go," Ron smirked at Theodore.

"Ron is already proving to be a disinterested host," Theodore smirked back, and then he looked to Molly. "Thank you for inviting me over, Mrs. Weasley. I am very excited to stay at your house for the Break. Ron has told me about your cooking skills, and I simply can't wait for dinner."

"Well, aren't you well-mannered?" Molly smiled, an approving nod accompanying her smile.

"Don't believe him," Ron chuckled. "He's a liar, and a piece of-"

"Ron," Molly shushed her son, annoyance flashing across her face. "He's our guest, don't be rude."

Ron gaped at Molly, while Theodore just kept smiling pleasantly. It hadn't take long for Arthur to notice how relaxed Ron was around his friend, which was a good enough reason for Arthur to host Theodore Nott at the Burrow. I just need to remember that Theodore is not his father, nor is he guilty of his father's crimes.

"It's good to finally meet you, Theodore," Arthur put his hand forward for a shake, and Theodore shook it quite firmly for a skinny lad. "Ron hasn't told me much about you, but I'm hoping to learn more during your stay."

"Thank you, Sir," Theodore smiled. "We can both get better acquainted, because as you said, Ron hasn't told me much about you." Theodore then turned his smile towards Ron. "Why are you so secretive, Ron?"

"Believe me, we've all asked that question before," Molly stated, while Ron just gave Theodore a bored look.

"Don't forget whose room you're sleeping in, mate," Ron said, and Theodore just sniggered to himself. "Anyway… I'm going to head off. I can't be late for my meeting." Ron then looked towards Pandora. "But first…"

Ron snuck up behind Pandora, and then he kissed her cheek from the side.

"Ron," Pandora smiled widely as she turned to face him. "Welcome back, my sweet."

"It's great to see you again, Pandora," Ron hugged her carefully, making sure to mind her pregnant belly. "I've missed you so much."

"I have missed you as well," Pandora held her hug, her left hand rubbing the back of Ron's head.

Arthur shot a subtle look to his wife, and he noticed a rather subdued look on her face. She's still jealous of their relationship… I can't say that I blame her, sometimes I feel envious of Sebastian myself. But, if Ron's relationships with Pandora and Sebastian are helping him, then we need to make our peace with our situation. Ron's health is what matters most.

"Mum! Dad!" Ginny called out, and they both looked to see Ginny approaching with Harry, Neville, and Hermione in tow.

"Molly, remember what we discussed," Arthur whispered to his wife. "We'll pull Ginny aside during the Break, and then we can sort out her fight with Ron."

"I know, Arthur," Molly put on a smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "But we'll talk to her as soon as possible. I can't believe that she would say something so disgusting to her own brother." This is going to be unbearable, isn't it?

"Welcome back, Ginny," Arthur greeted their daughter first, making sure to give her a warm hug.

"Yes, welcome back," Molly said, and then she gave Ginny an abrupt hug. Seriously…

"Are you alright, mum?" Ginny asked slowly, her eyes darting towards Arthur.

"I'm fine," Molly said, and then she looked to Harry and his friends. "Sirius has some errands to run, so he'll meet you at the Burrow. He's really sorry about this, but it was quite urgent." He is literally hiding behind that pillar over there.

"Oh…" Harry nodded slowly. "That's alright, I suppose…"

"Alright, I'm heading off," came Ron's voice. "Dad, please take my trunk back to the Burrow for me. Helios isn't in his cage because he's flying over to the Burrow as we speak."

"Wait," Arthur quickly moved to Ron's side.

"Where is he going?" Ginny asked.

"Don't worry about what your brother is up to," Molly said, and Arthur shot her a quick look. At least try to act normal, Molly.

Ginny looked between Ron, Arthur, and Molly, and then she simply rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," Ginny said, and Molly's right eye twitched. Good Lord, Molly's going to explode any minute now.

"Everyone who is going to the Burrow!" Arthur started. "Follow Molly towards the fireplaces! Ron and I will join you all shortly!"

"You're coming with me?" Ron cocked an eyebrow.

"If that's alright with you," Arthur gave Ron a meaningful look.

"Sure," Ron said slowly, and then he began making his way towards the fireplaces. "Percy, show Theo to my room, please. I'll be back soon."

"Where are you going?" Percy asked.

"Gringotts."

---

Sunday 20th December, 1993 (Gringotts Bank – Nearly Evening)

Ron's meeting had been quite short, and Arthur still hadn't brought up the issue of Draco Malfoy. Truth be told, Arthur had no idea how to start such a conversation. Ron had proven himself to be an extremely observant individual, he had, after all, figured out Remus' secret all on his own. Not to mention Peter Pettigrew. It took Ron six months to do what I couldn't in eleven years.

"Dad, are you alright?" Ron asked. "You're pretty quiet for some reason."

"Am I?" Arthur smiled, but Ron wasn't fooled. "How was your meeting? Everything still on track?"

"My meeting was fine," Ron said. "My Logistics Officer needed my signature for Marietta Angel's contract, and now that that's done, he can approach her. The Quibbler has its fourth official staff member." He keeps saying Logistics Officer, but he never gives the Goblin's name. Is it paranoia? Or is it just something he does without realizing?

"That's great news," Arthur said. "Xeno will be really happy to hear that everything is on schedule. The fireplaces are right over there-"

"Actually, dad, I have one more errand to run," Ron said, not breaking his stride.

"Really?" Arthur quickly caught up to him. "What else do you need to do?"

"I need to go to Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment Store," Ron said, and Arthur was quite taken aback. "Don't take this the wrong way, dad, but I have decided to resolve our Gnome problem once and for all."

"Gnome problem?" Arthur blinked, and then he let out a long breath. This again?

"I spoke to Theo on the Hogwarts Express, and when I told him that we had Garden Gnomes, he was utterly shocked," Ron said firmly.

"They are harmless little-"

"They are not harmless," Ron cut in. "Dad, they are burrowing holes in our property. That's what they do. Have you found any potholes around the Burrow?"

"The Burrow's always had potholes," Arthur countered.

"Well, eventually, the area around the Burrow will be far too damaged to grow anything," Ron said as they exited the bank. "Those little bastards are known to sink houses, dad." I can't deny that some new potholes have appeared around my shed. "Oh, and since we have a well, they could poison that as well. Their sweat is toxic to humans, and although it's not enough to kill us, it could make us really sick."

"How does Theodore know all of this?" Arthur asked.

"He's in love with Herbology," Ron replied. "I mean, when I told him that mum had a garden, he immediately started pelting me with questions. I'm pretty sure he plans to help improve the garden, just like he does whenever he stays at Greengrass Manor." What kind of thirteen year old boy loves gardening? "And I want those Gnomes gone before we have our guests over."

"For Christmas dinner?" Arthur asked.

"I don't want Lady Longbottom, or Merlin help me, Great-Aunt Muriel seeing that we have a pest problem," Ron replied. "These are important guests, dad, and we need them to be impressed by us. By me."

"Ron…"

"Dad, I am going to be asking for their support, and I know very well that I wouldn't support a person who can't even take care of his own house," Ron stated bluntly. That was a little harsh, but he has a point. Muriel would just sneer down at us like always. "You've seen the change that a bit of money can make, right?"

"Yes," Arthur sighed out.

"What's more important to you? A bunch of Garden Gnomes? Or these people helping me to improve the lives of the needy?"

"The latter," Arthur admitted. But those Gnomes have always been a part of the Burrow.

"Then you'll support me in this," Ron said, it sounded an awful lot like an order. "Mum will not be pleased, and my siblings will definitely act like brats, but this needs to happen." Brats?

"Alright, Ron, you win," Arthur conceded, he didn't want Ron's mood to be spoiled. Not when I'm about to ask him to take the blame for Draco Malfoy being at the Burrow.

"Good," Ron smiled as he patted Arthur's back. "Trust me, dad, this helps us a lot more than it hurts us. I know that you like those Gnomes, but I promise you, they only want to damage your property."

"Wiseacre's is right over there," Arthur pointed, his own spirit slightly dampened. I'm going to miss those little buggers.

Ron made his way into the shop, and Arthur followed after him. The inside of the shop was exactly as Arthur remembered it from his last visit. It was dusty, filled with random curios, and the moving space was constantly invaded by objects that were either too long or too wide. Last time I was here, it was to buy Ginny her brass telescope for Astronomy.

"Welcome to Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment Store," the store clerk greeted them, she was a young, slightly chubby, witch. "My name is Matilda, how can I help you?"

"We have a Garden Gnome problem on our property," Ron walked up to the counter, and the witch clicked her tongue.

"Nasty little blighters," she commentated, and Arthur decided that he didn't like this young woman very much. "Best way to keep them out is a good, solid fence. One laced with Creature Repulsion Charms."

"Do you have anything like that?" Ron asked.

"We do, but first, I need to know the size of your property," she replied, and Ron looked to Arthur.

"The Gnomes stay in our garden, mostly," Arthur explained. "I'd say the garden is roughly five hundred square feet."

"That's quite large," the girl said, and Ron nodded along.

"It is not fun to clean out," Ron smiled, and the girl chuckled.

"I bet," she agreed. "I can place an order for you after you select which type of fence you want, and we can even have it delivered within a day if your home is not near Muggle properties."

"That sounds great," Ron said. "And it will definitely keep them out?"

"It will, but if you're really worried, I can offer you a safe pesticide," the witch offered. "It'll be cheaper than the fence, and far more effective."

"I'll take the pesticide," Ron said. What?

"No, Ron," Arthur said firmly, deciding to put his foot down. "We'll take the fence, thank you." The witch looked between the two of them, while Ron shot a confused look back. "Bring us the fence options."

"Right," the witch said, and then she quickly disappeared into the back of the store.

"Pesticides, Ron? Really?" Arthur frowned a little.

"What? It'll save me money," Ron said, and Arthur didn't even know what to say. "Dad… They're pests… Their lives don't matter." Is he fucking serious? What the fuck?! Look at him… He's dead certain about what he's saying.

"Ron, you don't get to decide who lives and dies," Arthur told his son. "Every life is sacred, I thought you understood that."

"Yeesh," Ron grimaced. "They're Garden Gnomes, dad, not people… But whatever. We'll get the fence."

"Good," Arthur looked ahead, he was slightly disturbed by his son's ruthlessness. I swear that he wasn't like this when he was younger. Ever since he started attending Hogwarts, he's become a completely different person.

---

Twenty Minutes Later

The fence had been picked out, and ordered. It was going to arrive at the Burrow within the day, and Ron had already volunteered to put it up without using his Magic. When Arthur had asked him why he wanted to do manual labor, Ron had simply told him that he wished to understand Squibs better. This had left Arthur extremely confused, but he didn't prod Ron.

"I'll prepare the floo," Ron said, but Arthur stopped him by putting his hand on Ron's shoulder.

"Before you do that, son, I need to talk to you," Arthur said, and Ron turned around with a curious look.

"Alright," Ron said. "Is everything alright, dad? You've been acting a little off."

"I need a favor from you, and it's… quite odd…" Arthurs said. I'll just ask outright. It's the best strategy, I think.

"Anything," Ron looked rather serious all of a sudden. "Please, name it."

"Certain things have happened, things that you don't know about," Arthur started. "Before I ask this favor, I want you to understand that all of your questions will be answered soon."

"Okay…" Ron said slowly, his eyes narrowing.

"Draco Malfoy is currently with Sirius," Arthur said, and Ron just stared at him. Well? I can't tell if he's surprised.

"Go on," Ron said. Go on? So he's not surprised? Maybe he's just good at masking his shock? "Dad?"

"Right," Arthur shook his head clear. "Draco needs to spend his Break at the Burrow for his own good, but his presence will raise a lot of questions."

"Questions that won't arise if I'm the one bringing him over," Ron figured, and Arthur took a step back. What the…? Why do I get the feeling that Ron knows a lot more about what's been happening than we give him credit for?

"Ron, do you know about his situation?" Arthur asked slowly.

"I know that something's happened to his parents," Ron replied. "But beyond that, I have no idea. He's not really an open person." Ron then stood up straighter. "I'll do whatever you ask, dad, just tell me what you need."

"Really?"

"Of course," Ron gave a firm nod.

"Wow… I… um… I don't know what to say," Arthur admitted. "Thank you, Ron, this means a lot to your mother and I."

"I'm happy to help," Ron smiled and shrugged.

"I just need you to act like Draco being at the Burrow was your idea," Arthur said. "And while he's there, I also want you to keep an eye on him. Make sure that he doesn't do anything… Malfoy-like…"

"If you're asking me to make sure that he doesn't behave like a prick, I'm sorry to tell you that not even the Gods could do that," Ron stated. "But, I'll do my best to keep him out of trouble."

"I know you have questions, and like I promised, they'll be answered soon," Arthur promised once again. "Now… Your siblings won't be too happy about Draco being at the Burrow, and they might blame you for everything. I know it's unfair, but I need you to keep your head held high for me. Your mother has put a lot of work into this Christmas, and we really want all of you to enjoy yourselves."

"I'm used to their ire," Ron said. "You need my help, dad, and you will have it. Don't worry, you can count on me."

Arthur smiled as he put his hands on Ron's shoulders, he was honestly quite touched. He's definitely going to be taller than even me.

"Thank you, son," Arthur said. "And thank you for being so understanding about this. I don't like hiding things from you, but sometimes, we have to do things that don't agree with us for the greater good."

"I understand completely," Ron said. "So… Are we collecting Draco and Sirius, then?"

"Yes, let's go."

---

Draco Malfoy's POV

Sunday 20th December, 1993 (Grimmauld Place – Nearly Evening)

"Do you want a drink?" Black asked, but Draco just stared at the floor. "I think I have some apple juice-"

"I don't want anything from you," Draco spat out. "Leave me alone…"

His Godfather, who was currently unconscious due to Pain Relief Potions, had stayed awake long enough to tell Draco that he'd be spending his Christmas with the Weasleys. Once again, Draco had absolutely no choice in the matter. Dumbledore came to me with an offer, and when I rejected it, his bloody Order made the decision for me. I was dead right… I'm just another prisoner. They won't even let me see my mother.

"Right…" Black sighed out, and then he left for the Kitchen.

Draco thought about sneaking up to the attic, but he knew that it would accomplish nothing. His mother was most likely under lock and key, she was, after all, Albus Dumbledore's prisoner. The feeling of utter powerlessness was bearing down on Draco, and it was taking everything in his power to not break down. He knew that if one more thing went wrong, he was going to break into a million pieces. Black reentered the Living Room with a slightly hesitant look on his face, and then he presented a box to Draco.

"I told you, I don't want anything-"

"Narcissa made these," Black said, and Draco tongue turned to lead. What? "She baked them for you, just like she does every year. Here, take them."

Draco slowly took the box, he honestly didn't know what to say. They let her bake me cookies?

"You know…" Black sat down again. "You and I are cousins. Once removed, that is, but still… We share blood."

"We might share blood, but we are not Family," Draco whispered to himself, his eyes fixed on the box. It feels heavy… She probably made a lot of them… "Can I see her?"

"No, kid," Black rubbed the back of his neck.

"Why?" Draco looked to him. "Why are you doing this to us?"

Black looked extremely uncomfortable, and after he drew in a deep breath, he looked into Draco's eyes.

"I can tell that you love your mother," Black started. "I know that she loves you… She's made that quite clear." Black then leaned forward. "Your mother has done terrible things-"

"Fuck off-"

"It's true," Black went on. "She threw her lot in with the Dark Lord, and although she doesn't bear the Mark, she has committed crimes that would make your skin crawl. Her actions have led to countless children losing their parents, and countless parents losing their children. You know I'm telling you the truth, and you can deny it all you want, but the truth is the truth. People like your mother have been clamoring for a war since the Dark Ages, and now, it's here. You reap what you sow, kid, just remember that."

"I think you're just as bad as the Dark Lord," Draco hissed, his eyes were starting to hurt.

"You've only heard stories of the man… That's why you say that," Black said. "I ran into him once, you know…"

Draco stilled at that, he too had run into the Dark Lord once.

"You… ran into him?" Draco heard his own voice ask.

"It was in the last war," Black replied. "He killed almost forty people singlehandedly, and the only reason I survived was because his attention was preoccupied with holding the Aurors at bay." Black then shook his head. "The whole Aurors Department couldn't stop one fucking man… One monster." Black then looked into Draco's eyes. "Your mother housed, and fully supported, a monster who kills without remorse. Men, women, children, the elderly… Tell me, Draco, would you support a man who murders others for sport?"

Draco said nothing, he could only tighten his hold on his mother's gift. Look at what the Dark Lord did to Godfather… Mother and father betrayed him, and he can't even leave his bed anymore. Draco dropped the box of cookies, his hands slowly covering his face. Don't cry! Don't show them how weak you are! But try as he might, the uncertainty of his future was too daunting to move past. There was no escape for the Malfoys, and Draco now understood that better than ever.

"Kid…" Black moved closer to Draco, but Draco's muffled sobbing kept him at bay.

The fireplace suddenly roared to life, and Black was on his feet in no time. Draco didn't even bother to look up, he was too absorbed with his incoming panic attack.

"Sirius… What did you do to him?!" a man hissed.

"Nothing," Black denied. "Look, he's going through-"

The fireplace roared to life again, and a second person entered the Black Ancestral Home.

"What the…?" came Weasley's voice, and Draco's head jerked up. No… Why is he here?!

Draco realized that both Arthur Weasley and Ronald Weasley were the ones who had arrived, and it didn't take him long to figure out that they were here for him. Draco couldn't help but wonder if Weasley knew of his situation, but right now, he was past caring. All he wanted to do was to curl up into a ball, and then be left alone by everyone.

"Maybe you two ought to come back later?" Black suggested.

"I have a better idea," Weasley said. "Dad, take Sirius to the Burrow, and leave me with Malfoy."

"Ron, I don't think-"

"I'll be fine," Weasley said as he walked up and sat down to Draco's right. "Let me take it from here."

"Are you sure?" Arthur Weasley asked.

"Dad, give us a little time," Weasley replied. "Please?"

"Alright…" Arthur Weasley sighed out. "Sirius, let's go."

---

Thirty Minutes Later

"Here," Weasley said as he offered Draco a hot towel. "I heated a towel for you. It'll freshen you up a little."

"Heated how?" Draco croaked as he took the towel, and then, without another word, he planted it on his face.

It was warm, and it soaked up the tears and snot lingering on Draco's face. He was completely spent in the emotional department, and because of that, things didn't seem so bad anymore. Maybe he had just become numb again? Would that be so bad? If anything, it feels nice to just not care anymore.

"I heated it with my wand," Weasley replied, and Draco pulled the towel off of his face.

"The Trace…" Draco looked at Weasley like he was an idiot.

"I have a special dispensation from the Ministry," Weasley told him. "I'm allowed to use Magic outside of school, but only if there are no Muggles nearby."

"Right," Draco decided not to prod, and he put the towel back on his face. I just want to sleep.

"I think it's past time that we were on our way," Weasley said.

"You can go," Draco said a little coldly. "Just leave me here…"

"I can't do that," Weasley said. "I promised my father that I'd bring you to the Burrow, and that's what I intend to do."

"Aren't you a good son?" Draco scoffed, and he suddenly felt the towel being tugged off of his face. "Weasley? I was using that."

"Look, you've had time to gather yourself, and it's time to move forward," Weasley said. "Nothing can be achieved by just sitting here." Classic, self-righteous Weasley.

"Here we go," Draco rolled his eyes.

"What?" Weasley asked.

"You think you have the answers to everything," Draco shook his head. "Well, you don't… Don't sit there, and talk to me like you know how I feel. You have no idea about what I'm going through right now, so just leave me alone. I don't want your lectures, and I don't want your help. Just leave."

Weasley just stared at Draco with a slightly annoyed look, but Draco couldn't care less. The last thing he needed was to hear Weasley's never-ending wisdom on all things. I swear, he must be the most arrogant person that I've ever had the displeasure of meeting. Weasley suddenly chuckled to himself, much to Draco's annoyance.

"What?" Draco frowned at the amused redhead. "Did I say something funny?"

"You did," Weasley replied, a half-smile on his face. "I know exactly how you feel, Malfoy."

"Really?" Draco cocked an eyebrow. "Go on, then… Enlighten me."

"You feel powerless," Weasley started. He guessed that. "You feel like everyone is making the decisions for you, and because of that, your life is no longer yours. There is no freedom, and no light in sight. The future is clouded with uncertainty…" Draco's mouth dropped open a little. "And right now, you've been pushed so far that you can't feel a fucking thing. You don't care about anyone's opinions, or their problems, because you feel like your problems are more pressing. In fact, they're so pressing that you're happy being numb. Feeling nothing is better than feeling pain, eh?"

Draco said nothing, all he could do was stare at Weasley. Is he a Legilimens?

"You know, every time Lord Greengrass wants to be blunt with me, he starts the conversation by saying that 'we're both men'…" Weasley went on, his eyes moving towards the fireplace. "Well, Malfoy, we're both men…"

"What are you getting at?" Draco asked slowly.

"I don't need to be a mind-reader to know how you feel," Weasley looked back to him. "I know how you feel because I've been where you are now."

"Really?" Draco asked blandly.

"I've had… choices… taken from me," Weasley replied, and then he drew in a deep breath. "You're a smart lad, so you already know that I'm incredibly sick, right?"

Draco nodded weakly. Is he going to tell me what's wrong with him?

"Well, I'm not just sick," Weasley told him. "I'm dying."

And there it was… Confirmation. Hearing those words hadn't felt good like Draco had foolishly imagined, instead, Draco felt a little worse than he already did.

"Dying?" Draco all but whispered. "Why?"

"Brain-Damage due to severe trauma," Weasley replied, and then he pulled his left sleeve back. "A gift from the Dark Lord himself…"

Draco's eyes wandered to the scars blemishing Weasley's pale skin, and the sight of them made Draco recoil.

"What… the hell?" Draco scooted away. I thought his right hand was the only fucked up part of him! What the hell are those scars?! And did say that the Dark Lord gave him those?!

"Ugly, aren't they?" Weasley covered his arm quickly, and Draco felt a small pang of guilt for reacting so strongly. "It's alright… I know just how haunting they look."

"Does… Does Greengrass know…?" Draco asked. What a stupid thing to ask, Draco…

"She does," Weasley nodded. "She, and a few others."

"Why show me?" Draco asked.

"Because for the last thirty minutes, I've been watching you sob in utter misery," Weasley replied. "I tried thinking of clever ways to uplift your spirit, but nothing came to me. I even thought about starting a fight so you'd focus your anger on me, but that wouldn't work either. So, I decided to give you what you crave most… Certainty."

"Certainty?" Draco mumbled, his head was spinning from this conversation. I'm already so spent, and now I have to deal with this?

"We're both men, Draco, so let me be blunt with you," Weasley said. "You're acting like a little bitch, and it sickens me to my stomach."

Draco just stared at Weasley, he didn't even know how to react to those words. A part of him wanted to get angry and lash out, but a bigger part of him wanted to hear this out.

"You think crying in a corner will make your problems go away?" Weasley asked, his face turning cold. "You think that if you whine loudly enough, the World will hear you? No… The World doesn't give a shit about you, Malfoy, but you know who does?"

"Who?"

"My dad," Weasley said. "My mum. Sirius. All the adults who want you to have a safe, and happy, Christmas. There are children our age, Malfoy, who have to sell their bodies just to eat at night. They sleep in gutters, and die before they become of age. You still have people looking out for you, but you're just sitting here and crying? For the last month, all you've done is mope around like a helpless babe, and in doing so, fed your victimhood complex."

Weasley then moved right next to Draco, his face leaning in far too close for comfort.

"People who claim that the World isn't fair are idiots," Weasley whispered. "They should just roll over and die on the spot, because they serve no purpose but their own. The World is indifferent, not unfair. You want your choice back? Then you take it back. You get up, you put on a smile, and you fucking fight all the 'injustices' that come your way. That is how you survive. That is how you get your choice back."

Weasley then leaned back, a slightly calmer look on his face. As for Draco, he was completely stunned, and also quite frightened.

"If you give up now, everything that you've gone through will have been for nothing," Weasley said. "All the pain, all the suffering, all the uncertainty… You will lose more than just your choices, Malfoy, you'll lose your life."

Weasley then stood up, and he walked over to Draco's trunk.

"You have two choices now, Malfoy," Weasley said. "You can sit here and weep, or you can come with me and start getting your life back. If you chose the latter, I promise you, things will be difficult. You'll be pushed further than before, but that will make you strong. You'll keep surviving. As for the first choice… Well, that choice will turn you into what you fear you already are. A helpless weakling." Weasley then looked Draco over. "Am I going to the Burrow alone?"

---

AUTHOR'S NOTES: And there it is! We back, you hijos de puta! (I fucking love Narcos)

So, was it weird reading a chapter that didn't have a single Ron POV? I bet it was. I figured that I'd let you guys see how the characters of this world react to Ron, who is completely shrouded in secrets and intrigue. Ron, essentially, is the only piece on the board that moves from arc to arc, interrupting the lives of others for better or worse.

I promise to give Ron the wheel in the next chapter, which I want to release by Tuesday. I took a week off, and honest to God, I fucking missed writing this story so much. I had Ron withdrawal, man! It was fucked!

So, see you guys on Tuesday! (Or Wednesday, I still have to find a job)