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Draco was quite content after the talk he'd had with Snape. Maybe everything really would work out for the best. Snape had accepted his apology and Draco was hoping that he might even warm up to Sirius, because if he could manage it, he would really like to have both men in his life, even though he was still mad at Black.

That Sirius had tried to use one of his best friends to murder Snape was both baffling and at the same time also something that seemed typical for Sirius. His plans were often shortsighted and disregarded any possible consequences. He had probably only thought about how scared Snape would be, ignoring all the possible ways his plan could go wrong. Snape could have been bitten or killed. If the plan had worked and Snape had really only gotten frightened, Sirius had no way of knowing that Snape would not tell the whole school about what he had seen. And all three options would have affected Lupin as well. The best case scenario would have seen him expelled, the worst executed. And as much as Sirius might detest Snape, Draco doubted he would knowingly get one of his friends in such trouble just to scare Snape.

He'd really have to have a word with Sirius about all of this. Or several. Maybe he'd even give Dumbledore a piece of his mind.

Draco shook his head – there was no use in dwelling on it now. Sirius wasn't here and he probably wouldn't see him before the summer holidays.

He was a bit late for Defense, but with the slip Snape gave him, Lupin didn't mind. He, although his transformation had been horrible, looked happier than usually as well and flashed Draco a warm smile when he entered the room.

After lunch, Draco visited Astoria in the Infirmary.

She was sitting on one of the beds, eating lunch, when he walked in.

"Hi," he greeted.

Astoria's eyes shot up to see who had come in and lightened up when she saw it was Draco.

"Draco," she greeted happily, putting her food on a little table next to her bed.

"How are you?"

"Pretty good, actually. I don't know why they're still keeping me here."

Draco gave her a once-over. True to her word, Astoria did look a lot better than she had the last time Draco had seen her.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into all of-" he said.

"Oh no, stop it right there," she interrupted. "Daphne and I chose to help you, knowing how dangerous it would be. You are not responsible for our decisions and you are not responsible for anything that happened that night."

Draco smiled at her. He did not entirely agree with her, but without mentioning that he was an adult and should have acted more responsibly, he had little he could argue with.

"Besides," she continued, "I think the other Ravenclaws like me better now. Some of them even came to visit me."

"No better way to convince someone you aren't evil than chasing after a lunatic serial killer," Draco chuckled.

"That's how Potter does it. Seems to work for him," she said and they both laughed.

"Who else visited you?" Draco asked, once he had calmed down.

"Luna was here and most of the Slytherins we always study with. And Neville. That's it, I think. Professor Snape checked in on me. Making sure my wounds are healing properly. And the headmaster came by, too." She sounded rather excited.

Draco was happy Astoria was making friends, he knew she had struggled finding friends during her first years at Hogwarts. Sometimes being related to a Slytherin was enough reason for people to avoid someone. "That's nice. You already have more friends than I ever did in my first year."

"Hmm I think I have Daphne and you to thank for that."

Draco's face turned more serious. "If you ever want to talk about any of this, don't hesitate to come to us. We're here for you."

Astoria considered this for a while. "Thanks, Draco."

"I brought a deck of cards. Wanna play Exploding Snap?" Draco asked, to lighten the mood again.

Astoria nodded excitedly.

They played until Draco had to leave for Care of Magical Creatures.

Astoria was allowed to leave the Infirmary the next day and Daphne and Pansy decided that their group should spend the night in the library, so Astoria could join them again.

"Welcome back," greeted Theodore Nott enthusiastically.

"It's good to see you again," agreed Tracey, smiling warmly at the young girl.

"It's good to be back," she smiled.

"How are you feeling?" asked Goyle.

"Really good, actually. There is something about nearly dying that makes you appreciate being alive."

"True that," chuckled Draco.

They were all sitting in the library, but not one of them wanted to study. The talked and played games and ate sweets instead.

After the third time Madame Pince shushed them, Draco cast a quick and silent Muffliato, which thankfully, no one really noticed.

"They really need a common room for everyone in this castle," complained Daphne.

The others nodded in agreement. The library was the only place outside of classrooms and the Great Hall that students from different houses could use to meet. At least, the Dementors were gone, so the weather would probably soon improve and they could all go outside for a change.

But staying close to Pince was rather annoying. That woman was omnipresent and strict. Draco still remembered something she had said to him in his first year:

"If you rip, tear, shred, bend, fold, deface, disfigure, smear, smudge, throw, drop, or in any other manner damage, mistreat, or show lack of respect towards this book, the consequences will be as awful as it is within my power to make them."

He, to this day, believed that an earmark could mean expulsion.

"Since we were just talking about, you know, other houses and spending time together and so on," Daphne started carefully, "should we ask him," she motioned her head in the general direction of Neville Longbottom, who was sitting alone at one of the tables, "if he wants to sit with us?"

Draco had had noticed him, too, but hadn't wanted to draw any more attention to himself by suggesting it first. He was quite glad that Daphne did.

"But he is a," Pansy wrinkled her nose, "Gryffindor."

"An obvious miss sorting," said Millicent.

"He is a pureblood, I guess," said Nott carefully, shrugging his shoulders. "And he doesn't seem all that close to Potter, so he might be okay."

"A Gryffindor and a blood traitor, that's what he is," huffed Crabbe.

"He helped us the other night," said Astoria. "I'd like him to sit with us."

She had become more self-confident since the start of the semester, Draco mused. He nodded his head in agreement. "I don't mind. He kept Pettigrew from smashing my skull in."

Crabbe and Goyle chuckled at that and Draco rolled his eyes.

"Fine," Pansy finally said. "If you guys think it's a good idea, I am willing to give it a try."

She stalked over to Longbottom and Draco cancelled his Muffliato charm.

"Longbottom," Pansy greeted him.

Neville looked up from the big herbology book in front of him.

"Huh?"

"Do you want to sit with us?" she asked directly.

"W-what?"

Pansy was losing her patience so Draco just indicated his head that he should come over, which he did.

"Thanks," Neville muttered into the round.

Pansy, for the most part, ignored him. But it was obvious that Daphne and Astoria wanted him there.

And just like that, Neville became part of their odd group. It took half of the semester for all of them to get used to him, but eventually they did.

TBC

I'm sorry, guys. I know it's a bit short and not one of my best chapters. It is only Monday and I already know that my week is going to be horrible. But I still wrote my daily chapter and I will continue to write one every day till the end of November and hopefully at least two weeks into December.

As always, let me know what you think. I love reviews and I love to know what you are thinking.