"What the hell is the matter with you?!" Hissed Severus, holding me in place by my shoulders. His grip was so tight that I could tell there would be bruises.

"Stop it." I ordered, and he released me, though made no effort to remove his face from mine, merely inches away.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"What was I supposed to do? Stay hidden away in my room?"

"Yes." he hissed through gritted teeth. "Someone would have came to get you."

"I don't need saving." I interjected, though not entirely believing it. He scoffed at this.

"You Child."

"That's not what you were saying last night." I joked under my breath, something he didn't find humor in.

"I didn't see you last night." he replied bluntly, looking slightly in confusion.

"It was a joke." I hissed, ruining my own mood.

"Because that'll make you seem more mature."

We had been sitting in my room like this for hours now. I was sure everyone else had gone to bed, and I wondered why he felt the need to stay so late after the meeting. Considering he had no intention of doing it after the Order's meetings.

"I see you changed your hair back." He commented, sighing and finally taking a seat beside me on my bed.

"Yeah, Mother thinks it suits me better." I answered calmly, suddenly feeling physically drained, as well as emotionally.

"I agree." He murmured taking the ends and twisting them between his fingertips.

"I don't want you involved in this." Severus spoke softly, almost in a pleading tone.

"It's a little late now." I sighed.

"No, it's not. I can take you away from here. At least until after the war."

"Will you be there?"

Silence.

"Severus? Answer me... Will you be there?"

"No. I have my place." he finally responded, my hair slipping out of his grasp.

"And I have mine." I answered, placing my hand into his.

"It's dangerous."

"I know that."

"And there's no guarantee of your safety..."

"I know."

He shot a look at me, making me smile slightly, despite the deflated mood. "You seem to think you know everything."

"hm... That's not true." I smiled.

"Oh?" he cocked an eyebrow in my direction. "Pray tell, what you, the chosen one, don't know?"

"Well I couldn't tell you that, now could I?"

"And why is that?" He asked, knocking me onto my back and leaning over me, his jet black hair dangling in my face.

"How could I know what I don't know?"

He rolled his eyes and close the distance between us until our lips were hungrily on each other. Breaking apart to mutter three small words.

"I love you."

Morning peaked through the blinds in my window, though it was just the white blankness of a typical morning. Beside me lay a folded sheet of paper:

Allyson,

Have a your school bags packed and ready to leave tonight. You will not stay in this house.

S

I smiled at the paper in my hand, tracing over his signature with my index finger. I knew in the back of my mind that it was just a ploy to get me safe, but I remembered how well it turned out for me last time. He wouldn't put me in the Weasley's care...not again anyways. And there was only a few days until school would be starting. Honestly, there wasn't really a point in moving me at all. Considering how last minute it seemed — I paused wondering when exactly he left this morning — chances were he hadn't had the time to put together a legit plan.

I got dressed slowly, taking my time as I packed the two trunks and book bag full of my belongings for school, before stuffing them under the four poster bed.

"You're in a good mood today." My brother remarked, despite the obvious melancholy that still resonated throughout the dining room.

"I just feel refreshed is all. I missed my bed." I said, though admittedly it was less the comfort of the bed and the comfort of my company. He didn't seem to buy my act however, but let it pass instead.

"I assume you were able to pick up your things for school?" My mother asked, I realized she must have saw me when Draco did. I nodded.

"Why don't you have breakfast?" She asked, sipping on a cup of what I assumed to be tea.

"Where's father?" I changed the subject, not feeling hungry in the slightest.

"He's at work." She said simply, looking at me out of the corner of her eye. As if I should know better.

"Oh."

"Let's go for a walk." Draco suggested, noticing I made no move to eat, and avoiding a war between my mother and I.

I quickly rose to my feet and followed him outside, walking around the edge of the perimeter, tall bushes blocking us from the house.

"What are you doing?" He asked, our arms linked.

"Walking?" I remarked confused.

"I saw you last night." He said, having not had any time after the meeting to talk to me, I found it strange he hadn't even attempted to come to my door.

"Well yeah, I think everyone did." I pointed out.

"With Snape."

I stopped in my tracks, guilty sweat prickling the back of my neck.

"Sorry?"

"Don't play dumb Allyson. You both disappeared at the same time."

I forced laughter. "Draco, that's ridiculous."

"Is it?" he asked, not believing me in the slightest.

"He's a professor."

Silence.

"He's way older, probably like forties."

Silence.

"Draco. Stop it. You aren't funny."

"I'm not joking either." He said, stopping in his tracks and looking at me. Our arms unlinked.

I stopped walking and looked back at him. A piece of paper sticking from his hand.

"What's this?" He asked, assuming he knew the answer.

"Give that back." I ordered.

"Care to explain?" He asked, shifting the piece of paper out of my grasping hand.

"It's not really your business is it?" I asked, successfully grabbing the paper and tucking it away in another pocket. He hadn't said anything and when I turned to him I saw the hurt look on his face.

"Draco."

"What is going on with you?" He asked incredulously. "Since when do you not talk to me?"

"It's not like that. I just..." I couldn't find the right words.

"Just what?" 
"You wouldn't understand." I said quietly, finding a sudden and intense interested in a collection of leaves to my right.

"Try me."

"You can't tell anyone."

He nodded in affirmation.

"No you have to swear." I said, turning back to look him in the eyes.

He nodded again. "Alright I swear, spit it out."

We both sat in the damp grass in silence. I had told him almost everything from the year before. About the attack, about Severus rescuing me time and time again from the werewolf and the Durmstrang boys, about sneaking into the tournament. And even about Severus and myself, though of course sparing the gory details.

He was absorbing what I told him, I knew the look on his face. His eyes moved from side to side adjusting and thinking.

"So..." He started but closed his mouth again, slipping back into thinking. It was strange seeing him so concentrated. "You really like him?" He seemed to struggle with this aspect the most though I couldn't figure out why. It was his favorite professor too.

"Yeah. I do." I admitted, plucking at the grass below us.

"Gross."

"Oh stop it." I frowned, rolling my eyes.

"Is his hair really that greasy?"

"Of all the things you want to ask—"

"I don't know if I can ask them right now." he interrupted me.

"No...it's not greasy. Well not dirty, actually. I think he just puts something to make it less frizzy." I said, for once questioning if I had ever seen him actually put something into his hair.

We both began to laugh at the ridiculousness of the conversation. We were laughing so hard it felt like my sides were going to burst.

The vision before me rocked side to side as the train danced across the tracks. I had been staring out the window while my brother had been talking to his slaves again. I forgot that he had become a completely different person when he was in front of others.

I sighed and rose to my feet.

His eyes darted for me.

"Relax, I'm just going to the bathroom. I'll be fine Draco." I answered smiling slightly down at him. He looked a moment longer before nodding once and returning to his crew. Signaling an acceptance in my departure.

I moved slowly throughout the carriage, as the rocking kept shaking me and the fact I didn't really want to return so quickly.

"Hey, Alley." A voice greeted behind me, though they sounded less enthusiastic. I turned quickly, already having an idea who it was.

"Harry" I whispered, a smile tugging at the sides of my lips. Truthfully, I had grown to care for the boy, and somewhat missed his presence when I returned to my own life. He made quite a nice distraction.

"You just disappeared. Did you plan to go back with them?" He asked, if I didn't know better I would have thought he was hurt.

"No. I didn't plan it, it was Lestrange who found me." he looked at me oddly before looking down at the ground.

"I'm sorry I didn't protect you, but I'm glad to see you're looking okay." He said. I felt my smile soften.

"I'm alright I promise. But...Hey what are you doing way back here?" I asked, realizing he was in the snake pit instead of the lion's den.

"I came to check on you. Someone mentioned you were aboard." He said sounding more protective like an older brother. I was grateful. Something that struck me odd considering I would have found in incredibly annoying a year ago. I guess I really had changed.

"Hey come on, you're attracting attention." I whispered to Harry before shoving him back the way he came. When we came to the doors however I pushed him into the boys bathroom, following quickly behind. I don't think anyone noticed.

"Hey Hey what are you doing?" He asked, straightening up his shirt.

"People were starting to stare." I pointed out.

"So you shove me in a bathroom?"

"Hey, at least its not a cupboard. Ouch, sorry sorry too soon?" I asked sheepishly as he had shot daggers with his eyes.

He sighed instead.

"How are you holding up?" I asked suddenly, remembering the few meetings I took place in and how close they actually came to killing the boy that was standing in front of me. It suddenly dawned on me that all he really was, was a boy. Around my age, a few inches taller, he was just a child that HE was trying to murder. A knot formed in my stomach.

"Ay, Ay, what are you doing?" His voice snapped me back into reality, to which I realized I had been staring at his Adam's apple. I had missed whatever he was saying.

"Sorry?" 
He laughed at my response. "You never change, Ally." He said, still grinning down at me. I couldn't help but smile. Maybe I wasn't that different after all.

"Potter." The voice snapped from the doorway. My smile instantly fell, as I closed my eyes, silently kicking myself.

"Malfoy."

"What makes you think you can be in our bathroom? Let alone with my sister." He growled, tugging me and pulling me behind his back. I nearly tripped over my shoes.

"Oh, I didn't realize you had your own bathroom. King of the lavatory this year are you?" Harry retorted, eyebrows shooting up to his hairline as they often did when he was being sarcastic.

"Shut the hell up Potter. What are you going to do to the school this year? Set loose another monster? Bring your stupid prisoner guardian? You're always striving to be in the center of attention. Every damn year." My brother went off, I saw his wand gripped tightly in his hand.

"Right, because it was me who did all those things. No one else was responsible." Harry spat back defensively.

"You can't stand to not be the center of attention can you? You always are trying to be Dumbledore's little pet. Well I promise you things won't work out for you that well this year!" He threatened, straightening his back up slightly and turning on his heels. Harry seemed shocked at his sudden outburst, though surprised at the lack of magic thrown in his direction — as was I to be honest. I shot him an apologetic look as I was being ushered back to my seat. I saw him raise his hand, but his face was a blur.

We got off the train in a rushed manner, I assumed that Draco had somewhere he needed to be, and my thought was confirmed as I saw the unmistakable back of Harry's head, flanked on either side by Granger and Weasley. "Oh boy." I murmured before catching up with my group.

"I hear they have a cell with your name on it in Azkaban!" My brother teased, leaning right in Harry's face. I half expected him to swing at his smug face, but saw that his ginger friend had quickly restrained him.

"What'd I tell you? Complete nutter." He said more to his friends, but still loud enough for them to hear.

"Just stay away from me!" Harry screamed, still fighting his friend's grasp.

I shot an apologetic look as I passed them, jogging slightly to catch up.

"What are those?" I asked, reaching out to stroke the strange horse pulling the carriage. I had never noticed them before, though I suppose I just assumed magic pulled the carriage.

"What is what?" Asked Draco, settling into the carriage. He motioned to one of his cronies to usher me inside so we could finally get moving.

"Hey Hey I got it." I pouted at being manhandled. "Do you really not see them?" I asked my brother, suddenly concerned about my mental state.

"Those are Thestrals." A girl spoke from our group, I didn't recognize her by face, but believed her to be one of the siblings of an older member.

I continued to stare at them. Thestrals, huh? They were completely fleshless, their black coats clinging to their skeletons, of which every bone was visible. Their heads were dragonish, and their pupil-less eyes white and staring. Wings sprouted from each shoulder — vast, black leathery wings that looked as though they ought to belong to giant bats.

The way to the school was quiet and peaceful, despite the chirping of the group in the carriage with me.

"Ally? Are you alright?" asked my brother leaning over towards me, I nodded and admitted to not sleeping well the night before. Truthfully, I had a lot on my mind and hadn't been able to sleep. In addition to that I was looking forward to being able to see Severus everyday, and to finally get to talk to Astoria, considering I had barely been able to talk to her over summer. Thankfully we bumped into each other fairly quickly in the Great Hall.

"Ally!" She greeted cheerfully, probably happy that I didn't look injured, and that I actually came in with my brother, instead of being led by a staff member. My brother placed a swift kiss on her cheek as he sat beside her, I sat on the other side and began to chat excitedly with her. I had missed her, though I didn't realize how much I really did. I decided I would tell her about what happened this summer when we retreated for the night. Instead I listened to her talk about how her parents kept going from place to place every week, I wondered if it was out of enjoyment or from fear of Voldemort. I couldn't remember if I had seen her parents at any of the meetings. It wasn't just that, no one my age was present. Draco was the closest and only person near my age. I wondered if that was because of how we could blend into the school or merely because of who our parents were. I tried to shake the thoughts from my head.

"Hey do either of you know who that lady is?" She asked suddenly, snapping my attention to the table. There was a rather plump woman in pink looking around as if she was analyzing the room, the students and the staff all at once.

My eyes fell on Severus. I nearly choked on my pumpkin juice. He looked as though he was about to explode. Whenever his eyes fell to her actions he rolled his eyes so hard I felt like they may just pop out. I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing. His eyes fell to me anyways, he smirked slightly but in a flash it was gone. I turned my attention back to Astoria.

"No idea."

"That's Umbridge, Father's mentioned her a few times. Apparently she has some nasty techniques. But I wonder why she is here."

As if on que Dumbledore rose to the podium and began his annual welcoming speech, though admittedly I dozed off for most of it.

Silence hung in the air awkwardly, I wondered what I missed as I snapped back into reality.

"Did she just...?" Someone whispered in a hushed tone across the table.

What did she do? I asked to myself before looking up to the scene in front of me. The headmaster was staring over at the pink circle, that made her way towards the podium.

"It's gonna be a fight." I whispered to Astoria, despite my dislike for the headmaster, and the unknownness of the new character approaching I still wished he would sock her right in the jaw.

"Shh." Hushed Astoria, however Draco looked just as interested as I did.

"Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome. And how lovely to see all your bright happy faces smiling up at me." I looked around and realized no one was smiling at her, causing me to suppress a grin. "I'm sure we're all going to be very good friends." She added, I heard snickers of laugher from the scattered tables.

What do you know? A unifying item for all the houses at last.

The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizard of vital importance. Although each Headmaster has brought something new to this historic school.Progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected and prune practices that ought to be prohibited." She bowed slightly as a weak applause filled the room. Dumbledore then took back the stage.

"Thank you Professor Umbridge, that really was most illuminating."

"Illuminating? What the F-"

"Alright, Tuck in!" His voice boomed over the hall. In a flash, food appeared on all the plates, and a wonderful smell of various meals filled the room.