When Violet finally reached her friend's compartment she slid the door open and Hermione instantly shot from her feet and wrapped her arms around Violet's neck pulling her into a tight embrace and taking her off guard.

"'Mione I can't breathe" she stammered as she wrapped her arms around Hermione's torso.

"Sorry, I've just missed you so much. You've been M.I.A all summer!" Hermione joked, finally releasing Violet from her clutch.

"I know, I'm so sorry. I desperately wanted to come over but my mum put me in full on lockdown" Violet sat down next to Hermione and opposite Harry and Ron.

"Why didn't she let you out?"

"Ronald! Aren't you going to at least say 'hello' to Violet first?"

"Hello Violet, we missed you over summer. " He said in a monotone voice which made her laugh. " Why were you on lockdown? Surely your parents don't know about you-know-who"

Yeah, maybe some of her best friend's don't know she's a pureblood, is there really anything wrong with that?

"Oh uh they don't. Mum's just really been missing me" Violet shrugged. Ron seemed satisfied with her answer so slumped back into his seat.

"Hey Harry, how are you?'

"A lot better now, thanks" Harry leaned forward and leant on his forearms "Look Violet we've got something we need to tell you"

Shit, they know.

"Oh Harry! Not this again" Violet turned to look at Hermione, confusion written all over her face. Hermione took a deep breath in, "Harry is under the impression that Draco Malfoy is death eater"

"What? No way. Malfoy is a complete wet arse"

"That's what we've been trying to tell Harry-"

"Look it makes sense his fathers a death eater and..." Harry turned to face Violet and leant in close "When we went to Diagon Alley we saw Draco and his mum go into Borgin and Burkes with a bunch of other death eaters. It must've been his initiation ceremony or something."

"Borgin and Burkes is a creepy shop, Malfoy's a creepy bloke. I don't see the problem" Ron mumbled as he opened a chocolate frog and shoved into his mouth.

"Charming Ronald"

"Look, I know what I saw" Harry huffed out signalling the conversation was over and they all relaxed back into their seats. "I'm going to go and get some fresh air" then Harry grabbed something off of the luggage rack and strode out of the carriage.

"Guys, do you think it's the whole... you know... Sirius thing which is making him act like this" Violet asked cautiously.

"You know for a few weeks after it happened he was rough, like proper bad, but he seemed to cheer up over the summer"

"Ginny certainly helped that" Hermione whispered just loud enough that only Violet heard.

"What! I thought she was with Dean?"

"Well she is now but-"

"What are you two on about?" Ron butted in.

"Nothing" they both said together in a sing-song voice and then broke out into a fit of laughter.

"Girls, honestly, I'll never understand them" Ron whined.

They spent the rest of their trip talking about their summer and what they got up to, they also spoke about what they were excited for when they got back to school. Hermione was obviously buzzing for the first lessons, she mentioned something about a love potion and wanting to know what it smelled like? Violet had zoned out by that point. Ron said how he couldn't wait for the first day feast, which the girls replied to in sync with 'obviously'. Ron also spoke about how he wanted to be the Gryffindor keeper this year, as he's wanted to ever since he looked in the Mirror of Erised in first year. Violet couldn't think of anything she was specifically looking forward to, but she loved Hogwarts and she had a feeling this was going to be a really great year.

*****

Violet, Hermione, Ron and Ginny were sat in the Great Hall with the feast in front of them; the hall looked as gorgeous as it always does with the floating candles submerging the room in a golden hue of light and the charmed ceiling reflecting the deep twilight outside. But the group was unsettled because they had no idea where Harry was and no one had seen him since he went to get some air on the train.

"Do you think he ever got off the train, he could be halfway back to London by now?" Hermione questioned leaning forward across the table to Violet and Ginny.

"I don't know I'm starting to get worried though"

"Surely he didn't get lost on the way to the castle"

"Don't be silly Ginny! The gates don't close until everyone is accounted for and it's not as if the carriages can just go the wrong way-"

A melody of low groans broke the girls away from their conversation as they all moved their gaze to the right side of Hermione to see Ron happily engorging on the feast in front of him and they all stared at him in bewilderment.

"I don't know how they top themselves each year, but I'm certain the food tastes better than last time-"Hermione whacked Ron with her book.

"Will. You. Stop. Eating. Your best friend is missing!"

"Turn around you looney" Ron said looking rather offended. All four of them turned to face the grand doors of the entrance hall and breathed a sigh of relief to see Harry standing there. Although the relief was short lived when they noticed he had a bloody nose.

"He's covered in blood. Why is he always covered in blood?" Ginny sighed. Harry walked forward to where they were sat and took a seat on the other side of Ginny. "Are you alright?"

"Peachy" They then carried on with the rest of their feast and sat through Dumbledore's first day speech. Violet glanced around the hall at all her classmates and her eyes landed on a certain blonde.

He would usually spend the speech chatting with his minions and Slytherin comrades, but this year he was sitting alone with his head in his hand staring at... nothing in particular. Malfoy looked like one of those Greek statues, his pale complexion mimicking the marble and his lifeless gaze making his features taut. He was, in a way, hauntingly beautiful.

What is she on about, this is Malfoy for merlin's sake! If he's upset why should she care? He deserves what he gets after the way he's acted all these years.

Although she still couldn't shake the twinge in her heart which felt bad for him sitting all alone.

****

After the feast they had all retreated back to their dorms, Violet and Hermione had left the boys in the common room and invited Ginny up to their shared dorm. Hermione was a prefect, meaning she could have any kind of dorm she desired and instead of going for a single she opted for a double so she and Violet could still dorm together; they begged McGonagall to let Ginny share the dorm with them but because she was in the year below McGonagall wouldn't allow it, much to the dismay of all the girls. So the three of them sat in a circle with their pyjamas on, chatting.

"So you and Dean, huh, Gin?" Violet teased

"How on earth do you know about that!"

"I saw you on the train! You weren't exactly subtle"

Ginny blushed, "Yeah whatever"

"And I heard you were getting cosy with a certain 'Chosen One' over the summer too"

"How do you- 'Mione!" Ginny chucked a pillow at Hermione's head

"What? C'mon I had to tell her, we've been waiting years for that to happen"

"Years?" Ginny gasped

"Years." Violet and Hermione responded nodding

"So Gin, who do you like more..."

"I-I'm-I don't know. Don't judge me!"

"We would never" Violet leant forward on her knees and hugged Ginny "But we have to be the first to know when you decide!" Violet lost her balance on her knees and fell on top of Ginny, knocking them both to the floor which caused all the three girls to burst out in hysterics.

"Get off of me you cow! I'm leaving" Ginny joked as she got up and walked towards the door.

"You bitch!" Violet lobbed another pillow towards Ginny and she narrowly missed slipping through the door and leaving the room. Violet and Hermione were left sitting on the floor of the dorm giggling lightly.

"Anyway 'Mione what's going on with you and Ron?" Violet asked as they both stood up and made their way towards their beds.

"Nothing is going on with me and Ronald, thank you very much"

"Okay.... But you wish there was don't you" Violet taunted.

"That is none of your business" They both climbed onto their beds and tucked themselves under their sheets "What about you anyway, have your eye on anyone?"

Violet never really cared to think about boys, she had quickly realised in first year that her plain beauty was outshone by all her friends and their impeccable features. So she never really tried with boys, just as they had never tried with her. "Yeah, sure. I'll get a boyfriend when hell freezes over" and with that she blew out the lamp on her bedside table and plunged their dorm into darkness.

~~~

Discussion :)