The invasion and battle at the Ministry had lead to everyone except Harry, Neville, and I to land a spot in the hospital wing. Although Luna and Ginny were out, Ron and Hermione remained.  Ginny sits curled at the foot of Hermione's bed,  Harry and I sitting at the edge of Ron's bed, as I rest my feet on his stomach. Neville and Luna sit in chairs around the bed.

"'It is with great regret that I must confirm that the wizard styling himself Lord—well, you know who I mean—is alive and among us again,' said Fudge, looking tired and flustered as he addressed reporters. 'It is with almost equal regret that we report the mass revolt of the dementors of Azkaban, who have shown themselves averse to continuing in the Ministry's employ. We believe that the dementors are currently taking direction from Lord—Thingy. We urge the magical population to remain vigilant. The Ministry is currently publishing guides to elementary home and personal defense that will be delivered free to all Wizarding homes within the coming month. The Minister's statement was met with dismay and alarm from the Wizarding community, which as recently as last Wednesday was receiving Ministry assurances that there was 'no truth whatsoever in these persistent rumors that You-Know-Who is operating amongst us once more.' Details of the events that led to the Ministry turnaround are still hazy, though it is believed that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and a select band of followers (known as Death Eaters) gained entry to the Ministry of Magic itself on Thursday evening. Albus Dumbledore, newly reinstated headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, reinstated member of the International Confederation of Wizards, and reinstated Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, was unavailable for comment last night. He has insisted for a year that You-Know-Who was not dead, as was widely hoped and believed, but recruiting followers once more for a fresh attempt to seize power. Meanwhile, the Boy Who Lived—"

"There you are Harry, I knew they'd drag you into it somehow," Hermione says.

"He's 'the Boy Who Lived' again now, though, isn't he?" Ron says darkly. "Not such a show-off maniac anymore, eh?" He reaches for a chocolate frog and I smirk towards his. He sighs before tossing one at me.

"Thanks," I say, "and Harry, at least they've admitted that he's returned." Deep welts still covered Ron's arms. And it was clearly visible as he tossed some chocolate to the others.

"Yes, they're very complimentary about you now, Harry," Hermione says now scanning down the article. "'A lone voice of truth... perceived as unbalanced, yet never wavered in his story... forced to bear ridicule and slander...' Hmmm, I notice they don't mention the fact that it was them doing all the ridiculing and slandering, though..." she winces slightly as she moves her hand to her ribs. The curse Dolohov used caused a great bit of trouble for Hermione. "You-Know-Who's Last Attempt to Take Over, pages two to four, What the Ministry Should Have Told Us, page five, Why Nobody Listened to Albus Dumbledore, pages six to eight, Exclusive Interview with Harry Potter, page nine ...' Well," Hermione says, folding up the newspaper and throwing it aside, "it's certainly given them lots to write about. And that interview with Harry isn't exclusive, it's the one that was in The Quibbler months ago..."

"Daddy sold it to them," Luna says vaguely, turning a page of The Quibbler. "He got a very good price for it too, so we're going to go on an expedition to Sweden this summer and see if we can catch a Crumple-Horned Snorkack." I look to Hermione and she nods.

"That sounds lovely," She forces out. I smirk to Ron who hands me my payment, another chocolate frog. "So anyway, what's going on in school?"

"Well, Flitwick's got rid of Fred and George's swamp," Ginny says, "He did it in about three seconds. But he left a tiny patch under the window and he's roped it off—"

"Why?" Hermione says looking startled.

"Oh, he just says it was a really good bit of magic," Ginny says shrugging.

"It was an amazing swamp! I mean I knew they both were talented but man," I say, "I'm proud."

"I think he left it as a monument to Fred and George," Ron says through a mouthful of chocolate. "They sent me all these, you know," He says holding up a chocolate frog, "Must be doing all right out of that joke shop, eh?"

"So has all the trouble stopped now Dumbledore's back?" Hermione asks.

Yes," Neville says, "everything's settled right back down again."

"I s'pose Filch is happy, is he?" Ron says propping a Chocolate Frog card featuring Dumbledore against his water jug. I toss him mine and he stacks it on the other.

"Not at all," Ginny says. "He's really, really miserable, actually... He keeps saying Umbridge was the best thing that ever happened to Hogwarts..." We look to the bed across from us. Umbridge was laying unconsciously. After Dumbledore saved her from the Centaurs she had returned. Not uttering a word. None of us could tell what was wrong with her.

"It's taking every ounce of restraint from poisoning her right now." I scoff. I hear someone chuckle.

"Please don't," I look over to see Draco walking towards us slowly. The whole group not as happy to see him. In his arms were two bags. "Um sorry- I just felt bad about not helping and I bought these." He hands one to Ron then another to Hermione. "I thought they would cheer you up."

"Oh um thanks," Hermione says. She pulls a box of chocolates out and looks to me.

"Don't worries they aren't poisoned," He says as he walks to me looking for some support. I wrap my arm around his waist as he stands beside me.

"That's really sweet of you Draco," I say supportively. He smiles then looks to the others.

"Well, that's all. I'll just leave you all be-"

"You don't have to leave," I say to him. He looks over the group of children.

"I think it's best-"

"Just sit down you git," Ron huffs. Draco nods before looking at them. He remains standing but stays, nervously beside me.

"Anyways, Madam Pomfrey says she's just in shock," Hermione says.

"Sulking, more like," Ginny says.

"Yeah, she shows signs of life if you do this," Ron says and with his tongue, he made soft clip-clopping noises. Umbridge bolts upright, looking wildly around.

"Anything wrong, Professor?" Madam Pomfrey asks poking her head around her office door.

"No... no..." Umbridge says, sinking back into her pillows, "no, I must have been dreaming..."

"Ron knock it off," I say laughing slightly, "Pomfrey will put your head on a stake."

"Speaking of centaurs," Hermione, says, "who's Divination teacher now? Is Firenze staying?"

"Is it bad that I don't want Trelwany to stay?" I ask, "she's awful." Hermione nods.

"I don't blame you," She says, "but he won't let her go. So will he let Firenze?"

"He's got to," Harry says, "the other centaurs won't take him back, will they?"

"It looks like he and Trelawney are both going to teach," Ginny says.

"Bet Dumbledore wishes he could've got rid of Trelawney for good," Ron says, now munching on his fourteenth Frog. "Mind you, the whole subjects useless if you ask me, Firenze isn't a lot better..."

"How can you say that?" Hermione demands. "After we've just found out that there are real prophecies?" Beside me, Draco stays quiet not knowing what to add. But also struggling with the fact his father was one of the forces in hurting us.

"It is a pity it broke," Hermione says quietly, shaking her head.

"Yeah, it is," Ron says, "Still, at least You-Know-Who never found out what was in it either—where are you going?" I look over to see Harry now standing.

"Er—Hagrid's," Harry says. "You know, he just got back and I promised I'd go down and see him and tell him how you two are..."

"Oh all right then," Ron says grumpily, looking out of the dormitory window at the patch of bright "Wish we could come..."

"Say hello to him for us!" Hermione says as Harry leaves, "And ask him what's happening about... about his little friend!" I scoot over a little bit giving Draco a chance to sit. Ron's eyes burn into Draco.

"What?" Draco asks. Ron looks at me then to Draco.

"Don't hurt her," Ron huffs, "she's had enough of that." I smile at Ron playing protective big brother.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Draco says to Ron.

"Okay," Ron nods and looks to Ginny, "you're not allowed to date."

"Wait what?" Ginny asks, "how's that fair?!"

"Ronald you hardly have any power to decide if Ginny can date or not," Hermione scoffs.

"She's my sister-"

"But she's her own person," Luna cuts it. I see Neville smirking slightly. While Draco just slips his arm around me pulling me towards him.

"I'm gonna go take a walk," I say to the fighting siblings, "come on Draco." He nods and we both stand up walking quickly through the hall. Once we get outside Draco looks down at me.

"I wanna hear what happened at the Department of Mysteries. I wanna know it all," Draco says, "please?" I look around as I grab his hand.

"Fine. But not here," I say to him. He nods and leads me outside and to the pitch. People were hovering above but the actual field was left to us. I start to pick nervously at the ground. "I'm sorry your dad was arrested," I say to him avoiding his eyes. I felt bad for him. Now everyone knew what his father was and I knew they would think the same of him.

"My father is a bad man," Draco says, "it's nice for him to be out of the house. That means I'm free for a little bit." I look at him wanting to question it but not wanting to push him. "I'm afraid of my father. Of everything, he'll do to the kids around us. To me. To you." I look up at him, my e/c eyes meeting his grey orbs.

"He wouldn't-"

"But he did, didn't he?" Draco asks I sigh before looking down at the grass.

"He didn't directly do anything to me," I say to him.

"I wanna know what happened," Draco says, "I wanna understand." I slid my hand into his.

"Your dad was leading them. He tried to get the prophecy from Harry," I start he nods, "we smashed the shelves of the prophecies to get away and we got spilt up. Hermione got hit with that spell, a random man tried to hit me with a killing curse- funny enough Neville stopped him."

"Neville? Really?" Draco asks.

"Seriously that boy is extremely talented when he works for it," I say to Draco, "he's improved a lot."

"Anyways?"

"Oh yeah anyways- we met back up with the others and Ginny's ankle was broken and Ron was acting like a drunken fool. So I took Ron and Luna got Ginny as we moved on. But got ambushed by death eaters who knocked Luna out. And freakin Ron called some weird brain creature to him and it almost killed him," I say still a little frustrated at the Ginger.

"Of course he did," Draco chuckles, "and then?"

"Harry lured away the death eaters with the prophecy. Leaving us, I made Neville go with them and I followed after I got the brain off of Ron. We get in there and there are the death eaters waiting for us," I explain.

"Where was my dad?" He asks.

"In front of them all with Harry," I admit, "Neville and I start to use spells against them but Neville was grabbed and I was disarmed then grabbed. Bellatrix decided to take lead at this point and... put Neville under the Cruciatus Curse."

"Really?" He asks.

"Yeah, then I called her a hag," I chuckle, then returning to a more serious stated. "Then your dad told her who I was. Which lead to- them to bring forward the man who killed my dad-"

"And then?" He asks. I stop for a second. Suddenly retelling the story got really hard. I feel my throat get tight. "Love if it too hard you don't have to-"

"No no," I say wiping the welling tears from my eyes, "t-they put Neville and I both under the Cruciatus Curse. I don't know what happened during that. I don't remember anything until Lupin came to help me up."

"I'm I'm so sorry," he whimpers. I wipe away his eyes and smile.

"I'm fine I'm fine. I'm here with you aren't I?"I say trying to make him feel better.

"I should have gone with you. I should have protected you-"

"So the same could happen to you? So you could fight your dad?" I ask him, "I'm alive. We both are. That's all that matters okay?"

"I promise they won't hurt you anymore okay?" He says, "I promise."

"Okay," I say to him, "promise me something. Promise me that you'll do the right thing. That you won't just blindly follow- please Draco."

"I promise," he says. I nod before leaning in placing my forehead on his. He softly presses his lips against mine. I knew the promise would push me towards a facade of happiness and false hope. But I could resist putting myself in the mindset that it would be a broken promise. I wanted to see the good I knew was in him.

*****

Three days left till the end of term Hermione and Ron were released. The day before term Umbridge was released and left the campus. Although Peeves, following Fred's instructions, made sure she suffered. Going as far as to smack the old hag with a walking stick and a sock full of chalk. Draco and I along with other prefects and the head of houses only halfheartedly held back students. But letting Peeves at the hag.

Finally, it was time to leave my home once again. Draco and I walk hand in hand before stopping at our normal place. I look at the train then back to him.

"A war has begun," I say solemnly. He nods. Before pulling me into his arms.

"I love you," He says.

"I love you too," I say to him. We break apart and I run my fingers through his platinum hair.  "Write me okay?"

"Of course," He says. He kisses me quickly before looking back to the train. "I'll see you around Love."

"You too Draco," I say. I reluctantly pull away from him and board the train. I get back into the compartment with the others. I pull my book out and start to read while Ginny lays on my lap fiddling with a snitch she had knicked from flitch. Hermione reads snippets from the prophet and Ron and Harry play wizards chess.

"It hasn't really started yet," Hermione sighs gloomily, folding up the newspaper again. "But it won't be long now..."

"We've been through so much together," I say to them, "will get through this."

"Hey, Harry," Ron says nodding toward the glass window onto the corridor. I look over with Harry to see Cho and Marietta.

"Ugh these girls," I groan as I look back to my book.

"What's—er—going on with you and her anyway?" Ron asks quietly.

"Nothing," Harry says truthfully.

"I—er—heard she's going out with someone else now," Hermione says tentatively. I look to Harry and see that he looks surprisingly okay with it.

"You're well out of it, mate," Ron says forcefully. "I mean, she's quite good-looking and all that, but you want someone a bit more cheerful."

"Better yet how about someone who's emotionally stable?" I offer.

"Who's she with now anyway?" Ron asks. Ginny pipes up.

"Michael Corner," Ginny says.

"Michael—but—" Ron asks craning around in his seat to stare at us. "But you were going out with him!"

"Not anymore," Ginny says resolutely. "He didn't like Gryffindor beating Ravenclaw at Quidditch and got really sulky, so I ditched him and he ran off to comfort Cho instead."

"What an ass," I huff.

"Well, I always thought he was a bit of an idiot," he says prodding his queen forward toward Harry's quivering castle. "Good for you. Just choose someone—better—next time."

"Well, I've chosen Dean Thomas, would you say he's better?" Ginny asks vaguely. Not honestly caring.

"Get it," I cheer for her.

"WHAT?" Ron shouts upending the chessboard. "She won't be getting anything!" I look at her and she smirks as I slip one of the gold galleons to her. She and I had a bet about how Ron would react.

"Shut up," I huff.

As we reach the station we exit hurriedly. I catch Draco getting off another exit on the train. I send him one last wave. Worried about what this summer of war could bring. Before I get pulled off by Ginny. We meet Fred, George, Moody, Lupin, Tonks, And Mrs. Weasley. I rush towards the twins and wrap my arms around them.

"God I missed you losers!" I exclaim as they both hug me back. Both of them towering over me.

"You've got to come with us to the shop," Fred says, "seeing as you're our favorite business partner."

"We even have an apartment above the store we are living at," George says, "if you want to come and stay with us."

"Definitely," I chuckle and look to Molly. Who as her sons let me go wraps her arm around me.

"Y/n!" She exclaims hugging me before moving to Harry. I look to Lupin and smile weakly. He nods before patting my head lightly.

"How's the Malfoy boy?" He asks quietly.

"He's not handling everything well," I sigh, "I feel bad. But I don't know what to do."

"Just be there. Steer him straight," Lupin advises. I nod as he looks back. "Would you like to accompany us in harassing The Dursley's."

"That sounds amazing," I say He nods and leads me over to Arthur and Harry.

"Well—shall we do it, then?" Mr. Weasley asks the adults curling around Harry.

"Yeah, I reckon so, Arthur," Moody says. We walk towards where the Weasley's were stationed.

"Good afternoon," Mr. Weasley says pleasantly to Uncle Vernon, coming to a halt right in front of him. "You might remember me, my name's Arthur Weasley." The plump older man looks to us with displeasure.

"And I'm Y/n Cultven. I met you guys that night too," I say to them.

"We thought we'd just have a few words with you about Harry," Mr. Weasley says still smiling.

"Yeah," Moody growls, "About how he's treated when he's at your place." The man's mustache twitches in anger at the insinuation.

"I am not aware that it is any of your business what goes on in my house—"

"I expect what you're not aware of would fill several books, Dursley," Moody growls.

"Anyway, that's not the point," Tonks interjects, my eyes on the lanky woman avoiding looking to mine and Tonk's bright hair. "The point is if we find out you've been horrible to Harry—"

"—and make no mistake, we'll hear about it," Lupin adds pleasantly.

"Yes," Mr. Weasley says, "even if you won't let Harry use the fellytone—"

"Telephone," Hermione corrects.

"Even if you don't let him owl," I say to the family.

"Yeah, if we get any hint that Potter's been mistreated in any way, you'll have us to answer to," Moody says. The mustache man swells angrily.

"Are you threatening me, sir?" He asks so loudly that passersby actually turn to stare.

"Yes, I am," Mad-Eye says.

"And do I look like the kind of man who can be intimidated?" Uncle Vernon asks.

"Well..." Moody says, pushing back his bowler hat to reveal his sinisterly revolving magical eye. Uncle Vernon leaps backward in horror and collided painfully with a luggage trolley. "Yes, I'd have to say you do, Dursley. So, Potter... give us a shout if you need us. If we don't hear from you for three days in a row, we'll send someone along..." 

"I'll make sure of it," I assure Harry who nods.

"'Bye, then, Potter," Moody says, grasping Harry's shoulder for a moment with a gnarled hand.

"Take care, Harry," Lupin says quietly. "Keep in touch."

"Harry, we'll have you away from there as soon as we can," Mrs. Weasley whispers, hugging him again.

"We'll see you soon, mate," Ron says anxiously, shaking Harry's hand.

"Really soon, Harry," Hermione says earnestly. "We promise." I step towards him. Pulling him into a hug, he actually hugs back.

"We'll see you soon, so in the meantime take care," I say to him, "the next time you'll see me I'll be a legal adult... Seriously Harry take care." He smiles at all of us and turns with his family walking away. I look back to the others and smile. I knew my summer would be in good hands. That I would be fine for the time being. 

"Come on Cultven," Fred says as the group starts to move.

"Coming!" I yell running to catch up. Leaving behind everything that happened.