"What is wrong with you both?"

Fay slammed her pile of library books down on the table before sliding in beside Lily and me. Two third years girls rolled their eyes at her antics before whispering to each other. I had gotten used to the whispers throughout the week. Each rumour seemed worse than the last, but no one had actually had the guts to say anything to my face. Being a Malfoy did have its perks.

"Nothing is wrong." Lily was picking away at her croissant, while glancing half-heartedly at the potions textbook lying open beside her.

"What happened to you both over the break?" Fay pushed her glasses up as they slid down her nose before stealing Lily's book away from her, "You are both like walking, talking zombies. This is our last term, the last time we will ever be all together."

Guilt swirled in the pit of my stomach. She was right – I had hardly spoken to Fay since we had gotten back to Hogwarts. While Lily appeared to be walking around the castle in a permanent daze, her thoughts always seemed to be elsewhere.

"We need to do something fun," Fay's voice was excited as she looked between the both of us. Something was definitely wrong when Fay was suggesting fun, and not Lily or I.

"NEWT's are just around the corner Fay," Lily snapped as she pulled her potions book closer towards her, "We don't have time for fun."

"Since when have you ever cared about studying?" Fay narrowed her eyes. She was getting pissed off and I couldn't blame her.

"Since I realised I'm probably going to fail everything,"

"Don't talk rubbish," Fay's voice grew softer, "You always ace everything. Besides, you are going to get a Quidditch offer any day now and then you won't have to worry at all."

"Maybe," Lily shrugged. Being away from Teddy was taking her toll on her, and the looks Ralph had been shooting her in the corridor probably weren't helping her mood. It was like all the fight had been sucked from her. Christmas break had changed us – whether for the better or not, I wasn't sure.

"Fay's right," I shut my own textbook, "We need to cheer up. Let's get the Marauders Map and sneak to Hogsmeade tonight. I think we're all in need of a good firewhisky." The Auror department, and James, would probably kill me if they knew I was planning on leaving the grounds, but what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them. Besides, I hadn't heard from James since my first night at Hogwarts which was over two weeks previously.

"I don't' know. I-" I kicked Lily underneath the table before she could complete her sentence.

"It's a brilliant idea," I shared a look with Lily. She sighed before painting a smile on her face and turning to Fay.

"I suppose," Lily stood up, "Maybe a night out is actually what we need." It wouldn't have killed her to sound a little more enthusiastic.

"I'm going to go turn this paper in and then I'll find something to wear." Fay and I watched as she left the Great Hall, her shoulders hunched over. I had to think of something to improve her mood, drastically.

"I miss the old Lily," Fay sighed as we continued to watch her.

"I think I have a way to make her smile," I grinned as I pulled a piece of parchment out of my bag and started to write, "Can I borrow your owl?"

"Sure, why?"

"Let's just say I know exactly what will cheer her up," I murmured, "That is – if he does what he's told."

"You are both so weird now," she muttered as she watched me gather all my bags and head for the door.

"See you tonight," I called over my shoulder, excited for the first bit of normality in a long time. I had forgotten what it was like to be excited about something, to actually have fun. I would definitely have to get Issac on board with our plan.

I was so busy mentally thinking about the dresses in my wardrobe that would be deemed acceptable by Lily that I walked straight into someone. Someone hard, someone who had deliberately made it their mission to get in my way.

"Watch where you are going Malfoy."

"Oh sorry I –" The words died on my lips as I my eyes landed on Alicia Goyle. Her long black hair was braided and her eyes were narrowed as they skimmed over my wrinkled robes.

"In fact," I hissed, "I'm not sorry at all."

"I would watch your mouth." She took a step closer to me and smirked, her red lipstick making her look older than she actually was. She was everything the perfect Slytherin should be – slimy and cold; just like her father. I hated her.

"What you going to do? Try to curse me?" I laughed, "Oh wait, you already tried to do that, didn't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Her voice was icy.

"Really?" We were so close that I could feel her breath on my face, "So it wasn't you that I saw at my house standing in my bedroom doorway beside your Dad?" My mind flashed back to the moment I had been in James' grip, my eyes registering Alicia Goyle's cloaked figure before I managed to get us out of there.

"Nope," she smirked glancing down at her perfectly manicured nails.

Liar.

I tried to keep my temper in check, I really did, but the way she was staring at me with that superior attitude made me want to rip her hair out. Her eyes widened and she let out a small gasp of surprise as I pushed her against the nearest wall. People stopped in the hallway, staring at us. James was definitely going to kill me.

"Get your filthy hands off me," Alicia hissed as I held her against the wall.

"Nattalie Malfoy," I sighed as Professor Longbottom made his way towards us, "Get your hands of Miss Goyle immediately or I will have to send you to the headmistress."

"But-"

"Now Miss Malfoy."

Squeezing my eyes shut in frustration I took a long, deep breath before taking a step back.

"Would someone care to tell me what is going on?" Professor Longbottom looked between us. Behind him I saw Fay leave the Great Hall, she shook her head as she drank in the scene unfolding around her. She was definitely going to think Lily and I were crazy once and for all.

"Just a little friendly fun Professor," Alicia winked, "Nothing to worry about."

"Besides," Alicia stepped closer to me whispering in my ear, "You can't do anything to me inside this castle, but when we find your family, which we will. I will personally make sure you are present when they are being tortured. And as for your Mum, I'll personally see to it that she doesn't wake up."

"You little bitch," I went for her again, pushing her back up against the wall. Issac broke through the crowd and grabbed hold of my arm, pulling me away from her.

"You didn't hear what she said," I hissed struggling against him. Why was he so damn strong?

"Calm down," he soothed continuing to pull me away as he shared a look with his Dad.

"I'm afraid you'll have to accompany to the Headmistress's office Miss Malfoy."

"But Dad –" Issac tried to reason with him.

"No buts, you cannot assault another student in this castle, it is against every rule."

"I'm going to have bruises," Alicia whined from behind me. I glared at her; pouring every ounce of hatred into my glare that I could.

"You better watch your back."

"Miss Malfoy!" I let Issac drag me away, my eyes stayed on Alicia until she disappeared from view. My heart was beating wildly in my chest, I could feel myself starting to sweat. Shit.

"Issac?" I couldn't stop the panic from seeping into my voice as I grabbed tightly onto his arm, his Dad was walking ahead of his, shaking his head in disappointment.

"What? What is it?"

"Make sure someone checks on my Mum, okay?" Neville was waiting for me at the end of the corridor.

"Hermione will visit later like she always does and –"

"No. No. Promise me you'll get someone to visit her now."

"Please Issac." She was so defenceless lying in that hospital bed, anyone could get to her. My stomach twisted painfully into a knot, Alicia's words were playing over and over in my head.

"Okay, okay," Issac squeezed my hand as we reached the end of the corridor, "I promise, don't worry. I'll see you after, okay?"

"Okay."

He would make sure everything was alright. My Mum was going to be fine, she had to be. I couldn't lose anyone else. I needed her to wake up eventually, it was the only thing that kept me going.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"I need a drink."

Lily was by my side in an instant; she looked more alert than she had in days, her eyes wide as they skimmed over my body.

"Are you okay? Issac told me what happened." She clutched tightly onto my arm as Fay led the way, the Marauders Map in her hand.

"Got six weeks' worth of detention," I muttered, "It could have been a hell of a lot worse."

"I am going to kill Goyle," Lily hissed, "I wanted to turn her into a toad in transfiguration but Fay talked me out of it."

"I wish you had." I kept thinking about the way she had looked at me, she hadn't been scared at all. She had all the power, and it terrified me. I knew nothing, while she appeared to know everything.

"We don't need to go out tonight," Lily's voice was soft. She was waiting on me breaking down, or screaming, but instead I kept walking. I didn't have time to breakdown.

"We do," I said instead, "I need to get out of this castle for a few hours before I end up in Azkaban for murdering someone."

"You and me both," she laughed pulling me along behind me.

I let out a sigh of relief as I spotted Issac leaning against the portrait which hid the secret passageway we had been using for years.

"Issac," I breathed pulling away from Lily and flinging myself into his arms "My Mum? Is she-"

"She's fine," he squeezed my arms and forced me to look up at him, "I got special permission from Dad and went to visit her myself. I didn't leave until Hermione got there."

"Thank you so much," I forced the words out, emotion clogging up my throat. He was too good to me.

I gripped Issac's hand as we pulled open the portrait unveiling my surprise for Lily.

"Teddy?" Lily gasped from behind me.

Teddy grinned, his blue hair seemed brighter than normal. However, before Lily could fling herself into his arms he took a small step to the side revealing someone else.

"Oh crap."

"Oh crap?" James was seething, his eyes stormy, "Is that really all you have to say right now?"

"Damn it Teddy," I glared at him, "I specifically told you not to mention this to him."

"Oh yeah," James hissed, "He totally wasn't going to mention that you're sneaking out in the middle of the night when there are people after you. You are putting yourself and all of your friends in danger."

"Look James, I've had a really crappy day and –"

"I don't care if you've had a crappy day," I took a shaky breath as he took a step towards me, invading my personal space, "I specifically told you to not be stupid. And this is really, really stupid."

I don't know what I had been expecting; maybe a hug or a smile, but instead James had to remind me that he really could be an ass.

"I invited Teddy," my own voice had adopted an icy tone, "I'm not completely stupid. He's an Auror and a fully trained one at that. We don't need you."

"Oh sorry," James drawled, his eyes narrowed, "I completely forgot that Teddy can take on an army of wannabee death eaters completely by himself."

"James-" Lily tried to intervene.

"Once a Malfoy always a Malfoy," James muttered. I felt like he had physically punched me in the stomach. I thought we had finally gotten over our differences, and pushed our names to one side. Apparently not.

"Once an ass always an ass," I retaliated. I grabbed Issac's hand and pushed by James making my way down the passageway. James Potter didn't own me, I could do whatever the hell I wanted.

"Where do you think you're going?" He never gave up.

"As far away from you as possible."

"You are not leaving this castle."

"Watch me," I hissed, blinking back tears as I increased my pace.

All I had really wanted after my crappy day was to hide in his arms, but I knew then that James Potter would never be able to do that for me. Sure, he wanted to keep me safe so he could progress in the Auror's department, but he would never be able to trust a Malfoy enough to let them into his heart. I should have known better. He was never going to hug me and tell me that everything would be alright; James Potter was a lot of things, but he was not a liar.

Issac looked down at me; his eyes searching mine, but I avoided his gaze.

"Everything will be alright Nat," he murmured, his eyes still on me. I could hear James cursing behind us.

"I wish people would stop saying that."

Thoughts?

Sorry this chapter is a bit of a filler, but I hope you like it anyway