I spent the last few weeks of holiday trying to distract myself in the confines of the Burrow. I'd play Quidditch matches with my friends, keep up my medication and try to stop flinching every time somebody said the word 'real'.

Shakily, I could see myself start to recover from the mess Malfoy had made of my head. There were relapses into wanting my painful memories gone, but Arthur would answer my phonecalls and he'd ramble about Lord of the Rings and rainbows down the line until I fell asleep.

But of course there were sploches of darkness around the Wizarding world as more muggle deaths and disapearences were announced--as mysterious and grisly as Adeline and Laurence's---served with a side of dementor attacks scattered around the UK.

On the plus side, when the Hogwarts letters arrived, Harry was made Quidditch captain. "Good for you," Gennie said with a grin to him. "Just take good care of my team, yeah?"

"You get equal status to prefects now," Hermione pointed out. "You can use the special bathrooms and everything!"

"Yeah, I'm sure that's the reason Harry is so pleased." I chuckled, giving him a quick hug.

"Wow, I remember when Charlie wore one of these," said Ron, examining the badge with glee. "Harry, this is so cool, you're my Captain... if you let me back on the team, I suppose, ha ha..."

"Yeah, but that'd be favourtism, wouldn't it?" I smirked, making Ron scowl at me. 

"Well, I don't suppose we can put off a trip to Diagon Alley much longer now you've got these," sighed Mrs. Weasley, looking down Ron's booklist. "We'll go on Saturday as long as your father doesn't have to go into work again. I'm not going there without him."

"Mum, d'you honestly think You-Know-Who's going to be hiding behind a bookshelf in Flourish and Blotts?" sniggered Ron.

"Yeah, he's taking out Mein Kamf..." I muttered sarcastically, and nobody understood the reference, so I just sat there awkwardly.

"If you think security's a laughing matter you can stay behind and I'll get your things myself..."

"No, I wanna come, I want to see Fred and George's shop!" said Ron hastily. 

"Then you just buck up your ideas, young man, before I decide you're too immature to come with us!" said Mrs. Weasley angrily. "And that goes for returning to Hogwarts as well!"

"Blimey... you can't even make a joke round here anymore..."

On Saturday we ended up being driven to Diagon Alley in Ministry cars, much like when I first went to Hogwarts, all those years ago. I was excited to see Lacey and Hollie again, but I worried about what Lacey would have to say if she twigged onto my mental breakdown of this summer. 

"Here you are, then," said the driver, drawing me out of my thoughts,  "I'm to wait for you, any idea how long you'll be?"

"A couple of hours, I expect," said Mr. Weasley. "Ah, good, he's here!"

There were no Aurors waiting outside the inn, but instead Hagrid, grinning at us.

"Harry! Rory!" He beamed, bringing Harry and I into a breath constricting hug as soon as we were out of the car. ""Buckbeak--Witherwings, I mean--yeh should see him, he's so happy ter be back in the open air--"

"Glad he's pleased," said Harry, grinning as he massaged his ribs. "We didn't know 'security' meant you!"

"I know, jus' like old times, innit? See, the Ministry wanted ter send a bunch o' Aurors, but Dumbledore said I'd do," said Hagrid proudly, throwing out his chest and tucking his thumbs into his pockets. "Lets get goin' then--after yeh, Molly, Arthur--"

We headed through the Leaky Cauldron which was dismally deserted, and followed Hagrid into the courtyard that lead to Diagon Alley. Hagrid tapped the wall in the special place, and we went through the archway into the alley. 

It had changed.

Ministry posters of protection were over almost every window, with scowling faces of death eaters stapled to doors and windows. I heard Cole whimper as we passed a sneering face of Cameron, and I noticed Gennie hold onto his hand a little bit tighter.

I knew that Cameron had been trying to break into Cole's new house for most of the summer, one reason he had now been at the Weasley's since the results arrived. I supposed seeing his face in public made it all too real that Cameron was highly dangerous. 

Mrs Weasley looked around at all of us. "I think we'd better do Madam Malkin's first, Hermione wants new dress robes, and Ron's showing much too much ankle in his school robes, and you must need new ones too, Harry and Aurora, you've both grown so much..."

"Molly, it doesn't make sense for all of us to go to Madam Malkin's," said Mr. Weasley. "Why don't those four go with Hagrid, and we can go to Flourish and Blotts and get everyone's school books?"

"I don't know," said Mrs. Weasley anxiously, clearly torn between a desire to finish the shopping quickly and the wish to stick together in a pack. "Hagrid, do you think...--?"

"Don' fret, they'll be fine with me, Molly," said Hagrid soothingly. Mrs. Weasley did not look entirely convinced, but she haded off with Mr Weasley, Ginny, Cole and Gennie towards the book shop. They all stayed in a pack I noticed, Cole having his wand drawn the whole time. 

"Migh' be a bit of a squeeze in there with all o' us," said Hagrid, stopping outside Madam Malkin's and bending down to peer through the window. "I'll stand guard outside, all righ'?"

We entered the shop together, my hands in my jacket pocket wrapped around my wand--just in case. I thought the shop was empty, until I heard a disgustingly familar voice from the back. 

"... not a child, in case you haven't noticed, Mother. I am perfectly capable of doing my shopping alone."

There was a clucking noise and a voice I recognized as that of Madam Malkin, the owner, said, "Now, dear, your mother's quite right, none of us is supposed to go wandering around on our own anymore, it's nothing to do with being a child--"

"Watch where you're sticking that pin, will you!"

Feeling sick, I followed my friends as we headed around the clothes rack they were behind. He was wearing green robes and looked quite bored. It took him a few moments to realise that the four of us were hovering at the edge of the shop.

He froze for a minute, locking his gaze with mine. I held my head up high, forcing myself not to throw up. I could hardly bare to look at him. I thought I knew him, better than anybody else, but no this was a stranger in front of me.

The boy who held me when I cried and helped me countless times to get away from Umbridge--he didn't exist. The pale boy in front of me with a thin face and sharp grey eyes killed him the moment he spoke those words: It wasn't real.

I turned away from him, and I swore for half a second he looked sad. But when my eyes looked up again, his eyes narrowed and he spoke:  "If you're wondering what the smell is, Mother, a Mudblood just walked in," 

"I don't think there's any need for language like that!" said Madam Malkin, scurrying out from behind the clothes rack holding a tape measure and a wand. "And I don't want wands drawn in my shop either!" she added hastily, as Harry and Ron raised their wands. 

Hermione, who was standing slightly behind them, whispered, "No, don't, honestly, it's not worth it."

"Yeah, like you'd dare do magic out of school," sneered Malfoy. "Who blacked your eye, Granger? I want to send them flowers."

I shut my eyes. Of course, this was the real Malfoy. The bullying and smirking Malfoy who didn't give a damn. Why was I clinging onto the fact he looked sad for a moment? He had always hated my friends and I, why shouldn't I hate him? After all he'd done, all the stab wounds of words...

"That's quite enough!" said Madam Malkin sharply, looking over her shoulder for support. "Madam--please--"

Narcissa Malfoy strolled out from behind the clothes rack. "Put those away," she said coldly to Harry and Ron. "If you attack my son again, I shall ensure that it is the last thing you ever do."

"What are you going to do, set your death eaters friends on us? Big threat towards two kids who have defeated your boss a combined five times." I sneered.

I sounded arrogant as hell, but with my shaking hands and burning cheeks of embarassment of seeing Malfoy, I honestly didn't care.

Madam Malkin squealed and clutched at her heart. "Really, you shouldn't accuse... dangerous thing to say... wands away, please!"

Narcissa Malfoy smiled unpleasantly.

"I see that being one of Dumbledore's favorites has given you a false sense of security, Aurora Potter. But Dumbledore won't always be there to protect you."

"No. I'll protect me." I said calmly. "But he's not here now, is he Harry?"

Harry looked even angrier than I did, his wand still out. "Exactly. Have a go. They might find you a double cell with your loser of a husband!"

"Don't you dare talk to my mother like that, Potter!" Malfoy snarled.

"Well don't you dare talk to us like that, and we'll treat you the same." I said crisply, trying to keep my voice even.

I lowered my eyes, but before I did, I noticed something unusual. Malfoy was making gestures with his hands that I recognised intimatley. No... It couldn't be. 

"It's all right, Draco," said Narcissa, restraining him with her thin white fingers upon his shoulder, distracting me. "I expect Potter will be reunited with dear Sirius before I am reunited with Lucius."

Harry raised his wand higher.

"Harry, no!" moaned Hermione, grabbing his arm and attempting to push it down by his side. "Think... You mustn't... You'll be in such trouble..."

Madam Malkin dithered for a moment on the spot, then seemed to decide to act as though nothing was happening in the hope that it wouldn't. She bent toward Malfoy, who was still glaring at Harry.

"I think this left sleeve could come up a little bit more, dear, let me just..."

"Ouch!" bellowed Malfoy, slapping her hand away. "Watch where you're putting your pins, woman! Mother, I don't think I want these anymore."

He pulled the robes over his head and threw them onto the floor at Madam Malkin's feet.

"You're right, Draco," said Narcissa, with a contemptuous glance at Hermione, "now I know the kind of scum that shops here... We'll do better at Twilfitt and Tatting's."

And with that, the pair of them strode out of the shop, Malfoy taking care to bang as hard as he could into Ron on the way out.

"Well, really!" said Madam Malkin, snatching up the fallen robes and moving the tip of her wand over them like a vacuum cleaner, so that it removed all the dust.

I felt vaugley sick but excited at the same time, eager to see Gennie and talk to her about what I'd witnessed.

I didn't get a chance to talk to Gennie freely as we headed around the pet store buying several bags of cat food and collars that Cole 'simply couldn't leave behind'. But thankfully we soon headed farther down the street to find Fred and George's shop.

"We really haven't got too long," Mrs. Weasley said. "So we'll just have a quick look around and then back to the car. We must be close, that's number ninety-two... ninety-four..."

"Wow," I said quietly. "They must be mad."

Fred and George's shop was bright purple, and slightly resembled a firework display with swirls and dancing patterns across the windows and walls. I strongly suspected Hollie had something to do with the mishapen dragon that was curling around one of the top windows.

But what was really catching my attention was the giant yellow poster in the front window.

Why Are You Worrying About You-Know-Who?
You SHOULD Be Worrying About
U-NO-POO--
the Constipation Sensation That's Gripping the Nation!

"They'll be murdered in their beds!" Mrs Weasley whispered.

"I'm surprised Lacey hasn't killed them yet." Gennie said, raising an eyebrow.

"It's pretty creative, you have to admit." Cole said with a grin. Gennie gave him a look. "Okay, so I might have come up with the last sentence, but it's still pretty bloody brilliant..."

As Gennie and Cole argued quietly, I followed Harry into the shop. It was packed with customers, and I could hardly get to a shelf. They were piled high with items that had been sold last year in school before they left. 

"C'mon, I'll show you the best stuff." Cole said, grabbing the top of my hood and still clinging to Gennie, who was giving him the silent treatment. "I did sneak out of rehab to help set this place up..."

Cole ended up showing us love potions and patented daydream charms, among other interesting items. The daydream charm allowed you to have a realistic daydream, and I picked up a couple boxes, knowing it'd be useful at some point.

"I always hated love potions," Gennie said, picking a bottle up with thinly veiled disgust. "I always thought they were similar to rohypnol. Giving you a fake sense of love."

"Speaking of fake love..." I sighed, as we squeezed into a hallway behind the tills to talk. "Malfoy was in the robe shop."

"I thought you were a bit off, I didn't want to bring anything up though..." Gennie said sheepishly. "So what happened? Did he try anything?"

"He..." I could barely get the words out. "I think he was lying to me."

"Which time?" Cole said. "The time he said everything wasn't real, or the hundred times before that?" Gennie elbowed Cole in the ribs. Scowling he said, "Well I've got a point."

"I honestly think that he might have been under the imperius curse or somebody forced him to say those things." I said, and the notion that my Draco, the one who did those wonderful things for me was possibly out there--was comforting.

"Well did he seem really forced talking? Not himself?" Cole said in a far-away voice, and I remembered that of course Cole had the most experience with the imperius curse.

"Well you saw how nice he'd been to all of us in the last few weeks of term." I carried on excitedly. "And well... it was all out of the blue. Wasn't it?"

"Yeah, I had to put on the whole sisterly concern very quickly." a sarcastic tone said from behind us. Descending the stairs that were by the hallway we were in--was my sister. "Why has that asshat been brought up?"

"Rory has a conspiracy theory," Cole shrugged. "If it's as crazy as the theory we didn't land on the moon... I'm out."

"Well we'll all need something a bit stronger then," Lacey said, clapping her hands together. "Come up to the apartment, it's far too crowded down there. I nearly have anxiety attacks working on the tills, no idea how the boys do it..."

We followed Lacey up the stairs that were cluttered with un-used stock and overflowing carboard boxes, through a bright green door into the apartment. It was of a decent size, and you could tell instantly who lived there.

An array of Quidditch posters and Van Gogh paintings covered the walls, and while there was a Wizarding radio on a dresser, there was also a television. Piles of Disney dvd's and dolls were littered around the living room, and plates were starting to pile up in the small kitchen.

"Yeah, we're not used to fending for ourselves yet," Lacey said sheepishly, picking up a rapunzel doll from a kitchen chair. "Make yourself comfortable, I'll get some drinks."

We all took seats at the almost three legged table, and Lacey hurried back with three glasses of cloudy liquid. "It's vodka and lemonade, but whatever you do--don't tell Molly. She'll have my head on a plate."

"Have I ever mentioned how cool your sister is?" Cole said to me with a grin, downing half of it in one go.

"Where's Hollie?" I asked. "By now, she's usually attatched to my neck."

"Over a friend's." Lacey said, and she sounded proud. "She made friends with some wizard kid in her primary, so they've gone to a Quido match."

Gennie almost choked on her drink. "Quidditch," she corrected.

Once Lacey was settled down with her drink, she turned to me. "Okay, I know enough about the asshat's breakup with you to know it was rotten. Why all of a sudden do you think it was a lie?"

I was glad Lacey was here now, she would understand truly what I was on about. "Well I was sticking up for Harry, and I caught his eye and he... Started doing sign language."

Lacey smiled fondly. "Like we used to do when we wanted to talk about boys with my parents finding out? Good times, good times."

I looked down at my hands, willing the words to come out. "He... He was signing the word real to me."

All at once, the three of them began talking at once. It all became such a babble, I banged my hand on a table. "One at a time, please."

 "Rory... It doesn't prove anything." Gennie said quietly, looking at me with pleading eyes. "I think you're just trying to find some redeeming qualities in somebody who hurt you--"

"You don't understand!" I shouted, almost spilling my glass. "When we were in potions we'd communicate through sign language and send each other cute messages... He knows what sign language was for the two of us. Speaking when it wasn't safe to talk out loud..."

Cole stood up on his chair, and I gave him a funny look. "Right, so listen to me Rory, like really really listen. You don't trust any hand gestures or hidden sad looks anymore. Unless it's a middle finger, because it's pretty clear what they're trying to say. You only trust what people say from their mouths, and even then you make sure they haven't been controlled. If Malfoy says to you 'I lied because I was forced to, don't hate me I love you' or some other mushy shit you believe him. If not, you continue silently loathing him."

"That was beautiful Cole, but did it require standing on my chair?" Lacey glared, and Cole muttered something about getting my full attention before sitting down. Lacey grabbed my hand, and gave me her best impression of Jenna's serious face. "Right, like he said, just wait until he says anything to your face before rushing into everything. Just have fun, recover and try to metaphorically forget about him--I really don't want more memory problems to deal with thanks."

"Right," I said softly. "Okay. I'll just wait. I just... I had hope for a minute."

"We're not trying to take it away." Gennie said with a small smile. "I know how much you love that...idiot but I don't want you to get your hopes up."

I got up from the chair and began pacing around the apartment as the others talked quietly. I picked up one of Hollie's family 'potraits' and felt a small ache in my chest. Hollie had drawn Lacey with George, and her and Fred with crowns on, while I had my hand linked with a blonde boy.

I wished more than anything that what Draco had said was a lie. Was I just looking into things that weren't there? But a part of me remembered the potions classes we'd clumsily sign out 'I love you' or 'Snape looks like a bat today' and how he'd softly smile at me when he thought I wasn't looking.

I missed that boy so much. The one who didn't understand muggle culture and liked play fighting and pouting when I wouldn't kiss him. But was he even out there?

As if answering my silent call, I noticed that very blonde boy walking down the alley with a short blonde woman hurriedly going towards Knock-turn Alley.

"Well that's not suspicous at all," I said loudly. "He's off to Knock-Turn Alley with his mother."

And then I darted out of the apartment, Cole and Gennie calling after me. I almost ran straight into Harry in the shop, who was getting out his cloak.

"You saw him, didn't you?" He said wearily, and I nodded. "You're going to come with me anyway, aren't you?"

I nodded serenly, as Cole and Gennie skidded down the stairs. "What are you both doing?"

"Following her idiot of an ex-boyfriend of course." Harry said. "He's shifty."

The six of us exited the shop, after Gennie resassured us that Lacey would cover for us ('Cole said he'd tell Mrs Weasley about the vodka she gave us, but that's not the point'). Cole swore loudly, making a mother and her daughter glare at us.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"That's not his mother--that's Sam. I know that short hair anywhere."

"So he gave his mother the slip for Sam... What's going on?" Gennie said, making a dramatic hand gesture.

I only met Narcissa once in my life, but I knew she wouldn't let Malfoy get away that easy. Sam and Draco must have worked hard to get away... But what was Sam doing with him? As far as I knew, they'd never held a conversation.

"Get under the cloak, quick--before they see us." Harry said, and the six of us squished together under the cloak.

It was much more difficult all going under the cloak than it was three years ago--it didn't help matters that all three boys were nearing to (or in Cole's case were) six foot. But the six of us strugggled down the street, slipping down the alley steps.

"Quick, or we'll lose him," said Harry, speeding up.

"Our feet will be seen!" said Hermione anxiously, as the cloak flapped a little around our ankles.

"It doesn't matter," said Harry impatiently. "Just hurry!"

But Knockturn Alley looked completely deserted. We peered into windows as they passed, but none of the shops seemed to have any customers at all. I guessed it was a bit of a giveaway to buy Dark artifacts... or at least, to be seen buying them.

"There's Sam and the Orc!" Cole hissed, pointing furiously at Borgin and Burkes.

"So not the time for a Lord of the Rings reference!" Gennie hissed.

"It's always the time for a reference!" Cole scowled.

"Just shut up!" Ron said loudly, or at least louder than Cole and Gennie.

In the midst of sinister objects stood Malfoy and Sam, who was wearing a long black dress and a choker necklace, looking agitated.

"If only we could hear what they're saying!" said Hermione.

"We can!" said Ron excitedly. "Hang on--damn."

He dropped a couple more of the boxes he was still clutching as he fumbled with the largest.

"Extendable Ears, look!"

"I could kiss you Ron, you're a bloody genius." Cole muttered, feeding the six ears under the door. "Let's just hope the door isn't warded against it."

"No!" said Ron gleefully. "Listen!"

Malfoy's voice could be heard loud and clear, as though a radio had been turned on.

"... you know how to fix it?"

"Possibly," said Borgin, sounding guarded. "I'll need to see it, though. Why don't you bring it into the shop?"

"Are you deaf?" Sam huffed. "He told you. It's got to stay put. Tell him how to fix it."

Borgin licked his lips nervously. "Well, without seeing it, I must say it will be a very difficult job, perhaps impossible. I couldn't guarantee anything."

"No?" said Malfoy, and I knew he was sneering. "Perhaps this will make you more confident."

He moved closer and showed him something. Borgin looked almost frightened. Sam gave him an angelic smile.

"There will be concequences if you breathe a word." she said, her voice a low hiss. "You know Greyback? Cameron Wilde? Family friends. They'll be popping in to see you aren't leading us on."

"There will be no need for--"

"I'll decide that," said Malfoy. "Well, I'd better be off. And don't forget to keep that one safe, I'll need it."

"Perhaps you'd like to take it now?"

"No, of course I wouldn't, you stupid, little man, how would I look carrying that down the street? Just don't sell it."

"Of course not... sir."

"Not a word to anyone, Borgin, and that includes my mother, understand?"

"Naturally, naturally," murmured Borgin, bowing again.

The bell above the door rang loudly as Malfoy and Sam left the shop, bickering. "--I can't believe you, honestly--!" Sam snapped, as the two of them glared at each other feet away from us.

"I had to, okay!" Malfoy shouted. "I can't live like this anymore!"

"And you know what happens if you tell her!" Sam screamed, and Malfoy fell silent. "You know what was threatened against me Draco, just remember that when everything comes crashing down because you couldn't control the feeling in your pants!"

And she stormed off, wobbling in her heels. Malfoy looked exhausted as he ran his fingers down his face, muttering, "How did it end up like this?"

He pulled what appeared to be a photo out of his pocket and shut his eyes, sighing, before stuffing it into his pocket and stalking off, shouting, "Samantha!"

I felt an odd feeling inside, and I thought of how Cole said Sam had been wearing her old death eater dresses and being out of the house regularly. Could she be back with Voldemort? But that would mean that Malfoy was.... No. I refused to believe it.

"He wants something mended... and he wants to reserve something in there... Could you see what he pointed at when he said 'that one'?" Harry said.

"No, he was behind that cabinet--" Gennie said.

"You two stay here," whispered Hermione.

"What are you--?"

But Hermione had already ducked out from under the cloak. She checked her hair in the reflection in the glass, then marched into the shop, setting the bell tinkling again. 

"Hello, horrible morning, isn't it?" Hermione said brightly to Borgin, who did not answer, but cast her a suspicious look. Humming cheerily, Hermione strolled through the jumble of objects on display.

"Is this necklace for sale?" she asked, pausing beside a glass-fronted case.

"If you've got one and a half thousand Galleons," said Mr. Borgin coldly.

"Oh--er--no, I haven't got quite that much," said Hermione, walking on. "And... what about this lovely--um--skull?"

"Sixteen Galleons."

"So it's for sale, then? It isn't being... kept for anyone?"

I had a sickening feeling that Borgin knew exactly what Hermione was doing. She seemed to realise this and carried on talking.

"Well--er--the girl who was in here just now, Samantha Lockwood, she's my friend. I wanted to get her something from here, but if she's reserved something in here already... So, uh..."

"Out," Borgin said sharply, seeing through the pretty lame story. "Get out!"

As the bell rang again as Hermione ran, Borgin slammed the door behind her and put up the closed sign.

"Ah well," said Ron, throwing the cloak back over Hermione. "Worth a try, but you were a bit obvious--"

"Well, next time you can show me how it's done, Master of Mystery!" she snapped.

We all walked towards the shop under the cloak, and as we found Lacey with Mr and Mrs Weasley, I couldn't help thinking back to Malfoy.

He and Sam were clearly up to something bad--something that needed threatening by Cameron to come into play--. And it seemed that he was trying to tell me something--about our breakup or something else.

And it seemed that Sam was being threatened to make sure I never found out.

- - - - 

A/N Hello people, hope you all had a fantastic Christmas (or whatever you celebrate) and New Year! Mine involved getting many books and one direction bookmarks before spending my New Year's Eve sobbing over hobbits. Yeah.

So, I have a much, much clearer idea of where this story is going and I'm mega excited to the point I'm almost final to what I'm doing for the final ever epilouge. (It's good, you guys will like it)

I'm getting more inspired even though exams are coming up in May :(( (like 8 exams even though I now take like 4 subjects lol) So expect me around more.

Any thoughts on any characters?? What's to come?? I'll take any conspiracy theories lol