On Monday morning, after staying curled up in the warm dormitory as long as they could, Eleanor and Susan made their way sleepily into the common room, a commotion in the corner of the common room catching their attention and they push their way through the crowd as Eleanor spots a new official-looking notice pinned to the board.

BY ORDER OF THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS

All student organisations, societies, teams, groups and clubs are henceforth disbanded. An organisation, society, team, group or club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students. Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge). No student organisation, society, team, group or club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor. Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an organisation, society, team, group or club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled. The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-four.

"Someone must have gone to Umbridge after the meeting at the Hogs Head," Susan says to Eleanor as they search the room for Cynthia.

"Nevermind that, what about the Hufflepost? And Quidditch? There's a chance teams won't be allowed to re-form!" Announces a panicked Cynthia from behind the two, clearly already having seen the notice.

"Well let's go to breakfast and we'll have to find the others and let them know that we'll see Umbridge about getting the Hufflepost approved. You should speak to the Hufflepuff captain about quidditch too Cyn." Eleanor says, staying as calm as she could at the thought of losing the newspaper they had only just begun.

"Do you think we should go ask Harry and the others about what's going to happen with the meetings?" Susan whispers as Ernie and Hannah make their way to the Gryffindor table.

But before they can Hermione begins to shoo the others away silently, clearly alarmed at the thought of a large crowd gathering.

"Best not," Cynthia replies.

Snatching only a few pieces of toast, Eleanor and Cynthia leave Susan to find the other members of the newspaper while they speak to Umbridge, the Hufflepuff quidditch captain - Summerby, tagging along, relieved to have others with him to speak with Umbridge.

They find her, sitting rather smugly in her office enjoying a cup of tea.

"Can I help you?" She asks as the three of them stand awkwardly in front of her desk.

"Uh, yes Professor," Begins the quidditch captain, "We wanted to speak to you about reforming the Hufflepuff quidditch team-"

"And the student newspaper," Cynthia interrupts, earning herself a jab in the ribs from a nervous Eleanor.

"Ah yes, well, I think we can arrange that for the Quidditch team. I don't believe any of your members have had any major disciplinary issues. As for the newspaper, I don't know if it is entirely appropriate-"

"We don't write anything bad. It's mainly just news about the different clubs, upcoming school dates, advice columns and the like. Please Professor," Eleanor pleads, "If it would help, we could run copies past you first for approval."

This last part was very satisfactory for Umbridge who, with her toady grin, agrees and then allows them on their way to their first class for the day.

"For her approval?" Cynthia hisses at an ecstatic Eleanor, not sharing her same excitement for the continuance of a paper that she wouldn't have freedom with.

"Yes. For her approval, you and Susan will have to work on strengthening those concealment charms so that Umbridge can't undo them and see all the unapproved stories you write. Especially if we're going to be posting news about the meetings."

The first few classes of the day, Potions and Charms pass by with little fuss but by lunch no one can quite believe the amount of homework they've been assigned. Cynthia in particular voicing her disbelief several times before Susan silences her with an exasperated stare.

"Instead of complaining about it, how about you do some of it now?" She says, her own work already in front of her on the table as she eats.

"Well I can't do mine even if I wanted to," Eleanor says, "It's Potions and I can't for the life of me understand the work or even find the notes from class to go with it and I won't have tuition with Malfoy until Friday which is after it's due."

"Why not ask him now? He's just over there, and you've got time before class this afternoon." Susan says.

Sure enough when Eleanor follows Susan's pointed look she sees Malfoy sitting down with another Slytherin boy for lunch.

"Hmm I guess I'd better," Eleanor sighs, getting up from the table and making her way across the room, slowing down as she approaches Malfoy who thankfully is only with the one boy and any other Slytherins at the table are sitting further down. If Pansy had been there she would rather go to Snape and tell him she wasn't doing the homework than face that.

Before she has to say anything the other boy, Blaise Zabini, Eleanor thinks, spots her and points her out to Malfoy.

"What are you doing over here Hufflepuff?" Malfoy says, turning around to face her with a smirk playing on the edge of his mouth.

"- I-I, wanted to," No matter how hard she wants to just say it she can't bring herself to ask for help right in front of Zabini, especially knowing he'd likely tell Pansy about it later. No, she'd be much better just struggling through the homework herself, thank you very much.

"Blaise, I left my books for class this afternoon in the dorm, go get them will you." Malfoy says, with only a faint hint of exasperation in his voice. When Zabini has left the table and is well out of earshot Malfoy turns back to Eleanor who is now a furious red both from embarrassment and anger that she had even gotten so embarrassed in the first place.

"I take it you need assistance with that Potions assignment Snape set everyone?"

Not trusting herself to say anything she just nods her head.

"Fine, outside though I can't work with all the noise around me," he says getting up from the table and striding out of the hall, Eleanor practically running to keep up.

Despite the brisk chill of the outside air Malfoy finds a spot in the sun and takes out his potions book, looking to Eleanor to do the same.

"Thank you."

"Mm," is his reply, already flipping through her pages of notes until he finds what she'll need to refer to.

"If you use these notes plus maybe some of the ones from two weeks ago it should cover everything, oh and make sure when you write about the effects each ingredient will have on the potion don't forget that several of them cancel out some of the others and make sure you address that in the essay and why, should earn you a few bonus points."

She does as Malfoy says and begins to write an outline of the essay with him checking over her shoulder, "Why are you even starting it this early? We only got it this morning."

"I've told you before, I like to get work done when I get it, that way it's done and I don't have to worry and the weekends are generally free to do other things."

"Like what? You aren't in any clubs as far as I know, nor the choir and you don't play Quidditch. The only thing I've seen you doing as an extracurricular is that paper you and your friends started."

Scoffing Eleanor replies, "I do things. Mainly go to watch Cynthia train or hang out with them all in the dorm and relax, and I do photography. Where do you think all the pictures for the paper come from? It takes time to develop those."

"Yeah but, other than that you're all work and no play."

"This is just your way of saying I'm boring," Eleanor says, barely glancing up from her work.

"This is my way of saying you could be less boring, it's not as much of an insult that way."

"As long as boring isn't making an ass of myself I'm quite fine with it," Eleanor quips.

"Are you implying anyone who isn't boring is an ass or is this just directed at me?" She can almost hear the smile in his voice and for a moment she can't believe that she is actually managing to have a pleasant conversation with Malfoy, let alone playfully teasing him.

"Just you. Must take some skill, getting one of the quietest, most peaceful boys in the entire year to try and punch you."

"You heard about that?"

"I'm pretty sure most of the school probably knows, Lavender and Parvati aren't exactly shy about gossip. What did you say?"

"It was a joke I was making. About St Mungo's. I might've - pulled a face." He replicates it for her to see, though this time without the humour behind it.

"Yeah I think I might've punched you if I had been there, I still might."

"Not my finest moment."

A few more minutes pass and Eleanor is certain that she's escaped the topic of her 'boringness' when Malfoy begins speaking again.

"What about during the holidays? What do you do then if you don't play Quidditch? Surely more than just taking pictures, and definitely no school work. I mean, you're a Wicks, that's a wizard's name, don't your parents take you to wizarding events and the like?"

Staring straight ahead at the paper with a determination to stay focused Eleanor hesitates for a moment before deciding to answer.

"My dad doesn't really advocate doing anything related to the wizarding community. He's not even that supportive of my coming to Hogwarts though he'd never actually stop me."

"But, your family is full of wizards."

"You'd know more about them than me." She stops talking but then looks up and sees a dozen more questions forming on Malfoy's face.

"My dad is a squib and when my mum died he left the wizard community behind, married a muggle and had three beautiful muggle babies with her. To him, I'm just a reminder of the past and the world he wants to forget so when I'm at home I try to leave everything magic related at school. I never got into anything like Quidditch because I could never keep up with the teams and matches, let alone train to be on a team myself. At home I keep to myself as much as I can or I help out in my step-mum's cafe."

She stops talking, not sure why she was sharing so much with Malfoy of all people and waiting for the cutting comments to begin.

"You shouldn't have to miss out on having fun because your dad doesn't like it. It's too restricting. How are you supposed to know what you want to do when you graduate?"

His reply surprises Eleanor who just shrugs, "I'll work it out."

This answer doesn't seem to satisfy him but he doesn't say anything else, just looks over the work she has done and, after a nod of approval, gets up for them to head off to afternoon classes.

"Thanks again, you didn't have to give up your lunch."

"Just be aware that this means I'll be calling in on you for help with Transfiguration at some point," he says before leaving to go off with the rest of the Slytherins.

"Was that so hard?" Susan asks when Eleanor catches up to her just outside of Transfiguration.

"Okay, you were right, he was more than willing to help."

Linking arms they walk into the classroom, stifling their groans of complaint as they notice Umbridge in the back of the classroom.

"I thought she'd already sat in on one of McGonagall's classes?" Eleanor hisses to Susan.

"She must be a glutton for punishment." Susan replies, turning to face McGonagall who hadn't even acknowledged Umbridge at the back. This year was definitely not going the way anyone had thought it would.