Chapter 13

Days started blending into each other. Classes were fine, and the kids learned a lot. Charms, after the initial dust-up, became Phoenix's best class. She excelled in the casting of charms, and the other students were fascinated in watching the connection between her and her wand. Draco was able to use her wand in the class as well, and sometimes they cast together. However, when they did that, the spells usually took on a life of their own. For instance, they were required to perform the mobiliarbus spell to make their books move across the desk. Draco and Phoenix, using the Karstjewel wand together, cast the charm and the book flapped itself away. Everyone watched in shocked awe before the entire class collapsed in fits of giggling.

Everyone started to relax around the girl, and she was able to start feeling more normal. The only hitch seemed to be Weasel. He started watching her intently, his blue eyes boring into her. Draco and she would be walking to class or to the Great Hall, and the redhead would be ghosting behind them, quietly stalking them. It got quite creepy, and wore on the girl's nerves badly. Several times Draco had tried to talk to him, to get him to stop, but every time he tried to approach the boy, the redhead would flee.

One day, as Phoenix was walking to the common room alone from the third floor, a hand reached out from an empty classroom and yanked her in. Panic instantly flared within her as she spun away. Weasel stood between her and the closed door, and she wasn't sure where she was.

Oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god

Phoenix, what's wrong?

Oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god

Phoenix? Draco couldn't get through to her, but he could feel her panic, and started running through the halls looking for her.

The Gryffindor stood staring at the girl, his blue eyes glittering. She saw no emotion behind his eyes; it was almost as if he wasn't really there. He started to advance on her, and she backed away, fighting to keep the desks between herself and him. Every time she tried to shift direction toward the door, he would shift just as quickly, keeping himself as a barrier between her and freedom, safety, and Draco. Fear and nausea rose within Phoenix, and she fought to keep her lunch down.

As he came closer, her terror ratcheted up, escalating her already rapid heartbeat. Her heart was beating so hard and so fast that she could feel it pulsing behind her eyes, making her vision grey out at the edges. Suddenly, she felt walls pressing against her back, and she realized that she had literally been backed into a corner. She gasped, crying, and opened her mouth to let loose with a scream. Weasel saw this and his eyes widened. He stumbled forward to press his hand over her open mouth when the door behind them burst open.

Draco stood in the doorway, and Ron spun around at the noise. Draco stalked into the room, knocking desks out of his way, making a beeline for the stunned redhead. He reached Weasley, cocked back his fist and plowed it into the other boy's face, breaking his nose. The boy went down, and the Slytherin stepped around him to get to Phoenix. She collapsed in his arms, and he gently led her out of the room, but not before giving the prostrate boy a punishing kick to his ribs, fracturing two of them.

"If you ever come near her again, they will never find your body. My father can make you disappear in the blink of an eye," the blond snarled into the reddened face of the boy on the floor. "Consider yourself warned." Then he spat in the upturned face and carefully led the girl back to the common room.

As soon as the children entered the common room, Draco led her directly to their room and put her in the bed. She was still shivering uncontrollably, but her tears had dried. He tried to leave the room to let her rest, but she wouldn't let go of his hand, so he sat on the edge of the bed and carded his fingers through her hair while he waited for her to fall asleep.

Once she had drifted off, Draco left the room and went in search of Severus. The child found the professor in his classroom, making ready for the next class.

"Ron Weasley is in an empty classroom on the third floor. He has a broken nose and most likely some fractured ribs. He attempted to attack Phoenix and I…lost my temper." Snape's eyes widened, and he fire called Madame Pomfrey to let her know of the injured student. He then bade Draco sit and explain.

"I was in front of the Great Hall, waiting for Phoenix. Suddenly, I felt a huge spike of panic and realized something was wrong. She just kept saying 'oh god' in my head, and when I tried to talk to her, I couldn't get through the panic. I ran. I remembered that she had some business on the third floor, so I started there.

"I heard some shuffling behind one of the empty classroom doors, and threw the door open. She was in the corner, terrified, her mouth open. I think she was getting ready to scream because Weasley had his hand out toward her open mouth. I saw red, Uncle Sev. I couldn't help myself. I plowed through those desks and beat the shit out of him. Then I told him that if he ever came near her again, I would make him disappear. Then I spit in his face.

"I was just so mad. I know I should be punished for it, but I can't feel sorry. He's been stalking her for days. I tried to talk to him, to warn him off, but he ran every time I tried. I don't know what happened that day in Potions class, but he seems to have developed an obsession for her. And I'm scared." Severus tented his fingers under his chin, deep in thought.

"Is she alright?"

"No. I think this is going to cause nightmares."

"Do you want some Dreamless Sleep?" Draco considered for a moment, then shook his head.

"No, not yet. I need to get back. She's alone right now." Snape nodded, and the blond left quickly. Severus sat back in his chair and thought about Weasley. I need to get into his head, find out what's going on. What he's thinking when he sees her. Why he felt the need to attack her. He fire called Madame Pomfrey and let her know he would be by to see the Weasley child after classes. She nodded and ended the call.

When Draco got back to the common room, he was surprised to see the door to the bedroom open. He went in to find the gang seated around the bed, with Pansy holding Phoenix's hand. His eyebrows rose at the sight, and he leaned against the door frame, waiting for an explanation.

"We came in the common room and heard whimpering coming through the door," Pansy began. "We couldn't hear your voice, but we could hear her crying. It sounded…terrified and sad, and we really wanted to get in here to see if she was OK. But we didn't know the password." Tears started to fall from the Slytherin girl's eyes. "We were desperate. The whimpers started getting louder, and we knew she'd start screaming. We tried banging on the door, but she wouldn't wake up. Suddenly the door swung open, and we all came in here to calm her down. I guess the castle let us in…" Pansy's voice trailed off.

"I'm glad you guys are here. We need to talk." Draco moved away from the door and sat at the foot of the bed. Everyone gathered around as he recounted what happened to her. Eyes widened in horror, then narrowed in rage.

"Well," said Blaise, "we can watch her more carefully. She can't be allowed to be alone anywhere anymore. Which means that you," he pointed at Daphne, "Pansy and Millie, will need to walk with her to the ladies whenever she needs to go. I think Vince and Greg would be the best at actual body guarding," both boys nodded in agreement, "and the rest of us are just friends. We'll watch out for her without making it look like we're watching out for her. She's already having problems being different; no need to make it worse."

"Good thoughts, Blaise," Draco commented. "I'm very tired, so if you guys could just go, I'll take it from here." The kids said their goodbyes and left, closing the door softly behind them. Draco sat on her bed for a few moments more, then got up and changed into his pjs. He was about to climb onto the upper bunk when Phoenix let out a breathy scream.

Instantly, the boy climbed onto the bed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back into his chest. She trembled harshly for a few moments, taking deep breaths in her fear. Eventually, Draco's scent filtered through the dreams, and she was able to relax. The boy lay there for a while, then attempted to extricate himself so he could climb into his own bed. Phoenix's hands tightened on the arms around her and she started to whimper again. Draco sighed and tightened his arms again, settling behind her into the bed. He closed his eyes and knew no more.

Saturday came, and most of the student body was trying to find something to do, since Hogsmeade was off-limits to everyone. Phoenix stretched, feeling arms around her waist. She wasn't afraid, though, because she could smell the scent of Draco surrounding her, and she knew she was safe. She turned in his arms and looked at his sleeping face.

The blonde hair fell over his forehead, and she reached up to brush it away. The light touch of her fingers to his skin caused those silver eyes to open and look at her. Her emerald eyes met his, and they looked at each other for long moments, thoughts and feelings flashing back and forth between them. He leaned over and brushed his lips to her forehead, and she shifted and leaned her head on his shoulder. They cuddled like that for a while, his fingers playing with her long ebony hair.

There was a tap on the door, and Draco extracted himself from the bed and went to open it. Standing outside was the gang, all with worried faces. He stepped back, and the group entered the room, spied Phoenix awake on the bed and hurried over, all talking at once. The girl on the bed laughed and held up a hand.

"Wait….wait…..wait. One at a time." Millie spoke for the group.

"We were so worried. You were making noises in here last night, and it scared us. We couldn't get in because we don't know the password. The castle finally had to let us in."

"I'm okay. Thank you for your concern. The password for the door is family. So you can come in anytime now. You're all part of my family now." Tears shone in the girls' eyes, and the boys had to clear their throats a couple of times. Draco stepped toward the bed, smiling.

"We've decided," he began, "to escort you everywhere. Now, before you get too upset, the only ones to appear as authentic bodyguards are Vince and Greg. The rest of us, as your friends, will always be around. You are not going anywhere in this castle alone ever again.

"If you need to go anywhere, get one of us. We will always be available. No arguments. I don't want to take the chance that Weasel will try a repeat performance. I talked to Uncle Sev. I think he's going to do some investigating himself." At that moment, Severus appeared in the open doorway of the bedroom.

"Very astute deduction, Draco," he drawled. "I went to see Mr. Weasley last night while he was recovering in the hospital wing. I looked into his mind to see what spurred his…obsession, for lack of a better term. It seems that he's been led to believe that Ms. Evans is for the taking. Apparently, he took the memories of your abuse as permission to own you; however, I also sensed, more than saw, some sort of external influence on his thoughts. He seems to have implied permission to pursue you.

"I am sorry that this had to happen, but you no longer need worry about Mr. Weasley. I took the opportunity to obliviate him, so he has no memory of your abuse, or of his attack. You are now safe from him. I do believe, however, that you do need to be escorted everywhere in the castle. Dumbledore is still a very real threat, and we cannot take chances with your safety."

"We've already decided to make sure that Phoenix is never alone in the castle, Uncle Sev. By the way, next Wednesday is when we'll be meeting Granger to see what she thinks about Dumbledore. We would like it if you could somehow manage to be there to listen in. Just in case things get a little complicated. I don't expect trouble from the girl, but we can't be sure."

Severus nodded and left. The kids spent the rest of the day in the bedroom, playing games and listening to music. They had the house elves bring them food when they wanted. No one wanted to face any of the other students, especially since most of them blamed Phoenix for not being able to go to Hogsmeade.

The rest of the weekend passed fairly quietly. Phoenix was never left alone; she always had one of the gang with her no matter where she went. Draco was a constant comforting presence as well, and for the first time, the girl actually felt a strong part of a cohesive family group. She'd never felt so protected or secure before, and the warm feelings of comfort and safety filled her soul as nothing else could.

Monday came, and with it the return to classes. The first class of the day was Potions, and it was also the first class that Phoenix would have to see Weasley in. Normally, Draco and she would take the desk at the front of the class, with the rest of her group in the desks surrounding it, but today she decided she wanted to sit in the back corner furthest away from the door. She sat against the wall, and Draco sat beside her.

The others sat in the desks surrounding them, and in this way the girl was fully insulated from everyone else. The other students noticed the change in position, as did Snape, but made no comment. The redheaded Gryffindor finally entered the room at the last minute, and Phoenix's heart leapt in her chest in terror.

Draco quickly took her hand to calm her, and her friends all sat up straighter, looking more alert and a little more intimidating. She relaxed and smiled, looked at Draco gratefully, and turned her attention to the Potions professor. During the class, she would make surreptitious glances toward the redhead, but he never looked at her. It was almost as if she didn't exist, and she breathed a huge sigh of relief and was able to relax completely and pay attention to the lesson.

After class, the gang waited until the rest of the class left before exiting themselves. And that was how the rest of the day went. Weasel never troubled the girl again, and she was able to get back into the routine of school. She was never left alone, however. She was always cocooned in the safety of her Slytherin family.

Wednesday after dinner found the pair in the library, at the same table. Phoenix still sat in a chair in the corner, and Snape stood behind her. When Granger arrived, her eyes widened at the sight of the Potions professor, and she hesitated a fraction before taking the same seat she had taken the month prior. Phoenix still eyed the girl with suspicion, and her nervousness transmitted to the professor, who gently laid his hand on the girl's shoulder.

She relaxed, knowing she was protected and safe. Granger watched this exchange, a deep frown marring her face and confusion in her eyes. She then turned her eyes to Draco, and waited.

"When Harry came back as Phoenix," Draco began, "Dumbledore wasn't pleased. He visited Professor Snape and told him a fabricated history of her past. He then threatened the professor that he would be punished should he not report all activities to the headmaster. Before he left Professor Snape's rooms, he cast an unforgivable on him. I'll let the professor tell you that part."

Snape looked at the girl at the table, eyes unflinching, as he recounted the pain of the crucio. As he spoke, Granger's eyes got wider and wider. As he finished, the bushy-haired girl nodded to herself and thought for a moment. She appeared to gather her thoughts, and then she began to speak.

"I overheard a conversation between the headmaster and Professor McGonagall. She was furious at the treatment of Ha-Phoenix, and was telling the headmaster about it. The headmaster laughed and said that such treatment would 'toughen her up.' McGonagall was furious at this response and screamed at him that if he didn't punish the student body more severely, she would go to the Daily Prophet and tell about how the headmaster had allowed the physical assault of an eleven year old girl by the entire school.

"She then said that she'd provide pensieve memories to corroborate the story. I heard the headmaster choke, and then he said he'd enact a school wide punishment. He sounded enraged at the blackmail. I couldn't believe the man we all think as benevolent would be so nasty to one girl. Why? Why is he doing this? Why is he spreading what are obviously lies about the 'legend' of Harry Potter?"

"As I told you, he's after her power. You've seen what a powerful witch she is now; just imagine when she reaches adulthood. When she's been properly trained. She will be virtually unstoppable, and it's this potential that Dumbledore wants to exploit. He wants to keep the wizarding world in chaos until he gets her magic. Once he gets her power, he'll become human and immortal. He will be able to affect the living world in a more real and concrete way. He will be able to breed chaos and strife and destruction, thereby allowing his kind free reign."

"Wait, what do you mean 'his kind'?"

"He's a Djinn. Haven't you ever noticed how little you see of him? He can only maintain his human form for short periods of time. With her power at its peak, he'll be able to become the most powerful magical being in existence. He'll be able to free all the Djinn, and that will be the end of the wizarding and muggle worlds as we know them."

Granger absorbed this information, her brow wrinkled. She nodded to the three once more then got up and left. Draco sat for a few moments, a puzzled look on his face. He then turned to Severus and Phoenix, the confusion still evident. He quirked an eyebrow at them and they both shrugged, also nonplussed. With a sigh, Draco rose from the table and reached out a hand to Phoenix. They said their goodbyes to Severus and went back to the common room, questions about the bushy-haired girl swimming in their heads.

Draco and Phoenix were rushing to get everything packed so they could make the carriages taking them to the Express. Phoenix was excited to be able to go to Malfoy Manor for the holidays. She found she missed Draco's parents; they honestly felt like her own parents. Finally packed, the kids ran down to the main doors while the house elves took the luggage to the carriages.

The two were able to get a carriage with Pansy, Blaise, Daphne, Millie, Vince and Greg, and they talked and laughed all the way to the train. On the train, they once again took a car for themselves and lowered the shades, locking the door so they wouldn't be interrupted. The trip was spent talking about Christmas.

Phoenix had never really had a Christmas, and was looking forward to her very first one, spent in a real family atmosphere. She was falling hard for Draco, and loved his friends and his parents. The weekend training sessions hadn't started yet; Lucius was having some difficulties with some business deals and was distracted. He had owled Draco and told him that things would be better after the first of the year, and that they'd be able to start training then. Phoenix was disappointed, but she understood.

The train pulled into King's Cross on time, and the children waited until everyone disembarked before they left their car. The other Slytherins went through the barrier first, leaving Phoenix and Draco last. The girl went through the barrier and stopped dead, causing Draco to slam into her as he exited the barrier. She stumbled forward a little at the impact, but still remained rooted to the spot, staring.

On the sidewalk outside the station stood Vernon, Petunia and Dudley Dursley, here to pick her up for the holidays. Near them stood the Malfoys, smiles wreathing their faces as they saw the children. Draco saw the terror on Phoenix's face but couldn't quite understand it. He grabbed her hand and started dragging her toward the exit, waving at his parents.

They finally reached the Malfoys, who had reached out to take the children's hands, when the elder Dursley spoke up.

"Oi! What the hell do you think you're doing? Get your bloody hands off her!" Phoenix flinched away from the voice. Instantly, Narcissa and Lucius stepped in front of the child, creating a barrier. Draco stepped to her side and put an arm around her waist, supporting her weight as she sagged against him. Vernon attempted to reach around the Malfoys to grab the girl's hand, to find a dagger suddenly at his throat.

"You lay a hand on that child and I will gut you. She is now a Malfoy which means you no longer have claim to her."

"That old wizard pays us good money to keep her for him. She's our slave, and you'll not deny us her services. We were promised that she would work for us until that old man wanted her again."

"She is a Malfoy. No one has claim to her. She is part of our family. You'll not get near her again. Nor will that old wizard. Now leave, else I split you from navel to nose." Lucius put the dagger away as Dursley backed away. The Malfoys gathered the children and quickly went to the car, getting in and closing the door.

As they pulled away, they saw Vernon and his wife gesturing to a bobby. The bobby looked toward the car, but couldn't see anything, as the car was magicked to be invisible to law enforcement. The officer shook his head and walked away from the quickly reddening fat man. Phoenix relaxed into her seat and gave a tremulous smile to her new family. "Thank you," she said. "For saving my life."