𝓢𝓮𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓼

ℙ𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝟚𝟙: ℙ𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕠𝕟 𝔹𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕜𝕤 𝔸𝕟𝕕 𝕊𝕙𝕠𝕔𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕀𝕟𝕧𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤!

A/N: This chapter is short and mostly a filler. I'm about to move onto the main plot! YAY!!

Hermione's P.O.V:

Last night Draco and I had fallen asleep in my room while cuddling, so imagine my horror when I walked out of my room, dressed and found my friends down there. Draco was about to come out of my room when I loudly called out. "Harry! Ron! Ginny! What are you doing here?!" I say, a bit too loudly. "No need to be that loud!" Ron says laughing slightly. I give a sheepish smile. "Sorry-" I mutter. "We decided to visit you since we were up early." Harry says. I nod. "Well let's go to breakfast!" I say and we all walk out.

I glance back just before the door closes and see Draco walking out of my room. I smile as we walk to the great hall, thinking about how I had no nightmares last night. We talk about random things until the Daily Prophet arrives. I open the newspaper and drop the toast I was about to put in my mouth. "What's wrong?" Ginny asks, looking concerned. I hand her the paper. She gasps. "What is it?" Ron and Harry ask in unison. "Lucius Malfoy has escaped Azkaban..." I whisper quietly.

I look around and it seems the entirety of the great hall knows what's happened, everyone is confused and talking and talking about spies and theories that don't make sense and... and blaming Draco. I look around and see people looking over at the Slytherin table and glaring at him. I look over at Draco and he's holding the newspaper in his hand, his face betraying no emotion, I'm too far to say anything, do anything.

Utter chaos flares around us. People who think, suddenly, that somehow Voldemort survived, because there's no way in hell that Lucius Malfoy could have broken out without help from the outside. They think that he will attack us, for revenge. None of the theories make sense as they circulate the hall.

I'm about to get up when a bunch of owls fly in, they start dropping letters in front of a lot of people. I get a letter. Confused, I open it. I recognise my mother's familiar script.

Dear Marina,

I know we aren't telling your friends about you being a Zabini but I decided to invite them and their families to the Zabini Christmas Ball. I hope you don't mind. You will of course go as you wish, as Hermione or as Marina, it is completely up to you. I hope you are excited!

Yours sincerely,

Rose Zabini

I was shocked to say the least, I hadn't expected this. I turn to my confused friends. "Why would she be inviting us to a ball?" Ron asks, confused, him and Ginny seem to have gotten separate invites. I shrug in response. *Did you know?* I ask Blaise. *No...* comes his reply, *I mean- I did know about the ball, we have one every year but I didn't know about your friends, I just read it in my letter...* I look up and nod at him.

Today has barely started yet it's already been a long day.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed!!