When Stars Collide

Elementary My Dear Alya

I was glad that Draco and I had settled our differences, the Slytherins became like a second family to me. Especially around the holidays. I knew I would not be going home for any other vacations that year.

I liked staying in the Slytherin Common room. It wasn't what you thought about when you thought "dungeon". It was elegant and clean. Everything was black and silver and right out of a gothic castle. Literally, none of that fake knock off stuff. Our beds were huge with curtains that had silencing charms that kept out the noise of people snoring. By now I knew what other noises it could keep out. Some of the older girls had gone in to great detail. By the blush on Pansy's cheeks I could tell she had not known before now either. Little fibber!

Most of the Slytherins were really nice to me. Our group of six were always together and we had a really good time exploring the rest of the dungeons.

And they were real dungeons too. We sometimes forget that before it was a school it was a castle that housed... well... someone... before it became a school. And not a very nice some either from what I could tell since it has these dungeons. Our rooms are nice and comfortable, but anyone can see where there are places in the wall where manacles are meant to go.

And the jail cells are great fun. Behind them are these hidden passages where there are peep holes at eye level so you can see inside the jail cells. Maybe so the jailors could spy on and listen to what the prisoners were saying?

Anyway these passages went everywhere! And while the rest of the castle shifts and swivels these passages stay pretty set on course. Frank and James were the best artists among us so they started drawing out maps of where all of these passages went. You never knew when they would be handy. We now had a very fast way to get to our classes if nothing else! We did spend a fair bit of time clearing out spider webs though. Not many spiders, which I thought was odd since a lot of these webs looked fresh, but it did take up several weekends. I don't have an extreme fear of spiders like Ron does but they aren't my favorite.

All of these adventures had really bonded us as a group. James and I were the closest out of the group, being the only two in the same grade. We studied together in the library a lot. Sometimes Draco joined us. James was a little surprised at first, but he accepted him. Draco usually only joined us when his friends weren't around. I think he knew I was not a big fan of theirs. I did like Theo and Blaise, but they were not really study buddies, Theo was too quiet and Blaise got bored too easily. And Pansy with her "Drakey" drove me bats.

We spent our time quite comfortably this way, in spite of the attacks, the six of us, exploring and studying until spring break. I got several letters requesting, pleading and then even demanding I come home. But nothing doing. I was staying at school. My name was on the list and unless they were willing to come here and bodily drag me from the grounds I was not leaving. I had no choice but to go in the summer, and I guess if the rumors were true that if the attacks continued and the school got closed I would have to go then, but until those extreme examples I would stay where I was.

It wasn't like anyone really wanted me there anyway. Ginny never spoke to me anymore. Ron acted like I didn't exist; it was all Harry and Hermione for him. Percy tried to talk to me but he was so busy with his studies and Prefect duties it wasn't practical and Fred and George, well it always had just been the two of them.

Finally they gave up and Mum sent a letter saying I could stay at school with my friends if I wanted to.

Thanks Mum, I hadn't been asking permission, but nice to know I have your cooperation.

In other areas things were going OK. I was still able to run my small business. I had managed to buy three more shares of Spudmore Bro.s Hazel Groves, I got a letter saying my tenth share would be free, so I was pretty excited for that. I really put the spurs to it after that and started actually advertising and putting up flyers around the school.