Good For Everything

Chapter Four: Sentence Structure

"You don't have to deal with this alone, mate," Ron said softly, for what must've been the umpteenth time, as they walked towards their last class of the day, government and politics. "I mean, I know 'Mione's good to talk to, but we can talk about it, too, you know."

Harry sighed, swallowing slightly. He stopped walking and moved to lean up against the wall of the school. It had been three and a half weeks since his meeting with Severus at Grimmauld Place, and he knew that they were due for a second meeting. He was able to brush off Severus's inquisition about his demeanor at the Burrow, by merely stating that he had been in a state of shock after seeing Severus reading that particular "literature".

"Mate?"

Harry's brows came together then and shook his head. "Think Sir Nicholas would mind if we blew off government and politics today?" he asked.

Ron's face slowly morphed into a grin. "No," he said. "It's not going anywhere, is it?" He then grabbed Draco, as he was walking by, effectively stopping him in his tracks.

"What are you doing, Weasel?!" Draco demanded, yanking away from him. "Get your filthy mitts off of me!"

"Yeah, yeah, belt up, ferret face," Ron said, and he and Draco laughed at one another. "Come on, then. Harry and I are blowing off class. Come with us?"

Draco looked Harry over for a moment and, once he saw he was being serious, nodded. "Fine, but we've got to head over to get the girls, too," he said, and turned around, heading out the nearest door to get to the carpark.

Harry turned to Ron, who shrugged his shoulders, and they quickly moved to follow Draco. No sooner did they leave the car park did they arrive at the front gates of the school, and Ginny came scurrying out of the side entrance, pulling a worried-looking Hermione in her wake. Ginny let out a squeal and threw herself into the car beside Draco, throwing her arms around him and giving him a passionate snog. Hermione, meanwhile, got into the back over Ron, giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek, and a one-armed hug to Harry.

"Um...?" Harry asked, looking at Ron.

"Cell phone," Ron informed him. "Got Ginny one for her birthday."

"Ah," was Harry's response.

"Drive!" Ron suddenly shouted, not wanting the headmistress, Venetia France, to catch wind of what they were doing.

Draco stepped on the gas and pulled down the street, Ginny letting out a noise of excitement, while Harry looked out the window, Hermione fretting softly, and Ron looking out the back to be sure that they weren't being followed. Harry said nothing as they neared and got onto the A13 and just kept silent as they drove along the River Thames. It was a beautiful view, to be sure, but he also wondered where Draco intended upon taking them.

"Draco," he asked after an hour of the question rattling around in his head, "where is it you intend upon taking us?"

"The château," Draco said as they continued to drive. "Mum inherited it from a great-aunt when she married Lucius," he went on, and Harry detected that he was not close to his father, although he couldn't be sure if it was due to his prison term or not. "I like to go there sometimes when I need to think. It's on Southend-On-Sea," he said quietly.

"And, will our families be getting phone calls from the school?"

Draco's eyes met Harry's in the mirror. "What?"

"Well, I'm in the care system, Draco," Harry said softly. "One false move and they could take me out of Sirius and Remus's home. I have a lot more rules to abide by than the rest of you and, unfortunately, one little infraction could get me sent to a youth detention center or something. I don't particularly want to go to one..."