Crimsion Kiss

Recap of chapter 3:

"I was with Pettigrew the night he told the Dark Lord what was inside it."

Harry looked at him with big eyes. "A-and what is inside, sir?"

"Why don't you open it and find out." Snape said with a smirk.

Harry felt his lungs freeze. Magic cracked around him and sparked along his skin. "I-I'm sorry sir but I really have to get downstairs." Harry mumbled as he took off down the hall.

Chapter 4

"Come on, we'll miss the train!" Hermione yelled as Ron and Harry ran after her in Kings Cross. Ginny had been to visit Luna for the last week of the summer and had left with her.

Harry knew he should have missed his friend, but he couldn't help feel happy that she wasn't with them. "Hermione, we still have a few minutes!"

Hermione stopped, finally making it to the entryway. "Yes, but we have to find seats. We'll be lucky if we can find a compartment now. Go on, Ron."

Ron just shook his head and jogged past the barrier.

Harry smiled and went forward as well, quickly followed by Hermione, and the three went to get on the train, just as the first warning whistle blew.

"I think that's Ginny down there." Ron said, squinting at a girl with red hair waving to them from the other end of the cart.

Harry groaned as they started walking towards them. He smiled at Ginny as she threaded her arm with his.

"Oh, Harry, I hope this past week wasn't too awful without me."

"Ummn..."

"Ginny." Luna said as she looked over the top of her paper. "Give him time to put up his stuff before you attack him."

Harry grinned at Luna. "How was your summer?"

"Fine... father was notified that we are Woodland Nymphs."

"Wow..." Harry said. "I don't know anything about my family, but they haven't sent anything yet."

Ron coughed, chocking on his sandwich.

"Are you okay, Ron?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, I told mum I hated these things."

But Harry noticed that he wouldn't look him in the eye. "Is there something I don't know?"

"It's not really our place to-"

"Come on, Blaise, its only Potter and his friends."

Harry looked up as Draco Malfoy threw open the door and pulled his fellow Slytherin inside.

Malfoy sat down and took a bite of an apple, his legs crossed as he leaned into the cushion. Zabini was still at the door, looking at the group, almost as if he was preparing himself for a fight.

"What are you doing, Malfoy?!" Ron screamed, his face red.

"Relax, Weasel, we just needed a place to sit."

"Then why not go back to your friends?"

Malfoy looked at Hermione, and for once, it wasn't a glare. "We're not welcome there any longer."

"Why not?"

"Really, Potter. Did you think Slytherin, or any other House, would be happy to have dangerous creatures around them? Those of us who are, shall we say, different, are frowned upon."

"Well, it was your father that made everyone think that Creatures were bad." Harry said as he glanced at Zabini, the boy hadn't said a word and he didn't look like he was happy to be there. Harry didn't blame him; he didn't like him there either.

"My father is at the mercy of a mad man that not even he trusts."

Harry looked at Hermione, who just shrugged. But Ron didn't seem to buy it.

"Yeah right, we all know your dad lives to kiss Voldemort's hems!"

"Take that back! Mt father never wanted to serve the Dark Lord. Malfoy's do not bow to anyone else. What father did was to protect his family. When I was born, the ministry was passing laws to enslave creatures. The Dark Lord promised my father that I would never have to suffer for the crimes of small-minded fools. Every Death Mark is forged under the guidelines of the deal. Once the deal is broken, the Death Mark not longer applies."

"So... your dad isn't a Death Eater anymore?"

"That's right, Weasel, and that's another reason we were kicked out of our normal compartment."

"What, exactly, are we supposed to do about that?" Hermione asked. "We can't very well demand that they allow you back."

Malfoy smirked. "Well, since you asked, I have some information for you lot that may make you trust us."

"We would never do such a thing!" Ginny spat, her arm tightening around Harry.

"I can tell you that the Dark Lord is planning to attack Muggle born homes on Halloween."

"Why would you tell us that?"

Malfoy looked up into Harry's eyes. "Because I know who Marked you and I don't want to see you hurt, as it could hurt him as well."

Harry gulped. "And how do you know that?"

"It seemed like a bite, but it also looked like a burn. I only know one person that would leave a burn."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at each other. Ginny and Luna seemed a bit lost but Harry figured he could tell them about it later.

Hermione cleared her throat. "And what kind of Creature is that?"

"Oh no, Granger, I can't tell you that. I also know that he has a way to do things and I will not see you treat him unfairly."

"You mean the welt thing on his neck?" Ginny asked.

Ron looked at her, wide eyed. "You can see it?"

"Yeah."

"Why can't you see it?" Malfoy arched an eyebrow, studying Ron. "You have creature blood, don't you?"

"Yeah, but it only effects the women in my family."

"So I can see." Zabini sneered, finally speaking.

"Are you just going to let them insult me, Harry?" Ginny huffed.

Harry looked at Ron, clearly panicked. What could he say? He knew that no matter what, he was in deep and he couldn't get out of it alone.

Malfoy seemed to be the only one brave enough to take pity on him. "Leave him be, Weasley. Shouldn't you girls be going to get changed? We should be at the school soon, it's already dark."

Hermione smiled and nodded, her and Luna pulling Ginny from the compartment.

"Look, I didn't want to say this in front of them, but Creatures are getting the tail end of the deal here, and your dear old Head Master isn't doing anything to stop it. Things are changing, and I will not allow myself to be on the losing side." Malfoy whispered.

Harry gulped and looked him in the eye. "So are you switching sides? Coming to the Light?"

"We're not joining the Dumbledore." Zabini said. "We are joining you."

Both Ron and Harry seemed at a loss for what to say to this. They just nodded and stood up, getting out their robes and changing, Malfoy and Zabini doing the same. Harry could see Malfoy out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't figure out why things had changed but he did think it might help to have people on his side that knew how Voldemort thought.

By the time they had finished dressing, and the girl had come back, the train was coming to a stop and they were leaving the compartment.

Just as Malfoy was getting ready to walk out, he turned in the doorway and whispered to Harry. "Severus Snape is a good man. He may be a little hard to understand sometimes, but he always has a reason for his actions."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because, Potter, there will come a time that you think he has turned his back on you, but he won't. He might want to, but he wouldn't have Marked you if he wasn't willing to spend the rest of his days looking after you."

Harry just nodded and followed Malfoy out the door and off the train. At the carriages, they went their separate ways but Harry couldn't get over what Malfoy had said.

If Malfoy was telling the truth, and Snape would betray him, then how was Harry ever going to trust the man? At times, when he thought about Snape, he could smell cool air and almost hear the sound of waves crashing into the shore. Harry knew it meant something but he just couldn't seem to place it. And the way Harry could be reduced to a simpering schoolgirl just at a look from Snape! Harry didn't know what was happening to him. He figured it was a reaction from the Mark but he wasn't going to take any chances if he didn't have the whole truth. And the trouble with Ginny was getting out of hand. If Ginny tried something with him, he wasn't sure what Snape would do.

He shook his head; this was getting to be too much. How was he going to pass his Newt's if he had to worry about crazy Professor's and overly affectionate friends?

"Harry?"

Harry looked up at Hermione, noticing the carriage had stopped and he nodded, getting out and following them up to the castle.

---SSHP---

The Great Hall was as beautiful as ever, but Harry noticed that there were fewer first years this year. He wondered if it had anything to do with what Malfoy was talking about on the train.

After everyone was sorted, he looked at a small group of first years still standing by McGonagall.

"Attention." Dumbledore called as he stood up and addressed the school. "Due to recent events, the Ministry has demanded that all persons of Creature decent be sorted into a fifth House. These students will reside in the East Tower, third floor."

McGonagall cleared her throat and started to read. "Brocklehurst, Mandy."

"Finnagan, Seamus."

There were gasps across the Hall.

Many people, Harry noticed, seemed to be missing. The Hall was only half filled.

"Lovegood, Luna."
"MacDougal, Morag."

"Malfoy, Draco."

"Moon, Steven."

The list went on and finally, Harry's name was called.

"Potter, Harry."

Harry froze, looking around the Great Hall, he felt like he would faint. He has so many questions, like why no one had told him! He glared at Sirius and Remus sitting at the Head Table, but they wouldn't look at him. He was pulled back to the Sorting when McGonagall called Ginny.

"Weasley, Ginny."

"Weasley, Ronald"

Harry gave them a small smile and a shrug.

"Zabini, Blaise."

Harry looked back at Dumbledore when he stood.

"The new Head of House will be Professor Snape, and Professor Black, who will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Lupin, will take over as Head of Slytherin. Also, any persons Sorted into the new House, will be banded from playing Quidditch at Hogwarts."


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A/N: Sorry everyone, with this past Sunday being Mother's Day, I took the day off. And when I got ready to post on Monday, I noticed that I had made a problem with my plot. So I went back and reworked it (creating 30 chapters!) and now everything is set up in its proper place! Don't worry, I still plan to update every Sunday, this last one was just something I had somehow over looked.