Of Apples and Oranges

IV: vii: A Slightly Worried Girlfriend

They stood in line until a familiar voice called everyone into the bar. It was Ronald Weasley. That only meant one thing. Harry Potter was involved.

"Maybe we shouldn't go, Anthony." Aurum tugged at his sleeve as he started to walk in. Startled, he examined her expression of concern. She looked down at her hand and rubbed it. "Nothing's ever good with Harry Potter, you know. I just get a bad feeling."

"Aura, sweetheart—"

"Don't call me that, please." Aurum looked down and gulped hard.

Anthony shrugged his shoulders. "It's alright, we won't go. Hey, you never told me what happened to your hand."

Aurum moaned. "It's nothing, Tony. Just a bad scar."

Anthony twisted his head in confusion. "What did Potter—"

"Hey!"

Anthony and Aurum looked over their shoulders to see Draco bounded towards them. He stood in front of the happy couple with a large grin.

"Hey, Draco, major change of attitude!" Anthony guffawed at the other prefect's change in demeanor.

"You'll never guess what happened to me." Draco hyped the two up. "I got with Granger!"

"You're kidding!" Anthony's mouth was wide open.

Aurum hopped up and down. "Oh my god!" she squealed. She stood and breathed in and out, regaining her cool. "Draco, how dare you do this without me? I thought you were my bro." Aurum leaned on Anthony with a smirk.

Draco put a hand behind his head nervously. He blushed, saying, "It was just that you were with Tony and so I took matters into my own hands. I just asked her out and she just said 'yeah'. Turns out, people will say yes if you just come out about it instead of holding it in." Draco looked at the group of people going into Hog's Head. "So are you guys going in? Potter's hosting a huge meeting. I'm only coming for Hermione."

"Oh, no, we were just going to Threeb, you know." Anthony nodded.

"No, it's okay, we can go." Aurum tried to smile. "But, I'd like to sit in a corner. Hopefully Harry won't see me."

Anthony raised a brow at Draco who just shrugged.

The threesome walked into the bar, finding themselves seats in a dark corner. The group was full of fifth years and a couple of fourths. Harry, Hermione, and Ron stood at the front. Ron shut the door with a slam.

"Now that the Slytherins have finally decided to join us, we can start." Harry clasped his hands together.

Aurum ducked into Anthony's sleeve. The Ravenclaw stared down at Harry.

"Harry, is Voldemort really back?" Neville asked cautiously.

"Yes, Argentum Creste could testify as well." Harry answered.

"No one takes that prat's word. He's just as much of a crook as that fraud, Lockhart or any pureblooded Slytherin family." Seamus scoffed. Aurum sunk further in her seat. Draco sent a glare at Seamus.

Harry held up a hand. "That's not the point, Seamus. We need to know how to defend ourselves against him and Umbridge isn't providing us the spells we need. I'm going to start teaching a secret class based around it called Dumbledore's Army."

"And just what makes you qualified to do that?" Dean Thomas asked.

"Harry can make a fully corporeal patronus." Hermione offered up.

Draco scoffed, snickering. He punched Aurum's shoulder. "Nothing compared to what I can do, eh, Creste?"

"What can you do, Malfoy?" Ronald crossed his arms, looking up at the loud Slytherin.

Draco shuffled in his seat and looked away, crossing his arms. "I didn't come here to get grilled, Weasley."

"Draco, that's a prefect. That's a friend, there's no need to get hostile." Anthony gestured to Ronald.

The blonde nodded sarcastically and rolled his eyes. He stood abruptly, shocking Anthony and came on down to stand next to Harry. He crossed his arms behind his back.

"I'm a registered animagus." Draco announced, holding his arms out.

"Prove it!" Ginny Weasley spoke up.

"What? You can't trust the word of a Slytherin?" Draco walked up to her, sneering. Aurum looked between the two with concern. Draco was beginning to become out of line.

"Malfoy, what's wrong with you?" Ronald grabbed Draco's shoulder, but was shaken off.

"No, what I want to know is why you all have a problem with me!" Draco raised his voice unnecessarily. He pointed at Harry as he walked towards him. "Especially you, Potter."

Anthony looked down at Aurum. "What's going on?" he asked worriedly. Aurum shrugged, scared to death of what was happening before her eyes.

"Potter, you think you're so great because you're a perfect little Gryffindor. You're brave and kind. You're the one everybody looks up to. But you have skeletons just like the rest of us, don't you Harry?" Draco smiled falsely, standing up to Harry and walking back to the crowd. "So why don't you all believe me? Is it because I'm sneaky? I'm cunning? Is that what the Sorting Hat told you?"

"Draco, calm down." Hermione pleaded.

"I'm perfectly calm, Granger!" Draco gestured to himself frantically.

Michael Corner, Ginny's current beau from what Aurum heard, leaned over to the redhead, whispering, "At this point, he's going to get thrown into Azkaban." Ginny pushed her boyfriend away from her, afraid he might have just caused something, which he did.

Draco bit his cheeks and smiled at Michael. "Yeah, I got it now. My parents were Death Eaters. I'm just supposed to go down that path because I'm Slytherin. All Slytherins are evil, aren't they?" Draco crouched down in front of the Ravenclaw. "Is that what you think, Michael?"

"That's enough, Malfoy." Anthony stood, his voice booming. "You need to leave."

Draco gaped at Aurum. She looked away, ashamed. He nodded. "I see how it is. Have fun making out with Creste, Potter!" Draco screamed with mock joy as Ronald ushered him out.

"So! Any sign-ups?" Harry looked around nervously at the clearly uncomfortable crowd.