Author's Note~
I recently uploaded this story to my newly created account on AO3. Don't worry, and fixed a lot of the typos and formatting prevalent throughout the work. I also made a few minor changes in the wording here and there, nothing that changes anything, but just to make the writing flow a little better. I will be editing all of the chapters here as well over the next few days. And no need to worry, I will still upload new chapters here, I just wanted to explain why there has been a delay in writing new chapters. But I've taken up enough of your time, so onto the story!

My hand was over my mouth as soon as I realized what I had said.

“The Dark Lord! The Dark Lord! As in the last wizarding war, Dark Lord!” Pansy was off the bed and pacing.

“Pansy, you promised not to tell anyone.”

“Fuck! This is… what the fuck!?”

“Pansy, keep your voice down, please.”

“Fucking bloody hell. This is big. This is…”

“Pansy, please.” I grabbed her hand. “Breathe. That's it, in… and out.” I waited for her to take a few deep breaths. “Now let's sit back on the bed.”

Pansy was in an obvious state of shock, and she quietly let me lead her back to the bed. I sat behind her and started massaging her shoulders. “Keep breathing, nice deep breaths.”

“Holly?”

“Yes?”

“Are you going to follow in your father's footsteps? I'm not judging either way, but you know Hermione is a muggleborn.”

“No Pansy, I'm not going to follow in his footsteps.”

“But you said he's trying to resurrect himself. If that's true, and if he does, won't he claim you?”

I paused my ministrations for a moment while I contemplated the answer, resuming when I started my reply. “I won't let anything bad happen to any of my friends. And I won't let anyone dictate who my friends can be.”

Pansy turned around and put her hand on my shoulder. “You shouldn't have to.” Her face took on a genuinely sympathetic expression. “But you might not be given a choice. Welcome to the world of having pure blood parents.”

My eyes were watery and I felt a tear run down my cheek. Pansy gave me a hug and I started crying. We stayed like that until my crying stopped. “Alright, I think it's time for bed. You wanna sleep here or on your bed?”

“Here? Can you just hold me?”

“Of course.” Pansy pulled back the covers and laid us down, spooning me from behind. “For the record, if you do become a dark lady, I'm going to go ahead and swear my fealty to you now.”

Her comment made me laugh. “Even if I require all my followers to shave their heads and get an ugly face tattoo?”

“I'll do the ugly face tattoo but I am not shaving my head.” Her response made me laugh again.

I felt myself starting to drift off to sleep. “Thank you, Pansy.” I was asleep before I could even hear her reply.

I shot up with a start and it took me a moment to realize where I was and last night's conversation that led me to be sleeping in Pansy's bed. Pansy was reaching for the covers in her sleep. I thought about laying back down but I wasn't tired anymore, so I got out of bed and tucked Pansy back in. I thought about continuing reading my book, but decided a bath was needed to hopefully wash away the lingering feeling of despair.

Morning classes will be starting soon, and most of the girls will still be asleep for another couple hours so I had the bath house all to myself. Even though I had privacy I didn't dare voice any of my thoughts aloud. Was I willing to be an obedient child to a family I was ripped away from if it cost me my friends? Was I going to forsake the family I've always longed for to keep my friends? Did Hermione come to this conclusion, too. Is that why she's been avoiding me? Is it better for her to let me fade away now than years down the line? Whatever it takes, I'll find a way to save our friendship.

“Holly?” Pansy called from the changing area.

“Yeah.”

“Morgana’s tits it's hot in here! How long have you been in there?”

“What time is it?”

“Just turned 10.”

“About an hour and a half.”

“Bloody hell, you're gonna turn into a mermaid if you stay in there much longer.”

I shut off the water. “There, done.” I cast the warming charm on myself and put my nightdress back on. Pansy was waiting for me.

“When I woke up you were gone. I wanted to make sure you're okay after last night.”

“I couldn't fall back asleep. I had to clear my head.”

“Any luck?”

I shrugged. “A little.”

“Better than nothing. Come on, let's get dressed. I'm starving.”

There were still about thirty minutes before lunch started when I was finished getting ready. With not much else to do we headed to the Great Hall with Draco and Tracey. My thoughts were still on Hermione, so when we passed the stairway that leads directly to the library my eyes were drawn there.

“Go on. I'll tell everyone you forgot something for class.” Pansy nudged me when she saw my hesitation. “Go!”

“Thanks.” I gave her a weak smile before separating from the group.

This early in the morning the library is almost always empty. Hermione wasn't at her normal spot, but there were a few books on the table and the chair was pulled out. Analyzing The Sacred 28, The Pure Blood Registry, The Myth of Blood Purity, not exactly light reading.

“Oh! Holly!” A surprised Hermione said from behind me. “I wasn't expecting to see you here.”

I walked over to the startled girl and gave her a hug. “No matter what happens, I don't want to lose you. I… I really like you. I've lived my life without parents. I don't need them if it means giving up my friends.”

Hermione returned my hug. “Umm. That's not what I was expecting.”

“Isn’t that why you've been ignoring me. You thought I'd choose that blood purity nonsense over my friends?”

“No… I've been ignoring you because I… I didn't know how much you caught me saying yesterday.”

“Mesdames Lyra and Hermione Black. Me in white and violet, you in white and pink.”

“Oh my goodness. I can't believe you caught all of that.”

I could feel a sudden heat emanating from her. “It was cute. And I can't say I disagree with any of your choices.”

“Even the you and me part? Not you and Susan?”

Now it was my turn to blush. “Is it all of a sudden hot in here?”

“Oh my gosh, yes!”

We ended our hug and stood awkwardly in silence for a moment. “So what's with the books? They don't seem like easy reading.”

“Well, something isn't adding up. The Black family motto is Toujours Pur, which is French for always pure. But I can't figure out who Tom Riddle was. I don't think he's a pure blood. And from what I've read about the Black family, your mum would have been disowned if she had a baby with anyone who wasn't a pure blood.”

I heard footsteps approaching. “Maybe we should continue this later? If you're done avoiding me?”

Hermione nodded and then went to gather up the books.

“You two are here early.” Madam pince said.

“Yes ma'am. Just doing some research.” I replied.

“Well breakfast will start shortly and children learn best when they're not suffering an empty stomach.” Madam Pince took a glance at the books Hermione was now holding, but she was holding them in a manner as to conceal their titles.

“Yes ma'am. We were just on our way to the Great Hall now.” Hermione replied. She turned towards the book stacks to put the books back.

“No need for that dear. Just leave them on the return cart and I'll have them put back.”

Hermione half smiled. “Yes ma'am.”

Irma eyed the titles of the three books now sitting on her cart. It was her job to keep the students in line with the rules of the library, but when Albus had asked her to keep track of every book three first year students were reading she at first thought it was overly invasive. And while the Bones girl’s reading materials reinforced that, after keeping track of those two for most of the year there were definitely more questions than answers. From magizoology books dry enough to put their writers to sleep, ancient artifacts, school yearbooks, writings on the wizarding war, and now pure blood lineage. “What are those two up to?” She posited aloud.

“Good to see you two are on friendly terms again.” Pansy said as I sat down at the table. Hermione had gone to sit with her housemates, but pansy must have seen us enter the hall together.

“We were never on unfriendly terms. We were just having a couple awkward days.”

“You make nice with your mud..” Draco paused abruptly as I shot him a deathly glare. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Some habits are hard to break.”

All eyes from everyone around us were now on me and Draco.

“Draco? What would you estimate is your standing for top of the class?” I asked, twirling my wand in my fingers.

Draco gulped. “Top five, I'd say.”

“Fair. And who would you say are two of the people above you?”

“You.”

“And?”

“Hermione.” Draco said sheepishly.

“A half blood and a muggleborn. How many times must I tell you, blood status doesn't mean what you think it does. But you just don't seem to want to learn.” At this point I had the attention of at least half of the hall.

Pansy's hand was on my wand arm just as I was about to raise it. I turned my head to look at her. And she just shook her head slowly.

“Fine.” I said as I stood up. “Next time you might not be as lucky, little dragon. See that you don't need me to correct your language again.”

I stormed off from the Great Hall, not sure where I was going, but I found myself walking up one of the castle's many staircases.

“Holly! Holly, wait up!” I heard Susan calling after me but I kept walking without responding.

I heard her footsteps catching up to me. “Holly, stop!”

“Not now Susan, please!”

“Holly!” Her hand was on my shoulder forcing me to turn around. “Talk to me! What happened?”

I had wanted to hit something, break something, anything but talk. But now that Susan was confronting me about my problem all the anger and frustration I had turned into a sudden overwhelming sadness. Susan grabbed me by the hand when she saw the tears welling in my eyes.

“Baby, what happened?”

“I almost hurt him, Susan. If Pansy hadn't stopped me… Susan, I…” the tears were flowing now.

“Who? Draco? Why would you do that? I thought you two were getting along.”

“We are! I didn't even realize what I was about to do at the time. He was about to call Hermione the ‘m’ word and I just snapped.” Susan gave me a hug and held me tightly. “What's happening to me, Susan?”

“It's okay, Holly. You've got a lot going on right now.”

We stayed like that for a few minutes, and I was glad that the corridors were empty save us.

“Holly?” Hermione called from a few floors below us.

“We're up here.” Susan called down to Hermione.

“Is Holly okay?” Hermione asked from a closer location.

“She will be.” Susan responded.

I was embraced by another body. “Thank you. I didn't hear it directly, but Pansy told me what happened.”

The three of us stayed there for several minutes until my breathing steadied. And my sniffles stopped. “Feeling better now? Hermione asked, to which I just nodded.

The three of us removed ourselves from the group hug. “You wanna go back to breakfast?” Susan asked.

“I'm not hungry anymore. I think I'll just head to class now.”

“Oh no you don't. You need to eat. You'll be crabby by lunch if you don't.” Hermione admonished.

“She's right. You're too crabby on an empty stomach. Now let's make you presentable again.” Susan wiped my face with her sleeve.

After the two girls made sure I was ready to face the world again we started walking back down the stairs. “So how are we playing this? Calm and collected or still pissed?” Susan asked.

I took a deep breath. “Unfortunately the Slytherin princess has an image to maintain. So calm and collected.”

“You're not still mad?” Hermione asked.

“Oh, I am. But it's better if I don't show it.”

“I couldn't imagine having to do that.” Hermione said.

“Me neither.” Added Susan.

“The joys of being in Slytherin.” I said sarcastically.