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By the time dinner came, the rumours rolling around Hogwarts were innumerable. The only topic of discussion was Buffy Summers and her father as well as her choice of companions. Every single student had a theory of why she’d been let into the school and why she’d chosen the friends that she’d chosen.

Draco Malfoy was at the end of his tether. He wanted nothing more than to stand on his chair and yell at the entire school and tell them all to stop being so stupid about it all. But the problem with Hogwarts students was that they all loved a good drama. They loved gossip and they loved rumours. And Voldemort’s daughter was the biggest news they’d heard since Voldemort’s return the previous school year.

Dumbledore, Giles, Harry and Buffy approached the Great Hall, every student who wasn’t at home for the holidays already seated for dinner. Buffy turned to look at Harry nervously, her hand clutching his in a tight grip.

“I don’t think I can do this,” she whispered frantically.

He looked at her, his eyes boring into hers. “You can do this. I’m here beside you, all the way. Ron and Hermione are too.”

Buffy breathed in and Dumbledore stood at the doorway, waiting for Buffy to compose herself before she entered the hall. She took in several deep cleansing breaths before looking at the headmaster and nodding. The doors swung open and they were greeted with absolute silence.

Buffy could almost hear her heart racing and she knew that she was blushing profusely from the attention she had garnered from the entire student body. She swallowed nervously and followed the others down the centre aisle between the dinner tables. Harry and Buffy took their seats, Buffy between her boyfriend and Hermione, thankful that she was seated between two friends.

Hermione gave her a small smile and Buffy couldn’t help but smile back, even in the midst of her inner turmoil. Hermione was her best female friend at Hogwarts, and having Hermione’s support meant more to Buffy than she knew how to express. Buffy looked across at Ron who gave her a lopsided grin and Buffy felt something akin to calmness flow through her body. The four people she counted on the most had accepted her, and that was all that mattered to her. With Harry, Hermione, Ron and Draco at her side, she’d be able to conquer anything the other students threw at her.

Dumbledore reached the professors table and stood at his seat, half of the students with their eyes on the white-bearded wizard while the other half were all trying to get a better look at Buffy.

Dumbledore held up his hands and all attention was suddenly placed on him.

“If I could have you attention,” he said needlessly. “As you are probably now all aware, one of our new students is in fact the daughter of the Dark Lord.”

Excited whispers broke out through the hall, and Buffy could feel several hundred eyes on the back of her neck.

“However,” Dumbledore continued, “this student has my complete trust and my complete faith. Miss Summers is not a danger to any student or professor, and I will not tolerate any suggestions to the contrary.”

The students had never heard Dumbledore speaking so firmly on a topic. Even when he was at his most serious, he was usually still able to make people smile about it, but the students weren’t able to see the humour in anything Dumbledore was saying.

“No doubt many of you have sent owls to your parents, to your friends, perhaps to random people you feel deserve to know, but I am telling you that you are in no danger.”

“What about the attacks?” came the cry from a student in Ravenclaw.

“Our protective barriers have been strengthened, and neither Voldemort-” half of the students winced at the sounds of his name “nor his followers will be able to enter the premises without our knowing it.”

Buffy could tell that at least a hundred of the students had questions that they wanted to ask, but were unwilling to say aloud. She knew that Ron, Harry and Hermione would be fending off questions for days, if not months. She knew that no one would come up to her unless they were either extremely brave or extremely foolish.

Even Fred and George Weasley were looking at Buffy with nervousness, and she had been hoping that those two would have been able to take it in their stride. The two pranksters were unable to make a joke of it all, and that’s what truly worried Buffy. Hopefully they would be able to lighten the tension in the air in a few days. Until then, Buffy knew she would be having people stare at her and whisper about her behind her back. Not that that was anything unusual, but it would still be uncomfortable.

Dumbledore took his seat at the head table and began eating as though it were just another school day. Harry quickly followed the Headmaster’s example, Ron and Hermione following suit. The other students got the message and began eating though the Hall was filled with hushed whispers.

“Hey Buffy, can you pass the salt,” Harry asked, his voice loud and clear. Almost everyone in the hall turned to watch, Buffy resisting the urge to roll her eyes. No doubt her every move was going to be monitored by teachers and students alike.

She did as requested, handing Harry the salt shaker. He sprinkled a liberal amount over his plate and didn’t hesitate to eat it. Buffy almost smiled. He was showing not just Buffy, but the entire school that he trusted her.

Ron saw it as well. “Here Harry, don’t hog it.”

Harry passed the shaker to Ron who didn’t even like salt on his food, but Ron sprinkled some onto his plate as well. Hermione smiled proudly, grateful that her boyfriend had shown some initiative in showing that he trusted Voldemort’s daughter. As hard as it was for Ron to accept it earlier, it looked like they were well on their way.

When the student body saw that neither Ron nor Harry had died from consuming the salt, they continued eating, a burst of noise coming from the students. At least it was better than the hushed whispers.

Walking through the Gryffindor Common Room was an interesting event. As soon as Buffy entered with Hermione, Harry and Ron beside her, the entire room went deadly silent. Buffy desperately wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible, but Harry grabbed her hand and led the group over to the corner they had sat in the night of the Yule Ball. Harry pulled Buffy to sit between his legs, his arms going around her waist as they sat leaning against the wall.

The incredulous stares that they were getting would have been comical if the situation hadn’t been so serious. Hermione and Ron sat beside them, mimicking their position.

“I don’t wanna go back to class,” Ron complained, knowing that Harry had set this seating arrangement up for the purpose of maintaining a completely casual environment. Complaining about class was something he and Buffy definitely had in common.

“Oh come off it Ron, learning’s good for you,” Hermione replied. “You might have to actually use this knowledge one day.”

“When exactly am I going to have to brew a potion of any description Hermione?” Ron asked, imitating Hermione’s haughty tone.

“What about love potions Ron?” Buffy asked, smiling innocently, letting herself relax into the familiar feeling of her friendship with the group. Being encased in Harry’s arms was a very relaxing feeling, and she knew that the group was trying to prove something.

“What do I need a love potion for?” Ron replied with a grin. “I’m devastatingly handsome enough as it is.”

“Or just plain devastating,” Harry quipped.

“Hey!” Ron complained. He thought about the statement for a moment, trying to work out of it was meant to be an insult or not. He decided that it probably was one.

“Oh don’t be so mean,” Hermione finally spoke up. “He got me didn’t he.”

Harry and Buffy shared a look and turned back to their two friends.

“Sheer luck,” they said in unison.

Ron hit Harry on the arm and kicked Buffy’s leg, clipping Harry again as well. They both yelped and retaliated, Buffy making sure to hit him incredibly softly so that no one thought that she was threatening him in any way.

Ron stuck his tongue out at the two of them and turned his attention back to Hermione, pretending to be emotionally traumatised by their teasing.

“’Mione, they’re being mean.”

Hermione couldn’t help but smile at their antics. She somehow knew that things would be alright for their small group even if the rest of the school were still on edge. She kissed Ron softly and pulled away, Buffy and Harry making gagging noises. Hermione shot them a glare.

“Oh like you two are any better.”

Buffy and Harry glanced at each other, shrugged and leant in for a kiss.

“You’re right ‘Mione. We’re not.”

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