The Buddy System. *Complete*

Dean Thomas

We stepped out the room with my blood still boiling. If I had stayed there much longer I would have said something I definitely shouldn't.

Draco was on his feet in seconds as McGonagall took Luna in next. "Are you ok Raelyn?" He pulled me into a hug.

"No," was all I could whisper into his neck.

This is where I wanted to be right now. And yet as soon as I thought it I was ripped out of his arms and into another pair.

Theo's.

"She was fucking amazing. Did you hear her tear the Minister a new one?"

"You did what?" Hermione asked shocked.

"He is lucky that is all I did. I saw the memory. I saw two members of the Order run into the hall, knocking Theo and Luna out of the way and they bound and fucking gagged Azaleah as she cried over her friends death."

"They...gagged her?" Hermione gasped again.

"Yes laughing about how she was crying like a baby. Sick bastards. One grabbed her hair and Apparates her away before she could even speak. Before Theo or Luna could defend her. Then they told them both to shut their mouths and remember which side they were on."

"It's true. They did. We had to pull Theo away before they took him too. They clearly didn't recognise him." Dean murmured.

"I should have let them take me. I would have been with her."

"No Theo you wouldn't have been. You would be in a cell in Azkaban right now and she would have no one fighting her side. You rounded us up," Hermione smiled at him.

"But she is all alone."

"And right now the best thing we can do for her is this. What we are doing here. You know it mate. She needs you right here." Draco patted his back as he still had his arms wrapped around me.

"Raelyn did you really shout at him?" Pansy asked looking very impressed.

"She asked him what kind of establishment he was running." Theo said proudly.

"'Rae, I think I am falling in love with you," Blaise laughed to which both Draco and Pansy slapped the back of his head.

"Raelyn, can I speak with you for a moment?" Dean asked looking a little nervous.

"Em..." I looked to Draco who smiled at me and winked. "Sure Dean."

We walked over to the set of empty chairs outside the office and sat down.

"How are you Raelyn?"

"I am ok Dean. It has been rough this last year but I am doing much better now. How are you?"

"'Better now that my family are home. My sister joined the school this year. Sorted into Slytherin. I of course always knew she was a little devil. But I am learning that they aren't all bad actually." He gestures over to my group of friends.

Blaise and Pansy were having a heated discussion as Draco and Hermione comforted Theo. They actually even smiled to each other.

"So what happened to that older fella you were dating? Rolf - or something."

"Wren? We broke up about a year ago."

"You did? I had no idea."

"Why would you?'

"Yeah well. If I had known you were single I would have asked you out."

Was he having a laugh? He had me and he didn't want me. He actually walked away.