"What'd you say to her this time?" Hermione sighed as she and Ron got up and followed Harry out.
"I didn't say anything." Harry said defensively. "Ever since she got back she's been... different. She's been much more distant and seems to always be in a bad mood."
Hermione shrugged. "She's been through something that was probably very traumatic, it's bound to leave some scars."
Ron nodded. "And... to be honest mate... you have been a little... clingy lately." He said hesitantly, putting his hands in his pockets.
Harry frowned. "Clingy?"
His best friend nodded. "Don't get me wrong, I'd probably keep a closer eye on Ginny if something were to happen to her but I mean... you can't go more than an hour without asking her if she's alright and you're trying to keep her glued to your side at all times. She's a teenager now, you can't keep treating her like she's still six."
Hermione nodded too. "Ron's right Harry. What happened to her was absolutely terrible but she's safe here at school. She's got all of us and Dumbledore and the Aurors. Nothings going to happen to her."
Harry sighed and shook his head. "You guys don't get it. My parents died when I was three and she was barely older than a newborn. The Dursley's didn't care about us, they stuck us in a broom closet under the stairs for years. It wasn't until Dumbledore sent a Howler when he found out that they at least gave us a room and stopped hitting us. She'd cry at night wanting our mother but all she had was me. I'm the only one who loved and protected her all our lives. It's always been my job to keep her safe." He leaned against the wall just outside the common room and closed his eyes. "And I couldn't even do that."
"Harry." He opened his eyes and saw Alison staring back at him chewing on her bottom lip.
She pulled him into a tight hug and shook her head. "That wasn't your fault." She whispered. "Tonks told me to follow her to the others but I tried to go back for you. I should've listened to her." She whispered as she pulled back and looked at him.
Harry stared at his sister and frowned a little. She had hit another growth spurt while she had been missing, the top of her head reaching to the end of his nose. She looked so much older which made him a little sad that his baby sister was now a teenager and growing more and more independent each day.
He pressed a small kiss to her forehead, something she didn't allow him to do quite as much in public as she used to, then smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Doesn't matter who's fault it was. I'm just really glad to have you back sis."
She smiled back. "It's good to be back. But don't even think about ditching class to check up on me alright? I'll be fine and if there is a problem I'll come tell you right away. Deal?" She held out her hand and raised an eyebrow.
Harry chuckled and shook her hand. "Alright, deal."
———
Alison quietly shut the portrait door to the Gryffindor Common Room and walked up the stairs to the seventh floor of the castle. The first day of classes hadn't been all that bad if she was honest, though Professor Slughorn had been a bit overwhelming.
"You must be Miss Alison Potter!" He cried when the third year Gryffindors walked into his classroom. He practically ran up to her and shook her hand so hard she felt her shoulder pop. "You look just like your mother you know! Except instead of red hair you've got brown from your father!"
Alison glanced helplessly at her friend Sarah who just watched the pair, giggling behind her potions book. She looked back up at the Professor and smiled politely. "Yes sir, I get that quite a bit. Harry told me you taught both of them?"
"Oh yes! Yes I did!" Slughorn beamed, releasing the girl's cramping hand. "Your mother was absolutely brilliant, she was! And it seems like your brother has got her brains, he did excellent in my class this morning! I hope you do as well as he did!"
"Yeah, me too." The teenage witch smiled then quickly walked over to her seat next to Sarah who was still giggling.
"What was all that about?" Her friend asked, opening her book.
"No idea." Alison chuckled, massaging her hand.
Alison stopped when she heard footsteps in front of her, ducking behind one of the large statues that lined the halls when she saw the person in front of her turn around. It was after hours and she'd get in trouble for wandering about the castle this late.
She was surprised, however, to see the person was none other than Draco Malfoy. He was glancing around nervously, obviously afraid of being caught as well. She watched him turn to the wall opposite the tapestry showing Barnabas the Barmy trying to teach trolls to dance the ballet then close his eyes in concentration as the Room of Requirement slowly appeared in front of him.
Curiosity burning within her, Alison silently followed behind the Slytherin, holding onto the door's handle to keep it open just enough that it wasn't quite shut, but enough to make it look to Draco that it was. She waited until she heard his footsteps quiet until she could barely hear them before pulling the door open just enough for her to slip inside, quietly shutting it behind her.
She followed the sound of his footsteps until they came to a stop just behind large piles of books that Alison used to hide behind as she watched him run his fingers over a very tall, dark cabinet. She said quiet and hidden until she heard the Slytherin prince start to cry softly.
"Draco?" She whispered softly, stepping out from behind the books. She held up her hands in surrender when he spun around in surprise, his wand pointed at her chest. "Are you alright? What are you doing in here?"
He lowered his hand and wiped his nose on his sleeve, obviously trying to make it look like he hadn't just been crying. "Were you following me?" He asked, his eyes narrowing a little, ignoring her questions.
"Not exactly." Alison tucked her hair behind her ear. "I went for a walk to clear my head and to get away from Harry for a little while." She admitted. "He's been smothering me since I got back. I saw you and wondered what you were doing in the Room of Requirement after hours. So I followed you in." She shrugged. "So what are you doing here?"
"That small task the Dark Lord asked me to do to prove I won't try to sabotage them? He wants me to fix this." Draco turned back to the large cabinet, putting his hand on it.
"What does it do?" She asked, standing next to him and looking up at the cabinet too.
He just shrugged. "I don't know. But they made it quite clear they'll kill me and my mother if I don't." He whispered, closing his eyes.
Alison put her hand on his arm, frowning when he flinched a little. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "It's not fair to put you in a position like this, you're only sixteen. You shouldn't have this much pressure put on you."
Draco chuckled humorlessly and looked down into her green eyes with his grey ones. "Says the girl who was tortured and nearly killed just because she's the sister of Harry Potter. That's got to be a lot of pressure too." He said softly.
She sighed and turned around, leaning back against the cabinet. "Yeah, sometimes it is. He does all these amazing and brave things and people expect me to be the same. But I'm no where near as courageous as he is." She closed her eyes then rubbed then tiredly.