Fabian's lips thinned, much like Professor McGonagall's did whenever she was displeased about something. He was feeling VERY strongly tempted to simply tell Draco to figure out whatever was up with Erin himself; however, his curiosity had been piqued. What WAS it about Erin that was so important that Draco would be so closed-lipped? Although, it wouldn't take much for the pale-haired boy to snatch any opportunity to lord something over others...

"Well," Fabian finally decided, the corner of his mouth curling up slightly. "I'm ALMOST inclined to help you out, but not because it's you, I think you already know. You've got me wondering about what exactly could be putting that smug smirk on your scrawny little face. But I want to know, what's in it for me?

"No, I already know," he added before Draco could get a word in. "More excuse to hang around Anemone, bugging the living daylights out of her." He chuckled. "Distract her from her new 'girlfriend'... Make her fall for me like she should have long ago. It's a deal, Malfoy. I just expect you to do your part to make sure the Beauxbatons brat stays as far away from her as possible. Got it?"

He brushed a stray lock of dark hair out of his eyes. "Oh, and just so you know, this doesn't mean that I'm going to let your little 'secret-keeping act' slide. I'll be doing my own share of figuring out just what you've got hidden up your second-rate sleeve."

Standing and slinging his bag over his shoulder, he made his departure with that last shot at Draco's family standing being ever below Fabian's own.

Harry still felt a bit awkward, a bit suspiciously stiff, around Erin, but that didn't stop him from feeling somewhat gratified when he noticed that she was able to talk a little more easily. It wasn't much, but it was still a start. "Yeah, we'll work together. Come on, the dungeons are this way; we definitely don't want to be late."

And with that, he made his way down to the Potions classroom, expecting Erin to follow behind him.

Draco smirked proudly. He didn't think Fabian had it in him to turn up Erin's secret. He looked down at the letter that had told him, and he crumpled it, fully intending to stick it in the fire under his cauldron in potions class that morning. That would be the end of that, and that would be the end of Fabian's only chance to figure out Erin's heritage.

Erin nodded quietly, still unsure of herself but determined not to let it bring her down. She followed along behind Harry, trusting him to lead her to the right place. Trusting him? Trusting Harry Potter? She wasn't sure how to even take that, but she figured it probably wasn't fair to be surprised at herself for warming up to him when he'd spent so much effort to be kind to her. "A-a-all r-r-right-t-t...." She smiled shyly, proud that she'd made so much progress, but knowing that she still had a long way to go.

Snape was already at the front of the dungeon classroom when Harry entered, as always. The Gryffindor and Beauxbatons students that were already there were silent as gravestones... The Slytherins, on the other hand, were happily chatting up a storm. Snape did not seem to notice or mind.

Harry slunk to the very back of the classroom, noticing the surprised glances that the Beauxbatons students were throwing him. He knew what they were thinking as they glanced first at Erin, then at him. It probably was best to pretend that he knew nothing of Erin's parentage, that they were only friends by chance--

Wait. Friends? He barely even knew the girl, Anemone was the one who--

And yet he had somehow undertaken it to become friends with Erin, he realized with a shock. He'd thought it was only to give her a chance at proving herself, but... When had THAT happened?

He couldn't be friends with her. Acquaintances, yes. Sort-of-kind-of-friends because of Anemone, maybe. But direct friendship? Could he risk it? Dared he risk it?

No. Definitely not. Not now. He directed his gaze to the wooden surface of his desk, where someone had crudely scratched a Nimbus 2000 broomstick, and waited in silence, along with the rest of his Housemates, for the three minutes until class to pass.

It stung a little bit to have to sit at the back of the classroom. Erin adored potions, and would have happily sat front and centre to soak up as much of the teacher's instruction as possible, but she didn't have the required items to sit by herself. So it seemed she was stuck in the back of the classroom here with Harry Potter and no one to rescue her from her fate. She sat down beside him and sighed softly, looking longingly up at the blackboard.

Draco had by then filtered into his seat as well, and he looked over at Erin with a confused expression when she entered with of all people his nemesis. Barring the momentary twitching of his face as he pulled the ice prince mask over the shock and anger, he sidled up to the table with a smooth expression. "Hey...Erin, right?"

The girl froze and looked up at the Slytherin boy, the hairs on the back of her neck raising as he approached her. "H-h-h-h-h-h-hell-l-l-lo...?" She was already nervous because he looked like someone in her book of photographs, and she was dreading the name he might give her when he introduced himself.

"Do you want to come sit with me up at the front of the class? You'll be able to see the board -much- more easily than you will back here. Not to mention you'll have a chance to work with someone who isn't...a total failure at potions." He smirked, flicking his eyes at Harry to indicate him as the failure.

Erin didn't say anything, she knew she wouldn't be able to say anything. Instead, she scooted closer towards Harry, taking deep breaths to keep herself calm.

Harry looked up and narrowed his eyes as Draco approached and spoke to Erin. Noticing how the Slytherin boy's words, or appearance, or both seemed to distress the Beauxbatons girl, he opened his mouth without thinking. "Back off, Malfoy." It was one thing to consider being friends with Voldemort's daughter. It was another to let the admittedly extremely shy daughter talk with that pale-haired git.

Snape immediately stood from where he was sitting behind his desk and strode to the back of the dungeon classroom, his black robes sweeping behind him. He stopped in front of Harry's desk. "We wouldn't be making any... trouble, would we, Mister Potter?" He asked quietly in a voice as slick as oil.

Harry looked up at Snape, silently cursing Draco Malfoy. Thanks to him, Harry was in trouble already with Snape, and class hadn't even started yet! While that wasn't much of a surprise, he could have at least delayed swapping words with the Potions professor until he absolutely had to...

"No, Professor," he replied, trying to fight back the sullen tone that was trying to pervade his words. Glancing over at Erin, he wondered if she was going to be all right. And if Malfoy was ever going to go away.

At least there was only about a minute left until class.

Erin could have sworn her heart froze when Harry used the boy's last name. Her fears were realised; she was in a room that had two people associated with her father in it, and the only person keeping her safe from it was...Harry Potter. She stared at the blonde as though he'd grown a second head, and she forced herself to take several deep breaths and shift her gaze away. Her eyes fell instead on the teacher, and she could feel her chest tightening. What a wonderful way to start school, to have panic attack after panic attack after panic attack.

Draco noted her immediate defensive reaction and frowned deeply. She should have been falling over herself grateful for the interest he was showing in her at the very least. Depending on how much she knew about her heritage, she should have possibly also been beside herself with glee at having him seek her out. So what was wrong? Why was she...

He flicked his eyes over Harry one more time, and then it clicked in his mind. Potter. Of course. Potter had gotten there first, and now Erin had fallen in with the crowd that was completely opposite to who she was meant to be with! Was she oblivious? Did she not realise who she was? Or had Potter tainted her? His fist tightened, and he retreated over to his seat to settle down.

Erin looked over at Harry and forced herself to take a deep breath. "T-t-t-t-thank-k-k y-y-y-you...."

Harry gave her a strained smile. "No prob--"

"Talking before the start of class, Mister Potter?" Though Snape appeared to be as coldly composed as ever, Harry knew that the greasy-haired teacher had practically been dying to have an excuse to call Harry out. "That's five points from Gryffindor."

His eyes flicked over to Erin.

"Make that ten points. You don't appear to have educated your friend here about the rules we have in this class." He spoke the word 'friend' with a nearly invisible, but still there, sneer. Harry wondered if he was the only one who could see it. He fumed as Snape turned smoothly on his heel and walked back to his desk. Snape ignored him, folding his hands below his chest in an uncaring manner.

"You will all now open your textbooks to page 51. Those of you who don't have your cauldrons out, set them up. We will be covering Hate Potions today. Someone tell me the primary ingredient for this potion."

Harry saw Ron sitting in the row across from him; in his anger over Snape's detracting points from Gryffindor, he had failed to see him come in. They exchanged looks: clearly Ron had seen the whole thing. Harry was gratified to see intense dislike for the Potions master reflected in his friend's eyes.

Erin didn't raise her hand immediately like Hermione did. It was clear that this teacher was out to inflict pain on those he decided he didn't like. And association with Harry Potter, given that this was a class run by a Death Eater... She sunk down deeper in her seat, content with the knowledge that if he tried to humiliate her about anything...she'd turn the tables on him.

Her classmates, however, didn't believe their eyes, and a murmur of whispers--notably from those who had chosen to sit with Slytherins--erupted throughout the classroom. "Why ees Ereen not speeking up?" "Ees Ereen zeeck?" "Zhe ees not as good at potions as zhe zez zhe ees?" "Potions ees 'er favourite zubject, ees eet not?" "I 'ope zhe ees called on and ees 'umiliated..."

Erin paid them no mind, biting her tongue--she had little choice otherwise. But she would show them if she got called on...if she could speak.

Meanwhile, as she so frequently did, Hermione was waving her hand furiously, trying to get called on.

Snape took his time looking around the room, appearing to ignore the murmurs. Finally, though, he turned his head towards Harry once more.

The boy gritted his teeth. So he was going to get called on, was he? He didn't know the answer, but at the same time, he wasn't just going to sit back and--

"You. Next to Potter."

Harry couldn't believe his ears. Snape was NOT calling on him to humiliate him in front of the class? That was definitely a first in... Harry didn't know how long. Instead, the teacher was singling out Erin. Though Harry could not quite trust her yet, she had as of yet not done anything to harm him or anyone else. He couldn't help but feel sorry for her, being the object of Snape's cold gaze.

Erin stood to give her answer, because that was how things were done at Beauxbatons. She took a deep breath, locked eyes with the teacher, and nearly fell back into her seat. She took another deep breath, trying to force herself to speak. "T-that d-d-depends on...w-what you count as the m-most imp-portant ingredient... The J-jobberknoll pinions m-m-make the p-potion do w-what the p-potion does...and by m-m-modern t-t-theory th-h-hey're w-what the m-most imp-p-portant ingredient is. B-b-b-but..."

She swallowed thickly, feeling the man's eyes burning into her. She knew she'd already said what he wanted to hear, but she wanted to make it clear just who in the student body was the potions master. "Up until t-two hundred y-y-years ago...all target b-bearing potions were l-listed as having the m-most imp-p-portant ingredient being the h-h-hair of the t-target. W-without it, the p-potion is useless. B-but with the adv-vent of st-t-tandardised t-tests...it was c-c-changed to n-not count h-h-hair any more b-b-because then stud-dents could j-j-just g-guess 'hair' for everything and g-get a g-good grade."

She did her best to stare at him and wait to see if she would be given her due for knowing not only the answer, but the history of the answer.

Hermione, however, simply winced. She didn't think Snape would appreciate that at all.

Snape only looked at the girl coolly. "We have another smart-mouth in the class, I see," he commented softly.

The Slytherins chortled; it was obvious the barb was directed not only at Erin, but at Hermione Granger. Snape ignored the laughter and continued, "Did I not tell you to inform your friend of the rules we have in this class, Potter?"

Harry gaped in indignation. "You never--"

"Are you talking back to me, Potter?" Snape turned to face Erin. "In my class, you give me only the information I ask for and not a word more. I do not have time to waste catering to the needs of those wishing to suck up to authority."

Harry was practically seething at the unfairness of it all; he knew that if a Slytherin had spoken up and given that much information, Snape would have been leaping for joy and awarding the House fifty points.

"You will sit down now and keep your mouth shut unless I ask you to speak again." Snape flicked his gaze away from Erin as if she were suddenly of no more consequence than a fly.

"You will all now start taking notes. The jobberknoll pinion, combined with--"

Then a Slytherin boy raised his hand.

"Yes, Mister Soyle." Snape acknowledged him.

"If you'll excuse me for saying so, sir, I don't think that's entirely fair."

The whole dungeon room fell silent. Harry blinked. A Slytherin defending a Gryffindor cronie; or indeed, anyone outside of his House? Had he heard that right? He exchanged looks with Ron; the red-head was as surprised as he was.

Snape frowned ever so slightly. "Do explain your reasoning for making that comment, Mister Soyle."

"It's just that she is a newcomer to our school, sir," Fabian went on breezily. "The Beauxbatons students only arrived recently, and have not had much time to acclimate themselves to our ways, have they not? She could hardly have known about your requirement for concise answers."

It was the first time Harry had ever heard of Snape requiring concise answers.

Snape looked at Fabian for a long while, then at Erin. Finally, he opened his mouth.

"Very well then. I will let you off with this warning," he told the Beauxbatons girl. "But do not forget that my dungeon is not the place for long-winded speeches.

"Now, as I was saying. The jobberknoll pinion--"

Fabian shot a smile at Erin, inwardly gloating. It was his hope that she would carry the news of being saved by the dark-haired Slytherin to her friend Anemone, and earn him much-needed points in the Ravenclaw's eyes. He did need the foot in the door, so to speak, and this was as good an opportunity as ever.

When the teacher decided to give her a tongue-lashing for her choice of answer, Erin actually found it in herself to stand a little taller and breathe a little easier. He wouldn't -dare- say such things to her if he had half a clue who she was, so that meant she was just another face in the class. Obviously she didn't take after her father that much. The faint tremblings of fear faded away and she just stood there quietly, waiting for him to finish. She didn't even look to Harry when he was brought into it, just waited for it to be over. Anything was better than having to silently wait to be called into the office to discuss things only to have her past sprung on her--if he didn't even know who she was, then there was no trouble.

No, it was when someone spoke up for her that she began to worry--Erin turned a little bit green, watching as the boy pleaded her case for her. It was that boy that bothered Anemone...her head spun a little bit as she worried about it. Who was he? What did he want with her? Was there anything at all that she could do? She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, at least managing to force to the back of her mind that the teacher preferred short answers.

She sat down quickly, not sure what to say or to do with herself, just watching the exchange with wide eyes. This...was going to make trouble. She just knew it. But, she supposed, at least it hadn't been Draco Malfoy himself to speak up for her. If it had been, she might as well have been slapped with a name tag and shipped off to... Well, she didn't even know where her ancestral 'home' was, but wherever it was had to be steeped in darkness and snakes. She scooted a bit closer to Harry, her hand gravitating towards his for comfort as the wave of icy terror went down her back.

Hermione was already taking notes, writing a reminder to herself to look into the impact of standardised testing on conventional answers and find out what else had been changed with the inception of multiple choice tests. She was staying out of what was going on in the classroom, deciding that there had already been enough trouble and that she didn't need to add to it.

Harry jumped as Erin grasped his hand. His eyes widened, half with panic about what to do about this, and half with surprise that her skin was so cold. He looked over at Ron while trying to look like he WASN'T looking over at Ron, silently pleading for help.

Ron looked at the boy and girl holding hands, looked up at Harry's wide, desperate eyes, and shrugged, as if to say, "Sorry, mate, can't help you with this one."

Harry inwardly groaned. His first time holding hands with a girl, and it had to be Voldemort's daugh... Well, not THAT exactly--she hadn't done anything to him!-- but... He'd really rather that instead of Erin, whom he hardly knew after all, it was someone like--

"Oh, how cuuute! Harry and that French girl are together now? I can't wait to tell--"

That was it. After hearing Lavender's cooing whisper practically dripping Love Potion and rose petals, Harry snatched his hand out of Erin's grip as if her touch burned him, feeling his face flushing with embarrassment. Friendship was one thing, but he did NOT need a rumor going around that Harry Potter was now going steady.

He had, however, not pulled away fast enough. Fabian's eyes had also spied Erin's hand on Harry's, and he privately frowned.

Then inwardly, he grinned and turned his attention back to the Potions Master at the front of the room, who was speaking as a piece of chalk was writing specific points on the blackboard as if guided by an invisible hand. This might be an interesting development in that Malfoy's plans... He certainly wasn't going to be the one to tell the blonde boy about it, anyway.

Erin flinched away from Harry the moment she heard the whispers. He was a friend and she was frightened, but she -certainly- wasn't the sort of person who would launch into dating someone after knowing them a few days. Not to even mention the fact that he was Harry Potter and she was Erin Riddle. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, focusing up at the chalkboard and staring for a few moments, sighing softly as she resigned herself to work on the boring assignment. She was -far- ahead of this with her own studies... Maybe, just maybe, if she could get up the nerve for it, she would ask if she could come after class to work on something a bit more suited to her level.

Draco had missed seeing it for himself, but that whisper was something hard to ignore. He turned around briefly in his seat, in time to see Harry and Erin drawing themselves apart from each other. The motion only made them both look...guilty. No, that wouldn't do at all. It was bad enough she seemed to be considering him a friend, it wouldn't do at all for her to start -dating- him. Unless there was some way to turn it all around to his advantage... If he could get her onto his side without trashtalking Harry, they could then, together, manipulate boy wonder himself. He turned his eyes back to the chalkboard, praying for a swift end to the day's classes.

Hermione wasn't thinking about anything that had taken place amongst the students, already turning her attention to the board and to working hard on getting the notes copied down.

Harry let out his breath in relief as class drew to a close. He shot up along with everyone else, grabbed his bag, and made for the door. Ironically, though his thoughts were dwelling on Erin and how she'd grabbed his hand, he completely forgot to wait for her.

"Hey, mate, what was that all about?" Ron asked, falling into step beside him.

"I don't know, she just--"

"Congratulations, Harry!" Came a squeal from behind him. It was Lavender. As he turned to face her, she gave a high-pitched giggle that made him want to flinch.

"Lavender, it's not like that."

"Oh, come on now, don't be shy. I never knew you were into French girls. You do move fast once you set your eye on someone, don't you, Harry?"

People in the halls were beginning to stare and whisper. Harry felt himself flush. "No, it wasn't me, it was her..."

Instantly, he wished he could take his words back. But it was too late. Lavender's eyes widened at the juicy piece of information.

"You mean, she likes you, but you don't...? Oooh, so that's what it is?" Belatedly, at least Harry thought, she lowered her voice. But it was only a stage whisper, as she continued, "If you want, Harry, me and my friends can make sure she doesn't bother you. Why, it doesn't surprise me now that I think about some of the things I've heard..."

"NO." Harry took a calming breath and spoke again, more quietly. "I mean, no, that's okay, Lavender. I don't think she meant it that way. It was probably just because of Snape."

"Ohhh, right." It was clear however, that Lavender was not going to let the prospect of Harry having girl problems go so easily, if the huge wink she gave him before leaving with her friends was any indication.

Ron looked at him and shook his head. "Can't take a hint, can she?"

"Let's just go," Harry muttered, dread dropping down into his stomach like a ball of ice. "We're going to be late for Herbology."

Hermione nodded and fell into step alongside Harry and Ron. "We should probably warn Erin what Lavender's like, you know. I don't doubt but what she's going to try doing something nasty just as a matter of course. Can you imagine the drama that would start?" She didn't, however, want to actually get involved.

Erin hung around after class, not going to follow after her new friends. The Beauxbatons students were taking different classes to everyone else in their year, and she was actually going to be going to a class that the Slytherins were sharing with the Ravenclaws next. She didn't particularly want to follow after Draco or Fabian or anyone either of them was associated with, and she'd made up her mind anyway. She was going to face her fears and pursue the one subject she was good about and cared about.

Rather than head for the door with the rest of the students, she swallowed thickly and headed instead towards the front of the classroom, walking straight for the teacher who terrified her into stammers. "P-p-p-p-profes-s-s-s-s-sor?"

Ron spoke up, "She doesn't really mean to cause trouble though, right? Like right now, she's just... being a girl."

Harry winced. He couldn't imagine that comment going down well with Hermione. As for Lavender causing trouble... he didn't doubt that she could be vicious in her own way when she wanted to be.

Snape had been cleaning off the chalkboard with a wave of his wand, but he turned to face Erin with a swish of his robes and a slight sneer of recognition. "What is it?" He asked, as if bored simply by her presence.

Anemone had just made her way back to the castle from the greenhouses, still busy trying to dust some dirt off of her skirt. Looking up at a particularly annoying giggle, she saw a girl... Lavender Brown, was it...? and a few friends of hers walking down the hall. They appeared to be gossiping like mad, with no care about who heard them.

"...and she was holding his HAND in Potions."

"Oh my gosh, are you serious? That French girl LIKES Harry Potter?"

"But that's not all, he doesn't seem to be very keen on her. She's DESperate, though... just can't seem to take a hint!"

"Ooooo!"

Anemone could tell that the girls were not bothering to keep their voices down... in fact, if she was anyone to be suspicious, she would wager they were practically caroling the news to the entire school on purpose. She saw some Beauxbatons girls whispering madly together in a corner, and felt her insides clench... This could not bode well for Erin, OR Harry.

Slytherins, some Beaxbatons, and Ravenclaws had joint Arithmancy next. She could only hope that Erin was in that class, too. It seemed that now she would be needing a friend for support more than ever.