Fleur nodded quietly, grateful that things hadn't exploded in her face. "Zhe ees terrified of you...just try to eegnore who zhe ees and don't push eet, and eet should be fine." She let out her breath as a sigh after that, not having even realised that she'd been all but holding it. "And do not tell a -soul-. We were all forbidden to tell anyone at Ogwarts about eet, oui?" She had a feeling that swearing Harry to secrecy meant adding in his friends to that, but as long as they kept it discreet, and more importantly, away from the -teachers-...it shouldn't really be a problem. At least she certainly hoped it wouldn't be a problem.

Erin shook her head, nuzzling into Anemone and trying to forget the world and forget her problems. She'd never had a friend before, certainly not anyone even vaguely resembling a true friend, and this was -nice-. This was nice on so many levels, she didn't even know what to do with herself. She just cried, letting Anemone cry as well. With any luck, she supposed, she'd cry herself out and be able to calm down after that. She was so far into her panic attack it made more sense to ride it out than to try and go back and quash it now. "I'm...just me...I'm Erin...I'm an orphan...that's all..."

"Then... if you can't tell anyone, why did you tell me? Especially me?" Harry then shook his head. "No, don't bother answering... It's because I guessed, isn't it? And because... well, I'm me." He gave a humorless chuckle before continuing. "Well, I... guess I'll go now.... 'Night," he finished lamely, because really, after all that, what else was there to say?

He then turned and began to walk towards the Fat Lady's portrait, desiring nothing else but a good night's sleep, but not before telling Ron about--

Ron. Was he still mad? Was he still angry that Harry had called him out on being rude? Well, hopefully he would be over himself... Especially considering what Harry had to tell him.

Anemone sniffled and wiped at her eyes. "Erin, that's just it. You are YOU. You're not your father, you're not anybody else but you. And people are persecuting you because of that? That's not fair. That's not right, it's just not!"

Anemone noticed her voice rising in volume and she quickly laughed quietly. "Sorry, I just... Erin, stick with me, okay? I'll take care of you. I may be a bookworm, but that doesn't mean I'm not spell-worthy, as well... Heck, it might even mean I'm more spell-worthy than most. Especially if Hermione is anything to go by... She's the brightest in our year, don't you know? Oh..." She trailed off musingly. "I wonder where Hermione got to anyway? I didn't even think to tell her we were leaving... She must be wondering where we are."

It would have been hard for Hermione to miss the blowout that had culminated in Harry stalking out with Fleur at his heel and Anemone and Erin sneaking off out the door as well. But dinner was drawing to a close, and it was going to be time to head back to the dorms soon enough. She didn't know if Anemone and Erin would be back in time, so she decided to head for bed. She'd probably run into Ron and Harry there, and she needed to have a word with them. It looked like this was going to be a tangled mess of some sort, and likely a tangled mess that trailed back to Harry's history, but the question was how did it all fit?

Erin smiled weakly for Anemone. It wasn't much, but...it was a start at least. She was still stammering, but she managed to quash most of it. She'd had more confidence since coming to Hogwarts than she had had for most of her life. "I...c-can't...use my wand m-much...I st-tam-mer too bad..." She -had- one, and she was quite proficient with it when she could talk straight; but certainly not when she was stammering too badly to get the incantations out. "I.... Th-hank you...." She hugged her one more time, but after that she pulled away. "You should...g-go back to your d-dorm... I'll b-be all right..."

The following morning's classes found the Gryffindors sharing Charms with the Ravenclaws, putting Anemone, Hermione, Harry, and Ron all in the same classroom. The Beauxbatons students were also sitting in on the class, both learning alongside them and also practising their more practical use of English. Most of them kept to themselves, but Erin sat next to Anemone, grateful for the lack of assigned seats. She smiled quietly, though she wasn't going to try to talk unless she had to. The longer she waited, the more chance she had of being able to do the day's lesson without stammering.

Harry found the common room almost empty, aside from a small group of second-years laughing at some joke. Climbing the stairs to the boy's dormitories, he saw Ron there playing a game of wizard chess by himself. As Harry entered the room, the white queen took out an opposing bishop with a particularly vicious blow. Harry winced as the bishop went careening over the side of the chessboard onto the floor, rolling under Ron's bed.

"Ron?"

Ron said nothing except, "Knight to E4."

"Ron, I've got something to tell you, so can you come off it for one minute?"

The knight smashed a rook off the board.

Harry sighed in frustration and decided to just plunge ahead. "Erin's a Death Eater. That's what 'mangemort' means."

At once Ron was alert, the one-man chess game forgotten. "WHAT?" He yelped. "But... Harry... That's...!"

"No, wait!" Harry hastened to assure Ron. "She's not really a Death Eater... I meant that she's Voldemort's daughter, and--"

"WHAT?!?!"

"Ron, let me explain." Harry let out a gusty breath and ran a hand through his already wild hair. "She... she's not like her dad, okay? At least, not if what that Beauxbatons prefect told me is true. She... she's scared of me, Ron. ME!" He let out a humorless laugh. "The prefect said that she's okay, that she's never done anything ever. So..."

"So what? You're not going to do anything?"

"What could I do, even if she was like her dad? She's never done anything!" Harry was frustrated at himself and the situation more than anything else. He shook his head apologetically. "Look, I... I'm going to give her a chance, okay? I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. After all... she's never even seen her dad..."

"Are you sure you'll be all right by yourself, Erin?" Anemone looked at her with a small smile. "All right, if you say so. You must be tired, go get some rest."

Rising from where she sat by the lake, she began to walk back to the castle and the Ravenclaw dormitories, waving one last time at Erin as she did so.

The next morning, Harry gave Erin a small smile as he sat down across from her in Charms. He still wasn't sure how she was going to react to him, and he himself wasn't sure entirely how to handle the situation. He would give her a chance, yes, but... That didn't mean he had to let down his guard.

Hermione had caught the tail end of Harry's conversation with Ron as she came back to the dorms, and she had decided it would be a good idea to not press it at the moment. She'd slipped off to bed without a word to them.

Erin looked up when someone sat down across from her, and it was as though someone had dropped a bucket of ice water down her back. She shuddered visibly and pressed her eyes shut. She half expected him to lash out at her, that he'd come over to sit by her because...because...but he'd smiled at her. She opened her eyes slowly, reaching over to Anemone to find her hand and grip it tightly. She looked at Harry with a bewildered expression for a moment, then slowly tried to smile back for him. It was just a tentative thing, small and frightened, but for a second, the corners of her mouth had distinctly flicked upwards.

Hermione sat down beside Harry, looking at where Erin's hand was quizzically, then up to Anemone's face. She was more confused than anything else, especially as to why this girl had wound up an apparent part of their circle of friends. Then again....Anemone was such a sweetheart.... All it took was for Anemone to meet her, she supposed. Then she turned her attention down to her studies, pulling out her books and getting a scroll ready for taking notes.

Anemone glanced up from a last-minute look-over of her Charms homework to see Harry sitting across from Erin. At the same time, Erin grasped the Ravenclaw girl's hand under the desk. Anemone squeezed back in a manner meant to be comforting, at the same time giving Harry an expression that clearly meant, "I'm watching you." She knew how suspicious and sometimes impulsive the boy could be; it wasn't like he didn't have his reasons, she would definitely give him that. But if he tried to act on his suspicions of Erin...

Then he smiled. It was small, and hesitant, almost forced. But still, it was a smile. Anemone glanced over at Erin and saw the girl, just for a second, smile back... if it could be called that. But still, it was a start. She bit back a sigh of relief and shot Harry a glowing look. Maybe things were going to be okay after all.

Then she saw Hermione looking at her and Erin with a most befuddled look on her face. Anemone grinned and shrugged before glancing back down at her homework, looking over it before Professor Flitwick came in.

The first half of the lesson progressed smoothly enough, first a bit of a lecture, then open practice. And then they were all to line up and demonstrate the day's charm. Erin shuffled forward when it was her turn, raised her wand, and stalled. The word wouldn't come out now that all eyes were on her, and the harder she tried, the closer to crying she came.

Professor Flitwick finally shook his head. "No, no, no, Miss Riddle, I'm afraid if you can't speak the charm you aren't going to be able to cast it. Don't force it, just go back to the end of the line and try again when you come to the front."

Erin nodded quietly, still unable to get her voice to make even a sound as she slunk to the back of the line. After a few moments, clear as a bell though quietly whispered, she managed to say, "This is why I like potions...."

Hermione couldn't help but shudder at that announcement, though to be fair she liked the -classwork-, just disliked the teacher himself. And Erin was going to be in for a nasty surprise when her potions period came around. She just hoped it would come with Anemone there beside her as the girl seemed to really support her. Actually...Erin and Anemone seemed to have gotten -very- close, quite quickly. And the number of times they'd been holding hands...

No, they were just good friends, surely. They -had- to be just friends, they'd hit it off well... That sort of thing didn't happen really, did it? She felt a blush come to her cheeks, and fumbled her casting when it was her turn. She got it the second try, her cheeks now flushing harder as the colour was reinforced with shame.

Harry felt his eyebrows rise up in surprise as Hermione messed up her first attempt at the spell. Hermione, stumbling over her words? Especially those of a spell? He looked over to see Ron and Anemone mirroring his own expression of astonishment.

Harry stepped forward and managed to only cause his wand to emit a cloud of blue smoke. Ron, upon his turn, managed well enough, only to be shown up by Anemone as she came up and demonstrated "perfect enunciation, excellent flowing hand movement! Well done, Miss Wakanda!" as spoken by Professor Flitwick.

"Showoff," Ron muttered as Anemone went back to her seat.

"Excuse me, Mr. Weasley? Did I hear you say something?" Anemone shot back with a grin, noting the teasing tone in Ron's voice.

"I said you're a downright genius, Anemone," he spoke up louder. "You should get a medal or something. Someone should make an Anemone Wakanda medal and you'd be the first recipient."

"Oh, shut up," she laughed at him.

"But honestly, Hermione, what was up with that?" He then asked the Gryffindor girl, jerking his head up to the front of the line where a Beauxbatons girl was currently trying her hand at the assigned spell. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Yeah, Hermione," Harry added. "I think that's the first time I've seen you mess up a spell."

"Or ANYTHING, for that matter," Ron continued with just the barest hint of snideness in his voice.

Hermione was still blushing, and she looked away from all of them. "I was just distracted by something. That's all." She took a deep breath and looked over at Anemone, offering her an awkward smile. "Congrats on doing your spell well. It looks like Erin's up next..." She looked over at the brown haired girl, watching curiously as Erin tried to do her spell, this time with her eyes closed.

She got the first part out, then stammered on the second syllable, sending a puff of blue smoke from the end of her wand, though hers also managed to stain anything it came into contact with blue as well. She dropped her head into her free hand, sighing softly. "I c-c-c-can't t-t-t-t-t-talk t-t-t-tod-d-d-day....."

Harry saw the Beauxbatons girls snickering in the group they had formed, along with several of the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students who had befriended them.

"What deed yoo eexpect?" One particularly tall, blonde girl questioned flippantly, and rhetorically if her tone was anything to go by. "Eet ees onlee Ereen."

His eyebrows drew together, and before he knew what he was doing he'd risen to his feet.

"Professor, would it be all right if we tried the spell together? Since I messed up too," he explained as he crossed over to Erin. It was only when he was beside her with his wand out that it struck him that this might not be such a good idea... the girl WAS terrified of him, after all. But it was too late, as he was swishing his wand and pronouncing the syllables carefully, glancing over to see if Erin was doing the same.

It was on his third try that he managed to cast a spray of silver sparkles over the tarnished silver pot that Professor Flitwick had set out, causing it to gleam silver once more where the sparkles touched it. He grinned in triumph, looking over at Erin. "How are you doing? Any luck?"

Erin stopped breathing when Harry spoke up, every nerve in her body tensing and preparing for the fight or flight response that her instincts demanded at such a powerful blast of fear. She was used to ignoring the comments from her classmates, used to letting them flick by her completely unnoticed. No, it was Harry's reaction that was throwing her through a loop. But she took a deep breath and let it out slowly when she realised just -what- he was saying, and again as he approached her.

While Harry worked on casting his spell, Erin closed her eyes and moved her lips, no sound coming out as she tried to convince herself that adding audio shouldn't make it sound any different than it did in her head. Harry looked over at her as she opened her eyes, finally speaking up and getting the spell out perfectly. Or...nine tenths of the way, up until someone hit her in the back of the head with a wad of parchment. Her words stalled, and again the charm came out wrong, to the amusement of her schoolmates and their new found friends.

Anemone winced as Harry went up to help Anemone. "You're only making it worse!" She wanted to say, but of course she did not. And... he was trying to help in his own way. It was one of the endearing things about him, she supposed.

She smiled as Erin got the charm out--almost. The smile vanished as the parchment distracted the girl and the students laughed.

Then she had to grab Ron's arm to restrain him from going over to confront one of the laughing boys. "Ron, no!"

"Did you see what they--"

"I know, but Professor Flitwick saw too, I'm sure. He's the teacher, let him handle it... Ron, sit DOWN! Hermione?" Anemone looked over at her friend pleadingly.

Professor Flitwick calmly pointed his wand at the bit of parchment. "Hold still a moment, Miss Riddle. Originatum returnum!" The piece of paper flew back at Erin, bounced off of her, and flew into the involuntarily waiting hand of a Beauxbatons girl. The girl balked a little bit, but the professor didn't seem to notice or care. "That will be detention this evening after dinner. If you have somewhere to be...you can consider explaining your way out of that as additional punishment." She hung her head, but didn't protest.

Hermione had moved to hold Ron back as well, frowning worriedly as everything seemed to be so suddenly going wrong. "Let the teacher handle it, Ron...." She smiled a bit when she saw what was going on, though she couldn't help but wonder. The Beauxbatons girls seemed to be in the habit of making life hell for Erin... Why hadn't anyone ever stepped up to defend her? Or more to the point...why had Erin never tried to defend herself? Surely the quiet and meek routine was an act, wasn't it? After all...she was connected to the Death Eaters -somehow-...enough to earn the name as a nickname, even if it was derogatory. But who was she that....

....Riddle.

Tom Marvolo Riddle...she remembered this from their second year, the final piece of the puzzle in the diary that had done so much damage.... The question just remained who was she to him. A niece? A distant relation? Or something more...close to the heart... A shiver ran down her spine. She'd have to warn Harry! Or... The snatch of conversation she'd overheard last night came back to her mind. Erin hadn't seen her father since she was a tiny baby... It was true, then... But it sounded like Harry already knew that. But she'd have to warn Anemone regardless. She fidgeted nervously, then put on a cheery smile. "See? It all worked out in the end..."

Erin didn't really care about what was going on around her, focusing more on getting her breath back and trying to calm herself down again. Her life really could be hell at times, and she absolutely hated it.

Anemone let go of Ron, as he seemed to be calming down now that the girl was assigned detention and the snickering had died down. Resuming her seat, she finished jotting down a few extra notes about Professor Flitwick's lesson. Her quill stopped mid-stroke, however, when she heard some Beauxbatons girls muttering nearby.

"What a fooleesh boy."

"'ee doesn't eeven know 'oo she ees."

Anemone resumed writing, firmly trying to ignore the girls. She for one knew who Erin was, but she was not going to let the others know. Somehow she had the feeling that doing so would cause even more problems for the girl.

Ron was still frowning, shooting positively dangerous glances at the students who had laughed.

"Oh, Ron," Anemone sighed. "Just... just let it go, okay? She got detention, didn't she?"

"It won't stop them from--"

"I know," Anemone cut in. "I know, okay?" She couldn't keep the frustration out of her voice. "The most we can do is stick by her, though..."

She hesitated.

"Ron, does Harry... know?"

Ron stared at her wide-eyed. He could not have been more transparent if he tried.

"Know, uh, what?"

Anemone sighed. "Ron, I'm not stupid. Okay, so you both do... And Hermione's smart, I'm sure she's figured it out," she continued murmuring, glancing over to include Hermione in the conversation. "What do you want to do? It looks like Harry's okay..."

"Okay isn't the word exactly," Ron muttered, glancing over at where Harry was asking Erin if she was all right. "He's... I don't know, but for some reason he wants to give her a chance... Ah, he mentioned a Beauxbatons prefect, I think. Yeah, that's it. Something she said."

"We zhould tell 'eem...eet ees only a matter of time before -someone- does, ees eet not?"

"Eet ees, so wait for the inevitable...I am not reezking my neck to tell 'eem."

Hermione nodded quietly, looking over to where Harry and Erin were standing. "So the girl from last night told him...she followed him for a reason after all, now we know the reason. But...is this really a good idea? Even if she's completely innocent... What if her classmates do something? Or..." Her eyes widened a little bit and she stared at Harry, feeling a deep set fear sink into the pit of her stomach. "...What if the Slytherins find out?"

Erin was still focused more on her breathing than on the boy standing near her; and really, that was probably a good thing in the long run. She closed her eyes and faced where Harry had been right before her eyes closed, finding that looking at him was scarier than it should have been, and refusing to do so made talking a little bit easier. "I'm f-f-fine j-j-just st-t-t-t-tam-m-m-mery....."

Professor Flitwick watched the girl talking to Harry for a moment, then nodded quietly. "I doubt you'll be calm enough to speak clearly by the end of the lesson, Miss Riddle. You will need to come by before dinner to do your charm for me. But I expect your charms done in class after this, assuming your classmates give you no trouble. And I'm sure we won't have any more of that, now will we?" He swept his eyes over the Beauxbatons girls, almost as if daring them to question him. None of them did.

THE NEXT MORNING:

"So I heard what happened in Charms yesterday with your friend, 'Nemmy," Fabian began breezily as he easily fell into step with Anemone as she proceeded to the Great Hall for breakfast, his dark, carefully groomed shoulder-length hair swaying like silk as he walked.

"Yes, Fabian," she replied, obviously not caring for either his tone or his presence. "So what?"

"So I was just wondering if my dearest... friend would be requiring any help from me or my mates to... rectify the situation?" He glanced over at her, still with that infuriating little smile on his lips. She glared right back.

"Fab, I am not your dear anything, much less your friend. And I don't want you to do anything to anyone. And I'll ever need or ask for your help--I'd sooner kiss a Dementor!"

The boy's eyes narrowed. "Pretty brave words coming from a Mudblo--a Muggle Ravie. You're lucky I happen to like you, Anemone. Or else you might--"

"What was that, Fabby?" Anemone broke in sweetly. "Bring up my dirty blood, would you? You're lucky we can't hex outside of class... I can bring to mind seven right now that I would just LOVE to use on you all. At. Once."

She was immensely satisfied to see Fabian blink and his gait slow for a moment--she knew that she was known not only for her love of magic books, but her prowess with the spells within them that nearly matched Hermione's.

"Oh look, the Great Hall. I'll go sit over there and you sit over there." She pointed at the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables that were coincidentally quite distant from each other. "Have fun eating with your Muggle-hating mates."

With that she turned on her heel and made her way to sit down, fill her plate, and begin eating with a ferocity that made even Ron stare.

Draco was in his usual place at the Slytherin table, and he watched Fabian with an unimpressed but derisively amused expression on his aquiline features. He chuckled a bit at the boy's lack of fortune in talking with Anemone. "Why do you even care, Fabian? She's not even that pretty, and I hear she's a lesbian. Or hadn't you noticed how close she's getting with stammer-girl?" He had no idea that at that very moment a bird was carrying to him a bit of news that would completely change his tune, and force his opinion of Erin to do an immediate 180. He sighed when his mail was dropped into his lap, opening the letter and flicking his grey eyes over it. A slow smile spread across his lips, and he reached out to Fabian to tug the boy closer. "Actually...." He trailed off, his mind working at a million miles an hour. He could use Fabian to get to Anemone, and by way of Anemone...he could indeed get at this girl that suddenly seemed a -lot- more interesting to him... Fortunately for him, the Beauxbatons girls in their age group would be sitting in on potions that morning. Double potions with Gryffindor and Slytherin.

Hermione looked over at Anemone and smiled gently, watching the girl eat and wishing that there were some way for her to make things easier. "I still don't understand what Fabian thinks he's going to get by bothering you like that. Even -Malfoy- knows when to give up."

Erin was sliding into a seat as Hermione was speaking, and she shook her head quietly. "S-s-slytherins don't ever give up... They just g-go about things a d-different way."

"True...and now he's talking to Malfoy...this could get difficult...." Hermione had followed Fabian with her eyes and frowned deeply as she watched Draco speak to him, wondering what on earth Draco was plotting. Whatever it was, it likely wouldn't be good.

Erin looked over at the Slytherin table and immediately wished she hadn't, as she found herself staring into a very intense pair of grey eyes. She looked back down at her food and resolved not to look around again.

Fabian flicked a stray lock of hair back over his shoulder, his features set in an expression of discontent as he began filling his plate. "I wouldn't be talking about looks if I were you, Draco, you with your 'lovely' Pansy. Or haven't you heard what certain canine people compare her face to?" Obviously not caring how this remark might be received--his father's status DID outrank Draco's, after all--he took a bite of food and looked moodily over at where Anemone was shoveling food into her mouth at an unlady-like speed, her own brow set in an irritated furrow. "And I'd like to think I know more about Anemone than you... You never even talk to her, after all."

A small grin appeared on his features. "Even if that rumor is true, well... that makes the challenge all the more interesting, doesn't it?"

He looked over at the blonde boy at his next word. "Actually what?"

"I don't get it, either!" Anemone exclaimed to Hermione, obviously glad to have a sympathetic ear to practically shout into. Nearby Gryffindors and smatterings of Hufflepuffs and other Ravenclaws looked up in surprise, but she rambled on, either not noticing or not caring. "He's an obnoxious, seedy, stuck-up, cheating pretty-boy who thinks he can get whatever he wants because he has money and status. Honestly, I've even told him that to his face. I don't know why he bothers, I really don't! Why doesn't he go annoy someone else for homework or favors or whatever he wants?! Why?!"

Ron and Harry looked at each other before returning their glances to Anemone.

"Wow," Ron finally spoke up. "SOMEONE'S in denial."

Harry muttered, "Ron, I wouldn't--"

But it was too late. Anemone bristled at Ron's teasing voice, whipped out her wand, and jinxed him before he had a chance to blink. Instantly, he grew a long, thin tail, snout and ears not unlike those of a weasel. As Ron felt his newfound features with an expression of horror, Anemone, nose in the air, turned to where Professor Flitwick, Ravenclaw's head of house, was bearing down on her with alarming speed for one of such slight stature.

"Miss Wakanda, you of all people--" He began to sputter.

"I know, I know, detention tonight, your office. I'll be there," she interrupted. She turned back to Ron, smirking as Flitwick shook his head and made his way back to the High Table. "Good luck getting that off your face, Weasley. Although I have to say, it suits you."

With one last groan of dismay, Ron left for the Hospital Wing. Harry was about to say something, then thought better of it.

"I'm... going to go get my stuff for Potions this morning," he quickly muttered before making his exit as well. In his mind, Professor Snape was almost a welcome alternative to Anemone, considering the mood she was in this morning.

"That's a really good point, Fabian. And there's no reason why two guys like us can't have anyone we want. ...Why don't we work together? You'll have better luck with her if you pry her away from her girlfriend. I'll take Erin, you take Anemone, and we'll be able to 'straighten' them out easy." Draco smirked a little bit, utterly pleased with how easy this was turning out to be. As long as Fabian played ball, he'd barely even need to work at this.

Erin cringed a little when Anemone got so angry. She didn't like the thought of acting rashly in anger. It was too easy to hurt people, too easy to...a lot of things, really. Hopefully Anemone wouldn't stay angry for long. And then her wand came out, and Erin ducked a little bit as the curse flew. She scooted away from Anemone and cringed.

Draco watched the whole scene unfold and grinned. "Looks like this is our chance, actually..."

The moment he moved, Erin looked up and stood as well, turning on her heel to head out of the hall. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she opted for following Harry. He'd said something about getting his things for Potions, so...maybe that would work? She tried to catch up to him before he got to the stairs. She tried to say his name a few times, but none of her attempts were successful, so instead she let out a loud hiss of parseltongue. "Harry!"

"What happened to Pansy?" Fabian asked, glancing askew at the Malfoy boy with just the barest hint of disgust in his eyes. He himself had been chasing after Anemone ever since he'd first laid eyes on her brightly-hued head upon which the Sorting Hat had been perched, happily babbling out her assigned House. He knew that Draco and Pansy Parkinson had been close throughout their school years... Was the pale-haired boy truly so fickle?

Harry jerked to an abrupt stop and whirled around, only to see Erin standing behind him. He drew in a deep lungful of air, trying to steady his nerves. After all, the last time he had heard someone else speak Parseltongue, years ago, he had almost died by way of basilisk...

"Erin!" He finally managed to grit out. "Don't... don't do that, okay?"

Unfortunately he heard himself speaking in Parseltongue, as well--it seemed that since she had spoken to him in that tongue, he had replied in the same language compulsively. Taking another deep breath, he careful enunciated in English:

"What's the matter...? Do you need something?"

Merlin's beard, it was awkward talking with her. Especially when they were alone like this. He was trying to get over his distrust of her, he really was. For the sake of the temperamental Anemone, if anyone. But with his history, it wasn't easy.

Maybe he'd better, though, if he didn't want to end up looking like a mole.

"I've set my sights a bit higher up the food chain, that's all." Draco smirked pleasedly, figuring he had a chance to not only do what his father had asked of him, but even to work his way up the final few levels of the social status ladder. If he could snag Erin...he would have it all, really, and be able to do as he damned well pleased. Inner Circle nothing...if he could steal Erin's heart...

Erin smiled sheepishly for Harry, though it was a bit obvious in her stance that she was smiling to cover unease rather than smiling from cheerfulness. "Ah-ah-ah-ah I...w-w-w-w--" her voice wasn't going to make it easy on her to speak clearly, and her stammer was worse than ever as she tried to speak to Harry, this time without even the confidence booster of a friend in proximity. Nonetheless, she forced the words out, halted and stammered as they were it would take a lot of focus to be able to make out, "I was wondering if you could show me where the potions class is, if you're going early."

Fabian raised an eyebrow. "Higher up on the food chain? You have an odd idea of what that means. You do know that girl's the laughingstock of her school, don't you? Pansy may not have looks, but at least she's got SOME respect."

Harry could not help squinting, as if that would help him make out Erin's stuttered words. "You... oh, Potions...? Yeah, I can show you where that is... Do you have what you need for this class? I wouldn't want you to get on Snape's bad side first class in... Although it's not like that's very hard to do..."

Anemone finally sighed, taking a deep breath. "Okay, I feel... calmer."

Fred grinned at her. "Finally seeing the error of your ways?"

"Careful, Fred!" George hooted. "You might get turned into a skunk!"

"Me? I'm not the one who left the bathroom this morning smelling like--"

"Cut it out, you guys," Anemone interjected wearily. "I... I just got detention. For the first time ever." She sat there looking distinctly unhappy. "Maybe I shouldn't have let him get to me... It's just--"

"Fabian, wasn't it?"

"We caught just the barest hint of your conversation--"

"--just the slightest whisper--"

"I said shut it!" Anemone exclaimed, although she couldn't help laughing a little. "I guess I did overreact, huh?"

"I happen to have a bit of information you don't, Fabian." Draco couldn't help but be smug about that. "Not that you'd be interested, since you're so...faithfully in love with Anemone..."

Erin's stammer was just as bad as it had been, and showed no signs of abating. Nonetheless, she took a deep breath and tried hard to force out a question. "Do we need anything besides our books? Or is it all in the classroom?" Her words shook like she was going through an earthquake, but she wasn't going to give up on the effort. Especially not the effort of making friends with Harry, even as terrified of being near him as she was.

Hermione watched Anemone's interactions quietly, working hard to not sigh to herself or roll her eyes. "Overreacting is a champion understatement, Anemone. Judging by how she went flying off, I think you scared away Erin. And it's true that Fabian likes you, everyone's known that for a long time. It doesn't reflect badly on -you- though. Just him for being so obsessive that he can't give up on it."

"On the contrary. I would be EVER so interested in learning some of this... information that you so suddenly have about the Beauxbatons scapegoat. And love?" Fabian laughed in a most convincing manner. "Draco, you should know me better than that by now, I would have hoped. She's an interesting conquest, that's all. Surely you know? I have an idea that that's all the Erin girl is to you, by that smirk on your face. Now spill, and let me decide whether or not it's in both our interests to help each other."

Harry fought to decipher Erin's ever-stumbling words, and thought he might have succeeded. Hazarding a reply, he spoke up. "More than our books? Well, we need cauldrons. Pewter, size two." He rattled off the facts from memory... a very strong memory of a life-changing event, it was, the night he had received his Hogwarts acceptance letter. "If you don't have those, you might want to borrow someone's just in case. I don't know how Snape will take to you being from a foreign school, and with that stammer, besides... No offense. Not that he ever really 'takes' to anyone outside his own House," he added without bothering to conceal his bitter tone.

"Just take it from me, you don't want to get on his bad side."

Anemone let out a gusty sigh and finally ceased her relentless attack on her food. "I know, I know. I just... don't know why. He knows I don't like him back. Why can't he just give up?"

She looked at her watch and sat up straight. "Oh, it's almost time for my first class! I've gotta go get my stuff. I'll see you later, Hermione, Fred, George. Apologize to Ron for me, whoever sees him first."

With a wave and sheepish smile, she was down the aisle of the Great Hall and through the double doors into the hallway.

"No way. I don't want you claiming her for yourself when it was my idea. Besides, you wouldn't know what to do with her if I -told- you." Draco sneered at Fabian, not liking the boy at all, but more than willing to work with him to get what he wanted. He'd work with -anyone- if it would get him what he wanted.

Erin pressed her eyes shut once she'd managed to get through her question, and nodded her head when he answered her. The stammering was lessening, but that was unfortunately only a statement of degrees. "We use a different standard at Beauxbatons, I don't have one of those. Can I work with you?" Surely the teacher--deatheater or not--couldn't expect the Beauxbatons students to pull cauldrons out of nowhere when they weren't what they usually used? She smiled weakly, opening her eyes to look sheepishly at Harry. Potions was her best and favourite subject, though she didn't think her voice would be letting her explain that any time soon.