There'll be peace when you are done -- Winter/Spring 1997

I sighed.  "Right now, just worry about helping yourself and Draco," I said, knowing I had to add her borther's name to that.  "Don't worry about me.  I'll stay out of things the best that I can."

I shook my head at her, but continued to work on some homework.  "Are you and my sister in a 'help Draco' club or something?" I asked after a few moments of silence.

I laughed and shook my head at him.  "No we aren't," I said simply.  "But maybe we should.  Then you'd be able to stay somewhat sane, eh?"

I sighed and looked at her.  "I am not mental, though," I pointed out to her, wondering if that was the way the entire school viewed me now.

I shook my head slowly, turning the pendent around in my hands to keep my hands busy. I sighed as I looked up at him. "Please do. You aren't part of this and I want it to stay that way. Besides, if something happens to you how would I get the cure?" I half joked. I sighed and looked down. "I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you or Draco." I admitted softly.

I smiled over at Draco.  "I'm not too sure about that one, Draco," I teased.

"You won't have to worry about me, at least," I said to her, trying to reassure her.  I did not want her to worry about me.  I have been through a lot and could handle a lot more.  There was no need forher to fret so much.

My eyes snapped up quickly, but I relaxed when I saw her smile.  I did not want to think about me being mental... I feared I would become mental with everything going on.  "Yeah, well, just shut it," I said lamely.

"I'll always be worried about you." I admitted softly, looking down so I didn't have to looking into his eyes. I sighed and looked back up. "Lincoln, you know me. And my family." Of course he didn't know all about my family, but the talk we had in the hospital wing after my attack, he knew more than most. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you because you were protecting me form something you're not even involved in." I took a deep breath, not really liking where my thought were taking me without the cure anymore. I absentmindedly took the pendent in my hand. "Besides, you could end up making it worse." What if Father found out about Lincoln and used him against me, just like the Death Eaters was using me against Draco. "It's not like it's an entirely foreign concept to me anyway." I said the last part softly and quickly, wondering if he actually heard it.

I smirked.  "Well... looks like I might have outsmarted Draco Malfoy for once," I teased him for his lame comback.

"I already told you that I won't step in unless absolutely necessary," I assured her.  "There's no reason to worry about me.  I can handle mor ethan most."

"No one can outsmart me," I said to Pansy.  "But... sometimes I may be delayed in my genius."

I sighed, I knew I was fighting a losing battle but I still had to try. Lincoln meant too much to me to allow him to even think about getting involved, since I know it would become necessary, and soon. "Just, anything you hear about Draco or I, no matter how serious it may or may not be, just ignore it."

I could not help but laugh at him. "Draco, I'm not sure if you'd be a genius... but I suppose that could be mistaken for your arrogance," I teased, glad to see that he was in a somewhat better moood.

I looked at Juniper and said flatly, "I'm not sure if I can do that."  I sighed.  "But I'll try.  For your sake."