An: This is the first drabble in a collection of A-Z Location Dramione drabbles. They will all take place in the same universe, but will not all be in order. Written for the A-Z Competition at HPFC.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of J.K Rowlings creations.

November 1992

Since Draco had first started at Hogwarts, only a year and a half ago, he had always seeked escape from the other students around him. It was not that the Slytherin common room was atrociously loud; it was just that he could never truly feel relaxed in a space that others occupied. When he was at home he was hardly in contact with others. The house was cold and silent, and that was the environment he had grown used to.

It had taken Draco some time to find the space that he could claim as his hideaway, but one day in his first year he had been wandering around the castle with Crabbe and Goyle after dinner and they had come across one of Hogwarts' towers. Upon further inspection, alone, the next day he discovered that it was home to one of the classes that the third years could take. It was a class that took place at night. The top of the tower was open and the brisk night air whistled through it, bouncing off the stone. He could see all the stars and constellations that his mother had taught him growing up. More importantly, he could think up there.

From then on Draco came up to the tower on weekend evenings, and whenever he knew a class was not running. He would watch the sunset there before departing for the dungeons to go to sleep. Tonight Draco needed his space. He needed that time alone to think and to be away from everyone. If anything he needed a place to be angry in peace. Slytherin had lost to Gryffindor. He had lost to Potter. Not even seeing Potter's arm flop about like the slugs Weasley had belched up had been any consolation to the loss.

Much to Draco's dismay, his tower seemed to already be occupied. He was greeted at the top of the winding staircase with the sight of a frizzy bush of hair dancing chaotically in the wind. He glared at the girl who the wild hair belonged to. His eyes, now resembling ice, bore holes in the back of her head as if he thought it would make her combust on the spot.

"I wouldn't have suspected a know it all like you to be out alone this close to curfew," he sneered, as to try to make his comment sound more harsh than it was. "What, have Potter and Weasley rub off on you?"

She spun around in an instant. The mess of frizz cascading around her, crashing into her face as she came to a stop, facing him. She looked at him with a strong, yet uncertain, pause. Their last encounter had left her with much more disdain than any of their others.

"It's not curfew yet. I'm not doing anything wrong." Hermione's eyes fixed on his, searching for a sign that she should just go and forget about holding her ground. For now, she stayed though, motionless at the edge of the tower.

"See, you've got that wrong. This is my spot," he said with the utmost of simplicity, as if it were a fact she should have known, for Draco knew how much she prided herself on her ability to know facts.

To this, her brow shot upwards. Any sign of timidness or uncertainty that she might have shown before was gone.

"How can it be your spot? I'm sorry to inform you, but this is technically a classroom. Anyone can come up here. Besides, not a single spot in this whole school can be claimed as 'yours.'" The words she spoke gave her a small sense of pride. This infuriated the twelve year old before her, who knew this was one thing he couldn't argue, especially not with her.

As he glared at her once more they fell swiftly into a silence that neither of them moved to break. Knowing that there was the possibility that his mere presence could bring her to leave, he stalked over to the edge of the tower on the other side of the room.

Hesitantly, Hermione turned back around, placing her hands on the stone rail. She didn't just leave as Draco would have hoped. Their silence continued and both of them remained in the tower for some time. Draco found that even with her presence, his mind was able to wander and he was able to focus on the things he had come there to think about. Perhaps it was due to the fact that unlike those he shared a common room with, Granger was actually capable of maintaining a silence.

When he turned to look at her, or maybe even to say something (he hadn't quite decided yet) she was gone. For a moment Draco wondered if he had succeeded in driving her away. Then, he heard the toll of the clock tower, signalling curfew. He cursed under his breath at Granger for not informing him of the time, even though he knew that he would not have extended the courtesy to her if it had been him. Then, he too descended down the steps and began the journey back down to the dungeons where, hopefully, his dormmates would already be preparing for sleep.