Chapter 1 – Hogwart Rumors

"You're in Gryffindor. . . you're in Gryffindor," I repeatedly said to myself while walking towards the girls washroom.

I kept saying and repeating the same words over and over again until I walked into the girl's washroom and looked in the mirror. I leaned over the sink still repeating those words. I felt no other feeling towards Draco other than that beautiful tingly feeling in my stomach, and I knew that I could never get myself to hate him the way every other Gryffindor in the school does.

Its weird, isn't it? A girl in Gryffindor with glasses, brown hair and the most innocent smile would fall in love with a blond, blue eyed, tough and aggressive boy in Slytherin- That's what everyone said. All I could remember were the whispers I heard in the halls while making my way down to Defense Against the Dark Arts Class. Of course the word would get spread around when Lavender Brown caught Draco and I walking outside Hogwarts together this morning. All we did was talk, but of course people would turn the story into something it wasn't. Draco and I would be walking outside Hogwarts one day, and then suddenly, a story about him and I making out would be heard by the whole school.

I rubbed my eyes a couple of times, took a deep breath and looked in the mirror for the last time. I made my way out of the washroom and walked to Defense Against the Dark Arts class. I could see my friends, Ginny and Hermione, sitting together listening to Snape as he was talking. Hermione of course was jotting down notes. Crabbe and Goyle were also listening-or rather staring at- Snape. My gut wasn't strong enough to get me to look at Draco- too bad there isn't a spell for anti-love . . . or maybe there is . . . I'd have to ask Hermione sometime. The rest of the class was listening to Snape, with the exception of some who were half asleep, and Neville of course; he looked as frightened as a house elf about to receive punishment. But who can blame him? Snape is pretty bloodcurdling. Harry and Ron were the first to notice I had entered the room. As I made my way into the class, the rest had began to notice too. Snape stopped talking and turned around.

"Lucinda," Snape spoke my name in his dark cold voice. "I see you got lost along the way to class?" Snape said as the students' laughs and whispers followed.

Snape turned his head away from my direction towards the class.

"STOP!" Snape yelled. The class froze.

"Talking," he softly added. "You can take a seat beside Mr. Malfoy," Snape pointed. "And for being late . . . 10 points from Gryffindor!" Snape just loved finding excuses to take points away from Gryffindor.

My head rose up and Draco turned his face, pretending not to notice me. I walked slowly and very cautiously. I could feel everyone's eyes follow me. My notebook fell out of my hands onto the floor as I attempted to place it on the desk.

"Butterfingers!" Crabbe laughed as he elbowed Draco, but Draco remained blank faced and was still pretending I wasn't there.

I picked up my notebook and took a seat. Snape continued teaching. I was tense throughout the class, and I could definitely see Draco was too. Both of us couldn't focus at all. We were both fidgeting with our quills. I was doodling while Draco kept itching the back of his neck. While this was happening, I was thinking of a plan. I didn't want to feel this way around Draco for the whole year, so I decided that after class I was going to confront him. There was no need to be this way. We didn't do anything shameful. I just saw him outside this morning and needed to know what I missed in class, thats all-maybe. I don't understand why a Slytherin with a Gryffindor is such a big deal anyway.

"Class dismissed!" Snape suddenly announced. Everyone gathered their books in a hurry and headed out. Draco seemed to be the fastest one at it, so I ran out of the classroom and into the hallway after him.

"Malfoy!…Malfoy!…Draco!…Drake!" I yelled after him.

He seemed to be going faster and faster as I yelled after him, but I ran quick enough until I caught him. I grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. All I did was stare at him with vulnerability. Nothing seemed to come out of my mouth. He just looked around to make sure nobody was looking. I then grabbed his arm and lead him to a small quiet staircase where nobody was around to disturb-or even see us. We were both silent for a moment. I kept looking at him wide eyed, but he just looked down.

"Why're you being like this?" I asked. Silence filled the air again.

"Like what?" He responded as I rolled my eyes.

"Don't act like you don't know, because I know you do."

"Well you know the answer to why I'm being like this." He finally looked up.

"There's nothing for us to be ashamed of," I said with half a smile. "We were only . . . only talking."

"Thats not all, Lucinda," He finally spoke.

"I opened myself up to you. I've never been this open with a person before, not even my family. What I'm ashamed of is . . . is that I opened up to you, told you my feelings about being . . ." he hesitated.

"About being the chosen one . . . about how Voldemort picked me . . . and you're just a girl in Gryffindor I saw today and completely . . . possibly fell for. Now you know everything. You know that I'm out to kill Dumbledore for my own life, you know everything! I'm so stupid-just so stupid that I told you . . . but I had a feeling-a feeling that I could . . . could trust you. There was just something in your eyes that made me spill like a potion that had fallen, and it felt like I couldn't stop telling you everything because . . . because you were the only person in my life that . . ." His piercing blue eyes seemed to look right through me. I could feel my stomach flip. Those blue eyes, that blond hair, that perfect skin . . . I abruptly shook my head for a moment ignoring my feelings. I had to say something.

"That what?" I said curiously.

"That listened!" He hissed, but I knew his hissing wasn't meant for me, but to those who never gave him a chance. A chance to open-up, a chance to make friendship, a chance to show his feelings and a chance to just love. I felt sympathy for him. It felt like my heart was just slowly bleeding away with every word he said, but I was angry. Angry because he was ashamed.

"I'll always listen to you . . . but what kills me is that you're ASHAMED! There's no reason to be ashamed . . . the feeling of shame just doesn't fit in this situation! Can't you see that you should feel brave that you were able to tell me these things rather than ashamed!?" I cried.

I felt tears running down my cheek. Draco reached his hand to try to wipe them away but I was too angry to let him. I gathered myself and left up the stairs, heading to Charms class, leaving him there to think silently.