A/N: This is the second time I am publishing this story, with some significant changes. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Hogwarts, its students, teachers and events all belong to J.K. Rowling. Plot and characters you don't recognize are mine.

February

Chapter I

Draco Malfoy was still sitting on the Slytherin's common room sofa when he heard a clock strike midnight. He hadn't realized it was already so late.

Books and pieces of parchment had been left askew across several tables, as some of the fifth year's students had started talking about school, which lead to other much more interesting topics, such as impersonating teachers.

"Okay, okay, stop me if you've heard this one," said Blaise Zabini between laughs, obviously trying very hard not to smile. "My children, you must fear your future, even if your reading of these stupid tea leaves tell you that you'll live to be 125!"

"Oh, oh, I know, it's that woman, from that class, with the crystal balls!" yelled Vincent Crabbe, waving his chubby fingers excitedly in the air.

"I think you're talking about Trelawney, right?" asked Draco from one of the sofa, his arm around a slightly pug-faced girl.

"Yeah, I think that's her, you're right!"

"Of course I'm right," he replied. His mind started wandering for a bit. He was quite sleepy, and just wished he could go to bed, but was too lazy to go up the stairs to his dormitory. Facing the fire, his friends' voices faded away to a deep corner of his mind. It wasn't that he didn't like them, not at all. They had known each other for years, but sometimes he could only do so much as roll his eyes as an answer to their actions. Even though he acted just as immaturely as they did. Or even worse, sometimes. He felt Pansy Parkinson get up from beside him, but couldn't be bothered to ask where she was going. Turning his attention to his group of friends, he noticed they were now immersed in a game of Exploding Snaps. Draco scooted further away from them and nearer the fire, feeling his cheeks starting to warm up. He instantly felt cold shivers running throughout his body. It was still September, but it was starting to seem that Winter would be coming a whole lot quicker that year.

Pancy's footsteps echoed through the dormitory staircase, muffled by her fuzzy pink socks. Draco looked up and saw her carrying several blankets piled up in her arms. She placed one on his lap and distributed the rest to the others. Everyone bundled up, including Draco, who quietly thanked Pansy. She had brought her own blanket and barely acknowledged his thanks. Pansy was a strange girl, he thought. She was fun to be around, with her biting insults directed to anyone who wasn't a Slytherin, but she was also terribly moody and usually threw tantrums over the smallest of things. Usually things he did or said. It almost felt like she was his girlfriend and he actually had to support and cherish her. Draco did not understand girls at all. He heard a door dragging, the screech startling him, and he snapped his head at the stone passage on the wall, reaching for his wand instinctively. Everyone stopped their game as well, alarmed that there was still someone out in the castle breaking curfew. A girl with disheveled hair and very sleepy eyes walked in, shuffling her feet and rubbing her face with her free hand, holding some books in the other.

"Oh, it's just you. You gave us all a proper scare! What are you doing out so late?" asked Daphne Greengrass, one of his housemates, a smart girl whom he had been friends with for many years.

"Ugh, don't even ask me about it. I fell asleep at the library, missed dinner and am absolutely starving."

"I have some cookies on my bedside table upstairs, feel free to help yourself if you want to," offered Daphne, "You shouldn't work yourself so hard, you know."

The girl smiled, "Oh, thank you Daphne, I really appreciate it! I know, I know, but being a bookworm is bigger than me, I can't help it! Well, I'm calling it a night, goodnight everyone."

Everyone mumbled their goodnights, Draco included, as they watched her walk away and disappear into the stairs.

"Who is she?" he asked, and got a series of laughs as answers, "What? What's so funny?"

"Always the jokester, acting like you don't know her. Well, I guess I've also only seen her a couple of times this year, but still mate, there wasn't really any need to mock the poor lass," replied Blaise, who quickly re-immersed himself in his game. Draco felt confused and finally decided to head upstairs to get some sleep. He heard Pansy whimper some apology, which he didn't understand. It's not like she had done anything wrong. He still tried to make sense of her while he put his pajamas on, but quickly gave up and climbed into bed. As soon as his feet touched the cool sheets he felt exhausted and fell asleep shortly after.

The following morning, Draco was incredibly late for his class. Maybe not incredibly, but he liked being able to do everything on his own pace, meaning, very, very slowly. He had woken up fifteen minutes later than usual, and had had to take a shower in a rush, making his wet hair hit him in the face as he left the Slytherin common room. As he reached the Great Hall, he noticed that almost the entire student body was already there. And that his usual seat at the Slytherin table was already occupied by Theodore Nott. Draco curtly greeted everyone, and scouted for a seat. He soon found one, not too far away from his friends, and began piling up his plate with food. Mail arrived when he was buttering his toast, and a thousand owls dropped letters, newspapers and packages everywhere. A small brown parcel fell in front of his plate quite forcefully, nearly making his glass of orange juice tumble forwards. He picked it up and inspected it. It was too small to be sent from home, and his family's Eagle owl was nowhere in sight. He turned it around and saw some writings in the back.

"From: Toby

To: Anne

Don't stress over schoolwork!"

The sound of someone clearing his throat made him look up.

A girl was looking at him, "Yeah, that's mine."

"Oh, it landed right in front of my plate, so I just assumed..." he handed the package back to her.

"It's okay," she mumbled, and started to fumble with the string around the brown paper, trying to untie the knot. Her fingertips were getting red. He felt like ripping it out of her hands and untying it himself, but decided against it, and resumed his toast-buttering. When he looked up again, having finished his breakfast, she was gone, like most of the table. He got up, picked up his things, and headed for Potions, where he would have to face yet another examination, for which he hadn't studied. He ran a hand through his hair and rubbed his eyes, sighing, and wishing he could go back to his bed.