AN/// Ok...er..this is my first story. It will be multi-chaptered, but if you have any questions, comments, suggestions, whatever, feel free to message me or something.

Draco finally made his down to the Great Hall about an hour late. Pansy, obviously not, by his side. Upon opening the main doors, he was greeted by hundreds of eyes on him and hushed whispers. Although this was the first day of Christmas Holidays, things were already going badly and there were still a lot of students left. They wouldn't be leaving until later on in the day. Everyone sat together for their last breakfast together - that is until after the New Year.

He looked to his left and to his right, but his eyes fell on the Slytherin table. He walked over to the table to find Pansy, eyes still red from crying, being consoled by her friends. There was still a trace of red on her face. He sat down next to her, at this moment hoping that she would just forget what happened in the common room and throw her arms around him.

As soon as he sat down, a hush fell over the table. Even his closest friends, Crabbe and Goyle, refused to look him in the eye. Draco could again feel his jaw tightning, his cheeks turning a deep shade of red. He breathed a heavy sigh and grabbed a roll. Everyone surrounding him just watched his every move, probably afraid that he would hit them too. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Pansy slowing scooting farther and farther away from him and closer to her friend.

He knew that no one would ever defy him though. Everyone was too afraid of him to begin with. This was getting unbearable. The uncomfortable silence at the table was something he couldn't handle. He stood up, grabbing his roll, and said quite low, "I wasn't actually very hungry to begin with."

No one wished him farewell, but instead just watched him walk away. He wasn't really expecting the treatment actually. He actually thought that Pansy would just forget about it, the way she forgot about everything else he did to her. He would call her names all the time, half-joking of course, but she usually just laughed it off. So, what was the big deal this time? There really wasn't a difference at all.

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Harry, Hermione, and Ron made it downstairs to the Great Hall to find it packed with students, students' trunks, and their pets. They managed to find seats at the table, but Harry was stuck somewhere between The Parvati's trunks and some first year who seemed to be nearly sitting on top of him. Ron and Hermione, of course, squeezed in next to each other across from Harry. Everyone was hugging everybody goodbye and exchanging addresses. It was almost as if they would never see each other again. Eating proved impossible. With all the excitement, there was food getting knocked all over the place.

Much to Ron's disappointment, it was decided that they would come back down after everyone left. Before leaving, Harry surveyed the Great Hall one last time and noticed that everyone seemed to be partaking in the festivities except for the Slytherin table. Slytherins never seemed to show emotions of any sort it seemed to him. They were all cold-hearted, callous, jerks. He also noticed that they all seemed to be staring at one person in particular - Draco Malfoy.

Draco looked uncomfortable. Scared even. Harry thought it strange that Draco Malfoy would be scared of anyone from his own house. He practically owned the house. Harry didn't feel bad or anything, nothing of the sort; Malfoy had been such a bastard to him from the moment he stepped foot inside the castle and there was a rivalry between the two stronger than that between the houses.

"Harry," a voice interrupted his thoughts. It was Hermione's. "Come on. We're going upstairs, right"

"Yeah. Sorry," he apologized. "I was just noticing something," he added as he looked one more time at the Slytherin table, devoid of fun of any kind.

Hermione followed Harry's glance and gave him a questioning glance although he didn't notice. "It almost makes you feel bad for them doesn't it?" Harry laughed, more to himself,

"Almost."

Ron was tugging at Hermione's sleeve. "C'mon!" he whined. "Let's go! I'm so hungry and you're just going to loiter here around all this delicious food"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Fine," she snapped. "Let's go then." She grabbed Harry's wrist and with an extremely forceful tug, she pulled him out of the Great Hall and into the main entrance where it was much quieter.

No one said anything as they all headed up the stairs to the common room. Ron was the one, as usual, to break the silence. "Well, that was a waste of time." Neither Harry or Hermione answered him or questioned him. Hermione kept walking, briskly, with her robes trailing behind her. Harry kept a steady pace, his eyes focused on his untied shoe. They finally reached the Fat Lady's portrait and heard Hermione, from a few feet away, say the password, "wattlebird." Before swinging open though, the Fat Lady gave the three of them an inquiring look and sighed as dramatically as possible.

The three of them scrambled inside the common room and found Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister and Harry's girlfriend, playing a game of Wizard Chess with Neville Longbottom, fellow Gryffindor and close friend of Ginny. She didn't notice Harry walk in, but Harry and Ron certainly noticed her.

"Ginny?!" they both exclaimed. She snapped her head back and her eyes lit up as she jumped up, nearly knocking over the chess board, much to Neville's annoyance. She ran over to the three of them and jumped on Harry, throwing her arms around his neck, wrapping her legs around his waist, and kissing his face blindly. Neville eyed Harry and Ginny was a look of contempt as he bent over to pick up the pawns and the rook that fell on the floor. Everybody knew that Neville had a thing for Ginny ever since he took her to the Yule Ball in their 4th year.

"Ginny!" Ron repeated. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in Mallorca with Mum and Dad"

She giggled as she jumped off Harry and replied, "I know, but I got out of it because I said I'd miss you guys too much," jabbing Ron slightly in the stomach with her finger. Turning to Harry she said, "Of course, I'd miss you most of all," kissing the tip of his nose as he scrunched it up.

Hermione laughed and she looked at Ron wistfully. He seemed to have missed it, but stepped behind Hermione anyway and slipped his arms around her waist, hugging her from behind. She must have appreciated it because she, too, turned her head around, arching her neck, and kissed the tip of his nose.

"Excuse me, Ginny?" Neville broke in. "Soory to break up this touching scene and everything, but are we going to finish the game or not?" he asked with a hint of aggravation.

"Oh, Neville!" she replied. "Is that all you think of? Silly games?"

His face turned red at this comment and he answered her. "No, I just thouht that...maybe...nevermind." He turned his face away from the four and began putting his chess peices away quietly and bashfully.

Ginny sighed and flounced over to him, putting her hand on his shoulder, saying, "We'll play later. I promise." He nodded and quickly glanced at Harry Potter who until then had been sitting on the arm of the sofa in front of the fireplace.