Chapter One

Miranda awoke with a start. She slowly stood up and made her way to the door. She'd always dreamt that Draco would just suddenly turn up at her house, but now that it had happened, she wasn't sure how she felt about it. Considering how large her room was, she made it half way to the door and was suddenly seized by an overwhelming desire to turn and look at him. She saw his handsome, peaceful dreaming face, and felt nothing. Her heart didn't do the hop-skippity-jump thing that it had done after reading his letter. It's why she started to cry early that morning, after a summer without him, she'd somehow fallen out of love with him. This made her feel horrid, as it was blatantly obvious from his eyes that he was still deeply in love with her.

She reached the door and was about to turn the handle when she felt strong arms around her waist.

"Not trying to escape now, were you?" Draco whispered in her ear.

"Of course not," Miranda breathed. "I was just about to get you some breakfast."

This little explanation hadn't worked. Miranda had no idea where she was actually going and Draco could tell that.

"Look at me Miranda. Please."

With some reluctance, she turned round. Draco stifled a gasp.

"You don't love me anymore." He said very plainly.

"What? Draco, that's crazy talk," Miranda didn't want Draco to know until she knew of a foolproof plan that wouldn't leave the Malfoys' her enemies.

"You don't need to hide it Maimai. You're not gonna have my family as your enemy."

Miranda hadn't been practising her Occlumency.

"Drake, I'm so sorry. I just don't know what happened."

"It's fine. I'm just glad I found out before I got too invol..." He trailed off, and with a sweep of his clock he was out the door. Gone.

Miranda had never felt worse in her life. She'd never seen that kind of hurt in someone's eyes before. She sat on her bed, and wept for 5 hours solidly.

Eventually she frantically searched for Dog – her owl – and some parchment. She needed to send her best friend, Brooke, a letter, fast.

She hurriedly scribbled something barely legible. And within about 10 minutes of her sending Dog off, there was a tap at her door. Standing on the veranda was Brooke, Firebolt Galaxy in hand.

"Tell me everything." Brooke's three simple words started a lengthy conversation. Miranda told her everything and ended with:

"Well, he's all yours now."

"What are you on about babe?"

"You've always had a thing for him, even if you are in Gryffindor."

"Miranda, not this again, I mean come on.." Brooke said rather guiltily.

"Hey, it's fine. I mean have you not been listening?" Miranda giggled.

The two girls talked long into the night until they both drifted off to sleep.

***

Brooke woke bright and early and set to work. She summoned the Smiths' house elf, Bernadette, and got her to make some of Miranda's favourites. Extremely simple things, like peanut butter on toast: a mountain of peanut butter on toast, and a huge mug of hot chocolate with 5 gigantic marshmallows and a mound of whipped cream.

She then searched her room for Miranda's trunk.

"For goodness sake," she thought to herself, "Miranda must have some form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder."

The trunk, just filled with Miranda's school books, was organised like army barracks.

The books were organised in subject order, Herbology, Charms, Potions, and Transfiguration etc.

Miranda stirred but didn't wake up, so Brooke continued what she was doing. She found Miranda's robes and clothes and packed them very neatly.

Knock, knock, knock.

Bernadette stood there with a tray of toast and hot chocolate. She'd even put a mug on for Brooke, which she thought very sweet. Bernadette basically brought up Miranda as her parents were hardly ever around, and it upset her to see Miranda so worn out. As the kindly house elf smiled and walked away Brooke thought that she had to have been the nicest house elf she'd ever met.

Miranda woke up as soon as she smelt the hot chocolate. She panicked because she hadn't packed for Hogwarts, and they were leaving the next day.

"Relax, babe. Everything's done. By the way, we both received owls from the school saying something about a mix up with the houses..? But oh well. It'll all be sorted when we get there."