Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Oh, and it's winter. About three weeks before their holiday vacation. =) Thanks for reading!!


"So are you going home for the holidays?" Blaise asked.

"I don't know..." The truth was, Draco wanted to, just so he could get away from the castle and a certain Head Girl (Who he had recently found out would be staying at Hogwarts for Christmas). Then again, he didn't want to because he would have to face his mother, who, after the war, had showered him with kisses, hugs, love, and gifts. It just felt so weird to him... Not the gifts, but the loving mother part. She sent him owls almost every day asking how he was and what he had been up to, sad because he chose to attend his seventh year at Hogwarts instead of stay home with her. (People who would have been seventh years during the war had the option to return for their last year or not.)

Blaise nodded, understanding how awkward Draco felt at home, and catching on to how miserable he was stuck inside the castle. He was acting worse about it than usual, and it worried him.

"You could always come to my house. You know how much I hate it there, but my mum is making me come home to spend some time in Italy... I could really use the company."

"No. Blaise, I'm sorry, but not after the last time."

***

(Summer after the war: First and last time Draco had visited Blaise's house since his (Draco's) father's death)

"So you're head of the family now?" Ms. Zabini purred at him, leaning in closer.

"That's right." He answered, glaring at Blaise.

"Mother-"

"Now, now, darling, I'm talking to Draco."

"So, just how old are you?" She ran her hand up his chest and smiled in a way that showed she meant to lead him on, but made him want to puke. Here was a woman older than his mother coming onto him, and most likely because of the money he came into when his father died.

"18."

He thought he heard her mutter, "Yes!" under her breathe and he cleared his throat.

"Blaise, do you think we could go flying or something? Anything?" So much for being subtle, he thought, getting up to leave.

"Of course."

When the door closed behind him, he rounded on Blaise.

"Where's the fireplace?"

Blaise sighed. "Follow me."

***

"No, I'm sorry. I had no idea she was going to start that... But she's with some other guy right now. This one American muggle... Bill Gates I think..." (A/N: I don't know... I'm just going with a rich, middle aged guy, okay? lol).

"I thought she went for, rich, well known men."

"Oh, he's rich all right, but he's a muggle, so it's not like we would have heard of him in the news or something, yeah?"

He nodded. "So you think she'll leave me alone if I come up?"

"I don't think she'll try anything if he's there. He's staying over for the holidays too."

"Then yeah... I guess I will. But the second she says anything to me that doesn't relate to school, I am out of there."

Blaise nodded, "I don't blame you. Now come on, we have potions next."


"Hurry up Hermione, I have to get up to the Astronomy tower before the bell rings." Ginny snapped, determined to escort her to her classes so that she 'Wouldn't try to ditch when she left her'.

"I'm working on it, and Ginny, this really isn't necessary."

"I say it is, now move!"

Hermione sighed and pushed a chocolate curl out of her eye before opening the potions door and saying a quick goodbye to her friend. She then moved to the closest table where Harry and Ron were seated and set her bag down just as Professor Vinyaya (Slughorn had quit after Voldemort's fall and moved to work as an instructor at the Ministry of Magic) cleared her throat and announced that they would be brewing a vat of Veritaserum with partners over the next two weeks. Harry pulled a knut out of his bag. "Okay, heads and I get to work with Hermione, Tails and you work with her..."

"I will assign the partners today." She glared at Harry and Ron who swore when she said that.

"Harry Potter, you go with Ernie Macmillon." More swearing from our Chosen one. "Ronald Weasly with Theodore Nott."

Hermione waited for her to get to her name, almost freaking out when it was just her, Padma Patil, Blaise Zabini, and Draco.

"Blaise and Padma, Hermione and Draco." She finished, smiling at us. "Instructions are on the bored, remember to put a freezing spell on your potion before the end of class so we can continue them tomorrow. As I said, this is a two week project, so try to get along with each other, I will not change partners, you may begin."

Hermione quickly glanced across the room at Draco to see if he was getting up to come over to her table, or if she should go to his, and met a steel glare. He wasn't moving, that much was clear. Remembering how she wasn't supposed to care about him anymore, she grabbed her bag and walked, as steadily as she could, over to him, trying for a careless look.

"Shall I get the ingredients, or set up the cauldron?" He asked, no emotion in his voice. That scared her more than when he was angry...

"I'll get the ingredients." She answered, her voice higher than it should have been. Cursing herself silently, she got up and went to the cabinet.

She got back and dumped the ingredients between them. They worked in silence until the bell rang, Draco ignoring her completely. Even when they both went to get the naffle roots at the same time, he pulled his hand back smoothly and began to crush frugi pods. This was worse than him insulting her work, her friends and just her. Way worse.

The bell rang and she quickly pulled out her want to freeze the potion, then looked over at him and found that all of his stuff was already cleaned up and he was walking out the door. That was fast...

"Hermione!" Harry and Ron ran up to her, faces white.

"What's wrong?" Ron demanded, and then she realized that she was shaking. She was mad, she wanted to bawl, and she wanted Draco.

The two boys watched in confusion as their friend took several deep breaths and then smiled widely at them.

"Nothing is wrong at all. Just a little cold. They really need to heat these dungeons..." Smooooooth Hermione...


Well, that's the end of that chapter. I know, I know, definitely not the best, but I tried, okay?

Review please! And if you have any ideas for what might happen next, I'd love to hear them.

And does anyone have any Chapter title Suggestions?

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, story alerted, or story favorited this! (Don't ask about my messed up choice of verbs lol)

-Tierney