Hey everybody, I'm baaaaaaaaaaack! No, I'm not dead, and on account of learning this, please don't kill me for being away this long. I had a little bit of trouble writing this chapter due to the fact that I couldn't find a good place to stop writing, so I ended up having to cut it in half. There was also an issue with the availability of a computer, but I'd rather not get into that.

DEDICATION: I'd like to dedicate this chapter to IheartStevieRae. It is because of you that I was able to finally get off my lazy butt and get to work. Every time I looked at your reviews I thought, "I feel really bad for having you wait this long." So now it's finally out and about for you to enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything associated with it.

Time seemed to move in slow motion as every head in the Great Hall moved from Draco, who was smirking slightly but did not have the usual smug look on his face, to Mayson, who looked absolutely petrified, and back. And forth. And back again. This continued until everyone heard someone clear their throat, causing them to look back up at Mayson.

Her eyes widened in fright as everyone's eyes looked up at her. When she heard a voice above her head, she realized that they were not looking at her, but at the object on her head—the sorting hat.

"Well, now that that's all cleared up," it said. "Shall we put you in a house?" After feeling a slight nod from the girl below, it continued. "I think I'll put you in…Gryffindor."

The hall was quiet until everyone at the Gryffindor table cried out collectively, "WHAAAT!"

Draco looked up at Mayson, ignoring the stares of his fellow Slytherins, and smirked. He noticed that she was blushing a deep Gryffindor red, making the Weasley's blushes look pale pink.

'Look at that, you already fit in quite well given the color of your face.'

Everyone watched as Mayson's face returned to its natural color and smirked a very Draco-like smirk. She then turned to the Slytherin table and stuck out her tongue. Everyone stifled a giggle as they looked in the direction of Draco to see his reaction. His smirk grew wider, but he said nothing. By now, Snape had figured out that they were using Legilemency and decided to use his skills to peek into their conversation.

'You better stick your tongue back into your mouth before I find something to do with it.' He looked at Draco in horror and mild disgust. He had never thought Draco would say this to a Gryffindor! His head snapped back to Mayson as she gasped and reclined her tongue.

'Listen buddy,' he heard her say. 'It's embarrassing enough up here, and you're not making it any better!' Snape mentally rolled his eyes and looked back toward Draco.

Draco sighed and said, 'Thank Merlin I don't have to be up there with you looking like a dork.' He snorted, causing all of the Slytherins, once again, to look at him. He sent a glare in their direction and continued. 'It's almost as bad as making me sit at the Gryffindor table.'

Snape watched as she stopped her eyes mid-roll and smirked evilly. He watched as the sorting hat was removed from her head and as she got down from the stool. He felt himself lose control and decided to pull out completely. The last thing he heard was, 'Oh, you're in for it now, Ferret-Boy.' He, and everyone else in the Great Hall, gaped in horror at what Mayson said next.

After getting off the stool and collecting her things, Mayson turned to face Dumbledore. "Professor Dumbledore, I have a question." After getting a nod of approval to continue, she did. "Even if a person is in one house, can they sit at another house's table?"

He just sat back in his chair, a twinkle in his eye, and said, "I don't see why not."

She smiled and said, "Thank you," as she turned to go sit down. Everyone gasped slightly as she headed in the opposite direction of the Gryffindors—the Slytherins. The Slytherins greeted her with glares and sneers. Ignoring them, she strode right over to the prince himself, Draco Malfoy. Leaning over slightly, she rested the tip of her chin on top of his head. She then flung her arms on top of his shoulders. "Hey…"

Pansy, who was sitting across from Draco, twitched her eye and answered for him. "Yes?"

Mayson looked lazily in her direction and said, "I don't believe I was talking to you." She turned her attention back to Draco. "Now," she took her right hand and started poking him in the cheek. "Answer me before I poke you into oblivion."

He closed his eyes and sighed. Slowly, he lifted his arm, grabbed her hand, and pulled. He opened his eyes and saw that she was now sitting on the bench beside him, leaning a little towards him, her wrist still captured in his hand. She looked at him with wide eyes and said nothing. He smiled sickeningly sweet and said, "What brings your visit today?"

She smiled just as sweetly and responded. "Can you please come and sit with me?"

His face fell and he let go of her arm, causing her to fall on his lap. Looking down at her he bluntly said, "No." After hearing a muffled, "Please?" he sighed and said, "Aren't I already sitting with you?"

Mayson situated herself, swinging her leg over the bench so that she now lay on her back, her head resting on Draco's lap. She rolled her eyes and said, "Oh please, you know that isn't what I meant." She went to stick out her tongue but thought against it. "Plus, you messed up my hair. Loser."

He smirked and picked up a piece of hair. "Ah, but now my favorite part is out so, I don't really care." He completely ignored the fact that she called him a loser because that was the norm coming from her. Pansy's eye caught the object in Draco's hand, causing her to have a sharp intake of breath. For the object he was twirling around in his fingers was a lock of bright green hair.

Hearing Pansy's gasp, Mayson sat up. She looked towards her, disbelief etched in her face. "Oh, please. It's a piece of hair that's colored green. No need to have a heart attack about it. And, Draco? Stop playing with it." She stood up and stretched, looking back over to Draco. Seeing the dejected look on his face, she rolled her eyes and said, "I'll let you play with it if you come and sit with me."

Seeing his face rise and fall again as she completed her sentence, caused her to giggle. She watched as he sat and thought it, his face displaying a different emotion every five seconds. She was on the edge of bursting out laughing when he came to a conclusion. "Fine, I'll freaking sit with you." He looked up and saw relief on her face. "Although, I don't know why we just can't stay—" Draco froze midsentence as realization hit him like a ton of bricks. "You little loser."

She flashed him a face that said, 'Derr!' and bent down to pick up her stuff. "Well aren't we Mister Fast-Paced this evening?"

He rubbed his temples, trying to get prepared for all the stress that would come after this. "Mayson. Really?" She nodded, causing him to sigh deeply.

"Come on, you already agreed to it. Please?" She bent down, putting her mouth close to his ear so as that he would be the only one to hear. "Besides, I don't want to sit by myself and your housemates scare me." She flashed Pansy a wide smile. "Except for her. I just get annoyed by her."

He sighed again and just as quietly said, "Doesn't everyone?" Mayson stood back up, waiting for him to do the same. He made a face as he gathered his things and stood up. Giving Mayson a look that said, 'Well go on then,' he followed her as she led the way to the Gryffindor table.

Mayson looked at the distance between the Slytherins and the Gryffindors and gulped. She was about halfway across when something bumped into her back. It took her a little while to realize it was Draco. It took her even longer to figure out why. It seems as though she had stopped dead in her tracks and refused to go any further.

After bumping into her, Draco silently cursed. He looked down at her to see what the problem was, and froze. To any ordinary person, the look on her face would seem as if she was just staring off into space. The way her eyes were hooded, non-blinking, and how her mouth hung slightly open, made her look as if she was just daydreaming, but not to Draco. Over the span of time that Draco had known Mayson, he figured out how to read her facial expressions. Although this is one she shows on a rare occasion, he still knew what it meant. She was scared.

He looked in the same direction as her eyes and scowled when he saw what, or rather who, was making her afraid. Grabbing her hand, he strutted in front of her, over to the Gryffindor table, and towards the Golden Trio. Feeling her tug back, he tightened his grip and walked faster.

"Draco, what are you doing?" She had been startled when he grabbed her hand and started walking fast. Realizing what he intended to do, she tried to stop him, to no avail.

He said nothing and continued walking until he came to an abrupt stop. Mayson bumped into his back with an, "Oompf!" She pried herself from his back and looked up at him. He was looking down, his eyes sharp and his mouth in a thin line. She felt him shift his hand slightly so that their fingers were intertwined. Her pushed her forward slightly, causing her to come face-to-face with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

The three looked up at him, disgust clearly written on their faces. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

"This has nothing to do with what I want, Weasley, but what she wants." The three looked down to see who he was referring to and was surprised to see Mayson. They hadn't noticed her standing there and immediately felt bad. "Now, I want you three twits to listen to what she has to say with no interruptions. Do you understand?"

Ron was going to retort, when Harry and Hermione nudged from both sides. "Ow! What the bloody hell was that for?" He looked at the two and noticed that they were trying to get him to see something. He looked in front of him and gasped. What he saw was Mayson, on the brink of tears, breathing in and out slowly, her face a dark cherry red. He nodded begrudgingly along with his friends and waited.

"Good." Draco then released her hand and moved, so that he was now standing behind Mayson. He let his fingers ghost over her arms slowly, going up until he reached her eyes. Knowing what he was doing, Mayson closed her eyes and waited for him to cover them completely. He did so and she prepared herself for what she had to do next.

She took a deep breath and spoke. "I'm really, really sorry that I didn't tell you guys about Draco and I being friends! I was going to tell you, but then it seemed like you guys really hated each other and I really, really liked you and I didn't want you to hate me! So again, I'm really sorry!"

She flinched, bracing herself for the yells and curses. When she heard none, she tentatively lifted one of Draco's hands, peeking through. When she couldn't see anything, she lifted his other hand and had to immediately stifle a giggle. In front of her were Harry, Ron, and Hermione, just staring into space with their mouths practically touching the floor.

The noise breaking them out of the trance, Hermione was the first to react. "How long?" Mayson gave her a questioning look. "How long have you two been friends?"

Mayson's face rose with happiness, then fell when she realized what she was about to do. "Uh… Well… You see…" Realizing she was struggling, Draco helped her.

"Mayson and I have been friends since we were 2 years old." He smirked, causing them to send him a glare.

"Hey! I thought we were best friends!" Mayson's outburst caused the three to look back at her. Realizing what she did, she blushed and turned away. "Uh… What I meant to say was, um… Draco…?" She looked over to him for guidance, hoping he would help her again.

He just smiled and said, "You're on your own with this one."

"Gee. Thanks." She rolled her eyes and looked back over to her friends. "So, um, yeah. This is it." She motioned around her. "That's all I have to say." She grabbed her stuff and turned to walk out of the Great Hall when she was stopped. By a hand. Holding a clump of her hair. Tightly. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow." She stepped back a few paces and looked up at Draco, a glare on her face. "Yes?"

He sighed and said, "You put me through all of that crap, just so you could speak to them and then leave?" Malice was clear in his voice, making Mayson too afraid to speak. Instead, she nodded slightly. "Sit." He let go of her hair and watched as turned, making space for the both of them to sit.

He plopped down on the bench with a thump in between Mayson and Harry. He leaned back, resting his elbows on the table behind them, and hung his head back. "Draco?" He scrunched up his face and said nothing, contemplating on whether he should answer or not. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry." His face softened as he closed his eyes. "Don't worry about it." Mayson wrung her hands in her lap and looked down. "No, really. I shouldn't have put you through that."

Draco's head lifted up, swinging slowly in Mayson's direction. "Reeeeeeeally…?" Mayson looked over to him and shrugged her shoulders, smiling sheepishly. "Fine, as long as you don't do it again. Poin dexter." He flicked her nose.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, bringing her hand up to her reddening nose. "I'd rather be obsessed with books than obsessed with myself!"

"Maybe you should be obsessed with yourself," he said, standing up. He stretched and started walking towards the entrance. "Perhaps you wouldn't look so dingy all the time." Earning a few chuckles here and there (and some loud guffaws from the Slytherins), Draco felt pleased. He hadn't teased her for quite a while and thought it was the perfect time to start. Plus, he knew she knew he didn't mean it, so he didn't have to worry about hurting her feelings.

"Augh!" Mayson sat there in pure shock, her mouth opened so wide that, had they been outside, there was no doubt a fly would've entered by now. 'I can't believe he just said that! He's such a jerk!'

In the midst of all this, Ron leaned over to Harry and whispered, "I don't believe that they have been friends for that long. I mean, do you see the way he treats her?"

Harry responded, "Oh come now, I don't think it's all that bad. I bet they're just having a playful back and forth."

It was then that Mayson said something, causing Draco to stop mid-step. "Who wants to see Draco Malfoy's baby pictures?" Draco turned back around, his face paler than normal.

"Then again," Harry added, "Who's to say she isn't as bad?"