"Yeah. Guess what," Blaise Zabini said, leaning over the table like a girl full of new, juicy gossip. "I heard some rumor about your sister, Woods."

Jordan Woods raised his eyebrows curiously. "Really."

"Yeah—it came straight from a Gryffindor himself," he said, nodding. Blaise had a huge smile plastered across his face that clearly said he was pleased with his retrieving.

"Is it just about her or about someone else, too?"

"That Weasley boy—you know him?" He gestured to the Gryffindor table, where Bianca Woods was sitting, surrounded by a bunch of people I didn't care to know the names of.

"Ron?"

"Yeah . . . something like that." Blaise shrugged.

"Oh, right. What's up with them?" Jordan asked.

"Finnigan said that he caught them sleeping together, down in the common room."

Jordan's mouth dropped open. I was pretty surprised, too.

"What—"

"—like sleep, sleeping together, or like, yawn-y sleeping together?" I asked, not caring how nosy I sounded at the moment.

Blaise looked at me as though he was holding back a snicker. "Interesting description."

"You know what I mean!" I practically growled.

"Man, Malfoy, get a grip. Why do you care?"

I was silent, and I was not about to explain why I had any interest in this subject.

"Blaise, he's just curious. You know how he is. Nosy little Malfoys . . ."Jordan said, glancing at me, and I barely nodded a thanks, too angered to really care. "Hey, um, Malfoy . . . would you do me a favor and go over there and ask her for me?"

"What, you want me to ask her if she slept with Weasley?"

"Yeah."

I was completely wary, but wanting to get away from any topic about caring about Bianca, I stood up and started walking.

I took all of my energy to focus on the Gryffindor table—after all, they were complete scum to me. Every single living being at that table had no right to be in the presence of anything having to do with Salazar Slytherin. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff were all muggle-loving freaks. They didn't deserve magic whatsoever.

My thoughts were bouncing around my head like crazy. I needed to shut myself out, so in doing so, I walked faster, letting every idea just zoom around. And then the Gryffindor table was right there, and Bianca Woods was sitting just feet in front of me. Her head was in her arms, and she groaned just as I walked up behind her.

"Woods."

"Leave me alone, Malfoy," she said, her groan muffled.

"How'd you know it was me?"

From across the table, one of the Weasley twins raised his hand and hopped up in his seat. The other twin nudged him in the ribs, forcing him to sit down.

I rolled my eyes, letting out a breath.

"Your brother wants me to ask you something."

She raised her head, but was still turned away from me. "Then why doesn't he ask me himself?"

"Because he's a lazy ass. Is that the answer you wanted to hear?"

Bianca then turned around in her seat, her straight, blonde hair whipping around her face. "Not quite. What do you want to ask me?"

"I'd prefer to ask you . . . alone." I scanned over the rest of her friends, who were staring at me. They looked as if they expected me to spit in their faces and crash their heads into the wall.

She glanced back at the Weasley boy, and then back to me. "Okay. Fine." She sighed. "But if this takes more than five minutes, I have my wand."

She got up, and shot me a glare before leading me to the exit of the Great Hall.

When we were outside the huge wooden doors, she crossed her arms sternly and narrowed her eyes. "Okay. Speak, dog."

"I think I'll ignore that."

She just smirked.

"Zabini heard that you slept with that Weasley boy."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "I already told you yesterday. I did not."

"Then why does practically the whole school think so?"

"Because they're stupid idiots that listen to the works of Finnegan, Flint, Zabini, and apparently you," she said crossly. "I don't have time for this, okay, Malfoy? My life isn't a game. You can do whatever you want with yours, but leave me out of it." She let out a heavy, aggravated breath, and shoved past me to go back into the Great Hall.

I wasn't about to stop her. I'd done what Jordan wanted, and now I was done. I was about to start walking back towards the Slytherin Tower, when I heard footsteps trailing loudly behind me. I turned around, just as Bianca zoomed past me.

"So. You want me to stay out of your life, but you come running back to me? Sorry, but I don't play like that, Woods," I said, the corners of my mouth twisting up into a smirk.

"I ran past you, moron!" she called from the end of the hallway, right before she dashed behind the corner, out of sight.

I laughed slightly, digging my hands in my pockets. I walked to the Slytherin Common Room, and walked straight up to the dorms. It'd been a long day. I crashed on the four-poster bed, not even bothering to throw my shoes off.

"Draco, honey, you're too young to stay home alone. I'm sorry, but you have to come with me," my mom said to me, patting my head of blonde hair.

"Mom. I don't want to sit around and drink tea with your friend—"

"She has children just about your age, Draco. I'm sure you'll have lots of fun—and d'you know what? Remember that school I told you about? Her children are going to it, just like you will be soon." Mother smiled at me, and I shrugged away from her gaze.

"Mom. Please. Some other time?" I begged.

Mother's tone suddenly became a whole degree sterner. "Draco, you're coming with me. Do you understand? Do not complain—do not whine—and most importantly, I don't care if you are having a good time or not, you will be respectful to me. And to my friend, and her children. Do you understand?" she repeated.

I nodded, shuffling my feet of embarrassment.

"What's that?"

"Yes, ma'am," I sighed. "I understand."

"Good." She put on a smile, which I knew all too well to be completely fake, and patted my head again. "We're using Floo Powder. You don't mind it, do you?"

Personally, I hated Floo Powder—it practically stuffed my lungs with decades old dust—but I shook my head, not wanting her to get cross again