Hiya! Finally, the story continues! Sorry for the extreme delay; the storyline keeps changing whenever I begin to write, so it's taken awhile to get things in order. This is the official fourth chapter; if you didn't notice, earlier I had a "filler" fourth chapter that was really one long author's note, plus a poem I found in my English book that I liked. Don't worry if you missed it, because there wasn't that much to miss. ^_^ I'm trying to move out of the weird tenses (he had seen, after there had been) because it's hard to keep the tenses consistent that way , so the overall tone might change from the last chapter to this one. Yeah, I've definitely been in school too long when I worry about verb tenses. Hmm...Oh, and while I have your attention ***I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING HARRY POTTER, except this story idea*** That's the only time I'm saying it, too. Now, on with the story...

It was a great day, and nothing could spoil it. The sleeping aids from Madame Pomfrey had helped greatly. So much, that Draco wondered why he hadn't gone to the hospital wing earlier. Draco's focus restored, he had located and caught the snitch in record time at Quidditch practice. In Potions, he earned fifteen points for Slytherin for successfully creating a tonic for Munkrad's Disease, a dreadfully irritating sickness that inflamed the skin of the wand hand to the point of immobility. Afterwards, he successfully insulted both Potter and Weasley at the same time; the two dunderheads had just stood there speechless. Not that that was a bad thing, of course...

Not even Trelawney and her outrageous predictions could ruin the day. The old bag had predicted that something life changing was going to happen to Draco. He laughed it off, because everyone knew that the Divination teacher's predictions were bogus. During dinner, he joked to Crabbe and Goyle how winning the Quidditch match against Ravenclaw would be life altering, or maybe perhaps getting a higher grade than Granger on that transfigurations essay. The nosy Gryffindor Parvati had been walking past just then, and overhearing Draco's jest, warned him to not take such predictions lightly.

"Pansy, tell him that he needs to take any prediction seriously. Besides, Professor Trelawney saw it in the stars, and that's the most reliable method of prediction," Parvati insisted, appealing to who she hoped was the most reasonable of the group. She was wrong.

"Really, Parvati," Pansy scoffed, "I would have thought that you would have more sense than to follow something as questionable as divination. It's not even real magic -- any muggle can divine." Pansy paused. "Then again, you Gryffindors are a gullible lot."

Parvati looked stricken. "Don't say I didn't warn you." She lingered for a moment, and when Draco and the others silently stared her down, she quickly returned to the Gryffindor table, where she whispered in a huddled group to her friends.

"Irritating bunch of do-gooders," Pansy sneered. Crabbe and Goyle grunted in agreement.

Draco stood. "If you'll excuse me," he said curtly, and left.

Pansy watched Draco as he walked out of the Hall. "Is he acting strange to you?" she asked the two clods in front of her. Crabbe and Goyle shrugged.

"Not that we're aware of," Goyle answered.

Draco returned to his room, gathering his books. He then headed down to the library to do some studying. He stopped, hesitating. Did he really want to be found in the library? Changing direction, he made his way out to the Quidditch field. The pitch would be empty, leaving him undisturbed. He climbed up to the spectator's stands, then settled himself in a seat and tackled his arithmancy work.

***

Draco awoke to the find himself still outside. The air had turned cold, and Draco wrapped his cloak tighter around him, futilely trying to keep the chill wind from him. Gathering his books and parchment, he rushed back to the school. Funny, how even though he had fallen asleep without any sleep aids, he felt more exhausted after waking than before he had dozed off. Draco rubbed his eyes, forcing them to focus in the darkness, as any light would have aroused suspicion. According to the large clock that stood in front of the Great Hall's doors, it was only midnight, which wasn't too terribly late. Still, if Filch caught him...

Draco crept back into his room, breathing a sigh of relief at his good fortune. No one had noticed his absence. His eyes then narrowed at the idea. So much for concerned friends. Oh well. He dismissed the thought immediately, and reached for his sleeping aids, carefully hidden in a secret compartment in his trunk. Not that it was wrong that he was taking these sleeping pills; it was just his pride that again got in the way. He must maintain his image and all. He quickly swallowed two pills, grimacing at the bitter taste they left in his mouth.

Within five minutes of slipping into his bed, Draco had fallen into a deep slumber.

Yeah, I know it's short, sorry. More's coming, and soon, I promise! *rushes off to complete the next chapter*