The next few days were uneventful. The only change from her everyday life was that Ron Weasley- despite the fact that she verbally pummeled his best friend- seemed to still have a genuine interest in her. He would walk with her to the class they had together. And in the common room-though they didn't talk very much, he still sat with her just for the company. He offered to be partners for an upcoming assignment. They were to pick a Witch or Wizard who profoundly changed the way we view magic, whether with a new spell or philosophy which they then needed to demonstrate to the class. It was hours of researching the library, and Sarah had no problem with spending that time with Ron.

"Have you found anything useful yet?" Ron asked slamming down yet another dusty old book.

"Nothing…at…all" Sarah was virtually bored out of her mind.

"Right, well I give up. I don't want to do this anymore" Ron dropped the book onto the floor and put his head in his arms on the surface of the desk.

"Oh, don't give up Ron, something will just find its way to us, soon." Sarah smiled, trying to keep positive as her partner slowly withered.

"Right." Ron said sarcastically. "Well, now that I've got nothing to do, I want to ask you something?"

"No, I will not make out with you behind the bookshelf" Sarah said jokingly and laughed. Ron didn't get it, he blushed furiously.

"Uh, it's not that" he coughed uncomfortably.

"Well…out with it already?"

"Harry." Ron said simply. Sarah felt instantaneous urge to justify herself, even though it was probably hopeless.

"Ron…listen I didn't mean what I said to him, I just…get pretty horrid sometimes, I really like Harry, he's only ever been sweet to me. We had such a good time that morning, I just…snapped"

"Uh…no, Hi Harry" Ron was staring just above Sarah's shoulder and suddenly she felt her face turn hot. She jumped up quickly, nearly hitting Harry with the chair; he had been standing behind her.

"Hi Sarah" he said calmly, not letting slip any emotion. Sarah couldn't figure if he was angry, if he hated her. She feared the worst. She let out a strange mumble that was suppose to be Hello but sounded more like "emlo"

"I was sent down here to get you." He stared straight into her eyes. She felt like he was somehow invading her privacy, like she was totally exposed to him. It was unnerving, but also exciting. Attention from boys had never been anything she had a problem with, but she never had any real friends. Draco was overall, it.

"Ron, we'll see you later" Harry said giving his friend a wave. Ron waved back

"Right" she said and began packing up.

"Come on Sarah." Harry just turned on his heel and walked away. He was mad, she knew it. She packed up her little shoulder bag with the book she was writing in as well as her quills and such. Harry left without waiting and she caught up with him down the hall.

"Wait Harry!" she called after him. He stopped and leaned up against a wall waiting for her impatiently. "Harry, I'm so…I'm sorry" she looked him back in the eyes, trying to convey how much she meant it. "I'm horrible, I know, I'm so sorry." And with that, a little success, he smiled at her. He wasn't mad? She asked herself. Perhaps he was, and has simply gotten over it.

"It's alright. Come on." He tugged her sweater to bring her along. A shot ran thought Sarah. He touched me! She walked on, giddy as could be.

"Where are we going?" Sarah finally thought to ask, after the euphoria of being touched wore off.

"The headmaster's office" He said coolly.

"What!" she stopped in the middle of the hall "Why? What'd I do?" She began to panic slightly, if Snape had gone to the headmaster, if he had lied-which he most likely did- then chances are the Malfoy's would be called. This would be the last thing Sarah could handle.

"It's probably about the other night. You said that Snape caught you in the halls didn't you?"

"Why would the headmaster need to see me about that? Shouldn't I just get a detention" Sarah began to panic, she didn't understand. Why would the headmaster of all people, need to talk to her about anything? She'd never had a longer than 30 second conversation with him. She did her best to stay out of any kind of trouble at all. Only once before had she ever really been scolded at school, and chances are a big part of that was to do with her Malfoy family. She may have gotten a few misconducts for her temper or her behavior towards several teachers and students, but never had she gotten in any real trouble. Even when she would be mixed up in some of Draco's pranks, they'd call the Malfoy's about Draco, but never Sarah.

"Why did he send you to get me?" She asked, trying her best to stay off topic to calm herself down.

"I was in his office"

"Why?"

"It's sort of personal"

"Oh, sorry" Sarah just felt stupid, she couldn't think of anything logical to say, everything just came out silly. She wondered if he felt the same way. She told herself over and over that he did not. How could he? After how she has acted towards him? It was unfair of her to presume she deserved his friendship; it was silly to think that he'd ever-

"I like you a lot, and maybe in time I can trust you will secrets like that. For now let's just keep things simple."

"What!?" Sarah couldn't believe what she heard "You like me?" giddiness grew inside her that she simply couldn't contain. A huge smile came across her face and she began to slightly bounce around Harry. "You like me? As in, like me? Want to be around me and talk to me…you like me?"

Harry laughed at her "yeah, I like you. You can be nice…when you want to." He began to blush slightly. He didn't mean anything romantic by it; she knew that, but the notion of having an actual friend. Who would of course admit he was her friend was just too exciting to believe. She wanted to dance around and laugh and smile and cry. It seemed so silly, it was very simple thing for him to say- but then again, Sarah had never had a real friend.

"Wow" was all she could say. She stopped bouncing out of fear of looking like an idiot. Even if he did like her, she didn't want to give him a reason not to.

"You're ridiculous." Harry stated bluntly. "In a nice way, but still ridiculous"

"Well, you have to understand, I'm not exactly popular-" Harry cut her off

"Well I certainly know that! I tried asking around about you in Gryffindor but no one knew anything, and the girls told me I shouldn't even bother with you, they started gossiping like mad when I brought you up. So popularity isn't something you seem to be good at" Harry smiled, he meant no offence, but the remark still stung.

"Yeah, I've never really had a friend. Well, one willing to admit they are my friend"

"That's sort of pathetic-in an endearing way of course, but still pathetic none the less" Harry said. She wasn't used to hearing him talk like this; he was always a shy sweet boy in her mind, without any kind of negative opinion of anyone. She rather liked this Harry, who didn't hold back from saying what he meant. It was a quality she had long loved about Draco. Draco. In that moment it stuck her. How can I be friends with Draco's worst enemy? Not only Draco's but all the Malfoy's, and their friends, and their friends, friends….Oh no. As if on queue Draco came around the corner.

"Damn" she let slip, and then shoved Harry into an alcove. He didn't go easily, and shouted when he hit the wall and she kept pushing.

"Sarah?" her heart leapt. She was going to cram herself into the alcove as well to hide from Draco all together, but somehow he always knew when she was around, like he could sense her.

"Draco." She smiled and walked forward to him, blocking all together the view of the alcove.

"I was looking for you earlier, where were you?"

"I was in the Library with Ron" she admitted. Damn. She thought, I shouldn't have mentioned Ron

"What on earth were you doing with that weasel?" He scoffed arrogantly.

"Draco, play nice. I have to do a project with him for History"

"Oh, you poor dear." Draco was being a prat. Then Sarah noticed why, Pansy bloody Parkinson was standing just a few meters away. For some reason he seemed the feel the need to be nastier when he was around her. Some sick form of impressing her and the worst part is that it always did impress Pansy.

"What is she doing with you?" Sarah asked, scowling down the hall

"Jealous?" Draco laughed.

"No! Of course not." She lied, she was jealous. Not only because Pansy could openly socialize with Draco, but because the Malfoy's favored her. She was the perfect little Slytherin and Sarah was the mistake in Gryffindor. Sarah had once caught the Malfoy's discussing with the Parkinson's about a hypothetical wedding Draco and Pansy would have. It drove Sarah mad.

"Right, Well." Draco leaned in closer to her. Putting his hands on her arms and nearly pressing his chest to hers, and speaking in a soft whisper "I want to see you later."

"You always want to see me" Sarah's giddy mood gone, she now felt very venomous.

"Will you come? Please. I want to talk to you about something" He grazed his hand along her jaw "I've been thinking about something."

"You? Thinking? There's a surprise. I guess I should brace myself." She snapped. Pulling her face away from his hand.

"Don't be like that. You and I, later." He gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. This was unusual. She felt very unsure about what she should do next. Kissing was not on their list of acceptability's in public- or even rarely in private for that matter. They had tried that before, when they were much younger and the idea of kissing fascinated them. Both parties quickly decided it was weird and they simply avoided doing so whenever possible.

"Alright" she said, mostly just to make him leave, but partly because she had no idea what she was suppose to do now. She stood there frozen as he walked down the hall and turned the corner with Pansy.

"That was awkward." Harry came out of the alcove instantly. Sarah jumped, totally forgetting that he was there.

"Sorry." She said bluntly. Her good mood was totally gone. She felt totally emotionally cut off from Harry now. She wanted to curl up and hide from him. She strongly resisted the urge to say something mean to get him away from her. It was a defense she commonly used, but having just acquired this new friend, scaring him off just because she was in a bad mood would not be in her best interest.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked, he looked puzzled but concerned. How does he know I'm not? Maybe he's just asking to be polite… ran through her head.

"Fine. Let's just go." She began to walk away towards to head masters office.