I have changed the order of certain events from the third book/movie for this chapter.

The summer before our third year went by too fast. Dad had agreed to let me spend the summer with Lavender's family at their summer home and it was an amazing few months. We spent our days exploring the small village and sun bathing at the beach. Our nights were spent laughing and eating all the sweets we could get our hands on.
Too soon, August thirty-first had arrived and we hurried back to England to do our back to school shopping. Dad met us in the city, he wanted to personally thank Lavender's parents for taking care of me that summer. He also informed us that Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys were staying at the Leaky Cauldron and that we would be spending the night there as well. Lavender's eyes lit up at the mention of Ron and I knew she was disappointed when her parents wanted to spend their last night before term started at home.
After we said our goodbyes, dad and I made our way to meet up with the gang for dinner. Ron spent the entire dinner talking about his family's trip to Egypt and when he was finally done talking, Harry told me about how he had accidentally turned his uncle's sister into a balloon. Hermione lamented over missed homework, as usual, and the rest of us thought her crazy. The whole night felt nice and normal, despite the disturbing news that the infamous mass murderer, Sirius Black, had escaped from Azkaban prison.
The next morning, we traveled to King's Cross and passed through the barrier to platform nine and three quarters. Seeing the Hogwarts Express filled me with joy. There was still something exciting about going away for almost an entire year to live in a giant castle without your parents.
We said our goodbyes and boarded the train. Most of the compartments were already occupied, so we settled for a compartment with a man sleeping in the corner. His face was covered by the coat he was using as a blanket. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, I decided to head out and find Lavender as soon as I had relieved myself of my trunk.
The corridors were empty, save for the odd student looking for one of their friends, and the happy chatter of students could be heard through the closed compartment doors.
Suddenly, the train screeched to a halt and I had to grab the wall to stay on my feet. Compartment doors began to open and heads popped out, looking up and down the corridor for an explanation as to why we had stopped. Then, the train jerked sideways and I found myself stumbling into an empty compartment, as if compelled to by magic. The door slid closed in front of me and I was alone. Or so I thought.
"Clara?"
I wheeled around at the confused voice and found myself staring at Draco Malfoy. He had changed over the summer; he had grown taller and changed the way he wore his hair. I couldn't help but feel an attraction to him. We stared at each other, something unspoken passing between us.
The lights went out and fear began to take hold. I stumbled to the window to try and get a look outside but the night was too dark. Something moved in the darkness and the train jerked once more. I let out an involuntary gasp, the air turned cold and I could see my breath in the air. Draco and I faced each other in the darkness, waiting for everything to return to normal.
The train gave another jerk and I found myself falling face first. In a split second, Draco had grabbed a hold of my arms. We were so close now that I could feel his breath on my face, sending shivers down my spine. Once more, I felt the familiar feeling of my heart hammering against my ribcage and I bit my lip. I wanted him to kiss me.
Just as suddenly as it had begun, the moment was broken as the lights came back on and the train began moving again. There, under the bright lights, the magic was gone and he was Draco Malfoy and I was Clara Weasley once more.
We pulled apart at the same time and stared at each other in awkward silence. Had I really wanted Draco Malfoy to kiss me? Had he wanted to kiss me? It must have been momentary insanity and the fear we both felt at the unusual behavior of the train. But as I turned and left the compartment, I found myself unable to stop thinking about him.

After the train ride, Draco spent most of the first term turning and walking away whenever we saw each other in the halls. I never saw him at meals anymore, and in class I would catch him staring at me, a strange look on his face.
Draco's strange behavior continued until our first trip to Hogsmeade village. Lavender and I walked arm in arm, lagging behind the rest of the group. She was too busy talking about Ron to notice the footsteps coming up behind us, until someone bumped into me hard, nearly sending us both flying face first into the snow.
"Watch it, miss Weasel!" Blaise Zabini spat with a nasty grin.
I glared at him. "Miss Weasel? Wow, Blaise, I hope you didn't waste your last remaining brain cells coming up with that one."
Lavender let out a quiet snort, causing Blaise to turn his attentions to her. "What are you laughing at, Brown?!" He advanced on us threateningly and I prepared to defend myself.
"Blaise!" the voice was sharp, commanding and caused Blaise to stop dead in his tracks.
Draco came up from behind us, his eyes blazing. "I thought I told you to wait for me! What part of that was too difficult for you to understand?!"
Blaise seemed caught off guard. He stared at Draco like a deer caught in headlights. "You never-"
"Are you calling me a liar?!"
Blaise quickly shook his head and lowered his gaze. Satisfied, Draco jerked his head in the direction of the group and Blaise scurried to do as he was told. Without a word, Draco followed. When he was sure Blaise wasn't looking, he turned and our eyes met. There was a moment when I thought I saw something in his eyes, something I hadn't seen before but couldn't quite figure out.
Then, all the pieces fell into place. Draco had called Blaise off to protect me. I was too confused by his behavior to feel the usual irritation I felt when people thought I needed protecting. Why had Draco Malfoy of all people wanted to protect me?
"That was strange," Lavender's sudden voice broke through my thoughts.
"Huh?"
She looked at me like I had hit my head. "Malfoy, coming over here and not insulting us." She thought about it for a moment. "Now that I think about it, I've never heard him insult you specifically, why is that?"
I shrugged, irritated that she had noticed. "Do I look like I'm aware of the inner workings of Draco Malfoy?"
Lavender let it go but I suspected she was still suspicious. No matter, a few hours in Hogsmeade and she would soon forget all about it, I just had to make sure to talk about Ron a lot.

After a long, tiring shopping spree in the village, Lavender and I made our way to The Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer. I pulled off my coat and gloves, while Lavender ordered our drinks and I couldn't help but search the room for a familiar face: Draco's. I was disappointed to find he wasn't there and instantly chastised myself for caring.
Lavender placed the drinks on the table and looked around the room. I grinned, happy for the distratction. "Looking for my cousin?"
She blushed a light shade of pink. "Perhaps."
I didn't have the heart to tell her that I was pretty sure Ron had a crush on Hermione but hadn't realized it yet. Instead, I decided that I needed a moment alone. "I'm going to go wash my hands."
I escaped into the bathroom and was glad to discover it empty. With a tired sigh, I leaned against the sink and stared at my reflection in the mirror. I had to get Draco Malfoy out of my mind, this wasn't healthy.
Suddenly, there was a loud pop in one of the stalls behind me, causing me to jump in fright. I was sure no one was in here when I entered.
"Hello?" I tried to peer under the doors, looking for a pair of feet.
The stall door opened and a woman stepped out. She looked me up and down, her eyes full of emotion. I attempted a smile, fear digging it's claws into me. There was something familiar about her features, but I couldn't quite figure out what.
"I- I was just about to leave." I tried to make my voice sound casual, but I'm pretty sure I failed.
Without saying a word, the woman took a step forward and I found myself pressing my back into the sink behind me in an attempt to shrink away from her. She opened her mouth to speak but seemed to change her mind. Instead, she grabbed a hold of my arm, causing me to instinctively jerk away.
I turned to run and that's when it happened: the woman lunged for me and grabbed both of my arms. I didn't even have time to react before I was plunged into darkness.

I was about to step into The Three Broomsticks for a drink, when the door flew open and someone came rushing out, nearly knocking me over. Instantly angry, I looked at the person who had so rudely hurried past me. It was Lavender Brown, Clara's best friend. Her eyes were frantic, as she looked up and down the street, clearly searching for something. Finally, she spotted something in the distance and took off running before I could let her have it.
"Ron! Hermione!" I heard her call in a panicked voice.
My curiosity got the better of me and I followed Lavender at a distance. When she reached Weasley and Granger, I stopped a few paces down to pretend I was admiring a window display.
"What's the matter, Lavender?" Granger asked, concerned.
"Clara's gone missing!" she managed to reply, while catching her breath. "I've looked everywhere! We were at The Three Broomsticks, she went into the bathroom but never came back out!"
For a moment, it felt as though someone had punched me in the gut. What was wrong with me? Why did I care what happened to Clara?
"How long has she been gone?" Weasley's voice almost shook with worry.
"Thirty minutes, I think."
I didn't need to hear more. Without hesitating, I decided to look for her. My legs carried me towards the edge of town. Something told me Clara wasn't in Hogsmeade village anymore.
I wandered the woods for what seemed like hours, until darkness began to wind had begun to pick up speed and the snowfall was becoming so dense I could no longer see two feet in front of me. Stupid Weasley girl, she just had to get herself lost and I just had to care.
"Clara?" I called into the darkness in front of me, hoping no one from the school was close by. There was no answer. This was ridiculous, I should have just turned and made my way back to Hogwarts, but something inside me refused to leave until I knew she was alright.
Suddenly, I heard a faint sniffle through the darkness. Turning and peering out as far as I could, I began following the sound. "Hello?"
The sniffling stopped, followed by a shuffling sound. "Who's there?!"
My heart leapt at the sound of the panicked voice; I had found her. The relief was short lived, and was quickly replaced by anger and irritation. "What the hell are you doing?! Half the school is looking for you!"
Her face finally came into view and I instantly regretted my harsh words. Clara's eyes were red and puffy, she looked like she had been crying for hours. Her body was trembling from the cold, as she stared at me in confusion. "What are you doing here, Malfoy?"
"Looking for you, the whole damn school is!" it was a lie, but I was desperate to hide the fact that I cared. "How long have you been out here?" my voice was softer this time.
She shrugged and wiped her cheek. "I don't know, a few hours maybe."
A strange feeling had begun building up inside of me. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and comfort her. Stop it! the little voice inside my head hissed angrily. You're Draco Malfoy, stop this nonsense and go back to the castle!
My decision to ignore the voice wasn't a conscious one. When I looked at Clara, no matter how hard I tried, my feet refused to walk away. Without thinking, I reached for her hand and noticed it was bare and red from the cold. Without hesitation, I pulled off my gloves and held them out to her. "Here, you look like you could use these."
She took them and then at me with a look of distrust and confusion. "Thanks."
Before she could wonder too much about my motivations, I jerked my head in the direction of the village. "Well, come on then, maybe they'll reward me for finding you."
She rolled her eyes and followed. We walked silently for a while, our arms occasionally brushing against each other, causing a strange sensation to vibrate through my body.
"Draco?" she finally spoke quietly. I liked the way she said my name.
"Hm?"
"I saw my mother today."
"So?"
She let out a deep sigh. "My mother is dead, has been since I was three."
"Oh." I didn't know why she was confiding in me and not being used to such a thing, I had no idea what to say.
"She said that my father was punishing her for wanting a divorce and had kept me away from her for all these years."
"What do you believe?"
"I don't know what I believe. My father has never seemed the type to do something like that."
We walked the rest of the way back to the village in silence. I still didn't know what to say to her, I wasn't even sure I wanted to say anything. Being around Clara was too confusing. She made me have all these strange feelings I had never experienced before and I wasn't sure I liked it. The only thing that I was completely sure of, was that it was becoming almost impossible for me to stay away from her.
When we finally arrived at the outskirts of the village, I stopped walking and looked at the ground. My feet shuffled awkwardly as she gazed at me, wondering why I wasn't following. The realization hit her and she looked upset. "You're not coming?"
I shook my head. "I- I don't want anyone thinking I care. There probably isn't a prize for finding you anyway."
A bitter expression twisted her beautiful features. "Of course not, can't let anyone know you're not a total prick."
I felt the hot flush of anger rise up inside of me. "You're welcome," I spat and walked away from her.
It didn't take me long to regret my outburst and wish that I could turn back and apologize. Clara had implied that she didn't believe me a completely vile person and I had snapped at her. For a moment, I wondered if maybe I was a total prick. No, I was Draco Malfoy and others were just envious.

The snow had finally calmed as I walked into Hogsmeade. My head was still spinning from my time with Draco. He had shown me a glimpse of a Draco I had never seen before; a Draco who might be kind and caring. I couldn't understand why he had to try so hard to be a prick, it was like he took pride in it and wanted people to see him that way.
"Clara!" the happy shriek came from behind me and belonged to my best friend Lavender. It was followed by thundering footsteps and I turned just in time for her to throw her arms around me. "Where have you been?! We've been so worried!"
"I- er- I went for a walk…" I could have slapped myself.
I could tell by the look on her face that she didn't believe me. "Why didn't you say anything before you left?" She was now examining me from top to bottom, making sure I was in one piece. Her eyes stopped at my gloves. "Hang on, those aren't yours." She cocked an eyebrow at me accusingly.
I was glad that she was easily distracted, while cursing her for being so observant. My brain began searching for an explanation, something that sounded better than "I went for a walk". Thankfully, I was saved when we heard another voice call out my name. Relieved at the interruption, I turned to find Ron and Hermione running towards us.
"Where have you been?!" Ron was furious with me.
"Can I talk to you in private?" Taken aback by my response, Ron stared at me as I dragged him away from the others.
I made sure they weren't within listening distance, before turning to Ron accusingly. "What do you know about my mother?"
"What?"
"My mother, what do you know about her?" I was beginning to feel more and more agitated by the minute.
"I know what you know, that she died when we were three. Why are you asking me this?"
I studied Ron's eyes, searching for any sign of a lie but found none. A deep, exhausted sigh exited my mouth. "I saw her today, my mother."
I told Ron all about how my mother had found me in the bathroom and what she had told me in the woods. He listened intently.
"Bloody hell, Clara! We have to tell your dad!"
"No!" I said firmly. "Promise me that this stays between us until I've figured out what she wants."
Reluctantly, he agreed and dropped the subject. We made our way back to Hermione and Lavender, the origin of my gloves now completely forgotten. Or so I thought.

Back in our dormitory, Lavender and I took turns taking a hot shower to warm ourselves after the freezing winters day in Hogsmeade. Our roommates were still down in the common room and I was glad we had the room all to ourselves for a time.
I was impressed by Lavender's patience, she managed to wait until we were both dressed and sitting on my bed before she looked over at the gloves sitting on a chair next to my scarf. "So, whose are those?"
I sucked in a deep, fearful breath. She was my best friend and it was about time I was honest with her, but saying the words out loud meant that there was no going back. "Draco Malfoy's," the words came out in a quiet mumble, a part of me hoping she wouldn't hear me.
"What?!" She had heard me.
"He was the one who found me and told me the whole school was looking for me."
"Clara, the only people I told were Ron and Hermione."
Her words caused my stomach to drop. Draco hadn't been looking for me because the teachers made him, he had been looking for me because he wanted to. The sinking feeling grew, as I came to the realization that Draco Malfoy cared. Thing would be so much less complicated if my confusing feelings were unrequited.
I shook my head, feeling guilty for keeping this secret from Lavender for so long. "The truth is that he has been acting strange since our first year. You were right when you said he's never said anything hurtful to me directly and sometimes I've caught him staring at me. He acts like a total prick to everyone but he was nice to me today, he gave me his gloves because my hands were freezing."
Lavender stared at me for a long moment. "Do you- do you have a crush on Draco Malfoy?" she finally asked.
My face turned scarlet. "No!" my protest came a little too quickly.
"Clara," her voice was serious, patient. "I know some girls like the bad boy thing, but Malfoy is just bad news. You can't change him."
"I'm not one of those girls, Lav!"
She looked like she didn't quite believe me, but dropped the subject all the same, knowing full well that I was done talking.
That night, as I lay in bed, I couldn't get the image of Draco out of my mind. Why was I so drawn to him and why had he behaved so strangely all term?
When I finally fell asleep, his face haunted my dreams.

After I confided in Draco that night in the woods, he went out of his way to catch my eye any chance he got. Sometimes he would walk past me and "accidentally" brush my shoulder and I felt a strange thrill every time. Lavender seemed to notice his strange behavior and shook her head disapprovingly whenever he was around. She gave me more lectures than I wanted and I kept trying to convince her that I felt nothing for Draco. She didn't buy it anymore than I did.
In the spring, Draco managed to insult Buckbeak, the hippogriff, during one of Hagrid's lessons and had to be taken to the hospital wing for a scratch. After that, he milked his "injury" any chance he got and watching Pansy Parkinson fawning over him was sickening. What I was feeling felt a lot like jealousy, but if anyone had suggested it, I would have denied it vehemently.
After the incident, I did my best to avoid him, not wanting to feel whatever it was I was feeling anymore and afraid others would become suspicious. Draco noticed the change and began trying even harder to catch my attention. Whenever I was around, he would talk louder and find more opportunities to "accidentally" bump into me.
Then came the day when his father used his connections at the Ministry to have Buckbeak executed. Whenever I looked at him, I wondered if he was truly the same person he had been on the train and in Hogsmeade. The accident had clearly been his own fault, yet he wanted an innocent creature killed because it had reacted to his provocation.
Not only was I confused and conflicted about my feelings, it was becoming increasingly more clear that my friends and family could never know about my strange attraction to Draco. Ron hated him with a burning passion and would probably never look at me the same if he were to find out.
I was now looking forward to summer more than ever. A few months away from Draco and I would forget all about him. This was yet another lie that I would tell myself several times and never truly believe.

Thanks for reading! I will try to keep updating at least once a week but we've recently had a death in the family so I might miss a week or two this month.
This is also the last chapter that is a quick overview of the year. Year four and on will span several chapters with more things happening.
As always, I hope you've enjoyed and please consider leaving a review!