-Chapter 4-
"You all could have been killed!" Hermione shrieked as she and Ally walked around the courtyard the next day on their free period.
"Must you be so morbid?" Ally asked, plopping down on a bench.
Hermione cast her friend a glare, "I am serious Ally! You all could have been killed, Fudge is going to get us all killed!"
Ron wandered over catching the tail end of the conversation, "Oh Merlin Hermione are you on about this again?!" he growled, throwing himself into a seat as well, "Can we just drop it?"
Hermione glared at the two, "How did they manage to get there?!" she hissed, "If they got to you once, you know they can get in again-"
"Hermione!" Ally said, her voice short and strained, "Seriously, we have been over this over and over again, please lets end this conversation!"
Clearly defeated, Hermione shot the two a dirty look before stalking off.
"About time!" Ron muttered.
Sighing, Ally placed her head in her hands, "She is just worried about us."
"I guess." Ron muttered.
Looking up, Ally's eyes were met with a pair of silver staring directly back at her.
They belonged to Draco Malfoy, sitting directly across the court yard from her. He was surrounded by his friends, Theo, Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Blaise, who were carrying on a conversation, and not even noticing their 'King' wasn't paying a bit of attention.
Blushing at the sight of his stare, Ally desperately tried looking anywhere else but across from her and yet her eyes gravitated back to those silver orbs. There was something about those eyes that always caught Ally's attention. Like a story being told behind dark stormy clouds that showed no emotion unless he wanted you to see. It enchanted her and captivated her attention, catching her breath slightly.
It was almost as though there was an unspoken conversation taking place, and Ally wasn't even sure why she was so distracted by his stare, or why she was blushing like a school girl. Staring at him brought back the thoughts of their conversation at the Ministry.
"Ally come on!" Ron grumbled, lending a hand to help her stand back up, "Let's go visit Hagrid before Herbology, I wanted to ask him something about Care of Magic."
Ally stood, grabbing her things and followed off behind Ron, however couldn't help but look back once more to find those silver eyes still trained on her. Turning her head sharply, she hurried to catch up with Ron, blushing all the way down to Hagrid's.
Draco Malfoy was distracted. His mind day and night seemed to be focused on a certain beautiful black haired green eyed enemy of his. Ally Potter. The girl was surrounding his every thought and every dream. He wasn't even sure why, however when he woke to a throbbing situation in his trousers, after a dream of Potter he became very much annoyed. Ever since spotting her in the Ministry she was the only thing on his mind.
Ever since they arrived at Hogwarts he felt like he saw her everywhere, which was very much true as they had every class together, and ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the same hall. It was as though he couldn't look anywhere without seeing her beautiful face.
When he spotted her in the courtyard, she looked annoyed at Granger's words as she threw herself into a seat. Staring at her he watched at all the beautiful expressions she made, and observed how she and her friends acted. She looked much happier when she was surrounded by those two, or her other few close friends. That day in the Ministry she looked so distraught, and Draco didn't have to take too many guesses to know what the problem might be.
His father was a well known, respected Wizard, and in England it wasn't very surprising to have everyone's family secrets and issues well known among everyone. Draco had heard how Potter's Dad treated her, he also knew that her friends and family meant everything to her, Merlin everyone did especially after last year. It was hard to imagine not having a mother, and growing up with a father who was too busy to spend much time with anyone let alone his daughter. His Mother, Father, and Severus spoke about the Potter's quite a bit, however he was normally shooed from the room soon after.
He watched closely as Granger stormed away and Potter leaned down, before looking back up and catching his stare. When her eyes landed on his he almost felt as though his breath was taken away from him. Potter's hair was in light curls, and her skirt seemed to hike up ever more showing off her long beautiful legs that Draco couldn't help but want to run his hands up and down. And those eyes, those beautifully gorgeous eyes that held so much emotion and so much mystery, it enthralled him.
He watched as she stood and walked away turning once more to see if he was still staring and he couldn't help but find her blushing face to be adorable.
'Whoa." Draco thought, shaking his head 'Where was all this Potter is beautiful stuff coming from…he didn't like Potter did he?'
"Draco!" Blaise said, punching him lightly in the shoulder, "Were you even listening to me?"
Casting a glare towards his best friend her sneered, "If you are finally done acting like a 1st year Hufflepuff Blaise then yes I am."
Pansy grinned, from her spot on the bench at the twos interaction, "Distracted Draco?" she asked curiously, looking innocent as ever.
Draco narrowed his eyes, refusing to meet his friend's underlines taunting voice.
"So what do you think Draco?" Blaise asked again.
"Stop being a Hufflepuff Blaise!" Draco growled, standing up and huffing, "If you want to ask her out stop being a blubbering hippogriff and do it!"
Pansy watched with a smirk on her face as her friend stalked off, pushing a few first years out of his way as he went.
"What's up his arse?" Blaise huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.
Pansy grinned, ruffling Blaise's hair, "I think our little Prince of Slytherine is in love."
Blaise threw her a doubtful look, "Draco doesn't fall in love!"
"No he doesn't…" Pansy said thoughtfully, a smile gracing her face, "But he has defiantly become smitten with someone, and I think he is as confused about it as we are."
"This year we will be learning all about defense spells, you will learn to duel like you would outside of these walls, learn to move and read your opponents every move so you can overthrow them in battle." Severus Snape looked his usual vampire self. Tall, pale, dark, all black, never smiles, heartless, soulless, bitter.
Ally watched with a careful expression on her face, last time she had seen Severus Snape was right after the Ministry attack, he came to the hospital wing to give her dreamless sleep potion. He had stood so straight, so serious, so cold, and yet he sat the moment Ally broke down and balled. He listened as she repeatedly told him she was so stupid and stubborn and that was the reason two of her friends almost died. He sat and listened quietly as she mourned the fact that her father only stood in Dumbledore's office stone face and controlled as his bruised and bloodied daughter sat in a chair, giving her a deep glare and saying nothing else. He even let her go on and on about how much she missed her mother and how her father never let her speak of her. She spilled her deepest and darkest secrets to a man who seemed to not care about anything or anyone, and yet he let Allison Potter cry and weep for 2 hours, and he just sat there in complete silence, letting her release her feelings. He waited till she calmed down, gave her the potion, waited for sleep to take over her body, and then he left.
That night was all a bit hazy for her, but she had to admit she never felt safer then laying in that Hospital bed and having him let her speak her mind. She hadn't seen him sense until last week when classes had started, she tried to stay unnoticed and quiet, which caused many questions from Ron and appraisal from Hermione.
He hadn't acted any differently around her, if she screwed up she lost points, if she did it right she lost points. She figured she could start acting herself again since he obviously was.
"Brown and Lovegood."
Ally whirled her head to whisper in Hermione's ear, "What's he doing?"
Ron snickered from her side while Hermione cast her a look, "He is giving us our defense partners!"
"For what?" Ally asked, frowning at the statement.
"Honestly Ally, I thought you were going to start listening in class!" Hermione lectured.
Ally cast her a sheepish look.
Sighing Hermione relented, "He is giving us partners so we can practice dueling in class and study spells together."
"I hope I get paired with Malfoy, send him a few friendly hexes."
Ally giggled, while Hermione glared at the two.
"Honestly grow up!" she huffed.
"Granger and Parkinson."
Ally's eyes widened as did Hermione's who gathered her things and made her way over to their dueling spot.
Ron leaned in closely, "Why the bloody hell did the git pair those two up?"
Ally shrugged, "Maybe because Parkinson's sucks and Hermione's great, maybe it's like a tutoring thing?"
Ron laughed, leaning back in his chair and throwing hius arms up to support his head, "As long as I don't get paired with a dunder head I'll be fin-"
"Weasley and Crabbe."
Ally laughed loudly as Ron threw himself back forward off the chair legs and practically flew over the table. He threw her a glare as Snape let him know he lost 5 house points, and grumbled as he gathered up his things and sulked all the way over to his new spot.
Watching in boredom as everyone continued to get paired off, Ally barley paid attention until she heard her name.
"Potter and Malfoy-"
Ally stared in shock at the equally surprised expression on Malfoy's face.
"Are you just going to sit there and look like a goldfish Potter or are you going to gather your things and join your partner?" Snape snipped at her.
Blushing as she quickly gathered her things and made her way over, she gracefully tripped over her chair and would have fallen except for the quick seeker reflex's of Draco Malfoy.
Blushing more then she thought possible she offered quick thanks before sitting in her chair, her face radiating heat.
Snape was glaring at her, however luckily enough no one else seemed to notice the incident as everyone was beginning the exercise.
"Today you will review the first 5 chapters with your partner, be sure to prepare, tomorrow you will be working on the dueling traditions, practices, and different stances." Snape continued to explain, casting his eyes around the room, "Some will succeed greatly," his eyes landing on many of his Slytherine's, "While others…" his eyes flashed to a few Gryffindor's, "Other's will become more of target practice."
Ally rolled her eyes, sighing in slight annoyance at his words, something's will just never change.