The music started again and the waltzing commenced. Draco quickly took Audrey into his arms, pulling her close and moving around the floor. They danced in silence, Audrey staring over his shoulder and catching glimpses of Pansy. She didn't look happy as she watched them dance, her eyes narrowing and her frown becoming more apparent.

"Is that her?" She felt Draco's posture stiffen and his grip on her hand tightened. Clearly, he had been dreading that question.

"Yes, the girl in the black dress." He said. Audrey nodded, finally pulling her head back so that she could look at Draco.

"She's very pretty." She said with a small smile. "I can see why you're dating her."

"We're not dating." Draco quickly defended. "She's a friend that I invited." Audrey quirked an eyebrow as he quickly look away to avoid her gaze.

"Is it bad that I don't believe you?" Draco sighed.

"It hasn't been going on for very long…just letters over the summer." He admitted.

"I know, I remember how excited you were to receive them." She muttered. Audrey dared to glance over at Pansy only to find that she had disappeared into the crowd.

"I'm always excited to get your letters too." Audrey almost laughed.

"You never write back." She said. Suddenly she felt like crying and throwing the heavy necklace back at him. "Please don't lie to me, I'm smarter than that and I deserve better, especially from you." Audrey inwardly gasped at the word's that had just come out of her mouth. She had never, ever spoken to Draco like that. She had never spoken to anybody like that, so why now?

"I don't write to you because I'm busy with my school work."

Well, that was half the truth. The other half was that he just didn't want to. But now that that damn Emerson was in the picture, he would have to remember to write her back the instant that he got the letter.

"But I save each one." He suddenly said. Audrey stumbled slightly, but thankfully Draco was there to catch her.

"You saved every letter?" She asked, clearly skeptical. Draco quickly nodded.

"Since my first year, they're in a box under my bed." But that was only because his mother had forced him to. Either way, he had saved the letters and they were in fact under his bed in a wide shoe box.

"Forgive me, but I find that very hard to believe." She told him honestly. Why would he bother with her letters when he had a beautiful girl there to entertain him? Draco suddenly grabbed her hand with a strangely joyful smile.

"Come on, I'll show you." He began to pull her through the dancing crowd and then up the same staircase that they had entered through. All eyes were on them as they disappeared into the corridors of the main house.

Pansy, who had left to get a very strong drink, happened to return just in time to see Draco and Audrey disappear up the stairs. She downed her drink in seconds flat and was about to go and get another one when she was suddenly stopped by an extremely handsome stranger.

"Hello, you must be Ms. Parkinson, Draco's guest. My name is Emerson Reynolds, it's a pleasure to meet you." Pansy sneered as he offered his hand.

"I'm not his guest, I'm his girlfriend." Emerson hid behind a mask of shock, but inwardly he was smirking in a most devilish manner.

"Are you?" He asked. "Goodness, don't you know?" Pansy quirked an eyebrow.

"Know what?" Emerson tutted as he slowly shook his head.

"Goodness, I'd hate to be the one to tell you." He muttered. "Draco's been off the market since he was five years old. He and Ms. Audrey have been engaged since they were toddlers, so he couldn't possibly be dating you." The color slowly began to drain from Pansy's face as the words sunk in. Draco was engaged. That girl was his fiancée. They were getting married. He had used her.

"Excuse me, I think that I need to…I need a moment, excuse me." She rushed away and left Emerson smirking like a cat who had just caught a mouse.

Audrey had never ever been close to the East Wing. It was Draco's private space, just as the Sun Wing was her private space and neither the two should meet. Lush, forest green wall paper covered the walls with black trim and black doors. It was very dark and narrow, almost claustrophobic. Draco took her to the end of the hallway where two black doors awaited them. He pushed the door open and Audrey froze within three steps. She was in Draco's room, a place that she never thought that she would ever be.

"Come in." He said, walking in and going to his bed, dropping to his knees and reaching under the bed curtain to search for the box. She hesitantly walked in, taking in everything around her. The walls were covered in the same green wallpaper and black trim as the hallway. There was a large black stone fireplace with a fire dimly crackling. Over the fire was a large black framed mirror, holding the reflection of the huge bed. It was very similar to Audrey's bed, the same size, only done in deep mahogany wood with black, green, and silver bed coverings. There were two doors on the other side of the bed that probably led to a bathroom and a closet. The only things that seemed out of place were the few posters that Draco had hung up. A few quidditch posters were hung, and then there was a Coldplay poster.

Hmm, Draco liked Coldplay...weird...

Draco suddenly pulled the box from under the bed and sat on the edge, patting the spot next to him.

"Sit down, I'll show you." Audrey nodded and did as she was told, being sure not to sit too close to him. The box was larger than she expected. Of course, when she had first started writing to him, she had sent a letter almost every day. Then over the years it got to be every other day, every week, and now once a month. She almost felt guilty for not writing him more, but he never wrote her back, so why waste paper?

Audrey smiled as she started to leaf through the letters, each saved in its original envelope.

"I can't believe that you saved all of them…why?" She asked. Draco shrugged his shoulders.

"Because I appreciate the fact that you care so much to write to me." He sighed, staring down at his shiny shoes. "I know that I don't say it, but I actually do like you." Audrey felt her breath catch in her throat, dropping one of the letters back into the box.

"What are you doing?" She asked quietly. Draco furrowed his brow.

"What are you talking about?"

"You've ignored me for the past eleven years and now you decide to pay attention to me?" She suddenly stood up, causing the box to drop and spill on the floor. "Why are you all of a sudden paying attention to me and being so nice to me? I don't understand…" She suddenly found herself close to tears, her breath coming in small gasps. Draco slowly stood up with his hands outstretched to her, as if wanting to hug her, but for some reason holding himself back.

"I'm…I was a child who didn't realize what I had to do to be an adult. I am aware of what I need to do, and I'm ready to grow up." Audrey's lower lip began to quiver.

"So, what? You figure that you have to suck it up and marry me?" The tears came quickly and Audrey didn't bother to wipe them away. She was afraid that her hands were shaking too much and the sight of them might make her cry more.

It was then that Draco did something that Audrey hadn't expected to happen. In two wide strides, he was in front of her and had wrapped his arms around her.

It was a hug, Draco was hugging her…oh, he smelled so good…

"Never doubt the fact the fact that I think that you're a wonderful person." Audrey dared to wrap her arms around him as his sweet words caressed her ears. "I like you Audrey, and I think that I could—."

"Draco?"

Audrey literally jumped from Draco's arms with her heart pounding in her head. She was gasping for air as her eyes adjusted to Pansy's dark figure. Her face was shadowed, but Audrey knew that she wasn't happy.

"Excuse me." She whispered, keeping her eyes down. She ran from the room, her heels echoing on the marble floors. She couldn't have gotten away fast enough; she could already hear the screaming.