I smoothed out my black dress, the same one I had worn on my birthday date with Oliver. I had considered changing but I really wanted to have a happier memory in this dress. I combed my fingers through my abnormally tame curls and walked down the stairs towards the common room where my three friends were waiting anxiously.

Harry was surprisingly thrilled when I told him I had been invited to a Slytherin party. He thought it would be the perfect time to infiltrate any suspicious minds, but especially Draco's. I despised being a pawn.

My heart dropped into my stomach as I thought of Draco. We hadn't spoken much since our early morning talk on Tuesday. We couldn't avoid each other entirely since we were seated together in Transfiguration but it seemed like Draco didn't want to pressure me too much. But I also couldn't deny the extreme tension that circulated between us whenever we were near each other. I hoped it wasn't obvious to anyone.

"Bloody hell..." Harry whispered aloud once he saw me, his cheeks turned red immediately.

"He means you look amazing Mel." Hermione said completely bewildered by my appearance.

I hadn't dressed like this since the Yule Ball in our fourth year and even then, it didn't compare to how I looked now. My dress hardly reach my thighs and it clung to my body, my hair was down and out of the usual braid it was in and I was actually wearing makeup. I knew I didn't look like my regular self at all.

"I don't think anyone will have any trouble opening up to you tonight Mel, good going." Ron said sweetly.

"Thanks, I really need the encouragement. I've never done anything like this before."

"Well be careful." Harry ordered. "And let us know if you hear anything particularly interesting."

"Will do boss." I joked as I saluted them.

We laughed together and I hugged them goodbye individually. I was surprised by how nervous I was. Blaise was one of my closest friends and certainly the most outgoing Slytherin, so I knew he would make me feel welcome. But I was completely overwhelmed knowing Draco would be there, especially when I was dressed like this.

I took a deep breath before walking out of the common room. It was a long walk to Slytherin from here and I hoped I wouldn't talk myself out of going all together. I stopped dead in my tracks when I turned the corner and saw who was already waiting for me.

Draco.

My heart started racing instantaneously. Draco looked amazing. He was leaning against the wall, the flickering lamps made him look like he was glowing. He was dressed completely in black, which seemed to be his usual more formal clothes. I had seen him dressed like this before but I had never noticed how beautiful he looked. His eyes were sparkling and his hair looked like ice. I smiled when I noticed the large bouquet of red roses he was clutching.

"Did Blaise set me up?" I said shortly.

"Not exactly. There is quite the raging party happening down at Slytherin but I was hoping you would want to skip it, with me."

My eyes looked anywhere but at Draco's face. His perfect lips were a complete distraction, I couldn't think clearly.

"I don't think I should stand up Blaise, he invited me after all. Plus, aren't you lord of the Slytherins or something? Won't they notice your absence?"

Draco laughed loudly and rolled his eyes. "Oh please Melody. Blaise is sloshed already and I'd only bring down the party, even other Slytherins are terrified of me now."

"Why?" I questioned.

"Just say you'll come with me and I'll explain. I'll explain everything, anything you want."

Draco dropped the flowers to the ground and touched both of my cheeks. He forced me to look into his eyes, how could I avoid such determination? He looked at me knowingly again, as if he was trying to tell me something, but I couldn't decipher what. I would go completely mad before I could penetrate his mind.

I nodded into Draco's hands and he grinned wildly. He kissed me enthusiastically and my head began to spin. He reached down for the flowers, clutched my hand tightly and began pulling me down the corridor.

"Where are we going?" I said between breaths.

"It's a surprise."

Surprising me was a difficult feat since I could anticipate almost everything, I was actually intrigued by the idea of Draco being able to do it. He'd be the only one to successfully do it, without me having to help.

I grew more confused as we raced towards the Astronomy tower. Draco looked back at me and was still grinning, I knew this was real for him. This wasn't a facade, it couldn't be. He'd be the most talented liar I'd ever known if it was. But everything felt too real.

Draco dragged me up the spiral staircase to the very top. I was floored when I saw what Draco had prepared. Warm candles covered every inch of available space in the room, like our own personal stars. Draco pulled me onto a dark green blanket he had scattered onto the floor. I blushed madly as I wondered if it was from his bed.

"These are for you Melody," Draco said as he handed me the bouquet. "Not for decoration or anything." He joked.

"Well thank you, they're beautiful. But you know we could get detention for being up here alone."

"Well a little risk never hurt anyone right?"

My brain was telling me to leave and disregard everything Draco was saying. I could receive detention for this, how would I explain that to my friends? But as I gazed into Draco's perfect eyes, I couldn't force myself to move. I wanted to stay exactly where I was, with him. How could I be allowing this? I didn't need to be a Seer to know this would end disastrously.

"What the bloody hell are you thinking so deeply about?" Draco asked bemusedly.

"Is it obvious?"

"Your eyebrows furrow pretty radically and your lips are moving only slightly, as if you're talking to yourself."

"How could you possibly notice something like that?"

Draco smiled and reached for my hands. His skin felt so warm against mine. My hands shook slightly as he moved his thumb across my hand.

"Are you nervous?" He asked, seeming surprised by that.

"I'm not nervous Draco, I'm terrified. I don't understand this. I don't understand what's changed. I don't know why I trust you so easily after all the years of hell you have put my friends through."

"You really trust me?"

"I don't know why." I whispered.

Draco leaned in slowly, my heart started racing. My grip on his hands tightened as his lips touched mine softly. My mind went completely blank. All I could feel was Draco. I quickly forgot about the world around us, it was only him. What was happening to me? I had never felt like this before and I never expected to feel so strongly about Draco Malfoy. I must be hallucinating, he must be using the Imperius Curse on me or a love potion. This couldn't be real. Draco pulled away after a short moment, I didn't want him to stop. Why?

My mind continued to float on a cloud as Draco watched me closely. What was he trying to figure out? He must have been in disbelief too. This had to surprise him just as much as it surprised me. He had to be confused too. But I had no idea what he was thinking. But now I was overwhelmingly afraid to ask him about it. I was afraid he would be scared away by my questions. And for some unknown reason I was terrified to lose him. Why?

"You sure have me in quite a tizzy Draco Malfoy. I could hate you for that if I didn't-"

I stopped abruptly and nearly slapped my hand to my mouth. I couldn't have been about to say the word love. That couldn't be possible.

"If you didn't what Melody?"

Draco stared at me with wide eyes, like he knew exactly what I was going to say. I should have hated him for upturning my life so much in such a short amount of time, but I didn't.

Instead of answer Draco-because I was horrified by it-I kissed him instead. I held my hand against his neck, his skin was so soft. I could feel his face tighten around mine, what was he thinking about? I pulled away and pressed my forehead against his. His body was surprisingly tense while I was practically a puddle.

"Was that not okay Draco?" I whispered.

Draco leaned away from me and gently touched my cheeks with both hands. Now his eyebrows were furrowed. But I had no clue what he was thinking about, he looked pained. I wished so desperately that he would open up to me. That's the only way I would ever know what he was thinking if he was going continue to conceal his thoughts.

"Is this your place to find peace Draco?"

Draco smiled-seemingly grateful for the subject change-and nodded. "I come here quite a bit actually. I like to watch Hogwarts from up here. I can't be seen, I can't be reached. It's as if I'm not here at all. I can be away from who I am down there. I don't have to be a bloody Malfoy anymore. I don't have to be a Slytherin. I can just be me."

"And who is that?" I asked bewildered by Draco's words.

"You are the closest anyone has ever been to seeing that person."

"Why me?"

"I don't know Melody. I know I shouldn't feel this way, not about you. I just feel like you can see me, see beyond who I am or who I'm supposed to be."

I was shocked by Draco's words because I had absolutely no insight on who he truly was. And he knew this. Somehow Draco Malfoy was able to conceal his thoughts from me and he knew that, he knew what I was. How was a completely different question. Should I tell him the truth? But if he knew the truth than what could happen? But I trusted him. This was awful. I never wanted to leave here. I wished I could stay with this Draco forever.

"Why don't you want to be a Malfoy? You've always seemed to gloat about who you are and your perfect bloodlines."

Draco snorted and wrapped his arms around my waist to pull me closer to him. I leaned my back against his chest and he held onto me tightly. He kissed the top of my head.

"My family is a complete lie. I wouldn't even call us a family, we share genetics and that's all. I was naive when I was younger. I thought we were perfect, I thought we were above every other family. Our bloodlines our pure, our vaults at Gringotts are hefty, but it doesn't mean a single thing to me. I hate them. Why do you think I tease Weasley so much? Because I am entirely jealous of him. Love just pours from that family, I will never know what that feels like. I never have."

I turned around in Draco's arms and stared at him, tears had welled in my eyes. After what I had seen of Draco in our years at Hogwarts I never could have predicted this was how he truly felt about himself.

"Well I think you might be stuck with me now." I said as I touched his face.

"I hope you're not just saying that Melody."

Draco kissed me softly. I couldn't fathom leaving him now. I couldn't read Draco's mind but it was obvious to me that he had never opened up to anyone like he just had with me. Despite Draco's prior behavior, I couldn't leave him and that scared me to no end.