I'd spent the DA meeting teaching the students about the Disillusionment Charm and avoiding Harry which was hard to do when the room wasn't the biggest and his eyes were following me wherever I went. I found it easiest to just pretend he wasn't there and to turn to another student and comment on their technique if he tried to approach me. I also managed to be the first to slip out when the meeting was over, ignoring him when he called after me.

I didn't regret what I'd said to him, not really – perhaps a little but not enough for me to apologize for it. I walked down to the dungeons quickly, the sooner I arrived the sooner I could be with Draco and maybe he'd stop being so moody with me.

Draco wasn't in the common room when I arrived but I didn't think that was unusual, he could be petty about things and perhaps making me wait was his way of being just that. A couple of other student mingled around the common room, it was where most people spent their time after dinner and I felt a little stupid sat on the sofa by myself waiting for Draco.

He didn't show up after an hour and a half and I was beginning to think he wasn't coming at all when he strode into the common room, Pansy Parkinson trailing along next to him, her arm curled like a serpent around his. I thought I'd maybe fallen asleep waiting for him and that this was some ridiculous dream I was having but no, Draco Malfoy was stood willingly letting Pansy within touching distance.

"Oh nice of you to show up, Malfoy." I said standing up from the sofa and crossing my arms as he laughed at something Pansy had said. I was mad, though I had no right to be, I didn't own Draco and he could do whatever he pleased.

"Princess, do wipe that frown off your face," Draco said with his typical arrogance, "I'd hate for you to be stuck with that unfortunate expression." Pansy snickered to herself as she gazed up at Draco like he was the sun in the sky. I wanted to punch her in her pug nose.

"Draco, I'm going up to bed." The girl said in her whiney little voice, "I'll see you at breakfast in the morning?" Draco gave a non-committal reply and the leech wandered off to bed.

"I thought you couldn't stand that leech?" I asked accusingly as Draco wandered over to the bookshelf and selected a volume at random.

"Oh she's not so bad once you get to know her," He replied, flicking quickly throught he book he'd chosen before deeming it interesting enough and taking up his usual spot on the sofa. "We're in the inquisitorial squad together."

"Oh really, and do you let all the other members hang off of you like that?" I was being ridiculous, I knew that.

"You're jealous." Draco sid not looking up from his book, but I could see the triumphant little smirk on his face and before I could stop to think I'd plucked one of the emerald green cushions off of the sofa and smacked him over the head with it. He was on his feet faster than light and had me pressed up the wall near the fireplace.

"What was that for?" He asked angrily. He wasn't holding me tightly against the wall, or hurting me at all but it was more than a little annoying that he thought he could do whatever he liked with me.

"Let go of me!" I demanded but he didn't comply.

"You can't disappear for hours at a time and then get jealous when I spend time with other people." He said a little more gently, "That's not fair." He let me go but didn't step out of my way so I could move. "You could be anywhere, with anyone and you expect me to just accept that?"

"You're jealous." I said with a small laugh, "You're jealous that I'm not spending all my free time with you."

"So what if I am?" Draco said, a small redness creeping on to his cheeks. I reached up and swiped his overgrown hair out of his silver eyes.

"Trust me when I say I'd rather be with you but there are things I need to do that you can't be a part of. Things with Harry." I explained a little.

"You're part of his big plan, the one Umbridge has us trying to figure out." He guessed, I nodded.

"It's not as big as she thinks really, but I can't tell you anything about it." Draco nodded, I think he understood why I couldn't tell him but there was a look in his eyes that made me worry that I'd said too much.

We stood in silence, watching each other for a minute before Draco spoke again, "I don't want him dragging you into his danger, I need you to stay safe." I don't know how it happened but at some point Draco's fingers had found mine and they were now intertwined between us.

"I am safe," I promised, I wanted to kiss him, his face was only a little away from mine and all I had to do was stand up onto my toes to close that gap but I didn't dare, I didn't want to cross that line in case it wasn't what he wanted and it ruined the friendship we had, I knew he cared for me but I didn't want to guess at how much in case I was wrong.

He pulled away from me then taking with him the gentle warmth he'd had an leaving me cold again and disappointed. "So you're having breakfast with Parkinson, are you?" I asked changing the subject as he wandered back to the sofa, picking up his book from where it had fallen to the floor.

"Of course not, she's alright for a little but she's still a leech." He replied and took up his usual position on the sofa, making room for me to curl in beside him. I laughed a little and Draco began to read to me.


AN: Half my time is spent writing filler chapters... ~RainbowVeins