"Merry Christmas Dad!" Annette beamed as she appeared in between Fred and George. The others had stayed back as the three covered their wounded father with Christmas decorations. They stood back and smiled at their work.

"He looks like a Christmas tree." Ron said as he came up behind his twin and she pouted.

"He does not." She retorted as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and laughed.

"Father why are we here?" All of the Weasleys froze as they heard the voice of their arch nemesis. Malfoy. Harry turned to see Annette's conflicted face as he smiled at her. She nodded and slipped from her brother's grip.

"I'm gonna go get some snacks. Harry, come with me." She said cheerfully. Harry nodded and followed her out into the hall.

"Stay with me, ok?" She asked as Harry nodded, his hand caught in hers. She smiled and pulled him up beside her as they traveled down the hall.

"Well if it isn't Weasel and Potty." Malfoy's voice broke their concentration and Annette turned to him with a sneer.

"Oh look, the ferret!" Annette cooed as Harry laughed from beside her. Malfoy's face lit up with a smirk until he saw their intertwined hands. He eyed the almost empty hallway before coming closer to them.

"What the hell is this, Weasley?" He whispered angrily as Annette smirked.

"War." She answered easily as Draco sneered at Harry.

"War, eh?" He caught Annette's free hand in his own and pulled her against him, burying his face into her curls.

"Annette..." He whispered as Harry and Annette froze.

"Malfoy..." Harry growled as he pulled Annette away from Draco.

"She's mine."

"As if, Potter. Weasley is mine."

"Guys, don't." Annette put her hands on their chests and pushed them apart from one another.

"This is public. This is bad." She whispered imploringly.

"Why can't your family know, Weasley?" Draco asked threateningly as Harry now stood in front of Annette, protectively.

"Draco, don't. Please."

"She can't be seen in public with you, Malfoy! That's why she is mine and you know it!"

"Harry!" Annette turned to Harry in shock as he growled at Draco.

"In your pathetic dreams, Potter. Do you really think she wants to be the girlfriend of the boy who lived? From what I've heard, you've lost your mind!" Draco sneered as Annette turned to him.

"Stop it, both of you!" She hissed as she heard footsteps approaching them.

"No!" Both Draco and Harry yelled loudly as Annette's eyes widened and Ron came around the corner.

"Hey Anne, Har...Malfoy?" Ron stared at the trio with wide eyes.

"Ron!" Annette pulled her hands out of both Harry's and Draco's as she launched herself at her brother.

"Anne, what..."

"Just give it up, Malfoy!" Harry turned back to his enemy.

"Not a chance, Potter. This prize is mine."


Draco growled when he left Annette alone with Harry and her brother. He did not like the possessive grip Potter had had on her waist or the threatening tone in his voice. No doubt Annette would be furious with him. After all he had gotten into a fight with her best friend and then disobeyed her plea for him to stop. She didn't like the fighting, he noted warily. It tore at her heart and it was his fault, he realized. He sighed when he caught up to his father who eyed him with disregard.

"Where were you?" Lucius sneered as he turned to his son.

"The loo." Draco answered effortless. The Malfoy men stared down for a moment before Lucius accepted his son's answer and began to walk away.

"We're going home." He commanded and Draco nodded before following him. He could never tell his family he had fallen for a Weasley. He would be condemn and she would be in even more danger. His father would never allow that kind of a weakness in his son. He sighed. He doubted they'd ever be able to make their relationship public.


"What were you and Malfoy..."

"It doesn't matter." Harry cut Ron off as they stood back away from the rest of the Weasleys surrounding their patriarch.

"But..."

"Hey Harry, Ron! Get up here!" Fred and George dragged the younger boys closer to the family as Annette distracted herself by adding more decorations to her father's hospital room.

"Anne..."

"Hmm?" She looked up at Ron who looked confused.

"Can we talk?"

"Not now, Ron! We're visiting dad!" She replied simply.

"But..." She shook her head, cutting him off. Ron sighed. It seemed he wasn't getting anything out of Annette or Harry. And everytime he tried to look Annette in the eyes, she'd veer away. They were hiding something and now he wanted to know what it was.

"Anne."

"No, Ron. Not here. Not now." Ron sighed again. His sister wasn't budging.

"I'll tell you later." She said quietly as Harry came up to her and hugged her. Ron watched them in interest as his mother squealed in joy. Fred and George took note of Ginny's flush and their father smiled lazily at his family. Ron nodded as he saw the confliction in his sister's eyes.


"Ron, you have to promise me you won't freak out."

"I promise."

"You may want to sit down."

"I AM sitting down, Anne." Ron groaned as his sister looked troubled. Harry and Ginny sat on either side of him, waiting as well for the truth to come spewing out of her mouth. Her eyes were wild as she sighed and tried to calm her nerves and prepare herself for her siblings' reactions.

"I'm secretly dating Draco Malfoy." She mumbled lowly as Ginny and Ron leaned forward to hear her better.

"What'd you say?" Ron asked. She repeated it, lower than before as Ginny's eyes widened.

"You're dating Draco Malfoy in secret? Tell me I heard you wrong, Anne!" She said in fear as Ron's eyes widened. Harry looked down as did Annette and Ginny and Ron gasped.

"Are you crazy?!" Ron shouted as he climbed to his feet and took two strides before taking his twin by her shoulders and shaking her.

"He's a Malfoy! He's a deatheater, Annie!"

"Ron!" Harry pulled Ron away from the hurt Annette and Ginny looked up at her.

"And Harry knew?" Annette and Harry nodded as Ginny looked down, tears welling in her eyes. Ron tore away from them and sat beside Ginny, trying to comfort her. Annette felt Harry's hand in her own and he pulled her closer as they waited for Ron to say something as he glared at the ground.

"How long?"

"Since before Halloween." Annette answered as Ron took a deep breath, trying to calm his wracked nerves.

"So all the fighting between the two of you..."

"Faked for your benefit and his." She replied quickly. She didn't like seeing the pain and betrayal flashing across her siblings' faces and she cringed when Ginny climbed to her feet and came toward her. Suddenly Ginny wrapped Annette in a hug and the sisters sunk to the floor in a single sobbing form. Annette's sobs wracked her body as her younger sister tried to soothe her with gentle strokes along her back. Ron stared at his sisters before bending down next to them and letting his twin cling to him in desperation.

"I may not like him, Anne, but if he makes you happy..." Ron agreed as Ginny nodded.

"But no one else is to know. And the moment he becomes a threat, you're to end it, ok?" Annette nodded at her brother stipulations before slowly letting her sobs recede.

"So you don't hate me?" She asked as Ron and Ginny sighed.

"We could never hate you Anne! You're our sister!" Ginny gushed as Ron smiled.

"And besides your emotions are just as fleeting as mine so we can only worry about you for a bit longer before you get tired of that git." Annette stared at her brother before looking down. She didn't want to tell him how wrong he was, she didn't want to correct him. She sighed before nodding. Harry frowned before hiding his emotions behind a smile.

"See? I told you they'd take it well, Anne." He supplied as Annette turned to him with a smile. She nodded and took note of the pain in his eyes.

"Yeah, I guess, Harry."


"Draco?" Annette tilted her head to the side when she found out who had dragged her into a empty classroom right after dinner. He looked extremely handsome in the dim light of the classroom and she smiled softly as she brushed a strand of hair out of his face. He stared at her before pulling her closer.

"Annette..." He whispered as he buried his head in her hair, basking in her presence. She giggled before he pulled away and kissed her. He was surprised she hadn't hit him by now. She pulled away and continued to softly smile, easing his aching heart.

"What's the matter, Draco?" She asked as he stared at her. How did she know?

"Your family hates you don't they?" He asked and she shook her head.

"Of course not. They hate you, not me." She joked until she saw the pain in his face. She sighed before sitting in the desk closest to them.

"Draco, you're a Malfoy, a Slytherin, and the son of an ex deatheater. My family was bred to hate people like you. Only Ron, Harry, and Ginny know and while they may not like it, they've accepted my feelings. You're the one I'm worried about." Annette bowed her head and Draco stared at her.

"What? Why would you be worried for me?"

"Drake, your dad's an ass, ok? Your mum's not much better. You're an only child so you have no one to confide in. I think you're letting our secret eat away at you. That's why you're constantly moody and an asshole." She replied as Draco stared at her before bending down in front of her.

"Anne, don't think that." He took her hands in his own.

"Never think that." He pressed his lips against hers and pulled her to her feet at the same time. Annette pulled away again with a sigh.

"Drake about my brother and Harry," she began as Draco looked at her expectantly.

"You three must stop fighting." She implored before Draco shook his head.

"No." Annette groaned before nodding.

"Fine, but I have to go. I have a Divination test tomorrow." She replied before quickly pecking Draco on the cheek and disappearing out of the room.


"Malfoy."

"Weasley." Annette rolled her eyes as her brother and boyfriend faced off...again. Harry stood beside Ron equally as aggressive toward the Slytherin.

"Ron, Harry, come on, we'll be late for class." She implored the two boys as Hermione stared at them. Since Christmas, the three boys had been at each other's throats more than usual and it caused Hermione to feel uneasy. She felt as if she was missing out on something extremely important.

"Annette." Hermione's eyes widened when she heard Draco call for Annette and Annette turned to him with a simple tilt of her head. Her curls bounced with the movement and her emerald eyes glimmered with mischief as Draco smirked at her.

"Good luck." He said before disappearing down the hall, leaving the Gryfinndors alone. Hermione was frozen as Harry and Ron growled and Annette smiled. Hermione turned to the smiling Weasley girl and instantly pieced two and two together. The animosity between the three boys, the calm atmosphere between Annette and Draco, the constant disappearances, and the random sweet words escaping Malfoy's mouth led Hermione to infer that Annette Weasley and Draco Malfoy were now friends.

"You're friends with him!" She exclaimed as the other three turned to her in surprise.

"What?" Annette questioned as she tilted her head to the side in confusion. Ron and Harry's eyes widened in realization. They had never told Hermione.

"You are friends with Draco Malfoy!" Hermione reinerated in a whisper,afraid of others hearing. Annette stared at her before giggling.

"Of course I'm friends with him, Herms. I'm dating him."