A/N: As not one of you chose to hazard a guess at Blaise's secret . . . I chose not to reveal it yet. My apologies for the wait; I hope that updating with two chapters instead of just one will make up for it a bit. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter XIII

At five minutes to midnight, Madison tiptoed down to the grand fireplace; she would have to use her doe eyes on Lucius to try to get a fireplace of her own, but for now, the common one would do.

She had dressed in another set of new nightclothes and her black silk robe, and brought with her toiletries, and a blouse and skirt outfit for the next day. The only other things she had were her wand and Draco's truffles, which were in a box at the bottom of her bag.

He was alone in the Slytherin common room when she arrived, and he grinned when he saw her.

"Excited to see me, were you?" he said teasingly.

"Yes."

She wasted no time in jumping straight into his arms, and he, less reluctantly than expected, squeezed her tight and held her to him for a good few moments. Then he pulled away and looked at her sternly.

"We're going to my room. Don't make a noise. Don't even breathe until I say you can."

She nodded solemnly and followed him up the stairs.

They were in his bed with the curtains closed and a silencing charm up before they realized that someone was already lying in it. There were a few moments of the quietest but most creative cursing Madison had ever heard (even from Lucius). Then, Draco held his wand up, light unnaturally bright flowing from the tip.

"Zabini, what the fuck are you doing?"

The dark boy for once looked stricken.

"I . . . I just needed to talk to you." His face went uncharacteristically hard. "I see now that you're otherwise engaged."

Draco made no move to respond, and Blaise finally sighed.

"Fine. Goodnight. And goodnight to you, Madison," he added, his face softening slightly when he nodded to her.

When he'd gone, Draco performed a few spells to ensure their privacy before sitting back, looking triumphant.

"Now. About that appreciation of yours."

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They spent a few hours kissing exploratively, and even touching a little (though Madison hadn't gotten the nerve yet to touch Draco). They never spoke again, but settled in together slowly; Draco fell asleep on his side, with one arm holding her close to him.

When his breathing had been slow long enough for her to be relatively sure she wouldn't wake him, Madison carefully extricated herself from his grasp. She retrieved the robe that had made its way to the foot of the bed, and put it back on, tightening the sash securely. She had to remove the spell on the bed curtain (Draco had charmed it shut), but then replaced it once she'd stepped out. (Her overnight bag was still inside, after all.)

Next came the tricky part. She'd never been anywhere in the castle besides the Slytherin dorms, Severus Snape's quarters, and the few corridors in between. Still, logically, the owlery had to be in a tower, somewhere up high, but easily accessible.

It took her the better part of an hour, but her instincts were correct, and she finally found herself in the owlery. She looked around. It was cold, dark, smelly, and there were more owls there than she'd ever seen together before. She knew that some of these owls were those owned by students and professors, and some were there for the general use of anyone at Hogwarts who needed them.

Using Draco's owl was out of the question. Even if no one else recognized it swooping in at post delivery time, Draco would notice. Finally, she selected a barn owl that looked friendly, hoping it was a school owl, and gave it a treat to try to win it over. It worked.

Dear Harry,

Please meet me today in the owlery, during lunch. I have a few questions I would like to ask you.

I will understand if you do not choose to come, but I very much hope to see you then.

Very sincerely,

MR