A/N: I know. two in one day! Haha. My last one was really short, I wanted to get something out! So here's the 21st chapter! Love goes out to all who are keeping up with my story. Thanks so much.

And I would love reviews.

=]

Rosalie stood against the locked door as Natalie checked under all the lavatory stalls to make sure that no one was hidden away that she wouldn't want to hear their conversation. She then walked over to the sinks and leaned against one, taking a deep breath. She looked very upset all of the sudden.

"About three months ago," she began, "Blaire's parents pulled her out of school with absolutely no explanation. Next thing you know, two weeks later, no one has heard from the entire family. Not me, my parents, your parents, no one. Another month later, Blaire shows back up at school. We weren't even expecting her. Except she's acting different, and it seemed I was the only one who noticed she was never enthusiastic about hanging out with me anymore, and she was always wearing her cloak. One day, during a gym class of Quidditch, Lauren Bell-you remember her- saw something weird on her right arm. She went to the headmistress and Blaire was quietly expelled."

Rosalie stood there confused. "What? What are you talking about?"

"What Lauren saw, was the Dark Mark," Natalie whispered.

The whisper was so quiet yet it kept ringing all in Rosalie's ears. She wanted to put her hands over her ears and scream. She had not heard that!

"What?" she asked quietly.

"Blaire, her entire family, gave themselves to the you-know-who. That's why they were gone for so long."

Rosalie was shaking her head back and forth. "You can't be serious. The Boeskys are gentle people- and Blaire is so young! Why?"

Natalie shrugged. "My guess is that he scared him into it for the Boesky fortune. And Blaire was in one of the top Wizarding schools."

Rosalie sank to the floor, still leaning against the door.

"Don't worry about it Rosa," Natalie said calmly, walking over to her. "Blaire, as hard as it is to believe, is absolutely fine. As weird as it sounds, she likes being a Death Eater."

"What!" Rosalie said abruptly, standing up. "Likes it?!"

Solemnly, Natalie nodded. "She isn't the same Blaire. She's changed…"

Rosalie looked up at her friend, bewildered. How could she just drop this news on her and expect her to be okay with it?

--

Blaise was walking out of the Great Hall, finished from breakfast, when he spotted Rosalie walking in. He noted how she didn't even glance up at the few people who shouted greetings to her and how she was chewing her lip, looking down thoughtfully.

"Hey Rosalie," he called to her. She was only two feet away then but still didn't look up at him. "Rose," he repeated, grabbing her arm so that she would come to a stop.

"Huh?" she asked, sounding a little annoyed.

Blaise frowned as she looked past him into the Great Hall. "Are you okay?" he asked, watching her expression intently.

Slowly, Rosalie looked back to his face and shined him a brilliant smile. "Of course. I'm just a little tired is all. Didn't sleep too well." Which was half true.

Blaise watched as she continued to walk into the Great Hall and walked right past the Ravenclaw table where she usually sat, over to the Slytherine table. She sat on the end, where no other students were. He stood there confused until he felt a clap on his shoulder.

"Hey, what's going on?"

Blaise turned around to see Draco's unusually bright face.

"Look," Blaise said in answer, pointing to the Slytherine table.

Draco looked for a while, and then laughed. "Yeah, I saw Pansy's hair. It's green. I think she tried to make it even more blonde than it was and left the dye in too long. That's what happened when she first dyed it blonde when she was twelve."

"Not that," Blaise sighed, swallowing a chuckle. "Look at the end of the table."

Draco did, and his smile suddenly fell into a frown.

He saw Rosalie sitting at the end of the table by herself, starring down at her empty plate, chewing her lip before taking a drink from a goblet of juice. She looked utterly depressed. After about a minute, a Beauxbaton girl got up from the Ravenclaw table and walked over to her, sitting down. The girl, Draco realized, was Natalie. She put her hand on Rosalie's arm and spoke to her, lowering her head, but Rosalie seemed to be replying with one-worded answers. After another minute, Natalie got up and left, looking both frustrated and disappointed.

"Does she seem a little off to you?" Blaise asked. "Did you do something to her?"

"Not yet," Draco muttered, pushing past Blaise and into the Great Hall. He made his way quickly over to Rosalie and sat down across from her at the very end of the table, ignoring Pansy as she waved him over while tucking a strand of green hair into her bureau.

"Hey," he said to Rosalie.

"Hi," she replied quietly, reaching over for a biscuit.

He handed her a jar of jelly and some eggs as well as a slice of bacon, setting it all on her plate. After a minute she looked at him confused. She saw his concerned look and realized he'd been the one to put the food on her plate. His face was completely attentive, not looking smug at all.

"Did you poison this?" she asked, pointing to her plate.

He shook his head.

"Hex it so that it tastes like worms or something?"

He shook his head.

"Is it really just a bunch of worms disguised to look like food?

Again, he shook his head.

"Well then can I help you?" she asked, sounding exasperated.

"You can tell me why you are over here looking utterly helpless rather than at the Ravenclaw table catching up with your friends," he replied quietly.

"Does it bother you when I am over here looking utterly helpless?" she returned.

"Yes actually," he stated.

Rosalie was about to say the next thing on her mind when his words sank in, so she stopped, her mouth hanging open as she looked at him. "What?" she finally asked.

"I said, yes. It does bother me," he replied.

After a minute, Rosalie laughed. "Wow, thanks Malfoy. I really needed that- you being sentimental, what a joke."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Draco said calmly. "Now why are you over here and not at the Ravenclaw table?"

Rosalie sighed. "I'm tired. I just didn't feel much like talking is all."

"Why are you tired?" he asked.

"I didn't sleep all that well," she explained shortly, taking another drink.

"How come?" he asked.

"You sure do have a lot of questions," Rosalie exclaimed, putting her chin in her palm.

"You didn't answer my last one," he informed her, still not breaking into any smirk.

"Why do you care?" Rosalie asked, picking up her goblet once more. "What could it possibly have to do with you?"

But before Draco could answer her, a nasally voice announced the presence on something rather unwanted.

"Oh Draco, Draco! Why didn't you come sit with me? I was hoping to give you the chance to ask me something!" Pansy called rather loudly, giving Rosalie an escape that Draco could only watch with envy.

"Hi Pansy," he sighed, watching Rosalie make it out the doors.

"So, Draco, I was thinking about the Ball on Christmas Eve. You haven't asked me yet!"

"And?" Draco asked, looking over at her as she sank onto the bench beside him.

"Well you haven't asked anyone else have you?" She asked hurriedly, suddenly glaring towards the entrance of the Great Hall, which Rosalie had just disappeared through a moment ago.

"So what if I have?" he asked, jumping up and leaving her to sit there, stunned. He was really getting sick of her. As he made it out the entrance, Draco saw Blaise leaning against the wall.

"Spying much?" he asked him, annoyed.

"So what if I was?" Blaise replied cleverly.

"Where did Rosalie go?" Draco asked looking around for her brunette head.

"That-a-way," Blaise replied cheerfully, pointing to the steps that led to the Slytherine common room.

Draco took off at a sprint down the steps. After only ten seconds, he saw the head of none other than Rosalie making her way down a hall.

"Rosalie!" he called, and she stopped, annoyed but waited for him to catch up with her anyway. When he had, he drug her to the side into an empty hall so that she could get out whatever it was that was on her mind without eavesdroppers (who happened to have the name, Blaise Zabini).

"You never answered my question," Draco informed her.

She rolled her eyes, but sighed and looked down. "I had no intention of telling you Malfoy. And besides, Parkinson cleverly announced her entrance, which meant it was time for me to leave."

"I saw that," Draco said. "She was trying to get me to go to the Ball with her on Christmas Eve."

"Really?" Rosalie asked, giving no effort to sound interested. "So what did you say?"

He looked at her a moment, keeping a respectable distance. "What do you care?" he asked teasingly, mimicking her earlier words.

"I don't!" she announced, spinning around to leave.

"I think you do," he called after her.

Rosalie came to a sudden stop and waited a moment before making a calm attempt at turning around. "Sorry, but what makes you think I do?"

"I think that you want to go to the ball with me, Herald," Draco said, this time seeming smug.

Rosalie let out a dry laugh. "I do not!"

"Why not?" he asked, smiling. Not smirking, smiling.

"Well I- uh. I…"

"So you can't think of a reason not to?" he asked, taking two steps closer to her so that she could hear him, clearly.

"I don't need a reason, Malfoy."

"Don't need one, or don't want one?"

"What?" she asked, sounding genuinely confused.

"Do you want to go to the ball with me?" he asked. She opened her mouth for a retort, so Draco quickly spoke again. "Rosalie, I am cordially asking you if it would be appropriate for me to be your escort to the Masquerade Ball on Christmas Eve."

"You're asking me to the ball?" Rosalie asked, her words careful.

Draco nodded.

Slowly, Rosalie shook her head no.

"Why not?" Draco asked.

"I…"

"You can't come up with a reason not to," Draco informed her.

She shook her head, rolling her eyes.

"Great, I'll meet you in the common room at the bottom of the Girls' staircase at 6:40. See you later Rosalie," Draco said, patting her arm as he passed her to head to the common room.

Rosalie stood there a few more moments. She had just agreed to be Draco's date.

"How did that happen?" she asked herself.

--

Draco smiled to himself, feeling very accomplished and amused. Until he realized that he was admitting defeat to Blaise.

A/N: Was the end too confusing? Please let me know!