Disclaimer: Remains the same as always. You may check a previous chapter, if you are so inclined. Enjoy.

Chapter 21

The fire was crackling merrily in the Ravenclaw Common Room as Oura laid against Terry, revising her Potions essay and simply enjoying the company. He was playing absently with her hair, and giving the odd comment on what she was writing. The two had hardly been able to hang out due to their busy schedules, but finally being able to sit and relax with the fellow Raven reminded Oura why she appreciated the companionship. She was still rather tired from the night before, but was able to push past her exhaustion enough to rework any small pieces in her paper that needed attention.

"They used Strengthening Solution in the Fae Riot, not the Vampire Uprising," Terry remarked softly, watching her yawn and scratch out the misinformation before continuing. "Are you alright? You've been looking tired all day and you didn't get back to the Tower until after curfew. Where were you? I waited until the bell rung, so I assumed that you had gone downstairs to the dorms early, but Luna said you weren't there when she fell asleep. Did you go and meet someone?" The touch of suspicion and jealousy that coloured his voice surprised Oura. Terry had always been down to earth and rather trusting of her, despite the fact that they had rarely seen each other for the past few weeks.

She simply shook her head, "No, just got caught up in studying is all. I found this nice little niche by the old transfiguration room that nobody goes near, since its so out of the way. I hadn't even noticed how late it was getting until Sterling came to find me." She ran a hand over her cat in a silent acknowledgement. He purred softly. She wasn't lying, at least, not completely. She had found that niche and often spent some time studying there when she wanted to be alone for a bit. She might not have been there last night, but...

Anyways, Oura didn't think she was ready to tell Terry about that other part of her life yet. She only trusted Draco with it because... well, he had already known, hadn't he? Part of it, at least. And who knew what her father might have told his minions. Draco probably would have know even if Oura hadn't told him.

The dark-haired 'Claw hummed noncommittally and glanced at her suspiciously.

"I'm sorry if I kept you up, but that's all that happened. So there's no need to worry, yeah?" She stretched a bit to peck his cheek reassuringly and snuggled back down into his embrace. "Speaking of studying, I heard from one of the 6th years that the Centaur Rebellion of '84 might be on our OWLs and, since Binns only seems to ramble on about the Goblin Wars, I found a book on it and thought you might like to look over it with me."

As they began to discuss the causes, effects and major battles, Oura found her mind drifting back to earlier that day when she woke in the morning.

The light, drifting through the curtainless windows, creeped forward, not unlike the way it's silver sister had done a little more than some hours before. The golden rays danced against her eyelids, pulling her from slumber. As the blurry room around her came into focus, Oura sat up, rubbing the nonexistent ache from her shoulders habitually. She frowned at that. Had there been not touched full moon's light that night? No, that couldn't be right. The soreness was always there, no matter if it was cloudy or not. The last time she had waken so comfortably was... when her mother slept in her bed when there had been no fireplace to heat the room, so many years ago. When they discovered that body heat helped ease her symptoms, they slept curled around each other every full moon they were together.

Oura's head snapped around, and her surprise melted into something warm and calming as her gaze came to rest on Draco's sleeping figure. There was a peace that took over his features as he slept, chilled expressions and time hardened masks slipped away in his unconscious state. In their place, the face of a fifteen year old boy lay, one who had not known pressures from a pure family and one who had not experienced the terrifying presence of a Dark Lord which killed and tortured for fun.

This is how he should look, she thought sadly. He should not be in the middle of the beginning of war. He should not have missions and someone to bow to, someone that instills fear into his heart. He should be fifteen, playing Quidditch and worrying about grades and OWLs, not Dark Lords and a mark carved into his skin. She traced it gently, eyes somber.

She noticed something, then. She had seen the Slytherin sleep before. She had watched as he had been plagued by nightmares and threats against his family, but as he laid there, in a bed of warmth and comfort, Draco was, for once, at peace. Oura smiled at that. It seemed that body heat did not only help ease her pain.

Slipping out of the bed, she pulled the covers up to keep him warm and preserve his placidity for a little while at least. There was no need to wake him at such an hour. The sun had hardly rose and Draco probably needed his sleep. It was kind of him, to look after her in her time of weakness. Oura glanced back at him again as she gathered her things, then slipped through the great oaken doors and back to Ravenclaw Tower...

"Oura, Oura! Are you listening to me?" Terry broke through her thoughts, looking at her through narrowed eyes.

"Hmm? Sorry, what?"

He growled at her softly, "I asked you if you thought there was a link between the Centaurs and the Woodland Fae disputes. If you didn't want to study, I don't know why you brought it up."

"I'm sorry, Terry. I got distracted. I do want to study with you. Really, I do. What makes you think that the Fae had anything to do with the Centaurs?" She intertwined her hand with his in a placating gesture and nearly sighed in relief when he relaxed and spoke again.

"Well, they do live in the same areas, don't they? Maybe..."

Oura frowned to herself as Terry went on, thoughts caught up again more complicated matters. Draco and her were getting closer than she had planned. She told herself she was going to distance herself from him when she first saw him at the Death Eater meeting all those months ago. She had thought it would have been easier, but that, obviously, didn't seem to be working very well. Something was growing between them. She could feel it, and that something, whatever it may be, would become very dangerous. Though, for who, she could not say.