DISCLAIM

THANK YOU SO MUCH. for being SO patient, I know this is at least four days late. I'm sorry.
Secondly Thank you for all the lovely reveiws. so many! They really keep me going. Well, I've typed the next three chapters in the story so the next chapter WILL be up sooner than this.I love you guys!

Chapter 27: Sweetest Downfall

"Pete?" A voice echoed as he passed a corner, in an arbitrary hallway where his feet had carried him. He turned back to face the person he had been absent mindedly looking for.

"Bella," he nodded at her, trying to keep his cool. "How are you?"

"Just swell. What have you been up to?"

"Just heading to the . . ." He had to think about where he was in fact, "Library?"

"Oh," she shuffled her feet innocently. "I was just wondering if you maybe wanted to go for another walk?"

"That would be great."

He held out his arm for her to take, and they made there way slowly down the corridor. "You don't have to go to the Library?"

"No," he leaned in closer, "Got it all up here."

Bella seriously doubted this. However, Pete continued his attempts at wooing her all the way out into the deserted courtyard; Where they sat on a bench (that Pete had Magically De-iced), and proceeded to talk of classes and New Years plans.

Bella shivered noticeably, and when Pete did not get the hint she said off-hand, "Bit colder than usual."

Pete was not completely ignorant. James once taught him the fine art of putting your arm around a girl. For Example; When draping your cloak over her shoulders, let your arm linger and see what she does.

Bella immediately snuggled into his side.

"Thank you."

"Ready?" Petes hands rested on Bella's nose, covering her eyes delicately.

She nodded "Mmhmm."

He slipped his hands away from her warm cheeks. "Happy New Year!"

All of Peter's ignorance, clumsiness, and annoying habits slipped from her mind. Bella actually felt a little skip in her heart at the sentiment. A small blanket laid out before them with two cushions and two sets of dinnerware, lit with candles and various deserts. Two years with Rodolphus and he had never done anything like this before. "Oh," she let slip, a real emotion.

She felt a small amount of guilt at what information she was about to extract from him, but it was soon over. Even though the soft pink in his cheeks, would always make her smile at his innocence.

Evening swept over them swiftly and soon the sun was gone. The cold air whipped around them in the dying light that resonated over the mountains in the distance. They sat, cloaks wrapped up tight, long into the darkness, before Pete offered warm rescue in the Gryffindor common room, "The few that have stayed for break are long asleep by now and, I don't think they'll mind one Slytherin."

Until very, very late that night they talked of school, life, the future and the war. Bella found each subject easier and easier to persuade this ignorant boy on.

"I don't see what's so wrong, with them," she said simply, "they haven't hurt anybody, and they're very moral. They've got their heads screwed on right. It seems to me that everyone else is just aimlessly wandering about the planet, Whereas they've got a plan."

"Yeah, they do." Peter commented skeptically.

"They've got Family values and they're there protecting our kind, who's to say that's wrong."

"True."

"I mean, the ministry is basically accusing them of things they never did because they're afraid of change. It's all politics to them, they're practically corrupt."

"You've got a mighty good point there." Pete was beginning to feel sympathetically for the so called 'death-eaters'.

"They're just trying to institute family values in a world where the corruption has control of the important things." she straightened up. "I plan to join them in their fight for the morality of the world. Would-" she lowered her eyes, "would you join me."

"Alright."

Dun dun dun.