I closed my eyes counting in my mind because if I look at Draco I know I would see him smirking back. Oh, I would hex him to the wall and leave him there for hours!

'I can hear you.' Dracos' voice echoed in my mind.

'Stop listening to my inner monologue!'

"Ina?" Neville said worry in his voice.

"It's nothing, don't mind what I said." I said shaking my head. "Luna, were you able to find anything?"

"It's like you thought." Luna answered.

Oh, bugger.

'What?' This time it was Harrys' voice.

'Look, I'll tell you two, but not right now. If you came here to just tell me that we can now speak without actually meeting each other, you two can skedaddle. Will you two stop listening to my thoughts, now?'

'Sure.'

This is just giving me a headache. It was seconds later and the two were still in the room. I turned to them folding my arms and with a raised eyebrow.

'Oh, sorry, we'll go.' Harry's voice came into my mind, before he grabbed Draco by the arm and left with him.

"You two" I said pointing to the pin on my robe, they nodded as they followed my example to remove it and place it on the window ledge. I pulled out a piece of parchment from my skirt pocket before I transfigured it into a small accessory box. I placed the pins inside, closed it and added a silencing charm on it. "From now on we don't talk about M.A.D. with the pin on our robes and our own thoughts of what is currently happening to Hogwarts."

"But what about the task Umbridge gave us?" Neville asked. "We know who it is, but I don't want to rat anyone out."

"I feel the same Neville." I said leaning against the wall near me and folding my arms. "I don't want to point anyone, no one did anything wrong. We'll hold out for now, when Umbridge pressures us about it…"

"We'll do something together." Neville said determined.

"Yeah." I said smiling at Neville and Luna. "Well, let's start with practice shall we? When we go here, we'll leave our pins in our dorms or place it in a box like this one. Also, if you two can think of what to do about our task tell me, okay?"

They agreed and we stayed in the forgotten corridor for our spell practice until it was time for dinner. On the way to the Great Hall, the Christmas decorations were placed along the corridor, poinsettias are placed in the hands of the suit of armors and they were humming holiday songs.

"It's already feels like the holidays." Luna said humming along to with the armors. "Oh, I'll have to make you guys Butterbeer cork necklaces. I'll see you two later." She said upon catching sight of mistletoes above the doorway and skipping away.

"Should I ask why?" Neville asked after Luna left.

"Nargles, Nev." I said chuckling. "Well, you can ask Luna for more information about them. I only know they infest mistletoes."

"I wonder about that." Neville said with a shake of his head. "It would be great to be out of here for a while. I can't wait to go home for the holiday break."

Home, huh?

Neville and I took our seats at the Gryffindor table. While I was eating though, I felt a sort of nudge and a voice was in my head.

'Now, is it fine to talk to you?' It was Harry.

'Then, talk.' I said as I drank from my goblet.

'The horcruxes, if Riddle still plans on getting the prophecy, we can go and capture Nagini. She's bound to be there, and it was just at the beginning of holiday break that I had that vision."

Why was he talking so fast?

' ' 'vealready—'

'Would you slow down!' I shouted, and I thought it was only in my head.

"Er, Kellina? Are you okay?" Garret asked across from me, he looked shocked and confused. I didn't have to look around us to know that the others were looking at me.

"Sorry, just something in my mind." I replied before glancing over at Harry and turning my attention back to my food. 'Damn you, Harry. I am going to murder you if I hear rumors before the start of holiday break starts about me going mad for my sudden outbursts. I am going to deduct all of the house points from you.'

'You're in the same house as me!? Do you want us to lose the house cup?'

'Who cares who wins the house cup! By our standing we're not going to get the cup, the house cup is the least of our worries, not unless it's a horcrux. But if I do deduct points from you, Nott and his cronies might just get off my back.'

'They still think you're spying on them for us?'

'What do you think?' I bit back.

'Right, what was that earlier?'

'Umbridge has a charm placed on the pin, so she can hear everything we talk about. Have we talked about anything critical while I had the pin on?'

'I don't think so.'

'No, we haven't, and thanks so much for leaving me out.' Dracos' voice came up in my head.

'You can be sulky later, Draco, not now. Look, Umbridge has us looking for evidence that Diggory has a romantic relation with one of the students.'

'Really? I can't see why she would think that.' Draco said sarcastically, if the three of us were talking personally he would be rolling his eyes.

'Draco, shush! As much as I hate Diggory and dislike the way Cho is acting—'

'Why? What's wrong with Cho?' Harry asked.

'Are you daft?' Draco and I deadpanned.

'Are you two going to tell me or not?'

'Idiot.' Draco said.

'You've just realized that Draco?'

'Hey! Harry protested.

'Well, moving on. You were saying something about capturing Nagini in the Department of Mysteries before holiday break starts. How come I'm not included?'

Silence.

'What about the other remaining horcruxes?'

'We destroyed the cup, and we have the fake locket. We're going to get the real one from Kreacher this holiday break.'

I felt something pang in me when Harry said that they already have the fake locket and that they already destroyed the cup. Why didn't they tell me and when was that?

'Oh, okay. What's the plan for capturing Nagini?'

'We already have that covered. You don't have to worry.' Draco said, but still ignoring my question.

'Okay, but—'

'Are you also going home for holiday break, Kellina?' Harry asked.

'I don't think so.' Why are they ignoring answering my question?

'Why not? It would be better to go home than stay here for the holidays, not with the pink toad here.'

'It would be the same for me.' I replied. What was the use of going back to a house where no one would be there to welcome you? Hogwarts and the house won't be any different they would just be equally empty. Besides I can go about the break without having to see Umbridges' face.

'You can always go to your cousins' house with your family gone.' Harry said. Which caught my interest, why would he use those words?

'What do you mean by my family being gone, Harry?' I said blankly.

'Well, if your family went somewhere else you always have your cousin.'

'Why would you think that my family isn't at the house?' I said pressuring him to answer.

'Malfoy—'

'Don't get me involved. You get yourself out, Scarhead.' Draco said before his presence in my mind disappeared.

'So, Harry, what will it be? Tell me now, or later, and suffer my wrath for not telling me?'

'I don't think there's any difference to the choices you gave me.' Harry said grimly. 'I'll meet you at the common room after midnight.'

We still patrolled the hallways, as it got closer to curfew. Neville and I were on our way back to the tower, when I saw one person pass by in one of the corridors. I let Neville go ahead of me and I followed after Grey.

"You're always lurking around right before curfew." I said to him after calling his attention.

"Lurking? It sounds like I'm stalking someone that way." Grey said chuckling.

"Are you?"

"Of course not, I like taking walks in the night. It lets me get to sleep faster." He said turning to the window.

It wasn't a full moon, but the sky was clear of any clouds making the moon visible.

"What about you, Fawley?" He asked all of a sudden, but his eyes were set on the moon.

"Huh?"

"What do you do to get your mind off things?"

"Fly" I answered.

"A typical answer for someone that loves quidditch."

"I don't love quidditch." I replied. "I just like to feel the wind on my face."

He hummed before nodding. "Well, I should be heading back to my dorm, good night, Fawley."

I shook my head, still finding him strange, suddenly asking me questions out of nowhere before walking off. He's stranger than Luna is.

I left my school robes and the pin on my bed before I grabbed my bag to get some of my essays done in the common room while waiting for midnight.

Harry came down with his robe on minutes after the clock struck midnight, but one could see the pajamas he was wearing. When he saw me, he looked nervous before he exhaled and joined me at the table. He sat across me and he opened then closed him mouth for a number of times, I wondered what he was going to say.

"I know that they left without telling you where they are." He said with a lowered head.

I didn't have to guess what it was. I pursed my lips. Closed my eyes. Funny, I thought when he or Draco found out I would explode, but I didn't feel like shouting. I just felt…

An empty chuckle left my lips. "Draco knows." That's why he keeps glancing at me, he didn't know how to bring it up.

Silence. His silence was an answer itself.

"I guess it's bound to happen when you have your mind unguarded." I said. "It at least explains why Hermione hasn't been nagging me or glaring at me. Did you tell her?"

"No. Draco told her that you were on our side that was all. I don't know what else he told her. You're not angry?" He said a morose look in his eyes.

"Should I be?"

"You get mad with Nott."

"I'm angry at him for a different reason." I answered. "Don't tell me you also know that?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"I—"

"You know what don't answer that question. Its better that I don't know if you do, it's not like you can do anything for me."

"You could have told us."

An empty laugh escaped my lips before I shook my head. "I could, but you still wouldn't be able to help me."

"You haven't even tried." Harry was frowning. "You were so different last term. Now, you're just a shell of your previous self. Draco doesn't even know—"

So, it's Draco, now?

"—what's on your mind when you two are at the library making essays. He doesn't know how to talk to you anymore. It's like you're drained of everything."

"I'm not like you." I told him. "I'm not like you that you know what you're working for."

"You used to."

"Maybe, but I had no long term plan. My only thought last year was to survive the tournament and stop your idiocy. Now…" I shook my head. "You and Draco are already working on whatever you have to do. I have no part in what you're doing, so what is the point in me being here?" What was that prophecy for?

"Kellina"

"Oh, please, don't tell me that I'm being helpful because I'm in the inquisitorial squad." I said rolling my eyes. "Look, just do what you have to do, you two are working about it fine. There's no need to ask my opinion."

"That's not true."

"Maybe to you, but to me it is." I said with the air finality in it. "Thank you for telling me."

Harry sighed as he got to his feet and turned my attention back on my essay.

It was two days later, that an owl brought me a letter, and from the scented parchment it was from my cousin. The letter was in French.

Dear Cousin, I will be staying in London for the coming week. It's for my job, but I do have a bit of free time to spare and from my sources your holiday break is coming up. Maybe we could meet? How does that sound for you? It's not like you have anything to do for this holiday break, will you be staying at your school or will you be going home? Tell me as soon possible on what your plans are.

Yours Truly, Fleur

Why does she sound like she's rushing? I suppose if it's her work, I'm not surprised. I already know my plans. I'm not going back to that house.

"Who's it from?" Neville asked as he took the seat next to me.

"My cousin, Fleur, do you remember her?" I asked.

"The champion from Beuaxbaton." Neville said grabbing pancakes.

I nodded. "She says she's coming to London because of her work."

"Are you going to meet her?"

"Maybe? I'm not so sure."

"Why not meet her at Hogsmeade? You can ask Professor McGonagall for permission." Garret said in front of us. "It's the holidays. You should spend some time with your family and get away from the castle atmosphere."

"I suppose, you're right." I answered smiling a bit.

Fleur, I'm staying at my school for the holiday break. I'll just check in with my head of house if she'll allow me to go meet you. We're not allowed to leave school grounds without permission. Sincerely, Kellina

It was a day before the beginning of holiday break, and I stayed behind while everyone left the Transfiguration classroom.

"Yes, Miss Fawley?" Professor McGonagall said after she had waved her wand to clear the board.

"Erhm, is it possible Professor for me to leave school grounds next week?"

"For what reason?"

"Well, my cousin, Fleur Delacour? She's coming to England next week. I was wondering if I can go and meet her." I told her.

"Then, why not head home?"

"I…no one's there." I answered.

There was silence as I had a stare off with our head of house stared.

"I will see if I can get the headmasters' approval that you can go, but I cannot guarantee it." She said to me.

"Thank you, Professor." I said before I headed out.

Transfiguration was our last class for the day, as it grew closer to evening. I stayed in the common room awake and the others in the house were already sleeping with the thoughts of going home and enjoying the break away from school. I tuned into my mind, and materialized a door, where behind it had a round table with three chairs around it. It serves as our meeting room, when we wanted to speak to each other. Harry had told me about it, and explained that it was the nudge I felt before when he spoke to me in my mind.

Harry? Draco? I said in my mind as I stood there in the room alone. Well, if you can hear me, be careful and come back alive.

There was no response and left the virtual room in my mind before heading up to the dorms to sleep.

In the morning, while I eating breakfast, I was waiting for any answers from Harry and Draco. It was maddening to wait, and can lead to worry. Why haven't they responded yet? I've checked a number of times.

"Did Professor McGonagall say anything about letting you meet your cousin?" Neville asked as he sat in front of me.

"Nothing yet." I shook my head. "I'm not hoping that I would be able to meet her."

"Well, you can always go fly on your broom since the quidditch field is open and…you can…" Neville said, but he lost any words or things I can do.

"Thanks for trying Nev." I said smiling.

"Sorry." He said instead.

"Really, thanks, Nev. You did try, but I'll be fine. I'll just see what I can do while I'm here."

Neville and Luna stayed with me at the Great Hall until it was time for them to leave. Once the noise died down and one can hear the sounds of steps echoed in the empty Great Hall, I looked around the hall. There were only a handful of students left there was one from Hufflepuff, two from Ravenclaw, just me in Gryffindor and one in Slytherin.

I wondered if the Weasleys' also went home, but I did see their names written on the board for those staying in Hogwarts. Did something happen? I hope those two prats are fine.

Is that anyway to call your friend? Dracos' voice came up in my head.

Yes, I do believe I can. You, two okay? I asked as I stood up to head up to the tower.

We're fine. Potter got bitten, but in a way it worked in our favor. We have Nagini inside a bag.

And Harry?

I made an antidote mixture pre-hand just in case one of us gets bitten.

Was Mr. Weasley there?

Yeah. We managed to stop Nagini from biting him too much and cause him to lose a lot of blood. We couldn't tend to him though, but we did have help sent out for him.

That's good to hear. Where are you two now?

On the train, Potter is with Granger.

Well, tell me if you get back home safely.

"Fawley" I felt a warm breath by my ear making me jump as I turned around. "Woah! Watch your feet!" Grey said grabbing my arm to pull me before I took another step back and fall again.

"Thanks for that." I said as I glanced at my back.

"You should really be careful if it's with the moving stairs. Didn't you already fall here before?"

"Maybe I should avoid the moving stairs all together if I almost keep falling." I said. "I'm surprised you didn't go home."

"Well, my home is currently empty. They went to Hawaii for this winter, said they were tired of the cold weather." Grey answered shrugging.

"I didn't ask where they went." I said to him.

"Just thought I should tell you." He replied smiling softly.

While I was standing close to him, there was something different…

"You don't have your glasses." I said.

"Is it surprising that I don't?"

"You look different without them, or I'm just used to seeing you with one."

"Should I stop wearing them so you would get used to me without them?"

"Don't you need it to see?"

"Oh, my eyesight isn't that bad like the boy who lived." He answered. "Those are just my reading glasses. It's bothersome to have to pull them out when I need to read."

"I see. Well, I'll be going then." I said about to turn to where there was no landing, but was pulled back and this time making me lean on his chest.

"You're head seems to be somewhere else, Fawley." Grey chuckled. I could feel his chest vibrate from his chuckle.

I took a small step back. "I noticed." I shook my head. "See you around, I think."

"Ja ne" He said as I walked pass him.

I paused a bit before I shook my head. Huh, he knows Japanese.

In the end, my request to meet Fleur wasn't approved. It was probably for the best with the threat of Riddle or getting abducted by one of his deatheaters. I stayed in the tower to do my meditation and my spellwork. Sure, I could talk to Harry and Draco using my mind, but even they have something to do. I would sometimes go for walks and visit Skye. At times, I would go to the Quidditch pitch to fly, but my mind would go to the prophecy I have. Was I supposed to do something or is it already over?

There was a time that I just went to the grounds and lied down on the snow covered lawn. It was a bit cloudy and it was snowing. The view though was blocked when Grey came in my field of vision.

"You seem bored." Grey said looking down at me.

"I'm tired." I replied, due to the cold weather my breath was visible like his.

"I know a trick, so you won't be." He said.

"A trick?" I asked curious.

"That's right." He said. He crouched down near me, but I couldn't see what he was doing.

It was seconds later, I yelped in shock at the sudden coldness that fell on my face. That had me sitting up and glaring at him as he chuckled.

"Still tired?" He asked.

I huffed brushing off the snow and lied back down. Grey, I thought would leave, but he joined me and lied down next to me in the snow. My back was cold from the snow, but the grey clouds above made me want to rest my eyes and I did.

"Hey"

"What?"

"Why do you have an ear piercing?"

What? I always made sure that my hair hid it. I raised my hand to check, but my ears were hidden by my bonnet.

He chuckled as he said. "You just checked if I can see it or not."

I snorted at that. "It's none of your business."

It was silent again, and I thought of closing my eyes.

"Want to know the real trick I was talking about?"

"What distracting me while you're already have snow floating above me to bury me?"

"No." He answered laughing. "Although that is half-true."

"What do you mean half-true?"

Grey didn't answer, but I could hear him moving. If he was leaving it was fine with me, it was seconds later that I felt something soft, cold and dry touch my lips making me snap my eyes open. My breath was caught in my throat as I saw the color of grey so close, actually too close for comfort.

Grey pushed himself up and away from my personal space, a small smile on him.

"Wh-what was that?!" I stammered still shocked at his earlier closeness. I had my own assumptions, but I am not going to think that myself.

"The real trick." He answered before he got up and started to walk away.

That wasn't a trick! I shouted in my mind.

What wasn't a trick? Draco asked.

Shut up, and get out! I snapped before I placed my mind shields up before I got to my feet and went to the Room of Requirement.

I didn't know how long I was in the room blowing things up or breaking the training dummy the room gave me. I panted from the overexertion of using one spell after the other, but I did feel better. The heavy feelings I had were gone.

Huh, maybe his 'trick' did work, if even a bit. Although the feel of his—no! Do not go there, Ina. Do not. I shook my head to get the thought out of my mind or to the dark depths of my mind.

After I took a shower and changed into dry clothes, I went down to the Great Hall for dinner. Thankfully, Umbridge decided to go somewhere else instead of staying here in Hogwarts like most of the Professors did. The four tables and the faculty table were gone and it was just one large rectangular table in the Great Hall. Most of the seats were already taken and the only available one was the one in front of Grey.

"Good evening, Fawley." He greeted when I took the seat across him. I just hummed in response before I went about eating dinner.

I was done with dinner and was about to head up to the tower, but someone followed me.

"Are you taking your walk?" I asked the person a step behind me.

"Yes."

Thankfully, he wasn't following me, as he stopped by the fourth floor and bid me good night. He always did take a walk on that specific floor, but the corridor there was a bit too dark. He had to use the light making charm on that floor and you'll sometimes meet Peeves there. Why of all the floors, he had to choose that one? I shook my head, why am I even wondering about that?

It was two days later while I was walking around the castle. I found myself in the fourth floor corridor specifically the portrait hallway. I paused when I saw the portrait with the Hippogriff.

"Great Ugly Chicken" I said to the portrait, like before the Hippogriff charged towards me and swung open.

I entered the passage and used 'Lux Volans'. If I remember it correctly, the Hogwarts seal was on the left side of the passage. I had my attention on the left wall while I walked, I didn't notice that someone was also there.

"What are you doing here?"

Surprised, I flicked my wrist for my wand, but before I could use a spell the person grabbed my right arm.

"Well, this is an unexpected suprise." Grey said smiling at me.

Of course, when one was still shocked. You're brain had to process what was happening, but he was too close for comfort, just like last time. My eyes went to his lips, but when he chuckled I turned my eyes away. I could feel my cheeks burning, but it was dark enough that he couldn't see. He did let go and stepped away, but with the passage being cramped that was only a step back.

"I didn't think you knew about this passage too." He said.

"We found it last year." I answered.

"How do you know about this passage?" I asked.

"I love mysteries."

"That still doesn't answer my question, Grey."

"I suppose not, but this passage always made me wonder what it was for. It's not one of the seven secret passages."

"You know the seven secret passages?" I only know three of them and I still don't know the others, well, Harry won't let me borrow the marauders' map without him for me to find the others.

"And a lot more." He said a mysterious smile on him.

"What do you mean that you know a lot more?"

"Do you want to know?"

"Is that a trick question?" I said suspicious.

"No. I was planning on showing you what I found in the library. What were you thinking?" He asked raising his eyebrow.

"Book?" and I ignored his second question. I don't know, what I would answer to that.

"It's something a student left behind and hid in the library. It mentions some of the things they found strange or mysterious around the school. One would think they would leave it in the Room of Hidden things."

He knows the room?

"You look surprised." He said grinning.

"Sorry, it's just you know all seven of the passages and I only know three of them." I answered as an excuse. Was I supposed to say, I also know the room?

"I can show you the other passages."

"Maybe another time, I'm interested about the book you found."

"Sure. I can show it to you." He answered.