Hear your heartbeat
Beat a frantic pace
And it's not even seven AM
- Sleep, Poets of the Fall

Wake up.

Ghosts. That was all she could describe them as. Ghosts.

Just wake up.

The boy in the cemetery. He was just a ghost now, one that wouldn't leave her be.

Wake up, Tempest!

Tempest's eyes flew open and she realised the state she was in. A thin layer of sweated adorned her forehead and her heart raced. It wasn't very often that these nightmares came about, but when they did…she shuddered, wiping her sleeve across her face to rid the sweat. Judging from the lack of lit candles, Tempest assumed it to be morning, and could not help but scold herself for sleeping in so late; there wasn't anyone in the room to indicate that it was early morning at all.

Only a few minutes later, she stood in front of the mirror of the girls bathrooms again, bathing her face in the cold water. She looked in the mirror for only a second before disappearing again, more as a morning routine duty than anything else, and walked about the Common Room with very little to do.

It was one of the burdens she found was forced upon her when she was brought to Hogwarts. When she had been able to spend the year at Malfoy Manor, granted she rarely spoke to anyone, but she had plenty to do, plenty of places to go. Without the ability to Apparate or search the castle, there was nothing. For a moment Tempest even missed the idea of speaking to Narcissa.

She almost cried out with joy when finally a few more students arrived in the Common Room, unfortunately with Blaise among them. Upon seeing him, Tempest scowled slightly, though she did not avert her eyes. She saw him smile as he walked towards her, an all too familiar look in his eye.

"Been waiting for me, then?" he asked.

"No."

"Bored?"

Tempest shifted uncomfortably, looking down at her feet for a moment before returning her attention to Blaise.

"Very," she replied, taking hold of his sleeve and dragging him forcefully towards the Sixth Year dormitories.

The evenings were always the best.

In the evening, Draco had finished any homework he had been assigned- miraculously- and was far too tired to give a second thought to his mission. Pansy would often leave her homework until the last minute, doing it by the fire while they talked. And though Tempest hated herself to admit it, she was partially glad that Blaise was also there, finished with his work and such. Their conversations were always of little importance, but got them through the evening with little fuss. It was strange, but even in these times Tempest found herself forgetting the professor down the corridor, or the mark on her arm.

"Christmas is coming up," Draco said musingly as they walked down the stairway of the Divination tower. Tempest could not help but look around nervously, waiting for someone to appear from nowhere and find them.

"Your point being?"

"Just thought I'd say."

"We're not going to get caught are we?" Tempest asked, distracted.

"It's after hours, prefects are the only ones allowed out at this time of night. The two Hufflepuff airheads are the only other ones on patrol tonight and they're at the other side of the school."

She nodded, looking about her with slightly more relaxed awe. The first day she had arrived at Hogwarts, she had not imagined the place being so… well, big. They had been walking around for an hour already and still hadn't covered a half of the castle.

"How long are we saying out here for?"

"As long as you want, I guess. It's the Hogsmeade visit tomorrow, we don't exactly have to be out early."

"Great," she said absently. The windows are so big…

It was nice to see the sky through a window. It was something you couldn't do in the dungeons. Tempest sighed contentedly and continued walking. For the most part, the two were silent. Tempest was so satisfied with her current position that she had no need to talk and did not wish to disturb the moment.

Footsteps could, from this thought, be heard further down the corridor, at which point both Tempest and Draco started slightly. They paused momentarily, if only to see whether the footsteps became louder. They did. Draco looked towards Tempest and pointed towards a small alcove in the wall where a statue stood. She nodded and quickly ran to it, hiding herself well enough to only be seen by those who attempted to look for her.

"Who's there?" Draco called, assured that Tempest could not be found.

"Who's that?" a voice called back. Two figures emerged from the shadows, one vaguely familiar to Tempest while the other a complete stranger.

"Weasley," Draco hissed, glaring at the two. "Granger. This isn't your night."

"We're Prefects, Malfoy, just like you, we have as much a right to be here if we so fu-"

"Ronald!" the girl squealed, batting the boy on the arm. "He's right, though, Malfoy. The rotor is only a recommendation, we are officially allowed to check the corridors whenever we want."

"Then go and check somewhere else, Slytherin has this wing covered."

"Yeah, we could tell. Two third year students walking along a few yards back there, very well done." The boy glared bitterly towards Draco before, seemingly forgetting himself, grabbing hold of the girl's shoulder and turning her back towards the end of the corridor. A few moments later, they had disappeared, the faint murmurs of their anger disappearing with them.

Draco waited a few moments, relieving his anger through deep exhales, and then turned to face Tempest again, his cheeks slightly flushed.

"Come out now," he said, his voice shaking slightly.

"Friends of yours?"

He snorted in reply and shook his head. There was no use in him saying anything, so he didn't. Instead, he held his hand out and waited for Tempest to take it before leading her down the corridor again, towards another set of stairs.

"Best we stay near the Dungeons now," he said after a few moments. "Safer, you can get away easily if someone comes along."

"You have your own worries, adding this won't help you at all."

"I know, but as long as Dumbledore's happy, I've got a better chance."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

"Have you even got a plan yet?"

Draco stopped dead in his tracks and looked around to stare at Tempest, letting his hand slip away from hers and land at his side. His face was blank at first, no emotion shown, as if simply scanning her. Then, slowly, he started to smile.

"Tell me what's going on with the Order."

"You know I can't."

"Then I can't tell you."

With that, Draco's smile started again to fade, and they made their way down to the Dungeons.