I spoke to Cho, and she seemed genuinely sorry for earlier, and I went to the Owlery as the clock struck 12, and eager to tell Harry the good news, but also in a way heartbroken.

But he never showed. At 1:00, I went back downstairs- the next morning I found out he'd fallen asleep at 11:20- and woke up at 2:00, knowing I'd probably given up on him already.

The next few days were disastrous, Gryffindor lost an easy match to Hufflepuff by 10 points. And when the Quibbler released Harry's interview, so many witches and wizards from all over Britain believed him, or wrote how he was off his rocker and belonged in St. Mungo's.

But when Umbridge banned the magazine, it made every student go out and get it, and Harry's article was read throughout the school. Cho seemed to have forgiven Harry and he was in a better mood now.

Then, at one of our D.A meetings, we were all trying to conjure a patronus. Mine was a tiny kitten, that had the personality of a lion.

Then Dobby appeared out of thin air and he was so fearful, trying to warn Harry someone was coming.

"Is she coming?"

"Yes, Harry Potter, yes!"

Then Harry straightened up, and all of us were now swallowed in fear.

We had been discovered, ratted out. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" Harry bellowed. "RUN!"

Everyone scrambled for the exit at once, but I lingered, frozen. Who could've…

Hermione pleaded for Harry to leave, but the opposite happened, and Harry ordered Dobby to leave.

"Go 'Nise!" He urged, and we ran for the bathrooms. We were almost around the corner when Harry tripped and sprawled out onto the floor. I looked at Draco as he stepped out of a niche beneath an ugly dragon-shaped vase.

"Trip Jinx, Potter. Hey Professor- PROFESSOR! I've got one!"

I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and kneeled beside Harry.

"Go- Umbridge's coming." Harry whispered harshly, pushing me away.

"Get out of here 'Nise! You Don't want to be caught with Potter…Go!" Draco urged, when I just looked at him in question. And I ran, thinking about Draco's tone- it was sad, trying to be covered up with no emotion- but it didn't work. It was as if he was setting free something he loved, and he hoped someway, someday, somehow, it'd come back.

I scrambled to my feet, not taking my astonished eyes of Draco and ran around the corner, and hid to listen.

"It's him! Excellent Draco- 50 points to Slytherin. I'll take it from here. Stand up, Potter!" Umbridge said. Then, as Harry got to his feet, she told Draco, "See if you can round of anymore of them Draco. Tell the others to look in the library- anyone out of breath- check the bathrooms. Miss Parkinson can do the girls' ones- off you go-"

Draco walked around the corner and grabbed my wrist as he passed me.

"Keep quiet or they'll hear you." he whispered menacingly.

I narrowed my eyes. "Pansy, still with her?" I couldn't help it, my nostrils flared and my eyes blazed. "Suppose you gave her a charm bracelet too." I whispered brutally as he led me down the hall.

He did not answer, he kept his gaze straight.

"How could you? You knew I was a member- but then again you lost are care for my well-being over a year ago, didn't you?" I sneered.

Then, we were in front of the Fat Lady portrait and he turned to me, his face came so extraordinarily close to mine.

"Go inside- before Pansy or the others catch you. I got you out of there, so you'd avoid trouble. Goodnight Denise." And he let go, and disappeared.

I was dizzy from his closeness, I could almost touch him with my lips from the lack of distance between us.

I said the password as the Fat Lady eyed me curiously, wondering why a 5th year Slytherin prefect had let me go free, but I ignored him and walked into the common room. Only a few D.A members were there, so little few. The others had to be hiding throughout the school. I prayed they wouldn't get caught. As I slumped into a chair by the non-existent fire, I put a hand to my forehead, with a huge headache, I still closed my eyes in concentration…and others asked me if I was face palming something.

Why had Draco let me go free, and why had he escorted me? To make it seem as if had caught me- to protect me from others who would actually turn me in? And why did he show so much remorse and concern and hurt back there with Harry?

I settled into the chair and fell asleep, and Draco once again clouded my mind.