Quidditch practice the next day was interesting to say the least. Nothing of real remark happened. No one fell off their broom or made a really spectacular move. It was the little things. Every now and then I would look up from my broom and I would catch Malfoy's eye. His gaze would burn for that split second before he looked away and I would be reminded of just what had happened behind that tapestry.

I wasn't stupid – I wasn't expecting a grand gesture of affection, not from him. For one it was too dangerous, us being who we were, and for another, it wasn't his style. He was a Slytherin, same as me, and for all his pureblood bravado he also possessed our house's subtlety when the occasion called for it.

We landed after a successful practice and the guys moved to the showers. I never joined them – in part because no matter how many spells were on the shower stalls to prevent perverts it was awkward being the only girl and in part because I needed to get back up to the castle and work on my Veritaserum antidote. My third batch was coming along nicely but it was at a tricky stage.

But before I took off back to the castle for a quick shower and a few hours locked away under the school, I caught Malfoy just outside the door.

"That was a nice catch," I said softly as I walked past him, referring to a particular moment when he'd stretched so far he nearly threw himself off his broom but managed to catch the Snitch with the tips of his fingers. I kept walking and didn't stop for a conversation, but I did glance over my shoulder. I could only see Malfoy's profile but he was wearing a hundred-watt smile the likes of which I'd never seen on his face. He'd taken my words as what they were – an approval for him to do what he would to try and win me over.

But it also caused a little flip in my stomach to think that I was the one who'd made someone look so happy. Me, Lorena Potter, with my scars and my foul temper, had made someone smile like they'd just been handed their fondest wish.

I had to hide my own soft smile in my collar as I walked back up the castle, feeling pleasantly warm despite the fact that October was upon us.


I wasn't wholly surprised when Ron and Hermione came through the mirror covering the entrance to the caved-in passage with Harry. In my note asking him to meet me I hadn't forbid them from coming, which might actually have been encouragement for him to bring them.

"What's this about?" Ron asked belligerently. He was far less fond of me than he used to be ever since the incident after Umbridge's class. I had no doubts that he and Hermione had heard from Harry about my plans to bring Umbridge down but I had slammed him into a wall, after all.

"Grown up, Weasley, I don't have time for your hurt feelings," I snapped at him. Ron opened his mouth to protest, his ears going red, but I talked over him. "Umbridge is getting antsy – she wants something juicy about you."

"Lie to her," Harry replied blithely. "I mean, you're good at making things up, right?"

I sighed. "And I could do that if I never wanted her to trust me again."

Harry frowned, not understanding. "What? What do you mean?"

"She means that Umbridge needs something she can work with, something that has at least a little bit of truth to it so that she won't think Lorena's lying to her," Hermione guessed. I nodded approvingly. Thank god my brother had at least one friend in possession of working grey matter.

"Exactly," I nodded. "It doesn't have to be big, just something that will prove to her that my information is good. After that I can start feeding her lies, but I need to establish some credibility first."

"Why are we trusting her?" Ron burst out, gesturing to me angrily. "I mean, first you're buddying up with Malfoy, and now Umbridge? What's with you?"

"My relationship with Malfoy is none of your business," I said swiftly and watched Hermione's eyes flash as she noticed my lack of denial. "And as for Umbridge… why, I'm doing this because it benefits me in several ways."

"Typical Slytherin," Ron sneered. "Harry told us – what, Umbridge puts you in touch with the right people and you're ready to toss over your own twin brother?"

"Ron!" Hermione hissed, appalled, and even Harry looked a little annoyed.

My eyes went flat as I stared Ron down. "You should be very glad that you're my brother's best friend," I said coldly, "because I've sent people to the Hospital Wing for less than that. Allow me to explain, and I'll use small words so that you can understand."

Hermione put a hand on Ron's arm to keep him from coming towards me but I held my ground, unafraid despite the fact that Ron was taller than me and outweighed me by several pounds. Who didn't? I was confident not only in the fact that I could indeed take Ron, probably also Harry and Hermione if wands were drawn, but also in the fact that I was doing the right thing even if it was in the objectively wrong way.

"I told you before – I take care of my brother," I continued icily. "And Umbridge has been making him carve his own flesh open and write with his blood. For that, the bitch will pay and pay dearly. But to make her really hurt, to make her truly suffer, to hit her in a way she will never be able to forget I need to be in the perfect position, I need to be close. You think Slytherins are all about getting even? Fine, that's exactly what I'm doing. You don't need to trust me, you just need to trust that I'll be the vengeful bitch I usually am."

"You're not-" Harry began feebly, but it was only a token effort and we all knew it. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Yes I am Harry, it's why I'm the other Potter," I sneered. "So, tell me what I can give Umbridge and I'll leave so Ron can rant about me childishly for an hour or two."

Harry bit his lip thoughtfully and glanced over his shoulder helplessly at Hermione. I could practically hear Granger's wheels turning as she worked to come up with something I could give to Umbridge without doing any real harm. Finally, she came up with something.

"The Defense classes," she said quietly. I raised an eyebrow.

"Defense classes?" I asked leadingly.

Hermione looked around uncertainly but Ron and Harry were both watching her, letting her take the lead. She bit her lip and continued, "We've decided that… well, Umbridge isn't teaching us so… considering the situation… well, we've got to know how to defend ourselves, haven't we?" she insisted. "So we thought that if Harry taught some kind of secret defense classes…"

"And people will come, if nothing else, because of curiosity about the things Harry's been saying." I nodded in understanding and looked at Hermione approvingly. "Well done Granger, that's pretty good."

"We were going to have a meeting for those interested in attending at the Hog's Head on Friday," Hermione continued.

I nodded. "I can work with that. I'll tell her I've heard rumors you're recruiting for secret dueling classes. I won't tell her about the meeting, but it'll be something she'd expect in her blindness and it'll be something she can conceivably do something about."

"If anyone shows up," Harry said darkly. I scoffed.

"Oh, people will show up. You're the Boy-Who-Lived," I said drily. "They've been getting a lot of conflicting stories the past few months and there's a lot about Cedric's death that doesn't match up with the Ministry party line. If nothing else, people will come hoping for answers."

"You really think so?" Harry asked, his expression a mixture of hope and uncertainty. I nodded confidently.

"Of course."

"Now if only we had a place to hold the classes," Hermione sighed, pushing her curls back from her face. I raised an eyebrow and a slow smile crossed my face as I recalled something.

Ron shuddered. "I bloody hate that expression on her…"

"One of the house elves said something to me the other day, about a secret room in the castle," I recalled. "I don't know if it's what you need, but I can speak to the house elves and look into it for you."

In the end it was decided that I would speak to the house elves and get the details. If it was what they were looking for, I'd send Dobby to them with the answers. If not, they'd keep looking.

"I want in," I said suddenly, and Hermione stopped midsentence.

"In what?" Harry asked blankly.

"Let me help you teach," I explained. Ron immediately held up his hands.

"Whoa, whoa, no way, I'm not letting her boss me around…"

"I know what it's like as much as you do," I told Harry, ignoring Ron. "And more than that, I'm a Slytherin. I know more than you about the Dark magic they'll be facing and I know how to do it and how to counter it."

Harry made a face at the reminder that I wasn't quite as whole-heartedly with the Light as he was but Hermione agreed, "She has a point."

"How will other students react when they find out there's a Slytherin involved, huh?" Ron demanded.

"I'll prove to them that I know what I'm doing," I replied with a shrug, confident that I could handle a few naysayers.

"Maybe it wouldn't be bad to have another teacher on hand," Hermione pointed out, and I could see that her arguments meant something to Harry. He was nodding slowly and staring blankly, considering.

"You've always been better at dueling than me," Harry murmured thoughtfully.

"I know," I said smugly. "And I know how to teach, too. Let me help with this, Harry."

Harry slowly nodded and Ron groaned. "Okay. But Rena, try and keep the… the Dark stuff to a minimum?" he asked hopefully.

"I will," I promised, though I'd be the one to decide exactly what qualified as a minimum. "I can't promise I'll be able to make it to every meeting though," I admitted.

"Why?" Ron asked, immediately suspicious. I rolled my eyes.

"Because I'm taking private lessons with Snape. I want to be a brewer one day, you know," I said pointedly. Two unconnected facts but strung together they completed an idea. I couldn't exactly explain why, but I didn't want Harry to know about the Animagus and Occlumency training. "And on top of that I have Quidditch as well."

"We can work with that," Harry agreed.

"Good," I said, and we bid out goodbyes.

"Thanks for all the murtlap essence," Harry murmured to me as he and his friends left. I smirked at his back – of course he knew it was me. I was pleased that he'd bothered to say thanks, really.

Shaking my head, I emerged from the passageway and pulled out the Marauder's Map. Curfew hadn't quite hit, but it was coming soon. I would be out after curfew if I ran this one last errand, but I wasn't overly concerned.

I tripped down to the kitchens and tickled the pear, letting myself in.

"Miss Potter! Miss Potter!"

"Lorena!"

As usual, Dobby and Tippy were on me almost the moment I came into the kitchen. I was starting to suspect they had some sort of Lorena radar. I smiled down at them both and greeted them.

"How have the deliveries been going?" I asked as I sat down at an empty portion of the Ravenclaw table. The dishes were still being washed and I could see the gleaming gold flashing from amongst the bubbles as the house elves scrubbed them and floated them over to the gigantic pantry that held the dish wear. The dishes bobbed slightly in the air like they were dancing.

Oh.

Oh.

Oh I shouldn't.

Oh but I really should.

My smiled was nothing short of devious as Dobby reported that all deliveries had gone well. A handful of other people had gotten detention from Umbridge, but thus far Umbridge hadn't been interrogating anyone as far as the house elves knew, so my stock of Veritaserum antidote had been left untouched.

"Dobby, one of the house elves said something about a Room of Requirement," I recalled. "Can you tell me about it?"

"It's also called the Come And Go room, Miss," Dobby chirped. "All yous has to do is walk in front of it three timeses and think about what yous need. Then the door will open!"

"And it can be anything?" I pressed.

"Anything!" Tippy confirmed happily. "Sos if you wants to hide, or ifs you need the bathroom, or if yous hungry!"

"I see," I said, smiling. This was exactly what Harry needed for his defense classes – the room was perfect. I'd never heard of it and it wasn't on the Marauder's Map. I had enough faith in their mischief making to assume that it wasn't that they hadn't known about the room, but it was Unplottable.

"Harry is planning something and the room sounds like just what he needs," I explained to the house elves. "When you have a minute and you can get to him privately, could you go to him and explain about the room?"

Tippy leaned forwards eagerly. "Is this part of the fight with the Umbridge?"

Oh dear, I'd created a house elf revolutionary. "It is," I said, and Tippy grinned widely.

"Tippy will do it! Tippy will do it as soon as she can!" the house elf said, jumping up and down and clapping her hands.

"Good, thank you both," I said, patting their little bald heads. Dobby and Tippy both glowed under the praise. "I've got to get back to my Common Room now, but thank you for your help."

"Yous is welcome Lorena!"

"Yous welcome!"


It was barely after sun-up when I got out of bed. I threw on my clothes and rushed my morning routine on purpose so that I would look less put-together. With my messy braid and my mascara a little smeared I ran out of the girl's dorm before most people were up and hit the halls. I skirted teachers as I made my way up to Umbridge's office.

"Professor?" I hissed from outside the door. "Professor!"

"Miss Potter?" the door swung open. Umbridge looked surprised to see me on her doorstep. She took in my rushed appearance and her eyebrows rose, intrigued, just like I'd planned. "Come in, come in, dear. What's happened?"

I sat down on the other side of Umbridge's desk as she reached for her tea service. "Tea?" Umbridge asked innocently.

"No, no thanks," I said breathlessly, my hurry providing me with the perfect excuse. "I still have to go back to my dorm and get my books for the day but… I figured I should tell you this as soon as possible. You see I… I heard something."

"Something about your brother?" Umbridge was enraptured by the idea, leaning forward eagerly. "Well? Out with it girl!" She was a bit shorter than usual and I had to resist the urge to narrow my eyes at her suspiciously. The sweetness was fading and showing the real Umbridge. Her composure was slipping… which was good for me. Perfect, actually.

"Well I… I fell asleep in the Library last night," I admitted somewhat sheepishly. "And I was woken up this morning by people talking. It wasn't Harry, I don't know who it was, some lower grade Hufflepuffs. But they were talking about secret dueling lessons. They didn't name any names, but from the way they were talking about him, I'm pretty sure Harry's going to be teaching them."

"Secret dueling lessons?" Umbridge said, rising and pacing, raking stubby fingers through her ugly curls. "Yes, yes… why am I not surprised? And you say Potter's leading them?" she snapped.

"They didn't say any names," I stressed. "But the way they were talking I'm pretty sure it was him."

"What exactly did they say?" Umbridge demanded, pausing behind her desk and flattening her hands on it, leaning over to get in my face.

"They said that Ron Weasley told them about it, which was my first clue," I said, scowling like I was trying to recall. The way he'd been acting lately I didn't have any problems throwing Ron under the bus. Of course, he had vital information, so I'd be giving him some antidote to Veritaserum as soon as I could, but I was quite alright with letting him sweat under Umbridge's questions.

"Then they said something like 'well, he'd know what it's like, wouldn't he?' They were talking about dueling Dark wizards, and after everything Harry's been saying, well… that pretty much sealed it for me."

"Yes… Potter… Only option, really…" Umbridge was back to pacing and muttering and I had to smother a sneer. She was so worked up over something that would never help her. In fact, this would help bring about her downfall. I wondered… should I ever tell her it was me who'd brought her low or should I just let her despair as her world fell around her? Both were appealing…

"Where is this dueling club meeting?" Umbridge demanded. "When?"

"I didn't hear," I said, feigning frustration at that fact. "From what I could tell they're still just recruiting now. They're being careful who they invite – you have to have someone stick up for you, I think. They don't want this getting out and someone's being cautious. Probably Granger…"

"Yes, that blasted Granger girl," Umbridge cursed her. "She would think… very well, Potter, did you hear anything else?"

"No ma'am," I lied with a disappointed sigh. "They moved off and I lost them in the stacks when I tried to dodge Madam Pince. That's all I got."

"It's enough," Umbridge said with a wide, ugly smile. "It's enough for now. Well done, Miss Potter, very well done. I'm sure Cuthbert would be very intrigued to hear about your potential," Umbridge sai with her attempt at a sly smile. There was nothing sly or sneaky about the woman much as she'd like to think there was. Vicious, spiteful, yes, even conniving, but subtle? Not hardly.

"Thank you, professor," I said, and I didn't have to feign the triumphant smile that covered my face. "That means a lot to me."

"Yes, well, you've earned it dear," Umbridge said sweetly, patting my hand. I made a mental note to head straight to the bathroom to wash it first chance I got. "Keep up the good work and who knows where you'll be?"

I knew. I'd be standing over the ruins of her life, and I'd be enjoying it.


"Professor," I said innocently as I entered McGonagall's office for my lesson, "before we begin, do you mind if I ask you an unrelated question?"

McGonagall raised an eyebrow. I didn't often ask questions that didn't related to Animagus studies while we had our lessons – I didn't want to waste my private time with her. However, this question was rather important to me, and important to watching Umbridge unravel just a little more.

"I suppose so," McGonagall allowed, sinking into her desk chair. She offered me the opposite chair. "This is your time. Ginger newt?" She offered me the tin. I took one and bit the head from the cookie, chewing and swallowing before I asked my question.

"I was thinking the other day," I said vaguely. "Back in first year, with the chess set you made that protected the Sorcerer's Stone…"

McGonagall huffed. "Protected is a strong word, seeing as a first year was able to get past it…"

I chuckled at that. "Yes, well… I was wondering what spell you used? The way Harry tells it, the animation spell was triggered by them approaching. How would you go about something like that? And how did you get them to follow the rules of chess instead of just moving wherever?"

McGonagall sighed. "Never let it be said that you don't try to learn everything you possibly can."

And so McGonagall explained for nearly half an hour about the spell she used and how she went about implanting the statues with the specific knowledge of chess, and how she set up the trigger. At one point I even took out a quill and parchment and started writing this down. McGonagall raised an eyebrow at that but continued her explanation, although a spark of suspicion entered her eye.

I had no doubt that once news of my plan reached her McGonagall would know at once that it was me. However I was hoping that she hated Umbridge enough to simply let it slide just like some of the teacher's had. Oh, I wouldn't be doing this soon, but I'd have it all lined up and waiting for when the perfect moment came to put my plan into action.

"Does that answer your question?" McGonagall asked. I nodded, rolling up the page of notes and stuffing it and my quill and ink into my bag.

"Yes, thank you ma'am," I replied, nodding.

"Then to work," McGonagall said, rising with a dramatic flourish of tartan. I followed her lead to the middle of the room and stood on the rug before her. She nodded at me to begin. I shut my eyes and began to blank my mind. I drifted along on the eddies and currents of my mind, not a body, but a consciousness.

By the end of the lesson I had managed to cover my hands and forearms in feathers but that was all the progress I'd made. I wished the transformation had started at my head - I needed phoenix eyes at least if I wanted to get a business brewing Sine Fraxinus off the ground. I'd take what I could get though, and keep pushing as much as I was able until I got what I needed.


The door to the apprentice's lab started to creak open. "Don't open the door!" I shrieked. Snape made a surprised shout as a cackling candlestick lunged at him.

"I'm freeeeee!" it cried in a remarkable impression of Peeves. Snape dragged his wand through the air and the candlestick smacked sharply into a silent Protego and rebounded.

"Dang it!" the candlestick cursed.

I snatched it tightly in my hands and bit my lip to hold back a scream as it turned the arms of itself down to burn my fingers with the flaming candle. When the damned thing lit itself I had no idea, probably when it went catapulting past a torch a minute or two ago.

I pinned the thing's base to the wall with my hand and pointed my wand at it.

"Goodbye, cruel world!" the candlestick wailed as I sent a Reductor curse at it, whipping my hand back at the last second. It exploded into nothingness.

"For Merlin's sake, Potter!" Snape snarled, slamming the door shut behind him. "What are you up to now?"

"I couldn't explain it to you even if I wanted to sir," I said, hissing in pain as I pulled out my wand. The backs of my fingers were badly burned, but a quick spell soothed the pain and started them healing. I repeated the spell on my other hand and sighed in relief, flexing my fingers. "But if you want to ask…" I smirked. "Be my guest."

Snape's eyes narrowed at me suspiciously before sliding past me to the pile of crates in the corner. I had three crates worth of Veritaserum antidote and twice that of murtlap essence.

"You're becoming obsessive," Snape noted, seating himself at the counter.

"Disagree," I sang, moving to stir my Blood-Replenishing potion. "See? I'm brewing something new."

"So the house elves are performing admirably, I take it."

"Better than I could have expected, sir, and I'm almost positive that Umbridge trusts me after what I told her the other day."

"And what did you tell her?" Snape asked firmly.

I grinned over my shoulder. "That Harry's planning for form a dueling club under her very nose."

Snape scoffed. "That's preposterous. Even Potter wouldn't…" He took a look at the grin on my face. "Your brother is a fool."

"Oh, one hundred percent agree sir," I said absently as I continued to stir. "But this one might actually not be a bad idea. I mean, I've spoken with him about it and they're being far more careful than they normally are when they do something illegal or against school rules. I think it's because it was Granger's idea to begin with."

"Ah, Miss Granger, the voice of reason among the insanity." Snape nodded. "I must say, I'm surprised she came up with something so… illicit."

"She's deceptively deceptive," I replied, watching as the potion turned the correct color and grinned.

"Who is?"

I looked around and to the ground. Silas was slithering through a hole at the bottom of the wall. Behind him came another snake, his lady friend from the Forbidden Forest.

"Hello Silas, Sasha," I greeted them, and nodded to the two eggs I'd left by the base of the counter for them.

"Who's deceptive?" Sasha asked, choosing to curl up by the fire as Silas started on his egg. He really was a glutton.

"Granger," I replied to her. "My brother's friend. But it's in a good way this time."

"Potter, I don't appreciate being left out of the conversation," Snape said shortly. I winced.

"Sorry sir, but it's one or the other at one time – I can't do both."

"Wanf uf too keeb waffing Umbissh?" Silas asked around his egg. Sasha hissed at him chidingly.

"Silas! Don't speak with your mouth full."

I smirked at that and shook my head as Silas swallowed down his egg. If a snake could look sheepish, he did.

"Sorry sweetie."

"Just don't do it again," Sasha sniffed, and cuddled up next to him to get at her own egg.

"They're really mushy, it's completely adorable," I confided in Snape, who looked like he couldn't care less.

"Potter, when I want to know about the romantic lives of your bizarre companions, I shall ask. Until then, assume I don't care."

I couldn't resist. "Do those bizarre companions include you, sir?" I asked slyly. The absolutely poisonous look I received in reply was enough to make me cringe. "Er, never mind sir, forget I said anything."

"That would be best."


Fred and George were strolling merrily down the halls, heads together. Anyone who watched them walk past would have been hard pressed to tell whether they were just being the twins or if they were plotting mischief, which were almost the same thing.

A wand poked out from behind a tapestry and both of them suddenly found themselves yanked behind the tapestry by a Summoning Charm.

"What the-?"

"Who the-?"

My wand lit and Fred and George's faces shifted from confusion to wide grins.

"Rena, my love, it's been too long," Fred said, sweeping me into his arms.

"Are we continuing our forbidden affair?" George cooed, wrapping me up as well. I chuckled and thrashed until they released me. They pulled out and lit their own wands to give us a bit more light, all of us grinning.

"Alas, no, my dears," I replied wryly. "That's not why I, ah, Summoned you this evening."

"Well punned," Fred congratulated. I snorted.

"So what's up?" George asked.

"I was wondering," I said, leaning back against the wall. "What is the biggest thing you boys have ever pulled?"

"Biggest?" Fred repeated.

"Ever?" George clarified.

"Yeah," I nodded. "Like, scale. Have you ever done anything that covered, say, the whole Great Hall?"

Their eyes widened with interest.

"Rena…" Fred wheedled.

"What are you planning?" George coaxed. I smirked proudly.

"Oh no," I purred. "No, you'll have to see along with everyone else. Just answer my question, please, and we'll be on our way."

"This have anything to do with toad-face's new order?" Fred asked knowingly. I grimaced, recalling the hot news in the Common Room this morning.

A large sign had been affixed to the Slytherin notice board, so large it covered everything else on it - the lists of secondhand spellbooks for sale, the regular reminders of school rules from Argus Filch, the Quidditch team training timetable, the offers to barter certain Chocolate Frog Cards for others, the dates of the Hogsmeade weekends and the lost and found notices. The new sign was printed in large black letters and there was a highly official-looking seal at the bottom beside a neat and curly signature.

BY ORDER OF THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS

All student organizations, societies, teams, groups and clubs are henceforth disbanded. An organization, society, team, group or club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students. Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge). No student organization, society, team, group or club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor.

Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an organization, society, team, group or club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled. The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-four.

Dolores Jane Umbridge, High Inquisitor

"I'm not planning on doing it for a while yet," I admitted. "Not until she's in just the perfect mood for it. Say, her birthday or something. Maybe Christmas."

Fred and George grinned in delight.

"So, this mystery job, it's going to be big?" Fred asked eagerly.

"The biggest."

"And it'll make Umbitch go red?" George beamed.

"The reddest."

Fred and George looked at each other, looked at me, and stretched out their arms invitingly.

"Our little prankster has finally become a master!" Fred sniffed.

"It's such a beautiful moment, isn't it?" George wailed. "Fred, have you got a hankie?"

"You're both ridiculous," I said, and was promptly mauled by red-heads pulling me into a hug sandwiched between the pair of them. I grunted in discomfort and shifted so I could give them both one-armed hugs back.

"She's just so sweet!" Fred and George chorused.


"You seem to be in a good mood," Malfoy observed as I approached him at our usual meeting spot outside of the dungeons. "Too much to hope that I'm the reason?"

This was the first time that we'd patrolled together since the incident behind the tapestry. Just us, wandering through the school all alone for the most part. I had been nervous for most of the morning until I heard that Ron had been interviewed by Umbridge. A quick check had confirmed that yes, the house elves had gotten him the antidote and yes, Umbridge was looking very put out when he left.

I'd made a promise to myself that whatever had happened behind that tapestry didn't matter in the long run. Nothing irreparable had been said or done so I would go on as normal. Rather, as was normal for this year. Namely, I'd be friendly to Malfoy. Friendliness was about as much as I could offer him at this point.

"Mm, not quite," I disagreed, but I was smiling as I said it and I was surprised to see an echo of my smile curling at Malfoy's.

"Happy that the Quidditch team is still together?" Malfoy tried as we started walking. I snorted.

"Malfoy, you've told me Umbridge is friendly with your dad. No way would you let him let her disband the Quidditch team. You love Quidditch."

Malfoy scoffed. "Yeah I do." He ruffled the back of his hair with a careless hand. "If only I could win now and again, that'd be great."

"Don't start in on my brother," I warned him. Malfoy held up his hands.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Rena."

I froze, brain grinding to a halt. I stared at him in disbelief. "I… what did you call me?"

Immediately, Malfoy backpedalled. "No, I didn't mean… I've heard the Weasels-" I gave him a hard look, "Weasleys and your brother call you that before, and I just…"

I shook my head. "Look, Malfoy, it took two years for me to let even Fred and George call me that…"

Malfoy raised an eyebrow ruefully. "I'm not there yet, am I?"

"No," I confirmed. "You can…" I hesitated. 'Rena' was a nickname, it meant something to me, but just my name, well, there wasn't much special about that, was there? "I mean, if you really want… Lorena's fine, I guess? When, you know, it's just us."

I might have just handed Malfoy the Quidditch Cup, he looked so pleased. "I'll take it," he announced, then pointed a finger at me firmly. "On one condition."

"What's that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, bemused. That pointed finger turned into an offered hand.

"I'm Draco."

I chuckled at the offered handshake. It was… well, kind of corny, and not at all what I'd come to expect from Malfoy. I took his hand and shook, once again surprised by just how warm he was. I don't know why but I'd always had this idea in my head that Malfoy would be as cold as his coloring indicated, so whenever I touched him I was always surprised. He was real, he was human, he was… he was the same as me.

"Draco," I said quietly as his grip tightened on my hand. His eyes burned into me and I swallowed against my will. "I know where you're going with this… whatever it is you're doing?"

"I assumed," Malfoy replied slowly. "You're smart, Lorena, and I've not exactly been subtle."

I started slightly at hearing my first name come out of his mouth, but it drew a smile from me nonetheless. I'd never thought much of my own name – privately, I'd always thought it sounded like a grandmother's name - but Malfoy was so pleased to use it, like it was some kind of gift.

"What I'm getting at," I explained slowly, "is… well, you know better than most how I grew up. I… I've told you stuff…"

Malfoy's eyes widened. "Merlin, Lorena, I'm not going to use that against you or anything!"

"I know," I said quickly, and the words surprised even me.

Whatever he was, I didn't believe that even Malfoy was that cruel. I remembered back the summer before second year when Harry and I ended up in Borgin and Burkes thanks to a flubbed Floo. I'd seen Lucius Malfoy's cane crack down an inch from Malfoy's fingers on a statue. It's seen that same cane bury itself in Malfoy's stomach not two years later. I don't think Malfoy knew quite what I'd been through, but I think he understood better than most what it was like. I doubted he would stoop so low as to mouth off about the things I'd spilled to him.

"I-I know," I repeated, surprise coloring the words. "That's not what I'm worried about."

"Then what is it, Lorena?"

I smirked faintly. "You keep using it, I'm going to rescind your 'Lorena' privileges. It's getting weird."

"No take backs," Malfoy said smugly. I snickered.

"What are you, five?"

"No, I'm happy."

My mouth dropped open and I looked up at him. Malfoy was smiling, genuinely smiling at me in a way I'd never seen. The corners of his eyes were crinkled and the storms had lightened and brightened to something warm. It was a full smile; I could see perfectly straight teeth. And, in a gesture that I found inordinately adorable, his nose had wrinkled slightly.

He really was happy. That begged a question – this hadn't just come out of the blue. Well, it had for me, not for him. Malfoy had said that he'd decided it was time to grow up, but growing up didn't mean he suddenly developed feelings for me. No, this wasn't a new thing. It had been going on for some time. How long, that was the million dollar question that I was afraid to ask. A few months, that I could handle. A year, maybe. Anything longer than that and I wouldn't know what to do.

A thought lingered in the back of my mind. My mysterious flowers, white tulips. I wasn't a fool – I could see the possibilities. I'd looked them up once, to see what they meant. White tulips had a lot of meanings. They were apology flowers. They claimed worthiness. They also meant beautiful eyes. Purity and innocence were always associated with the color white. But white tulips also meant love, and that was something I was not ready to think about.

Those white tulips had been coming since my first year. I wasn't vain enough to think that Malfoy had fallen for me at first sight. I suspected they began as an apology, maybe a compliment about my eyes. But if it really was him sending them, then the meaning had grown as we had.

"That's what I'm getting at," I said softly. "I don't… I don't make people happy. I don't… really know…" I dragged a hand through my hair in frustration. I was sick of being a shrinking violet around him. What the hell? If he liked me then he was clearly used to me and all my bluntness and sarcasm and lack of charm. I didn't need to be nervous, because I already knew what Malfoy was working for. I was the wild card in this equation.

"I'm crap at relationships of any kind," I said bluntly. "I'm actually terrible at them. There's probably some deep psychological reasons that goes back to my childhood or whatever, but I'm just very abrasive in general and I tend to be kind of a bitch, which we've already established, and I have these really thick walls, like monstrously thick, and I've got this bad habit of lashing out hard when people make me mad or try to get personal, which you've already called me out on, and…"

Malfoy was looking more and more amused as I spoke and now he was outright shaking his head and chuckling at me.

"Stop giggling, damn you, I'm being serious!" I snapped at him.

"I know, that's what's funny," Malfoy sniggered. "You think I don't know all these things? Bloody hell, I've known you since we were eleven, I'm pretty familiar with you by this point."

"Yeah, well," I scowled, crossing my arms. "I'm just asking you not to get pissed at me for all that, alright? I mean… I'm trying, I am, I'm just not good at stuff like this."

Malfoy snorted. "If I wanted some kind of simpering twit who hung on my every word, I'd be after Parkinson."

I rolled my eyes and threw up my hands, striding off down the hall. "Oh, way to ruin the moment, Draco, bring up Puginson!"

Malfoy was chuckling once more as he jogged a few steps to catch up with me and I was surprised by how normal this felt, how companionable it was to just walk and talk with him. It wasn't awkward or stilted like I'd expected it to be. It came naturally. I talked, he talked, I said something snarky, he said something snarky back, we smirked, lather, rinse, repeat. It was weird and it wasn't exactly normal, but… well, it worked, didn't it? I was not expert on relationships, but I was pretty sure that was the point.