A/N: In the later part of the chapter I recommend you listen to the song "Do the Hippogriff" from the soundtrack of the fourth Harry Potter movie. You'll know when to listen. It'll be much more fun that way ;)

5 – Dance Like A Hippogriff

"Dreams, if they're any good, are always a little bit crazy. "
― Ray Charles

...

Someone had glued Haley's eyelids together. There was no other explanation for the way she felt.

If she wasn't careful she would end up bathing her face in her cornflakes. She hadn't been this tired in a long time. She had gone to bed so early last night though. Maybe it had something to do with the dream corridor? She would have to ask her mum about that.

"Haley! Haley!" Called a voice from not too far away. Then she felt someone pinch her arm.

"Ow," Haley said absently, looking around for the person who had pinched her.

"Haley, we're going to be late!" Hermione almost shouted, pulling at her arm impatiently.

Right. She had to get up. She hadn't touched a bite of her breakfast anyway. What lesson was it they had to attend? Charms?

Haley picked up her school bag and followed her friend out of the Great Hall. She knew she wasn't sleeping anymore but she didn't feel completely awake either. Maybe it had been stupid not to eat anything during breakfast. She felt so weak. Just for a moment she would close her eyes and rest. This was nice. The wall behind her was pleasantly cool, so she leaned back against it for a bit. Even if she wanted, she couldn't open her eyes again. They felt so heavy. So–

Somebody touched her hair that was a huge unruly pile on top of her head. (She hadn't had much time to properly take care of her appearance this morning.) Was she dreaming again?

"I didn't know you let your owl sleep in your hair, Potter," said a voice close to her mockingly.

Haley's eyes opened at once. Malfoy. Of course it was that git! Grinning at her like it was perfectly normal for him to creep up on her and touch her like this.

Pictures started to flash before Haley's eyes. Malfoy who was leaning over her, grinning at her smugly. Malfoy who was stroking her face. Malfoy who was kissing her-

"Stop!" She shouted irritatedly, "Don't touch me! Get away from me!"

She pushed the boy away from her roughly, barely noticing the perplexed expression on his face. She turned around, ready to run away. Where were Ron and Hermione anyway?

"What do you – I didn't – Damn it, Potter! It's not like I felt you up or anything!" He shouted back equally upset.

Wouldn't it have been nice if she could insult him really badly? Or hex him until he'd finally leave her alone? She sighed.

"Just leave me alone," she muttered and ran down the hall away from him.

This was it. She couldn't do this any more. This was just because of the stupid dreaming thing! She shouldn't have started in the first place. What she had seen in Malfoy's dream… what did that even mean? Malfoy… did he… have a crush on her? No, that was impossible!

There had to be a different explanation! Hadn't her mum told her that dreams didn't necessarily show the truth? But what had she seen then? Had it been no more than a strangely distorted coincidence? She wouldn't be able to find out unless she went back. Unless she visited his dreams again. But what if what she saw the next time was even more disturbing? No, she couldn't do it. She would stop this whole mess while she still could.

Without meaning to, Haley had walked back toward Gryffindor Tower. She had missed most of the Charms lesson anyway. So maybe she could take a little nap before History of Magic.

"Mimbulus Mimbletonia," she told the Fat Lady and stepped through the portrait hole into the common room. As she sunk into one of the armchairs and closed her eyes she thought to herself that she wasn't going to set a foot into the dream corridor this time.

…

The next thing Haley heard was the clattering sound of several heavy things hitting the ground.

"Ron, you idiot! Didn't I tell you to be quiet?"

"That wasn't me! And don't call me idiot!"

It sounded just like Hermione and Ron were arguing about something again.

"Sorry, I didn't see those books on the table!" And that sounded like Neville.

She opened her eyes slightly to see what was going on around her. Hermione and Ron were standing next to the portrait hole while Neville was picking up some books close to her armchair.

"It's fine Neville," Hermione murmured, "I only hope you didn't wake her up."

Wake her up? Were they talking about Haley?

"I think it's too late for that," Neville said, as he placed the books on top of the table and grinned down at Haley apologetically. His smile was so warm. So gentle. So beautif–

"You're awake?" Hermione asked, appearing in front of her in no less than a second. Haley nodded.

"Are you feeling better? You seemed really out of it during breakfast," she noted worriedly.

Haley nodded again. Wasn't she mad at all that Haley had missed Charms?

"You realize that you missed Charms and History of Magic?" Her friend questioned with one raised eyebrow. What? History of Magic, too?

"Of course we came back to look for you after Charms but you seemed so tired this morning that I thought it was best to let you sleep some more."

"Um..." Haley didn't really know what to say. But it was okay because Hermione had enough to say for the both of them.

"I'm going to let you borrow my notes this once but don't just vanish the next time. We were really worried when you didn't show up for Charms."

Haley nodded. "Yes, I'm sorry about that. And thank you," she said, stifling a yawn. She was glad Hermione believed she had been behaving so strangely just because of her tiredness and nothing else. She didn't know whether she could tell her about what she had seen in Malfoy's dream even if she wanted to.

"So… lunch?" Ron piped up. He was still waiting beside the portrait hole. Lunch sounded great. She hadn't had anything for breakfast after all.

"I'm starving," Haley said as she got up and walked over toward the portrait hole. Hopefully she wouldn't run into Malfoy on the way to the Great Hall again.

…

All thoughts related to the Slytherin vanished as soon as Haley sat down at the Gryffindor table.

A familiar beautiful brown owl was sailing over toward her, landing next to her still empty plate.

"Beryll!" She exclaimed happily. It was her family's owl. Beryll held out his leg that had a letter tied to it and hooted softly. She gently stroked the owl's feathers before untying the letter.

"Thank you," she said, filling some water into a bowl and placing it in front of the owl.

One glance at the sloppy writing told her it was from her dad. It had not even been a week and he already missed her. With a smile Haley broke the seal and opened the letter.

My dearest daughter,

You need to tell me who exactly is tormenting you. I've decided there really is no other option but to punish them. Sirius and I know lots of nasty little hexes that would be just perfect. That's why we've been spending the last few nights creating this useful prank book for you.

If you would just tell me that prat's name I could send them a nice little present myself. Because no one is allowed to lay their filthy hands on my daughter!
But I wouldn't want to spoil the fun for you. I know as a true daughter of Gryffindor you must be itching to serve your revenge with your own hands. Hence I sent you the prank book.

I'm sure you will teach that fool not to mess with a Potter! Don't forget to tell me all about your revenge and which pranks you found useful.

You can always write in case there's something you don't understand or if you need my help. (Regarding the prank book or other things.) I know it can be scary to fight against your fears but remember this: Bravery will get you anywhere. That's the true Gryffindor spirit.

But I don't have to tell you that. I have to stop here because your mum wanted to show me her latest painting or something. And also because I'll miss you more if I keep writing. Why did you have to go and grow up so fast anyway? It would be nice if you didn't have to go back for your sixth year. Not even your brother will be here to console me. Well, your mum is calling. I hope to hear from you soon. Make sure not to do anything that I wouldn't do.

Love, Dad

PS: I'm sending you the prank book with the next owl.

PPS: Your mum doesn't know about the prank book so do me a favour and don't mention it in your letters.

Not a second later another owl arrived, carrying a book-sized package in its claws. The unfamiliar owl dropped the package into Haley's lap, took a sip of water from Beryll's bowl and flew away again. A post owl probably.

"Who's that from?" Hermione asked from the right.

"Dad," Haley mumbled, as she opened the loosely wrapped package. The first thing she saw was a bundle that was made with a tied up handkerchief. In the corner she saw the initials: J.P.

A heavenly smell wafted up from the bundle. Were those-?

Haley made a noise that sounded like a mix between delight and disbelief.

"Pumpkin cinnamon rolls!" She exclaimed, inhaling the rich cinnamon aroma. There was a note that had been beneath the bundle.

"I stole them from mum's secret stash. I know how much you love them.

Cheer up!

– Dad"

A warm feeling crept up in Haley's chest. This was too sweet. Her dad was really the best.

"The home made one's? From your mum?" Ron asked excitedly from across her. Haley didn't like the look in his eyes. Those were her cinnamon rolls.

"Yeees," she said slowly, stretching the e.

"Wow! Those are amazing!" He exclaimed, his eyes shining happily. Haley softened at that. Ron's honest excitement was kind of sweet. And didn't sweets always taste even better if you could share them with friends?

"Let's try them later in the common room, yeah?" She suggested, already looking forward to it.

"Great!" Ron said and continued to eat. It was Hermione who reminded them that there was something else inside the package.

"What's that?" She asked, gesturing toward the thin, black book in Haley's lap. There wasn't any writing on the cover at all.

"Just a note book, I think," Haley muttered and tried to slip it into her school bag quickly. It never reached her school bag. Instead it slipped from her hands and landed on the ground, opened on the first page.

"Prank book of the peskiest pranks by Prongs and Padfoot? This doesn't look like a simple note book," Hermione mused as she picked the book up from the ground and started to leaf through the pages.

"Levicorpus? What's..." Hermione's eyes grew bigger as she turned over one page after another.

"Haley, you're not planning to use this, are you?" She questioned in a dangerous undertone.

Haley rolled her eyes. "I don't even know what's in there. You didn't give me a chance to look, remember?"

Hermione regarded her for a couple of seconds. Then she sighed and handed her the book.

"You really shouldn't use this, though. Some of those spells look dangerous. I can't believe your dad sent you something like that!" She continued to complain about pranks and the importance of rules but Haley didn't listen anymore.

The words she had just read were swirling around in her head aimlessly. In the end it always came down to bravery and true Gryffindor spirit with her dad. Sometimes she wondered what he would have done if the Sorting Hat hadn't put her in Gryffindor. Nothing, stupid. He would still love you and be proud of you, said a voice in her mind. She knew that, of course. But she also knew that her dad would have been disappointed. If only a little. He would also be disappointed if he knew that she was letting a pathetic Slytherin boy mess with her. And that she wasn't brave enough to fight back.

Haley didn't want to disappoint him. Wasn't this the perfect opportunity for her to prove that she was a true Gryffindor? That she could be brave as well? Growing up she had always relied on other people to protect her. Her mum, her dad, her godfather Sirius. Even Remus on occasion. Maybe it was time she started to fight her own battles.

"Didn't you say you were hungry?" Neville asked. He was sitting opposite her, next to Ron.

"Y-yeah," she answered absent-mindedly. Neville was such a kind person. And the way he always looked out for everyone warmed her heart.

"Here, have some of that pumpkin soup. it's delicious," he said, smiling at her and placing a bowl of steaming, hot soup in front of her.

"Thank you," she answered with a smile of her own.

Beryll, the owl, hooted in irritation. Didn't he like pumpkin soup? The owl hopped onto Haley's shoulder and nipped at her ear gently. Then it flew away.

"Bye Beryll," Haley whispered. Life would be so much easier if she were an owl.

…

I should take it off, Haley thought, playing around with the gobstone bracelet that was wrapped around her wrist. She already felt the sleep that was waiting to take her but she still hadn't decided whether she should take the bracelet off or not. She took it off. And placed it on her bedside table for good measure. It was better that way. She turned to her left side. Why wasn't she falling asleep already?

She turned to the other side again. She was still awake.

"Fine," Haley whispered with a sigh and snatched the gobstone from her bedside table, wrapping it around her wrist. It didn't mean she had to go through his dream door. Not a second later she had fallen asleep.

...ooo...

I walk almost head-first into the person that has apparently been waiting in front of my dream door.

To my immense relief it's only mum.

"You surprised me," I say accusingly, "Were you waiting for me?"

"You're here again," she tsks, "This is the fourth night in a row, isn't it?"

"Maybe. I didn't count," I answer in a non-committal way.

Mum sighs and shakes her head disapprovingly. "You shouldn't come here too often. Your body can't rest properly in this state of sleeping."

"What?" I blink at her, realisation sinking in slowly, "That's why I've been feeling so tired lately, isn't it?"

"You already noticed it yourself?" Mum asks worriedly, "Haley, sleep is important! You can't come to the dream corridor every night!"

"Yeah, yeah," I mutter. If that makes her happy. Mum watches me for a moment. She doesn't believe me.

"I can tell you're not taking this seriously," she remarks. I sigh.

"Mum. I am taking this seriously. You worry too much."

For a second it seems she is going to continue arguing but then she sighs and something in her expression softens.

"Fine. You're old enough to make your own decisions. At least you're not as irresponsible as your dad was at your age." Mum touches my cheek and smiles at me lovingly. There is so much love shining through her eyes. It's so easy for her to express her love. I always wonder where she takes it all from. I used to imagine her scooping her love out of a huge fountain and pouring it all over whoever she thought was in need of it. I'm never sure whether to be envious or whether to be glad that I am so different from her in that respect. Suddenly I want to reassure her. She does worry too much.

"I'll stop coming here every night," I promise, "You really don't need to worry."

She nods, still smiling fondly. I'm filled with the sudden urge to tell her about the thing I saw in Malfoy's dream… Maybe she could help me figure out what to do? At the same time I don't really want to talk about the dream to begin with.

"I love you, mum," I tell her instead, pouring my own scoopful of love over her. Mum's eyes crinkle around the edges and she pinches my cheek affectionately.

"You're cute, my duckling," she positively chirps and makes to turn away. The words of protest die in my throat as I remember what I forgot to tell her.

"I almost forgot – Dad.. tell him not to miss me too much."

There's a knowing look on mum's face. "He sent you a package, didn't he? That's why there were so many cinnamon rolls missing." She chuckles. "I'll tell him you liked it."

With that she spins around and marches back to her own dream door. She barely steps through the door when my legs start to walk in the opposite direction almost on their own accord. Before I even have the chance to properly make up my mind on whether I should spy on Malfoy again or not, I have already arrived in front of his dream door.

"And you are?" The familiar voice of Myron Wagtail questions in a bored tone. I quickly envision the hood I covered my face with the first time I was here.

"No one," I mutter, picking up the guitar swiftly. Getting the solo right this time around is much easier than the last time. Still, my fingers slip once or twice on the strings. Does Myron mind? I look at the poster but the singer does not seem impressed at all. Damn. I give it another try and this time my fingers don't slip… notably.

"Sweet tune," says Myron and nods approvingly, "I didn't get your name…?" He adds in a questioning tone.

"I'm no one," I repeat my answer from earlier. I'm not about to tell him my real name!

Myron nods again, seemingly thinking about it. "Sounds like a good title for a song, don't you think?" He wonders and promptly starts improvising melodies with the phrase I'm no one.

Shaking my head in disbelief, I set down the guitar and reach for the door handle. What kind of dream will I stumble into this time?

As I step through the door I find myself in a familiar room. It's a class room. The Transfigurations class room perhaps. Professor McGonnagall who's standing right in the middle confirms my assumption. The room is full of students but I can't spot Malfoy right away.

Is it suspicious that I'm wandering around the Transfigurations class room with a massive black hood covering my face? Probably. But on the other hand nobody seems to notice me anyway. They are all busy trying to turn a pine cone into a hairbrush. It's not the most complicated of spells. But for some reason McGonnagall is walking up and down the rows, checking how everyone is doing and correcting them if necessary.

I scan the room another time until my eyes finally land on white blond hair and a pale face. There he is. All the way in the back. It almost seems as though he is hiding behind all the other students. But why would he be doing that? As McGonnagall draws closer to his row, Malfoy seems to get more nervous, anxious even. That's curious. An idea forms in my head. Malfoy seems to be nervous because of McGonnagall… I don't want to witness that. In fact, I want to be the cause for his distress.

I concentrate on the task of making myself look like the Transfigurations professor. It helps that she is standing right in front of me. A glance toward my clothes tells me that I successfully copied her robes. I have always wanted to wear that fancy hat of hers once. Hopefully I got the face right as well. With a wave of my hand I make the real McGonnagall (Well, she is real in the dream) vanish and quickly go to stand where she stood only a second ago. I take another step to the left until I'm right in front of Malfoy's desk. From up close he looks even more nervous than before. A grin steals onto my face.

"Mr Malfoy," I say, but I have to stop because my voice still sounds like my own. I clear my throat and try to remember what McGonnagall sounds like. Once I can hear it in my mind clearly I try again. "Mr Malfoy," That's better, "Why don't you show us your spell work." My eyebrows are raised in an expectant way and I enjoy looking down at the git far too much.

Malfoy opens his mouth but no sound comes out of it.

"I – I –" he stammers, his eyes wide open, "I – I – I can't." Wait. What? I tilt my head to the side in curiosity.

"What do you mean, Mr Malfoy?"

Malfoy looks around frantically. It almost appears as if he was searching for something. Then I notice it. His wand is no where to be seen.

I scrunch my eyes together. "Where is your wand?" I inquire sharply.

If possible the boy's eyes widen even more. "I – It's – It's – Longbottom stole it," he bursts out and points one accusing finger toward something to his left. And interestingly enough, there in the right hand corner of the class room sits Neville. But as far as I can see there is only one wand in his possession.

"Mr Longbottom… stole your wand, you say?" I ask in a rather skeptical tone.

"Yes," the boy answers with a glare aimed at Neville.

"Well, that's a serious accusation," I say, leaning down slightly so that I can look into Malfoy's eyes more directly, "Can you prove it?"

Malfoy raises an eyebrow at me. "Search him," he suggests, with a nod into Neville's direction. It's astounding how quickly he found his confidence again. But I'm not done with him. Not by far. I smile back at him, which seems to reassure him somewhat.

Then, using the sweetest tone of voice I can imagine McGonnagall speaking in, I say, "I don't think I will do that."

I can literally see Malfoy's facial expression freezing and his confidence vanishing into thin air. "What?" He gasps disbelievingly.

Raising up to my (or rather McGonnagall's) full impressive height, I tell him, "Obviously you cannot prove that your wand has been stolen and from my experience it wouldn't be the first time that you have been falsely accusing other students-"

"Professor! That's not-" The boy protests but I continue without letting him finish.

"Which is why," I pause, it's really hard to stay serious and not full out laugh at him, "Why I've come up with a suitable task to make up for your behaviour which is far from commendable."

"B-but Professor," Malfoy argues in frustration, looking around the class room in obvious search of support. But nobody rises to help him. In fact, as my eyes scan the room I see more and more students chuckling and grinning, clearly enjoying Malfoy's current predicament. Who would have thought?

"We can just forget about all of this," I tell him, gesturing vaguely toward the class room, "But first you have to fulfil this small task."

"What kind of task," he asks petulantly, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Now I grin at him openly. I can't help it. The task I've come up with is too good.

"You're going to sing a song in front of the whole class," I tell him, spreading my arms in a wide gesture.

"What? I will do no such thing-"

"Don't worry, I'm sure you know the song. It's that song by the Weird Sisters. About hippogriffs or something."

"No! I refuse! You can't make me!"

I squint my eyes at him and ask in a low tone, "Perhaps… You would like me to tell your father about this? That you can't even do a simple Transfigurations spell? That you're disrupting my class by lying and accusing students of things they didn't do?"

With each word I say his face gets paler. Until finally he clenches his teeth and grits out, "Fine. I'll do it."

"I thought so," I say with a satisfied little chuckle. "Well then." I nod toward the front of the class room where some kind of stage has appeared.

Malfoy swallows nervously, before getting up and making his way toward the other end of the room. While he passes through the rows of students the snickering and pointing increases more and more until the noise reminds me of the buzzing of a busy beehive. It's obvious that Malfoy is trying to keep up a somewhat confident appearance but the laughter of the other students visibly gets to him. The sight makes me feel a twinge of sympathy. This is not right.

But after a second I quickly shake off the feeling. This is Malfoy. Who has been tormenting and harassing me and other students for years. If anyone deserves a taste of humiliation than it's certainly him. Besides, this is only a dream, right? He won't even remember most of it, tomorrow.

With these thoughts in mind I make my way toward the front of the room as well and lean back against the teacher's desk. That's practically a front row seat.

Malfoy still looks nervous and uncertain. It doesn't seem as if he is going to start any time soon.

With a sigh I flick my fingers and the makeshift stage behind him fills with instruments and some of the members of the Weird Sisters. Good thing, I saw them playing live during the Yule Ball last year. Myron is missing. But that's not really a problem, seeing as Malfoy is supposed to sing.

As the song starts Malfoy hesitantly takes hold of the microphone in front of him. The singing part begins but there's no singing. For a second I wonder if there's something wrong with the microphone. But one glance at Malfoy confirms that the git never even started to sing. I fix him with a stern look until he rolls his eyes and sighs in defeat. With a wave of my hand I gesture for the band to play the song again from the start.

I almost expect the Slytherin to stay silent this time as well. But then right when the singing part starts I hear… something. It's not singing. More like someone hesitantly speaking the lyrics. It's barely more than a low whisper but it's definitely there.

"Move your body like a hairy troll
Learning to rock and roll
Spin around like a crazy elf
Dancin' by himself"

After that first part Malfoy closes his eyes and starts to really sing. I admit, I didn't think he would actually do it.

"Boogie down like a unicorn
No stoppin' till the break of dawn"

It almost seems as though he's starting to enjoy himself. That's not really what I intended…

"Put your hands up in the air
Like an ogre, who just don't care"

The music builds up in preparation for the chorus. There is a little grin on Malfoy's face as he gets ready for the next part. The chorus starts and as Malfoy finally opens his eyes I notice that we're not in the class room anymore. The tiny makeshift stage has turned into a gigantic space with stage lights and huge amplifiers. In front of the stage a crowd of screaming and dancing teenagers has appeared. While I find myself at the edge of the stage, noticing all of these changes Malfoy continues singing in the background.

"Can you dance like a hippogriff?
Ma ma ma, ma ma ma, ma ma ma
Flyin' off from a cliff
Ma ma ma, ma ma ma, ma ma ma"

He's not only singing though. A guitar has appeared in his hands and he's strumming along, moving his body to the music. Merlin, am I dreaming? Well, I guess I am but still... is that really Draco Malfoy dancing and singing to "Do the Hippogriff"? I can't stop myself from chuckling. How I wish I could witness this in reality. Malfoy glances over at me, then. Has he noticed my chuckling? A second later another guitar appears – this time in my hands – and Malfoy continues to sing.

"Swooping down to the ground
Ma ma ma, ma ma ma, ma ma ma
Wheel around and around and around and around
Ma ma ma, ma ma ma, ma ma ma"

I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. Although I do remember the chords used in the song, it's hard to suddenly play along without having a proper starting point. On top of that I'm still disguised as Professor McGonnagall which is… slightly bizarre to say the least. But this is a dream, isn't it? Perhaps I could just play any chords and make them sound the way I want them to just by imagining it? It's worth a try.

"Groove around like a scary ghost
Spooking himself the most
Shake your booty like a boggart in pain
Again and again and again"

Malfoy continues singing and his voice doesn't sound too shabby. I can admit that. And if there's one thing I respect it's an artist – be it singer, dancer, writer, painter – being completely absorbed in their art. And surprisingly that's exactly what seems to be happening with Malfoy. He's up there on the stage singing, dancing and simply having fun without holding back. Without caring who witnesses it. Who is this boy? I don't think I've seen him before. In fact, it's only now that I notice that he does look different. His school robes are kind of rumpled and his tie is loose. His hair seems as though he just rolled out of bed. And his eyes… they are lined with black. He looks like some kind of vampire. A wannabe vampire.

"Get it on like an angry spectre
Who's definitely out to get ya'
Stamp your feet like a leprechaun
Gettin' it on, gettin' it on"

As the chorus starts up again he turns to me and winks. Then he continues to sing but this time he does this thing that musicians sometimes do where they kind of just enjoy making music together. He continues to play, never averting his eyes from me. And in that moment it seems like he's just feeling the music. Completely losing himself in it.

"Can you dance like a hippogriff?
Ma ma ma, ma ma ma, ma ma ma
Flyin' off from a cliff
Ma ma ma, ma ma ma, ma ma ma

Swooping down to the ground
Ma ma ma, ma ma ma, ma ma ma
Wheel around and around and around and around
Ma ma ma, ma ma ma, ma ma ma"

During that last part he spontaneously twirls. Actually twirls and I burst out laughing because this is the most hilarious thing I have ever seen. He notices, of course. But instead of the angry glare that I expected, he starts laughing as well. He puts the microphone down and twirls again, sending a playful grin my way. Before any sort of warning the boy proceeds to show the most embarrassing and funny dance moves I have ever seen. The laughter tumbles out of me without me being able stop it. Is he doing this on purpose?

I barely register the song continuing on without either of us as the boy dances his way over to me. He stops in front of me and does another one of his ridiculous moves, making me chuckle more. My head bounces to the beat and my body has started to move along with the music almost against my own will.

He sends me a look I can't quite identify. It's certainly kind of amused but also something else. Well, I don't care. I'm still disguised and none of this is real anyway. So, who is going to judge me for a little bit of dancing? The chorus has started up again, reminding me how much I love this song. I dance, feeling carefree and relaxed. I haven't had so much fun in ages.

Then I notice something is different. The boy in front of me has stopped dancing, his movements having receded to mere swaying. And the look on his face… He is definitely still amused but the other feeling seems more prominent now. I still don't know what it reminds me of…

He takes another step towards me and places his hands on my waist. I gasp. What in Merlin's name is going on? And why is my guitar gone when I could really use it as a shield or even a weapon right now?

"Haley," he says almost joyfully, as he leans ever closer, "You're here."

For a split second I catch a glimpse of Malfoy's eyes up close. They seem unguarded and the expression in them completely honest. His eyes remind me of something…

But wait. What is happening? Malfoy wraps his arms around me and pulls me closer. In that moment it feels like my brain has temporarily shut down. Why is he hugging me? What did that look in his eyes mean? Why did he say my real name? Do I look like myself again? Why can't I even uphold a simple disguise? He tightens his hold around me and I just want him to let go. But for some reason my body feels like it's petrified. I can't move.

Suddenly a memory surfaces in front of my eyes. My brother Simon… playing around with fluffy kittens… Last summer our cat had dropped a bunch of tiny kittens. I still remember Simon playing around with them until he'd had scratches all over his arms… But that isn't the important part. The way Simon had looked at those kittens… It had been a look full of joy and… adoration.

And Malfoy… he had looked at me the way Simon looked at kittens. He had looked at me as if he adored me. As if I was something precious.

Malfoy pulls away. Does he sense that I am on the verge of a mental breakdown? His eyes still hold that soft expression as they wander across my face. I open my mouth in an attempt to tell him to stop, to leave me alone but I can't find my voice. This is so frustrating. The little smile on his face irritates me. There is no reason to smile! I want to tell him that, too. I want to tell him to get his bloody hands off me and –

He leans in and kisses me. On the nose. And that seems to work like a charm. How dare he? I regain control over my body and push him away. He stumbles a few steps backwards and looks at me, his eyes full of confusion and disbelief.

"What-?" He asks, not even able to finish his question.

"Don't," I hiss at him, holding my arms up in defence.

"Haley! Wait! What's wrong?" He questions, uncomprehendingly. He looks as if I betrayed him or something but I can't let that bother me now. I already regret coming here. Where is the stupid dream door? I look around frantically until I finally spot it at the back of the stage. I run toward the door without looking back.

…

Back in the dream corridor, I try not to think. At all. I don't even know why this is throwing me off so badly. It's not worse than what I have seen in the dream before that. But that's just the point. In the dream before I only watched from afar and this time… Malfoy was directing his attention directly at me.

But I really don't want to think about that now. Instead I try to focus my mind on the task of getting back to my own dream door. I'm halfway there when I realise that I'm not alone in the corridor. A figure is there. Standing right in the middle of the hall and blocking my way. It's a little girl, clad in a white dress, looking about 6 or 7. Her hair is as white as her dress and her big, owlish eyes are staring right at me. She watches me intently as I come closer and for a moment I wonder if I can get away with walking past her. The moment I pass her I hear the girl's voice for the first time.

"Where are you going?" Her voice is unusually low. Lower than the voice of a girl her age is supposed to sound. At the same time it sounds chirpy like a young bird. Suddenly I grow suspicious. Who is that girl? I turn to face her, squinting my eyes at her.

"Mum? Is that you?" I ask. This girl doesn't seem like my mother, but on the other hand you never know with her.
The girl fixes me with a patronising glance. "Do I look like your mother? I thought you were smarter than that."

"Well, who are you then?" I ask, crossing my arms in front of my chest. I'm not about to let a child talk to me like that!

The girl snorts. "You haven't figured that out? How disappointing," she retorts, cocking her head to the side in a way that reminds me of a bird. She pouts, fiddling about with her white dress, which I now realise is completely made out of feathers.

The girl watches me curiously for a moment longer, then she holds out her hand and says in a warmer tone of voice, "Come with me. You look like you could use a distraction." When I don't take her hand right away, she grabs my arm and pulls me along with her.

"Hey, where are we going?" I protest. She doesn't answer. I don't know why I keep following her. Maybe it's the feeling of familiarity that she gives off. Or perhaps I'm just careless and stupid.

We stop in front of a… well it's not really a door. It's more like a hole in the wall that resembles the night sky. Kind of similar to the ceiling in the Great Hall but much smaller. Is that the girl's 'dream door'?

"I-I don't have a personal object-" I begin to argue. The girl chuckles in answer, grinning at me reassuringly. Her chuckles sound weirdly raspy.

"You do. Trust me. I made sure of that." What? When did that happen? The girl takes my hand and determinedly pulls me along with her. I feel like I'm about to do the most stupid thing I have ever done in my life. But somehow… I feel like I can trust her. I shut my eyes tightly and follow the girl into the hole. The first thing I notice is the wind that's blowing around us. I don't feel cold though.

"Open your eyes, child," the girl tells me. Why does she get to call me a child?

Nevertheless, I open my eyes and find myself inside my dorm. Unfortunately I'm not lying in my bed. To my immense horror, I'm standing on the window sill. And the window is open.

In front of us the castle and its grounds spread out against the night sky. Below us there is only darkness. I can't even see the ground. Somewhere between the dream corridor and here I lost my shoes. The girl next to me is barefooted as well. I look up at the girl again. Wait… why are there suddenly wings where her arms used to be? She grins at me and nods toward the night sky.

"Let's go," she whispers softly.

"Go? There is nowhere to go!" I protest.

The girl chuckles. "Don't be stupid," she says like she thinks jumping from towers is the most normal thing in the world.

Then she pushes me out of the window. Her scratchy laughter follows me as I plummet into the darkness below.

…

A/N: Hello everyone! I'm sorry it took so long to update this but to make up for that I made the chapter extra long! Let me know what you think!

Have fun and thank you for reading Feather!