AUTHOR'S NOTE (again): Just to let you know, the Li/Draco romance and the Hogsmeade attack are the main storylines, and i am now developed the Li/Draco storyline. But don't worry we will get to Hogsmeade in either the next chapter, or Chapter 4!

* * * * *

Fifteen minutes later, Li emerged from the cold, dusky Potions dungeon, letting the fresh air flood over her as she stood in the doorway. She glanced behind her, checking the classroom before slamming the door shut, the sound echoing away down the corridor. She pushed her bag back onto her shoulder, the bell ringing overhead as she went on her way.

"Damn!" She muttered, glancing at her watch, "I'm late for Charms!"

She picked up her speed, half running, half walking down the corridor, her bag banging against her legs and her hair swinging madly around her shoulders. The corridors were deserted and she picked up her pace until she was nearly sprinting, breathing deeply as she made her way up the stairs towards the Charms classroom.

She rounded a corner at full speed and crashed head first into someone coming the other way, sending both of them flying backwards. Li felt the strap of her bag snap and heard glass shatter, before landing painfully face down on the floor.

She rolled over onto her back, moaning softly and staring dazedly at the ceiling, seeing double the number of light fixtures and statues. She blinked twice and her eyes refocused, a small pain shooting up her leg as she tried to get up.

She managed to pull herself up to a sitting position, before noticing a hand outstretched in front of her. Blushing in embarassment, she grabbed the hand without looking up, letting herself be pulled to her feet. She brushed the dirt off her robes slowly and methodically, before finally looking up into a pair of pale blue eyes.

"Oh, you, what are you doing here?" She asked jumpily, moving slightly away from him.

"Well so much for the 'sorry for knocking you over'. If you hadn't noticed, i just helped you up off the floor when i could have just left you there." Malfoy said in his familiar drawl, a small smile playing on his thin lips.

"Well, thanks i guess," She said, flicking her hair over her shoulders and trying to stop blushing, "But what's so funny?" She demanded, her eyes sparkling as she tried to contain her excitement.

"Oh nothing, just the way you ran around the corner, knocking both of us over and then succeeding in losing the entire contents of your bag. Quite a feat i must say, even for you Quinn." He replied, a large grin on his face as he slicked back his hair.

"You know what Malfoy, if you haven't got anything nice to say, then just leave me alone!" She exclaimed balling her fists, "Oh by the way, you have some dust in your hair." She finished, bending down and starting to gather her things.

The smile vanished from Malfoy's face immediately, his eyes narrowing as he threw a quick look at a mirror while running his fingers through his hair. "You need to know how to take a joke Quinn." He muttered, throwing another glance at the mirror before bending down next to her.

"Well for starters, my first name's Liarna or Li, not Quinn, so if you must talk to me, use my proper name." She said huffily, smiling to herself as she shoved her books back into her bag.

"My we are moody today, aren't we Liarna?" He said, pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket and slipping it into her Charms book deftly while she wasn't looking.

She looked up, scowling and was surprised to see a smile on his face. "What are you sm... Oh never mind." Li started, feeling herself blush as she shook her head in wonder. "What's wrong with you today Draco?" She asked, using his first name so not to contradict herself.

He looked at her frowning, making his face look strange but still beautiful. At this thought, Li bit down hard on her lip. Oh my god, i just called Draco Malfoy beautiful! she thought, not taking her eyes off him.

"What do you mean, what's wrongs with me today? There's nothing wrong!" He exclaimed, folding his arms over his chest.

"Denial." She muttered, stifling a giggle. "Well you're not normally nice to me for one." She admitted, brushing up the smashed ink bottle.

He frowned, before straightening up and flashing her a smile, which nearly made her want to melt in his arms. "Okay i wasn't nice to you before, but i think things like that are going to change from now on. Trust me on that."

She looked up at him, frowning, before turning back to her books. "Whatever." She muttered audibly, reaching for the book in Malfoy's hands, her hand brushing over his as she returned it to her bag.

She stood up, fixing the clasp on her bag quickly then walking round him as he stood up. She glanced at him quickly, a satisfied smile on her face as he looked at her disbelievingly.

"See you around, Draco." She said, flicking her hair over her shoulders with a small smile as she walked off down the corridor, leaving him stare in her wake.

* * * * *

Liarna reached her Charms lesson ten minutes later, giving a whispered excuse to Professor Flitwick before taking her place next to Harry and Ron. She pulled her textbook, a roll of parchment and a quill out of her bag and begun to copy down the work.

Harry and Ron were playing a violent game of noughts and crosses next to her, hitting each other every time the other won, shaking the table violently. Scowling to herself, she opened her textbook to the right page, her eyes falling on a folded piece of paper that had fallen onto the table. She picked it up, her delicate fingers opening it gently, a small 'o' of surprise forming on her face as she read;

Hey Li,

Please read to the end of this at least before you make any judgements, i know what you and the other Gryffindors think of me but i'm all that bad, honest. Will you meet me at midnight tonight in the Trophy room?

I really want to talk to you when we won't be interrupted. I'll be there for at least 5 minutes after midnight, please show up.

Yours, Draco

Li stood, utterly surplussed by the note, her hands shaking slightly as she read and re-read the letter. She processed what he was saying, what he wanted, her eyes open in shock and the surprised look still on her face.

"Li, is everything okay?" She turned and saw Harry and Ron looking at her in concern, their game of noughts and crosses abandoned on the desk

"Yes, everything's fine," She answered, a small smile playing on forming on her lips as she folded the letter and placed it in her pocket, "Everything's perfect."