**Disclaimer** I don't own anyone important, except for Nicolette and Brownie, so if you're thinking about suing me, think again! Ha. I'm kind of disappointed b/c I only have 2 reviews, so I'm thinking about discontinuing this story. Sigh. That's never a good thing, but unless I get. say 5 more reviews, I'm going to stop writing, because I think it's kind of pointless. Reviews help the author with the story, and even though I don't write FOR reviews, I like them. Enjoy, b/c it might be the last chapter.



Stepping off of the train, I could see a dim outline in the distance that I only assumed was Hogwarts. Looking around, I noticed that my excitement rivaled that of the first years, and I decided that I had better conceal it a little better so I appeared more sophisticated than the littler kids. Pulling my robes tighter around me to keep out the night air's chill, I felt a small tap on my shoulder. Turning, I looked right into those steel gray, almost silver eyes that I had grown to associate with Draco Malfoy.

Smiling, he looked down at the black that now covered up my shirt and jeans. "Cold?" With a smirk on his face, he addressed me with that one word. Ready to answer, I had just opened my mouth when I heard Harry call my name, and Crabbe call Draco's. Waving good-bye to each other, we walked over to the carriages that were waiting to take us back to Hogwarts.

During the twenty minute flight to the castle, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and a boy that they called Dean warned me about Draco, and the Slytherins. "Oy, all of them are nasty. They're always thinkin' they're better than us." Dean smiled in my direction.

"Of course, everyone knows that they're slimy little buggers. Lavender, another girl in Gryffindor, once had to kiss Malfoy as a dare. She said that his lips were all dry and scaly, like a snake. That doesn't matter now, of course. She's perfectly happy with me, and he's gotta be happy with that Parkinson girl he's never apart from.

Immediately, as soon as Dean mentioned Draco's lips, I thought of our 'kiss.' Smiling, I thought that Lavender was either lying or totally unsure of what soft lips felt like. But, his next sentence ripped through my thoughts like a paper shredder. Draco had a girlfriend? Figures, though. I have a boyfriend. Maybe us wizarding people can't be with just one person. Then again-.

"Hey, Nikki, you ok?" Harry's concerned voice broke through to me again, and I nodded yes, that I was just tired. Then, the carriage stopped. Opening the door, we didn't have far to walk to enter the castle, but with every step I took, Beauxbatons seemed farther and farther away. The castle was huge, and amazingly beautiful. Looking at the front doors, I instantly remembered the way that Draco's molding looked. Quickly shaking the thought of that place out of my head, I began to ask Harry how dining at Hogwarts worked.

As he explained, the three of them led me through the front doors, through a corridor, and into what I later learned was the Great Hall, where everything important happened. Sitting down with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, they introduced me to the Gryffindor's that I hadn't yet met. They all greeted me warmly, and I realized instantaneously, that any friend of Potter's had to be a good person. Smiling, we all talked throughout the next few minutes, only to stop as the Sorting began.

The scared looking first years stood anxiously in the front of the Great Hall, looking out at us with nervous looks in their eyes, and I couldn't help but to feel sorry for them. After a few minutes, the sorting began, and by the time it was over, we had acquired seven new Gryffindor. Clapping with everyone, the now happy first years joined our table, and Professor Dumbledore stood up. Looking around, he smiled, and the corners of his eyes crinkled up under his half moon glasses.

"Before we begin, I have one announcement to make. Besides our new first years, we have a new student among us. Nicolette, will you please stand up?" I stood, nervously looking out at everyone, until I caught Draco's eye. He was sitting next to a blonde with a really ugly face, actually, it resembled a pug. I assumed that it was Pansy. Then, Dumbledore began to talk about me, and told everyone where I was from. Finally, after about three minutes, he told me that I could sit back down. Smiling, I did so.

When Dumbledore stopped talking, he clapped his hands twice, and the plates in front of us filled with food. Amazed, I, like Ron, took a little bit of everything. The food was great, and when we had eaten enough to fill ourselves, Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood up, and told me to do the same. Walking toward the door, we were stopped by the blonde girl streaking out the door past us, crying very loudly. As she ran past, Ron stifled a laugh.

"Wonder what's wrong with Pansy now. Maybe Malfoy finally told her she looks like a dog." The other two couldn't stop their laugh as well as Ron, and within seconds, all three of them were on the floor laughing. Not knowing what to do myself, I just stood thee, looking around and waiting for one or all three of them to get up. A few minutes passed, and finally Harry stopped laughing and stood up.

The other two followed suit, and within a few seconds we were walking up staircases and down hallways that led to the Gryffindor common room. About halfway there, we passed a figure walking the other direction quite quickly. Stepping to one side of the hall, Harry reached a hand out to stop the person. Looking back at us was the girl with the blonde hair from dinner.

Feigning innocence and concern, Hermione stepped forward and addressed the girl. "Pansy, are you ok?" Smothering giggles, Harry and Ron stepped back and let her keep talking. "Come on Pansy, I want to help you. You need to talk to someone, and it might as well be Me." She hid her laugh with a cough, and looked expectantly back at me as if I should have spoken up or something.

I knew at that moment that I didn't like Hermione. Not wanting to stay another minute, I excused myself, saying that I'd find my own way to the dorm. Wandering down the halls, I thought about how cruel Hermione was being to the poor girl. She was upset, and Hermione was making it worse for her. Sighing, I walked for a few more minutes, then realized that I was hopelessly lost. The hallways seemed never to end, and after stopping to see if I could find a sign, or something to help me out of the mess I was in, my fear was confirmed. I was in the dungeons, and all I had to keep myself warm were my robes.

Shivering, I turned in a circle. Jumping as a voice directly behind me said 'boo' very quietly in my ear, I almost screamed. Recognizing the voice, I turned around and grabbed the person In a tight hug. Pulling back after a few seconds, I looked into Draco's face, and suddenly felt ashamed. He as well as I was part of a couple, and now I myself had stepped across the invisible line that separated us. Nothing could take this intrusion back, but nevertheless, I prepared to apologize.

"Draco, I, I'm sorry. I was lost, and I'm cold, and-." He cut me off with a shake of his head. Confused, I looked him over, and found no signs of mocking.

"I may be a Malfoy, but I'm not exactly a maze solver. The halls confused me at first, too. Actually, they still do. This, however, is my hall, and the Slytherin common room is right over here." His lips twitched into a sneer, and then some of the Draco that Harry hated emerged. "This does give me another reason to call you a ditz, though." My eyes filled with tears, and I turned to walk away. Maybe Harry was right. Draco- no, Malfoy, was a jerk.

His voice followed me as I retreated down the hall. "Wait, Nikki, I'm sorry. You have to know that I didn't mean that." Turning, tears that I couldn't stop running down my face, I faced him.

"Dammit Draco, it does hurt. No matter what you say it does. And even if you want to take it back, you can't." He looked hurt, and I wondered if I should stop. I decided not to. "You've got to believe that-." Moving fast, Draco was right in front of me. There were still tears in my eyes, but I had stopped crying. I felt his hand on my cheek, and it was surprisingly warm for being in the cold dungeons. He spoke to me as if I were the only one that would listen to him, and as I thought about it, maybe I was.

"Nicolette, you have no idea what it's like to be a Malfoy. People watch you all the time. You never get a break. Everyone has standards, and we're no exception. Everyone thinks that we're cruel and heartless, and mean, so that's how we have to be. Father wouldn't accept anything less. Everyone else has gotten used to it, and if we're going to get closer, you'll have to as well."

Now he had tears in his eyes. They weren't as obvious as mine had been, but they made him look so much younger, so vulnerable. I would have bet my whole inheritance that very few people, if anyone had ever seen this side of Draco before.

Putting my arms around his neck and pulling him closer, one thought ran through my mind, and it was one that I couldn't get rid of. The dragon needed a friend. It wasn't common, it wasn't predictable, but it was a need that I could feel as we stood there, holding onto each other.

He pulled back, and we looked at each other for a few seconds. "Thank you." The tears were gone from his eyes, replaced with a look of calm trust. "I trust you, Nikki. I really do." He lowered his head, and this time our lips met in an actual kiss. For a few seconds, I thought about pulling away, but then I stopped thinking.

He tried to deepen the moment, and I allowed him to do so. This kiss was so different, so pure, and it took me a few moments to figure out why. I had never kissed a wizard before, only Muggles. Draco and I were both purebloods, surely that had something to do with why I felt the way I did. We stood there, arms wrapped around each other, oblivious to everything else until we were both out of breath.

Pulling back, it was all I could do not to collapse into a heap on the floor. Draco looked at me with a mixture of emotions in his eyes, as I'm sure I did as well, and neither of us spoke. Voices floated down the hall toward us, and we both recognized them as Harry, Ron and Hermione's. Turning to go into his common room, I softly said Draco's name, and he stopped and looked back at me.

" I believe that we just got a little bit closer, Draco." Grinning he waved goodbye and disappeared behind the Slytherin portrait hole just as Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned the corner. Telling me what had happened with Pansy (her older sister was in the hospital) we began to walk back to the Gryffindor dorms. I don't remember much of what was said, because my last comment to Draco was floating around in my head as I replayed the kiss to myself.

"I believe we just got a little bit closer, Draco."