(A/N: This is just a note to tell you that yes, Draco is a bit out of character, but hey, I just really can't imagine him to be such a horrid person. He's just a misunderstood little boy)

Draco finally showed up on deck an hour and a half later, looking quite green about the gills, and staggering a bit against the roll of the ship.

"Are you all right, Draco? I-I mean, we missed you at supper. Would you like to.accompany me to the kitchen to get food?" Pansy asked seductively.

"No food. Where's the nurse?" he mumbled, trying not to move his head too much for fear of another round of nausea. He didn't take not of any of his surroundings, overcome by the smell of so much food. So much fragrant food. "Oh no. Not again," he said, trying not quite successfully to prevent another bout of seasickness.

"I'm over here, dear. Or rather, let me come to you. You look quite sickly, dear," a kindly, round woman said as she ambled over to where Draco had sat down. "You had better come down to my cabin, and I'll get you all set up. I think, from my 'initial diagnosis', that you have a bad case of seasickness. Come on, let me help you."

Draco was led down without resistance, eyes closed, following the sound of the nurse's voice, and her gently guiding hand on his shoulders. As they neared her room, Draco summoned up enough courage to open his eyes. His eyes widened; this looked like a library, with only one cabinet of medicines. Madame Tortes, as she introduced herself, steered him to a low couch as she got out her wand. She carefully positioned Draco, so as to get the spell just right. Pointing it at his feet, she let out a whopping, "Spritus Incantantus!"

A long stream of blue light shot of the wand to his feet. A tingling sensation raced throughout his body, like spearmint mouthwash coursing through his veins. She told him to stand up, which he did reluctantly. To his surprise, his sickness was gone, vanished like a hummingbird. "What did you do?" he asked in shock.

"Oh, just a little charm I picked up that makes one float a touch off the ground. It's great for motion sickness. It even works while you are dead to the world. Feels like you are sleeping on air! Which you are," Madame Tortes said as she hustled Draco out of the room to his chamber. "Now go get something to eat, like your friend suggested!"

Instead of following Madame Tortes quite sound advice, Draco slowly made his way back to his room, still marvelling at the sense of airiness he felt. The room was empty as he pushed open the door and walked to his bed. He had finished taking off his robes along the way, so as to not have any impediments to his tired body.. He turned back the covers, and as soon as his head hit the pillow, he was asleep.



He dreamed odd dreams again that night; this time, though, the girl was hunched over a low silvery form. As he watched, the form rose from the ground, and slowly stood to its feet. The girl showed extreme happiness at this, grasping the figure's neck, and kissing it repeatedly. The figure showed no signs of acknowledgement, and instead just gently pulled from her grasp. She watched in astonishment, her face still deep in the darkness, as the figure, now obviously male, started walking to the spot from where Dream-Draco was watching. He lifted his wand and-a foghorn blew? Draco's confusion pushed him to awareness as the foghorn blew again.

"Morning already? At least I slept well." He glanced at the clock, and was flabbergasted to see that it was only six o'clock in the morning. He glanced to Potter's bed, and was not surprised to see that he was still asleep, and wearing flowery pyjamas. Ha. Guess Potter really was a Nancy boy. Oh. Wait. That was Granger, curled around him. He snarled, and then stopped himself. Why does that bother me so much? He wondered. Could it be that I just want a really likeable girl to like me? He glanced back over, thinking about how it would feel to have Hermione's arms around him. Then he shuddered in disgust. Imagining himself with a Mudblood. He had sunk to new lows, even in his own mind. No, he decided, it just bothered him because upon Potter's face was something akin to happiness. Draco begrudged Potter even the joy that a companion can bring.

Draco strode lightly out to the upper deck to look at the passing landscape. It was a lush green, pale underneath its covering of frost, and a forest of pines stood looming atop a small mountain range. He trembled from a sudden chill, realizing that he could see his breath every time he exhaled. He started to shiver again, but a cloak was placed upon him. A red cloak, trimmed in gold. He turned to see a head of curls just about to disappear back into the cabin door. "Hermione?" he called questioningly. "Thank you," he murmured as he saw the figure pause. As he stopped speaking, the figure moved on. He said to himself, "Maybe it's not going to be such a bad thing to have Granger on this trip. Maybe, just maybe, we can be friends."





Instead of going back into his room just to witness the gruesome sight of Potter and Hermione sleeping together, he wandered around. Ducking his head into what seemed to be a variety of dining halls, he finally found his way to the galley.

"Do you happen to have a newspaper I could borrow? I have to read it every day," he announced to the occupants of the room. "Oh, and could I get some food? It appears you have.quite enough for everyone," he said, as he surveyed the overflowing counters.

"Of course, Draco. Here's the paper," said a small, still tousle haired boy. "I'm afraid it's a bit torn up, since my owl, Mouse, isn't all that reliable. And the house-elves made a bit much for me and the others, so help yourself. There's everything you could ever want, since they can't seem to take 'I'm really not hungry anymore' for an answer."

"I'm sorry. Didn't catch your name?"

"Oh, sorry, my name is Frank, from Ravenclaw. What do you think we shall be doing after we arrive at Beauxbatons? I hope the teachers are nice, not like Snape," the boy said jokingly.

"There is nothing wrong with Professor Snape. And if you listened to him once in awhile instead of running your trap, you might learn something to fill that empty head of yours," he glowered at the boy.

"S-s-sorry," Frank stuttered, "I didn't know you felt that way about him!"

"I'm just going to take this to my room and eat, if that's okay with you," Draco muttered in an unpleasant tone. So he stalked back to his room at that early hour of the day already in a bad mood.