Wow, Chapter 12 already. Well, I think this chapter is going to be really important later. Like, a turning point. Yeah, this chapter and the next.

silentC: Dude, we should so write a fic together. Got any ideas?

JB: There, it now excepts anonymous reviews. I'm glad you're enjoying the story still. Here's a chapter with Malfoy for you.

I was stunned, yes, but also tired. I needed sleep, badly. The potion was doing weird stuff to me. I felt like my insides were scrambling to be out. I even doubled over in pain during a lesson. Too bad it had to be potions.

Severus jumped up and over his desk then slid into my table. "Are you ok?" he screamed, grabbing me tightly by the shoulder. It was weird, seeing this black, greasy blob jump at you and glide across the floor. It would've been funny; if his fingers weren't digging into my skin so hard they could've drawn blood.

"You're hurting me," I said, trying to shake his hands off. I looked around at the class. Most of the Slytherins were laughing, except Draco. Hell, even Ron was laughing, and I know that Harry wanted to.

Severus just looked pained. Slowly he let go and rose, suddenly remembering that he was in class. "That's thirty points from Slytherin!" he barked for them to shut up. I was stunned. Thirty points, from his own house! Nothing could compensate for his bruised ego.

The bell rang and I hurried out of class, trying to hide from the Slytherin stares. They didn't insult me, they knew that I'd kill them if they did, but they did stare. I heard footsteps behind me, then a hand on my shoulder, spinning me around mid-stride. It was Draco.

We stared at each other for a while. "Can I," I begin and pause, "help you?" His eyes laugh, but he just smiles. I watch his arm grab mine and pull me outside, running at full speed. We run until we get to the far side of the lake, then he pulls me down to sit by the edge.

He lies on his side, propped up by his elbow, turned towards me, just watching. I sit with my knees under my chin, wrapping my arms around my shins. "So," he starts this time, "are you feeling better?"

I laugh, full and loud. "You saw me in potions, the way Severus had a heart attack. You'd think I was his daughter or something."

The boy looks shocked. "You aren't his daughter?" he stammers. I turn to look at him, but he breaks out laughing. "I know you aren't his daughter. I was just teasing you." He lightly punches me in the arm with his free hand. We lapse into silence. It's still a nice day, for the end of November. Global warming isn't that bad after all. It's still chilly though. He moves closer.

"Are you cold?" he asks. I nod slightly. He gets up and sits behind me, wrapping his arms around mine and dropping his legs right up against my own. His head rests on top of me so his chin in on my forehead. "Better?" I nod again, making his head move up and down with me and his teeth chatter. We both laugh.

"Why don't you talk to me more?" I ask him, watching the giant squid blow bubbles in the lake. He and I had only talked that one time before this and now he's sitting around me. I don't like this one bit.

He sighs. "Well, I'm not allowed to. By Snape's orders." This puzzled me. Why would Severus do that? I'll ask him sometime. "But I want to help you," he continues.

"Help me do what? Save Harry?" I laughed at the thought. But he went deadly silent. "Oh, okay, well, you can help but I don't know what you could do."

"I know where he is." He didn't need to explain who 'he' was. "He knows you're here. He'll come soon, I know he will. I don't want you getting hurt. Think how evil Snape would be then. And it would crush Potter. As much as I don't like him, I don't want him hurt."

This seemed weird to me. He didn't like Harry, but he didn't want to hurt him? Did he have another motive? I decided not to totally trust him, but I was smart enough not to blow him off.

Somewhere within the bowels of the school a bell rang. I groaned. I didn't really want to go to class. Draco kissed my cheek gently, whispering, "Let's not go to class. Let's go somewhere else." I think we've had this talk before. So, I nodded and we walked back into the school together.