Disclaimer: Surprisingly enough I do not own Harry Potter, I own none of the Characters except those who do not feature in the books (duh). Mostly, that's just the new girl . . .

Warning: This will contain slash in later chapters, here's a hint, if you don't like it . . . don't read it!

Author's Note: A new chapter will go up every Friday. But if I get lots of reviews then I may well put one up earlier. I already have up to chapter 9 written so they at least will go up regularly.

Rating: G

Title: The Night before

Summary: A new girl arrives at Hogwarts. Who is she? Where is she from? Will she be the friend that Draco needs? (Don't blame me, I suck at summaries! It's better than it sounds.honest!)

Author: Dodo

Thank you to people who reviewed.

Dracos_Chick: Thanks . . . you were my first review! ( I'm glad you like the story and I hope you keep reading.

Michelle: Your wish is my command, next chapter is here!

Leigh333: Yes, I'm dead as a dodo, you know me! Sorry, I know slow starting fics get on your nerves but.tough! I didn't mean for it to, it just sort of happened . . . please keep reading though . . .PLEASE!!

"'Scuze" came a small, unfamiliar voice.

The two didn't budge from where they were standing and acted as though they hadn't heard, a blatant untruth as verified by the smug looks on their faces.

"Excuse me please," the voice tried again.

This time Crabbe turned slightly to face the voice in acknowledgement. He had expected some 1st year Hufflepuff girl to be standing there. Instead, he came face to face with what was, in his opinion a 'well fit bird', although that being his opinion, included almost any female in the school who had tits and was under 50.

He looked her up and down in appreciation, he was sure he would have remembered someone like that! He was so lost in his that it caught him rather off guard when she spoke again.

"'Uhu . . . " she was beginning to sound rather irritated and there was a hint of sarcasm in her voice, "'scuze . . . please, I need to get past."

"Sorry love," he replied, giving her another appreciative glance, "didn't see you there."

He flashed her a strange sort of half smile and tapped his companion on the shoulder. Goyle immediately turned away from his conversation with The Bloody Baron who immediately floated away and through the nearest wall.

"Hey Greg, look what I found!"

"Quite a catch". Goyle was now looking at her in a similar manner as the one that Crabbe had been only a few moments before. "Quite a catch indeed, if I do say so myself" He paused for a moment as if thinking about something, quite a rare occurrence, and then continued, "Which I do."

"Do what?" Crabbe looked thoroughly confused now.

"Oh never mind you dumb oaf!" Goyle thumped him playfully on the arm and then turned back to look at their visitor.

Throughout this conversation, if it could be classed highly, the girl had been gradually becoming more and more annoyed by these two idiots and she couldn't stand there a moment longer.

"Look," her voice was more assertive than it had previously been, "I'm sorry, I don't have time to stand around gossiping about the new girl, are you going to move out of my way or not?"

Yup, Goyle thought to himself, definitely more assertive now. He and his companion exchanged a glance, "I don't know Vince" he sighed, "she's been awfully rude to us, do you think we should let her past?"

"Well, I'm not sure, maybe if she . . . ". Crabbe never got to finish his sentence, as a rather fed up Draco Malfoy whacked him upside the head just in time to see their anonymous visitor turn and walk away, shaking head to herself and with a mildly disgusted look on her face. He darted in front of her and smiled apologetically at her.

"Sorry about those two" he said smoothly as he offered her a warm smile, "they really can't help being idiots, it's in their blood I think. I'm Draco Malfoy." He offered her his hand. She looked at it and smiled curtly.

"A pleasure to meet you Draco" and she started to walk off again.

It took him a while to realise he was still stood there hold out his hand to what was now thin air, but only a very short while. He caught up with her quickly, staying behind her this time,

"Oh, the pleasure is all mine, I assure you." She turned round again, there, that was more the type of reaction he was used to. "What did you say your name was again?"

She regarded him with a small sense of amusement twinkling in her eyes. The rest of her face however was a picture of indifference. She raised her eyebrows slightly as she answered his question. "I didn't." and with that, she was gone. Draco Malfoy was stood in the hallway in shock. What had just happened to him? It wasn't flat out rejection like he'd got from Potter on the first day at Hogwarts, but he couldn't seem to fit it into any other categories either. It was a mystery. There was almost nothing a Malfoy liked less than a mystery; they liked to know just where they stood at all times. In this case though, that was the interesting part, that's what made this strange girl so appealing and of course, it kept him on his toes.

He returned to his room and determined to draw a conclusion about the girl. In the end he decided that of course the only explanation was that she was new to Hogwarts. That was why she was so wary of him. Of course, it all fitted. He suddenly remembered that there had been no crest on her school robe, a detail that in all the commotion had previously slipped his attention.

He mentally slapped himself for his slipping standards. It would also explain why he hadn't recognised her. Her wasn't sure what year she'd be in but he was sure it would either be his year or the one above. He hoped it was his year.

With an attitude like that there was no doubt she would be in Slytherin and, he hoped that once the ice was broken, she and he could become friends. She certainly seemed like better company than the two dorks that followed him around at the moment.

Next morning at breakfast would probably be when she would be sorted. He wondered why she had arrived so late in the year. Never mind that now, he told himself, all will be revealed in due course. Now is the time for sleep.