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 Crystal and Nicola. I'm not sure whether to give her a bigger role or not, could get a bit too complicated with too many main chars!

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

Rating: G

Title: Tongue Tied

Summary: Ah, screw it, I can't do summaries! This chapter is more like the length of the first one, sorry they're so random.

Author: Dodo

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Across from where the group had been assembled, Draco Malfoy stood, watching everything that went on. He laughed silently to himself and the Potter prat made up some kind of lame excuse and the trio made their clumsy exit.

He had contemplated going after Crystal when she went of with her Hufflepuff friend, but two things stopped him.

One was that if word ever got out that he was talking to a Hufflepuff then his reputation would be irrevocably damaged. The second was that baring in mind last night, one more attempt to corner the girl could be considered stalking, and he didn't want to scare her, just get to know her.

Draco made his way to the library. He liked it there; it was quiet and peaceful as not many of the students tended to spend much time there. Even that Granger girl was spending less time there these days.

He had found a little corner all to himself and that is where he spend most of his free time. The library also had the added advantage of being one of the only places in the school that his two guard dogs would never even dream about going into.

Libraries had books, books meant learning and that, was an altogether foreign and daunting concept to those two fools.

As he approached his little corner however he noticed that someone was already sitting there.

He was about to march over there, give some typical Malfoy comment and make whoever is was get the hell out of his space when he saw who it was. He felt himself soften and cursed himself for his weakness.

"Crystal" he said, "nice to meet you again." He spoke in his most polite voice. He was aware that he had come of sounding rather arrogant last time they had spoken and, quite frankly, it embarrassed him.

There wasn't much else he could do considering his audience though. He hoped he hadn't blown a chance of friendship with her.

A voice in the back of his head was appalled at this, 'friends with a Hufflepuff?' No, it wasn't appalled, it was disgusted, and it sounded suspiciously like his father. Draco told the voice to shut up and focused his attention back on the task at hand.

"How've you been settling in?" he asked, trying to make it sound as casual a possible. He half expected her to either ignore him and carry on reading or make some sarcastic/polite comment (he still wasn't quite sure how she managed to do that so effectively) and leave him on his own again. She did neither.

"Hey there Draco" she smiled at him. He was thrown a little. He had never been treated in such a friendly manor before, well perhaps by Pansy, but that was much scarier. "I'm alright thanks," she continued, taking in every little detail that flashed through this boy's face as it passed by in his thoughts.

He had a good defence there, she noted, doesn't like people to see what he's thinking. She paused for a moment, she felt a little guilty about reading someone's emotions when it was obvious that was not what they wanted but it soon passed. "I think I'm gonna like it here" she finished.

Draco regarded her with an amused, part resigned look on his face. He was obviously trying to read her too but without much success it would seem. She chuckled to herself.

"It's a shame you got put in Hufflepuff," he said without thinking.

"Oh?" she asked, her voice gave nothing away but it was clear to Draco that she had heard his opinion on the house. He quickly thought of a way to back- pedal in such a small space.

"I just meant that, it's a shame you weren't in my house," he finished quickly.

She looked at him and obviously found something incredibly funny but did not look as if she was about to share, so Draco pressed on.

"I thought for sure you would be, after last night I mean, the way you handled yourself was just so. . ." suddenly he stopped himself, realising why she looked like she was about to burst into fits of laughter.

She gestured for him to continue but the horrified look on his face told her that continuing his sentence was not was he was about to do. Nope, he was about to lunge into a whole new one.

"I didn't mean!" he began, "I mean, when I said, I didn't mean that, it's not like I. . . !" Inwardly Draco was cringing at what was coming out of his mouth, stuttering half sentences that would have done Longbottem proud.