Draco was sitting in the Slytherin Common Room when Goyle and Pansy came barging in through the portrait hole.

"Drakey!" Pansy screamed. "We have to go to our MEETING." She stressed the word meeting loudly and Draco closed his eyes silently in embarrassment.

"Don't. Call. Me. That."

"What?" Pansy asked.

Draco's pale cheeks tinted a slight shade of pink and Goyle sensed danger - very soon.

"Um - Pansy - er - why don't you hurry along to find Blaise - er - me and Draco need to talk."

"What about our MEETING?"

"Draco's still not feeling very well. Tell Mr Malfoy that his son's still sick." Goyle pushed on Pansy's back and lead her towards the other Slytherins in the Common Room. Then he came back to Draco and sat on the couch opposite him.

"Who are you taking to the Yule Ball?"

Draco looked up. Damn! He had forgotten to ask Hermione that afternoon. "No one yet."

"I'm going to with Hermione. It was mean how you embarrassed her today in A. Potions."

Draco's mind screamed with frustration. Now, I can't succeed to get Hermione's trust. Double damn. "Well, she deserves to be treated like that."

Goyle scowled. "No she doesn't."

'Whatever. I don't really care. Anyway thanks for your help with Pansy. I better head back to my Common Room now." Draco stood up and strolled out of the Common Room, aware of being the attention of many of the girls.

When he reached the Common Room, he saw Hermione sitting with the other 5th Year Prefects; Hannah Abbot and Lavender Brown. Lavender had only found out today that she was Prefect for Divination and Hermione was delighted to have some friendly company.

"Malfoy!"

Draco approached the group of girls. He raised his eyebrows expectantly, his way of saying 'what?'

"You have to work with us on preparing for the Yule Ball."

Draco was about to open his mouth, when Hermione continued. "However, you don't need to do anything. We decided that we didn't want to work with a conceited prt so we only told you about it today. The ball's tomorrow. Hannah and I have already done everything. Thought you'd like to know."

Looking bored, he answered lazily. "I'm honoured to be the center of your thoughts."

He walked away and Hannah and Lavender goggled at him as he went up the stairway, carelessely flicking his hair from his eyes.

"He's sooooooo gorgeous!" Lavender squealed beside her and Hermione slappe her arm as Hannah nodded, dazed.

*

Hermione opened her eyes and turned the light on. Looking at the clock, Hermione realized it was still the middle of the night. Deciding to get some water from the Common Room downstairs, she opened the door to her room and headed across the hallway and downstairs.

Lighting up her wand so that she could find her way to the sink, she saw a familiar blonde head resting upon the small desk. Quietly she crept forward and saw he was wearing black pyjamas and his eyes were closed. Glancing for one mindless second at his peaceful, sleeping face she noticed a piece of parchment underneath his arm and a quill clutched loosely in his hand.

Poor fellow. She thought to herself. She was after all half-asleep. He's fallen asleep writing something.

Sliding the parchment from his grip, her eyes lingered on it and the word 'Lord Voldemort' caught her attention. Unable to resist she quickly read the passage quietly.

It said:

My father's been hitting mother again. I can't stand it when he does that. Whenever I try to stop him, he throws me the Cruciatus Curse. It hurts like Lord Voldemort himself.

Everything I say and do now all fell like they don't belong to me. Deceit likes wherever I go or stay. There's no hope for me anymore. I am nothing more than a bunch of tangled lies.

Shocked, Hermione quickly placed the parchment back beside Draco on the desk again and he hurriedly made her way back up the flight of stairs to her dormitory; forgetting her drink of water in her amazement.

Sliding under her warm bed covers and snuggling into her pillow she remembered Draco's last sentence before she fell back asleep.

'I'm nothing more than a bunch of tangled lies.'