AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Thank you all for the reviews. Here's the next installment. I'm sorry that it was short, but I  hope you like this one as well. I'll try to update as soon as possible.

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Draco had seen her around. However, she was shunned in Slytherin. Why? Because she was the first non-pureblood ever sorted into that house full of purebloods. Everyone stayed away from her as if she had some kind of disease. He had felt bad but he couldn't get himself to talk to her. He was afraid of what would happen if he did. Word about what he did in Hogwarts seemed to find their way to his father's ears.

She was a slim, petite blond haired girl. She had a round face and blue eyes that he had noticed sparkled in the light. But yet they were full of sorrow. He knew that it was because no one in their house would befriend her. And also, she had become friends with other houses and that just infuriated the Slytherins more. The Slytherins were not known to be friendly with anyone outside their house.

Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Granger had taken it upon themselves to make friends with her. She seemed to have gotten really close to Hermione as she was just like her, a Muggle born witch. They have a lot in common; both brainiacs and couldn't be found without a book in hand. Draco could find her only smile when she was around them and nowhere else. In classes, she would sit in the very back of the class and hide herself behind her books. And whenever the Slytherins would have classes with the Gryffindors, she would sit with Hermione, Ron, and Harry. If she wasn't with her Gryffindor friends, she would be in the library, or somewhere around Hogwarts on her own. He had found that her favorite place was the rock cliff by the lake. There was a big tree over there where its roots had come up from the ground. She would sit there sometimes and write or read or just stare out into space. Once he followed her over there just out of curiosity and heard her crying.

His heart went out to her but he didn't do anything to comfort her. He was too afraid. Not for him, but for her. She hadn't known that he was there, silently crying with her. He knew the cause of her sadness, why she was an outcast. Draco knew that it wasn't her fault. She didn't ask to be sorted into Slytherin. The old Sorting Hat must have seen something about her to sort her into his house. But no one knew what that was. She most certainly had not shown any signs of being a bad person. Everyone at Hogwarts, but the Slytherins, seemed to like her. That should've been enough right? No. It wasn't.

Draco had been watching her for the last five years. He was almost certain that he knew enough about her that he could probably write a book about the reclusive Slytherin. They're going into their sixth year, and he wanted to make things right. With her, and everyone else. But especially with her.

He looked into the face on the photo again. He chuckled a little at the memory of how he got a hold of that picture. He had bullied that Gryffindor, Colin Creevey, into taking the picture for him. He told Colin to just tell the girl that he wanted to just take random pictures. She had obliged and let Colin take her picture. Draco loved it. He could see her smile in this picture as much as he wanted to.

Her hair was long, and hung past her shoulders. It was wavy but not bushy like Hermione's. And it shone when the sun hit it with its rays. It was a darker shade of gold but it suited her just perfectly. Her pale skin seemed to contrast her hair but her eyes was what really captivated him. In the photo, her eyes were sparkling with happiness. But when she was alone, they were always sad.

Certain things she did made his heart skip a beat. Like when she was engrossed in doing her homework, he'd seen her stick her tongue out, with the tip of it touching her lips. Or, when she'd lean her head on her hand, her elbow on resting on the table, her fingers barely visible in her hair. Again the tongue on the lip. Her lips were full and Draco often wondered what it would be like to kiss those lips.

On the weekends, when they didn't have to wear their uniforms, she would often wear faded blue jeans that fit her figure. She would have on a t-shirt or blouse with colors that matched her hair and eyes. She was carefree in her Muggle clothing. But for some reason, she didn't feel comfortable wearing her Slytherin robe. Maybe because she didn't feel like she belonged there. That's the only reason Draco could come up with.

He took one last look at the girl in the photo and made up his mind. He will make things right with her if that was the last he'd do. He can't stand not knowing anymore what it would be like to be friends with her. He wanted to get to know her in a more personal level. No more sneaking around behind bookshelves in the library, or sideways glances in the common room or classrooms. He wanted to openly get to know this girl that had entrapped his heart.

He got up from the floor and ran his hand through his hair. He sighed and kissed the girl in the picture. He picked up his journal from his bed and tucked the photo in it before putting them both back in his bureau.

He then climbed into bed and pulled the covers up to his chin. He would be going to Diagon Alley the next day and he hoped that he would run into her. He'd start from there, and hopefully, she won't be alienated by it. He looked out of his window into the starry night sky.

"Goodnight Sarah," he whispered before closing his eyes.

Draco stepped into Flourish and Blotts and thought that his heart would beat out of his chest. Over towards the back, with a bunch of books in her arms, was Sarah MacLeod. She seemed to be struggling as she tried to hold onto her books in one arm, and reaching for one off the top shelf with the other. Draco watched her as she got on her tippy toes and her tongue once again on her lips. She got the book that she wanted but when she tried to put it on top of her other ones, she dropped everything.

Without even thinking about it, he ran up and helped her. Sarah wasn't looking at him. She was too busy picking up her books that when she finally looked up to thank the person that helped her, she had dropped the books again. Only this time, they landed on Draco's feet, making him wince in pain.

"Oh my gosh!" she said putting a hand to her mouth. "I'm so sorry Draco!"

She then bent down to pick up her books again not looking at him. He was stunned from hearing his name come out of her mouth that he just stared at her for a moment before shaking himself back to reality. He got down and helped her pick them up. She looked up at him shyly and Draco smiled at her, making her blush. Then he saw her eyes. The same ones that he only stared at countless times up in his bedroom. This would be the first time he actually seen them up close.

"Here, let me take some of that," Draco said grabbing some books off her arms.

"Er…thanks," she said smiling weakly but averting his eyes.

"My pleasure Sarah," he said sincerely. She jerked her head up at him with a shocked look on her face.

"Y- you know my name?" she asked timidly. Draco looked at her with narrowed eyes as he tried not to let his emotions show too much.

"Of course I do, Sarah," he said with a smirk. "Why wouldn't I know your name? We're in the same house."

"Well, it's just that…" she started to say before looking away. Once again, Draco's conscience ate at him.

"I'm sorry Sarah," Draco said softly. Before he could stop himself, he had reached up, pushed a strand of hair off her face, and tucked it behind her ear. Again, Sarah looked at him stunned.

"S- sorry for w- what, Draco?" she asked gulping. Her cheeks had flushed and Draco thought that it made her even more beautiful.

"For being an idiot," he said looking into her eyes. He could get lost in those eyes.

"Er…"

"Um…are you done here?" he asked quickly knowing that he was making her uncomfortable.

"Uh, yeah. Just about," she answered meekly. "I just need to pay for them."

"Okay I'll help you with them," Draco said smiling at her. To his delight, she smiled back at him. She gave him a slight nod and started for the counter, flipping her hair off her shoulder. Draco followed as he tried to make the butterflies disappear from his stomach.

They stepped back out into the busy street of Diagon Alley, Draco holding onto some of Sarah's packages. She turned on him and held her hand out.

"I can take them now," she said still not looking straight at him. Draco gave her another smile and shook his head.

"It's okay, Sarah. I don't mind really," he said sincerely. "In fact, it's almost lunch time and I skipped breakfast today so I'm hungry. Would you care to join me at the Leaky Cauldron for lunch? My treat?"

He almost laughed again when Sarah jerked her head up to him, with the same shocked expression from earlier.

"I don't bite, Sarah," he said with a smirk. He thought he had sounded confident but inside he was nervous. He hoped against hope that she'd accept.

"Um, okay," she finally answered, giving him yet another weak smile. He leaned his face closer to hers.

"You know? You really should smile more often," he whispered to her making her blush. "You're really very beautiful."

There. He said it. He just hoped that he didn't scare her away.

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