I stood uncomfortably in the owlery, all alone.

I'd been waiting for Malfoy for about fifteen minutes, and the bloody pig hadn't shown up yet.

I glared at the letter he had written. "Don't be late." I seethed. It was a bad morning for me and Slytherins.

After another five minutes of waiting I gave up, and made to leave.

"I said you owe me, Granger. That means you're supposed to wait for me."

I glared at him

"I've already been waiting twenty minutes, Malfoy."

He smirked, then walked over to the owlery window. No longer facing me, he asked;

"Did you have another dream last night?"

I swallowed. I'd been afraid of that.

"Sort of."

He half-turned around to look at me, and quirked an eyebrow.

"Sort of? Care to elaborate?"

"Well ... I did have a dream" I paused, awkwardly. "And it did have you in it. But it wasn't really the same as the others."

Malfoy's usual smirk began to return to his face, and he took a step towards me.

"So" he said, quietly. "You're saying you had a dream-" I nodded "-with me in it-" I nodded again "-but it wasn't the same sort of dream as the others?"

"Yes. That's it."

His smirk widened as he took another step towards me. I was beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable.

"Well, then, what sort of dream was it?"

All at once I understood what he was talking about. I started to turn scarlet as I backed slowly away from him.

"I can assure you, Malfoy, it wasn't that kind of a dream!"

The tell-tale smirk on his face suddenly changed. It looked unfamiliar somehow. I realised with a shock that he was actually smiling.

"Oh. I'm sure it wasn't."

I gave him a sarcastic look.

"No. Usually I have dreams of things in the past. The dream I had last night was, well, the present. You were pacing around in the Slytherin common room, and then you were in the owlery and you sent me the letter."

The smile had completely vanished from Malfoy's face, and his eyes narrowed slightly. He said nothing for a while, until finally;

"Why do you think you are having these dreams, Granger?"

I stared at him.

"I don't know."

He looked frustratedly out the window and spoke with his back to me.

"I mean, they say everything happens for a reason, don't they? So why are you having dreams about my life? It makes no sense."

I thought for a moment before answering.

"Maybe somebody up there is sick of us fighting all the time."

He turned around suddenly and walked towards me. He stopped about one foot away and looked down at me, with eyebrows raised.

"Is this going to stop the fighting then, mudblood?"

I bristled.

"It sure as hell isn't going to work if you keep saying that damned word!"

"So the weasel was wrong, it's not losing its touch."

"No, it's not. And I would appreciate, seeings how I'm trying to help you, if you would..."

"How many times do I have to tell you, Granger! I cannot be helped!"

"You don't really believe that! If you did, you would have jumped out that window last night!"

I pointed angrily to the window he had recently vacated. He glared down at me, obviously fuming.

I turned on my heel, and made to leave the owlery. Malfoy snaked a hand around my wrist and stopped me.

"Let go of me!"

He increased pressure on my wrist with his thumb and forefinger. I turned around to glare at him, and instead found myself holding eye-contact, unable to say anything.

His face softened and his light hair began to fall in his face as he leaned towards me, slowly. I closed my eyes and whispered.

"Please let go. You're hurting me."

He let go and softly traced a single finger along the length of my arm. I shivered, and opened my eyes.

"I'd better go down to the hall" I said, quietly. "Harry and Ron are going to wonder where I am."

Malfoy started, as if only just remembering I was there. He nodded distractedly and turned back to the window.

I shook my head, to clear it, and started down to the hall.