Midnight

PG-13

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, the wonderful J.K. Rowling does.

Chapter One – Tale of Two Insomniacs

Ginny sat at her window gazing up at the dark sky, stars sprinkled as far as the eye could see. The moon had just begun to wane, and a storm was ending, a few raindrops still hitting the glass. She quietly stood; tip toeing gingerly across the wooden floor trying her best not the wake the sleeping Hermione. As she made her way through the kitchen she could hear her parents talking in the living room.

When she had escaped to the freedom of the yard she made her way to a large tree not far from the Burrow. The small sliver of the moon lighted her way to the well-worn patch of grass beneath the tree. What seemed to be hours, but could've only been minutes passed by slowly as she thought of returning to Hogwarts the next day. Suddenly, her concentration was broken.

"Ginny?" She turned her head sharply to see a nightgown clad Hermione standing in front of her with her lighted wand.

"Oh, you scared me." Ginny replied standing and brushing off her dressing gown.

"What are you doing out here this time of night? I was really worried when I woke up and you weren't there. Come on, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"I was just thinking that's all. Alright, I think I'm ready to go to bed now." The two returned to Ginny's bedroom silently, the last words spoken between them a quick 'goodnight'. Ginny fell asleep almost instantly and soon was being awoken by rays of light shining through the glass windowpanes.

Breakfast was chaotic, Ginny and Ron were going through their trunks to make sure they had all of their things. This took them so long they were almost late for the train again, not that this was surprising.

He couldn't sleep again. In the past week he had gotten about two hours of sleep. His mother had even come out of her hard, cold shell long enough to ask him if he was all right. But it never lasted long. It was the way she and his father were raised, as he was now. There wasn't abuse, just empty, loveless relationships. Not that he, Draco Malfoy, cared about love or anything like it.

For the eighth night in a row, Draco rose from his bed to walk the halls of Malfoy Manor. The portraits of his ancestors woke with the light from his wand, swearing at him and returning to sleep. After a few minutes he had made it outside to the garden, taking a seat on one of the stone benches.

"Mon dieu Draco! What are you doing up this late?" His cousin Amina LeStrange from France was standing in front of him. He must've forgotten to be careful going past her room; he had found that she was a very light sleeper in the month she'd been there.

"I'm sorry Amina, I couldn't sleep." She sat down beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Is everything ok? You can tell me if it's not." Amina placed a strand of her long black hair behind her ear, looking at him curiously.

"No, it's all right. I think I'll try and get to sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

"Bonne nuit." She kissed him on the cheek, leaving him alone outside. Once she had gone, he went to his room and for the first time in weeks, slept all night.

In the morning Draco, Amina, Narcissa, and Lucius ate breakfast together in silence as usual. The older couple took them to Diagon Alley for going away gifts. Amina refused to let them buy her anything, but Draco received a new set of eagle quills. Once they were aboard the train, his parents left for home and they had nothing to do but wait for eleven o'clock to come.

Five minutes before the train was scheduled to leave, the cousins noticed two redheads and two brunettes running toward the train.

"The Weasleys."

"Who?" Draco began to explain the blood traitors, the mudblood and the boy who had to bloody live. The rest of the ride was silent because after a lack of conversation Amina fell asleep and he had to be careful not to wake her thought every now and then she mumbled a French curse. It was going to be a long year.

So that's it for the first chapter. Please tell me what you think, it would be great! I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can.