"It was my first year at Hogwarts. I knew quite a few girls there but not too many boys. But little did I know that would change. I entered the castle not knowing what to expect. "

" Paula! Hurry up! Let's walk by those boys!" shouted a girl of eleven years old.

A young girl, also eleven with black hair, ran to her side.

"Honestly Astrid. Not even a day and that's the only thing on your mind..okay let's go!"

The girls giggled and ran only to start walking very close by to a few boys who were quite rowdy.

"Helloooo ladies!" said one of the boys. He was quite stout and had a very puglike face.

Paula and Astrid looked at each other knowing he just wasn't what they were looking for.The boys introduced themselves one by one. But Paula wasn't paying attention to any of them. She was too busy noticing a boy who seemed to be the leader of the pack. She knew what she wanted and she wanted him.

"Who was it?" Draco said eagerly.

"I'd tell you, but then what secrets would I have to myself?"

Draco looked a little disappointed but Paula only smiled at him

"So we all entered the Great Hall to be sorted. I put on the hat and I was immediately sorted into Slytherin. Probably one of the most memorable days of my life. Then there he was. And he was sorted into Slytherin too. If you would have seen my face. I was probably the happiest girl there. So of course after meeting the boys, we all clicked. And the best part was they were all in Slytherin. We would later be one of the most dominant people to walk those Hogwarts hallways.

The years started to go by quite fast. And as for me and the boy, he started becoming a man. We both had gotten very close through the years. Then during my fourth year, that's when it happened."

The girls had all grown into beautiful women and of course were always stared at by all the boys there. A first year had been staring at them and started smiling at them.

" You wish! " Astrid smirked

Paula laughed and pat him on the head " Grow a set and then come see me! "

The two girls were known for putting down boys feelings. They started walking away and went to the girls dormitory.

Astrid jumped on her bed and started their usual "girl talk."

"So Paula tell me. The Winter Ball is coming up. Talk to him yet? "

"Astrid, how many times do I have to tell you. We're just friends and that's all we'll ever be. "

"You cannot honestly tell me that you think you two are friends. Both of you walk around Hogwarts and own the school. You lead Slytherin. No one enjoys walking in your path. You guys are like some kind of dominant force together. And you think that you two are JUST FRIENDS! What friends act the way you two do towards each other? You hold hands, he's always got his arm around you, he tells you his secrets, and I'm pretty sure he knows more secrets about you than I do. Which kinda hurts."

"Call it what you like, but we're just best friends. Sorry if you don't have a friend like I do. "

"Ow. Burn!"

KNOCKKNOCKKNOCK

"Hey Paula, it's me" A deep voice had said through the door. "Can I talk to you. In private."

Astrid started jumping up and down. "Ah, Here's LOVERBOY! He wants to talk in private..AKA He wants to bang you senseless."

"Shut Up!" She hit her with a pillow causing Astrid to fall to the floor.

Paula left the dormitory with him.

She smiled at him as he smiled back.

He started the conversation. Except, not so well "So that was quite a breakfast we had in the Great Hall today."

Paula looked at him.

"Uhm, roast beef was good wouldn't you say?"

"What's going on? Did you break something of mine?"

"No! What I can't strike a nice little conversation?"

"You wanted a private conversation with me to talk about roast beef!"

"So.."

She started to walk away shaking her head. Then-

"OkayIreallyamnotgoodatthisandijustwantedtoletyouknowthatireallylikeyoumorethanafriendandido

n'tcarewhatallmyfriendssayorwhatyourfriendssayandsometimeswhenimjokingaroundandsaystupid

stufflikeiwantyoutokissmeireallywishthatyouwouldkissmeandwheniputmyarmaroundyouireallywant

toholdyoulikethatforeverandthisisnotlikemetoactallstupidandsensitivelikethisbuti'veneverfeltthiswa

ysoifyouwanttodoyouwanttobemydatetothewinterball?"

He could not even breathe. His face had almost turned blue. Paula stood there gaping.

"Oh my god. Are you okay?"

"Neverbetter. Ahem.. Never Better"

"Uhm .. I'm sorry that you're face is blue but I didn't understand a word you said. Could you repeat that. Actually wait."

She took out her wand and said "ostium prolabor"

The door fell down on Astrid who had been listening through it. The door then went back up.

"Ow."

Paula looked away annoyed and then said " Okay, so could you say that again."

He took a deep breathe and once more.

"Okay I really am not good at this and i just wanted to let you know that i really like you more than a friend and I don't care what all my friends say or what your friends say. And sometimes when I'm joking around and say stupid stuff like I want you to kiss me I really wish that you would kiss me. And when I put my arm around you i really want to hold you like that forever and this is not like me to act all stupid and sensitive like this but I've never felt this way so if you want to, Do you want to be my date to the winter ball?"

Paula still a little in awe but somehow managed to be able to think, smiled a little.

"Aw. That's really sweet of you. That's a pretty big thing you just said there. I don't even know what to say to that. I really wish I could say something so deep like you did but my mind is just drawing a blank right now."

"You don't .. have to say anything deep. Just say that you feel the same way. "

" I.. "

His heart sank and he felt the words of rejection rising up. He put his hand up as to say he didn't want to hear it. He walked away.

" Damn. You won't even stay to hear me say I do feel the same."

He looked up and smiled.

"Bitch. Keeping me in all that suspense." He smirked. "You're lucky you said you felt the same way. I almost thought I had to kill you for hearing that."

Paula smiled and looked at him and she felt it was right. He leaned in and kissed her. Everything felt perfect.

Draco snorted.

"What!"

"Nothing. It's just hard to imagine you so deep. I've seen you Paula and you've been pretty dark. Never once have I seen you so passionate."

She hit him on the head.

Draco held his head and said, "I said I've never seen you passionate. I see you violent every other day."

"Anyways. We were together everyday and we never once got tired of each other. Well, we fought all the time but we never let it get out of control. We always made up. It wasn't til our last day at Hogwarts did we have the biggest fight. It was when I wasn't sure if we'd ever talk again. If I'd ever see him again."

"Are you ready to leave this place forever?" the boy replied.

"Pretty much. I'm .. excited. ." Paula said happily but holding something back.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. We need to talk."

"Sure. Come here."

His usual icy and chilling voice had turned into a soothing and easing voice. Paula felt safe. She knew he'd understand.

"You know I love you right? And that you are the most important thing to me. But if I ever plan on getting ahead in life, I can't stay grounded forever."

"What are you getting at?"

"I need to know right now. Do you care about my future?"

"Yes, you of all people know I do. "

"Would you support me in the decisions that I make"

"Yes!"

"Well. There was an offering for me. To travel the world. Find artifacts, parchments, the workings of all the dark wizards including Salazar Slytherin. To find the deadliest curses that have yet to be found. To find the downfall to all the muggles and all those damn half-bloods "

"Did you say travel the world?"

"Yes..."

"This is only going to be one of those once a month type things aren't they?"

"No..It would be an on-going research. I would be all over and not really getting a chance to settle in."

"You're fucking joking me! After all the things that we talked about. How you and I would stay here and start a life. Start a some kind of power. Control this land. We had a future and you want to throw it away."

"I'm not throwing it away. I'm making a future for myself and hopefully you too! I can't wait around here forever, waiting for something that would only suit your interests for me."

"Is that how you see it? That every damn thing in your life has to be approved by me? I care for what you want. I look out for you. I want to make sure you're safe not because it works for me!"

"If you really cared about what I wanted then you wouldn't be bitching about this whole thing. I actually thought that you would understand. That you would be the one happier than me that I could actually do some good with my life."

"Well, you thought wrong.You know I'm beginning to see what a mistake I made for being with you. You were supposed to stay here with me. Help me out when I needed your opinion. I didn't expect you to just get up and leave just for something like this. Despicable is all you've become right now."

" I cannot believe the words that are coming out of your mouth! We're starting again, aren't we? . It always has to be a fight with you! And all because of this one job! You said yourself that it would be your dream for finding all these things out."

"Yes. MY dream. MY dream was to find them. MY dream was for you to just stay home and take care of everything -"

He knew he had said too much. He knew that Paula was very against the topic of women staying at home and having to act so lady-like and take care of things. She felt it was a typical muggle's job. She believed that taking care of house business was just showing how the man would never respect her as a woman and just use her. But he couldn't take back what he said.

Then she slapped him.

"Fuck You" she whispered with pure malice.

She walked out. Never said good-bye to him. She didn't see him get on the Hogwarts Express. Didn't see him at the Great Hall. She never saw him before she started her new career. And she never planned on seeing him.

"Well that's kind of depressing. But what an arse!" said Draco.

"Be careful what you say." Paula said warningly "But even though I was so angry at him, it hurt so badly. The one person who ever had any faith in me, made me feel like I was better than everyone - even him, was the person who would tear me apart. I would have cried, but I wouldn't dare do it in front of him. Especially over him."

"Well, did you ever see him again?"

She was cut off by a voice in the background.

"Well, Paula, I do hope he wasn't too much trouble. Dreadfully sorry about that."

Lucius had obviously apparated into the room.

Draco looked out the window and saw that the sun was out and so was the fire. Nervous about the beatdown his father would give him, he slowly started getting his things ready.

Paula walked over to Lucius. They both started whispering.

"No, he's fine. Just watch over him closely."

"Yes. I read the little note he left me. Brief but I got the idea that he was trying to set across. No work today? I really thought you did. Lots of things to do at the Ministry. "

"Lucius. Enough about work. Talk to me. How are things?"

"I don't know. Frustrating. She walked out. I don't know if she'll come back."

"Lucius. Look at me. Don't make the same mistake twice"

Draco was ready and walked over to his father. His father looked down at him with sympathetic eyes.

"It's okay Draco. You did nothing wrong. Let's go home okay?"

Draco nodded and his heavy heart was suddenly lifted. He gave Paula a hug and soon the two disappeared into thin air.

Paula took a deep breath. She went back to the couch and started thinking back on all the memories.