Chalondra paced the greenhouse, her hair tied up in a messy knot from the earlier work she had done in the greenhouses. It hadn't been pleasant. She had been guessing on what to do half of the time, and only her common sense had really saved her from destroying every plant in Greenhouse Three.

Beside her on the table that she and Kadric usually worked on, sat a box roughly the size of a small trunk. It wasn't wrapped, but it had a rather pleasant green bow sitting on the top. Chalondra glared at it, as if it were the content's fault for the great discomfort she felt. The only answer she got from her glare was a shiver that sent the whole box shuddering. Giving a big sigh, Chalondra went back to pacing. It felt better to be moving then be waiting anxiously. She had already been waiting fifteen minutes. What if she had wrecked everything in the Three Broomsticks? Well, obviously she had made things terrible. What kind of girl runs out on a friend buying drinks?

At those words, she stopped dead in her tracks, eyes glued to the dirty floor in front of her. Wait. Had she just said...friend? Since when had she seen Kadric as a friend? That thought had never occurred to her before. Slytherin? Yes. Bully? Yes. Annoying, senseless, prat? Yes. Teacher? Sure, why not. But...friend? That was pushing it a little, even Chalondra had to admit.

But...you didn't see Professor Snape walking into the Three Broomsticks and offering Chalondra a drink after saving her from the wrath of fellow Slytherins behind a wall of trees now, did you?

Shaking her head again, Chalondra checked her watch. For once, she wasn't wearing the usual black robes that she wore in the winter. The greenhouse was unusually warm, so she just wore the regulatory skirt, white long-sleeved shirt, and blue and bronze tie that showed she was a Ravenclaw. Of course, because of her earlier work, she had had to roll up the sleeves of her shirt. It was her last clean shirt and she didn't want it totally destroyed.

"I doubt he'll come," she muttered to herself as she began to pace again. "I mean, what's a note really going to say? Especially after I ran. Really. I'm acting so juvenile. First, running away because I'm too stupid to understand my own feelings, and then sending a note. A note. I mean, that's for little kids to do!" Chalondra threw up her hands, wondering why in the world she was talking to herself. Since when had she started THAT nasty habit?

"Here I go again," she muttered, glaring at the box again. "This better be worth it. You were terrible to get a hold of," she accused the box. It only made a little whispering noise and sent another shiver through the box. Chalondra gave a little hmff! and continued to pace the cramped working space. Sometimes it just wasn't worth it. And she hated apologizing. Especially to Slytherins.

And to make matters worse, Yoyo still hated her.

Not that had to do with anything.

Earlier that day, Kadric had been sulking in Potions, glaring at the back of Chalondra's bent head as if his narrowed eyes would cause it to snap. At least, that's what he had been hoping for. Ever since she had ditched him to make him feel like a complete loser in the Three Broomsticks, old hatred had boiled past the surface once again. Especially since she continued to act as if nothing had happened. Noooo, Little Miss Perfect kept living her perfect life, with perfect friends, perfect grades, and perfect existence.

If only he knew.

Not to mention it had just been a nasty blow to the ego. After all, no girl had ever ditched Kadric. Ever. It was like an unknown phenomenon to Kadric. Sure, they swooned, sure, they wept with joy...okay, maybe that was exaggerating a little. But never, never, had he been duped. She tricked him! He had realized this on the dreary walk back to Hogwarts. She had tricked him into getting them the blasted drinks, and then she had run. What did he do? It wasn't a question that often plagued Kadric's mind, but...what had he done wrong? Chalondra was known to brush him off, but totally ditch him? No way.

Then again, what DID Kadric know about Chalondra? Maybe he should get to know her better. Yea, except for the fact he absolutely hated her right now. No more tutoring for her. And he didn't want to talk to her either, so she's just have to realize when she went to the greenhouses next tutoring class no such thing would be happening.

And yet, as he watched Chalondra raise her hand to answer a question, the hate he felt so much lowered a little, and instead, the feeling was replaced with the one he had had that day in the Hospital Wing...

NO! Get that thought out of your mind RIGHT now! That was a mistake! Complete and utter MISTAKE!

...Right?

And then, there was the other day, when they had had that discussion in the gardens. When they had both come face to face with the knowledge that they had, at least, for one millisecond, felt something for each other. Or, at least, were drawn to each other. It was an embarrassing thought, and Kadric had a nasty feeling that people were buzzing around with the knowledge the two had kissed. Of course, Yoyo and Kate hadn't told anyone else yet, but he didn't know that. Every whispered conversation, every passed note, was about what he had done to Chalondra. The thought made his blood freeze.

"First row!" The snappy voice of Professor Snape caught Kadric out of his daze. "Pass these papers behind you, and then began to answer the questions immediately!" With that, he spun around and headed back to his desk. There was a rustling of paper from the front row. Kadric caught himself gazing at the back of Chalondra's head as she fiddled with the papers a few rows in front of him. At least he didn't have to make potions today, he thought. That would have been disastrous.

At that moment, Chalondra spun around to pass the sheet of questions to the student behind her. Kadric lowered his eyes immediately, feeling stupid for having stared at her hair. What was up with THAT, anyway?

Finally, he got his papers. He was the last student, so he didn't have to spin around and pass his papers to any more students. He opened his book with a sigh, lifted his quill, and flipped the paper to answer the first question. But what his eyes met was not the list of questions that should have been glaring at his eyes. Instead, a neatly folded piece of paper stared at him. He poked it with the tip of his quill hesitantly. Nothing happened. So instead, he poked it lightly with his fingertip. Instantly, ink spread out from where his finger had touched. Gasping lightly, he pulled back. From where his finger had touched, the words To Kadric. He looked at it, puzzled, and then recognized the writing as Chalondra's, from all the notes she had written in their tutoring. He glared at it, momentarily contemplating burning it with a spell. But sudden curiosity took over. What would she have written that needed such heavy spells on it? Shrugging, he picked it up and unfolded it, making sure to keep it hidden from prying eye's view.

To Kadric,

If you haven't already burned this note, please read. I know what I did in the Three Broomsticks was wrong. I was just...oh, I don't know. Confused? Yes, that works. I was confused. I think you know what about.

So you if you still don't hate me with all of your being, please meet me in Greenhouse Three after classes. No, not for tutoring. I just need to–well, yea. Um...please meet me. I really need to tell you something.

Chalondra.

Well. That made things all the more awkward now, didn't it? Shredding the note slowly, Kadric thought over what she had written. So she knew what she had done was wrong. Well, that made him feel some sort of smug happiness. And she had sounded truly confused when she had written it. And she had gone to great lengths to charm it from everyone's eyes but his. Now how did someone do that?

Shrugging, he deposited the small bits of shredded paper into his book bag. What was he going to do? Yes, he wanted to clear things up. Yes, he wanted to see her again, as strange as that sounded. But the iciness between the two was worse than what he had hoped for, even though he was the one causing most of the frostiness. And since Chalondra had made the first attempt...well, he didn't want to disappoint an audience now, did he?

And truth be told, he sort of missed tutoring. No, not the benefits that came with it, but tutoring. Chalondra.

What was wrong with him lately? Shaking his head, Kadric dipped his quill in ink and began to scratch an illegible answer to the first question. She better have a good apology ready.

The crunching of footsteps through snow outside of the greenhouse nearly sent Chalondra through the roof. It was him! It was him! It was Kadric! It had to be! She hoped. If it wasn't...she glanced at the box that sat idly on the table. If it wasn't him, his Christmas present would go wasted.

The sound of a key fitting into a keyhole snapped Chalondra back into reality. She gave a little gasp. She looked terrible! The usual feminine vanity took hold, and she began to pat down her shirt and trying to straighten her hair. But the door was creaking open. Sighing impatiently, she forced herself to sit at the table and act nonchalant. Her hair was still in a messy bun, her shirt still rolled up and untucked, but she hoped she looked somewhat presentable. After all, this was an apology she was going to make!

At the last minute, she remembered to heave the box off of the table and shove it under the table. No need for him to see it if, by the end of the apology, he still hated her.

When he walked in, a familiar tense silence settled between them. Chalondra bit her bottom lip as she noticed Kadric take an extra long time to close the door behind him, then hang his cloak up on the hooks that lined the wall. She loosened her tie as he slowly double checked the obviously closed door. It was beginning to get oddly hot in there, and her tie only seemed to be suffocating her.

"Um...hi," she greeted meekly. As the one to start this awkward meeting, she felt strangely in charge.

"Hey," he replied quietly. Too quietly. Chalondra narrowed her eyes. Something was going on in Kadric's mind she couldn't really see. Heh, probably trying to figure out the best way to dispose of her.

That wasn't a very comforting thought.

She noticed Kadric standing awkwardly at the greenhouse entrance. She had never seen him looking so, well, quiet. And meek. Like a little boy on his first day of school.

"You can...uh, sit, if you want," Chalondra said, making a strange gesture at the chair opposite of her she hoped Kadric would see as inviting.

"Okay," he replied easily, slipping into the chair. Chalondra made sure to keep her feet tucked tightly beneath her chair. She looked up from her clenched hands to see Kadric watching her. Her cheeks grew red.

"What?" she asked meekly. He shook his head, looking away.

"Nothing."

"...Okay," she said, taking a deep breath. "I asked you to come here so I could...apologize."

The word sent Kadric's eyes wide. "You? Apologize?"

"Hey, I apologize easier than you do!" Chalondra accused. He shrugged.

"Maybe, but to me?"

Another silence.

"Maybe not. But stop changing the subject! I asked you here to say this–I'm sorry. I'm sorry for ditching you in the Three Broomsticks. Some girls can do that and not give a second thought about it, but not me. No, my stupid actions plagued me until I had no other choice but to send you that note."

"Gee, thanks," Kadric replied, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Chalondra rushed on. "And well, what I did...was stupid. I just felt so weird. I don't know! I mean, after what happened in the Hospital Wing, and you just acting like everything was normal when it so obviously wasn't, and then that guy–" Chalondra let out a little gasp and clamped her hands to her mouth, face burning.

"Guy?" Kadric felt something unfamiliar clench at his stomach. "Wait. What guy? Is there some nerdy Ravenclaw guy, Chalondra?" The seriousness of his tone must have been amusing, because Chalondra let out a shaky smile.

"Guy? What guy? You're crazy! And why do you care, anyway?" Chalondra gave a nervous twitter. She had almost let it out! She had almost let out the pressure that cloaked man was giving her. "Um, the point is...I did the wrong thing. I guess I should have tried to talk things out rather than...rather than run away." Chalondra blushed deeply. "I know that sounds really dumb, but..."

"But it's better than being a chicken," Kadric finished quietly. Chalondra was shocked. How did he know what she was going to say? "I've been...I have thought the same thing..once," he said, avoiding the whole point of his statement.

"I...see," she replied stupidly. Another silence settled between them. "So...do you...forgive me?"

Kadric's silent reply was nearly enough to send Chalondra over the edge.

"Kadric! I've apologized! That's all I can do! If you don't–if you won't accept it, I don't know what else I can do! I'm not going to beg! I'm not going to grovel! And I'm DEFINITELY not going to give you your Christmas present!" She stomped her foot angrily as she stood up to face him. Then, at the realization of her final words, sunk back down into her chair. Opposite her, Kadric had the most shocked expression she had ever seen on his face. "Oh no...," she whispered weakly, hiding her face with her hands. "I didn't just say that...did I?"

"You–got me a present?" Kadric asked in answer to her last question. Chalondra didn't reply, but instead, nodded her head numbly. Ohhh boy! NOW he was going to laugh!

But instead, he had something like shock and...happiness? Gratefulness? Written all over his face.

"I...wow. A present? How come?" His voice came out in a false, relaxed tone, but Chalondra could clearly see how tense he was through the spaces in her fingers.

"I don't know," she answered miserably and truthfully. "For being my tutor, I guess. A little thank you gift. Even if...even if you're not tutoring me anymore, I might as well give it to you."

"Whoa! Wait! ...Not tutoring? When did I ever say that?"

A small bubble of hope rose in Chalondra's chest. "You mean...?"

"I was going to accept your apology, if you had just given me ten extra seconds! I like to draw things out." He flapped a hand at her. Chalondra looked at him with a slight smile on her face. He must have noticed, because he stopped flapping his hand and glared suspiciously at her. "What? What're you smiling at?"he asked cautiously.

"You've..." Chalondra stopped. She was about to say 'gotten nicer,' but he would hate it if she said that. "You've gotten different," she said instead. "I remember that before we probably would have hated each other for the rest of our lives."

Kadric smirked. "Yes, well, the bond that is that of Student and Teacher is a strong one. It changes people."

Chalondra could see he was trying to be amusing, what with the mock serious tone he used. But even as she chuckled at his words, she took them to heart. Could they really...be true?

"So," Kadric said breezily, "you said you have a present? Because, you know, I didn't get you one or anything..."

Chalondra shrugged. "I don't care. I don't need one. This is a thank you gift, remember?" She bent down to lift up the box. She grunted as she rested it on the table. "Wow, that's kind of heavy," she panted, resting an elbow against it. Kadric looked first at the box, then at Chalondra.

"This...is for me?"

She nodded happily, shoving the box across the table. "Yes! Open it!" She acted excited, but deep inside, her body was just screaming out to be swallowed by the earth.

He opened the box slowly, standing up just as painfully slow to make Chalondra nervous.

"Stop and just hurry!" she prodded. He smirked at her, and then, just as slowly, bent over to look in the box. The gasp he gave was one of happiness. She hoped.

"Is this...? Did you...?" Kadric's sentences drifted off as he lifted the present out of the box. In his hands was a nice, clay pot, roughly the size of a small beach ball. Of course, the pot wasn't empty. In it sat mounds and mounds of healthy dirt. But that wasn't just it. In the dirt, sat a wizened looking tree shrub. It was small, roughly up to just a bit lower than Kadric's waist. It had a gnarled trunk that glowed almost silver. Leaves that looked like ivory split off of the branches, growing out in little, elegant bunches. At the top bloomed an unnatural looking purple blossom that unfurled as Kadric heaved it out of the large box. It seemed to give off a glow itself. Kadric's jaw dropped at the plant. "You got me...a...a...a..."

"A Fairy Tree!" Chalondra interjected happily. She was quite satisfied with the shocked expression on his face. The saucer-sized eyes and the huge, open mouth were enough to make her happy for years to come. "I knew you liked plants, and I couldn't think of anything else to get you for Christmas, so...tada!" she said a little weakly. He didn't look away from the glow the plant emitted.

"I–I just...I don't deserve this! How'd you get it? Don't you know how rare these are?"

Chalondra grinned. "I got special permission from Professor Sprout. It was one tough job, let me tell you that!"

Kadric's hand shot out to grab her arm. She flinched, but didn't pull away. "So that's why you're so dirty," he said absently, inspecting the dirt that caked some of Chalondra's skin. She blushed, getting the sense to yank her arm back.

"Hey!"

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing! I guess what I'm trying to say is...well...thank you."

Those words alone, even if they were awkward coming from Kadric, were enough to get her to float on clouds.

"So you really like it? I hear that on the full moon, if it's outside, flocks of fairies are supposed to be attracted to that flower on the top."

Kadric nodded absently, still staring at the plant. "It's...amazing. How did you know to get me a plant?"

Chalondra smiled again. "I just...had a hunch."

In three swift movements, Kadric had walked around the table and grabbed Chalondra in a rib-crushing hug. She gasped for breath, but was pleased all the same.

"No one has ever gotten me such a wonderful gift," Kadric said softly, pulling away from her. Chalondra saw the blush on his face and felt immensely pleased.

"Really? Well, you know. It was nothing. I was glad to, well, you know..." The warm feeling of having Kadric voluntarily hug her still clouded her thoughts. "If you're happy, you're happy," she blurted. She gasped at her words, feeling her face immediately burn up. What kind of person said that? Especially after an awkward kiss that neither of them could explain?

But Kadric seemed to be in a good mood. The Fairy Tree had that effect on people. "Thanks," he said again. Chalondra, who, naturally being a girl, had been hoping for a little bit more than a few thank you's. Yes, she knew kissing Kadric–who was a SLYTHERIN–was wrong, but that didn't stop it from being...well...nice. Good. Normal. Comfortable...Right. She couldn't think of the word, but she would much rather have that happen again than just a few thank you's and a hug. Didn't he know how hard she had worked? That plant had the most stubborn roots known to wizardkind. Yes, the hug had been nice, but...

Kadric was back over staring at the tree before Chalondra could comprehend it. She glared at him. "Yes, the tree is very pretty. Are you done yet?" she snapped, feeling her annoyance burst out into angry tones. Kadric looked back at her, almost dazed.

"What?"

"Okay, is that tree making you drunk or something?"

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it's pretty cool." Kadric grinned lazily at her, and Chalondra gave an irritated sigh. For all he knew about plants, how could he forget that this one might get him drunk on...on beauty, or leaves, or whatever it was!

"Kadric, snap out of it!" Come talk to me, she pleaded silently.

He seemed to listen to her command. "What?" he asked, spinning around. "What's going on?" His eyes seemed to come more into focus, and he stood up suddenly. "Whoah...that tree was doing something really weird."

Chalondra smiled, reassured that he wasn't going crazy. "I think you were so in awe by its beauty or something you were struck dumb. Not that it made much a difference," Chalondra shot at him. Kadric blinked. Once. Twice. Three times.

"Wow. I actually wasn't expecting that. You know," he said, walking away from the glowing tree and pacing around the table so he was beside her. "You're getting better at this."

"Better...at what?" she asked, realizing how close they were. Kadric smirked down at her.

"You've secretly been initiated into Kadric lessons! Congrats! You passed level three!"

Chalondra glowered at him. "YOU just set yourself up!"

Kadric sighed heavily, waving a hand at her. "Fine, fine. You have me there too. Will your endless, Ravenclaw logic cease to amaze me?" he asked sarcastically grinning. Chalondra opened her mouth to retaliate, but Kadric's hand on her head stopped her in mid movement.

"Calm down," he said, ruffling her hair slightly. She let her jaw drop at his touch. Wait, wait, wait. Kadric was touching her? Voluntarily? Again? What was wrong with both of them?

He seemed to realize this at the same time as her. His hand paused in mid-ruffle, and the two stood in that exact pose for an awkward amount of time. For a silent, awkward amount of time.

"Um," was all Chalondra managed, Kadric's hand still tangled in the wisps of her black hair.

"Yea. Sorry about that," Kadric apologized, pulling his hand away from her. She grinned weakly as the weight left her head.

"...Yea," was all she managed. The two stood closely for a few moments, then Chalondra glanced at her watch. "What? Oh no! There's like, ten minutes until dinner!" Chalondra rushed to gather her cloak and scarf, feeling empty as she broke away from the tight space between her and Kadric. He turned around, blinking slowly.

"Really? Wow. I'll go put the tree away."

The two rushed around in silence until they were both bundled up and ready to face the wintry outside again. As they stepped out and Kadric turned around to lock the door, Chalondra felt something she didn't normally feel take charge of her body. She wanted to act. As stupid as it sounded, she was sick of the awkward spaces that filled up most of her and Kadric's conversations.

Her next move would probably make it worse, but right then, she didn't care.

"Okay, it's all locked up now, so–" Kadric was cut off as Chalondra nearly jumped up and prsesed her lips lightly onto his. Shock registered all over his face, and alarm bells began ringing inside of his head. Was this normal? Was this good? Was this supposed to happen?

Before he could answer any of these, Chalondra was back on her feet. "Thanks," she said shyly, then, turning around, she raced for the school.

Chalondra was doing a lot of odd things to Kadric. Making him nicer, making him happier, ditching him, and even leaving him speechless. Now, that last one happened about once in his whole life.

This was that one time.

As Kadric watched Chalondra run for the school, he felt completely and truly baffled.

But in a good way.