I hurried down the steps, passing the Great Hall, and out the large wooden doors I went.
I stopped at the top of the stone steps as the doors close behind me, and take a deep breath and let it out slowly.

There's a light snow falling, I look up at the sky, having the snow fall on my flushed face.
I start to walk down the stone steps, already feeling better that I'm outside.

I look toward Hagrid's hut. The windows were dark and no smoke came from the chimney.
"Probably at the feast." I say to myself.
I continue my walk, not noting where I'm going. Just wandering.

I stop as I realize where I am. That bench, where I go to sort out my thoughts, that bench where I cried for my godfather, Sirius. . .the place where I had told Malfoy that I had lost that man that I cried for. I don't even know how I got here. It's like I just apparated here.
I sigh, and go to sit on the cold bench.

Sitting there, I start to think about every little thing that's happened. And I mean every little thing.
Starting with how I met Malfoy before I even came to Hogwarts, his smug personality not winning me over. Second year, of how I thought he might be the heir of Slytherin, third year of how he made fun of me for being scared of Dementors, fourth of how. . .well, he just plain irritated me! fifth and so on, it's been the same.
But now, since Christmas break, I don't know what's going on. How is it that me and him are now. . .friends? It doesn't make any sense!

I put my head in my hands, frustrated that I'm confused. I mean, why the hell is that me and Malfoy, BLOODY MALFOY, are now friends? I sigh, my head still in my hands.
Now I hear something. Someone walking towards me, that same crunch of snow under boot that I heard so many nights ago.

"Well, Potter. We meet again." I look up at Malfoy, an eyebrow raised towards me. He sits down on almost the exact same spot he sat when I came to think of Sirius.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" I ask quietly.
"Nothing really. I saw you and decided to come to be a bother. So, how can I bother you this snowy evening?" He asks with a smirk.
"Leave me alone." I say turning to face anything but him.
"That's a fine hello." He says in a joking way, "Potter, you weren't at the feast." He says abruptedly.
I look over at him, just to find him staring at me in return.
"I wasn't hungry." was my reply.
"You weren't at breakfast or lunch either, I'd think you'd be hungry."
"Well I wasn't." I say, not being able to think of anything else to say.

"You liar." He says, furrowing his brow.
"I don't care what you think of me." I say angrily. I then stand, and head for the castle.
I hear him as he gets up himself, and starts to follow me.
"Potter, get back here." He orders.
"I don't think I will." I say, not looking back.
"I'll give you to the count of three." I stop in my tracks, and swirl around to face him, disbelief on my face at what he said.
"You have no right to order me, Malfoy!" I spit out his name like poison.
"I just want to talk, that's all."
I stare at him, more angry than before. Why I was angry? Just because of everything.
"You want to talk?" I say as I step closer to him, "I don't have any reason to talk to you. I don't even know why we're talking now! I don't know why we've become chummy over Christmas break, and I don't know why the hell you gave me a present!" He looks at me with the cold expression that I've known for all Malfoy's to have.
But then, his cold features turn before my eyes into a face of, defeat? No, I'm not sure what that expression is.
"I don't know why we've become friends over this time," he starts, "Just something clicked. And, because I had no one else." He says barely, so I hardly catch it. He still goes on, now looking me directly in the eyes, "And when I got you that dragon, I didn't expect anything in return. I, I. . .I think of your company as my present."

Staring, that's all I'm doing at the moment. I'm just not believing what I'm hearing. He actually thinks that my company is his present? In a way that's-NO! NO WAY! Why am I feeling this way? I have to get out of here!

"Malfoy, I, um. Why-, oh, forget it! I don't want to do this right now!" I start to head to the castle once again, just wanting to forget.
"Potter get back here!" I hear Malfoy yell, but I don't stop, I just keep going.
Up the stone steps I go, still not looking back.
"Potter, just stop! I just want to ask you something!" He yells this as I've opened the doors. They stay open from me opening them so hard.
I stop, glaring at him, waiting so I can be face to face with him.

He reaches me, under the archway of the door.
"What do you mean you want to ask me something? Let me ask you something." I say hotly.
"Fine." was his reply.
"Why are you here? Why aren't you at home? I still want to know that." He looks up briefly as I keep ranting, "I thought you'd want to be at Malfoy Manor so you could get away from mudbloods, as you so like to call them," I stop a second as I feel a twinge of some sort in my stomach. I quickly dismiss it as anger.
"Potter." Malfoy now says calmly, but I ignore it and keep on going.
"I know you explained it before, but why have you been so friendly with me? I still don't know what in hell that's about!"
"Potter." He says calmly again, but with more urgency. I ignore him once again.
"And I don't know why you were so defensive when I asked you what book you were reading!"
"Potter!" He says with a great amount of urgency. I still ignore him.
"Was it a book of dark arts that no one is supposed to know about? Because you seemed pretty defen-"
"HARRY!" He yells interrupting me, and shocking me at the same time.
"What did you just call me?" Well, that's what I would have said. All I got out was, "What did yo-"
That's all I got out before Malfoy grabbed me by the shoulders, and kissed me full on the lips.


. . . . .