New Slytherin Girl

by AnnyBee

Not all Slytherins are evil; then again, they're not always so nice. But isn't that how all humans are? We grow, we learn, we adapt. At times we're hated and others we're loved. Seven eventful years, all seen through a Slytherin's eyes. Sometimes it's good to look at life from a different perspective.

108. Message Sent

I sat against my chair looking at the letter in front of me. It was just me and my puppy, spending some time alone in the room while everyone else noisily spent their time off in the common room. One would think that having it be so late at night people would be a little quieter. Lev was curled up in a ball on my lap, taking deep and sleepy breaths. I stroked his head lightly as I looked over the words I must have already read a hundred times. It had been a while since I had received Nikolai's letter but I still couldn't think of what to write as a response to his message. I let out a breath and opened the letter once more. Inside, his usual neat yet scribbled handwriting filled the page.

Katerina,

.

First of all, don't be smart with me. I worry about you, you little monster. So yes, even if I ask a hundred times as you so eloquently pointed out, I will continue to ask if you are okay. It's not my fault you're so far—Okay, fine, it is my fault a little bit. I'm still asking though. But I'm glad you're having fun.

It's good to hear you are enjoying the Triwizard Tournament so far; it sounds like it's really something. You must have really loved the dragons; I know how murderous beasts who could destroy entire villages in a matter of minutes always tickled your fancy.

How is Viktor doing? And yes I remember him; kind of hard to forget the kid who spent all his time with your little sister while you were in class. Which reminds me, tell him to remember what I said then. He'll know what I mean. It is strange to think he's the Bulgarian's seeker now. Even more so if it's true his personality hasn't changed. I'm sure you would be able to tell if it had.

But the Yule Ball sounds like the best part of the whole tournament. I wish I could have seen you getting all dolled up for that event. And no I'm not purposely being a prick when I say that… Okay, only a little, but that's only because the faces you make when you're forced into those outfits are priceless.

Did you and Malfoy have fun there? I don't think I will ever understand how you can spend so much time with that brat. And, for that matter, how he is still willing to spend so much time with you. Not that you're not a peach but there's only so much a man can take in his situation. Really he's some sort of saint by now. Anyway, I'm glad you're well.

I did want to talk about something else though, now that all of that is cleared, something a little more serious.

What do you mean you had stopped talking to Viktor?

Did you think I would see those words scratched off and just ignore it? I know it must have been difficult for you to deal with all that after I left, I knew that's why you decided on going to Hogwarts in the end, but don't go doing things like that. Don't go ruining friendships on my behalf. My life and my choices are my own, not yours. I love you Princess, I really do, but this is my life not yours. You still have your life and our parents' support. It's not as easy as you would think living without it. I'm fine, but I don't want you to end up in a similar mess that I did. And don't go and cut people off just because they say a few ill words. We both know that if this hadn't happened, if I had never met Daisy, you and I would be just as bad as them.

And speaking of which, I wanted to speak with you about her too. She is my wife, yes, but she has a name too. I know you're trying but I know what you mean when you just call her my 'wife'. Like I said just a few years have passed, and it still gives me a headache to repress all they taught us about Purity of Blood. If not that then step-monster's hounding about getting a 'real' job will do it. I've never had to work a day in my life yet I still manage to find a job and pay for a majority of our rent and still that isn't good enough for that hag. Things at the shop are going fine, by the way. Who knew I would be so good at selling muggle clothes? And Professor Gulbrandsen said my good looks and people skills wouldn't carry me through life. That shows her!

And no, before you ask I don't want your money. I got myself into this. Besides, when have you known me to run away from something when things get 'difficult'? It'll be alright, Princess. I love you, but remember I do love her too. Please, for me, just try a little harder to get along with Daisy. It would mean the world to me. Take care and let me know how you're doing because yes I'm asking again.

.

Love you lots,

Number One Salesman Extraordinaire

.

Reaching to the table I grabbed a seemingly average book and opened it. Inside was a hollowed out area that, when closed, was not at all visible. Carefully I reached over, folding my brother's letter, and placed it inside the book. In the off chance that someone made their way into this room without my permission I wanted to be prepared. Then, frustrated, I let out a groan, one loud enough to cause my puppy to jump a little.

Lev moved up from my lap onto the table in front of my seat. Giving him an apologetic look I turned to the side, putting my feet up on the armrest and letting out another groan. There were things I wanted to tell him, and things I didn't but knew I should, yet I still had no idea how to word them. Every time I tried to answer him it just sounded… wrong. I couldn't find the right words to say, especially when he was being so insistent on me being nice. Even in writing he could still tell what my thoughts were.

Instead of wasting time trying to write a reply I reached to my side and pulled out the linked piece of parchment. Using my knee as a stable surface I scribbled down a message for Draco.

Before you ask, I'm fine. Meet me on the grounds. By the forest, on the opposite side of the lake. I need to talk.

I waited and watched as the letters disappeared from the parchment, signaling the message was sent. Once it did I stood up, moving towards the room's entrance. Leaning down I kissed Lev's forehead before waving goodbye and exiting the room. Being mindful of my surroundings I stepped up the stairs and turned towards the spot I had instructed Draco. No matter how much I festered over it, sitting around and staring at words I had surely memorized by now, that wouldn't help. I needed to talk to him, and I needed some fresh air.

For a few minutes I paced back and forth in front of the wood, waiting for Draco. Now and then I would glance at the castle, making sure I wasn't inherently visible. I didn't need detention on top of everything else I already had to deal with. But, finally, Draco showed himself, walking away from the castle. I stepped out of the forest for a second, long enough for him to spot me, before returning to the coverage of the woods. Draco kept to the shadows glancing now and then to make sure he wasn't being followed. That was smart considering we were now technically past curfew. Still, he mostly kept his gaze on me. Even from a distance I could tell, his expression was one of curiosity and concern.

Draco didn't say a word when he met me by the forest. I didn't say anything either. Instead, I took hold of his hand and pulled him deeper into the woods with me. It was just past the entrance but far enough that the trees would hide us from anyone glancing our direction. Still, if need be, the castle was still within view for us. It was a good place to be, not too far inside the wood specially considering the time of night. Things go bump and what not.

As we stood Draco waited patiently still. I let out a sigh. Moving closer to him I wrapped my arms around his waist, placing my face against his shoulder. It took a second but he held me back. Gently Draco ran a hand through my hair, a habit that he had developed to get me to relax, from all the times I had done so with him. He waited. But, as I refused to speak, he couldn't wait much longer.

"So what's wrong?" Draco asked with a concerned tone, finally needing an answer. I pulled myself closer to him at his words.

"It's Nikolai" I muttered against his robes. With a sigh Draco began to readjust himself. He didn't pull away but he didn't speak either. I continued. "I keep reading his letter and thinking of all that's happened. It's been at least a month and I still can't answer him. I just don't know if I know how to deal with this."

"With what?" he asked half-heartedly. I looked up at him, he was looking ahead into the forest. Even having felt me move he didn't look at me, making me turn back to his shoulder.

"With everything" I answered though he most likely didn't want to hear it. "I mean, I know that he's happy. I'm glad that he is, of course. Still… I can't be happy with her. No matter what my brother says, how much he wants us to get along, she just..."

My hands gripped his robes as I rested myself against him. Draco sighed again before holding me closer to him. There was silence between us, only the rustling of the trees around us. He was always like this when I brought up Nikolai. I knew he would be but it still made me feel better to have him with me. I let out a jagged breath and continued with my rambling.

"That woman... took him from me" I mumbled against his chest. "If it wasn't for her none of this would be happening. My brother would still be here, everything at home would be like it was before. I know she's not a terrible person but… I want so much to hate her. I just can't accept her in my life."

"Why not?" Draco asked, not for his sake but for my own. He wanted to get me talking. Usually, if I talked it through, I felt better. He knew that.

"Because she took him from me" I insisted, getting closer to him. Draco let out a deep breath but let me do as I pleased. "If it were my choice, I would have her gone. Just have her disappear so that she could never come back."

"You want her gone, without a chance of return, that way she can't stand between you and him" Draco said instead of asked. He was just paraphrasing what I had said.

"Yes" I nodded against his shoulder.

"So then kill her."

Draco's comment surprised me, causing me to look at him. His expression was serious, no sign of him making a joke. I let out a giggle then began to laugh.

"Be serious" I called in between giggles and hugged him tightly to me. Draco smiled down at me and placed a hand on my head.

"I am being serious. If she bothers you so much just kill her. There, problem solved" he shrugged at me.

"Don't be an idiot" I smiled back. "I love him too much to kill his wife."

"Alright, then I'll kill her" Draco said simply. I paused for a moment, then laughed even harder.

"You? Kill someone? You?"

"Why are you saying it like that?" he protested, watching me laughing against him. Still, he kept a smile, happy to see he had made me feel better.

"You are not the least bit scary, Deedee. And you're not a killer; I doubt you ever could be, to be honest" I told him, once my laughter had settled down.

"Oh and you are?" he replied with a look. I let out a shrug before resting my cheek back on his shoulder.

"Under the right circumstances, perhaps. I can be a very cold hearted person. You, on the other hand, are far too sweet" I smiled up at him.

"'Cold hearted' says the girl who was literally crying on my shoulder just a minute ago" he reminded me.

"I wasn't crying" I protested but smiled still.

"Right, and I'm the Minister of Magic" he gave me a sarcastic smirk. Again I let out a laugh and held him closer against me.

"I love you" I laughed.

"I love you too" Draco said softly, holding me just as I had with him.

Leaning in, he kissed my forehead. Looking down at me he gave me a sweet smile. Draco let out a sigh and his face shifted, from looking down at me towards the forest like it had before. He frowned suddenly, looking like he saw something there. Then, after another second, he let out a mischievous smirk. His position then shifted. One of his hands moved to the small of my back as his other reached for my face. He held it gently and leaned in to whisper something in my ear.

"Feeling better now?" he asked, though waiting another second before leaning away from me.

"Yes?" I more asked than said. I didn't see the need to whisper this now but Draco kept his smirk.

"Why don't we go back to the dungeon? We can talk in my room. I'll kick the guys out so we can have some privacy" Draco suggested, stating his words very clearly. I frowned at him for that. It unnecessary to whisper but it was a stupid thing to say those words so loud, seeing as it made it easier for someone to hear us; it was already past curfew. But I just rolled my eyes and ignored his tone.

"I keep telling you, they're going to get real tired of you always kicking them out just so we can be alone" I shook my head at him. With a quick glance behind us I let go of Draco and began to make my way towards the castle.

"Don't worry, I'm sure they're used to it by now" Draco smiled grandly in return, putting an arm around me and following after. He waited until we were far from the forest before speaking again. Once he did, his voice seemed to have returned to normal. "If you don't want to go to my room we can always stay in the common room. It's late enough now that there should only be a handful of people there."

"I would rather just stay in the common room. Besides, with all of this I'm kind of tired" I admitted, leaning against him as we walked. Draco gave me a sweet smile and rubbed my arm lightly.

"You couldn't have done this a minute earlier?" he muttered, shaking his head.

"What does the time matter?" I asked confused.

"Trust me, it mattered" Draco chuckled, glancing back at the forest. "Let's just say you don't owe me for the late night call."

"You say that as if I was planning on giving you something in the first place. Also, you're being very cryptic right now and it's annoying me" I added with a small frown.

"I know. That's part of the reason you don't owe me" Draco smirked a reply. I rolled my eyes at him before turning to the stairs for the dungeon.

The Slytherin common room was, for the most part, empty. A few people were spread out here and there. A couple were sitting on the couches, some were playing chess, and one of the students looked to have fallen asleep in front of the fireplace. I grabbed Draco's arm and led him to one of the windows; something about the lake always seemed so soothing. Without bothering with the others in the common room we sat on one of the window seats. Draco leaned against the glass, waiting.

"I still don't know what to do" I admitted after a moment with a small smile.

"You know I'm the worst person to ask that to" he returned it before turning to the lake. It was dark, with no sun to shine on it from above and illuminate the waters. In that sense it was very similar to the sky at this time of night.

"I've told you before, you're the only one I have" I told him, tapping his foot with mine. Draco sighed and turned to look at the lake as well.

"I would still go with the whole 'killing her' plan" Draco said with a shrug. I leaned over to hit his arm lightly making him smirk. "I said I would. But, then again, I would have done a lot of things differently in your situation… So, what do you think you should do?"

"If I knew the answer to my own question then I wouldn't need to be asking you" I rolled my eyes at him. Draco turned to look at me once more.

"Then pretend I'm the one asking. If I were the one in your situation and needed some advice, what would you tell me to do?"

"First of all, I would tell you to stop whining" I smiled at him. Draco smiled back but shook his head.

"No, you wouldn't do that. Now, what would you tell me?" he asked again, more seriously this time.

I took a moment to think about his question. I had never thought of doing what he asked, pretending that he was the one in my situation. If I had to guess, in that scenario, my advice for him would be… to suck it up and make nice. Though, being the one actually in that position, that advice was far easier said than done. I frowned; no wonder he hated my nagging so much. Draco gave me a smirk as if he could tell what I was thinking. I stuck out my tongue at him in return.

"I don't know" I said finally, letting out a sigh. "Honestly, if it were you, I would just tell you to make nice or something."

"Make nice or something" he repeated with the same smirk. I gave him a sarcastic smile.

"It's not that simple" I grumbled, looking up at him. "She took away one of the things I care about most in this world. How can I just make nice with someone like that? It's really not that simple. Tell me, what would you do if someone did that to you?"

Draco's smile began to fade at my words. With a sigh he gave me a quiet look then turned to look into the water again. He frowned at it, thinking hard about it for some reason. I had meant the question to be rhetorical but waited, curious to see what he had to say. Once more Draco sighed before answering my question.

"There are some things I would want to do," he muttered, still frowning slightly, "but that doesn't mean I should do them. If someone took one of the things I cared most about I would want to end them, of course, but that doesn't mean I should. If I did… that important person wouldn't be too happy with me."

"So I should just grin and bear it?" I frowned at him.

"Not grin but yes, bear it. By doing anything else then you're just being selfish."

"I can't just be okay with it" I insisted. Draco shrugged at me.

"I'm not saying you should but you can't make it so obvious that you hate her if you want him to think you're okay with them."

"I don't hate her—"

"Bullshit" Draco coughed into his fist. I leaned over to hit his arm again, making him smirk at me.

"Language" I scolded. "And no, it's not. I don't hate her, I just don't like her and would rather she had never existed in the first place."

"Much better" Draco smiled sarcastically.

I gave him a look and raised my legs onto the window seat. The seat was long enough, or I was short enough, that my legs fit perfectly between the two of us. Draco looked down and grabbed my foot lightly, before turning back to me, his expression thoughtful.

"I never did get them a wedding present" I said and Draco blinked, not because of my words but rather because he seemed to have forgotten he had been looking at me. Draco nodded then looked away.

"That seems like a good start" he mumbled, letting go of me. I smiled a little and tapped my foot against his side, calling his attention back to me.

"Thank you" I said honestly. "You know, I don't know what I would do without you sometimes."

"The feeling is mutual" he replied wearing the same smile. Then, his sweet smile turned into a smirk. "I don't know what you would do without me either. Truly, I am one of a kind."

Letting out a laugh I kicked at Draco's side again. Still, he kept his smirk. After that the conversation got a lot less serious. Having said what I wanted to and done what I needed to Draco and I just continued to spend some time together. Although, in the back of my mind, I continued to think about Nikolai, and what Draco had said. But, soon enough, it was time for bed. With a smile I gave Draco a kiss goodnight before heading to the girls' dormitory stairs.

I let out a sigh, this time of relief. Finally I had an idea of how to start making nice. A present; something his wife would like and that Nikolai might appreciate. And, of course, not something that could easily be returned. Knowing my brother he wouldn't accept any gift I had in mind without starting some sort of squabble over it. But, now that I at least had a plan in mind, I could get some well needed rest.

The next day, we all sat at breakfast. There was the usual clamor of owls above as I took a bite of my meal. Everyone received their usual letters and parcels. Draco got his usual parcel of his usual treats. Upon opening it he handed me one of the sweets inside, making me smile. With a silent thank you I took a bite of the cake, just as Pansy let out a shriek.

"It's here!"

"Merlin, are you trying to turn us all deaf?" I grumbled after washing the bite down with milk. She ignored me.

"What did you get?" Draco asked me, looking down at the parcel that had fallen in front of me. It had been delivered by one of my father's owls. Papa was still nearby, wandering in and out of Hogwarts, doing his duties for the ministry. Thankfully, at the moment, he was away. I turned back to Draco and shrugged.

"Dunno" I answered, taking a bite of cake again. He gave me a smirk in reply.

I leaned back to allow Draco to take the parcel from me. He grabbed it swiftly; I never minded having him look at my things. Already I told him everything, having him look at my mail seemed trivial compared to some of the things he knew about me. Draco opened the package and smiled down at its content. He reached in and pulled out a neatly packed piece of chocolate. With a pause he look to me, a look seeking confirmation. I shrugged at him in reply and Draco took a bite of it.

"They must be treats from home, to give my pet" I smiled. Draco paused at my words. He turned to give me a glare, knowing what I was insinuating. With a frown he pushed the parcel back to me.

"Not funny" he grumbled, making me giggle.

"How are you both not fat by now, always eating those things" Blaise asked curiously, watching as Draco finished the rest of his piece of chocolate. We both shrugged at him.

"I got something good today" Pansy said loudly with a smirk as she waved a magazine back and forth, obviously wanting to be the center of attention. I gave her a curious look before reaching into my own bag of treats.

"Witch Weekly?" Daphne asked, looking at the cover of the magazine. "Isn't this for old woman?"

"Doesn't mean there's not some interesting stuff here" Pansy smiled back at her.

"Is the issue printed?" Draco asked with a smirk, finally noticing Pansy.

"I thought she wasn't done with it yet" Blaise mumbled, taking a bite of his eggs.

"She must want it to get out while it's still close to the task" shrugged Draco. I frowned at him.

"I'm guessing, since I didn't know about it until now, I am going to disapprove of whatever is in there" I noted, pointing to the thing. Pansy smirked at my words, as if wanting to confirm my suspicions.

"Why don't you read it for yourself?"

At her words, Pansy tossed the magazine in front of me. It nearly tipped my glass as she did. Annoyed but curious I set my food to the side and opened it. I flipped through a number of adverts and articles, ranging from various topics that seemed to target an older audience as Daphne had suggested. But, soon enough, I found what sounded like something they would be a part of. The name alone seemed to scream their involvement.

"Harry Potter's Secret Heartache?" I asked, though I really shouldn't have been surprised.

"Ooh, read it out loud" Daphne suggested, suddenly very interested in the magazine for 'old women'. I rolled my eyes at her but did as she suggested.

"'A boy like no other, perhaps—yet a boy suffering all the usual pangs of adolescence, writes Rita Skeeter. Deprived of love since the tragic demise of his parents, fourteen-year-old Harry Potter thought he had found solace in his steady girlfriend at Hogwarts, Muggle-born Hermione Granger. Little did he know that he would shortly be suffering yet another emotional blow in a life already littered with personal loss.' Already this is a mouthful" I made a face at the pages in front of me.

"Keep reading" Daphne insisted, already leaning in, not wanting to miss a word. I looked back down at the pages in front of me. Pausing slightly at the words I gave a small frown but continued reading.

"'Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to have a taste for famous wizards that Harry alone cannot satisfy. Since the arrival at Hogwarts of Viktor Krum, Bulgarian Seeker and hero of the last World Quidditch Cup, Miss Granger has been toying with both boys' affections. Krum, who is openly smitten with the devious Miss Granger, has already invited her to visit him in Bulgaria over the summer holidays, and insists that he has 'never felt this way about any other girl'

"However, it might not be Miss Granger's doubtful natural charms that captured these unfortunate boys' interest.

"She's really ugly, says Pansy Parkinson, a pretty and vivacious fourth-year student—" barely able to get the words out I let out a laugh.

"'Pretty and vivacious'?" I continued to laugh, taking a pause to catch my breath. "So, what, you literally told her what to write about you? Was that part of the deal for getting your 'expert' opinion on the subject?"

"Shut up" Pansy snapped at me. "You wish she would write an article with you in it."

"No, no I don't" I replied, still giggling. After another second, I quickly cleared my throat and continued the article.

"but she'd be well up to making a Love Potion, she's quite brainy. I think that's how she's doing it.'

"'Love Potions are, of course, banned at Hogwarts, and no doubt Albus Dumbledore will want to investigate these claims. In the meantime, Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart on a worthier candidate.'"

"Oh that manipulative bitch!" Daphne growled, spinning around to glare at Hermione.

"Hey now, don't blame Volkov for this. She was just reading what the article said" Blaise chuckled. I kicked his foot in response which only seemed to make him laugh harder.

"Do all of you talk to this woman?" I asked, tossing the magazine back to Pansy, who was looking quite satisfied with herself at the moment.

"Not all of us, but I don't really see a problem with it" Theo replied, putting a hand on Daphne's head. She still looked like she wanted to go over to the Gryffindor table and start a fight she may not win.

"Of course! That's the only way she would be able to get Viktor's attention, right? There's no way he would purposely pick her" Daphne mumbled, swatting Theo's hand away before fixing her hair.

"It's not true, Daphne" I told her with a look.

"Sure it is" Blaise contradicted with a nod. "Don't listen to her, Greengrass. Why else would Krum pick the mudblood over you?"

"You're right! Why would he?" Daphne nodded in agreement. Once again I kicked Blaise and once again he let out a laugh.

"Does she actually believe that?" Draco asked, which Daphne either did not hear or chose to ignore.

"People believe what they want to believe" I let out a sigh. "Tell them something they want to hear and they will ignore contradicting proof right in front of their faces."

"Oh, that's how you do that" Theo mumbled. I shrugged at him.

"It is the easiest manner of persuasion. But I don't use it to mess with people" I added with a look to Blaise.

"But you have to admit, it works perfectly" he smirked in reply. I rolled my eyes at him and turned my attention once again towards my breakfast.

Most of the morning after that passed in a blur. There was nothing noteworthy that happened; all just the usual boring things. But, come lunch, I wasn't even hungry. Having received the package from home I tucked away some treats in my book bag to use as in-lesson snacks. Not the most healthy of ideas but it did keep me entertained in the otherwise monotonous day. And, with that being the case, I decided to skip lunch.

Needing to catch up on a certain very boring topic I took full advantage of the time and decided to do some studying. That was probably the only reason Draco had agreed to let me be without too much nagging. I made my way to the grounds, heading for the central courtyard. Not many students spent their time there, being somewhat hidden and a little ways farther than the usual areas students populated. But, then again, that was why I preferred it.

As I walked around the area, looking for a place to sit, I saw George come around the corner. Upon seeing me he walked directly for me. Before I could say hello George grabbed my hand. Without saying a word he pulled me deeper into the courtyard, away from its initial entrance and from the sight of any wandering students. He pulled me against the wall, standing in front of me and frowning down at me.

"What was that?" he barked at me, once he found what seemed like a good place to do so.

"Hello to you too, George" I replied with a look. At my words he paused and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry. Hello" George said, though rather stiffly. I nodded at him and smiled.

"Good. Now, what are you yelling about?"

"I saw you last night… with Malfoy" George said, crossing his arms. I turned my head to the side slightly, not understanding. For a moment I waited.

"And?" I asked when he didn't continue.

"And?" he repeated with a frown. I frowned back at him.

"Yes, 'and'. What of it?"

"You two were hugging!" George yelled again. I waited, but again he didn't say anything more.

"And?" I asked again. George gave me a look. I returned it.

"What are you doing, hugging Malfoy, in the middle of the night, in the Forbidden Forest?" he exclaimed rather quickly.

"I feel like you're trying to make a point but I don't see it. Also, it wasn't the middle of the night; we were back in the common room before midnight. In my opinion, that's hardly past curfew. Is that what you're bothered about? Because, really, you're not one to talk—"

"No, that is not what I'm talking about!" he interrupted rather loudly. I stopped and gave him a look. George let out a sigh. "I'm sorry, it's just… Why were you even with him?"

"We were talking" I shrugged in reply. George frowned down at me, not finding that enough of an answer. "I couldn't stop thinking about something and… it made me upset. I needed to talk it out."

"So you went into the Forbidden Forest with him so late at night?" George continued with a look. "If you really did want to talk, why the Forbidden Forest? There are plenty of other places, public places, to talk. But no, you had to go out, past curfew, into the Forbidden Forest. And with that prick! What was so bad that you couldn't wait till morning?"

"It was about a letter… from my brother."

"Oh" he mumbled, straightening up.

"So are you done asking questions or do you want to keep yelling?" I replied, making sure he understood just how stupid he was acting. George sighed and leaned closer to me once more.

"I'm sorry" he said for the third time. Reaching out to me, George grabbed my waist and let out another sigh. "But you can talk to me about this too, you know."

"It was late and I needed to talk; why would I go ask you when I have Draco?"

"Because I'm your boyfriend. You should be talking to me" he answered, his expression darkening again. I rolled my eyes at him.

"So this isn't talking?" I asked sarcastically. George gave me a look but I interrupted before he could start. "Yes, you are my boyfriend, and yes, I talk to you too. But Draco is my best friend; we've been telling each other everything for years."

"Either way, talking is one thing but he shouldn't be touching you."

"It was a hug" I replied with a tired look.

"But it wasn't just a hug. I saw him and his stupid smirk."

"So he has a stupid smirk. What does that have anything to do with this?" I frowned at him. George paused for a second before pulling me to him. He gave me a tired expression, placing his forehead against mine.

"Oh, you can be so cute. But, sometimes, I wish you weren't. That way you could realize what a prick that guy is. You deserve better than him. I don't want you seeing him anymore."

"Well that's going to be hard to do seeing as we have almost every class together."

"No, I'm serious" he persisted, with a small frown. I frowned back, not understanding what he meant. "I don't want to see you with him anymore. Like I've said, I'm sick of that prick—"

"Tell me you're not insinuating what I think you are" I interrupted pushing him back. George looked surprised at my sudden reaction. "Tell me you're not trying to tell me what to do."

"Kitty—"

"What is with everyone thinking they have any sort of say in my life" I let out a frustrated sigh. George frowned, getting over the initial surprise of my actions.

"You deserve better than that little git—"

"Don't tell me what to do" I repeated. "I like you George but Draco is my best friend. I will not now, nor will I ever, stop spending time with him, especially not for something as trivial as your little squabble or whatever it is."

"I am your boyfriend!"

"And do you think that gives you some kind of right over me?" I snapped, making him shrink back. George gave a frustrated sigh and turned to look to the side, though not stepping away from me.

"You don't understand. He—"

"I don't care what your reason is, don't tell me what to do" I repeated. Still George didn't look at me. "Besides, I don't know how many times I have to say this, Draco is my best friend. I know he's not perfect but neither am I and, because of that, we've developed a bond. I am not telling you that you need to like him, I know better than that, but being my boyfriend you need to realize that he is going to be around."

"So, what you're saying is, either I accept him or we break up?" he scowled at nothing in particular.

"I'm saying he is going to be around and it is your choice if you want to be too" I replied crossing my arms. He still wasn't looking at me. I rolled my eyes at him. "He's my best friend, George. I wouldn't ask you to stop spending time with Fred on my behalf."

"He's my brother!" he snapped, that finally getting his attention. "That's completely different!"

"Why?" I asked but put up a hand before he could answer; I was beginning to think people didn't understand what a rhetorical question was. "Fine, let me guess then. Because you two spend all of your time together? Because you two understand each other better than anyone else could ever hope to? Because you two have lived basically the same lives? Because you two are always there when the other one needs them?"

"Yes!"

"Well what do you think I do with Draco?" I asked with a look. George paused for a moment, as if considering my words, then let out a sigh.

"That's different" he repeated with a frown. I took a step closer to George, closing the remainder of space between us, making sure he listened.

"I know you don't like him, and I told you that I am not looking to change that, but Draco is a part of my life and that is not going to change any time soon. The only people that could change that are me and him. So, if this is really a problem for you…" I let my sentence hang, letting him make his decision.

"You just don't understand… The way he acts around you…" George shook his head. He reached up and placed a hand on my cheek. Running it lightly across my skin he looked at it before turning back to me. "What if I started hugging Angelina all the time, for no reason other than I wanted to?"

"Who's Angelina?" I asked curiously. George lowered his head in resignation.

"Fred's girlfriend" he answered with a small yet frustrated smile. It surprised me to note that, since his arrival, this was the first time he had done so.

"Why would you be hugging Fred's girlfriend?" I asked, not understanding what he meant. George sighed, moving his hand from my cheek slowly down to my neck.

"It was just an example. I thought it would be someone you recognized, since we've introduced her to you at least fifteen times" George mumbled the last part before shaking his head at me. "Never mind, then, just picture me going around hugging a random girl all the time."

"Why would you do that?" I frowned, not seeing his point.

"Exactly" he nodded though I still didn't understand. I continued to frown slightly at George. He was being irrational, at least I thought so. It took me a moment of thought to see what he was getting at.

"You're kidding, right?" I asked, realizing what was causing his irrational behavior. "You started all of this because you're jealous?"

"Maybe" George muttered to the side. I frowned again, a little more seriously this time.

"Are you an idiot?"

"Well excuse me for choosing not to compete with a guy who could literally break us up without even needing to be present" George grumbled. Reaching up I moved my hand to the back of his head and hit it. George turned back to frown at me but paused when he saw my smile.

"You are an idiot" I giggled. George smiled and leaned down to look at me.

"Damn it, you're cute" George groaned, leaning into me. Closing the little distance that existed between us George bent down and kissed me.

"George" I scolded, pulling back.

"Well you are" he shrugged, though knowing full well that wasn't what I had meant. "You're too damn cute, and that prick knows it."

"Don't call him that" I sighed, wondering why I bothered anymore. George leaned in to kiss me again. I pulled away but he only smirked and leaned in again. "George."

Ignoring my scolding George moved closer. But this time instead of aiming for my lips George bent down and kissed my cheek. Slowly he moved from my cheek to my jaw then trailed his way down to my neck. George grabbed onto my waist, wrapping his arms around it and using it as leverage. Then, after a moment, he moved again, from my neck to the bend of my shoulder, before biting me.

"George!" I jumped slightly. George looked up to give me an impish smirk.

"Do you really think that by saying my name over and over I am going to want to stop kissing you?" he grinned. I hit his side and he chuckled.

"Please don't give me someone else to be annoyed with" I sighed.

Instead of answering George just smiled down at me. I let out a sigh realizing, by his expression, it wasn't very likely he would let me do what I came here to do. Our position was proof of that, he had me pinned between him and the wall. So much for catching up on History of Magic. Pushing my hair back lightly George continued to look down at me, not saying a word. I frowned slightly at him.

"Why do you keep staring at my face?"

"You have a nice face" he replied with a playful smile. I rolled my eyes and looked to the side. George grabbed my chin lightly and turned it back. "It is. There's a lot of nice things about it. For example, did you know your eyes change colors?"

"No they don't" I corrected. George looked like he was about to argue but I interrupted. "My eyes are one color, hazel. Albeit they are known to have different shades in different lighting as said lighting accentuates certain tones within the eyes they are still one color, hazel."

"They're nice" George shrugged making me smile a little.

He kept his gaze on me. I didn't know what was so interesting about it but I didn't always understand him; George was special. Carefully he ran his fingers across my cheek. Then he paused. For a moment he didn't say anything, just began to slowly lean in.

"George" I complained, leaning back. "How many times—"

"Hang on, it's not for that" he grinned at me. Using his hold on my waist George pulled me back to where I was standing. "You have a little dirt on you."

"From what?" I asked, just before he touched my face. George ran his thumb over my cheek, in one spot in particular. Instinctively I flinched away from him. My back hit the wall and George gave me a surprised look. "That… is not dirt."

"Is it some kind of birthmark?" he asked, though looking more curious about my reaction. I shook my head.

"No, it wasn't there by birth" I said softly, resisting the urge to cover my face. If I did that, it would only bring more attention to the mark. He would get more curious.

"You have a scar?" he asked rather loudly, realizing what it was. I didn't answer but there wasn't really anything else it could have been. "Why didn't you tell me you had a scar?"

"It's small. Most people don't notice it so I don't bother bringing it up. It's usually overlooked. But, most people don't stand so close and stare at my face" I frowned slightly at him. He ignored it.

"How did you get it?" George asked, running his thumb across it once more. I stopped myself from pulling away from him as he did. Besides, I couldn't pull back any more; my back was already against the wall.

"I would rather not talk about it" I stated, looking to the side.

"Why? Did something happen?" he insisted.

"I said I don't want to talk about it" I said more assertively. George frowned a little but didn't press the subject. I gave a small sigh and looked up at him. "It's from when I was younger, around six or seven. It's not important."

"If it wasn't important you would have no problem telling me" he mumbled.

"George—"

"It's fine," he interrupted, "you don't have to tell me it you don't want to."

George gave me a smile that told me he wasn't lying. Swiftly he took my hand and pulled me to him. Taking advantage of the movement George held onto my waist and repositioned us. He sat us down against the wall we had been standing by, placing me between his legs as he pressed himself against the wall. With a smile he leaned me back, against his chest.

"But if you ever want to, you can" he added, still curious on the subject.

"I'll keep that in mind" I replied, sitting up straighter. George kept a hold on my waist, making it so I couldn't stray too far. Looking at me he suddenly let out a sigh, as if having just thought of something.

"So… does Malfoy know how you got that scar?" George asked with a frown. I let out a sigh as well.

"Does it matter?"

"So that's a yes" George pouted.

"I didn't say that."

"So that's a no" he smiled now. I rolled my eyes at him.

"I didn't say that either. It doesn't matter, George" I frowned, not wanting to get into that conversation again. George pouted again. Still making that face he looked down at me. He was still curious about my scar, I could tell. I ignored him, not wanting to talk about it, or thinking about it for that matter.

"Yeah, okay" he grumbled. Wrapping his arms tighter around my waist he leaned in and rested his head on my shoulder. Tilting it slightly to kiss my neck George let out a sigh. "You smell nice."

"Thanks" I replied simply, not wanting to get back on the topic. I didn't want George asking too many questions. I didn't like thinking about it.

Having George finally stop asking questions I reached over to my bookbag. Rummaging through it I pulled out my study book, placing it on my lap. George turned to look at it curiously, looking up only slightly from my shoulder. Once he saw what it was he made a sound of distaste and rested against me once more. From my bookbag I also pulled my notes for the class, to add onto.

I sat for a while, scribbling here and there as I found something worth noting, making sure my notes were clear since Draco was sure to want to borrow them. George sat quietly behind me, glancing now and then at what I wrote. I mentioned he should probably go eat lunch but he insisted he wasn't hungry. Other than that he bussied himself with what was around him. He picked at the grass around us, or played with my hair until I told him to stop. Most of the time I ignored him, keeping to my studies. That is until he found it more entertaining to start biting my neck.

"George" I scolded, putting down my quill. Looking up at me he gave me a smile. "Do I need to remind you? We are at school."

"We won't be at Hogwarts forever" he shrugged, unconcerned. "There's Hogsmeade tomorrow; we could have fun there."

"Oh, right. I wanted to talk to you about that" I mumbled.

"Why?" he asked with a small frown, most likely guessing by my tone just what it was I wanted to talk about.

"I was actually planning on going with the other Slytherins."

"You already went to the second task with them" he complained making me sigh. It figures that making Draco happy would only upset George.

"I can't be with you all the time" I said softly, turning back to my book. "It's not my fault you're not a Slytherin."

"Because I'm not a prick" he grumbled to the side. I waited, just looking at him. George paused then realized what he had just said. "No, not you, I meant—"

"Everyone else in my house?"

"Exactly!" he nodded making me smile.

"We can't spend all of our time together" I repeated, which didn't make him happy.

George grunted in response, clearly not satisfied but not wanting to argue. He leaned himself against my back and pressed his cheek against my shoulder. Even so, it was the smart thing to do. My father was still nearby. It was best for everyone we not go together. If he happened to be at Hogsmeade… Already George was overly affectionate at school, I didn't need to know how things would turn out if Papa saw us at the village. I reached over and patted his head lightly. George looked up and gave me a small smile, though not looking happy about what I had told him. Still he leaned in to kiss my jaw before returning to rest his head on my shoulder.

I focused a bit more on my studies after that but it wasn't much longer until lunch was over. Though the courtyard was not that far from the castle's entrance it took some time to get back inside. That was mostly due to the fact that George kept stopping me. In his mind it seemed only fair that I would spend more time with him now since I was leaving him to go with my friends to Hogsmeade. And, after insisting for just one more hug or one more kiss, he finally let me go with a wave, looking completely unashamed of nearly making me late for my class.

It wasn't an important lesson at least. I didn't care as much about that as I did about the one after, Double Potions. In my opinion, it was the best class we had at Hogwarts, although followed closely by a few others. But, finally, I made my way to the dungeon. Near the entrance to the Potions room the others all seemed to be waiting there. Together they were huddled, mumbling and sniggering to themselves. Curious I moved and joined their cluster.

"What is it?" I asked, standing next to Draco.

"Nothing!" Daphne snapped instantly. Blaise laughed openly, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"It's just a story" he patted her head, in an almost condescending sort of way. My gaze moved to Pansy's hands and saw the magazine again. They were still talking about the article in Witch Weekly. I gave Blaise a look.

"You are going to make her snap" I told them, turning to Daphne.

"That's what I said" Theo complained, turning to give Blaise a look too. He raised his hands sarcastically in response. "And Daph, you need to let this go. Things don't always go the way you'd like in life."

"Obviously" she grumbled, giving me a frustrated look.

"What did I do?" I demanded, to which they all turned to look at me. They were talking about George. "Oh, right."

"Will it make you feel better if we throw this at the Gryffindors' faces?" Blaise asked her with a smirk.

"A little" she admitted with a nod. I made a face at both of them.

"What?" Blaise asked in the most innocent tone he could manage, which wasn't at all convincing. "Don't you want to make poor Daphne here feel better?"

"There they are, there they are!" Pansy suddenly chuckled, making all of us break apart.

"Remember, this is for Greengrass" Draco leaned in and whispered in my ear, sounding amused already. I stuck out my tongue at him.

"You might find something to interest you in there, Granger!" Pansy said loudly throwing the magazine at Hermione. She caught it but looked surprised.

"Fine" I hissed at him and kept quiet. Draco smirked at me, Daphne giggled next to him.

At that moment the doors to the Potions room opened. Professor Snape appeared, beckoning everyone to come inside. Students trailed in behind him and I made way for our usual seats. Draco sat next to me, that stupid smirk still on his face. At the front of the room Professor Snape moved to write down the ingredients, as well as the instructions, for today's brew. Next to me Draco leaned in.

"I'm surprised you haven't started lecturing everyone on being nice to the Gryffindors" he whispered, keeping an eye ahead at Professor Snape.

"I'm not your mother" I whispered back. "Besides, I wasn't lying before. Daphne really is going to snap in one way or another if you all keep teasing her like that. She can't take too much of that sort of thing."

"We'll be nice" he cooed at me. I rolled my eyes in return.

Nearly separating that which would be used in the potion I arranged my ingredients. First I prepares the items. With potions every now and then it was required to include something that had to be cut or altered at specific times. Most of the time, however, that wasn't the case so I preferred to get a head start. Because of that I began to cut the ingredients to the manner instructed. The boy next to me, on the other hand, was more concerned with other matters.

"Nothing" Draco grumbled, sounding disappointed. He was looking at the Gryffindors and Hermione had a smile on her face.

"You know, if you spent as much time studying as you do trying to annoy others you might even have better marks than I do" I shook my head at him, still working on my potion. Draco shrugged a reply. "Besides, she is not as weak as you would like to assume."

"Wait a minute" Draco said suddenly with a small smile. I moved to see what he was looking at.

The three Gryffindors looked to be arguing amongst themselves now, with Hermione beginning to blush. Turning back I gave Draco a look. He merely smiled in response. Their voices were getting louder though it was still hard to hear from where we were sat. Draco moved his seat closer to mine, trying to hear what they were saying. Ignoring the scene I turned back I focused on my potion once more.

Glancing up at the front to check I had everything prepared I noticed movement and moved to hit Draco on his side. He turned to frown down at me but stopped when I pointed towards the front. Professor Snape was beginning to make his rounds among the desks. Draco complained quietly but sat up, starting to get to work. He paused, looking down at his cauldron, unsure of what to do seeing as he hadn't bothered to even check what the name of the potion was. Tapping his arm I called his attention and signaled at where he should start. By the time Professor Snape got to us Draco already had a decent start. Watching the professor walk off Draco almost put in the wrong ingredient. I swatted at his had before he could, earning me a look before he turned back to look at the Gryffindors.

"Fascinating though your social life undoubtedly is, Miss Granger, I must ask you not to discuss it in my class. Ten points from Gryffindor" Snape announced loudly, walking up behind them. Getting closer he glanced down and found something of interest. Under their desk was Pansy's copy of Witch Weekly. "Ah… reading magazines under the table as well? A further ten points from Gryffindor… oh but of course… Potter has to keep up with his press cuttings…"

Draco laughed next to me, as did a number of other students.

"Harry Potter's Secret Heartache… dear, dear. Potter what's ailing you now?" Professor Snape asked and began to read the article out loud. "'A boy like no other, perhaps...'"

Now both Harry and Hermione had their faces red. Professor Snape continued to read the article, word for word, stopping slightly after each sentence to allow the laughs that accompanied. I turned to glance at Daphne. She giggled happily next to Theo. With a sigh I turned back to my cauldron, ignoring the scene completely. Hermione looked upset but even if I did intervene that wouldn't have done anything but annoy Professor Snape and get her into more trouble. Besides, Hermione needed something to be happy about; she was really upset about Vik's choice of partner.

"How very touching" Professor Snape announced, rolling up the magazine once he was finished with it done. Among the students there was still laughter here and there. "Well I think I had better separate the three of you, so you can keep your minds on your potions rather than on your tangled love lines. Weasley, you stay here. Miss Granger, over there, beside Miss Parkinson. Potter-that table in front of my desk. Move. Now."

Hermione moved grudgingly to her new seat. From the desk Pansy had a look that suggested she couldn't decide between being happy at the opportunity or appalled. Up ahead Harry moved to sit just in front of Professor Snape. The two looked to be talking with each other, even if they wouldn't show it. Ignoring them I turned back to Hermione and Pansy. Judging by her stupid smirk I knew she would only be saying stupid things if left alone. I glanced back to the front for a second before looking at Draco.

"Try to follow the instructions, would you?" I told him. Draco gave me a confused look. But, as I grabbed my bag, his expression became cleared.

"You're not serious" he frowned. I gave him a smile and stood up, quickly moving to my soon to be new seat.

"Pansy, trade me cauldrons" I said quietly, placing my bag on the floor by her chair. Both her and Hermione gave me a surprised look.

"Are you insane—"

"I am doing you a favor and we both know it. Move" I sighed, glancing at Professor Snape's desk. He was still not looking at the class.

Pansy lowered her eyes at me but, seeing as this was an opportunity for her to get near Draco, she accepted. Grabbing her things from the floor she strutted over to Draco who was still frowning in my direction. I waved at him in response and started fixing the mess Pansy called a potion. Hermione let out a groan next to me.

"They are insufferable" she complained, throwing a bundle of ginger roots into the cauldron, narrowing her eyes at Draco and Pansy.

"That's really selfish of you, Hermione. Be more considerate; I'm the one that has to live with her" I smiled. She looked up and smiled back.

"So, is this what it's going to be like" she mumbled, though not particularly at me.

"Probably. I wouldn't worry too much about it though. Rita Skeeter isn't one for telling the truth and frankly her idle gossip gets annoying" I said truthfully before continuing and lowering my voice. "I do know that some of those things were true though. I do talk to Vik too."

"Right" she said quietly, starting to turn slightly red again.

"Don't get so worked up over it" I reassured her, returning my voice to a normal level. "People will have something to say about you no matter what you do. That will always be a part of life. So, because of that, your only concern should be what makes you happy. If you are happy with yourself then who cares what everyone else thinks."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"It's like with Hagrid and the whole half-giant thing. He's an alright guy, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is" Hermione smiled wider.

I worked to stir the mess Pansy called a potion. Adding several more ingredients than I initially meant to add I tried to delude the brew of the excess armadillo bile. The way to make a good potion was balance, which was a lot easier to do than Pansy was making it look. But I took it as a challenge, trying to fix her mess. Besides, it was a sacrifice worth taking.

That sacrifice was necessary if I wanted to get some time alone with Hermione. Aside from wanting to keep Pansy from hounding her, I needed to talk. If I approached her when she was with Harry and Ron they would get suspicious of my reason. I didn't want others getting involved in something like this. For a quick second I glanced around making sure everyone was minding their own business before starting.

"Hermione, I wanted to talk to you about something" I said in a low voice, looking down at my cauldron. Hermione turned to me but, seeing me watching my brew, she paused. Then, realizing what I was doing, she spoke.

"About what?" Hermione asked quietly but curiously, looking at her work as well.

"Not here, after class. Do you have time to meet after dinner? We can meet in the library."

"Just let me tell the boys I'm going to study for a while and they'll leave me alone."

"Alright" I answered and smiled up at Hermione. She smiled back.

After that there was a surprising interruption. Through the entrance the Durmstrang headmaster appeared. Not bothering to address the class he moved quickly to Professor Snape's desk. To some students' curiosity they began to whisper in a quiet yet fierce tone. After a moment of hushed arguing Professor Snape ended the conversation. But Professor Karkaroff wasn't finished. He stood behind his desk; he did this until the end of the lesson. Obviously, whatever he wanted to talk about was urgent.

The students began packing their things a few minutes before the bell, ready to leave the last class of the day. I walked to the door, though still curious at the two professors' impending conversation. As I got closer I moved to where the others were, talking amongst themselves waiting to be dismissed.

"Have fun taking my place?" Pansy teased as I joined them.

"I'm guessing you had more fun pretending to be in mine" I smiled back. Blaise chuckled as I looked at the front. What were they talking about?

"How badly did you mess up your potion without being corrected all of the time, Malfoy?"

"Shut up, Zabini."

All of them continued their usual chatter as I turned away. The two up front had began to talk, once Professor Snape reached his desk. Professor Karkaroff pulled up his sleeve of his left arm, showing him something. Quickly Professor Snape looked up toward the students, and I turned to the others. I smiled and pretended to laugh at something Blaise said. After a moment I looked back. Their argument was now hushed but at the same time more animated. I frowned in their direction.

"Come on," Draco pushed my shoulder lightly. The class was beginning to head out. I walked with Draco and followed after them. I couldn't hear anything anyway.

After class we made our way to dinner. Everyone seemed in a good mood after the lesson. Daphne at least looked to have calm down, which was the purpose of picking on the Gryffindors like that. But I didn't concentrate on that, instead I ate my meal quickly. I wanted to talk to Hermione. Looking over at the Gryffindor table I waited to catch Hermione's eye. Once she saw me I stood up.

"I'm going to the library" I announced, gathering my things.

"Homework?" Draco asked, in between bites of his meal.

"No, I'll do that when I return to the common room. I'm just going to browse."

"Well hurry up then" Draco commanded. I rolled my eyes at him and pushed his head lightly as I walked out of the Great Hall.

I moved towards the stairs, climbing up to the third floor. Walking into the library it was mostly empty. Dinner was still technically in progress so students were still there rather than studying. Even so a lot of the time students chose to stop by their common rooms to gather their things before showing up to the library; Hermione was most likely doing the same.

With a slow walk, not really in any hurry, I stepped through the library. Grabbing a seat in one of the more isolated areas I sat down. Placing my bag on the table I leaned against the chair, waiting for Hermione. I wanted to talk about Nikolai, more or less. Really, I needed a way to get him his gift. With such small yet significant differences between muggles and us I didn't think I could do anything on my own regarding that. It was starting to give me a headache so the faster I found a solution the faster that feeling would stop. People may say what they want but at the moment having a muggleborn friend was truly useful.

There did seem to be something else bothering me, however. Thinking about it, I couldn't stop going over the scene I had witnessed in Potions. Something about it was bothering me, as if I were missing some obvious piece to a puzzle. Professor Karkaroff had always been a nervous and overly careful person so it wasn't really a surprise to see him so anxious. Papa had once said that it was his most obnoxious quality. But Professor Snape was always calm. Yet the way he had reacted towards the Durmstrang Headmaster when all he had done was show him the inside of his arm… He just showed him his left forearm...

I sat up quickly at the thought. There was one thing the two had in common, something very significant to what Professor Karkaroff had shown. It was the dark mark. Both had been Death Eaters at one point, and they both bared that mark. I knew for a fact that the mark had faded after the fall of the dark lord, if only somewhat. But then what had he shown him? Was it coming back somehow? The dark mark had appeared at the Quidditch World Cup after all. And Professor Snape… his face had looked concerned. But why had that been? Why...

"Hey!"

I jumped at the sound of the voice directly behind me. Turning quickly I found Hermione, standing just above me. She looked surprised, like I most likely did. With a sigh of relief I leaned back against my chair once more. Hermione moved to the side and grabbed the chair of the table on the other side. Lifting it up so it wouldn't make noise she move the chair next to me and sat down.

"I'm sorry, did I scare you?" Hermione asked, placing her chair closer to mine. I shook my head at her, scooting my bag to the side so that she could place her own on the table.

"Just startled; I didn't expect to see you here already" I said reassuringly and gave her a smile. No need to bring up those thought with her. While it seemed likely… it was just speculation. "Did you tell Ron and Harry you were coming to study, then?"

"To do some reading" she corrected with a small sigh. "If I said I was going to do homework they would have wanted to come along and copy off my parchment."

"Same here" I smiled, knowing exactly how she felt. Part of me was sure that's why Draco had asked if I was planning on doing homework when leaving dinner.

"So what is it that you wanted to talk about?" she finally asked. I took a second to look around, just to make sure.

"Hermione..." I began in a low voice, "how do you buy a house?"

"I don't understand the question" she gave me a small frown after a moment. I smiled at her.

"It's rather straight forward isn't it?" I asked. "Well, I should clarify I suppose. How do you buy a house as a muggle? Are there certain restrictions or requirements that need to be met before a purchase? Is there certain paperwork? Are they made upon order or—"

"Why are you asking about buying a house?"

"Because that's what I plan on doing. It's for my brother" I added the last part as quietly as I could so that she would still hear.

"You're going to buy him a house?" Hermione repeated, louder than I would like. I gave her a look and she shrunk back. "Sorry. It's just surprising. Most people don't buy each other houses."

"Well I never did get them a wedding present" I mumbled a response. Hermione smiled though still not looking convinced.

"So you want me to help you buy him a house?"

" I can't buy one myself" I gave a small sigh and pouted. "You obviously know more about the muggle world than I do. Besides, if I use my name then it will only draw attention. My father has an annoying way of finding things out and I don't want this to be one of them. But, if a muggleborn happens to be doing muggle things while I just happen to be with her… Do you have a vault at Gringotts?"

"Yes. I opened one after I discovered the bank. My parents thought it would be helpful" she said with a nod. For a moment Hermione paused then turned to look at me. "Are you sure you want a house?"

"It's the only thing I can think of that he'll use. If I give him anything else he'll just try to return it. .This way it will literally be grounded and he won't be able to. Unless… how is most muggle architecture?"

"It varies from home to home sometimes but, yes, they are usually grounded" she giggled. I nodded at that.

"So, what are the usual requirements?"

Hermione leaned forward and reached for her bag. Rummaging through her belongings she pulled out a quill, ink, and something to write on. I smiled as she adjusted herself in a better writing position, ready to write down whatever plan we may or may not come up with. A lot of the time she reminded me of Theodore, sans the Slytherin colors and sarcastic undertone to everything he says.

"First of all," Hermione began, getting my attention again, "we need to figure out a budget to work with."

"That's not important" I told her but she insisted.

"It is literally the most important thing to consider when purchasing a home. You need to know how much you are able to pay for the property. Then there will also be the moving expenses of it, since I'm assuming you're not going to make your brother pay for that. There will also be the furnishing, if you want to do that. But even with those expenses covered there is still the utilities to be considered like water, sanitation, electricity—" Hermione stopped her sudden rant, noting my expression. She gave me a small smile. "I know some things are different but didn't your family go through something similar?"

"No" I answered simply. Hermione gave me a confused look making me shrug. "I was born in that place. My father inherited our manor from his great grandfather, I think it was. He was a traveler and established a home here before returning to Russia; he did this in a lot of countries actually. Through the years his descendants made sure to keep any properties he had acquired and care for them as much as possible. When my father decided to move, having finished school with my mother, they just settled in England since my mother was originally from here and it agreed with my father's planned career. All they really had to do was clean it up a bit and find some help."

"That sounds nice" Hermione said with a smile.

"Yeah" I replied, giving her a small smile in return. Then, I turned my glance down at her notes and frowned. "It was certainly a lot simpler than this. But, like I said, the price is not important."

"If you say so" she mumbled. Hermione turned to look at her notes for a moment before turning back to me. "Well, I suppose the best course of action would be to hire an estate agent."

"Estate agent?" I repeated, not familiar with the word. Hermione nodded.

"Essentially, they are middlemen who can be very helpful in these situations. They search for homes according to your specifications and help you get things situated. Of course they do charge a fee for their services" she added with a small frown. "Some work for flat rates but others work for percentages, usually between one and three for residential homes. It can get expensive…"

"It's fine" I waved my hand at her. "So, these estate agents, we find one then what?"

"We'll have to tell them what it is we're looking for in a house" Hermione said, as she scribbled down some more things. "Once they find one that's close to what we're looking for they will contact us with the details. You can either choose to have a look at the house, or view pictures, or just take their word for it."

"I can't really take a look at it myself though, can I" I mumbled with a frown, just thinking of that. Looking up I shook my head and smiled at Hermione. "I'll think of something later. Go on."

"Then, if we find a house we like, we will make an offer to the owners. If they accept then we get it."

"And if we don't" I asked.

"Then we don't" she answered simply.

"What if we offer more money than what they're asking for?" I asked curiously.

"Everyone offers more than the listed price" she shook her head at me. "Depending on how many other offers a house has, and the owner's experience with selling property, it can get very difficult to find a fair price. But that's what estate agents are for. They usually know how to get it right. After that a deposit needs to be made, usually a certain percentage of the total cost of home, and documents are signed by both parties involved. But once all the t's are crossed and i's are dotted, then the house is yours."

"And?" I asked, noting her face. She looked worried about something. "Is there something else you wanted to mention?"

"Well" she began, though hesitating, "how are you planning on paying for all of this?"

"Do you mean how or with what?"

"Honestly, both."

"With what; I have some money set aside" I explained. "My parents opened a vault for me at Gringotts when I was just a child which they regularly transfer money to so that I may use it instead of having to ask them every time I want something. Surely there's enough there to buy a muggle home—"

"This is not a toy house we're talking about" she insisted. "A decent sized home, especially in London of all places, could be up to 200,000 pounds!"

"How much is that in galleons?" I asked, frowning slightly at her tone.

"It's about 40,000!" Hermione exclaimed, making me roll my eyes.

"That's not bad. I'm sure I have enough set aside. I was honestly under the impression it would be twice that" I mumbled truthfully.

"You're serious, aren't you?" Hermione asked after a moment. When she saw I was she let out a laugh. With a nod, more to herself than to me, she agreed. "Alright then. But now what about the how?"

"Well, I was hoping you could help me with that" I admitted. "If I transfer some money to your vault you could exchange it for muggle money and pay those fees and all of that. I'll send an owl to Gringotts to make the exchange."

"You trust me with that much of your money?"

"You've given me no reason so far that suggests I shouldn't."

"Sounds like a plan then" Hermione smiled warmly before scribbling some more things with her quill. I smiled back at her.

"Thank you for your help" I told her, once she looked back up. "I appreciate it, really."

"What else are friends for" she replied. I nodded and continued with our conversation.

"And do you know of any of these estate agents?"

"It's not that difficult to find one" she assured me. "A lot of the time they are advertised behind newspapers and such. I can ask my parents to send me a few recent ones from home. It's not really strange that I ask. I like to keep up to date with those news too. Then, once we find one that seems good, I can contact them."

"Find one who works for percentages. Those types of people should be less complacent with settling for a home as they have something to benefit from" I added with a nod to myself. "Other than that, you can decide."

"Don't you want to have a look at them?"

"No, I trust your judgement. But with all of this trouble… he better be grateful" I grumbled, and Hermione let out a giggle.

We talked for a while about the details. Back and forth we discussed the ideas for their ideal home. It made me glad to have Hermione to talk to about this instead of having to do it on my own. Muggles seemed to always find the most complicated way of doing things. Aside from different fees to consider there was also furniture to think about. But after some time we found what seemed like a good template to stem from. With that, and Hermione's promise to find an estate agent, we decided to part ways. She made her way to the tower and I moved towards the dungeon.

Back in the Slytherin common room I saw just what I had expected, Draco needed my help. It was not much longer, after I had gotten to the dungeon, that he joined me. Draco sat down next to me on the couch most likely as soon as he saw me, his homework already in hand. I rolled my eyes at him but made space for him next to me, deciding to help anyway. That was just one of the things we did. Therefore we sat together and began to work.

"So what did you get for number four?" he asked, leaning against me trying to look over my shoulder at the answer. I hugged my homework to my chest and gave him a look.

"I said I would help you study, not give you the answers so you could cheat."

"Yeah, yeah, you have morals. So what is it?" he asked me again with a smirk. I stuck my tongue out at him making him roll his eyes. Turning back to my study book I continued to work on the homework. But next to me Draco's smile changed slightly. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, why?" I frowned at him, not finding any reason for him to be asking that.

"I'm not sure" he replied honestly, setting his homework on his lap. "You seem off somehow. Did something happen at lunch or in the library?"

"That is an oddly specific question" I giggled slightly. Draco smiled back before explaining.

"Well this morning you seemed fine so it's not from then. Nothing happened during lessons so it wasn't that either. The only other time something could have happened must have been when you skipped lunch or just now, when you left for the library."

"Makes sense" I nodded in agreement. "Well I wasn't really reading in the library. I was meeting Hermione."

"Why?" he asked making a face.

"I'll tell you the details later" I replied, ignoring his tone. "Let's just say I found a way to make nice."

"What about lunch?"

"Well, besides studying a bit, the only thing that I did was have a talk with George."

"Oh" he scowled, more than he had when I had spoken of Hermione.

"We argued, in fact."

"Oh?" he repeated, though much more cheerfully this time. "So, what was it about? It was about something stupid wasn't it?"

"It was about you, so yes" I smiled. Draco, though having just heard me insult him, gave me one of his usual smirks. That, however, reminded me of something. "The other night, did you know George was in the Forbidden Forest too?"

"So he did fall for it after all" Draco nodded to himself, seeming proud of his actions.

"Why did you try to make him jealous?"

"Because he's an idiot and I knew he'd fall for it" he continued, still keeping that same smirk on his face.

"How did you do it exactly? I don't really understand why he was jealous" I frowned. Draco looked to think about it for a second before answering me.

"If I tell you are you going to forbid me from doing it again so I don't hurt his feelings?" Draco asked. I rolled my eyes and shook my head at him. It wasn't my fault he was feeling that way, especially since he had no rational reason to be. "It was because I was holding you."

"That's it?" I asked realizing that really was all he was planning to say. "But that's stupid."

"I keep telling you, he's an idiot" Draco shrugged. I gave him a look and he chuckled before continuing. "Most people are generally very territorial, especially when they deem someone theirs in some way, like the relationship you have with that thing. So, when I am close to you, he feels like I'm invading his territory and gets upset. It's a pretty common human reaction and funny as hell to be honest."

"Just like Pansy" I noted, realizing it was similar to the way she behaved when I got within ten feet of him.

"Exactly. It is an incredibly simple way to get under someone's skin" he smiled. Then, after a moment, his expression became different. "So, what exactly was the fight about?"

"I wouldn't call it a fight. We have had far worse" I shrugged and he gave me a concurring look. "It was more of an argument, really. He just said that he wanted me to stop spending time with you."

"And what did you say?" Draco asked, in a slightly more serious tone.

"That it wasn't going to happen, obviously" I rolled my eyes. Draco smiled once more. "You're my best friend. It's stupid that he would think I would say anything else."

"I keep telling you, he's an idiot. But I'm guessing you didn't break up with him" Draco said with a less happy expression.

"No" I replied though with a giggle at his tone. "I do like him, he just has to realize with his place is."

"And where is that, exactly? I mean, obviously behind me" he stated, without a doubt on his mind, making me smile.

"Honestly, yes, but not by as much as you would like, I'm sure" I replied. Draco shrugged back.

"Still, so long as he knows where his place is" he smirked and leaned closer to me. Draco leaned over to look at my parchment. I snapped it back up before he was able to see anything.

"I told you to do your own work!"

"Why, when you already have" Draco whined. Letting out a sigh he rested his head back against the couch. Looking up he had a serious expression on his face. "If you ever repeat this I will deny it, but I was honestly concerned you would place him in front of me once he became your... boyfriend."

"I told you already, you are my best friend. There really is only one person that I would definitely place before you" I said quietly. Not needing to say his name we both knew I meant Nikolai.

"That's not as comforting as you think it is" he mumbled. I ran a hand through his hair making him smile at me. Draco sat back up before turning to face me again. "You know you're the most important person to me."

"I better be" I stated, making Draco let out a chuckle.

"Trust me, it would take a giant to even nudge you a step back."

"Do you think I'm that weak?" I asked with a look. Draco shook his head at me and smiled.

"That's true" he admitted. "Knowing how stubborn you are, it would just make you want to take an extra step forward."

"I will take that as a compliment" I smiled at him and he smirked back.

"If it isn't the two lovebirds" Blaise called, sitting on the small table in front of us.

"Would you get your butt off our homework?" Draco frowned at him, kicking at the space next to him where our books lay. Blaise ignored it.

"Is that what this is?" he asked, pretending to seem confused. "Considering the two of you have been talking in this little corner for so long I figured you were making a plan to run away together; maybe even elope."

"Like it would take me that long to come up with a plan" I rolled my eyes making me laugh. Draco frowned still.

"What do you want Zabini?" Draco asked.

"Nott sent me to get you" he explained, looking down at his hands. "Apparently you left something of yours on something of his or something."

"You are the worst messenger" I told him and Blaise mere shrugged.

"Fine, I'll be right back. Don't touch my seat" Draco warned as he made his way to the stairs for the boys' dormitories. Blaise rolled his eyes at him but waited until Draco was out of view before moving.

"So, I saw you arguing with your Gryffindor today" he commented, moving up from his spot on our books to Draco's unnecessarily reserved seat.

"Did you really, or did Daphne tell you?"

"Both. Don't know how that girl does it but she finds gossip faster than she would if she know how to properly do a summoning charm" he muttered, shaking his head as if impressed. "So, what was it about?"

"Apparently he's jealous of Draco" I said honestly, finding no reason to lie.

"Really? You can tell?" he asked, sounding genuinely shocked. I frowned at him.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you are incredibly dense to this sort of thing. Impressively so, actually" he added, as if with a look of fascination.

"Am not!" I protested, crossing my arms at him. "Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"So, can you tell or did someone tell you?" he asked with a smirk.

"Shut up" I retorted. Blaise let out a chuckle; that seemed to have answered his question.

"I take it you're not going to stop spending time with Malfoy, then" he stated more than asked.

"Why would I? It's not my fault he's jealous" I rolled my eyes, untangling my arms.

"Yes and no" Blaise corrected, leaning back and resting his arm on the back of the couch. I gave him a curious look to which he replied with a shrug. "It is because you're the one that's allowing Malfoy to be so close to you; if you didn't want him to be then he wouldn't. But if your Gryffindor is too insecure to man up, then it's his fault too."

"That's what I said" I mumbled, ignoring the fact he was blaming me too. Blaise smiled.

"Although, I will say, if I was in his shoes I would have bitched about it too."

"Really?" I asked curious. Blaise nodded, readjusting himself slightly on the seat.

"Face it, you two are really close, like really close. You tell each other everything, spend all of your time together, and that's enough to make most people jealous. Not everyone gets to have that kind of relationship" Blaise explained a little more seriously than expected. I nodded but couldn't help but smile a little.

"Don't tell me you're jealous" I teased. Blaise let out a laugh.

"That depends on who's position I'd be in" he replied, shaking his head at me. "I have no interest in being babied all of the time. But if I had someone who would be willing to do everything I said, with just a few pretty words and a smile, then I wouldn't complain. In other words, I have no interest in Malfoy's role but yours I could live with."

"I don't use pretty words" I frowned.

"That's true. I've seen you get your way with insults too. You have it pretty good, Volkov" Blaise noted, standing up.

"I told you not to sit in my seat!" Draco called, having just stepped off the stairs.

"It's not my fault, she talked me into it" Blaise said with a smirk at me. I rolled my eyes and he chuckled. "So, what did Nott want?"

"Nothing" Draco answered with a glare. "I went up there only to find out he doesn't want anything."

"That doesn't sound right" Blaise mumbled as if confused. I smiled at them. "Well, whatever the case, I have to go meet Daphne now. She wanted to talk about what there is to do in the central courtyard."

"Really?" I asked, not considering him one for idle gossip. Blaise gave me a knowing smile, guessing what I was thinking.

"I don't care for it myself when I help her she's more likely to help me. There's some things that girl is very useful with."

"The central courtyard?" Draco asked but Blaise shrugged in return.

"No idea" he replied unconvincingly. With a smirk Blaise stepped forward, waving us goodbye. "Later, lovebirds."

"Prick" Draco muttered, sitting back down next to me. I gave him a look.

"You know, you're starting to swear a lot more recently. You're a growing boy so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but I guess I never really thought about it." I frowned at him. Draco shrugged slightly. I shrugged back and turned to my notes again. Just as I had Draco hit my foot lightly with his. My glance turned to our feet before looking up at him.

"You do know that I wasn't kidding, right? You are important to me" he said in a low voice, still looking down.

"Why are you saying that?" I asked, curious to know what he meant.

"I've just been thinking of something lately. It has nothing to do with you but, considering… It will probably end up coming back to you."

"Considering what?" I frowned.

"Just, considering. Tell me you understand you are important."

"You know I hate it when you're cryptic" I frowned still but let out a sigh. "Fine, fine, I understand."

"Good. Now, seriously, would you just tell me what number four is so we can move on" he grumbled, leaning towards me again. I let out a laugh and pulled my work back. Draco rolled his eyes at me.

"What would you have done without me all of these years?"

Draco didn't answer. Instead he frowned slightly, looking down at nothing in particular. Reaching over I moved to pat his head and smiled. He looked up to roll his eyes at me in return. Then with a small sigh Draco rested his head on my shoulder. My fingers became entangled with his hair by the movement. Whatever he was being so cryptic about was probably going to annoy me one way or another. I let out a sigh too and shifted my homework closer to him. Draco chuckled lightly, seeing me do so, and straightened up before continuing his work.

"Now we'll never know" he smirked, copying the answer onto his own parchment. I rolled my eyes at him but really he was right. I had been apart from Draco before, I didn't want that to happen, not ever again.