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.

136. Will-O-Wisp

This was supposed to be two chapters, but I couldn't decide where to cut this off, so instead here's a really long one~

. . .

"Miss Katerina, Master Malfoy has arrived."

From behind the staff I watched as Draco paced slowly through the foyer. With a quick thanks, dismissing them back to their work, I rushed over to the impatient boy. He noticed me only seconds before I threw my arms around him. Ignoring his surprised groans, I pulled him into a hug.

"Merry Christmas," I looked up at him with a smile.

"It's not even Christmas yet," Draco mumbled, but through his grumbling hugged me back. I rolled my eyes at him and pulled away.

"It's Christmas Eve, close enough isn't it? Don't be difficult," I added, pushing lightly against his chest. Draco chuckled at me, his gaze dropping for a moment.

"You look nice," he noted, looking back up at me. "New dress?"

"What gave it away?" I asked sarcastically, twirling the ends of it.

"I said it was nice, didn't I?" Draco answered with a smirk on his face. With a frown on mine, I swung at his arm, but that only made him chuckle some more.

"If you're going to be this rude to me in my own home, I would at least expect a gift," I crossed my arms at him, noting the absence of one. "Don't tell me it's simply the pleasure of your company."

"First of all, you're lucky to get that. Second, don't be so impatient," Draco took a step closer towards me, enough to be able to tap at my forehead. I gave him a pout and he returned to me a smirk. "I knew you'd get like this so I had them take it away when I arrived. You'll get it at the gift exchange."

"I still can't believe my mother is going through with this," I let out a sigh.

To celebrate the holiday, my mother had decided on the brilliant idea of a gift exchange. Still feeling those motherly instincts that had otherwise laid dormant for the past decade and a half, she thought it was a good family activity to have us take part in. The idea only got worse once she decided inviting the Malfoys couldn't hurt. Through some form of miracle the Malfoys gracefully declined, yet still allowed Draco the opportunity to come. Now the oh-so-lucky him got to be part of what I was sure would be a disastrous evening. But, as the old adage said, "Misery loves company", and I was more than grateful for the company.

"At the very least we'll suffer through this together," I smiled up at Draco. He gave me a small smile in return.

"However it ends, I'm sure it will be better than the alternative," Draco mumbled quietly. At that I let out a more serious expression.

"Are things still difficult at home?"

Draco didn't answer my question, not right away. For a moment he looked off to the side, vacantly. That only made me more concerned. Finally, he took in a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. After said motion, a smile appeared on his face.

"Nothing you need to worry yourself about," he answered through a false grin.

"You say that…" I drifted off, looking up at him with concern. Looking down at my expression, Draco's fake smile turned into a smaller, more genuine one.

"Come on," he called, reaching for my hand. "You spent days out there, didn't you? Show me all the decorations you've added."

Without waiting for my confirmation, taking my hand in his, Draco pulled me out of the manor. As we stepped out onto the gardens, we walked under the lanterns enchanted to float above the path. At night they let out a useful shine, but even in the early afternoon light they still gave a pleasant glow as we passed by.

Eventually Draco linked our arms as I went through the explanation of how everything came to be. As we wandered through, I pointed out what suggestions I had made and the final product they had resulted in. Initially, when my mother had asked for my help, I assumed it would mean walking beside her through our grounds as she made all of the decisions; but it seemed she had genuinely wanted my input on the matter. Strange though it may have felt, part of me enjoyed being able to make those suggestions.

No matter, it was the least I could do considering it was thanks to her I was able to continue the St. Mungo's internship. Part of me still worried about what Nikolai and I had spoken of, the reason she may be acting so drastically different, but I tried not to overthink it. If there was something like that I was sure my parents would not actually tell me what had them so worried, so there was no sense stressing about something I had no control over. Instead I focused on the silver linings, and the internship I had been allowed to pursue.

"So you'll be busy all of tomorrow, then?" Draco asked, looking down at his feet at an attempt to slow his walk. His strides being longer than mine, he had to do that every now and then, when our arms were intertwined.

"Mostly," I nodded with a smile. "I agreed to do some rounds Christmas Day, at St. Mungo's. There are some taking the holiday off, for obvious reasons. Normally it would be fine with the staff assigned, but it seems things get a bit lively then, what with family arguments being such a prominent part of the day. I was told it shouldn't be anything too concerning, more of a precaution on their part, having an extra hand around."

"So this is what it's going to be like when you become a Healer?" Draco huffed at the air in front of him. "I won't even be able to see you for the holidays?"

"Of course not! You'll make sure to visit me at the hospital, won't you," I smiled up at him. Draco turned his expression to me a moment before letting out a soft chuckle.

"Guess I'll have no choice," he replied softly, giving me a smile.

We wandered a moment more, but before long the weather got the better of us. The grounds of the garden had charms in place to clear the snow from the path, but that didn't help much with the piles falling on our heads. Shuffling inside through the kitchen's entrance, the snow melted off of us the moment we passed the threshold. The staff came to greet us at the opening, some taking our heavy cloaks for cleaning, as the others led us inside for some refreshments. In the lounge we were served some fresh pastries and hot cocoa to warm up.

"Where's Alla?" Draco asked, making me look up from the drink I was attempting to cool. As I did I saw him watching the staff that had just returned to the kitchen for their afternoon preparations. "Feels like I haven't seen her around recently."

"You haven't. She's with my aunt Sasha," I answered, taking a sip of my drink.

"Why?" Draco asked curiously. I gave him a shrug in return.

"Not sure," I answered honestly. "She left before I arrived for holiday. Papa said Aunt Sasha needed help with something, so Alla and a couple of our other staff headed East for a while. I just assumed they were short handed. They do tend to lose a worker or two anytime one of their dragons has a temper tantrum and attacks someone, could be that."

"One dragon mauling is enough? Some people really have no work ethic," Draco shook his head. I nodded, reaching for a treat.

"It's honestly ridiculous. Being in that line of work they should expect… You're being sarcastic," I narrowed my eyes, having just registered his tone. At my expression, Draco let out a laugh. Not being able to help myself, I gave him a smile in return.

"So, any plans for us tonight, besides dinner and the gifts," Draco added, as I went back to pick out a snack.

"Not particularly; both of those were my mother's ideas. I mostly just wanted to spend some time with you," I shrugged, taking a bite of the chosen pastry. That and it helped having a buffer with my parents behaving the way they were.

"It does feel like we haven't seen much of each other, with how busy you've been," Draco grumbled, with sarcasm at the word. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Well excuse me for having a busy schedule. I told you I would be busy, remember, before we even left Hogwarts. I have my study preparations with Theodore, the internship at St. Mungo's, and… sometimes I stay a little later…" I mumbled the latter, taking a sip of my cocoa. But Draco knew what I meant by that, as was clear by the disapproval on his face.

"I wish you wouldn't stay late so often," he complained, stuffing a mini cupcake whole into his mouth. The comment would have made me frown, but the action made me giggle.

"It's only been a couple of times. And I have less than two weeks left before we return to Hogwarts… I need all the experience I can get," I smiled a little. Both of us knew we weren't talking about the Hospital. Draco had been cautious of my visits to Nikolai from the start, and his hesitation didn't seem to be letting up. Looking down at me his expression still seemed annoyed, but through the frown he let out a sigh.

"Just be careful, alright? I worry about you," Draco called sweetly. But after a second, he narrowed his eyes slightly. "Worry about how much of an idiot you're turning into, that is."

"Oh you sweet talker," I cooed, reaching up to him. Draco evaded my hand as best he could, but the smile remained on his face.

We took a pause once done with our drinks, making sure not to fill up too much on sweets. If we became too full for dinner, there would be no excuse stopping us from having a proper talk with my parents, something we both agreed was not worth the extra treat. But seeing as we had no other set plans for the evening, I volunteered Draco for a task in the library with me.

During my discussion of study topics with Theodore, I had been reminded of an old text my father had brought home from overseas. It was a book I remembered having skimmed through in the past, one that could prove useful for us in the present. Unfortunately, it seemed to have been misplaced somewhere along the way. By now I had forgotten the name, only remembering some of the referred to spells and the illustration on the cover. And seeing as how we had some time to spare, I recruited Draco in the search. With his help it should allow us to find it twice as quickly, or at least time and a half.

"So has the beggar replied to your letter yet?" Draco called, stuffing a book he had pulled out into the incorrect placement. Noting I didn't reply right away he looked up from where he was crouched. With a sigh to him, for more than one reason, I stepped over to fix it.

"It's only been a few days," I mumbled down, having reached him.

"So, no," he replied with a tone, watching as I pulled out the book he had just misplaced. Holding the text out, I looked down at him with a frown, contemplating whether I had the self restraint to not throw the book in his face. Sensing my intention, Draco took a step away. "All I'm saying is, I've visited you plenty in that time, and he can't be bothered to send a letter? I think it says something about his character."

"His character?" I repeated, rolling my eyes at the tone. "His father is bleeding out in the Dai Llewellyn ward, due to an attack from who-knows-what, when he was doing who-knows-what. I'm sure George has other things on his mind right now."

"And I'm sure you know what both of those 'what's are," Draco called back seriously. Knowing just what he meant, I turned a worried look down to the side. The truth was, I had been trying hard to avoid focusing on those questions. Seeing my expression anyway, Draco let out a sigh. "They're the ones meddling. If they didn't want to get hurt, they shouldn't have gotten involved. Besides it's not like he's the one who's hurt. He can write a damn letter, the beggar's not dead."

"Oh, Draco, ever the sentimental," I called sarcastically, stepping back to my assigned shelf. Proving my attempts to continue the search futile, Draco spoke up once more.

"Honestly, would it kill him to pick up a quill—"

"Can we not… please," I spoke quietly, staring at the shelf of books in front of me, not being able to read a single spine.

I had been trying hard to be understanding, especially after how inconsiderate I had been the last few times we spoke. But part of me agreed with Draco, and it didn't help to have that statement repeated aloud. He wasn't dead; neither was his father. It wouldn't kill him to pick up a quill. He could have very well responded by now... But the more reasonable part of me realized how unfair that was. George had a life outside of me, he had a family, and I was sure if I was in his position my first thought wouldn't be to reply to a passive aggressive letter he had written to me.

Having done so quietly, I hadn't noticed Draco had moved until he stood directly behind me. But I didn't turn, choosing to focus on the different colored spines facing me. Choosing not to say anything himself, Draco wrapped his arms firmly around my shoulders. Putting very little of his weight against me, he leaned forward placing his head next to mine. He stood there a moment, not saying a word. Then, after a small breath, he spoke down to me.

"Call me what you want, but he should know how lucky he is to have you even look in his direction," Draco spoke, and I heard the frown in his voice. "And he thinks he has a right not to send you a reply? He could be dying himself, and you would still be more important than his little problems, whatever they are. Because you're that important. In my completely unbiased opinion, of course."

"Of course," I repeated softly with a smile. Seeing that, Draco pulled me closer against his chest, leaning in to kiss the side of my head.

"Clearly he doesn't deserve you, never has, from the start," he continued, but stopped when I pushed against him. Draco gave me a smirk, but as he looked down at me, his expression turned more serious. "Whatever you choose to do, you should know your worth. You're a thousand Galleons to his one Knut."

"Alright, I get it," I smiled back, pulling myself free from his embrace.

Draco, however, didn't let go so easily. Trying to wiggle out of his grip, I was only met with a smirk. Following whatever direction I attempted to move towards, Draco kept me in his arms, only allowing me enough space to turn and face him. At the new angle, a shadow caught my attention from behind him. Focusing on the stairs where the figure stood, I began to push harder, but Draco still didn't budge. Not taking the signal, I decided to speak up.

"Papa!" I greeted loudly, trying to give him a cleared hint. Taking it in full force, Draco let go of me immediately.

Beside me Draco lost any of the arrogance he had held merely seconds ago. His attitude always got neatly stored away anytime my father was present. Draco didn't turn, finding it the smarter option to make himself busy. As I stepped towards my father, Draco turned his attention to the shelf directly behind us. Having now been greeted, my father walked slowly forward. Making a conscious decision of where I stepped, I stood between him and the blond idiot now staring at the wall.

"Did you need something, Papa?" I asked, but his attention was not on me. My father looked straight ahead, over my head, and cleared his throat. Knowing he had no other option, Draco turned to my father with a small yet polite smile.

"Good evening, sir," Draco nodded respectfully at him. At that, my father let out a certain smile.

"Draco, it is nice to see you making yourself comfortable," he spoke down slowly, as if wanting to make a point. After waiting a second too long, my father turned his expression back down to me. "Dinner will be ready soon. Make sure to finish what you are working on by then, I do not want any excuses when the time comes."

"Yes, Papa," I nodded in response. For a second he looked over to Draco, who was once again pretending to make himself busy, before turning down to me.

"I'm assuming you haven't found what you were looking for."

"Not yet," I pouted off to the side, at the shelf where I had paused. "I've finished inspecting the West wall, so far nothing there. So either it was filed under the incorrect department, or it's been misplaced entirely. With Draco and I both looking, I was hoping to have it found by dinner, though I'm not so certain now."

"Seeing how intently he seems to be searching, I'm surprised you haven't found it already," my father called, watching Draco pick up the same book from the shelf for the third time. I sighed in his direction, making my father smile. "Then I suppose I should say, both of you must find an appropriate stopping point soon. I do not want to come back here to remind you."

"That won't be a problem," I assured, noting Draco's back tensing up, knowing he felt the same.

"Good," he nodded at me in return. My father reached down and patted my head lightly, before turning to my guest. Feeling the stare on his back, it only took a few seconds for him to look up. Meeting his eye, my father gave Draco a different kind of smile. "I will see you downstairs."

"Sir," Draco nodded back stiffly.

My father returned a more relaxed nod to Draco, before turning back towards the steps. Not in any hurry, he began his leisurely descent. One by one his footsteps echoed down the stairway, and beside me I saw Draco let out a breath before coming to join me.

"You've known the man nearly a decade," I smiled up, when certain my father was out of earshot.

"Bite me," Draco hissed back, looking carefully down the empty steps. "I bet you wouldn't act so casually if he wasn't your pop-pop."

"Papa," I swatted at his arm, knowing full well the mispronunciation was on purpose. "And of course I wouldn't, that statement doesn't even make any sense. Why would I treat a stranger as I would my father? But you're one to throw stones. Do you want to talk about a complex, because—"

"Shut it," Draco interrupted, placing a hand over my mouth. Draco frowned down at me, his hand still resting against my face, as I gave him a look back. Funny how quickly he changed when my father chose to step out.

Once he figured I wouldn't continue my speech, Draco let go of my face. With a frown, keeping a watchful eye on him, I returned to the shelf to continue my search. Not feeling as helpful as he had been a few minutes ago, Draco chose to sit on one of the nearby reading chairs. He threw himself down in a huff, resting his entire body against it. Watching as he carelessly set his foot on the cushions, not bothering to ask permission, I rolled my eyes at him.

"Where was all this courage two minutes ago?" I mumbled quietly after a moment. But even in the low tone, he heard it loud and clear.

"You want to see something?" Draco called out to me, pushing himself up and off the chair. "Come here!"

Starting towards me, Draco began to close the distance quickly, so I chose to run. With a laugh, I quickly moved past the shelves for cover. I managed to get a good few shelves down before he caught me. Draco grabbed my waist and pulled me up before I was able to take another step. Ignoring my struggle to get free, he found another nearby reading chair and sat us down. Barely wide enough to fit us both, Draco hovered a bit over me, pinching my cheeks to stop me from smiling. Not being able to help myself, I let out a laugh, which also didn't help his mood. Draco frowned down at me, that is until my own laughter stopped suddenly.

"Papa!" I called in shock behind him. Quickly Draco let go of his grip on me and stood. But once turned, he saw nothing but an empty room. Having gotten over his little panic attack, Draco turned back to scowl down at me, and my returned laughter. "You… are so… easy!"

"That's not funny—you little—come here!"

It was only a few more minutes before we were called down for dinner. Thankfully this time it was not by my father. Considering how Draco had reacted after he'd left, I highly doubted my father would have approved. Regardless, we were escorted down to the dining room, I assume because Papa didn't believe I would go without trying to stall first. He was right, of course, but I still didn't appreciate being guarded like a child.

At our finals steps, we walked into the overly decorated dining room. Sometimes it felt as though my mother forgot the elaborate decor wasn't necessary with smaller, more intimate, gatherings. Maybe she had grown accustomed to them. Or maybe she just liked it. Regardless, it was the first time in a long time that I remembered having my parents home for the holiday, without being the host of that year's decided event. Even as a child I knew to not expect them, inadvertently making it a day to celebrate solely with my brother. Sometimes Draco was allowed to join, but he had been the only exception. But most of the time, it was spent with just Nikolai…

"Remind me I have something I want to talk to you about," I mumbled to Draco, taking my seat next to his.

"What is it?" he asked, making me frown.

"I said remind me," I snapped, giving him a look. Obviously now, with the others taking their seats so close to us, wasn't a good time for details.

"I was just asking, bite my head off why don't you," he hissed back. With a frown I swatted at his arm, making him do the same.

"Everything alright?" my father asked suddenly, making his presence known. Both our expressions quickly shifted.

"Of course, Papa," I answered, turning to give Draco a warm smile. He smiled back at me, knowing full well it was all he could do.

Once everyone was seated, our drink orders were taken. Each got their individual requests filled as the appetizers were brought to the table. The kitchen, probably knowing how particular everyone seated was about their meal, brought a plate of assorted tartine on the table. Leaving us to finish what was required of dinner, the staff returned to the kitchen for preparations.

"Draco, darling, how have you been," my mother called cheerfully across the table, having yet to greet him for the day.

"I am very well, thank you, Karissa. And by your stunning appearance I see you are as well," Draco spoke gallantly in response.

"You saw him a couple of days ago," I spoke up, rolling my eyes at the little "darling" persona he always put on. "I doubt he's changed that much since the last time you saw him."

"You have been around quite often, haven't you," my father spoke casually, before taking a bite of a caprese tartine.

"It has only been a couple of times," I defended the other half. There was always a balance to be had between the two.

"Isn't it lovely? We love having you, of course," my mother spoke, seeming to ignore what I said. "I do hope you're enjoying the evening with us, Draco."

"From what I've gathered, he's been enjoying himself quite well, haven't you?" Papa asked, before taking a sip of his wine. Draco cleared his throat, choosing to focus on the staff taking the appetizer plates from the table.

"It's been wonderful, Karissa," Draco chose to answer the safer of the two. I rolled my eyes at them. Draco smiled as he watched me lean back, allowing the salad to be placed in the appetizer's stead. "Actually, we took some time out on the grounds, and Katerina was able to show me all of the decorations you two had placed. They were all lovely."

"Oh, I am glad you like them. It took us both a couple of days to sort," my mother replied cheerfully.

"So, Papa, how are things at the Ministry?" I asked, wanting a change in conversation. Draco could go on forever, and my mother was not one to turn down a compliment.

"Tiresome," my father made a sour expression down to his drink. "After Crouch's supposed madness, they had to elect a new head of the department. The fool barely knows what he's doing, and asks far too many questions. Crouch wasn't easy to deal with himself, but at least he minded his own business."

"Why didn't you simply take the position yourself?" I asked curiously, having been wondering that same thing for months.

"It wasn't the proper time," my father answered drily. I frowned a little at the response.

"A vacant position that you're more than qualified for couldn't come at a bad time. It sounds like the perfect opportunity to me," I grumbled, finishing just that sentence noting my father's look. With a sigh, I turned back down to my salad. "Alright, I get it, not proper, then."

"No need for such serious conversation," my mother called, waving her hands dismissively. Turning her expression from us, she focused back on our dinner guest. "Draco, darling, are you doing anything special for the holiday?"

"Not nearly as much as your daughter, I'm afraid," Draco smiled a shining response. I took a drink of my iced tea in an attempt to hide the entirely unenthused expression on my face. "But of course, I have a few things planned myself. Mostly I am studying what I can, for the upcoming O.W.L.s examinations."

"Liar," I called under my breath, putting my drink back down. Draco turned to give me a polite smile, before kicking me under the table.

A hand reached down between us, interrupting our glares. Without a word it reached down, taking the empty salad plates. As the staff circled the table they replenished drinks, cleared plates, and eventually set down the steak as the main course for the meal. The conversation paused as it took them a minute to set everything. Once complete they silently made their way back to the kitchen, as my mother commanded the attention back to her.

"You must be excited about your results," my mother called towards Draco, being the last to be handed her dinner. She gingerly picked up her silverware before continuing to speak. "Anything specific you are focusing on?"

"Just focusing on doing the best that I can. I think the best thing to do would be to keep my options open," Draco smiled in response, before turning his expression on me. I gave him a sarcastic smile in return.

"What about you dear?" my mother asked, having been drawn to attention by my motion.

"Yes, how are your grades?" Papa asked, taking a bite of his own steak. I took in a breath before giving him a more proper smile.

"All top marks, of course," I explained, before being rudely interrupted.

"Well, not exactly top. Nott—" Draco began to mumble under his breath, but stopped once he felt my foot against his leg. I saw him flinch for only a moment, as he mixed the action into reaching for his drink. Trying to hide how much that seemed to have hurt, Draco took a drink of his water, giving me an unpleasant look as he did so.

"There are no issues then?" my father asked, wanting to confirm, most likely having heard Draco. "What of your troubles with Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"Nothing to worry about," I dismissed the thought quickly. "As I mentioned before, I've been making my own studies for the course. Umbridge simply makes us read during her hour, from a completely biased text I might add, not bothering to actually instruct us on anything. So I finished her book, it only took me a few days. Instead I use her class time for reviewing other coursework."

"And that little secretary isn't giving you trouble about it, dear?" my mother asked, seeming to focus on something different than what I expected.

"I did as she said, I read her stupid book, I just did it a little faster than she expected is all. She doesn't know what I'm doing, so it's not a problem, really," I shrugged in response. My father raised a brow at me, making it clear he needed more information. With a sigh, I continued. "I purchased and transfigured a second History of Magic text, it now looks like her simple and idiodic book, so I read that in her class instead. Our History of Magic professor doesn't normally mind what we do in his class, so long as we are present. I focus on his lectures if I feel there was something I missed in my self studies, otherwise I work on other lessons."

"Is this something I will be approached about at any point?" Papa asked, making his priorities clear with the question.

"I tested the spell several times, the actual text remains intact, but from the outside it looks like any of the other books in her class. But even if it were poorly made, she wouldn't notice," I reassured, beginning to pick at my food. "Umbridge likes to sit on a pedestal and glares over us during her hour. She doesn't even look to see if we're taking notes, just watches for movement in our quills. Regardless, I carry an extra text and set of notes in my bag, on the off chance I need to make a quick change."

"And what of those who sit near you?" Papa continued his line of questioning, deciding this was the perfect time for a proper interrogation. With a sigh, watching as my food grew colder, I continued my explanation.

"Theodore had the same issue in her teachings as I did, and thus has a similar transfigured text. The others received copies of our notes, which normally I would not condone, but considering Umbridge isn't actually teaching us anything I didn't mind this time around. Either way, they won't talk. I have gathered enough information on them throughout the years to have them expelled, shipped off to Azkaban, or at the very least grounded until they grow well into middle age."

"Good," my father answered simply, content to know that I at least had thought this through.

"Well that's just lovely of you, dear, sharing with your friends," my mother commented, making me sure she was drifting in and out of that conversation. Now more set in reality, she turned to Draco. "Do you two study together as well, darling?"

"I like to think we help each other often in that regard," Draco smiled back at my mother, as I took opportunity of the distraction to finally take a bite of my steak.

"I should hope, with all the time you two spend together, you would use some of it to study," my father spoke calmly in Draco's direction. Taking my lead, Draco became very attentive of his meal. "I would especially hope so, what with all the activities you seem to be adding to your curriculum, namely Quidditch."

"Well of course you have all of our support, Draco. Darling, I hear you are a wonderful Seeker. I would love to see you in a match someday," my mother cooed at him. But before the conversation could be derailed, my father spoke up.

"No, I meant Katerina. Recently she joined their team," Papa clarified.

"Joined?" my mother repeated. This was clearly news to her.

The staff came around once more, this time with dessert in hand. Before placing down the sweet they began to gather dishes, most at least. I frowned down, noting I was the only one still not done with my main course, thanks to the most recent interrogation. But as the majority rules, namely so my parents, the slices of Sharlotka were distributed between us. They took what plates they could, refilled what needed to be, and left us to it.

"Only for a match," I quickly spoke, noting the familiar yet out of place expression on my mother's face had grown more pronounced as the staff set the table. Hearing this, my mother gave me a slight frown.

"You joined?" she repeated, now seeming less happy than before. "You didn't tell us you joined the Quidditch team."

"Actually, I did," I gave her a small sigh, turning down to my meal. "Since the last time that I didn't immediately tell you something you thought 'important' enough… Papa became very upset after hearing it from someone who may or may not be at this table. Since then I have been sending letters home with anything that seems important enough for even a passing mention. One of those times, I wrote home about joining the Slytherin Quidditch team."

"What was it that upset you, darling?" my mother asked, turning curiously at my father.

"Nothing for you to worry about, dear," my father reassured, not thinking it worth the effort to mention George. I rolled my eyes at the two and reached for my drink.

"Well, I wish you wouldn't play such a rough sport. It is unbecoming of a lady," she added the latter bit almost to herself in a short tone. I let out a small smile at the comment. My mother had been overwhelmingly coddling the past few days, it was nice to see her old habits hadn't completely died.

"Not to worry, Karissa. I made sure to take care of her," Draco interrupted, giving her a chivalrous smile. "And if it is of any consolation, she mostly just sat around while the rest of us did all of the work."

"That is much better. I'm glad you were there for her, darling," my mother gave him a cheerful smile in return. I rolled my eyes at the two, not sure how neither of them got tired of the back and forth. "We really appreciate all that you do for our dear Katerina. Once again, we are so glad you could join us for dinner."

"I appreciate you having me," Draco returned the courtesy with a nod. "This is a wonderful meal you prepared."

"Of course, it's the least we can do, when you spend so much of your time watching over her. Please, promise to keep doing so, darling," my mother beckoned to him, ignoring my confused scowl. "It is just so nice to know the Slytherin Prefect is keeping such a close eye on our daughter."

"You have my word, Karissa," Draco answered with a grand smile. From my seat I made an audible gagging sound at the exchange. Reaching for my drink, I pretended not to notice my parent's disapproving glances. From the corner of my eye I noticed Draco smiling down at his food.

"Mum, I think that's enough," I sighed, setting my cup back down.

"I have to agree," Papa spoke, wiping the nonexistent food from his face with a napkin. "I believe we are all finished with our meals."

"Yes, I suppose—Oh! Just one more thing, darling, before I forget. Draco, would you like to stay the night?" my mother asked, making Draco actually choke on the bite of cake he had just taken.

"Karissa…" Papa spoke to her in a tired tone, watching as Draco tried to drown out his cough.

"You always like it when Draco stays, don't you, dear?" my mother turned to me, completely ignoring my father's presence. With a smile, she turned to the other victim involved. "And Draco, darling, you want to stay, don't you?"

"Is that something you want to do, Draco?" my father asked, in a much different tone. Still pretending to be having issues with his cough, Draco chose not to respond. Probably the smarter choice.

"Mum, I don't know if that's something Draco's parents would allow," I tried to rationalize with her, "and it's a little late to be asking—"

"Nonsense, I've already asked."

"You've… you've already asked," I repeated slowly, trying not to legitimately choke on my words. With a smile, my mother gave me a nod.

"So, now with that settled, let's retire to the parlour, shall we?" Finding the matter resolved, my mother stood from the table. "We really should begin exchanging gifts, before the night gets the better of us."

"Karissa," Papa spoke her name slowly, standing himself. Extending a delicate hand towards him, she beckoned.

"Come, darling," my mother wrapped her arm around his. For a moment she smiled up at him, before noting they were the only ones standing. With a curious look, she turned her gaze back to the table. "Are you not finished with your meal, dear?"

"Actually… I left a gift upstairs. And Draco was going to help me get it down. Right?" I asked with a tone, noting he had yet to say anything. At the look, he took the hint.

"Yes—right. We shouldn't take long," Draco added the latter, a bit more confidently.

"Very well, we'll see you in the drawing room, dear."

Grabbing my father's arm with a stronger grip, my mother led the way out of our dining room. After a breath, I pushed myself back and stood from the table. And after another second, Draco followed. Together we climbed our way towards my room. We didn't say anything for a moment, climbing in silence. But, once past the second flight, I let out a frustrated shriek.

"Is she insane? I think she's finally gone insane," I blurted out, to no one other than myself. Draco let out a low hum in response.

"You know… up until now I had just thought you were exaggerating," Draco said after a moment, pausing beside me on the steps. I turned to give him a look, making him shake his head at me. "I'm not saying she hasn't been acting differently, just that you were making it out to be bigger than it was. You have a knack of overreacting to certain things, y'know. And don't give me that look, you do it a lot."

"I wouldn't say a lot," I grumbled, taking a step to continue our climb.

"My point is… she already asked," Draco noted with a frown, taking a second before following me up the steps. "She asked me before she even asked your father, which is baffling on its own rite."

"My father may be strict, but my mother has never really asked for his permission," I commented, not sure if he really wasn't aware. "At this point in their relationship they're well aware of how the other will react to things. If it's something my mother knows my father might disapprove of, she'll either avoid doing it, or do what she did now, act on it regardless."

"Because he would have said no," Draco mumbled as we reached the fourth set of stairs.

Once again we walked quietly for a moment. It was true what Nikolai had said, it was near impossible trying to understand my mother's actions. A frown grew on my face as I struggled to think of a plausible reason. My mind preoccupied, it took me a moment to realize Draco was no longer walking beside me. A few steps back he had stopped, looking down and holding onto the handrail. With a different frown I turned back, descending the few steps between us. Waiting a few steps in front, I looked down at him and frowned, choosing to speak when he didn't.

"What?" I asked curiously. Draco looked up at me and took in a deep breath.

"If I'm staying…" he began, slowly letting out the breath he had just taken. "If I stay, I think I should sleep in one of the guest rooms tonight."

"What?" I asked again, this time in a much different tone than before, and took a couple more steps towards him. "Draco, you don't have to do that. You've never done that. If they didn't mention anything downstairs, then—"

"I don't mean because of them…" he called softly. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Then because of who?" I asked sarcastically. When he lowered his gaze, I realized what he meant. "Because of me? I don't think that's necessary, really. I'm fine."

"Are you?" he asked accusatively, taking the final step towards me. Now at a more even height, Draco looked me in the eyes as he spoke. "If that were true, if you really were fine, you wouldn't have avoided me like the plague after Bulgaria."

"Yes, but that was before," I answered softly, reaching for his sleeve. "We're better now, don't you think?"

"I would just rather start off in another room than eventually get placed there," he replied, looking down at where our arms met.

"That won't—"

I paused when I heard the footsteps, we both did. We stood quiet a moment, watching the top of the steps for a visual as to who was intruding our conversation. Mumbling to herself Bonny appeared carrying a stack of something one of the staff most likely asked her to run and get. She quickly vanished from our sight again, leaving only the echoes of her barely audible complaints. Letting out a sigh, I grabbed Draco's hand, walking us the last few steps to the top floor. I pulled us into my room, taking a quick glance for any other surprises, before closing the door behind us.

"I'm not throwing you out to another room, there's plenty of space for you here," I assured, but Draco scoffed in return.

"So I sleep on the floor, that's better," he replied sarcastically.

"No, I…" I began to explain, but stopped myself. With a frown I looked down, not sure how to word what I had in mind. "I don't want that, alright?"

"If you had been the one to ask, I might believe you. But you weren't."

"And you don't?" I asked, noting not just the words but his tone.

He didn't reply right away. Not finding the right words either, it seemed, Draco stepped closer to me. He lifted a hand, resting it on my head. Draco ran his fingers slightly, gently, through my hair. Using that same hand to hold me he leaned in, kissing my forehead. When he pulled away a fake smile rested on his face.

"We can argue about all this later. We got all night now, don't we? It's not like I can say no to your mother," he smiled at his joke, but I was still not convinced. Knowing that, he placed an arm around my shoulders. "Come on, let's just get your gift and go."

"Okay," I nodded, not completely believing him. But he was right about one thing, we would have all night.

After grabbing the box we began the walk back downstairs, Draco carrying the package himself. It wasn't heavy, and certainly not something I would have needed his help with, but I had a feeling my father already knew that. I stored the gift in my room for the same reason we had gone to get it; I thought it might be useful if Draco and I needed a talk. Still, it wouldn't help anyone to make the lie so obvious, hence Draco's assistance. That, and I certainly wasn't going to be the one carrying it down all those steps.

Downstairs my parents waited near the entrance of the drawing room. Among them a few of the staff were finishing with the evening preparations. The tea selection had already been placed, along with the mignardise patisserie. At our entrance my mother greeted us with a warm smile, my father watched beside her. Taking in a breath I focused on clearing any intrusive thoughts, and focusing on the objective for the night: making the evening as bearable as possible.

While my mother had always been far more loving to Draco than should probably be normal, my father had never fully made a decision on whether he favored him or not. At times Draco was considered the peak example of what any of my friends should consist of, the standard. Other times, and more so recently, it looked like the only thing keeping my father from throwing Draco beyond the confines of where anyone could find him, and he knew of a few, was the aftermath he would have to deal with. Being well aware of both scenarios, Draco knew to be nothing but polite and proper while in their presence.

Throughout the night Draco was the perfect gentleman, gracious towards his hosts. He made sure to thank my mother for whatever nonsensical present she handed him, no matter how simple or childish, always acting as if it were just what he wanted. As my mother ranted about the process for which she gathered and chose each of her gifts, Draco nodded and listened patiently. Each one seemed to have its own sort of anecdote, and knowing the situation was fragile enough, I had no choice but to follow suit.

Following each of her stories my father agreed with whatever words my mother said, regardless of how obvious it was he hadn't known what was inside any of the supposed gifts he had picked out. Papa was never one to care what I wore, or what I did for that matter, so long as I obeyed and did what was asked of me. One notable exception to the night was a book I was gifted. Clearly not a present from my mother, the text was focused on potions, more specifically the proper storage and care procedures of some more temperamental brews. And, of course, I tried not to make it obvious how much more I enjoyed that singular gift than any in the piles of garments my mother had gifted me.

Between Draco and I, we chose to only exchange one present. As my gift, I was handed a Quidditch repair kit. Draco smiled cheerfully as he watched me open it, and more so when he noticed my expression, seeing what it was. His little joke gift made my mother huff, being reminded of my latest extracurricular activity, but it earned him a smirk from my father, so overall a job well done. To be fair, my present wasn't much to gloat about either. Normally I searched for his gifts during the summer, when I had more free time, but… With how sensitive things had been between us during the break, I hadn't much thought about his gift until after returning to Hogwarts, making my choices somewhat limited. Still, I found him something I thought to be both cute and useful.

For his christmas gift I chose to get Draco a night light. A little more complicated than your average candle, the lantern had a few tricks. Once lit the flame would change and separate, releasing multiple enchanted wisps into the air. Finding it personally appealing, I bought it, hoping he'd feel the same. I did make it a point to avoid explaining to my parents that I also thought it would come useful for our late night study sessions, as I didn't feel the need to have that conversation again, knowing what I know now. I simply mentioned I thought it would look nice in his room, which was true.

After promising to open the rest of her pile first thing in the morning, my mother let us go for the night. Papa walked with us up the stairs, using the excuse that he needed to fetch something from the top office. I wasn't sure if he was trying to prove some kind of point, or if he simply found it amusing. Draco looked visibly uncomfortable through the climb. Halfway through he tried to slip into one of the guests rooms but I grabbed his arm, not allowing the detour. Once we reached the top floor my father wished us a good night. Papa rested a hand on Draco's shoulder as he said his farewell. But even after his words ended he stayed, stood in front of him with a smile. Feeling the goodbye was taking a little longer than it should, I decided to intervene. I stepped between them, taking up the little free space there was. After a second longer of looking over my head, my father turned his smile down at me. He leaned in, kissing my forehead, before stepping away from us. Not needing anything more for a goodbye, I waved to him, grabbed Draco's arm, and walked into my room, making sure to close the door behind us.

Inside the room we stood quietly a moment, letting the silence hang awkwardly between us. Not knowing what to say I simply chose to say nothing, instead walking further into my room. With the few gifts that I had on hand, I continued forward until I met my desk. Just a few steps behind, I heard Draco following suit. Walking a little further ahead than I had, I watched him stop just before hearing the loud sound resonate. Draco dumped his, admittedly larger, stack of gifts beside my desk and onto the floor. Noting my look, as I gently placed my items on the desk, Draco gave me a smile.

We had chosen not to bring everything, for obvious reasons. My mother's gifts could be added to my closet later, and it was probably easiest to have Draco's shipped directly to Malfoy Manor. I brought along my father's book, Draco brought his lantern, and a few of my mother's dresses so she couldn't get too offended. Looking down I saw Draco's gift on top of the pile we had created. Looking at it too, it would seem, Draco leaned down and grabbed the night light. With a smile, turning it slightly on its side, he looked up at me.

"You think I'm a child," Draco called out matter-of-factly, looking down at my gift. At the comment, I rolled my eyes.

"I thought it was cute," I defended, speaking the truth. "And helpful. I was thinking of using it on late nights, when we need to catch up on some studying. So now we don't have that excuse to stop us."

"So, really, this gift is for yourself," Draco replied, his tone sarcastic but his smile sweet. At that, I gave him a smile in return.

"I thought with better lighting you might have one less excuse for me," I admitted. "Now you can't claim you can't see and it's too late for us to work."

"And I'm sure the others will love that," Draco answered in the same tone as before. I waved a hand at him dismissively.

"Alright, enough with all of that. We should get prepared for bed," I groaned the latter part, raising my arms for a stretch. "I want to get out of this dress."

"Do you need some help with that?" Draco gave me an impish smirk. I gave him a quick glare before facing away. Turning around I crossed my arms, already feeling my cheeks warming up.

"And you wonder why I don't want to spend time alone with you anymore," I huffed to the side, before taking a few steps away.

"You're the one I insisted I stay here, the least you could do is make it entertaining for me," he called after me.

Ignoring his little jokes, I made my way into the closet. Walking a little ways into it, I began my search for some sleeping wears. It didn't take me long to find a nightgown for me to wear, and change into, before sorting my dress away. Taking a second longer to find a robe to match, I began to search my closet once more. A little more well hidden, I dug around until I found what I was looking for. Finally spotting the extra set I remembered having, I grabbed the pyjamas and brought them out for Draco.

Upon exiting the closet I quickly noticed Draco wasn't in my room anymore. Knowing he was too smart to go wandering around the Manor on his own, I figured he found his way into the washroom. While I waited I sat on my bed, setting his pyjamas next to me. The set was one I had borrowed while we were still in Bulgaria, one I hadn't had the chance to return. With how delicate things had been, I had considered returning them by owl, but I never did. I wasn't sure why… maybe even to hold onto it as a keepsake, in case…

When Draco exited the washroom, it seemed I had guessed correctly, I took the opportunity to enter. Giving him time to dress, I readied myself for bed. After the usual hygienic measures, I brushed my hair, deciding to leave it down for the night. Not needing much more than that, I exited the washroom to find Draco finishing up himself. He was already changed, mostly, finishing buttoning up the last of his shirt. In the process he had wandered over to my desk, now looking down at the gifts between us. As I stepped closer to him I let out a frown, noting his pyjamas didn't seem to be a proper fit. The pyjamas had been made to his exact measurements originally, and it was near impossible they had shrunk in their time here. That could only mean he had grown, again.

"Didn't like the broom kit?" Draco guessed incorrectly, seeing me frowning in his direction. "To be fair, I bought it when you were still part of the team. Guess I didn't realize how short lived that would be."

"Like you ever thought I would stay on," I answered, rolling my eyes.

"Hey, with all that sitting around, you could have gone pro," Draco smirked towards me.

Ignoring my look Draco made his way to his pile of clothes. In the pause I noticed him casually pulling at his sleeve; it was too short. But surprisingly, he didn't complain. I sat on my bed watching him, curious as to what he was so interested in. Draco turned back to glance at me before rummaging between the fabric.

"I got you something else. Just didn't think I should give it to you in front of your parents," he added, guessing what my expression meant.

"What is it?" I asked cautiously, knowing what kind of gift that could mean.

From the fabric of what seemed to be his cloak, Draco pulled out a piece of rolled up parchment. He held it up, on full display, waving it in the air as he walked towards the bed. Standing in front of me, Draco paused, holding the parchment down to me. Unsure of how to respond, I took it from him. Still looking down at me, Draco gave me a smirk.

"Merry Christmas," he called out when I didn't say anything myself.

"My gift is… parchment?" I asked, still a bit confused. Draco gave me a nod in response and turned, taking a step away from me. As he stepped back to where his clothes were piled, I took a moment to inspect the roll more carefully. Usually his gifts were a bit bigger, or at least more elaborate. Not knowing what to make of it, I turned back to him. "Thank you?"

"Come on, you can fake enthusiasm better than that," Draco called back, still looking through his clothes.

"I'm not sure what I expected, but… it wasn't this," I replied, holding the scroll up towards him. "Is it a note? Should I unscroll it?"

"If you want," Draco shrugged casually, but a bit of a smile slipped through. Guessing that's what he was after, I took off the string holding it together and unrolled the parchment.

Holding the parchment out in front of me, I read the sentence written inside. It was a simple phrase, two words, but that was enough to get his point across. Looking back up I saw Draco watching me, expectantly. Looking back down at the sheet, I read the words aloud to him.

"'Your annoying'."

The moment those words escaped me, Draco couldn't stop himself from snickering. Feeling disappointed in myself for having expected anything else, I stood from the bed, walking towards him. Giving him a tired look along the way, I met him at the foot of my desk.

"I see why you wanted to keep this between us," I mentioned, tossing the parchment onto the surface of the desk before pointing to it. "This is my gift then?"

"Disappointed?" Draco asked mockingly, reaching for the piece I had tossed.

"A little," I admitted, watching him curiously as he carefully rescrolled it. "Especially since I'm assuming you meant to write the acronym for 'you are' and not the possessive 'your'."

"That's right," Draco gave me an understanding nod. Giving me back the roll of parchment, Draco turned back to the desk. "Let me fix that for you then."

Grabbing a quill and ink from my desk, Draco turned away from me. Frowning at his back I watched his shoulders move as he worked on something. But before I could grow too impatient, the scroll in my hand caught my attention. It was warm. Turning back down to it, I unscrolled the parchment. Inside, the old words had vanished, replaced by Draco's sloppy and uneven handwriting, two new yet familiar words had appeared.

"'You're annoying'."

"Better?" Draco asked, calling my attention back to him. He was leaned against the desk now, holding a sheet of parchment identical to mine.

"You bought us another linked set of parchment?" I asked with a smile, turning back down to the page.

"Correction," Draco replied, waving his own in front of my face. "I made another set."

"You made—you used the Protean charm?" I asked, with new found appreciation for the gift. "Successfully?"

"You sound surprised."

"Of course I'm surprised. It's a N.E.W.T. level charm in its simplest form. Considering you made something this advanced yourself… I'm impressed," I replied, walking to stand closer to him. Looking at the two pieces more intently, they even looked identical.

"You underestimate me too much," Draco commented, taking a step away from me.

"So this is your gift, then? A replacement for our old ones?" I asked, understanding a bit better. But in response, Draco shook his head at me. I frowned once again confused as he smiled back, beginning to roll his piece of parchment.

"I told you already, mine still works fine. These…" Draco paused to wave his half of the link in front of me. It took a gesture more for me to understand he meant for me to take it, earning me an eye roll from him. "Those are for you."

"Both?" I frowned down at the two halves before turning back to him. "Why would I need them both?"

"Merlin, do you have a thick head? Maybe you should reread that message I just sent," Draco grumbled down to me. But ignoring my frown, Draco moved in towards me. Leaning until he was directly by my ear, Draco finally answered my question. "They're for you and your brother."

"What?" I snapped myself back upon hearing that. Draco gave me a sigh before straightening himself upright.

"Do I really need to repeat myself?" Draco asked, glancing briefly in the direction of the door. Turning back, something in my expression made him shrug. "It's just as a precaution. I thought you might get some use from them."

I looked down at the parchment as I stepped back, both pieces, one rolled and one not. They were both larger than the scraps Draco and I had, full pages this time. These would not be something that could be hidden as easily, but it would give us more room to write. Still staring at the pieces in my hands, I walked slowly back towards the bed. Sitting on the edge of it, I looked a moment more before feeling weight shift the bed beside me.

"Did I break you?" Draco leaned down to reach my field of vision, on his face a crooked smile. "Or are you still disappointed?"

"No!" I turned quickly. Draco leaned himself back in surprise, being closer than either of us realized. His expression grew a little at my reaction. "Draco, of course I'm not disappointed! This is an incredibly thoughtful gift, Deedee."

"Good, seeing as it was a pain in the ass to make," Draco grumbled to himself. "The charm was harder than I thought it would be. It took some time to get it potent enough, at least. I had to use the one I have for help as a reference. Roughed it up a bit, I'm sure you noticed."

"Sorry," I mumbled, remembering having complained about it while packing at Hogwarts. Draco gave me a smirk in return.

"We're lucky I didn't wreck the thing completely," Draco let out a sigh at the thought. "And I did have some help, kind of, from Daphne."

"Is this the gift that you mentioned before?" I asked, remembering that from Hogwarts as well. "You said there was a reason she was helping you with the badges."

"I told her I saw you reading about the concept in one of your books, and that you seemed interested," Draco went on, guessing my next question. "I made one for her and Nott, as part of the deal. Apparently she thought Greece was going to be boring and wanted to have a chat with him. Hers are smaller than even our old ones. I think she wants to be able to hide it in class."

"Or during the O.W.L.s," I offered. Draco gave me a smirk.

"That was my thought too. But what stupid things she does with it are her own problem, and I'm sure Nott will stop her before she gets herself expelled. I mostly used her pair as practice," Draco shrugged at me. I gave him a smile in return. "We used it during the Hogsmeade trip, to get a sense of the distance it had. We tried once more after holiday. I thought the distance between here and London should be about the same as the Greengrass Villa and Diagon Alley."

"And?" I asked hopefully.

"All checks across the board," Draco smiled back, proud of his work. "I had it finished before Greengrass left for Greece, obviously, but I wanted to check a few more things before I gave you the final product. And, according to her, the parchment scrap of hers seems to be working from Greece, so not too bad if I do say so myself."

"That is impressive," I admitted, running my hand over the page. Curious to know one more thing, I turned back up to him. "Why did you choose this one to be so large?"

"You're kidding," Draco gave me a smirk, raising his brow at me. "I've seen the way you write. Might as well fill a novel and just ship that, with the amount of things you spout. I was even thinking of making it bigger than a full page, but I wasn't sure if the charm would hold up as well. And I would hope now that you don't have to wait as long to write, you won't be doing a book's worth of it."

"Why now?"

"I'm sure you see how Umbridge and the Ministry are going mad about what goes on at Hogwarts," Draco gave me a bit of a sigh at the thought, before letting out a light shrug. "Normally I wouldn't mind, but it does make things like this a little harder for you. And with the way you've been acting you're not helping yourself, so I thought I would do it for you. If you're at all in suspicion, all anyone will see is an extra sheet of parchment on a student who already lives in the library…"

Draco faded out of his explanation, watching me. But after just a moment, he continued.

"Besides, you keep 'borrowing' Balthazar without permission, and it's getting annoying," Draco went on, giving me a careful look. "After I decided on the 'what', all that was left was actually making it. Thought it would be less suspicious, this way no one could trace it back to us, as they could if I bought one. And no one has seen this but us, no one knows about the parchment we already have, and if anyone asks we can tell them that the scraps are the ones I made. I was even considering giving that one back to you, having you give it to him, but then I thought 'I don't want to' so I made one instead."

Draco concluded his explanation with a smirk. One that faded as he continued to look at me. Giving me a simple sigh, his expression turned down sternly.

"You were asking a lot of questions before, and now you're not saying anything. You're never this quiet, it's disturbing," Draco narrowed his eyes at me. I gave him a small smile in return. "I'm serious, Be honest, did you actually like it?"

"Of course," I answered quickly. Raising myself on the bed, I knelt down beside him. "Draco, this is so thoughtful. I just can't think of how to properly thank you for this. Really, I... "

Truly not knowing what to say, I reached out and put my arms around him. Draco chuckled lightly to himself, running a hand along my back. Whether he thought I was exaggerating or not, I truly was grateful. He had filled a need I hadn't even realized was there. But I shouldn't be surprised anymore. Draco always knew just what to get me, more than even I did. That was why I loved him. With a pout, I pushed myself away from him.

"I hate you," I grumbled, pulling back from him. "You are better at this than I am."

"Well, now you're being a brat again, so I know you liked your gift," Draco smirked down at me. Pushing against his knees, he stood himself up, turning back down to look at me before he spoke again. "For all the trouble I went through, you better."

Leaning down to me still on the bed, Draco kissed the top of my head. Not waiting for a response to that, he stepped away from me, and towards my desk. With a light groan, he sat himself down on my chair, stretching himself out on it. Coming down from the stretch, his arm landed on my desk with a thud. His hand began to crawl on the surface of it lazily, as he made himself more comfortable. It paused when it reached my quill, the one he had used earlier to write the message with, intertwining it between his fingers before facing up once more. Draco, noticing my glance, turned his head to smirk at me, just for a second before turning back. After watching him for a moment more, I stood myself up and walked to meet him.

That was something else he seemed to be better than me at. No matter how he felt, he was never one to shy away from showing affection. I always paused at times like these, not knowing whether one wrong touch would cause an uncomfortable situation. Him, on the other hand… He didn't even seem to think about it. Deciding not to think too hard about that at the moment, I focused on the gifts piled together on the floor.

I glanced through the presents, moving most out of the way until I found a particular book. The only book I had been gifted, actually. Since there wasn't one I had particularly asked for, my mother hadn't bothered searching. Still, my father knew my taste, and probably guessed that if I got only clothing I wouldn't have been able to fake appreciation for long. If anything else, he would have purchased something he himself found interesting, assuming I would just place it in the library. But with one glance I knew I would be keeping it for myself, having recognized the author. A Potioneer and Herbologist, he had invented a few alternate ways of brewing traditional remedies, and I owned a few other of his texts already.

"Of course you would pick that out of the stack," Draco smirked, pointing my quill at me. He turned to glance at the rest of the pile before looking back up at me. "So, now that your Pop-Pop—"

"For the last time, you're not funny," I paused my glancing to warn, wanting to get him out of the habit of using that joke as early as possible. Draco gave me a chuckle before continuing.

"Since your father," he emphasized, still with a smirk, "got you that book, does that mean we don't have to keep searching the library for that other one?"

"Of course not," I sneered down at him. "This one is on Potions. The other is focused in Charms. Neither one has anything to do with the other."

"Charms?" Draco frowned, pausing from playing with the feathers of my quill to look up at me. "You're fine in Charms. Why are you looking for the text so badly?"

"Charms as in the practice, not the subject," I rolled my eyes at him. "Spells. The book is one focused on ancient spells."

"Why do you want to learn old magic for? If it was so useful, wouldn't we still be using the spells now?" Draco grumbled, moving his attention to one of the stationeries hanging off the side of the shelf.

"It would be a lot harder to counter a curse you've never heard from, don't you think?" I asked, placing the Potions book on the desk between us. Not waiting for a response from him, I stood my back against the desk, and pulled myself up to sit on its surface. Shifting a moment to make myself comfortable, I reached over and grabbed my book once more. After a second, Draco let out a sigh and sat himself up.

"If you wanted your chair, you could have just said so," Draco gave me a look as he stood. But I shook my head at him.

"No, you take it, I'm alright," I assured.

Settling myself a bit more thoroughly, I pulled the book onto my lap. Draco rolled his eyes at me but sat himself down once more. As I flipped through the initial introductory pages, I began to swing my legs. Watching as I did so, Draco looked at them before turning back. Grabbing onto the chair, Draco inched himself forward. Kicking my feet again, I almost kicked him. He gave me a glare, and I couldn't help but giggle.

"It was an accident," I replied to his look, but it didn't look like he believed me.

Ignoring me beside him, Draco peered over the edge of the desk. His arm rested on the edge of the surface as his body leaned into the pile beside us. Seeing he was settled in, I kicked my feet once more, this time at an angle so as not to hit him. Since now he seemed to have something to keep him busy, I turned back down and began to read. Draco continued to lean himself against his fist, glancing through the stack on the floor. From the corner of my eye, I saw him flick a few of my dresses from the side. I might have felt offended, had I been planning on wearing any of them more than once. Eventually he stopped moving, making me glance up in curiosity. From the stack below, Draco pulled up the gifted lantern with a curious look.

"So how exactly does this toy work?"

"It's not a toy," I sighed at him. "And if you don't want it, I'll just keep it."

"So you did want it for yourself," Draco smirked up at me. Using both hands I closed my book. Holding it out slowly, I reached out and tapped his head with the back of it. Draco gave me a chuckle before turning back. "Where do I even start with this?"

"I told you how it worked, did you forget already?" I complained, sitting myself up again.

"How upset would you be if I said yes?" Draco asked, averting his eyes. But turning back to look at my glare, he let out a chuckle. "That upset, huh? Well, it's a good thing I listened. What I meant was, how does the light come out? I'm assuming it's not just a candle, or a regular lantern would have done."

"Try it," I suggested, looking back to my book again.

Draco seemed to think about the suggestion for a moment. I looked up as he turned his expression down towards his gift. After glancing it over for a second, he turned to look behind me. Following his glance, I noticed it was fixed on the window behind me. Knowing what he meant, I reached to draw the curtains closed. Draco placed the lantern atop the desk, and pulled his wand from his pocket.

"Ventus."

Draco spoke the charm with a twirl of his wrist. Wind swirled around the room, extinguishing the candles as it passed. It was only a moment before the room fell dark, no flame left to illuminate it. I scoot forward for a closer look, finding it a bit difficult to see without so much as moonlight. Draco held the lantern, having opened its compartment, now peering inside. Focusing his wand once more, he pointed it into the opening.

"Incendio."

With the spoken charm, a flame lit the wick. For a second it shone a brilliant yellow, before it began to change. The light flickered, shifting between blue, grey, and white flames. The room illuminated with their light. I noticed Draco stare down at the flames as they flickered and separated within the lantern. One by one, the wisps slowly drifted from one another and exited the lantern. Each a different color, they floated upward, translucent as if purely smoke. Using his wand to point upward, Draco called out to me.

"Hinkypunk?" Draco asked, watching one of the flames approach the desk.

"No, they're just charmed to resemble them," I shook my head in response.

I stretched a hand out to one of the passing wisps. It nearly touched the tips of my fingers before bouncing back and floating into the air. The flame gracefully moved upwards and towards Draco, illuminating his hair a light shade of blue. Draco smiled an endearing smile at them. A few more floated near the still open lantern, causing the most light. The sound of the chair moving beside me called my attention away from the flames. Draco stood in front of me, watching intently just as I had, at the wisps gathered around the lantern. A blue flame rose from the rest and passed between us. Meeting my eyes as it passed on, Draco turned back down.

"So it's not so bad," Draco shrugged in response to my glance.

"Just say that you liked it like a normal person, would you," I replied with a look.

"It's not bad," he repeated, but I caught sight of his smirk in the dim light. I let out a giggle to myself, and turned back down to the sight.

Most of the wisps were still gathered close to the lantern, but they began to oh so slowly fill the room. Draco leaned against the desk beside me. We continued to watch them, for a moment. Then, I noticed his expression, it had turned back to me. Not sure how long it had been that way I waited, allowing him to speak first. It took a moment, his eyes focused on me as if out of a daze. Standing himself a bit straighter, he began to talk.

"So what did you want to talk about before?"

"Before?" I asked, with a bit of a frown. "You might need to be a bit more specific."

"Downstairs," Draco rolled his eyes at me. "You said to remind you, then didn't give me any details. What was that about?"

"Oh, that?"

"Yes, that," Draco snapped over at me. I gave him a sigh, which only made his frown more profound. "Well? Spit it out."

"Don't rush me," I snapped back. Draco rolled his eyes, pushing against the desk and taking a step forward. Standing directly in front of me now, he looked straight at me.

"Come on, you always do this to me," he lectured, with an unpleasant expression.

"To you?" I repeated, raising a brow.

"You don't think I get anxious when you get about ready to bite my head off wanting to talk about something, then go dead silent?" Draco complained, hitting my knee with his fist lightly. Looking back up to meet my eye, Draco gave me a serious expression. "Talk."

Taking a breath, I gave him a nod. But I stayed quiet. Knowing now what it was he wanted to speak of, I had to find my words carefully. It was not his favorite subject of discussion, that much I was sure of. Normally I would have kept it to myself, but I knew it would help me to talk this through. And while Lev was a great listener, sometimes it was useful to get a proper reply.

"It's about him…" I began, but paused with a look.

"Him, as in… him?" Draco asked, sounding confused. I smiled, realizing that hadn't clarified anything for either of us.

"As in, the soon to be owner of your gift. Or, should I say, half," I hinted. Draco gave me a solemn nod, now aware of what it was I wanted to discuss.

"Now I know why you didn't want to have this talk downstairs," he let out a breath of understanding. "What about him?"

"Well, there's a few things, but…" I drifted off, still trying to find the right words. "I wanted you to promise me something. Something about him."

"What, exactly?" Draco asked carefully. I gave him a small frown in response. Normally he would have instantly agreed to a promise, though I suppose this was a more sensitive topic than was normal for us.

"Just promise that, no matter what, you'll never speak of him. To anyone," I spoke my point more clearly, turning my glance down. It stayed there a moment more, quiet hanging between us. Carefully, I turned my glance down to Draco, who now held a confused scowled on his face.

"What?" Draco frowned at me. "That's it?"

"Why are you saying it like that?" I glared in return. "It's important to me."

"Well, obviously, I'm going to keep that, you idiot," he rolled his eyes at me. "I already am, aren't I?"

"Are you?" I asked quietly. On his face, I saw a hurt look.

"Don't you trust me?"

"I do, of course I do," I assured, reaching a hand out to him. "But, with how things are… I just need to be sure."

"You keep saying that," Draco spoke softly. I pulled my hand from his.

"I know, I know," I answered nervously, tangling my hand through my nightgown. "But he's been worrying me lately. This whole situation, with these muggles…"

"So now a lecture," Draco attempted a joke. But I shook my head, focusing on the fabric between my fingers.

"I'm in no place to do so."

"What do you mean?" he replied, but in his tone a hint of surprise.

"I've been thinking a lot recently, and… in truth, I don't really care about these muggles," I answered softly.

"Could have fooled me," Draco mumbled but I went on, ignoring him.

"I want to believe I'm open minded, so to speak, but… I do care about one thing. I care about the people those muggles are hurting by association," I frowned down. Nikolai was only where he was because of one himself. Hermione was a talented witch, yet her parents constantly seemed to hold her back. The Weasley family name probably wouldn't be held in such disregard, was his father not so obsessed with muggle artifacts. But, above all that… "My brother's wife… she might be the death of him."

"So, get rid of her."

Draco spoke with a serious expression on his face. In response I stretched my arms out, holding them in place. Without speaking a word, he stepped closer, into my arms. Draco held me, wrapping his arms around my waist, as I placed mine around his neck. With a light tug on my back he pulled me closer to the edge of the desk, and towards him. I leaned myself forward, resting my head in my arms.

"I appreciate the advice, but you know I couldn't do that," I shook my head, feeling his hair rub against mine. "And I don't want anyone else to, either. Maybe in the beginning, but not now… He loves her…"

"It'll be alright," Draco turned to look at me, hearing something in my voice. But I held him tighter. "Your brother is almost as terrifying as your father, he'll be fine."

"I'm worried," I insisted, ignoring his attempt at a joke. "I think my parents know something."

"What, like where he lives?"

"No," I answered too quickly. I sounded too sure and I knew Nikolai wouldn't want me to mention the charm on home to Draco. Leaning back to look at him, I let out a breath before shaking my head. "No, I don't think they do. But you said it yourself, my mother has been acting strange."

"And?" Draco leaned in with a small smile. "That doesn't necessarily signal the end of times."

"Maybe not on its own," I almost smiled at the suggestion. "But when I spoke to my brother… I mentioned my mother's behavior."

"And?" Draco asked again. This time it seemed like a legitimate question.

"He said they acted similarly in the past, during the height of the war," I mumbled, turning my expression down. "A second war is coming."

"You knew that," he spoke quietly. I could feel him watching me intently.

"I know, but now it feels certain," I frowned, focusing on the pattern of my nightgown. "Before, I could feign ignorance, but now… Now there's no denying it… I'm worried he'll… he could…"

"Hey, hey, don't do that," Draco called quickly, leaning in to me.

Through his tone I realized, I had started crying. I shook my head quickly, raising my hands to my face. In a feeble effort I attempted to dry my cheeks, only to have more tears fall in their place. Draco frowned in my direction. He took a step back and, grabbing my hands from my face, pulled me until we both stood. Gently he tugged me in his direction again, until this time we were sat. Draco took my desk chair once more while I landed on his lap. Before I could word my protest, he pulled me tight against him, securing me in his arms. Using one hand to hold me in place, Draco reached his other up to my face.

"Stop—fuck! You know it stresses me out when you cry," Draco spoke nervously, wiping tears from my face. "You have nothing to worry about, we've been over this. I won't tell anyone anything about him, I barely know anything myself. As far as anyone is concerned he's a ghost, I promise. I'll promise whatever you want. Don't worry about him, everything will be alright."

"But we can't know—"

"Yes, we can," he interrupted, taking the hand he had been using to wipe my face, settling on holding it instead. Draco turned my face towards his. "When have you ever worried about your brother before?"

"This is different—"

"That's right, never," he continued, making his expression softening a bit. "Because I'm not exaggerating when I say he is utterly terrifying. It runs in the family. Your mother is the only normal one out of you lot. You know that yourself. You might think he's harmless, he is with you, but not anyone else, you can trust me on that."

"You're exaggerating," I mumbled, but my tears had stopped. Still he held onto my face. Draco's thumb rubbed my cheek gently, having noticed that too.

"I went on those visits to Durmstrang with you," Draco smiled down at me. "Some of the things he did I can't begin to duplicate now. His Charms professor let him miss lessons, because he had studied to already master whatever would have been taught to him for the week, all so he could spend the visit with you. He graduated at the top of his year in Dark Arts, and in his duelling—"

"Alright, I get it, my brother is amazing, and I'm exaggerating," I smiled over at him. With a sigh, Draco let go of my face. Instead he ran his hand down my arm, and leaned in to kiss my forehead. "But I can't help it. I love him."

"I know what you mean," Draco spoke quietly. I frowned slightly, looking up at him. After a second he caught my look, before making a very obvious eye roll. "I mean I always see you being overly sensitive about him. This isn't news to me."

Silently, I looked back at him for a moment. I couldn't tell if he was lying to me. My eyes had yet to fully adjust, and the leftover tears edging my eyes didn't help. But in response, I gave him a simple nod. Leaning up, and a bit closer to him, I kissed his cheek and leaned back against his chest.

"I'm sorry," I spoke softly. Against me, I felt him let out a breath.

"For what, ruining my robes?" Draco gave me a fake grumble, running a hand through my hair. Glancing down, I noticed a damp spot on his shoulder, where my head had laid.

"That too," I gave him a small smile. But it disappeared almost as quickly. "More importantly, I'm sorry, for always making you my source of emotional support."

"That I don't mind," Draco spoke after a moment, holding me tighter against him. With a small smile, he ran a hand along my cheek, clearing the remainder of my tears with it. Taking that same hand Draco reached towards my desk, picking up the book I had placed down. "Here, read the damn thing."

I nodded, taking the text from him. With a breath, I moved to stand, but a hand held me. Wrapping around my waist it pulled me back down. As I turned to look up in question Draco placed a hand on my head, obstructing my view. But I saw enough to tell he was facing away from me, watching the wisps once more. Still, he must have felt my glare, as he gently pet my head.

"Just shut up and read," Draco mumbled, his face still turned away from me. I gave him a nod before leaning myself against him.

For the time being, I let myself be coddled by him. Draco rubbed my arm reassuringly as I turned the first page. Using the very dim light of the wisps still hovering around us, I began to read. It was quiet for a while. Every time I glanced away from the text I found Draco looking off into the distance. He looked to be thinking but, being mentally drained myself, I didn't ask.

Instead I focused my attention on the words before me. Not that I was retaining much of the information, but it was a much welcomed distraction. Getting past the first chapter, I began to yawn. It was a comforting feeling after all, having a strong yet gentle hand caressing your hair, as the enchanted flames danced around the room. If Draco really did keep his lantern, I was considering buying one of my own.

After a moment of us sat like this I realized I had calmed myself down, enough at least. I couldn't remember much of what I had read, but it had made me feel a little better. Sensing the same thing, Draco let go of his hold on me. He watched silently as I pulled myself away, standing. Taking a few steps from him, I stretched myself out. As my hands came back down I gently rubbed my face, hiding the yawn that had crawled its way to me. I shook my head lightly before turning back, only to be met with a fixed stare. In the dim light I could already make out Draco's prominent frown. And before I could even ask, he spoke.

"You're putting off going to bed," Draco scowled in my direction.

"I'm not tired," I insisted, all the while fighting the urge to yawn once more.

"Is it because I'm here," he narrowed his eyes at me. In response I turned away from him.

"I said I'm not tired," I spoke up feeling his eyes staring into my back.

"I suggested sleeping in another room, didn't I," Draco raised his voice. "Well now I'm here, dressed, and tired; too tired for this bullshit."

"Language!" I lectured, watching him stand up himself. "And don't exaggerate, I'm not—wait!"

Knocking my legs down from under me, Draco scooped them up with one arm while holding onto me with the other. With a huff he tossed me up slightly, to find a better grip. Ignoring my clear objection he walked us over to the bed. Draco tossed me onto it as soon as we were close enough without so much as a warning.

I turned to give him an irritated look but he ignored me, climbing onto the bed himself. He ignored me still as he found the pillow beside me. For a moment he didn't say anything, but just as I was about to speak he darted up. With a panicked look on his face he quickly turned to glance around the room, making me mirror his action. After seemingly not finding what he was searching for, Draco fixed his expression on me.

"Merlin… Kitty, you're not going to believe this… We're still alive," Draco exclaimed sarcastically, dropping back down on the bed. My face formed a frown as he continued, pretending not to notice. "Here I thought the world was going to end, or at least go up in flames with how fidgety you were. But just look at us, we're alive!"

"I'm not fidgety," I grumbled in protest, turning away. Draco gave me a soft chuckle, scooting himself closer to me.

"I suppose better word would be bratty—fuck!" Draco exclaimed, feeling my elbow collide with his ribcage. I crossed my arms, but laid satisfied that I got my point across. Still looking like the jab had affected him, Draco wrapped an arm around me, pulling me closer against his chest. "You get my point, don't you?"

"I get it," I mumbled, feeling Draco's other arm wrap around me as well. He leaned his head against the back of mine, and I didn't dare turn around. With how we were laid, I couldn't help but ask. "Draco…"

"Shut up, I'm sleeping," Draco grumbled into my shoulder. I felt his breathing flow in and out beside me. But before I got used to its rhythm, Draco sat up abruptly. Turning back down to look at me, he frowned. "Actually, no, I'm not. How can I? Go do something about your hair, would you."

"Excuse me," I narrowed my eyes, turning around to face him. But turning around, I saw what he meant. I tried not to smile, but we both knew I had seen it clearly. Noting the smile creeping on my face, Draco frowned.

"How am I supposed to sleep when I feel like I'm lying next to a ball of fur?" he complained with a glare. "Go on, go contain that thing or something."

"If it bothers you so much, go sleep somewhere else," I frowned, not finding this all so funny anymore.

"Right, what about, 'I won't move you to another room in the middle of the night, Draco'?" Draco argued, doing his best attempt at imitating my voice. "Or what about, "I won't make you sleep on the floor, Draco'?"

"I won't. Rest assured my reading chair is more than comfortable enough for a proper nap," I replied sarcastically, adding a kick for good measure. But still, he kept going.

"Be a proper hostess, and fix that dragon's nest you call a head—"

I snatched my pillow from where it lay, firmly grasping it and pressing it over his face. After a second I let go of any force and stood. Draco moved to throw it off where it still lay on his face as I stepped over him, off the bed. Walking towards my vanity mirror, I grabbed a nearby hairband, obliging him for the night. Loosely I placed my hair up, into what could barely be called a bun, setting it down as the style for the night. Not as happy as I thought he would be, Draco made a face at me as I walked back.

"Better?" I asked, smiling at the expression on his face. Still glaring up at me, Draco raised the sheets for me, in an offer to let me in.

"It might have been perfect, had you not tried to suffocate me," Draco grumbled, watching me crawl into bed beside him. Once I reached, he gave me a crooked smile. "Luckily for me, even if you had used your entire weight, it still wouldn't have been enough."

"You greatly underestimate my desire to hurt you sometimes," I replied, laying down next to him.

With a small smile, Draco wrapped an arm around me. He pulled me closer, leaning against me, placing his head on my shoulder. Instinctively my arms rose up, to wrap around his neck. Glancing at the blond head of hair beside me, I smiled. He was trying to distract me, I knew that, but what could I do but let him.

"I think you're exaggerating," I murmured, stroking his hair.

"No, I'm right," Draco assured from my shoulder. "Besides, even if you go mad, I'm sure I could have your mother talk you out of it."

"She does love you more than any mother outside of your own should," I mumbled, knowing better than to deny his statement.

"That's because she knows a good thing when she sees it," Draco answered with a chuckle.

"It could also be that she knows you're good for a compliment. Or, maybe she's been blinded by the few motherly instincts she has left," I offered. "Seeing a troubled youth so far from salvation must be hard for a mother to witness."

"She always does find a way to get you to do what it is she wants," Draco continued, ignoring what I'd said. "Or are you telling me it was your idea to decorate the manor for the holiday? Did you rush to the idea of helping coordinate dinner? How about that little dress you wore this morning?"

"Shut up, or you're sleeping outside," I threatened, sitting up quickly. I frowned down with a glare at Draco, but pretended not to notice, continuing with his rant.

"I'm just saying, it's a lot better than those rags you usually—"

Grabbing a pillow once more, I held it over Draco's face. Pushing it down, I ended up hovering over him. Not seeming too upset to be interrupted, I heard Draco laugh underneath the fabric. The carefree sounds came muffled, only clearly ringing out as I pulled the pillow away. I tossed it back down beside him as he continued to laugh. I frowned slightly down at him, as Draco continued to hold a sweet smile in return. His hair lay unkempt, being messied by the pillow, a few strands strewn across his face. Noting I had been staring, I turned my back to him and lay back down on the bed.

"Fine, if you're so insistent on being tired, then shut up and go to bed already. Goodnight," I huffed onto my pillow.

Draco didn't reply. Without a word, he settled his chest against my back again, placing his head back on my shoulder. A moment longer passed, and still not a sound was made. Slowly, I turned my face to meet Draco's. His eyes were closed. He was sleeping, apparently haven taken my words to heart. With a pout, I turned back. He hadn't said a goodnight in return. I let out a sigh and nestled myself closer to the pillow.

Recently, he'd been acting a bit more bold. Or perhaps he was acting just the same, but I just didn't hold the same blissful ignorance. This was normal for us after all, I was overthinking things again. That was why he wasn't bringing it up, he just wanted things back to normal. With a sigh I reached my hand back to rest on his head. As I ran my fingers through his hair, I felt him hold me a little tighter.