A/N:Loving whatever readers are patient enough to wait until I can post, so thank you thank you. I've been asked, "Why can't Draco and Hermione see that the artist/writer who they're currently obsessed with is their crush?" Well, when you have a full on crush on someone (until it develops into more), you have a tendency to be blinded to glaringly obvious clues, like how Hermione uses "Gin" in both her conversation and entry. Should've been a big HELLO! But, that's really not how crushes or love works. You can't see what's right in front of you but everyone else can see it. I don't own the Potter characters or universe, just the plot and my OCs (some of which I will be introducing in this chapter). Hope you enjoy!:)

**Blaise's POV**

I put food on my plate as I watched Drake come rushing in. He found me and rushed to me, his eyes a little wider than normal.

"Blaise, mate, you aren't going to believe this... I know who wrote the journals we've been so nosily reading."

"Finally figure it out Drake? Go on then, I'll tell you if you're right." I smirked at his confused face.

"Don't fuck with me you arse, you don't know. You will be losing your shit when I tell you."

He waits until I gesture for him to tell me, as I put a strawberry in my mouth.

"Granger likes me. Or, she did. I'm not sure if she does now. Probably still has the weasel up her bum..."

I clap my hands and continue eating, finishing off my plate.

"Your next step is to make the girl wild with jealousy. Make sure you have a beautiful date to your mother's masquerade, the picture will be in all the papers. If you don't want to wait that long, get some bravery and ask her to Hogsmeade like a third year, because at least it's something. Now, I must be going. I have a study date. A study double date, how enthralling."

"A study double date?"

"Padma's idea. We're meeting with Lavender Brown and Ernie Macmillan in the library so that we can get different perspectives or something. Oh, and Padma seems to be warming up to me, but I might give that Brown girl a go, see if I can remove the stick from her arse and put something else up there instead."

He just shook his head at me as I got up.

**Narcissa's POV**

I paced, waiting for Lucius's younger sister Lisette and her family. It's been ages and I need help planning this masquerade. The large fireplace roared and three gorgeous people stepped out. Lisette's silver eyes looked beautiful under her pale blonde hair. She looks just like Lucius and Draco but in a willowy petite figure. Her husband, Jasper Mason, was taller than all of them. I noticed some of his black hair out of place and his violet eyes shining mischievously. And then my lovely Kitty. Definitely one to put forth her claws if you used her real name though, Katerina Elena Mason. She was just as blonde as her mother, but eyes like her father. Her tanned skin was flawless and perfect. I ran to hug her.

"Auntie!" She squealed in her charming American accent. "It's been ages! Three years now, and I've missed you and Draco!"

"My little Kitty! You're so grown! And so beautiful! When did you get so gorgeous!"

Lisette hugged me too and so did Jasper. Their mass amounts of luggage just appeared in a large pile right in the grand room. I led them out to the gardens where there was lunch set up.

"I'm sorry we weren't more help with the whole Voldemort situation. Kitty was working on school, both Salem's Institute of Witches and Wizards, and earning a Muggle GED, with honors. There's a lot of jobs that deal with both worlds, so it's simply easier to know what's going on with Muggles too. And then, I was busy with my job, party planner extraordinaire this time." Lisette said, barely taking a breath. She took a sip of tea.

"What Mother is trying to say is, how can she help with the masquerade? Oh, does Draco know we were coming to the ball at all, let alone staying a few months? He's redoing his seventh year, yes?"

I simply put my hand on hers with a smile. A house elf came up next me and curtsied to me. I smiled at the elf as I addressed her.

"Yes, Mixxie?"

"Mistress Narcissa has more owls with responses to her ball, ma'am. Theys are in the owl'ry now. And a letter from Master Draco as well." She hands me a large stack of envelopes.

"Thank you Mixxie. Would you make sure Lisette and Jasper's room is ready as well as Kitty's please?" I waited for the nod before turning back to my conversation.

**Hermione's POV**

In the studio, I feel I can breathe. I decided it was time to add my journal of when Harry, Ron, and I were on the hunt for horcruxes to my collection. It encompasses all of last year, starting with just before we picked up Harry to July of this year. Opening my cabinet, I panicked. A few of my journals weren't in their normal space. Maybe I put them in purse? It still has the charm on it. Or maybe I left it at the Burrow, or my flat? I decided I needed to breathe and think rationally, clear my head and worry about it later. Going over to the art side, I quickly found 'the lost one''s work and curled up in a chair nearby ready to look through the large stack.

The first one was colored portrait of Blaise looking like a cocky arse, but I smiled that the artist even captured his perfectly raised eyebrow. The next one was dark piece. It was a shattered mirror with someone looking into sadly. I looked closer and I realized it was Malfoy. Draco. He looks simply broken... I moved on to the next one and saw a stunning black and white with colored accents phoenix with the swirling script saying, "I'm sorry. Rest In Peace, Headmaster." At the bottom it said, "In memory of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore."

Checking my watch, I saw that I had to meet Malfoy in ten minutes in the courtyard. I put the drawings in my bag and headed out to see him. He was sitting in the sun, running his pencil over the paper. He looked at peace as he was looking at the little hummingbird in the rose bush. I sat on the bench and waited until he was done and turned around. His face was still unguarded and peaceful and he saw me, eyes wide.

"I didn't mean to interrupt. I just thought we were meeting here is all."

"Quite right. Give me a moment." He put his art stuff away and pulled out the notebook I gave him. "I think we should discuss our visual aides. What were you planning on doing?"

"Well, I hadn't really decided if I'm being honest. Maybe a slideshow, or the wizard equivalent? Or a scrapbook, but that would involve me taking pictures of you at random, to really get the real you. It'd be a Muggle camera sometimes. Others, a wizard one. What about you?"

"Well, if you wanted to do the scrapbook, I'd be okay if you had a camera with you at all times. I can't say that I won't naturally smile or look dashing though." He smirked at me. "I've not decided that yet. I was hoping for ideas from you, but if it's Muggle technology, I'm not the greatest with that. My cousin made me get the latest phone model and I'm still figuring out how to work it..." He pulled out a fancy smart phone. "Apparently McGonagall was the one to figure out how to allow them to work at Hogwarts and around magic a while back. I don't know how to use it though."

I reached out my hand.

"May I?" He handed it to me and unlocked it. I got to his camera app, flipped the camera, and pulled him in close. "Now, make a funny face!" I made a slight duck face and he was just looking at me in utter disbelief as I snapped the picture and handed it back to him.

"Now what?" He scooted a little away, still remaining decently close to me. "How am I supposed to see the blasted thing?"

I went to his gallery and showed him the very first picture on his phone. I did some other small taps and sent it to myself, my phone chiming moments later. "Now you have my number too. We can text questions if we aren't in person, whether we're in our rooms, at home, whatever. And you might want to consider reading the owner's manual. It'll help."

"Thanks. Oh, here." He got up and picked up a golden rose that had fallen to the ground and handed it to me. "Instead of getting swept away when it's cleaned up later, for you."

I blushed and stammered out a thank you.

**Draco's POV**

I had time before I had to go meet Granger. Hermione. I was still thinking about the last poem I read. It was written right after Dumbledore's death.

Cry

Do you ever want to cry?

I say, "Why?"

Just try,

So hard, when it's hard,

To face your fears,

Instead of tears.

Let it out.

Let it go.

Just cry.

Without answering, "Why?"

There is just so much sadness within the golden girl it seems. Not even I predicted that. She always seems so fierce, so happy. Blaise of course was still smug that he figured out it was her before I did, so I went outside to draw in the sun. A little purple and blue hummingbird was hovering near the golden roses so I started sketching immediately. I'll remember it anyways, I have a photographic memory, that's how I get such detail into my art. I was finishing up, and as I turned around, I saw Granger sitting like a goddess in the sunlight. She looked incredibly sweet with that small smile on her face.

"I didn't mean to interrupt. I just thought we were meeting here is all."

"Quite right. Give me a moment." I put my art stuff away, sat beside her, and pulled out my notebook and pen. "I think we should discuss our visual aides. What were you planning on doing?"

"Well, I hadn't really decided if I'm being honest. Maybe a slideshow, or the wizard equivalent? Or a scrapbook, but that would involve me taking pictures of you at random, to really get the real you. It'd be a Muggle camera sometimes. Others, a wizard one. What about you?"

"Well, if you wanted to do the scrapbook, I'd be okay if you had a camera with you at all times. I can't say that I won't naturally smile or look dashing though." I smirked at the thought of her wanting to take pictures of me all the time and thought for a moment. Should I tell her that I was planning on doing a grand portrait with aspects of her personality incorporated into it? "I've not decided that yet. I was hoping for ideas from you, but if it's Muggle technology, I'm not the greatest with that. My cousin made me get the latest phone model and I'm still figuring out how to work it..."

I pulled out the phone Kitty had me get and looked at it with confusion.

"Apparently McGonagall was the one to figure out how to allow them to work at Hogwarts and around magic a while back. I don't know how to use it though."

She held out her hand.

"May I?" I handed her my phone unlocked and I saw her go through a couple motions and suddenly she pulled me in very close to her. "Now, make a funny face!"

She had puckered her lips a little and I was just looking at her in utter disbelief that she pulled me close. After the picture was taken, she handed it back to me. I wasn't ready for us to completely separate, but I thought I should give her a little room. I figured I'd ask for her help in using this blasted Muggle device, even if I could figure things out somewhat.

"Now what? How am I supposed to see the blasted thing?"

She went to my gallery and sent the picture to herself. I heard her phone chime seconds later.

"Now you have my number too. We can text questions if we aren't in person, whether we're in our rooms, at home, whatever. And you might want to consider reading the owner's manual. It'll help."

"Thanks. Oh, here." I got up again and grabbed one of the beautiful roses that had fallen from the bush. I handed it to her. "Instead of getting swept away when it's cleaned up later, for you."

She looked flushed as she accepted the rose.

A/N: Once again, thank you all for reading. If you get a chance, check out my warm bodies fic, "Oh Brother". I have finished the designs for the masquerade, but they will not be posted until the masquerade is up describing the dresses. I drew four characters in the dresses that shall be described: Hermione (obviously), Ginny (same), Kitty (duh), and Luna (though I'm not sure if I'll use her yet).

This poem is actually a very special one to me. I wrote it just days after my dad passed away and there were some jerks asking why I was still crying. I loved my dad beyond measure. I still do, and it still hurts, eight and a half years later. I figured I'd share it with you, posing it as Hermione's reaction to Dumbledore.

We're going to see lots more of Kitty, some of Lisette and Jasper but not as much. Also: I'm having issues thinking what Kitty should call Narcissa other than "Auntie". 'Narcissa' seems like it'd get troublesome, but 'Cissy' is what Bellatrix called her and I'm not so fond of that idea. Thoughts?