Draco's Point of View:

The days following their last encounter went on quite quickly for the Heads of Hogwarts. Hermione was too busy with classes to spend much time outside the library, much less hanging out in her common room to have a friendly spew with her Slytherin counterpart. Draco was no better, trying to deal with classes, working to maintain his reputation, and actively avoiding both Zabini and Hermione. The former, he avoided with a passion if only to avert the obvious 'I told you so' or the even more annoying 'Have you screwed her yet?'. As for the muggleborn... well, he just wasn't ready to face her or, more specifically, face everything he had revealed to her in a moment of weakness. Heading towards the practice yards, he popped out his new Firebolt from the Slytherin locker room and stepped out onto the Quidditch field. It was a clear afternoon, the sun beginning to set on the west over the tallest of the viewing boxes. With a swift motion, he jumped onto the broom, barely holding on as it sped off into the darkening sky. He longed for his frustrations, worries, and problems to be blown away as his flight ignited the air around him. 'Let them burn' he thought, picturing all his issues and tearing them apart with swift motions of his broom. He sped around, exhilarated by the freedom the sky offered him. Years under his father's dominance, and his only escape had only been the few minutes of glory as he soared on his broom.

'The bastard's gone' he told himself again, reminding himself that the poor excuse for a human being that dared refer itself as his father was long gone and sent to Azkaban. He felt no pity for the man, no compassion for the man who had been the torture of his existence. At one point he had looked up to Lucious, wanting nothing more than to please the arrogant man and his selfish desires. For a long part of his life he had truly believed that he deserved to be beaten, that he must indeed be a failure for his own father to need to treat him thus. 'I will learn' he'd sworn to himself as another crucio curse tore through him. 'I will learn so that he can be proud of me'. But that delusion had been replaced with bitter loathing after that fateful night...

'So much for piece of mind' he thought to himself as he pushed the troubling memories aside and began descending back down to the pitch. It was only then that he noticed the unnaturally bright red hair that could only belong to a Weasley. Swearing under his breath, he descended for the inevitable confrontation.

"Trying to spy for your boyfriend?" he snarled at the Weaselette whom immediately winced under his tone. 'That's odd...' he considered, not used to seeing the red headed girl wince at anything, much less such an unremarkable diss.

"You fly well" she commented, completely ignoring his attempt to insult her. "You're sure gonna keep Harry on his toes this year... might be a good thing too, bring his ego back down to size. Then again, yours is out of control as is so maybe this isn't such a great idea".

"Is there a reason behind this particular exchange Weasley our are you simply wishing to grace me with your presence?" he demanded, putting his broom away in its case and turning towards the lockers.

"Yes, there is, actually" she finally managed, and he stopped, his eyes scanning her as if trying to read beyond her now somewhat nervous expression.

"Save the love confession, Weasley. You and me just won't work out" he concluded, wanting to get away from the entire scenario. He was surprised by the burst of laughter from the young girl who was all of a sudden doubling over laughing for some inexplicable reason.

"You really are full of yourself, you know that?" she finally managed, and he conceded with a graceful nod. "Don't see what Hermione sees in you, Malfoy..." she added, which made his eyes shoot open in surprise. "No no! Not like that! More like, she keeps telling me that you aren't such a bad guy, that there's actually some good in you. Even claims you have a sense of humor though I doubt it. Regardless, if she for whatever reason believes in you, well... yea. You know where to find me". With that, she turned and left, her hands in her pockets, whistling as she went along.

'What just...?' not for the first time since the year started, he found himself unable to formulate a coherent thought. 'Did she just... do... what I think she did?' he asked himself stupidly, as if he could truly ever know for certain what went on in the twisted thrill-seeking hero-driven minds of all the Gryffindors. 'Crazy bunch, the lot of them' he concluded, picking up his boxed up broom and heading towards the showers, not bothering to think the matter over for fear of getting a headache.

Author's Note: I know, it's a VERY short chapter and you guys deserve better considering I GOT THE A 100 REVIEWS! But my research project isn't going as well as I'd want it to which limits the amount of time I can spend online (anyone happen to have connections with the census makers in Puerto Rico? No?). Oh well... anyway, I'll update soon enough and thank you soooooooooooo much for your support! And just to keep you hooked, things REALLY start happening within the next to chapters, if you know what I mean hint hint wink wink. Have fun!