Have you missed me? YOU DID! I KNOW IT! Welcome to my round 2 standard for Houses Comp, where I have now become the…. HOH! But you knew that if you've been paying attention.

For my prompts, I have picked (location) woods, and (dialogue, multi-line) "No" "That's not the correct response." Hope you enjoy this story!

Word Count: 1166

Betas: Ash Juillet, Aya, Bailey

Note: I have made it so that Draco can see the thestrals after he sees an aunt die over the summer between third and fourth year.

Ginny Weasley jogged down the worn down path to Hagrid's house, eager to help him with the thestrals (not that she could see them). She supposed that if she could see them, she probably wouldn't want to help, so she supposed it was fortuitous in a way. To be able to see thestrals was a sign of bad luck, so she supposed she was glad she couldn't see them. The superstitions didn't stop her from wanting to help Hagrid, now that she was able to. Helping magical creatures, no matter how out of the ordinary they may be to others, left her feeling extraordinarily wonderful.

After two years helping Hagrid, she had grown accustomed to carefully watching her surroundings for the thestrals. A rustling of leaves that was a bit too rough to be wind, crunching of dead underbrush beneath their feet, a branch that snapped much too sharply; all were signs that alerted one who could not physically see them that the invisible steeds were nearby.

As she changed course for the edge of the woods, Ginny caught sight of someone lingering beside Hagrid's cabin. At first she thought it was Harry, but looking closer, she realized it was not.

Draco Malfoy, she thought angrily. She had never liked him from the moment they'd met in Flourish and Blotts the summer before her first year. She quickly changed her path and stalked over towards him. As she approached, he raised his eyebrows.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" she demanded once she reached him.

"What do you care?" he asked, rolling his eyes. "Am I bothering you just by being outside your friend's hovel?"

Ginny pursed her her lips to keep from saying something brash too soon. "That depends on what you're doing here," she said diplomatically.

"Care of Magical Creatures assignment," he answered. "We were told to come over to this hut and help with all these ridiculous creatures."

It was Ginny's turn to roll her eyes. "Helping animals is doing something good, just so you know. I actually came to help of my own accord."

"Good for you, Saint Weasley," Draco said, seeming to be extremely bored. "Unfortunately, it seems we're both out of luck. Hagrid isn't coming out. He must be off doing whatever he does."

Ginny was trying to ignore all the jibes at Hagrid, but that one went too far. "He's doing his job most likely, Malfoy. He has responsibilities, which you wouldn't understand."

"And why should I?" he retorted. "For a Malfoy, there's no need. Will I ever need to know what someone like that oversized oaf gets up to? No."

"That's not the correct response," Ginny spat, aiming her wand at him. "If you can't say something nice, I suggest you keep quiet before I make you."

"Oh, like I'm scared of you, Weasley," Draco scoffed. "A third year. What's the most powerful spell you know? Incendio?"

"Don't test me, Malfoy," she warned.

She was preparing to cast a spell—what it was, she could not have guessed—when they both heard heavy footsteps rapidly approaching, and Hagrid's deep voice called, "Eh, what's goin' on here? Ginny, what're yeh doin'?"

Ginny quickly lowered her wand, but it was too late. As Hagrid reached them, it was quite obvious that he at least had a guess as to what was going on.

"I…" she tried to speak, but words failed her. "He was insulting you!"

Hagrid eyed Malfoy critically. "Here for yer extra assignment, are yeh, Malfoy?"

"Yes, sir," Draco drawled, eyeing Ginny smugly.

Hagrid considered the two of them for a few moments, seemingly trying to decide how to handle the situation. Finally, he said, "Tha's perfect!"

Ginny was taken by surprise this time. "It is?"

Hagrid nodded. "I got a class comin' jus' now, an' I need to get those thestrals fed. Draco can see them, so he can help you do it."

"What?" Ginny and Draco both exclaimed in protest. "No way!"

"Ah, I won' hear another word," Hagrid talked over them. "Yeh always help me, anyway, Ginny. Malfoy, if yeh do this, that'll cover yer assignment."

Despite their protests for the next several minutes, Hagrid refused to allow them to head back to the castle, and so, eventually, they decided it wasn't worth it to keep arguing. They had set off down the path just beside Hagrid's hut that led into the forest.

"Let's just get this over with," Draco muttered as he forged on ahead through the woods.

"Malfoy, stop!" Ginny called. "You do know the thestrals are invisible, right?"

"No duh," Draco drawled. "I can see them."

Ginny had practically ignored Hagrid's mention of this fact, so this brought her up short. "You… you saw someone die?"

Draco stopped. To her surprise, he seemed to have dropped most of his guard here in the woods. As he faced her, she was taken aback by the look on his face. It was full of sorrow. He managed a nod as he determinedly looked away.

She closed her eyes, considering how to move forward. Certainly there was something seriously troubling that he was dealing with. If she didn't take the opportunity to find out what went on behind the Slytherin Prince's head, when would she get another chance?

"Tell me," she finally said.

Draco snapped to look at her again. "What?"

"Tell me what happened, Malfoy," Ginny repeated. When he continued to remain stubbornly silent, she said, "Look, I know I'm not the ideal person you'd tell-"

"I wouldn't want to tell anyone, under in any ordinary circumstance," Draco interrupted.

"Granted, " she said. "But talking always helps in my experience. If you remain an emotional shut-in, that's not going to bode well in the future."

For a moment, it seemed as if Draco would continue to keep silent, but finally, something she said seemed to reach him.

"My aunt, Father's sister, died just in March. I was home for Easter break, and she was in St. Mungo's. Mother and I went to see her, and she died that day. While we were there."

Ginny was unable to speak. What could one say to a statement like that? Eventually, she managed to say, "And you saw them when we took the carriages."

Draco nodded. Ginny continued to think. She had never expected to see such vulnerability in Draco. Of course, it went away as quickly as it had come. "Don't you dare tell anyone about this, Weasley."

She raised her brows. "Why are you keeping the fact that you actually care about things a secret? Most people who aren't your mates hate you, but if they saw this side of you…"

"I don't need pity," he snapped. "And I don't need a Blood Traitor to wax poetic about my goodness and morality to me."

With that, Draco turned and ran back down the trail, leaving Ginny alone in the small clearing, wondering how she would be able to see anything other than the nuance beneath Draco's facade.