By the time the four wizards got back to the castle, all of 8th year had heard that Campbell not only bought half of Honeydukes, but was throwing some sort of party in one of the dorm rooms and that there would be Butterbeer and Firewhiskey.

Somehow it had gotten around that it was some sort of pajama party. Campbell could only work out that someone had seen Blaise and her buying night clothes and made the assumption. Blaise looked a bit worried about this development but Campbell couldn't put her finger on why.

Theo had promised that he would handle all of the refreshments and she didn't have to worry. Campbell still worried. What if Malfoy was right and this was too childish. She would hate to see that smarmy git be right.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Campbell asked Dean Thomas for the 4th time.

The tall dark skinned boy smiled at her. "Yeah of course. It sounds like it's going to be fun." He looked so kind. Where the boys Campbell grew up around had sharper, harsher features, here was Dean Thomas, all easy smiles and honest eyes. He looked, maybe not harmless, no that wasn't the right word, but something close. Trustworthy maybe. Campbell couldn't put her finger on it.

"If you're sure," Campbell added hesitantly.

"Yeah I'm sure. Everyone I've talked to thinks it's a great idea too." Dean smiled at her, his teeth strangely white. "You're going to get a reputation for throwing some pretty wicked parties if you keep this up." He meant it as a sweet little joke and Campbell knew that but she couldn't help but smile to herself at the thought. Before, the only real reputation she had ever had was being Theo's twin sister or the girl Nott or Little Nott. She was always attached to someone. But, what Dean was suggesting was different. So much different. It was like she could finally see herself becoming her own person.

"Okay," Campbell smiled at the boy, "thanks for letting me, and I suppose the rest of the 8th years, take over your dorm for the night."

"It's really no problem." Dean looked at her for a long moment looking like he was trying hard not to say something. Then he finally said, "This kind of thing happened in Gryffindor from time to time, when no one was worried about dying. We didn't really have impromptu silly parties like this after Cedric." Campbell bit her lip. She knew he wasn't saying that to be mean or to accuse her of anything, but she still felt that pang of guilt she always got when something about the horror of the Death Eaters came up.

"I'm sorry," she said out of habit.

Dean's face scrunched a little. "I didn't mean it like that," he started but Campbell nodded.

"I know. I'm still sorry."

Dean took a step closer to her and put a hand on her shoulder. When she looked at him, his hand fell but his face looked so comforting it didn't really matter. "You know I was held in Malfoy Manor right?" Campbell bit her lip and nodded. "Yeah, well I know what your brother and Blaise, and Malfoy all are, or at least what they were forced to be." He paused for a moment trying to gather his thoughts. "I don't hold anything against them, or you. We were just kids."

Campbell nodded and attempted a smile. Saying her goodbyes she made her way out of the dorm room and down the stairs. She was moving towards the Great Hall without really considering where she was going. She was too wrapped up in her own thoughts. "We were just kids." That's what Dean had said. But, it was less than a year ago that the war came to a close. Were they still kids or did the war take that from them too?

Dean hadn't really given her forgiveness, it felt different and somehow a little better. He had told her that there was nothing to forgive. It made her nervous but her heart felt just a little lighter as she smacked right into the somewhat wide Neville Longbottom. He dropped a few books and his bag spilled out onto the stone floor. Campbell hadn't realized it, but she had been chewing her lip while walking and she could now taste that strange metallic taste of blood slowly coming into her mouth.

"I am so sorry!" She dropped to the floor to help Longbottom clear up his things.

"No it's my fault really," Longbottom insisted. "I wasn't paying any attention."

"Neither was I," Campbell offered in a small voice.

"Well then, it's on both of us I suppose." He looked at her and smiled and it was so goofy and genuine that she had to smile back. "Oh, did I do that?" He pointed towards her lip with a worried expression.

She waved him off as they stood. "No no. That was me. I was biting my lip and then I ran into you and I guess I bit a bit hard." She smiled at him slowly, feeling that tug on her lip where it had split.

Longbottom rubbed the back of his neck with the hand he wasn't holding his books with. "Do you want me to take you to hospital? I'm sure Madam Pomfry could fix it up fast."

"Oh no no, please do not worry about it. It's really no big deal at all." Longbottom nodded and started walking away. "Oh um, Longbottom, er uh Neville. I'm throwing a sort of party later tonight."

"Yeah the pajama candy thing right?"

"Yeah. Well, if you want to stop by, I mean you are welcome to stop by if you'd like. Though, don't feel like you have to if it's not your thing or anything."

Neville smiled at her. "Yeah I'll look in on it after I finish in the library tonight."

Campbell felt her lips tug again as she smiled widely. "Okay. Good! I'll see you there."

They said goodbye and Campbell continued to the Great Hall, a sly smile creeping onto her face. She knew Longbottom coming would be a very good thing, if not for her then for someone else.

She walked into the Great Hall to see her spot filled. She cocked her head slightly to see the moon white hair of Malfoy sitting between Blaise and her brother. Her good mood over Dean and Neville was dissipating quickly.

She walked over to the table but wasn't sure what would be worse, demanding he move or just act like it was nothing and take his open spot next to Crabbe. She didn't like either idea, but she had to make up her mind now that she was at the table. She took a deep breath and sat down in Malfoy's seat with Crabbe and Pansy as bookends. She had her jaw set, trying not to open her mouth, knowing only rage would spill out if she did.

She saw Blaise and Theo share a look as she scooped some carrots onto her plate, and deciding if she wanted the fish or the chicken. Then she saw Malfoy's smug smarmy face set in what could only be described as a serpent's smile. There was a very long silence, no one wanting to break it, worrying what might happen if they do.

Unfortunately and fortunately, Crabbe had noticed Campbell next to him. "What are you doing?" Campbell looked at the boy. He was, well he was big in nearly every way. Sitting next to him made her feel smaller than she knew she was.

She was still in her Hogsmeade clothes and was suddenly very aware of her exposed legs and middle as well as the cut on her lip. "I'm getting food," Campbell said smoothly, knowing antagonizing him wouldn't be a good idea at the moment. She knew he wasn't the smartest but it was very unlikely that he had forgotten their conversation at breakfast.

"You should get it elsewhere, yeah?" She looked up at the boy then, a mix of anger and fear swimming in her eyes.

"I'm very comfortable here, thank you." Her words were clipped.

A cruel smile formed, showing his crooked yellowing teeth. "Did someone finally get tired of that mouth of yours and teach you a lesson?" She knew he was talking about her lip.

She couldn't tell if it was more anger or embarrassment that was heating her face at that moment but she knew that there was nothing she could say to make this situation better. She looked away and poured herself some pumpkin juice. She knew that the three boys across from her were paying very close attention to the situation and she hated it. She didn't need to be saved from an idiot like Crabbe.

"Looks like you learned your place well enough," there was a dark chuckle in his throat. She was seething at that but kept her head down, slowly removing her wand from her pocket just in case she needed it. She felt a large hand roughly grab her chin, forcing her to look at his wide face. "Now, I'd take that scowl off your face." She pulled her chin out of his grip roughly.

Theo gave her a look, his anger pulling on it's very thin leash. She shook my head slightly. She knew she could handle Crabbe. Blaise looked angry too but more curious when his gaze met her sharp one. He would want to know why she wasn't biting his head off and hexing him from here to Azkaban. Then she saw the boy in the middle.

He didn't see her. His stone cold eyes were fixed severely on Crabbe. He looked ready to throttle the boy. Campbell sighed. If he said anything, he would hang it over her head, saying that she was too childish and clearly needed someone to rein her in or she would continue getting into trouble.

"Malfoy," she tried. He didn't look at her, his gaze still fixed on Crabbe who was in turn looking at her with eyes she could feel roaming her body without the protection of robes. "Malfoy," she tried again.

"What?" he snapped at her, still not facing her though. There was a tick in his jaw and she thought if he clenched his jaw any tighter he would start cracking teeth.

"Tomorrow night is our first quidditch practice," she started.

"I'm aware." Cold. His voice was cold enough to frost over the glass on the windows of the hall.

She just wanted him to look at her. He needed to see that she didn't need help. "Do you think we should start with drills or perhaps try a mock game first to determine skills and how we work with each other?" He swung his head towards her with that. She realized in that moment that she had never actually asked his opinion on anything.

Crabbe snorted. "How you became Captain is beyond me. I don't see you having much to offer Hooch, but maybe she's into flat bints."

Campbell held Malfoy's stare but his eyes were blazing. A cold silver fire seemed to swirl where his irises should be. Blaise opened his mouth, she saw it from the corner of her eye but she put a hand up on the table and his mouth closed again.

Malfoy breathed harshly. "If I were Captain," he sounded like he was straining to say only this, "I would start with a mock game. Watch everyone move."

"She should just give up this Captain thing. You'd be better Malfoy." Crabbe said through a bite of potatoes. Malfoy broke from the small staring contest they seemed to be having and slowly moved his eyes back to Crabbe. Goyle was elbowing his friend in the arm. "What do you want, Goyle?" Campbell couldn't see Goyle's face but she could guess.

"Do you agree with Crabbe, Malfoy?" She was trying to get his attention back on her. The air felt dangerous.

"I think Crabbe should keep his mouth shut," Theo finally spat. Campbell shot him a look and swiftly shifted her gaze to Malfoy and back. Theo looked over at his friend, a quick look of shock flashed but faded quickly with understanding. Campbell was no longer worried about her pride, but was worried about what Malfoy might do.

"Little Nott should focus more on making herself presentable. No real pureblood women would come to dinner with blood on her mouth." Crabbe took another loud, large bite of food.

Malfoy looked back at her finally. "What happened to your face?" It wasn't a concerned question. It was a harsh demand.

Campbell took a deep breath, trying to exude a type of calm that would seep into him as well. "I ran into someone and I was chewing on my lip at the time, guess I bit a little hard when I fell."

"Who?" Harsh and cold and terrifying. That's what Malfoy was.

"I'm sorry?"

Another bout of rage flashed in his eyes. "Who. The fuck. Ran into you."

"Oh no. I ran into them, it was entirely my fault." She was trying hard not to push his buttons.

"Answer the bloody question Campbell!" She realized it was the first time he had ever used her first name.

"The clumsy bint should watch where she's going," Crabbe mumbled snidely.

"Crabbe! Goyle! We are leaving." Malfoy got up abruptly and walked out fast enough that the two boys had to scramble to follow. Crabbe though, didn't leave before pinching the exposed skin of Campbell's side.

Once the three of them left Campbell's head fell into her arms.

"What is wrong with Malfoy?" Pansy asked, as if she hadn't even noticed the confrontation that was threatening to simmer over just to her right.

Campbell lifted her head slightly. "I said something that made Malfoy mad. The usual." Pansy scoffed.

"I think Crabbe got under his skin as well," Blaise added slowly, looking at Campbell. "You good Little Nott?" She nodded, suddenly dreading the thought of trying to be around drunk and sugar hyper people all night.

Fucking Crabbe man.