'Do I smell or something?' Draco looked up from the book he was reading. It was Cassie who had just spoken who had just entered the room. She was asking Harry.

'What?' Harry asked in return trying to look surprised by the question.

'It just seems like every time I enter a room you leave it.'

'No, its not like that. I just remembered something that I have to do,' Harry made for the door.

'Harry...' Cassie started but gave up and sighed. Her expression was one of confusion and hurt as she watched Harry leave the room. She sat down with a sigh.

'Have I done something wrong? Maybe I have outstayed my welcome. I have been such a burden,' she asked quietly.

Draco wasn't sure whether she wanted an answer to her question but felt compelled to answer after he had reflected on the situation.

'I think I know what is wrong with Potter,' Draco found that he reverted back to called Harry Potter when he was doing something that he didn't agree with and right now he was hurting his sister and she had already been hurt enough.

Cassie looked intently at him.

'When you were recovering, you had these dreams during some of which you would call out for Father.'

'Oh,' Cassie said simply and looked down at the floor.

Harry was lying on his bed wondering whether he was acting like the biggest jerk ever or whether he was justified in his behaviour. He had been doing his best to avoid Cassie ever since she had been able to leave her room. It had affected him, more than it probably should, that he had heard her call out in her dreams for her Father. She had appeared to be in some sort of nightmare. He was surprised when he heard a knock on the door.

'Harry? Can I come in?' Harry closed his eyes. He should have known that it would be Cassie, she didn't seem to be one who would just someone ignore her for no apparent reason. He got off the bed and opened the door.

Cassie walked in quickly and sat down on Ron's bed.

'Have I upset you? Draco said that when I was unwell I had had dreams when I called out for my Father.' Cassie said urgently.

Harry turned away. He was trying to think of a reason for his behaviour but now when face to face with Cassie any explanation seemed stupid.

'I take that as a yes then.' Cassie sighed.

'Draco said that you were a daddy's girl. All that stuff he said to your father in the cabin confirms that.' Harry slowly turned to face her.

'I suppose you could say that I was a daddy's girl.'

Harry sighed.

'I don't understand why that seems to be such a problem? I'm not anymore and haven't been for a very long time. Any specialness there was between us obviously wasn't all that special as it couldn't overcome me being a muggle. Anyway in case you didn't notice my father is dead. I can't explain why I was calling out for him in my dreams as I was dreaming. All I know is that I wasn't having the best dreams – nightmares even. I may have been calling out to him to help or even to stop if he was doing something. I am sorry if it has offended you but I can't keep apologising for who I am. I am a Malfoy, Harry, albeit an outcasted Malfoy. I am not saying that I am proud of being a Malfoy or anything but it is just who I am.' Cassie stood up and stared Harry in the eye. Her fringe slipped into her eye and Harry had to stop himself tucking it back behind her ear. He knew in that instant what his problem was – he was jealous. He was jealous that she had been calling out to her father. He wanted her to dream about him. He was beginning to have feelings for her that were more than just friendship. Harry admired this pretty girl that was standing in front of him greatly. She had so much determination and courage. She had been to hell and back more than once and still tried to have a smile on her face. He opened his mouth to say something but found himself speechless. A part of him just wanted to kiss her.

'Well I have said my peace. I shall leave you alone to whatever urgent thing you were doing that couldn't wait earlier.'

Harry felt himself blush. Cassie shook her head gently and walked out of the door.

Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione were playing cards in the living room. Harry hadn't seen much of Cassie over the last two days. They seemed to have come to this unspoken agreement that they would stay out of each other's way. Harry was far from happy about this, he knew he should take to first step to reconciliation but he didn't know how to put things right or even where to start. Ginny and Hermione had been urging him to do something as they could see how the whole situation was affecting both of them. Draco hadn't said anything to Harry but he had been quite distant with him but had remained polite. Harry looked up as Cassie came rushing into the room.

'Hello, have any of you seen my diary? Big, thick, black, stickers over it?' Cassie asked.

'Your diary?' Ron asked.

'Yes, my diary. I can't seem to find it and I wondered if any of you had seen it. Maybe I had left it laying it around.' Cassie bit her lip.

Harry looked back on his hand of cards and said without thinking, 'isn't it in your bedside table drawer?'

'No, that was the first place I looked. Wait. How do you know where it normally is?' Harry could have kicked himself.

'Harry, tell me you haven't read my diary?' Cassie asked pleadingly. Harry wished that he could say no, but the truth was he had. He had stumbled across it whilst watching over her and couldn't resist reading it.

'I take your complete silence as a yes. Did you read all of it?' Cassie's voice was breaking. Harry knew that she deserved an answer and he nodded.

'Why would you do that? It was private.' Harry dared to look at Cassie. A tear escaped and she batted it away angrily.

'I found it by accident, I started to read it and then couldn't help myself. I just wanted to understand.'

'Understand what?'

'You, understand you.'

'Well I hope you got the answers you wanted.' She ran from the room and into the hall way.

'Cassie, wait.' Harry followed. He became concerned when he realised she was putting on her coat. 'Where are you going?'

'Out.'

'You can't go on your own. It is too dangerous. Besides you are not well enough.'

'I don't care I just can't stand to be in this house anymore,' she reached for the door handle. Harry reached out and touched her arm.

'Don't touch me, Harry,' she angrily shook off his arm.

'Cassie, please I'm sorry.'

'What's going on? Cassie?' Draco asked half way down the stairs. Harry waited to see if Cassie would say anything but she was just staring at the door.

'I read her diary,' Harry said quietly. Cassie made for the door again and Harry stopped her.

'Potter leave her alone I think you have done enough damage, I'll make sure nothing happens.' Draco started to pull on his coat.

'What's going on?' Ginny asked, the others had come to see what was happening.

'Cassie and I are going for a walk,' Draco said.

'No, Cassie is going for a walk and Draco is respecting her request to be alone,' she said still facing the door.

'However, Cassie understands that it would be dangerous for her to go out alone and will put up with being accompanied.'

They stared at each other seeming to be silently battling it out. Cassie was the first to break away and looked down and nodded.

'I don't think this is a good idea,' Harry found that he had to say something.

'I'll make sure nothing happens,' Draco said firmly.

'But the two of you out together?'

Ginny passed Cassie a hat, who piled her hair on top of her head and pulled the hat over her head covering her hair colour.

'Thanks,' Cassie said.

Cassie let out a sign of relief once the door closed behind them. She started off quickly in one direction. Draco waited until they were some distance from the house before speaking.

'Cassie, aren't you going to say anything?'

Cassie didn't respond.

'Did you hear me?' Draco gently touched her arm. She stopped and looked at him in surprise. It was almost as if she had forgotten that he was with her. Her expression was a mixture of anger and sadness.

'Sorry I was a million miles away.' Cassie shook her head.

'I haven't seen you since cross since mother and father suggested that you consider Blaise Zabini as your future husband. Are you alright?'

'Yes... no... Oh I don't know.' Cassie looked so lost that he pulled her into a hug.

When they broke apart Cassie said, 'this is so silly, it's just a diary, it's not worth all this.'

Draco shook his head and held Cassie's shoulders, 'it obviously means a lot to you otherwise you wouldn't be reacting like this.'

Cassie turned and they started to walk up the road, 'I poured out everything into that diary, laid everything bare. I started it when I was eleven, just after, well I think you know when. Dobby got it for me, to keep me entertained I think. I haven't written in it every day, far from it, but important stuff goes in there. And he had just read it all, he knows it all.'

Draco said, 'I am not trying to defend him but I expect that when he started reading he couldn't stop. It must be quite a compelling story.'

'Not all that fantastic if you have lived it,' Cassie muttered.

'I also expect that he regrets what he has done.'

'Ummm.'

'You must know how much you mean to him.'

'What?'

'Cassie, he cares about you a great deal. I would even hazard a guess that he is beginning to really like you and I don't just mean in a friendship way.'

'Are you crazy? Harry likes me, but only as a friend. We could never be anything more – I am a Malfoy after all.'

'You are so much more than that and you know it. You have fought so hard to prove that. Harry sees that, he sees you for who you are.'

'What about his reaction to my dreams?'

'You know, I never thought I would psycho-analyse Harry Potter of all people, but well I think he thinks he should be the one to protect you and he couldn't do that when you were dreaming. He just probably found it difficult to come to terms with that once you would turn to Father for everything.'

'Ummm.'

They continued to walk in silence for a few minutes.

'So, what ever happened to Blaise?' Cassie asked.

Draco was a little taken aback with her question but then realised that he should take it as a sign that she was considered all that he had said. He could tell from how she was walking that she wasn't as angry now.

'Death-eater.'

'Oh, what a shame.'

'Yes, he wasn't lucky as me to have a sister like you to show him the error of his ways.' Draco gently punched her. She smiled.

A/N - Thanks for reading, hope you liked it. I have another chapter ready to go and then one more at least. I am also thinking about adding Cassie's diary which is mentioned in this chapter in an appendix/separate story. I originally started writing it to be in this part of the story but it got too big! Please review :)