A\N Thanks a ton if you've read this far! Remember I have banners on my profile if you want to check those out. :) And a special thank you to RansomWriter who just pretty much unofficially Beta'd this chapter. You're amazing! :D

-Cassia

Chapter 4: The Road to Love Is never Straight

Eric and I walked into Defense together with Draco not far behind. Pansy, thank Merlin, hadn't scored high enough to continue the class. I took a seat with Julie and immediately looked to where Draco was sitting with a large Slytherin boy.

I scanned the disturbing pictures on the walls, and was thinking lowly of Snape's taste in décor when the door slammed loudly and Snape himself walked in. I suspected he felt right at home in the midst of all these gruesome pictures.

"I have not asked you to take out your books," Snape started.

Defense blurred into the rest of my classes, and the days passed quickly until Saturday-the day of Quidditch tryouts. I nervously did homework in the Ravenclaw common room to keep my mind off the upcoming tryouts until lunchtime crept upon me. Ravenclaw was the last to hold tryouts, and by then Julie and I had already been given more than enough time to worry.

I stepped out onto the field and mounted my broom beside Julie, and together we flew a few laps around the field. I saw Draco alone in the stands, and I almost fell off of my broom in shock. My ponytail whipped over my shoulder as I redirected myself towards the stands.

"What're you doing here?" I asked, hovering a foot above him.

"Aren't I allowed to watch tryouts?" he replied coolly. I shivered violently as a gust of wind whipped around me.

"Great day to wear a tank top," I muttered to myself.

"Take my coat," demanded Draco, standing up so we were eye to eye.

"Wha-" I started to say until he interrupted.

"Just take it, Astoria. You can't play if you're freezing," he drawled.

As he passed it to me, our fingers brushed slightly, causing a shiver to run through me that had nothing to do with the cold.

"But now you'll be cold," I said helplessly.

Whoa.

His coat smelled really, really good.

"Go," he said as the whistle blew, nodding his head.

"Thanks!" I remembered to say, calling over my shoulder to him.. I watched as the beaters and chasers tried out, happily noting that Julie was one of the best. There were no Keeper tryouts because Eric, the captain, had that position filled.

I wrapped Draco's jacket tighter around me, inhaling the scent that intrigued me so much and high fiving Julie as she came down.

There were three other Ravenclaws trying out for seeker; Katie Idleson, Cho Chang, and Henry Davis. I was last to go, and after the snitch was released I shot into the air, looking hungrily for the winged golden ball. I dived once at what turned out to be a glimmer of sunlight, but as I was pulling up I saw the real thing. I turned sharply as the wind whipped through my clothes and hair, and I shot after the flitting snitch. It wasn't long before I began to gain on it, and I extended my hand as it came within a close enough distance. I almost tumbled forward as I grasped the ball, cheering loudly and floating toward the ground to land.

"That was by far the fastest time, you're seeker! But shhh...you didn't officially find out yet," Eric winked, pulling me into a hug.

"Yes!" Julie and I squealed when she became the second one to reach me, and I eagerly hugged her too.

"You were awesome!" I exclaimed, smiling radiantly. I felt like jumping up and down I was so excited.

"You by far had the fastest time! And where did you get this coat?" Julie asked curiously.

"Oh...Draco lent me it," I said. I looked up to see him descending slowly from the stand. Now Julie, him, and I were the only ones left on the field. We started to walk toward the exit, and I kept a watchful eye out for Draco.

Julie went back to the dugout to change from her borrowed Quidditch robes, so I walked along the outside of the field.

As I passed the outside of the stands I saw Draco Malfoy leaning against it. My heart gave a little jump, and I tried to calm down my heartbeat.

"You were the fastest," he said sincerely as we lengthened our strides to go up the hill.

"Ok, Malfoy. Time out. You've hated me since you first laid eyes on me and I can't say you're my favorite person either. But I have to ask, what's changed?" I asked, stopping to look him in the eye. I had to look up quite a ways given he was at least 6 inches taller than me.

"I didn't hate you, and I don't," he said softly. I stared at him and for the first time looked deeper than the surface, deeper than the cold facade he put up for everyone else.

"You're a lot kinder than you let other people believe," I realized. He smiled at me.

"Let's keep that between us," he chuckled.

"Do you like people thinking you're mean and cold?" I asked.

"It's...easier," he said as we started walking again. "And believe me Astoria, I've never hated you," he said. For some reason, I believed him.

"Thanks for the coat," I said as we finally arrived back at the castle. Before he could respond Pansy came flying at him just as we stepped inside.

"Draco!" she cried, showering him with kisses. "I thought you were coming back sooner!" she complained, not even looking at me. I was ok with going unnoticed by her, so I left without a word; thinking of rather creative hexes I'd like to place on Pansy. After walking back to my dormitory, I inhaled deeply and realized I still was wearing Draco's coat. I sighed and turned back around; this was taking up my Hogsmeade time. The first visit of the season, too. The castle corridors were mostly empty except for some younger students that weren't allowed to visit Hogsmeade yet. After searching for a while to no avail, I decided to just go to Hogsmeade and see if he was there. Luckily they had left a couple extra carriages for those whos Quidditch tryouts had run late.

I walked into the Hog's Head, buying a butter beer and sitting down with Lucy and Julie.

"Where's Sarah?" I asked at the same time Julie said,

"Still wearing the coat, I see?"

"What? That cot coat? Who's is it?" Lucy asked.

"Draco Malfoy's coat, actually," Julie said, smiling at me.

"Doesn't surprise me. It was bound to happen eventually," Lucy shrugged.

"What was? Nothing even happened," I protested.

"Ah, speak of the devil," whispered Julie, jerking her head toward the door where Draco had just entered with Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini in tow.

"Malfoy," I said, standing up.

"Where'd you disappear to earlier?" he asked in a bored tone.

"Didn't want to sit there and watch you and Parkinson make out," I said, turning on my heel.

"Wait," Draco drawled, grabbing my arm.

"What?" I said impatiently.

"Never mind,Greengrass," he sneered. "I don't have to explain myself to you."

"There's the son of a gun Malfoy I know," I hissed back, shoving his coat back at him and stalking back to my seat.

I furiously plopped down and stirred my drink so hard it sloshed over the sides.

"Merlin's pants!" I whispered ferociously to myself.

"He's such a jerk, Tori, don't take anything he says seriously," Julie consoled me.

"He doesn't know what he's talking about anyway," Lucy added.

Today was the day a sliver of doubt crept into my heart, whispering, 'how do you really feel about him?"

"Hello, class!" Slughorn beamed, his belly bouncing as he jogged to the center of the room.

"Hello, Harry!" he beamed to his favorite student.

I looked around the room behind the table Julie and I sat at to see if Draco had vanished yet again from class. Over the last few days we had been coolly ignoring each other, but I still noticed he had been gone for about a third of his classes. He was here now though, sitting with the other Slytherins. I took notice that his eyes had bags under them yet again; he wasn't getting enough sleep. His unfocused eyes stared blankly ahead to the front of the classroom, not really seeing it.

Minutes later we had been assigned to make a potion that would, if successfully completed, work as a counteraction for paralysis. After partnering up with Julie, we got to work.

"First stir 20 times clockwise...no, do 18, Tori. 20's too much," Julie muttered to me, pouring over the directions and the list of ingredients.

"That's what I like to see!" Slughorn said loudly, clapping Julie on the back and startling us both.

"What exactly would that be, sir?" she asked.

"A student going by her natural instincts, not following the book if somethings doesn't feel right!" he beamed.

"Oh...Thanks!" she said, confused. Slughorn smiled and moved onto Harry who was glaring intently at his much worn book; Hermione appeared to be scolding him but the book appeared to hold his full attention. At least until the professor came over,making Harry jump and close his book. This caused Draco and his Slytherin cronies to snicker, and Hermione and I gave them identical glares. She offered me a grateful smile and then went straight back to berating Harry after Slughorn had turned his back.

Julie continued to add things to the potion and I attempted to make advances to work on it also, but I was waved off as Julie murmured to herself. This caused my flammable temper to give a little shout.

"Am I going to do anything?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"Sorry Tori, you know how I get with potions," she said apologetically. I rolled my eyes playfully and smiled reluctantly, handing her my silver knife to cut several ingredients.

The potion turned a glowing silver, precisely as described in the final stage according to the book. Just as I was about to announce that we were finished, a loud bang made me whirl around to see Ron Weasley's cauldron smoking, black soot sprinkled on his face.

At this Malfoy burst out laughing, much of the class following his lead.

"Honestly, it's not funny!" I hissed; the first words I had spoken to him for days. I was already slightly annoyed with Julie and now Draco had caused me to snap.

He immediately sobered up, taking a step closer and looked down at me, sneering, wolf whistles piercing the potion room's silence. Ron's incident was completely forgotten.

"And you say you're not a bully?" I hissed in a low voice as to not be overheard by the rest of the room.

"Shut up Greengrass. Close your bloody mouth," he sneered furiously.

"And why don't you make me?" I snarled. I felt someone's hands pulling me back, and I thought they were Julie's until I turned around to see Hermione Granger's worried face. She sneered at Draco, a most un-Hermione-ish look.

"Ah,got the mudblood to fight your battles for you than?" Draco said to our retreating backs.

The room erupted in gasps, and Ron and Harry moved forward as if to hit him but I beat them to it. I drew my arm back and slapped him across the face hard, the sound louder than the still circulating gasps that now grew.

He furiously grabbed my arm before I even had it down; seeker reflexes. I tried to accio my wand using nonverbal, no wand magic which proved to be far outside my magical capabilities. Thank goodness Slughorn Protego-ed a wall in between us before anything else could happen. We glared at each other through the wall. If looks could kill...

"Mr. Malfoy! Miss Greengrass! Unacceptable behavior from both of you! I am astounded! Draco, we never use that offensive word! And Astoria, we never use violence! Both of you, 20 points will be subtracted from your house, and you're lucky I don't take more!" his face grew increasingly pink.

"Both of you, Professor Dumbledore's office, now! I shall alert him that you are coming. Also, a week's work of detention together, this will teach you to get along. Potter, escort them please, so we do not have a repeat of what just happened. "Go!" he gestured to the door. I grabbed my things and stalked out, Harry behind me and Draco behind him.

"Astoria, wait!" Harry called, jogging up to my side, and Draco was still quite far behind us, walking slowly.

"Yes?" I asked him.

"That was bloody brilliant back there, Malfoy had it coming to him. He called Hermione that a few years back, also. And he was being an arse to you too," he added.

"Are you saying you approve of the slap?" I laughed, the sound echoing down the hallway.

"Completely. I was about to do it myself if you hadn't beaten me to it."

"I saw you and Ron move forward out of the corner of my eye. And are she and Ron...like..." I faltered, grasping for the right words.

"No...at least not yet," Harry laughed.

"Everyone sees it except them," I noted.

"That's the way it usually is, isn't it?" Harry asked, deep in thought.

"Wow, Harry. That was deep!" I laughed, teasing.

"Here you are...hex Draco if he tries anything, all right?" he told me, stepping in front of a stone gargoyle. After saying what must have been some sort of password- it sounded suspiciously like bertie bott's every flavor beans-the gargoyle sprung aside and we made our way up the spiral staircase and into Professor Dumledore's office. I gasped, looking around at the various whirring instruments and many portraits covering the majority of two walls. Harry turned to leave just after one of the portraits snapped,

"Dumbledore is out."

"Yeah..." I said, too busy taking in the room to actually hear him, or to see that Draco had walked up behind me. I was looking closer at a familiar looking side of a face...it looked suspiciously like-

"Greyback!" I shrieked, wide eyed, moving quickly out of the pictures range of vision.

"I most certainly am not!" said the indignant voice. Even though the voice clearly didn't belong to the werewolf I so feared, my heart continued to pound through my ribcage. I cautiously started to walk back in front of the portrait-

"CRACK!"

"Ah!" I shrieked. My stomach had taken a sudden plunge, and my heart still felt remarkably similar to a pounding jackhammer. I put my hands over my mouth and blushed as I looked at Draco and Dumbledore, both staring peculiarly at me.

"S-sorry sir-it's just that I was already startled and then the crack startled me again..." I trailed off, fidgeting nervously.

"I apologize, Miss Greengrass. Now, what is this I hear about a potions brawl..." Dumbledore looked kindly at me over the tops of his half-moon spectacles, which were perched at the edge of his nose. His deep blue eyes seemed to work wordless magic, calming my frantic nerves.

"Professor..." a thought suddenly occurred to me. "I thought you couldn't apparate or dissaparate onto or out of Hogwarts' grounds?" I asked curiously.

"As, such an intelligent girl to think of it, the sorting hat choose well to put you in Ravenclaw," I blushed happily.

"I think the shorter, much less complicated answer is- there are perks to being a headmaster; and to being me. So if you could both kindly sit down, we will talk amongst ourselves, correct?" He gestured with his good hand and Malfoy and I stepped forward.

A\N IMPORTANT

OK guys, this chapter is the beginning of Malfoy's main transformation. For those of you frowning at your computer screens thinking, What the heck is wrong with Malfoy, remember I'm making him nicer purposely. And 21 Reviews! You guys rock! Keep Reviewing that would make me really happy! Also a special thanks to everyone who reviewed, you know who you are! Keep on R&R-ing!