Hey, readers! Sorry for the slight delay, my beta was having technical difficulties. If you're looking for a good Harry Potter story, check out Evanna Adams "Accidentally" which i'm sure you'll find as enjoyable as I did. Without further ado, chapter 9!

Cassia

Chapter 9

Wake Up

Draco watched Astoria rocketing toward what must have been the snitch; he was too far away to see anything but a slight glint.

Draco eyes suddenly flitted to the right, noticing a sharp movement out of the corner of his eyes-the sounds of the cheering students faded as he watched Jillian, the Hufflepuff beater, swing her bat. At first he thought nothing of it: until he saw the target. And with an almighty crack, the Bludger was smashing through the air on a dead-on collision course with Astoria.

Gasps and screams rang out as it hit her right in the middle of her head; she stayed suspended momentarily with the magic of her broom but slid off as her neck snapped forward, body going limp as she plummeted, twisting toward the ground.

Draco froze in shock, his heart colliding with his ribcage in angry bursts as his skin grew cold.

Julie turned as the stadium gasped, screams piercing the air.

"What the-" Julie gasped as she saw her best friend plummeting to the ground.

She was much too far away to do any good, but that didn't stop her automatic reflexes from shooting her forward on her broom as Tori dropped like a stone.

She hit the ground.

Her fall had been magically slowed, but she was still lying eagle spread on the ground, limbs splayed unnaturally.

And it only looked worse the closer Julie got. She landed hard from not slowing down much, dumping her forgotten broom on the ground.

She was first to reach Astoria and realized the high pitched siren in her ears was her own scream. She could barely force herself to look at the unnatural way she was spread out on the ground, the unnatural paleness of her face- she let out a strangled sound, trying to choke down the bile trying to force its way up out of her throat. The whole stadium was in an uproar; teachers were sprinting across the field and so was a student whose face was indistinguishable through Julie's tears.

Julie looked back at her friend, wincing. She had not yet opened her eyes, had not yet stirred. Julie sank down to her knees but was too afraid to touch her.

The noises around Draco were just a dull hum. He was barely registering anything, standing stock still, staring at his girlfriend of two months lying on the ground. He hadn't even gotten the chance to say that he loved her. No, she's not dead! He told himself furiously. But why wasn't she moving? Why wasn't she bounding back up with a big smile like she always had, laughing and assuring everyone that she was okay, that she didn't know what all the fuss was about.

Draco's eyes were stilled locked on the girl he loved lying motionless, another student flying to her side and teachers running, a levitating stretcher magically appearing. Before Draco knew what he was doing he was shoving aside his screaming classmates, elbowing his way onto the field, fear grasping at his heart and adrenaline coursing through his veins, causing his heart to pound harder and faster.

Astoria Greengrass was not dead, now was she going to be.

Julie was pushed aside by the teachers, not even registering what they were shouting as Astoria was lifted onto a stretcher.

"Is she alive?" gasped someone behind her.

"Out of the way!" Madame Pomfrey bellowed. Soon they were gone, and Astoria with them.

"Was she breathing?" someone shouted again, roughly grabbing her shoulders. It is Draco Malfoy. His eyes were filled with anguish.

"I-I don't know-" Julie gasped. She started to shake, sinking down into the field as Draco sprinted off.

Julie and Astoria's fight was playing through her head, as she wracked her brains, trying to think of the last thing she had said to her. For some reason, she just could not remember. She stared blankly at the stands: almost no students remained, they were already filing silently away to the castle. Although there was Lucy and Sarah left, who were bolting out onto the field.

Julie twisted around as she heard a sharp intake of breath behind her.

"You!" Julie screamed, drawing her wand with a surprisingly steady hand.

She screamed a hex and Jillian's legs began to dance uncontrollably. Hands grabbed at Julie, restraining her. She tried to twist out but Lucy and Sarah held her. Jillian was still bobbing up and down-she looked miserable, so Julie reluctantly performed the counter curse, feeling rather miserable herself at her cursing-without-thinking. She walked off silently as the three girls pulled each other into a hug, holding onto each other for support.

"There was nothing more we could have done," MnGonagall calmed Madame Pomfrey. Astoria Greengrass had just been transported to St. Mungo's. It was unknown at this point whether of not she would ever awaken.

After turning restlessly for hours, fulfill sleep only offering his recounts of Astoria's plummet, Draco got out of bed. He was overwhelmed with the intense need to see Astoria again. She was gone-but not dead, Draco stubbornly reminded himself.

Draco snuck cautiously toward the room of requirement, wondering if it would fail to fitful his strange request. He almost found himself automatically starting to think about the cabinet, almost found himself wishing that to appear out of habit, but than remembered- Pensieve.

He twisted his ring nervously as the door appeared in front of him- pushing it open revealed a small room, lit dimly with silver light spilling from a stone basin in the center.

He shed his long sleeved robe, a plain t-shirt underneath. He didn't need to hide his arm or more specifically, the dark mark on his arm- in here. He gripped the edge of the pensieve with both hands, staring into the swirling surface. He drew his wand, hesitating. Where to start? His memories had contained her since their first year here.

"Begin at the beginning," he muttered aloud to himself. Placing the tip of his wand at his temple he carefully selected the memory, letting it float into the pensieve, filling the surface with 11 year old Draco and Astoria.

Taking a deep breath he plunged in, and after he braced himself for the sensation of falling he found himself standing next to his younger self, who was staring unabashedly across the group of small first years at an even smaller girl with curly blonde hair that seemed to be annoying her with its waist-length as she attempted to wrestle it into a ponytail. She glanced up at the taller Harry potter who stood above her, smiling at him shyly. Draco found himself smiling as he envied the view younger Harry was getting- a conscious Astoria, one who had not fallen from a great height on her broomstick just hours ago.

He watched as her nervous demeanor lifted as she laughed with a younger Julie, tossing her head.

Young Draco smiled, older Draco standing behind him.

Young Draco walked away, leaving Crabbe and Goyle, sauntering toward the still laughing Astoria and Julie, both of whom hadn't noticed Draco pushing his way through the crowd yet. Finally she turned around, her forgotten laugh still etched on her face.

"Hello," young Draco said to her. She looked at him, eyes still innocent with the knowledge of knowing nothing about the boy in front of her.

"I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy," he said proudly, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips.

"I'm Astoria Greengrass. And this is Julie..." she hadn't yet learned the other girl's last name.

"Hendrickson," she offered.

"You're not a pureblood," he said with a clear tone of disgust, causing older Draco to wince at the brashness of his younger self.

Astoria picked up on this at once.

"So what if she isn't ? I'm not, either!" Astoria lied, linking her arm in Julie's who looked crushed.

"You're lying!" Draco sneered, though intrigued by this girl. "My parents know your parents!"

"Leave us alone now, Malfoy," she said bossily in her 11-year old way of brushing somebody off. Draco stood there, mouth open at the experience.

"Nobody turns their back on me-" he stopped himself as he caught sight of Harry Potter.

"We'll continue this later," Draco drawled.

"No we won't!" Astoria told him. "I think you're mean and a bully, and I don't want to speak to you!" at this the two girls walked away. Both Draco's stared at Astoria's retreating back, and older Draco knew what was already taking place-the beginning of Draco's first-and only- love. He watched Astoria reassure Julie; as Julie seemed to be over Draco's rudeness she told Astoria that she was, in fact, a half-blood, and that her whole magical side of the family had been in Ravenclaw. With slight fear and anxiety in her voice Astoria told her in turn that her whole family was in Slytherin, and she didn't really know anything about any of the other houses. Julie told her all about Ravenclaw, and Astoria's face began to shine at the prospect of possibly being sorted into this different house that, in fact, she seemed to much prefer.

"I sure hope we're both in Ravenclaw, don't you?" Draco heard her say to Julie as his younger self talked to Harry. "I hope my parents and sister aren't mad at me if I don't get in Slytherin, though. My sister's in second year," she informed Julie.

The last view he saw from this memory was himself staring, once again, at the girl who had intrigued him so much.

Draco went through several more memories until 4th year- the year he had no longer been able to conceal his feelings for Astoria. Not very well, at least.

14 year old Draco was dancing with Pansy at the Yule Ball, but his mind was not on his dancing partner. Whenever Pansy tried to spin him around, trying to distract him from whatever he was staring at so intently over her shoulder, he made her 180 degree circle a full turn so he could again have the same view he she had attempted to pull him away from- Astoria dancing with Seamus Finnigan.

Both Draco's gritted their teeth as Seamus said something, making Astoria throw her head back and laugh.

"Two more years Malfoy, two more years!" older Draco said aloud to his younger self, even though he wouldn't be heard by anyone. It was strange being around this amount of people who weren't able to see, hear, smell, or touch him.

"Drakie, you look distracted!" Pansy said, startling him out of what he was thinking he would like to do to Seamus if he tried pulling a move on Astoria.

"Hmm?" he responded, quickly turning his gaze to her. However, older Draco wasn't tearing his gaze off Astoria, whirling across the floor with another boy.

Half of her blonde curls were up with glittering pins, framing her face along with the curls she had left hanging down. Her royal blue dress shimmered as she spun, the shimmering white designs at the top glinting in the light. Like Draco, Seamus and several partnerless Durmstrang boys seemed unable to take their eyes off of her.

That was the year she had also been starting to receive more attention from boys, much to Draco's discontent- She had always been small and was still, but now at 14 she had started to fill in. But Draco had loved her even with her 11 year old body.

The slow song ended and a more upbeat tune began. Draco smiled, remembering his favorite part of the night. It would have been better, though, if Astoria had said yes to him instead of Seamus and danced every dance with him instead of just one.

After the DJ called for the partners to mix up Draco madly scrambled to Astoria before anyone else even had the chance to move. Before Finnigan had even had a chance to leave Draco was there, asking,

"Willyoudancewithme?" as fast as he could talk.

"Uh...sure," she replied, her brow crinkling as she looked to Seamus for his response, who was looking rather tight-lipped. He walked off and Astoria cautiously took Draco's hand, looking up at him warily. But a grin erupted on her face as he quickly twirled her around expertly to the beat of the music.

"What's her problem?" Astoria giggled softly about Pansy who stood with several of her Slytherin friends, glaring at the pair of Draco and Astoria with gritted teeth and clenched fists. Giggling even harder Astoria kissed Draco inexplicably on his cheek, close to the corner of his mouth, causing him to turn bright pink and stare openmouthed, dumbfounded.

"Nothing personal Malfoy, just thought Parkinson had it coming to her," Astoria was full out laughing now.

"Thanks, now Pansy won't speak to me for a week if I'm lucky!" Draco told her gratefully, sharing her smile. She looked down for a moment, blushing as their eyes met with smiles on both of their faces. To anyone else it would have looked like she was happy to be dancing with him, but Draco didn't care what anyone else think. He wanted to know what Astoria was thinking.

"You're welcome," she said finally as Draco whirled her around again. As he was doing this he saw he was the target of several rather intimidating stares: smirking, he pulled Astoria closer to him, whispering,

"You seem to have quite the number of boys gawking at you tonight,"

Surprised, she looked up at him with confusion in her eyes.

"What?"

Draco chuckled, causing her to look even more confused. "I'm going to spin you slowly now so look around." he did this but as he pulled her back she still looked confused.

"I think you're imagining things, Draco," she teased. He noticed with pleasure the rare use of his first name.

"You don't realize it, do you? When a boy fancies you?"

She gasped. "Who fancies me? I think you're imagining things again," she told him.

"Alright, if that's what you think," he chuckled. Older Draco still thought it a miracle she never realized that he himself fancied her, much less any other bloke.

"Well, you were a better dancer than I had expected," Astoria told him grudgingly as the song ended.

"You weren't so bad yourself," Draco told her. "But you're supposed to let the boy lead," this earned him an eye roll. Draco released her hands a moment too late, but of course, she didn't notice the prolonged contact. She also didn't realize that Draco was staring at her the rest of the night.

Draco watched in 5th year as he repeatedly nagged Astoria to join the Inquisitorial squad.

"Why won't I? Well for one, Parkinsons is in it," she said with a tone of disgust as she tried to walk away from Draco. "And so are you. Speaking of which,, why are you even with Pansy if you don't actually care about her?" shocked, Draco continued to walk after her.

"What? Why don't you think I care about her?" Draco asked, trying to mask his surprise.

Astoria gave him the look he received quite a lot, the one that read I-see-right-through-your-crap-Draco-so-don't-even-try.

"I'm not an idiot, Malfoy," she said, stopping and looking up at him.

Staying in the memory until they went their separate ways Draco changed to the present year. He revisited their kiss by the lake, in Hogsemeade, the Astronomy tower, and their other meetings over the past two months.

He than brought himself up and out of the pensieve, not even realizing that his eyes were wet with tears.

The next morning Julie was denied to see Astoria while Daphne was allowed to go. Julie fumed, knowing this was ridiculous because she was 10 times closer to Tori than her sister. But apparently, for now only "family" was allowed to see her.

Unbeknownst to her Draco was fuming over the same reason, trying to keep his mind off his girlfriend by skipping even more classes than usual to work on his half-hearted attempt to mend the vanishing cabinet and his second, much less pleasant mission.

Daphne watched her little sister lie on the hospital bed, healers still bustling around. Her parents had come briefly to visit but had left in a hurry after her father received an urgent call from his work. Astoria was not to be touched yet, unsteady as she still was. Her face was almost as white as the sheets she lay on but Daphne could almost hear her heart struggling to beat. She knew she would wake up, and soon. It was a sister thing.

A week passed, December neared, and Astoria stirred for the first time, but her eyes still had yet to open. Healers rushed in at 2:00 A.M to test everything as their magical instruments recorded her movement.

Smiles lit the faces of several workers as it was confirmed-she was going to awaken. They alerted Hogwarts, telling them they could now accept visitors outside of family.

I couldn't move. There was no sound, nothing to see, and all I would feel was that I was lying down. No temperature. I wasn't hot, I wasn't cold.

Suddenly sounds began to pierce through the silence, garbled and muffled noises to indistinct to understand.

I still didn't feel anything, unable to move, but the sounds were slowly becoming more audible. I tried to cry out, to moan, to open my eyes, to do anything as a dull, throbbing pain registered in the back of my head. But I still couldn't move a muscle. The only thing I felt was keeping me held down to the shaky in-between state I was in was the pulsing pain at the base of my skull-it felt like someone was repeatedly bludgeoning me in the back of the head with a beater's bat-

Wait. Beater's bat. Now I remembered. The Quidditch game came rushing back to me. The main detail I had remembered was being hit in the back of the head with a bludger.

Was I dead? I must be in Hell, because Heaven couldn't hurt this much.

Suddenly my hearing snapped into perfect clarity, as if to assure me that I was not indeed, in Hell. I still couldn't do anything, or even manage the simple task of opening my eyes. I felt a pressure on my hand, but I didn't know what it was.

"Wake up," came an urgent voice. It was a girl's voice- Julie! I tried to respond, tried to tell her I was sorry, but the frenzied effort it drove me into caused me nearly to black out again.

"So Malfoy, why are you here anyway?" Julie asked in a tired voice. Draco was here!

"Why are you here? Didn't she and you get in some kind of cat fight?" Draco drawled back to her. Hm... I wondered how he had managed to smooth talk his way into visiting me without anyone suspecting anything. It he really didn't want out relationship public than he had just dug himself into a deeper whole by coming here. Wherever here was, anyway.

"I happen to be her best friend, Malfoy," Julie spat."And one bloody fight won't change that." At this I almost cried at the frustration of not being able to get up and hug her and tell her how incredibly, incredibly sorry I was, but of course I couldn't.

"Alright you two, visiting hours are over," I heard a third voice say. The pressure on my hand released and I listened to Julie's retreating footsteps until the sound was too faint to reach my ears.

"Mr. Malfoy?"

"I'll be right there," he said in a strained voice.

I heard a few noises and finally the sound of the healer exiting the room alerting me to the fact that Draco and I were probably alone. He took my hand and rested it on his cheek, overlapping it with his own and holding it there because I couldn't support it by myself. It was so strange, not being control of my own body. How was I breathing, than? I thought came to me. Maybe I could only manage involuntary body functions.

"I don't know if you can hear me, they said you might be able to, that it wasn't uncommon," he whispered. "But I miss you, Tori. I want you to wake up and be okay." he paused. "Because...I love you. Please wake up, so I can tell you that when you can hear me."

"Come on, Mr. Malfoy," the door opened again and now the healer's voice had a bit of impatience to it. "You must return to Hogwarts now." Draco didn't respond but my hand was gently set down. The sound of his footsteps grew fainter, but not because he was walking away-I was slipping under again-

No! I thought desperately. I have to wake up, I have to tell him that I love him too before he leaves-

I slowly opened my eyes, but the effort took much more energy than it should have. My eyes felt almost glued together from underuse, and it felt almost as if they were being pressed down on. I blinked a couple times, trying to adjust my eyes to the bright fluorescent lights on the ceiling of St. Mungo's.

As soon as I did this a healer walked over from her place at the table next to me where she was mixing medical potions, and peered down at my face.

"She's awake!" she cried over her shoulder, then turning back and smiling brightly at me. I opened my mouth to speak, but only an embarrassing croak came out. I closed my mouth, blushing, and clearing my sore throat.

"Here, dear," the healer gave me a small vial of lavender potion which I downed in one sip. It took effect immediately, and my throat and eyes immediately felt better, and the sharp pain in the back of my neck subsided into a dull throb.

"Better?" she asked as several other healers began to bustle into my room, grinning at me.

"Yes, thank you," I replied, offering a smile back as they took notes and reset machines. My voice was still a bit hoarse, but otherwise alright.

"I'm Althea, by the way, and I've been taking care of you since you came. We healers tend to get a bit fond of our patients that stay here for a while," she gestured to the growing amount of staff around my bed. One fiddled with several instruments, one of which was levitating and emitting strange beeping sounds: magical technology. She held a finger in the universal "one moment" sign.

"Gloria? Will you owl Albus that Astoria is awake?"

"Already have, Al. Tell her Welcome back from me!"

"Thanks!" I called back in a thin voice.

"You had some visitors, including some cute boys, Tori," she winked at me. "It alright if I call you that?" she asked as the healers dispersed, continuing to their various jobs.

"Sure. Who came?"

"Well, your parents, your sister, three girls..." she paused dramatically as she stirred several ingredients in a potions vial, her curly brown hair slipping down slightly out of her hairnet with the effort of her vigorous stirring. "-And two boys. Erin...no no, Eric someone, first of all. He's pretty cute," she made the so-so gesture with her hand, causing me to laugh.

"But than that other boy, Draco," she whistled, her hazel eyes twinkling. "Babe, that boy wasn't just in there because "you were a close friend of the family," she snorted, vigorously shaking the potion changing it from a light green to a deep blue. "Course he said I should just do my job and mind my own business. You've got a real sweet talker there, girl. He got pretty heated up when they didn't let him in until the week was up-"

"Week?" I gasped. "How long was I here?"

"Calm down. Your heart's goin' crazy. Drink this when you're talking. Two more nights until you can get back to Hogwarts- few days before December starts."

"Two days? I'm fine, I can go now!" I began to sit up but fell back down when my vision began to fill with black dots from dizziness.

"Healer's orders, sorry hon. With an injury like that you're lucky you didn't get longer. Now drink. The sooner you heal, the sooner you see that boy of yours."

I knew she was teasing but I took her words seriously and I quickly downed the potion, immediately becoming drowsy..

"Now, you'll need to check in with Madame Pomfrey every day for two weeks!" Althea told me for the umpteenth time. "And any sign of-"

"Dizziness, especially sharp pain, blurred or double vision, or trembling, go immediately to Pomfrey, I know," I finished, grabbing a handful of Floo powder.

"Bye!" one of the three Healers who had come to see me off waved. She looked especially thin next to Althea's large body, which fit her perfectly because she had a large personality to match. I had grown very fond of her already from my stay at the hospital and I was already ready to razz anyone who said a word against her.

"Happy December!" chimed the third, who towered above the other two- and probably above my father, also, with her height. She had about the closest thing to violet eyes I had ever seen, and it was fun just to watch them sparkle as she talked.

After several more goodbyes I stepped into the fireplace saying clearly, "Hogwarts hospital wing!" and I vanished into a puff of green fire.

I landed in the fireplace, and seeing the Hospital Wing made me feel surprisingly at home. Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey welcomed me back, and Professor Flitwick gave me a long list of make-up work.

"I cut a few assignments here and there for you," he winked up at me. I stepped out into the extremely welcome sight of the hallway after almost 10 minutes of talking with the teachers in the Hospital Wing.

"Astoria!" came a shriek to my right. Julie flew at me but stopped tentatively before reaching me, as did Lucy and Sarah.

"Can I hug you or will it hurt?"

"You'd bloody well better!" I grinned, opening my arms. We pulled each other into a hug, both of our eyes slightly wet. I knew mine were, and when I heard her sniff I knew she was close to crying as well.

"I'm sorry, Julie! I'm really really sorry!" I cried at the same time she said,

"I'm so, so, sorry and I hate it when we fight!" her brown ringlets in my face.

We laughed together, pulling back to let Sarah and Lucy into our hug as we crushed together.

"We thought you were going to die!" Sarah said.

"Can't get rid of me that easily!" I laughed.

"We wouldn't want to!" Assured Julie, squeezing my shoulder. A huge grin lit up my whole face as the four of us slipped back into our old routine of friendship immediately with absolutely no awkwardness. My grin grew even bigger as a beautifully familiar voice said my name-

"Greengrass!" I pulled myself away and drunk in the appearance of Draco Malfoy who stood ten feet away in his black robes contrasting with his pale skin and hair.

I tried to tone down my smile but I didn't really care; I had to conserve more of my effort to not running to him and flinging myself into his arms.

"Yes, Malfoy?"

"Snape wants to see you to give you an extra assignment for missing so much time," he lied smoothly. I almost believed it myself; it wasn't out of character for Snape and Draco's lie was almost flawless. I saw the corner of his mouth pull up slightly, a sign that only someone who was watching for it would have caught.

"Snape? What nerve, she just got back!" cried Sarah.

"We'll go with you!" Offered Julie.

"Excuse me, Lucy, Sarah, Julie?" the headmaster stuck his head out of the doors to the hospital wing. "Could the three of you step in for a moment? This will take but a moment of your time, and I assure you, you can rendezvous with Miss Greengrass later in your common room," he winked at me, causing me to turn a fiery red. Did he know he was saving me? Was that why he was doing it? I was giving myself a headache trying to wrap my head around Dumbledore's omnipotent wisdom. Reluctantly my three best friends followed him into the hospital wing, turning around to offer me smiles before the door closed. I waved, mouthing, "See you later!"

I turned around and almost did a double take- I only saw a flash of Draco's robes as he disappeared around the corner. Walking quickly to follow him I briskly picked up my pace.

Beginning down the new hallway I stopped, noticing a door ajar. I pushed it open and Draco was waiting on the other side. Pushing the door closed behind me he gently put his lips to mine quickly and than pulled back, grinning wildly.

"How are you doing?" he whispered, taking my hands and leading me further into the room.

"Fine, now that I'm back," I smiled at him, putting my arms around his neck and looking up at him.

"I've missed you so much," he whispered. "You have no idea." At this he gave me a gently, chaste, gentle kiss, his lips against mine. I could tell he waned more but restrained himself for fear of hurting me.

"Tell me if I hurt you," he whispered.

He pulled me into his arms and wrapped them around my waist, embracing me. We seemed to fit perfectly together, and he pulled me against him and he took a deep, shuddering breath.

"Astoria," he murmured,, kissing my forehead and looking into my eyes.

"I'm not that fragile," I rolled my eyes, pressing my lips eagerly to his. "I haven't seen you for so long," I moaned, running my fingers through his hair.

"But you were asleep most of the time," he pointed out. "Astoria?" he asked, sounding slightly abashed.

"Yeah?" I asked, pulling back to look in his eyes.

"I love you,"

I looked up at him, surprised. I could feel my heart pounding with every beat, and I was sure that it knew how close it was to the one who it beat for.

"I love you too, too much, just for the three months we've been together," I laughed softly. I stood up to reach him as he kissed me hungrily, pulling me to him. We talked for a while, never leaving each other's arms even when we sat down on the floor so I could lay in his lap; I had told him I was on a potion that made the pain better, and it was quite good at it's job but it's side effects, as I had been warned, was increased drowsiness and slight babbling. He looped a stand of hair around his finger, careful not to pull on the tender area.

"Are you tired, love?" he murmured after a while.

"No..." I lied drowsily, my heart skipping a beat at the word "love."

"Yes you are," he chuckled. "Come on, we've got to get you to bed."

"I want to stay with you!" I protested sleepily.

"As do I, but you're still recovering and you should be getting extra sleep."

"Yes, mother," I grumbled.

Somehow he managed to cajole me into returning to Ravenclaw tower and I stumbled into my room, dropping into my bed and was asleep before I even realized I was still wearing my clothes.

We had the next few days off until December in which I caught up with my truck loads of homework and caught up with Julie (none of my three friends had mentioned the scene with Draco that night.)

The last morning of November dawned bright and clear, a fresh blanket of snow falling lightly to replace the almost completely melted old layer. With the flurries holiday spirit arrived with a flourish, and talk of Christmas began to crop up in various conversations. Teachers and students alike were in generally good moods.

After a short speech from Dumbledore about how things would run during the upcoming Christmas holidays, and encouraging us to continue our homework with as much vigor as if this was the first week while we all came down with Holiday fever, we began to eat our breakfast, delicious as always. My head had been paining me at the absolute minimum, and Daphne was actually talking to me more than usual, at least making an effort to make small talk with me as we passed in the halls.

"What are you guys doing this Christmas?" I asked after I had swallowed a mouthful of food.

"Going to stay with cousins," Sarah answered, waving her fork to punctuate her words. "I'm allowed to escape to Lucy's for a day or two but otherwise I'll be helplessly smothered by my many relatives."

"I guess I'll just be at home, unless my parents make up their minds to go on another one of their spur of the moment out of the country trips when they get a hankering for it," she rolled her eyes.

"I'll be with family as well. What about you?" Lucy asked me.

"Oh, I don't actually know yet. Probably just stay home," I shrugged. Hopefully won't have to share it with death eaters, I mentally added in my head.

"Well, you're welcome at my place, my mother even confirmed," Julie grinned.

"Thank Merlin!" I blurted. I wouldn't have to sit cozy-like around the fire singing Christmas carols with death eaters after all! "I'll owl my mother tonight!" I added.

Later that day I was wondering the corridors aimlessly with Julie, and she asked the question I'd been dreading.

"Astoria, what did happen last summer? With...with the Death eaters?"

A\N Get your fill on fluff, readers, because the next chapters of this book will be moving out of overload fluff zone. :) as always, I ask that you leave a review, because every one makes my day. Keep reading, all your support means more than I can say! :D thanks again to my amazing beta, for all her hard work and patience.

Cassia