And when I picked eighteen as the starting point, I don't mean that's when we fell in love or anything. You see, our first six years knowing each other at Hogwarts wouldn't explain anything. We just simply hated each other and never took the time to never really know the other.

But when I was eighteen and Draco was seventeen, the world was in dark circumstances. Hogwarts decided to close its doors, and everyone was just wondering if they were going to stay alive and witness the next day.

Well, even if Hogwarts was still running, I wouldn't have gone back. I was too busy doing what I could for Harry, the Order, and the rest. Actually, Draco wouldn't have gone back either now that I think about it. He was at the time immersed in the sinister world of the Death Eaters. I shudder to think what he could've become had he not changed.

I was sitting in an alley, cold and alone. It was a really stupid situation I had gotten myself into. I was helping Harry to try to figure out what that last horcrux was, and I was really starting to get into trying to solve the problem…

So, because of sheer mindlessness, I was foolish enough to chance out into the streets on a dark night to try to sneak into a library. Worse yet, I was foolish enough to chance onto an abandoned street just because it provided to be a shortcut.

But I was distracted from the task at hand when the sounds of agonized screaming filled the air.

I gasped, raised my wand (I had already had had it out, I'm not that careless you know), and started to locate the direction the scream had come from. I glanced left and right.

The sound came again, and this time, I was able to tell the noise was coming from behind me. I turned around and jogged down an alley. I took a peak around the corner on the left side, and there I found them.

Whoever the man was, he was powerful enough to do wandless magic. With just a simple point, the young man beside him was screaming again.

I hid back behind the corner again; panic was threatening to overcome me.

The sight was sickening. I've always hated the unforgivables.

I did a few deep breaths, willing myself to remain calm lest I end up dead. I pointed my wand at the Death Eater and did a spell on him to knock him out cold.

He fell down, arms and legs spread all over the ground. The guy was out cold, and would remain so for at least several hours.

I did the charm to make light emulate from my wand, and took a look at who had been the one to be attacked. I almost dropped my wand in shock. It was Draco Malfoy, out of all people! All I could do was stare at him, his expression a perfect reflection to how I was feeling.

I know I was just being silly. I should've stayed, made sure Draco was all right, and then interrogate him. But for some reason, I turned back and ran. I didn't even know where I was going. I just twisted left and right aimlessly looking for a destination where I could hide and be alone.

Finally, I stopped in some alley, not knowing where I was. I sat down in the alley, cold and alone like I said earlier. A million thoughts were pounding in my head. But I had plenty of time to think about everything. It was useless to try to get back home with Harry and Ron. I didn't even know where I was.

I hoped nobody would panic when they would find out I was missing from my bed, especially Ron. A sudden image of Ron coming to my rescue came into my head, and I sighed a little.

I had still fancied him then, a crush that had been going on for four years (which was blatantly obvious among my friends.)

And then my thoughts went to Draco. This was interesting, really. I hadn't seen him in five months all the way back in June. It never occurred to me that I would ever see him again, but then again, it was pretty probable. Everyone knows each other in the Wizarding world. It was pretty silly of me to think otherwise.

But out of any way I could've encountered him again; did it really have to be under those circumstances?

I looked at my watch. It was 2:05 in the morning. That shock with what had happened really woke be up, but now in the aftermath, all I could feel was exhaustion.

Willing myself not to ponder what I was going to do the next day, I conjured up a blanket and a pillow, and let sleep overcome me.

AN// I KNOW it's crap right now, feel free to critique.