Disclaimer: Not mine.

Warning: Eventual slash.

A/N: I'm so sorry about the lack of updates. My computermessed upand unfortunatelytook a while to be fixed. I hate getting on lab tops, so I just avoided being on the computer all together. Anyway, on to the story:

With each passing letter new secrets were learned, more confessions told, and the two strangers became closer and closer. They wrote of their bad childhoods and abusive guardians; their hatred for the fact the were pushed into the destiny they didn't want to fulfill; and their shared dislike for carrots. They spoke of the first kiss and last laugh, their so-called friends and their bad habits.

With all of the things they did tell, they were careful enough not to mention specifics. They never revealed something that would give away their identity.

Each knew more about the other than either of their most intimate friends. And now that they had each other, theirmates were often ignored. They could reveal things to each other that were more important than their name: secrets they never dreamed of telling. It was relieving to have someone to confide in, not worrying about the judgments they might pass.

Their anonymous relationship became a hopeless infatuation... An obsession. They were both falling for a complete stranger.

"--distinct color and odor. The cabbage smell is the reaction of the whortleberry juice mixing with the finely

chopped hemlock root. Who can tell me the properties of the hemlock root that cause such a reaction?"

Harry sat with his forehead resting on the palm of his hand and his mouth wide open attempting to pay attention. His attempts were fruitless; his mind just couldn't stay focused on the Fever Reducer Potion. The information seemed to go in one ear and slip out the other. His verdant eyes were set on the blonde-haired man sitting at the table adjacent to his own: Draco Malfoy.

"Potter!" Professor Snape barked vehemently as he slammed a book on Harry's table. "Answer my question."

"I don't know," he replied indifferently, Snape wasn't something he was particularly worried about at the moment.

"Too good to pay attention, I suppose?" Harry, too preoccupied to take his bait, simply stared at him with a bored expression on his face.

"Big surprise. Twenty points from Gryffndor for being inattentive, Potter," he said with a small sneer playing at the corners of his thin lips.

Snape's announcement earned a round of quiet snickers from the majority of the Slytherins.

"Twelve inches on the properties of hemlock root and their uses in potion making due next lesson," he said, obviously trying to suppress the urge to smirk, making him look constipated.

Harry inwardly moaned at the new assignment. He was falling behind in his class work and had already accumulated quite a large pile. The bell rang and Hermioneapproached him as he gathered his materials. His previous thoughts were temporarily pushed out of his mind.

"Harry, will you walk with me to lunch?" she asked, although it sounded much more like a command.

"Sure," he replied casually, bracing himself for a sure-to-come lecture.

"I'm worried about you, you know," she began, echoing Ron's words from a fortnight previously, "and so is Ron, even though he isn't acting like it at the moment. He is just still upset about the... you know... the fight. Anyway," she continued, taking a deep breath as they descended down the stairs. She went on and on the entire way to the Great Hall. "You never do your homework and you hardly even pay attention in class anymore and you don't even talk to me. I don't understand what is wrong," she finished.

Of course you don't, he thought mentally before replying, "Honestly, Hermione, I'm fine, just exhausted, that's all," he lied easily.

"Alright," she said in a somewhat convinced voice. "You know, I really wish you and Ron would start speaking again. It is driving me insane," she said, looking up at Harry with hopeful eyes.

"I'll give it a go," he said, knowing he would eventually agree anyway; Hermione was not one to give up easy.

With Hermione smiling brightly beside him, Harry entered the Great Hall, searching for the familiar mop of red hair.

"Hey, Ron," Harry said tentatively as he walked up behind the tall Weasley.

Word of their fight must've spread throughout the Tower because almost the entire Gryffndor Table fell silent, and those who were still talking were being hushed by the ones shamelessly eavesdropping.

"Harry," he replied curtly, acknowledging him with a nod.

Harry sat down beside and Ron and nervously cleared his throat. He was suddenly aware of how quiet everything was and desperately wished for some noise.

"Do you, erm, want to play some chess later?"

Ron looked at him for a moment with a questioning look on his face. He must've seen sincerity because hesoon replied,"Sure," with a very small, short-lived grin.

Harry mentally patted himself on the back. A game well played. He began to fill his plate.

All was quiet in the dormitory, as everyone except Harry slept soundly. He sat comfortably in the window seat with his arms wrapped around his bent legs and his forehead resting on the cold glass. He watched his warm breath temporarily fog up with window. Leaning back, he stared out onto the grounds, looking at the glistening snow. He sat like that for only-Merlin-knows how long.

Suddenly, a lone, dark figure venturing out of the castle into the frigid winds caught his gaze. The figure slowlywalked down to the lake. Why someone would journey out into the cold in the middle of the night was beyond his comprehension. As the moon's beams reflected beautifullyoff the surface of the lake, the light revealed the figure to be the very person Harry was thinking about. Althoughthe figure was very small and dark, Harry could recognized that platinum blonde hair anywhere.

Slightly surprised, Harry continued to watch him inquisitively out the window. Ever since their encounter, his attitude toward Malfoy had changed. Although he still very much despised him, his loathing was mingled with curiosity. He had multiple questions swimming around his head, begging to be answered. What happened? Who did it? These were questions he expected never to be answered. He could hardly waltz up to Malfoy, start up a conversation about the weather, and then casually say,"Hey, where'd you get those scars?" Yeah, great plan, he thought sarcastically. He desperately tried not to care, it was Malfoy after all, but his attempts were in vain.

Surprisingly, even to himself, he hadn't mentioned the incident to his anonymous pen pal. He wasn't sure why, but he just knew he didn't want to share the happening with him.

Draco stood inanimately for quite some time, but he eventually moved. He slowing made his way back to the castle. His abrupt movement brought Harry out of his pensive stare. Feelinghis eyelids heavy, he blew out the candle that was admitting a small glow and got into bed. Although his covers were uncomfortably cold, he quickly curled up in a ball and warmed himself up.

Harry dreamt of a Masquerade Ball with a large clock chiming ominously in the backround. He couldn't recall the dreams the next morning.

Harry woke to the wind whistling audibly outside his window. He glanced out the window and saw that Saturday morning dawned bright and cold without a cloud in sight. After laying in bed for a few moments savoring the warmth and comfort of his bed, he grudgingly got up and walked sleepily to the bathroom.

The hot water felt amazing pounding against his back as he ran his hand through his soaking wet, black hair. After finishing up in the shower, brushing his teeth, and dressing, Harry walked down to the Gryffndor Common Room.

As he expected, it was entirely vacant. He wasn't too surprised considered it was a Saturday morning, after all. Harry plopped down into a squishy, red armchair near the fire, feeling the heat that radiated off the flames. After sitting there for a while his face began to burn, he took this as his cue to go down to the Great Hall for breakfast. The monster in his stomach gave a mighty growl at the thought of food.

Once again, he walked into a nearly empty room. He grabbed a pieced of toast and munched on it quietly. Just as Harry was finishing his bacon student began filtering into the Hall. He got up and went out into the Entrance Hall; the clock read eight o'clock. Harry proceeded to walk up the main stairway but two people were standing in his way.

"Oh, hi, Harry!" Hermione greeted happily,"Are you finished with breakfast already?"

"Yeah," he replied with a fake look of disappointment on his face. "Why don't you two meet me in the Common Room after you're done eating. Maybe we can't hang out?"

"Oh, of course!" she replied as Ron nodded groggily in the backround, obviously daydreaming about his four-poster.

"See you."

He almost cringed at his act. He didn't like lying to them. But they bought it all, he thought. He quickly ascended up the marble stairs, hoping to check the seventh floor corridor before returning to the Common Room to meet Ron and Hermione.

Checking to make sure the hall was clear (it was), he walked to familiar recess in the wall. Smiling to himself, he picked up the parchment.

It was shortest letter thus far:

I want to meet you, please. Midnight at the clock. Wear a disguise.

A/N: Please review ;)