The wind is coming so fast, it stings my face. I'm glad I decided to wear my goggles, no matter how odd they look, because it's raining. I'm nearly drenched now. It almost dark out, and I know I'm being stupid. I can hardly see where I'm going, and it's very likely this will end in a crash and a few broken bones. Add to the fact that I'm exhausted, but that I don't want to go to bed because I'm scared of the dreams I might have. Don't ask.

I aim my broom handle up, and pass through a cloud. I shiver, realising two things. One, I'm up too high. Two, I'm probably going to get a cold. Freezing in the rain? Yeah, that's me. I'm still only wearing a white long-sleeved button down shirt and black uniform pants. The shirt sticks to me, soaked completely though. This annoys me a great deal, though, at the moment, anything's liable to annoy me.

I ease myself back down and hover over the goal hoops at one side of the Quidditch field. My hair is plastered to my forehead, falling into my eyes. I push it back with one hand quickly, feeling like I should keep both hands on the broom, it's so slippery.

I'm suddenly plummeting to the earth, and it's exhilarating. A shout of excitement escapes my throat, and I concentrate on the ground at which I am aimed. I start to pull up and I fly level with the ground, speed decreasing drastically. The toes of my shoes brush the grass while I fly slowly, thinking. I know I probably shouldn't be out here anyway, and it's almost curfew. Moving my broom aimlessly up to the goal hoops again, I wonder if, for once, I should actually do the right thing and go in.

The rain pours.

It's coming down rougher than before, and I'm genuinely surprised I haven't slipped off my broom yet. I fly in loops down to the middle of the field and land. I throw my broom to the side and sit down. I fall to my back, letting the rain fall.

"What the bloody hell happened to you?"

"What's it to you?" I growl, sloshing through the halls. My shoes are ruined, my pants just done for, and my white shirt is filthy, and, inevitably, will not be worn again. I push a hand reflexively back through my hair, even though it's not in my face at all.

"Malfoy!" She walks quickly beside me. "You're out after hours, and... soaking. Were you outside?"

"No, Granger." I halt my strides, giving a faux-calm look. "I went and jumped in a bath fully-clothed, then rolled around in the Herbology green room." I end up shouting by the end.

"I'm going to have to give you detention," she warns, "unless you can give me a logical answer as to why you're out roaming the halls and dripping past curfew."

"Why are you out?" I spit, starting to walk again.

"Head round," she answers simply. "Why were you outside?"

"Because I wanted to be," I say exasperatedly, not looking at her.

"You're lucky you were found by me and not someone else."

"And why is that?"

"Because I've decided to only take ten points from Slytherin."

"Thank you for taking points," I mutter sardonically.

"If a teacher, or Filch, or a different Head had found you, you actually would have gotten in more trouble. But I know you, and know you obviously have something going on that you have to get out of your system, which I understand. So I'm gonna accompany you back to your common room, so you don't get found by someone else and get in trouble."

"Can you not talk to me?"

"At least try to be appreciative," Granger grumbles. "I'm not ratting you out. If you're going to be so rude, though, maybe I should."

I say nothing, allowing her to walk with me. For some reason, that comment she made about "knowing me" really pisses me off. I'm sure she thinks she knows me, and she probably does. To an extent. She doesn't really know me, though. Granger has less idea than I do of what's going on in my life, and trust me, I have no idea.

She doesn't even look at me. This I do appreciate; I'd rather pretend she's not there, seeing as she's a possible source of my initial irritation and/or confusion.

We get to the opening of the Slytherin common room, and Granger merely turns and walks in the direction we came from. With a sigh, I mutter the password and step through to the crowded common room.

I stare up at the canopy that hangs over the top of my bed. I do my best to keep my eyelids from drooping; I don't want to go to sleep. I have no reason to fear my dreams. No recent nightmares (except for the normal) and no recent traumas ( except for, you know, the war). I'm not really afraid of those nightmares. They come often, and I'm used to them. They suck. But I'm used to them. I wake up in a cold sweat and out of breath, but... I'm used to it.

I don't know what I'm scared of. Not those ducks with the mustaches, surely.

I shake it off. Scared of dreams? How moronic is that? Shake it off. Go to sleep. Yeah.

My hearts thumps against my chest, and I think I'm hyperventilating. I hold my head in my hands, sitting up. I try to slow my breathing, my fingers twisting in my hair. Flashes of the dream fly through my mind. The chill from the Dementors reaches me, even though it's only meant for the one on trial. I can't think. I don't want to.

I shake my head. No. Something else. Think of something else.

He's out of the chained chair. He's gone. I should've been watching, but I couldn't. They'd already said Mum and I could go. But what if they called me back, anyway?

I groan slowly. Stop. Stop.

I'm guilty. I'm guilty. I'm guilty.

I throw the sheets practically off of my bed, and fling myself out of it. I grab the first robe I see and pull it on. It's a uniform robe, and not the bathrobe I would've prefer, but at the moment, I just don't care. I slide my feet roughly into a good pair of shoes, not wanting to walk around barefoot, but also not seeing the immediate need for socks.

I just need to get away from my bed, away from the dreams. I walk out of the dorm, then out of the common room.

I wander in the dark around the castle. I have no idea what the time is, but it wouldn't matter, anyway. I don't take my wand out to light my way; I'm not even sure I have my wand with me.

I don't know where I'm going or where I am exactly, but I don't care. The dream won't escape my mind. I just can't... I search my mind, looking for anything to think of but the nightmare. Anything.

Now I see a certain brown-eyed girl. God! Seriously? She's just there. In the front of my mind. I try to shake her out. Damn it.

I suddenly feel like I'm passing through a curtain of ice and water. I scream, surprised. Oh, God, no. I run. I must've gone through a ghost. Damn it. Damn everything. Now I'll get caught.

After running for too long for me, I find myself leaning against a wall next to an unimportant portrait. I'm out of breath from running.

As my sharp breaths slow once again, she finds her way to the front of my mind again.

Fine, I think, Fine. Anything's better.

I slide down the wall, letting myself think of her and closing my eyes. An image of her from first year pops into my head and I grin. Her hair was even more insane then. I see flashes of her scowling at me, smiling at others, in the Quidditch stands with a nervous look set on her face, probably watching Potter. She's everywhere. Bundled up in Hogsmede, bruised and bloody in the castle at the battle, sprawled on the floor, my aunt Bellatrix hovering over her with a silver dagger. I shudder at the memory. She's under the tree, next to me, holding onto me. My stomach twist and my face heats. She's screaming at me, she's on the Hogwarts Express. She's in class, showing off and scribbling something down like a madwoman. She's wearing a stunning dress, dancing with a bulky man in red. I feel myself frown. She's standing over me, about to hit me. The gold in her brown eyes spark, and she calls me names.

Shaking my head, I scramble up and try to figure out where I am, so I can get back to my dorm.

I'm pacing at the foot of my bed, head pounding. It's four-thirty in the morning, and I've slept, at very most, two hours tonight.

It's still raining. It's slowed to a more steady, softer rain. The sound it makes against the window would normally sooth me, but right now it does nothing for my mood. My headache keeps me from sleep, but I'm restless enough that I wouldn't be sleeping anyway. I stumble down the dark staircase to the common room. None of the lights are on, not one. So I go to the only source of light I see - the window. It's not much light at all, only the glow of the moon and stars, and the little balls of light floating below in the courtyard.

I sit in a chair that's next to the window; a daydreamer must've pulled it aside from a table earlier. I sigh, wishing I could see what it's really like outside. While this window does show a rainy night, it's only a simulation, made by magic. Being in the dungeons, there aren't any real windows in the common room. In my dorm, there is a window, a real one, but it's ground level, and you can't see as much as you can out this one. Even though this view isn't real, it's still comforting. The drops tap gingerly against the glass as they fall, and the sound is nice. At the same time the rain consoles, it also gives me this inexplicable dreary feeling. The pit of my stomach is hard, and my heart beats quickly in my chest. I feel indifferent to the world, and even more unimportant. My vision blurs, and before my mind registers what I'm doing, tears are sliding down my cheeks, and my throat burns. I don't hold back, I just let myself sob silently. And I don't know why.

I wake up a few hours later in that chair, other Slytherins buzzing around me. My eyes are dry, and it hurts to blink. I look lazily around; A first year is lounged on a recliner, reading something and mouthing the words to herself as she goes along. There's a couple in the far corner, snogging and a group of third years look on and roll their eyes. I look over just as Blaise trots down from the dorms. He sees me and his eyebrows shoot up.

"There you are," he mumbles. "You look like hell," he states brusquely, looking me over. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

I'm too drowsy to come up with a witty answer, so I just say, "Maybe." I pull myself to my feet with difficulty, realising I need to get ready. I push past Blaise, and drag myself up to my dorm. There's no one else left in it now; it's seven-thirty after all, and classes start at eight. Aside from the few lingering in the common room, the majority of Slytherins are in the Great Hall, eating breakfast.

I pull out of my trunk my usual daily attire, a set that consists of a fresh and white short-sleeved button-down shirt, black trousers, socks, a tie, and a pair of boxers. I strip entirely, and quickly pull on what I have laid out. I hang my tie around my neck, sure I'll tie it sometime, and grab the robe I wore around the castle the previous night. Slipping into shoes, and shoving my arms through the sleeves of the robe, I shuffle to the bathroom.

Blaise was right. I look like total shit.

There are dark bags beneath my eyes, and there's no surprise there. No sleep does that to a person. My eyes are bloodshot, and still somewhat dry, no doubt from all the crying that took place mere hours ago. My expression is sullen, and I look depressed. I wouldn't be surprised if I am. My hair's sticking up in all directions, so to unsuccessfully fix it, I run my hand under some water, then push that hand back through my hair. It looks even worse. What the hell, I don't care.

I uncharacteristically walk away from the mirror before my hair's perfection. I knot my tie loosely, stepping down the stairs. I check my pocket for my wand and find it where it's supposed to be.

With a sigh, I walk out of the common room (I think Zabini follows me), and to my first class, even though I know I'll be unbearable early.

Well, this chapter was a bit different.

It was very inside Draco's head, I think.

The ending sucks, but I really wanted to post, and I didn't want to drag it out any longer.

Speaking of wanting to post...

I didn't update on Friday because I was only, like, halfway through this. I didn't update on Saturday because there was a storm that knocked out our internet. So here I am today. Finally doing this...

As per usual, I feel awkward doing this, and I, once again, feel like I'm being too formal. Oh well. Again.

See you all with the next chapter! :D

(A little p.s... The reviews I got seriously made my world spin around and I literally screamed into my pillow. Literally. Ran from this computer and to my room to pounce on my pillow and scream into it. They made me SO. FRIGGING. EXCITED. So a kajillion thanks for that. :D )