As the next month passed, classes went by, and I was still a little upset with Draco. He hadn't apologized, not that I had expected he would. I was polite enough to him, but it wasn't the same as before. Draco kept complaining about Potter, of course, getting jealous of all the special treatment he was receiving. When he had found out Potter had been allowed to join the Gryffindor team, he threw an even more childish fit than before. It's not as if we were exempt from our own special treatment, Professor Snape didn't really have many issues with us. But as our little feud went on, Pansy took full advantage of the now empty place next to Draco. It seemed really obvious now she thought more of him than probably the rest of us combined. Although, I still believed it wasn't as highly as Draco thought of himself.

It seemed like now that she didn't need me to get closer to him, Pansy wasn't too concerned with keeping things friendly between us. She kept to herself, Millicent, and occasionally Daphne. Millicent never said much, so I didn't mind her picking a side. Daphne seemed to flow fairly easily between the two groups that now encompassed our room, so I was alright with her as well. But, seeing as my supply of Slytherins was running low, I outsourced a few meetings to Gryffindor. Time outside of classes was normally spent out on the grounds to meet Fred, George, or some combination of the two. Hermione was also nice enough to have around. We had a few things in common, aside from the surface differences. The main variance being that, magic or not, she was muggleborn. She was also more emotional that I was used to people publicly being.

"They are just so selfish! Do you know how many points they have lost our house? I can't even keep track. We've only been here a month!" Hermione let out some frustration between sobs.

I had just barely gotten her to speak in coherent words. Just before the Halloween feast I had found her in the girls' lavatory. Hermione had flaked on our initial meeting, and it took finding out from a couple of other Gryffindor girls that she had been in there all afternoon. I went to see her, to find what all the crying was about. It wasn't clear what exactly made her hysterical, but it seemed to have something to do with Potter and Ronald.

"Well, I'm not saying that you should forgive them, but avoiding those two isn't going to change anything."

"You mean like you're doing with Malfoy?" she snapped back. I gave her a surprised look, not used to the curt tone. Hermione took my look to mean something different, and her expression turned immediately apologetic. "I didn't mean that."

"You did, but it's alright, and you're right. I should talk to him but…" I drifted the sentence off, trying to think of the right words. He had been distant since we had our argument, and it wasn't as if I was chasing after him either. But I wanted to talk to the Draco I knew, not the bratty boy he had been pretending to be recently. It just wasn't the right time.

We chatted a bit and, eventually, she stopped crying, although she still looked upset. I had insisted she come to the Halloween feast at least, but to no avail. Eventually I left her and went into the Great Hall. In theme of the season, bats fluttered from wall to ceiling. Every so often one swooped down, missing the pumpkins and candles just so to make them stutter. The feast began, placing the foods on golden plates. But before I could enjoy much of it, the feast was interrupted rather quickly with Professor Quirrell busting into the room. He stumbled, gasping and huffing, stumbling some words out before passing out on the floor. Apparently, there was a troll in one of the dungeons.

"Come, this way!"

At the command of our headmaster, prefects began to escort all students to our designated houses. Everyone was in a bit of an uproar, but what could we do but hide out until this got resolved. Being escorted out on the entrance hall, I lingered for a moment, having seen Professor Snape heading the opposite way to us. He was heading up the stairs to the towers. The Gryffindor tower…

"Hermione" I mumbled under my breath, realizing where she probably still was.

I doubted she had joined back in with her house; I hadn't seen her walk into the Great Hall during the feast. She was still out there. And if the troll managed to head up the stairs, it wasn't a good idea to be in a confined room with one. Unconsciously I began to sneak away from the group. She needed to know what was happening. But as I got to the foot of the stairs, my body stopped. I should warn her, I couldn't just leave her by herself, unaware that there was a troll in the school. But should I be the one to do it?

"Where are you going?" Draco screamed as he chased after me. I stayed looking at him, not sure of what to do or where to head. Impatiently, Draco stepped in front of me to block the way. "Are you deaf? Didn't you hear them say there's a troll in here?"

"Oh like they're so dangerous? They're a class four threat at best" I snapped, stepping back and away from him. With a look, a little more determined now, I turned to walk past him. "Not that you care, but I have to find Hermione. She's hidden out, and might not know about the troll—"

"I am not letting you go off yourself for some—Gryffindor" he snapped, stuttering on the last word as if he had initially meant to say something else. Taking the step above mine, Draco blocked my way once again. "If she was stupid enough to get herself caught that's her own fault."

"Don't be ridiculous, let me through" I tried to shove myself past him, but he grabbed my wrist to stop me. "Draco!"

"Even if you did go, what makes you think you'd be of any help?" he insisted. I frowned at him, seemingly that look softened his expression a bit. "Look, you made friends with the muggle, I get that, congratulations and what have you, but you have to know how stupid this is."

"But what if you're wrong? What if she's caught somewhere—"

"Professors are out looking, she'll live" Draco interrupted. I tried to pull loose again, but he didn't let me. "They might even catch the thing before she has a chance to crawl out of whatever hole she's in. And if she gets caught then that's her problem, not yours. But—"

"Draco—"

"I'd rather it be her than you" he said honestly, and took a step lower on the stairs.

I stayed on the step a moment before yielding, and following him down the stairs. Draco shifted a bit, moving his hand from my wrist to grab onto my hand. For a moment, I glanced back at the stairs but didn't fight him again. In front of me, I heard Draco let out a small sigh. It took me a moment to realize this was the first time in quite a few weeks that Draco and I had spoken more than two sentences to each other. I grabbed his hand a little tighter as I followed after. Draco glanced over his shoulder for a second before turning forward again. He didn't look back until we reached the entrance of the Slytherin common room.

As we entered the common room, a few of our housemates glanced over at us curiously. We were late, so they were probably wondering why we had wandered off. Pansy was stood by the door, probably having waited for Draco this whole time. When she saw us together, her glance shifted down to our hands being held together. That seemed to draw Draco's attention to it too. He took his hand from mine quickly before moving to join the rest of the boys.

Together most of our year were sat at a nearby table. The Halloween feast had been brought down to us. I chatted with them as we ate and the night passed, with no one bothering to ask us directly why we were late. But eventually they announced the troll was caught, with no notice of casualties, making me let out a small sigh of relief. Draco heard and glanced over in my direction. I gave him a small smile, but turned back to my conversation with Daphne. Although by force, it seemed like we had gotten back into speaking terms. I just hoped he wouldn't make me regret it.

After the incident passed, I met with Hermione. I was glad to see her alright, and I let her know. In response, she gave me a hug. I patted her back, once again surprised by the natural affection most Gryffindors seemed to exude. Apparently, Potter and Ronald had found her in the girls' room and helped her escape, so I assumed she was just happy about that. Draco and I had a similar interaction, although not completely alike. The forced interaction seemed to help both relationships get past their issues.

Eating meals began to feel normal as well. Draco offered me the seat next to his at the Slytherin table again. I must admit it brought joy for me to see the look on Pansy's face when he offered me her seat. She threw a small fit in response, not happy with how things had worked out. It wasn't the best relationship, hers and mine, but these little moments were what made everything worthwhile. Still, I felt fine in the seat I had taken next to Daphne, so I let Pansy have another moment more. I still didn't understand why she thought so highly of Draco, but it wasn't my problem, and frankly I didn't care.

Eventually, the Quidditch match between Slytherin and Gryffindor arrived. That Saturday ran cold with icy winds, but it looked like the entirety of the school was in attendance nonetheless. Loud cheering surrounded us as we climbed into our seats for the event. There were a few banners scattered about, colorful and calling for attention from the players who would soon make their way out. A few conversations were had as we looked around and waited for the match to begin.

"Potter for President" Theodore called out, just loud enough to be heard over the crowd. Turning to glance where he was facing I saw the banner he had been referring to. Next to it sat Hermione, and Ronald sat next to her. The two were getting along a bit better it seemed. I made a note of that before turning back, to find Draco sneering in their direction.

"That ever happens, this whole place will go up in flames" he laughed, as a few of the others joined it.

"Like you could do much better" I gave him a smile. I didn't know Potter, or how well he could run a school, but I did know Draco. And, just as I had anticipated, his face puckered up in that way it always did when he got annoyed.

"I could do plenty better" Draco whined in return. I gave him a smile which just made his face sour all the more.

"I think you would make a wonderful president" Pansy called up from her seat in front of us. At the obnoxiously obvious attempt at flattery, I rolled my eyes.

Looking down at the field again, I felt a shiver run through me from under my robes. It really was cold out. Normally I didn't mind the drop in temperature, but the weather like this wasn't usually the best for an outing. I frowned to my side. Draco frowned back, thinking the expression was directed at him. Ignoring the look, I reached over to him. Pansy shot me a disapproving glare as I put an arm around him. I pulled my arm carefully back, taking his scarf with him.

"I'm cold" I defended, wrapping it more around my neck.

"And you think I'm not?" Draco called back, having to speak a little louder. I turned back down as the players began to walk onto the field. The cheers started up around us, and I gave Draco a smile before pulling part of the scarf over my face. Draco rolled his eyes at me and focused forward onto the match.

Our section cheered as the Slytherin green reached the center of the field. I joined in a bit, seeing as they were in my house, even if I didn't know most of the team personally. It was about time I took part in that Slytherin pride everyone else seemed so fond of. Across from us, the Gryffindors showed their own form of it, clapping and cheering at their own team taking the stage. I gave a small clap for them too, solely for Fred and George. I knew the two were on the team, but for some reason they looked different than I would have thought. Their scarlet robes complemented their hair fairly well.

Potter fell into the mix of the other Gryffindors. Aside from the other obvious reasons, he was the smallest of the lot. The twins had told me his recruitment into the Gryffindor Quidditch team had been meant to be a secret, but the news had spread quickly through the castle. I hadn't told, not to anyone who didn't already know, but my guess was someone had overheard our conversation in the Slytherin dungeon. It was their own fault, really. I have enjoyed my time in Slytherin plenty, but that environment was not a place to openly discuss secrets.

The game began with Madam Hooch, addressing the two teams. It had been some time since I had seen a Quidditch match. Normally I wasn't the kind to go to events, and it had been a long time since I had witnessed a school match. Still, part of me missed the sight of it. It all reminded me of an old friend I once had. The players then mounted the brooms, shooting up as the whistle range.

"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor—what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too—"

"JORDAN!"

The twins' roommate I had been introduced to, Lee Jordan, was apparently the acting announcer. His comments seemed overall opinionated and biased. Professor McGonagall seemed to think so too, taking every moment to shush him whenever he strayed. I smiled a bit at it. He seemed just as biased as any other Gryffindor would be, I supposed. Regardless he seemed rather adept, names sounding off as plays were made. Although he did sound particularly cheerful as he called—

"GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"

I heard groans all around me, while the other side cheered.

"Not much good for anything, is he" Draco jeered. I glanced where he was looking, at Potter lingering in the air. No Snitch was visible yet, it seemed, meaning he had nothing to chase after.

"Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speed towards the—wait a moment—was that the Snitch?"

At the announcement, Potter darted forward on his broom. The Slytherin Seeker must have seen it as well, as they both followed after the Snitch. As the two zipped through the skies, most of the other players paused a moment, to watch like the rest of us. Most, that is, except for Flint, who took this as an opportunity to knock against Potter. A few times Potter almost fell, causing quite a bit of laughter around me. He composed himself somewhat, before lingering in the sky once more. It seemed he had lost sight of the Snitch again. They went back and forth a few times, before Potter's broom started bucking. Quite a few times he nearly missed falling off his broom, as the other players made passes behind him.

"Looks like he's finally lost it" Draco smirked as he sped quickly towards the ground. It didn't exactly look lost to me. Potter clapped a hand over his mouth, settling himself onto the ground. He stopped a second to cough on all fours. "Seems the whole thing was a bit much for the poor fool."

"I don't think so" I replied.

"I've got the Snitch!" Potter called out after a moment, waving a hand above his head. In his grasp, the gold of the Snitch glimmered.

Not quite the game we had expected, losing 60 to 170. We may have won, if the Snitch hadn't been caught so early.

"It shouldn't count, should it. He nearly swallowed the thing, he didn't catch it proper" Pansy argued, watching intently for Draco's reaction.

"Rather hoped he would have choked on it instead" Draco smirked, agreeing with her sentiment. Pansy smiled at him in return.

"I thought he would have done worse, considering the whole muggleborn thing" Daphne commented, looking around at the rest of us.

"He's a half-blood" Theodore corrected. Daphne pouted at him, but didn't argue. "He was raised by muggles, not bred by them."

"Easy mistake; he acts enough like a mudblood" Draco sneered. At the word, I glared at him. Pausing at the sound, I stopped a moment and gently pulled off my scarf. I didn't like that word and he knew it. Draco started to say something a moment before I shoved his garb in his face.

"Go on without me, I'm needing some fresh air. Thank you for the scarf" I added before walking off, not allowing him a chance to argue.

"That was a bit sudden. You think she's feeling ill?" I heard Daphne ask the others as I stepped away.

"Who knows, and who cares" Pansy called a little louder. Ignoring her whining tone, I walked off and further out of earshot.

Most of the students were heading back inside, so I figured there wouldn't be much of a bother out on the grounds. I liked to wander around the fields, letting myself get distracted by odd thoughts. We had a similar piece of land back home. Although back home there were no creatures infesting our land, unlike across the lake and Forbidden Forest. My father would simply not allow that.

I sat myself near a tree I felt a good enough distance from the castle, one near the lake. No one was near, considering everyone's rush to get back inside. It was cold, I did admit, and something I should have thought about before storming off like that. But I was nothing if not stubborn. Besides, I had only just forgiven Draco. I didn't want to have another fight just yet, but if I saw that smug face of his, I knew we would. He always did try to show himself off in front of others, it was one of the few things I disliked about him. Draco always did care too much about what other people thought, otherwise he was normally a rather sweet boy.

I held my knees a bit to my chest as I looked forward. Some small waves began to form at the surface of the lake as the cold winds blew on them. Not wanting to focus on anything in particular, I let my mind drift from one topic to another. It was a habit I had developed over the years. Sometimes, when there are a lot of things to think of, the most comfortable thing is to not focus on any of it. Not the best plan for long-term resolution, but it served its purpose. My attention remained focused on the waters until I felt something fall onto my head. It felt heavy. The cloth covered a bit of my face. As I pulled the fabric forward, my eyes focused on two smiling faces instead.

"Hey there, Kitty" Fred greeted cheerfully. George, smiling next to him, stood without his cloak. Looking down at my hands, I found them in my grip.

"You looked a bit cold, thought I would help" George commented, taking a seat directly next to me. Fred fell back as he took a sit himself, in front of us.

"Thank you" I said honestly, as it was rather cold. I shuffled around a bit before placing the cloak around my shoulders, above my own. George watched me as I did, giving me a smile when he saw me glance at him. With the added layer I rubbed my shoulders a bit, feeling a little warmer already. "Not that I'm unhappy to see you, but shouldn't you two be off celebrating? You won that match, even if it was in an interesting way."

"Rather an interesting catch than a cheated win" Fred muttered himself.

"Says you" I replied, and was answered with a smirk from George.

"We were on our way, but a real celebration requires some fireworks. We ran out of supplies—"

"So we're here to find some ingredients" Fred finished for him. He pointed his expression in the direction of the woods.

"In the Forbidden Forest, you mean?" I asked, making a point to emphasize the name. Fred gave me a chuckle.

"Ah, to be young and innocent again" he called, placing a gentle hand in his chest as if with reminiscing fondness.

"I highly doubt you were ever truly innocent" I commented. Fred gave me a smirk back.

"So, what are you doing out here?" George asked, getting back to me. I turned away a moment.

"I just felt I needed some air" I answered, turning up my nose at the crisp feel of the air.

I knew myself, and I knew Draco fairly well. If I had iddled after that comment I would have most likely given him some lecture, or a form of scolding about why he shouldn't say that word. My scolding would have turned him defensive, to defend himself in front of the others, and we would have argued. Draco would have most likely said something rude, or insisted on the comments he had made, and that would have only made me more upset. Then another fight would have started, most likely lasting another month or so. Besides, the holidays were so close by, and not being in the mood to bring all that for us to deal with, I insisted instead on some time off.

"I didn't think you'd take a loss this bad" George joked, leaning a bit closer to add to his tone.

"I didn't think you'd be so smug after such a simple victory" I called back.

"We take victories where we can. You obviously don't know us that well" Fred called with an arrogant smile.

"But we should be able to fix that soon enough" George smiled next to me. Fred turned his smirk toward his brother.

"I'm sure you'll see to that" Fred leaned closer to kick his brother teasingly on the foot. In a not so gentle manner, George kicked him back.

"You two alright?" I asked, watching the two go at it a bit. George kicked his brother once more before turning to me.

"Splendid" he gave me a smile.

"We should really get going. Those fires aren't going to start themselves" Fred called cheerfully, huffing a bit as he stood from his seat. Part of me guessed he meant to say fireworks, though the other part wasn't so sure.

"You going to be alright by yourself?" George asked, still sat next to me. Unlike his brother, he didn't seem to be in such a rush. Still, I couldn't help but roll my eyes at him.

"Well, that was my intention" I reminded, but he shrugged at me in return.

I didn't mind being alone. I hadn't expected to meet them here to begin with. Besides, thanks to them I was a little warmer now, I would survive. Scooting myself a bit forward, I began to reach around me to pull off the robes. George leaned forward and placed a hand on my shoulder to stop me. I gave him a confused look, but he gave me a smile in return.

"No, no, keep it" he insisted, before pulling his hand away.

"Keep it?" I repeated, still not understanding what he was trying to say.

"Not forever" George gave me a smile, figuring that's what I was thinking of. "I mean just for a moment. You can return it to me some other time. You're so small you might freeze over if you're left without."

"I'm not that small" I argued but that only seemed more laughable to him. I frowned a moment before his brother intervened.

"You are though and, while the idea of a frozen snake normally sounds pleasant, we would rather it not be you" Fred mentioned, stepping forward to kick his brother. George swung at his brother's legs, but stood up just the same. And with just that, and a small goodbye, the two stepped away, off to whatever mischief they felt up to today.

Once they had gone from view, I turned down to analyze my new robes. The inner lining was a bright red, unlike the usual greens I'd seen. They looked far more worn than a set should look for only a couple of months in, most likely secondhand from one of their older siblings. Still, even if worn, they looked well managed. I suppose when you don't have the virtue of an automatic replacement, you care for what you own. The robes smelled pleasant enough, but with a hint of smoke. That was probably a remnant of all those fires they sounded so fond of. I pulled the cloak a bit forward, as it covered the whole of me. They were only a couple of years older than me, but I supposed I was a bit smaller than some my age. Of course, I wouldn't admit that aloud, but it made sense, considering.

My attention turned back to watch the waves. It wasn't so bad, being alone. By this point I had grown rather used to it. There wasn't much else to do when at home. The ripples of the surface grew a bit bigger, having the giant squid swimming close to the surface most likely. With a small sigh, I wrapped the robes more comfortably around me as I turned to watch the waters. I would return them later.