"If anyone finds out what you just did, your rep. will be shattered." Dawn laughed quietly.
"Have to be our little secret then." He smiled.
"Yeah. I guess."
"I'm really sorry." Draco sighed, "For everything… I have a serious habit of screwing up." Dawn laughed again,
"It's ok."
"No, it isn't." Draco said, breaking eye contact. "It's my father coming through… I don't want to be like him Dawn, but every time I turn away, he's still there, always."
"Then just ignore him." Dawn said, pulling Draco back to her, "And hey, maybe I can help distract you." She smiled, kissing him again.
"You do realise that none of the Gryffindors will talk to you if they realise you're… fraternising with the enemy." He smiled,
"I'll have to teach them all about the new improved Draco Malfoy." She grinned,
"Hey watch it, don't forget the rep." Dawn poked him,
"Boys." She sighed, rolling her eyes.
"Girls!" he retorted, rubbing his ribs where she'd poked him. They both smiled, and sat together on the window seat, looking out over the grounds.
That evening, they were sitting in the same place, Draco with his arms round Dawn, when they saw the first of the horseless carriages start up the path to the front door.
"Here they come." Draco said, "Time to face the music."
"Big time." Dawn grimaced.
"Shall we?" he said. Dawn nodded, and they left the room together, hands clasped together. When the reached the entrance hall, Draco released her hand, and Dawn grinned at his terror of wrecking his rep. Moments later the doors burst open and chattering students filled the entrance hall. A couple of people glanced at the pair already standing by the doors to the great hall, but in the excitement of holiday stories, no one paid them much attention. Dawn had dragons, never mind butterflies in her stomach as more and more students piled in, all dressed in their school uniforms. Dawn and Draco had changed earlier, Dawn trying her best to make it more bearable, tying her tie loosely, leaving the shirt untucked. Draco had laughed at the faces she made while surveying herself in the mirror. Across the hall, Dawn noticed three people sitting on the marble steps when one of them craned his neck to get a better look over at her. She wished she could hear what they were saying.
"Who is she?" Ron wondered, "She doesn't look like a first year."
"Don't know." Hermione replied. "We'll find out at the feast, she's in Gryffindor."
"So she can't be a first year." Harry pointed out, "They haven't been sorted yet."
"Oh yeah." Ron agreed, trying to get a better look again. "What's she doing with Malfoy!?" the last word was brimming with bitterness.
"Lord knows." Hermione said, "Hang on, looks like… he's smiling at her! That cannot be Malfoy! He's being nice to a Gryffindor!"
"Wonder what they're saying?" Harry said.
Dawn leaned over to Draco,
"I'm so scared!" she whispered excitedly.
"You'll be fine!" he smiled, "You'll fit right in with all the goody goody Gryffindors." She elbowed him, giggling. Then she frowned,
"I swear those three are talking about us." She told him. Draco looked, and groaned,
"My rep just flew out of that window."
"Why?" Dawn laughed.
"That's Potter, Weasley and Granger."
"Oh." Dawn grinned, Draco had told her about them, and through all his bias she still felt they were probably perfectly nice. "Don't worry, they probably dislike you enough to just ignore me, rather than get the silly idea you're a decent person." Dawn said. Draco grinned, raising his eyebrows,
"Lucky you." He said, almost sincerely.
Soon the doors to the great hall swung wide open, and the students poured in. Draco gave Dawn's hand the tiniest comforting squeeze before heading off to the Slytherin table. Dawn took her place at the Gryffindor table, and soon found herself next to and opposite Potter Weasley and Granger. She smiled to herself; Draco had said they'd be eager to know why he was being nice to her. Thankfully, Dumbledore stood and called for silence, so none of them had a chance to say anything.
"Welcome back to yet another year at Hogwarts." The headmasters voice boomed out across the hall. "As we all know, times are going to get hard due to events at the end of last term, but I believe in everyone of you, and we must strive to keep our routine as normal as possible. So… let us welcome our new first years." A side door opened, and first years trooped in. The sorting began, and Dawn felt very relieved she'd been able to have her own private sorting. She'd have hated to be up there in front of everyone. The school song followed the sorting, and Dawn found it very hard to keep a straight face due to the many different keys and styles being sung as one, especially a few people further down the Gryffindor table, who's voices rang out over everyone else and who's tune was very… inventive. "So all there is left to say, is welcome to all our new students," Dawn felt his smiling gaze momentarily shift to her, "And of course, tuck in!!" The food appeared on the plates before them, and chatter broke out once more. Dawn tried not to laugh as the three pairs of eyes turned to her.
"Hi, I'm Hermione Granger." The bushy haired girl held out a hand.
"I know." Dawn replied, shaking her hand, "I'm Dawn Summers."
"Harry Potter."
"Ron Weasley." Dawn nodded, taking in the first names (Draco had always referred to them as Potter, Granger and Weasley)
"Hi." Dawn replied.
"You in fifth year?" Hermione asked. Dawn nodded.
"So how come you're new? Did you transfer from another wizard school?" Ron asked.
"Ah… no. I only just found out I was a witch. I've been here half the summer, catching up."
"Really? Wow, that's a lot of work." Hermione gasped,
"Tell me about it." Dawn smiled, raising her eyebrows.
"You American?" Harry asked,
"Yeah. California."
"Wow, I'd love to go to America." Hermione said dreamily, but Dawn still felt that this was just polite small talk, they hadn't asked what they were dying to. Dawn couldn't take it anymore, she cracked a grin,
"Just say it." She told them
"Huh?" said Ron and Harry as one voice. Dawn rested her chin on her hand, her cheeks beginning to go pink.
"Just ask and get it done with." Hermione smiled wryly at this,
"Ok." She said, "How come you're so chummy with Malfoy?" Dawn noted the same contempt in her voice when she spoke his name that he always expressed for them.
"And how did you know we'd want to know!?" Ron exclaimed. Dawn smiled.
"He told me you'd want to know." Harry shook his head,
"I don't get it. Malfoy has never spoken a civil word to a Gryffindor in his life."
"Well, I only became a Gryffindor this morning. I've known him for about six weeks." Off their looks, she continued, "He was staying here over the holidays, so he was the only other student around. I stayed in a Slytherin dorm, and… got to know him."
"Oh shit, yeah!" Ron exclaimed. "Dad said that Lucius Malfoy had disappeared and that his mum freaked out." Harry nodded in understanding,
"So he had to stay here. Wow. Didn't you freeze in the Slytherin rooms?" he smiled, Dawn laughed,
"Very nearly."
"So you spent half the summer with Malfoy?" Hermione said, sympathy clear in her voice. Dawn laughed shortly again,
"He really isn't that bad… But don't tell him I said that, or he'll accuse me of ruining his rep."
"Malfoy, not that bad? Are you sure we're talking about the same person here? His father is in you know who's inner circle!" Ron exclaimed
"So?" Dawn snapped, "Why does that automatically make him bad? He isn't his father, Ron…. I know he's done things," she turned to Hermione, "And said things, that shouldn't, can't be forgiven, he told me himself. But he doesn't support Voldemort!" Ron flinched when she said the name. "What?" she frowned. Hermione shook her head,
"Don't worry about it, most witches and wizards don't say his name, it's a thing."
"Sorry, I didn't realise I wasn't supposed to, Draco always…"
"Draco? You're on first name terms?" Ron gasped bitterly.
"God, Ron!" Dawn said, shaking her head, "What is your problem? I already said, he is my friend. The first damn one I got in this world. You don't even know him, not really… I know why you feel the way you do…"
"No you don't! The number of times he's ground my family's name in the mud, and said unspeakable things about Hermione…"
"I do know, Ron!" Dawn said. "I'm muggle born." It was all she needed to say for all three of them to stop and think.
"And he… he's still nice to you?" Hermione asked. Dawn nodded,
"At first he freaked, but I kinda yelled at him about it, and we got talking. It's just how he was bought up… he's ok really. Look," she sighed, "I'm not asking you to like him, just don't get on my back about me liking him, ok?" after a slight hesitation, even Ron nodded. They didn't bring it up again.
After the feast, Dawn went with the trio to the common room, where the password Dawn already knew was announced. As they were all tired, they said goodnight, and the girls headed up their stairs to the dorm. Dawn was introduced to the other girls, who got very excited when they realised she was American. Eventually they all settled down and fell asleep, except Dawn. She was tired, but could not sleep. She was happy to have made these new friends, but she was worried that they would never understand her feelings for Draco. She feared the disgusted look they would get in their eyes if they knew they were more than friends. Sitting on the window seat, using only moonlight, Dawn began yet another letter to Buffy. She'd been writing all summer, filling her in on everything she'd learnt, and on Draco.
Dear Buffy,
How're things? I miss you guys!! Are Tara and Will ok yet? I feel so awful when I think of them being apart! This morning, I got sorted into my house, and I'm in Gryffindor. Draco was weird about it at first, but then I yelled at him some and he came around. He really is sweet y'know, underneath it all. This evening all the other students came and I met some of the people Draco had told me about. It's really hard to deal with the way they all see him… they think he's so nasty, and from what he told me, I cant blame them. I guess it's hard for them to see that he's different. I don't know what to do. They just won't understand Buffy! I think, I probably shouldn't being telling you this, but I think I more than just like him, and please don't come and slay him or something, but we kissed this morning, and it was amazing Buffy!! I never thought I'd ever feel that way away from home, but I'm worried that I'll never be accepted if people know, plus he'll lose a lot of friends, from what he's told me. This sucks, and I don't even know if I'll actually send this to you… you know how I am when I start ranting. I should probably sleep now, so I'll probably finish this later… seriously, don't be mad about what I said, cos I really like him. I think you would too, actually. Huh, I just thought, he actually looks a bit like Spike…
Dawn sighed deeply, and stroked the feathers of her still nameless owl who sat beside her. Then she went back to bed, putting the letter on her bedside table, and not noticing when a flick of her covers sent it fluttering to the ground.