The next morning I woke up to see that all the beds around me were deserted. I reached over and tapped the clock on my bedside table; "8:28" chimed a high-pitched voice.

Lessons at Hogwarts started at 9 so I had enough time to get dressed and grab some food if I was quick, after all I didn't want to be late for my first day of class. Just as I got out my bed the door to the bathroom opened and Tracey stepped out, brushing her fingers through her fine hair.

Her eyes widened for a second when she saw I was awake, "Oh, hi," she stuttered, "I was going to wake you up before I left."

I didn't believe her, but I thought it was more likely Pansy had told her to leave me then she wanted me to miss lessons. I didn't want to make too many enemies so I decided to smile instead of confronting her. "Would you mind waiting for me? I won't be long and I'm not sure if I know my way round well enough yet to find the great hall on my own."

She looked apprehensive but then nodded and sat down on the edge of her bed while I hurried to change into my robes. I decided to do a bit of digging while I had her there. "So, Pansy and Draco, what's the story with them?" I asked conversationally as I disappeared into the bathroom.

"Oh," she said, wondering what how to reply, "well, they're on and off a lot really. Always have been since first year really. He goes off and does stuff with other girls a lot I think but they always, um, patch it up."

"And right now," I stuck my head out of the bathroom, my face half covered by makeup and half still exposed, "are they on or off?" I turned back around and looked in the mirror and started to finish off my makeup.

"I'm not sure," she said, seeming to find it easier to speak while I was in the other room, "I thought they were ok but then last night he seemed a bit weird with her."

I walked out of the bathroom, fiddling with my earrings, "and why was that?"

She looked at me suspiciously, and then shrugged, "I don't know." She looked at me again, "He's like that though, and he goes off her for no reason. He's been really touchy recently. I doubt it was because of anything in particular." But the way she was looking at me, speculatively told me that she thought there might have been something that had triggered the change in his mood.

I glanced at her as I pulled my hair up into a high ponytail at the back of my head and pulled out a few strands. I pulled out my wand and muttered a spell and instantly ringlets appeared around my face.

"That's nice," she said.

I shrugged, "it saves time."

"No, not the spell- your hair, it looks nice like that."

"Oh," I turned to smile at her, "thanks. You look nice too."

She smiled back and stood up from the bed, "no, I don't."

"Tell you what, I'll do your hair for you sometime," I told her, it would be good to have at least one friend in this place, "if you promise not to let me sleep in."

She nodded and we walked out of the dormitory together.

I smiled at across at Pansy as we sat down at the Slytherin table. Everyone else had almost finished eating and looked up as we sat down.

"You better eat fast," Blaise told me, "you'll be late."

I grabbed at piece of toast and bit into it without looking at him. "Where's Draco?" I asked. I had scanned the room several times before coming to sit down her and couldn't see Draco anywhere.

"He eats early," Blaise told me.

I made a note to set an alarm for early tomorrow so I could get out before the others and meet him when he was eating. It would be a perfect time to get to bond with him if most of the school were already awake. Pansy was glaring at me for talking about Draco as if I knew him and I didn't ask what time he ate in case she decided to do the same.

The bell rang and I threw down the remains of my toast on my plate, grabbed a cup and glugged down the contents, which burnt my throat, before everything disappeared.

"Still hungry?" Pansy asked then laughed and flounced away with Daphne trailing behind her.

I looked around as people dissipated away in all directions. What lesson do I have?

"Miss Carrow," said a slimy voice behind me. It was Snape. He held out my timetable without saying a word.

"I haven't picked what I want to study yet," I told him, confused.

"I enrolled you for the lessons that I thought would be most appropriate for what you want to achieve," he said quietly, trying to get across his real meaning.

Of course, he had given me the same timetable as Draco.

I glanced down at the sheet. This year I would be studying Transfiguration, Arithmancy, Potions, Charms, Astronomy and Defence Against the Dark Arts. I snorted at the last subject listed. In Durmstrang we had been taught the Dark Arts, not defense. Oh well, it would have to do.

I was confident about my skills in Transfiguration, Potions and Charms. However I had failed my Arithmancy O.W.L and had never taken Astronomy so I would have to wait and see how those classes went.

Today I had Potions, Charms and Astronomy in the evening.

I hurried away to try and find my first lesson.

Despite my best efforts I was late to my first lesson.

Professor Slughorn looked over at the door from his place at the front of the class where he had been writing instructions for the Anti-Paralysis Potion we would be mixing today.

"You must be Miss Carrow," he said, as he gestured for me to take a seat.

"Sorry," I muttered as I crossed the room to the table were Draco, Blaise and Pansy say, "I had to get my timetable and then I got a bit lost." I heard Pansy snigger but ignored her.

"Yes, of course," Professor Slughorn said, "I understand, please sit down and don't disrupt my class more then is necessary. If you are late again I won't give you the benefit of the doubt and will have to take points from your house."

I nodded and sat down next to Blaise, opposite Draco.

Slughorn waved his wand and the instructions appeared on the board, "Get into pairs for this one please," he told everyone.

I looked across at Draco but Pansy had grabbed his arm already and Blaise was smiling at me expectantly. I sighed and looked at him.

"Ok, let's get on with this then."

At the end of class we all filed out of the dungeon classroom.

Outside I found a trio waiting for me. The one at the front had brown messy hair and green eyes; a red-haired boy and a girl with long fuzzy brown hair flanked him.

The ringleader held his hand out to me. I looked him up and down, wondering who he was.

"Harry Potter," he said, "welcome to Hogwarts."

I spat on his hand and he pulled it back quickly, rubbing it on his robes, looking confused.

"Why did you do that?" asked the red haired boy behind him.

"Cause he's a dirty fucking bastard, that's why. And don't get me started on you- you must be a Weasley; you horrible blood traitor." I snarled at him.

"How dare you?" raged the girl, stepping forward, "you don't even know Harry or Ron!"

"And I don't want to," I snapped, "who the fuck are you?"

"Hermione Granger," she said, glaring at me.

I tried to think but I couldn't remember having heard the name before.

"She's a mudblood," hissed Draco from behind me.

I shrieked and stepped back, "Oh Merlin!" I exclaimed, "That's disgusting." Draco was standing closest to me so I grabbed his arm in support as I feigned sickness. "Get me away, I'm going to puke!"

Draco steered me away quickly as Harry and Ron shot past Hermione, who grabbed them both and mumbled something like, "it's not worth it."

As soon as we were round the corner Draco let go off my arm and looked at me, laughing, "That was quite impressive."

I grinned, "Glad you liked it."

He looked at me strangely then turned and carried on walking up the corridor, "What you got next?"

"Charms," I said, following him.

"Same as me," he said, "I'll show you the way."

With Draco's help I got to Charms on time and sat next to him at the back. Crabbe and Goyle came in a few minutes later and, seeing Draco engaged in conversation with me, sat in front of us.

Professor Flitwick, who was very short, stood at the front of the classroom on a pile of books as he read out the register.

When he got to the end he said, "and if I'm right we are joined by a new student today. Annora Carrow."

"Yes sir," I said from the back of the classroom.

"Welcome!" he said cheerily, "I hope you'll be up to date with what we're doing in class. If you're behind, I or one of the other students will help you. And if you're ahead then you can help out your fellow classmates."

I nodded to show understanding.

"Ok, today we will be doing the Disillusionment charm, does anyone know what this does?" He asked.

A hand shot up from the front and I heard Hermione Granger pipe, "it turns you invisible."

"Yes, yes, very good Miss Granger, five points to Gryffindor."

I coughed loudly and put my hand up, "it doesn't actually make you invisible; it forces you to mirror your background. The person you cast it on becomes a sort of human chameleon."

I could hear the smirk cover Draco's face; he chuckled, obviously imagining Hermione's disgruntled expression at being corrected.

"Ahh yes, just what I was about to say, " said Professor Flitwick, "10 points to Slytherin Miss Carrow. Now, does anyone know the incantation for the Disillusionment Charm?"

Hermione's hand shot up again, "Latitoca." She said proudly.

I rolled my eyes, "it's Lat-ee-toe-sah," I announced loudly, "if you say it like that you'll probably drop a cupboard on whoever you're trying to enchant."

Again, I heard Draco snigger from my side; he was enjoying this.

"Very good, very good," said Professor Flitwick, "another 10 points to Slytherin. Everyone, choose a partner and begin trying to perform the Charm- simply tap your wand on the top of their head and say the Latitoca, as Miss Carrow demonstrated."

Draco turned me straight away, grinning. "That was brilliant," he told me, "Granger needs someone to knock her down a notch, she thinks she's the best at everything."

I blushed and said, "You can go first."

"Ladies first."

I tapped him on the head with my wand, "Lat-ee-toe-sah!"

Malfoy disappeared; I felt something brush my arm and waited for him to perform the charm on me. He didn't.

After a minute I reached forward and swept the area with my arms, he wasn't there anymore.

I could see Professor Flitwick helping students on the other side of the room. Thinking fast, I tapped myself on the head and muttered the Charm.

"We're done Professor," I called.

He looked over, flustered, "yes, yes, very good. 10 points to Slytherin and you can both leave early."

I picked up both our bags, holding my arms apart so as the make it seem like two people were holding them, and walked out of the classroom alone.

"Draco," I hissed once I was outside. No answer.

Where had he gone?

I hurried along the corridors leading back to the Slytherin common room, calling for Draco's name the whole time.

He wasn't in the common room but I didn't know where to look for him so I decided to sit down and wait. "Propono," I whispered and looked down to see that my hands were visible once again. I settled down on a seat facing the entrance so that I would see it open even if he were still invisible when he returned.

Eventually, half an hour later, just before the end of class, the hole in the wall opened to let someone through.

"Where did you go?" I asked the air. No answer. "Propono," I shouted, waving my wand. Draco appeared in front of me, looking dishevelled. "Where did you go?" I repeated.

"What's it to you?" He asked me.

"I had to cover for you," I told him indignantly, pushing his bag towards him.

He picked it up, "Why?"

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Why did you cover for me? You could have just told Flitwick I'd run off."

"I-I would never," I said flabbergasted at the idea.

"Why not? You don't seem the type that worries about other people." He snapped.

"I wouldn't tell on you," I said before I could stop myself.

His eyes became slits, "why me?"

"Anyone in Slytherin," I backtracked quickly, "you would have lost us all those points I got if I'd told on you."

This answer seemed to convince him, and he relaxed. "Well, thank you. But in the future, I don't need your help."

"Well I'm sorry, next time I'll just let you get detention shall I?" He nodded. "You're so stubborn! Where were you?" I asked again.

"Like I'm going to tell you," he said.

"Who would you tell then?" I found myself probing, I didn't know why I was doing this, I was mean to be getting close to him but all I was doing was pushing him away. "Pansy?"

He snorted, "She wishes."

This was probably true, but I carried on anyway. "You should hear her talk. She thinks you're soul mates."

Suddenly he breached the gap between us, "Are you jealous Carrow?"

I tried to step back, his sudden closeness alarming me, but the sofa stopped me. "No, no, of course not." I stammered, looking anywhere but at him. He took my chin firmly in his hand and lifted it so I was looking straight into his grey eyes. "Is there anything to be jealous of?" I ventured warily, captivated by his stare.

A small smile tweaked the edges of his lips as he shook his head.

He leaned forwards ever so slowly, not taking his eyes from mine and placed a kiss gently on my lips. I gasped as he moved to my collarbone and began planting tiny kisses down my neck. I leant my head to one side to give him better access and felt him chuckle into my skin.

I closed my eyes surrendering myself to him and suddenly a cold breeze hit me. I span around to see him running up the stairs to the boy's dormitories and thought about following him up but the bell rang and people started to spill into the common room.

I turned and walked up to my dormitory. What had just happened?

I was meant to be getting close to him, making him trust me. I wasn't sure if the kiss was a good sign or not. From what I'd heard he just used girls and he didn't have long-term relationships- unless you count the twisted thing him and Pansy had going.

I couldn't let myself be another one of his conquests. I had to find a way to become his friend, his confident. I had a feeling that letting him to stuff like that to me wasn't the right way to go about it. But as I lay on my bed all I could think about was the burning sensation his touch had left on my skin.

Apparently, deceiving Malfoy was going to be harder then I had first thought.

But, Hey, I like a challenge.

Author's Note:

Mwehehehe, it's getting more exciting… ;)

I'm starting to really get into this story, hope you like it!

Next chapter shouldn't be too long a wait.

Please please please please review!

Lily ^_^ xx