Year 1 Chapter 3.

One more chapter till the end of their first year.

I know its boring now, but review and tell me what you think? Or just don't read it, thats cool too :p

Despite Draco's effort to get me into trouble, I managed to ignore him in all of my other classes for the rest of the term. I didn't want to risk getting more detentions, especially with Professor Snape, who made me organize his potions in his storage cabinet. I started to think he purposefully shuffled them around, so that I could slave over them for hours.

But I kicked the habit of letting Draco have the last laugh. Although that meant Neville and I had to endure crumbled up parchment being thrown at us, being called names, and having my hair pulled. Every. Single. Day. I even wore my hair in a bun for a week, so it wouldn't be pulled. This only made it worse. Draco called me "Cinnamon Buns" for the longest after that. It wasn't clever or witty, but it annoyed me, so I went back to wearing my hair down.

One day in December, just before holidays, Professor Snape gave us an in-class assignment. Whoever could conjure Polyjuice Potion the quickest and most efficiently, would receive no homework for the rest of the week.

This was a very rare opportunity, so Neville and I quickly set to work (although I did most of the potion handling). I remembered most of the ingredients that we needed from organizing them so many times in Snape's office. Within a few minutes I was done, and raised my hand proudly to announce I was done.

"Cheater," Draco said from behind me. "You're a dirty cheater, how are you done already?" Draco sneered at me. He was almost done with his own potion, but was just missing a few ingredients.

"I didn't cheat Draco," I rolled my eyes at him. "You know, I can tell you what ingredient you're missing?" I paused for dramatic effect. "But I won't." I turned back around. With that, Draco reached over and grabbed our flask and replaced his with ours. "Hey!" I yelled at him.

Professor Snape chose this time to check on our group.

"All done Professor!" Draco pointed at my flask of perfect Polyjuice potion.

Well done ," Snape said eyeing the container.

"What! That's mine Professor! Neville and I worked hard on that!" Professor Snape frowned at me. "I could use some backup Neville," I mumbled, but he sat trembling with his mouth glued shut.

"She's lying Professor," Draco scoffed.

"Naturally. Detention." he began to walk away.

"But Professor! That really is mine! Draco's the one lying!" I snatched my flask back, but Draco grabbed for it too. It slipped out of both of our hands and landed all over the front of Professor Snape's coat. The class became deathly quiet. Draco and I looked at each other then back at Snape with wide eyes. Snape waved away the sludgy brown goop with a flick of his wand, then turned to stare at me with piercing black eyes.

"50 points from Gryffindor." He growled. All of the Gryffindors in the class groaned. He brought his face close to mine. "Now I suggest you stop interrupting my class," and he turned on his heel and walked away. "Back to your potions!"

"I just hate him so much, Hermione," I said rubbing my eyes fiercely. Hermione sat next to me on my four-poster bed. Why doesn't he ever get in trouble? He's always the one who starts it! I don't do anything," and I put my face in my hands, beginning to cry again. I had just come back from my first of many detentions to come with Snape. Afterwards, I skipped dinner to hide in the confines of my room.

"Just ignore him Artemis," Hermione said softly. "He's just a great big prat, and a teacher's pet."

"Why won't he leave me alone! I didn't even do anything to him," I sniffled and wiped away my tears with the back of my sleeves.

"You know, I read that when a boy won't leave you alone like that, it means he likes you," Hermione said jokingly.

"Gross Hermione!" I couldn't help but laugh though.

"I made you laugh! Yay!" Hermione smiled.

"Yeah, well, not for long. I'm going to sleep."

"But it's only 8."

"I can't stand to be awake any longer," I got up from my bed and went to change into my pajamas.

"Ok, well see you in the morning then," Hermione headed for the stairs. She gave me one last reassuring smile, and then went down to the common room.

I hopped into bed and pulled the covers over my head. Hermione's words echoed in my head.

…when a boy won't leave you alone like that, it means he likes you.

Disgusting.

I stuck my head out of the Hogwarts Express, eagerly looking for my mum. I caught sight of her in the crowd of waving parents. She looked like she had aged a few years since the last time I had seen her, nevertheless she still looked beautiful in her floral summer dress.

The train came to a complete stop and I grabbed my luggage and headed for the door. I got to the platform and at last, I was free!

"Artemis! Artemis, wait up!" Or so I thought I was. Hermione made her way through a crowd of people and was rushing towards me. She knocked me back in a tight hug and I stumbled back a few steps.

"I'll miss you too Hermione," I laughed. She stepped back and gave me a sorry look.

"Promise, you'll write me? I want to hear about everything you do this summer," she said excitedly.

"I promise," I looked at the rest of my friends who had tagged along with her. Harry who I had grown respect for, Ron who's facial expressions never failed to make me smile, Neville who would have had a rough year without me, and Dean and Seamus who were always there to add some fun to our group. I gave each one of them a hug and said my goodbyes. We all promised to write each other, even though I knew we wouldn't, and then we went our separate ways.

"Artemis," I was stopped again, but this time it wasn't from a friend. It was Draco. I slowly turned around. I really didn't feel like punching him in front of my mum.

I faced him and locked eyes with him. They were a cloudy gray today, and seemed troubled by the way they kept darting around. I noticed my reflection in them, They almost seemed like mirrors. I snapped out of my daydreaming and went back to glaring

"I wanted to…"

"Wanted to what?" I said shortly. He looked very uncomfortable and he looked down at his black shoes. He gulped and tried again.

"I wanted to say sorry for this year, you know for how I treated you." My eyes widened. Was Draco really apologizing to me right now? "I think that… er...we should…"

I didn't try to interrupt him this time. I stared at him, with my eyebrows raised and my mouth slightly agape, and let him finish. "I think we should start over. Next year." He added quickly. I stared at him for a moment, and then came back to reality.

"Really?" I asked in disbelief. He nodded sheepishly.

"Ah, Draco my boy!" A man in an all black suit said, coming between us. He had Draco's pale pointed face, and blonde hair, only it came down to his shoulders. He threw me a look of judgment and then began to walk the other direction. "Come Draco," He pulled Draco by the collar of his shirt and walked away. Draco looked over his shoulder and waved before turning back to his dad.

"-I think I would like that," I said to myself.

"What was that about darling?" a soft voice said. I took my eyes away from Draco's disappearing figure and looked up at my mum.

"Oh, nothing. Just this boy..." I tried to hide my smile, but my mum saw right threw me. She laughed warmly and hugged me to her side as we walked away from Platform 9 ¾