There was an annoying noise bugging me, but all I wanted to do was sleep. I was so tired that I couldn't think straight. Well, I wasn't thinking straight. I wanted that noise to stop. Right now. It was making me not able to concentrate on sleeping. I groaned and pulled my pillow over my head. After a few more minutes, I decided I couldn't hack the irritating mumble anymore.

Suddenly I was freezing. The shock made me sit up straight. Once I was a bit more 'with the world', I realized that I was also soaking wet and my side was aching. Dimly, I realized that it was light in the dorm and Sav was grinning at me from the end of the bed. When I said nothing and didn't react in anyway, the grin slipped away off of Savvie's face. Slowly, as if I could read her mind, I saw her noticing there was something wrong. Her eyes took on a scrutinising gaze.

I sighed and laid back onto the bed, tremendously glad it was Sunday. I heard Sav shuffling around at the end of my bed but I couldn't be bothered to look up. I jumped slightly when she suddenly popped up from beside my bed.

"How did you get there? Did you crawl?" I asked.

"No! I only went under your bed from there," she pointed to the foot of my bed where she was stood earlier, " to here." She finished and pointed to where she was knelt now.

I stared at her, waiting for an explanation as to why she crawled under my bed. After a staring competition that lasted several minutes, I gave in.

"Why?"

"Why what?" Savvie answered with another question.

"Why did you crawl under my bed when you could have just walked to where you are now?" I tried again but this time slower, as if I was talking to a toddler.

"Oh...I wanted the element of surprise."

"You had it. But why?"

"To see if you were hiding something from me, like pretending to be... whatever you were being... but was actually feeling something else completely."

"Right. Whatever." I said with a wave of my hand. I wasn't in the mood to try and figure out what she meant, her mind didn't work the same way others did.

"So, you going to tell me what's wrong now?" Sav asked as she crawled onto my bed and pushed me over so she could lay next to me. She clearly wasn't bothered that I was still wet from when she soaked me to wake me up.

"Nope." I sighed.

"Okay."

We laid in silence for a while. I wondered if I should tell her that her brother was so awful to me last night. By the sounds of it, she was already a bit mad with him because of what she said at the Three Broomsticks. She had said that she doesn't agree with a decision he had made. I wonder what that meant?

"Sav, what did you mean when you said that you didn't agree with a decision Will had made?" I murmured.

"You'll find out soom enough, I think, but I can't tell you what it is though, it's not my place." Was the only answer I got.

I laid there thinking through the possibilities of what that could mean. I couldn't come up with anything that seemed so awful that Sav would be royally bugged about.

"If I tell you what happened, do't kill anyone, ok?" I said, hoping she wouldn't take it that hard.

"Ok, but don't leave anything out, tell me the truth and all the details."

"Well, um, it was... ugh... it was..." I stuttered. I couldn't get his name out. And it was going to upset Sav, so what should I do?

" It was Will, wasn't it?" Savvie whispered.

I didn't answer, but I felt her nod against my shoulder.

"I take your silence as a 'yes'."

I sighed.

"I'm sorry, Sav." I mumbled. I was still shivering from the water.

"It's hardly your fault, is it? You didn't assault yourself."

"But I shouldn't have told you, don't start anything with Will because of me." Wouldn't that be awful if they had a fight and stopped talking to eachother, because of me? I couldn't bring myself to forgive myself if that happened.

"I will start everything I need to start with him, he can't just go around doing things like that, just because he feels like it." She said fiercely. I never noticed before but now it dawned on me quite suddenly: she was quite protective of me, perhaps even went as far as thinking of me as a younger sister. Even though there was only a few months between us, I looked to her as if she were my older sister. Perhaps it was wrong for me to feel like that towards my best friend, but it was true.

"Should we go down to breakfast and you can fill me in on the way down." Sav said more soflty now.

"Sure, just let me have a shower first though."

On the way to breakfast, I told Save everthing. Needless to say, she was furious. I could tell this because she wasn't saying anything, her hands were curled into fists and she was gripping so tightly that her knuckles were white. I was worried, very rarely was she quite like this.

In fact, this is the first time I've seen her not talking. Perhaps I shouldn't have told her. I kept thinking.

She didn't eat anything at breakfast, which made me lose my appetite. I forced fed myself some scrambled eggs on toast, though. Several times, I tried to make conversation, but she would answer shortly with one or two words. More and more I worried that perhaps she was angry with me for leading Will on, that's probably why she's not talking to me.

"I'm gonna go to the Library, now." I told Sav after I finished the last bite of my toast.

"Alright, but I'm not gonna come."

"Ok, well, I'll see you later, then?" I made it a questiion, just in case she didn't want to see me later.

"Catch you later." She replied.

I was sat in the Library, minding my own business, reading Pride and Prejudice (again), when I was disturbed by someone taking the chair on the other side of my table.

"Table's taken, go away." I said without looking up.

When I didn't hear the person leave, I shoved bookmark on my page, slammed the book shut and looked up, ready to confront whoever was sat there.

And stopped dead.

"What do you want?"

"To see you." He replied.

"Why?" I asked narrowing my eyes.

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Why must you ask so many questions?"

"You can't answer a question with another question." I answered, getting thoroughly annoyed. He burst out laughing, which just annoyed me further. Whilst I waited for his laughter to subside, I seriously considered just walking off. I was so seriously considering it that I actually got up, grabbed my book and started walking past the table. I stopped when he reached out and grabbed my wrist. I wasn't sure if it was because of fear or attraction. I convinced myself it was because of fear, but I think I was lying to myself.

"Wait, Maya, don't go." He murmured, so only I could hear.

"Why, Draco, why shouldn't I go?" I asked, not understanding why I was whispering back to him.

"Because, I...I'm... sorry, Maya, I'm sorry for everything; I really am, I can understand if you can't forgive me, but please let me explain, please." He went from holding my wrist to holding my hand in both of his. I was quite shaken from what he said, though. Was he sorry? But if he wasn't, why would he be saying sorry? I couldn't see a catch in it. The way he was looking at me though made my heart melt, against my will.

"Ok, I'll listen to you..." I answered breathlessly, "but Draco, I don't know if I can forgive you." I added when I saw his face brighten.

"I understand that, really I do!" He whispered still, but I would have been a fool if I didn't recognise the enthusiasm in his voice.

"I don't want to talk here, though." I told him.

He nodded and pulled me towards the exit by my hand. When left the Library, I tried to let go of his hand but he wouldn't let me, he tightened his hold on my small hand but not enough to hurt me. I gave in but I didn't pratically dislike holding his hand, I just felt as though I shouldn't. We weren't a couple, we weren't best friends, hell we weren't even friends! I tried to ignore it though because it did make me feel good. I felt butterflies in my tummy and tingles in my fingertips. I didn't know where we were going either, which should have worried me, but it didn't. I felt as though I would follow Draco anywhere he went, which was an extremely stupid thing to feel, it made me feel like a dog. Bad thought.

I finally recognized the spiralling staircase and I'm sure my eyes widened to the size of saucers.

"Draco, do we have to come here to talk? We could go outside?" I asked hopefully.

He looked at me as though I was crazy. What have I said now? I couldn't help thinking.

"You want to go out there?" He spun me around so I was facing the window. It was raining hard out there and the wind looked strong enough to blow someone over. I was concentrating on him, though. He was stood behind me, close enough that I could feel his breath on the back of my neck. I tried to ignore the sensation which tickled and I had to fight the urge to rub the feeling away.

"I guess not," I managed to strangle out, I stepped away from him so I could think clearly, "but we could always go to... um... the Great Hall?" I asked, avoiding his eyes.

"What's the point in that? We may as well just go up here." He didn't give me time to answer and continued pulling me up the staircase to the Tower. My shoulders sagged as I gave in, knowing that he wouldn't change his mind now.

We reached the decrepit door again and memories from the last time we were here flashed through my head. Last time, I had been giggling before going into the room, not knowing what was to come. I found no humour now. Draco pushed the door out of the way and there was the room. I had thought it looked beautiful before but now it looked grim. Where before the room glowed from the setting sun, it now looked like I was looking at a picture taking a long time ago. The colour looked like it had been sucked out of the room and all that was left was grey, white and black; it fitted my mood perfectly. It was cold, too, and the rain had come in through the glassless window. The blue walls now looked grey and the sofa was damp from where the wind has blown the rain so far into the room. I felt a sadness, quite fierce, pass through me. It reminded me of the state the world was in at the moment. Before the world glowed, just like this room, it portrayed happiness but now it was dark , gloomy and cold, what with the rise of You-Know-Who again.

That is something you should keep to yourself, I told myself, considering you may be in the same room as a Death Eater.

This reminded me of Draco, who was now sat leaning against the wall, far from the misty rain by the window. I walked towards him slowly and sat next to him, not too close but not far away either. We sat in silence for awhile until I started shivering and Draco silently pointed his wand at me, placing a warmth charm on me.

"Thanks." I whispered, gazing over at him. It seemed wrong to talk any louder. As my words broke the silence, it looked like Draco was finishing an internal battle. Even after everything that had happened recently, it pained me to see him struggle with anything. It obviously pained him also, the thoughts that were running through his head at that moment.

"Draco..." I murmured and reached out my hand to place on his knee.

Suddenly, he shoved off against the wall when my hand touched his leg. He shuffled round to kneel infront of me.

"Maya, how can you stand to sit by me?" He asked, his face screwed up in confusion. Shivers ran down my spine, it wasn't because I was cold though, it was because he said my name.

"What do you mean?" I asked still in a quiet voice. I tried not to smile when he took my hand in the two of his like he did in the Library.

"How can you sit next to me, after everything that I have done and said to you?" He asked, matching my quiet voice.

"Because you said sorry earlier." I answered simply.

"But... well...ugh...that's it? That's all that's made you trust me?" He said astonished.

"I never lost my trust in you, Draco, we just stopped talking."

He sat there, not saying anything, appearing to be in shock. He turned his head away from me and stared at the wall. As much as he was staring at the wall, was I staring at his face; I couldn't help myself. This wasn't the first time that I had noticed how handsome he was. Only now did I notice the faint scar that streaked across his eyebrow and went up under his hair so that I couldn't see where it ended. Before I realized what I was doing, I reached out, my hand trembling, and trace the scar lightly with my finger. Draco 's grey eyes fluttered shut and I finally realized what I was doing. I went to take my finger away when he caught my hand and held it there, against his face. He sighed lightly.

"How did you get this scar?" I asked gently, still whispering. I felt his stiffen under my hand and his eyes flew open and started searching my face.

"It has something to do with what I have to tell you." He replied stiffly. I regretted asking, I took a deep breath that seemed to get caught in my throat on the way down.

"Tell me then." I wanted to clap my hands over my mouth. What was wrong with me? Obviously it wasn't going to be anything nice if he was acting so... wood-like. My heart raced when he cleared his throat.

"I got the Mark." He said.

The Mark? As in the Dark Mark? The ones that branded someone who did the work of You-Know-Who? Oh Merlin! He's become a Death Eater! Like his parents.

Unless he didn't want to be one but was forced by his parents? I questioned myself.

"Do you want to be a Death Eater though, Draco?" I asked faintly, my voice sounded so weak that I wasn't sure if he had heard me.

"No." He whispered so quietly that I wasn't sure if he had spoken. He looked me in the eyes then and said a bit stronger: "No, I don't."

I sighed in relief but made sure that he didn't hear.

"I bet you hate me. If not before, now you will." He sounded like a child who was scared and lost. My heart went out to him.

"No, of course not! You didn't choose this, it was forced upon you!" I said fiercely, trying to convince him. I pulled his into a hug. We sat like that for a few minutes. I realized so suddenly, like a light bulb going on in my head, that this boy was scared, confused and lost. How could I hold anything against whilst he was going through such a tough time in his life? Who was I to cause him anymore misery at the moment?

"You're so good, Maya, you're just purely good." He mumbled into my hair, breaking the spell.

"When did you get it?" I asked once he pulled back.

"The weekend after we were here last." He told me. "That was why the... talk ended the way it did, even though I realize, in hindsight, that I could have handled it a bit better."

"Don't talk about that... please." I looked down only to have my chin pulled back up by Draco.

"I'm sorry about that, I really am, but I have to tell you that I lied. I do like you, but I was so worried that the Dark Lord would have found out and blackmail me using you, do you see?" He said gently moving his head down so that he was at my eye level.

"Why would he do that?" I asked, a little confused.

"He's given me a special... task... that I definately don't want to do, but I was afraid that he would find you, find out my feelings for you, and use you to persuade me to do it. I'm no use to him dead, am I?" He said.

"Oh..." I mumbled, thinking it all through. So I was in danger from You-Know-Who becaus e Draco had feelings for me? A buzz went through my body when I thought of him liking me.

"So what's your task?" I asked offhandly, expecting him to say that he had to steal a certain book from the Library.

"To kill Dumbledore." He refused to meet my eyes.

"What?" I gasped. Draco grimly examined my face. It was odd for me, I was watching his composure cracking into a pile of rubble.

"I don't know what to do... I don't have a choice..." He whimpered. My heart felt as though it was breaking. I reached out and we hugged again.

"Why don't you have a choice?" I asked quietly.

"He said he'd kill my family if I don't..." He started shaking my arms. Silently, I performed the Warming charm on him and held him tighter.

"We could find protection for your family... we could go to Dumbledore, he'll know what to do..." I tried to comfort him.

"Yes, I suppose, but please, let's not talk about that anymore..." He said pulling himself out of my arms.

"Draco?" I said to get his attention as he had started looking at the wall again. He glanced at me. "I don't hold anything against you, you know."

He looked surprised and ecstatic, all at the same time. I noticed how his eyes lit up when he was happy. Bit by bit, the happiness was fading and the surprise was wearing out.

"We still can't be together though, can we?" He sighed, shoulders sagged as though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"I don't see why not, Draco. I mean I don't mind risking my life to be with you..." I told him, quite unaware at how deep I was sounding until after I finished saying it.

He didn't say anything and I was suddenly afraid that I cared for him more than he did for me. My panicking was postponed however, when he spoke.

"Perhaps we could just be friends for now?" He suggested. He avoided my eyes as he said this and I think it was because he didn't want to make it harder on me... or himself.

"Friends, then." I whispered. This was going to be hard. But his logic evaded me; being friends still put me at risk though, didn't it?