An alarm clock rang through the head girl's bedroom who's first instinct was to hit the snooze button for an extra two minutes of rest, when the alarm rang a second time she knew if she pushed snooze again then she wouldn't wake up for another half an hour so she regretfully and angrily pulled herself out of bed and grabbing a towel made her way slowly to the bathroom.

Still half asleep she didn't acknowledge that there was another presence in the bathroom until the self proclaimed sex god of Slytherin turned on the sink causing her to spin around and wake up for a few seconds.

"I hope your not thinking about making it a habit to walk in on me while I'm taking a piss mud blood." Her normally quick wit still half asleep Hermione barely registered that he had spoken and didn't notice at all when she found herself staring at his naked upper body. Draco on the other hand was fully aware that he was getting ogled by the more asleep then awake Granger, he couldn't keep his eyes from following her form either though. She was clad in only a tank top that was riding dangerously low to her cleavage and a pair of boy shorts that left very little to the imagination. Both teenagers were so consumed with the other's body that when Draco's alarm began buzzing both jumped back and shook their heads to get any prior thoughts out before speaking.

"Get out Malfoy the quicker I take a shower the faster I can leave." She shot daggers at Draco who only sneered in disgust at the thought of a naked Hermione in the bathroom he'd have to use for the rest of the year, even if only moments earlier his teenage hormones had gotten the better of him and he ALMOST admitted that Granger wearing next to nothing had to be one of the more hotter things he'd ever seen in his young adult life.

"I have a better idea Granger how about you and your mop headed bucktooth self get your ass back to your little tarnished room and wait until I am done showering then you can come and mud this place up with all your filth, with any luck maybe you'll actually manage to get some of that ugly filth out of your body." He smirked as all Hermione who had left her wand on her night stand wished nothing less then to turn him into a ferret again and drown him in the toilet but settled for dropping her towel and starting the shower water. "That's so kind of you, but i don't need you help mudblood." Hermione didn't answer didn't even care to look at him merely made sure the water was at a hot temperature before grabbing her bathing necessities and opening the glass door to the shower organizing her things on the shower floor causing Malfoy to subconsciously check out her ass and lick his lips in appreciation. He shook his head and tried to rile her up again.

"Granger I know you're dying to know what it'd be like to see me naked but I'm serious get out of the bathroom so I can shower and take your shit with you I don't care for your muggle conventions." Hermione stared at him and rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"You really are as ignorant as you let on." she turned back around and started pulling her tank off before Draco stopped her.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?!" He screamed in shock, tired of this silly game Hermione turned around and pushed him toward his room.

"Trying to take a shower and I don't give a right damn if you're going to watch as much as voyeurism disgusts me I refuse to be late to my first class of the year just because you fancy to shower before me so get out now!" She shoved a still shocked draco out and slammed the door in his face locking it and threatening to castrate him if he even thought of unlocking the door while she was still in there.

She leaned against the door a second before undressing and stepping into the scolding hot water that pelted her sore body making her sigh inwardly.

By the end of the year one of us is going to be dead.

Hermione closed her eyes and forced herself to stop thinking about Malfoy.

Even if he did look so damn good

She shot her eyes open in shock

"What the hell was that?!" She screamed at herself

Well It's true! I mean not even Ron who's a keeper looks like that!

"Not true Ron could pummel him in a heartbeat!" She said to herself angrily as she cleaned her body and was rinsing off.

I never said he couldn't, but it's just Ron is much to bulky now

"There's nothing wrong with that." Hermione continued arguing with her hair as she quickly shampooed her hair.

It doesn't suit your taste and you know it damn well if Ron had stopped while his body looked like Draco's it would have been perfection

Hermione sighed hating to admit even if it only was to her subconscious that Draco was extremely good looking but that was no excuse for thinking about him, especially in the shower. She finished her shower hastily and stepped into her room after unlocking the door to Draco's room and rushing to her own slamming it shut.

Hermione was gone when Draco came out of his room as groomed as ever. Not feeling in the mood to deal with the stares and the whispers that were bound to be spoken not just this year but the rest of his life, he lazily walked out of the room and strolled through the corridors that were less taken and simply killing time until breakfast was over. Lost in his thoughts about nothing at all he found his mind remembering the way Hermione looked in the bathroom, her hair albeit frizzy and probably full of knots had a certain sex appeal to it and the body that had to be hidden beneath those robes was nothing like Draco expected.

What does it matter how she looks she's a filthy mudblood and no matter how she looks she'll never be good enough.

With that Draco shut himself up and stuck his head up arrogantly as he started strolling towards his first class of the day, until the site of familiar red hair in a corner caught his attention.

It was the weasel snogging some girl senseless, but Draco could make out that it wasn't Hermione because this girl seemed a bit smaller probably from a different year. A knowing look spread on Draco's face as he decided to taunt Ron. He cleared his throat loudly breaking up the couple. Upon seeing her face Draco knew exactly who Ron was trying to score with on the dark end of the corridor.

"Well look at that a weasel at his best." Draco remarked, Ron unsure of what to say hid Susan behind him and glared at the one person he wished he could have fought against during the final battle.

"Sod off Malfoy this isn't any of your business."

"True as that is, I never knew you could be so low as to cheat on a woman I fuck around too, but I make sure they know it's no strings attached, because then I'd end up in predicaments much like yours, I mean what if just one day out of nowhere it happens to SLIP out of my mouth and I ACCIDENTLY tell Granger I saw you snogging the hell out of poor little Susie back there? Hey Susan how you doing?" Susan turned scarlet and looked away not answering wishing that she could just disappear.

"You wouldn't!" Ron stalked towards Draco, but Draco's composure stayed the same and when Ron grabbed his robes to hit him Draco grabbed the fist ready to hit and twisted it behind his back.

"Listen to me traitor I could care less what the fuck you do if you wanna fuck other bitches and keep going out with the mudblood far be it for to stop you but I'm not the kid I was 6 years ago I don't cower I've seen things that you couldn't imagine in your worst nightmares what you went through was a picnic compared to the punishments endured by the followers of Voldemort who failed at the smallest thing, so go on, go get your rocks off and be done with it just don't be late for class I am still Head boy." Draco sneered before pushing him into the wall picking up his books up off the floor and continuing down the corridor in silence putting the recent event in the back of his mind leaving his mind blank and just enjoying the silence and the dark, it was where he felt most comfortable in the silence away from the screams and the cursed green flash that he hoped to god he'd never see again. Away from people who he once trusted and respected that proved to him that the only person that anyone ever cares about is themselves. Yes the darkness was his ally and the silence his friend the only other things in the world that made him feel not so tainted in the blood of innocent people whom never had the chance to survive in the snake pit that was Voldermort's wrath.

Draco sat in the silence and did nothing but stare out into the darkness, and counted the minutes until the first bell even if he didn't want to have to deal with a class full of self-righteous gryffindors looking down at him, feeling completely justified at the knowledge that many of their classmates and their parents had perished at their wands.

Why were they chosen not to endure this hell on earth?

He thought for the millionth time, sighing heavily.

Dining in the Great Hall was an odd sensation for everyone who lived through the war and were old enough to have known those lost. The enormity of those no longer here was put into perspective when classmates looked around at the nearly half barren room, that only the year prior at this time was bustling with so many young faces full of life and potential, only barely getting ready to set foot into the world, yet now all that was left were the young ones, the hope of a brighter tomorrow and the war ravaged few who vowed to themselves to make sure this would never happen again.

Hermione sat alone, not by force but by preference she hadn't spoken to her friends since the final battle ended and everyone went their own separate ways. Yes she did get owls at home from Neville and Luna who were only trying to wish her well and hoping that she may respond but she only read the letters and tucked them away under her mattress telling herself to tell them both that perhaps the owls in the wake of such madness had forgotten where she lived because she hadn't received any letters at all during what was left of their summer. Yet neither approached her as she entered the Great Hall merely gave her a curt nod and went on their own way discussing whatever it had been they were conversing about before she entered.

At first she looked for Harry but saw he was nowhere to be seen she asked some young Grffyindors if they had seen him but they merely shook there heads and said they hadn't seen him since they arrived at Hogwarts the night before. It was expected she assumed that he wouldn't want to face any more publicity. He was tired of it and he deserved to be at peace for once in his life.

Then she set to look after Ron, but again came to a dead end when one of the Gryffindors said he saw him still sleeping when he left. Hermione had to smile though because that was her Ron always sleeping or eating, and if it wasn't either of those he was usually always for certain playing quidditch or wizard's chess with someone. At ease with the boy's explanation she set about looking from table to table. All had many empty spots but Slytherin looked almost deserted, for most had either died or after their parents were killed or sent to Azkaban they were sent to live with distant relatives, so as to maybe grasp onto a grain of normalcy instead of the life of shunning and glares they'd have lived had they stayed.

Putting half an orange on her plate Hermione merely poked at it with her fork while she kept observing Slytherin's table, looking for familiar faces of people who made her life miserable the past years she had attended.

Pansy was next to Blaise and the girl who Harry had become infatuated with, she noted however that the girl wasn't in the least bit interested in Blaise on the contrary, she seemed to be avoiding talking to him and if he spoke to her she'd merely nod or shake her head giving as short a response as she could.

such an odd relationship.

The only other familiar faces Hermione saw were Theodore Nott, Millicent Bulstrode and Vincent Crabbe, who seemed to be only a shell of the Neanderthal he once was.

She remembered clearly what happened to Goyle that fateful night.

The bodies were piling up much to quickly and Hermione forced herself not to get distracted as much as she wanted to make sure that none of them were dear friends, even if she knew that she would not be so lucky which fueled her even more not to look. She threw a stunning curse quickly and ran into the school deciding it would be best to find Harry and help him look for the final horocrux. Hermione's legs carried her quickly past several of her fallen comrades, and she ignored the still burning need to look down at the blurred faces below her. Her breath came out in short pants as her legs screamed for her to stop and rest, but she pushed past her discomfort and continued until she was past the place where the great double doors of Hogwarts once stood.

The remnants of the heavy oak doors lay scattered in the entryway, and beyond that the battle raged on with a terrifying force. Hermione could see more bodies' drop one after another, adding still to the death toll. Her feet finally came to a stop and she looked around as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She could feel that something was coming.

Then something changed on the battlefield before her; the side of dark slowly started to back down, and the air around them seemed to still as if the wind itself was being blocked. Hermione could feel the ground start to shake, it wasn't unsettling enough to make her lose her balance, but it vibrated up through the stone steps she was standing on, through the souls of her feet and up to her legs.

It didn't take long to see after that, that something was coming their way. Something large and definitely foul. The setting sun seemed to be blotted out its self as a wave of something dark came into view, and realization hit Hermione like a ton of bricks.

Trolls

Voldemort had enlisted the help of trolls. They lumbered stupidly towards the school grounds over hills from the mountain just beside the forbidden forest. Hermione could see them clearly now, as they shuffled forward with wooden clubs so heavy they were being drug. They stood nearly twelve feet tall, gray skinned, with lumpy bodies, and flat horned feet. Hermione could smell the powerfully awful smell that exuded from them, 'a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilet no one seemed to clean.' It didn't take long for the putrid, stupid beasts to reach the castle and start to wreak havoc.

People were thrown around like a child playing with a toy doll. The Order and Hogwarts students alike scrambled, breaking their barely held together fighting groups. Hermione moved unconsciously to the thick of things, her wand pointed and held ready to take down anything in her path. Spells poured from her mouth to her wand automatically as Hermione fought her way in. There was so many, that even though they couldn't be missed even if you were a blind man, Hermione was so buried deep in her task of what was ahead she didn't think to look behind her.

The wind was knocked out of her sudden and she found herself inhaling dirt as she hit the hard ground. She looked up in time to see that Gregory Goyle had his back turned to her frantically fending himself from a particularly nasty looking troll. Its nose was full of what looked like lumpy gray glue – troll boogers.

Hermione pulled a face as the slime dripped from the cavity and onto its giant animal pelt covered belly. She could see that he was shaken, by having to face off with a troll and his grip on his wand was almost too tight. Fear more then likely had clouded his judgment, and he probably couldn't even fire off a good disarming spell if needed. So it shouldn't have been any kind of real shock when the heavy club the beast was carrying came down and with a sickening thud cracked Goyle across the head before he could even move to defend himself.

Hermione turned her head sharply so she wouldn't have to watch his body fall to the ground limply, but the sound rang in her ears, as did the impact of the blunt object to his skull. She could feel her stomach roll with just her imagination at play and she emptied her stomach as a hot trail of bile forced its way up through her throat.

Hermione quickly lost her non existent appetite at the all too raw memory of only one of the many deaths she had been a personal witness to only a few months prior. She grabbed her books and quickly rushed out of the Great Hall to Madame Pomfrey's perhaps maybe getting a note excusing her from classes, the memory of a bludgeoned classmate removed her earlier excitement of the first day of classes.

Natalia was getting a headache from that vile girl sitting next to her beloved cousin, whom at this very moment she wanted to kill.

The nerve of this idiota (idiot) forcing me to stay by his side as if I were a child!

She rolled her eyes and excused herself saying that she wanted to use the restroom before her first class of the day. Blaise kept a hand on her shoulder to keep her from leaving so he could ask.

"Where do you think you your going little Nightingale?" She glared at her cousin, as much as she loved his nickname for her right now she felt much to angry to take note of the sentiment.

"In qualsiasi altro luogo, se rimango qui qualunque più lungo le mie orecchie sanguineranno dall'udienza che voce dell'ipocrita tutto il cugino più lungo e caro"(Anywhere else, if i stay here any longer my ears will bleed from hearing that hypocrite's voice any longer, beloved cousin) She tried to hide the evident disgust on her face, after kissing her cousin's cheek and excusing herself she also exited the Great Hall and walked the opposite direction of the wretched girl who had treated her so badly the day before on the train. Walking out to the courtyard she felt the anger in her calm down with the refreshing September air hitting her face. Staring out at the meek gray sky she sat on a bench bring her knees to her chest resting her chin on them as she sighed sadly.

Normally in September Italy was still bright as mid-July only slightly cooler it was her favorite time of year and she was missing her friends and schoolmates much more then she let on. At first she thought getting away from her family and coming to live with her aunt and favorite cousin Blaise in England would have been a blessing, for her home life was far from the beauty of the country she was born and raised in.

The Zabini family had remained for the most part neutral through this horrid war, but if need be choose they almost gladly chose the side of "their" lord. It made Natalia ill to have to hear her father curse the beauty of her home simply because muggles inhabited the land.

"When my lord wins I will make sure that he clears out all the filthy muggles from this land, with their eccentric ways and devices, they make this world a worse place."

So when rumors were spread throughout her wizarding community that one of the Zabinis was not being faithful to their master, suspicion and punishment immediately turned to Natalia, once Blaise had tried to take the blame saying he had gotten lost and stumbled onto an order meeting when he was visiting, but they quickly discredited him and his uncle lashed out twice as bad at Natalia for making Blaise lie.

"A disgrace to the Zabini name is what I fathered."

So needless to say when her Aunt asked her to come and stay with them she left in a heartbeat, anything that got her away from her father and sister could not be taken for granted.

Yet sitting here now she felt just as isolated and miserable as she had when she was at home in Venice. Tears wanted to come out but she learned early on emotion was a weakness and weakness in a pureblood family was never tolerated and always punished. Fighting back the depression with rage she glared out at the lake before her.

It wasn't all ugly she assumed, yes there was no sun but the scenery had it's own beauty nothing compared to her country, but she assumed that was her own pride speaking. How she wished she could skip her classes and take a swim in the black lake, but Natalia knew it wouldn't be a wise thing to do, she owed it to her cousin to at least graduate from here and she couldn't do that if she faltered on attendance so early on.

She heard a bell ring through the hallways and sighed, she knew it was time to go as much as she didn't want to, Natalia would never let an agreement fall through or disappoint the only members of her family who cared enough for her to make sure she at least got through school.

One last glimpse of the great lake before her and Natalia stood up and gave herself a second to compose herself, carrying herself like any pureblood heiress should. Gliding into the halls she caught eye of Blaise and called out to him.

"Cousin!" Turning quickly Blaise smiled in relief before hurrying to her and escorting her by the arm to her first class.

"I understand that being here is hard on you Nightingale but you don't know your way around here or the snakes that the people here can be."

"Said the Ssslytherin." She teased. Blaise scowled and she scrunched her face to show him just how silly he looked, rolling his eyes he continued.

"I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you."

"Blaise you needn't worry of me so much, between you and Draco I have no need for your protection anymore." Hurt by her comment Blaise momentarily pouted which made his cousin giggle and explain. "You know it is true dearest cousin so don't make yourself sick over me. Besides I have already met a person and he was actually a good man." Blaise narrowed his eyes and looked at her seriously.

"He?." Natalia laughed at her cousin's over protective stature of her.

"I presume so, his name is Harry." The journey to her class was stopped dead as the color from Blaise's olive skin drained.

"There is only one Harry in the entire school and his last name just so happens to be Potter." She stared at him confused and nodded.

"That would be him, the teenage war hero."

"I forbid you to speak to him!" Shock and anger filled Natalia, Blaise had never raised his voice to her and much less forbid her form anything or anyone.

"You don't own me! Blaise Zabini how dare you tell me what to do?! Ho indicato chiaramente tempo fa che non vivrei la mia vita dalle limitazioni della nostra famiglia. ( I made it clear long ago that I would not live my life by the restrictions of our family.) You told me you agreed yet now you forbid me for talking to another human being just because he killed your deranged leader?! How can you be such a hypocrite?!"

"He was never my lord! Natalia non tutto nella vita è semplice! Per una volta pensi alle conseguenze di che cosa erano di accadere se diventate amici lui o il cielo vieta l'inizio un rapporto! (Natalia not everything in life is simple! For once think about the consequences of what were to happen if you become friends him or heaven forbid start a relationship! )For once think of what this will do to the future generations of Zabinis, they will be ridiculed in our communities if you were to fall in love with Potter."

"I never said I was going to marry him Blaise, Your not thinking of the family your thinking of our name, appena come il mio padre! Perché mi avete detto che vivo qui sareste migliori!? Se steste andando rifiutare la mia amicizia con la gente avrei rimanere in Italia! Soltanto una persona mi ha dato l'ora per familiarizz conare me per me! Non per il mio cugino di cognome perché ha voluto comunicare con me.(Just like my father! Why did you tell me living here would be better!? If you were going to refuse my friendship with people I would have stayed in Italy! Only one person has given me the time of day to get to know me for me! Not for my last name cousin because he wanted to talk to me) His name happens to be Harry Potter and I don't care about what the family says, since when did they give a damn about me?!" Hurt by her comments Blaise placed a hand on her cheek and turned her now tear streaked face to see him.

"Natalia sapere ti amo, che sono perché non posso permettere che parliate lui,(you know I love you, which is why I can't allow you to speak to him, ) I have no resentment towards Harry. But you are my baby Nightingale I can not see you go through more self destructive pain, I wouldn't care if you spoke to Harry had he not been the one to destroy Voldemort but unfortunately that's how it is and I must plead with you to please stay away from him." Natalia looked into her cousin's pleading eyes and felt more tears slip as she hugged him tightly and cried with all her might.

"I hate it here, it was not how I had thought! The girls are hateful and two faced, while the men stare at me crudely and make me feel dirty. I am beneath everyone here and he was the only one to look at me like a person since I arrived, yet he too ended up being only a liar." She sobbed tightly her small body shaking from her sobs. Blaise felt anger rise in him as he thought of all the people he was going to pummel for hurting his baby cousin.

"What did he do to you?" He tried to sound comforting but only came out sounding demanding, Natalia shook her head and pulled away drying the tears with her hands and smiled at her cousin.

"Nothing important, I promise I will no longer speak to him cousin." Once again Blaise hugged her and kissed the top of her head.

"You are not beneath anyone Nightingale, because you are always in the tallest tree singing the most beautiful songs. Only those who take the time to listen to your song, marvel at your beauty and attempt to climb your tree deserve your attention, remember that you are a Zabini and no matter what you think of our family we are strong, intelligent, and obviously good looking, so there is no need for tears because before long people will see the beauty behind your equally beautiful yet just as difficult shell.": Natalia smiled and squeezed her cousin tight before pulling away and kissing his cheeks.

"you are a vain creature, will we get in trouble for being late?" He shrugged and again escorted her to her first class.

"Well I could really care less for Ancient Runes and since your new they will give you a bit of time to get your classes but learn them quick or else the people here turn into real-?"

"-Real what Mr. Zabini?" The cousins turned around quickly to find Minerva McConagall staring at both students sternly.

"Big helpers Professor, and my cousin is not one to take help so kindly. I am only escorting her to her first class of the day before going to my class." Her sourpuss expression didn't change as she continued her interrogation.

"And just what would those classes be?"

"D.A.D.A?" Natalia said quite unsure of what this subject was.

"I see and yours Blaise?"

"Ancient runes Madame."

"Do explain to me young man how you planned on getting from one end of the castle after dropping off your cousin and going to the other side of the castle to arrive just in time to be dismissed?" Putting on the infamous Zabini smile Blaise hoped that his charm would at the very least persuade McConagall to no give him a week's worth of detention for skipping out on class.

"My extreme endurance?" Minerva fought back a smirk and sent him along his way promising that she herself would escort Natalia to her class.

Kissing Blaise good-bye Natalia strode next to her professor in a somewhat awkward silence.

"So Natalia."

"Yes Madame?" Laughing slightly Minerva placed a hand on her student's shoulder.

"No need for that dear, your dear cousin only calls me that to get a much more lenient punishment, which I almost always give him. That boy I dare say can make a rock fall in love with him." Natalia giggled and agreed.

"I believe he already has." After a hearty laugh, they continued the quite lengthy journey to her first class.

"Well the good thing is the students here are all very helpful and most can be kind so you will always have someone willing to help." Natalia stiffened and nodded her head curtly which did not go as unnoticed as she had hoped.

"How have you been Natalia?" She stared up at her teacher confused.

"Uhm fine? Why do you ask?"

"You don't look so happy and that argument I heard between you and your cousin didn't sound pleasant in the least, don't worry young one I don't know a lick of Italian so any thing you may not have wanted to be heard wasn't." She sighed heavily and looked at her professor.

"Well to be honest it is not as pleasant as I had hoped but I will make due with what I have and make the most of my time here in your school." Minerva smiled at the young girls strength.

"My dear what is your house?"

"Ravenclaw, why do you ask?"

"Never in the history of Hogwarts has a Zabini or any of their relations been outside of Slytherin." Natalia blushed.

"Just another reason why I bring shame to the family."

"You do no such thing! Young lady The history of Ravenclaw is rich with beauty and knowledge. Not to say that the other houses are not, but Ravenclaw students always have an air of something special to them just don't tell my house that I told you this. You're meant for great things my dear far greater than you can fathom, and to think you bring shame to anyone is simply absurd! Don't let your surname control you Natalia it's just as crazy as letting blood status rule over you." Natalia slowly drank in her words and felt humbled to be told so many great things when she was thinking only the worst of everyone in this school. The women finally made it to her class which was mid session.

"Ah here we are, Defense Against the Dark Arts, not one of my personal favorites but I don't have much of a say in the classes offered. Well here we part my dear." Natalia smiled kindly at the older woman and stared through the window at the learning students. Her breath hitched as the only chair left in the class was next to the one boy who she had just vowed to her cousin she'd never speak to again.

"Oh and Natalia?" She looked to the professor who was staring at her with an amused expression.

"Yes professor?"

"Potter is not a bad person don't be so quick to shun him you are more alike then you think." Nodding Natalia swallowed a lump and entered the classroom quietly to no avail, as all the students heard the door and quickly all eyes fell upon her.

"Sorry I'm late but I don't know my way around." The professor looked rather annoyed.

"After seven years? You're quite pathetic aren't you dear?" Some of the class snickered while she glared and bit her tongue to keep from speaking. Seeing her forced silence the professor pushed on. "Such a pretty face, shame you have no functioning brain." She wanted to tell him off and curse him into next week but she wouldn't allow herself to stoop so low to his level and merely clenched her fist so tightly that she drew blood.

Having grown bored with her non responsive attitude the professor assigned her seat next to Harry's and surprise surprise made him her partner for the year, yet he was not a problem as she stormed to the table her mind was rambling with the words she was dying to say.

parte di merda buona per niente insegnante che pensa può fare uno sciocco di me come questo se soltanto potessi maledirlo in una scimmia il bastardo.(piece of shit good for nothing teacher thinking he can make a fool of me like this if only I could curse him into a monkey the bastard)

Still seething she threw her notebook on the table bringing more unwanted attention to herself, and wanting more than anything to just melt away she went to bury her face in her hands to find her palms running with crimson liquid.

"Shit." She muttered a healing spell on herself quietly then sighed in frustration. The snickering next to her caught her attention.

The handsome war hero was staring at her distressed state quite entertained and she glowered.

"Something funny?" He fought back his laughter and nodded.

"Quite actually."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, you." Her eyes narrowed yet she felt the anger in her ebbing away.

"Do tell Mr. Potter." He laughed quietly and shook his head.

"You don't open your mouth to keep from making a show yet you stomp so loudly it almost sounded like a stampede of scared unicorns and then you proceed to huff and puff making so much noise it's hard to ignore you."

"And why would you ignore me?" She felt her anger returning.

"Because where would we be if one of us didn't take notes." Their faces were dangerously close all Natalia had to do was pucker her lips and they'd be on his, she felt his breath on her face and caught the slight scent of spearmint on him, so she knew he hadn't eaten. Closing her eyes and counting to ten Natalia looked at him.

"I think you should probably take more notes." He swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat and nodded trying with all his might to focus on the class.

Try as she might though Natalia couldn't bring herself to pay attention to the teacher before her, all her thoughts drifted to the boy next to her and how she had promised her cousin she wouldn't speak to him again, yet now she didn't know just how she was going to break it to Blaise that the one boy she promised not to have anymore contact with was a partner in one of her classes and keep him from killing Harry. Natalia closed her eyes and rested her head on the cool tabletop thinking.

Sono in modo da scopato.

(I am so fucked)