The sound of thunder woke me from a sound sleep. I'd forgotten how heavy the storm that raged outside had become before I'd gone to bed. Draco had waited in my room with me, his arm around my shoulder whilst sitting next to me on my bed, for the longest time. I didn't know what time it had been when I was awoken, and I didn't remember when I had fallen asleep on his shoulder. I looked around quickly as lightning flashed. I could hear the wind howling outside the two giant windows that were on either side of my bed. The howl itself was eerie, and it gave me the chills. The storm seemed oddly out of place. I tried to close my eyes and go back to sleep, and for a moment, the wind seemed to die down. It created another sound. It was a horrible hiss that seemed to penetrate into my mind. It felt almost painful to listen to. I thought I could faintly hear my name in the wind.

After that, sleep was impossible. I sat up, trying to get the aching sound out of my head. It just wouldn't go away. If anything, it got louder. I folded back the covers and got up from my bed. I had to get away. There was something wrong with the storm. It wasn't normal. Something, or someone, was causing it.

Or maybe it was me. Was it just from lack of sleep? Was I just paranoid because of a nightmare I wasn't conscious of? Maybe I was going crazy. It felt that way.

I looked at the window, the lightning flashing constantly outside it. I swallowed hard and began approaching it, wanting to know exactly what was going on outside. I stood in front of the window, watching the trees sway back and forth when the lightning lit up the dark sky. I looked around the yard of Malfoy Manor. The hiss came back horribly close this time. I backed away from the window, and the first step I took, the glass shattered.

|| Draco ||

He heard the crash before fully waking up. Had it been a dream? Was it just a sound from a nightmare he couldn't remember? Everything seemed silent now, except for the raging storm outside. Draco stood up from his bed anyway. He resisted the urge to shiver as he felt a horrible draft against his bare chest. It felt much cooler in the house than it had been when he'd fallen asleep.

Draco opened the door and listened down the hallway. Everything seemed quiet except for a little howl of wind that was coming from one of the multiple bedrooms. He walked out and continued past each door, listening. First was his parents' room. Nothing could be heard from in there, not even their breathing. He wondered if they were still downstairs somewhere, not bothering to try to sleep at all. After all, it had taken him the longest time to fall asleep, so long that he wondered if it was close to dawn by now. Next were two spare bedrooms that remained empty. Draco opened their doors and saw no sign of movement or disturbance in them. The final room was Carter's.

She was lying on the floor, way out of place, when Draco opened the door to her room. She was across from the window, which appeared to have been shattered from the outside in. Had someone tried to break into the house? Draco considered it, but soon decided it was not likely. A wizard wouldn't have tried to get in from the second floor, and they would have been much more quiet and careful. It couldn't have been a muggle either. No muggle would even go near the great manner. It had to have been something else, maybe the storm.

But the reason didn't matter now. Draco turned to Carter, who lay motionless on the floor. The wind was blowing powerfully into the bedroom. She must have been directly in front of the glass when it shattered. Small cuts remained opened and bleeding on her arms and legs. Draco knelt down to the ground beside her. He felt her pulse; normal. He turned her over. She breathed calmly, out cold. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't leave her there, or rather, he didn't want to.

The wind was still howling through the window. Draco could feel the bumps on his arms rise as a chill went through his body. Quickly and on impulse, he slid his arms under Carter's back, picking her up in his arms. He thought about fixing the window himself and just putting her back in bed, but then he was reminded of the trace. Would he be in trouble for simply repairing a window?

Not wanting to find out and too tired to think of any other solution, Draco carried the girl out of the room and shut the door. He went back down the hallway, quietly. Now what would he do with her? There were plenty of other spare bedrooms he could put her in; all empty. However, would she be all right alone? Maybe he should keep an eye on her, just in case. Or at least, that's what Draco thought while trying to reason with himself as to why he decided to bring her into his own room and into his own bed.

He left for only a moment, stepping down the stairs quietly to find a house-elf. When he finally located one, he notified the small elf of the broken window and glass upstairs. The elf nodded.

"We'll take care of it, Sir," it squeaked.

"And make sure all of her things are intact," Draco ordered. The house-elf nodded and scuttled away, into the kitchen. It came back with two other elves, and Draco followed them back upstairs. While they proceeded down the hallway, he walked into his room and shut the door slowly. Only when he heard the door click shut did he let go of the knob.

He proceeded to go back to bed, looking forward to the chance of getting to lay down once again. Draco frowned when he saw Carter lying there. For about ten seconds, he'd honestly forgotten why he was up and about in the first place.

What was he to do now? If he were to get into his bed, what would his parents say if they came in the morning to check on him or wake him? Then again, they never did that. They always sent a house-elf or two to wake Draco in the mornings.

Besides, it was his bed. If anyone should sleep in it, it should be him. Draco thought through all of this before realizing how ridiculous it all sounded. He was debating with himself about whether or not to sleep in his own bed. He needed the rest, obviously.

"Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh my effing God!" I thought as I sat up in Draco's bed. The sun was shining through the open slit in his curtains. I could clearly see him still asleep next to me. The covers were at his waist, revealing his pale, bare back, and his arms were tucked under his pillow. He wasn't facing me. What the bloody hell was I doing in his bed? I thought about what had happened the night before. We'd sat in my room, and I'd fallen asleep. I'd woken up and went to the window…and then nothing. What if I went here myself? Did I sleep walk? "Oh, my God," I whispered to myself. What if he didn't know I was there? If he woke up with me randomly in his bed…well that wouldn't look too good, would it?

I froze as he stirred, hardly daring to breathe. It didn't do the trick, though. He was awake, and I nearly cringed when he turned to face me. I waited for a reaction, for him to jump back and scream out of shock.

But that's not what happened.

"Good morning," he said, his lip twitching a bit into what might have been a smile.

Now I was confused. What happened last night?

I asked Draco that question, and he explained what happened with the window and the storm. My mouth opened into an "Ohhhh" of understanding. Now I remembered, and then I smiled. He got up in the middle of the night just to make sure I was okay? That was so sweet.

He suddenly got up while I was rambling on in my mind, and I hurriedly followed. I didn't want to make it seem like I was too comfortable in that bed. I followed Draco downstairs, and meanwhile, I started zoning out, trying to remember exactly what happened the night before. I was definitely not focusing on the stairs that were in front of me, which was obvious when my foot went looking for ground and caught air. There was one last step.

I cried out and stumbled, nearly falling before Draco could grab my arm and pull me right back up, as if I weighed as much as a pixie.

My heart raced for a moment after that but calmed down, only to start racing again. I realized Draco still had his arms around me, holding me close like I'd fall and shatter if he let go.

I took a deep breath. "Thanks."

He curtly nodded. "You're welcome."

The space between us began to close, not from one but both leaning toward the other. Inches became centimeters. We were so close. I could feel the warm breath coming from his slightly parted lips…

"I'm sure Draco's awake already, dear. You're welcome to go look for him."

Draco and I jumped apart quickly at the sound of his mother's voice. Our parents must have been in the front hall. But who was Narcissa talking to?

"Thank you," came the whiny, bored voice of Pansy Parkinson. My lips pursed, and my eyes widened.

I glanced at Draco, who nodded toward the stairs. I bolted back up them the way we came just as Pansy walked into the room. At the top, I stopped to listen, just out of curiosity, I supposed.

"Pansy," said Draco. I could hear the smirk in his voice. Whether it was real or fake delight, I still fidgeted with envy.

"Hi, Draco," Pansy said, her tone as flirty as it could get. And then I could hear the sound of a kiss. It was the sound made in all the romance movies, the sloppy, wet, smack that was so sweet but so disgusting in real life. They were full-on snogging. I writhed and shuddered, standing up and going back to my room.

The window wasn't shattered anymore. I had just walked in on two house-elves. One was cleaning the bathroom I'd yet to use besides the sink. The other was watching the bed fold itself and the pillows fluff on their own.

Both ran in front of me. "Just finished, Miss," one said.

I smiled. If house-elves had decent clothes and bathing, they might just be the most ridiculously adorable creatures. "Thank you," I said. "You really didn't have to do this. I've barely used the room."

The same house-elf merely replied, "You're welcome, Miss." They both bowed and scuttled out of the room. I sighed, guessing they probably have never even received a proper thank you before.

I could hear Pansy and Draco coming up the stairs. What if he was leading her to a room? Would she be staying here? I nearly gagged at the idea. God forbid I would be forced to be around the two of them for the next few weeks.

Facing myself in the mirror of my bathroom, I noted the things that hindered my appearance in the mornings.

The red blotches were oily, and my hair was stringy from sleeping. I felt dirty, and I wanted a shower. So I turned to the tub behind me and twisted the faucet. The water sounded louder than I expected, but what did that matter?

While waiting for the water to heat up, I walked into my closet to search for something to wear. At the time, I wanted something that would attract attention, something that would make Pansy Parkinson jealous of me.

One of the good things about my mother is that she often took me to muggle clothing stores. They had bright colored, revealing tops and jeans that made a girl's backside look amazing. Of course, she only took me on days that she was mad at my father, but I always got everything, even things I didn't ask for. She had a wonderful sense of muggle style, for someone who supposedly hates them. Or maybe she was just proud of producing a first place trophy daughter? I didn't know, nor really care.

So when I walked into my closet, I grabbed a pair of light blue jeans with pre-made rips in the knees and a lime green top. It was strapless, and there was a white lotus flower printed on it over the left breast. That would do.

I grabbed a random pair of panties and a bra and threw them into the clothing pile.

Stepping into the shower, I sighed with content as the hot water covered me. The chill of the draft I'd felt all morning finally left.

The worst thing about the Trace that underage wizards had on them was the convenience factor. I had to dry and style my hair and put on my eye liner myself. It's not that I can't. I don't need the magic, but it takes less time. I could've easily been ready in twenty minutes, including the shower. Instead, it took me forty-five.

I walked out of my room just as my mother was coming down the hall. I smiled a little and asked for her opinion on how I looked. She put her hand on my shoulder. "Carter, you would look pretty even with a pelt of Devil's Snare as a dress."

I laughed a little. That was another good thing about her; her sense of humor. She sighed suddenly as we walked down the hall. We passed Draco's room; his door was closed. I felt a lump in my throat and was surprised by it. Was I really brought to tears by what might have been going on behind that door?

"Your father and I are leaving today," my mom said, noticing my glance at the door.

"Okay."

She stopped and knelt down in front of me, holding my shoulders and examining my face. "Will you be all right? You don't have to stay here. You were invited, and we can easily take back our 'yes'.

I smiled. "Mom," I said and gave her a look. "I'll be fine."

She pursed her lips and stood back up. "Your father wants to say goodbye."

I followed her downstairs. My father waited at the door with the Malfoys. I approached, and Lucius and Narcissa walked out the door behind my parents. Were they going somewhere too?

My father answered my question. "We have some things to take care of," he said.

I nodded in understanding, and my parents said goodbye. There were no hugs or kisses, just some nods, a worried look from my mom, and they were gone.

|| Draco ||

Pansy was kneeling on his bed. She looked good, even he admitted it. But the only thing Draco noticed was that she knelt exactly where Carter had been laying less than an hour ago.

Pansy was wearing a green skirt and matching tank top. It looked sexy for her, but she was so pale. The straps made her shoulders look more masculine than feminine, and her stringy black hair just barely brushed them. Her legs had nice shape to them, but they were pale and looked as if they'd be cold to the touch.

"What's wrong, Draco?" she said. "You seemed just fine downstairs."

Draco didn't say anything. He didn't know how to start the conversation. His priorities really hadn't circled around girls that much before, and when they had, it never had to do with an actual relationship. So he'd never had to break up with a girl before. They always just kind of noticed when he lost interest.

He took a breath, "Pansy, I think it's time we end this." Draco didn't know if she was going to burst out laughing or crying. When she didn't do either, he actually became a bit nervous.

"This is because of her, isn't it?" she asked accusatively. Pansy's eyes narrowed, and her arms crossed over her chest.

Draco was taken aback. She obviously wasn't as dumb as he thought. "No," he said plainly. "It's because of you." Harsh, but what else could he say? It wasn't exactly a lie. "I've lost interest."

Again, she didn't say anything. She just stood up from his bed and walked toward the door. When Draco heard her walk downstairs, he suddenly wondered where Carter was.

|| Carter ||

I sighed and turned away from the door, only to see Pansy storming down the stairs toward me. Draco was following her at a short distance. Just as I was about to ask what was going on, Pansy was in front of me. She raised her hand and brought it across my cheek before I could react. I felt the scratch of a ring she wore as it slid across my vulnerable skin. I reached up to touch the scrape that was left over. I looked back at her, not knowing what to say at first.

She had an angry look on your face. It was a mixture between that and a smirk. "Now you got what you deserve."

I watched as she began to walk away, past me and toward the door. Draco stood at the stairs, a look of shock that I'd never seen before across his face. I glared after Pansy, finally thinking of what I could say and spitting it out. "Bitch!"

She froze, holding the door open as she did so. Turning back toward me, she suddenly drew her wand. I reached for mine, but before I could grab it, Draco stood in front of me.

"Get out of here, Pansy," he ordered. After a moment of silence, she huffed and lowered her wand, turning back toward the door. Draco didn't move until it was closed behind her. "Are you all right?" He turned around to face me.

I lowered my hand after realizing it still lingered on my cheek, dodging the question. "What was the question about?"

Suddenly, his tone changed, and he gave an uncaring shrug. "Broke up with her."

I had a mixture of emotions. I felt like smacking him for giving her reason to target me, and I felt like sticking it in her fact that – wait. Why had she targeted me? What did I have to do with all of this? I wondered whether or not I should ask Draco. I didn't.

"It's really quiet," he said.

I shrugged, reflecting his uncaring attitude onto him about what had just happened. I pushed the lingering question out of my mind. "We're alone."

Draco stared at the front door.

|| Draco ||

He was stupid, stupid for dumping Pansy so soon because now he was bored. There was nothing to do, nothing to get Draco's mind off of the task he'd been given to accomplish during school. It was impossible, no, beyond impossible! Kill Albus Dumbledore? This had to be a joke. Of course, Draco knew that the Dark Lord was not one for jokes, although the whole thing did seem like one. Maybe it was a joke on his father for getting caught in the Department of Mysteries: for screwing up. But then why was Carter involved?

She was there too, sitting sideways on an armchair in the living room while Draco lounged on the couch. She had a book in her lap. Draco wanted to talk to her, but all he could do was watch her twirl and drop one blonde strand of her hair and once in a while rub her scraped cheek. When she would look up, he was already back in a lounging position, looking ten times more content than he felt. Draco stayed still, looking away, until he felt her eyes move off of him, and then he would watch Carter more.

Slowly, the sun began to hide behind dark clouds. Soon after that, the clouds lost shape, and the sky looked a full, plain gray. Carter closed her book at this and stood up. Draco took a moment to realize she was looking at him. Immediately, he stood up, feeling a bit like an idiot but not showing it.

"Let's go somewhere," she said. Her attitude seemed to have become a bit more calm, content.

Draco peered out the window. "You had to wait until it's almost storming to want to go somewhere?"

Carter shrugged, but Draco noted the hint of color that appeared in her cheeks. "Took me until now to realize we both need something else to focus our minds on."

Before he could reply, she ran upstairs, skipping every other step. Draco waited, having showered and dressed a few hours earlier. He had abandoned the suit so liked by his parents for a regular pair of jeans and t-shirt; muggle clothes. Draco's father never approved of them, but his mother let him wear them during the summer when no impression was to be made on anyone important.

Their parents still hadn't returned, but what did that matter, really? Draco and Carter were never told to stay in the house. Besides, they were just going to Diagon Alley or something, he figured. No big deal.

Carter came back downstairs with a zip-up hooded sweatshirt over her top. It was black. For a moment, Draco noted how it seemed to take the color away from her. Then he frowned at himself. What the hell did he care?

"So where are we going?" she asked him suddenly.

Draco blinked. Was she not the one who wanted to go out? Nevertheless, he shrugged. Carter rolled her eyes.

"Alright, maybe just a walk around Diagon Alley, then? A stop at the Leaky Cauldron for a drink?"

He nodded, wondering how she seemed so happy after all that had happened. They'd been ordered the night before to kill Albus Dumbledore, and now his ex-girlfriend had just slapped Carter across the face that morning.

Maybe the book made her feel better.

|| Carter ||

It wasn't really necessary for Draco and I to walk. We could apparate, having our parents taught us to before the teachers at Hogwarts had even brought it up. We wouldn't get in trouble, I hoped, because there were no muggles around. The discovery of the wizarding world would still be impossible, the way everyone liked it. So we apparated to the Leaky Cauldron, which involved Draco and me holding hands.

After getting past the feeling that I was being stretched as far as my limbs would allow and crushed by two tons of weight while spinning at a hundred miles per hour, I opened my eyes to see hundreds of Londoners making their way through the city. Our apparition was a bit short. It didn't matter; the place was busy. Draco and I kept our hands clasped together. I thought he was too busy maneuvering through the crowd to notice the red that flourished across my cheeks.

The Leaky Cauldron was warm when we walked inside. Not many people were there. I didn't expect there to be, either. The entire wizarding world had been on edge since Fudge admitted that Voldemort was back. No one went out that much anymore during the day, and never at night. I didn't blame them.

We sat down at a table, and I realized Draco must have slid his hand out of mine after we'd walked inside. My hand still maintained the shape of his inside it.

"What can I get yeh?" said the bartender who had come to serve us.

"Just a butterbeer please," I smiled pleasantly. One thing I learned from the famous Dumbledore was that a smile could make even the grumpiest of goblins return the gesture.

"Certainly," he said, returning the smile.

He turned to Draco, who only muttered, "Same." The bartender nodded and walked away. I frowned at Draco.

"What's wrong?"

He gave an exasperated sigh. "Don't you think we should be talking about this? About the situation?"

I knew immediately hat he was talking about, but I shrugged. "There's nothing to talk about," I stated plainly. "Because I'm not doing it."

For a moment, Draco looked shocked, then angry. Before he could speak, however, the bartender brought our drinks. Draco left his untouched as he leaned back in his chair, looking at me as if he was wondering what to do with me. I put my glass back down on the table after taking a long sip of butterbeer. The sweet taste was comforting.

Draco suddenly leaned forward over the table and whispered, "He'll kill us both!"

I swallowed hard and leaned forward to whisper back. "There is no way either of our parents would let that happen, and you know it. They may not show it too often, but they do love us, Draco."

He could only glare at me. Draco didn't say anything back, just shifted in his seat again and swigged half of his butterbeer at once. Lifting up my own, I drank too. I was a bit frustrated with him. I had wanted this to be a pleasant afternoon, and he'd ruined it before we even got to Diagon Alley.

Nevertheless, we stood up and continued on when we were finished with the drinks. Before we left to go to the back of the pub, I stared at the five galleons Draco had just tossed onto the table. "What?" he said, sounding frustrated.

"Either you're bad at very simple math, or very generous," I said, blinking at him.

He shrugged. "No place is doing well right now," he muttered. "Not like I haven't got two million more to go around."

I smiled at Draco, just smiled. He had been walking to the back of the pub and hadn't noticed, but I sighed contently. Suddenly feeling a bit glad that I decided to stay for the remainder of the summer, I followed him to the brick wall that would lead us to Diagon Alley.