I wasn't looking forward to Herbology. I was unwilling to walk up to the greenhouses outside the castles with Draco, Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle.

"So, how did your potion end up, Draco?" I asked as we followed the stone path to the greenhouses were we could see numerous Ravenclaws already near the entrance, the great wooden door, eager to be let in.

"Alright. It took a bad turn as Pansy put some wormwood in." He sighed and Pansy turned red.

"What do you mean?" I asked eagerly. Draco was splendid at Potions, it was his best subject and hearing him stuff the potion up when I – we- did it perfectly was music to my ears, as much as I liked Draco.

"Well, when I was asking Professor Snape something, Pansy put wormwood in the cauldron. I didn't realise and when I came back, I put some in as well…"

I tried retaining a snigger. "oh, what a shame…"

Now, we had almost made it to the greenhouse gates where Professor sprout was magically unlocking the bolted door. She was carrying spikey plants which were making strange noises. If we had to work with them, I couldn't wait for this class to be over.

Draco and I were walking back from Herbology, with numerous scratches on our hands and spikes embedded on our robes from the terrible plants we had to encounter and look after last lesson. Draco had only just stopped complaining about how his robes were 'completely destroyed' when I passed Fred, who noticed me and was grinning.

I felt butterflies roam around my stomach and I blushed. I smiled back, watching Fred and laughing as he toppled over a small Ravenclaw who he bumped into when he was looking and smiling at me.

Draco laughed and then looked at my face. "Your red?" he asked and I covered my cheeks which were warm and I shrugged.

We were continuing our route to the dungeons but Draco suddenly remembered he forgot his quill in the herbology lab so he ran off to get it back.

I wondered the corridors which lead me to my destination, when I nearly bumped into a girl wearing red robes. Normally I would have sworn, cursed and threatened a hex at such a Gryffindor but when I saw the lion crest sewn upon her pitch black robes I thought of Fred and was a bit more cautious.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" the girl turned to me. She had dark brown hair that was in a ponytail which fell half way down to her back and I could imagine it being even longer when it was let out. She looked through her red rimmed glasses at me with a smile. "Your that girl whose working with Fred on his potions assessment!" she exclaimed and I frowned.

"How could you know? You're not even in our class!" I asked, with a tone of suspiciousness lingering In my voice.

Her grin expanded. "Fred couldn't have helped mentioning it a few times… roaming around telling anyone who would listen."

At that thought I sighed and imagined Fred actually dancing around the Gryffindor common room beaming as he told everyone who walked through the doors that he had landed a Slytherin as a potion partner.

"Okay, that's nice." I said, hardly interested in our conversation anymore and continued to walk off but I found myself, after taking a few steps this Gryffindor had decided following me. I gritted my teeth and thought I wouldn't yell at her, I tried to retain myself when a few moments past and I could still see her in the corner of my eye. I swung back on my heel so fast she was startled. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?" I yelled and she looked taken aback.

"Sorry…" she bit her lip. "But I couldn't help but resist… your best friends with that Malfoy, aren't you?" she asked, her cheeks turning rosy.

I eyed her. "Yes, of course… why does it concern you?"

The girls eyes widened. "Oh, well…" she said and she relaxed a bit. I saw her hand out and I wondered whether I shook take it. I decided not to. "I'm Connie Vane, half blood."

My nose stuck in the air and I tried to retain a giggle. " a halfblood? You think I'll shake your dirty breed hand!" I sniggered.

Her light up, positive face faltered and looked unusual as if frowning and looking sad was rare for her. She twisted her lips. "The way Fred was going around grinning made it seem like you were different… but I suppose Fred hasn't realised your true qualities." She said and began to walk away when I grabbed her arm.

"Fine!" I said, with a scowl. "I'm Heren, Stepahnie Heren. And if you haven't guessed it – I'm a pureblood!" I beamed and flicked my hair from my shoulder. I was about to say something about being 'the worthy kind' but I restrained myself because I knew she would walk off again, which made me wonder – was what she said true or was she deceiving me to talk to me. Did Fred really sing and dance at my name and the thought of me? I didn't want to think about it because when I thought of Fred my heart lept with Joy, and then my head told me I was a fool for even considering a fiflthy blood traitor.

"So what's with this about Malfoy?" I asked beginning to walk with her. "What do you want?"

She stopped walking and frowned at me. "I don't know." She said. "But don't you think he's amazing?"

I laughed. "Malfoy? Amazing? Ha! Yeah, yeah, next question?" I sniggered.

She looked baffled. "Why are you being so negative? I thought you were best friends?"

"We are." I told her picking up the pace. "Doesn't mean I automatically think he's 'amazing'."

"Oh" she agreed but still looked lost. "But don't-"

"Where is this conversation going, anyway?" I asked looking around the hall which was now covered in halloween decorations in prepare for Fridays feast.

Connie blushed. "You know…" she smiled nervously. "Well, I haven't really associated with Draco, one on one, but what do you feel when you see Fred?"

"Fred?" I knitted my eyebrows together. "What do you want with Fred?"

"Don't you like him?" she whispered.

"Of course not! Me with someone like him? Your being preposterous." I told her as we continued to walk wherever our legs took us, it seemed that now she was leading the way and was leading me to a collection of stair cases and now down a unfamiliar hall "that would never happen."

"But why not?" she asked with a hint of impatience in her voice.

"Because!" I shouted. "Because someone like me with never go out with a traitor like a Weasley!" I shouted releasing my thoughts and finding myself feel free and more calmer, but that somewhat peaceful feeling didn't last, however I felt much more terrible and trapped when I saw a crowd of students in red robes look at me. I turned around to see a tall figure in arms reach of me. He looked stunned, hurt. I gulped and stared at him in shock. I was too speechless to say anything.

Fred looked to the floor. "I was just coming to say hello." He said softly. My heart started to pound more fiercely. I cursed. "Fred." I said shocked. "I didn't mean- "

"- For me to hear that?" He looked indignant yet hurt. I slowly nodded. "I don't understand- I can't understand you" He said.

I chewed on my lip, feeling a little bit guilty. I heard footsteps, which filled the silent tension in the air. Fred was frowning when he walked away and was out of my sight he was replaced by Potter and his friends.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked and all three of them, alongside new Gryffindor arrivees and the ones who had stopped minding their own business to hear a Slytherin bicker with a fellow Gryffindor seemed to be listening intently.

"Yeah, it's the Gryffindor common room. Got lost did you? Too thick to remember where the dungeons are?" Ron laughed. "let us give you a hint… there downstairs, and away from us." He retorted and I heard some chuckles.

I felt myself turn red. "I know where I'm going, Weasley.´I just so happened to be in the area. I thought I'd pop by and laugh at the fools, blood traitors and mudbloods that make such a loser house." I eyed Hermione. I was beyond furious and I was ready for any sort of argument or fight coming my way.

I felt rage fly through my veins as I turned back to Connie who was standing there so innocently like she hadn't just cost me a sort of friendship with Fred. Whilst I was so mad that she had led me here, I felt foolish for not realising that of course Fred or someone who he knew would be here to hear my yells and protests about whether or not I liked Fred.

I yelled in my rage and threw Connie a dirty look. "Malfoy's not interested in dirty halfbloods." And quickly walked away from the scene I wished never happened.