Disclaimer: Any recognisable characters, setting and scenarios are owned by the wonderful and amazing J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros and other suchlikes. I am making no money and am doing this for purely entertainment purposes, don't eat me. Also, many jokes in these belong to my humorous friends who will possibly eat me if I don't give them credit.

A/N: How lovely to see this next chapter so fast, right? It's not very long though, I apologize. I know, I suck. Mainly though, this is because there isn't much else I want in this chapter at all, really. I've really enjoyed writing this, once again and I have just been working like slave for ages. My mum thinks I'm doing work... HA! This chapter is a little different as you will notice, I need different points of view to take my story where I want it to go. Look forward to cheeky Blaise, clever Hermione, and a flirty Draco. Any mistakes in here are most unfortunately mine as I am still trying ever so hard to cope without my fabulous beta. Any offers greatly appreciated, as are corrections. Once again, I'm giving an item of clothing to a house elf for every review so I take it as personal insult and a declaration of your support of slavery if you don't review! I'm joking, of course. Although reviews are nice. I'll let you read the chapter now bye!

Hermione was sat alone in the corner of the hall reading the third volume of Awfully Useless Ancient Runes Hardly Anyone Remembers like it was her favourite novel. It wasn't overly interesting, but it was great to learn things about languages that other's didn't. Actually, it was great to learn full stop in her opinion.

The hall was noisy and full of overly boisterous teenager's. Some were throwing food and others were just being far too loud. There was only a week and a half until the Christmas holidays and it was obvious when you looked around. The enchanted ceiling showed a distinct promise of yet more snow, and there was already tinsel thrown on various statues and a small tree in the corner of the room.

She saw Ginny storm past and sit next to Seamus. That was odd, she normally sat next to Harry, although recently... Oh.

It clicked then, Harry and Ginny had finally actually sat and talked about whatever it was going on. Possibly, although knowing them she probably screamed at him, then he gave her a pleading look and she melted just a little. Feisty as she may be Ginevra Weasley had a rather obvious soft spot for Harry, and it's a bloody good job too. Hermione thought she had a good idea what they'd eventually decided to do with themselves although it was best not to presume with Harry. He'd always liked to do the unexpected. She peered over and scrutinised the look on Ginny's face, she had been crying but quite a while ago and she had her brave face on. Not that it said anything about what she was really feeling, Ginny always had been good at hiding her feelings. She sat and chatted idly and when Luna Lovegood came over and said something Hermione couldn't quite lip read Ginny pushed her lunch away and stormed out of the hall.

"'Mione!" Ron called across to her and she snapped her head back up to see Ron charging his way through the rabble of Hufflepuffs who'd gotten in the way. He knocked a few a little off balance but mumbled appologies as he made a rather speedy move towards where Hermione was sat.

Even in the massive hall Ron stood out to be causing commotion and Hermione had to refrain from rolling here eyes. What was he like?

Harry was stood at the doorway trying to get Ginny to listen to him while she shouted things at him that had made groups of the people sat nearby turn and stare at them interestedly. Students at Hogwarts truly were shameless when it came to gossip.

Ron arrived and tucked one stray strand of burly hair back behind her ear before kissing her on the top of the head and sitting himself down.

"What's up?" He asked, surveying her face for traces of whatever was the matter.

"What's going on with Harry and Ginny?" She asked him carefully. She didn't know exactly how protective Ron was going to be about his sister, "They've been... Cool."

"Is this you being muggle hip, or?" Ron asked, genuinely not able to get his head around the use of muggle slang. Not that Hermione ever used it, only Harry. She gave him an exasperated look. "No, right. I don't know... I guess, but..."

"Oh, nevermind Ronald." Hermione said, and although her words suggested she was angry she leant against his arm a little and continued to pretend to be reading.

Harry and Ginny were on rocky ground, Harry hadn't been sleeping and he keeps telling her they needed to talk. She didn't know quite what it meant, but it meant something.

"Hey guys." Harry said and slumped down on the bench opposite. He smiled weakly and poured himself a glass of pumpkin juice.

"Ron, could you go get us another jug?" Hermione asked and raised her eyebrows in a gesture that said 'get lost'.

"Make it worth my while?" Ron grinned cheekily and winked at her. Hermione blushed deeply and tried to scowl but failed because the corners of her mouth pulled up a little. Harry grinned at his friend who walked off to go 'get some more juice'. Hermione really did love her friends, and after all they'd been through wanted nothing more than for them to just be happy. Her and Ron were happy, it was just Harry she needed to sort out now.

"So, what did you have to tell me?" Hermione turned on Harry and asked. She didn't give him a chance to get out of telling her.

He leaned across the table and started talking almost immediately. He told her about the dreams and how real they felt, and about how his scar itched sometimes when he woke up. He told her about how he felt about Ginny. How he really felt, not how he was trying to con her into thinking he felt. He told her about his new found friendship with certain people despite what Hermione figured to be his better judgement. He told her about Peeves and that shocked her most.

By the time he was finished Hermione had no time to respond. Only to nod and tell him to tell Ron soon, except maybe the Malfoy part, before Ron was back with a full jug of Pumpkin Juice and Winky hot on his tail.

"Master Granger, Miss! Thank you for the coins, miss, but this is not right. Winky does not ask for th-" Winky was nearly out of breath from running and sobbing and generally hyperventilating. There were massive heaving sobs emmiting between every word and her lungs should be fit to burst.

"Winky, I didn't want to offend you. Take it." Hermione ordered. She'd decided that perhaps it was better to simply make the elves happy slaves, as it had only seemed to make them worse when they were free. Harry's speech about Dobby being different on the train had also shaken her a little, perhaps the elves were happiest with what they knew. Better the devil you know, and all that.

Hermione smiles sweetly at the poor elf and puts her arm around Winky. She pats her head softly and comforts her lightly without taking back the money. When Hermione felt Winky beginning to breathe normally again she looked up and smiled at her.

"Think of it as a present. Okay?" Hermione added and sent Winky back to the kitchens with a sad sigh.

When Hermione looks up Blaise Zabini is watching them thoughtfully. She rolls her eyes and mouths 'Can I help you?' but he seems too lost in thought to respond.

"No! Honestly Potter, what are you doing? Boomslang in first." Draco was getting more and more frustrated with his seemingly incompetent potions partner.

Draco turned to glare at the boy and knocked his hand away from the potion with a swift movement. He wondered to himself why, when Slughorn sorted them by ability, he managed to land himself in a pair with Harry. It wasn't the first time he'd wondered.

It was their third attempt at brewing amortentia and Harry kept skipping instuctions or reading the book wrong. Draco is starting to think he needed better glasses. Looking down at the book Harry was reading from he saw it had a piece of paper over one of the pages, ruining the order they needed to do it in.

Draco snatched the piece of paper away and tapped the book quickly without peeling his eyes from the wrongly brewing pot. He tried to figure out whether he could salvage it, but decided against it and motioned for Harry to get rid of it.

Harry muttered an apology and went to pour the contents of the couldren down the sink. The moment he picked it up though, Ron bound over like an excitable jack russel and knocked into Harry. The ugly orange and bubbling potion spilled everywhere and people rushed to get out of it's way while Ron sprawled himself on the desk, trying to keep his feet off the ground.

"Oh, for fucks sake Harry, now I'll be stuck in detention with you and the weasel!" Draco shouted and glared, stepping away from the mess to keep his shoes clean.

"Scourgify!" Hermione called and the mess was gone. "Honestly, boys! Grow up."

"Yeah, Potter." Draco was so frustrated with his partner that it didn't even occur to him that he was siding with Hermione of all people.

"All of you!" She shouted and Draco flipped her the middle finger. She looked shocked but didn't respond. Her hair looked particularly frazzled and Draco laughed when Blaise decided to peer from behind it like a curtain, winding a finger next to his head in a crazy sign. Hermione didn't even notice.

Ron handed Harry a note, which was obviously what he'd came over to do, and sulked back to his seat. The whole ordeal was over before Slughorn had even appeared back in the classroom.

"Right.. Eerm... May-" Harry begun after a while.

"How about, I'll tell you exactly what to do, you follow it to the letter and we both get away without detention." Draco offered, his tone heavy with dark humour. "Or better still, you watch."

Harry watched. He sat and stared at Draco in a strange kind of awe, Draco couldn't decide if it was flattering or freaky. Draco worked quickly and quietly and when Slughorn came over Harry pretended to be helping before going back to staring again. Draco was great at potions, it was one of his strongest points and it frustrated him to be put with someone who only does well when he cheats. Sometimes the catastrophes Harry get's himself into are actually quite funny but Draco did actually want to do well this year. He was one of the people who would need O in everything to be so much as considered for a cleaning job.

After his part in the war there were so few employers who would even consider taking him on that he was very glad he had his families fortunes to fall back on.

"Why exactly am I even paired with you?" Draco asked frustratedly, and looked up from the potion. He was starting to smell faint whiffs of fresh air, which meant it was beginning to take shape.

"I cheated." Harry stated simply at first, however when Draco gave him a horrified look he continued. "I had Snape's old potions book with all his notes. He had every potion perfect, and even some spells in there."

Draco looked with disbelief but when Harry grinned mischievously he turned back to his potion. So Harry had been cheating, he probably deserved a T but was on his way to and O. Why on earth wasn't Harry cheating anymore?

"Can I have the book?" Draco asked earnestly and giving Harry his very best puppy dog eyes. He'd been told he was good at them when he wanted to be.

Harry rolled his eyes. "No, that book was bloody dangerous... Got rid ages ago." Harry trailed off for a moment and then looked sincerely into Draco's eyes. Even though Draco had half of his attention fixed on the Amortentia brewing below him he managed to be utterly confused. "Do you have the scars?"

It all clicked into place for him then. That was where Harry got the spell from and how Snape could heal him. A wave of anger washed over Draco for a moment, even though he knew it was a little unreasonable.

"Yes. Now shut the fuck up I'm concentrating." Draco snapped cruelly, and Harry did just as he said. Going back to watching Draco at work.

Another ten minutes passed by before Draco added the final ingredient and gave a small flick of his wand. Out came the smell of fresh rain, shower gel and clean sheets. Pretty damn perfect, if Draco did say so himself.

"There. That should be enough to create love between you and... Possibly even my father." Draco said to Harry proudly once he'd finished, shooting a smirk at the last part of the sentence. Harry looked at him with a face that said 'likely story'.

"Prat." Harry muttered and Draco stood to admire his work from a new angle. "Certainly my least favourite Malfoy."

"Me, of course, being your favourite." Draco winked and elbowed him discreetly. He was very glad they sat in a place where none of his friends were able to easily watch him or else they'd suspect the truce he and Harry had come to.

He stood back before taking a vial over to Slughorn's desk for testing.

The Professor was testing the potion on a pair of frogs who were currently at either side of their box, not looking at one another. He put a drop of potion on two treats and fed it to each frog. For a moment nothing happened but then suddenly the frogs turned to look at each other.

They watched his pair of frogs suddenly start running around together to find a place to mate within their enclosure. The class laughed at the spectacle and Draco smiled smugly.

"Brilliant work, both of you!" Slughorn cheered and clapped Draco on the back harshly. He tensed up and smiled awkwardly at his teacher before sort letting out a kind of half laugh.

Feeling all too proud of himself Draco simply swaggered back to his place and lent against his desk, casting a charm that packed his things away for him.

"You're bloody amazing at that, you know?" Harry said, still sounding very much in awe.

"What? Creating feelings of lust? I know, it's my hair you see." Draco countered and swished his tousled hair at Harry dramatically. Harry's eyes lingered on his hair for a moment before he rolled them.

Draco wouldn't admit it if he was under Veritaserum but he'd actually grown to quite enjoy the company of Harry since their truce. They could tear each other to pieces and they knew that as long as neither one mentioned the war, everything would still be fine. Harry was still annoying but slowly, Draco was starting to see why everyone loved him. Sally had told him a few weeks ago that she thought he and Harry made an interestingly cute pair and honestly, Draco didn't know what to make of that. Sally was a true Slytherin, but she was friends with everyone. Even Hermione seemed to like her.

The bell went and Slughorn dismissed the class, saying that anyone who wasn't finished was to come back that evening to do so.

The proud swagger continued as Draco made his way out of the door quickly, rushing to avoid the crowds in the corridors. People tended to steer out of his way anyway but that only made him feel worse.

Blaise rushed to catch up with him and dragged him off down the corridor. Blaise was practically skipping, but Draco decided that due to the uncanny grin he was wearing, he probably didn't want to know.

"So, then. My little dragon, ho-" Blaise began, walking backwards and making people veer out of his way to save him bumping into them.

"I am not your little dragon."

"Okay then, my big scary dragon." Blaise grinned wider and Draco rolled his eyes. He really wasn't in the mood for this, but he couldn't help but laugh at his friend. "Are you staying for Christmas?"

Draco's step faltered for a minute before he could recover himself. He hadn't thought about Christmas at all. There was two weeks to go and Draco had barely even noticed the time passing. Over the summer eight weeks had felt like an eternity spent wallowing in self pity but now he was busy he'd barely felt time move at all.

He didn't know if he could handle another two weeks on his own. He pretended to be the Unbreakable Slytherin Prince but when it really came down to it there's a reason Slytherin's are great friends. They can't quite cope on their own.

The thought of spending Christmas alone in a big cold mansion was almost enough to make up his mind for him. Draco didn't want yet another unwelcome reminder of how few people he had now, and it seemed Christmas was determined to give him just that.

"Maybe. Are you?" Draco asked.

"Yeah. My mum is still being held, I presume." Blaise said, and it seemed to ruin his mood for a moment before he continued. "Pansy's staying too. I reckon we can sneak her into the dorm or something."

Draco rolled his eyes.

"She's sleeping in your bed."

"Oh, yes. Don't you know it." Blaise tripped a little and nearly fell into the Arithmancy classroom where he slammed straight into Hermione. "Whoa, watch it you! Anyone'd think you wanted m-"

"Don't be crude, Zabini." She ordered with a glare before she returned to her seat.

Blaise and Draco Snickered but before he could laugh properly Draco felt something on his arm.

His first thought was that he had some kind of bug under his thin white shirt but when he rolled up his sleeve there was nothing there but a fading Dark Mark.

All Harry could think today was "Thank god it's friday."

His lessons dragged on and on in a blur of lack of sleep and monotony. He had homework stacked for the weekend and practically no prospects for the next few weeks. He couldn't wait until the christmas holidays. "Only a week to go" he chanted to himself for the hours he was stuck inside while the grounds he could see did their best to make themselves look inviting.

The last five minutes of Astronomy felt like an eternity but when the final bell finally went he got up and made for the door so fast that Proffessor Sinistra didn't even have time to tell him he wasn't dismissed yet. He raced from the classroom and tore down the stairs as fast as he could to catch the last hour of icy daylight. Arriving at the broom cupboard in record time, Harry picked up a random broom, feeling too much in a rush to be outside to go get his firebolt.

He got out onto the grounds and kicked himself off the ground.

The random broom felt alien underneath him, but he soon adjusted and got a feel. He had to make far more drastic movements to get a response, but other than that and the fact he doubted the old broom could get much fasted than a cleensweep he found little difference.

He flew as fast and high as he could. Soaring and swooping between towers and weaving between trees. Nothing could touch him. Harry flew around the castle and over the forest and made his way to the Quidditch pitch. There wasn't normally practice on on Friday nights but when he arrived the Gryffindor team was racing around, appearing only as red blurs.

He brought his broom to a halt over the stands and watched the group carefully. They were playing with two keepers in a way that was normally only used for tryouts. Harry missed this, the feel of being on a team and working together.

He found that no matter how fast he flew, without the Snitch to chase it was rather pointless. Unless he was playing to win he found himself only enjoying it half as much. When he'd first used his broom again after the war it'd been almost entirely alien, which scared him a lot. Soon enough he'd got used to it when he played teams with the Weasleys.

"Keeper's out for the next game." Ginny had silently pulled up level with him. He hadn't noticed her and so nearly jumped out of his skin and used it to hex her when she spoke suddenly. "We're running tryouts, whaddya think?"

Ginny was making Quidditch conversation because they had nothing much else to talk about. Not that that was much to talk about, because Harry didn't play anymore.

"I think you need Ron back." Harry said to her with a wry smile.

"I think I need you back." Ginny retorted.

Her expression was cold and fixed entirely on the tryouts that were going on in front of her. It was sad for Harry to see Ginny like this, she barely ever sulked. A sign something was really wrong was if Ginny was quiet or subdued. As menacing as the grim.

They both knew she wasn't talking about the Quidditch team and perhaps with her moods it would be better if Harry didn't play dumb for once.

"I'm here, Gin." Harry half pleaded with her.

Harry didn't know why he was pleading, but he was. The last thing in the world he wanted was for Ginny to get hurt.

"Now, you are. But not really. It's like you're not even yourself anymore, and even if you're not yourself - which I totally understand by the way, I mean you died- you're never around anyway." Rushing everything out on one breath she finally stopped for air. "You've changed."

Harry looked at her for a long time. Her eyes were fixed onto the game and her hair was blowing softly in the breeze. He loved her, a lot. He wanted her to be happy. But he found himself asking if he's really in love with her, and whether love is anything at all compared to being in love?

What was the difference? Harry's head began to hurt and he just wanted to kick himself for being such an idiot.

"Do you think there's a difference between loving someone, and being in love with them?"

"I think love is for everyone, in love is for just that one person." Ginny continued to watch the game. "Oi, Finley keep your hands to yourself!"

A smaller boy around fourth year looked up and smiled sheepishly before letting go of the bludger and other boy he was wrestling it from.

"What would you say if I told you I loved you, but I don't know if I'm in love with you?" Harry asked as carefully and tactfully as he could. He was never good at that kind of thing.

Ginny sighed heavily and turned towards him with a slight tear in her eye. It wasn't something she normally did, and the affection wasn't something Harry could handle.

The tear in her eye was quickly blinked back and she bit her lip hard. Looking into her eyes while they were sad was one of the hardest things Harry had ever had to do. It left him with what felt like a tornado swirling in his stomach.

"I think I've been expecting that for a long time. Still stings." Ginny didn't unlock her eyes from his. "Whoever it is you fall in love with, know that I'll hate them forever."

Harry laughed at this and she chuckled sadly too.

"So?"

"So we're over. You can tell Ron and if anyone asks, I broke up with you and it's all gravy." Her voice was low and sad as she turned back to watch the game closely.

"I'm sorry."

"You'd better be, now scram."