So this is a bit lighter than usual, and a bit longer too I noticed. It can't be all too serious all the time, now can we? ;) But I still hope you'll like this chapter as much as the others.

Thanks to those who's been reviewing and reading! I've gotten a bit less reviews lately and it'd made me wonder if you don't like the story anymore? It'd be great if you reviewed, both good and bad! Just so I know you're still reading :)

And btw, I still want to know what kind of ending you want ;)

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Chapter 37

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"Draco, wake up!" Alice continued to shake his body in the hopes of he would wake up anytime soon. Sure, they'd been up a bit late last night but the clock had passed nine already and Alice had been up for a couple of hours.

"Blimey", he said with his voice thick of the morning and pulled his bedcover up under his chin.

"Sip it Alice, I can't sleep", Blaise said from the bed behind her.

"But we forgot –" Blaise interrupted her.

"No, Alice, whisper or leave."

"When did you get up?" Draco whispered and opened one eye to look at her.

"Just a couple of hours ago, but Draco –"

"Why are you still in your pyjamas?" he interrupted her and opened his other eye as well.

"We didn't celebrate your birthday." Draco sighed and sat up.

"I know", he said, without looking at her. "I hid all day to not have to do that."

"And I looked for you all day, but then you got me to think about something else and I completely forgot. Oh, I feel like such a bad person", said Alice, she was truly sorry.

"Why don't we start my pretend birthday..." He grabbed her pyjamas sweater and pulled down in the bed. "...With some snuggle." They kissed, without really carrying if anyone saw or heard. Blaise did hear, and he feared – if he opened his eyes he would see too.

"You guys really know how to get someone out of bed in the morning." He frowned, turned the other way and hurried out of bed. Not that he did mind, he actually enjoyed it a bit. He'd never imagined seeing either of them acting so cheesy or so much in love. Well, that Draco would was not really that much of a surprise. The way he'd spoken about Alice ever since Blaise had told him to go get her gave it away. He hadn't done it for Draco, he didn't matter that much. It was for Alice, it was always for Alice. Blaise pushed the thoughts out from his mind, if someone would be able to read them he'd bee to ashamed. He didn't do things for others, he did things for himself. Speaking of, Daphne stepped out from the girls' dormitory on the opposite side of the corridor. Blaise put on a smile and met her gaze. A smile placed itself on Daphne's lips as well.

"What are you laughing about?" She asked and they walked down the corridor side by side.

"Oh, nothing", he said, still with the smile. "I just couldn't help smiling when I saw you." Daphne decided to ignore what he'd said.

"Have you seen Alice?" She asked instead and looked around the almost empty common room.

"Where do you think she is?" And Daphne's gaze went over her shoulder and back towards the dormitories.

"Ah", she said, but with a smile.

"Have you had breakfast?" asked Blaise as they strolled through the common room. Daphne hadn't and they made their way to the Great Hall.

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When they got back from the meal, Alice and Draco had left and the boy's dormitory and the room stood empty, unlike the common room. Blaise invited Daphne in and they sat down on the sofa by the fireplace. Blaise watched Daphne when she didn't pay attention to him. It was something about her. She was just as beautiful as Alice. Blaise had always liked her, but this year she'd grown in to her body which made him notice her on a completely different level. She was smart, attractive and with a smile on her lips most of the time. Sure, Alice was something, she really was. But Daphne was too. He had a hard time placing the feelings he had towards the woman next to him in the sofa. But one thing was sure – he couldn't be without her. And that time he'd kissed her, well, that was something. The warm feeling in his chest, the tingle in his stomach...

"What?" Daphne asked, she had caught Blaise stare at her with a smile on his lips.

"Nothing", he said, still with the smile. He wasn't thinking about what he was doing, and suddenly Daphne started laughing out of control.

"Stop, it tickles!" Blaise's smiled widened and he started tickle her for real. She laughs became louder and Daphne's pleading for him to stop did as well.

"Blaise! Blaise, I'm going to kill you if you don't stop!" He stopped and looked at her in surprise.

"No, you wouldn't!" He said with an exaggerated expression on his face.

"Would!" She started laughing again. "You should have seen your face!" She laughed. They sat quiet for a moment, catching their breaths.

"Do you think it's going to happen?" Daphne's voice had gone from cheerful to anxious and frightened.

"What is?" Blaise asked and tilted his head slightly towards her. Daphne leaned her head against his shoulder, as comfort.

"The war", she said and looked in to the fire in the fireplace.

"Yes", he said and looked down on his hands. "Yes I do."

"I just can't stop thinking that people I love might die, you know?" Blaise put a comforting hand upon hers and gently stroke it with his thumb.

"I don't think you should worry too much actually. None of us do. We're not really hated by anyone and we're both purebloods, right?"

"Right", she said, still with the lack of hope in her voice.

"Hey, look at me", said Blaise and lifted her chin up with his hand. "It's going to be alright, I promise you. Alice wouldn't let anything happen to us."

"She can't always protect us, Blaise." Daphne avoided his gaze, even though he still had his hand under her chin.

"Then we'll have each other", Blaise said calmly. "Or am I not good enough for you?" Daphne cracked up in a smile and pushed him lightly in the chest.

"You know you are", she laughed and he joined her in it.

"You're so beautiful when you laugh", he said when they'd stopped.

"Stop it, Blaise..." Daphne started.

"No Daph, you really are." Daphne pulled away from him, giving him an evil glare.

"I told you how I feel about this", she said and stood up. Blaise did so as well and took a step towards her.

"I've seen they way you look at me, and I've seen the way you look at Alice and Draco. I know you want the same, you're just too afraid asking for it!" Before she had the chance to say anything else Blaise had taken yet a step forwards, pressing his lips against hers. Blaise waited for her reaction, there was none. When she didn't move he tried taking the kiss deeper, making it more passionate. But with this Daphne's reaction came.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked quietly, still standing only inches apart from him. "I'm nothing special, I'm nothing like Alice."

"No one is like Alice", he said and smiled at the thought of it. Daphne took a step away from him.

"Why are you doing this when you clearly still is in love with her?"

"I'm not in love with her Daph", he said with a serious tone.

"Well, you have to stop kissing me all the time anyway!" She said in frustration. They were interrupted as Alice walked in to the room – without pants.

"Guys?" she asked after she'd been looking around in the room for a while, mostly beside Draco's bed. "Have you seen my pants?"

"They're on my bed", Blaise said. Alice turned around and, just like Blaise said, found them on the bed.

"Oh, right. Thanks!" She said and ran out from the room with her pants in her hand. They turned towards each other again, and the amusement from Alice's brief visit was gone.

"I want you, Daph", Blaise said, "not Alice."

"Don't give me that, Blaise! I saw the way you were looking at her just now!" The door swung open again, but this time it was Draco that came in to the room – without a shirt. He too walked up to his bed and started looking for something in the mess on the floor.

"Have you seen Alice or my shirt?" He asked, after giving up on the search.

"I've seen your shirt on Alice, just a moment ago", said Daphne said with a smile.

"Thanks!" He said and got up and ran out the door screaming "Alice"! all over the place.

"Those two", Daphne said with a laugh.

"They're prefect together", Blaise said and looked at Daphne. "As we would be too."

"Blaise, please stop it. You only want me because you can't have Alice!"

"I'll do anything to prove it, that it's you I want", he said in a whisper.

"I want you to stop. I want you to never mention this, never to kiss me, never compliment me or do anything to show your feelings for me", she said and looked him in the eyes to prove that she meant what she said.

"Okay", he said and looked at the wall slightly to the left from her face.

"Okay?" He nodded to her surprise. It wasn't like Blaise to do things other asked of him. He'd always been one to do things he wanted.

"Okay", he said once more. Blaise turned around and walked up to his bed; he picked up a jumper and tossed it over his shoulder before he headed towards the door.

"I'm going outside for a bit, you're free to join me if you'd like", he said before leaving the room and heading upstairs and outside. The sun was shining like it only could do in June and the soft breeze made it almost too pleasant. Daphne didn't catch up with him until he'd left the courtyard and was heading down towards the lake. They walked in silence all the way down to the shoreline. Blaise took of his shoes, folded his pants up and walked out a yard or so in the water. He heard water splashing behind him and turned around only to see Alice drag Daphne out in the water, stopping next to him.

"I love you guys", Alice said as she stood between them and looked out over the lake. They didn't say anything for a while. Blaise met Daphne's gaze and saw the worries that played before her eyes. Alice was up to something, and Daphne knew what it was.

"Where have you done of Draco?" Blaise asked to break the silence. Alice looked up at him with her eyebrows raised and her face full of reflection – where had she left him?

"Um", she said and started looking around. Then he just stood beside Blaise on his other side, looking out over the water just like Alice had. "There he is", she said and smiled brightly.

"You don't say?" The irony in Blaise's' voice made them all laugh.

"Alice, you know you're in the water, right?" Draco said and looked over at his girlfriend. "Your dress is getting wet." He was right; Alice's dress ended right above her knees and the water went a bit up her thighs. Blaise hadn't realised how small she actually was before. Sure, she was shorter than him, shorter then Draco and Daphne too. She didn't even reach him to the shoulder actually.

"Oh", she said with smile, but didn't do anything about it.

"You're rather short", Blaise said, without really thinking about it.

"You just noticed?" She asked with an amused smile. "Five months of dating, and you just noticed?" She laughed, the way only Alice could laugh.

"Did you too notice how your back starts acing after a while?" Draco said with just as an amused smile on his lips. Blaise didn't say anything, he just smiled.

"I have to tell you something", Alice suddenly said to Daphne and pulled her towards land. Daphne looked as confused as ever but seemed rather okay with it. The boys turned around and watched them get out of the water and sitting down on the grass a bit away from the lake.

"You've changed", Blaise said to his friend. Draco tore his gaze from the girls and looked at Blaise.

"I have?" He asked with his hands in his pockets. Blaise nodded.

"For the better", he assured Draco quickly. "I wasn't sure if I could stand you any longer if you hadn't." Draco returned to looking at Alice. "You were grumpy and rather mean. The normal comments on each other are kind of fun – but the way you were acting, not so much."

"Alice does that to you, doesn't she?" Draco said with a soft smile. Then his face changed. "I'm sorry", he said and Blaise could tell he really meant it.

"For what?" Their eyes met.

"For taking her from you." Blaise shrugged his shoulders.

"She was never mine to begin with", he said and Draco looked surprised. "She was always yours." Their eyes met again and a moment of understanding was shared. "What on earth has happened to your hair?" Draco raised his eyebrows.

"You don't like it?"

Over on the grass Alice and Daphne had a not so different conversation. Alice was lying on her back, watching the clouds pass by whilst Daphne was deep in her own thoughts of what Alice had said. I can tell something has changed between you and Blaise, if you like him Daph, you should go for it. He's a great guy. Nothing did ever escape her. It was to Daphne's surprise that Ginny Weasley came up and sat down next to Alice, chatting like they were great friends.

"You've been outside much, haven't you?" Ginny asked and sighed at the look of Alice's tanned skin. "I turn red and then go back to being white again."

"I know a great spell you can use! My mum was just like you, just getting red and then back to white again", Alice said and started showing Ginny the spell. Daphne looked over at her friend. She was so normal, so carefree. Much unlike the way she had been acting most of the year. Daphne liked this side of her better. She knew the other part of Alice was still left, that under the surface her brain was working like ever before on plans and her father and stuff like that. But it was still nice to see Alice being happy, like a normal sixteen year old girl. It wasn't until Daphne heard another unfamiliar voice that she broke out of her thoughts.

"Harry Potter", the voice said and Daphne's head snapped to her left, only to see Harry Potter standing there, holding his hand out towards Alice.

"Alice Greengrass", Alice said and it made Daphne wonder why she didn't use her real name.

"You look very familiar", Harry said and watched Alice closely.

"We've met", Alice said and Harry looked surprised. "At Slughorn's Christmas Party, I was the girl that spilled Butterbeer..."

"On my shirt, right, no I remember", Harry laughed before he and Ginny said goodbye and walked off to their friends. Draco and Blaise got up to them and looked at Potter suspiciously, but none of them said anything.

"Have your hair always been a bit curly, Draco?" Daphne asked as both of the boys sat down next to Alice. It wasn't until now she'd noticed the small waves in Draco's hair.

"No", Draco said, "Alice was up all night braiding it because she wanted to see how I would look with curly hair." Daphne looked over at Alice, who couldn't stop herself from laughing.

"It's all natural", Alice said and pulled her fingers though his hair. "Doesn't he look cute in it?" Daphne couldn't but agree; he looked much nicer and much mischievous with his hair like that opposed to his normal, slicked back hair. The couple shared a quick kiss and Daphne did actually feel a bit jealous. She wanted someone to care for her like that; she wanted to be in love like that too. Her gaze went over to Blaise, and their eyes met.

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Alice stood leaned with her back against the wall and her arms crossed, not that she was angry or unhappy, she just found that position most comfortable at the moment. Draco stood with his hand leaning on the wall next to her, bent down to meet her gaze.

"Thanks you for today", he said with a smile and a gently stroke on the cheek with his free hand.

"I wish every day would be like today", Alice admitted and smiled back at him. "Just us, with our friends and not a care in the world." Draco kissed her lightly on the lips.

"I love you", he said and kissed her again.

"Got yourself a new girlfriend, Draco?" The voice was too familiar. "Pansy wasn't good enough for you anymore?"

"Why is that any of your business, Harry?" Draco responded. It sounded more than strange that they called each other buy their first names. Draco didn't turn from Alice; he still had his back towards Potter and his entourage.

"Shouldn't you be off with your Death Eater friends to bully some first years? Leave the poor girl alone", said Potter and Alice could hear the smirk on his lips. It was like Potter though he was doing her a favour by getting rid of Draco.

"C'mon Draco, let's just go", she said in a whisper. But Draco was furious and turned towards Potter with his wand pulled out. Alice stepped out from behind him and put a hand on his.

"It's not worth it", she said and looked him in the eyes. Draco lowered his wand, but only a bit.

"Alice?" Harry suddenly said. Alice turned towards him. "Why are you with him?" The tone of disgust was more than noticeable.

"Because he loves me, and I love him", she said without hesitation. Harry was so stunned that he just left, Hermione and Ron following him without a word. Draco put his wand in his pocket again and turned towards Alice.

"I have to go and work on the..." Alice nodded and kissed him.

"I'll see you later", she said and Draco turned to walk away. But he stopped and turned back before Alice even had thought about leaving.

"Marry me", he said in complete determination.