Note: I hope you are all enjoying this story! I only own the muggle characters. And as you well know, Harry Potter characters are all J. K. Rowlings.

Chapter 7

9:53 p.m. The Courtyard, Hogwarts

Draco had finally made it to the stone arch that lead into the courtyard. Before walking outside, he made sure the sleeves of his white button up shirt were rolled up neatly to his elbows. He also tucked his Prefect badge into the front pocket of his jeans. He pushed his chest out and strode over to Vixen. He stopped quickly when he caught sight of who she was watching in her crystal ball.

It was that boyfriend of hers again. Well, probably her ex-boyfriend now after the previous incident. Curious, Draco remained behind her quietly watching.

Jackson was running a black comb through his hair while standing in his bedroom. He placed the comb on a night stand near his bed and popped a breath mint into his mouth. He then ran his thumbs over his eyebrows before walking out of his room, shutting off the light.

"Ass..." Vixen whispered, angrily. Draco figured this was his opportunity to approach her.

"Getting in some quality time there, muggle?" he asked smiling as he stood beside her.

"What do you want?" she asked not even turning to look at him. Draco kept smiling.

"Checking on you is all," he replied shrugging. She looked up at him slowly.

Draco's smile faded when he caught sight of her fading bruise. It had stretched from her forehead down to her cheekbone. It was lightening up to a pale purple and light yellow now. Draco wasn't sure what he was feeling, but his heart felt heavier.

"I know how that happened to you," he said sitting next to her on the bench.

"What are you talking about?" Vixen asked. Draco pointed to her face and she touched her forgotten bruise lightly.

"Was it him?" he asked nodding toward the crystal ball. Vixen bit her lower lip.

"Why do you care if it was?" she shot back before placing the ball on the grass below her.

"I know how it feels," he said to her.

"Do you now? Do you know how it feels to be abused mentally and physically by someone who should protect you? Hm? Well, do you?" Vixen asked, her heart angrily beating against her chest. Draco looked her in the eyes.

"Yeah. I do. Except it's my father," he quietly said to her, his eyes slightly narrowed. Vixens mouth opened slightly.

She rubbed her left arm slowly, taking in the information he had just given her. She tried to slow her heartbeat, but it was no use. She was too angry and shocked. Maybe she shouldn't have snapped at him the way she did, but how was she supposed to know that he was also a victim of abuse?

"Did you ever try to stop it?" Draco asked, a few pale blonde strands of hair falling into his cold gray eyes. Vixen shook her head from side to side.

"It's probably for the best. He looks pretty strong. Even for a muggle," Draco told her as he looked down at her crystal ball.

"Okay, seriously, why are you doing this? We both know that you hate me and I'm not very fond of you either. So can't you just go away or something?" Vixen angrily asked.

"So that's how you cope. You build up walls. Put on this hardass front so nobody knows how bad it hurts inside. If you shut everybody out then you don't have to take that risk of getting to know them, and getting hurt by them," he said staring at her. Vixen glared at him.

"I don't need to listen to this!" she yelled standing up. Draco also stood up.

Before she could react, Draco had grabbed her shoulders and pulled her body into his. His arms were wrapped around her body and her face was laying on his chest. She tried to fight him at first, but he didn't budge. She placed her palms flat on his chest and felt his heart racing in his chest. Without warning, tears filled her eyes and she buried her face into him, wrapping her arms around his body.

"It's okay to cry sometimes. It's okay to feel the hurt every once and a while," he whispered, tightening his grip on her small body. Draco rested the side of his face against her head as she sobbed into his chest.

"What in the hell am I doing?" Draco thought to himself. He remained silent as Vixens hands clenched the back of his shirt.

Vixen had never felt so safe in her life. For some reason, Draco's embrace was more calming to her than anything else. She slowed her breathing, calming herself down. Her tears stopped and she pulled away from him slowly. Draco released her and stood staring into her eyes. She ran her hands across her cheeks quickly, removing the remaining tears from her tan face.

"I'm sorry if I just crossed any boundaries," he said rubbing the back of his neck lightly.

"It's fine. But I didn't ask you to do that," she pointed out. Draco smirked.

"No, no. Of course not," he replied smiling. The two then sat back down on the stone bench.

Draco and Vixen sat quietly on the bench after their momentary embrace. Vixen tucked a strand of platinum hair behind her ear before looking up at the sky. Draco shifted beside her looking at the ground. His attention was caught by Vixen's crystal ball going cloudy.

"Hey, your thing is doing something," he said. Vixen turned her head and looked at him, confused.

"My what is doing what?" she questioned. Draco sighed.

"Your crystal ball is getting all cloudy," he said pointing at her feet. Vixen looked down and surely enough he was right.

She picked it up slowly and placed it in her lap. She had almost forgotten about the ball. She took a deep breath and sighed.

"Was it serious?" Draco asked. Vixen looked at him.

"You know, with that boy," he said quietly. Vixen pursed her lips.

"Sort of. I mean, I guess. Apparently not to him. But it was to me," she replied calmly.

"How long were you together?" he asked.

"Quite a while. Over a year," she replied shrugging. Draco let out a small laugh.

"What?" Vixen asked a little angry.

"Over a year? That's almost impossible! I mean how do you even continue being interested in someone for that long?" Draco asked completely shocked. Vixen winced slightly at this.

"Must be a guy thing," she replied quickly, turning her face so she was staring directly ahead of herself. Draco now realized what she meant.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? About him, about how rude I've been, just all of it," he said trying to put himself in her line of vision. She held up her hand to him.

"It's whatever," she coldly replied. Draco dropped the subject.

He watched her lean back slightly and lift her head to the sky again. Her light eyes opened slowly, focusing on the stars above her. Her platinum hair was gleaming under the moonlight. Again, Draco felt his heart growing heavy inside his chest.

"It's a nice night," he said to her, breaking the silence. Vixen didn't move.

"Yeah, it is," she replied quietly.

"You really like the stars don't you?" he asked looking up to try and figure out what she had been looking at.

"Yeah. Yeah, I do," she replied. Draco smirked.

"I'll take you on a broom ride some night. I think you'd enjoy that," he told her. She dropped her head and looked at him.

"You guys actually do that? Ride brooms, I mean?" she asked. Draco nodded.

"Well, if you insist, I think I really would enjoy that. But I didn't ask you to take me," she said pointing at him.

"You have a problem asking someone to do things for you?" Draco asked her, smiling.

Vixen shrugged. Silence fell over the two. Off in the distance, a loud howl was heard. Vixen tensed up. gripping the bench tightly. Her eyes widened and she began to sweat. Draco looked at her curiously.

"You okay?" he asked scooting close to her, hesitantly putting a hand on the small of her back.

"What was that?" she asked quickly, obviously frightened. Draco looked out into the darkness, then back at her.

"Probably a wolf. Why?" he asked. Quickly Vixen stood up, almost knocking him off of the bench. Her crystal ball dropped onto the grass and rolled a few feet from them.

"No reason. I have to go!" she yelled quickly, running back into the castle. Confused, Draco stood up.

He watched Vixen disappear into the castle quickly, holding her side. He picked up her crystal ball quietly. He heard another howl, and began to put the pieces together.

"Those scars on her side...," he thought to himself, touching his own side with his hand. He stopped quickly and pulled his hand away from his body when he realized what he was doing.

"That stupid muggle! She's got me trying to figure her out, and I could care less. Stupid girl," he mentally scolded himself. Gripping the ball under his arm, he walked back into the castle.

10:33 p.m. The Slytherin Common Room, Hogwarts

Draco calmly climbed through the painting doorway into the Slytherin Common room. He ran one hand through his platinum hair and sighed as he walked into the living area. He jumped when a voice came from behind him, throwing the crystal ball he had been carrying into the air. He quickly grabbed it and pulled it to his chest before turning around.

"I saw you," Pansy Parkinson said, walking out of the darkness. Draco narrowed his eyes.

"I'm a Prefect, I can go out when I want," Draco shot back with his eyes narrowed.

"Let me correct myself. I saw you, with her," she said cocking an eyebrow at him. Draco flipped his hair, smirking.

"I have many admirers, Pansy. I can't turn them all away," he replied. Pansy scowled at him.

"The muggle!" she yelled. His smirk faded and turned into a scowl.

"You don't know what you're talking about," he shot at her. She laughed quickly.

"Oh dearest Draco, you're digging yourself quite the hole. I mean, what would the other Slytherin's think? Or better yet, what would your father say?" she taunted. Draco's eyes widened out of worry.

"Pansy, mind your own business. Besides, this is all a part of my plan," he said straightening up. She put her hands on her hips.

"You mean the plan you told Crabbe and Goyle? Seems sketchy to me," she replied, inspecting her short, chipped finger nails.

"Nobody asked for your opinion, Parkinson. Now, leave me alone," he angrily said walking off toward the staircase leading to his bedroom.

"Go along with your little plan, Draco. But the minute I see you becoming a traitor, I'm stepping in!" she yelled after him. He continued up the stairs before shutting himself in his room.

He placed the crystal ball onto his bedside table. He then sat on the edge of his bed, rubbing his face with his hands, sighing in the process. He unbuttoned his shirt, throwing it on the floor, and falling back onto his bed.

"What is happening to me?" he thought before closing his eyes tightly.

10:41 p.m. The Gryffindor Common Room, Hogwarts

Vixen had ran as fast as she could back to the Gryffindor common room. Her heart was pounding and sweat was falling down her body. She ran inside the painting doorway and into the Gryffindor living area. She grabbed her shirt from the bottom, hoisting it over her head and launching it across the room.

She gripped her side, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. She was familiar with that howl that she heard in the courtyard. It was the same noise she heard the night she was attacked. She opened her eyes when someone spoke.

"Why is it that every time I see you, you are half naked?" Jake laughed leaning against the couch. Vixen glared at him.

"Leave me alone," she said walking to retrieve her shirt. She picked it up and pulled it back on.

"You okay?" he asked walking toward her. She backed up, and Jake stopped.

"Why are you here?" she asked him. He smiled.

"I'm Neville's this week, so I'll be crashing here," he said putting his hands in his pockets.

"Go sleep somewhere else. It's bad enough I've been brought here without my consent, but I am not okay with the idea of a roommate," she said pushing past him. He smirked and turned to look at her.

She sat down on the couch, looking over her shoulder at him. She scrunched her nose up at him. He raised an eyebrow.

"Stop smirking. You don't do it right," she said, picturing Draco's smirk. Jake laughed and walked to a chair across from her.

"I'm not afraid of you, ya know," he pointed out, still smiling.

"You should be," she shot back, crossing her arms. Jake walked over to the stairs that led to the boys bedrooms. He stopped and looked over his shoulder at her.

"You can't be afraid of something as cute as you," he said before walking up the stairs. Vixen rolled her eyes and fell onto her back on the couch.

"Stupid boy," she thought before closing her eyes.