Disclaimer: I am just a mere visitor in the sublime world constructed by the brilliant mind that is J.K Rowling. Anything that rings a bell is hers.

Chapter 27

Draco's POV

The marble of the grand staircase was cold yet soothing against my back as I leaned against it, patiently waiting for her arrival, the smooth banister made a comforting back rest. The staircase, undoubtedly the grandest feature of the Entrance Hall, also laid claim to being the brightest feature as well when night crawled by, it's white marble luminescent.

I ignored the silk like feel of provoking skin that lay beneath my fingertips and I dragged her into the broom cupboard, ignoring the thunderous footsteps that were the castle inhabitants heading for lunch at the Great Hall next door.

I heard the soft click and suddenly the footsteps disappeared, replaced by a silence so severe it thundered loudly within me. I stared at a long handled broom, its bristles so bent out of shape it was a wonder what that filthy squib even did with it.

"I highly doubt you dragged me away from my lunch to critique the cleaning equipment…"

I snapped around, the lilt in her voice causing my anger to surge and I could feel my eyes bulge at the very sight of hers, twinkling in amusement, her features relaxed and her long dark hair a cushion as she leaned her head against the closed door. I followed a dark lock down to its very end, where it brushed the border of her white collar which lay unbuttoned; her scarlet and gold tie held loosely captive within it…the hollow of her neck set free by its bounds glowed a tasty tan colour that had my own neck seize up slightly.

The playful laughter that filled the room made my eyes flicker back to her face, my annoyance returning and I glared at her, her pink lips parted as her teeth and tongue glinted at me as she laughed at whatever nonsensical thought crossed her mind. I crossed the cupboard in two strides and she didn't even flinch at my sudden movement, a long dark brow cocking slightly to accompany her toothy grin.

"What are you playing at?"

My voice was low, hindered by her scent which seemed to cling to my very clothes as she sat next to me in Arithmancy, carelessly brushing her knee against my thigh, or her shoulder against my own, or her hair finding its way too near my face as she hastened in her seat to get a better view of the victims in the neanderthalic game she played…she was purposely invading all my senses with that cocksure look in her eye, that perk to her lips, the arch to her back, the sway of her hips…fuck she was toying with me and I will NOT be toyed with!

"Playing?" Her voice was innocent but her grey eyes glinted up at me devilishly in a way that made me grumble from the deepest part of me…Salazar Snake this girl… "I'm not playing with you Draco." My name, why the fuck did it sound like that on her lips? "I thought you didn't like my games. So I give up."

She shrugged her shoulders and the action jostled her hair, her fruit scented shampoo accosting me…pineapple…fuck I was not aroused by the scent of pineapple!

I snapped back to my senses, unsettled by the smirk on her face at whatever reaction I obviously was allowing her to see and I held my face in a glower, working hard on it staying there, "Thornton, do not play with me. I am in no mood for games, I am not Potter, I do not fawn over your pretty little tactics and attention seeking ways, what is it that you want. For me to sign off on something for you? For me to take in more orphaned children? What is it?"

"You didn't take in Liam for me Draco." Her eyes dulled slightly, "You took Liam under your wing because you know it was the right thing to do, and I am still both shocked and proud of you for your decision."

I scoffed, "I took Liam in because I know a good lap dog when I see one." Proud? Who the fuck was she to feel proud? "And as always I was right, mindless muscle are a dime a dozen but Rheines…just like Nott-"

"Are you still denying friendship Draco! When will you just admit that Teddy is your friend, just like Zabini is and Liam is not just your friend…he's like a little brother to you. I see the way he hero worships you…it's cute."

I growled, this woman! "Cease your incessant babbling and distractions!" Her words, her body, her attitude! This woman was just one endless distraction. "What is it that you want Thornton?"

My breath hitched as her eyes shone up at me like molten lava, all hints of a smile gone and my chest was set alight as the feeling of her own rubbed against it, "You."

My hands left the hypnotising texture that lay beneath my fingertips and I looked up at the sound of footsteps. The footsteps disappeared to be replaced by a loud sigh of exasperation,

"You!"

My eyes narrowed and I had to swallow the retort that hatched at the tip of my tongue. Me? If anyone should be offended by the others presence it should be me! Me! Not her!

I pushed through the entrance to the Common Room, glowering at a first year that stepped on my shoe that scuttled away wide eyed.

"The kid stepped on your Armani's, not banged your mum. Calm down."

I turned my glower on Blaise, his cynical drawl annoying me more if possible. I had just left Thornton, after she made the most ludicrous announcement! Me! Me! She wanted me! She was fucking around with me, probably bored now that Potter has obviously moved on with Weasley…me! Fuck that insufferable woman to seven hells.

"Nott! Not this again! You were staring at that thing since before I left for dinner! It's becoming more than just a little creepy."

I looked up to where Zabini was directing his conversation and I growled, of course! Of course! Where can I fucking turn without being assaulted by that face! Breakfast! Arithmancy! Broom cupboards! And now this! My own common room!

"I just don't get it." Theo muttered as he observed the picture of Thornton at the back of our Notice Board, the picture was recent, just like the other pictures of the winners in the various categories. Voting was quite boring this year considering most of everyone that made it to the board last year seemed to, if possible, get hotter over the Summer, except for Christina Hendricks…turns out that she wasn't so much as well endowed as she was pregnant and was probably out there somewhere raising her newborn child. "There is definitely something different about her, but I can't place it. And it's not the push up bra!" He snapped at Blaise who had just opened his mouth.

Theo's uncanny behaviour almost made me forget about Thornton for a second, the boy liked to people watch didn't he? He also liked to know every tiny little detail of everyone's life, it's why I kept him around, he had impeccable attention to detail which apparently was failing him dismally.

"Remember when he didn't talk, and all he did was stand around corners watching life pass him, I miss that." Blaise glowered at our brunette friend and I growled, flipping the notice board right way up, tired at looking at that patronizing face.

"HEY!" Theo snapped and I turned to him,

"Her walk."

His brown green eyes widened and he let out a breath, "That's it." He made his way over to a leather couch in the corner and fell into it, a wide smile on his face…since when did he smile? "She's back…"

She definitely was. It wasn't a particular thing that was different about Thornton. Not her eyes, or her hair, or the way she dressed, all of that was the same, the same from the time she waltzed into our lives in fourth year.

And from that time there were times that she would be different, sometimes I knew why and sometimes I couldn't care to find out, but ever since she started dating Potter, whether she had done it on purpose or she was oblivious to it…her walk changed…the way she held her shoulders, they way she commanded a room…it shrunk.

Like so many girls in serious relationships, beautiful as she was, as Daphne was, as any of those girls were, when they were in a relationship the walk always changed. They didn't want to turn heads, they didn't want to seek attention, all they wanted was to cower away with their lover…it was disgusting…deplorable…but this morning…the walk…she was back.

"Hey, hold it right there."

Our heads turned to the notice board that was hanging near us, little Bodrock had his blonde head down, his hands behind his back and his fellow third year boys that were near him scuttled away in a hurry, I wouldn't have found the scenario interesting if it were not for the familiar voice, "Hand it over."

Bodrock sighed, pulling out the parchment from under his shirt and handing it to the seventh year that towered over him.

Carrow took the parchment and flicked his wand, the parchment stuck back up onto the notice board and I didn't even have the energy to glower at the grey eyes that smiled back at me. I wasn't tired enough to miss that Carrow also was staring at those grey eyes…no…

"I didn't know you guarded the notice board on your spare time Carrow? Liza finally dumped you…too much spare time on your hands?"

Aren Carrow turned around, his green eyes smiling as he ran a hand through his black hair, Bletchley and Higgs as always were the two blonde bitches at his shoulder.

"Elizabeth and I parted months ago Zabini, I am sure you heard. Much the same way as you and our little Daphne did so." Carrow's smirk widened but I know his jibe had no outward effect on Blaise. "I unlike you; don't like little horny teenagers wanking away at what is mine."

Blaise scoffed and I was impressed, if anything was possible to break his façade it would be speak of Daphne and their break up, but Carrow mentioned it twice, two times more than anybody else dared to and he managed to keep his cool.

"And you think Kitten is yours?" My eyes flickered to Theo, who had an amused look on his face. Wait…was that what Carrow meant? Is that why he took her picture back from Bodrock? "I thought you didn't date school girls."

"There are exceptions to every rule." Everyone knew Carrow didn't date girls in school, ever since we were in third year and we spotted him coming down the stairs with Lady Lympsham at her own daughter's wedding, his zipper open and his face as red as a Gryffindor scarf.

Of course that following year he began dating Elizabeth Lexington, the lead singer of Wicken and my first ever crush…but they broke up months ago when Elizabeth caught him cheating on her with her own mother no less…scandal scandal scandal. I wasn't complaining, Elizabeth was extremely pissed off with Carrow, and Salazar knows what a wronged woman was capable of and I was the lucky bastard that helped exact her revenge. "Anyway, judging by Potter, Thornton is no little school girl."

I cocked a brow at him and he sighed, taking a seat opposite me and I grumbled, why did I have to show interest.

"It seems you little kids need a lesson on the art that is The Chase. Don't worry; Aren Carrow is nothing if not generous with his wisdom. Now, what you ask, makes Thornton different to the other many and varying and oh so generous hot girls in the school? Nothing, she is as interchangeable as the Daphne's and Chang's and Riss' of the school, all pretty faces. Yet…"

He leaned forward, a glint in his green eyes, "Zabini," He gestured to Blaise, "Corner and Harrington…are not a stitch changed as they were before dating the aforementioned ladies…but Potter. Oh there is only one thing that can make a man who was so awkward that my left toe had more skill in nabbing a girl than his whole person, into a man that not only struts around like he owns this place but manages to pull another hot girlfriend like this," he clicked his finger, "not weeks after his scorcher of a bint dumps him, and that little boys…is confidence. And no it's not this Chosen One crap or the scar or whatever…that little boys' is the effect of a good…nay…a great lay. A lay so great that it makes you think that you can have any woman in the world. And a lay like that is definitely worth an exception in my books."

I stared at Carrow…was he serious…he actually was after Thornton because he thought she was a good time! A good and from the way he spoke, an easy time.

"Wow Carrow, wow. That logic…flawless." Blaise announced, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Carrow rose to his feet, "Laugh all you want boys, but I'm the one that's going to be laughing when I bang Thornton."

"You laugh when you orgasm, that's not right Carrow. You should get that checked." Theo added and I sniggered as Carrow glowered and trounced away with his cronies.

"Poor sick fuck, he has no idea what he is getting himself into."

I chuckled darkly and Theo squinted at me in thought, "And you do?"

"What?" My chuckling ceased immediately.

"Well, do you know what you are doing Draco?"

"I'm not doing anything." Why did I sound so defensive?

"Exactly!" Theo snapped, "Yes, Carrow is deplorable, he is a scumbag and I want him to try with Kitten just for laughs, and Igleby, who if you didn't notice has a thing for her, has his own head shoved so far up his own arse when he talks he farts, so I also want him to go after Kitten for my own amusement. But…she's back Draco. Any day now, some Gryffindor with a good sense of humour and courage and bravery and all that smack, is going to come along and Kitten is going to fall for him. Who knows…" His eyes widened, "Could be Longbottom."

I rolled my eyes, "And? So?" I was really tired if that was my only defence.

Theo shrugged, "Carrow might have spoken a load of shit, but he was right about one thing. Kitten is different from the Chang's and the Riss' in the world." He leaned to the side and looked at Blaise empathetically, "Notice how I didn't say Daphne?"

Blaise grumbled, getting to his feet, "I hate Granger. She caused this." He gestured at Theo's smiling face, "Remember when people used to think he was a mute?"

"Malfoy!"

I snapped my head up and took a step back; she seemed to have reached my step whilst I daydreamed. "I'm not going to ask again, what are you doing here?"

"What does it look like Granger. You're a prefect. I'm a prefect. It's nine. The time we do rounds. Surely you can work out what that means."

She narrowed her brown eyes at me, and crossed her arms, "Ernie was supposed to partner up with me tonight."

"McMillan swapped with me." I strode up the stairs, annoyed already. Did she have to dissect every little thing? She was making it hard to lie.

She didn't pry anymore, and I watched as she grasped the door knob of a familiar broom cupboard, "Hey! What do you think you're doing? Someone could be in there."

Her brows rose, "That's why I am opening it! It's our job as prefects to make sure nobody is engaging in any indecent activities-"

"Everybody knows that the broom cupboards on the first and second floor are just for snogging. What's so indecent about that? You want to ruin some poor first years first kiss?"

She glowered at me, twisting the knob and pushing the door open, ignoring my words. The girl was mental.

"Bodrock." I spat out. He stared at us wide eyed and I frowned, "Get out." He scampered out and I was right, he was alone in there.

"Where's your girlfriend." Granger glared at the boy and his face paled, "Did you send her away when you heard us coming?"

Bodrock shook his head, "Bodrock, go."

He didn't wait for me to tell him twice and scampered away whilst Granger shouted after him, "Ten points from Slytherin." She turned to me, "You may have no respect for rules Malfoy! But being caught engaging in-"

"Engaging in what Granger, he was alone?"

She straightened up, which did nothing in helping her look foreboding because she was just as short as Thornton whose forehead barely grazed my shoulder, "He is still past curfew."

"Yes, but that's no reason to scar a boy for life!"

"Scar him!" She shrieked, "I merely-"

"What do you think he was doing in a broom cupboard at this part of the night? Alone."

She opened her mouth and then shut it, her lips forming a thin line as realisation dawned on her. I know Mason never does it in the dorm, even if we all were asleep and he had his drapes spelled shut, he always snuck off to the secret room behind the statue of the Hogwarts Architect and have himself some alone time…some guys were just shy.

I cocked a brow and she turned on her heel, her face considerably redder walking up the next flight of stairs.

For the next half an hour we walked the school in complete silence, ten o'clock couldn't come soon enough. What was I hoping to achieve by swapping with McMillan. Salazar I was thinking with my lower brain more than Bodrock these days.

The annoying laughter floated across the room to me and I turned to glare at her, she of course didn't notice. She was too busy laughing at whatever Dean Thomas had said that was so funny that she looked two seconds from turning blue if she didn't take another breath. The dark boys face shone brightly at making her laugh so and Granger looked at the two in chastisement, something she was failing dismally at considering her upper lip twitched on the verge of laughter herself.

"What can possibly be so funny?" Theo finally turned away from the book he had been reading and stared at the scene from across the Library, I rolled my eyes, Granger so much as smiles at someone else and he knows. Disgusting.

Just then Longbottom waddled over, literally waddled…can the boy be more pathetic and fell head first in front of Thornton which only made her laugh some more. I stood, I had enough of this shit, trying to look away at the way she pulled him up and dusted him off and smiled at him…Longbottom!

"Interested in carpentry?"

I span around as I felt the book slip from under my arm and watched it float in the air in front of the scarlet and gold tie, my throat caught. Fuck…this is why I needed to stay away from her…questions…I can't have her asking questions…why didn't I just take the book and leave…go to the dorm and read it like I was supposed to but then I saw her…

I snatched the book on magically imbibing timbre back and turned on my heel.

"I had an interesting conversation with Alec Carrow today."

I laughed to myself, the idiot made such a poor impression she couldn't even remember his name.

"He's very handsome." My inner amusement stopped…what…

"Well it depends, if that's your type." I said nonchalantly, carrying on out the library. I pushed the door to close behind me but I closed my eyes as I didn't hear the snap…she was following me…why….

"Actually that's my exact type."

"What?" I couldn't even pretend to not be shocked by that, Aren Carrow, the idiotic dick on a human was her type! What?

"Black hair, green eyes…it's all very déjà vu." She laughed; giving no emotion away on her face…fuck…did that prick remind her…well that's just pathetic. She laughed harder, "Joke Malfoy."

I didn't respond, heading down the stairs, "So are we just going to pretend that conversation that happened amongst Filch's prize brooms earlier on…didn't happen?"

"Look Thornton-"

"No you look Malfoy." Her eyes glinted and she stepped forward, "You asked what game I was playing and now I am going to answer you. There's no name for it really but it's been going on from the dawn of time, the rules evolve almost mercurially, so too do the players, but what's the one thing that's a constant is that it's a ton of fun. I guess the question I am asking is…do you want to play with me?"

She stood right in front of me, her grey eyes bright and expecting, "Isn't this a bit desperate?"

She smirked, her pink lips kinking up in the most delicious of taunts and my insides twisted, "Maybe on anybody else right?" She picked her hands up and my heart stopped, but I never felt the smooth skin, she instead laid them on my tie which I loosened after the last class, I could feel the material tighten around my neck and my lips dried up in anticipation, "I'm not afraid to go out and get what I want…a lioness is never afraid of hunting her prey."

I could feel her breath on my neck, and it thawed my senses which seemed to freeze over and I grabbed her hand, turning her around and pushing her against the wall, digging into her waist and pushing against her, "I'm no prey Thornton."

I leaned forward and I stopped as she held a finger up to my lips, "And I'm done hunting Draco. Tag, you're it."

She pushed me off her and I was too shocked to even retaliate as she walked away, "What the fuck?"

She laughed; a mischievous smile on her face, "The ball's…" her smile widened as she glanced down at my pants, "-Is in your caught Mr Malfoy. I do believe if you play your cards right, you could score."

"Thornton-" Did that just happen! FUCK! She was taunting me!

"What Draco. I've been playing this game without any clues or any rules; you can't possible want some cheat code?"

I frowned, what was she saying and her smile widened, "See that's your problem, muggle references go right over your head."

My frown turned to a glare, "Oh so that's what you're doing, trying to humanise the Malfoy again. Trying to change his opinion about muggles?"

She scoffed, and I couldn't help look at how her breasts bounced at the motion…fuck…what was wrong with me.

"I don't have time to change your opinion about muggles. But I have decided that your opinion on a certain muggle born that is very close to my heart needs to change…I couldn't possibly play with you if my best friend disagrees."

"If you think I am going to-"

She held her hand up, "I don't think anything. I'm just merely pointing you in the right direction as to how to make your next move."

"You think too much of yourself, if you think that I would speak a kind word to that…person just to get to you..."

She smirked, "Oh I think my opinions concerning myself is just about right."

I smirked at her back as she walked away with that walk…that damn fucking walk…Theo was right…she was back and I was fucked…

"Well Good night."

I looked at Granger as she turned on her heel and walked up the staircase to their common room, "Wait."

She snapped around, her brown eyes glowing angrily at me, "You think I don't know what this is! The flowers! The sudden changing of the prefect schedule. I know what you're doing and if you think for a second that some stupid roses and this, whatever this is, will make up for the years of torture and ridicule that you left at my doorstep then you're a bigger idiot than I thought you were before."

"You think I want to talk to you. To send you flowers. Thornton thinks-"

"I know what Ky is doing. She told me when I got the flowers, which by the way, I hate peach roses, and thirty-"

"It's not my fault, Theo didn't want to tell me what flowers you like-"

"OH MY GODRIC! What is up with you Snakes! Why can't you just stay away! She will never be with you Malfoy! NEVER! She is just playing some stupid game and you're so far gone you can't even see-

"You think I don't know she's playing with me! You think I don't see that she's hurt and she feels like crap and she feels powerless so she's playing this stupid game with me so that some of the confidence that Potter broke into pieces can be built up again! You think I don't see that."

I swallowed… taking a step back. Fucking Granger. I was so angry I just spoke without thinking…I spoke my thoughts! Honestly! Only idiots did that!

I turned on my heel,

"Malfoy."

"What!" I snapped around.

"I'm listening." Her nostrils flared and she looked like she was ready to bolt.

"To what?"

"To what you have to say. That would make me…forgive you."

I knew what I had to say. I knew what Thornton expected me to say. But just like my quill couldn't write it on the card I attached to the flowers…my mouth couldn't say it…

Thornton may think she was just asking me to change my mind about one mudblood, but Granger was The Mudblood. She was the conundrum. If they were lesser than us, why was she better at magic than most? My father could never answer that question…and I had spent most of the first few years at school chalking her up to a stroke of luck. My father even went so far as drawing up a lineage of her family…muggles…all of them…

So mudbloods weren't stupid…and they definitely were not these decrepit creatures that the old folks made them out to be…and they didn't steal magic…nobody can steal magic…

And if our kind feared them because they made exposure to muggles riskier…then what was the Dark Lord doing? Burning bridges and sending his Death Eaters muggle baiting…natural phenomena the muggles called it…was that not exposure?

Yet here she stood…asking for an apology for what? I'm not naïve, I know I never treated her well but when did she ever treat me well. Was it not a mutual dislike? I for one never raised my hand at her…

"I'll apologise if you admit you were just as wrong-"

"I never insulted you-"

"You slapped me-"

"You were cheering the death of an innocent creature!"

"That creature nearly chopped my arm off!"

"Because you didn't listen to Hagrid when he said-"

"Hagrid! That oaf is not a qualified teacher!"

"LOOK! You haven't changed a bit! Hagrid is…he is a teacher."

I smirked, ha, that oaf wasn't qualified and not even Granger could win that argument. "How was I supposed to know that chicken could understand english!"

"He isn't a chicken, he is a hippogriff and he's name is Buckbeak."

"Don't you mean was, didn't they kill the thing."

"UGH!" She stomped her foot, "I cannot see what Ky can possibly see in you! You are absolutely VILE!"

"Oh get off your high horse Granger. You lot are all the same! Narrow minded little-"

"Narrow minded! Us! OH my goodness you are not serious! HA! YOU are calling US Narrow minded!"

"Aren't you? Name one person you truly know from Slytherin. One person you can call friend. Just one."

She bit her lip, like she wanted to say something and decided against it. "Like you can call one person friend in Gryffindor."

"That doesn't make me evil, it makes me just as narrow minded as you are."

She frowned, pushing the bushy strands that fell into her eyes out of her way, "She'll never love you."

I scoffed, "That's fine by me, I don't want her love."

She took a deep breath, calming herself down and walked back down the steps. "Please Malfoy…just leave her be. She thinks she's ready to play these games with you but…she isn't…you could probably have any other girl you wanted."

"Exactly. Yet here I am…talking to you…"

"A mudblood."

"Granger my dislike for you has nothing to do with your blood status, can I not just dislike you because of your personality, there is more than enough to dislike there."

She glared at me, "I won't ever vouch for you."

"I don't need you to. I just need her to know that I tolerated you for at least an hour."

I turned on my heel to walk away as she shouted after me, "An hour of your life that you wasted!"

I don't know about that…I needed Thornton to surrender, for this game to end, for me to win so I can concentrate on the task at hand…she was a distraction and the only way to deal with distractions is to offer them attention, so much so that they bore you and suddenly you have all the time in the world to concentrate on what's important. I just had to wait it out until Thornton became a bore, it always happened…nobody can entertain you forever…I just had to wait it out until she's nothing but background noise, opposed to the eclipse she currently was…

A/N: Please review

So what does everyone think of Draco…?

Kalina