The next morning I woke up happily, although it took me a while to realize why that was. When I fully remembered the night before, I felt fear bubbling up. What would happen now? Why did he do that? Did he just trick me? Was I going to be laughed at for the rest of the year? No longer accepted by anyone?

However, he was the one who had blundered and he walked away afterwards without giving me a chance to blunder too. Although I didn't fully understand what was going on, I knew I was safe. I was the one who could make fun of him, not the other way around.

"Good morning", Hermione said.  I  startled from my thoughts “Hey!”

"And how did it go yesterday?"

"Well, we had to clean a cupboard."

"Oh"

"What?"

“Oh come on, I know we didn't say anything, but Malfoy stood up for you! There must be a reason for that, right ?! ” I looked at her in disbelief, but also got a trapped, tight feeling round my chest. "I've been watching you," she continued.

"What?!"

“Yes, after you said he was not that bad. I could tell you were right. I ask myself why?"

“Yes, I don't know either” I was actually very honest saying that. Hermione didn't seem to believe me, but left it go. Luckily it was weekend now and Draco and I could easily avoid each other.

After breakfast I went to visit Fred and George. I followed them up the stairs again, but I was distracted.

"Joanne, everything okay?" George asked suddenly.
"Yes, I am just a bit tired", I replied, but Fred's gaze lingered on me. He realized that something was wrong.

He looked at George, who hit Leo on the shoulder. “We're going to sell Fanting fancies!”, he announced. Leo, who seemed confused, followed him out of the room.

Uncomfartable I looked round the room. Fred came closer to me. "Youľe one of us now. You can talk to us." His voice was calm and soothing. His eyes soft and friendly. I smiled at him, touched by his sweetness, but knew I could not tell jim what troubled me. So I simply replied: "Thanks, Fred!"

"Are you homesick?" he asked. Eventhough I hadn't thought about my home, I started telling him about it. I told him about my father, about my friends in the United States and about my owl, who was old and we had left with friends. I kept talking for reasons I didn't comprehend. I even told him about my mother, who I had never  really known.

"My father is the one that killed her." It was my voice that had carried this message throught the silence. Fred was to shocked to see that I had suprised myself by telling him. I had never told anyone before. I used to tell people she had died giving birth to me.

He took my hand and gently squeezed it, to encourage me to go on.
"I was actually born here in England", I confessed. "My mother was a deatheater." The compassion in his eyes touched me. I felt tears welling up in my eyes. As they formed salted lines down my cheecks, Fred pulled me into his arms.
"Hermione told Harry en Ron." My voice was highpitched an Fred sighed. He placed his chin on top of my head and said: "I'm so sorry."

He didn't know what else to say, so he just held me untill my tears dried up. Then he accompanied me to the great hall.  A few people looked up in surprise. It was highly unusual for Fred and George to enter a room seperatly. We joined Leo and George for dinner. I pretended not to notice the looks that Fred and George exchanged. The rest of the weekend nobody asked me about my distractions.

 
My first class in the surroundings of Malfoy was Defence of the Dark Arts. I pretende to be looking outside when the Slytherins entered the room. I succeeded in avoiding eyecontact with Malfoy. When I left the classroom Fred was waiting for me. "Fred?" Rob asked curiously.
"I've come to pick up Joanne! You should be happy about that!" he winked at me and I chuckled.
"Thanks, Fred!"
"You're very welcome!" he answered and he put his arm round my shoulder.

After lunch Hermione and followed Harry and Ron to the dungeons. "
You should have seen the look on Malfoy's face!" she whispered. I looked at her in surprise. "When Fred came to get you this morning", she clarified. I still frowned. "Can you imagine Malfoy being into a gryffindor?" she laughed and I snorted, eventhough i felt flushed.

"What are you guys talking about?" Ron interupted.
"Next years' classes" Hermione lied. I was happy about the interuption, but my felt heavier with each step that took me closer to the dungeons. The door of the room was open and we each took our place. The classroom slowly filled and I stared at my desk the entire time.
"Hi", it sounded next to me and i looked up, startled. My eyes fixed in his iceblue marbles. I quickly reverted my gaze at the desk as I whispered: "Hi"
"We need to talk." I looked up again and tried to hide the panic that bewildered my heart, as I averted my gaze again.

 "Yes, I suppose we do. How?"
I heard his chuckle and my heart pounded in my chest. "More detention?" he suggested mockingly.
"I'd rather not."
"Didn't think so."

"Mister Malfoy and Miss Dhanes, would you mind shutting up?" Snape's terrifying voice echoed through the room. "You can both come back to detention tonight", he added and ik looked up.
"Why?" I asked, genuinly surprised.
"Because, miss Dhanes, you haven't finished the job!"

My jaw literally dropped and I knew Malfoy was shocked too. He looked at us, warning us to keep quiet. Filled with abger i placed my kettle on the fire.
"If anything he did solve our problem", Malfoy mumbled, but I knew he was angry at Snape too.

"What an ass!" Hermione said as we were out of Snape's hearing distance.
"Who Snape or Malfoy?" Harry asked and Hermione snorted.
"Snape ofcourse! What did Malfoy do?" she replied aggitated.
"He's an ass anyway", Ron shrugged.

I thanked them for the empathie and left for Herbology, peoud that I was able to find it by myself.

Later that night I,once again, left the common room for detention. "Evening, Dhanes", Snape greeted me as I entered his classroom. "Draco will be here soon. You can get started."
I waled to the closet and heard Draco enter a little later. He coldly greeted Snape, who according to my friends had never given Malfoy detentiob before.
"I hope you started already, Dhanes. It your fault were in this mess afterall.
"I'm not your house-elf, Malfoy!" I spat back.

"Come now, be nice. I have to meet with the headmaster and I would hate it if a student got hurt on my watch."

"Yes, professor", we both grunted and that appeared to satisfy Snape, who left for his meeting.

"So", Malfoy said and he turned to face me. Before i realised what I did I took a step backwards. He looked at my feeth and then into me eyes, asif that one step had broken his heart.
"Listen, I appreciate you not telling your friends", he said with a tone that hinted both anger and tenderness.

Strangely this combination seemed to stirr something in my stomach.
"You have to last all year as my potionspartner", I smiled. "At least you're capable."
Malfoy chuckled and the sight of it made me bite my lip. God he was cute.
"Goyle isn't exactly your standard Slyrherin", he explained.
"Neither are you", I answered.

His eyes now pierced into mine and I wondered if he could hear my heart pounding. His arrogance was nowhere to be found, al I could see in his face was desire.

"You're no ordinary Griffindor either", he wispered. My belly itched and my mouth turned dry, as he came a little closer. What was wrong with me? And him? What the hell was happening to him?

Frantically I tried to think of a rude remark thay would turn him into his arrogant self. My mind was blank, all i could come up with was: "we should get started, before Snape gets back."
I turned to face the shelves, but he pulled my back at my shoulder.

He pushed me against the wall and hissed: "This is the second time you've gotten me into detention!"
For a split second I rhought he'd become his old self again, but then he took my cheeck and roughly pressed his lips against mine.
This time long enough for me to react. I put my hands against his chest and pushed him away.
"Malfoy!" I said annoyed as I looked at him.

"What?" He squeaked: "I thought you wanted this?"

"Are you crazy? How could that possibly work?"

"Maybe not", he admitted.

"Ofcourse not! Why would it? We barely know eachother!" I reminded him.

Strangly this last argument seemed to strengthen him an he took another step closer as he said:
"We don't have to. I knew right away that you were different!"

"Malfoy, please. That's not how it works", I said. I had tried to sound indifferent, but my heart pounding in my troat made me squeek a little.

His gaze held my own and I felt my legs going weak. In that moment I realized that I understood his pain as he understood my confusion. He stroke a lock of hair out of my face. "If only you were a Slytherin",he whispered heavily. I smiled weakly at him and his eyes now locked on my lips. His hand crawled up to the back of my neck and I tried frantically not to enjoy it. "Draco", I whispered, in a last attempt to make him stop.

"Shht", he answered and he gently put his lips against mine. Soft and controled, not rough and impulsive like he had done before. As if I was a fragile doll he let my lips go and stared into my eyes. His desire and passion were obvious and the look he gave me was an unspoken question.

With itches and tickles all over my body I could no longer fight it. I threw my arms round his neck and pulled him closer to me. Without any selfco trole left I kissed him with a birning desire, I had tried to fight.

Eagerly he answered it. Nobody else mattered, nothing else existed. Just Draco and me in that dark corner of the dungeons. He pushed himself up against me and let his hand search for the opening of my robe.

In just a second of his clumsyness I seemed to wake up out of my dream of passion. I pushed him away. "No!" I panted: "It's wrong"
"Did that feel wrong to you?" he chuckled, whilest his hand now found the opening of my robe. He put his lips in my neck and his hand now searched for the edge of my shirt. His lips in my neck made me moan and it cost me every effort to push him away again.

"Look, Malfoy. It's not right. We're probably just hormonal right now."
His left eyebrow lifted crooked.
"You mean we're to horny to hate eachother?"

"Something like that. You should go and mess around with Park" I suggested.
He snorted: "If I was just horny I would have already. I can have any Slytherin girl I want." I sighed, the return of his arrogance would help my determenation.

"Whatever, just try it", I answered and he shrugged as he stepped back.
"It's worth a shot", he decided. Eventhough this was the response I needed to hear, the idea of Malfoy and Park made me sick.

"Does that mean you're going to hook up with Weasley?" He asked, with a slight tremor in his voice.

"Ron? No way!" I answered and gave him a shocked look. Hie looked at me, with a straight face and my penny dropped. "Oh you mean Fred..."

He looked at me, expectong an answer, so I shook my head. "He's a good friend. I wont jeopordize that."

"But you just said..." I interrupted him.
"If you act normal again, I will be fine", I said abruptly and I turned to the shelves again. I felt his eyes at the back of my head, but ignored him. Soon he too started cleaning shelves and silence was our only companion.

Several hours later Snape released us from duty. We walked the stairs together in silence and I desperatly searched for a rude comment, because that's how things were meant to work.
Instead I followed his example as he stopped at the end of the stairs. I ripped my eyes from the floor and tried to look at him with arrogance. The soft smile on his face made me realise I hadn't succeeded at that.
"Ok", he said softly. "I'll test you theory, Joanne."

My heart skipped a beat as he called me by my first name. I nodded, because my voice was no where to be found. He stepped in closer and whispered:
"What if it's wrong?"

"We'll see, Malfoy", I shrugged and I ran off to the Griffindor tower. On the way there I cursed myself. Thinking of all the things I should have said. The whole situation was getting out of controle. I was sure Malfoy couldn't actually have feelings for me. Hormones, that was it. Tomorrow all would be normal.