On Christmas Eve, Draco, Crabbe, Goyle and I drag out our mattresses to camp out in the common room so we can all be together.
I place my mattress next to Draco's, and he shares around sweets so we can have a midnight snack.
I feel like I'm at a real sleepover and I cannot sleep for the anticipation of waking up with friends on Christmas morning.
"What are your Christmases like at home?" I whisper to Draco over the loud snores of Crabbe and Goyle.
He turns his head to look at me, his grey eyes twinkling as they catch the light of the dying fire.
"Boring, to be honest," he says quietly, "I've never spent it like this before, with friends."
I feel sad for him because at least even I had Dudley - although he was never allowed to display anything but deep contempt towards me in front of Vernon and Petunia.
"I bet you get lots of presents," I say.
His smirk says it all. But then his face immediately falls. "Not the same as having friends, though."
And then he reaches out, his fingertips touching the back of my hand.
I do not hesitate to turn my hand over and entwine my fingers with his. We share a smile, our hands still clasped together.
We must have fallen asleep like that, because the next thing I know it's morning, Draco's fingers still entwined with mine.
*****
After opening our many presents, the four of us go up for breakfast, and we are shocked and delighted to see it has snowed in the night.
"Best. Christmas. Ever!" Draco laughs as - later that morning - he chucks a snowball in my face.
We spend all day out in the white grounds, building snow-wizards and making snow angels. At one point, Hagrid even brought out some sledges he keeps in his hut for us to play on.
"Doesn't beat flying though." Draco drawls after I beat him at a race to the bottom of a large snowy, slope.
I, however, beg to differ.
"I'm surprised Ron isn't out here," I observe, scanning the deserted grounds around us. "Thought it would be right up his street."
"Granger's probably got him studying or some shit." Draco snickers. "Poor git."
Eventually, when we can no longer feel our fingers or toes, we trudge back to the castle, hungry after our snowy activities.
Christmas dinner at Hogwarts is nothing like what I used to have at the Dursleys (half a burnt roast potato and a carrot which I was only permitted to eat once everyone else had finished the turkey and all the pots and pans were scrubbed clean).
I stuff myself with tender turkey, succulent sausages and resplendent roasties. I savour each brussel sprout, enjoy every sweet sip of pumpkin juice and wipe my plate clean with a sweep of warm bread, soaking it in rich gravy.
By the time we are finished, I am fit to burst.
"I am never eating again," I mutter as Draco and I make our way down to the dungeons. "What was I thinking - having seconds of Christmas pudding? I swear I've just gone up two dress sizes."
Draco stops at the bottom of the stairs to look me up and down. "You look alright to me. Besides, you were always too skinny to begin with."
"I wasn't actually asking for your opinion," I say, wrapping my cloak around me selfconsciouly, "but thanks... I think?"
Draco chuckles and we round a corner to discover Crabbe and Goyle hanging outside the entrance to our common room, talking to Percy Weasley.
"There you are," Draco drawls loudly, strolling towards them. "We were wondering where you disappeared to. Thought you'd still be in the Great Hall pigging out."
Draco glances witheringly at Percy. "And what you're you doing down here, Weasley?"
Percy looks outraged.
"You want to show a bit more respect to a school Prefect!" he says, puffing out his chest. "I don't like your attitude!"
Draco sneers, and turns back to a nervous looking Crabbe and Goyle. "Well! Come on then, let's get inside, Potter and I have got something to show you."
We do? I glance up at an apoplectic Percy. He gives his glasses a little lift off his nose, making him look more pompous than usual.
"What's the password again?" Crabbe asks as he nervously scratches his head.
Goyle just shrugs but says nothing.
"Morons," Draco mutters under his breath.
"It's Pureblood," I helpfully say, keen to get away from Percy.
Crabbe meets my gaze, his face going a serious shade of beetroot as he mumbles a thanks.
I frown. What the hell? Crabbe doesn't blush.
Shrugging, I follow them through, giving a small wave to Percy as I do so.
"YOU SHOULDN'T TELL PEOPLE THE PASSWORD!" He yells after me. "IT IS A SERIOUS VIOLATION OF SCHOOL RULES!"
Wanker.
Draco and I immediately take the sofa by the fire, whilst Crabbe and Goyle hover nervously next to us, as though waiting for instruction.
"Well? Draco spits, glaring up at them both. "Aren't you going to sit?"
They both scurry to find two empty chairs. I exchange a look with Draco, and I can tell that their behaviour is baffling him just as much as it is me.
"Uh-" Crabbe says nervously. "Didn't you have something to show us?"
Goyle nods enthusiastically but still doesn't say anything.
"Oh yes," Draco drawls, getting to his feet. "Wait here, I won't be long."
He heads to his dormitory, leaving me sat with Crabbe and Goyle who are both eyeing me nervously.
"So..." Crabbe says, his face colouring as he reaches for something to say. "Enjoy dinner?"
"Yeees," I say slowly. "You?"
Again, Goyle nods but says nothing.
Crabbe, however, nervously rubs the back of his neck. "I like the spuds, they put rosemary on it like my mum does. Turkey was a bit dry, mind."
"I found the turkey perfectly tender," I say. I look to Goyle, my eyes narrowing in suspicion. "What did you think, Goyle?"
A panicked looked crosses over Goyle's face. He opens his mouth as though to speak but quickly shuts it again.
"Uh- he didn't have any," Crabbe quickly says. "He's gone veggie."
Hang on a minute-
"Here we go!" Draco says, striding back into the room carrying a newspaper cutting. "This'll give you a good laugh."
He shoves it under "Crabbe"s nose.
I know it is an article about Ron's dad, about how he is facing an inquiry at the Ministry after someone spotted Ron and I flying the car. Draco showed it to me earlier, his face alight with glee, especially proud about the comment his father had made on Mr Weasley being unfit for his job.
Curiously, I watch Crabbe, looking intently for his reaction. And, sure enough, his eyes widen in shock and he gives a very forced laugh.
"Well?" Draco says impatiently once Goyle has read it also. "Don't you think it's funny?"
Mute Goyle just nods, the smile on his face strained as he hands it back to Draco.
I sit and wonder just what it is that Ron and Hermione are after, what it is they are hoping to achieve from this sneaky little act. They must have been planning it for a long time to concoct Polyjuice potion.
"So," Crabbe coughs, throwing a glance at Goyle. "we were just discussing this Heir of Slytherin business, weren't we?"
"Father says it's only a matter of time before a Mudblood gets killed." Draco says, offering them information on a platter. "And to think everybody is saying that Harri is behind it all. What a joke."
His eyes twinkle as they meet mine and I poke my tongue out at him.
"Well," Draco continues, looking back at Crabbe and Goyle, "I just hope the next victim is Granger."
In an instant, Crabbe is on his feet, his fist curled by his side as he glares down angrily at Draco. Goyle quickly jumps up and tugs at his arm, trying to get him to sit back down.
I just watch the scene unfold in complete amusement. How on earth Draco cannot tell what is going on simply baffles me.
"What's the matter with you?" Draco asks, his eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Uh- stomachache," Crabbe says quickly, his
hair starting to go the same way as his face: red. "Need to get some medicine."
Without another word, he and Goyle run quickly towards the exit, their large frames shrinking with each step.
"Idiots." Draco mutters under his breath.
"Oh come on," I splutter. "Are you blind as well as death?"
He frowns at me. "What do you mean?"
"That wasn't Crabbe and Goyle!"
"Of course it was. Harri, they were sat right there." His face suddenly contorts into a worried expression as his eyes rest on my forehead. "Are you feeling alright? Is it your scar?"
"I am fine! And no, Crabbe and Goyle weren't sat there, but Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were."
"Do you need to go to the hospital wing?"
"Oh forget it!" I sigh sinking back down into the sofa. "It's not like they achieved anything from it anyway."
Draco just looks at me as though I've grown an extra head.
I'm going to be having serious words with those Gryffindors when I next see them.
******