My eyes kept flitting over to Draco as we sat slumped in our seats on the train journey home.
I couldn't help but feel anxious for him; ever since Harry's revelation about his 'list', Draco had become withdrawn, his features more pale and tired than ever.
He never said it out loud but I could tell he was afraid of going home; afraid of the kind of life his father had forced him and his mother into.
"It's all lies," he maintained fiercely to anyone that would listen. "Potter is just a deluded twat."
But I could see he didn't believe that any more than the rest of us did. Harry was so smug, so self assured in his allegations, that there was no way he wasn't telling the truth.
"Hey," I said, gently nudging my foot against his shin, "any new games waiting for us in the treehouse this summer?"
He lifted his head, his eyes widening slightly. "You still want to come?" He asked, his voice a tone of surprise.
"Of course I do, Drac," I said, my lips tugging into a smile. "It's the highlight of my year, you know."
Draco's own lips twitched up at the corners.
"It's mine too," he murmured, his silver eyes twinkling as they looked back into mine.
It was a shame that the moment was ruined by Pansy bounding in and jumping on his lap.
******
The summer holidays were fraught. I kept checking the Daily Prophet, looking out for any news on Voldemort's return, but nothing seemed to come of it.
I was relieved when Mum didn't kick up a fuss about me visiting a likely Death Eater's home. Her only grumble about it was that I wouldn't be around to mix her gin and tonics.
"But darling, you've gotten so good at it! Bernard is utterly dreadful, always hacks at the cucumber so that I end up with pips stuck to my lips with every sip."
It had been a long six weeks at home when I finally rocked up at Malfoy Manor; ready to spend the tail end of the summer with Draco.
"Blaire, darling!" Narcissa greeted me, enveloping me in her arms as I stepped out of the black car that the Malfoy's had sent to fetch for me and my belongings.
"Merlin, you have grown so much," she gushed, standing back to look at me properly, like a proud aunt or grandmother would. "Quite the beautiful young woman these days."
I smiled, not really sure how to answer this. I wasn't used to being complimented by mother figures; well, except for when it came to praising my ability to mix cocktails, that is.
"Thank you for having me again," I said instead, my eyes scanning the perimeter of the Manor, hoping for sign of my best friend.
"You don't have to thank me," Narcissa smiled kindly, guiding me up the steps towards the front entrance, "you know we love having you here; you're like one of the family."
I was pretty sure Lucius didn't share that same sentiment, however.
"Where's Drac?" I asked, hoping we could go straight to his treehouse. As much as I loved Narcissa, I didn't relish the thought of bumping into his father.
"He'll be here," Narcissa assured me as we made our way to the kitchen. "I know he's been looking forward to your arrival all summer. I'm hoping he'll even stop moping around now that you're here."
"Has he not seen Pansy?" I asked, feeling somewhat surprised. I'd assumed he'd spend at least some of the holidays with his girlfriend.
Narcissa frowned, furrowing her brow. "Pansy? As in Pansy Parkinson?"
Her confusion baffled me. Hadn't Draco told her about his relationship?
"Oh, I just assumed," I shrugged, back tracking slightly. "They hang out sometimes at school, you see."
"Well, that's certainly news to me," she said, her face seeming to drop in disappointment. "The only person Draco ever really talks about when he's not going on about Harry Potter is you. So... are my son and this Pansy close?"
Shit. I felt like I was majorly betraying Draco just by allowing this conversation to happen in the first place. He obviously had reasons as to why he hadn't shared his relationship with his mother and now I'd just inadvertently exposed him.
Before I could think of how to answer, the kitchen door flew open and relief flooded me as I turned to see Draco enter.
His eyes immediately met mine and the strangest feeling came over me. I couldn't quite explain it; it was as though my stomach had flipped like a pancake and my heart expanded like a balloon.
I'd missed him, I realised; I'd missed him more than I'd cared to admit.
I had to resist the temptation to jump down from the stool I had just perched myself down upon and run across the kitchen into his arms.
We didn't hug, that's not what we did. So it would be weird if I initiated it now.
Yet then why did I want to so much?
"Hey, Blaire," he murmured, his lips tugging into a warm smile.
I couldn't help but notice that his voice sounded different; lower, huskier. It suited him.
"Hey," I said, returning the smile as he crossed the kitchen towards me, hopping effortlessly onto the stool next to mine.
I couldn't stop looking at him, for some reason my eyes only wanting to stare at his face; to analyse his hypnotic features. Had his jaw always been that chiseled? Had the bob of his throat been quite so prominent before?
I found myself wanting to reach out and touch him, to brush my fingertips down the side of his face and feel the roughness of the newfound stubble along his chin.
"Are you okay, Blaire?" Draco asked, his eyes narrowing curiously.
I blinked. Shit, I had been staring; no - practically drooling. What was wrong with me? This was Draco; my best friend. I needed to not look at him like that.
"Yeah," I said, looking away; trying to disguise my flustered state. "Just been a bit of a drag of a summer."
"How is your mother?" Narcissa asked, moving around the kitchen as she made up a pot of tea. "Still-?"
"Cheating? Drinking? A downright embarrassment of a human being. Yeah. All of the above."
Draco gave an awkward cough at the same time as Narcissa let out a startled 'oh'.
"Well," she said, after a pause; her smile a little strained, "you know you're always welcome here, anytime."
There was something in the way she spoke which alarmed me. Her words seemed genuine, but the nervous way she glanced towards the door after she'd said them told me that all was probably not exactly well in Malfoy Manor.
And I'd put all my gold on Lucius's return to his old career having everything to do with it.
Narcissa placed three steaming cups in front of us as conversation turned to the events of the previous year; Draco in his element talking about what a show off Harry Potter had been during the tournament; instantly dismissing any discussion of Pansy when his mother tried to bring it up.
"Why haven't you told your mum about Pansy?" I asked him, as we later walked across the grounds to his treehouse. "She barely even seemed to know who she was when I mentioned her name."
"I don't know," Draco shrugged. "I just don't want her inviting her round, I guess. I see enough of Pansy in Hogwarts as it is."
"Wow," I said, making my voice sound disapproving but secretly feeling pleased, "are you trying to get the boyfriend of the year award? I mean, why are you still with her when it's clear you can't even stand her anymore?"
"Don't, Blaire," he muttered, as a look of irritation crossed his features. "I don't want to talk about Pansy."
"Okay, okay," I sighed, rolling my eyes as we climbed into the treehouse's elevator.
It turned out Draco's looks weren't the only thing that had changed over the course of the summer.
"Where's the PlayStation?" I spluttered, looking at the empty space in the corner where the home entertainment system used to sit, "and the telly? Oh god, please don't tell me the sweet stash has gone too?"
"I had to get rid of them," Draco said regretfully, driving his hands into his trouser pockets. "Mother reckons it's too risky these days."
Damn that Lucius.
We took walks amongst the Manor's grounds instead; discussing the things we'd do once we finally left school and flew the nest.
"I'm going to own my own arcade," I announced, imagining all the pretty lights and sounds as people flocked and spent their Muggle money on my Muggle games machines.
"Nice," Draco murmured absently, his mind evidently a million miles away as we ambled through the topiary bushes.
"And perhaps I'll allow you to open a little workshop in the back where you can make badges." I added teasingly, nudging him in the side.
Draco looked down at me, an odd expression upon his face. He swallowed, and I watched the bob of his Adam's apple; an unexpected image of pressing my lips against it popping into my mind.
"What is it, Drac?" I asked, sweeping my tongue over my suddenly dry lips as he continued to stare strangely at me.
Finally, once shaking himself out of his reverie, he spoke. "Father wants us both to join him for dinner tonight."
I'm not going to lie. Of all the things I thought he was going to say, this was not one of them.
"Why?" I asked, confusion filling my mind. I had no idea what Lucius could possibly want from me.
"I don't know," Draco admitted, shaking his head apologetically, "but we've got to go, Blaire. You don't say no to my father."
Pah. You just fucking watch me.
******