I'll Always Be There for You...

I'll always be there for you...

When I regained my senses, I blinked again to make sure I was seeing what I thought I had just seen.

"You have something right there," said the guy, pointing to my hair.

I glanced at my hair and saw that some vomit had reached it. Oh gross. The mere sight almost made me want to throw up again, but I just cleaned it out with water and then stood up to closely examine the face of the man.

He had black hair that for once wasn't gelled, but hung in a shaggy fashion with sharp bangs in the front. It looked 'run your hands through it' soft. His light blue eyes were sharp and clear, focusing in on me. They were framed by dark, long eyelashes, which made his eyes appear bigger. The classic smirk that was his trademark was playing on his lips. He was lightly unshaven, but not to the point as to look messy.

He wore dark black jeans and a tight, white t-shirt that showed his muscular build underneath, with a blue jacket on top. Draco Malfoy cocked one eyebrow and smirked when he saw me wipe my hair.

"Well, well, well," he repeated in that deep, sexy voice of his.

"Malfoy?" I asked, incredulously.

He nodded, not taking his eyes off of me. He glanced at the vomit in the grass and said, "You think you had enough to drink last night?"

"Last night?" I asked. And then like pictures in a camera, the whole scene rolled out in front of me. "Oh...last night."

"Where's Dave?" he asked me.

"Dave?" It took me a minute to remember. "Oh he's...wait, how do you know?"

He smirked. "Who do you think held the door open for you when you were leaving?"

It took me another minute. I suddenly remember a guy holding opening the door for me as had I left.

"Oh my god," I said. "That was you? What the hell are you doing? Following me around?"

"Hell, no," he said. "I have better things to do with my time than to listen a Mudblood tell her life story to a stranger and then drink three vodkas and go to his house."

"I had three vodkas?" I asked, unable to believe it. "Oh my god." I suddenly had to sit down, because I was so very dizzy.

"How's Dave by the way?" he asked.

"I hit him with a chair," I answered, not believing I was telling Malfoy all this. "Why do you care anyways? What do you want? Are you here to mock me again, just like you did at school?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "A chair?"

"Oh, shut up, he deserved it," I snapped. "Just leave me alone in my screwed up life."

"Half the bar from last night knows how much your life is screwed," he said.

I groaned. "Just perfect. Like I don't have any other problems in my life. First my mother can't trust me about who I want to marry and keeps nagging me, second my boss is using me and I quit, then Ron and I split up and on top of that no one ever listens to me."

"Like I care," he said, turning to leave.

"No!" I said, pulling his sleeve and pulling him towards me. "I'm going to make you listen. Sit."

I forced him to sit on the bench and then sat beside him to tell him everything. I started from the beginning and left nothing out. I don't know why I was telling my enemy this, but there was no one else and needed to get it out.

When I was done, I heaved a big sigh and said, "There. I'm done. Now go..." But my body was soon racked with sobs as I shook from the tears. My tears wouldn't stop flowing and I was cold and felt really sick from all the vodka.

I didn't notice, but a girl came up to Malfoy and said, "Sir..."

But Malfoy just waved her away and was just staring at me.

"Oh, just go already," I said. "And leave me in my misery."

"I'd be happy to do that," he said, his clear eyes, drinking me in, "but you forced me to listen."

I ignored him, too cold, too hungry, too depressed, too cross, to even care. I just put my head on my lap and cried.

After five minutes, I dried my tears to find Malfoy still there. I was shocked.

"It's no wonder your boss uses you," Malfoy said. "You let everyone walk over you."

"No, I don't!" I said.

He raises an example. "Should I call Dave?"

I slumped back. "Maybe I do."

He nodded slightly. "That's the problem no one knows you're even there. You're always doing favours for everyone and letting everyone take advantage of you. And on top of that, you expect people to treat you the same way. This is the real world, Granger. Not Hogwarts where it's expected you're on your best behaviour, or else you'll lose House Points."

I realise he's right. But that doesn't fix anything does it? "What else am I supposed to do?"

"First, stop feeling sorry for yourself. Second, show people that they can't always take advantage of you," he snaps.

Fresh tears spring from my eyes. "I can't do that."

"Stop crying," he said. When I had wiped my tears away he asked, "Are you hungry?"

"Just a bit," I said.

He nodded and got up. "I know a place around here. If you promise to stop bawling your eyes out, we can go eat there and I might be able to find you another job."

I brighten at the sound of this, but then realised that this was Malfoy. My head was throbbing though and my stomach was rumbling too much to be too troubled by this thought.

I happily got up and followed him across the street. It was a nice cozy restaurant that looked classy, unlike the bar I had visited last night.

I sat across from Malfoy in a window booth with leather seats. Someone brought a menu and he asked me, "What do you want?"

"Anything sounds good now," I said, giving the menu back and resting my head on the table.

Malfoy ordered something and then continued to look at me, surveying everything about me.

When the food arrived, I at my sandwich eagerly, while Malfoy took a sip of his coffee.

When I was done eating, I finally realised I was having lunch with my enemy, who tormented me for seven years of my life, Draco Malfoy.

I asked, "Why are you doing this? What I mean is: you hate me; I hate you. Why are you helping me?"

He smirked, taking a sip of his coffee. "Maybe there's something about you that interests me."

Had he just said that? To me? I had half a mind to turn around and look behind me, but I ignored the impulse.

"Like what?" I asked, keeping my voice cool as possible.

"I have a proposition that might interest you," he said. "You need a job and need to get away from your loser family and friends right? And I need someone for a job."

"What kind of job?" I demanded, feeling suspicious.

"Relax Granger," he said, leaning back in his chair and smirking. "Not that kind of job."

I still didn't trust him. "Then what?"

"It depends," he said, cocking his head to one side.

Argh! I hate those half sentences he gave me. Why won't he just tell me the whole thing!

"On what?"

"On how desperate you are."

"Well, Mr. Malfoy," I said, "that depends on the job."

He smirked; pleased I'm speaking his language now. "I can't tell you the job unless you commit yourself to it."

"And I can't commit myself until I know the job," I snap back.

He shrugged, as if to say your loss.

The way he looked at me made me want to know what it was.

"All right," I said, but I didn't know what I was getting myself into. "I'm so sick of everyone walking all over me all the time and taking advantage of me that I want to get away from it all. I won't let you be the exception, though," I added.

He laughed. "Very smart, Granger." Before he tells me anything, I see him muttering under his breath. I knew that he was casting concealing and soundproof spells so that we could talk without worrying about people listening.

When he was done, he leaned in and said, "All right, Granger. Just like you, a few years ago I left the Wizarding world because I was tired of it and opened up a modeling agency."

"A modeling agency?" I gasped. "You?!"

He nodded. "It's not important now, but I need a lead model at the moment. My main model, Laura, bailed, so I've been looking for someone."

That explained the way he had been looking at me, but it still seemed weird.

Pretending like he didn't notice my surprised expression, he continued, "I need someone who isn't already famous by some other career and also someone plain."

"Are you calling me plain?" I demanded.

He smirked again. "I only speak the truth."

I rolled my eyes and let him continue. "So I need you to be my lead model for a week or two."

"What then?" I asked.

"During the time that you're with me, I'll see how you do. And if you're good, then you can stay."

It sounded harmless enough. "But what kind of modelling?" I asked. "Because I refuse to do any nude..."

He laughed again. "Relax. As much as I want to see that, I don't think the world is ready yet."

I blush at what he said. "What do I get?"

"A good paying job and a way out," he said. "The money's good and it's away from the Wizarding world. You win and so do I."

I suddenly realised how image-conscious I was. I looked at the table and said, "Are there any requirements? Like how tall you have to be and such?"

He shook his head. "It's taken care of."

"But, Malfoy, I'm not a model. What I mean is: I don't look like one. I'm not skinny, I have bushy hair and I'm short."

"Don't worry. Just because we're not in the Wizarding world doesn't mean we can't use magic," he said with a wink.

I didn't like the sound of that, but I had a feeling I was about to find out.

***

After we were done talking, Malfoy took me back to the park, where he was doing a shoot. He made me sit down on a bench near the photographers and watch the process and how they posed.

Before he left me he said, "By the way, just because we know each other from before doesn't mean I'm going to be nice to you. I expect you to call me Sir." With one last smirk he headed back to the models.

I didn't have to be a psychic to know what that meant. It moans that whatever temporary amnesia personality disorder Malfoy had had disappeared, and I should expect his usual nasty Malfoy-ish self back.

Watching the Muggle models made me nervous. All of them were gorgeous and tall, with long, lean legs and perfectly smooth hair. The way they walk--rather strut--was almost as if they were floating on air. They posed as if they were queens of the world and smirked at everyone as if they were their servants.

I felt strange as I watched. I didn't think I could ever be that beautiful or that graceful.

The cliffs provided a beautiful backdrop for the photos, causing the models hair to blow in the wind.

Malfoy was the boss, telling everyone what to do, including the photographer and models. He kept everything in order and spoke to everyone with poise. I could see that they all had a great deal of respect for him.

Watching him made me remember him after Hogwarts. After he graduated he helped us beat the Dark Lord. Now that I think of it, he disappeared for a while after that and now suddenly I meet him again. It was the strangest thing, actually.

After the shoot was done, it took about an hour to clean up everything. When they were done, Malfoy signalled me over with a flick of his hand.

"Thanks everyone," he said, giving instructions as everyone left. "You all did great today. Brandon should have the prints in by the end of the weekend so we'll have them by next week. We might have another shoot, but I'll let you know."

With that, I follow Malfoy to his car, which was cute. It was a black Ferrari that looked brand new.

Malfoy gestured to the passenger seat beside him, which I took, feeling uncomfortable.

Once we get onto the road, he asked me, "What did you think?"

It took me a minute to answer. "Interesting. But I don't think I'm suited for this job."

"Why not?" he asked me.

"Because I can't ever do that," I pointed out. "Be graceful, be all...poised. It's not for me."

"I'll teach you and then I'll judge whether you can do it or not," he said. Silence then etched between us.

"I'll need you to do some quick tests," he said. "So I'll take you to the studio then I'll drop you off at your house."

Suddenly a thought occurred to me. I couldn't go back to my apartment. Everyone knew where I lived and I wanted to avoid everyone for awhile. I didn't want Ginny or Harry chiding me to apologise and yelling at me. I was tired of listening to people and having them ignore me.

"Um..." I started to say. "Actually I don't have a place to stay. Everyone knows my apartment and will try to get me to come back to him, which I don't want."

"I guess that's your problem then," he said.

I looked at him to see if he was joking, but he just stared ahead at the road. I sighed and waited until the car stopped.

We stopped at a posh building near my apartment, just in the heart of London.

He led me upstairs to a studio, which is classy but kind of messy with several open rooms with scenic photos to create a background.

Thankfully, we're not alone. Brandon, the photographer and another women had followed us.

Ignoring me completely, Malfoy said to Brandon, "I'd like you to set a plain background for this one. I'm going to do some screen tests."

Brandon nodded and headed off to the background screens that were always behind the models and Malfoy goes after him.

The woman speaks up, "Hi, Mr. Malfoy didn't introduce us, but I'm Monique."

"Hi," I said, smiling warmly. "I'm Hermione."

"Nice to meet you," she said. "Now I'm going to tell you what to do and you'll have to do it, all right?"

When I nodded, she continued. "It won't take long. It's just to see how you look on the camera."

"Okay," I said.

When Malfoy and Brandon were done setting up, Monique showed me a stool on which to sit on, in front of the camera with a plain white screen behind me.

First they take a few shots of me just sitting there and then Monique told me to cock my head to one side. I feel strange posing in front of Malfoy and these two people I don't know, but I force myself to do it, trying not to look stupid. But I was tired and sweaty and had woken with a killer hangover. But I do it anyway.

Brandon clicked away and then Monique told me to do some other poses. Just as she tells me to rest my head on one hand, her cell phone rings and I hear her saying, "Yeah? Oh so sorry, hon."

Brandon takes the pictures anyways because I'm still in the pose that Monique left me in. Malfoy didn't say anything during this process; he just stood and watched. Unlike me, he looked cool and collected.

Suddenly I heard Monique say, "I'll be there, hon. I'll always be there for you."

Pain filled my already weak heart, like venom seeping through my whole body. I remembered saying that to everyone I love, correction love and never hearing it I return. But I took a big breath and turned to look at the camera for the last shot.

Finally we're done and I stood up, not feeling my legs.

Monique and Brandon quickly leave, while Malfoy put some things away. I stood there, just waiting for him.

When he was done, he turned to look at me. "Since you have nowhere to stay, I guess you can stay in the extra room on top of the office."

He turned to show me a flight of stairs, which I follow him up. On top of it is a room that's medium sized with a window, showing the busy London streets below.

I turned to thank Malfoy, but I found that he had gone. I went to the window and looked onto the streets and saw Malfoy walking briskly to his car.

Instead of turning and getting settled, I stayed at the window and watched him unlock his car and then get in. Almost immediately the engine roared to life and he sped away.

I then turn around to stare at my empty and damp room that made me shiver.

Malfoy was such a mystery, even now. When he was at school he had tons of friends and his father to boast a lot about. But after his father's arrest and Dumbledore's death, something changed in him. He started fighting for us against Lord Voldemort and his father.

But after we defeated him, he retreated into his own world. Even when we had Order meetings, he was always so silent, his blue eyes taking in everything though.

Before he used to taunt me, but after he didn't even notice me.

But I couldn't think about that now, I was too tired to process anything. The room had begun to darken by the minute as the sun plunged down the London skyscraper horizon. I turned on the light and then found my wand. I muttered a few spells and then the room was the way I liked it, warm, cozy, and with a big bed.

I had transfigured small extra things in the room into a bed and a dresser. Thankfully there was a washroom and tomorrow I would go over to the apartment to get my things.

I crashed on my bed, watching the moon glow a bright white as I fell asleep.

The next morning, I woke up as the sun rose. The sun shone right into my face as I had no curtains and my bed was at such an angle that the sun hit my face directly.

I moaned, but got up, feeling strange as my bare feet touch the cold, solid floor. Within a few seconds, I've found my wand and had changed the floor into a plush carpet so that my feet had some relief.

Quickly, I glanced out the window, but didn't see the Black Ferrari anywhere so I assumed that Malfoy wasn't there yet.

I went to the bathroom and took a shower and brushed my teeth. I then realised I had no clothes to wear. So I just transfigured my old ones into new ones and brushed my hair and tied it in a braid.

I looked at myself before going to my apartment to get my things. I was wearing black jeans, a white t-shirt and a blue cardigan on top. I didn't look like any model. Just some school girl pretending to be an adult.

I threw water at my reflection and then Disapparated to my apartment. With magic, I quickly gather all my important belongings and then placed a protection charm on the apartment itself.

I brought back my clothes and magically hung them in the closet and put all the small things away.

Then I went downstairs--only after placing a locking charm on my door so that no one but I can enter--to find the main studio empty. I was surprised to see how big it was now that it was empty.

I didn't know what to do so I spied at the door near the entrance and knock on it as it was closer.

"Come in," said a voice from inside.

I opened the door to find myself in Malfoy's office. The office is just as posh and classy as the rest of the place. Silver and black is the theme of the room and many paintings with those colours covered the walls. There was a black desk and a big leather chair on which he sat.

Today he was wearing a black dress shirt with a tie and his black hair lightly gelled. It would take some time for me to get used to his black hair, because every time I saw him, I didn't realise it was him.

"Where were you?" he asked me, not looking up from his laptop.

"I was right here. I mean upstairs," I said.

"I looked for you," he said, again still not looking at me.

I suddenly know what he means. "Oh! I thought you weren't here so I Disapparated to my apartment to get some things."

He finally looked at me and his eyes were clear and focused. "Next time, tell me where you are. Since your living here for now, I should know what you're doing."

This Malfoy didn't mock me, but he did have a way that gets to me by bossing me around. And everyone knows I didn't like being bossed around.

"Excuse me?" I heard myself say. "I looked for your car but it wasn't there, so what do you expect me to do? Sit around and wait for you to come?"

He looked up from his screen. "Yes, that is exactly what I expect you to do, Granger. May I remind you that it is I who gave you a job when you so desperately needed one and it is also I who is giving a place to live at the moment, which I'm not charging you for, which I could do. So I expect you to wait for me before you Disapparate anywhere. Is that clear, Miss Granger?"

The way he was staring at me made me feel like I was being studied. I didn't like it all and I would tell him as well, but my instincts were telling me that it would be a bad idea. He looked serious and I didn't want to provoke him into kicking me out or paying for the room, or just forgetting the deal altogether. So I looked him in the eye to show him that I didn't like what he was saying, but nodded all the same and said in my frostiest voice, "Yes, Mr. Malfoy."

He knew I was angry because he grinned at the way I answered. When he grinned, the dimple in his left cheek deepened. Wow, I had never seen him grin like that. He usually smirked or did anything at all, and so to see him grin was a big change. I never knew he had a dimple.

"Good," he answered. "I'm glad we understand each other. I've got your shots here and Brandon and Monique are going to come in to take a look at them."

"Why is no one else here?" I asked.

"It's a weekend in the Muggle world," he answered. "I would think being a Mudblood, you would know."

I stared at him with loathing. How dare he say that to me! I had half a mind to march up to him and smack him across the face.

Instead, I ground my teeth and continued to curse him in my head.

If he saw my anger he ignored it. "I have some work to finish so just wait outside."

A more polite term for get out, but I got it anyhow. I threw him a dirty look as I left, but he was so absorbed in the computer that he didn't notice.

So I went outside to the studio and imagined myself posing in front of all the background scenes that were so beautiful. For some reason no images came to mind.

After a few minutes of waiting Monique and Brandon finally showed. Malfoy finally left his office to greet them.

He led us to a conference room that was attached to his office and we all sat down at a round table.

Purposely, I situated myself away from Malfoy. He sat at the head of the table with Brandon beside him, Monique beside him and me beside her, so that I was facing Malfoy. Not what I wanted, but oh well.

Brandon took out a bunch of large photographs from his briefcase and said, "Here are all the shots. There are twenty-five in total, all in the order that they were taken."

He passed them to Malfoy and Malfoy slowly began to look at them. When he finished with the first one, he passed it to Brandon. Brandon quickly looked at it and passed it along.

Within a few minutes, I had seen about ten pictures of myself in various poses. I looked awful, I must say. My hair is so sticky and my expression so dull.

I am not disgusted by what I see, because I know I am not photogenic and I had come to accept that. But I hated it when others saw my pictures.

Malfoy didn't say anything as he looked, but I could tell he was disappointed. I didn't know what he expected though. I mean it wasn't like he should think he had discovered the next Tyra Banks or something, because if he had, then he needed a reality check.

I watched his expression as he looked, while I looked at the pictures myself. His expression never changed. His eyes scanned each picture and then he would look at it again.

Several of the pictures had been in black and white, maybe because Brandon was trying to see if the ugly Hermione Granger looked any better in different colours, but those pictures looked just as awful as the rest.

When I was on the 17^th picture, I looked at Malfoy's face to see some expression there. I couldn't name his expression, but it looked like surprise and happiness. I didn't know what he could be looking at that would surprise him like that, so I waited until I got the picture after he'd passed it to Brandon and Monique.

Maybe I had a big piece of lettuce stuck in my teeth. That was probably it. That was why he looked so surprised, because he never knew how silly I could be and he was probably happy because he had an awful picture of me doing something stupid.

When I got the picture, I almost gasped. It was me of course, but a different me.

It was the last shot Brandon took, just as Monique got onto the phone and before we packed up.

This one was in black and white and is zoomed into my shoulder and my face, unlike the others that were my whole body, or my upper body.

My hair's falling over my eyes, as if to shield them, but my bangs didn't quite make it.

I couldn't say I looked beautiful in the photo, but I did look mysterious, so very mysterious that I myself didn't know what had happened to me when the photo was taken. It looked as if someone had just ripped out my heart and cut it into tiny pieces in front of me, from the looks of my expression.

There was grief in my eyes, hidden by some other emotion I couldn't name. I suddenly remembered when this was taken. It had taken when Monique had said, 'I'll always be there for you," on the phone. It had reminded me of my sad and pathetic life and that would be what had made me look at the camera like that.

But there was something else in my expression, something even I couldn't understand. There was grief, sorrow, loneliness and something else that I didn't know I would feel when I heard that expression.

I put the photo beside me, on top of the pile of the other photos.

Monique took it from the pile and said, "This photo is amazing, sir. I think we should use it for the magazine. It'll be wicked."

Malfoy didn't even glance at the photo. "No, we have other photos that will be sent to the magazine."

Monique nods. "You're right. But now what?"

He glances at me. "Now we make her over."

Uh oh. I didn't like the sound of that. It sounded evil.

Before I could make any inquiries, I was being dragged off to the studio.

Monique plopped me on the same stool I had sat on yesterday. "All right, now you have to learn how to pose."

"Because that's something you're lacking in," spoke up Malfoy.

I glared at him. I knew my poses were awful, but hey, there was a first time for everything right? Why does he always taunt me so?!

For the next four hours, I watch Monique as she strutted and posed for and also attempted to follow her.

It didn't go too well and by the end, Brandon, Monique and Malfoy were as exhausted as I was. But they were all exhausted on my behalf.

"Can't you do anything right?" demanded Malfoy, tired of my lame poses.

"Maybe if you could encourage me once in awhile, instead of standing there and holding your head," I snapped. "I'd like to see you do it!"

Monique caught Malfoy's eye and said, "No, you wouldn't. If you saw that, you wouldn't ever want to model again."

Malfoy smirked at Monique but to me he frowned.

Monique, bless her soul, can sense my anger boiling over because she immediately said, "Why don't we take a break and all have some dinner?"

"Fine," I said. "I'll get my coat." Without looking at him, I went upstairs and grabbed my winter coat and made my way downstairs.

Brandon, who has stayed out of our way, cleaned the mess up and said, "Let's go."

So the four of us went outside to Malfoy's car, which it turned out was a silver Lamborghini. To make things easier, Monique joined me in the back as I tried to burn holes into Malfoy's neck by glaring at him.

Monique's a really nice girl, I find. She was a few years older than me, which meant she was older than the git. She had light blond hair and looked like a model herself, because she was so graceful and pretty. It turned out she was the stylist and also the one who makes everyone pose properly.

She came from Ireland, from a family of five people and was engaged to a young man named Tom. That was whom she had been talking to yesterday, when I had heard her on the phone.

We arrived at a restaurant that was another upper class place. I had never been here before, but it looks nice.

We sat down inside, in the warmth and order the specialities. Brandon joined Malfoy in a debate and I chatted happily with Monique. When we were done, we headed back to the studio.

It was now seven thirty, but Malfoy informed me that we would be there as long as it took for me to get 'some form of the basics'.

So I got ready to pose some more, actually a bit more content because I was full.

Monique taught me some more and Brandon and Malfoy watched, but soon Monique got tired when I didn't learn.

Malfoy gets upset every time I make a mistake. "Not like that," he said, as I tried to look flirtatious. "Don't be so obvious."

When I'm too discreet, he said, "Be more obvious. I can't tell whether you're telling the guy to come closer or to stay away because you're too frightened of him."

And so it continues, never ending. "Sit up straight. Don't slouch. Don't smile too much. You look too depressed. Turn your head this way. No this way. Why can't you do anything right?!"

I scream! "Just shut up! I can't take it. I'm trying my best." Not wanting anyone to see the tears of frustration and anger in my eyes, I turn and run upstairs, locking the door and slamming it as well.

I sit on the bed and take deep even breaths. I'm tired and I've been standing and doing what they've told me for almost eight hours now. And stupid Malfoy! Couldn't he be nicer? I hate it when he keeps criticizing me. I was trying my best, but that wasn't good enough.

There was a knock on the door and I hear Monique calling me.

"Go away!" I yelled, as I threw my shoes at the door. I knew I was behaving very childish and not like myself, but I was at a point where I didn't care anymore. I was so tired of everyone telling me what to do.

When I didn't do it right, they got angry and took it out on me.

I realised that I wasn't myself. The scene I had created downstairs was something Ginny would do, or Lavender, but never me. It was as if I had lost my mind.

The knocking ceased for a while and then there was a small knock.

"Leave me alone!" I screamed. "Just leave me alone!"

Suddenly Malfoy Disapparated into my room.

I picked up my brush and every other heavy thing I could find and threw it at him. "Go away! Don't you have any manners? How dare you come into my room without knocking?"

He dodged everything, except for the brush, which he caught.

"I did knock," he said, showing me his dimple again, which meant he was grinning.

"You think this is funny?" I demanded, shoving him away. "If I wanted, I could leave your stupid modeling agency right now. I don't know who you think..."

But he had a hold of my hand; rather my wrist and he wouldn't let go.

"Let go," I said, trying to wiggle free, seeing his eyes twinkle with mischief.

He somehow pulled me towards him, so that our bodies are barely an inch away. "I dare you," he whispered into my ear, his cool breath tickling my ear. "I dare you to leave."

Heart thumping wildly, I look at his face to see whether he was joking or not. But once again, his emotions were so carefully guarded that I couldn't tell.

When I didn't say anything he let go and said, "Tomorrow morning. Seven thirty sharp. Be down."

Then he turned around and left me. As I closed the door, I revel at what had just happened. I don't understand Draco Malfoy. Once second he'd be angry with me, the next he's grinning, like he had some secret and then the next he was all business.

Too exhausted by all the fake smiling and posing, I dove into bed and fell asleep, only after imagining Malfoy's dimple again, which I had fallen in love with. The dimple, not Malfoy!