The rest of the Christmas break I spent taking walks amongst the grounds or catching up with homework in the library. It was pretty dull without Draco around.

He was always elsewhere doing whatever it was he was doing. And, as promised, I never pushed him for information, just glad that he was at least eating properly again.

When the others came back in the new year, I was thrilled to see Neville who sought me out in the library and dramatically presented me with a prettily wrapped box complete with a sparkly red bow.

"What's this?" I asked, picking it up and shaking it for clues. "If it's an engagement ring then I suggest you at least take me out for dinner first."

"As much as I was hoping for a winter wedding," Neville chuckled claiming the seat next to me, "I'm afraid it's not an engagement ring this time. However, it is a belated Christmas present to say thank you for saving me at Slughorn's party."

"Aw shucks, you shouldn't have," I grinned, already greedily pulling at the bow. "I had fun. And now I know exactly who my dance floor buddy is going to be when I finally get to go out on the town. As much as I love Drac, he's a strictly formal dance kind of guy."

"You guys made up then?" Neville asked, his tone piqued with interest.

"Mmmm hmmm," I said, releasing the box from its wrappings and carefully lifting up the lid.

Inside, where a ring would normally sit, was a pot of sparkling purple nail varnish.

"Nice," I nodded impressively, taking it out to admire just as it then, to my astonishment, turned a deep emerald green. "Woah."

"One hundred and twenty five different shades," Neville grinned, wiggling his eyebrows. "Thirty two of which are glow in the dark. Picture that when we go storming those night clubs."

"Shit," I breathed, "this is awesome, Nev. And now I feel bad because I didn't get you anything."

"You did," he shrugged. "I already said you saved me from degrading myself further at the party."

"At least you got a cute outfit out of it though." I snorted, playfully nudging my elbow into his arm. "Captain Longbottom."

"It's already ironed and hanging up in my wardrobe, waiting for a fancy dress invite."

"I better be your plus one."

"Maybe. Depends if Tom Cruise is available or not."

"No fucking way!" I spluttered, as Madam Pince frowned at me from across the room. "I love him too!"

"Don't be greedy," Neville chuckled, "you've already got the Slytherin Prince."

"Oh please don't call him that," I scoffed, unscrewing the lid of my water bottle, "it gives him such a big head."

"And that's a bad thing?"

Unfortunately, at that point, I had taken a huge swig of water and ended up drenching the library book in front of me.

Needless to say, I was swiftly chucked out by a furious Madam Pince, and so Neville and I found ourselves taking a freezing cold walk along the lakeside.

"I used to come here with Cedric," I said, shuddering as we passed the rock we used to share heated embraces on.

"Christ, Blaire," Neville muttered, shaking his head, "you really do get all the fit ones."

"Oh believe me," I scoffed, emitting a loud bark of laughter, "he may be beautiful but that prick is ugly inside."

"Losing the tournament really screwed him over, huh?" Neville mused as he removed his toad from his pocket, placing him down upon the ground so he could hop along beside us. "According to Gran there's rumour going around that he spends his evenings drowning his sorrows in the Hogs Head since graduating. Apparently his dad is furious that he's wasting his life."

"Wow, that's actually kind of sad," I murmured, brushing my hair out of my eyes after the wind whipped it violently across my face, "fancy having all that potential only to throw it all away because you're too bitter to get over some stupid competition."

I felt a pang in my chest as I thought of Draco who was currently being forced into doing something that was mentally - and quite possibly, physically - destroying him. And then there was Cedric ruining his life over some deluded notion that if I'd slept with him, then he would have come back with that trophy instead of coming runner up to a fourteen year old boy.

"The thing is," Neville mused as he skimmed a pebble across the choppy water, "if Cedric had in fact reached that trophy first, there would be a very great chance he wouldn't be alive today. It was a Portkey to Voldemort, after all."

My eyes widened, impressed that Neville was calling him by his name. He chuckled as he clocked my expression.

"Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself," he said in a mock-wise voice. "Harry kept banging that one out last year during DA. Apparently Dumbledore said it to him once or something."

"DA?" I asked, something about that sounding familiar. "Was that the underground army thing Umbridge caught out?"

"Yeah," Neville muttered, suddenly looking sheepish as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, "with the help of Malfoy."

"If it's any consolation, even I found him an insufferable prick when it came to Umbridge." I said, rolling my eyes. "And I wasn't afraid to tell him so, either."

"So, where is he now, if you've all made up?" Neville asked, looking around nervously as though he was afraid Draco was about to jump out and dunk his head in the lake for daring to monopolise his best friend.

"He's just got a lot on his plate lately," I said, my heart twisting sadly every time I was reminded about how he was exhausting himself. "We catch up at mealtimes, though."

"Speaking of," Neville said, glancing down at his watch, "dinner time. Come on, I'm starving. Gran forgot to give me any money for the train journey and so I've not eaten since breakfast."

We trudged back up to the castle together, parting ways after I'd plonked a great big smacker on his cheek in the middle of the Great Hall, thanking him again for the awesome present.

"I thought you said he was gay," Draco grumbled as I joined him at the Slytherin table.

"He is," I shrugged, leaning across him to grab the jug of pumpkin juice.

"But you were kissing him!"

I sat back looking at Draco in astonishment, not quite believing his complete ignorance sometimes.

"Chill, Drac. It was just a friendly peck on the cheek to say thank you for my Christmas present."

"He gave you a present?" Draco said, panic flashing in his eyes as he slowly lowered his knife and fork.

"Well, mainly to say thank you for saving him at Slughorn's party, but yes, Drac; he gave me a present."

"What was it?"

"Colour changing nail varnish."

I noticed his face visibly relax. Somehow, in his mind, I could see that this choice of gift only confirmed to him that Neville was gay and not in fact after me.

"You know, you don't need to worry, Drac," I said quietly.

"About what?" he sniped, frowning as he pierced his fork into a potato.

"About me wanting to kiss other guys. Because I don't, just so you know."

"It's a free country," he scoffed moodily; angrily sawing the potato in half, "kiss whoever the fuck you like."

I slammed my glass down on the table, feeling a flicker of hurt and irritation. I knew his grouchiness was due to his extreme tiredness but I was getting fed up with his attitude towards me when I'd been nothing but patient and understanding towards him.

"Haven't I shown you how much I fucking care about you? What will it take, Drac, until you realise how much you mean to me?"

Draco blinked up at me in surprise; and I noticed just how sunken his eyes had become and how dark the shadows that loomed on his face were.

"I just don't understand why you waste your time on me," he sighed morosely, putting down his knife and fork, "it's not like I can offer you anything anymore."

"I don't care what you can or can't offer me," I said, taking his hand in mine and entwining my fingers around his, "right now I just want you to know that you can count on me to be here for you, that I'll always be here for you."

I noticed the prominent bob of Draco's throat as he twisted round to look at me, his eyes flashing sadly into mine.

"Blaire," he said, his voice strangled, "I- I-"

"I see you two have made up, then."

We looked up in surprise to see Pansy approach the table, smirking as she plonked herself down on the seat opposite us.

"About bloody time, I suppose," she muttered, helping herself immediately to the cauliflower. "I was getting sick to death of the emo vibes you've been giving off lately, Draco. It's not doing your complexion any good."

Draco remained silent as he kept hold of my hand, clasping it tightly under the table whilst Pansy started nattering on about vampires and sunlight.

I never found out what it was he was going to say to me before Pansy had interrupted us, as he excused himself soon after, disappearing to wherever it was he kept going to.

But he had been wrong, I thought as I crawled into bed that night, my heart aching for him so incredibly much.

Because he did have something to offer. It was just a shame he couldn't see that he would always and forever be enough for me.

******