I would have uploaded this chapter hours ago, but my internet decided it was the perfect time to play up -.- lol

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The air was a mixture of ice and wind. It was far colder than anyone had ever remembered it and it shouldn't have been this cold for at least another month. It was, of course, the Dementors surrounding the castle and grounds. Emma really did not want to be here. Even though she had friends here...it still felt sort of lonely. It was probably one of the many depressing feelings many other students were feeling. She didn't know if it was actually from the Dementors. But it was so cold...

Shivering, Emma walked with Daphne and Pansy down to the Slytherin common room. Pansy spoke excitedly of the changes around Hogwarts.

Emma scoffed, mumbling, "surprise, surprise."

"I'm glad Professor Burbage is gone. What a blood-traitor! The way she goes on about Muggles and Muggle-borns as though they're royalty – Merlin's beard!"

Daphne looked at Emma out of the corner of her eye and pouted.

The Slytherin common room hadn't changed, excluding the temperature even though they were closer to the lake than any of the other Houses. Emma sighed when Pansy continued to boast about how great Hogwarts was becoming and the greatness of Muggle Studies teacher Professor Burbage's disappearance.

First-years were muttering excitedly and gazing around the common room before the Prefects ordered them to go into their dormitories. The older students sat around the armchairs, poufs, or desks. Daphne grabbed onto Emma all of a sudden, looking rather excited, and she opened her mouth to say something but couldn't get anything out because of Pansy's own excitement over such pettiness.

"Here's an idea, Pansy," Emma interrupted the girl; pug eyes looked directly into her own eyes. "Shut your mouth and go into the dormitory."

Pansy blinked at her for some time, shocked, before raising her eyebrows.

"What did you just say?" she said quietly.

Emma ignored her and turned to Daphne. "What were you going to say?"

Daphne waited until Pansy started toward the girls' dormitory, whispering profanities to herself, before continuing what she was going to say.

"So...over the Summer I – I met someone," Daphne said so quietly that Emma struggled to hear. Daphne had to repeat herself.

Emma, excited for her friend, raised her eyebrows and slowly grinned. She pulled Daphne to one of the desks off to the side of the common room and demanded Daphne to tell her about it.

"He's lovely, very charming. He's really respectful and takes his education seriously. His name is Elliot," Daphne's eyes were lit up the entire time she spoke of this stranger, and it warmed Emma's heart. She hoped she used to be the same whenever she talked of Draco. It was an admirable sight. "There's, er – a bit of a problem, though, Emma, and I – I haven't actually spoken about it to anybody except now..."

"What is it?" Emma said quickly. "Is something wrong with him? Is he sick? Awful parents? Long distance?"

"No, his parents are wonderful. It's almost unrealistic – this boy and his family. I know if I spoke to my parents about this they'd probably kill me. OK, not literally kill me, you've got to stop taking me seriously, Emma. But they'd be very disappointed in me, and Astoria would pretty much be the only golden child. And I can't speak to Astoria about it because I don't know how she'll react, or if she'll tell my parents."

The brunette's chest warmed, knowing just how much her friend trusted her.

"Well, go on then. Spit it out."

Daphne was very reluctant and she rubbed her arm shamefully.

"He's a Muggle," she whispered. She slowly looked up at Emma, clearly to investigate any negative reaction.

Emma raised her eyebrow and blinked slowly. Secretly, she was shocked. She didn't take Daphne serious at first, but she was clearly afraid of what Emma thought and that was what confirmed that she was telling the truth. The girl snickered slightly.

"Seriously?" she said. "That's it?"

Daphne crossed her arms, her blonde hair becoming hidden under them. "Yes, that's it. Obviously our parents have opposite perspectives of the situation, but it's a big deal to mine. I'm so lost, I don't know what to do. I really like him."

Emma chewed her fingernails. "Er – I...uh...I have no counsel to offer, Daphne. I'm no good with relationship advice; I've only ever been in one."

Daphne looked up from her hands all of a sudden, one of her blonde eyebrows creased, blue eyes clouded with bewilderment. "Is that past tense your speaking in?"

"Huh? No I said I've only ever been in one relationship."

Daphne cocked her head to the side for a moment, thoughtfully. "Oh...I thought for a moment that...never mind. Anyway, forget the advice," the blonde sighed happily and smiled, "I'm just glad I got everything off my chest."

"All I can say is to just go for it. When we leave Hogwarts you should just leave with him and get out of the country till this stupid war is over. You both will be safer elsewhere anyway," Emma shrugged. Daphne smiled slightly. "So...what's he look like?"

The blonde sighed loudly with big, distant blue eyes. "Oh, he's so handsome. Well, to me he is. He's got dirty blonde hair with the biggest, kind brown eyes. We're about the same height and I'm a month and a half older than him."

"Have you guys snogged yet?"

"Emma, where is your innocence?!" Daphne shrieked jokingly, but looking over her shoulder for a second, she turned back and nodded. "Right...I almost forgot. That was sarcasm, by the way."

Emma looked over Daphne's shoulder and saw Draco sitting on the sofa by the fire with Blaise.

"Erm..." Daphne started uncertainly. "You and Draco haven't...you know...done...er...stuff that you two probably shouldn't have?"

"No!" Emma whispered, feeling her face heat up.

"Wow, really?" Daphne raised her eyebrows, swiftly glancing over her shoulder. She turned back quickly and hiccoughed. "I wonder what's going on in his head right now, then."

"Daphne, sweetheart," Emma said calmly with a smile. "Stop it."

The blonde laughed quietly to herself, fiddling with the sleeve of her robes with a distant smile.

"Pansy's going to be pissed at you when you go in the dormitory later."

Emma shrugged – she didn't care anymore. Pansy wasn't a very nice person, and she, Emma, wasn't going to try being friends with somebody who had no consideration for anybody else's thoughts and feelings. Extremely biased people weren't exactly Emma's favourite. It was a wonder she had actually agreed to go out with Draco.

The thought made her look over at him. It was almost habitual. She really missed him teasing her and purposely bothering her in their fifth-year. It seemed so long ago.

"I'll leave you two alone then," said Daphne quietly, catching Emma staring. The blonde stood from her seat and adjusted her robes, catching Blaise's eye and beckoning him to head up to his dormitory. She suddenly smirked down at Emma. "Oh – before I forget. Elliot showed me some Muggle music when I was in his bedroom. Shall I sing some to you?"

Emma felt scared for a moment.

Daphne cleared her throat. "Baaaaaaby..."

Emma swallowed the urge to burst out laughing. "Daphne," she hiccoughed again. Blaise had already burst into silent laughter into his hands. Draco was looking at Daphne in disgust, as were other stragglers.

"Do you know it?" Daphne said brightly, panting almost. "It's called Sexual Healing by...er..."

"Go to bed," Emma laughed.

"All right," Daphne grinned. She started to walk toward the stairs, but turned around all of a sudden and started to walk backwards. She began to whisper the lyrics. "Get up, get up, get up, get up...wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up..."

Blaise looked at Emma with a look of fright and question, before he and Daphe disappeared. A second later she poked her head out from behind the wall. "Erm – never mention that. Like ever."

Emma chuckled to herself as Daphne disappeared again. She sat there for a moment, rethinking things over that had already happened. It wasn't that bad of a start at Hogwarts, despite the fact that Snape was now Headmaster and she thought he was the worst. He hadn't actually...done anything. Said anything. Called her name and told her to stay behind so he could hand her off to Voldemort. He hadn't done any of that. At least not yet.

She shuddered from the coldness again, and she felt like sitting over by the fire but she didn't want to be anywhere near Draco so soon. She felt...embarrassed. The ending of her sixth-year was not the greatest, and the stares she got on the train and on the way to the carriages made her feel rather anxious. But it was over at least.

Emma almost pushed her chair back but a body sitting directly in front of her prevented the girl from even breathing.

"Good to see you, Freckles."

Freckles. Emma never thought she'd miss that word. She almost smiled.

"I didn't think you were coming back this year," Draco said in a quiet voice. "I thought that perhaps since Dumbledore's gone that you..."

Whatever he said afterwards was unheard. The night of Dumbledore's death, the scene of it all, suddenly unfolded in front of her. She was so stupid. She had almost forgotten what Harry told her that night. She pushed her chair back, feeling rather uneasy. Draco was giving her butterflies and they were quite distracting, but now she was feeling hurt...

"...even Potter, which is understandable, hasn't –"

He seemed to realise what she was thinking because he stopped talking before he finished his sentence. He leaned back and stared at the table for a moment.

"Well..." he said softly, beginning to rise from his chair. "I'll just leave you, then..."

"Surprise, surprise," she whispered to herself the second time that night.

"We should probably go to sleep. I have a feeling that tomorrow...well...we'll find out," he said awkwardly. Emma could literally feel his pain, how embarrassed he was. "Goodnight."

"Wait."