Just like every year, the station Hogsmeade was filled with excited chatter by students speculating what this next year would bring. Harry already dreaded it because at the end of this year, not only would there be the Third Task, but worst of all, the OWLs. Which meant more studying than usual.

He looked at his best friends, both prefects now, and wondered if this would change anything about Ron's work habits. Probably not.

Not for the first time, Harry wondered why Dumbledore had chosen Ron to be the prefect. It was not that he thought he was better than Ron, but well, he got better grades and he would like to think that generally, he behaved more responsibly.

They wandered to the carriages, accompanied by Luna Lovegood, Neville and Ginny, who they had shared a compartment with in the Hogwarts Express. Trying not to be conspicuous, Harry scanned the crowd of students. Everyone was finding a carriage, laughing and chatting and yelling to call friends who stood further away. Among the hustle, Harry could not spot who he was looking for.

His attention was diverted by Ron sending him a questioning look. At first, Harry thought he had been caught, but then he realized Luna was talking and he knew Ron's confusion was directed at her chatter about some invisible horses. Seeing the smirk from Hermione though, he knew she had caught him looking around. Subtlety was not his strong suit, Harry had learned that early on.

He climbed on a carriage after Ron. The drive up to the castle was filled with slightly awkward chatter. Now that Harry thought about it, neither Ron nor Hermione nor himself were particularly what people would call socially competent. Not to mention Luna and Neville. At most, he would trust Ginny with holding a longer conversation without it ending in awkward silence or without saying anything stupid or insensitive. Maybe also Hermione, but Ginny was, what kids their age would call, the coolest.

Neville had a plant resting on his lap which looked kind of like a cactus, but uglier. As Neville told them, it was called Mimbulus mimbletonia and he had gotten it for his birthday. Luna, who had spent the whole train ride reading the Quibbler upside down, finally turned the page and held the magazine the right way up.

Once they had reached Hogwarts, Harry's gaze swept over the following carriages one last time before he jumped from theirs. There, as one of the last carriages to arrive, Harry spotted him. The boy who he had not gotten out of his mind for the whole summer break.

Malfoy was sitting in his carriage with three other people but from the distance Harry could not recognize the faces. Malfoy was easy to notice with his characteristically blonde hair colour.

"You coming?" Ron asked and Harry turned to see the four of them ready to go into the castle.

"Give me a minute." Harry said, ignoring the partly worried, partly amused glances Ron and Hermione exchanged. The autonomously driving carriage started moving without any passengers, following the dozens of other carriages back to the forbidden forest where Hagrid was probably awaiting them. Carriages came to halt, students got off and they moved away.

Harry felt his heartbeat pick up the closer Malfoy's carriage came. He kept mulling over how to act when he was finally there. Normally with Malfoy, Harry acted on impulse, but now he had plenty of time to think about it which made him immensely nervous. Especially since this was the first time Harry was aware that this was not just a joke to him.

He was vaguely aware of Neville, Luna, Ginny, Hermione and Ron talking behind him, waiting for him. It seemed like they were not in a hurry to get to the feast, except for Ron, but he would never go alone.

The carriage with the Slytherins in question finally arrived and Harry strode over there, trying to seem confident. "Potter." Malfoy grinned, ignoring Zabini, who rolled his eyes.

"Malfoy." Harry smiled, holding his hand out to help Malfoy off the carriage. He expected it when Malfoy ignored it and jumped off the carriage by himself.

Harry noticed a green badge on Malfoy's robe. It was the same that Ron and Hermione had gotten with their Hogwarts letters two weeks ago, but Malfoy's was green. So he was prefect of Slytherin, Harry thought. He knew by now that Malfoy could be a decent guy if he wanted to, but Harry still wondered why Dumbledore thought he was the best choice from all male Slytherins in his year. Zabini, for example, seemed more approachable.

"Do I look like a damsel to you?" Malfoy said, getting out of the way so his friends could jump off the carriage after him.

"A bit." Harry smirked.

"Very original." Malfoy snorted, turning away to lead his friends to the castle.

Harry grabbed his arm and pulled him back. Malfoy did not fight it, just pulled up a challenging eyebrow. He looked a bit different than last year. His hair was not as gelled and he had grown a bit over the summer. "It's nice to hear your snarky comments again." Harry said. He was more nervous than usual. And for the first time in a while with Malfoy, he struggled finding the right words. "And to see your pretty face."

Harry held Malfoy's gaze to convey he meant it. Malfoy looked startled, probably by the sincerity in that tone. There was this beautiful blush on Malfoy's cheeks again that did not fail to send a thrill through him every time.

Harry could not read Malfoy's expression as well as he would have liked. Malfoy was certainly searching for something. And was there a hint of guilt?

Pulling his arm from where Harry was still holding him back, Malfoy took a step back. He seemed confused and lost on how to react. Harry decided to give him an easy way out. He smiled, "See you around." Then he hurried to his friends and followed them to the castle.

"I know what's happening." Luna said.

"Shh..." Hermione shushed, knowing Luna had the habit of stating plain facts without a sense of suitability. It's what made talking to her strange and amusing at the same time.

They reached the Great Hall. Like every year, it was filled with student's chatter. The beginning of the term feast was the only occasion the Hogwarts students actually wore their uniform hats. Harry dug in his pocket and pulled out his own hat. Luna gave them a small wave before parting to the Ravenclaw table.

Neville, Ron, Hermione and Harry found Seamus and Dean at the Gryffindor table and joined them. Promptly, Seamus started talking about his summer, not letting anyone interrupt until Professor McGonagall stood up and signalled for the Great Hall quiet down. "I welcome everyone back to Hogwarts. We have another wonderful busy year in front of us. But I'm sure Headmaster Dumbledore will tell us all about that later. First, we're going to welcome our new students and sort them into their houses. You know the procedure."

Harry turned around at the sound of the door opening. About forty young wizards and witches entered the Great Hall, their expression a mix between wonder and anxiety. Like every year, Harry was reminded of how he had felt the first time entering the Great Hall and he felt sympathetic towards the first years, especially those who had never heard of the wizarding world until they got the letter.

Ron grew impatient about halfway through the sorting. "So many students to sort still." He whispered. "And then Dumbledore's speech. I'm starving."

"Shh..." Hermione glared. Ron waited until her attention was to the front again before pulling a grimace behind her back. Harry had to hold back a laugh.

When the Sorting was finally over, Gryffindor had nine new students, five girls and four boys. They were sitting at the front with the head girl and boy of Gryffindor.

Dumbledore stood up, went to the front and started welcoming everyone back. "Finally." Ron whispered, letting his gaze sweep over the table where the food was bound to appear as soon as Dumbledore stopped talking.

"As some of you already know, the last task of the Triwizard Tournament has to be repeated at the end of this year. Which means we will have the pleasure to welcome our visitors again in our wonderful castle. But this time only for two weeks at the end of the year. Now, you're probably wondering why I'm telling you this already. At the beginning of the year, no student likes to think about the end of the year filled with stressful exams and hours in the library. Well, at several requests, we will repeat the Yule ball."

A murmur went through the student body. Some where whispering excitedly, glancing around the Great Hall to their preferred partner.

"Now," Dumbledore said loudly, making everyone go silent again. This time, Harry felt like most students were listening more attentively. "Since our guests will be coming in July, we will have a summer Yule ball. It's not happening during Christmas break. I'm telling you this now to stop wild rumours from spreading. With that out of the way, I will no longer stand in the way of our stomachs being filled."

Unlike Ron, who started shovelling food on his plate as soon as it appeared on the tables, Harry glanced at the Slytherin table. He had hoped maybe this was his chance to ask Draco out. But then he would have to wait almost another whole year. Maybe he could still do it already, before someone else asked him.

Malfoy was nodding along with something Parkinson was telling him while spooning mashed potatoes on his plate from a huge bowl. Once he was done, he gave the bowl to Goyle sitting next to him. Zabini leaned forward and said something to Malfoy, who glanced across the hall to look right back at Harry. Feeling caught, Harry looked down to his plate quickly. He really hoped no one could see his thoughts right now.

He lifted his gaze again, seeing Malfoy look from Parkinson right back at him again. This time, Harry did not look away. He gave him a smile, hoping no one could hear his heart beat rapidly in his chest. Draco gave him a confused look. Harry just shrugged in response, winked, and looked away.

"Tastes good?" Harry asked Ron, trying to look like his attention had been actually diverted by him. His best friend just gave him a confused look, his spoon full of nut pie still in his mouth.

"Are you starting with desert?" Hermione asked, her voice dripping with disapproval.

Ron pulled the spoon out of his mouth and held his hands up defensively, "Hm?" Was all he was able to say with his mouth still full of pie.

"So, you think you're going with Krum again?" Parvati asked from a few seats down the table.

Hermione shrugged. "I guess." Ron glared at Parvati, then at his plate.

"What about you two?" Parvati directed her question at Ron and Harry.

They just shrugged. Ron was not able to answer due to food in his mouth, and Harry felt a knot form in the bottom of his stomach as he realized what asking out Malfoy meant. A new topic for the whole school to gossip about. The Chosen One and Draco Malfoy, from a proud pureblood family with known affiliation to Voldemort, the man who had been defeated by Harry himself.

"It's still almost a year away." Dean said.

"Yeah." Seamus nodded. "A lot can happen during that time."