"He keeps looking at you, you know," Susan nudged me with her elbow, giggling.

Startled, I looked up from my porridge and towards the Slytherin table, but I frowned, because Draco wasn't there - as I'd known he wouldn't be. He had come up early to the Room of Requirement to work on the cabinet before classes.

"Blaise!" Susan laughed, tilting my chin further to the right. I flushed upon seeing Blaise lazily sitting back in his chair, his eyes burned into mine as a small, amused smile played on his lips.

I smiled back coyly, before turning my head quickly back to my breakfast. I could feel my face burning and I was glad Draco hadn't been there to witness this.

"Shit! He's coming over!" Susan squealed in terrified excitement, "oh my god, he's so hot!"

My heart thudded nervously in my chest as I looked up to see that he was indeed sauntering over to the Hufflepuff table.

"Hey, Hufflepuff," he smiled, showing off his set of brilliant white teeth.

"Hey," both Susan and I said at the same time.

Blaise chuckled, his eyes glancing at Susan who flushed a bright crimson.

"I was wondering, Astrid," he said pointedly, in his silky smooth voice, as he took the empty seat on the other side of me without invite, "whether you would like to accompany me to Hogsmeade this weekend? Apparently there's a trip planned and I thought it would be fun if we could go together, that is unless," he glanced over at Susan who was listening avidly, "you have other plans."

"No, no!" Susan answered for me, "she would love to go with you, wouldn't you Astrid?!"

I inwardly cursed her, I had been planning on staying in the castle and keeping Draco company. But of course I couldn't say this. And not being able to think on the spot, I simply nodded my head.

"Uh, yeah sure," I smiled, trying not to show my reluctance, "that would be nice."

Blaise's eyes twinkled in delight. "Excellent," he said, rising from his seat, "I'll meet you in the Entrance Hall before we set off then."

"Eeeek!" Susan squealed before he had even gotten out of earshot, "you've got a date with the hottest guy in school! You're so lucky!"

"Yeah," I said, thinking of the blond-haired boy working tirelessly on the cabinet, "I am."

...

Draco slammed the cabinet door shut in frustration. He still wasn't getting any closer to fixing the damned thing.

He had to hope the necklace worked. He just still hadn't worked out who to hand it over to yet. It needed to be someone whose mind would be easy to manipulate. He was unsure about doing it in Hogwarts, afraid of eyes. Especially as Potter was seemingly somehow marking their movements.

He supposed he could do it during the Hogsmeade visit the Saturday coming up. He couldn't think of a better time.

"Hey," Astrid called, as he heard her come through the door, "it's really bizarre seeing Crabbe and Goyle as two little timid girls. I just feel like giggling at them."

Draco smirked as she rounded the corner, pulling out breakfast supplies from her bag before tossing them to him.

"You know, I can't believe they agreed to it," he drawled amusedly as he fondled an apple in his long fingers, "they could have been anyone, but didn't seem to bat an eyelid when I told them they would become twelve year old girls."

"You're cruel, you know that," she said, her blue eyes twinkling as she laughed.

He was aware of a fluttering in his chest. He loved seeing her happy. And he was damned glad it was him making her laugh.

"I take my fun where I can get it," he smirked, taking a bite out of the apple.

She gave him an amused expression, before throwing herself down on the sofa. The empty space next to her suddenly looked so inviting so he walked over to join her.

"I'm going to do it this weekend," he said as he sank into the sofa, hating to ruin the mood, but he was desperate to talk to her about it, "at the Hogsmeade visit. I figured it's the best time. Look, I know you don't want to do it, but come with me, please - you can use my father's cloak so no one gets suspicious."

He looked at her face which had suddenly turned pale. He didn't like the way she was looking at him.

"I- I've sort of already agreed to go with someone else," she said in a small voice, and he noticed she wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Who?" he asked, swallowing, knowing he wasn't going to like this.

"Blaise," she whispered, wringing her hands on her lap - and to his horror, he noticed the flush of her cheeks.

"Zabini?" He spat, not being able to help himself. The jealousy boiling inside of him ruled his rage. "You know he's only after one thing, don't you?"

"We're just friends, Draco!" she cried, hurt flashing through her eyes. "Like you and me!"

"Friends?! Pah!" Draco scoffed, not being able to ignore the hurt that her last remark caused, "Zabini is the biggest hoe out there! He doesn't do friends, Astrid - not with girls like you anyway."

"What do you mean girls like me?" Astrid asked incredulously, sitting up furiously to look at him.

"Well, you know," he shrugged awkwardly, wishing he had just kept his mouth shut now, "...pretty."

Now it was his turn to feel his face flame. He didn't know why he was feeling like this. He didn't like it. Draco Malfoy did not blush.

"Draco, it's not like that," she sighed, her voice softening slightly, "and I can cancel - if you need me, I'll go with you."

Draco blinked, looking at her. He could see she really meant it. And then he felt bad. He could hardly talk when he had been going around with Pansy.

"No, you go," he said resignedly, "I promised you you didn't have to do anything. And I meant it."

He heard the distant sound of the school bell, announcing the start of the days lessons. He slowly stood up, feeling that familiar heaviness in his heart.

"Just do me one thing, okay?" he said, pausing on his way out.

"Anything, Draco," she said looking up at him apprehensively from the sofa.

"Just... just be careful with Blaise," he muttered, looking into her doleful blue eyes, "I don't want you getting hurt - not after... not after everything you've been through."

There was a moment of silence as they stared into each other's eyes. Draco had to resist the temptation to throw himself at her feet and beg her to go with him instead of Blaise on Saturday.

But he knew he had no right, she'd already been through enough.

"I will," she said, a small sad smile tugging at her lips.

He gave her a brief nod goodbye, before stepping out to meet his day's lessons.

As long as she was safe, he told himself, that's all that mattered.