Potter! I am not avoiding you!

Late at night in the Slytherin girls' dormitory, the bed curtains stirred gently again.

Draco turned over.

She still couldn't sleep.

Whenever she closed her eyes, that figure in red would leap off his broomstick and plunge toward the ground.

She even remembered how much her fingertips had hurt when she gripped the railing.

And later, that trace of moisture when she raised her hand to wipe her cheek.

Idiot Potter! You nearly scared me to death!

But then the scene changed.

The boy soared back into the sky, holding up the Golden Snitch, smiling so brilliantly.

Then came the path after the match.

"Sorry, Draco."

Those green eyes gazed earnestly at her, even their usual hint of laughter gone.

The girl's eyes flew open.

Damn it, why did he have to be so serious at a time like that?!

She buried her face in her pillow, but before long, she remembered how Harry had looked when he thanked her.

"I haven't forgotten."

Draco clutched the corner of her blanket.

Why wouldn't that fellow leave me alone even when I was trying to sleep!

She hadn't properly practiced magic with Potter for days.

Sometimes, when she spotted him in the distance, she wanted to go over, but she would always remember how she had lost her composure that day, and her steps would falter.

Yet once she actually took a detour, she couldn't help looking back.

What had that idiot been doing lately? Had he been practicing the Shield Charm seriously? Now that he was so famous, there must be another crowd around him.

The more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt.

Why hadn't he come to find me either?

Wait.

She slowly sat up.

Why did I want him to come looking for me?

Could it be...

Could I really care a little about that idiot Potter?

Her cheeks gradually began to burn.

"Impossible!"

The curtains of the next bed stirred.

Pansy poked her head out, too sleepy even to open her eyes.

"Draco, what's wrong?"

The girl instantly froze.

"Nothing. I had a nightmare!"

"What nightmare?"

"It was just a nightmare! Go to sleep!"

Pansy withdrew in bewilderment, and Draco burrowed under her blanket too, wrapping herself up tightly.

Absolutely impossible.

How could I like that fellow who was always teasing me?

A long while later, however, she quietly lowered the blanket a little.

Still...

When he spoke seriously, he didn't seem quite so annoying.

The next morning, Goyle noticed that Miss Malfoy kept adjusting her hair accessory.

"Miss Malfoy, do you have something important to do today?"

"No."

Crabbe glanced at the mirror.

"Then why do you keep looking in it?"

Draco's fingers stopped.

She had actually been wondering whether Potter would notice this new hair clip if she ran into him today.

The tips of her ears grew hot.

"Members of the Malfoy family must always maintain their appearance, of course!" She took off the clip and snapped the jewelry box shut. "Come on, breakfast!"

"But, miss, you haven't put it on yet..."

"I'm not wearing it!"

Crabbe looked rather puzzled.

"Didn't you say yesterday that this one was the prettiest?"

Malfoy: "..."

A moment later, the silver hair clip was back in her hair after all.

Of course, that was because I liked it to begin with. What did it have to do with Potter!

At the entrance to the Great Hall, she spotted Harry at once.

The boy was talking to Ron and Hermione. Whatever he heard suddenly made him laugh.

Malfoy slowed her steps, but that question from last night chose that moment to surface again.

She immediately pulled her hand back.

"Miss, Potter's over there," Goyle reminded her.

"I can see him."

"Didn't you say you still wanted to practice magic with him?"

"Change of plans!"

She immediately turned toward the Slytherin table.

"Draco?"

As luck would have it, Harry spotted her just then.

The girl's steps stiffened, and she hurriedly turned back. "G-good morning, Potter!"

Before he could say another word, she quickened her pace.

A few steps later, Malfoy regretted it.

Wait.

He had actually called out to me first!

Shouldn't I at least have said a little more?

She badly wanted to turn back, but felt that would look far too deliberate, so she could only steel herself and keep walking.

Once she sat down, even the breakfast before her looked less appealing.

It was all that idiot Potter's fault!

Harry stood beside the long table, watching her retreating figure in some confusion.

Off she went again.

Draco seemed to have been very busy these past few days.

They had missed several practice sessions, and those moments when she used to discuss spells, show off her grades, or even come over expressly to bicker with him had suddenly become fewer too.

Was she still angry about the Quidditch match?

Harry rubbed his forehead.

The fact that he had landed safely in the end didn't mean her fear at the time could simply be wiped clean.

Besides, there was something else.

Earlier, in Flitwick's office, he had stayed behind alone to discuss Quirrell's unusual behavior. Draco had asked about it afterward, but he had brushed it aside vaguely.

What worried him was Voldemort behind Quirrell.

He had no evidence, didn't know how to explain the things he knew in advance, and was even less willing to let her face danger alongside him.

But Draco didn't know any of that.

Perhaps all she saw was him leaving her outside the door and refusing to explain why.

Could she think he didn't trust her?

Harry frowned.

There were indeed things he couldn't rashly tell her, but continually brushing them aside with vague words wasn't much of a solution either.

He would have to find a suitable opportunity to talk this through seriously.

For now, if she wanted a few quiet days, he ought to give her some space.

It was just that suddenly having less of that blonde girl who liked to tilt up her chin around... really did take some getting used to.

The voices of several nearby students discussing the Christmas holidays brought him back to his senses.

The castle hadn't been decorated yet, but people were already discussing their holiday plans.

Christmas.

Only then did Harry realize that he ought to prepare presents too.

Ron, Hermione, Hagrid.

And Draco.

After he had recovered her brooch, she had given him a thank-you gift, and later she had specially picked out spellbooks for him. Every one of those things showed the thought she had put into it.

He ought to choose something carefully too. But what should he give her?

Expensive jewelry?

Miss Malfoy's jewelry box probably held a richer selection than the shop counters he had seen.

An ordinary spellbook didn't seem quite right either.

Harry thought it over but had no answer for the time being.

He wasn't determined to find something terribly valuable. He simply hoped that when she opened it, her eyes would light up, and then she would raise her chin proudly.

"Hmph! Since you went out of your way to give this to me, I suppose I'll reluctantly accept it!"

"But don't get the wrong idea, Potter!"

"It's not as though I like it that much!"

At the thought of that scene, Harry couldn't help smiling.

Meanwhile, Ron was busy tackling the sausages on his plate. Halfway through eating, he suddenly noticed something strange.

Harry had looked toward the Slytherin table several times already, and an extremely peculiar smile had even appeared at the corners of his mouth.

"Harry."

"Hmm?"

"What are you looking at?"

Harry withdrew his gaze and took a casual sip of Pumpkin Juice.

"Nothing."

Ron gave him a suspicious look, then followed the direction he had been looking.

Then he saw that familiar long platinum hair.

"Ohhh."

A look of sudden understanding immediately appeared on Ron's face.

"So you were looking at Malfoy!"

Harry: "..."

"Come to think of it, Malfoy doesn't seem to have come looking for trouble with you lately?"

"Yeah."

"Isn't that a good thing?!" Ron immediately brightened. "Merlin above! That madwoman is finally willing to settle down for a while!"

Harry, however, merely glanced at the distant girl and sighed softly.

"...Not necessarily."

Ron: "Huh?"

He slowly lowered the bread in his hand and stared at Harry in utter disbelief.

"Wait!"

"Harry, don't tell me you've actually gotten used to Malfoy making trouble for you?!"

The corner of Harry's mouth twitched slightly.

No, what kind of bizarre interpretation was that?

Beside them, Hermione said nothing.

She looked at Harry, then glanced at Malfoy at the Slytherin table, blinking thoughtfully.

A girl's intuition told her that something seemed a little off about those two lately.

"Oh, right, Harry." Ron suddenly remembered something. "You were staring into space all that time earlier. What exactly were you thinking about?"

"Christmas presents."

"Christmas presents?" Ron paused. "This early? Who are you planning to give them to?"

Harry thought for a moment.

"You, Hermione, Hagrid..."

At this point, he paused briefly.

"And Draco."

Ron had been delighted that he was getting a present, but at that last name, his smile froze.

"Wait!"

"Draco?!"

"You mean Malfoy?!"

"Yes." Harry gave him a puzzled look.

"You're getting Malfoy a Christmas present too?!" Ron's voice suddenly rose.

Harry was even more bewildered.

"What's wrong?"

"Aren't we friends?"

Ron: "..."

He opened his mouth.

It seemed... there really wasn't anything wrong with that?

But why did he keep feeling that something was off?!

When had Miss Malfoy, who went around clamoring every day about making Harry pay, become a friend he needed to buy a Christmas present for?!

Ron sank deep into thought.

Hermione, however, couldn't help her lips curling upward. She already had a vague idea of what was going on.

Still, Hermione merely closed her textbook and spoke softly.

"Harry."

"Hmm?"

"If you think there's been something off about her lately, why not just ask her?"

Harry froze for a moment.

Ask her directly?

He instinctively looked toward the Slytherin table again. That head of long platinum hair was still very conspicuous.

Only this time, the girl happened to look up too.

Their eyes met in midair.

The next second.

As though something had burned her, Malfoy swiftly averted her gaze and lowered her head to fiddle with the cutlery in front of her.

Harry: "..."

It looked like... he really did need to find a chance to have a proper talk with this young lady.

Beside him, Ron was still wrestling with the same question.

No, wait, when had they become friends?

How come he hadn't known?!

After Charms ended, Harry didn't leave immediately.

Draco was packing up her textbooks. The moment she caught sight of the approaching figure out of the corner of her eye, her fingertips stopped against a book's corner.

Here he came.

That idiot had finally realized he should come looking for me!

Her heart suddenly felt a little lighter, but when she turned around, she still held her chin at just the right angle.

"What is it, stupid Potter?"

Harry hesitated.

"Are you still angry with me?"

The girl froze. So he thought I was angry?

"No, I'm not!"

Harry let out a small breath of relief.

"That's good, then."

Draco: "..."

That's good, then? Why aren't you asking anything else?!

"I just noticed that you seem to have been avoiding me lately."

"Who's been avoiding you?!" The girl immediately sat up straight. "I've just been rather busy lately!"

Harry nodded.

"I see. Then I won't bother you."

As he spoke, he stepped half a pace back, giving her room to gather up her textbooks.

Draco stared at him, her whole body going rigid.

Wrong.

Completely wrong!

I only said I was busy, not that you should leave!

"Wait!"

Harry looked back. "What is it?"

The girl gripped the corner of her book. After struggling to get the words out for ages, she finally gritted her teeth and said:

"I've just been busy lately! I never said I wouldn't practice magic with you anymore!"

Harry paused, then smiled.

"So that's it. Then when will you be free, Miss Malfoy?"

Looking at his smile, Draco suddenly felt her heart skip a beat. She hurriedly gathered up her textbooks.

"Well..."

"That depends on my mood!"

"All right." Harry smiled and nodded. "Then I'll wait for you."

The girl froze for a moment.

It was clearly just a very ordinary remark, yet hearing it somehow made her a little happy.

So Potter still wanted to practice with me too.

She turned around, trying hard to make her steps look a little steadier.

"As long as you know!"

When she reached the door, she couldn't help reaching up to touch her burning ears.

That evening, Harry went alone to the Empty Classroom where they usually practiced.

The light of the Shield Charm spread out before him. He adjusted his wrist and tried again.

"Draco, what did you think of that-"

He suddenly stopped halfway through. Harry couldn't help shaking his head with a laugh.

Come to think of it...

What Christmas present could he give Miss Malfoy that would make her happy?

Meanwhile, in the Slytherin Common Room.

Draco hadn't turned a page in quite some time.

"Then I'll wait for you."

The girl raised her book a little higher, hiding the corners of her mouth.

Honestly, he made it sound as though I were very important.

"Miss." Goyle walked over. "Aren't you going to practice with Potter today?"

"No."

"Then does that mean we won't need to keep an eye on his schedule for you anymore?"

The book dropped at once.

"Who said I wasn't ever going again?!"

Goyle froze.

"I just don't feel like going today!"

"Oh."

"I might go tomorrow!"

"Oh."

"What's that look on your face?"

Goyle and Crabbe exchanged a glance. "Nothing, Miss!"

That night, when Draco returned to the Dormitory, a newly delivered letter from home was already lying on her desk.

The Malfoy family crest was stamped on the envelope.

"A letter from Dad?"

The girl's face immediately lit up with a smile, and she reached out to pick it up.

It began with the same familiar greetings. Her father praised her recent performance, reminded her to look after her health now that the weather was turning cold, and said that everything was well at home.

Draco read it very carefully.

Until a name suddenly appeared on the paper.

Harry Potter.

Lucius said he had read the recent reports and also remembered her mentioning that Potter was very interested in studying spells.

There were several good volumes of spell notes at home. If suitable, he was willing to lend them to Potter to study.

But before that, he wanted to hear his daughter's opinion first.

The girl continued reading.

"My dear Draco, I believe you understand Mr. Potter better than we do."

"So I would like to hear your thoughts."

"What sort of boy do you think he really is?"

The Dormitory was very quiet. Draco held the letter and remained motionless for a long time.

That figure shining so brilliantly on his broomstick, those green eyes as he apologized in earnest, and today, that smiling "I'll wait for you."

One after another, they all came flooding back.

What sort of person was he really?

The girl opened her mouth, but another question sounded in her mind first.

Could I really...

She abruptly put down the letter and covered her cheeks with both hands.

"Dad...!"

Why did you have to ask me this question of all things?!