t w e n t y - t h r e e

---

Hermione looked over at Draco with a smug grin as she cracked her knuckles. “Are you sure you want to do this?” She asked as she fixed her scarf and hat.  “I just don’t think you’re ready for this.”

“I was born for this.” Draco told her with a small scoff as he fixed his scarf, pushing it out of his way.

“Oh, let’s not get too cocky now. I’ve been doing this my whole life.” She said as she raised an eyebrow.

“I believe I’m the champion.” He retorted back.

“Okay, fine, I guess we’ll find out right now, then.” She said and smiled as she tugged on Draco’s scarf, pulling him towards the center of the field that was covered in a thick coat of white--snow. “Okay, let’s begin our snow fight.” She told him and smiled. “And remember no magic. Simply hands.”

“Okay, but just so you know I don’t throw like a girl so the snowballs will come at you hard and I have excellent aim—“ Draco suddenly got cut off as he got hit right in the face with a pile of snow and he hated to admit it but it did hurt a bit. The snow slid off his face with his mouth still open, mid-sentence.

“You were saying?” Hermione asked with a smirk. “I’ll have you know, I grew up with two boys my entire life. I know everything I need to know.” She said and smiled as she placed her hands on her hips.

“Oh, I bet Potter and Weasley threw like girls when they played with you.” He shrugged and raised an eyebrow. “They aren’t even worth the competition.”

“I’m not going easy on you.” She said, ignoring his remark.

“I’m glad we’re on the same boat, then.” He said as he threw a snowball at Hermione, hitting her in the face as well.

Hermione screamed and felt the snow slide off her face. “Alright, that’s it! I will absolutely pulverize you!” She yelled angrily as she started to pile up snow into her hands.

“Yeah, go right ahead—if you can.” He said with a complacent grin as he threw another one at her but to his dismay, she dodged it.

And so . . . their snow fight battle began.

---

Ginny stopped looking at the books and looked over at Blaise. “So . . . how much does the bitch know?” She asked curiously, leaning against the bookshelf lightly.”

“According to wart-head, Pansy knows everything about Granger and Draco. She knows that they’ve been together and absolutely inseparable this whole break. She knows that they’re practically dating.” Blaise informed Ginny as he stopped looking at his book. “Pansy knows what’s been happening in Hogwarts. She knows about the fight between Weaslette and Granger, Brown and Draco. She has some devoted spies.”

“Does she know anything at all about us?” Ginny asked, furrowing her eyebrows with worry.

Blaise looked over at Ginny and sighed as he nodded. “Not that I know of . . . all I know is that we have to be extra careful from now on.” He said as he looked around the library suspiciously and cautiously.

“Why are we hiding out in the library again?” She asked him once more as she looked around the empty place.

“Apparently, Pansy has another helper who always stays in the library. She - or he, I’m just assuming she’s a she, you know what I mean! Anyways, she always come here so that’s probably where the spy saw them together.” Blaise told her quietly as he continued to scan the place.

“Look for anyone suspicious, okay?” Blaise ordered and grabbed a random book off the bookshelf. “I’ll be in that corner, so you should go to the other side.” He told her quickly before walking off.

Ginny continued to stare at the place Blaise was just a second ago. “I guess I underestimated that girl . . .” She mumbled to herself and rolled her eyes with a sigh. She grabbed a random book off the shelf and quickly walked off to the other side. She sat down and opened the book, but kept her eyes around the place. Her eyes locked with Blaise’s and they both nodded at each other. She looked back at her book and sighed, running her fingers through her hair. Who was the one helping Pansy out other than wart-head?

---

Hermione screamed as Draco chased her around with four snowballs, two in each hand. “Draco, you aren’t seriously going to hit me with that, are you?”

“What’s stopping me?” Draco asked as he continued to chase her.

“Well, I’m a girl!”

“That hasn’t stopped me from hitting you before with the other snowballs!” He said, increasing in his speed.

“Well—ahh!” She screamed as she fell to ground with Draco on top of her. She immediately started to laugh with him as they looked at each other. Their soft, innocent laughter filled the crisp, winter air immediately warming it up. “You didn’t have to tackle me, you know that?” She asked as she breathed heavily, her chest rising up and down rapidly.

“I thought it was pretty necessary.” He said with a shrug as he smirked down at her. “You should really prepare yourself to get hit.” He said as he lifted the snowballs.

“Not yet.” Hermione said as she twirled them around in the snow, making sure she was on top of him. She smirked and looked down at him with her rosy cheeks. “You don’t like being tied down, huh?” She teased him and smiled.

“Awh, now that was not fair.”

She smiled and let out a content sigh. “Ah, I’m tired, why don’t we go in?” She suggested with a grin.

“Agreed.” He said and they smiled at each other for a while. He felt his sharp grey eyes lock with her gorgeous honey brown eyes. He knew immediately it was a mistake but found himself becoming another victim of her eyes before he had a chance to look away.