At midnight, Jade sneaked out of the Hufflepuff dormitory, her heavy cloak shrouding her. Her hood was up, shading her face. She looked, for all to see, like a wraith, her ethereal, strange golden eyes glinting out of the darkness. She did not have any shoes that were particularly stealthy, so she clunked down the hall in her sneakers. A loud wraith, apparently.

Her breath caught in her throat as the caretaker's cat stepped past. If she were to get caught...the Astronomy Tower was ahead. Jade lifted her cloak around her toes and ascended the stairs carefully.

The Astronomy Tower was quiet and dark. She held her wand aloft and illuminated it, staring for anyone. There was nothing, just shadows-

"BOO!"

Jade leaped a mile and whirled on Draco, who was grinning at her from by the telescopes. "I'm going to get you for that," she promised, laughing and shoving him.

"Yeah, good luck with that." He rolled his gray eyes at her.

Jade, Draco thought, looked fascinating. Her golden eyes crackled when she smiled, like liquid fire. Her hood covered her face in shadow, and nothing but her xanthous eyes and her toothy grin were visible. When she removed her cloak, her curls flowed over her shoulders. She tossed her head and wiggled her eyebrows comically.

Jade stretched her arms over her head. Why was she here, anyway? What had Draco wanted that was oh so important and couldn't be told to her in the light of day, where they couldn't get caught by anyone and get detention for being out of bed.

"Will whatever you wanted to tell me so badly make me feel a little less annoyed with life?" Jade pressed a hand to her nose. Madame Pomfrey had managed to return it to its normal size and texture, but it was still mildly purple on the tip. "Because my day was pretty terrible."

He laughed and patted her shoulder. "I think so. Jade, look through the telescope."

She obliged. There was a pattern of stars she'd never seen before, far away. She squinted, turning the knob on her telescope until they were brought into focus. They were words.

"Would...you...potentially...mind going to...the Yule Ball with me?" Jade finished in a whisper, turning to Draco. "What?...oh."

He took her hand. "Would you mind?"

Jade smiled, the stars turning her eyes a silver-gold and speckled with blue-white light. "I wouldn't mind at all. Just- just for fun, as friends. I'd rather have a friend than a boyfriend."

Impulsively, unthinking, her reckless nature getting the better of her, she kissed him quickly and then ran down the turret stairs and down to her dormitory, not caring how much noise she made.