Chapter 1: A New Beauty

Halfway through the start of term feast Draco decided to study his table, he looked out for first years that looked like they could be scared easily – they would become his new targets. He could see the newly sorted first years examining the enchanted ceiling, squealing at the fact that it replicated a night sky. Draco smirked, in about two weeks they wouldn't even take the smallest of glances at the ceiling; they'd get sick of it.

About a quarter into his inspection, he noticed a familiar looking girl sitting a few feet away from him. With striking sapphire blue eyes and thick, long chocolate brown wavy hair, she resembled beauty beyond compatibility. But for the life of him, he couldn't recognize her. He turned to his friend Pansy Parkinson, and nudged her. She whipped her head around and her jet black hair slapped her in the face, but she didn't notice; she seemed happy Draco wanted her attention.

"Who's that girl down there?" he pointed towards the beauty

"Which one?" Pansy looked in the direction he pointed, but obviously couldn't find the girl he attempted to point out

"The one who just laughed" he noticed, her pearly white teeth showing off a smile that made even Draco jealous

"Oh," Pansy looked a tad crestfallen, she had noticed Draco's interest in the mystery girl, "that's Aimee Hallicraft, she's in our year"

Draco recognized her at once, but she wasn't the girl he remembered from the previous year. Before the summer holidays she was a scrawny, brace face, acne covered girl – but now she had the makings of an athletic body, great smile and the clearest skin at the table. Draco almost couldn't believe the transformation; she had blossomed into a gorgeous 16 year old.

"Are you sure? She doesn't look like she did-" But Pansy cut him off

"That's because over the summer she went to live at her uncles, from her fathers side," she added at Draco's quizzical look, he had known she lived her aunt after her parents death, "Her uncle lives in the country – its obviously done her a lot of good – the braces are off too." She explained grudgingly, she wanted Draco's attention on her, not some girl who used to be uglier than a pile of bat dropping surrounded by wire. It wasn't easy to catch Draco's attention using good looks, but this girl wasn't even trying.

She turned to glance in his direction, her face even more beautiful in full view – he was glad she was in Slytherin, an easy snog whenever he wished – he'd make his move after the feast. Throughout the rest of the feast, Draco observed Aimee, how she ate, what she ate, he'd even laughed when she got into a miniature food fight with one of her friends. When she reached for pudding to dump on another unsuspecting Slytherin friend, Draco winced when he saw several, painful looking scars across the top of her right hand.

Draco decided to wait until everyone had settled into their dormitory rooms before attempting to gain Aimee's attention. He had waited a couple hours in one of armchairs in the dark, dungeon common room – she'd have to come out sooner or later. And evidently she had, obviously seeming as if she had just come out of a shower, her wet hair dripping as she slowly pranced to the couch nearest to the burning fire, the green light emanating from the lake and engulfing her face in its light. He stood up, ran his hand across his head and walked across the room, yet he didn't make it very far when a perfectly manicured hand came out of nowhere – he'd realized who it belonged to at once.

"There's an empty corner right behind you." purred Pansy

"Get off Pansy, I don't have time for your games." He said as he pushed her off of him, a bit too aggressively than he meant to.

"But-"

"No!" Draco, looked around carefully, a few heads had turned to face him and Pansy, who inconveniently happened to be right in the centre of the room. He looked up to where Aimee was sitting; she was completely engrossed in her book, oblivious of what was happening behind her.

"Later" he stage whispered, he continued his walk when he was sure all the heads had turned back. Slowly he came up behind her and leaned in so he was right next to her ear.

"Hey str-" but she reacted before he could finish and he very quickly found himself being poked in the neck with a wand. He eyes were wide in anticipation, as if she was waiting for him to attack, but she realized he wouldn't.

"Oh, it's only you Draco," she said in a calm voice, as if she hadn't just partly attacked him, "what do you want?"

"Just wanted to talk to you," he smiled slyly, slipping his left leg over the top of the couch and sliding with ease over the side, placing him directly next to her, "how was your summer?"

"Fine." She answered absentmindedly, turning a page of her book. Draco, once again noticed her scars.

"Heard you spent it with your uncle in the country" he leaned in

"Yup"

He heard a snigger from behind, he raised his head to see Pansy watching. He sent her an angry look and she quickly turned away. This girl was starting to annoy him, most girls would be vying for his attention, eternally grateful he'd even talk to them – she didn't look like she gave a dragons droppings. He took her right hand,

"What happened? Get attacked by Pansy's wild animal?" he was referring to his friend's cat, which, he gathered by her gasp, he knew would insult her. Aimee looked at him with terrified eyes, for a split second he thought he'd seen anger flash through her eyes, she jerked her hand away and stood up – abruptly losing the page in her book.

"Leave me alone Malfoy, it's obvious I don't want to talk to you" she a furious exhale of breath, turned on her heel and ran up the stone stairs towards the girls dormitory.

"Did I forget to mention she hates you?" Draco loathed hearing Pansy's voice at the sudden moment

"Pansy, why don't you find one of your minions to annoy, because I won't be one of them." Draco also stood up, quickly; he'd almost knocked Pansy in the face and stormed up the steps towards the boys' dorm. A girl had never rejected him – ever. He was annoyed and a little bit confused too. He tried to think of why she would hate him. He'd never said anything unkind to her during their school years; then again he didn't really pay attention to her at all during their school years, tonight being the exception. "Oh well," he thought to himself, "there's always tomorrow." And he'd promised himself that he'd find out why she had hated him so, and why this beauty was so blemished.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Aimee slammed the door behind her, she took a large furious step into the dorm room decorated with silver and emerald green curtains, silver colored beds with green bedding and screamed inwardly. She scanned the room one more time before throwing her book across the room in a fit of rage. She was glad nobody was in the room, she'd never let anybody see her breakdown like this. Not that she was upset; she was just angry – so angry.

"How dare he?!" she screamed, "I hate him! I hate him!"

She stomped over to where the book had landed, the cover half ripped off. She hastily took her wand out of her pocket and muttered "Reparo" and it quickly mended itself.

Just then the door slowly creaked open; she turned around quickly, wand pointing at the door. She could see jet black hair poking through from behind the door. At once she realized it was Pansy. She quickly threw her wand on her bed and made herself look busy before Pansy could see her. As soon as she sat down on her bed with her book, Pansy faced her and with a knowing smile said;

"What's wrong? Why were you screaming?"

Aimee looked up, she would not give Pansy the satisfaction of telling her why she was angry, or that she was angry at all.

"Sod off Pansy"

"Oh, getting feisty this year are we? Didn't like the crying in the corner idea you've been using the past five years?"

This girl really didn't know how to stop did she?

"Pansy, we may be at school but don't think for a moment I care about getting into trouble for jinxing you – sod off" Aimee had said this slower than she meant to, but Pansy had already taken offence.

"Don't talk to me like I'm stupid," she snapped, adding "Hallicraft"

Aimee just ignored her, there were so many things she could say to Pansy right now, but she decided she didn't need the drama this early into the school year. Pansy took this as her queue to leave, so she gathered her things and headed to the showers.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next day, Draco heaved his books and utensils down to the potions lab. He wasn't surprised when he didn't see Crabbe & Goyle. He was delighted at the fact; however that Aimee had succeeded in being accepted into the N.E.W.T Potions class. He smiled to himself, she had to sit next to him, she couldn't escape, for this morning she seated herself as far away from him as possible and avoided his eyes all through breakfast.

When instructed to create Draught of Living Death by the new Potions Master, Slughorn, Draco watched as Aimee set off to work. She was always intelligent, the only student in their year that gave the Granger girl a run for her money. She got through her work quickly, waving her wand over the cauldron, muttering things under her breath. When she added a new ingredient halfway through the lesson however, she just barely escaped injury, for her cauldron had exploded; sending hot potion all over the desk, causing her to swear loudly.

"Miss Hallicraft! That is appalling behavior, swearing so freely!" exclaimed Slughorn; he hesitated before adding, "5 points from Slytherin, for such obscene language."

Draco smirked when he heard Aimee muttering something along the lines of "I'll show you obscene language", whilst cleaning up her mess, fuming over the fact she had to start over with half the time she had from the beginning. At the end of the lesson, Draco was angered by the fact that Potter, of all people, had finished his potion, perfectly. Even though he didn't want to admit it, he'd thought that at least Mudblood Granger would have been in Potters position, of all people.

Upon leaving the classroom, he saw Aimee pat the Potter boy on the back and say Good Job. Anger swelled up inside of him. Good job? Good job?! Of all people, she was saying that to a Gryffindor, who she was meant to hate. And then it dawned upon him, Aimee had always been nice to the Gryffindors, the only Slytherin to do so. He started walking out into the corridor. His curiosity got the better of him, he needed to know why. He caught a glimpse of her bouncy hair in front of him, and he jogged to catch up to her.

"Hey," he said breathlessly, "hey!" he'd repeated when she simply rolled her eyes and turned around a corner.

"What?" she turned around to face him, he could tell by her eyes, she did not want to talk to him

"Why are you so friendly with, er, Potty back there?" he asked

She narrowed her eyes

"I don't like it when you call him that" her body language threatened that she was about to turn around and leave him.

"Sorry then, Potter"

"He has a first name you know" she was getting agitated

"I was never fond of first names," he sneered, "Hallicraft" he'd added for good measure. She raised an eyebrow;

"Is there something you want, or do you enjoy wasting my time?"

"Why do you like Gryffindors so much?"

Her face twitched, and she became defensive almost instantly

"It's not in your business to know everything Draco! Or is your nose just as big as Snapes?"

She turned around, but he took her wrist before she could leave. He knew he had to get on her good side; he was making a pretty bad impression.

"Has anyone ever told you tha-" but he ended up finishing his sentence with a howl of pain as she stamped on his foot with her own, and vanished before he had time to realize she had been the one to hurt him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Once again, Draco Malfoy had managed to raise hatred inside Aimee. That pompous prick thought he could get anything he wanted, whenever he wanted. He didn't care where it came from or how, he just wanted it.

Well she wouldn't give him the satisfaction, she refused to communicate with him and she could tell he hated it. She on the other hand, found it amusing. But she still wondered, why now? Why all the sudden attention now? After five years? Not that she minded that much; he was the most sought after boy in the school, even some Gryffindor girls fancied him. Even though he was an arrogant git. She absent-mindedly scratched her right hand, but straight away pulled her hand away the moment her long nails came into contact with her scars. They were more painful than they were when they were fresh.

She remembered how her uncle fought for her when he came to take her away with him to the country. How she loved him, the only person in her family she truly loved. She quickly shut out the memories. She didn't want to re-visit them, for they were painful. Instead she wanted to ignore her pain, continue to learn, to have fun. She looked up and was delighted to see messy black hair, she quickened her pace to catch up, once she did she announced;

"Guess who!"

Harry turned around, he smiled when he saw who it was, his green eyes sparkled.

"Hey Aimee, off to Defense Against The Dark Arts?"

"Of course" she smiled, unlike Draco; Harry was not cold, arrogant or rude – unless he needed to be.

"What do you think Snapes gonna teach us? How to not wash hair, probably…"

Aimee chuckled; she did not mind his harmless teasing of her Head of House,

"I think that Professor Snape might be teaching us how to cast spells without talking," she smiled towards Harry, "without yelling them nonetheless."

They both laughed, Harry always had a habit of shouting or yelling spells in DADA.

They turned the corner and walked together to their classroom. Draco stood near the doorway, about to walk in. Aimee smirked, just as she and Harry pushed past Draco and into the classroom.