A/N: Hello! This is a story by one of my friends, so all credit goes to her (: This is copyrighted! Do NOT steal it please! I'll try update once every few days, or week, depending on how busy I am. It changes scene, and in the original edition wherever there's a line was where a part ended. © 2012
Luna
"Draco! Why, in Merlin's beard, are you talking to her?" The shrill voice of Pansy Parkinson came rolling across the common room of the Slytherin house. Nearly every pair of eyes turned to the two huddled in the corner.
Draco huffed and gave Pansy a look. "I'll be there in a second." He turned back around and gave the tiny girl in front of him an even bigger look. "Just, stay out of trouble." Was the last thing he whispered before leaving and joining his normal group.
Alice watched her half brother carefully. She admired him, and always had. They shared the same colour hair, though hers was nearly waist length and wavy. They also shared a father, and a last name, but not a mother. She remembered clear as day when Draco heard her name being called at the Sorting Ceremony. How he had stood up and walked right up to her, promptly after the hat had screamed Slytherin. How the hall had grown hushed as he practically drug her out the massive doors.
That was 4 years ago. The start of year 5 had been quiet so far. The tiny Slytherin girl adjusted her robes. Around Hogwarts she was called 'The nicest Slytherin' but in her house's common room she was considered the 'weakest' to ever be put in the house. This only coming from her great interest in basically everybody, whether they were from Gryffindor or Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, she loved them all as long as they were nice to her.
Sometimes Alice Malfoy wished she was in the same year as her brother, who was only a year ahead of her. Other times she thanked the stars. He was protective, though he tried not to show it, and often checked in on her.
Scooting from the chair she sat in, her shoes hitting the stone of the dungeons she moved quietly to the door and slipped out of it, sneaking off once again to go practice.
10 and ¾ inch, pear wood, unicorn hair core, slightly springy. Alice recalled every word that Ollivander had said to her about the wand that had chosen her. Fingers flexed around it carefully she stared at the tree that had been lucky enough to become her opponent.
The Forbidden Forest, was...well...it was Forbidden for those who didn't know. And as 'for' the rules as the little Malfoy girl was, she disliked the room of Requirements, which was oddly becoming more full these days, and so she snuck off into the trees every couple days to practice.
Raising the wand she quietly inhaled to calm her nerves, having heard tales of how many creatures lived within the endless trees. No matter how many times she came out here, it was always frightening.
"Lumos Maximus." The simple spell was cast and the tip of her wand lit up instantly, brightly, causing the leaves and scarce bushes to rustle. She knew she wasn't alone. Gathering twigs and clearing a space she pointed the wand at the pile. "Incendio" Flames erupted and she whispered 'Nox'.
Now comfortable the girl faced the tree again. Thinking of what to cast.
"Engorgio!" The tree's roots ripped the ground as its limbs branched out, breaking open trees that happened to be in its way. As the plant grew taller and taller, Alice laughed gently. Well at least that worked properly.
"Reducio." And everything was back to normal, minus the broken trees and ground.
"Do not tempt me to take points away from my own house, Miss Malfoy." The cool voice ripped through Alice's concentration.
She jumped, turning in place quickly, wand raised only to see Snape, the current Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, and head of Slytherin. Her hazel eyes widened into the size of oranges.
"How..I mean..I'm sorry Professor...I was just...I was just.." Stumbling to find the correct words she bowed her head lowering the wand slowly.
Snape stood there, silent for a long moment, his arms crossed as he towered over her. "I assume you know how to duel, Miss Malfoy?"
Alice nodded quickly, amazed when the professor pulled out his own wand and bowed his upper half. Was he really going to help her practice?
The duel with an actual professor, somebody who had years on her, was simply amazing. Exhilarated from the way the night had ended, with a stern 'goodnight', to be precise, from Snape, Alice quickly bound to her room in the dungeons, sitting on the edge of her bed.
Thinking about everything that had happened...she had actually disarmed the DADA teacher, and gotten half a smile! A laugh would have escaped her had it not been for Pansy strolling by and giving her a glare.
Perhaps one day she would be able to tell people about what she did, but now was obviously not the time to share.
"Measly Malfoy." The sickening nicknames made her look up quickly, seeing a group of 5th year Slytherins, just like herself, crowding at her bed. "How many times have we told you to leave Draco alone, he has bigger and better things to take care of." The leader of the group sneered. The girl was massive, thick, and her robes had to stretch to cover her whole body. Her name was Susan, and it was her job, in her mind, to lead the attacks on the younger Malfoy.
"I wasn't, he's my brother!" She answered with a firm sigh. They just laughed. She saw Susan move and was drawing her wand when the spell slammed into her, only having time to register the 'Petrificus Totalus' that had left the bully's mouth.
For the next hour she was frozen in place on the ground next to her bunk. And when it was all finally over she crawled under the covers, crying silently.
"I can't believe you duelled a professor and Snape at that." Tatiana snorted, adjusting the blue skirt she wore, dawning her house colours. The Ravenclaw looked insanely amused. "He could have killed you. Or worse, you could have been expelled." The saying had been going around quite a bit since Hermione Granger had said it a long while ago.
Alice laughed gently. "I highly doubt he would, it was fun. I learned a lot." She said simply, picking at the snacks they had brought with them to sit outside of Hogwarts, their lessons done for the day.
"Did you really duel Snape?" A new voice sounded, a male voice. Alice turned, as did Tati, to see the tall boy standing next to the blanket on which they sat.
A petrified nod came from the Slytherin, looking up at the 'king' of the 5th years. The Gryffindor named Daemon Darkwood stood before them, hands tucked in his pockets, soft brown hair threatening to grow half a centimetre more and cover his pale blue eyes. He was definitely 'The King'.
"Awesome." Daemon laughed. "I would have been scared out of my robes."
"Well she wasn't, she practically destroyed him." Tatiana perked up, only joking. Alice turned red and shot her best friend a look.
"Mind if I join you?" He questioned lightly. They both shook their heads so he sat down on the remainder of the blanket.
"If only we had a Hufflepuff..." Tatiana muttered under her breath, flicking a crumb off her lap.
"Yea, that would be something." Daemon chuckled and leaned back, placing his hands behind him. "They call you the nicest Slytherin." He said almost thoughtfully, tilting his head in Miss Malfoy's direction.
Flustered, Alice attempted to respond and eventually did with. "Yea, well, they call you The King."
At those very words, The King gave a grimace and rubbed his neck roughly, looking almost embarrassed but mostly annoyed.
"Yea, they do, don't they?" Daemon answered.
"I'm sorry!" Alice practically shouted, startling Tatiana so much the pumpkin juice she had in her hands spilt. "I didn't mean to offend you." As soon as she had mentioned his nickname she had regretted it.
Oddly enough, the Gryffindor chuckled once again. "It's not your fault. It's just, recently, the only people who don't call me King these days are the professors and my parents. I kinda wonder if anybody knows my actual name anymore."
"Don't tell me.." Tatiana perked up, still wiping pumpkin juice from her dainty hands. "..I know this, I promise." She gave an apologetic smile.
"It's Daemon Darkwood, that's your name." Alice said absent-mindedly, looking a bit more shy than normal.
A warm smile broke out on the Gryffindor's lips.
"Yea."
A/N: Well that's that chapter! Hoped you enjoyed it, please review!
Luna