"Alana hurry up or else the train will leave and take you back!" someone shouted from outside my compartment, though with the jostling of everyone I couldn't pinpoint who it was. I placed down the daily prophet I had been reading and stood up quickly to grab my bag I had shoved a few travel things in and stepped out into the corridor of the Hogwarts Express. My last sight of the compartment was of Harry and Dumbledore staring up from the front page of the Prophet.

"You would think maybe we could do this by seniority." I mumbled quietly as a small student smashed my foot under his very heavy boot. Profanity galore escaped my lips, causing a small chuckle to be emitted behind me.

"You're going to scare the young ones early, aren't you Alana? That's a good plan that way you can keep them on their toes." Harry Potter laughed at me, but the kind of laugh that I couldn't help joining.

"Really Harry you shouldn't encourage her. She needs to be a role model." Hermione gave him a sharp look before giving me one with a kind smile attached. Fantastic, not even in school and Hermione has reprimanded me. I shook my head and reached to grab the books that I had dropped from pain, only to notice that all the students were giving us a wide radius, even with the small corridor.

"What the hell?" I turned back to the two, now three since Ron showed up carrying bags and his small owl.

"You haven't seen the Prophet?" Harry asked casting an angry glare at people, who surprisingly returned it. My mind clicked back to all the stories I had read, that Dumbledore and Harry were lying about Voldemort and that they were in fact trying to take over the Ministry.

"They can't believe that rubbish!" I shouted louder than I had intended, but it was solidifying the fact I was scaring the younger students. "We were there! We saw you come back holding Cedric's body! We all heard about fake Moody! What the hell more evidence do they need?!"

"They're making up stories because Harry won't say exactly what happened in the graveyard." Hermione cast him a look of hope and I realized that he hadn't even told them. Whatever it was had really scarred him and was slowly making him turn his back on his friends.

"We better get going the train is almost empty." Ron said suddenly to break the slight tension.

We all nodded and started off toward the platform. It looked like most of the first years were already gone when we came out, and there were only a few carriages left. Hogwarts loomed in the distance, an ever steadfast scene even with the world going down the toilet.

"I'm surprised they haven't locked you up yet Potter!" a cold voice shouted from behind us making my face heat up quickly. Up walked Draco Malfoy, with his body guards Crabbe and Goyle flanking either side of him. His blonde hair was hanging loosely to one side and his silver eyes were asserting power and taunting everyone at the same time. His walk screamed nothing but confidence as he strutted up beside us. He muttered something to Harry which got an alarming reaction out of the latter. A comment of Harry being nuts passed out of his mouth, his amazingly perfect mouth! I shook my head trying to banish that thought but of course it was embedded, just like every thought of him since that dance. He summoned Crabbe and Goyle to follow him and as he passed his eyes met mine, and I was lost in nothing but silver.

I was standing on the same platform four years ago, as the half giant Hagrid beckoned us to follow him toward the lake. It was chillier back then, and I tightened my cloak around myself before marching off after everyone. While everyone gazed up at the castle my eyes were watching my fellow classmates, assessing who could get me farther in life.

We came to the lake where small boats were waiting for us. I took my place in the front of one and waited for the movement to begin. I felt it rock again as someone sat behind me and I turned to see platinum blonde hair gelled back, away from an sharp and inquisitive face.

"Who are you?" he asked right away, causing me to blush slightly at his bluntness. This boy clearly was used to getting what he wanted when he wanted it.

"Alana." I stated simply, choosing not to spill my life story to a boy who was staring at me like some very rare bug. It annoyed me greatly and when he didn't offer his name I coughed quite loudly, catching him off guard and making annoyance the prominent emotion on his face. "You would be who?"

"I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." He stated proudly and I immediately recognized the family name as one of the oldest pure blood families. Well this explained the attitude to a tee.

"If you're sharing a boat with me you better not be a muggle born!" he exclaimed and I shot him a look before facing forward again.

"It just so happens that my mother is half blood and my father was pure blood before he died. But if I was a muggle born I would have thrown you out of this boat and let the giant squid deal with you. I hear it loves first years." I turned back to him just in time to see fear disappearing on his face and being replaced by arrogance.

"You have a temper. I bet you ten galleons that your in Slytherin with that attitude." and by his tone he wanted me in Slytherin so he could bully me around and break my temper.

"I'll take that bet!" I laughed back and as we shook on it the boats bumped up against the shore below the castle.

The day after that I made ten galleons.

Ron consoling Harry woke me from my flashback and I was shocked to see that Draco was only a few feet farther away. It seemed like I was in my head forever remembering the first time I met that jackass. My head turned on it's own toward the trio. If it wasn't for them I might have fallen sooner and harder for Draco. I might not be who I am today, God knew that Draco had a way of corrupting even the most innocent of those around him. I mentally thanked them before turning to the fading back of Malfoy.

"I'll go deal with him for you Harry." I spoke out before sprinting after the trio of boys. About halfway to reaching them I began the good 'ole insane shouting.

"Malfoy, come back here!"

"Malfoy don't you keep walking!"

"I know you can hear me Malfoy!"

"MALFOY!!!"

"HEY FERRET!"

I unfortunately didn't realize how close I was to him when I shouted that last one, and just my luck he chose then to turn around with all his strength and slam me by the neck against the gateway to the carriages. It was also in the stars that he had me hidden away enough from the views of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"What did you call me?" his usually pale face turned redder with every syllable he spoke. In spite of my predicament I smirked at his face.

"Still a little touchy on that subject huh? Would you like another small furry mammal? Maybe a gopher, or a squirrel? Although I would stick with ferret just for the sake that you and pug face Parkinson would have a great looking litter." His grip tightened on my wind pipe and sparkly dots started to form before my eyes.

"Malfoy the carriages are almost all gone. We should get going." Goyle murmured, clearly unsure of whether his priority should be the girl his boss was strangling, or the fact that pure bloods just don't walk up to the castle.

Thankfully Malfoy chose his status over his pride at the moment and reluctantly let go of my throat. He jerked his head for Crabbe and Goyle to follow before marching off. I stared after him before hearing Hermione once again trying to figure out what had happened to Harry in the graveyard. That was the life I was supposed to be living. Trying to get closer into that group and helping them forever fight off evil, and that evil included Draco Malfoy.

It was the life I was supposed to be living.

It wasn't the life I wanted.

Damn.