It was time. I looked at my bed and something made me think that it would be the last time I would see it. 'Don't be stupid.' I muttered at myself. 'It's not like they will kill you or something.' My dorm mates didn't ask any questions. I often made little walks before I went to bed, not because I liked walking, but because I was slightly claustrophobic and the dormitory closed in on me after a while. However this time I would give my life to be able to just stay there. I noticed Astoria giving me a sympathetic look when I left. Maybe she knew about the meeting. Her sister Daphne was part of the Royal Slytherins, so it was possible.

Slowly I walked through the dungeon. Snape's laboratory came closer far too fast and I felt myself slowing down my own pas, not eager in arriving yet. However I couldn't afford in coming late, so I was forced to run the last few corridors. Hasty I knocked on the door. It was silent for a few seconds and I was already hoping that they all forgot the meeting, when I heard a voice yell; 'Come in!' Hesitantly I opened the door and stepped in.

I imagined that their meeting-room would have green banisters and a lot of silver and diamonds, but it hadn't. It was in all respects a normal classroom. Slytherins were lounging on chairs and on the top of the desks, watching her curiously. In the end of the classroom, Draco was sitting on a window-sill, in front of a not existing window. At his feet, Pansy was looking at him in adoration. It made me sick. The whole thing looked deceitfully nonchalant, but I could see some kind of organization. The people with the least important families sat in corners and how more important your family was, how closer you could sit toward the middle, towards Draco, who was unquestioningly the middle.

I looked at Draco, who was smirking. 'Aella Eurydice.' He said. 'Draco Malfoy.' I answered. 'You swear that things discussed in this meeting won't be told to people out side of this classroom?' I nodded. 'I swear.' All pureblood formalities, where I was raised with. It didn't bother me. 'Then take place.' For the first time I noticed a wooden chair only a few feet in front of me. I walked over to it and sat down. 'Do you want to say something before we begin?' He asked me and I shook my head. Even if I had, I don't think I could get myself to speak right now. 'Then we'll begin.'For an hour I think they just ignored me. They talked about other things, that didn't have anything to do with me. I recognized Potter's name a few times, but I tried to block it all out. I only looked at Draco. What was it with that boy. Why couldn't he just leave me alone, accepting the fact that I didn't want him to kiss me. Or shag me for that. Because, I thought, he is a Malfoy. He doesn't even know the word no. He won't take a word that he doesn't know for an answer.

Finally, after what looked like ages of anticipation, Draco turned towards me and grinned evily. 'And now you.' he said. I looked at me feet, taking the etiquette seriously. It was impolite to look the superior in the eyes. 'In what way should we punish you, I ask myself.' I swallowed, because I knew he already knew very well in what way he wanted to punish me. 'Let her do our homework for the rest of the year.' Marcus said. 'She's a sixth year you idiot, she isn't at our level yet.' Daphne told him. 'What about that we put her in a ban?' Gregory offered. 'It worked well with the last one. He left Hogwarts in the second week.' Some people nodded in approval, but Daphne stopped that one too. 'That's kind of harsh. We don't even know what she did yet. Do you care telling us Draco?' I looked up in surprise. Draco didn't tell them what happened? I looked at him in wonder, while he shot Daphne a piercing glare. Daphne looked back cooly and I admired her for that. He did look quite terrifying.

After a few moments of tense silence Draco opened his mouth and said; 'She disobeyed me.' People nodded as if that was enough. I looked back at my feet again. 'What about that we strip her naked and tie her to a pillar in the Entrance Hal?' Pansy said, waving her hands, like she was trying to wave away the tension that was still thick in the air. I felt my face grow hot with that humiliating scene. Around me I heard laughter and I knew that people liked this one best. Then Draco spoke. 'I have another plan, that has something to do with her being naked.'

I looked up in surprise again. 'What is it Draco?' Jeremy, the new boy from France, asked. I could only watch the terrifying smirk on Draco's face. I knew that whatever he said, it would be worse then everything that was said until now. 'Lets,-' Draco began, 'Let her be mine for this evening.' People around me gasped in shock, everyone but me. I felt myself growing angry, but I stared at my hands, that bald into fists. I couldn't yell at him. It would be the end of the family. Control, it was all about control. What's wrong with you Aella, I thought. Every time that prat is concerned you loose yourself. I heard Pansy shriek. 'What! Are you insane Draco! With her?' Draco answered in a bemused voice. 'She has good blood, I can do whatever I want.' Pansy couldn't argue with that, but I heard her mutter to herself. Others were laughing and congratulating Draco, with his fine plan, but I noticed some girls who were watching me sympathetically. After a few minutes the attention turned back to me. I was breathing heavily, trying hard to get it back under my control. 'Aella Eurydice stand straight!' I rose from my chair and looked up at him. In his eyes there was the knowledge of him knowing he won. Triumph. Victory.

'Aella Eurydice, I expect you to wait for me in the Common room. You won't go anywhere else.' He said. 'No.' I answered. He frowned. 'No I won't wait for you in the Common room and I will go someplace else.' Everyone looked at me in shock and Draco took a step forward. I quickly walked back, my eyes not leaving him. 'I'm a girl with good blood and I don't believe I did something wrong. Therefor I don't think I should get punished.' My back brushed the door and I opened it. Draco didn't go red, like people often go when they're angry, but very pale, with two red dots high on his cheeks. 'Don't you dare leaving, you filthy...' I didn't get to know what I was exactly because I stepped out and closed the door behind me. I ran towards the kitchen, but then changed my mind. Too many people knew that I liked to go there.

I ran up a few stairs and before I knew it I was standing in front of a painting. There was a women standing on it. She was quite fat and her pink dress clashed terribly with the golden frame. I was standing in front of the Gryffindor Common room. I made a decision, because I knew I needed someone to talk to, but in this situation I couldn't rely on my dorm mates. It would be cruel to ask them to turn their back on their families and stand in front of Draco.

'Eh?' I said. The Fat Lady looked at me with raised eyebrows. 'Can I come in?' I knew that that was the wrong approach, but said it anyway. 'Slytherins may not enter the Gryffindor Common Room.' The Fat Lady answered. I was about to think of a plan, to tempt her into letting me in anyway, but it wasn't necessary, because a voice behind me said; 'Aella?'

I yelled and spun around, but saw it were only Potter, Weasley and Granger. 'Are you okay?' Granger asked me. 'Yeah I'm fine, just a little jumpy.' I answered. Potter nodded and said. 'We went to the kitchens, because we hoped you would go there after your... Well meeting.' I grinned involuntary. 'I was planning to, but I decided that too many people knew I liked to go there.' Potter and Granger were grinning at me as some idiots, but Weasley stood a little to the side, glaring at me. I understood why.

Of the three, he was the most like me. They weren't raised in the wizard world, so they didn't know its rules. Weasley did. I was a Slytherin pureblood, so I must be like the rest of them. His family purposefully left the society and I knew that his parents saw my sort people as scum, just like we saw his. We weren't allowed to speak to each other. I ignored him. 'Do you want to talk about it?' Granger asked carefully. I nodded and followed them when they walked up the stairs. On the seventh floor they stopped and I almost bumped into Weasley. 'What the...?' Potter was walking up and down in the corridor. 'What are you doing Potter?' He ignored me but opened a door, that I swear wasn't there a moment ago. Behind the door there was cozy little room, with comfortable chairs and a blazing fire. I whistled.

'Is this your little Defeat-The-Dark-Lord Clubhouse? Because if it is, I want to join too!' They all ignored me and sat in a chair opposite from me and I took the last one. A few minutes it was silent. Weasley stubbornly looked in the fire. Granger watched me concerned and Potter didn't know where to look, his eyes shifting from me, to his friends, to the red and gold walls. 'So..' Granger began. 'What happened?' 'I can't tell you.' I said. 'What?' Weasley said, ripping his eyes loose from the fire. 'We came here to talk to you about something you can't talk about?' I sighed unhappily. 'I swore I wouldn't talk.' Weasley rose to his feet. 'Well then I don't see why we should still be here.'

Potter pushed him back in his chair and then said to me; 'You swore to them.. So? It's not like they'll ever find out.' I looked at him as if he was insane. 'That's not the point. I gave my word and won't break it. I don't expect you to understand. It's a Slytherin thing.' Potter frowned, but Granger hushed him before he could say more. 'Tell us what you can then.' she said. I nodded. 'They ignored me for at least an hour, before they got to me. They discussed other things first. I heard your name quite a few times Potter. Or aren't you Pothead?' Potter raised his eyebrows, but Granger motioned me to go on.

'Well then they discussed my punishment.' 'Your what?' The three of them said. 'My punishment.' I said impatiently. 'Punishment for what?' Potter said incredulously. 'Don't be daft Potter, for disobeying of course!' They still didn't looked like they understood and I said; 'I disobeyed Draco, heir of the most powerful family in Europe, so I should be punished.' 'No you shouldn't!' Granger yelled, her hands in front of her mouth. 'Oh yes I should.' I said. Were they insane? Of course I should. 'What kind of punishment will you get?' Potter asked. 'I can't tell you, but I said no anyway.' 'You said no?' 'Yes, I said no. It was the one punishment I wouldn't agree with, because I can sell my soul on my way doing it.' A hollow feeling spread in my chest. 'That's great!' Granger said. 'Yeah.' Potter said. 'You shouldn't just do what they tell you to.'

I nodded distracted. I felt like my heart was ripped into pieces. I felt ragged and pained. 'No it isn't good.' Weasley suddenly said. He looked at me curiously and I stared back. 'What? What do you mean Ron?' His name was Ron? I realized I didn't know Grangers name either and I wouldn't have known Potters either, if he wasn't so famous. 'It isn't good. I mean, it is good that she said no to that obnoxious prat, but she and her family will suffer from that word later.' I looked at him in surprise. Never thought of him as the understanding type. Potter and Granger both looked shocked and I couldn't handle it anymore, these ignorant people. I stood up, suddenly very tired and walked away. 'See you later I guess.' I murmured, while I walked out the door.

Without looking behind me I shambled of the stairs. I had to dive into an alcove once, for Mr. Filch, but it was an otherwise peaceful walk. The Common Room was empty. I looked at the clock above the dying fire and noted that it was already two in the morning. I was about to walk the stairs up to my dormitory, when someone behind me coughed. I was far to tired to be surprised anymore, so I looked over my shoulder dully. It was Draco. My stomach twitched scared.

He watched me with clear eyes. 'You're still mine this evening you know.' He stated. 'I know.' I said, leaning against the wall. He approached me until he was close enough to touch me. I hoped he wouldn't. 'Aella... The warrior as your name implies.' he said. 'You know?' I asked stupidly. People do not often know anything of mythology. It isn't given at Hogwarts, which I find is a shame. He rolled his eyes. 'Isn't that obvious?' he said. I felt my face warming up. I knew he saw it too. He took another step forward. I was again backed against the wall. He raised his hand and caressed my ink black hair. I swallowed loud. 'Don't make me slab you again.' I said, my voice hoarse . He smirked and moved closer. 'Do you want to get hit?' I said, finding my voice again. I was getting very annoyed with him. 'Seriously, I'm warning you and when you want to 'punish' me again, then know it was you're own fault, you crybaby!' He moved away and said; 'Really, what's wrong with you?' I ignored that question.

'I'll sit here in the Common Room, as your punishment said, but you won't touch me. I summoned a blanket and made myself comfortable on the couch. He sat next to me and watched me curiously, while I tried to get the fire to burn again. 'You know you're life will be a living Hell after tonight, don't you?' I shot him a worried look. 'Yes.' I said. 'I know.' He leaned back and said, before closing his eyes. 'Good.' For half an hour I just watched him, but then my eyes were so heavy that I couldn't hold them open anymore and I drifted to a peaceful, dreamless sleep.


Review please..