This chapter is true to the story's rating.

"Draco, leave me alone."

Adelinda was still storming away from him, her dress bunched into her hands at either side to avoid tripping over it; water dripped from her hair and soaked the top of her dress, and she knew that there was make up running down her cheeks.

"Adelinda."

His voice had a hint of urgency in it, but she still did not slow or turn to face him. She was angry and embarrassed, her feelings were hurt, and she was throwing all of that at him. It bothered her immensely that Draco had slept with Pansy years before, the girl who had hurt her, and though she knew she had no right to be angered by that, she was. "Adelinda!" This time it was a yell.

She stopped abruptly and Draco stopped just short of crashing into her. "What?" Her voice was sharp as she spun to face him, staring up at him defiantly. He had yet to see this side of her and wasn't sure how to proceed. She reminded him of his mother when she was furious with her father, but also knew she was being a bit ridiculous—she had never cared and continued being angry until her father found some way to calm her down.

"Are you okay?" Her make up was beginning to smudge around her eyes and her perfect curls had deflated beneath the weight of the water that had been thrown in her face, which was flushed with rage. Her arms shook and her hands gripped her dress so firmly that her knuckles had turned white; if she kept that up, she would ruin the fabric, the boy thought.

"Bene, Draco, just fine." She was shaking her head and turning to walk away again as she spoke. She began to move briskly up the stairs, lurching a bit as they began to move; she grabbed the rail and shot her companion a nasty look when he took her arm to steady her. He quickly let go. Once the stairway had settled back in place, Adelinda strut angrily down the corridor. He recognized her route. The last place she would want to go was the Slytherin common room, and the Room of Requirements had become a safe haven for her. She was muttering to herself in sharp Italian as they walked along.

"Adelinda, would you slow down for one bloody moment?" Draco snapped, frustrated with the girl. He understood that she was upset, but to take it out on him would do nothing. When she stopped and folded her arms over her chest, her back towards him, he couldn't help but smirk; it was something else he had seen his mother to his father many, many times. Headstrong women were all the same in their anger towards the men in their lives.

He put a hand on her elbow, prompting her to turn to face him. "Come here." She reluctantly turned and took a step towards him. He peeled her arms away from her chest, sliding his hands into hers. "That was quite a show in there."

She had kept her eyes focused on a portrait that was shouting things across the corridor, but the pride in her voice drew her attention to him. Before she could allow herself to soften and the anger to melt away she reminded herself that he had been involved with Pansy before and turned on her heel. "I'm going to the Room of Requirement." He sighed heavily and followed her there, walking rather quickly to keep up. He had known it wouldn't be so easy to assuage her terrible mood.

The corridors were totally void of people and the only sounds were those of the portraits egging Adelinda on and the clicking of her heels against the floors. When they reached the room, he grabbed her arm. "Allow me." He wasn't quite sure he wanted an enraged witch conjuring up a room for them; it would likely be a dungeon of sorts made to cater her every angry whim.

When the door appeared, he ushered her in. The room was lined with large windows that let in rays of moonlight, and it was warmly lit by the large fireplace and candles that were scattered across numerous tables. Before the fireplace was an oversized sofa that he lead her to. After making her sit, he knelt before her; it was reminiscent of the day they had promised each other to wait until after the ball to take their relationship further.

She was quiet, still trembling with anger, but she allowed him to cast a quick drying spell on her dress and hair; with a flick of his wand the scouring charm cleared her face of stray make up. "Care to tell me why you're so mad at me?" he prompted, pushing himself up.

Adelinda looked down for a moment. She was struggling to hold onto her anger as it was, but she knew the moment she let go of it, she would become upset. He turned her chin up to look her in the eye, but she kept her gaze downwards. "I don't like that you've had…relations with that girl," she told him, her voice quiet but dripping with venom.

"Adelinda, that was years ago, years before I even knew you," Draco pointed out, raising an eyebrow. She looked up at him and scowled when she saw his condescending expression.

"Well, she's a terrible person now and I'm quite sure that's how she's always been," she growled, yanking her chin from his hand.

"Yes, but I wasn't a great person either, and I can't change the past."

"I'm not asking you to."

"What is your anger going to accomplish, then?"

"You've made love to the woman who tormented me months ago, and seems to be beginning again, now that she knows of my involvement with you," Adelinda said, her voice rough. "That disgusts me."

"Well, Amaretto, I can't change that," he said angrily. His eyes were dark and his jaw set angrily, the muscle in his cheek twitching as he clenched his teeth. She was shocked by what she had said and realized she had hurt him. He hadn't addressed her by surname in quite awhile and it stung; she looked to him, eyebrows furrowed and anger faltering. "I've had nothing to do with her all year, and you are well aware of that. I've had naught to do with her since my last year in Hogwarts, as a matter of fact, and she disgusts me as much as she disgusts you, and apparently, as much as I disgust you."

"Draco…" she could hear the emotion in his voice and it pained her to know her words had caused it.

He had begun pushing himself to his feet. "Draco, I'm sorry," she told him, her voice breaking. She grabbed his hands, looking to him with wide eyes. Pulling him down to her, she wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him no choice but to kneel once again. "I didn't mean to say that. You don't disgust me. I'm…I don't know. I'm upset. That is no excuse for saying that to you, I know. Mi dispiace..." Her words were quick and a little desperate, and she buried her face into his neck as she felt him wrap his arms around her. He couldn't stay angry with her when her voice cracked as it had and he wanted to dispel the tears he knew were soon to come.

"I can't change that I was involved with her in the past, but for what it's worth, I wish I could," he murmured into her hair, moving his hand to run his fingers through it. He felt her nod and heard a little sniff come from her as she tightened her hold around him. "Adelinda, please don't cry."

She sniffleed again, blinking rapidly and burying her face further into his neck. "I can't help it," she whispered. "Tonight was ruined. I just wanted to have a good time with you. And she had to muss it up." When he took her by the shoulders and held her away from him, she tried to hide her tear-streaked face. He pulled her hands away and watched her bottom lip quiver.

"I had a wonderful time until Pansy stuck her nose in things; and you know, I'm a bit amazed at how you handled that," he told her with a grin. Her teary eyes flicked to his face. "And I think she was, too. I can't say I've ever heard anyone speak to her like that."

"Yes, well, I'm sure I'll pay for it later…" She rubbed at her face. There was a weight on her chest; her perfect night had been wrecked by Pansy Parkinson, and her first and only dance had had quite a poor ending.

"Not if she pays first, remember?" Draco smirked at her. He had especially enjoyed Adelinda's final words to the witch and completely understood her placement in Slytherin after the night's events. His face sobered a bit. "Would you really have burned her face?"

She looked down, her hands in her lap. She had mixed emotions on how she had nearly directed the steam of scalding water to Pansy's face; the girl certainly deserved it, but that was beneath her, and too similar to what had happened in her childhood. "Yes," Adelinda admitted quietly, looking away. She watched the flames in the fireplace dance and sway, the orange light reflected in her eyes.

He couldn't say that he was disappointed in her answer. It comforted him to know that Adelinda would stand up to Pansy and had the means to defend herself if need be, and he told her that. He kept it to himself that it had shocked and left him a bit uneasy to know she would so easily hurt the girl, though Merlin only knew he wasn't one to point fingers. "I shouldn't have done that," she said quickly, voice wavering. He was confused by her guilt; Pansy had seriously injured her months ago and would deserve anything the young witch threw at her.

"She hurt you," he told her, watching her closely. Her shoulders were hunched and her fingers had tangled into the satin of her dress again where they lay in her lap; she had begun worrying at her lip.

"I shouldn't have done it," she repeated, shaking her head. "I shouldn't have. What if I had hurt her?"

"She hurt you," he said again. "Adelinda, you shouldn't feel guilty. It's okay. You defended yourself."

"No!" he was taken aback when she raised her voice. "No, it's not okay." She was thinking about the way Pansy's skin had reddened and the way she had shrieked when the water had hit her chest, and it took her mind to the boys shrieking as their clothing was set ablaze by invisible forces, and the way those shrieks had quickly turned to screams as the fire touched skin. Her lip quivered again and her eyes filled with tears. "I could have hurt her."

"But you didn't," he said slowly.

"It doesn't matter," she said in a thick voice.

"Adelinda," he said gently. "It's over." He didn't know what was truly wrong, but he wanted her to enjoy the rest of their evening together; watching her cry was hurting him.

"I could have hurt her, I could have hurt her like I hurt the boys when I was little," she cried, turning her head down and staring at her hands as her fingers dug into her skirt. He grabbed her hands and pulled them from her skirt, but she only pulled them away and brought them to her face.

"Adelinda, what are you going on about?" he said firmly. She shook her head at him.

"I can't tell you," she whispered roughly, her shoulders shaking. Moonlight streaked across her face and when he peeled her hands from her face he could see the fear in her eyes.

"Yes, you can," he told her. "You can tell me."

She stared at him. Her eyes were wide and he did not fail to notice the way they flicked from his face to the fire behind him and back again. "Adelinda. Tell me."

Her eyebrows furrowed. He had a tight grip on her wrists to keep her from hiding her face again. "I killed him." Adelinda's voice was a coarse whisper. He was taken aback by her statement but schooled his features into an expression of indifference.

"Who? What are you talking about?"

"They hurt me. The boys in school. Muggle school, they thought I was strange, I did it to myself, davvero, they hurt me and I was little and I didn't know how to control my magic…" her words came out so quickly that he almost didn't understand them through her Italian accent.

"What happened?" he prompted gently.

Her head was bowed but her eyes turned up to look at him with haunted eyes. "They backed me into an alley way, and they didn't mean to do it but they hurt me, and—oh dio, the fire…" she bit her lip and the expression on her face was nearly enough to make him wish he had not asked. "I don't know what happened, I lost control, there was fire—I killed him. I killed him. I didn't mean to but I did, if I had just been normal—he was only twelve. And his parents, his little sister—"

He wasted no time in pulling her onto his lap as her body was wracked with sobs. He was the first person that she had told of this. Adelinda had her arms wrapped around his neck tightly and her face hidden in his chest as she cried. "It's over," Draco told her quietly, running his fingers through her hair, his arm wound securely around her. "It's over. You were young, it was an accident. You aren't the first that has done something like that and you won't be the last. Adelinda, it's over."

When she failed to calm herself, her breathing growing alarmingly erratic as she cried, he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back with just enough roughness to startle her out of her tears. She stared at him, her eyes red, but as he pushed his mouth against hers she kissed back with a ferocity he'd never felt from her before; her fingers tangled into his hair almost painfully, her arm around his neck, and he wrapped his arms around her waist. Their kiss felt like a fight for dominance and Draco's need for her burned in his stomach. He felt her yanking at the fabric of his dress robes before pushing them from his shoulders and followed suit with her dress, sliding it down to her waist and running his lips along her throat and shoulders. When he bit gently at her skin and heard the little noise that left her lips he pushed her to the floor, shrugging out of his robes before discarding her dress. Adelinda met his eyes with an expression hungry enough to match his, wearing nothing but black satin knickers. She pushed herself up to slide his undershirt over his head before pulling him down against her, kissing him and biting at his lip. She had been waiting for this for weeks.

Draco was shocked by her roughness with him, not so much by the way it helped make his pants all the more uncomfortable. As they kissed he slid her knickers down her legs and his own pants off, letting his lips move to her breasts. She gasped as his tongue flicked against her nipple and his fingers slipped into the wetness of her, gripping at his hair and shoulders.

"Draco," she whispered roughly, her face flushed with arousal. She pressed into his touches and felt his lips traveling down her stomach, and when she felt his tongue flit against the little bud of sensitivity that his fingers had been toying with before, she let out a moan. He gripped her thighs and took great pleasure in the noises he evoked from her and the way her legs tightened around him. "Draco." Adelinda repeated in a throaty whisper. Her fingers had tangled into his hair once again; she felt wonderfully helpless.

"Yes, love?" he said, looking up at her as he nuzzled his cheek against her thigh. The moonlight streaked across her face and body, illuminating her pale skin. He was struck by her beauty, her dark hair creating a lovely contrast against her shoulders and chest which was heaving in pleasure, her soft curves glowing beneath the candles. Her eyes were ablaze with a desperate need, lips parted and arms splayed above her head.

"Venire qui." Come here, she told him in a demanding voice.

He complied with her request, kneeling and pulling her hips to his, his lips now hovering over hers. "What do you want, Adelinda?" Draco asked her in a voice as heated as hers. He throbbed with his desire for the girl.

"You, voglio te," Adelinda told him, her arms wrapping around his neck; she could feel his hardness pressing against her and reached down to tug at the waist of his silk boxers, pushing them down; he grabbed her thighs and put her legs around his waist, feeling them tighten around him willingly.

"You're sure?" he murmured into her lips as he kissed her feverishly.

"Yes, please," she whispered back. Her arms fastened around his neck as she felt him push against her and as he entered her, there was a pinch of pain that subsided as quickly as it came; she cried out in pleasure and he kissed her desperately. It was slow at first, until she began to take a page from his book and kiss and bite at his throat; the cries and moans and the way she whispered his name into his ear spurred him on until he climaxed, falling against her, chest heaving.

He slid his arms around her, holding her tightly. She was breathing just as heavily as he was and she put her arms around him, nestling her face into his warm skin. He rolled so that she was lying on his chest. "Adelinda," Draco said quietly, hesitantly. Her eyebrows furrowed in concern as she looked up at him. Her eyes were bright and glossy, cheeks red, and he noted that he would have to do something about the marks he had left scattered across her neck and shoulders.

"What's wrong?" she asked him in a whisper, relaxed by the silence.

"Nothing, I…" he frowned. "I enjoyed that. I want to know that you did, too."

She relaxed visibly, smiling. "Of course I did," she told him softly, laying her head against his chest. He had nearly admitted that he was capable of love.


They had fallen asleep on the floor and both woke up the next day sore. Draco woke first and when he heard the light snores coming from the girl who lay atop him gave a quiet snort of amusement. He wrapped his arms around her and very slowly and carefully got to his feet, laying her on her couch. She stirred only to roll over and curl up; he smiled. The enchanted fire still burned, warming the room, though the candles had gone out; sunlight poured in through the windows. He peeked his head out the door of the room and after ensuring that no one was around, cast a quick summoning charm for clothing for the both of them; it was early enough and he was sure all of the students were hung over enough that no one would noticed a bundle of clothing zipping through the corridors. It hit his chest with a small thud and he grunted. He would need to work on that.

He dressed himself and laid her clothes by the couch before covering her with his dress robes from the night before, heading out to go by the kitchens. She woke while he was gone, rolling over and stretching; she winced at the soreness of her back and hips but pushed up anyway, pulling Draco's robes around herself and breathing in the scent of him before pushing herself slowly to her feet.

She frowned when she didn't see him, wondering where he could have gone; she had a moment of panic, thinking that perhaps Pansy had been right and he'd grown bored of her now that he had gotten what most men wanted. She held his dress robes tight around her body and breathed in his scent for a moment before telling herself that that was a ridiculous notion.

With a quick scouring charm, she had cleaned herself up, and saw the clothing beside the couch; she pulled the fresh knickers, denim, and pullover on, making a mental note to tell him to remember a bra next time he summoned clothing for her. With a flick of her wand she had put her hair into a messy bun atop her head and she gathered her dress, shoes, and jewelry, giving a heavy sigh as she inspected the wrinkles she had put in the satin by wringing it between her fingers in a fit of anxiety the next before.

"Don't worry, love, I can fix that for you." Adelinda jumped as Draco's loud voice filled the room, turning around. Her face was void of make up and he smiled.

"You know better than to scare me like that," she scolded lightly, but she was smiling as well. She eyed the tray of food he had levitating in front of him and he walked over, setting it on the floor before sitting and patting the carpet beside him.

"Sit, eat."

She took a seat beside him and leaned into him for a moment. When he tried to kiss her she frowned. "I haven't brushed my teeth," she said.

"Nor have I," he remarked and kissed her anyway. She smiled and they began to eat; she was famished.

"Adelinda…" Draco said slowly, and she tried not to giggle at his frightened expression as he asked her if they had remembered to perform a contraceptive charm.

"Draco, I performed one before the ball even begun." He gave a heavy sigh of relief that made her laugh.

They spent the day together, lounging in the Room of Requirements for awhile before returning to the common room so that Adelinda could retrieve a bra and put away her attire from the previous night, Draco doing the same; they went to lunch together, something many students skipped as a result of sleeping in or being hung-over, and she sat at the Slytherin table without event.

After lunch, as they sat in the common room together, Professor Slughorn entered the common room to retrieve Adelinda. "The Headmaster requires your presence in her office," he told her quietly. When Draco stood, he added, "Alone."

"Nonsenese," The Slytherin man told the professor. "I'm Head Boy; I'm sure this has to do with last night's events, which I happened to witness."

Slughorn reluctantly allowed him to come as well; when they entered McGonagall's office, Pansy and her parents were seated on one side of the desk. Adelinda and Draco were instructed to take a seat beside them, and Draco placed himself conveniently between the two girls, ignoring the way her parents were eyeing him in distaste. For the entirety of their childhoods, their parents had conspired to push the two together, hoping for a wedding and several pureblooded grandchildren one day. He knew what their opinion on him must be now that he was dating a Muggle-born and not their daughter.

"Ladies, I am very disappointed in the both of you," McGonagall began sternly. The way her eyes lingered on Pansy as she said this was not lost on Draco, and he knew that Adelinda would not be harshly punished. "Miss Parkinson, you especially; you were warned during the earlier events of the school year that if anything else were to happen with Miss Amaretto that you would lose your wand privileges."

Pansy shot forward in her seat and began to argue. "Silence. Last night's events have come to my attention, and all those involved and all those who witnessed it have informed me that it was you who started the altercation. Do you care to deny this?" The black-haired witch sunk down into her seat, arms folded tightly over her chest as she glowered at a portrait of an old Professor on the wall who was smirking at her. "I thought not. Please hand over your wand."

"Professor McGongall, perhaps you could consider that they are merely children," Mrs. Parkinson said in a soothing voice; Draco recognized it as one she often used to get her way. "My daughter was simply jealous of the young witch; she and Mr. Malfoy did used to date, you know."

"That is no excuse for her to use her magic against another student, and at such an inopportune time."

Mrs. Parkinson's polite demeanor began to melt away; her face was angry, and when she spoke again her voice took on the harsh, arrogant note Draco was used to. He was looking straight ahead but could see the looks the family was giving him from the corner of his eye. Adelinda was silent beside him, looking at her lap. "And what will you do to Ms. Amaretto? She hurt Pansy, you know."

"I've thought on that. I have seen the burns on Pansy, and agree that though in self-defense, that use of her magic was inexcusable." Adelinda looked up, frowning. "One she has returned from the holiday, she will serve two weeks detention and be required to write an essay on the proper use of magic."

"You will not take her wand as you have Pansy's?" the woman said, voice venomous.

"This is Miss Amaretto's first offense, Mrs. Parkinson," she said. "And it was self-defense. If anything else is to occur, her wand will be taken, but for now, I do believe that detention is an appropriate punishment."

"I'm going to speak to the Ministry about this." Both Draco and the headmaster knew that she wouldn't dare; her family was on shaky ground even years after the war had ended, and if the ministry heard of the attack earlier in the year, Draco had no doubt that Pansy would be seen in court for crimes against muggle-borns.

Pansy stood and slammed her wand onto the headmaster's desk; the elderly witch was not impressed by her antics or her temper. "Professor Slughorn, please escort the Parkinson family to the common room to collect Pansy's luggage, and then from the castle. I am dismissing Miss Parkinson from the school early." As the trio left the room, she met Mr. Parkinson's dark eyes and it took every ounce of strength she had not to look away.

Adelinda stayed seated with Draco. She was disappointed that she had detention, but she knew that it was the lightest punishment there was; she had gotten away with a slap on the wrist and had a feeling it had been done more to satisfy Pansy's parents and prevent further trouble. "Adelinda, I did not feel the need to contact your parents, as you were not hurt in this latest altercation, but you may think on telling them yourself," McGonagall told her sternly. "How are you faring?"

"I'm okay," she told her. "This is…well, this is the first thing that has happened since September."

The older witch nodded. "Well, it should comfort you to know that if anything else is to happen, Miss Parkinson will be expelled. I do expect you to serve your detentions, and I would like that essay upon your return to the castle. You are dismissed."

As the two Slytherins left the office hand in hand, she smiled. She liked Adelinda quite a bit, and she had a feeling that Draco had had something to do with her classmates not giving her trouble; the boy had changed quite a bit, and for the better.

Hope you all enjoyed! :) The story will probably begin to move at a bit of a faster pace now. Reviews are much appreciated and keep an author writing :)