My eyes open, and it feels like the worst beating my stepfather has ever given me. "Olivia? Mom?" I call. My eyes slip into focus and I jolt up in my bed. This isn't home!

I look at the foot of my pure white bed, and see a boy asleep in a chair. His dark hair covers most of his face, and my memories reappear. "Harry?" I ask.

He shakes the sleep away from his face. "Alex!" He says.

"Where am I?"

"The sickbay." He replies softly. "What did Draco do to you, Alex?" Him. Draco Malfoy. His face taunts my mind, and I shiver. I shake my head. I can't talk about him; he's just like Trenton. Just like him. "He was going to hurt you, wasn't he." Harry states. I nod.

"Mr. Potter, you need to go back to your dorm now. You've been 'ere for over a day," A woman walks in.

"Alex is awake, Madame Pomfrey." Harry tells the woman, blushing.

"Oh!" Madame Pomfrey comes bustling into the room. "'ow are you feeling, dear?"

"I'm fine," I lie. I look at Harry. "How long have you been here?"

Harry blushes again. I like his blush, it makes him look like an innocent child. Madame Pomfrey doesn't let him speak. "Since about 3 yesterday afternoon," She says. "It's about 7 now."

I throw Harry a taunting smile, but it hurts too much to keep up for long. "I better get going. I'll tell Hermione and Ron that you're awake, they might come visit you later." He says, straightening his wrinkled robes.

I choke out a goodbye, and Madame Pomfrey comes to sit by my bed. "I'll get you some chocolate, it's always good for 'ealing." She says, and gets up. She slices a wedge of the dark creamy cuisine and puts it next to my head. "'e likes you, 'arry does." She says, handing me a piece.

"I'm not very hungry," I tell her.

"Eat it anyway. It'll 'elp, dear." She says. I oblige and the choking taste slides down my throat. My stomach disagrees with me, but I keep the food down. "Get some rest, now." She leaves.

I fall back on my pillow, tired and achy. I'll be fine, why do people here care? The cuts are closed, I'm just fine. A soft tapping on the window next to my bed causes me to get up. Draco's face greets me. "Alex, I'm sorry," He says.

"Sorry?! I'm in a hospital and you're 'sorry'. Draco, for all I know, you were going to rape me. Now go!" I hiss.

"Forgive me, please." He persists.

I'm in too much pain to argue. "Fine, now leave."

"Thank you!" He says, and pecks me on the cheek before leaving. I plop back on my bed and ponder. If I hate him so much, why is there such a pleasant feeling where he kissed me? Again, a noise comes from my window. I groan.

"Open up, sunshine." Ron's voice says. I indulge him and open my window. He crawls in, broom in hand. "Hello,"

"Why are you here?"

"Someone's a little cross." Ron teases.

"Someone's a little annoying." I snap.

"Sorry to barge in, Alex."

"S'okay."

"Good, because I have a question to ask."

"Shoot."

"Well, two, actually."

"Let's go, Ron."

"Okay, okay. WhywasDracoinhereandwillyougooutwithme?" He says, almost too fast for me to catch it. He blushes and looks at the floor as I smile.

"That's so sweet," I tell him. I don't really like him in that way, but Harry wasn't going to ask me out anytime soon, and Ron was cute. "Of course I will." I kiss him on the cheek.

He perks up. "Really?"

"Yes," I say. "Now, can I go to bed?"

"Sure, sorry!" Ron says happily. He gets on his broomstick and flies out the window. I close the windowpane and draw the curtains, then sigh as I go to sleep.

Of course, the first thing I dream of is Harry.

** Harry's face grins down at me. "Miss Alexia," He says. I look around my surroundings. I'm outside an exquisite home, and a white limo waits. "Would you accompany me to dinner?" The same playful gleam emanates from his eyes.

I smile. "Harry, you are such a doll."

He grins again. "Does that mean yes?"

"Yes," I laugh. He takes my hand and leads me to the limo. "This, for dinner?" I cock my eyebrow.

"Only the best for you,"

"You are such a doll."

"As you've said before." Harry says, opening the door. I slip inside the white-leather seats.

"Isn't this a muggle thing?"

"Sometimes," Harry admits. When the limousine starts to fly above the ground, I know Harry went to a lot of trouble.

Soon, we're in the clouds. "Oh, Harry, it's so beautiful out here," I sigh and lean into him.

"I—" **

"Alex?" Hermione's soft voice awakens me. I'm cross at her ruining my dreams, but then remember that I'm supposed to be going out with Ron.

"Yeah. Morning, Hermione." I say groggily.

"No, afternoon." She smiles and sits at the side of my bed. "Madame Pomfrey is letting you out today, and then you'll have to have a private sorting ceremony."

"Mmm." I say, barely coherent enough for speech.

"I brought you some clothes and things, and some books. Maybe we'll be in the same classes." Hermione says, trying to start a conversation.

"Mmm." I say again.

"Ron told me you two were going out. I think that's wonderful," Hermione persists.

"Mmm." I repeat. 'You only think it's wonderful because Harry's still open.' I think.

"Well, I'd better be going. I'll put your things on your bed. Feel better," She leaves. I fall against the softness of my pillows. I better get dressed. I get myself up, and notice the ache is almost all gone. I slip on the soft cotton of the summer-dress Hermione brought for me, and slip on my school robes over it.

"Miss Starre?" Madame Pomfrey comes in. "Aye, you're up. That boy came again last night, 'arry. 'e seemed upset."

"Oh?" I wonder… "What was he doing here?"

"He just held you in his arms for a while, then left. I'm really not supposed to notice these things, but 'arry's such a sweet boy."

"Oh," I say. Was Harry jealous? I'd have to find out.

"So, get your stuff together, dear. Dumbledore is waitin' for you." Madame Pomfrey gathers the meek possessions I have in the infirmary and puts them in a little satchel. "There you go, now off." She says. I have no regrets about leaving, and try to hurry, in fact. But once I step out of the little hospice, I find myself in a twisted hallway.

"Fuck," I say, realizing I have no clue as to where to go.

"Hey," A deep voice says. "Madame said you'd be getting out about now."

"Hey, Ron!" I say, happy to see a kind face. I hug him and he blushes.

"Harry and Hermione were so worried about you when Draco got to you. Harry sent him to the hospital, too, but he only had a broken nose." Ron says. I giggle, like the flirt I am.

"So, I hear old headmaster wants to see me," I say.

"Yeah, for your sorting. We all want you to get into Gryffindor, and I think you probably will. It would suck if you got into Slytherin."

"Yeah," I say, still not sure of the houses.

"You don't seem sly, so I doubt Slytherin is you. Let's go, though." Ron says. We walk up a few flights of stairs, and a quill hits me on the head.

"Looks like ickle Ronniekins got himself a girlfriend," A taunting voice echoes.

"Peeves, go find someone else to annoy." Ron says crossly.

"Trying to defend your honor? Oh, wait, you don't have any," The voice says.

"I'll tell Professor McGonagall on you, Peeves. Beat it."

"Fine, I will…" Peeves says, but not before hitting us both with a deluge of quills.

"Well. That was interesting," I laugh.

"There's Peeves for you. Classic poltergeist, though possibly more annoying then some."

"Ah." I say, at a loss for words.

"Here's Dumbledore's office. I'll wait for you out here." Ron says. He pecks me on the cheek, and I get flushed. I know I don't like him in that way, though, and I hate that I'll have to break his heart eventually.

"Miss Starre, what a pleasure to meet you," A booming voice says from a door in the stone.

"Hello, Headmaster." Ron says, a smile on his face.

"Hello, Mr. Weasley." An old man with a long silver beard—almost to his waist, I note—smiles.

"Alexia, would you please follow me?"

"Alexia?" Ron teases, an eyebrow cocked. I stick my tongue out at him and follow the old man into his office. A ripped old hat in the corner stirs.